Thanksgivings Day History

Primarily celebrated in the United States and Canada, thanksgiving has over the years transformed itself from the original idea of showing gratefulness to God for his favors to a fully fledged national holiday observed on the last Thursday of every November and the second Monday of every October in the United States and Canada respectively. During this festivity, a lot of brain and body input is swung into action as a result of the various activities carried out by various groups of people to commemorate this event.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Thanksgiving’s Day History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the ancient days to date, certain activities have remained as they were while others have been continuously been revolutionized, all in the name of observing this highly observed occasion. Virtually all the human senses are put to the test while observing thanksgiving taking into account the fact th at it is a highly anticipated occasion or holyday rather. According it the kind of importance it deserves is hence quit imperative. In the modern day thanksgiving festivity, the most utilized human sense is that of taste. This is because the entire citizenry in these countries which observe thanksgiving always strive to see to it that they direct a considerable amount of time, energy and resources to the kitchen so as to enable them put a decent meal on the table. Despite not being a replica of the original meals ate while observing thanksgiving during its early years of inception, a constant trend of feasting on a specific caliber of food which more often than not include the turkey has been noted to characterize almost all the dinner tables over the last couple of years. This state of affairs hence renders the sense of taste the most utilized one with respect to the fact that almost all the households prepare their meals with missionary zeal. Striving to satisfy everybody’s sense of taste during this festivity also has a multiplier effect on yet another vital human sense; that of smell. This is occasioned by the endearing aroma that always emanate from every household’s kitchen. It is hence safe to say that the human sense of taste cannot be completely satisfied without appeasing that of smell. This momentous occasion is also characterized with outdoor events that involve utilizing the human sense of sight quite expeditiously. Sight often comes in quite handy during this event since several open field activities take place on this date too. In the United States for instance, a massive parade constituted of giant floats, matching bands and even convoys of celebrated icons in the entertainment industry often match along the 5th avenue in New York. This event always attracts thousands of sight seers who come to enjoy themselves either by observing or taking part in the activity.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if w e can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Song, dance and even prayer also decorate this callous celebration. Very appeasing tunes often heard both live or on television also seek to satisfy the human sense of hearing. In as much as the satisfaction of the senses of smell, taste and sight are of great importance, it is equally important to acknowledge the fact that these celebrations would be out rightly dull and unbearable if the sense of hearing was to be neglected. It hence makes much sense to conclude this essay by attesting to the fact that for a fulfilling commemoration of the thanksgiving event, the satisfaction of almost all the human senses is deemed necessary. It is also important to take part in this celebration since it helps to renew one’s commitment to the family and the general nourishment of the society. These activities also help to encourage or promote unity by encouraging a sense of belonging among people hence emphasizing the im portance of harmonious living. This essay on Thanksgiving’s Day History was written and submitted by user BrotherhoodofEvilMutants to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Japan Entering World War II

Japan Entering World War II World War II conflict that consisted of most the globe and was the most costly and intense war in human history.The conflict had started on September 1st, 1939 with the German invasion of Poland with the pacific war presumed to have started on 7th July 1937 with the Japanese attacking china and lasted until the summer of 1945. Due to the overwhelming number of nations involved and the extraordinary number of theatres a great number of people considered World War II to be the only true world war.Japan entered the war in December 1941 and swiftly achieved a series of victories. Their advance had been dramatic down the coast of the Pacific islands. Landing in the Philippines on the 10th December 1941 and reaching Lae salamaua in New Guinea on 8th March 1942. With Bataan surrening on 9th April 1942 and then Corregidor a month later. The US Navy, supported by ships of the RAN, halted a Japanese convoy headed of Port Moresby during the battle of the Coral Sea on May 5th - 8th.Ela BeachDece mber 7th 1941, a surprise air raid was carried out on Pearl Harbor, by Japanese warplanes commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. This attack resulted in huge loses to the US naval base.The following day, the US declared war on Japan. Around the same time the US air base was also attacked.In March of 1942, after the Japanese defeated the Netherlands East Indies, their southward advance began to lose strength, easing the Australians fears of an invasion. The US took responsibility for the country's defence and provided reinforcements and equipment which brought further relief to the Aussie's. The threat of the invasion lessened as Allies won a series of decisive battles.Allied navies in the battle of the Coral Sea stopped...

Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967) Essay

Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967) - Essay Example 39).  The court is obligated to identify any possible reason for a warranted search or seizure. The Fourth Amendment provision only applies where the government conducts the searches and seizures. Thereby the clause excludes private investigations by austerely private persons such as unsavory spouses, privately hired investigators, or intrusive neighbors. In a few exceptions, the concerns of the Fourth Amendment arise when actions taken by a private person are in conjunction with law implementation. However, the constitution protects whatever an individual seeks to perpetuate as private that is in an area accessible to the public. In accordance with the Supreme Court, individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their bodies, personal effects, and clothing. Homeowners own a privacy interest that extends inside their houses and extends to their immediate outside surrounding ( McCord et al., p.192). The expectation of privacy does not appertain to private property held to the public and thus is not protected by the Fourth Amendment. Nonetheless, items seen through or information gathered by augmented surveillance could be subject to the provisions of the Fourth Amendment. It is unlawful to intercept a telephone call. In addition, when one intends to make a call they expect privacy regardless of the medium used (Schulhofer, p. 125). Hence, the Fourth Amendment rightfully protects the petitioner against invasion of privacy. The judge disregarded the term â€Å"constitutionally protected area† in the context of the Fourth Amendment and explained that constitutionally it is not a right to privacy. The government had enough evidence to establish that the petitioner was using the specific telephone to transmit gambling information to persons in other states thereby committing a federal offence but acquired the information illegally. The case involves private actions for the purpose of the Fourth Amendment. The courts seek to determine the extent to

Predatory Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Predatory Crime - Essay Example First, all the situations in which burglary or theft is raised by supplies, services or money. All the situations in which the individuals are motivated to become criminals. Secondly, all the circumstances which makes the use of crime ethical and legitimate to the individuals. Like unemployment, poverty etc. The third context refers to all those individuals who are now leading a successful life by transforming into thriving criminals and taking 'any form' of predatory crime as a profession. These expert thieves are sometimes affiliated with musclemen or organizers in a fourth context of rational crimes, the context in which crime becomes an economic enterprise fulfilling the demands of a market (Ferrington, 1991). It may seem odd, but it is true that majority of the offenders' contentment lies in the fact that their crimes are seen as a part of escalating crime. For any particular offender, a predatory crime might be more easily accomplished if the victim believes that the offender is one of the frightening new variety to which the media have been paying so much attention lately. An example of this phenomenon can be found in the Black Hand crime wave that terrorized residents of New York in the first few years of the 20th century. Black Hand extortion was successful because victims believed that their offenders were part of a large and powerful criminal conspiracy, which suggests that the victims were somehow related to psychological issues. This attitude of the victims encouraged Black Hand operations to expand in small groups or even sole operators; they used the threat of the powerful organization to accomplish their criminal ends. Thus, the snowball effect of newspaper coverage created a kind of momentum that made it much easier to be an extortionist. Unsceptically, victims are the most vocal claimants who claim of the crime. It is through the claims of the victims that attention is drawn to the dilemma of increasing crime and now people are tending more towards the measures and precautions necessary to control the consequences responsible to the advent of these crimes, atleast to some extent. Several victim advocates have become familiar figures in the American popular cultural landscape. John Walsh, for instance, the father of murdered child Adam Walsh, became an early spokesperson in the movement to protect missing and exploited children. Subsequently, he became the host of the very popular Fox television program America's Most Wanted and later host of his own daytime television talk show. Less visible, but perhaps not less influential is Candy Lightener, founder of MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. In May 1980 her 13-year-old daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver in a Sacramento suburb. It was later discovered that the intoxicated driver was on probation for a previous DUI ("driving under the influence") conviction and the leniency with which the driver was treated by the justice system prompted her to take action to

Analyze a particular area of the film industry Essay

Analyze a particular area of the film industry - Essay Example I am not the lone exception. My career objective has always been to offer the best for my customers keep them updated on the changes immediately and learn to cope with the challenges that arise so as to try to come up with a conducive environment for my customers. Successful businesses are customer focused. They let their entire business evolve around their customers. It involves thinking on how one can sell what they want to create. Using creativity to avail what a customer wants. Finding means and ways of reaching large numbers of people. Not only majoring their marketing to only their nations but also reaching the entire world if possible. This is today made easier through the advancing technology in marketing (Armstrong and Sweeney, 1994). Operational marketing attracts and keeps customers by providing prompt services to them. They do this at the shortest time possible at the highest level of quality. They meet and exceed customer expectations in cost and time frame. They are inc orporated in the marketing and advertisement so as to ensure its process remains of highest quality at the same time allows the company handle a large number of transactions as fast as possible. They act as the links between the business and the customers (Honeycutt et. Al., 1995). Practical aspects of marketing on film industry/culture sector. Several practical aspects of marketing on film industry/ culture sector have been realized in the past few years. This has led to the advancement and easiness in marketing as a whole. Just to mention few-: Digital marketing is a highly practical and advance level course for those who work in independent film festivals. Its main aim is to develop a network of digital marketing experts. To ensure the sector of the cultural cinema uses appropriately the potential of digital marketing to engage the audience. This has made marketing even faster (Jackson and Artola, 1997). Mapping of the creative industry has helped in the solving of the complex ch allenges faced in the past centuries. It solves the problem of polarization and inequality between nations. It avails strategies to unleash the creative potential of each and everyone to respond to the far reaching cultural, economic, technological and social shift that man is living through (Jeurissen and van, 1998). Job creation-: a majority of the developing and the industrialized countries have started programs for promoting the micro, small and medium enterprises at the courtesy of their job creation. This helps the youths and those without permanent jobs to be self employed hence reduction of the rate of unemployment. This has also led to the wide spread of the film industry. Remote areas can now access the industry through the various awareness being created in their vicinity (DCMS, 2001). Emergence of new industries-: the satisfaction of peoples thirst and demand of cultural products in social, cultural and technological changes has increased. This is due to the emergence of new industries. It has led to new forms of entertainment, distractions and inspiration. They include computer games, web designs among others (Hesmondhalgh, 2002). They have replaced older cultural industries. It has also brought a very positive gain on the youths. It helps in curbing the loitering and bad behaviors that may arise due to idleness. Film and screen studies helps in the development of critical understanding of film and screen theory. To criticize and appreciate the relationship between film, media and culture. To provide

The Great Train Robbery, 1903

The Great Train Robbery, 1903 The Great Train Robbery produced by Edwin S. Porter in 1903 is frequently acknowledged as the first narrative film. Porter, who had previously worked for Thomas Edison as a cameraman, takes the plot from a story based on a real train robbery, written by Scott Marble in 1896. To bring it to life in ways the public had never seen before, Porter utilises various new and innovative techniques, of which previous film-makers had never thought of using in the still relatively new process of film-making. Edisons company, who produced the film declared it absolutely the superior of any moving picture ever made due to the editing techniques that were totally new to the industry.  [1]  Eighteen years later, Victor Sjà ¶strà ¶m produced The Phantom Carriage with Svensk Filmindustri. Sjà ¶strà ¶m wrote the screenplay, which he adapted from a novel by Selma Lagerlà ¶f, as well as directed and starred in the film that Paul Mayersberg describes as a major departure from his [previous] outdo or dramas.  [2]  In The Phantom Carriage, Sjà ¶strà ¶ms creative editing style and new film techniques are illustrative of the progress made by film-makers in the time between the two films production, but also of the unique variety of films being made by the Scandinavian film industry in this fast changing and highly inventive period of cinematic history. As it is one of the first films to follow an actual narrative and not merely a single shot of a simple, everyday situation such as seen in the earlier works of the Lumià ¨r Brothers, the editing techniques in The Great Train Robbery are limited but highly experimental for the time. The film, most notably, makes use of cutting between two locations with use of a visual match to suggest one is happening after the other.  [3]  This is demonstrated between shot seven and eight where in the former, the train is seen moving on the tracks away from the camera, then in the next it is seen moving in the same direction and at the same angle to the camera. The idea is simple, and may seem obvious to modern viewers who are use to these cinematic conventions, but it demonstrates how editing is being manipulated in order to form a linear narrative that would be new to viewers of the time. We also see in this film the beginnings of the creation of a parallel narrative; the film begins in a tel egraph office where a worker is shot and tied up, the narrative moves on from here until shot ten when we return back to the telegraph office with the man still tied on the floor. The fact that the set up is exactly the same as where it was left off in the first shot, despite the plot moving on is indicative that the events that occur in shot ten are happening at the same time as the previous action we have seen is. This idea is consummated with the telegraph workers entrance in the dance hall in shot eleven, as it would obviously have taken some time for him to reach this new location, in which time the previous events could have run their course and in the next shot, number twelve, the two narratives are thus able to meet up as the men at the dance chase the bandits through the woods. Focusing on how editing functions in The Phantom Carriage, a scene which demonstrates Sjà ¶strà ¶ms more sophisticated style comes early on in the film, around five minutes in. Salvation Army Sister, Edit, pleads on her deathbed to see David Holm, an alcoholic of whom she cared for in the past. She sends a friend she met whilst working for the Salvation Army to find him; she and another friend of Edits, Gustafsson, part ways to cover more ground in their search for Holm. The sequence that follows watches both the Salvation Army friend and Gustafsson in the two separate locations they go to in their searches which, though similar to the shots explained above in The Great Train Robbery sequence, is pulled off more sophisticatedly in The Phantom Carriage sequence.  [4]   First the camera, and thus the viewer, follow the female friend to the dilapidated home of Holm, his wife and two children. As the friend arrives at the door to the house, Sjà ¶strà ¶m chooses to enclose the shot in a circular black frame. The edge is sharp not fading out like the vignette effect which he utilises later on and as the bottom third of the circular frame is cut off out of shot, it could be reminiscent of the frame that looking through a key hole would produce to the eye. This effect creates the feeling of the viewer as a voyeur; the viewer has not been invited to look, but is seeing her unnoticed as she unlocks the door. Later in the sequence, after shot thirteen where the friend comforts Anna, Sjà ¶strà ¶m cuts to the path of Gustafsson that runs parallel to this short sequence. The viewer sees him enter a bar and, presumably, since there are no inter-titles in this sequence, ask the staff about finding Holm. A few shots in however, the scene cuts back to the fir st location and the narrative continues from the point it left off, with the friend putting her coat around Anna. We are taken back to the first narrative jut for this single shot before being brought back again to the second, for four shots, and once again cut back for a single shot of the first. These extreme cuts tell us that the two separate sequences are happening at the same time. The fact they go back and forth in rapid succession is makes it more obvious or understandable than the occurrence of parallel narratives in The Great Train Robbery where it only cuts back once. One of the most significant differences in the editing of the two films is the scale of the shots. Porter tends to have the camera further away from his subject so that a large area and all the action can be seen at once, whereas Sjà ¶strà ¶m chooses to vary the shots, some establishing the room and others close-ups of characters reactions and actions. Porters shots are also lengthier, so we see, for example, the whole sequence of the robbers hiding and waiting for the train in shot two. This may have a negative effect on the viewers understanding of the narrative. The closer shots and varied cutting of the The Phantom Carriage sequence allows the viewer to feel like they are in the midst of the story, seeing little detail rather than further away simply watching it unfold. After the framed shot outside the door, the viewer is let inside the room and given a full view of it, as is standard with many films of the time. This master shot allows the viewer to get a feel for the landsca pe of the scene, and gain an understanding of the surroundings, which is necessary in order for the viewer to  [3]  keep up with Sjà ¶strà ¶ms relatively liberal use of cutting that contrasts greatly to Porters extended shots. In this first interior set up, the friend is seen looking toward the front, right corner of the room. In the next shot Sjà ¶strà ¶m cuts so that the camera faces the direction the friend has just faced, therefore we are able to see what she sees, which is the two children asleep in a bed on the floor. This is known as an eyeline match where the angle of the camera matches the eyeline of the person in the previous shot. A similar cutting technique occurs in shots four to nine, where axis cuts (where the position of the camera moves in each shot so it looks back on itself on a 180 degree plane) go back and forth between the friend and Holms wife Annas back, who is sat in the corner of the room. These are examples of the more sophisticated editing techniques that can greatly enhance the viewers understanding of the narrative; firstly because, due to the potentiality for more close-ups, the viewer can grasp who the characters are and be more aware of their emotions displayed by their faces and what they are doing. This insight is lost slightly in the long shots of The Great Train Robbery which dont bring the viewer close enough to the action to distinguish characters or even what exactly they are doing; for example in the mail carriage shot (set up C), one robber seems to take something, or put something into the killed workers pocket; what exactly he does we cannot know as we are too far away to see3. These cutting techniques can allow the viewer to get a grip on the characters position in the room and understand who it may be their emotions are directed at as well. Such methods also enhance the aesthetic look of the sequence, rather than simply seeing the whole scene unfold from the same far off angle that is seen in The Great Train Robbery. The fast cutting used in The Phantom Carriage also effects the tone or atmosphere of the scene which in turn contributes to the way the viewer interprets the narrative. Tension is built up in the scene as the viewer see some part of the action and then is cut away to see a characters reaction to this. Alternatively though, the more drawn-out shots of the film and the lengthy shots in The Great  [4]  Train Robbery could also create a feeling of tension or suspense in the way the viewer is able to see all the action at once where sometimes the characters themselves cannot. An example of this effect is seen in shot thirteen of The Great Train Robbery, the bandits go through their loot as only the camera sees their pursuers creeping up on them from behind. In The Phantom Carriage, in the scenes in which the ghostly carriage of death comes into shot, tension is created by its slow, suspenseful motion across the screen; this could be due to the fact the viewer knows its destination wil l be someone who has recently died, and its slow pace signifies an unease in its path to the dead. -1711 words excerpts from sources to back up/contrast to points = integrate into above paragraphs -100 add in 150 about interior/exteriors conclusion -100 Bibliography Victor Sjà ¶strà ¶m, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online, at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/547219/Victor-Sjostrom [accessed 18.03.13]. Cook, David A. and Sklar, Robert. Edwin S. Porter, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online, at http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/471087/Edwin-S-Porter [accessed 18.03.13]. Dirks, Tim. The Great Train Robbery (1903) at http://www.filmsite.org/grea.html [accessed 18.03.13]. Mayersberg, Paul. Phantom Forms: The Phantom Carriage, on The Criterion Collection at http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2000-phantom-forms-the-phantom-carriage [accessed 16.03.13]. Musser, Charles. Moving towards fictional narratives: story films become the dominant product, 1903-1907 in Lee Grieveson and Peter Krà ¤mer (ed.) The Silent Cinema Reader. London: Routledge, 2003.

Heathcliff: Made A Villain By Love Essay -- essays research papers

Love is a two way street. In order for love to work it must be given and returned. If love is left unfulfilled it can lead a person to be spiteful, vengeful, and at the extreme villainous. In Emily Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is the villain because he is frustrated about his unrequited love for Cathy. Heathcliff's villainy is apparent in how he treats the Earnshaws, degrading Hindley and Hareton just as Hindley did him. This is also shown in his actions against the Lintons. Heathcliff hates the Lintons because Cathy married Edgar. Heathcliff uses his treachery to steal away the Linton fortune and to degrade their offspring. Heathcliff's villainy is finally shown in how he treats Cathy herself. He loves her so much he hates her. He feels that Cathy betrayed her heart and married Edgar. Heathcliff as the villain is first shown in his actions against the Earnshaws. When Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights after several years, his frustration leads him to exact revenge on Hindley Earnshaw. Heathcliff blames Hindley for Cathy not returning his love and becoming married to Edgar. Hindley reduced Heathcliff to such a status that it would ruin Cathy to marry him. Heathcliff's villainy is shown when he returns the favour to Hindley, reducing him and his son Hareton to servant class. This is apparent when Heathcliff is talking to Nellie about his joy in degrading Hareton, he says, I've pleasure in him!...He has satisfied my expectations - if he were born a fool I should not enjoy it half so much - But he's no fool; and I can sympathise with all his feelings, having felt them myself - I know what he suffers now, for instance exactly - it is merely a beginning of what he shall suffer though. And he'll never be able to emerge from his bathos of coarseness, and ignorance. I've got him faster than his scoundral of a father secured me, and lower; for he takes a pride in his brutishness. (252-253) This is also shown when Heathcliff accidentally saves Hareton from certain death. This is apparent when Nellie says, "A miser who has parted with a lucky lottery ticket for five shillings, and finds next day he has lost in the bargain five t... ...thout her. His villainy is also shown when he talks to Cathy when she is sick. He condemns her for breaking both his heart and hers. This is apparent when Heathcliff says, "Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy? I have not one word of comfort - you deserve this. You have killed yourself...They'll blight you - they'll damn you. You loved me - then what right did you to leave me?...I have not broken your heart - you have broken it - and in breaking it, you have broken mine." (197) This quote shows Heathcliff's anger, and his blaming of Cathy for his becoming a villain. Heathcliff as the villain is shown through his actions towards people. In the novel, Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is a villain. He is a villain because of his unrequited love for Cathy. His villainy is shown though his actions towards the Earnshaws, a famliy that degraded him, the Lintons, the people he believes stole Cathy away from him, and Cathy herself, the woman he feels betrayed her heart and his love. Heathcliff felt that he did not have Cathy's love, when all the time he truly owned her heart. Without love being returned jealousy and anger could make villains of all.

Management and Keller Essay

The centre of the case is a problem between tow management member, Wolfgang Keller (managing director) and Dimitri Brodsky (commercial director). Keller is superior of Dimitri and he he’s not satisfied with Dimitri’s performance since he joined the company two years ago. Keller now is considering three options: firing Brodsky, helping him to improve his performance or reorganizing the company around Brodsky by splitting marketing and sales. Wolfgang Keller is 34 years old. He studied at Harward and University of Cologne. His first job was at a Gemran food manufacturer firm. First, he was a strategic planner there, but soon he became a general manager at an Ukrainian subsidiary and after he got promoted to be a general manager at a German subsidiary. He achieved his first big successes there and gained reputation in his profession. After 2 years he switched to the Ukrainean subsidiary of Kà ¶nigsbrau, a beer amnufacturer, as managing director. There he also made success by increasing the subsidiary’s earnings to â‚ ¬7 million per year. He made significant changes through restructuring the marketing strategy and hiring new top-management group. The top-management in Munich was also impressed by his activity. Recently, Keller spent two month in Brazil to manage a start-up joint venture. Kà ¶nigsbrau’s Ukrainean subsidiary was founded 12 years before Kà ¶nigsburg aquired it. After, a man named Vladimir Antonov took the title of chaiman. Keller could get his job, because his predecessor had bad relationship with Antonov, so he was transfered back to Germany. Keller’s relationship with Antonov is good, but Antonov misses being involved into daily operations. The strategy of the company is to consolidate and strenghten the company’s distributors by offering heavy support. The strategy also includes heavy advertising, quality services and high margins. In the Ukrainian liqueur market personal relationships and trust between the company and distributors is essential. Another challange is converting people from vodka and cheap beers towards premium beers. Keller’s intention was to strenhgten relationships and create personal contacts with the distributors. Dimitri Brodsky is 10 years older than Keller and he has a very different personality. He is a cultivated and intellectual person. Before this firm he was a commercial director at a Ukrainian subsidiary of a US toiletries firm, but he also has experience from the United States and France. He was hired to balance the young  managers at Kà ¶nigsbrau. He has a good but distant relationship with Antonov. The problem between Brodsky and Keller is the very different uptake about how to handle the employees and the business partners. Keller prefers closer relationship with the employees, because he thinks this helps them to be more loyal and enthusiastic. Furthermore, he doens’t avoid personal topics. With the costumers and partners he encourages the same attitude, because he thinks it’s very important and essential for a business relationship. Brodsky, on the contrary, prefers formality and distance. He also beleives in separation between the pesonal and professional life and he deals with the employees and costumers this way. The source of problem between h im and Keller is this different attitude. Keller thinks that Brodsky is just reluctant to take care of everyday business. However, Keller seems inpatient and action-oriented from Brodsky’s angle.

Letters from the Ground Zero

â€Å"Letters from the Ground Zero† is an essay about the tragedy of September 11 in New York City which was unexpected and unbelievable but still happened in broad daylight and caught everyone all over the world unaware and for someone who lived six blocks away from the World Trade Center when the acts of terrorism happened in the American soil like Jonathan Schell, the author of this essay, it is one unforgettable moment in his life to witness such devastation in your country and your countrymen. Schell narrated and illustrated what he had heartrendingly encountered firsthand that day and according to him, â€Å"My specific neighborhood was violated and mutilated.   As I write these words, the acrid, dank, rancid stink—it is the smell of death—of the still smoking site is in my nostrils.† The occurrence of such an attack could have been prevented if every government’s vigilance was increased and complacency was not heightened.  Ã‚  Ã‚   It will always be a better option for all countries to be circumspect, to take extra precautions and do what they can to obliterate such demonic creations. In the time of development of such sophisticated weapons of mass destruction, it is never impossible anymore for a specific part of the globe to become the next ground zero. As Schell told, â€Å"We have known this intellectually, but now we know it viscerally, as a nausea in the pit of the stomach that is unlikely to go away.† The author was able to give a testimonial to the tragedy since he lived near the ground zero and who better to narrate it than someone like him.   What the essay tries to impart is for people to see that something has to be done to stop this from happening again to each one’s homeland and protect the countrymen. The author effectively narrated what can be seen on the television at the same time the streets of New York right after what happened like how people helped each other in any way they can and how so many heroic deeds emerged after such consecutive acts of terror occurred in the United States of America.   The author said â€Å"the surrounding buildings were smashed but still standing and looked down eyelessly on their pulverized brethren†. He was also able to witness how heroic men and women tried to slowly and patiently work in finding the people under the numerous piles of rubbles in ground zero which made it very difficult for the rescue operations to get as many people out of the site alive yet their persistence somehow gave him the reassurance. Despite all these the American people rose above the devastation and destruction even after so many lives of people, employees, firemen, policemen and rescuers were lost.   America has truly learned a huge lesson in a most traumatic, appalling and heartrending way. The essay gives the reader a glimpse of the atmosphere of the perimeter near ground zero, immediately after the World Trade Center was struck.   It makes the reader see what it took and how much courage and strength it took for people whose presence was literally there when it happened. Everyone should try to move and take action on how these attacks can be prevented in the country known to be most powerful in this world. Works Cited Schell, Jonathan. â€Å"Letters from the Ground Zero.† Connelly, Mark. The Sundance Reader, Fourth Edition. Boston, Massachussetts: Thomas Wadsworth, 2006. 119-120.      

Edecel Applied Business Unit 11 Finance Task B Essay Example

Edecel Applied Business Unit 11 Finance Task B Essay Example Edecel Applied Business Unit 11 Finance Task B Essay Edecel Applied Business Unit 11 Finance Task B Essay Working Capital is the money used by the business to fund revenue expenditure; this is the day to day expenses. Day to day funds are needed in order to fund a business. The working capital would be used to buy resources such as raw materials, fuel, wages and fees etc. Working capital can also operating liquidity that is available to them. Working capital has two components which are; things owed (current liabilities) and things owned (current assets). They are used when calculating the working capital: WK = CA CL. If companys assets are less then their liabilities then this results in a bad working capital because they will not have enough cash in the business to pay current liabilities; and therefore will owe more then they own. This is why working capital is very important in order to run an efficient business. A business will have many current liabilities that they owe banks, people and other businesses. These can include things such as, bank overdrafts and bank loans which businesses would of borrowed from, these are common methods of borrowing money as it can be fairly easy for businesses to get loans and overdrafts. Credit Card debts are also common in businesses. A businesses liabilitys also includes accruals and these are something that businesses will owe and these are all the extra things such as electricity bills. Hire purchase, dividends proposed and trade credit will also fall within a businesses current liabilities. Businesses current assets are thing that they have or own. These can be general things such as stock, unfinished goods and raw materials for stock. These can be the hardest assets to turn into actual cash. The businesses money in the bank and investments are also current assets as well as any debtors the company has and prepayments which are deposits. Working Capital Management the Problems When looking at working capital is important to analyse where cash is used in the day to day running of Thomas Cook; this can be known as a liquidity cycle. The start of Thomas Cooks cycle would begin with them securing the hotel room and flights needed for their future customers, these would be on credit. They then sell these to the customers and take deposits/receivables. Thomas Cook need to ensure they get the correct balance between the hotels and flights they book and the correct amount of customers. This may be a big problem for their working capital if demands drops, and this will be likely in the current recession. To have a good liquidity Thomas Cook needs to ensure deposits quickly, because the longer it takes them to sell their holidays the more liquidity problems it will create. The next step is for Thomas Cook to pay the suppliers; Thomas Cook will use the customer deposits to pay them however this will not cover the whole of the costs. Therefore Thomas Cook need an injection of cash and this is likely to be an overdraft. By having an overdraft will ease the flow of cash around the business and help liquidity. However banks may not want to give businesses an overdraft or loan if they are worried the company will not pay it back. This is more common recently with the recession as banks are becoming more careful with their money. By resorting to an overdraft does have its advantages, but overall in the long run it will increase costs for Thomas Cook as they will have to pay back extra interest fees. This can therefore reduce the profit for Thomas Cook which they will not want. Banks may also think that the business is not doing well if it needs a loan and this could be a risk for the bank. If Thomas Cook cannot receive any injection of money then they will struggle to pay back suppliers on time and this can result in bad relationships and they may withdraw their trade credit or decrease the credit period. This will have a negative effect on the working capital. The final part for Thomas Cook is to collect the rest of the customers payments so Thomas can pay back the bank their overdraft and likely to make a profit, however it can still create problems for Thomas Cook. Customers may cancel their holidays as it would have been several months since they booked it so many people change their mind. This means that Thomas Cook will only have deposits to pay back banks etc. They will have to sell extra rooms and flights last minute and cheap and they could lose money. One solution to this would be to increase the deposit price therefore customers would feel like they are losing more money and they would be unlikely to cancel. It also means there is a safer barrier for Thomas Cook and they would have more money which will help ease they liquidity. We have suggested that over booking hotel rooms and flights is bad for Thomas Cook as they may not be able to gain enough customers but what about the opposite? Thomas Cook may have customers waiting and not have any rooms or flights available, this would be a missed opportunities for Thomas Cook. This is why it is extremely important for them to get the balance between securing the hotels and flights, and the amount of customers. Ratios Current Acid Test Ratio Ratios can be used to help asses the working capital position of Thomas Cook and look at the management to Thomas Cook. The first ratio will let us directly measure liquidity and this is the current ratio. It will show us how much current assets there are to a Euro of debt. Formula for current ratio: Current assets / current liability = current ratio Looking at the balance sheets of Thomas Cook we can work out the current ratio for 2009 and 2008. 2009: 2008: 2303.2 / 3737.9 = 0.6:1 1386.2 / 2077.8 = 0.7:1 Another ratio that can use is the Acid test ratio this is the same as the current ratio however it takes away the stock as stock is not easily converted to cash. Formula for Acid Test ratio: (Current Assets Stock) / Current liabilities = Acid Test Ratio Looking at the balance sheets of Thomas Cook we can work out the acid test ratio for 2009 and 2008. 2009: 2008: 2303.2 274 / 3737.9 = 0.6:1 1386.2 105 / 2077.8 = 0.7:1 By looking at the current ratio we can see that for every euro of debt/current liabilities it has 60cent of current assets which are stock, cash and debtors. This doesnt appear a situation for Thomas Cook as they cant afford to clear its short term debts with its current assets. For example if their overdraft was reduced and their trade credit stopped Thomas Cook would not be in a liquid position. The suggested standard acceptable ratio is 1:1 which means business have equal assets to liabilities so they can easily pay back short term debts. A 1:1 ratio means the assets and liabilities are equal and surely it would be better to have a 2:1, however for firms such as Thomas Cook it is easy for them to raise finance and thats why it is acceptable. Another factor we can look at is the time period; these figures were taken from a balance sheet in October and there wouldnt have been a lot of current assets coming into the business as October is not their peak month. We have to keep in mind that Thomas Cook are a seasonal business and therefore figures will be very different during periods of the year. In October it would be likely that Thomas Cook are spending money to securing next years holidays and they could also be borrowing money to do this. By taking this into consideration we can judge that the ratio may be acceptable and these figures are likely to be industry wide. We can also compare 2009 to 2008; the position from 2008 has gone down in 2009 and therefore it is a negative trend. This can be seen as bad for the businesses liquidity however by looking at other aspects of the balance sheet this could change the view. Trade and other payables is a lot higher in 2009 and this could indicate they are securing more holidays for the coming year. This looks like a good sign as they will be likely to secure more customers and therefore receive more profit. On the other hand we can look at it as it has created extra liability for Thomas Cook and we have to ask what if Thomas Cook cannot secure the extra customers; this would mean they would lose money. The Acid test ratio has received the same results as the current ratio, this is because Thomas cook are not a production business and therefore do not have many stock as they offer more of a service. Only a tiny portion of their current assets are stock and therefore it will not have much effect on the acid test ratio. The suggested accepted ratio is 0.75:1 for this ratio as it takes the stock into consideration. We can see that Thomas Cook is very close to this ratio and therefore there are virtually no liquidity problems. However by looking at the 2008 ratio we notice the downward trend and this would be a bad trend to continue. Nevertheless we have identified the reasons for it and as a result we can understand the trend. Debtor Collection The debtor collection ratio looks at the management of debts and how well Thomas Cook covers their debts. Thomas Cook mainly receives debts from their customers as they offer holidays on trade credit. Thomas Cook has a policy where their customer has to pay six weeks prior to their departure. This settles any outstanding money that customer owe Thomas Cook. Problems can arise for example if a customer pay late it will be Thomas Cooks duty to chase they money back. If not Thomas Cook may decide to sell they holiday to someone else however this may be costly for them. To work out how many days it takes Thomas Cook to receive back their debts we use the debtor collect ratio and the formula is shown below: Debtors / turnover x 365 = no. of days 2009: 2008: 1240.1 / 9439 X 365 = 48days 600.6 / 7780 X 365 = 28days This shows a negative trend and Thomas Cook has to wait an extra 20days for them to receive their monies in 2009. It is good if Thomas Cook receives money as soon as possible as this can enable them to have cash ready in order to buy more holidays for future customers. On the other hand in 2008, we can see that they are receiving there money well before the six week period; this is good because they can receive cash sooner and therefore have more available for longer. However comparing this too 2009 we can see that it takes just over 6weeks for them to receive their debts back. Although the time period is only just over 6weeks this should not become a constant trend otherwise Thomas Cook will not have cash ready in time. Credit Payment Days The credit payment days looks at how long it takes Thomas Cook to pay back their creditors and this is any money that they owe. This is usually to the hoteliers and for the rooms and flights they have booked in advance. To work out how many days it takes Thomas Cook to pay their creditors we use the credit payment days ratio and the formula is show below: Trade creditors / turnover X 365 = no. of days 2009: 2008: 2046.1 / 9439 X 365 = 80days 1208.7 / 7780 X 365 = 57days These answers also shows us a deteriorated trend between 2008 and 2009, as in 2009 it takes Thomas cook 23 more days to pay back their debts. We can assume that Thomas Cook creditors gives a payment time period of 60days and in 2008 they have made this payment but in 2009 they have gone 20days over. By taking longer to pay back debts can be risky as the hoteliers may reduce their credit period as they may feel like Thomas Cook has taken liberties. They could also choose to take away their credit completely or even stop trading with them and trade with a competitor instead. This is unlikely to happen as Thomas Cook are a large company so they are a valued customer, but if the trend becomes regular then their creditors might decide otherwise. Although Thomas Cook are not paying on time this can work as an advantage for them. The sooner that customers pay Thomas Cook and the later Thomas Cook pays their creditors means that they will have ready cash for a longer period of time. If Thomas Cook can get away with a longer time period to pay back their creditors then it will ease their working capital as they will have more cash in hand for longer to put to use. Evaluation I am going to make a judgement on the working capital of Thomas Cook by looking at all the analysis. The current and acid test ratio demonstrates how liquid Thomas Cook is and how able it is to pay its short-term debts. The ratio revealed that there is declining trend in the figures between 2008 and 2009. It also showed that Thomas Cook do not have equal debts to assets which may mean future problems for Thomas Cook. The Debtors days ratio demonstrates how well Thomas cook gains back their debts in days. This also shows a negative trend as it took them longer in 2009 to receive back there monies. The Creditors day shows how well Thomas Cook pay their creditors and this ratio shows that Thomas Cook were taking longer to pay their creditors in 2009. The main negative trend that the majority of the ratios shows may raise concern for Thomas Cook especially when paying back short term debts as this should be easy for big companies to do. Also the fact that it takes Thomas Cook 80days to pay their creditors may be worrying; do they not have enough cash to pay them, or are the securing the financial inflows and therefore playing it safe? When analysing the financial position of Thomas Cook we always need to take into consideration what time of year the balance sheets are from. This can make a large change to the figures and outcomes of analysis especially because Thomas Cook is a seasonal business. During October Thomas Cook will be out of their peak stage therefore there balance sheets are likely to show some negatives. We can conclude that during this stage Thomas Cook may be waiting to book holidays for next year therefore they are saving up the cash in order to purchase them in the next few months. If we look at the balance sheet s during June or July we would see a big difference as ratios would look better as there would be a greater income into the business. The management of working capital of Thomas Cook is satisfactory from looking at the balance sheets; the business is not booming, however this is due to the seasonal nature of the business. By taking this into account we can believe Thomas Cook has no major financial problems which will affect the business. I feel however they can make improvements in resolving there negative trends shown by the debtors days ratio. They could do this by managing the inflows coming in and also working out a more agreeable period of payback to their creditors. Overall I think that Thomas Cook management of working capital is fairly good with consideration to the time period.

Customer behaviour towards online shopping Essay

Customer behaviour towards online shopping - Essay Example Introduction 1.1 Introduction The development of the Internet has not only provided a technological tool but also an essential tool for commercial dealings. In recent years, business people and their customers have increasingly used the Internet for a variety of purposes. Businesses use the Internet and other online functions such as electronic mail as a means of advertising their products and popularizing their brands to their prospective customers. The Internet has also made it possible for consumers to research the brands and products they intend to buy and then purchase their desired products online. Businesses that have embraced the use of the Internet have seen their organizations grow at the same time that they have seen their costs of advertising shrink (Evans, 2009). Such firms have also witnessed an increase in overall sales levels due to increased online shopping. Industry related sources such as the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG, 2012) anticipate that Internet s ales just in the UK will be approximately seventy seven billion pounds or more by the end of year 2012. The Internet can have profound effects on the way one conducts business. It has become a vital tool and avenue for carrying out trade and aids to trade, i.e. commerce. As a tool, it equips buyers and sellers with adequate information on products and services. As an avenue, it overcomes the limitation brought about by geographical distance, time zone, and the need for a physical office. Great Britain has experienced the fastest growth in terms of electronic shopping in the entire Europe, having estimated sales of sixty eight billion pounds in the year 2011 representing an increase of 1.6% (Wood, 2012).... This paper considers general Internet usage in the context of marketing, provide an overview of online shopping, and discuss the profitability of online shopping over the past few years, before looking at Tesco and Asda specifically. Finally, since the factors that affect consumer confidence towards online shopping are diverse, it is important to study some of the factors within e-marketing frame such as product, price, promotion, distribution and customer service. Technological factors and demographics as well as social factors are also important and are considered as the macro environment of marketing. The World Wide Web has dramatically increased the general use of the Internet. In 1993, the World Wide Web was developed to be a commercial tool by the British scientist Tim Berners-Lee. Instead of using the Internet's â€Å"World Wide Webâ€Å" as a technological tool, the Internet quickly became an effective commercial outlet for vendors and customers. By late 2000, the Internet already had more than 450 million online users thanks to the convenience of the World Wide Web. According to estimates by Nua, there were already more than 30 million hosted websites as reported by the various server organizations by that time (Web update, www.nua.ie/surveys). This proves that the Internet environment is very effective and important for business (www.emarketing.com). E-business success through the Internet is also evidence of increasingly new customers to online shopping for company products and services.

What are three reasons for segmentation Which segmentation approach is Essay

What are three reasons for segmentation Which segmentation approach is the best and why - Essay Example The most likely cause for geographical segmentation is that the product appeals to a certain geographical area. If a business is selling snow boots then they would market an area where there is heavy snow fall.The most likely cause for demographical segmentation is that the product appeals to the personal characteristics of the customers such as age, gender, race, income, life stage, occupation, and education level. A clothing company might produce clothing that appeals to teenagers.The most likely cause for Psychographic segmentation is the personality traits, attitudes, interests, or lifestyles of potential customer groups. A company might develop an environmentally friendly product aimed at the more environmentally focussed consumer.It is difficult to define the best segmentation approach since it is dependent on the client group and their specific needs. If the product appeals to a particular lifestyle need; a piece of exercise equipment for example, then lifestyle segmentation w ould be ideal. Deciding the best segmentation method can be difficult, but it depends on the particular benefit for that business objective.If the business objective is a new product development it is essential to understand how customers group together according to their particular needs. The outcome of this would influence the best segmentation approach. Mishkin, F. & Eakins, S. (2009)You are the deacon of a small non-denominational church. Your minister has just left, and your congregation is down by over 11% in the past year. You have just received news that an electronics firm plans to relocate 500 families to your town. You are tasked with making a plan for increasing church membership since you are a marketing manager. Describe your plan. As the deacon of a small non - denominational Church. I have been asked to write a marketing plan to increase Church membership. Following is the summary of the main points of this marketing plan. The Church will change its focus to differentiate itself from Churches in the area and improve membership by filling the need of the electronics firm employee's and families. Our marketing challenge is to position our Church to reach the new families and cater to their interests and needs. As a Church we would teach the word of God by offering electronic courses sharing the word of the Gospel and giving tracts to those attending. The Church serves its members as a trusted friend, providing for their needs and the needs of their families. We ensure our members have what they need to function spiritually and to increase their well being. It is the Churches duty to ensure the interests of the members are met and therefore surveys will be sent to each potential member to discover their interests, age, gender, ethnicity, and potential needs. Letters will be sent out to let people know that the Church is here should they need us. We also need to concentrate on developing a clear vision for the future of the Church. The objectives of the Church are to increase membership this is likely to result in increased Church profits. In these circumstances the Church would be able to carry out more outreach projects. The consequence of this is that we would have to develop a strategy for exploring the potential user needs of our new members. The most appropriate solution would be to create a new vision with detailed actions that need to be fulfilled. Essentially a clear, workable action plan needs to be formulated to give clear roles and responsibilities of participants involved with creating the Churches new vision. Therefore a list of expectations needs to be created to give the Leadership Team a way of measuring the success and progress of the project. If the Church is successful in gaining new members there