The Honor Code

This course will survey the significant events, personalities, and changes in military affairs that occurred between the colonial period and the present day. Students are expected to grasp complex theories and ideas pertaining to the interpretation of American Military History. Requirements: Students are required to attend all classes and are expected to keep up with the assigned readings. Students are also expected to submit four graded writing assignments and participate on four discussion days.Finally, each student is expected to complete an in-class mid-term and a final examination held during the University's prescribed examination day. Grade Breakdown: Writing Assignments: 30% (1 0% each) Final Project: 15% Participation: 5% Mid-term: 25% Final Exam: 25% Writing assignments: Students will submit three typed response papers, each 3-5 pages (750 to 1,200 words) in length, in response to three assigned books. These assignments are due on February 3, March 3, and April 7. They will be in response to J. K.Martin's and Edward Lenders A Respectable Army, Perry Gaminess's and Grady Machinery's Attack and Die, and Robert Lessee's Helmet for My Pillow. TO receive a high grade, each student must demonstrate four things: First, each student must concisely and accurately explain the book's central argument. Since Lessee's book is a memoir, there will not be an argument as such, but a central theme. Identify the central theme. ) State the thesis clearly in the first paragraph. Second, each student must summarize the evidence or examples utilized by the author.Third, each student must offer an analytical critique of the book. (This means critiquing the scholarship, not the author's writing style). Fourth, students must cite their sources, and to do this, they must use footnotes or endnotes. (For assistance in the proper format, see http://press. Chicago. Deed/books/turban/ turban_acidification. HTML. ) Emailed papers will not be accepted. Late papers will not be accepte d except in the case of emergencies, and in case of those emergencies, students must provide proof that the emergency situation occurred.Final Project. On April 28, students will submit a final project paper, 7-10 pages (1 , 750 to 2,500 words) in length. Read the final book assigned to this course, Craig Mulligan's The Unforgiving Minute, and write a critical review of it. Adhere to the guidelines described in the section on ‘Wavering assignments. † However, in explaining Analyses argument, your final project must do two additional things. First, it must clearly define the â€Å"unforgiving minute. † What did Manually mean by this phrase?Second, this paper must identify, in your own opinion, the five most important moments in Analyses military education. What five moments most well-prepared him for combat? Students must appropriately cite their sources. (Use the Chicago Manual of Style-?see http://press. Chicago. Deed/books/TU proper citation format. ) Emailed pa pers will not be accepted. Late papers will not be accepted. Participation: On February 3, March 3, April 7, and April 28, students are expected to have read the books assigned for those days.They are expected to participate in an informal discussion of the material with their classmates and instructor. Non-participation in these discussions may result in a 0% for each students participation grade. Mid-term: On March 5, students will take an in-class mid-term. Students must bring a blue book to class to submit their response. Responses not written in a blue book will not be accepted. Anal: Students will take a final examination on April 30. Students must bring a blue book to the exam to submit their response. Responses not written in a lee book will not be accepted.Final Grades: Final Grades are earned according to the following point system. A Conduct: Students should remain courteous and respectful at all times. Students must also adhere to the University's principles of academic integrity-?the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. All students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course.Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: cheating, popularizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Old Dominion University adheres to an Honor Code. The Honor Code applies to all work done for this class. Any violation of the code, even one as minor as the accidental omission of quotation marks, will result in a failing grade for the assignment in question.Plagiarism in any form is not acceptable. Any student who violates the rules specified below will receive a zero for the assignment in question, perhaps a failing grade for the course, and may be subject to disciplinary action by the university. For more information, please consult: http://al. Odd. Deed/al/ resources/undergrad. SHTML. 1 What is plagiarism? Old Dominion's Catalog defines plagiarism as follows: â€Å"A student will have committed plagiarism if he or she reproduces someone else's work without acknowledging its source; or if a source is cited which the student has not cited or used.Examples of plagiarism include: submitting a research paper obtained from a commercial research service, the Internet, or from another student as if it were original work; making simple changes to borrowed materials while leaving the organization, content, or phraseology intact; or copying material from a source, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out quotation marks. Plagiarism also occurs in a group projec t if one or more of the members of the group does none of the group's work and participates in none of the group's activities, but attempts to take credit for the work Of the group. † 2)Hints for Avoiding Plagiarism: a) More than three words copied in sequence is plagiarism. This is ordinarily a good yardstick to use when wondering whether or not quotes are appropriate; they are, if you are copying more than three words in sequence that are not part of a common phrase (e. G. â€Å"up-to-date†). B) When in doubt, cite! If you have any doubt about whether or not to cite a source, err on the side of making the attribution. C) Look away. When you are writing, do not have open books or papers in front of you as you type. Read your sources, and then put what you have read into your own words. Avoid Internet sources. The Internet is a fantastic resource and search engines are terrific research tools. But what you find on the Internet was written by someone; it is their intelle ctual property. Also, when it comes to history, many internet sites can factually incorrect. There is no supervision to prevent amateurs from posting erroneous interpretations of history. If you absolutely must cite Internet web sites, you must cite the web address, and if you use a quote, use appropriate quotation procedures. E) Paraphrasing is more than changing a verb tense or reordering a list.Essentially, paraphrasing is used to summarize another author's text. A paraphrased passage must be cited. F) Use a Style Guide. Purchase a style guide and refer to it. Your instructor may suggest one that is specific to an academic discipline. You may also ask a reference librarian for recommendations. 3) The High Cost of Plagiarism: Plagiarism can ruin your reputation and cost you your professional career, along with the respect of your peers. Plagiarism at Old Dominion University is an act of academic dishonesty that has serious consequences.Note that plagiarism is pacifically covered i n the Old Dominion Honor Pledge. Refer to the Student Handbook and the Office of Student Affairs for details about sanctions and penalties for this behavior. Disability Access Statement: Old Dominion University encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by university policy or by state or federal authorities.

Glutten Free, Sugar Free, Low Carb Cake Balls Essay

So have you ever been to a party where there were cake balls and they were so good that you couldn’t stop eating them? Well I have and I know that I don’t like how I feel after I eat all of them. After going to a couple of different parties where these addicting treats were present I decided that I needed to find a way to make them better for you while still maintaining there amazing great taste. So I did some research with my kid sister and we found the perfect recipe. This amazing recipe is gluten free, sugar free, and it is also low carb. Today I’m going to inform you on how to make this fabulous batch of cake balls, which is set to make fifty. a. First I will tell you the differences in a batch of cake balls from a box cake and the healthy cake balls I’m going to give you. i. First a box of cake mix is already mixed and ready to go not much of a hassle to make, but the healthy cake balls require you to mix a bunch of different ingredients together. While it is time consuming if your making them with a friend or with your family members then it would be a great way to bond and talk. Second the texture of the healthy cake balls is sort of rough because there is applesauce in it and a regular cake mix is going to be smooth and â€Å"normal†. b. The second thing that I’m going to inform you on is how to make the cake balls. i. First you need to make sure you have all your ingredients 1. Ingredients such as almond flour, unsweetened coco powder, sea salt, baking powder, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, raspberry fruit spread (no sugar added) ii. Next you have to pre-heat the oven to 350 °. You also need to have a 13Ãâ€"9-baking pan to put the cake mix to place in the oven. You then have to combine all your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, and in a medium bowl mix together all your wet ingredients. iv. After you have mixed the dry and wet ingredients separately slowly mix them together into the large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined. Then pour into the baking pan. v. Once the cake has baked for roughly thirty-five minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean) let the cake cool off completely before you crumble the cake into a large bowl and mash the raspberry spread. Now that you know how to make the mix for cake balls you just have to form them and add a candy coating. i. Once the mixture is completely mixed take it and start making one-inch balls then put a lolli stick in it. ii. The candy coating is just an unsweetened 100% Cacao chocolate baking bar melted with vanilla extract. All you have to do is simply dip the stick into the melted chocolate (or your choice of flavor) III. Conclusion: Now that you know how to make healthy gluten and sugar free, low carb cake balls, you can be the one to bring them to parties and share the recipe.

!0 Tips for Excelling at a Job Interview Essay

1. Be prepared. Try to find out enough information about the employer, the company and the position you are applying for. Going into an interview not knowing anything will be an unpleasant surprise for you2. Be on time for the interview. This shows the employer that you are serious, dedicated and you’re punctuality is on point. This will make the employer have more interest in you 3. Make sure that you’re resume is believable an up to date. Include previous experiences in any type of work field. Extreme lies on you’re resume will be obvious and will ruin you’re chances of even getting the job. 4. Show confidence and try not to show signs of nervousness. Proving that you can compose yourself I a well manner under pressure is a great characteristic which will give the employer positive thoughts about you. 5. Don’t act like a know-it-all because no one knows it all. If you act like you know everything, this will make the employer feel like you can cause many conflicts in the workplace. If you don’t know how to answer a question, don’t make things up to sound good; most likely you will sound dumb. Just ask for a clearer explanation on the question and try your best to answer it. 6. When the employer is trying to speak, don’t cut them off. Try using your listening skills more than speaking to make yourself seen attentive and focused. This may be your interview but whatever the interviewer has to say to you is way more important than you blabbering away. 7. Have respect and show manners. Don’t chew gum or any type of food like substance during the interview. That can be very distracting and rude to the interviewer. 8. Refrain from trying to suck up to your interviewer. You don’t know them that well yet, nor do they know you well. Being too extravagant in an interview is never flattering and rather more annoying, pushy and desperate. They will most definitely not think you are the best fit for the job. 9. Keep eye contact with your interviewer to show the connection and interest in what you want to accomplish in the interview. This will also show that you actually care and make the interviewer believe that you are an alert and observant employee. 10. Please be sure to be yourself! Acting like somebody you’re not will get you little to nowhere if you get the job. When you are working, you won’t want to constantly act like something you’re not. To prevent that from happening, from the jump-start, show your true colors and personality. You’ll be surprised, many people will like you more if you be true to yourself.

Curriculum and course design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Curriculum and course design - Research Paper Example Too Much Data 7 3.1.1.What Could Be Done? 7 3.2. Too Many Exercises 8 3.2.1.What Could Be Done? 8 3.3. Availability of Answer Key 8 3.3.1.What Could Be Done? 8 3.4.Vocabulary List 8 3.4.1.What Could Be Done? 8 3.5.Daily Mini Diary 9 3.5.1.What Could Be Done? 9 4.Good Class Room Material 9 4.1. Informative and Authentic Reading Material 9 4.2. Computer and Internet 10 4.3.Worksheets and Quizzes 10 4.4.Creative Exercises 10 5. Conclusion 10 1. Introduction Robert Burshfield (author of the book: ‘Unlocking the English Language’) believes: "Any literate, educated person on the face of the globe is deprived, if he does not know English". English, being the language which is most widely published and spoken by more than 250 to 350 million non-native speakers, is now the prerequisite for anyone to consider himself as part of the new concept of globalization. Having an international recognition it is the most commonly spoken and used language as compared to any other colonial la nguages like French, Spanish, etc. In Asian countries like Indian, with variety of languages, English is commonly used as a source to unite them. As a medium of language in schools, court of law, newspaper and other electronic media, it is spoken and written in India, more than in England itself. Having more than 508 million speakers across the globe, English is not used as world language due to number of its speakers but because it is widely used as the foreign or secondary language outside its native areas. This importance of English as a global language, initiated the concept of making it an entire course added as a part to the curriculum of schools across the globe. The course dose not only provide value addition in form another language to the learner but also opens new broad horizons to better understanding of English culture, heritage and civilization. Taking into account the importance of English language, it is concluded that this course is very beneficial to students in se condary school, who do have some previous knowledge of English but lack the full command on it as a language. The benefits will be further highlighted in the report. There is room for some suggestions to further improve the course content which would also be covered as part of the report. 2. Usefulness of Course – A Critical Analysis 2.1. Global Benefits 2.1.1. Jobs and Career As we talked about the new emerging concept of globalization, in the above introductory paragraph, we identify that English language enjoys the recognition of an international language used as a common medium of communication among people from various cultures. The audience of the course is Secondary School entry level students, who in later stage will be required to relocate globally for the purpose of education, jobs, etc. When required to work in diverse cultures, having acquired a command on an international language, they will possess a value addition tool that will help them gain a competitive edg e in their field. They will be preferred over students who lack the element of a common language that is used across the organization in any multinational. 2.1.2. Education In the field of education, globally every university or high school offers courses having English as primary language for instructions. The students having good command in this language will feel more comfortable while selecting their course and will have a more diverse variety of options for selection.

TMA 01 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TMA 01 - Essay Example It is a high performing organization with growing international business opportunities and it operates by both global and domestic markets by more than 32 % market share and it has more than 2000 stores only in UK. To analyze the business environment of Tesco, I here use SWOT analysis to examine factors that influence Tesco PLC’s business environment. SWOT analysis is an important part of strategic management and planning. It provides a keen observation in to both internal and external environment of a firm. Environmental factors internal to the firm can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Tesco’s strengths are its resources and potential that can be used as means for establishing and developing competitive advantages. Tesco has a strong brand name that serves to be great market strength and it enjoys the marketing advantages. The brand loyalty of Tesco created through advertisements and customer oriented activities seems to be a strong defender for any sorts of competition from other firms within the industry. The reputation that Tesco has been able to create among their customers, results in a market of its own and it seems to be an asset as it attracts more customers further yet. A general weakness of Tesco is its lack of access to the best distribution channels as it faces difficulty to access best manufactures due to the distance and other problems. As compared to other large retailers and groceries within the UK market, Tesco should focus more on online shopping. Online shopping is becoming as the most convenient shopping method for most of the public as it needs less time for shopping and relatively less to be paid. Tesco can attract more customers through online shopping and any sort of advanced loyalty card strategies. Like other business firms, Tesco as well feels difficult to get access in to manufactures that are completely free from

Figurative language versus literal language Essay - 1

Figurative language versus literal language - Essay Example Analogy is an inference conveyed from one person to another. It is essential in solving problems (Saeed, 2003). For example, the statement ‘I feel like a fish out of water’ means that a person is not at ease in the situation. The example fits where a person is not conversant with his setting. The example may be misunderstood communicating with a person with low intellect. A metaphor refers to a figure of speech that explains a matter by declaring that it is, when compared, similar with a distinct thing. For example, ‘success is a sense of achievement, it is not an illegitimate child’ is a statement employed to support the view that people want to be accredited for a successful situation through effort or coincidence, and reject it when it fails (Crystal, 1997). The example is significant when developing a project and it may be misunderstood after the outcome of a situation. A simile is an expression that precisely compares dissimilar components, frequently by using ‘as or like’ (Jackendoff, 1997). For example, ‘cute as a kitten’ may be used to compare the similarities between a person’s appearance and a kitten’s appearance. The example may be used to describe a child. It may be misunderstood when explaining behavior or physical appearance. A clichà © is a figure of speech that begins with an intelligent statement that turns out to be familiar. It highlights an idea or action which is predictable or expected on the basis of a previous happening (Crystal, 1997). For example, ‘time will tell’. This asserts there will be a revelation over time. It is appropriate when a person is keeping secrets. The example may lead to a misunderstanding during a translation. Amphiboly is a confusing grammatical composition within an extremely brief conversation or sentence (Jackendoff, 1997). For example, ‘teenagers should not be permitted to party. It is becoming unsafe on the streets’. The example is appropriate where adults are

Ischaemic heart disease is epidemic within western cultures Essay

Ischaemic heart disease is epidemic within western cultures - Essay Example The heart consists of 4 chambers: an atrium and a ventricle on the right, and an atrium and a ventricle on the left. Blood returning to the heart from veins all over the body flows into the right atrium, then blood flows into the right ventricle which pumps it out to the lungs for oxygenation of the blood. This oxygenated blood returns to the left atrium and then flows into the left ventricle, which pumps it at high pressure into the arteries, including the coronary arteries. The strength of the heart muscle (myocardium) depends on the oxygen and nutrient supply coming via the coronary arteries. The walls of these arteries are strong, elastic and flexible. The myocardium is supplied by 3 major coronary arteries. Two of them arise from a common stem, called left coronary artery which supplies the left side of the heart. Its left anterior descending (LAD) branch supplies the front part of the heart, while the left circumflex (LCX) branch supplies the left lateral and back side of the heart. The right coronary artery (RCA) is separate and supplies the right and the bottom parts of the heart. [2] The inner lining layer of the coronary arteries is quite smooth allowing blood to flow easily. With aging, cholesterol and calcium content in the walls of the coronary arteries increases, making them thickened and less elastic. The prolonged effect of risk factors with the consequence of aging, endothelial dysfunction becomes predominant, especially in the coronary arteries. Unhealthy habits, such as a diet rich in cholesterol and other fats, smoking and lack of physical activity accelerate the deposit of cholesterol, fatty compounds, calcium, and a blood clotting material called fibrin within the inner lining of coronary arteries. This process is known as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The deposits, or plaques, may increase in size and block the arteries. If blockage is partial it causes chest pain

Product Formulation Portfolio; Evaluation pro-forma 5 (PFPE5) Essay

Product Formulation Portfolio; Evaluation pro-forma 5 (PFPE5) - Essay Example is critically important because Acetyl Chloride is a poisonous chemical and the amount used in the preparation of Aspirin should not exceed the maximum concentration allowed in human consumption products (3). On the other hand, the amount of Acetyl Chloride used is sufficient enough to make salicylic acid the limiting agent (1). For instance, since the reaction is reversible, the presence of excess Acetyl Chloride will force the equilibrium towards the production of the desired end product (Aspirin). The 5 drops of pyridine used are sufficient to neutralize the resulting hydrochloric acid without making the solution basic while at the same time acting as a catalyst for the reaction(4). This is because Pyridine is a base catalyst that plays the dual role of being a catalyst and a neutralizing agent at the same time. Additionally, the use of many drops of pyridine justified because pyridine as a base catalysts is less reactive than most acid catalysts such as 85% Phosphoric acid and, therefore, a greater volume of the ingredient may be required for the reaction to be effectively catalysed. Both the two methods involve acetylation salicylic acid to produce aspirin (acetylsalicylic Acid). However, despite the remarkable similarities between the process of making aspirin using the new formula and the mechanism used in the old formula, the main difference between the two distinct processes is that the leaving group in the new process is a chloride ion as opposed to the acetate ion in the old process. On the other hand, the by-product of the overall process is hydrochloric acid while the old process produces acetic acid as a by product

Politics of war extra Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Politics of war extra - Essay Example The Captain of the Chesapeake refused to be boarded and the ship was fired upon by the Leopard; as a result, about three men of the Chesapeake were killed and 18 were wounded. The Captain then gave in to the inspection, whereupon, four members of the crew who were allegedly deserters were removed from the Chesapeake. When the maimed Chesapeake later returned to Norfolk, outrage from across the country was expressed by the American people. As a result, â€Å"American opinion not only supported, but demanded war† (Coles, p. 7). The present international laws and regulations on war were not in place in the 1800s. The existing international and legal policies surrounding the declaration of war during the 1800s lay in each state’s right to exist and declare war. â€Å"In the United States, it is confided to the federal legislature where it resides with the people and is retained by them as a portion of sovereign power; it must be exercised by them in their collective capacity as provided by constitutional law†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Halleck, p. 351). On June 4th 1812, President James Madison asked the Congress to declare war; the latter immediately approved Madison’s proposal. After much debate, and only by six votes, the Senate also approved Madison’s proposal (Katcher, et.al., p. 3). Based on this approved process of declaring war existing at such time, the War of 1812 is considered legal. The primary causes of the War of 1812 are the policies of impressment and trade imposed by the British Empire. Impressment subjected British subjects to compulsory military service and in service to the war being fought by the British Empire against Napoleon Bonaparte. Many British subjects who did not want to serve in the British military found work in many of the US ships and other American workplaces. Some Americans were also illegally impressed into service by the British military. This angered many Americans. Due

Personal Fitness Notes Essay Example for Free

Personal Fitness Notes Essay †¢Why did you initially choose this diet? I chose this diet because it was recommended by a close friend of mines, who was also having trouble with his weight. I told me that the meals provided in the diet were really delicious and he was seeing an improvement. So I decided to give it a try. †¢What is the basic premise of this diet/eating plan? The premise of the diet was to help me lose weight with entrees and snacks that contained not so much calories. †¢What were two positive aspects of the diet? The positive aspects of the diet were that the food, which was sold as frozen entrees in supermarkets, was in fact amazing. †¢Were there any downsides to the diet plan? Explain. †¢Did you have success on this diet? I saw moderate success. It didn’t help me lose as much weight as I desired (I wanted to lose 50 pounds or more) but at least I shedded off a couple of pounds. †¢Are you still on the diet plan? I am not on the diet pan as of now. †¢Have you maintained your weight loss? Yes I have. I used to weigh 190 pounds and I’m at 173. †¢Do you feel the diet is safe? Why or why not? The diet is pretty safe because the caloric intake values are pretty decent and the meals are cost efficient. †¢Did you exercise while on the diet? I exercised here and there. I would go running a few times as well as bicycling. †¢Would you follow this diet plan again? Maybe, in the near future. Tell us what you think about the diet used by your interviewee. Explain your thoughts in a reflection paragraph. Compare the diet plan used by the interviewee with the Long Haul Approach that was explained earlier in the course. Which plan would you determine to be better? Please explain your choice. I think the diet was okay because she was able to purchase the meals for a low price instead of those other expensive diets. The Long Haul Approach would be a better diet since she didn’t exercise daily while on it. I believe that’s the reason why she didn’t lose as much weight she wanted to in the first place. The Long Haul Approach would’ve been a much more effective diet for her.

Pepsi marketing plan and business strategy

Pepsi marketing plan and business strategy As a student of strategic marketing, we have asked to make a marketing plan for an organization along with its relation to overall business strategy. For this purpose we have chose PEPSI and we shall be discussing its operations in Pakistan, PEPSI has been market leader in beverage industry since its launch in Pakistan but bow a major threat is been faces by aggressive marketing strategies by Coke. In the below mentioned lines we shall be discussing the marketing strategies to overcome such challenges. Marketing Plan Business Strategy Marketing plan and business strategy are two different things, business strategy or organizational objectives give the direction that where this organization will be going and how we are going to do business, in this sense business objectives play the role of very fundamental principles upon which all the departments establish their operational guidelines. On the other hand marketing plan is the tool to achieve the business objectives, while business objective tells what we are going to do marketing plan tells how we are going to do that. This makes a clear relationship between marketing plan and business strategy, where business strategy plays the role of guiding arrows (Wison, Gilligan, 1999). Since there are different kinds of business strategies, three of them are more popular, cost leadership, differentiation and focus. Keeping this in mind there will be different marketing plans if different organizations within the same industry opt for different business strategies. Competitor form same industry may have different business strategy thus their marketing plan will differ. Where ever a marketing plan is made it should have a clear understanding and link with business strategy otherwise organization will be going in one direction and marketing department will be going in other direction resulting in complete failure (Aaker, 2008). Components of a Marketing Plan A good marketing plan can have several components, ranging from industry analysis to media plan; however it depends from industry to industry and product to product that what a marketing plan should include, it also depends on the problem at hand and urgency of the requirement. However below are few components that marketing should in normal circumstanced, addition and subtraction is dependent on the situation. Company Analysis Company analysis gives the information about the current situation of organization, it comments of strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in front of the company, for this purpose SWOT analysis is always a good tool to work with, BCG Matrix is also and good tool to judge the performance of company. Going more deep marketing plan can also or marketing audit report to judge the current performance of marketing department and then also suggest the ways to improve it, there are many tools available to do so, details which is not required here. Industry Analysis Industry analysis provides the information about the overall industry environment, its dynamics and level of competition. To have this information PEST and Porters five forces model are widely used tools to get birds eye view about the industry. Customer Information This is a high importance, risky and tricky part, it gives basic information about customers, their liking disliking, values, decision making behaviors, demographics and consuming patterns of the product. All this information is later used in construction of marketing plan, and it is also the basic brick for the segmentation part, If we as marketer fail to know the customer properly, total marketing plan will lead to wrong decision making. Competitor Analysis This part also has a relatively high importance, gives the information about competitors, their strengths, weaknesses, competitive edge, business strategy, value proposition, positioning and product features, customers opinions about competitors and their marketing mix analysis. Having the correct information about competitor, which is not always an easy this to do, can give you a clear understanding of current market situation and also helps in making better strategically moves. Segmentation One of the most important and risky part of marketing plan is segmentation, after getting the customer analysis done via detailed marketing research, market is divided into heterogeneous segments, thats where company can make the mistake, since rest of the marketing mix is dependent of the segmentation, it has be to be done very carefully, any misinterpretation of the information can lead any component of the marketing mix towards wrong direction. 2nd step in after segmentation is segment selection and making of marketing strategy, there are different approaches towards selection of selection, one, more or all segments can be selected for the target, and different marketing mix are made for each segment. Marketing Mix Product This includes the product description, its working, its brand name and positioning, its value proposition, how it is better than competitors product, and what advantages it gives to customer for increasing their value for money. What image we want to produce regarding product in customers mind. This may also include its packaging information and various packaging options can be given in this part. Price This part deals with the pricing of the product, how we are going to price that product, what is the relationship of price with overall positioning, how is price is going to be perceived, what are the discount offering and how we are going to bundle the price, these are questions that may be answered in this section. Place This deals with channel of distribution, what channel is to be acquired, how we are going to handle intermediaries, what role whole seller and retailer will be playing the distribution of the product, where we are going open outlets, what is the criteria of outlet selection, what convenience we are going to give to customer and how we are going to make the availability of the product. Promotion This part deals with actually promoting the product, this should discuss the sales promotion offers, long term or short term promotional strategies, integrated marketing communication strategies, media selection and its relationship with target market. Reach and effectiveness of each medium selected. A brief media plan can also accompany this section. Marketing Plan and Risks There are several risk that one can face while constructing the marketing plan, one of the risk is lack of required information, we need information from within company, we need information from industry and most importantly we need information from our competitors, this amount of information is not readily available, some time it is really hard to get secondary data, while have not sufficient information it is risky to make critical decision and that puts the entire marketing plan on stake. One another aspect of risk is the correctness and validity of information, secondary data is a good source but at the same time it is a risky proposition to make your decision on the basis of the information which is doubted to be valid. The above mentioned both risk deals with industry information as well as competitor information. One another risk is also there which is lack of understanding of information, that mainly deals with the customer analysis part and affects the segmentation that in result affects the entire marketing mix, misunderstanding the research or taking the research into wrong direction are main reasons with this. The final risk is the lack of managements consent on the marketing plan, in some cases marketing department works in on direction and entire company works in other direction, this risk also deals with non-compliance of marketing plan with business objectives. Marketing Plan-PEPSI PEPSI has been the market leader in cola industry in Pakistan, here their business strategy is low cost leadership, below presented marketing plan is made keeping in mind the business strategy. Company Analysis PEPSI has been the market leader in beverage industry in Pakistan; it has gained this position by leveraging first movers advantage and then maintained this position with its aggressive marketing and channel management techniques. Its strengths are a well established brand name, a well managed distribution channel, and strong financial backing. Its weakness are inability to cope with local beverage producers as they take them lightly and now they are becoming a threat, more over cokes aggressive marketing is also a threat to PEPSI. Industry Analysis Beverage industry in Pakistan has been a highly competitive industry since the emergence of other player like Coke and some local manufacturers. With almost zero switching cost, relatively very low differentiation in taste and wide variety of available substitutes makes the cola customer very difficult to make brand loyal. Increasing advertising and operational cost along with every day increasing power of retailer making the competition more intense where price and brand is not the only factor which can give them the success. Now the power rests with customer and retailer as there are many substitutes available to cola drink, not only direct substitutes but also indirect substitutes are also available when come to satisfaction of thrust. Customer Analysis Since company has been on mass marketing strategy then everybody is a prospect customer, everybody who gets thirsty is a customer of PEPSI, cola drinks are kind of product which is presented with food and to guests, so the main purpose is not satisfying the thrust but having a little bit more luxury in drinking. Keeping this thing in mind we come to know that cola customer will be using this product on some special occasions like family get together, or having food or presenting it to guests. So at while drinks are not presented in original bottle customer will be less brand concisions. Pakistani market is always been price sensitive, so is the case with cola. However it is highly affected by the availability factor. Competitor Analysis This is highly competitive market, with more substitutes and zero switching costs. During the last decade Coke has been a tough competitor for PEPSI, with its aggressive marketing campaigns, increasing and aggressive channel of distribution and a good positioning coke is emerging a well established widely accepted and preferred brand especially in metropolitan cities. Another emerging competitor is a local producer which is not really a major threat for PEPSI but yes it has all the capabilities required to become and major competitor, its brand name is Gourmet Cola, a private brand of a local bakery chain, this chain is getting being widely accepted in metropolitan and its growing like anything Segment Selections Apparently there are not much difference in the customer of cola, the same taste is accepted everywhere in the some variation, there is a minor segment which is diet conscious and want a zero calorie cola drink. If we talk about the segment selection then company should go for and its has been going for mass marking, standard marketing mix for everyone, for diet conscious customers diet Pepsi should be introduced. Right now we shall be talking about standard cola drink and its marketing. Marketing Mix Product The product is a standard cola drink, that satisfies the need of thrust and more it works a drink to be presented with the food and on get together occasions. It is positioned as a drink which relates to personal achievement, its focus will be I being the personal achievement. It will be positioned as drink of youth, the drink of successful youth. The element of excitement and emotions will be included in the positioning. It will be presented in various packaging, for example pet bottle, half letter, one litter and 2.5 litters, this packing variation will increase and help its use on various occasions. Price Since it has been a high price competitive industry, price of PEPSI will be kept at par of the industry, some discounts will be introduced in the bulk buying and on one litter and more packaging. Since colas are affected with the push of retailer, good dealer and retailer margins will be given to retailer and distributer, so that they can make sure the availability and push the product, since brand loyal is low in this product, retailer push is always required and helpful in getting the desired results. Channel of Distribution This part is one of the most important parts of the entire marketing plan. Here in Pakistan retailer has the power in the channel more than any other industry, colas has more substitutes, low brand loyalty and zero switching cost, customer will drink whatever cola brand is available on the retail shop, that scenario gives more power to retailer. So we shall be focusing in the improving our strength in retail channel, building the relationships with retailers, making sure the availability and leveraging the exclusivity on retail shops, and giving them more commission so that they can maintain the exclusivity and push the product to customer, once retailer push and exclusivity is achieved there will be no problem with customer to buy the product. Promotion This is another high importance component of marketing plan; more focus will be given on this part as well. PEPSI will focus on building brand and up to some extent brand loyalty among youth by focusing on its positioning and also by maintaining brand recall. More sales promotions will be offered during local occasions like EID etc. followed and good spend on the media especially during the promotional period. Mitigation Strategy There are few elements in plan that are of high risk, one the positioning factor that needs to be handled in a careful manner, the individual success positioning can turn back, on the other hand Cokes positioning is we the family and get together, if positioning can is not handled properly its can be a disaster. The second risky elements is the increasing power of retailers, we are at the same time exploiting the retailer power but on the other hand giving more power to them by adopting push strategy, if more and more power is given to retailer then in the end they will be able to blackmail us on their own conditions. To handle this risk brand should be build so strong that it can generate pull. Plans Relation with Strategic Objective Business strategy is cost leadership, since PEPSI is a market leader is has to maintain its position and at the same time they want to reduce costs. Now if we look at the marketing plan it focuses on the push strategy, building relationships with retailers, giving them incentives for push and winning exclusivity on the retail out lets, if this plan is executed well we can reduce out marketing cost without compromising or even increasing on sales and market share. This plan also suggest that PEPSI should get exclusivity on the large cash and carry retail stores like, METRO, MACRO Hyperstar where customers buy in large quantities, if they are able to do so their marketing cost will decrease and sales will increase noticeably. One can argue that plan also supports the brand building which is an expensive thing to do, I would answer that brand building and getting mindshare is something unavoidable, this is not a luxury spending of marketing budgets but it is in return creates the pull for the brand and pays in the longer run. Agreement and Plan Tracking The success of the plan depends on the total consolidated effort by the entire company that is why managements approval and consent will be required to get whole organization on board. This plan will be presented to all stake holder and if management approves then all other departments will be working on the same direction, for example if management want to cut cost then they are do so with a better management of supply chain, similarly other departments will have their roles to play in achievement of strategic objectives. Success of the plan will be tracked at every execution step with continuously monitoring, on the brand side studies will be conducted to monitor the achievement of brand related targets like top of the mind brand recall, retailer relationship management will be monitored that ho successful we have been bringing retailers on boards and winning exclusivity. A relationship of these tracking studies with overall market share and sales will be established that will determine the success of this plan, if problem found and targets are not achieved then strategy will be review and necessary actions will be taken to improve the performance. Conclusion Making a strategic plan is a tricky this, challenge is to keep the department on the track provided the top management while producing the workable and successful solution, at the same time direction of the other stake holders is also required to be in the same direction. While every care is taken even then there are chance that plan is based on some misunderstanding of information required or required information is also not provided, these are the greatest challenges that a strategic marketer has to face. For getting the plan worked a continuous monitoring is required on its execution part. Some very good strategies tend to fail while in execution, that is another care that a strategic marketer has to be careful about.

Private Limited Companies Advantages and Disadvantages

Private Limited Companies Advantages and Disadvantages Financial Accounting Is the information to make decisions related to the organizations, it begins with the principles, concepts, and applications of financial accounting. Financial Accounting follows a set of rules and legislation known as accounting concepts, accounting policies, and procedures like the entity and prepayments. Financial Accounting explains for us what are the financial statements, tells us what are the rules of legislation while they are getting prepared, shows us how the financial accounts are prepared, helps us to understand how the various fields of business work together. It also keeps tracks of companys financial business like the cash flow and cash inflow. It provides stakeholders with official information like for Example: balance sheet account, profit and loss account, trading account. Sole Trader: It is owned by only one person, that has no exact legislation and has one or more employees, their main aim is to make profit. Sole Trader Advantages: They can make decisions easily and quickly Owner can control anything. Less legal formalities. It is simple to set up Sole Trader Disadvantages: Lack of capital. They have to work and think hard because For Example: If the owner is sick, they will not be able to work. Unlimited liability. Partnership: is between 2 to 20 partners or shareholders that works together and easy to setup, the owners share with each other the profits or losses of their business, and their main aim is to make profit. Advantages of a Partnership: It is easy to setup by the deed of partnership More capital is available. There are few paper to work on Disadvantages of a Partnership: Lack of goals to be achieved Unlimited liability Profits have to be divided between the partners Private Limited Company: Is known as ( LTD), it must have one or more director, they do not need a trading diploma, and it offers limited liability to its shareholders but it places certain limits on its ownership. Advantages of Private Limited Company: Limited liability. More serious than the status of a sole trader. Disadvantages of Private Limited Company: The corporation tax has to be paid. Cannot sell shares to public. Public Limited Company: Is known as PLC , its a company whose shares may be purchased by the public and whose share capital is not less than a statutory minimum, and must have minimum 2 directors. Advantages of a Public Limited Company: greater borrowing power the shareholders have limited liability shareholders can sell their shares freely to public Disadvantages of A Public Limited Company: The personal touch may be lost Published accounts have to be prepared Difficult to control and manage Too many legal formalities Clubs: It is the business that is connected from two or more people that has the same goal that they want to achieve. Their main objective is to provide services to the community Charities: It is known as the charities that we know for foundation like Dubai cares. Their main objective is to help other peoples or countries that are unable to pay for their needs and wants. The Advantages of being a Charity The Charity task can provide advice and information to assist a charity administration. Charities are not liable to pay Corporation Tax which is charged on clubs, societies and voluntary organisations. The Disadvantages of Being a Charity Limited rules that are carried on by charities. Trustees are not generally allowed to benefit financially from the charity. Companies Act ( 1985 ) Is the act of the congress of the UK, which will help the companies to register and to set responsibilities of the companies, their secretaries and directors. The act was the instance of consolidation of many other pieces of company legislation, and was one constituent part of the rules governing companies, it was governed by its own articles of relationship. The act is applied only to companies that will form into a legal corporation under it, or under older companys acts. In the act limited liability partnerships, sole traders, and partnerships were not governed by it. Companies Act (1989) Is an act to amend the law relating to the accounts of company, to make new provisions, to amend the companies act 1985 with respect of powers to get information, to create new provision with respect to the registration of charges in the company and to modify the law related to companies, to rephrase the fair trading act 1973, to allow provision to be made. Partnership Act (1890) Its the relation which exists between persons holding on a business in common with the view of profit. No interest is to be charged on drawings. Profits and losses are shared equally among partners. The relation between members of any company like: It is not a partnership within the meaning of this act Registered as a company under the companies act 1862 Rules for Determining Existence of Partnership To determine whether a partnership does or does not exist, you should follow the rules: Joint property, Joint tenancy, tenancy in common, common property, or part ownership does not of itself create a partnership, whether the owners do or do not share any profits made by the use The sharing of gross does not create a partnership, whether the persons sharing returns have or have not a common right or interest in any property Accounting Concepts Business Entity Concepts: It is a separated business and completely different from the owner at that business. It also can be applied to limited business like the charities. The owners personal spending is not recorded in the books at the business. The owners personal transaction appear in the book is when the introductions capital or makes drawings. Materiality: It is a rule which applies to the materials that are not always included in accounting rule; its applied to sole traders, partnership, limited companies, clubs and charities. Going Concern Concepts: It is the statement that business will continue operating in the future except if there a strong evidence or if there a weak evidence, the value is not taken from their break-up value which is the amount that they can sell it in a slow way. In final accounts of a business one of them prepares on the basis that there is no intension to close down the business. Accruals (Matching) Concepts: It is the income that will be received in some trading, lost profit and loss accounts. They should be given out from time to time to be paid. It also allows some people to go against other accounts if the amounts were so small that will be misled, in another words its when we have use something in a period of time. E.g.: bill phone, gas bill, and water bill. Prudence Concepts: It states that the inventory and the profits should not be expected but also included in the profit and loss account. This concept is known as conservation, If we applied this concept ensures that the account present a practical pictures of the state of the business. This concept is applied for making provisions for reduction of debts and stock valuation. Consistency Concepts: It is a way that accounting method uses it to there business, and the business has to keep on using it from time to another. In some areas of accounting a choice of method is available, and when it will be chosen, then they should apply it consistently from years to years. Money Measurement Concepts: It shows the transactions that can be used in monetary terms and in using measuring unit for financial reports. The account at a business only records the information which can be expressed in monetary terms. The value of a good manager that contains loyal work force, high stall morale, will make great benefits to the business. Historical Cost Concepts: It is the account that asset the price and the balance sheet that is based to an original cost when the company require it. Duality (Double Entry) Concepts: It is only one account that is joined together. For every transaction there is aspect in accounting that is made on the basis. A giving and a receiving is known as Dual Concept of all transaction. This is known as double entry. Principles of Relevance Concepts: It is a fact that is known to be gathered from one point of view and keep it. Reliability: It is a degree of person, measure, or object. It is important that profit is only recorded when it has actually been earned. Profits are not regarded as being earned when a customer places an order for goods. Profit is regarded as being earned at the time of goods or services pars to the customers. Comparability: It is the quality of the things that is used in business. Information in financial statements in a business can be more useful. it is compared with similar information about the same business for some other period of time or with other similar information about other business. Understand ability: Its how you understand the others and be able to talk and communicate to them. Information should not be omitted from the financial statements because it is believed it is too complex for users to understand financial statements must be capable of being understood by the users of those statements. Principles: They have two types in UK and US In US they have a lot of rules but when they prepare for their account they use the rule book and if it doesnt cover the rules, the rule book is approved to be used. In UK there is a general law applied to the accounting practice, but the only difference between US and UK that in UK they have an over riding requirements, the account has to be required it is called true and fair views Conventions: It is rules and procedures which are followed by all the organization it also guides the organization for the preparation of their accounts. Rules and Procedures Which Apply To Financial Statements: Financial statement shows only the business that can be given in a monetary terms. Depreciation: It is a company that has the free choice in choosing the company policies, procedures, and also it will affect on the reduction of the money amount that is used in your normal time in life. The organization has two methods to choose from: the straight line depreciation reducing balances Each method of them will result with a different amount of depreciation being charged against the profits. Bad Debts: The balance sheet reflects the amount of the money that the organizations owing it from sales, there is a lot of debtors that may not be able to pay the full amount. So The organizations need to allow a percentage of bad depts. The organization can choose what percentage they want and when to write the bad debts to make a provision, at the end it will affect the over all profit recorded. Provision for Doubtful Debts: It is a small amount that is set aside for something very expensive or something will happen later in the future (Debtors who may not pay their bills to the company) , they usual state the percentage of the great trade debtors. In future accounting, the profit periods would be twisted if the entity suffered a whole series of bad debts. So it seems cautious to allow for the chance that some debts may become bad. Accruals: It is an amount due for a service provided during a particular accounting period but still not paid for at the end of it. We should include them in our accounting before the year ends to show the true and fair views the organization need to ensure that this accounts is complying with accounting concepts. The addition will be included in the amount charged to the profit and loss account for the period as part of the cost of the service provided. Prepayments: It is an amount paid in cash during an accounting period for a provision that will be provided in a later period. Prepayments made will be deducted from the amount charged to the profit and loss account. Valuation of Stock: It should be valued at the lower cost and to be on the net value to observe with the conservative and caution concept. It has three main methods of valuing stock: FIFO LIFO AVCO Each will lead to different value and will affect the profit level. The Similarities and Differences of Sole Trader and Partnership Sole Traders: It is owned by only one person. One has to keep careful evidence if he is self-employed. If the business falters; his personal assets are likely to be liquidated. They dont need to divide there profit. Its easy to set up. Partnerships: Its owned by two or more people together. Profits are shared either equally or as per the terms given. If profits are to be shared, so are the liabilities too. Partners can profit from limited liability and collect tax advantages. Application of Accounting Conventions and Regulations We have in accounting a concept called true and fair view which help to ensure that accounting information is presented accurately and consistently. The most commonly encountered convention is the historical cost convention This requires transactions to be recorded at the price ruling at the time, and for assets to be valued at their original cost. Under the historical cost convention, therefore, no account is taken of changing prices in the economy. And there are other conventions in accounting we can summarize as follows: Monetary Measurement: Like workforce skill, morale, market leadership, brand recognition, quality of managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦And the accountants should not account for items unless they can be quantified in monetary terms. An important convention.. The concept of materiality is an important issue for auditors of financial accounts.

Why I Must Study Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon :: Admissions Essays

Why I Must Study Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon A University should be a place of delight, of liberty, and of learning," remarked Benjamin Disraeli, an English author, as if he had Carnegie Mellon in mind as he placed his thoughts in writing. How could the Institute of Technology help me achieve intellectual independence and assist me in pursuing a life of ideas? Being one of the finest establishments in the world, Carnegie Institute of Technology would allow me to fulfill my perfectionist ideals; I would be able to compete with the best and the brightest. Moreover, the non-academic life within a dynamic campus with a strong sense of community would enhance the challenging courses that the university has to offer. It is not simple to find a distinctive institution with incredible resources as well as personal attention. With a small faculty-to-student ratio in all classes, I could truly have significant interaction with the professors while simultaneously retaining the knowledge I'd be acquiring. The hands-on experience with up-to -date equipment would be like a dream come true as I'd encompass myself with ubiquitous, influential technology which is taken for granted by the common person. Taking advantage of the broad spectrum of undergraduate programs, I would improve my ability to think quantitatively, solve complicated problems, and apply my knowledge to the real world. There are there kinds of students: one who has the brain for math and sciences; one who is able to think analytically about pieces of literature and historical documents; and finally, one who understands all. I fall into the first type. Therefore, I have always been interested in the field of engineering, for it embodies my favorite subjects. As my physics professor talks of electromagnetic and electric fields between all protons and elections, my mind beams with pleasure, for the new information is of such fascination to it. As my calculus teacher frantically writes the equations of integrals on the board, I jot down the notes with a clear understanding of what the signs stand for and the logic behind them. Then at home, I happily turn on my computer and ponder the genius of artificial intelligence. There is no way I am going to leave these beloved fields of study behind—therefore, Electrical and Computer Engineering would be perfect for me. Engineering is a major that is exp ected to continue experiencing growth, especially strong in areas emphasizing technology.

Bellamys Looking Backward: 2003 - 1887 :: Looking Backward Essays

Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward: 2000-1887 was an attempt to show Americans who desired the utopian sense of community what it could truly be. Looking Backward addressed the yearnings of a society stricken by economic panics and social collapse by proposing an Eden-like community in which war, hunger, greed and malice were eradicated from society. While the story followed the wonderment of Julian West as he awoke in a Boston of 2000 AD after 113 years of sleep, the text focused on Bellamy's description through the kindly and omniscient character, Dr. Leete of a "post-revolutionary" society which emancipated the individual from the horrors of capitalism. As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that Bellamy is simply trying to suggest ways in which to improve his own society at the time whether it be politics or business practices. The first thing Julian inquires about his the problem of labor strikes, something very prominent in his time due to the newly formed labor unions. â€Å"The National Labor Union (NLU) hailed the virtues of a simpler America, when workers controlled their workday, earned a decent living, and had time to be good citizens† (Davidson, Nation of Nations, 626). Dr. Leete explains that with generous capital, any worker with a decent idea can become his own boss and the need for unions and strikes desisted. This was something that had begun occurring already in Bellamy’s time, as had monopolies. This was the second step in the eradication of strikes as companies began to aggregate and form large syndicates. Finally, the largest syndicate of all, the government took over all industry. â€Å"When it was proposed that the nation should assume their functions (corporations), the suggestions implied nothing impractical even to the timid† (Bellamy, Looking Backward, 67). With this in mind, Julian asks who the enemies of the government are, whether they are other nations or natural ills. Dr. Leete responds with the mind-blowing realization of a perfect society. â€Å"We have no wars now†¦but in order to protect every citizen against hunger, cold, nakedness, and provide for his physical and mental needs, the function is assumed of directing his industry for a term of years† (Bellamy, Looking Backward, 68). The next major question was unemployment. During the any era, this is always going to be problem. Though a person who is educated can generally get a job, an uneducated person can only do menial labor.

Your Trusted Friends Analysis

Have you ever been watching television and right in the middle of your show been flooded with an endless amount of commercials? If you answered yes, I’m willing to bet that one of those advertisements were for one of the many fast food companies in the United States. In our country, fast food corporations have a dominating grasp on the consumer and the market as to which they are tackling. Some are calling it a pandemic, the next tobacco, and even a deadly drug that is being given to us willingly without any restrictions. Society has come to see this so called viable source of food as a quick, convenient way of getting the nutrition needed during our everyday lives. The only reason as to which we have been able to convince our minds that what is being offered is ok is due to the intense advertising campaigns, which these multi-million dollar fast food companies run. With ads directed at adults showing how a quick burger can be convenient on the go to a full blown marketing campaign directed at kids from ages three to thirteen, fast food companies have been able to brainwash most of America without any real restrictions. To ensure the health and well being of our countries youth, fast food companies must take more responsibility and be required to have restrictions on their marketing campaigns. Toys, Play place’s, clowns and kid’s club are only a few of the many marketing ploys which giant fast food companies have enacted to grab the youth demographic and capitalize on it. What kid is going to deny a fun finger food like french-fries, a cheeseburger, and on top of all that a toy! It’s like the big brother stealing candy from his younger sibling. In America, we have determined that the age of 18 is when one is considered an adult and liable for his own actions. Yet we allow major companies, which are detrimental to our overall health, to spend billions of dollars on marketing tactics that our directed solely at our countries youth. How can we expect these young children to make decision about poor food choices and living a healthy lifestyle when there is a toy involved? Schlosser touches on the growing problems with marketing that is aimed directly at the youth. He admits that studies don’t by the FTC show that young children cannot tell the difference between advertisements and actual television shows (192). This gives these companies a huge advantage over their target market. The child’s brain is under constant development and when they are exposed to so many advertisements daily for these fun, exciting foods that come with toys and feelings of fun, they are bound to give in do to their sheer mental capacity. In Eric Schlossers article â€Å"Your Trusted Friends† he states, â€Å"The typical American child now spends about twenty-one hours a week watching television- roughly one and a half months of TV a year† (193). This being said, children are seeing hundreds of these brainwashing commercials a week. Fast food corporations are pretty much stealing from the helpless with out any repercussions. Without any restrictions theses billion dollar empires are going to continue to target the heart of America, which will inevitably leading to a completely unhealthy nation who is blinded by the advertisements. It is time someone steps in and makes a change to benefit those who are suffering the most from this outrageous marketing scheme, our nations youth. That someone I speak of is the government. We need stricter policies on advertisements and target audiences. It's one thing for an adult male to make a decision to eat the unhealthy food offered by these companies. Being an adult he should be able to understand the consequences of eating fast food. It’s the eight-year-old child who does not. If fast food companies are going to base their marketing campaigns around children they should be inclined to help support positive programs for theses children such as schools physical education, summer programs and other activities that will teach kids to become active. The government needs to formulate a plan that would implement strict tax laws on marketing campaigns directed at younger audiences we could use these tax dollars for these types of programs that would counter the effects these companies products are having on the kid. I doubt parents would feel as bad giving McDonalds their money for non-nutritious food if they new a few pennies out of the cost of a cheeseburger would be going to her child’s elementary school P. E. fund. Kids will always love toys, fun foods and a happy time and these companies know that. There is no stopping the marketing that will be pushed at these kids. But what we can do is hold the companies responsible and demand that they give back. Our country over the past decade has been through everything from wars to recessions and the last thing we need is to only worsen the poor health of our country due to fast food. Our most impressionable citizens, our youth, are being flooded every day by the intense marketing schemes from fast food companies daily. These empires that have been built on our bad eating habits and poor decisions are only going to get worse and effect our children as well grandchildren if we don’t start finding solutions to counteract what these companies our doing to us. And I say counteract because we cannot bring these companies down. What we can do is hold them accountable and demand that they give a fraction of what they put into these giant marketing campaigns back to our nation’s children and the programs that are needed to keep them healthy. If we are going to make certain that our country lasts we must make fast food companies more responsible for the elaborate schemes they direct at our children. With some push and demanding of change from our government concerning this issue we can ensure the future health of our country.

Employee of the Month Essay

Zack Bradley, a box boy at Super Club, a Price Club/Costco/Sam’s Club type store. He’s more than content with his life as a box boy. He lives with his grandmother, hangs out with his buddies in their homemade lounge in the center of the store’s shopping racks, trades away dented goods, and gets along with just about everyone. In fact, there’s only one person Zack can’t seem to get along with: lead cashier Vince Downey (Dax Shepard), the epitome of retail world brown nosing. Vince has been employee of the month at Super Club for seventeen months straight and winning the eighteenth time means big prizes (including a â€Å"newish† Chevy Malibu) and a promotion. Usually that title wouldn’t mean anything to a slacker like Zack, but when the new hot cashier Amy (Jessica Simpson) appears on the scene with rumors that she goes for employee of the month, Zack decides to give Vince some competition. This is, at its heart, an underdog film, which I almost always enjoy to some degree. Zack is constantly trod upon by Vince’s overwhelmingly good luck. Even when Zack and his friends try to get the best of the big suck up, something good happens for the egotistical wonder that allows him to come out ahead. It’s a real testament to the power of positive thinking once you learn that Vince sees his job as a big success (â€Å"why climb a mountain when you can win the land race? † he asks) while Zack knows his job sucks but took it as a way not to hurt anyone after a business failure cost his grandmother her retirement savings; Vince thinks well so he does well, Zack doesn’t. But really it’s a way of making the audience really want Vince to get his comeuppance, and feel a great sense of satisfaction once he begins to. With a cast comprised of stand-up comedians, singer turned actors, and former Ashton Kutcher â€Å"Punk’d† assistants one doesn’t exactly expect Oscar caliber acting from Employee of the Month, however the performances aren’t terrible either. Dane Cook acts as a subdued Ryan Reynolds which is exactly what this role needs. Reynolds’ normal antics would be too much for the tempo of this movie. Jessica Simpson only has the demand of being attractive and an object of desire; a role she fills perfectly, although a few of her lines are still wince-worthy. Dax Shepherd is a bit over the top in the villain role, but it works. The true standout performances come from the supporting comedic roles, filled with actors like Andy Dick, Harland Williams, Brian George, Tim Bagley, and Napoleon Dynamite’s Pedro, Efren Ramirez. With a cast able to capture laughs in just about every direction, the film keeps the audience snickering, if not making them laugh a little louder. Indeed, Employee accomplishes more chuckles with a little subtlety than with its attempts at the big laughs, although there are more than a few of those. Observant audience members will notice just how much the employees of Super Club abuse the store’s merchandise, from using broken products as bargaining chips to having gallon buckets of ice cream and massive bags of chips in their homes. People willing to consider the movie even further will find hilarity in the way the employees of Super Club treat their retail jobs so seriously, as if cleaning up that spill or the speed of a cashier’s pass-through rate really matters. Dane Cook and Dax Shepard may not offer the best underdog comedy this year, and the movie certainly doesn’t stand up to Wedding Crashers (which shared the same producers as the advertisements are more than happy to remind everyone) but it’s still an enjoyable, silly little comedy. Consider it along the same guilty pleasure lines as Jingle All the Way or Dodgeball or a more viewer friendly version of that Steve Carell comedy. It’s good for lighthearted fun, just don’t expect any life changing experience watching two store clerks competing for the grand title of Employee of the Month.

Baby-boomers and the U.S. Health Care System

For the past few decades the term â€Å"baby-boomers† has never left the headlines. There are many reasons why this generation of Americans always attract the spotlight. First of all this generation comprises a significant chunk of the U. S. population. Furthermore, children born to this group were the ones who grew up and became involved in the cultural-changing events of the 1960s. This is the same generation that provided volunteers and soldiers to the infamous Vietnam War.In order to fully appreciate the impact of this generation to current history it must be noted that former president Bill Clinton as well as incumbent president George W. Bush belong to this demographic. In recent times the baby-boomers are again in the glare of publicity because this segment of the population is threatening to negatively impact the U. S. health care system. The following four articles provide differing views on the said subject matter. This paper will take a closer look at the baby-boome r generation and its impact on the healthcare system.This can be achieved by comparing and contrasting four articles taken from New York Times and MSNBC News. The four articles reveal important information about this demographic while at the same time supply necessary data that will help readers get an overview of the problem as well as possible solutions. The world’s media is painting a grim picture of the future, that baby-boomers are to blame for the impending crisis that will wallop the U. S. health care system. Is there truth to the claim or is there another way to read the facts?The following articles provide different perspectives on the subject of baby-boomers in relation to the health care system. For the first article that will be examined, MSNBC’s Tracie Potts wrote a report entitled â€Å"Boomers to flood medical care system. † There is simply no way to misinterpret what she meant by that. For a long time now the United States of America is bracing f or a coming storm. In a few more years there will be a significant number of aging Americans who will retire and come looking for the long promised retirement benefits and a major part of it is access to quality health care services.Tracie Potts asserts that there is a strong possibility that many of those who will retire is in for a big disappointment and she even declared that if things will not be corrected in the near future then America should be ready for an impending crisis. Michelle York on the other hand wrote that aside from the usual problems of lacking proper medical insurance and the impact due to sheer numbers of baby-boomers that will be needing health care there is another related problem – the lack of medical practitioners that will be able to take care of them.Aside from facilities and medical supplies the most important part of the equation are the doctors. Now, everyone knows that doctors are in the business of providing care and just like other profession als they will not work for free. There maybe some rare instances where a doctor will be driven by compassion but even the most generous will realize that they have to pay back that huge loan incurred to pay tuition fees in medical school. They cannot be forced to go where there is greatest need; they will only consider moving into an area where they can also get the most out of their time and hard work.Now there is a problem when it comes to retirees. A person finally quitting the work force in order to enjoy doing the finer things in life will have to settle in areas where the cost of living is lower in order to stretch their retirement funds. That is a good plan the only problem is that in these places doctors are hard to find. The third piece that will be examined was written for the New York Times. O’Neill entitled the article this way, â€Å"Want to Retire Early and Hang a Shingle? It’ll Cost You.† In this report O’Neil discussed that baby-boomers ar e not stupid and that they work hard during their youth and pre-retirement years to save enough money so that they can afford not to work and yet lead quality lives. But O’Neil cautions that for those who will opt out of the work force before the age of 65, there is one more thing left to do and it is to set aside $100,000 or more to cover health insurance until they qualify for Medicare. Suddenly retirement is not as fun as one would think, especially for those who did not do their homework when it comes to long-term care insurance.There are just so many things that Medicare will not cover. Rick Lyman’s article significantly differs from the three already mentioned. His piece is the silver lining behind the clouds. He admits that baby-boomers will create a deep impact in American society but he believes that the doomsayers are exaggerating and therefore Lyman declared, â€Å"Census Report Foresees No Crisis Over Aging Generation’s Health. † The following pages will take a closer look at the said four articles. Boomers Tracie Potts warns that in the coming years there will be millions of baby-boomers that will flood the U.S. medical system. The problem according to her is that the health care system in this country is not yet ready for a sudden rise in the numbers of retirees. In order to understand the seriousness of the problem Potts reminded her readers that there are about 78 million Americans that will turn 65 years old soon. Seventy-eight million is already the population of a small country and realizing the size of this demographic can easily scare anyone especially if the one reading the report belongs to the younger generation tasked to work in order to sustain America’s current health care system.Potts reiterated her concerns, â€Å"We face an impending crisis as the growing number of older patients, who are living longer with more complex health needs, increasingly outpaces the number of health care providers with the knowledge and skills to take care for them capably† (2008). The report listed the following common problems associated with senior citizens who had a misplaced trust in Medicare and retiring without sufficient knowledge that having Medicare will not be enough as seen in the following facts: 1. There aren’t enough specialists in geriatric medicine; 2. Insufficient training is available;3. The specialists that do exist are underpaid; 4. Medicare fails to provide for team care that many elderly needs; and 5. Medicare may even hinder seniors from getting the best care because of its low reimbursement rates (Potts, 2008). Included in this report is another piece of bad news coming from the American Medical Association who provided the heads-up, â€Å"This July, the government will begin steep cuts in Medicare physician payments, and 60 percent of physicians say this cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat† (Potts, 2008).In this article one can see the problems the great influx of senior citizens needing quality healthcare and the inability of the U. S. Federal government to provide for that need. This article is an important contribution in any study regarding boomers and their impact on the U. S. medical system. Potts was able to go into the nitty-gritty of the main issue. It was informative and well-balanced reporting. The reader can finish evaluating the article and come away with key points such as the inability of Medicare to cover all medical needs even if the person is already 65 years old and eligible for this type of medical insurance.Another major contribution of this article is in addressing the need for more trained specialists. The lack of trained specialists can easily increase the cost of health care expenses. Medical Professionals In a related article Michelle York focuses on the medical problems of baby-boomers living in the State of New York and she wrote, â€Å"At a time when the a ging baby-boomer population finds itself in need of more medical services, fewer young doctors want to work in many of the distressed cities and towns throughout New York State (2007).This is understandable because a medical professional has to earn a living too and there is no incentive that will entice them to choose to work in distressed cities and towns in dire need of medical professionals. The following figures describe a disturbing trend that although there is an increase in the number of licensed physicians this rise in numbers will not solve the problem outright and here are the explanations:†¢ In New York there is a 6 percent growth in the number of doctors practicing medicine from 2001-2005 – for a total of about 77,000 doctors – but the way they are spread throughout the state means there are many who will not have access to their expertise; †¢ There is a glut of doctors in richer areas like New York, Long Island, and Westchester and far few chose to practice in the upstate region. For instance in the Essex County in the Adirondacks, they lost 22 percent of its doctors as of latest count;†¢ The remaining doctors who chose to stay in distressed areas are also ready to retire – some are already 55 or older – but the problem is recruiting replacement is extremely difficult. Young medical practitioners find these areas non-viable and unattractive (York, 2007). This article is also very informative. It allows the reader to see the boomer issue from another angle. The usual points for discussion when it comes this topic usually centers on medical bills, expensive treatments, and expensive drugs. As a result there are laws that were passed specifically addressing the said problems.Lawmakers will continually strive hard to lower prices of medicines and find ways to build better hospitals. But York’s article diverts attention to these common problems and instead focuses on something that is far more challeng ing – there are no doctors in distressed areas. Now how can the federal government solve this problem? Lowering the price medicine can be considered a very easy feat as compared to convincing a very driven young doctor to live in areas where he knows he will not be able to pull as much money as he would have if he decides to live in the big city.Suddenly York made everyone sit-up and realize that this is a problem that requires a complex set of solutions and that the government should start working on it now because time will come when even old doctors serving in upstate regions and far flung counties will have to hang-up their hats and say adieu to the medical profession. High Cost of Retirement For John O’Neil the explanation for the impending crisis is simple. It is simply too expensive to pay for health care. There are so many factors that contribute to this reality.As mentioned earlier there are a limited number of specialists focusing on geriatric treatment. In s ome areas the problem is much simpler to identify – there are no doctors in sight. O’Neil adds another reason why it will be much harder for baby-boomers to immediately decide to hang their work clothes and go straight to their favorite fishing hole and he wrote, â€Å"The percentage of companies offering retirees health benefits has plummeted in the last decade, according to a recent report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.From 1997 to 2002, the most recent year for which figures are available, the drop was especially steep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2006). This means that even if baby boomers are still in the workplace they are no longer contributing to their healthcare plans. O’Neill cited Paul Fronstin, director of the institute’s health research and education program, who said that future retirees are not assured of medical insurance coverage unless they fall into one of the following categories: 1. high-level executive; 2. union worker in a large man ufacturing company; or 3. civil servant (O’Neil, 2006).There are those who did not belong to any of the categories mentioned above but they have spouses willing to keep working until they qualify for Medicare but there are many who are not as fortunate. O’Neil also pointed out that the saddest part is that many Americans, especially those who are going to retire soon are unaware that such problems exist. Many thought that they are covered and yet when they are out their on their own with no other means of support they will be in for a rude awakening because health care cost is not what they expect it to be.O’Neil’s article is a wake-up call for those who may have thought that retirement is the answer to all their problems. No more back-breaking work and all the money needed to spend for the things that one truly loves doing. O’Neil splashed cold water into the faces of those daydreaming about fly-fishing and endless hours at the golf course. No sir , retirement before the age of 65 means no access to Medicare and if the new retiree figures in an accident, long-term care insurance is way too expensive. It is also a good thing that O’Neill pointed out a fact that more and more companies are reducing their offer of retiree health benefits.It is high time to check if a potential retiree’s company is offering retiree health benefits or not before deciding to retire. No Crisis over Aging Rick Lyman’s article offers an alternative view. Although Lyman concedes that baby boomers will still tax the U. S. medical system because the following figures is undeniable, â€Å"In July 2003, there were 35. 9 million Americans over the age of 65, about 12 percent of the population. By 2030, federal officials predict, there will be 72 million older people, about 20 percent of Americans† (Lyman, 2006).Yet Lyman predicted that the outcome will not be as devastating because baby-boomers are aging well with fewer disabilit ies even as they turn 65. Lyman cited Richard J. Hodes – director of the National Institute on Aging – who asserts that this positive trend is due to an improved quality of life; today’s older Americans are better educated and more wealthy than previous generations which accounts for their ability to take care of themselves (Lyman, 2006). Yet Lyman also made a caveat that the growing obesity rate may neutralize the positive trend.This article by Lyman is not only significant because it offers a positive outlook of the current health care debacle but it also encourages many future retirees to be more vigilant when it comes to taking care of their health especially those that are prone to diabetes and obesity. It must be noted that Lyman’s assertions are based on the significant reduction in the number of senior citizens suffering from a form of disability. Due to the fact that many of the baby-boomers are enjoying great health there is a possibility that t he impact will be less disastrous.Yet it is also good to know that diabetes and obesity can easily reverse the trend because these two medical conditions can easily transform a perfectly healthy individual into an invalid irregardless if he a boomer or not. Compare/Contrast The four articles are in agreement on the following areas: 1. The significant number of baby-boomers will greatly impact the U. S. medical system. 2. Health care cost is rising. 3. There are other factors that contribute to the health care problem and not merely due to the size of the baby-boomer generation.Authors, Potts, York, and O’Neil are also in agreement that boomers will break the bank. It is only Lyman who offered a more positive outlook. Although Lyman acknowledges there is a problem he is sure that doomsayers are exaggerating and that actual figure show that boomers are adapting well. Lyman argues that due to the fact that boomers have a higher literary rate as compared to previous generations t his generation will be able to quickly understand and assimilate information regarding health issues and as a result they will be able to incorporate into their lifestyle practices that will ensure longevity and good health.On the other hand all four authors are unanimous when it comes to the idea of retaining the services of retirees and instead of pushing them out the door. There are a number of industries that require more experienced workers especially when it comes to the medical field it is very expensive to train specialists. So if a retired medical professional decides to work a few more years after retirement his expertise can be used without having to undergo further training. In this way more people will benefit from his services. ConclusionThere is no need to elaborate on the fact that baby-boomers comprise a significant percentage of the American population. Figures vary but it is estimated that there are at least 72 million boomers living in this country. This demograp hic can easily command the attention of various businesses but in the past few years it has gripped the attention of health care experts who are predicting a crisis if some issue will not be resolved soon. There is a good reason to be alarmed, 70 million people is roughly the size of a small country.Imagine a group this big and all of its members suddenly turning gray and opts to exit the workplace and as a consequence of age and other factors begin taxing the U. S. healthcare system. The four articles reveal at least three glaring facts as to why the aging of the boomer will create a force that will wallop America’s medical system. First of all, even without considering the boomers the U. S. health care system is already in shambles, meaning not everyone can afford medical insurance simply because it is downright expensive.It is expensive to pay for doctors, it is expensive to pay for specialists and it is even expensive to pay for caregivers that do not have any form of med ical degree. Secondly, there are simply not enough health workers that will be able to do the job. In the case of the boomers there is an added problem of needing more specialists especially those that specialize in geriatric medicine. Finally, the most disturbing fact of all is that there are many boomers who are unaware that they need to have more money in order to pay for their health care related expenses.It must be noted that those who retire before 65 will not be eligible for Medicare. And yet even if they have Medicare this type of health insurance will not be able to cover everything. All three articles agree that there is an impending crisis unless desperate measures are taken up. This includes enticing retirees not to become idle and instead allow themselves to be reabsorbed into the workforce. There is now an added bonus because retirees with their years of experience can ask for part time work or can choose only to do things that they love doing.There is only one author who disagree with the doomsayers. But even he gave some sort of tempered optimism because even with a wealthier and more educated boomer generation the rising rate of obesity can still offset the positive trend. All in all the four articles are informative and it allows the reader to get a good overview to one of the hottest social issue in America today. References Lyman, R. (2006). â€Å"Census Report Foresees No Crisis Over Aging Generations Health. † Retrieved 05 June 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2006/03/10/national/ 10aging. html?_r=1&sq=baby%20boomer&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=4&adxnnlx=1213085688-UwMCjf6VJB3QAKV4jZVJ9A O’Neil, J. (2006). â€Å"Want to Retire Early and Hang a Shingle? It’ll Cost You. † Retrieved 04 June 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2006/04/11/business/retirement/ 11gap. html? _r=1&scp=21&sq=baby%20boomer&st=nyt Potts, T. (2008). â€Å"Boomers to Flood Medical Care System. † Retrieved 04 June 2008 from http:// www. msnbc. msn. com/id/24107916/ York, M. (2007). â€Å"Few Young Doctors Step in as Upstate Population Ages. † Retrieved 05 June 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2007/07/23/nyregion/ 23docs. html? scp=5&sq=baby+boomer&st=nyt

Bus210 Motivational Case Study Essay

I believe in the â€Å"Two Men and a Truck† case study, the motivational theory that Mrs. Sheets’ uses is the goal setting theory. Her initial goal was to help support her sons’ part-time jobs. She created a marketing campaign, although she may not have seen it as such, by designing the stick figure drawing that is still being used today in the company. As a single mother, she did not want to turn away the phone calls that continued to be received, even after her sons went away to college and therefore, she purchased an inexpensive truck and hired two workers to maintain the business operations. Mrs. Sheets expanded the company and set out a goal of being the most customer-friendly moving company. To assist with this goal, she arranged trainings for her employees, and franchisee employees, where they learn basic customer service tools and how to be a high-functioning team member. These tools include how to properly answer the phone and to always shake the customer’s hand when the work is completed. She also asks employees to complete a survey card so the organization can use the feedback as coaching opportunities. All of these tools helped Mrs. Sheets’ company become one of the most successful moving companies in the area. In the Siemens case study, the motivational theory that is described is Management by objectives. Mr. Kleinfield took over a Siemens unit in 1998 and immediately requested a change in work shifts, including working weekends. The employees were shocked by what was being requested but also recognized that due to a competitor, their jobs were in jeopardy from a lack of production. Mr. Kleinfield expressed an interest in the work being performed by being in the factory and asking questions related to the operations. This interest helped win over the employees and with the new schedules, production times were cut from six weeks to one. Although the employees did not know what was going on, Mr. Kleinfield recognized what the ultimate goal of the production facility was and put a plan into action as soon as he took it over to make it a success. By demonstrating this leadership, he ultimately was offered the CEO position, even though he never worked in any facility for very long, especially as a Consultant, but did have experience in every department that was associated with Siemens.

Social Security's Uncertain Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Security's Uncertain Future - Essay Example As is usually the case, the argument revolves around each person's own self-interest. The public has been fed information that has swayed the debate as each camp tries to gain public support. It is fair to say that the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle and that is also where we will find a solution. Reaching an agreement is difficult because of the misinformation that continually comes out of our nation's capitol. Baby Boomers are just now beginning to enjoy the benefits of the program. They have been told that the system is broke and they rightfully fear that they may not reap the rewards from the money they have spent a lifetime contributing. Shipman claims the system is a,"[...] coercive, intergenerational transfer tax system that relies on unrealistic assumptions and pays unreasonably low benefits". From their point of view, an overhaul offers them some hope that the system will be functional when they retire. But is their fear well founded There are well-intentioned people that say the panic is all for nothing. There are political factions that insist the system is not broke and with a little tweaking it will operate as intended for decades. They contend that the people who have the most to gain from privatization are large banks, brokers, and insurance companies. It is these powerful lobbies that promote fear about the system going bankrupt.