Wednesday, August 26, 2020

The Cellar Of Doom

Alesha let out a long, substantial murmur. She was unable to accept she was stuck in an old lodging in Lincoln, Maine, USA. It was the Summer Holidays and she had come to America with her mum, father, and her irritating more youthful siblings Ashley and Scott, who were six and seven. Scott and Ashley weren't the peaceful kind of children. They tended to energized over anything, and were consistently hyper. The Miller family were remaining at The Stars And Stripes Hotel, which was extremely old and exhausting. Alesha would much rather be back at home in England, even it was coming down constantly there. Alesha had just been there for two days, and had just exploited the ‘fantastic offices'. There was the ‘amazing' pool and spa, the ‘fabulous' arcade and the ‘wonderful' multi †sports court. Alesha couldn't perceive what was so incredible about a grimy pool, a faulty spa, two organic product machines and an enormous pitch of mud with a couple of goal lines. It would have been a long and exhausting fourteen days. She had been out ‘exploring' the dreadful, old lodging attempting to discover a few children around her age. Alesha was 14, so it was very simple truly, as there were heaps of tired adolescents remaining at the old spot. â€Å"Alesha, we're going out!† her mum called. â€Å"Cool, gives up to Detroit, or Hollywood, or†¦.† â€Å"No, I mean me and your dad are going for a dinner. We're going to discover a spot to eat. OK?† â€Å"What?† Alesha dissented. â€Å"That's not reasonable. You mean me, Ash and Scott have gotta stay here?† â€Å"That's correct. We'll be just be away for around three hours. We are not going far, we are as yet remaining in Lincoln, don't worry!† â€Å"But mum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No buts, OK? Presently, be good.† Alesha sat on the fraying green lounge chair, and checked out the bleak earthy colored and yellow room. ‘The hues in here are horrendous. They don't as well match!' she thought. She got her magazine and began to peruse the article about her preferred rapper, Eminem. She looked at the clock. Her folks had just been away for ten minutes. She heard a noisy slamming commotion. â€Å"Ashley, Scott, it would be ideal if you SHUT UP! Stop that slamming NOW!† she yelled. â€Å"Alesha, it wasn't us!† Scott called. â€Å"Whatever! Presently, simply shut up!† She flicked on the old TV and got the dusty remote control. The room hadn't been cleaned for a very long time. The floor had cigarette recolors on top of it, and with respect to the draperies, there was no reason for having them there, in light of the fact that they were so torn and frayed, they were nearly non †existent. The slamming clamor was truly irritating her now, and she hollered at her siblings to quiet down, however they denied making the slamming sound. She tossed down her magazine and began to watch the TV. There was a picture of a man assembling a block divider in what looked a basement. There was likewise a moderately aged woman with him. She looked truly confounded. At that point the man went to her and began beating the woman with a scoop. Exhausting! Alesha squeezed the CHANNEL UP button. ‘Wonder how to get TRL on this thing?' Alesha pondered. A similar picture was on the screen. What? Alesha pushed down hard on the control. Perhaps the catch had got stuck. Presently the lady was shouting out in agony, and blood was recoloring her light blue dress. She was shouting STOP! STOP! Be that as it may, the man clearly had no sentiments, for he continued beating her, his scoop brilliant red, his face with a malevolent smile, his dim eyes frostily gazing at the scared lady, and the ghastliness on the lady's face. Alesha was appalled, and pressed the catch once more. At this point the lady was dead, and the TV despite everything wasn't working appropriately. Alesha looked as the man began burrowing an opening, perhaps a grave, in this thing that appeared as though a chimney, yet loaded up with soil and coal. At that point Alesha heard a slamming, and she didn't know whether it was on the TV or a similar one as she had heard previously. Alesha was truly scared, however she was nearly stuck to the screen. She didn't know what it was, yet it resembled there was an exceptional power, keeping her transfixed to the frightening pictures. She attempted to pull away, however she proved unable. She looked as the abhorrent man kicked the dead body into the make †move grave. Inevitably, the man had secured the lady with soil and coal. He continued structure the divider. Alesha had woken up from her stupor, and attempted a similar catch once more. Be that as it may, when she pressed the catch, nothing occurred. What was happening? Possibly the remote wasn't working appropriately. That was the reason the wiped out program wouldn't leave. She stood up, and continued hearing ceaseless slamming. Possibly it was nearby or something. She was getting very terrified at this point. She understood that it was 6:30 pm, and that her folks had been away for 60 minutes. She was unable to stand to be separated from everyone else now, so she called to her siblings. She killed the TV. â€Å"Oi, come ‘ere, now!† she got out, fomented. At the point when they didn't reply, she went to research. She understood that they were sleeping in their beds. ‘Typical. Sleeping at 6:30! Lazybones!' she thought. ‘Well, they should be very drained after the football at the beginning of today.' At that point there was a thump at the entryway. Thinking it was her folks, Alesha quickly opened it. â€Å"Hi!† said a voice. She saw it was her new companions that she had met in the pool yesterday. â€Å"Hi Marshall, howdy Justin, hello Mel!† Alesha cried. Marshall was from Detroit, Justin was from California and Mel was from England. They were exhausted as well. â€Å"Wanna come out with us? We are sooooo exhausted, and we're jus' pondering whether you wanna come and jus resembles meander around here.† Justin said. â€Å"I can't, I gotta take care of my brothers.† She answered. â€Å"Go on!† Mel argued. â€Å"Well, just rapidly. Scott and Ash are sleeping anyway.† Alesha ventured out with her companions, and understood that she had around two hours before her folks got back. â€Å"So where we goin'?† Alesha inquired. â€Å"Dunno!† Mel answered. They strolled around, and found a lot of steps driving downwards. Alesha had disregarded the TV episode, since she was cheerful that she wasn't the only one any longer. There was a NO ENTRY sign on the entryway. Alesha's telephone blared. It was an instant message. It stated: Hello there ALESHA HOPE U R LOOKIN AFTA UR BRUVZ. WE MIGHT BE BAK L8R, MAYB @ 9:30. Expectation U R OK. On the off chance that U GET WORRIED JUS CALL US. C U L8R MUM N DAD XX : ) Alesha felt somewhat remorseful disregarding her siblings currently, yet satisfied she was out of the exhausting, stodgy lodging. Marshall turned the NO ENTRY give up with the goal that it resembled a clear bit of card. They followed the steps down, and understood that it was a basement. It was completely dark. Alesha heard a natural commotion. â€Å"Uh†¦.is there a light in ‘ere?† Mel inquired. â€Å"Hey, folks, y'hear that?† Alesha addressed, thoroughly overlooking Mel. â€Å"What, the slamming? Better believe it, I think†¦.† Justin said. â€Å"SHHH!† she murmured. Sufficiently sure, there was a slamming originating from some place in the room. Marshall looked through the divider with his hands to locate a light switch. He discovered one, and flicked the switch on. Blast! Blast! â€Å"Marshall†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mel said. The slamming got stronger. â€Å"It's nothing, OK folks? Leave it. We're fine! Hey†¦.Look, a camcorder! Its one of them ones that came out around five years back, you know, a pocket one! They are worth loads!† Justin yelled with fervor. He headed toward look at it. It was about 10cm in tallness and 5cm in width. Justin had seen it covered up in a little gap in the divider. It was connected however, as though somebody had associated it to something. Alesha saw that something had been barricaded. â€Å"Hey, look at this, I wonder what's behind this?† â€Å"Er, most likely nothin' interestin'† Marshall replied. He began to kick the board down, with Justin as yet inspecting the camcorder. Mel and Alesha just remained there talking. When Marshall kicked the down the board, there was a divider which was around 2 meters high. â€Å"Hey, investigate here!† he cried with energy. â€Å"What it is?† Mel inquired. â€Å"Dunno. I'm going to move over it and see what it's hiding.† He began to climb over it, however the divider clearly hadn't been fabricated appropriately, in light of the fact that it crumbled practically straight away. Marshall tumbled to the floor, and acknowledged he had landed right close to something that caused him to feel very sick†¦ â€Å"Ugh, Justin, it's a skeleton! How could it get down here?† Justin shouted. â€Å"OH MY GOD!† Mel cried when she saw it. â€Å"Cool†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Marshall wondered. â€Å"Yuk! What we going to do?† Alesha yelled out. At that point Alesha recollected the video. â€Å"Justin†¦.† she got out. She went to the camcorder. It was valid. The camcorder was associated with a TV some place in the inn. Her TV. The stunning pictures that she had been observing before had really occurred. She disclosed to the others what she had seen before. Be that as it may, how could the slamming be clarified? Once Justin had gone to gathering to discover someone, the once confined room was loaded up with police, lodging staff and analysts. The police scrutinized the children. Mel figured they would get berated for entering the basement without consent! They didn't however. In spite of the fact that Alesha got berated for leaving Ashley and Scott all alone, she didn't generally mind since it had been an experience for her. Months the lady was named as Ann McKenzie. The police affirmed that Alesha's story was valid. What had happened was that years back, Ann realized that her fianc㠯⠿â ½ would kill her, since he was so savage, and each time she left him, he would chase her down and beat her up. Consistently they came to Maine, to The Stars And Stripes Hotel, and he continued dropping insights about death and that he would execute her once they were in Maine. Becau

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Woman In The Dunes Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lady In The Dunes - Movie Review Example As he set out for his undertaking, he was late and in this manner missed the last transport back to the city. The residents offer him a spot to go through the night, managing him down a rope stepping stool to a house that is under a sand quarry (Morris 1). This is the home of a young lady called Kyoko Kishida, who lives alone as her significant other had passed on because of a dust storm. She is utilized to uncover sand for development by the locals, and keep it from covering the house. On getting up the next morning, the stepping stool that he had moved down on was gone. He understands that it was a snare, as the residents compel him to remain there and help the lady in uncovering the sand. Finding that it was the villagers’ plan for him to remain there for all time, he makes a few getaway endeavors, however they all fall flat (Crowther 1). Afterward, he discovers that the lady is alright with the existence that she lives since she knows no other life. His primary errand is a ttempting to make sense of how to escape from his caught life, and simultaneously, coincide with the lady. The story later takes a turn in that, with time, Jumpei and Kyoko have a solid physical fascination for one another (Morris 1). They later adjust to one another and become sweethearts, regardless of their enduring in control. The maker has delineated how life can end up being what was not anticipated. The terrible circumstance for Jumpei winds up getting him a lady to adore. The predicament for Kyoko additionally gets her a man to adore. The two continued on for long, yet they at last profit by it. The paper depicts a portion of the ideas, subjects and characters got from the film, after basic investigation, concentrating on the primary thought of the maker. Jumpei Nikki’s character The film portrays a developing character named Jumpei. Toward the start, Jumpei is depicted as an entomologist on a field work undertaking. Here, he shows up as an unassuming, innocent and in quisitive researcher, who believes that the locals are well disposed enough just to offer him a spot to remain for the evening (Morris 1). Afterward, when he finds that the townspeople deceived him, he obviously is incensed. Reality hits and he centers around getting away from an existence of anguish. Now, Jumpei is not, at this point a guileless researcher, yet a solid, certain man whose urgency lights a character loaded with anger, center and assurance towards one objective (Crowther 1). Jumpei’s change of character, because of an unpleasant circumstance, is emblematic to the ordinary human life. It depicts the human life as one characterized in control and detainment. This shows how a difficult spot can compel the adjustment in character of an individual, whereby the endurance impulse kicks (Morris 1). Kyoko Kishida’s character Suffering, desolate, drudge, steadiness, are the characteristics that ring a bell, while considering Kyoko Kishida. She is a lady living alo ne in a perilous domain, living on the edge, attempting to guarantee that the propelling sand doesn't expend her home. She is likewise a widow who lost her significant other and child to a dust storm (Crowther 1). The young lady is confronted with an unending undertaking, to burrow sand for the villagers’ use. Notwithstanding, shockingly, this is her way of life; the main life she knows and is eager to bite the dust for. Having lived under such conditions for all intents and purposes as long as she can remember, she can manage Jumpei into acknowledgment. The representative criticalness of this is to show the concurrence between two individuals from various foundations. Jumpei is an unpleasant, anxious man, while Kyoto is without a care in the world (Morris 1). Fascination After Jumpei’s a few bombed endeavors to get away, he starts to get ingested into the better approach forever. He understands that the young lady, from her experience, is his absolute best at enduranc e (Crowther 1). Afterward, they wind up having a sexual fascination towards each

Thursday, August 13, 2020

A View From the Class Yulia Belyakova and Nadia Ramirez COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

A View From the Class Yulia Belyakova and Nadia Ramirez COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The SIPA Office of Alumni and Development is pleased to share another installment of A View from the Class, a SIPA stories series, featuring current SIPA students, recently graduated alumni, and SIPA faculty. In this months issue, we feature current SIPA students, Yulia Belyakova MPA ’18, and Nadia Ramirez MPA 18. Here, both discuss why they chose their particular areas of study, internship and capstone experiences, and the importance of fellowship. Yulia Belyakova, MPA 18, Economic and Political Development concentration, Advanced Policy and Economic Analysis specialization What did you do before attending SIPA? Originally from Moscow, Russia, I studied Economics and French at Bryn Mawr College in  Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. During my undergraduate career, I held internships in the Indian equivalent of the Silicon Valley and a financial advisory firm serving public institutions in the U.S., which piqued my interest in emerging markets and public finance. After graduating from Bryn Mawr, I spent three years in a leading economic consulting firm in Washington, D.C., where I worked on complex commercial litigations issues in intellectual property, trade, and finance, with client engagements ranging from the DOJ and the ITC to Google. As an analyst, I was challenged with finding the most precise ways to deduce the economic value of things that are difficult to value, a perspective that I intended to bring to the international development space. Why did you choose SIPA? SIPA has been on my radar since I started looking at policy schools. What really differentiated SIPA for me were the experiences of alumni  I spoke with while researching schools: I knew several Bryn Mawr women who graduated or were attending SIPA, including my best friend who is now heading a government-led nutrition fortification program in India. I also engaged with a few alumni  in D.C. (and there are many!) who were very accessible and clearly enjoyed reminiscing on their time at SIPA. I also received a generous fellowship offer that was not matched by any other school, which will allow me to consider interesting positions without a debt-imposed salary requirement post-graduation. Finally, I knew I wanted to either come back to D.C. or work internationally after graduation, so spending a couple of years in New York was a bonus. Why did you choose your particular areas of study? After a stint in economic consulting which is a fascinating but very U.S.-focused industry, I pivoted into development and international work. The EPD concentration allows me to build credibility as a development professional by complementing the skills I developed during my time in consulting. Additionally, I am interested in evidence-based approaches to development, and I have loaded up on quantitative analysis courses that are part of the APEA concentration. Tell us about your summer internship experience. I spent 12 weeks in Uganda this past summer working on a financial inclusion evaluation. During my internship at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), I made a small contribution to the currently limited volume of evidence on the welfare impacts of financial inclusion â€" specifically, mobile money products that facilitate domestic peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers. I analyzed data from an extensive panel survey in Uganda and Tanzania to better understand the complex financial lives of the poor and determine how access to mobile money changes the way households respond to situations requiring additional financing. The households that experienced negative income shocks benefitted greatly from domestic transfers and were able to bridge the financing gap without cutting back on meals or taking children out of school. In addition to research design and analysis, I learned a lot about project management and the challenges of implementation in the field. I am looking forward to my Capstone expe rience this spring which, I hope, will take me back to Sub Saharan Africa. Is there a particular SIPA experience that stands out? Taking classes with experienced practitioners has been the highlight of my time at SIPA so far. Last year, I took a class on microfinance, co-taught by two highly accomplished women with years of experience in banking, foundations, and microfinance institutions. Their professional expertise combined with perspectives of other students in the class â€" fellow development practitioners â€" was truly eye-opening. I learned a lot and was able to leverage this knowledge in my summer internship search. What are your plans after SIPA? I hope to enter the impact evaluation field and assist NGOs and governments in maximizing their impact through implementation of cutting-edge evaluation programs. I am looking at positions in multilateral institutions, impact evaluation consulting firms, and policy research organizations â€" both in the U.S. and internationally. At present, I am interested in working either in or with West Africa. Nadia Ramirez, MPA 18, International Security Policy concentration, Latin America and International Conflict Resolution specializations What did you do prior to attending SIPA? I studied international relations as an undergraduate at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and studied abroad in 2011 in China at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. After graduating in 2013, I spent one year in Colombia (my country of birth) and then two years on a Fulbright in South Korea, teaching English at an all-girls high school in Busan and coordinating Fulbright’s volunteer program for North Korean defectors in the city. Why did you choose SIPA? Before starting my Fulbright, I thought about going to law school, but once in South Korea and through my work with North Korean defectors, I realized that what I actually wanted to do was work in diplomacy. I had considered the idea before, but after coming in contact with Foreign Service Officers, I decided to apply to the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship Program, a U.S. State Department program that provides funding for graduate students who want to pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. I ultimately chose SIPA as a Rangel fellow because of the heavy emphasis on quantitative skills and its international focus. Why did you choose your particular areas of study? After engaging in SIPA coursework and thinking about my career in the Foreign Service, I decided on the ISP concentration. I really like the ISP courses and think the material is relevant to my future work. My interest in Latin America grew out of my focus on East Asia as an undergraduate and research I conducted on the socioeconomic implications of Asian business in Latin America. I really enjoyed the research and thought specializing in Latin America would complement my East Asian focus. Specializing in Conflict Resolution happened accidentally. While looking at my course matrix, I realized that two classes in which I was interested (Negotiation and International Conflict Resolution) were part of the Conflict Resolution specialization. I’ve grown to really enjoy the area and now appreciate the importance of an institutional “soft power” type of perspective. What has been your experience at SIPA thus far? As a Rangel fellow, I am committed to serving a minimum of five years in the Foreign Service after graduating from SIPA. Since I don’t need to stress over internships and my job search, I’ve focused that energy on the SIPA community. I’ve done a lot of extracurricular activities and try very hard to support other SIPA students and their organizations. I was elected as one of SIPASA’s social chairs and find it very important to represent SIPASA at events. During my second semester, I was tapped to be on the SIPA Follies board, and I’m now their Executive Director, something I’m very happy to do since it gives me the opportunity to use my artistic side to the betterment of the SIPA community. How has SIPA affected you? SIPA has affected how I relate to people. Knowing that my classmates trust me enough to vote for me as their social chair, attending their events, and simply getting to know each and every one of them has made me a more confident, well-rounded individual. Every single one of my peers has an inspiring story to tell. It’s these people and their appreciation for what I do that has made me realize my potential. In many ways, they’ve helped prepare me for my career as a Foreign Service Officer. My peers and the positive relationships I’ve created as a naturalized American helped me in deciding to choose Public Diplomacy as my State Department career track. It’s where I can serve the U.S. best while doing the most good. How have your SIPA professors and instructors impacted your SIPA experience? There are many professors that have made my time at SIPA absolutely amazing. Academically, Richard Nephew has really helped prepare me for my future career. His short courses on Nuclear Concepts and Economic Sanctions are the perfect balance of theory and practicality. Other professors include Mayor Michael Nutter, Sarah Holloway, Chris Sabatini, and of course, the entire Econ/Quant team. Is there anything else that you’d like to add? I never realized how many doors a SIPA education could open until I did my State Department internship in The Netherlands. I met many SIPA alumni in the service as well as in many parts of Dutch society from banking, to government, and even the arts. It definitely allowed me to experience things I would not have gotten the chance to experience otherwise and created an immediate rapport that was immensely valuable on both a professional and personal level. Meeting all of these alumni and seeing the great work they’ve done in their communities demonstrates that Seeples go on to do amazing things.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Effects Of Divorce In The Family - 912 Words

Divorce changes the family unit The family is an important part of our life, it is where we belong and where we get our identities from. For me, family means people that love each other, a strong connection and a long lasting relationship. The family is the most important value who shaped my life. The traditional family means parents, children, and relatives. In our days there are a significantly changes that affect the family unit. One of the frequent changes is divorce. The raising of divorce is painful because divorce has negative effects not only for the adults but also for the children, and as a result, it affects the family structure by creating broken homes. Divorce is a life changing experience. When any†¦show more content†¦Children should have pleasant memories about their parents, for example, a vacation spent together, instead of memories as going to court because of divorce. White describes in â€Å"Once More to the Lake† a beautiful place from his childhood where he uses to spent the summer vacation with his family, which resulted in a stronger relationship with his father. He recalls, â€Å"It is strange how much you can remember about a place like the one you allow your mind to return into the grooves which lead back. You remember one thing, and suddenly remind you of another thing† (White, E.B. ). This type of place solidify the relationships in the family unit, and it encourages families to spend more time together. Secondly, divorce affects family relationships. When parents divorce, the primary effect is a decline in the relationship between parents and children. After the divorce, the judge set up rules about the custody and how parents can keep the contact with their children. The new rules, the new family structure, the new life may enormously change parents children relationship. Parents should be guides for their children, should be the wind beneath the wing s. Children need to receive unconditional love and, the guidance of their parent should be the base of their life. In â€Å"The Inheritance of Tools† Sanders explained how his father guided him trying to teach him how to use a hammer.Show MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Divorce On A Family1489 Words   |  6 Pages Divorce is a significant stressor for an individual and the family. Divorce has immediate consequences on the family structure and affects the psychological and social construct of a family going through divorce (McManus Nussbaum, 2011, p. 501). There is no doubt that families involved in divorce procedures have a challenging road ahead of them in terms of adapting to a new normal. Depending on the circumstances of the divorce, communication is a central component of minimizing the stress associatedRead MoreDivorce and its effects on family4847 Words   |  20 Pagesï » ¿ Divorce and its effects on family Kirsten Jackson University of Maryland Eastern Shore Divorce is defined as â€Å"the formal dissolution of marriage† (Collins, 1978, p. 1). Nearly half of marriages end in divorce. There could be various reasons as to why a relationship diminishes. These reasons could include premarital cohabitation or in other words living together before marriage, marrying at a young age, and finally the presence of children. All three of these reasons are saidRead MoreThe Effects Of Divorce On Family Members1706 Words   |  7 PagesDivorce affects family members in many different ways, both positive and negative. While many children can foster healthy relationships post-divorce, some may experience challenges maintaining future relationships after dealing with their parents divorce. How can parent do this to their child? One of the most important thing is to teach your child about building a relationship so they can be positive and can have positive thinking about getting married to have a family on their and work thingsRead MoreEssay on E ffects of Divorce on the Family2266 Words   |  10 PagesEffects of Divorce on the Family Statistics of the Stepfamily Foundation suggest that about one out of every two marriages ends in divorce and more American children will most likely be living in a stepfamily situation in the year 2000. Most parents agree that a divorce of a family has a negative effect on children and stepfamilies are harder on a childs development than living in a nuclear family. Dr. Judith Wallerstein has studied 25 years of the effects of a divorce on 26 children. SheRead More The Effects of Divorce on Children and Families Essay1604 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effects of Divorce on Children and Families Society is always rushing, hurrying, and trying to beat the clock. Deadlines and overtime seem to be a topic in everyday conversation. How is it possible that so much can be accomplished in just a short amount of time? What seems to be lacking? What is cut out of people’s everyday life? Frank Furedi in his book â€Å"Culture of Fear,† discusses many issues that are facing our society today. One of the issues he has written about is interpersonal relationshipsRead MoreThe Divorce And Its Effects On The Family And Women s Rights937 Words   |  4 Pagesprescribed by law, divorce is the termination of that relationship. Family capital cell of society, the marriage was not a personal matter but also social problems. As the divorce rate so high and growing, the divorce is no longer a story of two people who become social phenomena Divorced can because of numerous reasons, each couple decides to divorce also comes from many different causes. But can easily identify some basic reasons. First of all, have to mention the causes of family violence, 65 -75%Read MoreMy Parents Divorce And Its Effect On My Family1866 Words   |  8 Pages Whenever I hear people talking about divorce, or hear phrases such as â€Å"broken family† I want to either comfort or correct the person. I am able to set aside the sliver of pain that resides in the back of my head and realize all the wonderful things that have come out of my parent’s separation. I was pretty young when my parents started to have constant arguments but never really put the pieces together on my own. My worst childhood memories are not of scraped knees or broken bones but a broken heartRead MoreThe Effects Of Divorce On Children From Divorced Parents And Intact Families Essay1590 Words   |  7 PagesWith divorce rates rising over the years, over 50 percent of marriages will end in a divorce. Is this high divorce rate affecting the children from these divorced families, and if so how is it affecting the children? Or what if a married couple who is unhappy decides to stay together for the children? How does an intact but unhappy family affect the child ren? So to answer your questions Dr. Phil, I have put together a report from many different books, articles and studies on the effects on a childRead MoreThe Effects of Parental Relationship and Parent-Child Relationship on Adolescents’ Self-Esteem in Divorce Family5062 Words   |  21 PagesThe Effects of Parental Relationship and Parent-Child Relationship on Adolescents’ Self-esteem in Divorce Family Abstract Past western researches have shown support on the associations of parental and parent-child relationships towards adolescents’ self-esteem (SE) in intact and divorce families. Some theories attributed that the qualities of these relationships do have influences on how adolescent evaluate themselves. Our research proposal will analyze the effects of these two relationshipsRead MoreHow Divorce Has Changed Changing Society1491 Words   |  6 Pagesanalyze correlation, causation, and effect. One topic that has benefited from the use of statistics to measure its effects is divorce. Divorce is defined as the legal process of dissolving a marriage, thus separating two individuals (Merriam). From generation to generation, divorce has been on a steady increase. The annual rate of divorce more than doubled between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s (Croteau). As of recent, statistics show an increase in divorce rates from less than 20% to nearly 50%

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Sir Sandford Fleming Father of Standard Time

Sir Sandford Fleming was an engineer and inventor responsible for a variety of innovations, most notably the modern system of standard time and time zones. Early Life Fleming was born in 1827 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland and emigrated to Canada in 1845 at the age of 17. He first worked as a surveyor and later became a railway engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He founded the Royal Canadian Institute in Toronto in 1849. While originally an organization for engineers, surveyors, and architects, it would evolve into an institution for the advancement of science in general. Sir Sandford Fleming - Father of Standard Time Sir Sandford Fleming advocated the adoption of a standard time or mean time, as well as hourly variations from that according to established time zones. Flemings system, still in use today, established Greenwich, England (at 0 degrees longitude) as the standard time, and divides the world into 24 time zones, each a fixed time from the mean time. Fleming was inspired to create the standard time system after he missed the train in Ireland due to confusion over the time of departure. Fleming first recommended the standard to the Royal Canadian Institute in 1879, and he was instrumental in convening the 1884 International Prime Meridian Conference in Washington, at which the system of international standard time — still in use today — was adopted.  Fleming was behind the adoption of the present time meridians in both Canada and the U.S. Before Flemings time revolution, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form of local solar time, maintained by some well-known clock (for example, on a church steeple or in a jewelers window). Standard time in time zones was not established in U.S. law until the Act of March 19, 1918, sometimes called the Standard Time Act. Other Inventions A few of Sir Sandford Flemings other achievements: Designed the first Canadian postage stamp. The three-penny stamp issued in 1851 had a beaver on it (the national animal of Canada).Designed an early in-line skate in 1850.Surveyed for the first railroad route across CanadaWas the head engineer for most of the Intercolonial Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Tuskegee Experiment Free Essays

Study clinicians â€Å" For the most part, doctors and civil servants simply did their jobs. Some merely followed orders, others worked for the glory of science. † — Dr John Heller, Director of the Public Health Service’s Division of Venereal Diseases[8] Some of the Tuskegee Study Group clinicians. We will write a custom essay sample on Tuskegee Experiment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Dr. Reginald D. James (third to right), a black physician involved with public health work in Macon County, was not directly involved in the study. Nurse Rivers is on the left. Dr. Taliaferro Clark Dr. Oliver WengerThe venereal disease section of the U. S. Public Health Service (PHS) formed a study group at its national headquarters. Dr. Taliaferro Clark was credited with its origin. His initial goal was to follow untreated syphilis in a group of black men for 6 to 9 months, and then follow up with a treatment phase. When he understood the intention of other study members to use deceptive practices, Dr. Clark disagreed with the plan to conduct an extended study. [clarification needed] He retired the year after the study began. Representing the PHS, Clark had solicited the participation of the Tuskegee Institute (a historically black college (HBCU) that was well-known in Alabama) and of the Arkansas regional PHS office. Dr. Eugene Dibble, an African American doctor, was head of the John Andrew Hospital at the Tuskegee Institute. Dr. Oliver C. Wenger, a caucasian, was director of the regional PHS Venereal Disease Clinic in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He and his staff took a lead in developing study procedures. Wenger and his staff played a critical role in developing early study protocols. Wenger continued to advise and assist the Tuskegee Study when it turned into a long-term, no-treatment observational study. [9] Dr. Raymond H. Vonderlehr was appointed on-site director of the research program and developed the policies that shaped the long-term follow-up section of the project. For example, he decided to gain the â€Å"consent† of the subjects for spinal taps (to look for signs of neurosyphilis) by depicting the diagnostic test as a â€Å"special free treatment†. Vonderlehr retired as head of the venereal disease section in 1943, shortly after penicillin had first been shown to be a cure for syphilis. Nurse Eunice Rivers, an African-American trained at Tuskegee Institute who worked at its affiliated John Andrew Hospital, was recruited at the start of the study. Dr. Vonderlehr was a strong advocate for her participation, as she was the direct link to the community. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Tuskegee Study began by offering lower class African Americans, who often could not afford health care, the chance to join â€Å"Miss Rivers’ Lodge†. Patients were to receive free physical examinations at Tuskegee University, free rides to and from the clinic, hot meals on examination days, and free treatment for minor ailments. As the study became long term, Nurse Rivers became the chief person with continuity. Unlike the changing state of national, regional and on-site PHS administrators, doctors, and researchers, Rivers stayed at Tuskegee University. She was the only study staff person to work with participants for the full 40 years. By the 1950s, Nurse Rivers had become pivotal to the study—her personal knowledge of the subjects enabled maintenance of long-term follow up. In the study’s later years, Dr. John R. Heller led the national division. By the late 1940s, doctors, hospitals and public health centers throughout the country routinely treated diagnosed syphilis with penicillin. In the period following World War II, the revelation of the Holocaust and related Nazi medical abuses brought about changes in international law. Western allies formulated the Nuremberg Code to protect the rights of research subjects. No one appeared to have reevaluated the protocols of the Tuskegee Study according to the new standards. In 1972 the Tuskegee Study was brought to public and national attention by a whistleblower, who gave information to the Washington Star and the New York Times. Heller of PHS still defended the ethics of the study, stating: â€Å"The men’s status did not warrant ethical debate. They were subjects, not patients; clinical material, not sick people. â€Å"[10] How to cite Tuskegee Experiment, Papers

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Unethical Marketing and its Consequences free essay sample

Today, it seems as though everyone is aware of ethics, and what ethical values he or she holds and how they apply to their everyday life. Similarly, many companies are changing their structures, training their staff and defining the high importance and expectations when it comes to ethics in business, specifically marketing. Over the many years that businesses have advertised products and services, advertising has gained the general reputation of being dishonest or in some cases adversarial. However, all marketing is not adversarial or stacked in favor of the marketer. A very popular view of marketing in an article from the iContact Corporation website called â€Å"Marketing Ethics† makes the stated how marketing ethics in general â€Å"is inherently evil, with little truth or outrageous claims that are designed to generate sales. One of the best examples of this is the products promoted on late night television in infomercials. Products that claim overnight wrinkle reduction, hair growth for those experiencing early pattern baldness, or instant weight loss are commonly viewed as unreliable at best and a total scam at their worst† (2014). However, in order to have a fundamental understanding of what unethical marketing is one must understand what constitutes ethics in marketing, what are some of the laws and code of ethics that protect unethical practices, and what are some examples of unethical behavior in marketing and their consequences. To get a better understanding what constitutes unethical marketing, let us take a look at what marketing ethics mean. Penn (2012) stated â€Å"marketing ethics† is a standard by which moral principles are considered within the marketing profession and execution of an advertising campaign or overall strategy for a business and/or organizations. He continued to discuss, the reason we look to the field of applied ethics is that by definition, marketing is working with a large number of people, and attempting to define right and wrong or good and bad is an exercise in futility. Rather, we have to look to the people we are serving and try to match what we do to the greatest good for them as we understand it (Penn, 2012). As we have learned marketing creates a competitive advantage between organizations in order to keep current customers and acquire new customers; companies should also be focused and aware of the wants and needs of their customers. By focusing on the long term interests of their customers, using good marketing techniques and acting ethically while doing so helps a business to be as successful as possible. Unfortunately, many organizations today still act unethically. So the question then one must ask is, what are some of the laws and code of ethics that protect unethical practices? Ethical guidelines are critical to establishing a trustworthy reputation in the marketing industry. Enforcing the guidelines is critical for maintaining the reputation and business (Dean, 2010). The Federal Trade Commission and the American Marketing Association have made laws and codes that specifically deal with unethical issues in marketing. Let us first discuss the Federal Trade Commission, it was formed in 1914 and its overall goal is prevent business practices that are anti-competitive, deceptive or unfair to consumers; also to enhance informed consumer choice and public understanding of the competitive process; and finally to accomplish this without unduly burdening legitimate business activity (The Federal Trade Commission, 2014). Dean (2010) in an article called â€Å"Ethical imperatives of a marketing company† pointed out that â€Å"The Federal Trade Commissions Bureau of Competition enforces the nations antitrust laws, which form the foundation of our free market economy. The antitrust laws promote the interests of consumers; they support unfettered markets and result in lower prices and more choices. We can see that the Federal Trade Commissions Bureau of Competition protects not only consumers but businesses as well from exploiting marketing strategies that create an unfair advantage by enforcing the laws and ethical guidelines. Another agency that provides a code of ethics that protects against unethical marketing is the American Marketing Association. The roots of the American Marketing Association (AMA) can be traced to the early 1900’s when the National Association of Teachers of Advertisers and American Marketing Society, comprised of marketers and marketing researchers, merged to bring together all marketers, across all specialties to collaborate and inspire one another (American Marketing Association, 2014). The article continues to discuss how the AMA commits itself to promoting the highest standard of professional ethical norms and values for its members (practitioners, academics and students). Below are some examples of ethical norms and values: ETHICAL NORMS As Marketers, we must: Do no harm. This means consciously avoiding harmful actions or omissions by embodying high ethical standards and adhering to all applicable laws and regulations in the choices we make. Foster trust in the marketing system. This means striving for good faith and fair dealing so as to contribute toward the efficacy of the exchange process as well as avoiding deception in product design, pricing, communication, and delivery of distribution. Embrace ethical values. This means building relationships and enhancing consumer confidence in the integrity of marketing by affirming these core values: honesty, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency and citizenship. ETHICAL VALUES Honesty – to be forthright in dealings with customers and stakeholders To this end, we will: Strive to be truthful in all situations and at all times. Offer products of value that do what we claim in our communications. Stand behind our products if they fail to deliver their claimed benefits. Honor our explicit and implicit commitments and promises. Responsibility – to accept the consequences of our marketing decisions and strategies To this end, we will: Strive to serve the needs of customers. Avoid using coercion with all stakeholders. Acknowledge the social obligations to stakeholders that come with increased marketing and economic power. Recognize our special commitments to vulnerable market segments such as children, seniors, the economically impoverished, market illiterates and others who may be substantially disadvantaged. Consider environmental stewardship in our decision-making. It is understood that the main goal of the AMA’s statement of ethics is to help the industry understand the code of ethics and to provide businesses with the proper usage of the ethical norms and ethical values. We have looked at how the Federal Trade Commission and the American Marketing Association provide guidelines, code of ethics and laws to prevent and instill ethical business practices in organizations. Let us now take a look at some examples of unethical behavior in marketing and their consequences. Burrow (2014) has indicated that ethical marketing involves making honest claims and helping to satisfy the needs of customers. Besides being the right thing to do, ethical marketing can have significant benefits for your business. For example, if customers believe you’ll live up to your word, brand loyalty will develop, customer retention will increase and your customers will tell others of their good experiences. If this is the case then why do organizations and/or businesses persist on having unethical marketing behaviors? Mack (2014) goes into detail in his article called â€Å"Unethical Activities in the Field of Marketing† on how unethical marketing activities, in contrast, can destroy your businesss reputation and possibly lead to legal troubles. He goes on to discusses and provide a few examples of unethical marketing activities: Misleading Advertising – Outright false advertising is illegal. For example, reporting that your product is safe for people to use when it isn’t can land you in serious trouble. Misleading advertising might not rise to the level of false advertising, but it’s unethical and can hurt your reputation with the public. For example, if you claim your product is much better than it actually is, your company will appear untrustworthy. While it’s important to put your best foot forward in marketing, avoid crossing the line by making dishonest or exaggerated claims. Exploitation – Manipulating people by exploiting their fears is unethical. For example, exaggerating the risks people face so you can sell them insurance is a form of manipulation, as is tricking your customers into buying overpriced or useless extended warranties. This approach is called the â€Å"fear-sell† tactic and is especially immoral when it targets people who are disadvantaged in some way. For example, the fear-sell tactic is often used by insurance salesmen to trick low-income earners into buying unnecessary insurance. Pushy Sales Tactics – It’s a salesperson’s job to convince customers to buy a product, but being overly aggressive is unethical. For example, suppose a customer seems interested in a purchase but asks for more time to consider the deal. An unethical salesperson might bully the customer into making a quick decision, perhaps by lying about how the deal will expire soon or how another customer is interested in the same item. The line between being persuasive and being a bully isn’t always clear, so its more ethical to focus on helping customers make informed decisions rather than focusing on making the sale at any cost. There are many more examples of unethical behavior in marketing but we can see from the above examples that unethical behavior in marketing can be both illegal and immoral. It is no wonder why we have the Federal Trade Commission making laws and American Marketing Association providing code of ethics for organizations and business to abide by. It is unfortunate that many businesses and/or organization practice unethical behavior in order to get an unfair advantage on the competition. As many more businesses compete against each other for the market it is unlikely that unethical behavior will be going away any time soon. It is up to the consumers that are victimized and those employees that see unethical acts that need to stand up and turn in those businesses in. In the meantime all we can do is hope and have faith that businesses and/or organizations are aware of the laws and code of ethics and act responsible and ethically when dealing with consumers and each other.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

King Arthur And Zeus Essays - Mythology, Fiction, Religion

King Arthur And Zeus Inside the compilation of mythical stories of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, retold by Roger Green, and Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths, two major characters in each story that could be expressed in similar and contrasting ways are Arthur, the king and head of the knights of the Round Table, and Zeus, the supreme leader of all gods and mortals. Similar resemblances that can be found in both is their shadowy lineage, their major mortal flaws, and their nature to journey on epic quests. Even though they were very similar in some aspects, the two were also very different in other means. Arthur is much more kind to his people and cares about them, while Zeus does not view his subjects as worthy of him and treats them unjustly. An additional difference is Arthur is more mild and not taking harsh action all the time, though Zeus is known for being severe. There are many similarities as well as differences that are attributed to these two mythical characters. Arthur and Zeus can be noted for their mysterious childhood and ways they were treated at infancy. Both had prophesies of prosperity that led them into adulthood. When Arthur was born, Uther Pendragon, the leader of the Britons, killed a man and married his wife, Igrayne. Uther and Igrayne had one child, but not much longer after it was born, Merlin the enchanter took him away. Soon after, the boy was placed in the arms of Sir Ector, a noble knight. Later, the youth pulled the sword out of a stone that proclaimed that he was the king of all Britain. This young man would later on grow up to be King Arthur. Not unlike Arthur, Zeus also had a unnatural background. Before Zeus was born, there was a prophecy that stated that Cronos, the king of all gods, would be overthrown by one of his sons. When Zeus was born, he was concealed from his father. As time went by, Zeus waged a war against Cronos and defeated him. Though Zeus and Arthur came from entirely different locations and times, their childhood's were related on account of both of them being hazy. Even though some might not consider either of the two "mortal", Arthur and Zeus had very notable human-like flaws. They both seemed to rush to judgements hastily, and were very passionate towards women. When Arthur hears about King Pellinore and how he is shamelessly killing knights, Arthur runs off to fight. Obviously, Arthur does not give himself time to think, and would have died if it was not for Merlin. Another example would be when Arthur runs off to the Castle of Tarn Wathelyne and pays no heed to Sir Gawain's warnings. King Arthur ends up being tricked by Morgana Le Fay and would perish save a horrid woman who forced Sir Gawain to marry her for King Arthur's life. Many times King Arthur would have been killed if it weren't for his friends such as Merlin and Sir Gawain. Zeus showed the same characteristic even though it played no part in death for himself. The mighty god jumped to his feet and killed when he found out that Ascelpsius was curing mortals headed to the underworld. Later, Zeus regretted his act of terror and brought Ascelpsius back to life. Passionate feelings for other women, and desire for romance were huge faults in Arthur and Zeus. Arthur's feelings for Guinevere led to the downfall of the Logres. At first, when Arthur saw Guinevere, he immediately fell in love with her. Through carelessness and desire for romance, Arthur neglected Merlin's advice of not marrying the queen. When Guinevere and Lancelot had an affair, a war started, and the realm was destroyed. In Zeus' case, the gods are not affected by romantic affairs, but the mortals they make love with are affected. Zeus approached many different gods or mortals, even though he is already married to Hera. Hera occasionally followed Zeus, and punished the ones with whom he had affairs. The mythical figures Arthur and Zeus both have major moral flaws: rashness and crave for passion. King Arthur and Zeus are best known for their epic quests and accomplishments. The two figures seem to be born for the reason to journey on adventures. At age sixteen, Arthur ruled as the king of all Britons. He immediately set forth to drive all of the Saxons out of the island of Britain. This could be considered his first major

Friday, March 6, 2020

What Do Frank and Rita Learn from Each Other Essay Example

What Do Frank and Rita Learn from Each Other Essay Example What Do Frank and Rita Learn from Each Other Paper What Do Frank and Rita Learn from Each Other Paper Essay Topic: Literature I think education is a part of life that everybody goes through. Its how the world gains knowledge and everybody deserves to have a proper education, which involves going to a school and learning different subjects in a classroom with a teacher. My view of education does seem to differ to Russells definition. His definition of education seems to be a way to differentiate the social classes of the world. A chance for the posh people to show how superior they are to the lower class. He is implying that anyone that is poor cannot have had an education. This does seem to be true according to the play but maybe Russell was not picturing reality when he wrote Educating Rita. His definition of education is not apparent in the reality that I live in so I cannot identify with him. To me, education is and always will be the gaining of knowledge, being taught and finding out about life. Our first impressions of Frank are rather negative, it is clear that he has a drinking problem and is obviously dissatisfied with his life. We learn from him that he is divorced and his present relationship is not an idealistic one. He is quite disrespectful and longs to have more free time to sit in the pub and drink. Examples of these are things like, Strange hours for this Open University thing. They expect us to teach when the pubs are open. (1. i) Jubilantly he moves to the Dickens section and pulls out a pile of books to reveal a bottle of whisky (1. i) These examples show how he relies on his drinking and would rather be at the pub than anything else. Our first impressions of Rita differ quite significantly to those of Frank; her use of language is coarse and does not have the ability to express literary concepts on anything but a basic level. Things that dont really matter like wearing the right types of clothing and the right type of wine preoccupy her. Thats a nice picture Its very erotic Theres no suppose about it. Look at those tits. (1. i) Ritas language here shows how direct and naive she is. Most people would not come straight out and say something like that but she does not see the vulgarity of the way she speaks. At first Frank does not want to teach Rita, he tries to stop her from coming to him for tutoring. Go back to what you do like and stop wasting my time. You go out and buy yourself a new dress and Ill go to the pub. (1. ii) This proves how Frank sees Rita as a waste of time and does not want to teach her. Rita has exactly the opposite reaction to Frank, when he tries get rid of her she becomes adamant about the fact the he is her tutor. This is because she likes him and what he does; she feels she can learn a great deal from him because of the social class he is in. She also does genuinely like him for his personality, which makes here even more determined to stay. Wait a minute, listen to me. Listen: Im on this course, you are my teacher an youre gonna bleedin well teach me Youre my tutor. I dont want another tutor. (1. ii) She is not going to leave him because she definitely wants him as a tutor. The first major learning point for Frank is accepting Rita and finding out that there is more to life then literature and poetry and his mind is opened by Rita and becomes less of a literary snob. He also later on tried to dissuade Rita from becoming so literate in what she has learned because Frank sees it as a turn for the worst for her. Rita also begins to learn things from Frank; the first major learning point she took was that to be able to get the education she wants she needs to change her colloquial dialect to a more formal language. This helps her become able to stress her point within an essay, by impressing an examiner rather than using a vulgar language. F: No, Erm assonance. Well, its a form of rhyme. Whats a whats an example erm -? Do you know Yeats? R: The wine lodge? F: Yeats the poet. (1. i) R: It was crap. F: What? R: I thought it was crap! F: Crap? And who are you citing in support of your thesis, F. R. Leavis? R: No. Me! F: What have I just said? Me is subjective. (1. ii) Along the way Frank and Rita learn a lot more from each other. The next point Frank learns is that education can quash a person. He realises or thinks that if Rita is successful in learning everything (which is what she wanted in the beginning) then it will spoil what is so special about Rita. For instance the way she just comes out with things, says what is exactly on her mind, she will start to say less about what she thinks, try and make it into a more posh point of view. Frank may even be scared that Rita will become a literary snob like he was in the beginning. F: (appealingly) Rita, stop it! R: But Frank, I have to persevere in order that I shall. F: Rita! Just be yourself. R: I am being myself. (2. ii) Rita is also learning along with Frank. But she learns that to cope with having an education and being exposed to all these literate, upper class people she needs to change the way she talks, in accent and the vocabulary she uses. Although this may not actually be correct, she does learn it and perseveres with changing the way she dresses. She feels she no longer fits in with the people around her and quits her job, because the conversation lacks somewhat in education. She feels she needs to change the people that are around her and then try to fit in with the new people she has become acquainted to. R: Thats why I couldnt stand being in a hairdressers any longer; boring irrelevant detail all the time, on and on Well, Im sorry but Ive had enough of that. I dont wanna talk about irrelevant rubbish anymore. F: And what do you talk about in your bistro? R: Everything We talk about whats important, Frank, and we leave out the boring details for those who want them (2. iv) Frank has learned a lot from Rita throughout this play, and I think the most important point he has learned is, it doesnt matter who you are or where you live, everybody deserves an education, and it can change you for the worst. It doesnt make you a better person or more superior to anyone else, you are just the same apart from having a larger vocabulary. In the end, everyone comes down to the same thing, has the same needs and longs for the same things! F: Oh Ive done a fine job on you havent I This this clever, pyrotechnical pile of self-conscious allusion is worthless, talentless, shit and could be recognized as such by anyone with a shred of common sense Oh, I dont expect you to believe me, Rita; you recognize the hallmark of literature now, dont you? I think that the most important point that Rita learned in this play is that you have a choice in life. You dont have to be stuck in somewhere you dont want to be. You can change your life to how you want it to be. Although it might not be what you expect, it ends up how you wanted it to be and that is your own choice. R: It might be worthless in the end. But I had a choice. I chose, me. Because of what youd given me. I had a choice. (2. vii) I do think that Frank and Rita benefit from having a relationship with each other. They both open their eyes to how they each live, and learn to accept things that has contradicted points that they thought were true their whole life. Frank manages to stop drinking, nearly and Rita is where she wants to be in life. They helped each other get to that stage and although Frank still relies on Rita to be there she does not actually need him anymore. A final benefit that Frank receives is quite comical; a haircut. This is great because it finishes off the play with a light note. I think that Russell is trying to show that in his play Frank and Rita learn exactly the same thing, people are all the same, and most of the things you know will end up being useless and empty. They both learn this in a different way. Rita becomes educated, and learns that it is not up to what it is made out to be and Frank learns this by meeting Rita, the lower class girl. If you base your life around literature completely you will end up being a very dull person with an empty life.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Measuring Test Quality in Embedded Systems Research Paper

Measuring Test Quality in Embedded Systems - Research Paper Example This situation has called for the development of better testing methods that can be used to overcome the mentioned above setbacks experienced by the traditional embedded systems through offering the exact test quality information even in situations where the measuring and testing processes are carried out when the application under investigation is being run in an embedded target board (Conrad 78)Some malfunction software have been introduced as the quality problem culprit in the products of embedded systems. Software testing has therefore received more focus in the recent years and is commonly being used as a means adapted by companies to produce products that are of high quality within the desired time duration to their customers. The traditional systems that made use of manual methods for testing software have been unable to keep up with the rapid increasing code amounts in the contemporary implementation of products. Thus better systems to ensure that the tests conducted are effi ciently executed and the tests actions are reported, monitored and analyzed in better ways so as to keep up with the pace of modern requirements are needed (Grchtmann 27).Most of the programs used these days in embedded systems produce codes that are needlessly complex. While such released codes might still be functional, they are normally more complicated than they are required to be. Codes that are complicated tend to transform and become codes that are problem-riddled. Most technicians believe that in an event.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Tesco Plc Financial Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tesco Plc Financial Analysis - Coursework Example Furthermore, Tesco operate online sales of product which has seen them expand internationally and get customers all over the world. There are reasons as to why Tesco is customers’ favorite store in the UK. Tesco have got a well analyzed capital structure which supports the growth of business plan with consideration of their expertise in the financial system and cash management. Tesco also has a business that deals in banking. In its finance department, Tesco has schemed on operation of its business and financial strategies which is inclusive on debt, financing, equity, and capital investment. Tesco as a corporation is authorized to give only three categories of capital stock. These categories are unlimited in number and are inclusive of preferred shares, common shares, and the 2nd preferred shares. The common shareholders are permitted to attendance of any meeting and receiving of notice of the Tesco’s shareholders. The common shareholders also have the right to only on e vote. Both the second and first shareholders are known as preferred shareholders. According to the rights of the preferred Shareholders, the common shareholders have gotten the right to receivership of any dividend that has been declared by Tesco Corporation and upon dissolution receive any remnants of Tesco Corporation. Tesco states that their main sources of finance are from medium and long term debts, retained profits, commercial paper, leases, issues and bank borrowings (Tesco 2007). There is a FY Tesco generated 2611 million pounds from their operating activities that financed 3 billion pounds expenditure on capital, inclusive of 1899 million profit that added to retained earnings. Another finance provider is from the shareholders. The company gets financed by debt more than equity. Leases also form a source of financing Tesco, which is a major contributor towards its balance sheet and in its capital structure. The financial strategy of Tesco seems to have moved to a change i n its capital structure hence making equity returns get better by the increase of finance debt in utilizing tax shield. Nevertheless, it seems that it is because of the ratio of debt-equity that there have not been any changes. To support this, by the year 2010, this ratio had actually dropped to approximately 0.11 from 0.12. After debt issues in the balance sheet and sale of property, this level was reinstated to its initial level. By consideration of this ratio, there is a sign that Tesco is not concentrated on improvement of shareholders’ equity return. Taking this to be their major goal, Tesco would have achieved it by the increase of leverage and more debt issue. Instead, they take advantage of conversion of assets into capital with the aim of making the shareholders interested. Question two Question two requires an explanation on what ‘FACTORING FOR BUSINESS’ means and its usefulness in an organization. Factoring for business is a transaction in finance tha t involves selling of a firm’s account receivables. In a detailed level, factoring involves the provision of finance by the factor to the account’s seller in advance cash form (Seidman, 2005). The accounts are always approximately 80 percent of the total price of the accounts purchase, taking into account payment of the purchase price balance, commission and upon collection other charges. The factor may opt for

Monday, January 27, 2020

Strategies for Campus Sustainability

Strategies for Campus Sustainability DR. VIDYA.H.N DR. PUTTARAJU.K. CRAFTING CAMPUS AWARENESS – STRATEGIES TOWARDS CREATION OF CAMPUS SUSTAINBILITY FULL TEXT OF THE PAPER â€Å" First challenge in the design of a new campus is not to create new buildings, but to create a shared vision towards sustainability†. INTRODUCTION –In a College campus each student has a unique role to play in making the campus a sustainable place . One can incorporate values of environmental responsibility in the campus . Students can be made to involve directly by joininga sustainability action team or form their own club or forum and become a sustainability leader through adoption of innovative sustainability goals. A college can create responsiveness of sustainability goals by engaging the campus community in sustainability awareness programs. Students can be made attentive towards rendering individual efforts in reducing the ecological stress in the campus. All the Staff, faculty and students should exert together to reduce energy consumption, promote waste reduction strategies, alternative transportation options, and other sustainability initiatives in offices, classrooms, labs, libraries, buildings, residences and in personal lives. The following was the initial methodology adopted by our Institution INITIAL CAMPUS ACTION PLAN- Identifying the in-campus behavior for each student. Determining group behaviour. Identifying the students present level of conceptualization of sustainability Listing the steps to make them aware of the concept of sustainability Finalizing the skills towards orienting the campus behavior towards sustainability with an action plan After these steps were initialized as our Institution took steps to strategize the concept. THE STRATEGIES OF ACHIEVING CAMPUS SUSTAINBILITY To engage the campus community in the implementation of sustainability goals and actions, certain strategies were required which could be achieved through . Our Institution provided peer support to sustainability programs of each department. Provision for environmental education programs that promote sustainability was taken up Environmental studies as a topic was introduced through Mysore university. Motivation through creativity to identify new procedures and initiatives to promote sustainability was taken up through orientation programs to fresher students . Here they were offered opportunities to exchange ideas, experiences and plans. Our Institution recognized and rewarded successes. Award of Excellency to departments and Student volunteers was mooted To Reduce energy consumption, all students made to turn off the lights when they leave their class rooms. To reduce Greenhouse gas emissions local students were advised to take cycles to college instead of bikes. A beautiful in house campus garden was thus developed .It also served as demonstration gardens to showcase the beauty and diversity of edible landscaping in a campus setting. Additionally, the gardens provided service opportunities for student volunteers to serve n the garden in their free time. The flowers of the rose garden are used in functions to welcome the dignitaries for decorative purposes The flowers are also used to worship the goddess Saraswathi idol inside the campus garden. The herbal plants such as hibiscus tulasi help the environs with healthy air. The Trees of teak , neem asoka are helping the campus with fresh air water sustainability. PROCESS PHASES OF PROGRAMME A formalized process for advancing sustainability in our college campus was done in phases .Phase One had targeted outreach. -This included identifying and providing support for students, volunteer student leaders, building student capacity and communicating with all stakeholders. The Stake holders such as Parents, Alumni , college development Council members were convinced of the concept of campus sustainability. Phase Two, helped campus sustainability activists create general awareness and broaden outreach programs . NSS student volunteers were involved in campus cleaning activities. Faculty joined hands with peer support. Phase Three, consultation with all departments developed into a coherent Action Plan. On this basis the campus was made greener every year our College could fetch the Best maintained garden award . CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY OUTCOMES ACHIEVED All students strive to turn off the lights when they leave their class rooms. All students voluntary themselves to deposit waste in specific areas only. . In the computer lab students shut down their PCs completely at the end of the day. The Office has set all printers and copiers to default double-sided mode. Using Cycle inside campus -Toward promoting sustainability on campus, on the model of Hyderabad campus was launched the â€Å"cycles on campus† but most of the students come from far off places they are supported by Public transportations facility. Our institution has the intention of ordering high efficiency multi-purpose machines to consolidate printers, faxes, scanners and copiers. All faculty administrative staff carry a reusable water bottle with them. All faculty have set their PC computer screen to go into standby mode after 15 minutes of inactivity Several of the Faculty can Leave the car at home take a walk in the second session of the College. Use natural light to light your office instead of Tube lights CFLs. Using 100% post-consumer recycled paper for use in the office is All faculty carry their own bags for shopping outside the campus. Students are advised to avoid wasting food inside the campus. Reducing the wastage of stationery inside the campus is gradually picking up Watering the plants through channels with waste water recycling. THE OUTREACH METHODOLOGY Our Institution is striving towards enhancing the concept further more through Engaging the faculty and students in research and creative projects in campus Sustainability. Such as conducting environmental art exhibitions, energy saving demonstration projects such as solar street lighting, solar hot water for hostels, solar thermal cooking, institutional biogas plants , electrical mobility, etc , adopting a water Harvesting System etc. All these initiatives will lead to outcome such as reducing the negative environmental impact of the college or university, Saving the college money, educating and empowering students thereby creating a sustainable generation for future. CONCLUSION- Campus sustainability is the need of the hour and is one of key focus areas for sustainability initiatives. These initiatives will make a sustainable difference in campus communities and will assist students to focus on building capacity at individual level and institutions at large . These strategies will help to drive inclusive growth and enable institutions and individuals to work towards achieving their full potential. These initiative will also aim to increase awareness among the student community on the issue of sustainability, to keep the campus clean and green while improving the overall health of the student community. A holistic approach, more commonly including social, economic and traditional environmental considerations in sustainability goals has to become a part of the syllabi in the campus. Colleges and universities across the globe are making the concept of campus sustainability a reality. These initiatives are influencing curriculum decisions, operational budgets, f acility plans, and campus culture. Students, faculty, staff are leading these earnest efforts. Certainly bringing about a campus culture is a difficult work, requiring coordination and cooperation yet a common motivation towards achieving sustainability will follow. ***************** References- Poyyamoli- G- A critical review of campus sustainability in India- a road map for the future A critical review of campus sustainability in India- a road map for the future Bantanur shaila others -Sustainability issues in Indian universities of Higher education Brundtland Commission. ( 1987) World commission on environment and development. Our common future. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 1987. Leal Filho, Walter (ed.)( 2012 )Sustainable Development at Universities: New Horizons Series:Umweltbildung, Umweltkommunikation und Nachhaltigkeit / Environmental Education, Communication and Sustainability- Volume 34: 2012 Alshuwaikhat.H.M,Abubakar I (2008)â€Å"An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment if the current campus environmental management practice†, Journal of Cleaner Production2008 ********************

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Economics of Consumption Tax on Unhealthy Goods.

Economics of Consumption Tax on Unhealthy Goods. Introduction: Unhealthy consumption prevails in the fields of nutrition, energy and transport. Taxing is one a solution to provide a healthier living. With globalization, qualities of goods do fail to meet the international standards. International movements of goods which damage health are increasing with Cross border marketing, promoting unhealthy behaviours of alcohol and tobacco consumption and unhealthy diets. (Richard Smith, 2003). The report narrows down to Daily life consumption of tobacco and alcohol considering the impact of individual’s income, price of the produce and the substitutions available briefing on supply and demand. The taxing of unhealthy goods is segmented under consumption taxation rather than on income. For addictive goods, the level of consumption today not only causes harm tomorrow, but also increases the marginal benefit of future consumption. Literally every country charges through some sort of ad valorem tax through value added tax, sales tax or an expenditure tax. Economic Models to study Demand for Cigarettes: Studies on demand for cigarettes have applied several types of economic models to different types of data with various estimation techniques. In general, two types of economic models are used: the conventional demand model and the addictive demand model. These models have been applied to two types of data: aggregate level data including time-series data for a single geographical unit and pooled cross-sectional time-series data, and individual level of survey data. Conventional demand models which use aggregate data normally specify the demand equation in a way that the quantity of cigarettes demanded is a function of cigarette prices, income, tobacco control policies and a variety of socioeconomic and demographic factors. But there are two exceptions (Baltagi and Goel, 1987; Peterson et al. , 1992), in which a quasi-experiment approach was used to compare changes in cigarette consumption in states in the United States that have raised cigarette taxes to consumption in states where taxes have not changed. A small but growing number of studies have used data on individuals taken from large-scale surveys (Lewit et al. , 1981; Lewit and Coate, 1982; Grossman et al. , 1983; Chaloupka and Pacula, 1998; Farrelly et al. , 1998). These studies differ from those using aggregated data, in that they normally estimate a two-part model, by estimating firstly the probability that an individual will smoke and, secondly, the level of consumption among smokers. The conventional demand model does not account for the addictive nature of cigarette smoking. There are several versions of the addictive model that have been used for studying the demand for cigarettes: the imperfectly rational addiction model, myopic addiction model and rational addiction model (Chaloupka and Warner, 1999). The rational addictive model is the most recent model used for modelling demand for cigarettes (Becker and Murphy, 1988; Becker et al. , 1991; Pekurinen, 1991; Chaloupka, 1990, 1991, 1992; Keeler et al. , 1993). The rationality here simply implies that individuals incorporate the interdependence between past, current, and future consumption into their utility maximization processes. This is in contrast to the assumption, implicit in myopic models of addictive behaviours, that future implications are ignored when making the current decision. Empirically, the demand equation is specified as the quantity of cigarettes demanded in the current period being a function of both past and future consumption as well as those other factors included in the conventional demand model. Becker and Murphy (1988) and Becker et al. (1991) developed several hypotheses from the basic rational addiction model. First, the quantities of the addictive good consumed in different time periods are complementary. As a result, current consumption of an addictive good is inversely related to not only the current prices of the good, but also to the all past and future prices. Consequently, the long-term effect of a permanent change in prices will exceed the short-term effect. Moreover, the ratio of the long-term to short-term price effect increases as the degree of addition rises. In addition, the model predicts that the impact of an nticipated price change will be greater than that of a comparable un-anticipated price change, while a permanent price change will have a larger impact on demand than a temporary price change. Finally, price responsiveness varies with time preference: addicts with higher discount rates will be more responsive to changes in money prices that those with lower discount rates. Specific variables included in the demand model of each study vary, depending on the economic mode l used and the availability and type of the data. Important factors that have been evaluated include costs of cigarette smoking, consumers’ income, cigarette advertising and other promotion activities, and health information. The cost of cigarette smoking should be defined broadly, including not only the purchase price of cigarettes, but the time and other costs associated with smoking. Restrictions on smoking in public places and private work sites, for example, impose additional costs on smokers by forcing them outdoors to smoke, by increasing the time and discomfort associated with smoking, or by imposing fines for smoking in restricted areas. Similarly, limits on access to tobacco by youth may increase the time and potential legal costs associated with smoking. Supply and Demand- Price Elasticities : Cigarette consumption is found to be negatively related to price. The estimated price elasticity from those studies using aggregated data varies from -0. 14 to -1. 23, but most fall in the narrower range from -0. 3 to -0. 5, including the result from the two quasi-experimental studies (Baltagi and Goel, 1987; Peterson et al. , 1992). The estimated price elasticities from the studies using individual-level data, in general, are comparable to those estimates from the studies using the aggregate data. Nearly all of the studies of the price-demand relationship focus on the developed countries. Warner (1990) argued that price responsiveness in less developed countries is likely to be greater than in more developed countries, given the relatively low incomes and relatively lower level of cigarette consumption by smokers in poor countries. Are young smokers more or less sensitive to prices? The question of whether youth are more or less responsive to prices than are adults has been examined in a number of studies using individual-level data (Lewit, et al. , 1981; Lewit and Coate, 1982; Grossman et al. , 1983; Chaloupka, 1998). Findings from those studies are mixed. The earlier studies on this issue found that youth are more sensitive to prices than are adults. This result, however, was challenged by the study done by Wasserman et al. (1991), which found that the price responsiveness of youth was not significantly different from that of adults. Recent studies of youth and young adult smoking (Chaloupka and Grossman, 1996; Farrelly et al. , 1998; Tauras and Chaloupka, 1998) generally supported the earlier results that the price sensitivity of cigarette demand was inversely related to age. Those recent studies estimated the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes by youth was between -1. 1 and -1. 3, very similar to -1. 44 estimated Lewit et al. in1981. The price responsiveness of sub-population groups by income levels has been investigated by a number of researchers (Chaloupka, 1991; Townsend et al. , 1994; Farrelly et al. , 1998). Results from those studies indicate that cigarette demand is less price elastic for more educated or higher income individuals. The economics of â€Å"sin taxes†: Economists always draw sharp distinction between private costs and benefits and externalities. Where goods generate externalities when consumed, and where consumers make well informed, rational choices, efficient consumption choices would be made if tax levied at rate equal to marginal external cost. The 3 main categories of smoking and drinking externalities: -Direct externalities like Costs of passive smoking, Injury to victims of alcohol-fuelled violence and accidents. Costs of collectively-funded medical treatment and care– Treatment of the individual smoker / drinker for tobacco / alcohol –related conditions, other differences in medical treatment and care costs arising from individual consumption. -Other net public expenditure effects like forgone pensions and revenue effects. Under perfect compet ition the supply curve is the marginal cost to the firms in the business. Any costs that are borne by neither the seller nor the buyer must be added to these costs to create the social cost of the good. On the assumption that the only people who benefit from the consumption of the goods are the consumer themselves, the demand curve is the social benefit curve. |Figure 1 : Modelling Externalities | | | |[pic] | |Source :Issues in Economics Today, Robert | So, instead of coming to the market solution of a price-quantity combination P*-Q*, the socially optimal combination is P`-Q`. That is, if there is a market for a good where some of the costs spill over to others, then the market will produce too much of the good and charge too little for it. Modeling Taxes – Government Intervention To correct an externality, we can tax the osffending good, we can limit its use, and we can forbid its use. Of these options, taxes are most appealing to economists, as they allow people who are willing to pay all of the costs of their consumption to go ahead and consume. Using taxes in this way has the positive effect of discouraging those people who are not willing to pay the costs from becoming consumers of the undesirable or unhealthy good. |Figure 2 : Effect of Tax | | | |[pic] | |Source :Economics, John Sloman | When a tax is imposed on a good, this will have the effect of shifting the supply curve upwards by the amount of the tax. In the case of a specific tax, it will be a parallel shift, since the amount of the tax is the same at all prices. In the case of an advalorem tax, the curve will swing upwards. At a zero price there would be no tax and hence no shifts in the supply curve. As price rises, so the gap between the original and new supply curves will widen, since a given percentage tax will be a larger absolute amount the higher the price. The curve shift upwards by the amount of the tax because the firm is persuaded to produce the same quantity as before the imposition of the tax(Q1),and they must now receive a price which allows them fully to recoup the tax they have to pay(P1 + tax). The effect of the tax is to raise price and reduce quantity. Price will not rise by the full amount of the tax, however, because the demand curve is downward sloping. The price rises only to P2. Thus the burden or incidence of such taxes is distributed between consumers and producers. Consumers pay to the extent that price rises. Producers pay to the extent this rise in price is not sufficient to cover the tax. Discussions Increase in price of A will Increase the demand for B and vice versa. High taxation should relatively increase the consumption of quality goods. When related with the income of the general public the consumption is high when the income is high and would prefer luxury products over cheaper items. The availability of alternatives impact the consumption behaviour, people move towards cheaper produces. The consumption level is cut-down by stages and level of quitting or rehabilitation stages increase with alcohol than cigarettes with a relative cheaper price tag (diminishing marginal rate of substitution). The alternative of direct consumption of tobacco (oral or nasal stuffs) are taxed less than the branded cigarettes for example, some tax higher tar and nicotine cigarettes at higher rates than lower tar or nicotine cigarettes, while others impose lower taxes on smaller and/or filtered cigarettes than on longer and/or unfiltered cigarettes. The structure of tobacco taxes in most countries is a mix of both specific and ad valorem taxes that varies across tobacco products. (Frank J. Chaloupka et al) The consumption levels are just a trade-off between the available choices. The positive effect of tax is over powered by the illegal substitutes of drugs and addictive consumption. In addition, many suggest that ad valorem taxes are likely to lead to reductions in average product quality as producers and consumers switch to lower cost tobacco products (Barzel, 1976; British American Tobacco, 1994; Sobel and Garrett, 1997). The high market price will catalyze higher criminal activities as it becomes a habit to consume illegal products with the demand being almost constant. With increase in price the supply tends to increase. But in the addictive market, the supply curve facing issues of quality uncertainty tends to move upward depicting the decrease in supply even if the product is in the thick market. The supply curve literally becomes vertical reflecting on whatever the price market will bear even in the presence of multiple entrants. In the short run, with the demand being highly in-elastic, suppliers would enjoy setting up high price benefit from a high margin of profit after tax. Fluctuating around the firms’ marginal cost, higher prices does not bring in extra supply power. Rather excise tax on tobacco and alcohol are highly regressive in a longer-run where it is a loss to the firm making to exit from the industry. A tax increases the cost of selling each unit of a product and therefore usually decreases the willingness of sellers to supply given quantities. (Joseph J. Cordes et al, 2005). The higher the price elasticity of supply of a good or service, the greater the excess burden of a tax on its sale and vice versa. Conclusion: One can conclude the inelasticity of the demands for unhealthy goods (tobacco and alcohol) increases the consumption taxation as a whole with increase in revenue for the government. On a long run, chances are high for a shift towards elastic demand with respect to the prices. This allows a room for thinking for the policy makers to improve on the taxation procedure by concentrating on the supply side more than the consumer side of the market. References: Becker GS et al. (1991). ‘Rational addiction and the effect of price on consumption’. American Economic Review . Vol. 81 (2),pp. 237-41. Becker GS, et al (1994). ‘An empirical analysis of cigarette addiction’. American Economic Review. Vol. 84(3), pp. 396-418. Becker & Murphy KM (1988). ‘A theory of rational addiction’. Journal of Political Economy. Vol. 96(4), pp. 675-700 Chaloupka FJ. (1991). ‘Rational addictive behavior and cigarette smoking’. Journal of Political Economy . Vol. 99(4),pp. 722-42. Chaloupka FJ. (1998). ‘The Impact of Proposed Cigarette Price Increases’. Policy Analysis No. 9, Health Sciences Analysis Project. Washington: Advocacy Institute. Chaloupka FJ & Pacula RL. (1998). ‘An Examination of Gender and Race Differences in Youth Smoking Responsiveness to Price and Tobacco Control Policies’. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 6541. Chaloupka FJ, Warner KE . (1999). ‘The economics of smoking’. In: Newhouse JP, Culyer AJ, editors. The Handbook of Health Economics. Ediiton. 1, Chapter. 29, pp. 1539-1627. Chaloupka FJ, Wechsler H. (1997). ‘Price tobacco control policies and smoking among young adults’. Journal of Health Economics. Vol. 16(3), pp. 359-73. Peter Earl, Tim Wakeley (2005). Business Economics: A Contemporary Approach. Berkshire: McGraw – Hill Education. Frank, R. (2008). ‘The Economic Naturalist: Why Economics Explains Almost Everything’. Virgin Books. John Sloman (2000). Economics. (Fourth Edition). Essex. : Prentice Hall. Joseph et al(2005). Encyclopedia of taxation and tax policy’. (Second Edition). Washiington. : Urban Institute Press Mirrlees, J. , (2000). ‘What taxes should there be? ’. Paper Presented at the 7th Annual Conference, Toulouse, France. March 24. Robert C. Guell (2005). ‘Issues in Economics Today’ (Second Edition). New York. :Tata Mcgraw Hill -Irwin Selected case studies: ‘Issues in the global tobacco economy’. Food and Agriculture Organ ization of the United Nations,Rome, 2003. ———————– Word Count: 2192

Friday, January 10, 2020

Fast food restaurant Essay

In 1921, after World War 1, vehicles became more popular and more affordable for the middle class; therefore, drive-in restaurants were introduced. Founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson, the American Company White Castle, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain. Walter Anderson had built the first drive-in restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing a low cost and high speed hamburger restaurant. White Castle was tremendously successful from the beginning and produced numerous competitors. Then, franchising was introduced by A&W Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnson’s first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising. Moreover, in 2006, the global fast food market grew by 4. 8% and reached a value of 102. 4 billion dollars. Shockingly, in India alone, the fast food industry was growing by 41% a year. Today, the United States has the main fast food industry in the world, having roughly 2 million U. S. workers employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing. Leader in the Fast Food Industry: A&W, McDonalds, Subway†¦? The fast-food industry or quick service restaurants are thriving. The food industry is let by fast food restaurants which are responsible for 72. 8% of the whole food industry revenues. In North America, McDonald’s is followed by Subway, Burger King, Wendy’s, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pizza Hut, KFC. All in particular order to the amount of sales in North America in 2010. McDonald’s is the industry leader, with revenues that are 3 times to the next on the list. They are very much concentrated on low prices and getting the customer as quick as possible out the door, which appeals a lot to families that want a cheap, fun and safe place to eat. In today’s modern society, time is a very essential and limited factor; society is very preoccupied with everything else going on, their eating habits become irrelevant. This is where fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, have a great success preparing their food in record time, making more time for other and more important tasks. Fast Food Trends Over the last decade there has been increased focus on the quality of food served in fast food restaurants. â€Å"New† fast food versus old fast food, which essentially means that throughout the past years, many fast food businesses started to develop. And two â€Å"leagues† of fast food restaurants have emerged. â€Å"Old† fast foods and â€Å"new† fast foods, the old fast foods consist of companies like McDonald’s and smaller companies like Burger King and Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, KFC, Arby’s and Wendy’s). â€Å"New† fast foots are â€Å"Chipotle Mexican Grill†, â€Å"Panera Bread†, â€Å"Five Guys† and Oqdoba all owned by â€Å"Jack in the box† which is a member of the old fast food league. Both leagues have very similar attributes. They both serve inexpensive food in a casual matter while keeping a fast tempo. But the players in the â€Å"new† league have introduced higher-quality menu items, making the consumer’s experience more similar to a traditional restaurant dining casually at a table, rather than being in and out of the fast food restaurant with a greasy bag of food. Typically highly processed and industrial in preparation, much of the food is high in fat and has been shown to increase body mass index and cause weight gain. Popular books such as Fast Food Nation and documentaries like â€Å"Super Size Me† have amplified public awareness of the negative health consequences of fast food. These documentaries have had a huge impact on fast food restaurants who were indirectly obliged to respond to this trend if they wanted to keep most of their clientele. AMERICAN DIETARY TRENDS, BY DECADE | Historical Events| Food Trends of the Time| 1950–1959| – Mothers returning to the home after the war effort – Postwar baby boom – Construction of the national highway system| – Packaged meals available – First TV dinner (Swanson), 1953 – Rise of hamburger chains along highways; Oscar Mayer â€Å"Wiener-Mobile†| 1960–1969| – Growing middle class with money to spend. – Growing social unrest over the Vietnam War in late 1960s| – Introduction of Julia Child’s French cooking – â€Å"Hippies† bring back demand for unprocessed, made-from-scratch foods – Vegetarian trend starts| 1970–1979| – End of Vietnam War – Watergate scandal – Growing inflation – Major influx of Asians due to Immigration Act of 1965| – Continued demand for organic and fresh: â€Å"California Cuisine† – Elaborate dinner parties with ethnic dishes – Growing appetite for Asian cuisine| 1980–1989| – Stock market plummet of 1987| – â€Å"Nouvelle Cuisine† is the thing du jour–diners willing to pay more to eat less – Return to simplicity in late 1980s. – Exploration of different tastes (e. g. , TexMex, Ethiopian, Southwestern)| 1990–1999| – Introduction of the Internet puts foods at consumers fingertips| – Everything reduced-fat, low-fat, fat-free – Naturally healthy cuisines (Mediterranean) – New movement toward simplicity| Segments in Fast Food Industry When observing the fast food industry, it is obvious that restaurants specialize in certain fat foods. In fact, fast food restaurants can be divided in eight categories: Asian food, burgers, sea food, pizza/pasta, snacks, chicken, Mexican food and sandwiches. The different segments distinguishes the direct competitors such as McDonalds and Carl’s Jr. trying to sell/make the best burgers and the indirect competitors such as Quizno’s who specialize in sandwiches and Domino’s Pizza who focuses on promoting their delicious pizza but still tries to sell sandwiches. All fast food restaurants fiercely compete with each other to sell not only their speciality but have the most sales in general. In 2010, as being the leader of the fast food industry, McDonald’s was and is still at the top of the burger category, with more than $32 billion in system wide sales. The winners for the other categories were Taco Bell for the Mexican segment, KFC for the chicken category, Pizza Hut for the Pizza and Pasta brands, and Long John Silver’s winning the Seafood segment. The graph demonstrates the different segments of the fast food industry as well as the restaurants and their rankings. QSR 50 Rank| Company| Segment| 22| Panda Express| asian| 3| Burger King*2| burger| 23| Carl’s Jr. *| burger| 34| Checkers/Rally’s| burger| 33| Culver’s| burger| 16| Dairy Queen*| burger| 30| Five Guys Burgers & Fries| burger| 19| Hardee’s*| burger|. 45| In-N-Out Burger*| burger| 15| Jack in the Box| burger| 50| Krystal*| burger| 1| McDonald’s| burger| 10| Sonic| burger| 27| Steak N Shake*| burger| 4| Wendy’s*| burger| 25| Whataburger| burger| 40| White Castle*| burger| 31| Bojangles’| chicken| 41| Boston Market*| chicken| 11| Chick-fil-A| chicken| 26| Church’s Chicken| chicken| 38| El Pollo Loco| chicken| 9| KFC| chicken| 20| Popeyes*| chicken| 28| Zaxby’s| chicken| 18| Chipotle| mexican| 36| Del Taco| mexican| 44| Qdoba| mexican| 6| Taco Bell| mexican| 39| CiCi’s Pizza*| pizza/pasta| 12| Domino’s Pizza*| pizza/pasta|. 24| Little Caesars*| pizza/pasta| 35| Papa Murphy’s| pizza/pasta| 17| Papa John’s| pizza/pasta| 8| Pizza Hut| pizza/pasta| 43| Sbarro*| pizza/pasta| 14| Arby’s| sandwich| 48| Einstein Bros. Bagels*| sandwich| 42| Jason’s Deli| sandwich| 29| Jimmy John’s*| sandwich| 13| Panera Bread| sandwich| 21| Quiznos*| sandwich| 2| Subway*| sandwich| 47| Captain D’s| seafood| 32| Long John Silver’s*| seafood| 37| Baskin Robbins*| snack| 49| Cold Stone Creamery| snack| 7| Dunkin’ Donuts*| snack| 5| Starbucks*| snack| 46| Tim Hortons1| snack| Own A Fast Food Restaurant: a Bad or Good Idea? It is not a very good and viable industry for anyone to enter. The global economy shifts have been proven to highly affect certain fast food companies. Fast food companies were once thought to be immune to recessions, because of their low prices and fast service because logically in a recession, consumers have to cut spending. Many consumers â€Å"traded down†, from casual restaurants to fast food restaurants because of the cheap BigMacs, Whoppers and $1 value meals. As a result, fast-food chains have weathered the recession better than their pricier competitors. In 2009 sales at full-service restaurants in America fell by more than 6%, but total sales remained about the same at fast-food chains. In some markets, such as Japan, France and Britain, total spending on fast food increased. Same-store sales in America at McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast-food company, did not decline throughout the downturn. Panera Bread, an American fast-food chain known for its fresh ingredients, performed well, too: its boss, Ron Shaich, claims this is because it offers higher-quality food at lower prices than restaurants. Money can be a big problem in terms of starting a business in the fast food industry. Rising prices have also significantly affected many fast food franchises. With food and beverage inputs making up approximately 33% of costs, higher prices for livestock, corn, wheat and more have seriously shrunk margins over the past decade. In such a fiercely competitive space it is impossible to force a price increase on customers, so profit margins are often south of 10%. The recent economic recession did lower commodity prices, but the recession brought on its own complications, and now prices for commodity inputs are on the rise again. Direct and Indirect Competitors. Direct competitors in the fast food industry are the companies that produces and sells an almost identical product which they offer for sale within the same market as those produced by one or more other companies. McDonalds and Burger King compete directly with each other, Wendy’s and A&W also compete directly because they have a very similar product and service. If a customer really wants a burger and fries, he or she will not go at the other end of town just to get to their favorite burger place, they will settle for a very similar product within a closer proximity. Indirect competitors in the fast food industry are the companies or services that are not similar to each other and that share very different characteristics about their product or service. A good example of an indirect competition in the fast food industry could be restaurants such as Swiss Chalet or a sandwich shop and a Panda Express, both are fast food restaurants but they compete indirectly with each other because one customer may want to eat an Asian dish but not wanting to eat a sandwich, this leading to the customer going as far as it takes to go eat an Asian dish. All in all, fast food is not only about a fast service or eating fattening food , it requires a lot of knowledge and time to make these franchises work and make an ever growing profit. Over the past years and the years to come, McDonalds has and will obviously be the number one leader in the fast food industry because of their extraordinary service, delicious food and their 34,000 restaurants all over the world. However, as years go by, obesity is becoming a huge problem as thousands of kids and adults are attained of heart problems, therefore, decreasing the amount of clients who eat fast food yearly. Trends are changing and people are starting to eat a lot healthier realising how significant it is to take care of their body. In the next century, will fast food restaurants become a thing of the past or will they find a way to stay their clients number one’s solution when it comes to filling up their stomach? Only time will tell†¦