Discussing Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet

This movie is about Romeo and Juliet. Leonardo DiCaprio Is playing the Romeo part in this movie. And Claire Danes is play Juliet part. The movie is directed by Baz Luhrmann. He is a modern day version director. He directed this movie in 1996 and he only used 10% of Shakespeare language. Because we don't speak same language as Shakespeare. Baz Luhrmann uses guns instead of swords and uses cars instead of horses. In the beginning of Romeo and Juliet we see a news reporter talking about the two households. Than the camera start zooming in and in. Then very quickly you see fair Verona. The narrator says about two households both alike in dignity, In fair Verona where we lay our scene. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross's lovers take their life. When the narrator says those things the background music is very loud and the music is trying to tell us about the movie. By listening this music you could say that something bad will happen in this movie. Which will be very emotional and sad? Then you see a newspaper article where it says Montague's v Capulet's. And than you see helicopters, cars and people. When that happens the background music become louder and louder and you see two buildings with the names at the top Capulet and Montague and Jesus Christ statue in the middle. The reason why the director put this statue in the middle to show that people in fair Verona want peace between these two families. We than see the shots of the city and the police. Than we see some of the main characters in the movie their, with and a description of who they are. The reason why the director shows us this is because he wants to tell us that these people and they will come in the movie latter on. The scene changes and you hear a different music where three Montague's are sitting in the yellow open car with the special plate at the front saying Mon 005 and listening to the music the boys the boys. Than you hear them insulting the Capulet's. One of the guy in Montague is bald, with tattoo of Montague on his head . The music they hear is very cool and they wear sunglasses, and open Hawaiian shirts. The reason why the director put this music to show their personality. In other word to show how cool they are. The Montagu's than go to the Gas station. Benvolio get out from the car and goes to the toilet. He is Romeo's cousin . Than we see a Capulet get out of his car, only you can see his feet he chucks his cigarette down. He is wearing cowboy shoes, and the background music is western music. By hearing that music you could say that person is not a good person and he is a very important person in the movie and he wants to fight. When he goes in the gas station some girls come out and one of Montague shows off by doing some nasty things. Than one of the Capulet come out of the car. The car is blue and scary and on the number plate it says Cap 005. The person who comes from the car is very strong and when he removes his jacket you could see his gun saying Cap and the Montagues get scared because on their gun it says Mon and the both of the gangs hate eachother. Abra shows his silver teeth saying SIN and the Montagues fall back in shock into the car. Abra shouts Boo laughing at them. At first Montagues just stay there but after a little while he comes from behind and does bite my thumb Abra doesn't reverse his car very fast. Montague gets scared and panic they start to fill up with petrol. But Abra comes out his car and say do you mind your thumb at me sir one of Montague says I do mind my thumb sir. Montagues look at Benvolio is coming. The reason why they have icons on there cars,and guns to show the differences between these two families like to show that they are different from eachother. When Benvolio comes he takes his gun. And that's were the fights start. One of the Montagues hides next to the car where the lady keeps hitting him. And than Tybalt comes out and the western music starts as a background to set the mood. Tybalt is the cousin of Juliet. First Benvolio tries to avoid fights and keep peace between the families. Benvolio says drop your guns and have peace. But Tybalt says I hate the word peace as I hate hell like all Montague's. When he says that the director keeps his camera on his eyes to shows the evil. He closes the camera on both the eyes of Tybalt and benvolio and on his mouth because he says the line from there. Than the little boy comes from behind and Tybalt takes his gun out and scared that little kid. And than both gangs started to shot at eachother than the Montague who was getting hit by the women he scares her and start shooting but unfortunately he doesn't know where he is shooting because he is keeping shooting at a sign saying Fuel Your fire he is keeping shooting at this sign. The sign is here to tell you that hold your fire. Then Tybalt who is showoff person he wears a black trouser and bullet proof red jacket with Jesus icons on them. He is keep diving and shooting one of his bullet hits Benvolios hand and his gun go straight under the car. Than two of the Montague's put petrol in the car they drop some of it on Benvolio. They both sit in the car and start driving it . Tybalt than bends down takes his jacket off. Takes another gun out and shots at montagues. Than Tybalt drop his cigarette and the fire starts Benvolio gets scared because some of the petrol is on his shirt. Benvolio than picks his gun and runs over cars and shooting at Tybalt. And the fire blasts all the gas station. Here the directors have to be fast because he has to keep zooming the camera. And note every thing happening in the scene. And than you could hear traffic and shooting noise. Then you see helicopters in the air. And Benvlio and Tybalt looking at eachother in anger. The director focus o their eyes because you could see the anger in the eyes between them. In the background you could see people running and the cars are stopped. Than the prince who is sitting in the helicopter says to them that drop your guns. Than you see two cars in one car Capulet's are sitting and in the other Montague's . Montague's says that give me my sword but his wife stops him. Than they both sit inside the building where the prince says two civil wars and says you both disturbed our streets and if one more time you disturbed our streets than you will pay the fine. This part is to show that both families hate really hate eachother and the prince is trying to warn both of these. Than the director focus on Montague's after that. All the Montague's go to the beach where Romeo is sitting the background music is a very sad music. Romeo is sitting writing his diary and thinking about his Girlfriend Rosaline. You could tell that by looking at his face that he doesn't like what's happening between these two families. He likes to spend much time alone because of the violence. Romeos mother talk to her husband about Romeo. You also could see the link between Benvolio and his shirt. Because on his shirt there are flowers and its all about the beach. And now they are on beach as well you could say that he spends most of his time on the beach. He than gets out of the car and says good morrow to his cousin they both walk and in the TV Romeo see's what Benvolio did he tries to tell him that not to this because that way there won't be any piece. As an audience I would say that this movie is great. There are some really good unbelievable actions fight's. The music is a sum and it really suits the movie. And it would make good money. Baz Luhrmann directed this movie superbly. The camera angles were perfect. The other actors are superb, and acted wonderfully in the movie. What Luhrmann did was both bold and brilliant, and he succeeded wonderfully. First people thought that Luhrmann destroyed the play's beauty and power by setting it in modern times. In short words I would say love in first sight.

We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks Essay

The Poem We real cool. We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon. Summary: This poem was written in 1959, which was in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education, in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to segregate schools; however, desegregation was slow and many African Americans became frustrated. Segregation caused more than just separation, it caused many youths to question their roles in society. Many youths gave up on the idea of having a future, because they were told that they had no future; so why try. The boys in the poem seem to be struggling with identity. This poem is only eight lines long, so you probably don’t need a summary. What isn’t included in the text of the poem, however, is a bit of background framing the lines we read. The poem lists off the thoughts of some young guys playing pool at a pool house called â€Å"The Golden Shovel,† that seems pretty straightforward. But it’s actually more complicated than that. In fact, the lines we read are what an outside observer thinks these boys might be feeling. So this observer, our speaker, thinks the boys might have dropped out of school, be drinking gin, staying out late at night, enjoying jazz, and will have short lives. How do we know all of this background information? From Gwendolyn Brooks, of course. You can listen to Brooks talk about â€Å"We Real Cool† (and listen to her read the poem, too) We Real Cool Theme of Identity The word â€Å"We† is repeated eight times in this eight-line poem as a signal that the boys have a group identity. The boys want to be defined by their rebellious actions, which place them at odds with polite society. We Real Cool Theme of Pride The young pool players seem to take pride in their aimless behavior, and critics have debated whether they may also take pride in the prophecy they will â€Å"die soon.† They live in a culture where even the most talented people find that economic and social opportunities are scarce. Dying early could seem like a badge of honor. On the other hand, the last line could be read as evidence of the speaker’s disapproval as she tries to pop the boys’ inflated sense of pride like a balloon. We Real Cool Theme of Mortality We never learn why the speaker thinks the young pool players will â€Å"die soon,† though it might have something to do with their enjoyment of sin, rum, and (perhaps) gambling. The speaker could also be thinking that the boys are living to the fullest, as though they might die tomorrow. Additionally, this moment could point to the boys’ fears, and the struggles and violence that they might encounter in their young lives. We Real Cool Theme of Language and Communication This poem is so full of music that we can easily imagine pool players reciting it while wearing sunglasses and snapping their fingers under soft, blue lighting. It’s jazz†¦in a poem. The seductive rhythm and the use of alliteration and internal rhyme might cause us to feel more sympathetic toward the pool players. The poem also leads us to ask whether their portrayal is meant to be satirical, or whether the pool players might be trying to trick us into celebrating their lifestyle. We Real Cool Analysis We Real Cool: Rhyme, Form & Meter We’ll show you the poem’s blueprints, and we’ll listen for the music behind the words. Couplets with Internal Rhyme Apart from its subtitle (â€Å"THE POOL PLAYERS/SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL†), â€Å"We  Real Cool† has four stanzas, each of which is a two-line couplet. Every word in the poem has only one syllable. While many traditional couplets in poetry have a rhyme at the end of the line, this poem takes rhyming to a new level: the couplets rhyme in the middle. Thus, â€Å"cool/school† in the first stanza, and â€Å"late/straight† in the second. But the pause after each rhyme word effectively makes itsound like the end of the line. It’s almost as if each line ends on a rhyme word, and â€Å"We† is tacked on as a grace note. (In musical terminology, a grace note is a short note that gets squeezed in before a beat.) The poem has a regular meter, with three beats and a pause, but these three beats can be pronounced in different ways. You could say, â€Å"We real cool,† or â€Å"We real cool,† or â€Å"We real cool,† or, even, â€Å"We real cool.† In the recording we listened to (hear it on Poets.org), Brooks lay the most emphasis on the second two beats: â€Å"We strike straight.† Speaker Point of View Who is the speaker, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him? Perhaps we’d better let Brooks speak for herself here: â€Å"I wrote [‘We Real Cool’] because I was passing by a pool hall in my community one afternoon during school time, and I saw, therein, a little bunch of boys – I say here in this poem, seven – and they were shooting pool. But instead of asking myself, ‘Why aren’t they in school?’ I asked myself, ‘I wonder how they feel about themselves?’ And just perhaps they might have considered themselves contemptuous of the establishment . . .† (source). The speaker is trying to imagine what the boys think of their own lives. She is concerned with the community, but unlike some critics, we don’t think her tone is harsh or judgmental. Rather, we think she’s curious and wants to get inside the heads of these kids. Maybe she even thinks the boys have good reason to be contemptuous of the powers that be. But what about those boys? What are their lives really like, apart from the momentary glimpse that we get through the door of â€Å"The Golden Shovel†? After  all, they are speakers, too, or at least they are spoken for. We Real Cool Setting Where It All Goes Down A Pool Hall in the South Side of Chicago, the late 1950s Brooks once said that she was thinking of a certain pool hall in her hometown of Chicago when she wrote this poem (source). As we read and hear â€Å"We Real Cool,† our imaginations are set on fire. We close our eyes and, suddenly, we are in a neighborhood of bungalows and old, brick buildings. At the corner of the street stands â€Å"The Golden Shovel.† It’s hot outside and cool inside the pool hall. In the dimly lit building, we see several billiard tables. There’s a bar in the back serving cheap gin, and an old-style radio plays scratchy jazz in the corner. Seven young guys are gathered around a couple of the tables. Two of them have made a bet on one of the games, and the money is down on the table, ready to be claimed by the winner. They’re competitive with one another, but they also spend most of their time together, hanging out as a group. A person walks by, and they stare at her vacantly until she passes. What’s Up With the Title? The title of this poem is the same as the first line. It lets us know that the speaker will be imitating the voice of a group of young men in Chicago. The title’s musical qualities make it particularly expressive. The vowel sounds go from high to low, like walking down three steps. â€Å"We† – high. â€Å"Real† – middle. â€Å"Cool† – low. You might also put a heavy emphasis on the word â€Å"real†: â€Å"We reeaaal cool.† After reading this poem, you might find yourself repeating the title over and over again, fiddling with different ways to say it. The poem also has a subtitle, which you can read about in our â€Å"Line-By-Line† walk though. Sound Check Read this poem aloud. What do you hear? Before reading this section, you’ve got to listen to Brooks reading the poem herself, which you can do at Poets.org. Is it different from how you imagined it? We could sit and listen to her say, â€Å"Seven at the Golden Shovel† all day long. Her voice produces deep  vibrations like a low saxophone. It may be obvious to say, but there’s no avoiding it: â€Å"We Real Cool† reads like the lyrics of a jazz tune. Brooks has even provided musical instructions to how it should be read, with the low, quiet, uncertain â€Å"We.† When you listen to the recording, the most obvious musical element is syncopation, or the uneven distribution of the rhythm. That’s why it’s so hard to talk about meter with this poem. A meter implies a regular rhythm, and, on the page, â€Å"We Real Cool† seems pretty regular, with three beats followed by a pause. But the arrangement of the words lends itself to wild swings of improvisation. Listen to how Brooks pronounces â€Å"strike straight,† by laying into the first word and backing off the second slightly. She literally â€Å"strikes† at the first word like a fist coming down on a piano. If you were reading the poem, you might be inclined to give both words the same amount of emphasis, but Brooks lengthens the first beat just a tad: that’s syncopation. Also, when she says, â€Å"Thin gin,† it sounds like a bunch of people shouting and clanking their glasses so hard they’re about the fall off their bar stools: â€Å"Thiinnnnn Ginnnn!† To some readers, â€Å"We real cool,† may sound like an ironic whisper saying, â€Å"No, you’re not. Stay in school!† But if you read it aloud like Brooks does, the irresistible pull of the rhythm can also lead us to sympathize with and relate to the boys. Gwendolyn Brooks’s Calling Card What is the poet’s signature style? Portraits of the Urban Poor Brooks’s poetry draws heavily on her native Chicago. It focuses attention on poor, simple city dwellers. In another one of her poems, â€Å"The Bean Eaters,† for example, describes a couple living in a rented room, and they can only afford to eat beans for dinner. â€Å"We Real Cool† describes urban youths, and for the most part, her tone is neither angry nor judgmental. She describes the way things are using straightforward, matter-of-fact language, and  allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. Tough-O-Meter We’ve got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you’ll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest) (2) Sea Level â€Å"We Real Cool† is written in everyday language, and it achieves its effect primarily through its glittering, jazzy tone. There are ambiguities and questions, like exactly what â€Å"Jazz June† means, but to hear the poem is to understand it. We Real Cool Trivia Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge Brooks was born in Kansas but raised in Chicago. Her father was a janitor; her mother, a schoolteacher. (Source) Brooks said of the popularity of â€Å"We Real Cool†: â€Å"Most young people know me only by that poem. I don’t mean that I dislike it, but I would prefer it if the textbook compilers and the anthologists would assume I had written a few other poems.† (Source) In 1968, Brooks succeeded Carl Sandburg, who coined the phrase â€Å"City of Big Shoulders† to describe Chicago, as poet laureate of Illinois. (Source) Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for her experimental long poemAnnie Allen. She was the first African-American woman to win the award. (Source) Brooks was awarded more than 70 honorary doctorate degrees. (The walls of her office must have been completely covered.) We Real Cool Steaminess Rating Exactly how steamy is this poem? PG-13 We wonder what these boys are doing until â€Å"late† at night, and we’re curious about exactly which â€Å"sins† (5) they are celebrating. But Brooks isn’t going to give us any more than clues and innuendo. You might be able to push this up to an â€Å"R† rating if you bought the interpretation that â€Å"jazz† (7) is a slang word for sex. Brooks has said this wasn’t what she meant, but that she doesn’t mind if people want to take it that way We Real Cool Allusions & Cultural References When poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why. Pop Culture Jazz (line 7) We Real Cool Symbolism, Imagery & Wordplay Here’s more to a poem than meets the eye. Youth Symbol Analysis Despite the implication that these young guys are up to no good and should have better things to do, the poem might remind you of your own mischievous youth and of bored summers you spent hanging out in video game arcades even when it was a beautiful day outside. Nonetheless, there is something ominous about these boys who â€Å"lurk† and â€Å"strike.† Subtitle: The word â€Å"golden† is symbolic of summer, youth, and daytime. This is an ironic name for the pool hall, because the aimless lives of the pool players seem anything but golden. Line 7: Brooks has said that the month of June is â€Å"fragrant† and â€Å"non-controversial.† It represents polite society and authority figures. The boys rebel against June by â€Å"jazzing† it up. Music Symbol Analysis Chicago is the world capitol of the blues, and the city also played a major role in the rise of jazz as an art form. This poem has jazz themes and rhythms in its very bones. Its frequent use of alliteration has a percussive effect, like crashing symbols or the twang of a double bass. The pool players seem to know something about the deep jazz culture. Line 5: This poem has a lot of alliteration, and â€Å"sing sin† is one example. Line 7: â€Å"Jazz June.† You guessed it: alliteration. Pool Players Symbol Analysis Brooks has said she was intrigued by the mix of rebelliousness and insecurity she perceived in the boys she saw playing pool. They want to be noticed, but they also want to seem like they don’t give a darn either way. The repeated use of the word â€Å"We† reinforces their group identity, which could be interpreted as solidarity in the face of great social obstacles. Subtitle: â€Å"POOL PLAYERS† is the first example of alliteration in the poem. Lines 1-7: The word â€Å"We† is repeated at the end of these lines to create enjambment, or  a part of a sentence that carries over the line break. http://www.shmoop.com/we-real-cool/symbolism-imagery.html http://voices.yahoo.com/analysis-gwendolyn-brooks-poem-we-real-cool-5059520.html Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem â€Å"We Real Cool† sums up the reality that many youths faced if they chose to leave school. This poem was written in 1959, which was in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education, in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to segregate schools; however, desegregation was slow and many African Americans became frustrated. Segregation caused more than just separation, it caused many youths to question their roles in society; if you are told enough times that you don’t belong, that you are different (in a bad way), or that you are less than others, then you will eventually start to believe it. Many youths gave up on the idea of having a future, because they were told that they had no future; so why try. The boys in the poem seem to be struggling with identity. The poem opens with the scene of seven boys at a pool hall named the Golden Shovel. Seven is a number that is typically associated with being lucky. The seven pool players can also be seen to represent a small gang, and they need luck on their side, in order to survive their various financial and risky endeavors. The name of the pool hall, the Golden Shovel, signifies the short life expectancy of those who choose a life of crime over education. The golden part of the title implies that these pool players are young; they should be in school instead of in a pool hall. The shovel is an image that is commonly associated with graves. Therefore, the significance of the name of the pool hall is that the pool players who hang out there are digging their own graves by conducting illegal business. The pool players have an air of mystery around them that makes them seem cool. They seem exciting, because they aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing; they aren’t playing it s afe. In the second stanza, the narrator, who appears to be one of the pool players, says that they are cool because they left school. They are sabotaging themselves by not going to school and living up to their potential. These boys are in fact not cool. The monosyllabic diction of the poem promotes the idea that these boys are uneducated. Brooks has said that â€Å"the WEs in â€Å"We Real Cool† are tiny, wispy, weakly argumentative â€Å"Kilroy-is-here† announcements

Retail Service Management Key Indicators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retail Service Management Key Indicators - Essay Example Since the data sheet had already summarized the major monthly indicators (with little or no primary data sets), the analysis below concentrated on the examining the temporal patterns across the three months. For the purposes of tracking the repair order, mailing reminders and financial summaries across time, key indicators were analyzed across the months January through March. Since most of the data was categorical (by month), histogram polygons were constructed. To provide a frame of reference for the period under analyses, where relevant and necessary, average and standard deviation of the respective indicators were calculated. For purposes of clarity, results of only some of the most important indicators, namely active number of customers, number of customers lost, percent sales of Smart link, investment returns on each US $ 1 spent are presented and discussed. This is an important variable indicating the proportion of the various maintenance and repair jobs undertaken at the company. Accordingly, based on the data provided, frequency histogram was constructed to depict the proportion of the different maintenance tasks undertaken. ... 3. Retail revenue sales trend: Based on the graph already provided in the data sheet, discussion is provided on the contribution that Smart Link sales have made over the gross sales during the different days of the survey period. 4. Percentage share accounted by the different zip codes: The relative contribution made by the different zip codes for their share of the services and how these have changed from month to month has been analyzed. The mean per cent share of the different zip code was computed across the three months. Results: Repair order, mailing and financial summary results: Over the three months of reporting, a total of 4056 services were completed, with January accounting for the highest (37% of the services) and March, the least (30% of the services) (Figure 1). The mean number of active customers over the three months was 233954 (average standard deviation) with little variation across the months (Figure 2). The number of completed services ranged between 1210 (in March 2006) to 1490 (in January 2006). On an average there was only a 6 to 8 per cent loss of customers over the three months (Figure 2). Figure 1: Per cent services completed by Smart link from January to March 2006.Total customers serviced for the three months=4056. Figure 2: Frequency histogram of active and lost customers from January to March 2006 by Smart link. Two of the most important financial status parameters, namely, per cent of Smart link sales and the investment return for every dollar spent, increased from January to February but thereafter decreased in March 2006. For example, the investment returns increased from $215.52 in January to

Forecast Presentations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Forecast Presentations - Coursework Example There is more damage in standing hesitant or unsure than giving no presentation at all. If I face a situation where I am unsure of the sales forecasts I will still stand confident and vibrant. I will not give any indication of anxiety that is probably going on behind the curtains. I will try to justify whatever amount of certainty I have in my research and projection. The conscience can be a problem in such times. I can handle a situation where I do not have confidence in an answer in more than one way. If I am standing at the stage with the team, I can simply refer one of my team members to respond. I can justify this move by saying that that particular team member has more expertise in that matter than me. If I am standing alone I will stick with the guidelines presented in my readings; I will stand confident in front of my audience. If I’m unsure of an answer it could be because of my emotional state at that point. Confidence keeps the speaker motivated to continue speaking (O’Rourke, 2008). If I choke and reveal that I don’t have full faith in my answer the audience notice this immediately. They will also start doubting my presentational integrity before that particular question. The same question will also boost my confidence in my abilities. Self-confidence should be valued over comments (questions) that are destructive (Booher, 2011). The speaker projects an aura of confidence. The audiences listen to the speaker because this charisma pulls them towards the presenter. The physical presence itself is influenced by self-confidence (Koneru, 2008). I simply cannot compromise on the speaker’s respect that a presenter requires to be

Predictably irrational Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Predictably irrational - Essay Example As a result of these accounts of conscious perceptions, we often assume that the experiences constitute a single fundamental reality. Based on this broad judgment, Venkat further reaffirms that, â€Å"the imperative nature of consciousness is practically beyond logical doubt and rather evident through predictable behavior.† (n.pag). Many make the assumption that, they are actually settling for rational and smart choices, without taking into consideration the possibility that their behavior is actually predictable. After reading Ariely’s book, I came to realize that I am also predictably irrational, especially in my life as a student, as shown by analogies drawn hereunder between the authors’ illustrations and incidents in my life. According to Ariely, it is rather intriguing to note that, human expectations, societal norms and emotions, among other undermined aspects of life, which ordinarily seem illogical, often control our capability to reason. This is a concl usion that the author draws from the fact that people astoundingly make simple mistakes, yet repeat the same types of faults daily. The author’s line of thought begins when he asks â€Å"Do our first impressions and decisions become imprinted?† (25). He goes on to elaborate that we usually overpay for certain items when shopping, we also underestimate expenses and keep procrastinating duties we are supposed to carry out eventually. The author is keen to note that these misguided doings are not random, and neither are they senseless. Apparently, these actions are logical and foreseeable, as illustrated by the experiment showing how students’ social security numbers influenced their bids for wine (Ariely 28). This possibility is explicated by Ariely in various chapters of his book, as well as, in Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†, as discussed in subsequent paragraphs. In chapter six of his book, â€Å"Predictably Irrational†, Ariely focuses on the crucial aspects of self-control and procrastination (Ariely 109-119). Through a comprehensive experiment, the author realizes that his students tend to perform better in class assignments, when deadlines for work submission are spaced all through the semester, than when the deadline is set on the final day of the school term. This is an aspect he attributes to the tendency of learners to postpone work, when they think that they have sufficient time to finish writing the assignments, prior to the semester’s end. In the long run, students rush during the last minute only to do unsatisfactory work and, consequently, acquire poor grades. In contrast, spacing out deadlines and imposing potential grade or financial penalties, in addition to simplification of tasks, makes it easy for students to deal with their assignments early enough. This is because such efforts inspire self-control among students and lower incidents of procrastination. The occurrence of procrastination a mong individuals is also supported by O’Donoghue and Rabin, who suggest that â€Å"people may occasionally purchase items with high prices based on the notion that the price is

Reconstitution against Renunciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reconstitution against Renunciation - Essay Example â€Å"Male fashion of the 18th century was less varied than female fashion as it consisted of the same set of garments throughout breeches, waistcoat and just a corpse† (Bender, 2006). What follows are photographs with brief descriptions of eighteenth-century male fashion.It can be seen from the above photos that the waistcoat with a slit at the center back was opened at the bottom end. The front edge of the just a corps was curved slightly, with a narrow torso. Stockings were sometimes worn under the breeches, and the shoes were square-toed, with small buckles. The sleeve cuffs also reached up to the elbow. Curly wigs were worn, but compared with seventeenth-century wigs, these were shorter in length. Gentlemen were expected to always have the following accessories: the tricorn hat, walking sticks and, most importantly, the sword as a status symbol, sticking out from underneath the coat’s slit. As a further status symbol, the slit was necessary for riding a horse.Chang es in eighteenth-century male fashion noticeably become more pronounced, as evidenced by the above photographs. It can be seen that the waistcoat no longer sports the flaring bottom edge, paving the way for the eventual tailcoat, and can be buttoned only at the chest. There are lesser decorations, indicating the advent of the "new simplicity" that originated in England and had, by this time, swept all across Europe (Bender, 2006). Cuffs were smaller, and the wigs changed up to the point when they were altogether done away with.

Family Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Family Health Assessment - Essay Example This kind of arrangement enabled me to get answers that could be of much value while making decision on the right wellness nursing diagnoses to apply. First of all, I found out that the family knows much about health. They have a positive attitude towards health. Meaning, they value it so much. It is for this reason that the interviewees said to me that they are always ready to seek for medical care whenever necessary. This clearly shows that they can be instrumental in enhancing treatment. Health care is something that to this family needs to be taken seriously. For this functional health pattern, I suggest a wellness diagnosis: Effective Therapeutic Regimen Management and Health-Seeking Behaviors. They can help a great deal in handling the situation (Guerrero, 2008). Besides, my interaction with this family enabled me to learn much about the family’s nutrition. As explained by my interviewees, nutrition plays an integral part in their life. Since food is used for the provision of energy and protection of the body against diseases, it should not be taken for granted. However, despite such attachment on food, the interviewees said to me that they have experienced cases of imbalanced nutrition. Meaning, their have been taking insufficient amounts of food something that has not been good for their health. This, I realized, is the major challenge that has been affecting the members of this family as it has resulted into some nutritional disorders. So, I propose the adoption of wellness diagnosis involving effective breastfeeding; and risk diagnosis for Risk for Imbalanced Nutrition (Galdston, 2008). The other response I got from this family is that they have been conscious about the role of sleep in their lives. However, even if they acknowledge that sleep gives them time to rest and relax the body and brain, they still have to take a lot of action to make it be

Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply Chain - Essay Example that determines the efficiency of the overall business to a great extent and its effectiveness reflects and ensures the effectiveness of other front end business processes. For example, when an efficient supply chain enables the timely and cost effective procurement of the services, the possibility of providing goods or services to the customers increases many folds. The travel agency business is no exception in this regards. This paper intends to explore the supply chain under ‘brick and mortar system ’and compare the changes that has been brought due to the interventions of technology on the supply chain. Before moving further few terms need to be explained. Brick and Mortar means manual way of working. Click and mortar means combination of manual and automated working; whereas, click only means totally automated working. The business of travel agency in older times, when the brick and mortar system was in operations, was mainly manual and the service they used to provide was to arrange for the flights, booking of the hotels and to arrange any other service required by the customers during the travelling. Let us explore the supply chain for the travel agency under brick and mortar system. Under manual system, the participants of the supply chain were, the travel agent, the hotel administration, the airline ticking staff and other salesman for relevant services, for example, if the customer is being provided with the car rentals, then the car rental vendor will also be the participant of the supply chain. The process of supply chain was very simple yet bearing a lot of demerits. The process was like, the travel agent used to have the agreements with different vendors and on receiving orders, they used to go to those vendors, book their service and get the tickets/ receipts etc. Though it was very simple supply chain, yet it bore many discrepancies, for example, suppose that a travel agent books the ticket for a particular destination for his journey but

The Song of Roland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Song of Roland - Essay Example The poem main subject is to point out that Christians who hold their beliefs can do great things and even if they fall they will welcome to heaven by angels on their way there. The song tells of how Charlemagne a Christian king, wanted to conquer the Muslim king Marsile (Project Gutenberg) in Stanza I line [7] the poem states â€Å"Marsile its King, who feareth not Gods name† Meaning that they felt being Muslim equated to being evil that has to be uprooted. For seven years king Charlemagne had been at war with the Saracens and only King Marsile and queen Bramimonde of the city of Saragossa had not been defeated. The poem gives a parallel of a battle between the good and the evil. In this the Saracens are presented as evil and the Franks present the pure good, their major motivation being doing the will of God. According to the poem the Saracean who are Muslims on dying their souls are bound for the eternal flame of hell. The fighters are greatly motivated by their religious beliefs .The fighters in this song have very strong Christian conviction believing that God’s will comes before any man and God is a kind God and all powerful. For example in deciding the fate of the traitor Ganelon they go for a judicial fight with faith that God will intervene for the right man. Ironically that is what happened when Thierry a brave but less physically built than Ganelon manages to slay Ganelon in the fight. The fighters have strong sense of duty and loyalty both to God and their fellow fighters. Because of Roland’s sense of duty he fought to death at the pass of Roncevaux together with twenty thousand Christians against an army of four hundred thousand men. This same loyalty mad King Charlemagne to avenge the death of Roland. This kind of duty and loyalty that arose spontaneously could be parallel to the love of God. In such a holly war fighters considered it being bound by duty and loyalty to each other as divine. Despite being very pious King Charlemagne decided

Determinants, Benefits and the Risks of Foreign Direct Investment for Assignment

Determinants, Benefits and the Risks of Foreign Direct Investment for Developing Countries - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that for the host country, it provides new technologies, products, skills of management, capital, strengthens its currency and thus leads to economic development. However, these benefits are not realized automatically and evenly. Architecture of international investment and national policies are important in attracting FDI to many developing countries and in realization of its full benefits for development. Although FDI is beneficial to both host and home countries, it also arise some costs to them. The benefits which a host country expects rely on the co-operation of its government. In developing countries such as Kenya, FDI contributes a lot in their economic development and the governments are working extremely hard to attract it. Actually, the global market for these investments is highly competitive and countries seek them to improve their development efforts. Foreign Direct Investment is regarded to be less prone to a crisis because the direct investors usually have very long-term plans when engaging in such investments in host countries. It is also believed that FDI greatly contributes a lot to the economic growth of a host country than other types of capital inflows. Therefore, this paper seeks to critically examine the determinants, the benefits and the risks of Foreign Direct Investment in developing countries. It tends to broadly analyze the factors that attract foreign investments, the benefits that the country intends to gain from direct foreign investment and the dangers associated with these kinds of investments. Foreign direct investment determinants refer to the factors (political, economic and social factors) that can attract or deter foreign investors from investing in a particular country. Stable economy, political stability and good social status are likely to attract foreign investments. However, instability in these three areas will scare investors away.

Who Killed the Electric Car Analysis Essay Example for Free

Who Killed the Electric Car Analysis Essay Who Killed the Electric Car? is a powerful tool pertinent to many academic disciplines and adaptable to a variety of abilities, learning styles, and classroom goals. This rich, self-contained film requires little or no additional research on the part of the instructor or the class, but can be used as the foundation for independent student research. The film divides neatly into two nearly equal and independent segments that can be shown on successive days or at different points in a unit. Both segments offer excellent discussion opportunities. The classroom experience of students taking courses on environmental science or offerings that include a unit on air quality or environmental concerns would be enriched by viewing Who Killed the Electric Car?. Courses that encourage interest in engineering and practical math applications would also benefit. The ethical and civic questions that the film explores offer a natural connection for teachers working in the area of civics, government, ethics, and business ethics. In many of these courses the film could be treated as a case study. The ethical questions raised are nearly unlimited and a large variety of higher-level-thinking activities can be developed from the film. Included in this packet are discussion prompts, class activities, and research suggestions. 1 FILM SUMMARY included, the General Motors electric vehicle is featured. As this segment concludes, the success of the industry’s legal strategy is symbolized by a celebrity-studded funeral for the electric car. This segment is filled with factual analysis that examines conflicting claims about emissions, practicality, costs of various fuels, and consumer demand. Who Killed the Electric Car? is presented as a whodone-it mystery. Staying true to this genre, the film opens with necessary background information, describes the crime committed, answering all of the what, where, and when questions, and then in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gathers the suspects for close scrutiny, coming to a conclusion on the guilt or innocence of each. The second half of Who Killed the Electric Car? is Sherlock Holmes at his best. The seven suspects identified in the first half of the film are scrutinized. One by one, consumers, batteries, oil companies, auto manufacturers, the U. S. government, the California Air Resources Board, and the newest villain, the hydrogen car, pass under the bare bulb in the inspector’s interrogation room in an attempt to answer the question asked in the film’s title: Who Killed the Electric Car? At the end of each segment the featured suspect is judged as guilty or innocent. Opening with a bit of automotive history that establishes the electric car as a competitive alternative to the internal combustion engine, Who Killed the Electric Car? takes the viewer back to the beginning of the twentieth century and the dawn of the automotive age. A straightforward explanation of why gasoline beats out electricity as the fuel of choice and how the internal combustion engine wins dominance concludes the broad overview. The film then moves to the recent past with the introduction of the California Air Resources Board and their 1990 decision to require that ten percent of all cars sold in California by each car manufacturer be zero-emission vehicles by the year 2003. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde response of automotive companies is revealed; production and marketing of zero-emission cars is detailed, a period during which the legal and political teams of the same manufacturers work to defeat the law that gave birth to modern electric vehicles. While several manufacturers are The film ends on a positive note, recognizing a grassroots movement that envisions cleaner air and energy independence. In a John Kennedy-style appeal, the film claims that those who solve our energy conundrum will be those that â€Å"change the world. † 2 SELECTED SCENES FOR CLASSROOM REVIEW 1:19 19:40 Two million new cars are sold in Television advertisement for G. M. ’s California each year. electric car. 2:55 21:21 Cheap oil supports the combustion Introduce Dr. Alan Lloyd of C. A. R. B. engine over the electric car. 3:35 22:10 Air quality in California: Manufacturer’s lawsuit to â€Å"Black cloud of death. † overturn emissions standards. 4:32 22:30 Each gallon of gasoline burned yields President Bush endorsing hydrogen 19 pounds of carbon dioxide. technology in the State of the Union. 4:55 22:43 Introduce S. David Freeman. Hydrogen Hummer and the hydrogen highway. 7:40 23:20 Creating demand for electric cars. C. A. R. B. hearing on the emissions standards. 8:50 25:30 C. A. R. B. and California’s C. A. R. B. vote to kill the standards. zero-emission policy. 12:40 26:15 Cost to run an electric car equals Manufacturers start to collect gasoline when gas is 60 cents per gallon. the electric cars. 14:10 27:35 Californians Against Utility â€Å"Save the electric car† campaign, Company Abuse including the mock funeral. 16:10 29:30 G. M. claims to have built electric cars Last EV1 collected. according to demand. 19:10 31:20 Marketing; How far, how fast, EV1s in a G. M. lot. how much? 3 33:20 50:36 G. M. spokesperson explains the Suspect: Car Manufacturers fate of the collected EV1s. 35:30 56:20 PBS at the car crusher. Suspect: Government 36:58 1:03:57 S. David Freeman, â€Å"We’re up against Suspect: C. A. R. B. most of the money in the world. † 37:15 1:07:02 Vigil for the EV1s. Suspect: Hydrogen Fuel Cell 38:40 1:11:08 Would you buy one of these electric President Bush at a hydrogen cars? Display check for 1. 9 million filling station. dollars offered to G. M. 39:20 1:15:05 â€Å"Who controls the future? Last cars moved. He who has the biggest club. † 1:18:52 39:34 1 Scene from Naked Gun 2 /2: Automotive Museum The Smell of Fear. 40:25 1:20:30 List of suspects. Verdicts. 40:58 1:22:32 Suspect: Consumers â€Å"The fight about the electric car was quite simply a fight about the future. † 43:20 1:23:58 Suspect: Batteries Introduce James Woolsey and Plug In America. 1:27:19 46:38 â€Å"The one group of people that steps Suspect: Oil Companies up to take it on is the group that will change the world. † 4 DISCUSSION PROMPTS. These prompts can be used for full-class discussion, small group conversations, or adapted for use as writing assignments of varying length and detail. †¢ What compromises related to cars and transportation are you willing to make to preserve and improve air quality? Brainstorm possibilities and then discuss each one, focusing on the average consumer. †¢ What one assertion in the film do you disagree with? Why? †¢ What one assertion in the film troubles you the most? Why? †¢ In your own words, explain why the car manufacturers collected and destroyed the electric vehicles. †¢ Did government serve the people in the case of electric cars? Why? †¢ Does government have the right to tell companies what to manufacture? Why? †¢ How important an issue is our nation’s dependence on oil? Explain. †¢ Do you agree that those who solve the energy question will change the world? Explain. †¢ Should the world oil supply be divided evenly according to population, given to those able to pay the highest price, or reserved for developing nations? Explain your opinion. †¢ Is it acceptable for a nation to use oil as a weapon? Why/why not? †¢ Would you characterize each of the following as a good citizen or a bad citizen? Why? -The oil companies -The automobile companies -U. S.consumers -Scientists researching hydrogen fuel -The citizens trying to save the electric car †¢ Is energy a national security issue? Why/how? Explain. †¢ How is the use of hydrogen as a fuel related to the reemergence of nuclear power? †¢ Does drilling for more oil in the pristine wilderness make sense? Why/why not? †¢ Given the information provided in the film, do you believe electric cars are a reasonable alternative to combustion engines? Why/why not? †¢ Given the information provided in the film, do you believe you will be able to buy a hydrogen-powered car in the next 10 years? 20 years? Ever? Why/why not? 5 MOCK COURT Choose defense and prosecution teams for each of the seven defendants identified in the film. Have the teams prepare for a mock trial using the information in the film and if desired, additional research. Stage a trial with a jury that has not seen the film. Roles: Judge: Acts as presiding officer maintaining order, resolving conflicts, and charging the jury. Prosecution team: Presents evidence against the named defendant using witnesses, charts, graphs, and physical evidence. The team would also cross-examine defense witnesses. The prosecution’s job is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of the defendant. Defense team: Presents evidence that rebuts the prosecution’s view and may suggest alternative perpetrators. The defense may use witnesses, charts, graphs, and physical evidence. The team would also cross-examine prosecution witnesses. The defense’s job is to create reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant. This activity can be used as an alternative assessment of student knowledge while also building critical thinking and oral presentation skills. 6 COMMON GOOD Open the activity by reading the paragraph below. Allow for a few minutes of general comment on the concept of the â€Å"common good† and the claim by then G. M. president Charles E. Wilson: What’s good for the country is good for General Motors and vice versa. The preamble to the United States Constitution opens with the words: â€Å"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. † These words imply a common interest that is shared by citizens and government, a concept often referred to as the â€Å"common good. † In 1953, the then president of General Motors, Charles E. Wilson, was nominated by President Dwight Eisenhower to serve as his Secretary of Defense. During Wilson’s confirmation hearings, senators were concerned that he would have difficulty making a decision that could hurt General Motors, a major defense contractor, even if the decision was in the best interest of the United States. When asked this question, Wilson assured senators that he could make such a decision but that he could not imagine such a situation, â€Å"because for years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors and vice versa. † Student instruction Who Killed the Electric Car? implies that the â€Å"common good† is not being served by the decision to abandon electric vehicles and embrace hydrogen technology. Write your own definition of the â€Å"common good. † Make groups of 3 to 5 and share these definitions. Try to agree on a group definition. Evaluate General Motors’ decision to kill the electric car program in light of your group’s definition. Be ready to report your findings to the class. Do Mr. Wilson’s thoughts from 1953 reflect the General Motors Corporation that is presented in the film? If the Senate called the current president of G. M. to explain the death of the electric car, imagine what he might say that would be quoted more than 50 years later. 7 HIDDEN AGENDA Teacher introduction As a class, brainstorm about the term â€Å"hidden agenda. † When you get all the ideas on the board, make groups of 3 to 5. In groups, have the class discuss the ideas on the board and then write a definition of â€Å"hidden agenda† that the group can agree on. As a class, share these definitions and create one working definition for the whole class. Have students return to their groups and discuss what â€Å"hidden agenda(s)† the following may have had. To make a claim, the group must have at least one piece of solid evidence from the film. Each group should decide which three of their claims are the strongest and prepare to present them to the class. Present and discuss: Automobile companies: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Oil companies: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Filmmakers: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Car companies: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Federal government: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Fans of the electric car: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: C. A. R. B. : Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: 8 WHAT IS THE ROLE OF BUSINESS? What is the role of business in a democratic/capitalist society? The complex interaction between business, government, and consumers is presented as a case study in Who Killed the Electric Car?. After viewing the film, clarify your own attitude toward the role of business, before any discussion, by using the prompts that follow. Prioritize the entire list from 1, most important, to 10, least important, and then write just a sentence or two that explains each ranking. Using your results, make groups that include individuals with different attitudes. While you discuss the movie, analyze how different views of business influence opinions about the film. ______ The role of business is to make a profit. ______ The role of business is to make a good product. ______ The role of business is to serve the consumer. ______ The role of business is to support government. ______ The role of business is to educate government. ______ The role of business is to educate consumers. ______ The role of business is to improve life. ______ The role of business is to protect the environment. ______ The role of business is to provide consumers with choice. ______ The role of business is to invent solutions to society’s problems. 9 WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT? What is the role of government in a democratic/capitalist society? The complex interaction between business, government, and citizens is presented as a case study in Who Killed the Electric Car?. After viewing the film, clarify your own attitude toward the role of government, before any discussion, by using the prompts that follow. Prioritize the entire list from 1, most important, to 10, least important, and then write just a sentence or two that explains each ranking. Using your results, make groups that include individuals with different attitudes. While you discuss the movie, analyze how different views of government influence opinions about the film. ______ The role of government is to defend the nation. ______ The role of government is to create a just society. ______ The role of government is to protect the consumer. ______ The role of government is to protect business. ______ The role of government is to regulate business. ______ The role of government is to educate consumers. ______ The role of government is to improve life for all citizens. ______ The role of government is to protect the environment. ______ The role of government is to provide consumers with choice. ______ The role of government is to invent solutions to society’s problems. 10 MAKING THE CASE. In the second half of Who Killed the Electric Car? , each of the suspects in this mystery is held up to scrutiny. Acting as an unbiased detective, develop a list of the evidence offered for guilt and the evidence that indicates innocence. In groups or as a class, use these evidence lists as the basis for a debate that leads to a vote on each suspect. The suspect___________________________________________________ Evidence to convict Evidence to acquit 11 BRIAN DANIELS teaches history and ethics at Hudson High School, Hudson, Massachusetts. He is the school facilitator for the democratic school initiative at. Hudson High and an active member of the school’s First Amendment Schools team. He has been teaching for thirty years and holds bachelor’s degrees in history and psychology from Boston College and a master’s degree in critical and creative thinking from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. He will become the Curriculum Director for English and Social Studies grades 6-12 in the Hudson school district in the summer of 2006. He has been published several times in the Boston Globe and has an article slated for publication in October of 2006 in the National Social Studies. Supervisors Association magazine. A SONY PICTURES CLASSICS RELEASE ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS A DEAN DEVLIN/PLINYMINOR PRODUCTION A FILM BY CHRIS PAINE â€Å"WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? † NARRATED BY MARTIN SHEEN EDITED BY MICHAEL KOVALENKO CHRIS A. PETERSON DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY THADDEUS WADLEIGH ORIGINAL MUSIC BY MICHAEL BROOK CONSULTING PRODUCER ALEX GIBNEY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DEAN DEVLIN TAVIN MARIN TITUS RICHARD D. TITUS PRODUCED BY JESSIE DEETER WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY CHRIS PAINE FOR BRIEF MILD LANGUAGE. WWW. WHOKILLEDTHEELECTRICCARMOVIE. COM WWW. SONYCLASSICS. COM.

Inventory Accounting Essay Example for Free

Inventory Accounting Essay 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inventory costs: The use of LIFO for determining inventory costs under International Accounting Standards is prohibited, while it is permitted under US GAAP. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reversal of inventory write downs: Under IAS, it is required if certain criteria are met whereas US GAAP strictly prohibits it. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basis of Inventory valuation: Under IAS, the inventory is carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value (NRV). Under US GAAP, Carried at the lower of cost and market (market is the lower of replacement cost and NRV minus normal profit margin). 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whether the costs of idle capacity and spoilage can be included in inventory Under IAS, it is prohibited. Under US GAAP, it is permitted. The change to IAS will avoid the biggest disadvantage of US GAAP that is; it permits LIFO to be used for inventory valuation where the oldest inventory costs are assigned to the inventory account which, when prices are changing can result in an inventory value that does not reflect the true current value. Also, in case of shift to IAS, US companies will not be able to show lower profits by using LIFO when prices are rising. US GAAP helped the companies to reduce their payment of taxes. Under US GAAP, extraordinary items are permitted but restricted to infrequent, unusual and rare items that affect profit and loss. However, it is prohibited under IAS. Thus, extraordinary items give companies somewhat of a hall pass with the markets, allowing them to sometimes report lower earnings but get credit for higher earnings. Obviously, it is tempting for companies to try to report every bad thing that happens as an extraordinary item. This can be avoided once IAS is in place. IAS is more comprehensive and clear. It would avoid misinterpretation by the companies.

Should capital punishment be reintroduced in the UK

Should capital punishment be reintroduced in the UK Capital punishment is a practise of which criminals, when, convicted of a serious crime known as a capital crime are executed. The term capital originates from the Latin word capitalis, meaning the head and a capital crime was originally punishable by the severing of the head. Although not always used, 58 countries still uphold capital punishment as a sentence according to Amnesty Internationals figures in December 2009, and, since 1985, over 50 countries have abolished capital punishment. The six main execution methods still used since 2000, are; electrocution, lethal injection, beheading, shooting, hanging and stoning. In the U.K hanging was the preferred way of executing a person. This was found to be of simple and quick preparation and an extremely quick process of dying for the prisoner. Capital punishment in the U.K was abolished in 1969. Nowadays capital punishment is considered a barbaric and inhumane sentence. The question of whether capital punishment should be reintroduced has been widely debated, argued and many reasons given for support and against its practise. This essay will provide the history of capital punishment in the U.K, and evaluate the arguments for and against reintroducing capital punishment to the U.K. The following steps were taken to acquire the information needed to complete this assignment: Questionnaires were distributed on the 19th October 2010 and collected on the 25th October 2010. Internet sources were accessed on the 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th of October 2010. Capital punishments abolition in the U.K William the Conqueror first abolished capital punishment in the U.K in the 11th Century but this was reinstated by his son. Several proposals were put forward to parliament from the late 1700s but all were opposed. In the 1800s hangings were seen as great days out and people of all classes would enjoy watching a criminal strung up by the neck and would be very disappointed to see him/her die too quickly. From the 1800s to the 1900s many capital crimes were reduced from the death penalty to imprisonment (see below table) and murder was the only capital crime still punishable by death. By the end of the Second World War, attitudes had changed towards accepting the abolition of capital punishment as people were concerned by the holocaust of Nazi Germany. The last executions to happen in the U.K were that of two men who were hanged in Walton Gaol in Liverpool. Capital Punishment Abolished Notable Date Notable Event 1908 People under 16 are no longer liable for hanging. 1922 Infanticide (Mother killing her child) is no longer a capital offence. 1931 Pregnant Women are no longer hanged. 1933 People under 18 are not executed. Sentenced to Her/his Majestys Pleasure. 1948 House of Commons suspends capital punishment. Overruled by House of Lords. 9 March 1950 Timothy John Evans hanged at Pentonville Prison. 28 January 1953 Derek Bentley hanged at Wandsworth Prison for the murder of P.C. Miles. 13 July 1955 Last Women hanged in U.K (Ruth Ellis at Holloway Prison). 1956 The passing of Death Penalty (Abolition) Bill is overturned by Lords. 1957 Homicide Act 1957 restricts use of capital punishment. 23 July 1957 First execution under the 1957 act: John Vickers. 5 November 1959 Last execution for murder of police officer: Gunther Podola. 13 August 1964 Last executions: Peter Anthony Allen Gwynne Owen Evans. 1965 Capital punishment in murder cases is suspended for 5 years. 1966 Timothy John Evans receives a posthumous pardon. 1969 Capital punishment for murder is abolished. February 1998 Mahmood Mattan receives a posthumous pardon. July 1998 Derek Bentley receives a posthumous pardon. Capital list. Available from http://stephen.stratford.co.uk/capital -list.htm (accessed 24th October 2010). Mps decided on May 20th 1998, to adopt human rights provisions, outlawing capital punishment for murder except for times of war or imminent threat of war. Capital punishment ended effectively with the criminal justice bill on the 31st July 1998 and on the 27th January 1999, the 6th protocol was signed by the home secretary formally abolishing capital punishment in the U.K. Arguments for capital punishment Cost: It can be argued that the cost of keeping a criminal incarcerated is cheaper than giving them the death penalty but this is not the case. Studies have shown that the complicated legal process of pre trial and trials are tremendously expensive. The additional cost of confining an inmate to death row, as compared to the maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences, is $90,000 per year per inmate. With Californias current death row population of 670, that accounts for $63.3 million annually. (Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, June 30, 2008). Available from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty. (Accessed 25th October 2010). Retribution: Murderers get what they deserve, punishment should fit the crime and an eye for an eye. This seems an debateable argument worldwide for many criminals to be given the death penalty as the punishment does not always fit the crime for example people who assault, are not assaulted and rapists who raped, are not raped. The Justice Centre of the University of Alaska at Anchorage, in its website section titled The Death Penalty: Specific Issues Retribution Justice for Murder Victims, offered the following: Death penalty advocates justify capital punishment under the principle of lex talionis, or an eye for an eye the belief that punishment should fit the crime. In particular, people who favor capital punishment argue that murderers should be executed in retribution for their crimes and that such retribution serves justice for murder victims and their survivors. Death penalty opponents emphasize the sacredness of life, arguing that killing is always wrong whether by individual or by the state, and that justice is best served through reconciliation. Justice center of the University of Alaska at Anchorage. Available from: http://www.deathpeanlty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=0010004. (Accessed on the 25th October 2010). However there is a serious risk of executing the innocent and the adage People getting their just desserts pose a serious drawback for the retribution argument. Deterrence: Does the death penalty act as a deterrent and that by executing convicted criminals will deter would be murderers from killing people. Many people believe that this is correct and in 2000 George W Bush stated: I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other peoples lives, and further that Its the only reason to be for it. The Berkeley electronic press available at: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/donohue Deter.pdf. (Accessed on the 25th October 2010). Studies have failed to provide any evidence that deterrence works and research has found that if a crime is not pre-meditated it is unlikely that the criminal who most probably at the time of his/hers capital crime was not thinking logically and heedless to any consequences that would occur later. Persons who commit pre meditated murder often concentrate on escaping any detection or conviction and thus the threat of punishment by death does not deter them as they are convinced they will not be caught. John McAdams stated: If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers. If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murders, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims. I would much rather risk the former. This, to me, is not a tough call. Marquette University/Department of Political Science, on deterrence available at: http://www.prodeathpenalty.com. (Accessed on 24th October 2010). Prevention of re-offending: Those who commit heinous crimes and are executed cannot commit any more crimes it is said but imprisonment for life does not necessarily make for a peaceful society either. In the U.K life imprisonment usually means a sentence of a minimum time which is set by a sentencing judge usually 15-20 years, the person who committed his/her crime then becomes eligible for parole. For example: Jon Venables after murdering Jamie Bulger along with his accomplice Robert Thompson was given a sentence of just eight years. There has been a public outcry about the sentence given and early this year Jon was recalled back to custody after breaching the terms of his release. Denise Bulger, Jamies mother stated nine years ago: If released they would reoffend Interview available at: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2884530/jon-venables-recognised-by-a-localhtm. (Accessed on the 25th October 2010). Arguments against capital punishment Wrongly convicted: DNA testing has opened a large window into a persons claim of innocence and has literally changed the justice system. People have been motivated by external influences to confess or admit to a murder that they didnt commit only to be exonerated possibly years later. In the case of Frank Sterling, a New York truck driver convicted on a confession that he gave in 1992 that he had strangled a four year old girl. Frank served 19 years in jail only to be freed earlier this year with the help of the innocence project when DNA proved that he in fact did not murder her and another inmate Mark Christie had. Picture 12 Frank Sterling Freed After DNA proves His InnocenceFrank Sterling Image available at: http://www.genpop-org/2010/04frank-sterling-freed-after-dna-proves-hiinnocence/ (Accessed 17th October 2010). There is ample evidence now that proves there are and have been errors and flaws throughout the legal system, Frank Sterling is just one of countless numbers of people who are innocent. It is also inevitable that innocent people will be convicted and sentenced to death in the world and such mistakes cannot be put right. The right to live: It has been stated that the right to live is the most significant right of them all when it comes to the death penalty, but it can also be argued with the adage an eye for an eye. Professor van den Haag stated in an interview: I hold life sacred, and because I hold it sacred, I feel that anyone who takes some ones life should know that thereby he forsakes his own and does not just suffer an inconvenience about being put into prison for sometime http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/ornellaspaper.htm.(Accessed 21st October 2010). In the United Kingdom, Article 2 of the human rights act 1998 which states everyones right to life shall be protected by law was enforced in 2000 meaning that no one in the U.K can be sentenced to death. A Questionnaire was posted online on the 17th October. The graph below shows the results of the 120 people who were sent and replied to the questionnaire. C:UsersOwnerAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesLowContent.IE5ELA6NUIH20101024211242[1].jpg If capital punishment were to be re introduced into the U.K many questions would be raised for example: will innocent people be executed? can the legal system be trusted? and will it ever be proved as a deterrent etc? I personally dont believe that any of these questions can be answered with the upmost truth and above all proof and you have to take into account that each and every person in the world is capable of murder if faced with, for example: self defence. Whether or not capital punishment would deter would be criminals prior to their offense, I do believe that the death penalty should be reintroduced into the U.K. In the interest of the people, criminals who have committed acts of such a heinous nature should be given a punishment proportionate to fit the crime. I would go as far as to say that the U.K justice system should, when giving out a life sentence to an offender, mean it is for life and, when a life is taken in such a monstrous way, the offender should be sentenced to death. The reintroduction of U.K capital punishment would not come without its mistakes, and, it could cause misery to the offenders families. But I personally think that if it was reintroduced with strict laws and guidelines and only for offenders, who have committed terrible crimes, then there could be some retribution, it would permanently incapacitate them, and, maybe it could save some money that could be spent on rehabilitating other less serious criminals . Commision on the fair administration of Justice.http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty (Accessed 25th October 2010). http://abouthumanrights.co.uk/right-life.html (Accessed 25th October 2010). http://www.amnesty.org/en/death-penalty/numbers (Accessed 24th October 2010). http://www.genpop-org/2010/04frank-sterling-freed-after-dna-proves-his-innocence (Accessed 17th October 2010). http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/DonohueDeter.pdf http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/ornellaspaper.htm (Accessed 21st October 2010). http://stephen.stratford.co.uk/capital -list.htm (Accessed 24th October 2010). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2884530/jon-venables-recognised-by-a-localhtm (Accessed 24th October 2010). http://users.rcn.com/mwood/deathpen.html#Retribution John McAdams Marquette University/Department of Political Science, on deterrence. http://www.prodeathpenalty.com (Accessed on the 24th October 2010). Justice Center of the University of Alaska at Anchorage. http://www.deathpeanlty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=0010004 (Accessed 25th October 2010). The Berkeley electronic press. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/donohuedeter.pdf (Accessed 25th October 2010). I would like to thank all my friends on facebook who answered my questions posted on the internet on the 17th of October 2010.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Hobbit† Book Report   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The Hobbit† was written by J. R. R. Tolkien and secured as a copyright in 1937. The story is about a short, peaceful creature named Bilbo Baggins who, like most hobbits, is about half as tall as a human, but not nearly as loud. Bilbo resides in his comfortable hole where he leads a very easy-going life. He does, however have a side to himself that wants to go out and explore the world and be adventurous. One day a wizard, named Gandalf, comes to Bilbo’s house and discovers that he could use an adventure to make a difference in his life. Bilbo declines Gandalf’s invitation, but gets dragged into an expedition when Gandalf hires Bilbo as a â€Å"Burglar† to join a group of dwarves. These dwarves, led by Thorin, are going to head to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim treasure stolen from their family by a fierce dragon, named Smaug. Throughout the quest, the party is faced with trouble from trolls, goblins, spiders, and many â€Å"evil† creatures. Bi lbo is useful to the group because he can sneak around very quietly, and explore things without getting caught. This ability to sneak around is ever increased when he stumbles across a magic ring that makes him invisible. Using the ring, Bilbo comes across a way to kill the dragon and reclaim the treasure. He spreads word of Smaug’s weak spot and the dragon is killed, but not before an entire town is destroyed. When the treasure is reclaimed, there is much controversy over who gets to claim it. Thorin is, however, unwilling to share the treasure with anyone but the dwarves, and a war brews over it. The â€Å"good† creatures unite and defeat the â€Å"evil† creatures, but as a consequence Thorin is killed in battle. The treasure is then spread peacefully among the â€Å"good† creatures, including Bilbo, and he heads home. When he returns he finds that the other hobbits do no longer wish to interact with Bilbo because of his newfound adventurous ways. He do esn’t mind though, because he has gained many friends out of his expedition, who stop by frequently. The Hobbit is a great story for people who like to leave their present reality, and simply enter a world of fantasy. This novel’s most important element was the main character, Bilbo Baggins. The entire story revolves around Bilbo’s actions, and follows him wherever he goes.

Technology Law :: Law College Admissions Essays

After a few quick gulps of coffee, I departed from my apartment in Florida. It was six in the morning and still dark outside. Seventeen hours later, I made it to the District of Columbia. I drove to Washington to attend a conference hosted by Ralph Nader on the state of competition in the computer industry. At some point during that drive, I realized I had become a "computer nerd." Before that, I had never really fancied myself a "computer nerd." To be quit honest, computers used to intimidate me in a certain respect. I did not even own one until I enrolled in college. My primary interest in college was philosophy, a discipline which, at first glance at least, does not seem particularly connected to the computer world. I was drawn to philosophy because of its emphasis on analytical thinking. By "analytical thinking," I mean the use of logical analysis and creative speculation to sort out different aspects of an argument. I instantly felt at home in my first philosophy class when my professor remarked that people looking for "the answers" in his classes would be disappointed. What interested me in philosophy was the sustained and rigorous attempt to think through intellectual questions not necessarily to "the answers," but towards more sophisticated formulations of alternative viewpoints and arguments. In contrast to my intuitive attraction to philosophy, I stumbled upon the world of computers in my junior year of college. Tired of working unrewarding jobs during the summer, I figured that I should develop some practical, marketable skills (especially since graduation was nearing and I knew my philosophy degree, while invaluable to me, was not a hot commodity on the job market). In that context, I took a few computer programming classes. I soon discovered that I actually liked designing programs. Whereas I assumed that "the answers" would be taken for granted in computer science, I found that computer science, especially when practically applied, requires both logical and imaginative problem solving. The skills refined in my philosophy classes, the application of logical thinking and attention to various ways of looking at a problem, proved helpful in computer programming. Later, I sensed other links between my interest in philosophy and the technical world of computers. I first began making those realizations while working for Stand For Children, a small Washington DC based nonprofit. Stand's mission is to develop a national network of child activists.

The No Child Left Behind Act Essay -- American Government, Politics

Initiated in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 intended to prevent the academic failures of educational institutions and individual students, as well as bridge achievement gaps between students. This act supports the basic standards of education reform across America; desiring to improve the learning outcomes of America’s youth. No Child Left Behind has left many to criticize the outcomes of the Act itself. Questions have risen concerning the effectiveness of NCLB, as well as the implications to America’s youth. Thesis The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 should be revised to allow better accountability of student success, accountability of schools progress, and better flexibility for teachers. About â€Å"No Child Left Behind† Signed into law in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 had ample bipartisan support. Implementing the belief that setting high achievement goals in education would yield an increase in student success nationwide, the act requires all states to build assessments for all grade levels concerning the basic skills of reading and math. This in turn provides assurances of federal funding for the public schools who participate fully in this practice. The goal of the act is to have every child achieve their grade level in math and reading by 2014. It was based off the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. ESEA established the Title I programs, which became the first federal education aid to support children of poor urban/rural areas (Ed.Gov). Accountability of Student Success â€Å"Accountability for improved student achievement lies at the heart of the ESEA debate (Jennings, 2010).† According to Jennings,we must relook how student progress in English language arts and math sho... ...positions. Teachers should be rewarded by success, not penalized by single sided test results. In conclusion, the initial intentions of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) were to close the achievement gap between low achieving students and schools and their counterparts; but have fallen short in many important aspects along the way. Teachers have become de-sensitized to the reasons they initially desired to be educators and have lost their vision of how to implement instruction due to standards of NCLB and the consequences for not meeting those mandated goals. Likewise, students must perform, many times, above their level in order to be labeled â€Å"adequate† by the federal government and their schools. In some cases, there is a disproportionate burden placed on schools, teachers, and students, all for the sake of what is federally deemed as average achievement.

My Belief System

A belief system is the combination of thoughts, opinions, or convictions on the most profound questions of life. What is a human being? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is righteous behavior and what is sinful? Why is so much suffering caused and does it have any purpose? How can a greater and lasting happiness be found in life? What happens at death? What happens thereafter? Is there anything such as judgment? Will the righteous be rewarded? Such are the questions that weigh heavily upon any person seeking a deeper meaning of life, and possibly the way to salvation.They are no easy self-evident answers to these questions. One cannot come to any clear-cut conclusions to these questions using thinking and analysis, although philosophers do try to do so. The ultimate questions of life belong to the dimension of metaphysics, and have to be largely accepted as a matter of belief or faith. The articles of a believer's religious faith are not conclusions derived by ratiocinati ve, discriminating mind. Mind has little to do with them, they are more related to the heart and the soul of a person.For example, the existence of soul itself is not something one can infer from rational analysis or physical dissection. Yet the existence of soul is central to nearly every religious belief system on the earth. Logical thinking cannot make anything of such a belief. Similarly, the presence of God is something beyond the reach of human mind to comprehend. Yet, a belief in God is again the core of nearly every religious belief system. I myself follow a deeply Christian belief system that is founded upon the Glory of God and the mystery of His creation.When we enter the domain of a religious system, we have to leave the mind behind and follow the voice of the heart. I believe that we should follow a belief system not because our parents followed it or the people around us follow it, but simply because there is a resonance between the elements of that particular religiou s thinking and oneself. Of course, usually one finds this special affinity to the religious tradition one is born into, and that is the case with me too.I am a Protestant Christian and I find that the Protestants have a direct and intimate approach to religion. I am at home among Protestant Christians and particularly in my church and denomination, the Baptist Christians. Though I myself belong to the Baptist church, and have certain strong convictions concerning theological/metaphysical matters in accordance to my particular belief system, I try to regard other denominations and even faiths with an open mind. I believe that deep down, the religious impulse of men and women all over the world is the same.Further, the courage or abstractness of thought needed to allow the heart to believe in completely unseen things is also more or less the same, although I acknowledge the fact that in a majority of cases, religious belief are just a matter of custom which do not have serious implica tions in a person’s life. But when religion is taken seriously, the essential nature of divergent belief systems can be the same though the contents differ, sometimes radically as between Eastern pantheistic religions and the strictly monotheistic Judeo-Christian religion.I believe that God’s mystery is so great that it can perhaps equally validate widely differing religious belief systems. Let me offer a relevant example here from the world of physics: an electron can be a particle and also a wave at the same time. Common sense tells us that something cannot be a particle and a wave at the same time, surely that is impossible in the very nature of things — and yet in reality it can happen and in fact this is how things are. Similarly, God’s mystery can be so vast that it can accommodate two or more apparently conflicting metaphysical viewpoints.Thus, almost paradoxically, although I am strong believer in the tenets of my own faith, I do not fanatically o r arrogantly claim or even think that my denomination, my sect, my religion, is exclusively correct and all others wrong. I believe that ultimately, the mystery of God cannot be contained by any particular belief system. I also believe that more than the specific doctrines of a belief system, what is more important is the passionate intensity of the believer in God, whatever may be the name of the God. I believe in the efficacy of prayer and the total need to feel personally connected to the divinity of God.To me, that divinity is represented in the image of Jesus Christ. As everyone knows, Baptists insist that one has to fully accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as a personal conscious choice, not as just a matter of course. The event of Baptism marks this choice or decision. Although all Christians follow the ceremony of Baptism, and I respect that, I personally think (and not simply because I myself am a Baptist) that such a most sacred event in one’s life which confirm s one’s personal relationship to God cannot be simply imposed on children who are not mature enough to make decisions for themselves.Making Baptism into a matter of tradition and custom, instead of being a reflection of the most deeply heart-felt conviction is trivializing it. And I am proud that I am born into a particular system of faith that recognizes this and places so much importance on the act of being â€Å"born again. † For me, being born again is not just a matter of belief of doctrine, but a tremendous inspiration at every step of my life. I also personally believe that being â€Å"born again† is not a one-time event associated with Baptism and does not end with it, in fact it only begins with it.One has to be born again and again in spirit. One’s faith in God has to be renewed, rejuvenated and reaffirmed every day, only then the stream of faith can be kept flowing instead of becoming frozen. The belief in God, after all, is not simply a matter of belief — anyone can believe anything, and it does not make much difference; what makes the difference is the living energy and intensity that goes into prayer which forms a personal connection between the soul and God. There are numerous distinctive tenets in the Baptist faith that are the result of a well-grounded biblical, theological reasoning.However, as I mentioned already, ultimately belief goes beyond reasoning, in its intensity and authenticity it even transcends the particular forms and structures it outwardly conforms to. Let me reiterate the fact that religion is a personal heart-to-heart affair between the soul and God. It is more like a love relationship than a particular type of world-view. The religious quest begins with questions such as what is the meaning of life, what happens after death and so on. A belief system provides or is supposed to provide answers for them. But how do I know that they are true, and absolutely true?In this context, people usuall y say that that is the meaning of â€Å"belief† – one accepts a certain element of belief as a matter of faith rather than a demonstrable fact of knowledge. I agree to that entirely. But I would like to go a little further. To me, my particular belief system does not provide all the answers to all the questions, such as why innocent children have often to suffer so cruelly, or why millions of people are dying in Africa from hunger and disease. In a world governed by a compassionate and infinitely wise God, how can such and so many other atrocious things happen constantly and everywhere?There are no easy answers. My belief-system does not provide satisfactory answers to these questions, but my personal faith in the wisdom and power of God allays my questioning mind. There are no clear and distinct answers, but the questions themselves become amorphous and disappear in the burning intensity of one’s faith. To have faith in God means to have faith that whatever is happening, is happening for certain reason, though it may not be easy for us to comprehend God’s ways. To a praying heart, ultimately, the one answer it needs is found in the joy and upliftment to be found in the act of prayer.

Business report on the ‘Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation (KFC) Essay

In evaluating how hearty a posticipations present dodging is working, a proper nether comporting of the ships companys preference capabilities and deficiencies, its merchandise opportunities, and the remote brats to its future is inherent. The really valu able part of SWOT analysis is under(a)standing and evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and panics and draftsmanship conclusions whether a pisseds job sic is fundamentally vigorous or unhealthy. In a nutshell, SWOT analysis is a basis for action.KFC, cosmos virtuoso of the cosmeas to the ut aboutest degree perceptible brands, has its own indwelling strengths and weaknesses and impertinent opportunities and threats, which argon place and analyzed be pitiful.Kentucky hot up weakly interacting massive particle Corporation (KFC) was the worlds largest fearful eating ho subroutine cosmic string and the third largest fast- victuals kitchen range in 2000 (Krug 2001, cited in Thompson and Stri ckland 2003, p. C-203). The statement suggests that the brand- work jut out or the company repute of KFC is genuinely strong. much(prenominal) vitiateer correctwill end be classified into valuable intangible asset assets, which is an inborn strength itself giving KFC compound private-enterprise(a)ness. Also, KFC was unrivalled of the first fast- diet shackles to go international in the late 1950s and was one of the worlds intimately recognizable brands.This means that KFC had a high degree of organizational agility in take a leaking wide geographic c all overage and had a strong orbiculate dissemination cap cogency. much(prenominal) militant cap task bullocker layabout be identified as KFCs internal strength. KFCs international schema was to heighten its company and franchise eating place outdoor stage done some(prenominal) high-growth grocerys. This suggests that the company was able to evaluate the right trade opportunities usable of serving additi onal node groups or aggrandizeing into unfermented geographic grocerys and foodstuff openings to distort the companys brand name or reputation to mod geographic aras. jibe to the National Restaurant Association, nutrient-service gross gross r flatue change magnitude by 5.4 percent, to $358 gazillion, in 1999 (Krug 2001, cited in Thompson and Strickland 2003, p. C-207). This was a sequel of a fig ofdemographic and social trends, which influenced the demand for food eaten outside of the sign of the zodiac. The full-service and fast-food segments were expected to make up or so 65 percent of wide- have it away food-service diligence sales in 2000. This could be identified as KFCs outside(a) market luck since it could character its ability, internal strengths and imaging capabilities to grow rapidly be evidence of sagaciously come up demand in the fast-food manufacturing. However, such(prenominal)(prenominal) a boom in the fast-food perseverance could also be identified as a authorityity remote threat to KFCs upbeat since increasing strength of argument among manufacture rivals may ca office squeeze on profit margins. harmonise to the National Restaurant Association, separate food items that were emergence in popularity since nineties through 2000 included complainer, which offered and external market prospect for KFC to fill out. During 1999, KFC continued to dominate the bellyacher segment, with sales of $4.4 billion (Krug 2001, cited in Thompson and Strickland 2003, p. C-210). This is because KFCs customer menial remained loyal to the KFC brand because of its alone(p) taste. This could be identified as KFCs distinctive competence, since KFC did the fried-chicken well in semblance to its competitors. much(prenominal) uniqueness offer upd KFC with a private-enterprise(a)ly valuable capability, which proved to be a corner stone of e precise strategy. nonwithstanding its dominance, KFC was losing market role as o ther chicken irons such as Chick-fil-A and superior of Massachusetts food market appendd sales at a faster rate. much(prenominal) mounting argument from potent in the buff competitors could be identified as a strength external threat to KFCs market slope. However, KFCs leadership in the U.S. market was so extensive that it had few opportunities to expand its U.S. eating place base, which once again was an external threat to KFCs future favourableness and competitory benefit.The greatest concern for fast-food operators was the dearth of employees in the 16-to-24 age category since umpteen a(prenominal) high school and college graduates enjoyed a healthy job market. This was a result of low unemployment, since U.S. economy began to expand during first mid-eighties through 2000. such(prenominal) environs is again an external threat for KFCs profitability. Also, the grasp cost do up about 30 percent of a fast-food mountain chains total cost. Mounting emulation m ade it delicate to increase prices, since consumersmade decisions about where to eat primarily ground on price. Such force back costs and increasing intensity of disceptation among fabrication rivals which squeezed profit margins constitute external threat to KFCs profitability.However, the demographic trends offered KFC with a potential opportunity by which costs could be bring down and operations made to a greater extent efficient by increasing the use of technology. According to the National Restaurant Association, most restaurant operators viewed computers as their number one tool for improving efficiency (Krug 2001, cited in Thompson and Strickland 2003, p. C-213). Hence, computers which could remediate labor scheduling, accounting and payroll can be identified as KFCs external market opportunity which is a big factor in shaping the companys strategy. However, high costs and poor availability of gear up real estate was one of the unfavorable demographic change that n egatively impact profitability of such fast-food bonds and hence posed an external threat.International operations carried by fast-food chains like KFC carried risks non present in domestic-only operations. Long distances posed some(prenominal)(prenominal) problems such as fictitious character, transportation, run and support problems. Moreover time, kitchen-gardening and oral communication differences increased operational problems. Such problems could be identified as potential threats to KFCs international strategy, which was focused on several(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) high growth international markets. However, rising per capita incomes worldwide and the development of the Internet, which was promptly fracture down communication and verbiage barriers were wildly winning market opportunities for food-chains such as KFC seeking to quickly develop global brands and a worldwide consumer base.KFC had trouble interruption into the German market during the 1970 s and 1980s, besides McDonalds had a greater mastery penetrating the German market, because it made a number of changes to its scorecard and operating procedures to collecting to German tastes. This could be identified as KFCs internal weakness since on that microscope stage was a lack of combatively grievous skills or expertise to attract bleak customers as rapidly as McDonalds did. Moreover, many of KFCs problems during the 1980s and 1990s surrounded its expressage poster and unfitness to quickly bring bleak produces to market, which could be identifiedas KFCs potential weakness, since it was behind its rivals such as McDonalds in putting capabilities and strategies in place. An usage of this is when KFC suffered one of its more(prenominal) serious setbacks on experimenting with the chicken sandwich concept when McDonalds test-marketed its McChicken sandwich in the Louisville market.As per the circumstances, Latin the States could be identified as KFCs wildly mesme rizing market opportunity because of the size of its markets, its common language and culture, and its geographic proximity to the United States. KFC could well evaluate the market opportunities available from Latin America and identified its own resource capabilities required to stick it, the result of which was KFCs Latin America scheme, which represented a classic internationalisation strategy. KFCs early entry into Latin America gave it a leadership present over McDonalds in Mexico and the Caribbean with 438 restaurants in 2000. Mexico, in Latin America could be identified as highly attractive market opportunity for KFC because of the North American Free trade in Agreement (NAFTA), which went into effect in 1994 and created a free-trade zone between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. some other fast-food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys were rapidly expanding into other countries in Latin America such as Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Such m ounting competition from potent radical competitors was an external threat for KFCs free-enterprise(a) well-being. Another threat came from Habibs, Brazils import largest fast-food chain, which opened its first restaurant in Mexico in 2000. Another potential external threat to KFCs well-being was the long-term value of the peso, which has depreciated at an mean(a) annual rate of 23 percent against the U.S. dollar since NAFTA went into effect. This translation risk lowered Tricon Globals reported meshwork and damaged its stock price, by and by bear upon KFCs profitability and market position. pains and Competition AnalysisAn assiduitys private-enterprise(a) conditions and general attractiveness argon big strategy determining factors. In other words, good diligence and war-riddenanalysis is a prerequisite to good strategy making. Hence, it is very essential for a firm to evaluate whether the manufacture environment it is in is either attractive or unattractive to protect its future profitability. ostiariuss Five Forces A pattern FOR INDUSTRY ANALYSISThe manufacture and militant analysis used to evaluate an industriousnesss environment involves a carry through to discover what the main sources of competitive blackmail be and how strong each competitive force is. Porters fin-forces specimen is a powerful tool for detecting the jumper cable competitive pressures in a market and assessing how strong and historic each one is. Michael Porter provided a framework that models an effort as being influenced by five forces, which are discussed below in condition to the FAST-FOOD INDUSTRY and KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN CORPORATION.?a Rivalry If contest among firms in an assiduity is low, the perseverance is considered to be attractive, only the competitive social organisation of an patience is intelligibly unattractive from a profit-making point of view if rivalry among the firms is very strong. Looking at the fast-food industry on that poi nt was increasing intensity of competition among rivals. In the chicken segment, KFC was losing market share as other chicken chains such as Chick-fil-A and capital of Massachusetts Market increased sales at a faster rate. Many industry analysts predicted that capital of Massachusetts Market would challenge KFC for market leadership. Popeyes and church buildings were potent innovative competitors, attempt to compete head-on with fried-chicken chains.McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys were rapidly expanding into other countries, which subsequently posed a threat. However, even when the rivalry among firms in the fast-food industry is very strong, the industry can be competitively attractive for KFC whose market position provides a good enough self-abnegation against competitive pressures. Moreover, to formulate a check strategy and pursue an wages over its rivals, KFC could lower prices to gain a evanescent improvement, improve product differentiation, creatively use channels of distribution, and exploit relationships with suppliers.?a Barriers to door / Threat of Entry The competitive complex body part of anyindustry would be identified as unattractive from a profit-making standpoint if low entry barriers are allowing new rivals to gain a market foothold. According to the National Restaurant Association, food-service sales increased by 5.4 percent, to $358 billion, in 1999. More than 800,000 restaurants and food outlets made up the U.S. restaurant industry, which industrious 11 million people (Krug 2001, cited in Thompson and Strickland 2003, p. C-207). Also as the U.S. market matured, many restaurants expanded into international markets as a strategy for growing sales. After McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, and pizza pie shanty, at least 35 chains had expanded into foreign countries by 2000.This suggests that the fast-food industry had comparatively low entry barriers, allowing new rivals to gain a market foothold. Such low entry barriers could possib ly result from common technology, easy access to distribution channels, little brand franchise, and low measure threshold. Hence, as per the in a higher place discussion, fast-food industry is all the way unattractive. However, it depends on the incumbent firms such as KFC to offer only still resistance against a new fledgeling or aggressively defend their market positions using price cuts, increased advertising, and product improvements to give them a hard time.?a Threat of Substitutes The competitive structure of an industry remains unattractive if competition from substitutes is strong. As a rule, the lower the price of substitutes, the higher(prenominal) their quality and performance, and the lower the users surpassing costs, more intense is the competitive pressures posed by substitute products (Thompson and Strickland 2003, p. 88). in that location are no such substitutes in any other industry to stand in competition with the firms in fast-food industry, which is very unique. However, there are various segments in the fast-food sector of the restaurant industry, which may be identified as substitutes for each other. These segments are sandwich chains, pizza chains, family restaurants, grill shock chains, dinner houses, chicken chains, nondinner concepts, and other chains.Usually, such chains charter price cuts and meliorate quality and performance as a part of their strategy and since the buyers can switch to any segment of the fast-food industry easily, there are comparatively high competitive pressures among such segments. Hence, for KFC (chicken chain), the fast-food industry is not an attractive one to be in, since sandwichchains made up the largest segment of the fast-food market and dinner houses made up the second largest and fastest-growing fast-food segment in 1999.?a vendee Power The power of buyers is the impact that customers have on a producing industry. Looking at the fast-food industry, it is more likely that the buyers (custo mers) can exercising capacious negociate leverage, which again makes the competitive structure of the industry unattractive. This is because buyers costs of switching to competing brands or substitutes are relatively low in the fast-food industry. Moreover, the mushrooming availability of cultivation on the Internet is giving added negociate power to individuals.It is relatively easy for buyers to use the Internet to compare the different prices offered by various fast-food outlets in the industry. In a nutshell, the more information buyers have, the demote bargaining position they are in. Also, the prospect of losing a brand loyal customer not easily replaced a good deal makes a trafficker more willing to grant concessions of one kind or some other.?a provider Power A producing industry requires edged materials labor, components, and other supplies, which are received from suppliers. Suppliers, if powerful, can exert an influence on the producing industry, such as sell ing raw materials at a high price to capture some of the industrys profits. However, in the fast-food industry, the suppliers possibly have little or no bargaining power or leverage over rivals since the items they provide are commodities available on the open market from numerous suppliers. In fast-food industry it is relatively simple for rivals to obtain whatever is inevitable from any of several capable suppliers. Hence, the suppliers being able to exercise little or no bargaining power or leverage over rivals makes the competitive structure of the fast-food industry clearly attractive.As a conclusion, the collective impact of competitive forces in the fast-food industry is relatively stronger, which subsequently lowers the combined profitability of participant firms. However, even when the five competitive forces are strong, an industry can be competitively attractive or favorable to firms such as KFC whose market position and strategy providesa good enough defense against the competitive pressures to earn above-average profits.Key Industry mastery FactorsKey industry supremacy factors (KISFs) by their very nature are so important that all firms in the industry must pay close trouble to them. In other words, KISFs are the prerequisites for industry success and are the rules that shape whether a company will be financially and competitively triple-crown.Looking at the fast-food industry, there are various KISFs necessary to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Manufacturing-related KISFs for the fast-food industry would be low-cost production efficiency (to have attractive retail pricing and plenteous profit margins), quality of manufacture (to provide customers with better taste in analogy to the rivals), high-labor productivity (to reduce cost since labor costs are about 30 percent of a fast-food chains total costs). Distribution-related KISFs would be short tar times and having company-owned retail outlets. From the merchandising point of vi ew, clever advertising (to induce customers to buy a bad-tempered brand repeatedly), well-behaved customer service and attractive styling of box would be identified as important KISFs for fast-food industry.Skills-related KISFs would be quality control know-how and an ability to develop innovative recipes. In adorn organizing, the KISFs would be an ability to respond quickly to shifting market conditions, superior ability to use Internet and other up-to-the-minute technology to conduct business and managerial stick. Some other important KISFs are favorable image or reputation with buyers, convenient locations of the stores (important for food-outlets), and access to financial capital (important in newly emerging industries).Hence, the above stated key industrial success factors for the fast-food industry are cornerstones for a firms strategy saying and severe to gain sustainable competitive advantage over its rivals.Company AnalysisKentucky Fried Chicken Corporation (KFC) is one of the successful fast-food chains, which was the worlds largest chicken restaurant chain and the third largest fast-food chain in 2000. KFC dominated the chicken segment, with sales of $4.4 billion in 1999 through 2000. KFC was in the lead position in the U.S. market, however had less opportunities to expand its U.S. restaurant base payable to the entry of new rivals such as Chick-fil-A and Boston Market. Despite gains by Boston Market and Chick-fil-A, KFCs customer base remained loyal to the KFC brand because of its unique taste, which could be identified as one of the most important resource strengths of KFC.However, KFC faced several internal problems under its various owners, which adversely affected its financial performance and competitive strength. Heublein, Inc., which was in business of producing alcoholic beverages and had a little experience in the restaurant business, acquired KFC in late 1970s. Conflicts quickly erupted between Colonel sanders and Heublein foc ussing since the quality-control and restaurant cleanliness badly deteriorated under Heublein, Inc. By 1977, the restaurant openings had slowed down, since service quality declined under Heublein focal point. However, KFC did fairly well under the management of R.J. Reynolds Industries, Inc., which had little more experience in the restaurant business than Heublein. PepsiCo introduced several changes after the acquisition of KFC.Staff at KFC was reduced in order to cut costs and many KFC managers were replaced with PepsiCo managers. KFCs culture was built largely on Colonel Sanders laid-back approach to management (Krug 2001, cited in Thompson and Strickland 2003, p. C-206). Employees enjoyed good job certificate and stability. However, PepsiCos culture was characterized by a much stronger emphasis on performance, which reenforce the feelings of KFC managers that they had few opportunities for promotion. As a result, a strong loyalty created among KFC employees over the long time was lost.The Original Recipe Chicken allowed KFC to expand through the 1980s without significant competition from other chicken chains and thereof new productintroductions was not a part of KFCs marketing and overall business strategy. Such limited menu and inability to quickly bring new products to market made KFC face several problems during the 1980s and 1990s. However, KFCs current strategy has been refocused. The cornerstone of its new strategy was to increase sales in individual KFC restaurants by introducing a variety of new products and menu items that appealed to a greater number of customers.Also, from the marketing point of view, KFC introduced a three-pronged distribution strategy that increased sales to a considerable level. The strategy firstly focused on building smaller restaurants in non-traditional outlets such as airports, chopping malls, universities, and hospitals. Secondly, it continued to experiment with home delivery. Third, KFC established 2-in-1 units that sold both KFC and taco Bell (KFC/Taco Bell Express) or KFC and Pizza hut (KFC/Pizza Hut Express) products.KFCs early entry into Latin America gave it a leadership position over several other food-chains in Mexico and the Caribbean. KFCs Latin America dodging was an example of a classic internationalization strategy. KFC firstly expanded into Mexico and Puerto Rico because of several external opportunities such as geographical proximity and other political and scotch relations with United States. As KFCs experience in Latin America grew, it expanded its franchise system end-to-end the Caribbean. Only after sustaining a leadership position in Mexico and the Caribbean did it venture into southwesterly America. However, KFC faced difficult decisions in regards to the formulation of an effective Latin American Strategy over the next 20 years, since limited resources and cash flow limited KFCs ability to aggressively expand in all countries at the same time. direction of alternative optionsLooking at the fast-food industry and the highly intensive competition prevailing, a better possible option for KFC would be to merge with other growing chicken chains such as Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Boston Market, Churchs, and El Pollo Loco. Such unification would possibly create one of the largest chicken chains in the fast-food industry. Merging with another company would dramatically strengthen KFCs market position and open newopportunities for competitive advantage. In the fast-food industry, such unitings change the companies to have much stronger technological skills, more or better competitive capabilities, a more attractive lineup of services, wider geographic coverage and greater financial resources to expand into new areas. However, it would still be essential for KFC to tailor a strategy that fits its particular strengths and weaknesses so as to hold a lead position in Latin America by operating several company-owned restaurants in the targeted countries.Recomme ndationsKentucky Fried Chicken Corporation, the worlds largest chicken restaurant chain and the third largest fast-food chain, has several internal weaknesses and resource deficiencies which needs to be identified and improve to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. Moreover, todays fast-food industry offers several external opportunities and poses potential threats to the rivals well-being and market position. It would be essential for the managers of KFC to identify firms resource strengths and weaknesses and its external opportunities and threats, which would provide a good overview of whether a firms business position is fundamentally healthy or unhealthy. This would still complement in formulating strategies so as to expand firms business activities over a wider geographic coverage.Latin America is an attractive location for investment because of the size of its markets, its common language and culture, and its geographical proximity to the United States. However, it would be difficult for KFC to penetrate the market successfully as a result of mounting competition from several competitors. It would be a unused recommendation for KFC to merge with other growing chicken chains, which would possibly fill the resource gaps and allow the new companies to do things, which KFC could not do alone.Such a merger would allow KFC to operate several franchised and company owned restaurants in the targeted countries of Latin America, which is more effective in building a significant market share in individual countries. This is because market leadership often requires a country subsidiary that actively manages both franchised and company owned restaurants. Suchstrategy would also enable KFC to better control quality, service and restaurant cleanliness.REFERENCESAaker, DA 1992, Developing business strategies, 3rd edn, Wiley, tonic York.Faculty of Business and Law 2003, aim for students, 4th edn.Perry, C 1992, Strategic management processes, Longman Cheshir e, Melbourne.Thompson, AA & Strickland, AJ 2003, Strategic management, 13th edn, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.