Philosophy Final Essay

In the Philosophy, Determinism has many different categories. Actually according to the textbook, the Determinism is the view that every event, including human actions, are brought about by previous events in accordance with the natural laws that govern the world. Human freedom is an illusion. Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza does not deny that people’s wishes and desires will lead to the soul, and he said, â€Å"but neglected one important factor†, that is, in Baruch's view, â€Å"the will† or we could call it the freedom of choice, is also determined by another factor.Meanwhile, this factor is again determined by another factor, â€Å"and then another, then another, and thus infinite persistence. † Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, who has the same opinion with Baruch, wrote that, â€Å"We all believe that we are born to be free†, â€Å"But afterwards, we will be surprised to find ourselves that we are not free at all, but subject to th e necessities†. In other words, Baruch gives the view that man is not free, and Schopenhauer finds the reasons of why man is not free. While considering the strengths of the Determinism, the Determinism can be said to be the pioneer of the science.The Determinism argues that everything in the world is in some kinds of causal relationships; all the movements of the world are determined by natural laws. Once we know the causes, we will definitely know the results. Because of this, science experienced a huge development. For instance, Newton’s calculation of planet motions makes it possible for us to accurately predict the foreseeable future. Under this circumstance, the world is like a clock, and it seems like man could know everything in the future. However, it is not quite like this.I think the Determinism ignores a very important factor, which is human’s role in this process. Human factors are involved wildly in human behaviors and various social systems, includ ing social laws and religion doctrines. Just like what I mentioned previously, scientists believe that the human life is pre-determined and human’s behavior is inevitable. They consider that if someone has all the information of one person, he or she may get to know how he or she is going to change in advance. But from the point of view throughout the history of human society people often turn to emphasize personal responsibility.Law and legal penalties for criminals act based entirely on the idea of individual â€Å"free will†. Most Jewish and Christian also believed that individuals should be responsible for the crime and suspects should be punished. We can imagine a psychology professor who believes determinism would say to a student: â€Å"You have to concentrate to your study, otherwise you will get nothing! † You can see the contradiction of human behaviors from this typical and ironic statement above, and notice that there exists a deviation between theor etical knowledge and actual human behaviors.At the same time, the Libertarians believe that people have â€Å"free will†, and there are no such inevitable results of those behaviors that are controlled by â€Å"free will†. Libertarianism has different meanings in different academic fields. From the general level, the libertarianism refers to people’s ability to decide whether or not to do something according to their conditions. Or in other words, according to the text book, it is the view that humans are able to make authentically free choices that are not determined by previous events in accordance with the natural laws that govern the world.In other words, given a choice, â€Å"we could have done otherwise. † There is a â€Å"Brake theory† that belongs to the Libertarianism argues that the actions under â€Å"free will† are cases of â€Å"actors causal relationship†, that is, from an actor leads to a result. In other words, a liber tarian is likely to emphasis more on subjective randomly selected without external oppression, and any random selection reflects a kind of chance. However, once the people make choices under their â€Å"free will†, relative to the present results, the past is always a choice determinant.Just as the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle's â€Å"Battle of the problem†, although in the â€Å"Today† perspective, whether the naval battle will occur â€Å"Tomorrow â€Å"cannot be determined, but if we guess that â€Å"Tomorrow † the naval battle will occur, and the naval battle actually took place the next day, then we look from â€Å"Tomorrow † to â€Å"today†, the result is inevitable established. John Locke, a British philosopher, even thinks that, â€Å"If a man describes the will as ‘free', that person is guilty of a ‘category  mistake',† and he also believes that the freedom is a power belongs only to the actors.Thomas H obbs, another British philosopher, also considers the â€Å"free will† as an â€Å"absurd language†. He believes that the freedom is defined by the will. As a result, the freedom cannot be used to describe the will, and I think this is the biggest weakness of the Libertarianism. For Compatibilism, according to our textbook, it is the view that all events, including human actions are caused.However, we can consider human actions free if they are a result of internal motivations, not the product of external influences or constraints. I think, first of all, we should be clear that there is no absolute freedom. Any freedom should be based on a pre-determined range. As far as I am concerned, reality problem is made of all the options provided in some choices, and the so-called freedom is to provide more options for those choices, or we can say it expands the scope for choice.So based on this fact, we could summarized that, any freedom has the will as its boundary, in other words, the freedom is limited by the will, and definitely it cannot describe the will itself. Furthermore, the freedom of choice exists only in a moment, and it is a property of action’s initiation process. Once a choice is made, there is no meaning for the freedom at this moment. For each choice it provides, determinism is there. In fact, each of these options we have at the choosing moment is associated with one or few past factors, and even we can say that those factors determine the existence of this option.But for the selection process contains all those options, the concept of the â€Å"free will† can also exist because every option is inside the range of choice, and each choice is the result of chance. For example, if life is seen as a string of pearls, each â€Å"free will† can be expressed as the choice of each pearl and all those pearls could form the causal chain, which reflects the Determinism. Overall, I think the Determinism and the â€Å"free wil l† cannot be separated.Determinism offers countless possibilities, and the â€Å"free will† can be expressed in those choices under such possibilities. Personally, I would say the Compatibilism the one I like the most and I think it ought to be correct in the real world. The reason is that, first, just like I said, there is no absolute freedom. Everything can be interpreted differently by using different perspectives. Second, please don’t forget or underestimate the power of humans inside these decision making process. Human have learning  skills and we could get experiences from the past and use those to guide the future decisions.This is a reflection of the Determinism. However, things are always changing. The problem you faced last time may or may not be the problem you have at this moment. Just like Heraclitus said, â€Å"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man. † That’s why the â€Å"f ree will† also exists and it might lead you to another new option you have at this moment. This is a reflection of the Libertarianism.

Internet Marketing Tchibo Case

Ethics Ideas Case A Ethics idea is an innovative concept of interacting with the consumers especially for a retail company like Ethics. Usually, consumer product companies like P&G produce a wide range of consumer goods and sell their products in retail stores owned by other companies like Walter. The retailers also produce goods under private labels and sell them in their stores. But, Thatch's business model is very different. Ethics produces its own products, though it outsource production. It sells its own products and introduces new products every week.It uses Ethics ideas to produce some its products. The Ethics ideas bring in high value to Ethics as a retailer, manufacturer and brand. As a retailer, it is very important to understand the consumer and their problems and preferences. This requires expensive and extensive market research. When consumers post their needs and problems, it reflects their preferences and buying behavior. This enables Ethics to understand what customer s want and need. As mentioned in the case this would reduce the marketing and consumer research expenses by 20% to 30%.The customer feedback, comments and response to a particular Ethics idea help the company to come up tit fairly accurate sales projections. It also helps to understand where the competitors stand. The problems of consumers reflect the semiconductor gap in that particular area. It helps to understand why the competitors are not regularly producing the goods that are brought up in the Ethics ideas. Uncertainty regarding acceptance of a particular product in the market is greatly reduced by Ethics ideas.Ethics as a retailer tries to understand the market demands, and Ethics ideas help to identify much of untapped market potential. Ethics ideas are highly valuable to Ethics as a manufacturer as well. The products that serve as solutions for customers' problems are innovated and designed by professionals participating in the Ethics ideas. This greatly reduces the costs a nd efforts to develop products that would have the potential to address market problems. As Ethics refreshes its product lines every week, it requires a very dynamic innovation and development work.Ethics ideas contribute to the efforts of product development at Ethics. It leverages the creativity of general and professional people and integrates everyone's work. The large number of products that are introduced every year required the production to be fast paced. It is not easy for other companies to introduce such overgenerous number of products in such short time periods. A specific product has to be produced in small quantities compared to the products expected to run for an indefinite time period. Thus, Ethics outsource the production and can easily launch new products or change its current product lines.Ethics ideas bring a lot of value to Ethics as a brand. First, it uniquely positions the Ethics brand in market. Filling the store shelves with products that are designed by the consumers for the consumers reflects that the consumer is most important for Ethics. The customers feel that Ethics pays them unparalleled attention. This increases consumer's trust for the brand. The concept of weekly launch of new products compels the customers to visit the Ethics stores every week, whether it is due to a need for a particular product or it is the curiosity to see what is new in a Ethics store.It brings in the surprise element and enables the customers to feel excited for their next visit to Ethics. It is believed that Germans like spontaneous shopping. The Ethics ideas give the brand an image of an innovator, which is reputable for a retail company. The consumers expect Ethics to be highly innovative. It is expected to address problems that are not heard and addressed by other companies. This makes the Ethics brand relevant for almost every person. It is not like apparel or a car company that is relevant to only clothing and transportation requirements of people .This is very important in a country where people show emphasis on individualism†, as consumers get an opportunity to find products that suit their personal nature, desire and requirement. Instead, Ethics is relevant to every German who has access to Internet. The brand builds a strong relation with every consumer ND significantly increases brand loyalty. Reducing the life of a product to one week greatly reduces the risks posed by a product failure. A failed product would be easily forgotten and would not leave a dark impression of failure on the company's image.Ethics ideas enable Ethics to achieve a feat that would be eve difficult for competitors to imitate. Unless the competitors replicate the Ethics Ideas model, Ethics would enjoy competitive advantage over every other retailer. Its unique positioning in the market significantly increases Thatch's brand power. The Ethics ideas are equally, if not more, valuable for the consumers. The people have the power to express thei r problems and needs in front of other people and a company, who would work hard to solve the problems. People can now actually expect someone to think about their problem.People know that for a large corporation, it is not feasible to solve to everyone's problems. But Ethics changes this perception of a common man. The Ethics provides a place of surprise shopping and fun. Ethics changes the shopping experience completely. They can expect to be pleasantly surprised in a Ethics store as well as find something that would not be available anywhere else. It would make the consumers feel proud to buy things that were produced because they raised the issue. Apart from the intangible benefits for the consumer, Ethics ideas also have tangible benefits for the consumer.The products that are produced due to Ethics ideas are born from people's actual problems. These problems are faced by common man in every day life as well as special occasions. A market usually comes up with products at the i nterface of supply and demand. Most of the suppliers are interested to enter most profitable and high volume markets. Due to this, the consumers are compelled o be satisfied, in many instances, with whatever is available in the market. For example, traditional producers of electric extension plug boards would not be interested to produce the multi strip electric board due to small volume of demand for such boards.But, because Ethics is capable of producing goods in small quantities, the number of problems that could be addressed in the market increases significantly. This creates substantial amount of value for the consumers in the market, especially as Ethics ideas could be regarding any kind of goods. Not only are the problems solved, but also the cost of most goods is very reasonable. This compels other companies to weigh heavily on the power of customer satisfaction and come up with products that would solve people's problems.The Ethics ideas allow the common people to listen to other people's problems and think over to find a solution for them. This is not only challenging but also rewarding. The person whose idea is commercialese gets a part of earnings as well as recognition on the product's packaging. These rewards, though criticized by some, seem to be highly valuable for most of the people. It might not be even possible for many to commercialism their ideas. This could be made feasible for a large portion of the population only through Ethics ideas.It greatly diminishes the hurdles of innovating, producing and counterclaiming a product in the market. Ethics should continue with the Ethics Ideas and refine the whole process. It could, strategically, confine itself to some particular target segments and thus increase its efficiency. The market research and data gathered due to the Ethics ideas is very valuable and should be used to develop successful product lines for Thatch's own products. It is helpful to leverage people's ideas and problems to devel op maximum umber of products that could be efficiently sold in consistency with the one-week business model.The weekly regularity makes it unique and nearly impossible for the competitors to replicate the model in a profitable way. It is mentioned in the case that some people wait for particular yearly occasions for specific themed shopping. It would be helpful to develop a strategy to separate the weekly product lines from the themes repeated every year. This might prevent loss of business in weeks prior to festivals, as people might not substitute festival shopping with the weekly shopping.The themes of weekly product lines could be more focused around the core functionality of the products. A study indicates that only 26%iii of Europeans think that the home ware, food and drink and electronics sectors of E-business offer good service. Integration of Ethics Ideas and the Direct Ethics offering satisfactory online service would be welcomed by most in Europe. The Ethics ideas websit e should be designed to be more interactive than it is. Higher engagement of users would help to better understand the user as well as competitors' willingness to address the problems.The users could e asked to answer a questionnaire, which could have questions like â€Å"Have you tried to find a solution to your problem before? If yes, where and how? † or â€Å"How did you realize about the problem? † Activities like commenting and discussing the issues on Ethics websites must be encouraged. Employees related to the production and marketing department of Ethics could participate in the discussions that would make the online Ethics Ideas experience very informative and interesting. BY Mess Frankfurt (trade fair organizing firm), â€Å"Mess publishes Study Buying Behavior in Germane,

New Orleans’ economy is very dependant on the tourism and lodging industry

New Orleans' economy is very dependant on the tourism and lodging industry. In the past couple of years this industry in New Orleans has declined. In 1996 the city hosted 12 million tourists and conventioneers and they spent close to $4 billion. The average daily room rate was $105. The September 11 attacks had a huge affect on the tourism industry. Although the economy in New Orleans is rising, the number of tourist each year has dropped dramatically. This past year New Orleans hosted an estimated 7.995 million visitors. This is approximately the same number as they hosted in 1991, meaning the increase in visitors throughout the nineties has been abolished. On the positive side, these 8 million visitors spent an approximate $4.5 billion on hotel rooms, food, drinks, entertainment, and shopping. This figure is actually higher than that spent by the 12 million visitors in 1996. This $4.5 billion created 2.9 billion in revenue and helped support more than 138,000 are jobs. New Orleans has done a great job in compensating for the decline in the tourism industry. Because of the lack of visitors they have simply made it more expensive for the guests they do receive. The current average daily room rate for New Orleans' hotels is about $170. Average airfare from Denver to New Orleans is $400. Even though these prices are so high, the great thing about New Orleans is that no matter what day of the year visitors can always find free events. All of this contributes to what should be a very profitable 2004.

(MACROECONOMICS) Explain why the actual budget deficit is not a good Essay

(MACROECONOMICS) Explain why the actual budget deficit is not a good indicator of the fiscal stance and suggest any other better alternatives - Essay Example Moreover, ideal and functional fiscal stance indicators should embrace in-depth analysis of fiscal policies and collective economic variables. The actual budget deficit has from time to time been used as an indicator of the fiscal stance, although various shortcomings have rendered it a rather inadequate indicator. The overall balance of a government budget is basically a measure of the difference between government expenditure and revenue. In a case where expenditure outweighs revenue, the overall balance presents an actual budget deficit, which is an indication of an expansionary fiscal stance. The actual budget deficit indicates a fiscal stance where the negative impact of revenue on an economy’s aggregate demand is far much implicative of the positive effects achieved through government spending. Gross national product of any given economy at any given time is on the receiving end as it is negatively impacted by the fiscal policies put in place by the government (International Monetary Fund, 1989, p.76). However, the measure of actual budget deficit needs to be analyzed and judged more cautiously for accurate and relevant indication of the fiscal stance. In case keen judgment and analysis of the actual budget deficit measure is compromised, it ceases to act as a good indicator for the fiscal stance with respect to other economic variables. The actual budget deficit is also regarded as deficient indicator of fiscal stance, since it only offers impacts on aggregate demand perspectives and overlooks other economic variables such as economic sustainability, monetary stance, and growth aspects. Moreover, the actual budget deficit overlooks other economic complexities such as the manner in which the deficit is financed with regards to successive impact of the country’s economic variables. Fiscal impact complexities encompass the manner in which an actual budget deficit is financed among other special measures that are put in place to

Branding and International Advertising Term Paper

Branding and International Advertising - Term Paper Example For branding to be efficacious, the wants and the needs of the consumer have to be kept in mind (AAKER, 1993, p. 32). There is a variety of objectives achieved via branding: motivation of the buyer, user loyalty is concreted, credibility is confirmed, the message is delivered clearly, and the target forecasts are connected emotionally. In marketing communication, it is referred to as a foundational piece. The goal for branding is to attain the long-term competitive advantage hence it is both a marketing and financial concept. It is more of a qualitative term rather than the thought of it as being related to the product thus it is immaterial. It is an idea that is altering and translates the tangible to something that is of value. The old notion of marketing involving the product has been outdone by the fact that the brand name has taken over the market. Basically, marketing relies on the brand name. The brand name wins over the loyalty of customers in a market. An illustration: custo mers who are loyal to products from Unilever are deemed to buy any product as long as the manufacturer is Unilever. This is showed the extent to which the brand name has an effect on the customers and in the marketing sector. Research has it that brand is more than a logo or a name, but it is the relationship with a customer. A brand name conveys a variety of ideas, possibly: a thought, emotion, mind, heart, feeling, a phrase, or a word. This depends on what is to be communicated to the customers (Dunn, 2004, p. 10). The mind and the heart of a customer get what the marketers want them to get via the branding name. People may buy brands based on image, awareness, knowledge, experience, trust, perception, feelings, and perceived quality. International advertising involves conveying the message to target audiences in different countries. Audiences of target differ from country to another depending on their response to emotional appeals or humor, interpretation and perception of signs and symbols, the language is spoken and the literacy levels too.  Ã‚  

Assignment two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment two - Essay Example It would also be wise to talk to the director of the Human Resource department to inform him or her that the ad that was placed in the newspaper had errors (Professional Advertising, 2011). To applicants who applied for the coding position, it would be extremely fair to send them an apology letter telling them of the mistake and how sorry the company feels for inconveniencing them. The firm should also place the old ad in the same newspaper and make sure that it is cancelled and beneath it should be the correct advertisement (Professional Advertising, 2011). In conclusion, the correct ad should also state the cancelation of the previous ad, and explain that the new ad is the correct advertisement. Just to spice up matters, the new ad should incorporate brilliant ideas so that the readers do not get the wrong impression. For instance, the ad could be colorful with easily understood language that would make the reader enjoy reading the

Ersatz Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ersatz Happiness - Essay Example However, this kind of euphoria is clearly false and robs a person’s right to a substantial life. The different characters in the story also portray hints that being in the new world is not really satisfactory. In the same sense, all the other methods that the Utopians have such as the â€Å"feelies† in order to have a â€Å"happy† life are blemished. The feelies is a kind of a movie theater that is supposed to be the main source of entertainment. In this cinema, the senses are falsely generated. Thus, Utopian’s ersatz happiness equates to a meaningless existence. The author, Huxley, cautions his readers against scientific utopianism. Though his novel was published in 1932, the principles that may be derived from his work are still quite applicable today. Unlike the contemporary utopian novels of his time such as â€Å"A Modern Utopia† by H.G. Wells, he sought to picture a pessimistic future. This may be influenced by the industrial revolution that w as quite apparent in the 20th century. There were also particular companies that advocated advancements concerning science and technology such as Imperial Chemical Companies (ICI). In its prime, it was known as the â€Å"biggest chemical group in the UK† (Bawden 1). This may have influenced Huxley’s portrayal of pharmacological achievements. ... A number of them could have viewed cutting-edge science as a savior. In addition, due to the unemployment at that time, the use of marijuana was introduced by Mexican immigrants (Monroy 27). Some people used this psychoactive drug to escape reality and experience a moment of elation. This is somehow parallel with Soma which was used to annihilate negative moods. In the story, there are indications that the Utopians felt that something was missing in their existence. They have occasional inklings of dissatisfaction. â€Å"Happiness is not a static state. Even the happiest of people- the cheeriest 10% -feel blue at times† (Wallis 2). There is a need to experience painful emotion to truly feel happiness. It is the healthy combination of negative and positive emotion that helps people to make a sense of reality. Without feeling low, it is difficult to realize the opposite. Hence, the people in the new world did not really have euphoria in the real sense. The difference between the so called perfect world and that of the outside is portrayed when the difference between the Savage Reservation and the new world was described. This is especially noticeable in John who was known as â€Å"the savage†. He spent his early childhood in the Reservation and was brought to Utopia. Indeed, he did not have the culture that denotes a very stable society. However, he still possessed quite humane characteristics such as truthfulness as well as benevolence. Comparably, people who are genuinely happy have more positive attributes. â€Å"Kindness might create a virtuous cycle that promotes lasting happiness and altruism† (Dixon, â€Å"Kindness Makes You Happy and Happiness Makes You Kind). According to the

Analysis by Comparison and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis by Comparison and Contrast - Essay Example The success of Prezi is based on user friendliness and nonlinear arrangement. PowerPoint uses linear model of approach which involves the use of da straight model of operation. Despite the differences, the two offer exceptional platform for information presentation and sharing leading to the increased graphic definition of the problem. Power point presentation The power point approach uses the linear model of presentation with the data being presented in a slide format that encourages the development of the systematic approach. The slides are in numbers with the main focus being on the presentation of information in a series approach. The success of the information presentation is dependent on the ability to present to hybrid the different text and images in the process developing a conclusive presentation. The slide layout can be chosen by the presenter using the design tab with the layout styles being already. The PowerPoint presentation brings with it a challenge when the amount o f data to be presented is too large. The slide dimensions are thus limiting the number of words and graphic sizes that can fit into the slide. The slide presentation and arrangement become complex when dealing with the problem of a combination of data and text. The stack layout of the slides makes the navigation and editing a single profile approach, with the main focus of the slide being on the presentation. The PowerPoint presentation cannot be shared online with ease owing to it being computer based. The beauty of the approach allows autonomy of each presentation and encourages ease of access. However, when dealing with academic materials that need to be shared, power point offers a poor approach when looking at web information sharing. The success of PowerPoint is dependent on the approach and purpose of the presenter and not the software itself. The beauty of PowerPoint is on the success of offering a variety of printing options for the presenter to sue. Additionally, it offers an opportunity to add support information in the notes section in the main presentation (Anderson-Williams, 2012, p. 47). Despite the success of the PowerPoint presentation software, in depicting the information presented. Several challenges exist in the process of combing several graphic types in to the presentation. The success of PowerPoint in data and information sharing is based on the success of the office suite which is of other support software. However, PowerPoint still needs to be upgrade to support the use of social media and share information. The inability to share information in an open format is impossible, but as a file is possible. Such approaches fin the file format does not allow for accessibility because the user will need to download the data before accessing the information. Prezi The major difference between PowerPoint and Prezi is the approach. Prezi uses anon linear approach that is not applicable in many lectures, but may be applicable to the other situati on such as the combination of the various resources. The nonlinear approach of the presentation software can be harnessed by building up a formidable bank of resources and links that cover the desired topic. The approach makes the situation better because it can bring several options in the presentation. The combination of the various resources on the presentation can then is online and provide the necessary information to all accessing the

How to Do Business In Italy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How to Do Business In Italy - Research Paper Example It can be observed that the Italy does not have good international relation with most of the countries . In the recent times, Italy is facing significant challenges in meeting its debt requirements and the consequential harm which has been caused because of euro zone along with the EU which is quite difficult to eradicate . Economy Policy Outlook Italy is considered to be a country with heightened financial as well as economic crisis that weakens its position in the euro zone. This arises essentially from a change in market perception of the state of its public finances. Approval was received from the Parliament on September 14th 2011, regarding the budget that was designed for the period of 2012-2013 in order to minimize the budget deficit to zero in the year 2013, from 4.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the year 2010 and an approximated 4% in the year 2011. Nonetheless, because of the reduction in the estimation of economic growth along with higher interest payments, it has been apparent by the month of November of the year 2011 that more funds would be required by the country in order to attain this objective. Starting a business in Italy is considered to be quite expensive rather than time consuming in Italy .In the year 2010 and in the first half of the year 2011, the country’s upturn from recession had been modest. In consequence of combination of greater fiscal difficulties, a weakening of the business confidence and sharply declining external demand, it can be expected that Italy will suffer from numerous quarters of negative quarter-to-quarter growth6. Economic Policy Economic Policy The creation of the new technocratic government has not been successful at minimizing the rate of interest on Italian government bonds considerably6. Consumer Confidence Improvements There has been significant decline in the consumer spending since April 2011. In the first three quarters of the year 2011, it was noticed that there was decline in the unadjusted value index by 0.8% year-on-year. However, after the importunate fall that initiated in the month of May of the year 2011, in the month of November of the year 2011 there was noticeable rise in the consumer confidence index to 96.5 from 93.3 in the month of October of the year 2011. It was noticed that the index remained below the average for all 12 months of 99.4. It was in the month of November 2011 when the consumers’ evaluation of the overall economic situation improved significantly7. PESTEL Analysis Prior to entering into any country, it is quite vital to conduct PESTEL analysis in order to comprehe nd the business environment of that particular country. It can be stated that the government of Italy has passed an â‚ ¬40 bn sternness program so that it can resolve its weak financial position and thus take out ways to strengthen them. It has been observed that although the government takes numerous measures in order to reduce the tax rates, it is quite high in Italy. In the year 2010, the corporate tax rate has been 31.4% which is quite higher in comparison to the EU average of 23.2%. There has been rise in the exports as well as imports to non-EU countries by

Film Editing Essay Example for Free

Film Editing Essay The 1972 film The Godfather directed by Francis Ford Coppolla based on the novel by Mario Puzo that takes one inside the world of the Mafia as shown in the Corleone family where its patriarch, Don Vito is the â€Å"Godfather† but later, the focus of the film would later on shift to his son Michael who at first was not part of the Mafia family, but later on gradually joined it until he became the Godfather. The rise of Michael Corleone from being a â€Å"civilian† to Godfather is made possible by a well-coordinated cinematography which also involves editing. Editing is a film technique where reels of film are subjected to â€Å"cut and paste† in order to weave the scenes into a seamless sequences of events that unfold the moment it hits the silver screen. In this film, the producers make use the continuous editing technique. This approach is employed for the purpose of maintaining continuous or clear narrative action. It begins with the scene when Michael arrives at his sister Connies wedding reception which is presided by their father Don Vito. This scene shows that Michael is not part of the other â€Å"family† his father leads as depicted by him dressed in a military uniform which showed he came from the war. The next scene would be the attempted â€Å"hit† (murder) of Don Vito in the market and a separate scene where Michaels older brother Sonny was killed. This is followed by the scene where he was mauled by corrupt police officers and another where he is handed a gun by his fathers mafiosi which he would use in a later scene to kill McCluskey, one of the corrupt cops and his fathers rival Sollozzo. His brothers death and later his father, has thrust him into becoming the head of the â€Å"Family† which is underscored by scenes showing the â€Å"hits† on rival mafia leaders while serving as the godfather of his sisters son. This is capped with the final scene where he closed the door to his study as he is about to preside over a â€Å"family† meeting with his second wife Kay standing by the doorway. These shots were cut and pasted in a way that it follows a progressive sequence. The seamlessness of the scenes shows rhythm in the editing and the intervals were either minimal or eliminated thereby preserving the momentum on focusing on Michael. The film also makes use of eye-line matches where the audience sees things initially from Don Vitos perspective, at the beginning and switching to Michael, as it is shown in numerous scenes especially his confrontation with Sollozzo and switches to his wife as shown in the final scene when the door to Michaels office closes with her looking on which underscored that Michael chose his other â€Å"family† thereby sealing his fate. The baptism scene shows the application of the temporal relationships as it is interspersed with the deaths of rival mafiosi, indicating what was happening at the same time. In conclusion, the use of (continuous) editing helped make the story of The Godfather easy to understand and to appreciate totally as it shows a seamless stringing of scenes that show the rise of Michael Corleone to power. Reference Coppolla, F. F. (Director). (1972). The Godfather [Motion Picture].

Green supply chain management and logistics

Green supply chain management and logistics It has been rising in alertness of the surrounds in the last little decades. Other persons are attentive of the worlds environmental attempt such as overall temperate, poisonous import meeting, and falling in non-replenish property. The management has out movement to carry this problem to people. A number of organization react to this by relate green values to their rumba company, such as using green friendly raw material, reducing the usage of gasoline power, and using the recycle allow for covering. The green principle was complete to much section within society, including supply chain. Green supply chain management (GSCM) was rising in the last little period. This idea covers every stage in industrialized from the first to the last step of life cycle, i.e. starting product plan to recycle. Not just manufacturing, but GSCM can also be used to other business sector such as management, culture and services. The reason of this file was to describe the crash of green to the supply chain management. It started with the meaning of GSCM to the company in different levels or what factor that power the company to agree the GSCM. This factor can be regard as by different drive such as management, whole market, industry, competitor, and inside the company. Since GSCM can be convenient to a variety of areas within the company, this paper also talks about the performance of GSCM to several areas. In addition, some examples of GSCM submission were recognized to support the commencement. Introduction At the current time, many companies have in progress to accept main attempt just before launch Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) initiatives (Srivastava, 2008; Zhu et al., 2007). The concept of GSCM include green initiative in inbound logistics which counting green purchasing, eco-design, production, outbound logistics which counting reverse logistics. These initiatives engage supplies suppliers, service supplier, vendor, distributors and end users that successful mutually to decrease or get rid of poor green impact of their concert (Vachon and Klassen, 2006). The logistics industry manages the flows of goods, services and in order across consumers and supplier allowing the incorporation of supply chains in which victory in incorporate worldwide supply chains starts with the capacity of firm to move goods across boundaries swiftly, regularly and sensibly. An aggressive and capable logistics sector is central for all economy and is a vital element of do business. So, logistics management plays an important role in GSCM. This is support by Skjoett-Larsen in which he claim that with the fast development of the GSCM, the sense of green organization for the logistics industry has greater than before very much. then, the review done by Capgemini Press discharge show that the greening of the supply chain will have an increasing speak to on in logistics presentation such as network plan, transfer modes used, warehousing, collection of paraphernalia, business process, behaviours and sense of balance. so far, few company swiftness green ability as a make a choice part when choose 3rd celebrations Logistics (3PL) partner in which 46% of respondents thought that the result of supply chain operation on the surroundings was a issue alert when select 3PL (Capgemini Press Release). In order to take produce and services to consumers more environmentally, so, logistics service donor need to talk to extra care on green issue (Murphy and Poist, 2003; Sarkis et al., 2004). For example, United Parcel Service (UPS), a universal logistics service supplier uses route development software and an internet related organization in their logistics service procedure to reduce the release of greenhouse gas as well as to keep oil expenditure (Lin and Ho, 2008). incorporate green innovation into logistics armed is good-looking a significant issue for the logistic urban. Examples of Green Logistics Green transportation: The green transport refers to build up a type of oil with the smallest total pollution as the power to try to put into rehearsal the multi-transportation and part mode. Accurately, repair up the transport can in this way think the litter, inferior the price and lift the part level. Green storage: The green storage space refers to endorsement the urban development in the extension of goods-storing to keep the manpower fee, functioning the environmentally friendly goods to sterilize the storage space goods, receipt the process of centralized-stock to reduce the radicalization to the vicinity and reduce the poor result of the warehousing on the rest. Green packing: The green pack up refers to a type of product pack up that will not cause the green litter. The pack equipment should save the property and decrease the packing dismiss also, it is believed to be used and renew after use as well as live in little ground while bury in tell to be rotten only. Reverse logistics: The reverse logistics is dissimilar to the recognized supply chain, it assign to practically removal or recuperating the price by growth, managing and dominant the raw material, centre stock, final goods and relative in order starting customer put to start directly. Green innovation: The green development refers to recital the improvement such as information and statement knowledge, natural knowledge, monitor technology and a combination of correct technologies in the succession of logistics management. The request of the greater innovation enables the project to get better green management, strongly. However, about to Lin et al. (2009), green innovation is the build up more linked technology with study innovative knowledge by training and educating the employees to suit knowledge employees. These learn but, will only talk to the subject of green innovation in logistics as a centre of this study. It is plan that a green improvement in logistics is a excellent area of study and apply that have the promising to provide imperative income to the firm and the culture. Factors influencing to Introduce Green Supply Management Rapid changes in the business situation, including increased internationalisation and worldwide competition, but also social and environmental trends, such as climate change, population growth and aging, wealth accumulation and distribution, nutrition, health and education, affect companies supply chains in various ways, resulting in new and evolving desires on supply chain design. famous features of chief green supply chains comprise an accent on life cycle appraisal, asset competence, and waste reduction and service innovation and recycling. execute successfully, GrSCM stimulates product and service innovation, improve asset deployment, and deepens customer relationships and service levels through a shared focus on reducing misuse and price. Some examples to show the impact on supply chains Wal-Mart, which in 2005 launch a sweeping business sustainability strategy, recently set the goal of a 5% decrease in packaging by 2013. The retail giant expect the cut in packaging will save 667,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from incoming the impression. Moreover, the company anticipate $3.4 billion in direct savings and roughly $11 billion in savings diagonally the supply chain; Nestlà © employs an ongoing, company-wide sustainability program that has generate significant environmental and financial profit. The company has apply the plan to its use of product packaging by initiate an incorporated advance that favours source decrease, re-use, recycling, and energy recovery. In exacting, the companys packaging material savings between 1991 and 2006 led to $510 million in savings, worldwide, according to Nestlà ©s corporate website; Heineken committed to reduce fuel and electricity use through its Aware of Energy program. The company said in its 2006 sustainability story that it designed to reduce fuel and electricity costs by 15% between 2002 and 2010. At the time of the Diamond report, Heineken had achieved savings of 6%-even after the achievement of new breweries. Benefit of GSCM Speaking of greening the supply chain, one might think only banning toxic chemical matter usages or reducing release or waste to the situation. However, it is much more than just a plain reducing usage and litter. Accordingly, the profits are not limited only less poisonous consuming or less waste. The GSCM principle can be apply to all departments in the organization. The effect of GSCM expand to all area, both physically and imperceptibly. Some studies mention benefits of adopt GSCM, such as (Stevels, 2002). He established the benefits of GSCM to dissimilar roles of supply chain including environment and society in terms of different categories: material, immaterial, and sensation. For material, GSCM helps lower environmental load for environment, minor cost prices for supplier, lower cost for producer, lower cost of rights for customer, and less consumption of income for society. In terms of irrelevant, GSCM helps overcoming bigotry and doubt for environment, less rejects for supplier, easier to manufacture for producer, expediency and fun for customer, and better agreement for society. For passion, GSCM helps motivation of stakeholder for environment, better figure for supplier and producer, feel good and quality of life for customer, and make industry on the right path for society. He also provides example of company that were successfully adopt GSCM. In (Duber-Smith, 2005), he identified ten reasons that the company should accept the green: aim marketing, sustainability of resources, lowered costs/increased efficiency, product demarcation and competitive benefit, reasonable and supply chain pressures, adapt to directive and reducing risk, brand character, return on asset, employee morale, and the moral necessary. Implementation of Green From product lifecycle idea, the cycle starts at the conniving of product. According to (Srivastara, 2007), literatures connected to green design underline both environmentally mindful design and life cycle assessment. In designing a product, the designing team can alter the raw materials or substances used in the manufacturing to be less poisonous, more environmental gracious. Some terminologies are related to design for green such as design for environment or EcoDesign. An paradigm of green product is cross car. Due to the rising demand and falling amount of fuel, automobile manufacturers needed to redesign the engine that consumes no or less gas. Hybrid car has been initial from day to day. One article about automobile design is (McAuley, 2003), he discuss the green design of automobile, which tend to change to higher lightweight materials and less materials in vehicle design. In designing a product, the manufacturing company needs a high level of support with their suppliers. An example for the research on supplier-manufacturer cooperation in EcoDesign is (Stevels, 2002). He also offered two examples of successful green supply programme between manufacturer and suppliers. In manufacturing process, the company can be relevant green by several methods to reduce the energy and resource expenditure. This is where recycle and recycling are referred. Several papers provided green practices such as (Duber-Smith, 2005). He suggested some practices including reducing energy use, recycle and reuse, using environmental and harmless materials, minimize harmful emission, and minimize or remove waste. In a Chinese sugar manufacturer, Guitang Group can reduce the wastes and improve their financial performance by using waste from the upstream as raw materials for downstream production (Zhu Cote, integrate Green Supply Chain into An developing Eco-Industril Development: A Case Study of the Guitang Group, 2004). Further than design and manufacturing, other department in an organization are concerned with the green. Purchasing could become an main agent for change regarding ecological initiatives in the supply chain (Preuss, 2001). In (Walton, 1998) article, he conducted a qualitative study to survey the main areas for change to increase purchasings impact on situation. As mentioned prior, not only manufacturer, other supply chain roles got impact from GSCM also. For a largest dealer in the U.S., Wal-Mart has an interesting story of adopting GSCM to their organization. In October 2005, Wal-Mart CEO committed the company to 3 goals: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy; to make zero waste; and to sell products that maintain Wal-Marts resources and the situation, and Wal-Mart was launching a business sustainability strategy to considerably reduce the companys impact on the global environment and become the most competitive and innovative company in the world (Plambeck, 2007). In this study, she provide 8 practices occupied with 14 network partner. Barriers of Applying GSCM In (Zhu Cote, Integrating Green Supply Chain into An Embryonic Eco-Industril Development: A Case Study of the Guitang Group, 2004), they studied the addition of green supply in sugar industry. They mention three barriers: maintaining close relations with their main suppliers, obtain a larger market share through opposition with other market share through opposition with other familial sugar refineries by improving product quality and reducing costs, and ensuring the sustainability of their operations including reducing the environmental impact. At the same times, there are some research studied barriers of applying GSCM from suppliers perception. An example of suppliers barrier is (Wycherley, 1999), he conducted a qualitative study on the suppliers barriers of GSCM performance for an environmental-friendly figure products like the Body Shop. Successful Stories Several studies were tentative study about a company succeed in apply GSCM, various in dissimilar industry such as electronics, automobile, furniture, and packaging. An example of Electronics Company is Advanced Micro plans. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD ) wanted to be renowned as a sustainable organization. They required to better mage the risk of a would-be supply chain and work jointly with suppliers to identify option materials and gear to reduce environmental impact. Moreover, they were drove by their customers, investor, and non-governmental organization groups superficially (Trowbridge, 2001). In packaging Industry, results from review showed that green supply chain practice were absolutely related to operational concert. Also, the green supply chain practices were moving the portion of resources amongst 3 types of environmental technologies: pollution anticipation, pollution manages, and management system (Vachon, 2003). Conclusion Studies stress the force on supply chain design to supply products that are environmentally friendly in their source, production, release, usage and disposal. Not just for advertising purposes or green washing. While companies sometimes limit innovation to remote flagship products, benefit their reputation by association, the real brave is to normal them across active product range. Greening the supply chain is an industry issue that will only gain substance over the years to come. Utilising network design, optimisation and planning systems, which include, for instance, carbon footprint consideration, but also source, procurement and end-of-life, will therefore be a vital collaborator in greening the supply chain and provide supply chain executive with a transparent view of the whole supply chain. Although sustainability programs may vary by industry, the essential needs for intelligibility, communication and association are alike.

Zebrafish in Toxicology Research: Advantages and Limitations

Zebrafish in Toxicology Research: Advantages and Limitations The abuse of psychoactive substances is a serious public health problem and understands the brain disorder induced by psychoactive substances is an important challenge in biomedical research that requires extensive clinical and preclinical investigation (Neelkantan et al. 2013; Stewart et al. 2011). Recreate the complex network of neurochemical interactions in organisms in vitro is not possible, especially for psychotropic drugs (Riehl et al. 2010). In this way, experimental animal models is a important tool for investigation of the toxicology and chemistry of the drugs of abuse. Animal models in toxicological and pharmacological research using mammals present high cost, consumes large amounts of chemical compounds and are laborious to perform the tests and maintenance of animals. In this context, animal models such as the zebrafish, which outweigh these disadvantages, are an interesting and promising alternative in research. Since the 1970s, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is used in research in neuroscience and developmental biology (Serra et al. 1999). In the 1990’s, zebrafish were used for the first vertebrate large scale mutagenesis screen. In last few years, the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in scientific research has increased rapidly in other science fields, including Pharmacology and Toxicology (Chakhaborty et al. 2009). The zebrafish represents an interasting model for integration of research of genetic, neural and behavioral aspects (Miklà ³si and Andrew, 2006). The coupling between behavioral assays and analytical and molecular techniques permits the elucidation of mechanisms of toxicity, the test of new drugs for therapeutic treatments and the study of new drugs (Tierney et al. 2011). The aim of this paper is to outline recent developments and futures perspectives in drugs of abuse research with zebrafish, in Experimental and Analytical Toxicology. Zebrafish as a new animal model in Toxicology: advantages and limitations The zebrafish is a small tropical fish native of northern India and adjacent countries. Many factors and animal characteristics make zebrafish an attractive and efficient model to analyze the mechanisms of action and effects of drugs in general (Chakhaborty et al. 2009). Zebrafish and humans share about 75% of their genome and have physiological similarity (Chakhaborty et al. 2009, Zhu et al. 2014). Genome, transcriptome and proteome of zebrafish have been widely studied and described (Maximino et al. 2010). The similarity level between zebrafish and humans is also observed in the nervous system (Mathur and Guo, 2010). Zebrafish are small (at adulthood, 2.5 – 4.0 cm) and maintenance costs of this fish in laboratory are considerably low, permitting logistical and economical advantages over rodent models (Key and Devine, 2003). The fertility rate and the number of embryos generated are higher those in mammalian models (Chakhaborty et al. 2009). In general, an adult female can produce 200-300 eggs and reproduce 2 or 3 times per week (Blaser and Gerlai, 2006; Gerlai 2003; Patton and Zon, 2001; Zon and Peterson, 2005). The zebrafish cycle of life and development period is well-characterized and short (3 to 4 months) (Cadet, 2009; Hill et al. 2005). The body is formed in the first 24 hours post fertilization (hpf) and the internal organs are fully developed at 96 hpf (Chakhaborty et al. 2009; De Esch et al. 2012b; Ninkovic and Bally-Cuif, 2006b; Parng et al. 2002; Patton and Zon, 2001). The development outside of the uterus and the optical transparency of eggs and tissues during embryogenesis allows the visualization of tissues and organs in vivo, making possible the visual analyses in real time of early developmental processes, organ morphology and dysfunctions caused by drugs of abuse and quantification of cell proliferation and cell death in specific tissues (Chakhaborty et al. 2009; Friedrich et al. 2010; Hill et al. 2002; Ingham 2009; Miklà ³si and Andrew, 2006;; Mathur and Guo, 2010; Ninkovic et al. 2006b; Parng et al. 2002; Patton and Zon, 2001; Peterson and MacRae, 2012; Xu et al. 2011). In addition, blastomeres of zebrafish are large and stable for biophysical and electrophysiological assays (Zhu et al. 2014). The zebrafish has become a widely utilized model organism in pharmacological and toxicological research, particularly due to evidence that they may share with humans and other mammals some key receptors targeted by drugs of abuse (Miller et al. 2014). In addition, zebrafish are highly social animals which enables them to display robust behavioral responses, such as shoaling, aggression and social preference, and emerge as a sensitive alternative model to investigation of drugs of abuse-evoked states (Cachat et al. 2013; Pham et al. 2012). Another advantage is that the size of zebrafish provides a rapid absorption of drugs via the gills and leads to bioaccumulation in Central Nervous System (CNS) and other tissues (Echevarria et al. 2008). Zebrafish is amenable to molecular and genetic analysis (Bailey et al. 2013; Chakhaborty et al. 2009; Miklà ³si and Andrew, 2006; Parng et al. 2002). Since genetic mutations can interfere in brain function, the use of molecular and biochemical techniques in zebrafish allows the identification of molecular substrates for drugs in brain and the analysis of function and regulation of the genes, the production of transgenic strains and the induction of specific mutations, inducing overexpressing of the genes or decreasing genes expression (Cadet 2009; Goldsmith 2004; Key and Devine, 2003). Use of zebrafish mutant strains has allowed the understanding of mechanisms and pathways and neural expression of specific genes. Due to the increasing progress in this area, studies of mutant zebrafish have investigated specific behaviors, diseases, deformities and functional processes (Spitsbergen and Kent, 2003). The performance of point mutations in zebrafish, generating mutant lines, enables the molecular investigation of the mechanism of action of drugs of abuse, determining specific receptors and target molecules. Although the model advantages are numerous, some limitations should be considered in the use of zebrafish in toxicological, pharmacological and neuroscience research. The normal or defective functioning of the human brain is complex to be fully modeled in zebrafish brain. Some areas do not have the same degree of development of the mammalian brain, making it difficult to map for mammalian counterparts (Kalueff et al. 2014; Rinkwitz et al. 2011; Stewart et al. 2014). Moreover, the social behavior is not clearly defined in fish larvae (Kalueff et al. 2014; Stewart et al. 2014). Zebrafish has a genome 30-40% tetraploid due to an genome duplication with some of their genes having two copies instead of one as in mammals – and one of these two genes are not represented in the human genome (Alestrà ¶m et al. 2006; Klee et al. 2011; Stewart et al. 2014). One disadvantage associated with the zebrafish model is the fact that some drugs are not soluble in water, making it difficult to administration by immersion. This potential problem can be solved by using organic solvents or other routes of administration (Stewart et al. 2014). In other hand, exposition to drug by immersion reduces the stress-induced by injection (Stewart et al. 2011b). Finally, although the barrier between brain and blood presents development similar to humans, the distribution of some drugs in organism may be different in different species (Stewart et al. 2014). Although the pattern has some limitations, the advantages over conventional models mammals make zebrafish a very interesting alternative in research. In this sense, the use of zebrafish in research involving drugs of abuse, in order to characterize drugs of abuse effects and to quantify these compounds in a biological fluid from the animal is increasing and represents a great target for research. Zebrafish research to study the drugs of abuse The conduct of toxicology research in laboratory animals has become a well-established and essential practice and chemical and toxicological information on chemical compounds and drugs are obtained from the results of these studies (Gad 2007; Olson et al. 2000). The use of animals in research has several advantages: low cost, easily use and functional homology with humans (Gerlai et al. 2010).The animal experiments to predict the action, metabolism and effects of drugs of abuse in humans are extremely important in Toxicology. Introduced as a model for neural development by George Streisinger in the 1960’s, zebrafish has become a promising aquatic model for study of drugs. The zebrafish is an efficient alternative model of drug delivery via the gills, by direct application of drugs in water and posterior submersion of the animal. Between 12 and 14 days after fertilization (dpf), molecular oxygen is mainly absorbed by the skin, suggesting that this is the main route of uptake for small molecules, and after 72 h the embryos begin to swallow indicating the availability of the oral route for absorption of chemical compounds (Goldsmith 2004). Exogenous compounds, such as ethanol, have been shown to rapidly enter in systemic circulation of the fish, demonstrating the high sensitivity of the zebrafish to various psychotropic agents (Dlugos and Rabin, 2003; Echevarria et al 2006; Kyzar et al. 2012). In the larval and embryonic stage, the performance of rapid and high-throughput analysis of multiple behavior s and screening of chemical compounds is possible and suitable (De Esch et al. 2012b; Guo 2009; Richendrfer et al. 2012). The first response to the action of a psychoactive substance is the behavior. In this sense, the zebrafish has been widely used in the development and validation of behavioral assays to different drugs of abuse, due to its sensitivity to drugs and their robust responses. Locomotor activity, learning, sleep, aggression, social and antipredator behavior are some of the observed and well-characterized behavioral parameters in zebrafish (Bailey et al. 2013;Cachat et al. 2013; Guo 2004; Pham et al. 2012; Spitsbergen and Kent, 2003). Endocrine responses to stress in zebrafish are also an important tool for toxicological effects induced by drugs of abuse. In zebrafish, the hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal axis (HPI) is homologous to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), found in mammals and humans, and cortisol is involved in physiological responses to stress situations (Stewart et al. 2010). Another interesting pattern of physiological change for toxicological investigation of drug in zebrafish is the color of the skin. As mammals, fish have cells containing pigments in the collagen layer of the dermis and these cells have hormonal and nervous regulation (Nguyen et al. 2013). In this sense, effects on skin color may contribute in part of the elucidation of the mechanism of action of many drugs of abuse. The toxicity induced by abuse of drugs in the digestive and cardiovascular systems of zebrafish can also be determined. These systems are developed and become fully functional in the first days after fertilization (Patton and Zon, 2001). The characterization and monitoring of blood vessels in embryos is easily achievable (Rubinstein 2003). The heart rate is an indicator of cardiac toxicity widely used. Morphological examination of the heart and digestive organs can be performed to identify organ-specific toxicity of drugs of abuse (Rubinstein 2006). For example, the effects of environmental toxin tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD) on heart rate (Henry et al. 1997), the functional lipid metabolism (Farber et al. 2001), the effects of fungicide riphenyltin acetate (APTT) in hepatocytes (Strmac and Braunbeck, 1999) were investigated using histological and immunochemical analysis. The development of analytical techniques to determine compounds of interest in biological fluids zebrafish also plays an important role in the elucidation of mechanisms of action and toxicity of drugs of abuse. Moreover, it is extremely important to develop methods of extraction and concentration of analytes and biomarkers that make possible dosages required to understanding toxicological aspects of these drugs of abuse. The main analytical methods developed to study the drugs of abuse in zebrafish are listed in Table 1. The new psychoactive substances (NPS) that have emerged in recent years have action and effect mechanisms partially or totally unknown. According to UNODC, the number of NPS significantly increased between 2009 and 2013 (UNODC 2014). In many poisoning deaths caused by these unknown substances, the lack of information makes it difficult to identify the cause of death. Therefore, the use of zebrafish in research represents an important tool to scan and evaluate the chemical and toxicological properties of both known and unknown drugs of abuse. Marketing Design and Innovation: Wrigley Marketing Design and Innovation: Wrigley Wrigley is a well-known global brand dealing in wide range of confectionery products such as chewing gums, chewy and hard candies, mints, and lollipops. It is operating in nearly 50 countries and distributing its products in more than 180 countries. The company is based in Chicago, Illinois and was founded in 1891. Some of its brands i.e. Juicy Fruit, Wrigleys Spearmint and Altoids have heritage of more than hundred years. Wrigley is famous for its innovative products that are introduced into its product line from time to time. Wrigley uses best ingredients and packaging materials for its products and the core principles on which it operates include quality, freedom, efficiency, responsibility and mutuality (Wrigley.com, 2017). Late in 2014, Wrigley merged its Orbit and Extra brand but it launched Extra with new improved taste in 2015. As per the new market trends for health and taste, Extra is a new sugar-free gum available in single packs, multipacks and bottles introduced in more than five different tastes. The product is launched for Australian and New Zealand market. One of the best attributes of Wrigleys product is innovation and the concern for consumers health. Wrigley continuously update the flavors of its Extra brand to please the palate of its valued customers. UK confectionery market have been observed to have a high volume consumption and it stands as the sixth largest in terms of confectionery consumption. The confectionery market is driven by pleasure, convenience, drug replacement, snacking and innovation in products (Globaldata, 2016). Consumers are becoming health conscious due to the increasing issues like diabetes and obesity. Dentists are also increasing the awareness among people about oral health and the tooth related diseases such as plaque and saliva generation etc. dentists are making the consumers aware of the benefits of chewing. Due to the increased health consciousness, people are likely to take more products for treatment and prevention of such issues. Wrigley has launched Extra and Extra Active in association with The Australian Dental Association (ADA), New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) and the FDI World Dental Federation. According to Country Report Wrigleys Extra marked the growth in 2016 because of its sugar-free and oral care features (Country Report, 2016). Now, Extra is involved in cause-related marketing and is making associations with the dental professional to educate the families about the significance of oral health. This brand contributed about one third of the percentage of total value shares of the Wrigley Company and is expected to continue to gain highest share because of its uncountable benefits (Country Report, 2016). Maslow Hierarchy of Needs theory   Ã‚   According to the Maslow hierarchy of needs theory, Wrigleys product Extra attempts to satiate the physiological needs of an individual. Although its not basic necessity for life but oral health and refreshment are necessary for an individual and Extra` is capable of meeting these needs. It also satisfies the social needs of an individual because it boosts the confidence and reduces pressure and anxiety according to the research conducted by psychologists (Smith, 2012). Refreshing breath and sweet smell is necessary if an individual is attending a social gathering or event which is satiated by Extra i.e. to meet the love and belonging needs. People with high level of income usually buy Wrigleys Extra which also satisfy esteem needs because it represents the status quo of the individuals consuming this brand. The self-actualization needs of an individual can be satiated by Extra because it gives a new touch to the lifestyle of an individual i.e. a refreshing breath and increased confid ence. Diffusion of Innovation Model Diffusion is defined as the process by which an innovation product is passed on to the members of a social system with the help of different channels over a specified time period. There are five types of people involved in the diffusion of innovation process i.e. innovators who are adventurous and are ready to the test the product as soon as possible; early adopters adopt the idea and are aware of the benefits associated with change; early majority adopts the idea before an average person does; late majority adopts the idea once a greater majority has tested it, and laggards are cynical to change and do not adopt the idea usually (Smith and Song, 2004). Due to increased awareness among consumers about oral health, the percentage of people using Extra brand is increasing. Wrigleys Extra has been rated 8.9 out of 10 by the consumers which means that they are early adopters who have adopted the product within a time span of two to three years (infoscout.co, 2017). The other reason for product adaptability is the range of tastes available i.e. the consumers consume different tastes of the products to please their palates. Consumers prefer products which are healthy and Extra is healthy in terms of oral care and its sugar-free as well. Extra is clinically proved by the professional dental associations and it also stimulates the saliva by 10 times. It is very important to identify the needs of consumers and become aware of the market trends before launching a new product. Because the consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious, Wrigley has identified recent trends in the market and launched Extra into the market. Kano model Customers needs change over the period of time due to the changing market trends and in the recent business environment, customer is considered as the king of a business. According to the Kano model, a product must be developed considering the basic needs of customers, performance needs and excitement needs i.e. basic needs are hygiene needs while excitement needs are delighting needs and these delight needs later one become basic needs and then customers need something new (Wang and Ji, 2010). Wrigleys Extra is a product that can satisfy the fun and pleasure needs along with the health needs of an individual. The hygiene needs of Wrigleys Extra are the promotion of oral health, prevention of teeth caries, and plaque reduction etc. while the fun and pleasure attributes of Extra satisfy the delight needs. With the innovation of brand these delight needs will become the basic needs of an individual. The bottom line is that the product should have the attractive and must-be attributes that can fulfill the needs of customers for which they are using the product. These attributes of Extra are health and bacteria prevention ingredients. Product anatomy During the product development, the anatomy of product is important to analyze in terms of the benefit it will offer (Blythe, 2017). The product anatomy is conducted to match the consumer trends with the product offered by a particular brand. The core product of Wrigleys Extra is the oral health and its sugar free i.e. cleans food debris, neutralizes plaque acids, strengthens teeth, reduces dental caries, prevents tooth decay, and stains. The generic product of Wrigleys Extra is that its available in wide range of flavors i.e. strawberry, peppermint, spearmint, white lemon lime, bubble mint, water melon, berry and orange cream etc. The expected product is that it stimulates saliva and refreshes individuals breath. And the augmented product of Wrigleys Extra is that it is available in different types of packaging i.e. 14 pieces and 10 pieces single pack, 28 and 42 pieces multipack, and 46 pieces bottle (Desfosse, 2017). This product has delighted the palate of numerous customers which is reflected in the increased sales figure of Wrigley. A report showed that one third of Wrigleys sales of 2016 were contributed by Extra (Country Report, 2016). It shows that people are continuously using the Wrigleys Extra for their oral health. The development of Wrigleys Extra has shaped the overall gum market and has proved to be a market leader in 2016 by increasing the overall sales of Wrigley. The prime cause for increased value of Extra is its association with the professional dental associations and being a sugar-free chewing gum. The brand awareness is created by educating the families and general public through the use of creative and educative advertisements (Schultz, 2015). According to statistics of 2015, the sugarless and breath fresheners has seen considerable increase in dollar and unit terms. The sales of Wrigleys Extra increased to 9.3% from 8.6% a year ago. This is because consumers are adopting the more socially acceptable mint and refreshment gums for refreshing themselves. The sales of Wrigley Extra are expected to grow in the near future because the dental care specialists are positioning the oral care and sugar free gums as more important for the consumers to chew after and between the meals (CSP Daily News, 2015). It will be easy for Wrigley to retain its customers for Extra because of the cause-related marketing and its association with the professional dental associations. Due to the increased consciousness and awareness among the people about obesity, they are reducing more and more on the snacks and this is the best alternative that can be replaced for snacks. This trend of marketing is likely to increase the sales figure for Extra chew ing gum. Another important marketing milestone of Extra is that its associated with the Action for Children charity donations from sales of Extra packs. Balanced scorecard Business scorecard is the metric used for the purpose of aligning different strategies with the vision and mission of an organization. It undertakes the newly formed strategy of a particular business and transforms it into marching order on daily basis. A newly developed product can be seen from four perspectives according to the balanced scorecard. These four perspectives are learning and growth perspective, business process perspective, customer perspective and financial perspective (Violet and Josiah, 2011). Learning and growth perspective: According to the recent statistics for Extra gum, it can be evaluated that the consumers percentage using this product is increased a certain extent during 2016 and is expected to grow further (Country Report, 2016). Although Extra gum was once merged with the Orbit brand of Wrigley but later on it was relaunched with improved taste and packaging that attracted a whole new lot of consumers and increased the market share by 71%. Customer are satisfied with Extra and Extra Active brand of Wrigley due to its string oral care positioning and sugar-free attribute. Business process perspective: Extra gum was launched with new taste and packaging and it was brought back to the market due to its increased demand from the customers. Management has launched the product after conducting complete market research and clinical importance of the product. It is made with best possible ingredients i.e. real sugar and no artificial colors are added into it. The unit sales of Extra gum are increased from 8.6% to 9.3% that shows the efficient procurement and distribution capabilities of Wrigleys Extra (CSP Daily News, 2015). Customer perspective: Extra is available in different tastes, different packets size and is suitable for customers of any age. The product is best for chewing before and after the meals and is mainly targeting the oral care of children and aged people. It is the best replacement for the customers who want to quit smoking and it can also be used after smoking. Customers are satisfied about this product which is evident from the increased sales figure and the reviews of customers for this product (Wrigley.com, 2017). Financial perspective: Extra gum has contributed one third of the total sales of Wrigleys overall sales figure. The Country Report (2016) quotes that The company is expected to edge up by around a third of a percentage point overall to reach close to 89% value share. The companys share gain in 2016 will be solely due to its Extra brand, which alone will gain over a percentage point in the year and dominate sales with over 71%. It means that the brand is also performing well in terms of finance. The overall position and performance of Extra gum suggest that due to the oral care positioning and cause related production and marketing of the product, Extra will be put as an important element for the oral care regimes. The competitive advantage of the product is that it is available in different sizes, flavors, packets, is nutritional and perfect for all age users and is available in more than 180 countries. Extra gum is one of the best products designed by Wrigley for oral care and is sugar-free which was once kicked out of the market due to the other brands offering same product. Based on the heritage of more than hundred years and the best quality, Extra reclaimed its leadership and innovative place in the market after its launch with new tastes and packaging. The innovation and leadership attributes of Wrigley are renowned in the market. The company should strive its best and keep an eye on the market to continuously upgrade the brand in terms of packaging and tastes so that it may not lose the market share. References Blythe, J. (2017). Product Anatomy. [Online] SAGE Books. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446221617.n17 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. CSP Daily News. (2017). Candy: Mints/Gum/Breath Fresheners 2016. [Online] Available at: http://www.cspdailynews.com/category-data/cmh/candy/candy-mintsgumbreath-fresheners-2016 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. Country Report, (2016). Confectionery in the United Kingdom. Country Report. Euromonitor international, p.57. Desfosse, R. (2017). Chewing Sugarless Gum Can Prevent Tooth Decay. [Online] Colgate. Available at: http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/basics/nutrition-and-oral-health/article/chewing-sugarless-gum-can-prevent-tooth-decay-0213 [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. Globaldata, (2016). Consumer and Market Insights: Confectionery in the UK. Market Research report. Global data, p.167. Infoscout.co. (2017). Survey Wrigleys Extra Consumers in Our Research Panel. [Online] Available at: http://infoscout.co/brand/extra/survey [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. Schultz, E. (2015). Something Exhilarating Happening in Your Life? Chew Gum. [Online] Advertising Age. Available at: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/wrigley-5-gum-ends-stimulate-senses-campaign/297690/ [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. Smith, A. (2012). Effects of Chewing Gum on Stress and Health: A Replication and Investigation of Dose-Response. Stress and Health, 29(2), pp.172-174. Smith, T. and Song, S. (2004). A Spatial Mixture Model of Innovation Diffusion. Geographical Analysis, 36(2), pp.119-145. Violet, J. and Josiah, H. (2011). Performance Management Using Balanced Scorecard. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 4(4), pp.1-3. Wang, T. and Ji, P. (2010). Understanding customer needs through quantitative analysis of Kanos model. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 27(2), pp.173-184. Wrigley, (2016). Wrigley Highlights New Product Lines. [Online] Prepared Foods. Available at: http://www.preparedfoods.com/articles/119062-wrigley-highlights-new-product-lines [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017]. Wrigley.com. (2017). Wrigley.com: The Story of Wrigley. [Online] Available at: http://www.wrigley.com/global/about-us/the-story-of-wrigley.aspx [Accessed 18 Mar. 2017].

The Death Penalty Is Necessary Essay -- capital punishment, death pena

The death penalty otherwise known as capital punishment, is the most extreme punishment a government can implement on its own people. Presently, only eight-six countries have completely abolished the use of capital punishment, while seventy-four countries still retain some use of the death penalty. Throughout history, the controversy over the necessity of the use of the death penalty has continued. Many oppose the death penalty on basis of moral and ethical grounds, but one must keep in mind that capital punishment is not an excessive and unnecessary form of punishment for those who knowingly and intentionally commit a severe crime in premeditation and that the words â€Å"kill,† â€Å"murder,† and â€Å"execute† are not interchangeable. Once a person crosses the line of committing the severe crime, they have effectively given away their right to life away. This is why in my opinion the death penalty is necessary in order to act as a deterrent to crime, to exact justice for monstrous crimes and to overall keep society safe. The death penalty is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between the use of capital punishment and the future murder rate. According to research done by Roy D. Adler and Michael Summers, professors at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, it was discovered that, â€Å"When executions increased, homicides decreased the following year. Conversely when executions leveled off, the murder rate spiked the following year†¦ each execution [in the U.S during 1979-2004] was associated with seventy-four fewer murders the following year.† (J. 33) With this direct correlation it is proven that the death penalty can in fact deter crime because it is proven using sta... ...ath penalty for the taking of a life: Agree." The Death Penalty A Curriculum for High School Students and Teachers. Michigan State University Comm Lab and Death Penalty Information Center, n.d. Web. 30 Jul 2011. . Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. "Capital Punishment: Our Duty or Our Doom?." Santa Clara University Ethics Articles n. pag. Web. 30 Jul 2011. . B., Phil. "The Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment." Phil for Humanity. Phil for Humanity, n.d. Web. 27 Jul 2011. . E., Mary. Capital Punishment. Greenhaven Pr, 2005. Print. J., Peggy. Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime?. Referencepoint Pr Inc, 2009. Print. Stearman, Kaye. The Debate about the Death Penalty. Rosen Central, 2007. Print.

king :: essays research papers

Patriotism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patriotism. The very sound of the word brings to my heart feelings of loyalty and pride. I feel loyalty for my country and my country's ideals, and I feel pride for those before me who fought and sacrificed much for the freedom of my beloved country. I love and honor my country. I feel a sense of duty to this country that has been my home since my birth. As I turn the pages of our country's history, I am inspired by those who have spoken out and fought against those who have threatened our country's security and ideals. Our forefathers had dreams of a nation with liberty and justice for all. They gave all they had, every single ounce of strength, to make that dream a reality. They waged war against one of the most powerful empires of the time so that they could remain true to their ideals. Martin Luther King Jr. was willing to lead a movement against segregation in our nation. He had the courage to tell our nation that its policy of segregation was wrong. To me, that is true patriotism: not only being willing to fight for our country but willing to try to change it so that our ideals are preserved. I implore upon you, the youth of America, to fight to keep the flame of patriotism alive. We are the authors of our country's future. We must dig dip inside ourselves and find the courage and determination to dream of a greater and nobler country. We, as the future of this country, must dedicate ourselves to this cause and stay true to the ideals of those before us. Patriotism is defined as a love for or a devotion to one’s country. With the events that happened in America on

Charles Dickens Essay

Thomas Hardy was a 19th century novelist and a 20th century poet. As a novelist, he was last of the great Victorian novelists such as William Thackeray, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens and George Eliot. The last decade of the 19th century was dominated by Thomas Hardy. He wrote 14 novels and almost 900 poems. Hardy’s reputation as a novelist grew during the last decades of of his life and his poetry was relatively neglected. His novels share a pessimist view of the human condition and life. Pessimism is derived from the Latin word ‘Pessimism’ (worst). It is based on a belief that the world is the worst possible and that things are bad and tend to become worse. Thomas Hardy worked out a pessimist theory of his own according to which man is just a puppet in the hands of an inscrutable and malicious force which governs the world and seems to enjoy inflicting endless sufferings. The fact that Hardy resented being called a pessimist is no reason why should not be thus described. Hardy was the painter of darker side of life as it was no wonder if people charge him of ‘pessimist’. The opinion is both right and wrong in this context. In fact, there are some factors that compel us to believe him a pessimist. He was hyper-sensitive, his own life was tragic and gloomy. For a speculative soul, this world is a thorny field. Thomas Hardy captured the heartbeat of the rural English people against the looming backdrop of encroaching industrialism. His novels have a genuine, almost autobiographical feel because he used many personal experiences, acquaintances, settings and opinions in his fiction. Thomas Hardy’s pessimism also represents actual events. Relationships and social issues of Hardy’s life. Hardy’s fatalism and pessimism began to manifest itself in his early childhood, as he was the result of an unplanned pregnancy, and then later in his youth, when his family could not afford to fund a full education. As he grew into adulthood, Hardy began to feel acutely the line drawn between him and those of a higher class. His despairing relationships with two women, his cousin Tryphena Sparksand his first wife, Emma Lavinia Gifford, were the inspiration for the futile plotlines of his three novels. Because of the harsh society in which he lived, his lack of money, two unhappy relationships, and the failure of his last two novels to be accepted by his readers; (due to their anti-marriage, anti-social and anti-religious material), Thomas Hardy emerged as a pessimistic novelist and poet of the 19th century. Because of autobiographical touch in his novels, some of the Hardy’s heroes and even heroines adopt his personal qualities and go through some of the same life situations that he did. Additionally, many of the Hardy’s female characters are extremely similar to the lovers and friends he had throughout his life. Hardy personally felt the crushing pressure of the Victorian society, namely its rules and regulations concerning love and marriage. Hardy, and therefore, his characters often rebel against this society, making decisions that contradict the expectation of their society. Many times, Hardy felt that he was an outcast in his society, partly because his religious beliefs did not match up with the church’s, but also because his social thoughts and actions were more progressive than his counterparts. After experiencing years of disagreement with the England of the 1800 s and having a marked desire for progression, Hardy became understandably morose. His novels became increasingly dismal and pessimistic and it is for this fatalistic tone that he is greatly remembered. The Victorian age was an age of doubt, of contradictions and conflicts. This fact too shows its impact on the writing of Hardy. People were to live by the Bible but many took it in the strict sense and followed the literal words strictly we see in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ how Tess is treated unjustly by the society, which followed the law in words and not in spirit. The gloomy effect of his age plays an important role in his writings. Doubts, despair, disbelief, frustration, industrial revolution, disintegration of old social and economic structure, Darwin’s theory of evolution were gthe chief characteristics of that age. All these factors probe deep into his writings, and heighten the somber , melancholic and tragic vision. His pessimism is also the outcome of the impressions that he receives from villager’s life. There were plenty of tragedies in the life of the poverty stricken Wessen folk, as shown in this novel ‘Tess of D’Urbervilles’. Hardy’s philosophy of the human condition is determined by his natural temper and disposition, He says: â€Å"A man’s Philosophy of life is an instinctive, temperamental matter. † Hardy, practically, excludes from his writings the sense of splendour and beauty of human life completely. Tess’ life is totally devoid of even a single moment of happiness.

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation Essay

1. Find appropriate place with a good environment to conduct negotiations. 2. Talk to both parties to identify their specific issues that need solving, identify what is going to be needed to find solutions in the short and long term. Take note of each parties information related to issue at hand which can be used to corroborate information during the negotiating process. 3. Make a thorough assessment of the situation in order to be able have an easier transition into the negotiation process. 4. Pick a good alternative that will accommodate the stipulations of the joint agreement policy. IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THE STEPS OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS 1. First thing it should be done, is that parties involved in the negotiating process will share their case. An agreement should be reached on what is the purpose of the negotiating process, which will help to come to a solution of the issue at hand. 2. Parties should say what is that needs to be changed. 3. Parties should try to come to a consensus about what will be a good settlement package. Parties should be giving an updated estimate which includes all the changes made. And last parties should be willing to trade  off concessions with the goal of reaching an agreement 4. And last the negotiating parties agree to the end result of their negotiations, and also agree to abide by the agreement. IDENTIFY GUIDELINES TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION DURING THE NEGOTIATION Motivate negotiating parties to become open minded to facilitate communication. Should encourage parties to open up about themselves, listen attentively and empathize with them to make them feel that your purpose as to find a solution that best fits their wants. Pay attention to detail and how the conversation is conducted, you want to get to a personal level, in order to have good interactions which can go a long way. In this phase it will be a good idea that the negotiating parties offer the shareholders alternatives which clearly define expectations and time lines. IDENTIFY QUESTIONS THAT SHOULD BE ASKED DURING THE NEGOTIATION At the beginning of the negotiating process questions be in such a way do not have a fixed answer, example what is your opinion about this company? What these type of questions do is that help the negotiating parties to make an assessment of what the other party wants to achieve. At no time ether party should make any concrete resolutions until there is a clear path to be taken. When the negotiating process begin either path is going to bring their buying agreements, an effort should be made in order for them to come to a consensus on a price, once this reached an agreement should be made that parties understand that it will be the final offer and they could not go below it. IDENTIFY THE CHARESTIRISTICS OF THE NEGOTIATION STYLES 1. Adjust your behavior to empathize with fellow negotiating party in order to foster a productive negotiating environment. 2. As a negotiator understand expectations from parties in the negotiating process to produce solutions that makes them feel like they had a fair negotiating process outcome. 3. be proactive in the acquisition of information. IDENTIFY AND APPLY GUIDELINES THAT YOU SHOULD FOLLOW WHEN THIS NEGOTIATION BECOMES CHALLENGING You can identify when a negotiation is about to have a negative turn by observing peoples nonverbal language, this should be taken as a sign that a change of strategy merits change this can accomplished as follows. 1. Share information that will help present your case better in which the other person can see an opportunity to be able to also gain in the negotiating bargaining process. 2. Also a strategy to use when the process takes a negative tone, the best will be to keep a posture of silence listen and observe. 3. And last when closing the negotiating process, wrap it up in such a manner that if not accepted by the other party it will give a sense that the alternative will be no deal at all.

King Arthur Literary Analysis Essay

The name King Arthur appears throughout a countless amount of literature, stories, cinema, and legend. King Arthur has always been a long-standing icon of heroism, and heroism is a theme mankind takes pleasure in romanticizing. Arthurian Romance is the classic example of good versus evil, knights in shining armor, forbidden love, and sorcery; the basic elements of a romanticized tale. And in a dark time where religion clashed, empires fought in epic battles, and the people of Britain suffered from poverty and disease, Arthurian legend was needed to lift the spirits of the hopeless. Arthurian Romance is an accurate portrayal of the time period better known as the Medieval Ages because it takes the woes and misfortunate events of that time and twists them into a heroic soap opera full of love, tragedy, and triumph. The Medieval Ages began around 476 AD, when the Roman emperor of the West abdicated. The period ends in the late fifteenth century with the discovery of the New World. During this period, different nations conquered and collapsed, society changed, and religion was further divided. During the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire had begun an effort to occupy Britain. They wanted to drive out the Anglo-Saxons and convert the Pagans to Catholicism. A long lasting relic of Roman involvement in Britain is Hadrian’s Wall, which was a heavily fortified wall running west to east and was probably used to keep barbarian tribes out and regulate trade and passage into Romano-Britain territory. Along with military involvement, Rome also spread Catholicism to a Pagan Britain. Catholicism involves a hierarchy of religious leaders, with the Pope at the top. There are also bishops, priests, monks, and nuns who are apart of the clergy. Other than the clergy, Medieval society was composed of nobles, knights and serfs. Nobles commonly owned fiefs, an estate of land, and the serfs who worked there. Knights were employed to guard the fief and fight wars with other nobles. This was called Feudalism. When nobles declared a war on each other, many different warfare tactics were used to take down castles. Siege warfare was common, in which scaling ladders, battering rams, siege towers and catapults were utilized in order to enter a fortress. Infantry included archers and cavalry, and there was a broad assortment of weapons used; daggers, long swords, crossbows, throwing axes, clubs, maces, halberds, lances, and many more. While knights commonly fought for a noble or king, a group of fearsome knights known as the Templar Knights fought in the crusades for religious conquest. The Templar Knights are associated with King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail, and some of the knights of the round table are portrayed wearing a large red cross on their breastplate (which is the symbol of the Templar Knights). Knights were also involved with jousting. Jousting was a martial game between two knights mounted on horses and using lances. This was often part of a chivalrous tournament or used as a military tactic of heavily armed cavalry. Knights and nobles also were encompassed in courtly love, a conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Courtly love often did not take place between a husband and wife. Instead, a man would shower another woman in gifts and symbols of his love to her and they would keep their affair secret. A famous example of courtly love is the affair between Lancelot du Lac and Queen Guinevere. The Middle Ages had many lows. Many people associate these times with the Black Plague or the Bubonic Plague. When the Mongols from the east attacked Europe, they brought with them a terrible disease that wiped out about 138 million people. Also during the Middle Ages, there was decrease in scholarly thinking and the quality of art. Religion is blamed for stunting the growth of new ideas and inventions. In fact, religion is the overlying cause for many of the events of the Medieval Ages. The greatest dispute over religion was the East-West Schism that split Christianity into the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. This split was born from disputes over whether the Pope could marry and iconoclasm (similar to worshipping false idols) and the use of local languages in church. They were even in dispute regarding the nature of God. The Crusades were another religious dispute. The Crusades were military campaigns undertaken by European Christians of the eleventh through the fourteenth centuries to take other the Holy Land and convert Muslims to Christianity. The First Crusade was a response to the Seljuk Turks conquering the â€Å"Holy Land† (present-day Israel and Palestine). However, most of these conquests were failures and achieved nothing except for interactions with the Arab world (in both beneficial and devastating ways). Lastly, there was the Inquisition. This was a formalized interrogation and persecution process of heretics (including satanic or witch-like behavior). Punishment for people suspected of heresy was torture and execution. The Church in the Middle Ages is clearly an influential factor of these times. The Medieval Ages also saw quite a bit of political changes. The Carolingian, established by Charles Martel, ruled present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Northern Italy. His grandson, Charlemagne established the Holy Roman Empire. In the North, Vikings and other Scandinavian became notorious for raiding Roman Catholic monasteries. In France, Vikings were referred to as Normans. They conquered Anglo-Saxon England in 1066. As mentioned before, Feudalism was the social, political, and economic system of the Middle Ages. England became a feudalistic society because there was not a unifying force bringing the people together. Many claims to the throne of all Britain were made, which is actually the premise of the King Arthur legend. Nobles and Kings owned land and had armies of Knights who pledged a code of chivalry to them. This was an honor system that strongly condemned betrayal and promoted mutual respect. In the Feudal society, only males could inherit the land. The land was passed down through primogeniture (to the eldest son). Noblewomen had limited rights. They could sometimes inherit fiefs but could not rule it. Noblewomen were only educated in domestic skills and were supposed to display feminine traits such as compassion and beauty. Peasants, male or female, had almost no rights. They couldn’t leave the manor without the permission of their lord. Over time, serfs (peasants) developed skills other than farming and slowly created a middle class that led Europe into the Renaissance. In the long run, all of these characteristics of the Medieval Ages are incorporated in the vast collection of Arthurian Romance. In the 1975 King Arthur Parody â€Å"Monty Python and The Holy Grail†, there is a scene that describes Arthur quite perfectly. In the scene, Arthur is traveling in a Feudal manor and comes across peasants working in a field outside of a castle. He asks a woman, â€Å"I am Arthur, King of the Britons. Whose castle is that? † The peasant woman looks up and asks, â€Å"King of the who? † Arthur repeats himself to which she replies, â€Å"Who are the Britons? † Arthur, stumped by her ignorance, tells her, â€Å"Well, we all are. We’re all Britons and I am your king. † The peasant woman shrugs and says, â€Å"I didn’t know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective! † They argue about this for a moment and then the woman asked, â€Å"Well, how did you become king then? † Arthur dramatically respond with, â€Å"The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water signifying by Divine Providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king! † Another peasant nearby shouts, â€Å"Listen — strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony! † The meaning of the scene is that at the time King Arthur was created as a legend to legitimize the unifying king of Britain that would pull the people out of the Dark Ages. The punch line is that the land was so divided from feudalism and nobles trying to claim a non-existent throne that no one really took anyone seriously. However, Arthurian Romance became the bedtime story born out of the fantastical notion that Britain could be amalgamated into a strong empire. But let’s start at the beginning of the Arthurian legend. In most legends, Uther Pendragon is portrayed as Arthur’s father and Igraine as his mother. In Sir Thomas Malory’s The Crowning of King Arthur, the prophet Merlin helps a love-stricken Uther get with Igraine for a night. Arthur is born, but part of the agreement with Merlin was to have Arthur raised by another. Many years pass in which Arthur does not know his own nobility until he by chance, pulls the famous sword in the stone (the legend goes: â€Å"Who so Pulleth Out This Sword of this Stone and Anvil, is Rightwise King Born of all England. † (Malory, 1069)). Young Arthur accepts his role as King and unites Britain, defeats the Saxons, and establishes Camelot. In the first fictional story of Arthur’s life (Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the kings of Britain) by Geoffrey of Monmouth), Arthur is placed into a post-Roman Britain. Geoffrey uses the same fable of Arthur’s birth through the deception of Igraine. In this legend, Arthur also defeats the Saxons but he also expands his empire to Norway, Denmark and Gaul, and defeats Roman armies in order to do this. In the end, Arthur returns to Britain to defeat his nephew Modredus (Mordred) who was left in charge of Britain but betrayed Arthur. Arthur is mortally wounded, taken to Avalon and it is implied he passed away. Arthurian legend, however, is not only about Arthur. There are many huge characters in the stories. One widely known knight is Sir Lancelot du Lac. Lancelot is a tragic figure in Arthurian Romance. He was a Knight of the Round Table and one of King Arthur’s closest friends. His tragedy is that he was in love with Arthur’s wife, Guinevere. Lancelot was the son of the King Ban on Benwick and Elaine, but he was raised by the Lady of the Lake (â€Å"du lac† actually means â€Å"the lake†). The Lady of the Lake sent Lancelot off to become a Knight of the Round Table. In doing so, he meets and instantly falls in love with Guinevere. Their affair ultimately proves to be destructive. Lancelot is actually tricked by Elaine of Corbenic and sleeps with her, thinking it is Guinevere. When Guinevere hears of this, she is repulsed and banishes Lancelot. Later, Lancelot returns to assist Arthur in the quest for the Holy Grail. Other characters in Arthurian legend are Merlin and Morgaine. Merlin is sometimes a prophet, sometimes a magician, and always an advisor to King Arthur. Merlin’s earliest character depiction was as a bard driven mad by the terrors of war, who become a â€Å"man of the woods†. However, Geoffrey of Monmouth based his Merlin on Myrddin Wyllt (a prophet and a madman) and Aurelius Ambrosius (a fictional version of the historical war leader Ambrosius Aurelianus. Morgaine (also Morgan le Fay) is a sorceress in Arthurian legend. She is the half-sister of Arthur and the daughter of Igraine. In both The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) and The Vulgate Cycle (13th century French prose) tell of how Morgaine lives in Avalon (mystical island in Arthurian legend) and trains under Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. Again in the Mists of Avalon, Morgaine is credited with having an unknown affair with Arthur. She gives birth to Mordred, who, in the end, turns out to be the enemy and murderer of King Arthur. In Arthurian Romance, King Arthur’s court is called Camelot. Camelot is where the Knights of the Round Table dwell and it is described as being a utopian land of beauty and peace. Throughout literature, Camelot has been located in many different areas of Britain, giving it no grounded location. An easy way to understand the basic ideology of Camelot, one can compare the presidency of John F.  Kennedy to the term Camelot. His presidency was regarded as a guarantee for a successful future, just like King Arthur gave Britain hope and unification. Kennedy’s assassination is like the fall of Arthur in that both had short lasting but wonderful terms in power that set the bar high for the future. Ultimately, these characters and concepts stem from Medieval life and paint a portrait of what the goals of Middle Age rulers wanted for society at the time. All Arthurian Romance contains the same specific elements: enchantment, quest, conquest, heroic behavior, utopian society, fatal passion and love. These elements, applied with Medieval life and history, equals a solid Arthurian story. The best example of all of these elements is The Crowning of Arthur from Le Morte d’Arthur (Malory, 1065). In the story, Arthur is conceived through the enchantment Merlin uses on Igraine to trick her into thinking Uther Pendragon is her husband, the Duke. Uther, who is fatally in love with Igraine, makes a deal with Merlin in that he will give the child he and Igraine produce to the wizard. Baby Arthur is taken away and grows up with Sir Ector, whom he grows to love as a father. The next part of the story is about the sword in the stone. In the story, â€Å"many of the nobles tried to pull the sword out the stone† (1069), but failed. When Arthur is sent to find Sir Kay (Ector’s son) a sword, he unknowing grabs the legendary sword from the stone and tugs it free without any effort. When Arthur comes back with the famous sword, everyone is in awe and asks him to demonstrate for them that he really pulled it. To their surprise, it is true. They ask Arthur to assume the role of king and he agrees, establishing the utopian court of Camelot. Le Morte d’Arthur is â€Å"the carefully constructed myth of the rise and fall of a powerful kingdom — a legendary kingdom, but perhaps also, obliquely, the real English kingdom which in Malory’s day seemed as surely doomed by its own corruption as the ancient realm of King Arthur† (Cliffs Notes). What this means is that Arthur’s court reflects the realistic courts of actual kings because it eventually falls. The Crowning of Arthur seems naive in that a boy who just so happens to pull a sword from a stone makes him king. In the end, his kingdom falls. Crowning only sets it up. The outcome of the Arthurian Legend is quite similar to the reality of kingdoms in England of the Middle Ages, which proves Arthurian Romance is an accurate portrayal. Another story from Le Morte d’Arthur is called Sir Launcelot du Lake. It is a hectic story about Lancelot’s adventure, kidnapping, and battles with enemy knights. In the story, Lancelot decides he is fed up with his ennui and decides to go out with his nephew, Sir Lyonel. Possibly due to enchantment, Lancelot declares, â€Å"not for seven years have I felt so sleepy† (1074) and he lies down for a nap. When he awakes, he realizes three women have kidnapped him. They tell him he has to pick one of them or face his doom. Lancelot picks his death because his is loyal to his lover, Guinevere. Later, the daughter of King Badgemagus rescues him and in return he gives his services to the king. At the end of the story, Lancelot fights off Kind Badgemagus’ enemies. He displays incredible and fictitious strength when he â€Å"took another spear and unhorsed sixteen more men†¦ King of North Galys’ knight and, with his next, unhorsed another twelve† (1078). This story demonstrates chivalry and heroism, and exaggerates Lancelot’s abilities to fight. Literary critic Charles Moorman says â€Å"much of the Morte d’Arthur is thus concerned with revealing the corrupt reality beneath the fair chivalric surface. † However, Sir Launcelot du Lake contradicts that assumption by merely telling a simple story of a great knight who is loyal to his higher-up and to his lady. The story makes the knights of the Medieval Ages appear to bask in honor, goodness and strength. And in a way, they did in real life. Knights did have a strict code of chivalry as well as total loyalty to their nobles and their lovers. Again, this story gives merit to the fact Arthurian legend portrays Medieval society. The poem The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson is loose depiction of Arthurian Legend. In the poem, a woman is cursed to live in a tower and watch the world of Camelot from a mirror. â€Å"And moving through a mirror clear; That hangs before her all the year; Shadows of a world appear; There she sees the highway near; Winding down to Camelot† (verses 46 through 50). Then one day she sees Sir Lancelot riding in all his beauty and loveliness, and she decides she wants to leave the tower. The Lady of Shalott â€Å"left the web† (109) and gets into a boat. Unfortunately, she dies and floats on down to Camelot. Muriel Mellown says â€Å"she has chosen contact with Camelot, even at the price of her own destruction. † This quote illustrates that Camelot seemed like such a perfect utopian world that everyone sought its perfection and illustriousness. However, the Lady of Shalott kicks the bucket, similar to the way Camelot eventually falls. All good things never last. Lastly, a more modern and feminist take of Arthurian legend is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. In Mists, the story of Arthur is told through the worlds of Morgaine, Arthur’s half-sister. In the excerpt read in class, Morgaine and Arthur are children neglected by their parents. Morgaine realizes her role to be Arthur’s protector, even though she feels disdain towards the child at first. When she says, â€Å"Mother’s gone, she’s with the king, but I’ll take care of you, brother,† (1085), Morgaine displays a bond of love towards her little brother. Morgaine is also depicted as a strong feminine character in both this scene and the entire story. Although â€Å"this book†¦ wasn’t so much a retelling of the Arthurian legend but only a bunch of Arthurian characters sitting around arguing about Christianity and Paganism,† (LaShawn), â€Å"Morgaine’s depiction as a powerful, savvy woman shows her to be the type of woman the feminists would champion as a prime example of what women should aspire to be, in spite of the biases still in place against them† (Ellis). Mists shines a new light and a new perspective on the events of the Medieval Ages, specifically the disputes of religion. It also represents how women did have influence over what happened in the kingdoms. In real life, noblewomen did have influence over the decisions their husbands made, though not legally. The Mists of Avalon yet again portrays a factor of the Medieval Ages. When push comes to shove, Arthurian Romance generally is regarded as a tall tale of a lost era. However, the tales depict a clear portrait of Medieval Life. Tragedy, honor, fatal passion and quest all dwell in the Middle Ages and Arthurian Romance. The characters of Arthurian Romance experience the tragedy of life like real life people and Camelot ends up failing, just like many of the empires and kingdoms of the world. The stories represent the dark times of the Medieval Ages and show that nothing is perfect. Therefore, Arthurian Romance is an accurate portrayal of the Medieval Ages.