Things Fall Apart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Things Fall Apart - Essay Example The protagonist of the novel, Things Fall Apart, is Okonkwo who is also considered symbolic of the village, Umuofia. Okonkwo has his own identity and dignity as a reputable member of the village, Umuofia but he is shown as a willful and lose-tempered person. He loses his temper due to which, he tries to kill his second wife. Okonkwo has to suffer exile on the basis of his killing a boy for seven years. Okonkwo has ambitions to become the leader of his tribe. When he is exiled from his village, he leaves to his mother’s village, Mbanta. He waits anxiously for his return to his own village for seven years. In the meantime, Europeans enter Africa and subjugate people. Europeans try to steal away the identity of Africans by means of their missionary preaching of Christian religion. The native populations of Umoufia, Mbanta and other African villages and lands have their own traditions, laws, customs and ideology to pass their lives. However, Europeans enter Africa and try to subjugate the people of Africa by means of their religion. When Okonkwo reaches back to their village after seven years, he gets surprised by seeing the condition of his village. Along with many other villagers, his own son, Nwoye, has changed his native religion and converted to Christianity. Although, it is true that his village has economic prosperity and development but that is given to them on the basis of their giving up their identity. Through colonialism, the Europeans attacked on the native culture, customs and laws of African people. When the missionaries tried to convert people from their native religions to Christianity, they took away the identity of Africans. Okonkwo tries to maintain his identity and adheres to his traditions and recognition. He does not convert into a Christian. He also tries to help out the other members of his village. Okonkwo is also one of the egwugwu, which are masked spirits of the ancestors. On one occasion, when the tribe is busy in its

Scooter sales in Vietnam Essay Example for Free

Scooter sales in Vietnam Essay Hom kia ong th? y em g? i cho em 1 cai article kha hay v? th? tru? ng xe 2B VN kha hay, m? i cac bac xem. EM xin l? i vi no la ti? ng Anh nhung vi? t cung kha d? hi? u . Qua bai bao nay em gi? t minh khi bi? t con s? ban ra c? a xe AB hon 120K , kh? ng thi? t . Va cac bac th? ng? m Hon Da VN da moc tui bao nhieu ti? n c? a dan minh [pic] Em xin phep VietNamNet Bridge – Two years ago the Vietnamese media was driven into a frenzy when Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie came to visit Vietnam for the first time. The image of the couple in casual clothes riding a black Yamaha Nouvo scooter in downtown HCMC was widely seen in newspapers and magazines. Scooter riders seen in downtown HCMC. Vietnamese consumers have an increasing preference for scooters. This actually gave free publicity to Yamaha. Sales of the Yamha Nouvo scooter have rocketed in Vietnam as this scooter has become a fashion for not only women but also men. Yamahas good business has led to other motorcycle makers to enter the market or boost scooter production to capitalize on the growing demand. The race starts. Italys Piaggio, the worlds fourth largest scooter and motorcycle manufacturer, started construction of its first factory in Vietnam. Honda and Yamaha from Japan will open their second Vietnam factories soon. Honda Vietnam, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Vietnam, has shifted focus to scooters for men. It started a campaign to enter the market six months after the trip of Vietnam by Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It launched the Air Blade scooter designed with a sporty fashion. As a favorite motorcycle brand, Honda caused an instant fever on the market after launching this scooter. When placing an order for an Air Blade at a Honda authorized exclusive dealer in HCMC, customers will get a shake of the head. The dealers are flooded with a lot of orders. A Honda dealer on Nguyen Trai Street in District 1 says it still has more than 600 orders to fulfill. But those really wishing to own an Air Blade scooter can go to plenty of private retailers in the city, but the price is usually VND8-10 million higher than Hondas list price. Despite the strong demand, the company says it is unable to scale up production as its factory in the northern province of Vinh Phuc is running at full capacity. As an adaptive measure, Honda has increased shifts to fulfill the mounting orders. Koji Onishi, general director of Honda Vietnam, says that by end-April this year, more than 120,000 Air Blade units had been sold, becoming the best-seller of the scooter category on the local market. Not to miss the race, Yamaha introduced the new Yamaha Nouvo Elegance scooter that comes with an engine of 135cc in late April, which is higher than those of the previous scooter versions. With a list price of VND29. 2 million, including VAT, the new Nouvo scooter is going like hot cakes. Just around 10 days after the new Nouvo version came out, Honda announced the launch of two new Air Blade versions with a sportier and more fashionable design. They retail for VND28. 5 million (VAT included) and come with three colors dark blue, white and red. In addition to the new Air Blade, a sporty Air Blade Repsol version with the color of Repsol Honda racing team in MotoGP World Championship has been introduced this time at VND29. 5 million. The market is so lucrative that another Japanese motorcycle maker, Suzuki Vietnam Corp. , has also forayed into the scooter market, with the launch of  the Hayate priced between VND21. 8 million and VND22. 8 million. The 125cc Hayate has a sporty design and targets male motorcyclists and is expected to strongly compete with Hondas Air Blade and Yamahas Nouvo. The Suzuki prices are lower VND7-8 million than the other two brands, so the Hayate has a competitive advantage in pricing. The competition in design Vietnam Manufacturing and Export Processing Co. (VMEP), Sanyangs motorbike maker in Vietnam, was the first to make scooters in Vietnam with the SYM brand. Taiwans SYM is one of the successful stories. The company launched the Attila scooter in 1997, which has since gained increasing popularity among young people. SYM leaders say that the introduction of the Attila has paved the way for the company to gain a competitive edge over cheap Chinese motorcycles, which overwhelmed the local market in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as others. The Attila was then the best-selling locally assembled scooter model. Imported scooters like Dylan,@ and Spacy of Honda, Majesty of Yamaha, and Epicuro and Aventis of Suzuki are prohibitively expensive but the compact and fashionable design and moderate price have made the Attila more competitive. The Attila retails for about VND30 million, around one- and two-thirds of imports. Buoyed by SYMs success, other foreign companies including Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda from Japan later jumped into the market. Experts formerly showed concern that SYM would find it hard to maintain its dominance on the scooter market since more Japanese producers were aggressively increasing investment in scooter innovation and design to gain a slice of the pie. But brands like Honda Click, Yamaha Mio Classical and Suzuki Amity seem to be not the archrivals of the Attila which is particularly popular among urban females. SYMs Attila Elizabeth version has become a favorite among young women thanks to its fashionable, elegant and compact design. The demand for the Attila Elizabeth has outpaced SYMs supply, leading to its price outside the company dealers increasing by VND2-3 million per unit. The good outlook The growth prospects of the market are good as young consumers in cities have an increasing preference for scooters. Many motorcycle assemblers have switched to scooter production to capitalize on this market trend and have been expanding production to meet local demand. Taiwans biggest bike maker Kwang Yang Motor Co. Ltd. (KYMCO) is an example. It has become the majority owner of Hoa Lam Kymco Motors Corp. after acquiring a 60% stake from its local partner. Hoa Lam Automobile-Motorcycle Joint-Stock Co. transferred its 60% stake in this joint venture to the Taiwanese company, thus reducing its holding to 30% from the previous 40%. KYMCOs stake in the venture, meanwhile, is up to 90%. Nguyen Tien Sy, deputy general director of Hoa Lam Kymco Motors Corp. , says that the authorities have endorsed the stake transfer between the two partners. The acquisition, whose value is not disclosed, is part of the Taiwanese companys plan to deepen its investment in Vietnam. KYMCO will develop a new factory in HCMCs District 2 besides the joint venture factory that is mainly assembling motorcycles in Binh Chanh District. The new factory in Cat Lai Industrial Park will produce motorcycle parts for local sale and export to ASEAN markets, Sy says. KYMCO will move its production lines from a factory in Taiwan next month to the new factory, which will mainly manufacture scooters. KYMCO attributes its increased investment in Vietnam to the strong demand for motorcycles. This firm forecast the domestic scooter market will continue expanding in the next five to 10 years. KYMCO entered Vietnam in late 2004 by buying a 30% stake in the bike manufacturing plant, which was wholly owned by Vietnams Hoa Lam Automobile-Motorcycle Joint-Stock Co. The value of the factory then was set at US$15 million. The brand name KYMCO, however, is not popular in Vietnam, but the Taiwanese company has reaped success elsewhere, exporting products to 81 countries worldwide, including Europe. KYMCO has set up nine motorcycle factories in Asia. The two market leaders, Honda and Yamaha, also started work on their second factories in northern Vietnam last year. Hondas new factory worth US$65million will mainly produce scooters. The plant, which is located next to the first one in Vinh Phuc Province, is part of Hondas expansion plan after its success over the past 13 years. The new 28-hectare plant is scheduled for mass production in the third quarter of this year, with initial annual production capacity of 500,000 units, says Koji Onishi, general director of Honda Vietnam. Together with the existing plants annual capacity of one million units, this plant will help meet the increasing demand of Vietnamese customers, he says, adding state-of-the-art technology would be applied to ensure high quality. The most modern and latest technology of Honda will be applied to this new plant that may produce the perfect quality products for Vietnamese customers, he says. The income level is increasing and the infrastructure is developed. Thus, the demand for scooters becomes higher and higher. In addition, its easy operation and modern design can sharpen customers personality. Thanks to the growth of the Vietnamese economy, we realize that young people especially in big cities prefer the scooters, says Yasuhiro Imazato, director of Honda Vietnam brand in HCMC. Meanwhile, Piaggio, the worlds fourth largest scooter and motorcycle manufacturer, is building its first factory in northern Vietnam. The company will spend US$45 million on the factory which covers eight hectares in Binh Xuyen Industrial Park in Vinh Phuc Province, and will be commissioned in mid-2009, with an initial annual output capacity of 50,000 units for local sale and export. The project is part of Piaggios broader three-year plan to expand its operations in Asia by setting up shop in Vietnam and India, Piaggio chief executive Roberto Colaninno. He says the companys products are already available in Vietnam, but it still wants a factory plus a sales network in the country. Piaggio brand is generally targeted at high-end customers. The Italian firm has five local companies as distributors Sapa Trade Co. , Xuan Cau Co. , Viet Nhat Motor Co. , Y Viet Motor Co and International Friendship Co. However, Piaggios investment in Vietnam is still smaller than Japanese and Taiwan motorbike producers. Taiwans Sanyang Industry, which is known for SYM brand, looks to Vietnam as one of its major motorbike production hubs in Asia and its biggest investment markets. Under a motorcycle industry development plan recently approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam will become a major Asian center for motorcycle design and production. The plan envisages local motorcycle demand reaching 2-2. 2million units a year. By 2015, there will have been some 31 million motorcycles in use nationwide and some 33 million by 2020, compared to the current 20 million, according to the plan. An additional 1. 8 million motorbikes will hit the road a year. (Source: SGT).

The Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography Essay -- Anthropology Science E

The Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography Reflexivity, as I understand it, is very well named.It is the practice of reflecting upon oneself and one’s work, of being self-aware and self-critical. In anthropology, it is well exemplified by the work of Renato Rosaldo, Ruth Behar, and Dorinne Kondo, among others. In its most obvious form (or at least the form most obvious to me), reflexivity is manifest in the practice of an ethnographer including herself in her own ethnographic research---seeing herself not as an â€Å"unbiased, impartial† (Malinowski 18) observer, but as an essential and un-removable part of her study. The effect of reflexivity on ethnographic writing has been, however, much broader than just that. It signals â€Å"a departure from the ideology of objectivity [and] distance† which for so long pervaded ethnography (Marcus 189). For those who choose to employ it, reflexivity offers the (often daunting) liberty of not presuming to have all the answers. While this obviously presents logistical problems for anthropology (such as: If we can’t ever come to an answer, then what’s the point?), reflexivity has had a hand in producing some of the most compelling, unassuming texts that I’ve read. Anthropology is, in my opinion, not a science.It’s simply not that static. Culture is not something that can be understood the way one can understand gravity or electricity.It is open for interpretation, open for many different interpretations, and I like it that way. I’m immediately turned off by an ethnographer who claims to know the truth about his subject: frankly, I don’t believe it. And even if something is â€Å"true† for a given culture at a given time, who’s to say it won’t have completely changed in five years? I think that formulating a... ...e only one, and that no one ethnographer can prove that they’ve â€Å"gotten† a culture any more than any one else (197). Again, this brings me back to the â€Å"then what’s the point?† problem. In my opinion, what we need are more interpretations of cultures. In that case, there is even more of a need for the work that we do as ethnographers. The â€Å"point† is actually larger now than it was before. How much would critical thinking be facilitated if we had something compare with and be critical about? Any interpretation of culture is worth looking at because, since a human thought it up, it’s within our realm of study. As Rosaldo writes, â€Å"the truth of objectivism---absolute, universal, and timeless--- has lost its monopoly status† (21). The goal now is to find a reflexive, self-critical medium between objectivism and self-indulgence. I feel like we might actually get there.

Marketing-Pizza Industry Essay

The four major competitors, Pizza-Hut, Papa John’s, Domino’s, and Little Ceasers are the market leaders in the take-out pizza industry. Having a strong brand equity in the take-out pizza industry allows a company to gain a significant advantage in the market. Customers in the take-out pizza industry place a high value on the product quality and price of a company. Maintaining a good reputation is very important in this industry for companies because customers will build a relationship with the company and will keep on coming back or ordering from that company if they feel like they are getting a good deal. Even though the take-out pizza industry is very competitive, many investors will surely be looking for investment opportunities in the years to come due to the growth potential in the industry. Macroenvironment The demographic factors in the take-out pizza industry have provided new positive opportunities for companies in the industry. Economic factors can also influence the industry in a positive or negative way during a good or bad economy. Ecological factors such as rising prices in gas and rising prices on dairy products has hurt the industry. Technological factors are helping companies meet new customer needs and demands and are opening up new opportunities for companies all around the world. Political and legal factors have not had a tremendous recent impact on companies in the industry. Cultural factors that have affected the take-out pizza industry have been primarily the increase in consciousness of health and fitness among the public in the United States. Microenvironment Those factors that are close to a company, that affect its ability to serve its customers, are called its microenvironment. There are several factors that affect the microenvironment of a company in the take-out pizza industry mentioned in this report. They include the industry’s market, the industry’s competitors, its customers, and the industry’s promotion and distribution of its products. A. The Market in the Take-Out Pizza Industry in the U. S. The market for the take-out pizza industry in the United States is fairly large and not to mention very competitive ( Competitors are talked about later on in this report). While there are four major companies, Pizza-Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Little Ceasers, that own 31. 7% percent of the market in this industry, 68. 3% percent of the market is dominated to what are known as â€Å"other† businesses. These â€Å"other† businesses, some of which are well known, include the hundreds of small companies or family- owned businesses, that most people do not even realize compete in the pizza industry. The 68. 3% percent statistic shows that due to the fact that there is a very large market for pizza in the United States, the pizza industry is open to a lot of businesses, which causes the competition to intensify. Another statistic that should intensify the competition in the next several years is the growth potential that is predicted to occur in this industry. According to Yahoo Finance, the growth potential for the pizza industry in the next five years is estimated to be about 12. 4% percent. This number or percentage will probably surprise a good number of people, especially since Papa-John’s has just recently announced that it had to lay-off some employees due to losses in the company. Regardless of this announcement, the pizza market in the United States is sure to attract more businesses because of the growth potential in this industry in next several years. B. Competitors in the Take-Out Pizza Industry The take-out pizza industry is an extremely competitive industry. The reason this industry is so competitive is because there are four major competitors in this industry that not only compete against each other, but also against hundreds of other companies or private businesses. The four major competitors in the take-out pizza industry are Pizza- Hut, Papa John’s, Little Ceasers and Domino’s. Pizza-Hut has a bit of an advantage over the other companies as it dominates about 13. 4 % percent of the market ( see Appendix A). Domino’s comes in second out of these competitors, owning about 8. 4% percent of the market. Little Ceaser’s and Papa John’s rank third and fourth, as they own 5. 3% percent and 4. 6% percent of the market respectively. The remaining 68. 3% percent of the market is controlled by those â€Å"other† companies in the industry. Some examples of those â€Å"other† businesses include Ledo’s Pizza, Sbarros’ Pizza, Jerry Subs&Pizza, and many others. So why is it that these four companies really have such a significant competitive advantage in the market over so many other companies in this industry? One reason is the fact that the four major competitors have very strong brand equities. Customers know and recognize the names of these companies and prefer their products over products from companies that they are not as well aware of. It also helps that these four competitors are multi-million dollar companies that are able to spend a significant amount of money promoting their products, which in turn leads to a stronger brand equity. The four major competitors have franchises all over the U. S. and are well known, while the â€Å"other† companies are usually just small businesses that are located in one area. It is important to note that there are those â€Å"other† companies in the take-out pizza industry that have name recognition among customers and have franchises through out the U. S. Two examples of those companies are Ledo’s Pizza and Sbarro Pizza. Both of these companies are successful companies but do not have nearly the market share that the four major competitors have. This is because the four major competitors have thousands of franchises across the U. S. while Ledo’s and Sbarro’s have only a couple hundred. C. Customers in the Take-Out Pizza Industry Markets in this industry are segmented by dividing the markets into distinct group of buyers. The market in the take-out pizza industry is segmented by three types of buyers or consumers. Consumers who purchase cheap pizza, consumers who purchase moderately priced pizza, and consumers who purchase expensive pizza ( see Appendix D -perceptual map for which company fits different consumers). However, companies in the industry often ignore these segments and target the market using undifferentiated marketing or mass marketing by going after the market with one offer. For example, Little Ceasers could advertise a deal such as â€Å"2 Pizzas for $14 dollars†, which is intended to target all the segments in the market. The most effective vehicles that are used to reach the consumers in the take-out pizza industry are just any types of cars. With so many different competitors in such a large market, the marketing mix plays a major role in the buying behavior patterns of customers in the take-out pizza industry. Promotion is definitely one of the key factors in the buying behavior patterns of customers in the take-out pizza industry. Promotion is a big reason why the four companies, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Dominos, and Little Ceasers have a distinct competitive advantage in the market over other companies in the pizza industry. The more customers know about a companies product, the more business that company will usually generate, especially over those companies that do not promote their product. Price, which is another component of the marketing mix, is also a very important factor in the buying behavior pattern of customers in the take-out pizza industry. However, price is a more complex issue in the pizza industry than one might anticipate. The reason for this, is the fact that many of the â€Å"other† smaller companies in this industry, lower their prices on purpose, in order to compete with the big name companies like Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. A lower price will not necessarily mean more business if the product quality of a particular company is considered low by customers. Quality is another factor that has a huge affect on customer buying behavior. A lower price with good product quality is what will really generate business in this industry. The four major competitors, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Dominos, and Little Ceaser’s are known for their great product quality and their fair prices (see perceptual Map). These companies have that great reputation of great product, great service, and fair price which is valued so highly by costumers. Having a good reputation of a product and price is very essential in the take-out pizza industry because customers will build a relationship with the company and will keep on ordering from that company if they believe they are getting a good deal. D. Pricing in Pizza Market What is interesting about the pricing in the pizza industry is that the take-out pizza market can be thought of as having two types of competition. Most people would agree that the take-out pizza market can be seen as a monopolistic competition, or the market consisting of many buyers and sellers with different prices (Kottler). What most people do not realize is that between the four major competitors there is somewhat of a oligopolistic competition. The four major competitors are very sensitive to each others’ prices because customers perceive their quality of product very similarly. If Pizza-Hut were to lower its prices, the other competitors would be in danger of losing business if they do not lower their prices as well. Lowering prices could lead to price wars among the competitors, which the pizza-industry was very well known for in the 1990’s. Therefore, companies must be very careful in the prices and deals they offer to their customers. For companies to be successful in the take-out pizza industry in the future, companies must find a way to have lower prices along with great product quality among their competitors. E. Promotion and Distribution in the Take-Out Pizza Industry Promoting and distributing the product is very important in the take-out pizza industry. Those companies that promote their product and are able to distribute or deliver that product efficiently are the companies that tend do be successful in the take-out pizza industry. The four major competitors are known for their advertising and promoting in this industry. These companies try to differentiate themselves in the industry by having unique logos and catch phrases that express their great product or service (see Appendix C for logos of the four major competitors). For example, Papa John’s tries to distinguish itself in the pizza industry as having â€Å"Better Ingredients, Better Pizza†. Domino’s wants to be known in the industry as not just having great pizza, but as having that very fast and efficient service when they use the phrase â€Å"Get the door! Its dominos†. Little Ceasers Pizza, a company that lost a lot of its market popularity when it suffered big losses from 1998 to 2001 (VBIC-Little Ceaser’s), has been slowly climbing back by offering â€Å"Quality Products + Great Taste + Favorite Food =Little Caesars Pizza! â€Å". Pizza-Hut, the company with the biggest market share in the industry, is known as â€Å"The family pizza place† (Pizza-Hut). Companies in the pizza industry have also been known to run their advertisement campaigns by promoting sales using special deals or bonus packs. For example, Domino’s used to promote † buy one, get one free on Tuesdays† (see Appendix B for examples of bonus packs used by the four major competitors). Many other companies in the industry have been known to promote deals that are very similar. Marketing and promoting a companies product will help companies in the pizza industry with their goal of maximizing their profit. Efficient distribution of products in the take-out pizza industry is now more important than ever before. Intensive distribution, which is stocking the product in as many outlets as possible is the strategy most franchises of the four major competitors prefer to use, because pizza is a convenience product, and is therefore bought frequently. With the increasingly rapid pace of living in our society, customers are demanding faster and more efficient service. The pizza industry has responded with this change by distributing the product straight to the consumer faster and more efficiently. One of the ways distribution has improved is due to the fact that companies have become more convenient for the customer. For example, Pizza-Hut has partnered up with KFC and Taco Bell to make it more convenient for customers to obtain their product (Pizza Hut). The companies in the take-out pizza industry, that will be most successful in distributing their products in the future, are the ones that will be able to provide their product faster, more efficient, and at more convenient locations. Macroenvironment There are also factors outside of a company that affect its ability to serve its customers. These factors are called the macroenvironment of the company. The macroenvironment factors that affect companies in the pizza industry include the demographic, economic, ecological, technological, political/legal, and cultural factors. A. Demographic factors that have affected the Take-Out Pizza Industry The demographic factors that have affected the take-out pizza industry are the geographic shift of families toward the suburbs, as well as the increase in single-parent families. These developments have presented new positive opportunities for the take-out pizza industry. New opportunities have been created in the industry because more people have been moving from cities to the suburbs. New communities are now being developed in places like the countryside, once thought to be unreachable by many just a decade ago. This has allowed the market in the industry to expand because there are more families and people in general in the suburban areas. This demographic shift has provided more accessible targets for companies in the industry. Another demographic shift that is having an affect on the take-out pizza industry is the change in the makeup of the American family. There are more divorces in the United States than ever before and due to this there are more single parent families. Many single parents work and do not have time to prepare meals for their families. This presents another positive opportunity for companies in the take-out pizza industry. When single parent families are in a rush or are looking for a just simple meal to feed the family, companies in the take-out pizza can gain from this opportunity because they can satisfy this customer need. Demographic developments such as the increase in single parent families, and the geographic shift of of families from cities to the suburbs has expanded the market for companies in the take- out pizza industry. B. Economic Factors that can influence the Take-Out Pizza Industry Economic factors influence almost every industry, and the take-out pizza industry is no exception. If prices of a product such as pizza go up by a significant amount, there will probably be an affect such as less consumption of pizza by customers. One other thing that could happen is, due to the various prices of pizza in the industry, customers could also buy cheaper pizza with lower quality to compensate for the rising prices. However, usually when the price of a product goes up, especially such as food, consumers tend to substitute that good or product with a cheaper good or product. In a bad economy, people tend to spend less and save more. Therefore, people will probably spend less on pizza compared to what they would in a better economy. On the other hand, if the income of people or families were to increase, there will probably be a rise in the consumption of a product such as pizza. When people have more money, they tend to spend it on more goods and products. In a good economy, people are generally spending more money and are usually consuming more pizza. C. Ecological Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry The ecological factors that are affecting the take-out pizza industry are the rising gas prices as well as the rising prices on dairy products, specifically cheese. Both of these factors have really hurt companies in the industry. The rising prices of gas has really hurt those companies in the industry that deliver because companies have had to compensate their drivers for the extra costs. The rising prices on dairy products, especially cheese, has hurt all the companies in the industry because cheese is one of the main ingredients to making a pizza. The smaller chains have been especially hit hard by these rising costs and it has been reflected in the rising costs of pizza in many stores. For example, one small chain in Boston called Papa Gino’s, has had to raise the price of their medium sized pizza from $8. 99 to $9. 49 ( National Restaurant Magazine). Customers do not buy as much with higher prices so companies end up losing business. These increases in prices have had a very negative affect on the industry. (For negative publicity in the industry, please see Political/legal factors). D. Technological Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry Technological factors are also affecting the take-out pizza industry. Due to the increasingly rapid pace of living, customers in the take-out pizza industry are now demanding faster and more efficient service (Pizza-Hut). Technology is helping companies in the pizza industry meet those customer demands. For example, new and better equipment, such as faster ovens, which are always being modified and improved on, are allowing for companies to make pizzas faster and more efficient. The new internet age has allowed customer to order pizza online, giving companies more business and speeding up the service. With computers available in almost every pizza store, when an order comes in for a pizza, stores are now able to get more precise directions to the address of where the pizza is supposed to be delivered. Technology has also opened up doors to new opportunities for many companies in the industry. Due to improved technology and communication through out the world, companies in the industry, especially the ones with money, like the four major competitors, are now looking to expand their business not only in the United States but also oversees. Improvements in technology has helped companies in the take-out pizza industry adjust to customer needs and wants, and at the same time, it has opened up opportunities all over the world for companies in the industry. E. Political/Legal Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry The political or legal factors that affect the take-out pizza industry are usually any food regulations that are enforced from the U. S. government. In the last several years, the government has pushed companies in the pizza industry to make their food healthier for consumers. This has not been as big of a problem as first anticipated, because companies in the take-out pizza industry have been forced to modify their menus anyways. Due to the increase in consciousness of health and fitness among the public, companies have had to adjust to this health craze with healthier choices to provide customer satisfaction and to stay profitable in the industry (see next section on cultural factors for more in depth on this topic). Another legal issue, which has received some bad publicity, is that the group People for the Ethical Treatment (PETA) has sent letters to three of the major competitors, Domino’s, Papa John’s and Little Ceasers â€Å"seeking to curb alleged abuses, particularly against dairy cows that produce the milk for mozzarella cheese†(News Digests). This issue is being dealt with as the companies are meeting with PETA to make sure they are meeting its guidelines. Overall, political and legal factors have not had a tremendous affect on the take-out pizza industry. F. Cultural Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry The major cultural factor that has affected the take-out pizza industry has been the increase in consciousness of health and fitness among the public. This has had a negative affect on the industry because companies have suffered in business. Pizza has never been perceived as being exactly the most healthy food out there. With the new health craze, companies in the take-out pizza industry have been forced to adjust their products and services to the new costumer wants. Companies in the industry have spent millions of dollars to find out how to satisfy these wants. Even though pizza is still the dominant menu item, many new healthy compliments have been added to the menu in order to soothe customer demands. These new additions have included salads that could be purchased separately or in different pizza combo packages, and the offering of healthier beverages such as numerous diet beverages and water. Pizzas have also been modified to adjust with the health craze as items such as vegetarian pizzas, lower fat ingredients, and low-carb crust are now being offered. Due to the fact that the American society has placed more value on health, companies in the take-out pizza industry have been forced to adjust their products and services in order to remain profitable.

Microelectronics Reliability Essay

Abstraction Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems or short MEMS, is a engineering that is basically a combination of electro-mechanical stuffs and mechanical technology at a micro graduated table. The engineering used for fiction is derived from the IC fiction procedures and typically ranges from one micrometer to several millimetres. The MEMS engineering finds its usage in assorted applications where for case, micro detectors and/or micro actuators are needed. As its name suggests, MEMS devices are basically mechanical devices that can dwell of fixed parts or a combination of fixed and traveling parts. However this besides gives rise to dependability issues due to both electrical as mechanical issues [ 2 ] s.a. stuff weariness, stiction, dazes etc. The dependability can be greatly enhanced [ 1 ] turn outing the engineering can be suited for usage in high terminal applications. The end of this essay is to present and familiarise the reader to an extent with the operation and the dependability issues of a MEMS accelerometer. First the working of a MEMS accelerometer will be covered after which its dependability will be considered. Here assorted dependability issues will be considered after which†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..some†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.solutions will be given on how to cover with†¦..some†¦..of†¦..the dependability issues. Finally a decision will be drawn if the presented solution†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.solutions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..are bettering the dependability.IntroductionMEMS engineering devices have established a repute over the old ages as capable detector and actuator devices doing assorted information garnering techniques possible. The engineering enables applications to garner information from the environment in assorted spheres merely to change over them to the electrical sphere. Following to the electrical sphere, the detectors can be fabricated to observe mechanical, thermic, chemical, magnetic and optical signals. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Give some more illustrations about the usage and demo some images etc. particularly mention the usage in automotive industry †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ One noteworthy illustration that possibly talk easy to the head is the usage of MEMS detectors in the modern smartphones. The detector enables the phone to observe up from down for assorted maps s.a. exchanging to a larger screen, GPS applications and game characteristics where the phone detects the tilting for playing some games. Figure†¦ ..shows the usage of accelerometers germinating over the old ages. [ 4 ] As the figure points out, the MEMS accelerometer had made its first visual aspect as a clang detector in an airbag. From there it evolved to be used even in playthings where it needs to be inexpensive and is produced in a high volume. However an application in toys doesn’t need to be extremely dependable unlike the usage in application for automotive terminals s.a. the airbag where a life can be saved depending on the right operation of the detector.1. MEMS accelerometerBasic operationFigures†¦shows a basic MEMS capacitive accelerometer. [ 4 ] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . The MEMS detector shown uses two home bases connected to the cardinal mass w.r.t the fixed home bases as differential capacitances. The electrical capacity is given by The two home bases attached to the cardinal mass signifier series electrical capacities with the fixed home bases. When there is acceleration the mass will travel in the positive or negative way depending on the motion. This in bend will ensue in positive or negative electrical capacity and depending on the distance the capacitances are smaller or larger. Thus for positive motion one capacitance will increase positively while the other will increase negatively, or frailty versa for negative motion. When there is no acceleration the movable mass will be back at its place due to the snap belongingss of Si which consequences in a place equidistance between each outer plates. This will ensue in zero electromotive force on the cardinal home base as the electrical capacity on each side are equal ( except for the sine ) . This is because the outer home bases can be driven with a square moving ridge with the coveted frequence so that one home base sees a positive signal while the other sees a negative signal, and frailty versa. For positive motion the end product square moving ridge is in stage with the input signal resulting in a greater magnitude when demodulated. For negative motion this is the antonym. The described device has merely two outer home bases which means that the sensitiveness will be low. To increase the sensitiveness the figure off traveling fingers ( outer plates ) must be increased [ 1 ] . However every bit will be shown in the text, the more moving parts in the accelerometer the higher the chance of failure.2. Common MEMS failure mechanismsAlthough the MEMS engineering has proved its worth, there are many failure mechanisms that need to be considered when planing to hold a qualitative merchandise at the terminal of the processing. Table†¦ [ 6 ] summarizes the common failure mechanisms of MEMS devices:FailureCauseMechanical FractureOverload, daze ; Corrosion ; FatigueStictionVan der Waals force ; Capillary force ; Chemical bonding ; Electrostatic charging ; Residual emphasisCharge accretionElectric emphasis ; Radiation ; Improper handlingWearAdhesion ; Abrasion ; Corrosion ; Surface wearinessCreep and wearinessIntrinsic emphasis ; Applied emphasis ; Thermal emphasisElectric short and unfastenedDielectric stuff debasement ; ESD, high electric field ; Electromigration ; OxidationContaminationIntrinsic ( e.g. , crystal growing ) ; Manufacturing-induced ; Usage enviro nment-inducedAs the accelerometer is considered as the instance survey, merely some of the failure mechanisms are of involvement. The most of import failure mechanisms are Mechanical breaks. Following to that stiction is besides of import as the accelerometer contains traveling parts. In ulterior subdivisions some solutions will be presented on how to better some of the failure mechanisms.Mechanical fractures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Mechanical break is the most common failure manner and largely is a consequence of Shocks. Dazes are fundamentally sudden accelerations. While usually an accelerometer operates under conditions merely holding to cover low g-shocks s.a. in consumer electronics, auto clang detectors need to defy much more than that to be dependable. Apart from dazes the mechanical failure manner can besides be a consequence of in-use-stiction as a consequence of suspended parts doing contact that under normal conditions doesn’t occur. The latter will be shows in the fol lowing subdivision.Reducing mechanical breaksTo better the MEMS accelerometer assorted methods can be used. One normally used method is to restrict the motion of the cogent evidence mass by implementing a stopper. Figure†¦..shows an execution of the latter. [ 7 ] The T-shaped construction is the stopper. By implementing the stopper, the break of the back uping beams can be avoided as the maximal emphasis on the beams given by the snap is non exceeded. Following to restricting the emphasis it besides prevents the in-use-stiction as the moving parts are prevented from doing contact with the fixed parts. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..fatigue†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..shocks†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..StictionStiction is one of the most common failure mechanisms in MEMS and occurs where suspended constructions are used ( traveling parts ) . When different parts s.a. the fixed fingers in the accelerometer make contact, these can stay affiliated to one another. Figure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . [ 6 ] †¦shows some illustrations of sidelong or/and perpendicular stiction. Fig†¦ Examples of assorted stiction ( a ) no stiction ; ( B ) merely sidelong stiction ; and ( degree Celsius ) lateral and perpendicular stiction [ 6 ] . The stiction occurs peculiarly in micromachined constructions where the surface country to volume ratio is big ensuing in a typically little stiffness of reconstructing springs. The stiction can hold assorted causes and most of these can be due to processing, elevated RH degrees and dazes. The adhesion occurs either due to van der Waals, electrostatic forces ( trapped charge ) , capillary forces or a combination of these [ 7 ] .Reducing stictionAs the failure mechanisms of MEMS devices are progressively researched, many ways have been proposed to cut down stiction. Some of these where:Modifying the structural stiffnessDesign of the traveling parts with higher stiffness to get the better of the stiction forceSurface chemical scienceUsing hydrophobic surfaces to forestall H2O from coming into contact with the MEMS structures as H2O causes capillary force and hence stiction [ 6 ] . Alternatively a hermetic waterproofing can be usedRough surfacesRough surfaces reduces the Van der Waals f orce and with that the stictionImplementing a stopper to restrict the motion of the cogent evidence mass ( see old subdivision )Anti stiction coating3. DependabilityDefinition of the dependabilityBefore discoursing the dependability of an accelerometer, the definition of dependability must be considered. Reliability is defined as the chance of a certain merchandise to execute harmonizing to its specifications within typical operating conditions for the expected life-time [ 2 ] . The expression for this is given by As for the failure rate, which is defined as the ratio of the entire figure of failures to the entire operating clip [ 1 ] . Thus ? For measuring the dependability there are several standard theoretical accounts that can be used, viz.The exponential dependability distributionThe binomial dependability distributionThe Poisson dependability distributionWeibull dependability distributionIn this text the exponential signifier is used for the dependability analysis as its less complex than other lifetime distribution theoretical accounts. Then the dependability is given by In world the failure rate is besides a map of clip. The failure rate ( as a map of clip ) follows the behaviour of a bathing tub curve [ 1 ] . [ 2 ] The infant mortality part is caused by merchandise defects and perchance besides by cognize how restrictions like when proving paradigms [ 2 ] , as for the wear-out part, this is merely as its name suggests. Here the chance of no failure before clip T is given by [ 9 ] When ciphering the failure rate for increasing smaller intervals of clip, the jeopardy rate H ( T ) is obtained, with However, because we are sing the exponential failure distribution, the jeopardy rate will be changeless and equal to the failure rate. Here we can see merely the utile clip from the bathing tub curve, that is, most infant mortality failures ( with ruinous defects ) can be filtered out during fabricating trials [ 1 ] . This means that we can see the failure rate to be more changeless and therefore the instantaneous jeopardy rate H ( T ) is merely the failure rate.4. Dependability of a capacitive accelerometerAs was stated in the Introduction subdivision, the capacitive accelerometer will be used for the chance analysis since it’s widely used and needs to be dependable adequate particularly in life endangering state of affairss s.a. auto clangs. The structural diagram of an accelerometer with 2N-fingers is shown in Figure†¦ . [ 8 ] Here the accelerometer consists of fixed and movable parts which all demand to be fault-free. The accelerometer consists of 4 ground tackles, 4 back uping beams, 2N-fixed fingers, one movable cardinal mass and N-movable fingers attached to the cardinal mass. As stated before, utilizing more fingers increases the sensitiveness of the accelerometer. Here the system can be considered as a series theoretical account [ 1 ] because if any of the constituents fail, the whole system fails. For simpleness, the fixed parts can be considered holding perfect dependability as most defects are filtered out during the fabricating trial while the traveling parts can hold a higher dependability of failure. The dependability is so given by ( Rdegree Fahrenheitcorresponds to the traveling fingers ) Therefore the entire failure rate is merely the amount of the failure rates which is given by As can be noted, there is a trade-off between the sensitiveness and the failure rate as both are dependent on n-fingers. As the figure of fingers can be increased to better the sensitiveness, this will convey the dependability down.5. General solutionAs discussed antecedently the mechanical break and stiction are thermoset of import failure mechanisms. Here it was shows how to cut down these failures and hence besides the dependability. However if the device fails anyway so it’s considered useless. Unfortunately this can hold serious effects if it’s used in airbag systems and therefore the dependability still needs to be higher. To make this a more general attack can be used. This attack makes usage of ‘spare parts’ . If the accelerometer is broken up into smaller faculties connected together with some excess faculties, the latter can be used to replace the faulty faculties. As the faculties can be connected to some circuitry that would feel if the moving parts are faulty, a faulty faculty can be excluded and replaced by a excess one and this procedure is repeated until the redundant parts are used for replacing. This method is known as BISR ( built in self fix ) . Figure†¦..illustrates this. †¦ . Here the k-out-of-n redundancy theoretical account can be used for the analysis [ 1 ] . The k-out-of-n system consists out of n-modules, withK-modules non-faulty to guarantee the right operation of the MEMS system. When utilizing such a system, until all the excess faculties are used and at least one faculty from the chief device is faulty at the clip, so the system can no longer map decently. This means that the system, unlike when merely one chief faculty is used, is a parallel system. Figure†¦.illustrates this. †¦.. As the figure shows a 3-out-4 system is assumed. Notice that merely the moving parts are considered. That’s similar to the one-module device we can concentrate on the moving parts merely as these cut down the dependability at higher rate than the fixed parts. Again the dependability of one faculty can be done similar as for the one faculty device antecedently discussed in text. The dependability is so given by ( Rdegree Fahrenheitcorresponds to the traveling fingers ) Therefore the entire failure rate is merely the amount of the failure rates which is given by Notice that unlike earlier, the failure rate is reduced as the figure of traveling fingers are increased for better sensitiveness. This means that the trade-off that had to be made earlier is non made any more and a much better dependability is obtained. The entire dependability of a system is given [ 1 ] by Where m is the excess faculty. Therefore in this instance the dependability is given by Inserting the exponential signifier of the dependability for a faculty However, utilizing this method besides increases the usage of the figure of back uping beams which in bend reduces the dependability. But in the visible radiation of the improved dependability by utilizing the BISR attack, the overall dependability increases more than is decreases [ 1 ] doing this method really utile.DecisionMEMS have proven to be rather utile. However like any merchandise dependability issues can originate. The dependability of MEMS in toys doesn’t need to be all that high while for applications in automotive this needs to be really dependable as a unrecorded can depend on it when used in airbag systems. It has been shown that first it’s best to see the failure mechanisms and to better these which makes a longer lifetime possible. To better the dependability even further the BISR attack can be considered. From this it shows that the dependability can be really high and in the hereafter this attack might be considered to better other types of MEMS detectors.Mentions[ 1 ] X. Xiong, Y. Wu, and W. Jone, â€Å"Reliability analysis of self-repairable MEMS accelerometer, † in Proceedings of the 21st IEEE International Symposium on Defect and Fault Tolerance in VLSI Systems ( DFT '06 ) , pp. 236–244, October 2006 [ 2 ] Jacopo Iannacci, â€Å"Reliability of MEMS: A position on failure mechanisms, betterment solutions and best patterns at development level† , Center for Materials and Microsystems – CMM, Fondazione Bruno Kessler – FBK, Via Sommarive, 18, 38123 Povo, Trento, Italy, accepted 2014 [ 3 ] Frank CHoLLET, Haobing LIUâ€Å"A ( non so ) short direction to MEMS† , Creative Commons, version 5.1, 2013 [ 4 ] Michael Kraft, Neil M. White â€Å"MEMS for automotive and aerospace applications† , Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, 2013 [ 5 ] X. Xiong, Y. Wu, and W. Jone, â€Å"Material weariness and dependability of MEMS accelerometers, † in Proceedings of the 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Defect and Fault Tolerance in VLSI Systems ( DFT '08 ) , pp. 314–322, October 2008 [ 6 ] Ynhan Huang et Al. â€Å"MEMS Reliability Review† , IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DEVICE AND MATERIALS RELIABILITY, VOL. 12, NO. 2, JUNE 2012 [ 7 ] Allyson L. Hartzell, et Al. â€Å"MEMS Reliability† , Springer, New York, 2011 [ 8 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fandroides.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/8930-62341-How-does-smart-phone-accelerometer-work.png [ 9 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failure_rate

What Do You Do for Fun Interview Question

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Writing for accountants - Emphasis

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Improvement of My Language and Grammar Skills - Essay Example This involves learning how to insert commas and quotation marks in the right places. Use of sentence conjunctions was also another problem. I could either omit the conjunctions or use wrong ones in my sentences. Tenses were also part of the problem. Differentiating between past, present, and future tenses were hard, and in most cases, I substituted present tense for past tense. Most of my sentences would lack meaning due to wrong tenses. There was a huge confusion when inserting phrases and vocabulary in sentences. I could use wrong vocabularies, wrong phrases, and wrong prepositions in most sentences. This gave the reader a vague meaning of my essays. Most of my first essays were used simple sentences, which were wrongly constructed. I lacked a variety of words that I could use in the essays and had to repeat most of the words. However, this has changed since I joined this course. Through interaction with other students and the English lessons in this course, I have expanded my knowledge of English language. I have learned different vocabularies and various sentence constructions that have improved my writing. The essay structure has also improved. This involves analyzing events sequentially to give the reader more understanding of the essay. In the essay ‘I Want to Make a Difference,’ word choice was a big problem (McGeehan, 2012). This involves words such as bad vices yet there are no good vices. In this case, using the word vices only would give the reader the intended meaning. Some of the sentences were poorly done. I used unnecessary words, which made the sentences long and diluted their meaning. Some of the words reduce the captivity of the reader by the essay. By stating that I failed to give a bribe for a job contradicts the essay title since I wanted to participate in corruption instead of being different.  

Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report - Research Paper Example .. 7 3. Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 4. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 APPENDIX The Brazilian Economy 1. Executive Summary Brazil has maintained considerable economic difficulties from 1900 to 2012 due to ineffective financial policy construction, government reforms, and an over-reliance on commodities to drive economic sustainability and growth. Historically, coffee and oil have been staple export products; however, these commodities are subject to unpredictable spikes or decline in prices. At the same time, the CPI in Brazil is affected by higher-than-average inflation due to rising supply chain prices and interest rate fluctuatio ns that limit consumer spending and investment. It is recommended that Brazil diversify its economy and return to the crawling peg monetary policy now that industrialization and consumerism are beginning to develop effectively in this country. 2. Background on Brazil and its Economy Brazil is currently experiencing significant economic growth due to changes governmental and economic reforms as well as its current position as a major contributor to the global trade system. The country, once overly reliant on coffee production and rail system transportation to promote economic growth and job security, now maintains a growing industrial base in consumer products, industrial products and commodity development that contributes to a high GDP comparatively to other countries around the globe. Sixty seven percent of total GDP is attributed to the service sector, as it relates to health care, hospitality, beauty provision and restaurant (to name only a few). The rest of gross domestic produc t is allocated in agricultural development and industrial-based employment. Unfortunately, Brazil currently has a debt to GDP ratio of approximately 50 percent, which is much higher than that of other emerging or developing nations (Blanchard, 2005). At the same time, the inflation rate in Brazil is approximately four percent annually which impacts disposable income for consumers and also cash flow availability for companies in the industrial and agricultural sectors. High prices throughout the commodity supply chain, as one example, are offset by rising prices on corn, coffee and other commodity products used in the household sector. High inflation occurring annually since 2003, when the country experienced over 17 percent hyperinflation, continues to erode the government’s ability to stimulate more economic and job growth. The provision of public services, such as electric, telephone services, and water consumption experienced inflation rates of 8.38 percent with supplement ary tariff increases of over 15 percent on all of these services (Business News Americas, 2004). Brazil has not, even during years where inflation was reduced through economic policy and infrastructure development, experienced any significant decreases from these cost levels. As such, consumerism is reduced due to lowered disposable income for consumer products. From 1990 to 1997, Brazil experienced inflation to the level where gross national product was consumed up to 40 percent due to rising prices (Selva, 2010). Further, credit card companies, in response to decreased consumer savings in banking institutions, began charging upwards of 25 percent for consumer and industrial purchases (Selva, 2010). The lack

Improvement of My Language and Grammar Skills Essay

Improvement of My Language and Grammar Skills - Essay Example This involves learning how to insert commas and quotation marks in the right places. Use of sentence conjunctions was also another problem. I could either omit the conjunctions or use wrong ones in my sentences. Tenses were also part of the problem. Differentiating between past, present, and future tenses were hard, and in most cases, I substituted present tense for past tense. Most of my sentences would lack meaning due to wrong tenses. There was a huge confusion when inserting phrases and vocabulary in sentences. I could use wrong vocabularies, wrong phrases, and wrong prepositions in most sentences. This gave the reader a vague meaning of my essays. Most of my first essays were used simple sentences, which were wrongly constructed. I lacked a variety of words that I could use in the essays and had to repeat most of the words. However, this has changed since I joined this course. Through interaction with other students and the English lessons in this course, I have expanded my knowledge of English language. I have learned different vocabularies and various sentence constructions that have improved my writing. The essay structure has also improved. This involves analyzing events sequentially to give the reader more understanding of the essay. In the essay ‘I Want to Make a Difference,’ word choice was a big problem (McGeehan, 2012). This involves words such as bad vices yet there are no good vices. In this case, using the word vices only would give the reader the intended meaning. Some of the sentences were poorly done. I used unnecessary words, which made the sentences long and diluted their meaning. Some of the words reduce the captivity of the reader by the essay. By stating that I failed to give a bribe for a job contradicts the essay title since I wanted to participate in corruption instead of being different.  

Role of Social Workers in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Role of Social Workers in the UK - Essay Example In addition, such social workers can assess the effectiveness of their interventions. Significant value is attached by service users to the variegated approaches employed by social workers. Some of these approaches are; first, providing advice, advocacy and information; second, assisting people in their negotiations with state agencies, such as those in the areas of financial support and housing; third, making available counselling and other forms of psycho – therapeutic support; fourth, providing practical help and guidance; fifth, obtaining access to financial support for service users (Beresford, 2007). User engagement can be promoted by social workers, by either assisting users to access advocacy or by acting as advocates. Advocacy does not always consist of conflicts of interests and in case where this is true, the social worker has to protect the interests of the user (Gallagher & Smith, 2010). The various advances in the involvement of service users in social work have been amalgamated in legislation. This establishes a basis for forging a novel relationship between service providers and service users. Several benefits have accrued to service users and services, due to the involvement of service users in the planning and delivery of services (Service User Involvement, 2007). Some of these benefits are enumerated in the sequel. Service users develop new skills, improve their self – esteem and efficiency, enhance service ownership and adapt services to conform to their requirements. On the other hand, social work benefits in the following manner. The services provided acquire a user orientation, greater efficiency in the services provided, recruitment of appropriate personnel, and promotion of the social reintegration goals of the services.

The handmaids tale Essay Example for Free

The handmaids tale Essay Moira is a strong and independent woman who is not like other handmaids and therefore has a vast array of roles through out the play. Moira is an autonomous woman who rejects the responsibility and job of the handmaid and as a result of this the narrator uses her proper name. Moira allows the narrator to express her feelings so the reader can see her from different angles and see her different characteristics. One of Moiras main features is her rebelliousness, which the reader sees through the past, present and the future. For example when Moira and Offred where both in college, Moira was the one who wanted to go out, have a good time. She wanted Offred to come with her even though she knew that she was expected to hand in an assignment the next day I had a paper due the next day. She rebelled against the system in college she did the opposite of what was expected from her. Even when she was brought into the centre where they train all the handmaids she was wearing jeans, she stood out from the rest and was clearly rebellious. She is a Feminist heroine who all the other handmaids look up to. She is an individual, a leader and a figurehead. She has a dramatic impact on the rest of the handmaids, she influences them giving them hope and inspiration. Due to Moiras presence the aunts seem less fearsome and frightening, she exposes them for what they real are. She does by the way she escapes; she doesnt just run she actually ties one of them up and shows that they can be physically hurt. This reminds the handmaids that the aunts are only human and in a way it reassures them. To all the other handmaids she is a heroine but from Gileads perspective she is a loose women. Moira defies the Gilead regime so much that she tries to escape and on her second attempt she succeeds and as a result of this Moira never actually becomes a proper handmaid. This is just another example of Moira being a heroine and showing the reader her revolutionary nature. Even when Moira has disappeared from the scene she is still making a dramatic impact on both the handmaids and the reader. She is even more of a role model Moira was our fantasy. She inspires the other handmaids and gives them hope for the future. However, her escape also has a reverse affect it causes Offred to feel lonely and abandoned so much that she begins to reminisce about her time she spent with Moira in college. Even past memories inspire and motivate Offred that she comes to realise that they can control her body but not her mind. Moira also portrays the motherly figure within the novel an example of this is when Janine starts to cry and wants to go home. If the aunts where to find out she would be punished severely. Moira steps in and takes charge she is the dominant one and is like a mother. However, she is not sensitive or caring instead she slaps Janine. This shows the reader that although she is very rebellious she is aware of the rules and she knows how far she can go. She is also caring but in a violent way, although she slaps Janine she saved her life. Although the other Handmaids are probably jealous they do look up to her. When she was tortured everyone stole and took a big risk to bring Moira packets of sugar. Moira cant really do much with packets of sugar but it shows that they care and is also a sign of respect. When Moira and Offred where in college together Moira was a lesbian, which again is rebelling against human nature, she was an obvious lesbian she wore long dangly earrings. When Moira escaped she manages to get a job at a place called jezebels working as a prostitute. This is everything that Gilead stood against and is now what she has become. This again shows the reader and Offred Moiras radical nature. Even when Moira stayed at Jezebels she remained a lesbian. In conclusion Moira is a significant character that plays a major part in the past, present and the future of the novel. She is a clear revolutionary and finds new ways to break the rules. She is an individual, the uniforms that the handmaids had to wear were supposed to take away their individuality but Moira was too passionate and determined and she wouldnt let it. She was a leader who inspired others and gave them hope for the future. Moira always wanted to be the centre of attention, which may be while she was so rebellious. She lived the dream of all the other handmaids by physically getting to the aunts and then escaping. However, towards the end of the book she was a bit disappointment. She was working in jezebels wearing a bunny costume, which is very demeaning and in a way shows sign of defeat. She is more or less everything that the aunts said that they were trying to protect the other handmaids from. She is almost at the lowest of the low. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood section.

A Review on the Works of James Baldwin Essay -- Literature

Introduction The works of James Baldwin are directly related to the issues of racism, religion and personal conflicts, and sexuality and masculinity during Baldwin's years.James Baldwin's works, both fiction and nonfiction were in some instance a direct reflection his life. Through close interpretation you can combine his work to give a "detailed" look into his actual life. However since most writings made by him are all considered true works of literature we can't consider them to be of autobiographical nature. Religion Personal Life Baldwin reflected his own life in various forms. These include autobiographical essays to fiction and drama. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, and play, The Amen Corner, mirror his childhood experiences in the storefront churches of Harlem where James and his stepfather, David Baldwin, preached. The "Autobiographical Notes" section of Notes of a Native Son and the "Down at the Cross" section of The Fire Next Time provide a seemingly realistic view into Baldwin's childhood and his growing involvement with the civil rights movement. Filled with a number of autobiographical passages in Nobody Knows My Name, No Name in the Street and The Devil Finds Word join together to provide a general, somewhat realistic, autobiography. One interest in particular is Baldwin's view on his relationships with Richard Wright ("Alas, Poor Richard") and Norman Mailer ("The Black Boy Looks at the White Boy"), both of which are included in Nobody Knows My Name .(Werner, Craig 45-48) When Baldwin was three years of age his mother married David Baldwin, a Southerner who had made the journey to New York as part of the large stream of black migration north during the times following the First World War. James, t... ...aesthetic: James Baldwin's primer of black American masculinity." African American Review 32.2 (1998): 247. MasterFILE Premier Werner, Craig. "JAMES BALDWIN." Research Guide to Biography & Criticism 1.(1985): 45-48. Book Collection: Nonfiction. Baldwin, James Preservation of Innocence." Zero 1.2 (Summer 1949). Rpt. in Out/Look 6 (Fall 1989), 40-41 Powers, Peter Kerry. "The Treacherous Body: Isolation, Confession, and Community in James Baldwin." 787-813. Duke University Press, 2005. Academic Search Premier. de Romanet, Jerome. "Revisiting Madeleine and `The Outing': James Baldwin's revision of Gide's sexual politics." MELUS 22.1 (1997): 3. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Dec. 2010. Robert E. Morsberger. "James Baldwin." Magill Book Reviews. Salem Press, 1998. eNotes.com. 2006. 4 Dec, 2010 james-baldwin-0080505824

Jazz paper -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in New York City, Artie Shaw would become one of the top bandleaders in the swing era. He began his musical career as a highly sought-after alto saxophone player in the New York area, and was able to benefit from the growth of radio and studio recordings. As he perfected his technical ability with various dance bands, he was still relatively unknown in the early 30’s when he began to focus exclusively on the Clarinet while Swing music began to grow in popularity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While we may carefully analyze the two pieces to satisfy our curiosity regarding musical evolution in Jazz, we should also not lose sight of the fact that these are two very enjoyable styles of music. From the lively swing orchestras inspiring large audiences to dance, to the softer Bossa Nova sound which is pleasing to hear in a relaxed setting, both have contributed to the growth of musical creativity in Jazz from the 1930’s through today. Shaw first broke through with an unusual string quartet in New York’s Imperial Theater. By early 1937, Shaw had formed a conventional swing band which would eventually record â€Å"Begin the Beguine†. Tormented by the pressures that came with unwanted fame, Artie Shaw disbanded his band at the height of his fame, but was able to mount a comeback with a new band the following year to record many more hit songs. Artie Shaw would go on to serve honorably in the US Navy during World War 2, but after returning in the mid-40’s it became clear that the times had changed, and it was no longer economically viable to support a big swing band. He continued to play sporadically and attempt to lead new bands until discouragement led him to announce his retirement in the mid-1950’s, after which he would never even play the clarinet again. Antonio Carlos Jobim, also known by his lifelong nickname of â€Å"Tom†, grew up in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. During his late teens he began to pursue an education as an Architect, but by the time he turned 20, he could not resist a powerful attraction to music so he started to play the piano in nightclubs and worked in music studios. He recorded his first record in 1954 and found fame 2 years later when he provided the score for the play â€Å"Orfeo do Carnaval†. In 1958, along with the work of Brazilian Singer Joao Gilberto, Antonio Jobim launched the phenomenon known as Bossa Nova. In... ...finado on the other hand seems to be less restrictive, allowing the guitar to fade out right as the saxophone begins his contribution to the piece. Underneath it all, the rhythm section’s contribution as they keep time seems to reinforce this changing style of increasing creativity with the steady flat traditional sound of swing to the very creative rhythms in Bossa Nova.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the history of musical evolution, there are few styles which show more variation than Jazz. As such, it is sometimes enlightening to illustrate this variation by examining and contrasting some of the very unique styles of jazz, as well as the people behind the music. Within these pages, we will examine the Swing era represented by the performance of â€Å"Begin the Beguine† from Artie Shaw’s Orchestra with the Bossa Nova sound of â€Å"Desafinado† composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim. During this investigation we will see how two very different people from very different eras and styles both enjoyed commercial success under the big tent of Jazz music, as the highly organized sound of the big band era slowly gave way to newer styles that encouraged freedom in creativity by the soloists.

Own story Essay

It is often difficult to tell your own story, as you do not know where to start. It takes a lot of determination for every individual to take up responsibilities as well as responsible decisions in life. There comes a time in every individual’s life when they are confronted with oppositions from all sides, from relatives, well-wishers and from people who do not want them to do well in life. It is only when an individual overcomes these oppositions, and does in life, that which (s)he always wanted to do, that the individual experiences satisfaction and pleasure in narrating her/his story. I feel happy to narrate my story, purely because I have always followed my dream. Literature is a subject that I have loved from the age of fourteen and continue to do so. This passion for my subject is what encouraged me to take up literature for my graduation and the only bit of support that I had in doing so was that which I received from my parents. Being born into a family full of conservative science graduates who were ready to accept nothing but positivism, I had to face resistance, a mighty lot of it. My high grades in English language at National level school examinations were not at all impressive to most of the people who were ‘truly concerned’ about my future. Nevertheless, the unrelenting support that I received from my parents was the main factor that gave me strength to face this resistance. Hence, I pursued my dream, leaving behind all the grumblings of discontent from my well-wishers and entered my beloved classroom in one of the most prestigious colleges of my State. It is in this classroom that I discovered that I had taken the right decision after all, and started loving my subject even more. Having a military background often helps people to cultivate various qualities like punctuality and a temper that can never stand non-sense. They are the people who get an opportunity to travel a lot in their childhood and this further helps them to communicate easily and express themselves without any ambiguity. Since my father served as a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, I was fortunate enough to meet many kinds of people from various backgrounds, could make friends easily and could communicate effectively. These communication skills helped me a great deal with my academics and contributed to my success as a student, as proven by the position I hold in the class rank list. Education is empowerment and every individual has a right to this empowerment. Bias and prejudices based on caste, creed and poverty should never come in the way of this empowerment. Children should never be denied the right to education, merely because their parents cannot afford to send them to nice educational institutions. Keeping this view in mind, I signed up in Make A Difference charity organization, which helps to teach under privileged children important subjects like English, Computer Science and Placements. I have enrolled as an English teaching volunteer and this organization aims at teaching the Cambridge syllabus for English, that which is taught in most of the International Schools in the country. As a volunteer, I would like to give these children the best as they have an equal right to education. The urge to become independent is usually a driving force when it comes to youngsters seeking employment. This urge, combined with a desire to be of financial help to my family is what led me to register at www. asiawriters. com. Writing is a boon given by God and at the same time, it is a talent that I have cultivated since childhood. I wanted to take maximum advantage of my talent in order to pursue my career as a freelance journalist. That is why, today, at the age of eighteen, I find myself writing this article. With the very little experience that I have in life and with acknowledging the fact that I am only a student, who recently completed her 1st year BA English Literature, I can say that this is my story. The above-mentioned reasons have made me what I am today and although I am aware of the fact that I am a very young girl, I feel happy at having realized my dream. It was always my dream to learn literature and I have always dreamt of writing. Today I feel that I have accomplished something.

Reflection Paper Accounting Essay

Accounting to me is challenge as a whole; it is a good subject to learn because accounting knowledge is always in demand. So far, I am on a good path learning the basics of accounting. I’ve learned how accounting affects business and how it allows organizations to identify cash inflows and outflows. This accounting course provided me a great opportunity to understand the various important aspects of accounting that I believe will be helpful in my future practical life. I need to begin my own particular business in future for that it’s important to have great knowledge of Financial and Managerial Accounting. This course has helped me to comprehend numerous essential ideas of accounting. This knowledge is going to help me to comprehend and investigate financial statements and will empower me to take great business choices in view of accounting data. The following is the rundown of what I have realized and can detract from this course. Chapter 01 After reading the first chapter, I learned that who are the stakeholders or users of the accounting information. I get found out about different organizations like AICPA, FASB and so on impacting the foundation of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for businesses or governmental organizations. I comprehend the significance of morals and accounting gauges like IFRS. While learning different sort of business I become more acquainted with vital idea of accounting i.e. the business entity idea. Most critical thing I adapted in this chapter is accounting ideas and principles. I get to Introduced to assets, liabilities, stock holders equity and imperative financial statements. Chapter 02 Chapter 02 gave insights about strides in recording posting the effects of the business transactions. They are different assets and liabilities records utilized for recoding the exchange as a part of journal, t-records and ledger. Here I learned different strides of accounting cycle beginning from breaking down the transactions by looking at source documents. I found out about get ready trial balance from ledger and amending trial balance errors. Double-entry procedure is utilized which oblige that every exchange be recorded by an entry that has equivalent debits and credits. Resource  records will regularly have charge balances and obligation records will typically have credit balances. I comprehend that records are of two sorts genuine (Balance Sheet accounts) & ostensible (income statement accounts). Chapter 03 After completing the Chapter 03, I am able to understand the adjusting processes of the financial statements for given period in light of trial balance or ledger entries. Here I adapted imperative idea of accrual basis of accounting. In accrual basis of accounting revenues are perceived when they are earned and expenses are perceived when they are really caused to deliver income. Where as in cash basis of revenues and expenses are perceived when cash is gotten and paid separately. Records are balanced so that income statement reports fitting income or cost and to make the balance sheet report the best possible resource or risk. Matching rule obliges that matching of expenses and revenues to introduce a precise photo of the profitability of a business. Adjusting entries are of two sorts deferred and gathered things. In the wake of passing adjusting entries balanced trial balance is readied. Chapter 4 Chapter 04 explained about use of work sheet facilitate the completion of the accounting cycle. The work sheet is a columnar sheet of paper or a computer spreadsheet on which accountants summarize information needed to make the adjusting and closing entries and to prepare the financial statements. Important Steps in competing accounting cycles are preparing adjusted trial balance after posting adjustment entries, Extend adjusted balances of from the Adjusted Trial Balance columns to the Income statement, Statement of retained earnings and Balance sheet. Here I learn important ratios i.e. current ratio and debt ratio. Current ratio specifies company’s ability to pay its short-term obligations. Chapter 05 In chapter 05, I learned different imperative parts of merchandise transactions and there recording. I found out about contra accounts Sales Returns and Allowances account, Sales Discounts account, purchase returns and Allowances account and Purchase Discounts account. Two sorts of  inventory processed took after i.e. perpetual inventory system and periodic inventory technique both having their own particular benefits and negative marks and ought to be utilized according to the need of specific business. Presently computerization as encouraged numerous firms to utilize perpetual inventory method for instance it has get to be economical for some retail locations to utilize perpetual inventory methodology notwithstanding for products of low unit value, for example, goods. Chapter 06 Chapter 06 discusses the diverse methods of inventory accounting i.e. FIFO method, LIFO method and Average cost method. All have diverse merits and negative marks under distinctive situations. For e.g. the merits of FIFO methods are-(1) Easy application, (2) the expected flow of costs relates with the ordinary physical flow of goods and (3) the balance sheet sum for inventory is liable to surmise the current market and so on. Burdens of FIFO can be – amid continually rising prices FIFO can offer ascent to paper profits. Amid times of rising prices, FIFO makes higher net income since the costs charged to cost of goods sold are lower. However LIFO expect that the costs of the latest purchases are the first costs charged to cost of goods sold. Net income is generally lower under LIFO since the costs charged to cost of goods sold are higher because of inflation. Chapter 07 Chapter 07 underlines the significance of having effective internal controls in every business. Inability to implement adequate internal controls can bring about frauds or robberies. Organizations ensure their benefits by different internal control procedures like – segregating employee duties, assigning specific duties to each employee, rotating employee job assignments, and using mechanical devices etc. Five components of internal control are Control environment, Risk assessment, Control activities, Information and communication and Monitoring. Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed. The Act was passed as one aftereffect of the huge misfortunes to the employees and investors from accounting fraud circumstances including organizations, for example, Enron and WorldCom. I figure out how to build up internal control through control of cash receipts and cash distributions, fitting utilization of the bank checking account, readiness of the bank reconciliation, and protection of petty cash funds. Conclusion Accounting is an important factor in any business; large or small. If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know the financial health of your business. In later chapters I found out about different sort fixed assets like Property, Plant & equipment and depreciation methods like Straight-line method, units-of-production method and double-Accelerated declining-balance (DDB) method and so forth. Depreciation is the measure of plant resource cost distributed to every accounting period profiting from the plant resource’s utilization. Depreciation is a procedure of portion, not valuation. Land is considered to have an unlimited life and is in this way not depreciable. On the other hand, land improvements brief landscaping, parking lots and so on are connections to the land they have limited lives and thusly are depreciable. For Natural resources rather than depreciation we utilize consumption. Consumption is the fatigue that outcomes from the physical evacuation of a piece of a natural asset. While for intangible assets Amortization is utilized. Amortization is the systematic write-off of the cost of an intangible resource for cost. Goodwill is an intangible value connected to a business, confirm by the capacity to gain preferable return on investment over that earned by competitors in the same industry. I struggle with the accrual accounting only because I have never used this method on either a personal or business related level. In fact, this accounting course made me capable of establishing my own business.