Gaelic Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Gaelic Language - Essay Example Gaelic is essentially a Scottish language and therefore it can be said that if this language meets its end in this country, it will be very hard to find its trace anywhere else in the rest of the world. The vow to save this language from the probable extinction in the future has been taken even by Prince Charles himself. (BBC, 2004) According to the recent most reports, the Gaelic language is spoken by less than 60,000 people all over the world. The day is not very far when the language will become totally extinct and it will be hard to find its existence outside some ancient texts and a few rare modern works. There are, however, many instances in the Scottish history when steps to protect the Gaelic language have been taken. One of those steps was seen during the 1860s when The Argyll Commission showed its interest in protecting the Celtic culture. Preserving the Gaelic language was one of the major parts of this project. (Paterson, 45) Despite the numerous projects to preserve this language, English has proved its power all over the world in the field of education, communication and transportation – everywhere. This has ultimately drawn a huge blow upon the development of Gaelic language, first stopping its growth and then by decreasing the number of people using the language. Going by European history one will be able to find the use of Celtic languages throughout the continent. English and French – these two languages came to the forefront with the unparalleled growth of these two countries, especially in the financial field. ... Numerous policies have been taken into consideration by the Scottish government in order to put life into this almost dying language and the ancient culture associated with it. Gaelic is essentially a Scottish language and therefore it can be said that if this language meets its end in this country, it will be very hard to find its trace anywhere else in the rest of the world. The vow to save this language from the probable extinction in the future has been taken even by Prince Charles himself. (BBC, 2004) According to the recent most reports, Gaelic language is spoken by less than 60,000 people all over the world. The day is not very far when the language will become totally extinct and it will be hard to find its existence outside some ancient texts and a few rare modern works. There are however, many instances in the Scottish history when steps to protect the Gaelic language have been taken. One of those steps was seen during the 1860s when The Argyll Commission showed its interest in protecting the Celtic culture. Preserving the Gaelic language was one of the major parts of this project. (Paterson, 45) Despite the numerous projects to preserve this lang uage, English has proved its power all over the world in the field of education, communication and transportation - everywhere. This has ultimately drawn a huge blow upon the development of Gaelic language, first stopping its growth and then by decreasing the number of people using the language. Going by European history one will be able to find the use of Celtic languages throughout the continent. English and French - these two languages came to the forefront with the unparalleled growth of these two countries, especially in the financial field. Many other Celtic languages, like Gaelic went down the

Sports Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sports Management - Assignment Example The article therefore, clearly defines the research scope by emphasizing the necessity of professional improvement strategies for sports managers like HR training. The literary analysis in Millar and Stevens’ (2012) article primarily revolves around the theoretical concepts of training transfer. This framework encompasses supporting concepts like the learning theory, individual performance, and overall organizational performance. The article also addresses factors that mediate training transfer including motivation to move, extant training design, as well as, organizational climate. This theoretical model clearly covers the most significant study areas in the research. For instance, theory on learning and its outcomes, which has its roots in psychology and sociology, provides insight into how individuals gain or build new ideas. The rest of the theoretical information also forms a crucial background on the factors capable of contributing towards or impeding sports managers’ learning ability and subsequent administrative proficiency. Unlike most quantitative studies, which simply have the research and null hypotheses, Millar and Stevens’ (2012) investigation has several, since it examines more than one mediating factor. For instance, H1 stipulates that managers’ learning heightens after training, while H2 asserts that learning level is highest immediately following training. H3 and H4 denote the positive correlation between individual performance and learning, while H5 and H6 draw a similar analogy between organization performance and training. Finally, H7 indicates that motivation to transfer, organizational climate, and training design mediate the link between management proficiency and individual performance. Though not explicitly outlined, the null hypothesis contravenes these research suggestions. The study adopted a quasi-experimental and longitudinal design, characterized by three measurement stages including

New Zealand Rail System SWOT

New Zealand Rail System SWOT Summary This task is based on entrepreneurship and innovation. In this task im getting to explain key functions internal setting, system structure and organization culture, external environment, pestle, government policy, common law, opportunities and SWOT by using the example of the given company thats kiwi train. Introduction The New Zealand rail system grew from separate beginnings made by individual provinces or entrepreneurs from the 1860s onwards. Colonial Treasurer and later Premier Sir Julius Vogel made rail a major plank in his programme to develop the colony in 1870. By 1880 New Zealand Railways (NZR) was operating more than 1,900 kilometres of track, and carrying almost 3 million passengers and 830,000 tonnes of freight a year. The first half of the twentieth century was a golden age for rail. In 2003, Toll Holdings Limited, an Australian-based transportation and logistics operator, acquired approximately 85 percent of the shares in Trans Rail. As a result of Tolls offer for shares in Trans Rail becoming unconditional, an agreement between Toll and the Crown was triggered, a key feature of which was the buy-back of track and associated infrastructure by the Crown. The Crown undertook to invest $200 million in improving rail infrastructure while Toll undertook to invest $100 million in new rolling stock. In September 2004, ownership and management of the network and its assets was vested in the existing Railway Corporation of New Zealand which adopted the trading name, Kiwi Rail Network (ONTRACK). Under the agreement, Toll retained exclusive rights to the network for freight purposes, subject to meeting minimum tonnage levels annually. Key terms: Creativity is the capacity to grow new thoughts and to discover new techniques for taking a gander at issues and openings. For Example:- they create different trains that have very high speed Innovation is the capacity to apply imaginative answers for those issues and openings keeping in mind the end goal to improve individuals lives or to advance society (tvnz, 2016). For Example:-Â   kivi train provide the gift cards Entrepreneurship is the consequence of a restrained, efficient procedure of applying inventiveness and development to requirements and openings in the commercial centre. Entrepreneurs are the individuals who wed their innovative thoughts with the deliberate activity and structure of a business. Specialists trust that business visionaries prevail by deduction and doing new things or old things in new ways. Internal environment: these are the minor factor into the companythat organizations internal environment is composed of the elements within the decisions about circumstances that occur frequently within their organization along with internal environment is composed of the elements within the organization, including current employees, management, and especially corporate culture, which defines employee behaviour (Cj0KEQiA8orFBRCEpODivaOft, 2016). Although some elements affect the organization as a whole, others affect only the manager. Strength Favourable circumstances of your association show improvement over any other individual Novel or most reduced cost assets would you be able to draw upon that others Individuals in your market see as your qualities get the deal Weakness Able to move forward It be advisable for you to maintain a strategic distance Individuals in your market prone to see as shortcomings Elements lose you deals Opportunities Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale. Changes in government policy related to your field. Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes, and so on. Local events. Threats would you be able to move would it be advisable for you to maintain a strategic distance Individuals in your market prone to see as shortcomings Elements lose you deals External environment External environment refers to the major factors and forces outside the organization that have the potential to significantly affect the performance of an organization with help of pestle (transport, 2016). Political: Political factors identifies with the weights and openings brought by political establishments and to what degree the administration strategies affect the business. Government arrangements Trading arrangements Funding, awards and activities Lobbying and weight bunches Internal political issues Legal: legislation factors identifies with the laws, control and enactment that will influence the way the business works. Current enactment Future enactment International enactment Regulatory bodies and procedures Employment law Structure: the staff of kiwi train is working according to the rules and regulations. They follow all the structure because they working under legalisation. Conclusion: The New Zealand rail system grew from separate beginnings made by individual provinces or entrepreneurs from the 1860s onwards. Colonial Treasurer and later Premier Sir Julius Vogel made rail a major plank in his programme to develop the colony in 1870. New Zealand which adopted the trading name, Kiwi Rail Network (ONTRACK). Under the agreement, Toll retained exclusive rights to the network for freight purposes, subject to meeting minimum tonnage levels annually. Reference: Cj0KEQiA8orFBRCEpODivaOft. (2016, 2). Retrieved from http://www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz/?gclid=Cj0KEQiA8orFBRCEpODivaOft_EBEiQAy3mlfSAhh5KDEGUJl2BEFsxTSPH6hjNn4gZ4p2ThsVhnxrgaAmOj8P8HAQ transport. (2016, 2). Retrieved from http://www.transport.govt.nz/rail/rail-in-new-zealand/ tvnz. (2016, 2). Retrieved from https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/overseas-climate-action-encouraging-kiwi-innovation

Social Dynamics and Differences in the I- function :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Humans have evolved to live a social life in groups. By arranging social life in different ways, cultures affect psychological processes. -Shinobu Kitayama, Japanese psychologist of Kyoto University Society can be divided into two social factions: collectivists and individualists. And within these large divisions are smaller groupings reflecting the whole, such that the Greek systems fraternities and sororities are collectivists and those uninterested, non- members are individualists. The division is not explicit, but rather a continuum of varying degrees of collectivisict and individualistic tendencies (11). A broad definition of collectivism is the tendency to identify self with an in- group, or chosen group of people with common values and beliefs (11). These close and personal relationships allow collectivists to identify better with others self concepts, rather than their own, which corresponds to the tendency to act in ways in which it is personally disadvantageous, but advanta geous to the group (5) Individualism is the tendency to identify self without regard for others perspective of themselves, but rather seeking our unique selves (11). Individualist behavior has a tendency to surround enhancing their unique self and behaving in ways that are advantageous to the self (11). Collectivist and Individualist factions are actually cultures, with their own set of values and beliefs that guide each groups behavior. Humans sense of self is derived from existing social relationships, such that self is influenced by culture and behavior is one of the ways it is manifested in peoples lives (7). To understand where behavior comes from- to understand why people behave the way they do- means learning about values and beliefs (10). The concept of personal identity differs greatly from culture to culture; from Greek organization to Greek organization there are different sets of values and beliefs accentuated (10). Eight main purposes of sororities and fraternities are as follows: sharing relationships, loyalty to the Alma Mater, provide social activities, provide service projects, intellectual vitality, an outlet for inter- college associations and friendships, guidance for moral and ethical growth, and to provide opportunities for leadership (2). Each fraternity or so rority decides how much emphasis to place on each pursuit, which identifies different cultures within a culture, the collectivists faction. An overall goal/theme of organizations within the Greek system revolve around the notion of learning and understanding how other peoples minds work (2). This exemplifies a collectivist tendency to understand others self better than ones own self (14).

Benefit of children and young people Essay

1.1 Multi-agency working is about different services working together to give each child the best possible support. It is an essential way of supporting children and families with additional needs and helping to secure real improvements in their life outcomes. Multi-agency working aims to support children and young people earlier to ensure they meet the five Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes. The five outcomes of ECM state that we need to be working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for children in our setting. These outcomes are:†¢ Be healthy†¢ Stay safe†¢ Enjoy and achieve†¢ Make a positive contribution †¢ Achieve economic well beingMulti-agency working brings together professionals from different sectors to provide an integrated way of working to support children, young people and families. It is a way of working that ensures children and young people who need additional support have exactly the right professionals needed to support them. 1.2 It is vital that outcomes for any child are shared on a need to know basis and all professionals understand the importance of confidentiality. Integrated working is where everyone involved in supporting children, young and families work together to improve the lives of children. It is achieved by planning and delivering services. Information sharing Information sharing is essential if we want different sectors and services to work well together to support children and young people. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and the Children Index both help with information sharing between practitioners but it is part of everyday work for most of us. Common Assessment Framework (CAF) The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a shared assessment and planning tool which is used across all local areas in England. It uses a consistent approach to assessing the needs and strengths of a child or young person, planning the support they need and coordinating that support if more than one organisation is involved. Team Around the Child The Team Around the Child is one way of describing a group of people working together to help an individual child or young person to achieve better outcomes. The Team Around the Child approach helps to emphasise the importance of regular cooperation and joint working. It is also about valuing the individual needs of each child and young person so they receive a tailored package of support from their team. Lead Professional If more than one service or team is working to support a child or young person, one practitioner should act as the ‘Lead Professional’. It is the role of the Lead Professional to co-ordinate different types of support and usually to be the key point of contact for the child and their family. Every multi-agency plan (such as a plan made through using the Common Assessment Framework) and every Team Around the Child should have a Lead Professional. Integrated working practices and multi-agency working provides benefits for children, young people and families because they receive the best support in the most effective way. The benefits of this include: Early identification and intervention Easier or quicker access to services or expertise Improved achievement in education and better engagement in education Better support for parents Children, young people and family’s needs addressed more appropriately Better quality services Reduced need for more specialist services. 1.3 Below is a list of some of these agencies and a description of their roles. Behavioural Support Service (BEST) – A behaviour support service is part of the LA and works in partnership with schools, within a framework of inclusion, to help them promote positive behaviour, and to provide effective support to pupils, parents and schools where behaviour may be a concern. Health care professionals, speech and language therapists and health visitors – They will be employed by the local primary health care trust and will support individual children and their families. The referral may have been made by a GP or awareness raised in the setting. They will work closely with the setting and family. Educational Psychologists – They will be employed by the LA and support children who may have specific learning or psychological needs. They may be referred by the setting. Advisers – There may be advisers for all aspects of early years ranging from parenting to local childcare options. They may work for agencies like job centre plus. Social workers – Employed by social services they may be attached to children’s centre or work independently. They may support children and their families to improve their quality of life, from housing needs to bereavements. Play specialists – May support children in hospitals or work with social services supporting children in difficult family situations. Representatives from voluntary organisations – These could be organisations such as NSPCC which will help when dealing with children who are threatening positions such as domestic violence. Physiotherapist – are employed by the local primary care trust and will support children with a specific physical need. A referral is required either from a health professional or a setting. OFSTED – Inspect provision of care in the setting. They ensure all of our staff are up to date on training, we are providing a healthy and safe environment for children and following the EYFS. Ofsted provide support and advice for staff and the setting itself. Police – In case of emergency the police will provide help and support. They will be contacted if a problem arose such as child missing, breaking an entry, suspicious persons and they may also be a point of contact if there is a suspected case of abuse or violence. 1.4 Unfortunately there will always be cases were we come across barriers when working with multi- agency working. A lot of the time there will be cases were not everyone will agree on the same things no matter how little or small the issue. Different sectors work in different ways, this does not make it the wrong way, just different. People may have been trained in a different role to which they may find it difficult to be managed by a person with different skills. Some people may not be used to sharing their knowledge with others. Its important that each profession respect one another and that they value there knowledge and expertise by doing this it will make better multi-agencies working together. Language barriers can also occur so if this is to happen we must always make sure we are all on the same path and fully understand each other. Even if it means getting a translator involved as it is so important we are sharing the correct information.Make sure they have clear aims, roles and responsibilities and timetables that have been agreed between the different agencies also that good communication and information sharing is carried out. 1.5 Within my setting it may become necessary to refer a child to another professional for additional support. For example if it has been noticed that a child is having issues which speech that they cant say many words and the ones that are said are not clear then the child would benefit from support from speech and language therapist then a referral is needed. The setting would follow the steps below to make the referral. First of speak with the parent about the issue and gain consent to make the referral. Next you would need to identify the service/agency who you want to refer to. Then you would need to contact the agency and discuss the situation before making the referral. We do this to make sure the agency can offer the most suitable service/support that is needed. Next follow the agency’s referral procedure completing all necessary paperwork and return by referral deadline if required. Always keep a copy of the referral. Follow up the referral and find out the decision. 1.6 When children move between local areas or services their assessments be transferred and used without the information having to be gathered again by the new area or service. When practitioners move their skills in using the CAF should also be transferable. There is currently no single national agency which is best placed to develop a framework which must have relevance across the full range of health, education, social care and other children’s services. The DFES proposes to take responsibility for leading work to develop the CAF. Common Assessment Framework In the Children Act 2004 and Every Child Matters it is outlined that the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a way ensuring early intervention for a child before they reach a crisis point. CAF is a shared assessment and planning framework in all areas of England and Northern Ireland to be used by all practitioners working in children’s services. The main aim of CAF is to make sure that a child’s additional need is identified early and to ensure that agencies work together to meet the additional needs of the child. Most children will not need a CAF. CAF is for children and young people with additional needs. These are children and young people who, according to the judgement of practitioners, require extra support to help them achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes: Being healthy Staying safe Enjoying and achieving Making a positive contribution Achieving economic well-being The CAF consist of four main parts A pre-assessment check-list to help decide who would benefit from a common assessment. A process to enable practitioners in the children and young people’s workforce to undertake a common assessment and then act on the result. A standard form to record the assessment. A delivery plan and review form. 2.1 There are different communication methods for different situations such as: Verbal communication Verbal communication uses words to present ideas, thoughts and feelings. Good verbal communication is the ability to both explain and present your ideas clearly through the spoken word, and to listen carefully to other people. This will involve using a variety of approaches and styles appropriate to the audience you are addressing like: †¢ Paraphrasing means repeating back something a person has just said in a different way to make sure you have understood the message. †¢ Closed questions are questions that can be answered with either a single word or short phrase, for example, ‘Do you like sprouts?’ could be answered, ‘No’ or, ‘No, I can’t stand them.’ Closed questions give facts, are easy and quick to answer and keep control of the conversation. †¢ Open questions are questions that give a longer answer, for example, ‘Why don’t you like sprouts?’ might be answered by, ‘I haven’t liked the taste or smell of them since I was made to eat them all the time when I was a child†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Open questions hand control of the conversation to the person you are speaking to. They ask the person to think and reflect, give opinions and feelings. †¢ Clarification means to make something clear and understandable. Summarising means to sum up what has been said in a short, clear way. Non-verbal communication This refers to the messages we send out to express ideas and opinions without talking. This might be through the use of body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, touch or contact, signs, symbols, pictures, objects and other visual aids. It is very important to be able to recognise what a person’s body language is saying, especially when as a health or social care worker you are dealing with someone who is in pain, worried or upset. You must also be able to understand the messages you send with your own body when working with other people. Written communication This is central to the work of any person providing a service in child care environment when keeping records and in writing reports. Different types of communication need different styles of writing but all require literacy skills. A more formal style of writing is needed when recording information about a patient. Practitioners need to be able to communicate well with the written word. This could be by writing something themselves, such as a letter to refer a service user to a different service, a record of a person’s condition and treatment or entitlement to a benefit, or a prescription. This means they need to be able to use different ways of presenting information, such as letters, memos, emails, reports or forms. They need to make their meaning absolutely clear and structure the information well and in an appropriate manner so that mistakes don’t happen. It is also necessary to use grammar, spelling and punctuation correctly and writing should also be legible so th at the person the information is intended for can actually read it. Sign language Sign language is a language which instead of using sounds uses visual signs. These are made up of the shapes, positions and movement of the hands, arms or body and facial expressions to express a speaker’s thoughts. Sign language is commonly used in communities which include the friends and families of deaf people as well as people who are deaf or hard of hearing themselves. Makaton Makaton is a method of communication using signs and symbols and is often used as a communication process for those with learning difficulties. It was first developed in the UK in the 1970s and is now used in over 40 countries around the world. Unlike BSL, Makaton uses speech as well as actions and symbols. It uses picture cards and ties in facial expressions with the word to make the word more easily recognised by those with learning difficulties. 2.2 Within my setting I make sure that I always have appropriate communication which is set for that specific situation. The use of appropriate communication methods depends on the person and what relation to the person. For example, if we communicate with children we should use a verbal method based on listening, and ask open questions. It is important to pay attention to our body language in all the circumstances. In the case of parents and colleagues we would use a more formal method. When we need to share information about a child it is best to do it face to face. We can use email, letter or telephone to inform about meetings or the child situation if it cannot be discussed face to face. We also use written communication when keeping a child’s record of development. This can all change when we communicate with children with special needs or disabilities. If we communicate with people who are deaf we need to use sign language or ask help to Signers, people who can communicate using a sign language, or interpreters, people who communicate a conversation, whether it be spoken or signed, to someone in a different language they will understand. This is not easy because they not only have to interpret the words or signs but also have to find a way of expressing the meaning of the words clearly. Or if we need to communicate with people witch English is their second language we may need translators, people who change recorded information, such as the written word, into another language. 2.3 Please find accident form attached at the back of this unit. 3.1 Within my setting I give my own contribution to the development and implementation of processes and procedures for recording, storing and sharing information. This can be using our accident and incident books/forms to helping complete a learning journey and planning with the children. I always make sure this information no matter how important that it be kept safe and locked in a secure room. 3.2 Within my setting I give my own contribution to the development and implementation of processes and procedures for recording, storing and sharing information. This can be using our accident and incident books/forms to helping complete a learning journey and planning with the children. I always make sure this information no matter how important that it be kept safe and locked in a secure room. 3.3 Where abuse of a child or young person is suspectedAll settings have a designated person to deal with all kinds of child protection issues. As a practitioner it is our duty to spot potential signs of abuse. If anyone has concerns that a child is being abused it is our job to disclose this information to the designated member of staff. If you feel that by doing this you feel that it may put the child at risk then you must confide and report this to a manager.By discussing this with the designated colleague it can give you a clearer picture by gaining advice on what to do next. We should never ignore possible signs of child abuse no matter how great or small. Our role is to make sure the children are safeguarded in and outside of the setting. Parents will have had a copy of the child protection policy which states that information regarding every child will be disclosed if it is deemed that any child is in significant harm or danger. This gives us the right to report any kind of abuse to the safeguarding board without the parents permission. It is important to follow the right steps whilst reporting a case of abuse or a suspected case, we need to gather the correct information. When it is suspected that a crime has been/may be committed. If you suspect or if a child approaches you and tells you that that their parent is possibly committing a crime or is committing a crime, depending on the crime that is being committed, depends on how we as practitioners would handle it.Crime can cover a wide range of things such as taking drugs, DVD piracy, benefit fraud, theft burglary, robbery or violence (GBH). It depends on how serious the crime is as to whether we break the trust between parent’s. Trust is essential between us because you need trust within a relationship with parents. Without the trust the child and their family is not going to be willing to share information. If a child is being hurt then it would be obvious that you have to break confidentiality to ensure that the child that you are looking after is not in any harm and is safe. If the crime that is suspected or being committed is DVD piracy then it is not going to be of significant harm to th e child in your care. Therefore there is no need to break the trust within the relationship. It is our job to make sure that the child is not in any significant harm and if they are not then we should stick to our confidentiality policy and procedure.If a child is committing a crime then it most certainly becomes a child protection issue. The crime can be shop lifting, theft, drugs or violence but one small crime can lead to another which can then lead to bigger crime being committed and a possibility of the child person being involved in a group or gang. This can introduce the child person to dangerous people. If the child’s parents are not aware of this then it is also possible the child maybe neglected.

Diet

Weight and eating right are constantly thrown at us today. Many diet and exercise plans claim to be based In scientific fact, that the findings have been completed In a lab under controlled circumstances to produce results. Some of these articles are titled â€Å"Weird Reasons We Gain Weight† and â€Å"The Psychology of a Restaurant Menu. † These articles are everywhere on the Internet, and make various claims behind the science of eating, food and things it can do to our bodies.I will examine the popular science behind the psychology of eating, the popularity of diets proven by â€Å"science† and how science drives our eating habits as a society and culture. David A. Kessler is a Harvard trained doctor, lawyer and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Kessler Is also the author of the book â€Å"The End of Overeating† which examines why people cannot resist or stop consuming certain foods. Kessler believes that overeating begins In our brain, not In our bodies.He has developed a theory that claims that foods high In fat, salt and sugar alter the brains chemistry In ways that causes people to overeat. L According to Kessler, rather than satisfying hunger the combination of salt-fat-sugar stimulate the brain to crave more of these foods. What happens is these foods cause the brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure center, into the person's body. This causes the person to associate these foods with pleasure, causing a craving of the food.Over time, Just the thought or sight of the foods makes the dopamine pathways light up, causing an uncontrollable desire for the food. Once the person has eaten the food, the brain releases voids, which produces emotional relief. This combination of dopamine and voids create a pathway that activates every time the person thinks about the food. Deprivation, such as that caused when a person diets, only causes a person to crave the food more, this Is wh y diets don't often work. Kessler says that a rewiring of the brain Is required to stop this cycle.Once this Is done, the body stops craving foods like It did before. 2 The difficultly will be changing how and what we eat as a culture, o that these foods are not as readily available. Much of the science behind diets is rooted in the proper nutrition needed for ones' body. Recently, Chris and Alexander van Tulle, identical twins and both physicians, decided to test the effectiveness of two different â€Å"popular diets. † Chris' consisted of super low fat, only 2% of his daily intake was fat, while Alexander diet was high-protein, that completely eliminated sugar.They had a similar daily routine, and followed the exact same fitness regime every day. Both experience unwelcome side effects, from bad breath to constipation. Alexander felt sluggish and had issues keeping up with Chris on bike rides. Chris on the other hand, claimed he had a constant gnawing hunger that couldn't be satisfied without fats. While Alexander was the weight loss winner for the month, his high protein diet caused his body to go Into ketosis, a state In which the body burns fat but doesn't effectively provide the brain with the glucose (sugar) it needs for energy.

The importance of water as a b essays

The importance of water as a b essays Water is the most available compound on earth and is essential to life itself, without water, Earth would not exist. Water is a major component of cells, typically forming between 70 and 95% of the mass of the cell. This means that we are made approximately 80% water by mass, with some soft bodied creature, such as the jellyfish, are made of up to 96% of water. Water is the up-most important compound covering 75% of Earth, where it provides an environment for organisms to live in. Water itself is a simple molecule made up of 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, H2O. The hydrogen and oxygen atoms are bonded covalently via a shared pair of electrons. Thus there are 4 pairs of electrons surrounding the oxygen atom, two pairs involved in covalent bonds with hydrogen, and unshared pairs on the opposite side of the oxygen atom. Oxygen is an electronegative atom compared with hydrogen. Covalent bonds are formed by sharing electrons in the outer shelves of the quantum shells, however in the case of water the large number of protons in the oxygen nucleus have a stronger attraction for these shared electrons than the comparatively tiny hydrogen nuclei. As a result pulling the electrons slightly closer to the oxygen atom giving it a partial negative charge (ƒÔ-) due to these unshared electrons, and partial positive charges (ƒÔ+) to the hydrogen atoms. This shows that water is a  ¡polar ¡ molecule, meaning that there is an uneven distribution of elec tron density. An electrostatic attraction between the partial positive charges of the hydrogen atoms and the slight negative charge of the oxygen results in the formation of a weak hydrogen bond as shown in the above illustration. Water is an unusual yet important molecule, mostly due to its hydrogen bonds; its properties allow it to react as a solvent, a reactant, as a molecule with cohesive properties, as an environment and as a temperature stabiliser! Water can separate covalently bon...

Campaign Finance Reform Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Campaign Finance Reform Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Campaign Finance Reform CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM The campaign finance system is corrupted. Spending is out of control, and there are various loopholes in federal campaign finance law. Money buys access and influence, which effectively causes the majority of Americans to have no real capacity to influence public policy. State and federal legislation is needed to fight corruption and unjust influence, to ensure the publics right to know where a candidates money comes from, to enable all candidates to compete equitably in elections, and to allow maximum citizen participation in the political process. Rock the Vote believes that the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill, in its current state, should be the first piece of legislation signed into law in 2001. Bolder approaches could include: reducing the duration of political campaigns; requiring television and radio stations to air campaign advertising free of charge as a condition for maintaining their broadcast licenses; barring campaign advertising from the airwaves altogether; or placing strict limits on the amounts of money that can be spent by candidates and any and all of their supporters. Rock the Vote supports passing comprehensive legislation for meaningful campaign finance reform. The Mccain-Feingold bill proposes to end the soft money system by prohibiting candidates and national political parties from raising soft money. Soft money is a financial contribution intended to be used for issues advertising that dies not advocate on behalf of, or against, a specific candidate. Political parties currently use the legality of soft-money donations as a loophole in current campaign finance law, finding ways to channel this money into candidates' campaigns. The McCain-Feingold bill prohibits state political parties from spending soft money on activities which affect federal elections, The Current practice of raising unlimited soft money contributions from contributions, unions and wealthy individuals, and then channeling this money into federal elections, would end. The national parties would be required to raise all of their funds under the limits and restrictions in the law. Rock the vote advocates the signing the McCain-Feingold bill into law. Caps must be placed on campaign finance spending. Eliminating the soft-money loophole is one way to monitor, and hopefully restrict, the influence of corporate interest on candidates.

Why You Shouldnt Trust Homeschooling Statistics

Why You Shouldn't Trust Homeschooling Statistics When arguing the pros and cons of any issue, its usually helpful to have agreed-upon facts on hand. Unfortunately, when it comes to homeschooling, there are very few reliable studies and statistics available. Even something as basic as how many children are being homeschooled in a given year can only be guessed at. Here are a few of the reasons you should take any facts and figures you see regarding homeschooling - good or bad - with a grain of salt. The Definition of Homeschooling Differs Would you consider all these children homeschoolers? A child enrolled in a virtual public charter school who does all schoolwork at home.A child who spends part of the week in public school classes.A child who homeschooled some years but not others. When it comes to counting heads and drawing conclusions, its important to compare apples with apples. But since different studies use different definitions of homeschooling, its hard to know if studies are actually looking at the same group of kids. For instance, a report from the National Center for Education Studies, part of the U.S. Department of Education, includes students who spend up to 25 hours a week - five hours a day - attending classes in a public or private school. Its hard to equate that experience to that of a child who has never sat in a classroom. States Dont Keep Complete Records of Who Homeschools In the U.S., it is the states that oversee education, including homeschooling. And each states laws on the matter are different. In some states, parents are free to homeschool without even contacting the local school district. In other states, parents must send a Letter of Intent to homeschool and submit regular paperwork, which can include the scores of standardized tests. But even in states where homeschooling is closely regulated, good numbers are hard to come by. In New York, for example, parents must submit paperwork to the school district - but only for children within the age of compulsory education. Below the age of six, or after age 16, the state stops keeping count. So its impossible to know from state records how many families choose to homeschool kindergarten, or how many teens go on from homeschooling to college. Widely-Quoted Studies Are Biased Its hard to find an article about homeschool in the national media that does not include a quote from the Home School Legal Defense Association. HSLDA is a nonprofit homeschool advocacy group that offers legal representation to members in some cases involving homeschooling. HSLDA also lobbies state and national legislatures to present its conservative Christian viewpoint on issues regarding home education and family rights. So its fair to question whether HSLDAs studies represent only its constituents and not homeschoolers from other walks of life. Likewise, it seems reasonable to expect that studies by groups in favor of or opposed to homeschooling will reflect those biases. So its not surprising that the National Home Education Research Institute, an advocacy group, publishes studies that show the benefits of homeschooling. Teachers groups like the National Education Association on the other hand, often release statements criticizing homeschooling simply on the basis that it does not require parents to be licensed teachers. Many Homeschooling Families Choose Not to Take Part in Studies In 1991, Home Education Magazine ran a column by Larry and Susan Kaseman which advised parents to avoid taking part in studies about homeschooling. They argued that researchers could use their school-based biases to misrepresent the way that homeschooling works. For instance, a question about how many hours are spent teaching implies that parents should be sitting down with their kids doing desk work, and ignores the fact that a lot of learning happens in the course of everyday activities. The HEM article went on to say that academics who conduct studies often come to be regarded as experts on homeschooling, by the public and sometimes by homeschooling parents themselves. Their fear was that homeschooling would come to be defined by the measures looked at in the studies. Along with the issues raised by the Kasemans, many homeschooling families dont take part in studies to preserve their privacy. Theyd simply rather stay under the radar, and not risk being judged by people who might disagree with their educational choices. Interestingly, the HEM article came out in favor of case histories. According to the Kasemans, interviewing individual homeschooling families to hear what they have to say about their educational styles is a more effective and accurate way to provide data on what homeschooling is really like. Many Scholarly Studies Are Stacked Against Homeschooling Its easy to say that most homeschooling families are not qualified to educate their own children - if you define qualified to mean certified to teach in a public school. But could a medical doctor teach her children anatomy? Of course. Could a published poet teach a homeschool workshop on creative writing? Who better? How about learning bike repair by helping out in a bike shop? The apprenticeship model worked for centuries. Measures of public school success like test scores are often meaningless in the real world, as well as in homeschooling. Thats why demands that homeschoolers submit to more testing and studies that look at homeschooling through the lens of traditional schooling can miss the true advantages of learning outside a classroom. Homeschool Research to Take With a Grain of Salt Here are some links to research on homeschooling, from a variety of sources. Number of Homeschoolers by State: Updated listings by Ann Zeise from A2Z Homes Cool.The International Center for Home Education Research: Formed in 2012, this group says it provides nonpartisan information about homeschooling.Education Week Homeschooling article: Overview from 2011 with links to related articles and studies.New Nationwide Study Confirms Homeschool Academic Achievement: HSLDA article with links to studies.1.5 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2007: Article from the National Center for Education Studies.What Have We Learned About Homeschooling?: Article by E. Isenberg from the Peabody Journal of Education, 2007, that discusses the lack of reliable data on homeschooling.Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics: Study by K. Bauman published in Education Policy Analysis Archives in 2002, using data from the 1990s.

Engineering Manegment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineering Manegment - Essay Example hese business plans are intended to be seen as an example of either a good or a bad business plan; instead, they are to be viewed as vehicles towards understanding positive and negative components of each. The first business plan that this analysis will weigh relates to Momentex LLC and their proposed line of Gulp N Go products. Momentex would like to target the untapped market of vending services that are located within toll booths throughout the United States. The plan exhibits multiple strengths. Firstly, regardless of what one thinks of the business plan, it is undeniable that the proximity of the product to the customer is perfectly positioned. The second strength ties in alongside this proximity and evokes the strength of suggestion while the customer is already in the process of making a financial transaction – all of which further encourage him/her to make an impulse buy while at the toll booth. Lastly, for this proximity and these powers of suggestion during a financial transaction, the firm has very few costs associated with marketing as the product is positioned 24/7 and practically free marking takes place at the point of sale on a daily basis. With respect to the weaknesses exhibited in this plan, the first of these regards the legal impacts of commercialization of the toll booths and what this may portend with respect to state, local, cross jurisdictional, and tax laws. In effect, a public good (roads) will now be turned into a way of further generating funding by private businesses. This fact in and of itself has a host of both legal and ethical dilemmas associated with it. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, there is the issue of traffic flow. Toll booth areas are already high traffic areas that usually only exist in major metropolitan cities. As such, having tens of thousands of people each and every day pausing as to what particular snack or drink they would like to choose while others wait in queue behind them is a recipe for

Healthcare Law & Ethics class - online discussion Personal Statement

Healthcare Law & Ethics class - online discussion - Personal Statement Example Some businesses benefit from having owners that are active participants in the business that is their livelihood. The only potential opening for unethical behavior would be if this radiologist is interested in abusing her position or finding negative and underhanded means that could undermine the clinics integrity; or was in anyway, compromising patient care, which is not yet an issue. In fact, as stated prior, it is a possibility that the partnership could be beneficial to the clinic not a hindrance. However, again, the ethics of the situation has less to do with the proposed scenario and more to do with the individual that is in the scenario. Some have suggested that the sale of organs in the U.S. would increase the supply of viable organs for transplant. Others have said that only voluntary donation is ethical under the U.S. system of medicine. Should someone in India, for example, be permitted to sell a kidney for $40,000 when there is a willing buyer from the U.S. who is in need of a kidney? What are the issues here? It is proposed that the potential sale of human organs would increase the number of organs available to those who may need them. However, it is also just as likely that the allowance of such sales would lead down a much darker path. By allowing the individual sale of organs creates a market; supply and demand. Simply put, it is very likely that instead of having more potential organs for those who needed them, there would be less. People are going to be less civically moved to donate organs, when there is a possibility of an economical motivation. Why donate when you can make a profit? Secondly, a strong issue is that once a high dollar value is placed on human parts, then it is no longer about who needs the organ the most, due to condition and severity, but to whom can pay the most to receive it. This is where the

International Management Ethics and Values Case Study

International Management Ethics and Values - Case Study Example Thus, it will allow the revealing of the variations or mutations that would lead to genetic disorders. This ethical theory will help in guiding the employees to take the test ethically and then help in delegating the task accordingly. (b) From the above statement the author of the study is trying to make a statement that people suffering from generic disorders cannot change their jobs or the employer cannot change the business environment. The changing of business environment because of certain employees who are more susceptible to the disease would be irrational because it would require the changing of entire business procedure. The above statement resembles the Descriptive theory which emphasize on the â€Å"What If† behaviour of the company and an individual (Dimitriou et. al., 2011). (c) The passing of several legislature laws to curb down the effects of the generic testing has been effective to a certain extent only. The generic testing itself is an intrusive behaviour an d the legal law imposes certain restrictions on it for the welfare of the common people. Thus, it can be observed that the entire process resemble the Normative ethical principles. It is a systematic process to justify the morality of the society. Answer 2 (a) Moral and Ethics are used interchangeably and is useful to make certain distinctions like morality would be used to distinguish between right and wrong. It would be served as a guide to make right decisions though moral conduct. Ethical values are nothing but the subject of the morality. The moral theories of right are basically structured set of statements which lays emphasis on how individuals conduct actions and then determine the right and wrong between them. The morality of an action is determined and there is a sharp divide between the applied ethics and moral theories. The morality of the decision will be evaluated and the correct decision will be taken only after evaluation of various alternative actions. In this case it is observed that Genetic testing would involve the testing of gene mutation of the individuals and it is a systematic procedure which involves the assistance from the employers (Pollock, 2011). (b) Utilitarianism is a concept which has been derived from the Normative Ethics and helps in the maximization of the utility process which helps in reducing suffering and increasing welfare of the people. It can be regarded as a reduction approach which works for the welfare of the people. However, it can be regarded as a technique which that determines the moral value of action. It helps us in understanding whether our actions conducted in the past are having an effect in the present or not. The theory would be only utilitarianism if it can helps in distinguishing between right and wrong and provide provides goodness to a majority of the people. The generic screening test provided by the employers of an organization would not only help them in selecting candidates who are less susceptibl e to the disease. The screening test would not only be helpful in selecting the most appropriate candidate but would also enable the candidate to come in terms with their reality. The screening test would be done keeping in mind the benefits of an entire mass (George, 2011). (c) The justice of fairness developed by John Rawls is regarded as one of the classical ethical theories which help in evaluation of moral and ethical values (Wofford College, 2000). As per this theory each individual

Visual Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual Arts - Essay Example In this visual report, I would be comparing and contrasting 2 ancient vases to learn about them and get a better understanding of the same. The first piece of art is a ceramic amphora dating back to c. 540 BCE. This amphora was of Greek origin and had the painting of Dionysos with a pair of Maenads that was created by Amasis Painter. I chose to visualize and describe this particular vase because of its captivating contrast of colors of rich cream contrasted with black. The vase itself had a smooth fluidity in relation to its height and size which compelled me to use it as my visual art piece. The second piece of art that I had chosen to compare and contrast is a Korean Maebyeong Bottle that was decorated with a spray of bamboo in addition to a Plum tree in blossom. The reason for choosing this vase was because I liked the delicate painting which was done in a dull olive green which was so pretty and soothing to my eyes. The Greek amphora had a height of 13† (33.3cms) and was fr om the Bibliotheque National, Paris. The contour of the vase’s body was gorgeously decorated with the figures of the Greek God of Wine, Dionysos featured on the left sporting a beard and holding a wine glass in his hand, while the two Maenads, were to the right, and clad in 2 dark garments which were intricately detailed in presentation. One of the Maenads was seen holding a hare, while the other held a deer. On a closer look I also saw that each of them held a sprig of ivy between their fingers. The technique used here was contrasting dark figures against a light background. The pale green vase was created during the late 12th and early 13th century and belonged to the Goryeo dynasty. This art piece which I found quite attractive was basically an inlaid celadon ware which had a light background of grayish stoneware, that had an inlaid decoration of black and white slips, hidden under the celadon glaze. The technique which was formerly invented by the Chinese was used for thi s vase. This technique became a Korean specialty that enhanced the beauty of the vase to a great extent. This beautiful art piece had a height of 13† and a quarter (33.7cms) and is housed in the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo, Japan. (The Arts of Korea, pg. 369) My analysis of the first vase which was a vessel used by the Greeks, was based on the decorative style which was bold as it was contrasting. I really liked the way the artist contrasted dark figures with a soft background. The spiral designs were aesthetically arranged so as to frame the composition and enable the viewer to focus on the figures in the center. I was also quite attracted to the border patterns of grape leaves both at the bottom and top of the vase which served to bring a uniqueness to this art piece, by making it all the more attractive. 3 My analysis of the second vase with the bamboo decoration was that it had the influence of Chinese ceramics because of its appearance. On closer scrutiny I found that the vase was embellished with inlaid decoration of both bamboo and plum blossoms which contrasted against each other thus making the design to stand out and be noticed. The contrasting came from an under-glaze design from slips of black and white that was made from clay which was ground finely. This seemed to be a special technique used by the potters which is what made this art piece so unique in its design. In the Greek vase, the element that kept recurring was the use of dark figures that was framed with circular designs and borders to offset the composition. In the Korean amphora, the recurring element that was made use of was the inlaying of dark and white strips that were glazed to give it a unique appearance. In comparison to each other, each of the vases had its own unique style of art

Oedipus the king by Sophocles by August Wilson Research Paper

Oedipus the king by Sophocles by August Wilson - Research Paper Example The massager conveys information that the culprit is within the town. Oedipus confirms to his people that he will provide a solution for the issue, by cursing and chasing the murderer from the land (Grene 12). In order to solve the issue, Oedipus seeks the services of the prophet who unravels to him that he is himself the murderer. Oedipus does not believe; instead he blames the prophet and his brother of being in cohorts to destroy his kingship (Grene 16). August Wilson’s fences commences with Troy and Brono in their usual drinking place. Troy is inquiring from his employer the reasons behind the black’s denial to drive the vehicle for garbage. Bono has a notion that Troy is unfaithful to his wife. Meanwhile, troy and Rose’s son have have a place in the soccer team (Shannon 14). Their father was once in the team but could not take part in important leagues because he was old at the moment the team could accept blacks. Cory resigns from the job and wants Troy to let him play, but Troy declines telling him to resume work. Later, troy gets a job as driver contrary to his expectation. In this play, Wilson explores the encounters of blacks in the United States by covering various aspects of discrimination against blacks. Cory resigns from the job and wants Troy to let him play, but Troy declines telling him to resume work. Later, troy gets a job as driver contrary to his expectation. In this play, Wilson explores the encounters of blacks in the United States by covering various aspects of discrimination against blacks. In this paper, emphasis is on comparing and contrasting the plays Oedipus the king and fences, taking into consideration thematic and stylistic devices (Shannon 14).... However, he has no idea until the plague befalls his land (Grene 8). Determined to solve the problem, he sends his brother to the oracle to come with a solution for the problem. His brother comes with the news that the murderer of the former king had to flee from the land for the plague to end. The prophecy stated that Oedipus would â€Å"die a victim† after killing his father and sleeping with his mother (Grene 9). When Oedipus learns of the prophecy, he has no powers to change the situation thus he succumbs as the prophecy state. In this case, the Oedipus cannot decide on what to do because there are powers beyond his abilities, he has no free will, and fate has to prevail. The theme of fate attempts to portray how it is impossible to escape fate (Grene 11). From an observers view, it is not right to blame Oedipus for his deeds because they occur without his consent. Moreover, the prophecy must come true. He has no power to overcome the condition hence he lacks the free will to direct his life since it is fate that depicts his life. The play, fences by Wilson portrays the theme of racism where the blacks face immense suffering due to discrimination (Shannon 15). Troy and Brono narrates to each other the problem they encountered when they were young under the southern regime. Their stories indicate how similar and different their times were, in comparison to the times of their children. Bruno and Troy recalls the life during slavery and after slavery when their father participated in immoral issues. Bruno narrates how his father experienced stress to an extent of failing to play his role as a father (Shannon 18). Racism is evident where the blacks cannot participate in major matches of a national team. The first scene occurs with Troy being unable to

The library research essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The library research - Essay Example Considering the ages that play video games, teenagers are worst affected in terms of time taken, and research has shown that most of the teenagers take about average of 4-5 hours a day; thus, in most cases, the parents dislike video games since they are considered the facilitating factor for laziness on children. Video games are addictive just like drugs do, it makes those addicted especially the teenagers to abscond most of the important activities in the day, without guidance, it can destructive but can be beneficial to the players if considered carefully. There is a significant contribution of spatial reasoning in education, and there is a connection between those children that are good in spatial reasoning and there performance in IQ tests. In this regard, those children who have good spatial skills do excel in geometry and demonstrates good mental manipulation and navigation skills. In terms of gender, girls are considered not to easily adapt to spatial reasoning growth compared to boys, improvement of spatial reasoning is enhanced by playing video games, in this case, the skills required to play the game that also involves manipulation and anticipation of the objects, which eventually improves the skills of spatial reasoning (Anderson, Douglas, and Katherine 45). Furthermore, there is a special skill acquired through critical thinking, with critical thinking, one is able to master concepts rather than just memorize those concepts. Critical thinking is very important in making insights in technical subjects like engineering, math, science, and even humanities, in the playing of the video games, there are novels of problems that are presented to the person playing the game and needs a split of a second to solve (Anderson, Douglas, and Katherine 49). In this case, the gamers will have to learn how to think quickly and in several ways within a short time, the same speedy solution to a problem by provision of many options is transferred to other real life situ ation and the teenagers that play such video games have high chances of sharpening the critical thinking. In addition, the fact that video games are designed to be more realistic and the concern that it might increase violent activities is not true, as most of the video games today have been used to pass specific knowledge and have dominated teaching in institution. Simulation using video games are today used in surgery schools and can pass important information to the teenager who wants to acquire specific skills like surgery. There is also a sense of rehabilitation that comes with video game playing, for instance, there is a 13-year-old boy who suffered Erb’s palsy noticed remarkable improvement on how to control his arms after video games play (Bissell 32). Additionally, there is a false stereotype that is given to those who play video games, they are described as those who are antisocial and cannot lose an eye off the screen, this position is not true because the contempo rary video games are designed in a way that it helps in solving problem and complete tasks. There is the sense of building social skills especially those who are introverted; they get a solace from the video games that provide a stress free way for social interaction

Oedipus the king by Sophocles by August Wilson Research Paper

Oedipus the king by Sophocles by August Wilson - Research Paper Example The massager conveys information that the culprit is within the town. Oedipus confirms to his people that he will provide a solution for the issue, by cursing and chasing the murderer from the land (Grene 12). In order to solve the issue, Oedipus seeks the services of the prophet who unravels to him that he is himself the murderer. Oedipus does not believe; instead he blames the prophet and his brother of being in cohorts to destroy his kingship (Grene 16). August Wilson’s fences commences with Troy and Brono in their usual drinking place. Troy is inquiring from his employer the reasons behind the black’s denial to drive the vehicle for garbage. Bono has a notion that Troy is unfaithful to his wife. Meanwhile, troy and Rose’s son have have a place in the soccer team (Shannon 14). Their father was once in the team but could not take part in important leagues because he was old at the moment the team could accept blacks. Cory resigns from the job and wants Troy to let him play, but Troy declines telling him to resume work. Later, troy gets a job as driver contrary to his expectation. In this play, Wilson explores the encounters of blacks in the United States by covering various aspects of discrimination against blacks. Cory resigns from the job and wants Troy to let him play, but Troy declines telling him to resume work. Later, troy gets a job as driver contrary to his expectation. In this play, Wilson explores the encounters of blacks in the United States by covering various aspects of discrimination against blacks. In this paper, emphasis is on comparing and contrasting the plays Oedipus the king and fences, taking into consideration thematic and stylistic devices (Shannon 14).... However, he has no idea until the plague befalls his land (Grene 8). Determined to solve the problem, he sends his brother to the oracle to come with a solution for the problem. His brother comes with the news that the murderer of the former king had to flee from the land for the plague to end. The prophecy stated that Oedipus would â€Å"die a victim† after killing his father and sleeping with his mother (Grene 9). When Oedipus learns of the prophecy, he has no powers to change the situation thus he succumbs as the prophecy state. In this case, the Oedipus cannot decide on what to do because there are powers beyond his abilities, he has no free will, and fate has to prevail. The theme of fate attempts to portray how it is impossible to escape fate (Grene 11). From an observers view, it is not right to blame Oedipus for his deeds because they occur without his consent. Moreover, the prophecy must come true. He has no power to overcome the condition hence he lacks the free will to direct his life since it is fate that depicts his life. The play, fences by Wilson portrays the theme of racism where the blacks face immense suffering due to discrimination (Shannon 15). Troy and Brono narrates to each other the problem they encountered when they were young under the southern regime. Their stories indicate how similar and different their times were, in comparison to the times of their children. Bruno and Troy recalls the life during slavery and after slavery when their father participated in immoral issues. Bruno narrates how his father experienced stress to an extent of failing to play his role as a father (Shannon 18). Racism is evident where the blacks cannot participate in major matches of a national team. The first scene occurs with Troy being unable to

Obsession gone wrong Essay Example for Free

Obsession gone wrong Essay It is often said â€Å"there’s a thin line between genius and insanity†. From Einstein with his shaggy hair and stuck-out tongue to Archimedes running about the street naked shouting â€Å"eureka! † after making a discovery, one can’t help but agree with whoever made that statement. Mary Shelley, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Steinbeck and Jeremy Bernstein all wrote stories of scientists who were all geniuses – they all had devoted years of study into their fields. Yet, some of them acted irrationally without considering the consequences of their actions (Frankenstein; Aylmer), some did things against their nature (Frankenstein; Phillips), and you couldn’t help but question the sanity of others (the narrator in Bubble and Squeak; Aylmer). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein was â€Å"forced to spend days and nights in vaults and charnel-houses†. Of course, no one forced him to– he was driven by the ambition to discover the source of life. And when he did, an even greater ambition drove him – to create and give life to a human being and eventually, â€Å"a new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me†. To make this dream a reality, he subjected himself to many experiences that the next human would find extremely repulsive and disgusting. In his own words, â€Å"†¦often did my human nature turn with loathing from my occupation. † But the ambition always overpowered his human nature. A beautiful summer came and passed, but he was too busy with his studies to notice. He had also lost touch with his family and friends, even though he knew his father would be anxious. It was telling on him, too. He had become emaciated, and many sleepless nights had his eyes bulging from their sockets. He deteriorated to the extent that he became a nervous, solitary wreck, and a fever came upon him every night. Nathaniel Hawthorne in his book â€Å"The Birthmark† said the scientific hero Aylmer had â€Å"devoted himself too unreservedly to scientific studies to be weaned from them by any second passion. His love for his young wife might prove the stronger of the two, but it could only be by intertwining itself with his love for science and uniting the strength of the latter to his own. † Aylmer had a young, beautiful wife; unfortunately Georgiana had a tiny flaw on her face, which made her imperfect in his sight. From then on, his obsession was to get rid of the birthmark from her face, and he had come to hate it so much that the sight of it made him shudder. Other men saw the birthmark and saw beauty and charm, Aylmer saw it and saw a defect, a representation of all imperfections. Even Aminadab, Aylmer’s lab assistant, said that â€Å"if she were my wife, I’d never part with that birthmark. † Because the birthmark was in the shape of a tiny hand, it was often remarked that it was the print of a fairy’s hand on her cheek, which made her â€Å"hold such sway over all hearts. † However, Aylmer was a man of science, and most likely did not believe in fairies and all the whatnot, and so he considered the birthmark as â€Å"a frightful object, causing him more trouble and horror than Georgiana’s beauty, whether of soul or sense, had given him delight. † In other words, his horror at the birthmark for making Georgiana imperfect became stronger than his appreciation of Georgiana’s beauty. Further along in the story, Aylmer became extremely devoted into creating a mixture to get rid of the birthmark that he secluded his wife. Once, Georgiana followed him into his lab and was frightened, not by the scientific apparatus, but by what she saw of her husband. â€Å"He was pale as death, anxious and absorbed. † Georgiana once wondered if she could satisfy him, and realized that she couldn’t, as â€Å"his spirit was ever on the march, ever ascending, and each instant required something that was beyond the scope of the instant before. † Dr Phillips in John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Snake† was a man who â€Å"could kill a thousand animals for knowledge, but not an insect for pleasure. † He had no problem with killing for study, as was shown when he was petting cats and feeding them in one minute, and in the next put one of them into a killing chamber for biology classes. His research about the starfish also shows that. But we know killing animals is not in his nature when he â€Å"felt that it was profoundly wrong to put a rat into the [rattlesnake’s] cage, deeply sinful† when the strange woman asked him to feed the snake. It was something he did regularly himself, when he needed to feed the snakes, but because the snake had already had its rat for the week, Dr Phillips felt sickened. Probably because he felt the rat was going to die for no reason. For science, Dr Phillips went against his nature. Jeremy Bernstein’s â€Å"Bubble and Squeak† is the story of a mathematician who had become so analytical it was comical. For example, normal people emphasize the scariness of ghosts in ghost stories; instead, he tries to explain ghosts as apparitions caused by atmospheric densities. He always tried to draw a mathematical and scientific parallel to everything he saw. He calculated probabilities of events, and even wondered if it was possible to measure feelings. What these four scientific heroes had in common was obsession. Victor Frankenstein’s obsession was to become a creator of humans; Aylmer’s obsession was perfection, as expressed by wanting to get rid of his wife’s birthmark; Dr Phillips numbed his nature for the study of science, he was obsessed with biology; and the narrator in Bubble and Squeak had become too mathematical and scientific for his own good. Science in its nature is rather addictive. The more you discover, the more you want to discover – It’s like a never quenching thirst for knowledge. In the words of Victor Frankenstein, â€Å"†¦ in a scientific pursuit there is a continual food for discovery and wonder. † It is as a result of this persistent pursuit of science that many inventions that we take for granted today, the same inventions we can’t imagine living without, were created. However, the danger is in letting our pursuit of knowledge or any other thing control us, such that we do things that are against our nature, or fail to appreciate the simple pleasures of life. As Victor Frankenstein eventually learnt, â€Å"A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquility. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule. If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is unlawful, that is to say, not benefitting the human mind. † (Shelley 40) SADE MABA HUM 101 WORK CITED: Lynch, Robert; Swanzey, Thomas and Coakley, John. The Example of Science. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2003. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 30th ed. New York: New American Library, Penguin Group (USA) Inc. , 2000.

Amazons Strategic Positioning

Amazons Strategic Positioning Executive Summary This report reviews Amazons strategic positioning in the E-commerce segment in the recent period and how it (the company) has been able to maintain competitive advantage by constantly evolving itself in the dynamic market. It also reflects how Amazon can continue to grow in constant endeavour to achieve its mission and vision of being earths most customer centric company (Analysis of this statement would help the board understand how Amazon measures up and h they as a board see the progress of the company. The recent financial crisis has weakened the retail sector but Amazon has succeeded in maintaining growth in its 3rd quarter of 2009. The result of the financial analysis indicates that Amazon is in a good financial position, though these strong figures are partly based on the good credit terms obtained from Amazons suppliers (so a risk? How great etc). We further suggest strategies for the short, medium and long term which focuses on consolidating operations, market research analysis (for what?) and foray (drive/push/entre/test) into the emerging markets to evolve as global leader in its niche business area respectively (explain more [emailprotected] niche). The report concludes by exploring Amazons future plans in terms of products, markets and strategy. Directors Reports Finance Amazon has recorded total revenue of $15billion in first three quarters of 2009, which is 20% higher than total revenue during the same period in 2008. In 2009 (why, with consumer demand down has the company opened up new markets, taken market share from competitors, increased its penetration of the existing markets etc?, the gross profit has increased from 22.6% in 2008 to 23.7%. Our increased sales and operational efficiency have helped us to maintain the profit margin (so savings of sale or margin contribution?) although there is an increase in operational costs (margins then were higher, diluted by increased operating costs.? Our operating margin has been stable at 4.4% over the past years showing a consistency in operations. (So the increased sales did not lead to improved operating income?) Based on our previous years performance and experience, we project total revenue of $8.5billion in the last quarter of 2009. This will lead to total revenue of $23.5 billion for 2009, which will be an increase of 22.6% from year 2008. The steady increase in yearly revenue primarily reflects our market competitiveness. Our projection in the increase of sales by 22.6% in 2009 is based on the global economic slowdown and changes in customer purchasing preferences. Meanwhile, the basis of our estimate for the current quarter is based on our previous trend wherein sales increased during the Christmas season and low price offering. Based on our previous sales records, our last quarter sales were 35% to 37% of total revenue. The inventory turnover has improved (explain 11.5 from 13 is a decrease?) by 12% in trailing twelve months of September 2009 to 11.5 from 13.0 in 2006 and 2007. The asset turnover has increased slightly in trailing twelve months of September 2009 to 2.79 from 2.31 and 2.29 in 2008 and 2007. This reflects our improved efficiency in inventory and asset management. Our current ratio and acid test ratio have improved marginally to 1.40 and 1.05 from 1.30 and 1.00 respectively in 2008.These ratios augment confidence of our investors and suppliers on us in this global credit crunch where cash or liquidity is considered vital for continuing operation. We have been able to lower our debts through regular repayments. As at 30th September 2009, our debt to equity ratio is 0.03. This is a considerable improvement from debt to equity ratio of 0.18 and 1.09 in 2008 and 2007 respectively. Our account payable days were 62 and 57 for 2008 and 2007 respectively. Our account receivables day of 17 days is low because quick settlement of customer payments made through credit/debit cards. Our principal source of fund is generated from operations and cash/cash equivalent received from customers, suppliers and sellers. The cash/cash equivalent and marketable securities were $3.7billion and $3.1billion in 2008 and 2007. In terms of market performance, our share price drop to $43.20 in October 2009 and subsequently went up steadily to $134.03 as at 25th November 2009. The share value has increased by more than $90 after the announcement of our 3rd quarter results. The appreciation of share prices reflects share holders trust on Amazon, and it will further help us in Zappos.com acquisition. Sales and Marketing Sales Amazons sales are generated from media, electronics, other general merchandise and non-retail activities such as other seller sites, co-branded credit card agreements and miscellaneous marketing and promotional activities. Marketing We direct customers to our websites through a number of targeted online marketing channels such as our Associates program, sponsored search, portal advertising, e-mail campaigns and other initiatives. The marketing expenses are largely variable based on growth and changes in ex. rates. Our marketing expenses increased from $344 million to $482million in 2007 and 2008 respectively due to increased spending in variable online marketing channels, such as our Associates program and sponsored search programs. By September 2009, we had incurred $406million on marketing, a 30% increase from $313million in September 2008. (Is the 40% year of year run rate slowing?) The recent launch of Amazon Mobile Payment in October 2009 has increased the choices of mode of payment for the customers and it will be the stepping stone for the company to enter markets where mobile penetration is high but banking infrastructure is developing. (How reliable is the method?) In order to boost sales, the company strategy needs to be aligned with the growth prospects in E Commerce in emerging markets. Tapping booming market segments in on line gaming and Travel sector in India and on line gaming in China seems a viable option in this direction. (What research statistics/data do we have to support this market entre?) We will continue to rely on customer loyalty and innovative advertising as well as other platforms available to us. (To do what?) Operations We create value for our customers by offering satisfactory (or superior) services. This is done by managing retail operations with efficient use of technology. Operational efficiency is a basis of strength for Amazon and supports the management to maintain our competitive advantage and enhance corporate performance. (Will we become more efficient?) Our principal sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations. In that regard, one way of reducing operational and performance variation, is to implement a uniform production platform increasing process efficiency. (Is this part of our planned strategy?) As can be gleaned from our third quarter report for fiscal 2009, compared to the same period in the prior year, operating expenses have increased. This is due in part to a settlement to Toysrus LLC for $51million and increase in other costs. There are a number of pending lawsuits against Amazon that must be factored in our decisions. (Is operation efficiencies are to be improved then reducing law suites is a way forward?) As our operations are segmented between North America and International, there are a number of issues we are uncertain about, but actual results could differ. These concerns are: fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, (do we hedge as a practice?) changes in global economic conditions and consumer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet and online commerce. Information Systems Future Development Amazon will continue to improve the IT services related the e-commerce and supply chain management. The areas of future development include: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale computing easier for developers. Amazon S3 Storage Amazon S3 provides a simple web services interface that can be used to store and retrieve any amount of data, at any time, from anywhere on the web. It gives any developer access to the same highly scalable, reliable, fast, inexpensive data storage infrastructure that Amazon uses to run its own global network of web sites. The service aims to maximize benefits of scale and to pass those benefits on to developers. Amazon Cloud Front Amazon Cloud Front is a web service for content delivery. It integrates with other Amazon Web Services to give developers and businesses an easy way to distribute content to end users with low latency, high data transfer speeds, and no commitments. Amazon Fulfilment Web Service Amazon Fulfilment Web Service (Amazon FWS) allows merchants to access Amazons world-class fulfilment capabilities through a simple web services interface. Merchants can programmatically send order information to Amazon with instructions to physically fulfil customer orders on their behalf. Amazon continues to develop the IT systems related to the support of the Kindle e-book reader. In particular the online Kindle Book Store and the related Whisper net' wireless distribution network. Kindle issues An Overview Amazon Kindle is a software and hardware platform developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 for rendering and displaying e-books and other digital media. Three hardware devices, known as Kindle, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX (Figure 1) support this platform, as does an iPhone application called Kindle for iPhone. The Kindle hardware devices use E Ink brand electronic paper displays, and are able to download content over Amazon Whispernet using the Sprint EVDO in the USA or, for newer Kindle 2 devices, ATTs network internationally. Kindle Sales and Earnings We are yet to make profit on Kindle. The Kindle hardware is based on a cut-down Linux/PC configuration. As you can see from Figure 2.4 the teardown cost for the Kindle 2 have been estimated to be $185 per unit. This represents approximately 50% of the present sale cost of $400. Therefore, the margin per Kindle must be slim once development, manufacture, shipping and promotions costs have been factored into the unit price. The Future of E-Book Readers: The Potential Market A number of analysts have predicted a large market for e-book readers. Forrester research has predicted the potential market (Figure 2.5) based on the sales of similar products, such as IPods and mobile phones. If Forresters predictions are correct then there is a large potential market. Threats to Kindle The main factor in determining if Kindle will be a successful is content. There are number of free books that have elapsed copyrights, which are available for the Kindle and other e-book readers. However, the main source of revenue for the e-book market is predicted not to be books but newspapers, magazines and journals. These limited life documents would be transmitted directly to the reader via the mobile phone network: the Kindle DX, Sonys e-reader and Barns Nobles Nook have this functionality. (Googles recent announcement on e-books? Do newspapers and similar already offer some for of e-news through their web portals?) Sony has been creating alliances with a number of publishers to produce content for its e-reader. The highest profile publisher is Rupert Murdochs News Corp that prints large number of leading newspapers and magazines. This is the main threat to the success of Kindle. This situation has similarities to the format battle between HD DVD and Blue Ray DVD formats. Sony won this format battle by forming alliances with the Hollywood studios. These studios agreed to produce content solely for the Blue Ray format. Human Resources and Administration For 2008 fiscal year, our payroll and administration expenses were $279million compared to $235 million in 2007 and the increase was primarily due to increase in staff recruitments, payroll related expenses and professional services fees. In reference to our employees, staff complement increased by 22%, from 17,000 in 2007 to 20,700 in 2008. At present, there have been no redundancy exercises made in the company and we are focusing on retaining employees in order for them to remain engaged and loyal to the business in the long-term. (Have we increased manning in 9m to 30/09/09, over and above seasonal increases?) As the companys main revenue comes from the 4th quarter, we expect to increase the volume of temporary employees in order to meet customers orders. We will continue to supplement all our teams with additional staffing and will continue to add some capacity particularly in the international region to prepare ourselves to serve our customers during our busiest time of the year. In 2008, Amazon UK was accused of treating staff harshly. However, this has been hyped by the media and till date there is no accusation of breaching the law. (There is a difference between breaching the law and treating staff harshly are we sure of our position?) We greatly appreciate and reward our employees with a basic wage complemented by performance related pay. Meanwhile, employees are represented by a democratically elected employee forum who meets regularly with senior management of which any matters will be discussed accordingly. (Is this window dressing or does the method work, how is it implemented globally?) Business Development We recently acquired the online shoe retail shop, Zappos.com for the sum of $928million and $40million during the year for acquisition of Yieldex, Lexcycle Inc., Booktour, Foodista, Talk Market Inc, and Snap Tell Inc. These acquisitions will help us maintain the sales growth rate in this current crisis. (Has there been analysis to support these statements about growth rates?) Our international activities are significant to our revenues and profits, and we plan to further expand internationally in the long term due to the recent economic situation. Our international expansion will be focused on the BRIC countries specifically China and India as the markets are still untapped and will be good for us. Based on the little experience in the future market segments, proper research and risk analysis have to be done to enhance our? Legal Amazon has always ensured that we comply with government and other regulatory authority policies in the different countries that we operate in. We are involved in claims, proceedings and litigation dating back from 2001 to date. We currently have fifteen patent infringement cases against us pending in various courts with ten claims filed in 2009. We were acquitted in our lawsuits with Actus and Cordance in September 2009. (Is the board worried about this level of litigation?) In order to reduce the volume of lawsuits against us, we have decided to: Conduct a proper research of existing technological platforms before embarking on the usage and deployment of the platform. Where the already platform already exists, we will seek permission or leave of the rights and pay fees for the usage. We will also embark on developing our own technological platforms. We are also involved in the issues relating to the avoidance of sales tax in some states in the country. These states include New York, North Carolina and Hawaii. New York Legislative has passed a bill compelling Amazon to pay sales tax and other states are hoping to follow soon. Financial impact analysis of this legislation? Are disputed sales taxes reserved for in the B/S? Supply Chain Management In Amazon, the inventory policies drive the operating expenses and working capital requirements. Items are shipped as and when customer orders are received through the central servers. Our ability to meet customers demands with precision timing and accuracy has been a source of competitive advantage and customer loyalty. We currently have fulfilment centres (how many and located where?) for stocking the merchandise. We aim to improve our delivery time to gain more advantage, loyalty and long term alliances by introducing the cross docking concept where we identify suppliers who can readily agree to facilitate unique packaging facility at their locations. The financial burden of this arrangement will be borne by Amazon but the cost of packaging will be offset by the savings generated from reducing the inventory. What is the model for this? Is there an upside supplier cost, now or at some time in future? Section 4.1.1 bullet 1 lists $20m saving or 1.5% We hope to use this to reduce the inventory holding costs, shipping costs, operational costs as well the working capital requirement for the supply chain function. Strategic Analysis Internal and External Analysis Amazons brand has established high levels of recognition around the world, making it the first port-of-call for much of the rapidly expanding internet retailing consumer base, with the reputation of offering a wide choice of products and services. To this end, detailed analysis of the following will be undertaken: Amazons internal capabilities and resources (see appendix SWOT Analysis and VRINE Analysis) Weighing our competitive advantage (see appendix External Analysis (Porters Five Forces). To expand in China (see appendix E-Commerce in China and PESTLE Analysis) Strategic Position Amazon has been able to maintain sustainable competitive advantage based on three operational strategies. These are low cost-leadership, customer differentiation and focus strategies. Low cost-leadership is pursued by Amazon by differentiating itself primarily on the basis of price. We believe that offering low prices to our customers is fundamental to our future success. We seek to partially mitigate the costs of lowering prices over time through achieving higher sales volumes, negotiating better terms with our suppliers, and achieving better operating efficiencies. Amazon makes sure that it offers the same quality products as other companies at a considerably cheaper price. Analysis of competitors? Are there services we (can/could) offer using our infrastructure that could command a premium price? With our customer differentiation strategy, Amazon provides current and prospective customers with differentiation through design, quality or convenience by selecting a strategy that is different among the competitors. The focus strategy takes one of the two other strategies and applies it to a niche within the market Based on this, Amazon focuses on outstanding customer service as a niche but not the whole market because each niche has its own demand and requirement. Expand? Recommended Strategies Survival through Operational Efficiency The recent financial crisis and Amazons financial performance in recent years has shown that we have to optimally utilize organisational resources hence to be in better position to handle crisis situation and hence we propose the following: Reduce Operational Costs Sales are high but the costs associated with the sales have ranged between 75% -80% of sales in recent years. In order to be more efficient in our operations, we propose to cut the expenditure by 2 % in the following: Reducing cost in inventory by usage of cross docking by which we project to save $20million i.e. 1.5 % of the fulfilment? cost by the next fiscal. Research Development cost projected to be cut by $50million which 5 % of the present budget. How? Marketing budget projected to be slashed by $10 million. Impact? Put a hold on diversification and acquisitions. A review of existing alliances, diversifications and acquisitions should be done to determine the non-profitable business and decisions should be made about the appropriate strategy to be considered. The review has not been done before? Legal Dispute Settlement The sum of $500million has been set aside to settle the lawsuits pending the court judgements. Analysis needed why we have so many law suites, is this now part of our culture and that we ignore risks in the belief we are smart etc? Improve Kindle Sales It is clear that the e-reader market is embryonic and has great potential. For the Kindle to survive, Amazon has to adopt a similar strategy to that of Sony, which is to develop alliances with content providers. Googles recent announcement? We can consider cutting Kindle prices based on increase in sales in the future leading to economies of scale which can help boost our profit margin. (What is the model for this?) If this can not be achieved, in the long-term, should consider selling the Kindle design and patents rights to a third party who has a greater expertise in hardware development. F/A? Short Term (1-3 years) Expansion to China Objectives To attain a market share of 20-30% of Chinese internet retailing sector. How? Target Company for acquisitions Sohu.com Inc Sohu is a China based internet media company providing a network of web-properties and community based web 2.0 products which offer an array of choices regarding information, entertainment and communication to the Sohu user community. Sohus products and services are advertising, aggregated content, e-commerce, communication and community tools, internet access and services, search engines, sponsored search, web-properties, wireless communication, on-line games. (Might this company be in the process of dressing up their performance to attract a buyer?) Price of Acquisitions The ultimate purchase price will depend on a number of specific factors, including the targets current market value, its intrinsic value, and the value to be gained from any potential synergies between the target and buyer. Approximate costs of acquisitions can vary from $700million. To what? Potential Obstacles and Challenges Small number of credit card users 75 million credit cards in circulation by 2007. Payment systems are now safer no longer a technical problem, but a problem of customer confidence. E-commerce logistics: Size and vast distances in China delivery for most companies limited to major metropolitan areas using couriers Cost as a % of sale price compare with other locations? High delivery cost due to the small scale of some logistics enterprises Over 70% of all purchases in the B2C market are paid cash-on-delivery. Over 70% of all purchases in the B2C market are paid cash-on-delivery Duplication of point 4? Buying online is a dramatic change from conventional shopping practices: Consumers in China still prefer to look over the goods, determine their quality, and then, if satisfied, pay in cash. Probably a model which existed in west in earlier years when discretionary spending was limited? On-line commerce, in comparison, is an alien experience that only increases risk. Kindle clone $190. Define more clearly? Risk Factors Intense competition. Expansion into new products, services, technologies and geographic regions are subjects to additional business, legal, financial and competitive risks. Unsuccessful in efforts to expand into international market segments. Foreign exchange risk. Hedge? Payments related risks. Credit cards? SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Largest e-retailer with lions share of the e-commerce market. Strong brand position and brand associations. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Information Technology (IT) support Amazons business strategy. Amazon is a huge global brand. It is recognisable for two main reasons. It was one of the original dotcoms, and over the last decade it has developed a customer base of around 30 million people. Highly effective advertising and marketing. Effective use of technology and partnerships. Recent positive cash flow. WEAKNESSES Loss of focus on core products. Weak economy which could lead to low sales. High advertising and marketing costs due to no brick-and-mortar presence. OPPORTUNITIES Selling of developed technologies. Extension of brands into new areas. International expansion specifically India and China and other emerging markets. Opportunities with non-competitive businesses for mutual benefit. THREATS Unexpected changes in regulatory requirements both in the U.S. and abroad. Legal Issues in patent infringement: 15 court cases. International issues export and import restrictions, tariffs and other trade barriers, fluctuations in currency rates, political instability, longer payment cycles, adverse tax consequences External Analysis Porters Five Forces Threat of new entrant High The cost involved in setting up an online bookstore is low and this poses a threat. With the right resources and knowledge, a new entrant could set up a similar website to compete with Amazon. Low Amazons technology platform and knowledge might make it difficult for entrants to come in and compete as the costs and experience involved might be high. Brand Recognition and customer loyalty may also make it difficult for a new entrant to compete Bargaining power of supplier High Bargaining power of supplier is relatively high in their electronic business sector. Amazons Low Cost strategy has made it difficult for it to buy electronic product directly from the main distributors such as Sony, Panasonic and Pioneer. Medium However, bargaining power of supplier in Amazons online book sector is relatively medium. Their power is medium as Amazon.com is dependent on Publishers for its supply. Threat of product substitute High Threat of product substitute is very high in Amazon.com online business. Physical bookstores have an established brand name in their brick-and-mortar business and customers might not be comfortable buying books online. A competitor that might be able to offer better services and prices might be able to substitute Amazons products. However, Amazons One-click shopping might be able to reduce the threat. Industry rivalry High As the result of huge and wide presence of competitors for the book business, Amazon.com faces high industry rivalry in their online book business. Established bookstores have the advantage of a larger and well established customer base, brand recognition, awareness and a wider selection of books. The entry of established bookstore into the online arena has further increase industry rivalry in this sector. Amazon.com also faces intense rivalry from their online music sector. For example, Amazons entry into the online music market has caused CD-Now to take steps in reduce Amazons threat in the sector. CD-Now has more advantage because they are well established and has more brand recognition in comparison to Amazon.com. E-Commerce In China Reason for expansion One of the fastest developing countries in the world. Leading and most reliable emerging market. World largest foreign direct investment (FDI) destination country since 2002. Market realization from potentiality due to recent well-ordered economy development, personnel disposable income increasing, infrastructure and transportation investment, rural economy development, speeding-up of foreign invested retailers in China. Market overview Transaction volumes of online retail in the country reached $18.8 billion in 2008, up 129% from 2007 according to iResearch, a Chinese internet research company. The market is predicted to reach almost $35 billion by the end of 2009 and offers huge potential. The number of online shoppers rose against the economic crisis by nearly 14 million from 74 million to 87.88 million. One out of four Chinese Internet users shops online, while two out of three Internet users in countries with high Internet Penetration like Europe, America and Korea are online shoppers. Chinas potential of online shopping is yet to be released. Additionally, the government has attached great importance to e-commerces stimulus to the economy, and has released a series of policies to regularize and guide e-commerce development. Industry e-commerce also grew vigorously, with more e-commerce platforms emerging and more and more farsighted traditional enterprises setting out for e-commerce. Against the general background, e-commerce is expected to maintain fast growth in the coming years. PESTEL Analysis for China Political Single party leadership with consistent policies. Unique socio economic political model centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented version with a rapidly growing private sector. Good relations with the US, Free Trade agreement with ASEAN (by 2010). Has been able to maintain a stable growth rate of 7-8% in the last few years. Inflation is between 4-5 %. Government focus on equitable growth thru liberalization policies by building good relationship with other countries which lead to a growth in its trade. Have good road, railway, air and shipping links to support the business activities. Economic Maintained strong economic growth over the years, 2003-2008, average GDP growth of 10.3% due to capital inflows, low real-interest rates and free market economy. Unemployment rate is high due to rural-urban shift. Transition shift from agricultural to industrialized country of which the service sector provides secure wages. The reformed IT and telecom policies and focused initiatives for the development of core technologies showcase Chinese plans to build its domestic prowess. By 2020, China will invest around 2.5% of its GDP in RD. China also wants to raise the contribution of technology to economic growth and limit its dependence on imported technologies. The country has also emerged as one of the main hubs for investments in RD, IT and ICT services. Socio Cultural Rising population with increase life expectancy and education level. Reduced poverty level by increasing per capital income. In 2008, Chinas per capita income was $2,770, which is one of the highest in Asia. Social richness prefers to inspect products before purchasing and haggle pr