Digital Fortress Chapter 30

Alfonso XIII was a small four-star hotel set back from the Puerta de Jerez and surrounded by a thick wrought-iron fence and lilacs. David made his way up the marble stairs. As he reached for the door, it magically opened, and a bellhop ushered him inside. â€Å"Baggage, senor? May I help you?† â€Å"No, thanks. I need to see the concierge.† The bellhop looked hurt, as if something in their two-second encounter had not been satisfactory. â€Å"Por aqui, senor.† He led Becker into the lobby, pointed to the concierge, and hurried off. The lobby was exquisite, small and elegantly appointed. Spain's Golden Age had long since passed, but for a while in the mid-1600s, this small nation had ruled the world. The room was a proud reminder of that era-suits of armor, military etchings, and a display case of gold ingots from the New World. Hovering behind the counter marked conserje was a trim, well-groomed man smiling so eagerly that it appeared he'd waited his entire life to be of assistance. â€Å"En que puedo servirle, senor? How may I serve you?† He spoke with an affected lisp and ran his eyes up and down Becker's body. Becker responded in Spanish. â€Å"I need to speak to Manuel.† The man's well-tanned face smiled even wider. â€Å"Si, si, senor. I am Manuel. What is it you desire?† â€Å"Senor Roldan at Escortes Belen told me you would-â€Å" The concierge silenced Becker with a wave and glanced nervously around the lobby. â€Å"Why don't you step over here?† He led Becker to the end of the counter. â€Å"Now,† he continued, practically in a whisper. â€Å"How may I help you?† Becker began again, lowering his voice. â€Å"I need to speak to one of his escorts whom I believe is dining here. Her name is Rocio.† The concierge let out his breath as though overwhelmed. â€Å"Aaah, Rocio-a beautiful creature.† â€Å"I need to see her immediately.† â€Å"But, senor, she is with a client.† Becker nodded apologetically. â€Å"It's important.† A matter of national security. The concierge shook his head. â€Å"Impossible. Perhaps if you left a-† â€Å"It will only take a moment. Is she in the dining room?† The concierge shook his head. â€Å"Our dining room closed half an hour ago. I'm afraid Rocio and her guest have retired for the evening. If you'd like to leave me a message, I can give it to her in the morning.† He motioned to the bank of numbered message boxes behind him. â€Å"If I could just call her room and-â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry,† the concierge said, his politeness evaporating. â€Å"The Alfonso XIII has strict policies regarding client privacy.† Becker had no intention of waiting ten hours for a fat man and a prostitute to wander down for breakfast. â€Å"I understand,† Becker said. â€Å"Sorry to bother you.† He turned and walked back into the lobby. He strode directly to a cherry roll-top desk that had caught his eye on his way in. It held a generous supply of Alfonso XIII postcards and stationery as well as pens and envelopes. Becker sealed a blank piece of paper in an envelope and wrote one word on the envelope. ROCIO. Then he went back to the concierge. â€Å"I'm sorry to trouble you again,† Becker said approaching sheepishly. â€Å"I'm being a bit of a fool, I know. I was hoping to tell Rocio personally how much I enjoyed our time together the other day. But I'm leaving town tonight. Perhaps I'll just leave her a note after all.† Becker laid the envelope on the counter. The concierge looked down at the envelope and clucked sadly to himself. Another lovesick heterosexual, he thought. What a waste. He looked up and smiled. â€Å"But of course, Mr†¦.?† â€Å"Buisan,† Becker said. â€Å"Miguel Buisan.† â€Å"Of course. I'll be sure Rocio gets this in the morning.† â€Å"Thank you.† Becker smiled and turned to go. The concierge, after discreetly checking out Becker's backside, scooped up the envelope off the counter and turned to the bank of numbered slots on the wall behind him. Just as the man slipped the envelope into one of the slots, Becker spun with one final inquiry. â€Å"Where might I call a taxi?† The concierge turned from the wall of cubbyholes and answered. But Becker did not hear his response. The timing had been perfect. The concierge's hand was just emerging from a box marked Suite 301. Becker thanked the concierge and slowly wandered off looking for the elevator. In and out, he repeated to himself.

History of Graffiti Essay

The term â€Å"graffiti† is derived from Greek word graphein meaning to write was originally used to characterize the words and names scribbled on the walls of ancient Roman architecture (Kincheloe and Hayes, 98). This singular term graffito however, is derived from the Italian graffiare which means â€Å"little scratching. † Vern Bullough and Bonnie Bullough asserts, it â€Å"may be applied to at least three types of inscriptions: public, private, and personal† (251). Public graffiti include names, initials, cryptic symbols, and the like, which were usually drawn on walls or fences, trees and so on, as markers for gang terrorists, or as symbol of personal pride and courage or simply as reminder of someone’s presence. Private graffiti on the other hand, are inscriptions in more secluded locations such as restroom walls and toilet stalls and were usually of â€Å"intentionally anonymous authorship† while personal graffiti are tattoos and scar that are intended â€Å"to beautify to disfigure, to indicate status, or to adorn the human body† (Bullough and Bullough, 251). There seems to have not enough information as to when graffiti started or who were the first individual or people to have started it. Bullough and Bullough cited that recent archeological efforts on the coast of France revealed cavers submerged beneath â€Å"the encroaching seas for tens of thousands of years, with their walls â€Å"filled with arcane products of Paleolithic graffitists† (252). But as Pereira pointed out, the study of graffiti throughout history â€Å"shows that, from the Neolithic period onwards, nomads left traces of their survival and successful passage by scratching signs on rocks† (16), which means that graffiti or writing on walls or rocks have been the customs and traditions not only of the ancient peoples but of the human beings in general. Historically, graffiti were used under various circumstances. Pereira noted that during the time of Roman persecution of Christians, Christian believers took refuge in the catacombs where they carved symbols into the rock which served as â€Å"cryptic messages for the rest of the community† (Pereira, 16). This was also the case during the sixteenth century wars of religion to which the carved images on the wall along with a message expressing their feelings and opinion of the scenario they are witnessing. Graffiti were also used during the age of enlightenment and the French revolution as means of radical political expression and propaganda. The height of the use of graffiti reached its climax in the 1920s and the 1930s with the publication by the French photographer Brassai of a photo-essay on graffiti (Pereira, 21). The 1940s also saw the importance of graffiti with Nazis who employed it as weapon, â€Å"smearing the walls with their hate-filled propaganda against Jews and other enemies of the Third Reich. Obviously, what could be drawn in the past is a concept that graffiti is a system of communication and expression â€Å"depicted by writings, drawings and scribbling on surfaces† (Price, 28). Today however, graffiti is seen as part of the urban culture or the so-called street culture which is a unique way of self expression through writing on walls. Despite the negative image in view of obscene language used, graffiti is a global phenomenon and its art is now seen as icon of popular culture and its techniques, and styles are generating increased interests worldwide (Gottlieb, 7).

Feminism in Anne Bradstreets Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Feminism in Anne Bradstreets Poems - Essay Example Through poems, poets express their deepest feelings and thoughts, about the personal, social and political situations of their times. In the past, it was considered that only men are capable of writing poetry, as it takes guts and courage to express the bold and revolutionary thoughts, ideas and feelings openly. Hence, when a woman living in the 17th century, used poetry as a medium to express her deepest and the darkest fears, agonies, hopes and dreams, then it left an unforgettable mark in the history of poetry. The woman who left an indelible mark in the world of literature through her poems which mirrored her deep sentiments and protest against the Puritan ways that restricted women from living a free and respectable life, was Anne Bradstreet (Martin, â€Å"An American† 5). When Anne Bradstreet’s poems were reclaimed by American woman writer in 1960’s, then her free thinking and her feelings about woman’s position in the society, made her to be known a s a feminist poet (Frost 117). However, feminism in Anne Bradstreet’s poetry was not expressed boldly and ‘loudly’, but was visible in a subtle way through language that was socially acceptable, polished and pious in nature. Even though Anne Bradstreet was a free thinker and believed in equality of women, it can be said that in initial part of her life, feminism was visible more in her intellectual curiosity about God and her bold spiritual quest (which was not expected of women in her time), than through an outright reference to women’s freedom and equality in her poems. However, when she sensed rejection and suppression of her art by people, due to her being a female, then the feminist in her was awakened. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that it was the love and passion of her art that awakened the feminist in Anne Bradstreet, and made her to revolt against the Puritan restrictions and limitations forced on women in her time. Feminist At Heart Wom en who are well aware of their rights and fight against the cruel and selfish behavior of men towards them are called as feminists. However, rather than showing her opposition and revolt in her actions and poetry, Anne Bradstreet chose to express her true feelings in mild ways which were in sync with the Puritan America and social standards of her time (Frost 117). Hence, feminism in Anne Bradstreet’s poetry was expressed in subtle ways initially. Rather than writing about her experience of the external world and what she felt and knew about it, Anne Bradstreet’s poetry was a way of escapism from the reality of her life (Rich xiv). She avoided using her personal life experiences as a subject of her poems. It was not common for women of her time (Puritan) to think of anything apart from her limited world of her family, husband, children, household chores and duties (Rich xiv). ‘Independence’ of women was considered a ‘prideful monster’ in the P uritan doctrines (Martin, â€Å"Shakespeare’s Sisters† 19). However, Anne Bradstreet was an educated and very well read woman (Rich xi). She was intellectually aware and gained knowledge about the subjects like theology, history and literature (Rich xi). This made her to show curiosity about the topics which were considered the domain of men and hence, she got the reputation of being a modern woman who had spirit to go beyond the limited world that was forced on women of her time (Rich xvi). Hence, her thinking ability and the spirit to go

Research Paper on Qatar Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Qatar - Research Paper Example English speakers tend to include the â€Å"t† in the second syllable of the name, which is a tension of sort that mirrors the complication political tension between the native Arabs and the foreign Western powers such as the British Empire. Today, Qatar is a relatively well-developed, progressive-looking Arab state that has much in common with the West, but still retains many of the traditions and ethnic identities that define it as an Islamic monarchy. Each of the distinct aspects of Qatar, including its geography and political structure, are deserving of a closer look for anyone trying to understand the country better. In terms of the country’s location, Qatar is a small state that shares its own border with Saudi Arabia. The country sits on the northeastern corner of its much larger neighbor on a peninsula that juts out into the Persian Gulf. Across the Persian Gulf from Qatar lies Iran, and across a narrow strait in the Gulf lies the island nation of Bahrain. Relatively close to Qatar and its neighbor Saudi Arabia is the United Arab Emirates. This location as a peninsula proximate to Saudi Arabia does not pose a political threat to the tiny nation of Qatar, but instead has proven to be an advantage for Qatar’s growth. For instance, during the Persian Gulf War, Qatar military forces joined the coalition against Iraq in stabilizing the Middle East. Within its space, Qatar has excelled and has built favorable relations with its neighbors. Geographically, Qatar is not only small but also flat. As was mentioned previously, Qatar is a small nation based on a peninsula jutting out from neighboring Saudi Arabia. The peninsula is just about 100 miles (or 160 km) in length, which is roughly the same length as Delaware. Much of that length consists of barren plain covered with sand, without much in terms of high fixtures or rock faces. One interesting feature of Qatar

Otis-Lennon School Ability Test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 33

Otis-Lennon School Ability Test - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Roger has always managed to achieve an above average grade in Physical Education and Shop and even achieved a C grade in both subjects when he failed all other subjects in the first year of the 8th grade. In his second year of 8th grade, Roger achieved a B in both subjects which are quite an achievement considering he only barely passed all other subjects. Roger has demonstrated a progressive improvement in his Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) going from below average to average by the 9th grade. The OSLAT is very important for teachers because it informs of each student’s potential. On the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), a test used to measure academic achievement and to predict the student’s performance in college, Roger scored an 8.3 in his last two sittings which demonstrates an improvement over the previous year where he scored a 7.5. What can be discerned from these achievements is that Roger has an innate ability to improve as he was able to successfully repeat the 8th grade and was able to improve on his SAT scores with each retake in successive years. His interests in sports and mechanical aptitude are reflected in his consistency in better than average achievement in physical education and shop in school and the fact that he achieved his highest score in Mechanical on the Differential Aptitude Test. In planning his sophomore program Roger is advised to focus on those subjects that he has a greater chance of succeeding in and using in the future. For example, Roger has always done well in physical education and shop. He might want to focus on those areas in his sophomore year as he appears to do well in those subjects. He is interested in sport and appears to have a natural ability in the shop. Since he demonstrates a greater ability in Mechanical and has an opportunity to pursue a career in mechanics having inherited his grandfather’s tools, Roger might want to take every opportunity available t o him to pursue this subject in his sophomore year as well.

Nebud Prices Hypothesis Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nebud Prices Hypothesis - Speech or Presentation Example cuss the results of hypothesis test for the average price of houses and average price per square foot of houses in comparison to the borough in which each neighborhood is located. Table 1 to 4 shows the 99% Confidence Interval for the average sale price of houses, average age of houses, average lot size of houses, and average price per square foot of the houses for Staten-Bright and Westbury LI neighborhoods. A 99% confidence interval for the average sale price of houses for Staten-Bright neighborhood is between $400,823 to $463,291. Thus, it can be said with 99% confidence that the average sale price of houses for Staten-Bright neighborhood is between $400,823 to $463,291. A 99% confidence interval for the average sale price of houses for Westbury LI neighborhood is between $445,167 to $619,461. Thus, it can be said with 99% confidence that the average sale price of houses for Westbury LI neighborhood is between $445,167 to $619,461. A 99% confidence interval for the average age of houses for Staten-Bright neighborhood is between 71.9 years to 85.0 years. Thus, it can be said with 99% confidence that the average age of houses for Staten-Bright neighborhood is between 71.9 years to 85.0 years. A 99% confidence interval for the average age of houses for Westbury LI neighborhood is between 48.2 years to 54.7 years. Thus, it can be said with 99% confidence that the average age of houses for Westbury LI neighborhood is between 48.2 years to 54.7 years. A 99% confidence interval for the average lot size of houses for Staten-Bright neighborhood is between 3,825 square feet to 4,827 square feet. Thus, it can be said with 99% confidence that the average lot size of houses for Staten-Bright neighborhood is between 3,825 square feet to 4,827 square feet. A 99% confidence interval for the average lot size of houses for Westbury LI neighborhood is between 7,590 square feet to 9,647 square feet. Thus, it can be said with 99% confidence that the average lot size of houses

Financial information management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial information management - Essay Example For instance due to financial crisis many western countries invested a significant portion of their funds in the equities of growing Asian countries like China and India. This is known as international diversification and enables an investor in tackling the country specific risk. The integration of the global financial markets has facilitated the creation of international portfolio which besides mitigating the risk factor helps in taking advantage of the markets of the developing economies. A share portfolio generally comprises of securities of various sectors. For effective diversification the sectors should be non-related such as oil refining companies and automobile. A rise in the price of oil is beneficial for the oil refining company but this can adversely impact the sales of the automobile company. This will push up the share price of the oil refining companies but will batter the share price of the automobile companies. Thus the value of the portfolio will remain protected as the fall in its value due to a fall in the share price of automobile company like Rolls Royce will be compensated by the rise in the price of the oil refining company. This highlights the advantage of investing in a portfolio. The share portfolio that has been constructed comprises of securities belonging to varied sectors like pharmaceutical, healthcare, food & drug retailers, financial services, software etc. By including the stocks of different sectors, the risk of a fall in the portfolio value has been minimized. Any adverse, ‘sector specific’ news will only affect the shares of that particular sector, without influencing the share price of the other sectors. This will keep the portfolio value intact which is the ultimate aim of investing in a portfolio. In the IT industry the stock chosen is Autonomy Corporation. The company features among the top Software 500 companies published by Software Magazine (Financial Express, 2009). This ranking is based in terms of

Financial Analysis 334 Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Analysis 334 - Math Problem Example In this case, if subtract the stock from current assets, still both companies can pay off their debts quite easily as their Acid-Test Ratio is equal to or greater than 1. This shows that to pay every single dollar of debt the company has the backing of adequate current assets. However, if we look the firms through the lens of Interest Coverage Ratio and if our debt commands interest from the company than, we can clearly see that Jones company can cover much higher rates of interest. As a result, Jones Corporation won't default and will be able to pay all its debts and hence a short-term loan should be made to Jones Corporation given the two different scenarios. However, one must also state that if our loan does not command any interest, then this loan should be made to Smith Corporation. b) If we look at the profitability condition of the two companies, we can clearly see that Jones Corporation is more profitable. This can shown by the companies greater net profit over sales ratios as compared to Smith Corporation Ratios. In the light of these ratios, Jones Corporation is earning around $7 on every $100 worth of sales. Similarly, Smith Corporation is earning $4 on every $100 worth of sales.

Satisfied and Motivated Employees Create Satisfied and Loyal Customers Essay Example for Free

Satisfied and Motivated Employees Create Satisfied and Loyal Customers Essay Abstract In Corporate America, organizations vie to maintain their competitive advantage within their perspective industries. In the current economic downturn, organizations have come to rely heavily on the competitive advantage they receive from their employees, or human capital. Organizations are investing more of their funds towards satisfying and motivating employees in the hopes that these employees will create satisfied and loyal customers. To ensure employees are satisfied and motivated, organizations may recognize employee contributions with pay and a package of employee benefits. These forms of compensation work to ensure increased employee satisfaction and motivation, decreased voluntary turnover, and, therefore, the overall success of the entire organization. In Corporate America, organizations vie to maintain their competitive advantage within their perspective industries. In the current economic downturn, organizations have come to rely heavily on the competitive advantage they receive from their human capital. Human capital is defined as â€Å"an organization’s employees, described in terms of their training, experience, judgment, intelligence, relationships, and insight† (Noe et al., 2011, p. 3). Highly skilled and developed employees are an organization’s most valuable resource in the fight to maintain their competitive advantage. Therefore, organizations are investing more of their funds towards satisfying and motivating employees in the hopes that these employees will create satisfied and loyal customers. In an effort to satisfy and motivate employees, organizations may recognize employee contributions with various forms of compensation including pay and an employee benefits package, and through recognition pro grams. These forms of compensation and recognition work to ensure increased employee satisfaction and motivation, decreased voluntary turnover, and, therefore, the overall success of the entire organization. â€Å"If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers.† During the current economic downturn, many organizations have experienced decreased sales and profits. Many of those organizations responded with spending cuts, which included layoffs and decreased investments in employees. The restaurant chain, Texas Roadhouse, was not immune to the economic downturn and also experienced decreased sales. However, the chain did not respond with spending cuts aimed at employees. In fact, the chain continued its existing spending relative to employee satisfaction and motivation. The text indicates, â€Å"Spending to promote job involvement and organizational commitment remained intact† (Noe et al., 2011, p. 319). The decision to maintain spending relative to employee satisfaction and motivation reflects the chain’s commitment to their employees. The chain’s commitment to their employees has been best expressed by Texas Roadhouse Chief Executive Officer (CEO), G. J. Hart. Hart, who realizes the value his employees bring to the organization, has stated, â€Å"If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers† (Noe et al., 2011, p. 319). Hart’s phrase may seem like a common clichà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ in Corporate America; however, organizations focused on satisfying and motivating employees are actually gaining the competitive advantage that only their employees can provide. The text indicates, â€Å"Every organization recognizes that it needs satisfied, loyal customers. In addition, success requires satisfied, loyal employees† (Noe et al., p. 293). Texas Roadhouse is not alone in its commitment to its employees. SAS, a privately owned software company, is also highly committed to its employees. Bev Brown, who works in the company’s external communications department, indicates â€Å"People do work hard here, because they’re motivated to take care of a company that takes care of them† (Noe et al., 2011, p. 385). More organizations are beginning to realize the advantages associated with satisfying and motivating their employees. And, as the realization becomes more prevalent in Corporate America, more organizations will begin to demonstrate their commitment to their employees by offering generous rewards and recognition programs. Alternative Motivation Methods Their Effectiveness Texas Roadhouse uses money as a primary motivator for its employees. The chain holds a yearly competition to identify its best meat cutter, who is awarded $20,000. The chain’s managers are allotted $500 to host barbecues or outings for their employees. The chain also holds an annual motivational conference to recognize and reward its top performers. The text indicates, â€Å"The company invites about a thousand employees, managers, and vendors to bring their spouses to a four-day conference as a way to recognize and reward its best people† (Noe et al., 2011, p. 320). The retreat was costly; and, the chain’s CEO, Hart, was publicly criticized for such lavish spending. The text indicates, a reporter â€Å"†¦ criticized Hart for wasting $2 million on luxuries during lean times† (Noe et al., p. 320). However, Hart stood firm in his commitment to his employees as he replied that â€Å"†¦ the effort to inspire employees was precisely the kind of investment that enables his company to succeed† (Noe et al., p. 320). Texas Roadhouse’s strategy is certainly effective in ensuring they retain their top talent. The text indicates, â€Å"†¦ turnover among the company’s on-site recruiters tumbled by two-thirds after the company put in place a program to recognize and reward these employees† (Noe et al., p. 320). Pay is certainly a motivator for employees; however, organizations may also utilize employee benefits as a means of motivating employees. Employee benefits are â€Å"†¦ that part of the total compensation package, other than pay for time worked, provided to employees in whole or in part by employer payments† (Milkovich Newman, 2005). The text indicates that benefits serve functions similar to pay in that benefits â€Å"†¦ contribute to attracting, retaining, and motivating employees† (Noe et al., 2011, p. 384). For instance, SAS offers a generous employee benefit package as a means of ensuring their employees are satisfied and motivated. The company’s benefit package includes access to the on-site recreation and fitness center, a subsidized day care center and summer camp, and a subsidized cafeteria. The company has established an on-site lactation room for nursing mothers, and an on-site health care center for employees and their family members to have medical concerns addressed at no cost. The text indicates that these generous benefits are â€Å"†¦ part of a strategy to hire and keep the best people without paying top dollar in salaries† (Noe et al., p. 385). The SAS strategy is certainly effective in regards to ensuring the company retains its top talent. The text indicates, â€Å"Compared with 22 percent employee turnover in the industry, SAS reports turnover of just 2 percent† (Noe et al., p. 385). The SAS strategy is also effective in ensuring the company remains profitable. The text indicates that every year the company has been in business â€Å"†¦ it has turned a profit† (Noe et al., p. 385). Transferring the Texas Roadhouse Motivational Methods The Texas Roadhouse method of using pay to motivate its employees is certainly transferrable to other organizations in Corporate America. Organizations should demonstrate their commitment to their employees by offering competitive and rewarding pay and recognition programs. Doing so will ensure the organization has the ability to attract and retain top talent, which will provide the organization with a definite competitive advantage in their perspective industry. References Milkovich, G., Newman, J. (2005). Reward systems: Theory and administration. (8th ed., p. 400). Mc-Graw-Hill. Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., Wright, P. M. (2011). Fundamentals of human resource management. (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Caring for children and young people Essay Example for Free

Caring for children and young people Essay The roles and responsibilities of a foster carer are to provide care for a foster child, to promote positive health care, to promote a positive view of the Childs family background, to promote a foster Childs own race, culture and religion, to promote education, to let Children Young People’s Service know immediately of any Serious Incident, to Notify the Department of any Change of Address, to Ensure the Safety of any Foster Child whilst they are in your care, to keep Confidentiality, to Accept and Ensure that Corporal Punishment is Not Permitted to be used on any Child Placed with You, to ensure that Young People receive Sex Education appropriate to their needs, to Permit any person authorized by the Department to see the Child/Young Person, to Allow the Child/Young Person to be Removed from the Foster Home when so requested by a Person Authorized by the Department, to Provide Information to the Children Young People’s Service and the Courts if they request it and I nformation about the Child’s Behavior and Development. A foster carer has to provide care for a foster child this means to provide general care for a child or young person which includes providing love, comfort, listening, patience, food, clothing and warmth. Foster carers could encourage any hobbies or interests. Foster carers also have to remember that children have came from all different backgrounds and have different experiences from the past. A foster carer also has to try their best to get the child to have a positive view of themselves. A foster carer has to promote positive health care. This includes getting in touch with doctors or hospitals if needed. This also includes getting in touch with the dentist and opticians regularly. Social carers should also encourage their child to exercise, making sure that the child has a healthy balanced diet and making sure that the child is aware of the bad affects of  smoking alcohol and illegal drugs. Before a child goes into a foster care and when coming out of foster care the child will have a medical assessment which the foster carer will normally attend with the child. A foster carer has to promote a positive view of the childs family and background which means they will need to understand the feelings that a child has about their parents. This means they need to respect the values that a child has brought from home and when a child has visits with their parents that the child does not feel they have to choose either the foster parents or their real parents. The foster carer must also show respect and understanding for the parents feelings as it must be upsetting for the parents seeing someone else caring for their child better than themselves. A foster carer has to promote the childs race, culture and religion. The first stage of this is by putting the child into a foster home with a foster carer who has the same race, religion or culture. If this is not possible at a certain time a child will be put into the best available placement. If the child is not of the same culture or religion then it is the foster carers responsibility to meet the childs needs for example places of worship, music, decorations in the home etc. A foster carer needs to promote education. They should do this by spending time with the children when doing homework and school events, listening to the child read and also reading them bedtime stories. They should also not keep the child off of school for small illnesses, not make appointments during school time and not arranging holidays during school time. A foster carer needs to let the children and young peoples service know immediately if there are any serious incidents this includes any accident, illness, abduction, absconds or prosecution by police. A foster carer needs to ensure the safety of a child. A foster carer can make sure the children stay safe by being conscious of safety within the home and when transporting the children around. They can do this by making sure children are wearing seat belts or using booster seats if they are needed.  Deciding at what age a child can take responsibility is also very important they should decide this in the same way that they would make the decision for their own children. A foster carer needs to keep confidentiality this means all the information about the child which Is given to them has to stay with them and not told to anyone else. A foster carer needs to accept and ensure that corporal punishment is not permitted to be used on any child placed with the carer. This means the carer should not belittle a child or use inappropriate punishments. Good behavior should also be rewarded. A foster carer needs to ensure that young people receive sex education appropriate to their needs. This is because young people need opportunities to talk about their worries when it comes to sex. A gay or lesbian young person in care may need a more sympathetic foster carer. Children and young people who have been sexually abused will need counselling and opportunities to talk about appropriate sexual behaviour. A foster carer has the responsibility to provide information to the childrens and young peoples service and the courts if the request it and information about the childs behaviour and development. This means the social worker may need to complete an assessment on the child or their family or they may need to write reports for the court. Child minder A child minder has a lot of different roles and responsibilities including day to day management to enable delivery of a high quality provision, Knowledge of relevant legislation and Ofsted requirements, establish and sustain a welcoming, purposeful, stimulating, and encouraging environment where children feel confident and secure and are able to develop and learn, promoting childrens health, safety and physical, mental and emotional well-being, establish and sustain a safe and secure environment which meets  the welfare requirements of the statuatory framework, maintain confidentiality at all times, observe and record childrens activity, development and progress systematically and carefully and use this information to inform, plan and improve practice and provision, promote children’s rights, equality, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of the setting, be responsible for the collection and recording of fees, together with managing accounts, purchasing of appropriate resources and keeping accurate records, establish a framework of policies and procedures including Health and Safety, Safeguarding Children and Equal Opportunities and to understand your role and responsibilities, establish and maintain positive relationships with children and their families in a way that values parental involvement.

Identification of Unknown Macromolecule

Identification of Unknown Macromolecule Heike Behr Aim The purpose of this lab was to use the scientific method to identify an unknown solution, based on the reactions (i.e. color changes) of known solutions with indicator solutions. These known solutions contained different types of macromolecules. Each type of macromolecule reacted with at least one indicator solution in a unique way, which allowed us to identify the macromolecule based upon the presence or absence of a color change. The hypothesis is that protein will have a positive reaction with Biuret reagent, changing the color to violet. Starch will have a positive reaction when treated with the iodine solution, changing the color to blackish-blue. Lipids will show a positive reaction when coming in contact with Sudan III, changing the color to red-orange. Vitamin C will diminish the color of iodine when it is positive for presence of ascorbic acid. General Background Macromolecules can be divided into four classes; carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and proteins. These molecules are all considered to be organic molecules, because they consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, phosphate and nitrogen elements. Macromolecules have different building blocks to form carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. These building blocks are amino acids, monosaccharaides, nucleotides, fatty acids and glycerol. The water will be used as a control, to see if there are any false positive reactions during our experiment. The water will also show us what the most natural response is for each of the indicators. Water will also serve as a great way to compare color changes, since everything that looks the same as the water will be negative. Proteins are one of the components of macromolecules and are very important in different biological processes. They are catalysts and are capable of transporting and storing molecules throughout the body. Proteins are build up out of several amino acids bound together by peptide bonds. The function of a protein depends primarily on its 3D structure. Common foods that contain proteins are milk, eggs, meat and cheese. Lipids are another form of macromolecules. These molecules are non-polar molecules and non-soluble in water. Lipids consist of two parts, a glycerol and a fatty acid tail. Lipids have large stores of energy that are released when the molecule is oxidized. Lipids come in different types, such as waxes, oils and certain vitamins. Common foods that contain lipids are any oils such as olive oil or grape seed oil and butter. Starch is a carbohydrate that is not found in humans, but in plants. It consists of multiple Glucose molecules bound to each other by Glycosidic bonds. Common foods that contain carbohydrates are potatoes and bread. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and is an antioxidant. This vitamin is soluble in water and plays an important role in growth and repair of the bodies tissues. The most common foods that contain Vitamin C are citrus fruit. Focused Background Iodine test is the most common test for detecting the presence of starch. If the substance that is being tested has starch present, then there will be a change in the color to a blackish-bluish liquid. The best method for testing proteins will be the Biuret test. This test can also determine whether there are peptide bonds in the protein. A positive result for proteins will show a color change from a blue to a light purple. If there are peptide bonds present, the color will be a much darker purple. If Biuret can’t be used, Fehling’s Solutions A and B and Sodium hydroxide and copper (II) sulphate solutions can be used. The test that best shows the presence of lipids is the Sudan III test. Sudan III is a fat-soluble compound that will cause the color of the solution with lipids present to change to red. An easier test to preform is using a brown paper bag, lipids are fats, thus on a brown paper bag it will leave â€Å"greasy†, translucent stains. Another test for testing the presence of lipids is an Emulsion test The main test for Vitamin C is adding drop for drop the Vitamin C solution to Indophenol solution. If the dark blue color of the Indophenol solution becomes colorless, then the suspected solution does indeed contain Vitamin C. In our experiment, we will use the Iodine solution to test for the presence of Vitamin C, because it follows the same principles that Indophenol does. Method Testing with Iodine solution: Clean all your test tubes thoroughly with ethanol and then rinse them with distilled water. Label each test tube as water, protein, starch, lipid, vitamin C and unknown. Add 3ml of each of the macromolecules to the correct test tube, except Vitamin C. Add 2-5 drops of the Iodine solution to each of the test tubes, except Vitamin C. Add 3ml of the Iodine solution to the test tube marked as Vitamin C. Drop wise, add Vitamin C to the test tube until the color changes. Mix the contents well. Note any color changes. Testing with Biuret reagent: Clean all your test tubes thoroughly with ethanol and then rinse them with distilled water. Label each test tube as water, protein, starch, lipid, vitamin C and unknown. Add 3ml of each of the macromolecules to the correct test tube. Add 2-5 drops of the Biuret reagent to each of the test tubes. Mix the contents well. Note any color changes. Testing with Sudan III reagent: Clean all your test tubes thoroughly with ethanol and then rinse them with distilled water. Label each test tube as water, protein, starch, lipid, vitamin C and unknown. Add 3ml of each of the macromolecules to the correct test tube. Add 2-5 drops of the Sudan III reagent to each test tube. Mix the contents well. Note any color changes. Materials Apparatus used: Test tubes for containing the solutions. Test tube rack to keep all test tubes organized. Pipet will make the transfer of different liquids easier and the measuring there of. A piece of white paper will make it easier to determine whether a color change has taken place. Safety goggles to protect your eyes from any harmful reagents. A white lab coat to protect your skin from any harmful reagents. Chemical Compounds: Distilled Water – used for rinsing test tubes and making the control solutions Ethanol – to clean the test tubes Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Protein Glucose Lipid Unknown substance Iodine solution – used for testing starches Sudan III solution – used for testing lipids Biuret Copper sulfate solution – used for testing proteins Format Table 1 Content Water was used as the representative to show the natural change that will take place when the different solutions were added. The protein had no different effect than that of the water when Iodine and the Sudan III was added, thus we can assume it to be negative. When it reacted with the Biuret solution, it yielded a different reaction than water did, it changed to a dark purple, resulting in a positive reaction, the hypothesis was correct. Starch showed no different changes than water with the Sudan III and Biuret test, thus we assume it to be negative. While with the Iodine test, it changed color to a dark black-blue color, as indicated by the hypothesis. This color change indicates a positive reaction to iodine, meaning that there is starch present in our compound. The suspected lipids solution showed a changed in color when Sudan III was added to it. This solution changed to a red color, thus there were lipids present. The other two tests, Iodine and Biuret tests didn’t yield any changes that differed from the results obtained from water. This test proved the hypothesis was correct. When testing for Vitamin C, the iodine solution proved that there was Vitamin C present because it turned the dark blue Iodine solution colorless. The other two tests, Sudan II and Biuret test show no difference from the water control subjects. The results from this test was as expected from the hypothesis. The Unknown substance only showed a positive response when tested with the Iodine test, leading me to believe that it is some kind of carbohydrate compound and possibly starch. The Sudan III test was negative and so was the Biuret test. Interpretation of results Protein: The protein solution reacted with the biuret reagent to show a change in color to a dark purple. This means that there was indeed peptide bonds present in the solution. The Biuret reagent has both KOH (potassium hydroxide) and CuSOà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ (copper sulfate). The solution’s pH is raised to an alkaline by the KOH, which is important for CuSOà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ to react. Cuà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ² react with nitrogen atoms present in peptide bonds to form a complex. The CuSOà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ solution is usually a blue solution, but when the Cuà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ² react with the nitrogen atoms to form the complex, the blue changes to violet, sometimes dark purple color. Starch: The starch reacted with the iodine solution to bring forth a blackish-blue change in color. This color change is attributed to the iodine and iodide ions reacting with each other and bond, forming a triodide ion. The iodine, which is a ligand, fits into the space created by the hundreds and thousands of simple sugar molecules such as Glucose that makes up the structure of starch. The color change to black is associated with the absence of light, since iodine absorbs all the light wavelengths. Lipids: The lipid solution reacted with the Sudan III reagent to change its color to an orange-red solution. Lipids are triglycerides, and have an oily appearance. Sudan III is a dye that is lipid soluble; it is also non-polar and will react with hydrocarbon chains in the lipids to form hydrophobic interactions. Vitamin C: Vitamin C reacted with the iodine solution to diminish the blackish-blue color of iodine to form an almost colorless, but milky solution. This is accounted for because when these two solutions react with each other, they are no longer what they started out as. During this reaction, these two are mixed together, the ascorbic acid losses its electrons to iodine, meaning that this reaction is a redox reaction. Ascorbic acid will be the one being oxidized while iodine is reduced. Ascorbic acid forms dehydroascorbic acid and iodine forms iodide ions. Unknown: The unknown solution reacted with the iodine indicator to form a blackish-blue solution. The only known solution which reacted with iodine to form a solution of that color was starch. Although these colors don’t match up perfectly, they are the closest match. The difference in color between the starch solution and the Unknown solution could be explained by a difference in concentration between the two solutions. This difference in concentration could have resulted if the solutions weren’t both well shaken, since starch can settle out of solution. Broader implications of results Biuret test: This test is used for detecting the presence of proteins in a solution. When there are proteins present, the mixture of our suspected solution and the Biuret reagent will undergo a color change to violet. This indicates the presence of peptide bonds in the protein solution. I did achieve this by proving that our suspected protein solution did indeed contain peptide bonds present in proteins when it changed color to violet. Iodine test: Iodine can be used to detect the presence of both starch and vitamin C. When testing for starch, a positive test will be indicated by a change in color from colorless starch to a blackish-blue solution after the addition of iodine. Our suspected starch solution did test positive for starch when its color changed to blackish-blue. When testing for the vitamin C, small amounts of vitamin C was added to the iodine solution, this determines whether or not a redox reaction will take place to transfer vitamin C electrons to the iodine. This was proved to be correct when the addition of vitamin C to the iodine eliminated the blackish-blue color of the indicator. Sudan III test: Sudan III is a lipid soluble reagent that is used to stain triglycerides. This is used to detect the presence of lipids. Both lipids and Sudan III are non-polar and react with each other to have a hydrophobic interaction, and a color change is present when the suspected solution contains lipids. The change is a red-orange color. Our test showed this when our suspected solution exhibited this change in color to red. Conclusion I can conclude that all the expected results did indeed happen. The protein solution did change color to violet-purple when tested with the Biuret test, resulting in a positive reaction. This was because the Cuà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ² reacted with the nitrogen atoms. The starch solution reacted with iodine to bring forth a blackish-blue change in the color, testing positive. This is attributed to the formation of a triodide ion. The lipids did indeed react with the Sudan III to show the positive reaction of color change to red, because of the formation of hydrophobic portion in the solution. The vitamin C showed the positive results when added to iodine when it eliminated the dark color associated with iodine. This result is because of the redox reaction that takes place between these two compounds. All of my results prove that my hypothesis were indeed correct. The unknown solution only showed a positive reaction with the starch, thus it can be concluded that it’s starch or maybe a f orm of a carbohydrate close to the composition of starch. References J.M Berg, J.L Tymoczko, L Stryer. Biochemistry, 5th ed. New York: W.H. Freeman; 2002 Dr Ananya Mandal. What are Lipids?. http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Lipids.aspx (accessed 29 September 2014). R.B Smith, E.C Loucheed, E.W Franklin, I. McMillan. The Starch Test for Determining Stage of Maturation in Apples. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 1979; 59(3): 725-735. SEP Staff. Testing for Lipids, Proteins and Carbohydrates. http://seplessons.ucsf.edu/node362 (accessed 29 September 2014) Mack, S. How does Biuret ReagentCause a Color Change with Proteins?. http://www.madsci.org/posts/achieves/2004-12/1102321490.Gb.r,html (accessed 2 October 2014).

Comparison and Contrast in The Great Gatsby Essay -- comparison compar

Comparison and Contrast in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚   The success of Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is in part due to his successful characterization of the main characters through the comparison and contrast of Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson, Tom Buchanan and George B. Wilson, and Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. The contrast is achieved through two principle means: contrasting opposite qualities held by the characters and contrasting one character's posititve or negative qualities to another's lack thereof. Conflict is generated when the characters sometimes stand as allegorical opposites. On the other hand, comparison of two characters is rather straightforward. This comparison and contrast is prevalent in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. To begin with, Daisy and Myrtle have similarities and differences. The similarities revolve around the characters' marriages. First, both have an affair sometime in the novel. Myrtle's sister, Catherine, whispers to Nick: "Neither of them can stand the person they're married to" (33). Partially as a result of this intolerance, both begin affairs. Daisy says that she loves both her husband, Tom, and illegitimate boyfriend, Gatsby: "I love you [Gatsby] now -- isn't that enough? ... I did love him [Tom] once, but I loved you too" (133). Daisy says that she loves both Tom and Gatsby. Here, Daisy's character must be taken into account. Daisy might just as well love Gatsby's shirts, house, or other status symbols as she loves Gatsby as a person. Similarly, she might also only love Tom's status symbols. Myrtle certainly only loves Tom's status symbols. She tells Nick, "He had on a dress suit and patten leather shoes, and I couldn't keep my eyes off him..." (36). This is the point ... ...ization.    Works Cited Bewley, Marius. "Scott Fizgerald's Criticism of America." Mizener 125-41. Eagleton, Terry. The Function of Criticism. London: Verso, 1984. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Collier Edition. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1925. "Fitzgerald, F. Scott." Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia. Redmond, WA: Microsoft, 1996. CD-ROM. 1997. Posnock, Ross. "'A New World, Material Without Being Real': Fitzgerald's Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby." Critical Essays on Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby." Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: Hall, 1984. 201-13. Spindler, Michael. American Literature and Social Change. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1983. Trilling, Lionel. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Critical Essays on Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby." Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: Hall, 1984. 13-20.         

Capital Punishment in the Work of George Orwell, H.L. Mencken, and Norm

Capital Punishment in the Work of George Orwell, H.L. Mencken, and Norman Mailer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital punishment in the essays by George Orwell, H.L. Mencken, and Norman Mailer was a necessary evil to deter crime. These authors incorporated the use of alcohol or drugs as mind-altering chemicals to relieve the pressures of the characters involved in death due to capital punishment. Chemicals such as drugs and alcohol can be used for the pleasure of relieving stress, a means to forget, or a way to subdue personal beliefs as the authors have illustrated.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The pleasure of relieving stress in George Orwell's essay "A Hanging" was detailed by his thoughts written as one of the executioners. This character drank alcohol to relieve the painful memories of escorting the prisoner to the gallows. The character would have rather saved the man from hanging when the author wrote "It is curious, but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man" (pg 89). Orwell describes in detail how the condemned man "was not dying, he was alive just as we are alive all the organs of his body were working, bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming, all toiling away in solemn foolery." (pg 89). The author continues to illustrate the character's mental anguish when he says "he and we were a party of men walking together, seeing, hearing, feeling, understanding the same world, and in two minutes with a sudden snap, one o...

Improving Speaking Skills Essay

This article examines the different circumstances under which infant and adult learners develop speaking skills. We will see the facilities or difficulties in both cases in order to focus on the real possibilities of adults to develop a high level of speaking proficiency. We will see what the role of the teacher is in order to improve the learners’ skills, the features of oral communication that need to be improved and which strategies can be used to overcome the difficulties. Key words: speaking skills, adult learning, oral communication, teaching strategies. Resumen Este articulo analiza las diferentes circunstancias en las que ninos y adultos desarrollan las destrezas orales. Veremos las facilidades y dificultades en ambos casos para asi centrarnos en las posibilidades reales que tienen los adultos de alcanzar un alto nivel de competencia oral. Veremos tambien cual es el papel del profesor en este contexto, para mejorar las capacidades de los alumnos, y ver cuales son los elementos de la comunicacion oral que hay que mejorar y que estrategias se pueden aplicar para superar las dificultades. Palabras clave: destrezas orales, aprendizaje de adultos, comunicacion verbal, estrategias de ensenanza. If we think of the period in our lives when we learned to speak our first language, and the moment in which we started to make huge efforts to speak our second/foreign language we find significant differences. In the former case, we may have fond memories of what our parents told us; and in the latter, it suddenly becomes a frustrating experience that seems to bring imperfect results. For adults, learning to speak a new language is in many cases far from satisfactory simply because they feel they need to cope with many different aspects at one time, and that seems to be impossible in real conversations. I wonder if it is possible to acquire a high level of speaking proficiency in adults; I wonder if it is possible to make adult learners improve their speaking skills, and the most important thing for teachers: how? The first question we have to consider in order to reach a conclusion is whether learning at infancy is different from learning at adulthood; which are the circumstances that differentiate them and if those onditions inevitably lead to obvious and hopeless results. Only bearing in mind what we can expect of a particular type of learner, we can focus on how to improve their speaking skills. It is obvious that there are marked differences between children learners and adult learners and that they cannot acquire the second language under the same circumstances. Consequently, the results will be also different. Concerning children and the early age at which they learn to speak, we can say that they enjoy certain advantages that make them outstanding learners. They have surprising linguistic abilities due to optimal moment in which they find themselves for language learning, this is to say, at this moment their brain is characterized by a certain plasticity that allows some abilities to develop with ease during a period of time, after which it becomes really difficult for these abilities to be developed (Fleta, 2006: 53), or using 86 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Klein’s words ‘between the age of two and puberty the human brain shows the plasticity which allows a child to acquire his first language’ (Klein, 1986: 9). Therefore, children are special learners for their natural and innate abilities to acquire a language. According to Fleta, one of these special abilities is ‘filtering sophisticated information about language properties from birth’ (Fleta, 2006: 49), in other words, children have an enormous ability to integrate difficult information in an easy and unconscious way from the beginning of their development. They are able to acquire and integrate complex data without being aware of it, whereas other learners, at other ages, would find it arduous to achieve. Moreover, apart from this special gift children have for assimilating difficult information, we can mention some of their other qualities, such as their capacity for perceiving and imitating sounds. Some studies have showed that ‘young infants are especially sensitive to acoustic changes at the phonetic boundaries between categories’ (Kuhl, 2004: 832). Also, children are especially good at predicting syllable chunks: ‘infants are sensitive to the sequential probabilities between adjacent syllables’ (Kuhl, 2004: 834) which makes children with a surprising instinct as far as language knowledge is concerned . Finally, students also acquire the ability of ordering words within a sentence (grammar rules) unconsciously: ‘there is some evidence that young children can detect non-adjacencies such as those required to learn grammar’ (Kuhl, 2004: 836). All in all, we can say that children learn the language without being aware of it when they ‘are exposed to the right kind of auditory information’ (Kuhl, 2004: 836), this is, children learn the language through communication and interaction and thanks to that they acquire all the abilities they can potentially develop. On the other hand, concerning adults we observe how difficult is that they can acquire certain native sounds; their pronunciation will be, on many occasions, foreign-like which is due to their difficulty in distinguishing and producing some sounds after the so called ‘critical period’. In that respect, some authors claim that adult learners cannot acquire a phonological development (Lightbown and Spada, 2006: 69). However, other researchers defend the opposite. Wolfgang Klein, in his book Second Language Acquisition (1986) stated that ‘the apparent facility with which children learn a second language is often attributed to biological factors, but an alternative explanation might be that, unlike adults, children have no need to fear the loss of their social identity’ (Klein, 1986: 6). Authors such as Klein argue that phonological facilities of children are not bound to biological reasons, but to psychological ones. In that respect, adults feel attached to their native identities, to their original social identities, which is what prevent them from achieving perfection in L2 pronunciation. Klein confirmed that ‘suitably motivated adults are capable of mastering to perfection the pronunciation of the most exotic languages’ (Klein, 1986: 10). Therefore, we conclude that although the cases of adults speaking a second language without any accent are not very common, this does not mean that it is impossible to acquire a native-like pronunciation. Also, besides phonological issues, we can talk about the capacity of adults to acquire any other kind of linguistic faculties, more related to structural relations (UG). In that sense, there are authors that doubt the validity of Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) by assuring that even adults have access to the well known Universal Grammar. While Lenneberg claimed that only before puberty learners had UG available, authors such as S. W. Felix defended by evidence that adult L2 learners also benefit from the UG principles: ‘If child and adult learners use different modules for the purpose of language acquisition, then we would expect adult learners to be unable to attain grammatical knowledge that arises only through the mediation of UG. If, in contrast, adults do attain this type of knowledge, then, we have reason to believe that UG continues to be active even after puberty’ (Felix, 1988: 279). Therefore, we can conclude that adults are also able to master a proficient use of the second/foreign language, not only in grammatical issues but also in phonological ones, which makes us believe that we can improve adult learners’ speaking skills. 87 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Once we know that adults can be biologically and psychologically prepared to have a native-like proficiency in the second language, we should move on to the second language teaching context in order to achieve our aim of improving adult learners’ skills. In that respect, we should reflect on the teachers’ role in this situation and what they can do to be successful with their learners. Teachers therefore need to analyse the students’ needs, face their problems and find fruitful solutions that help them develop their speaking abilities. S. Pit Corder, in his chapter called ‘Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching’, in Introducing Applied Linguistics (1973) defended the important role of linguists who identify the problems of the learners and find solutions for them. Corder added that specialists’ role is to formulate the appropriate questions in order to define problems that need to be faced. Using his words, ‘the formulation of the questions, the identification of the problems and the specification of their nature presupposes linguistic theory. The nature of the problem is defined by the theory which is applied to it. The solution to a problem is only as good as the theory which has been used to solve it’ (Corder, 1973: 138). In this direction he said that in language teaching there are two appropriate questions teachers should make: what to teach and how to teach, ‘these are the problems of content and method, or, using an industrial analogy, the problem of product and process design respectively’ (Corder, 1973: 139). Therefore, if teachers wish to know how to improve speaking skills, what they need to ask themselves first is what they are going to teach, and how. On the one hand, let us consider the first question: what. If we need to improve speaking skills we need to know which skills or which features learners need to develop. In that respect, there are several authors that stated different goals or different dimensions that speakers needed to achieve. Goodwin, for instance, established several goals for a proper pronunciation. She called them ‘functional intelligibility, functional communicability, increased self-confidence, and speech-monitoring abilities’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118). She argued that learners should be able to speak an intelligible foreign language, that is to say, listeners need to understand the learner’s message without huge efforts; learners also need to be successful in a ‘specific communicative situation’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118); they need to ‘gain confidence in their ability to speak and be understood’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118); and finally, they need to monitor and control their own production by paying attention to their own speech. Goodwin specified those abilities that learners need to acquire through certain linguistic features that can be practiced: Intonation, rhythm, reduced speech, linking words, consonants and vowel sounds, word stress, etc. These are concrete speaking aspects in which learners should be trained in order to improve their speaking skills. Similarly, other authors such as Anne Lazaraton suggest that oral communication is based on four dimensions or competences: grammatical competence (phonology, vocabulary, word and sentence formation†¦); sociolinguistic competence (rules for interaction, social meanings); discourse competence (cohesion and how sentences are liked together); and finally, strategic competence (compensatory strategies to use in difficult situations), (Lazaraton, 2001: 104). According to Lazaraton learners should develop all these abilities to acquire a high oral level of the foreign language, but she adds that in recent years, with the influence of the communicative approach, more importance is given to fluency, trying to achieve a balance with the traditional accuracy. Moreover, apart from what pedagogically and theoretically should be taught, many researchers are presently analysing real problems that learners face: ‘fluent speech contains reduced forms, such as contractions, vowel reduction, and elision, where learners do not get sufficient practice’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 103); use of slang and idioms in speech since students tend to sound ‘bookish’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 103), stress, rhythm, intonation, lack of active vocabulary, lack of interaction pattern rules†¦ 88 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Once speaking goals have been determined, next step consists of questioning how they are going to be achieved. For designing a concrete methodology teachers need to adopt a theoretical perspective, they need to reflect on the linguistic approach that will be used in their teaching. Many authors, following the up-todate trend of the Communicative approach, defend the interactive role of speaking and promote its teaching from a communicative perspective stressing meaning and context. In Goodwin’s words: ‘In â€Å"Teaching Pronunciation† the goal of instruction is threefold: to enable our learners to understand and be understood, to build their confidence in entering communicative situations, and to enable them to monitor their speech’ (Goodwin, 2001: 131), also ‘pronunciation is never an end in itself but a means of negotiating meaning in discourse, embedded in specific sociocultural and interpersonal contexts’ (Goodwin,2001: 117). If we think of how this theoretical background will be applied in real teaching, we find that in traditional classes they focused speaking practice on the production of single and isolated sounds, whereas within the communicative approach, ‘the focus shifted to fluency rather than accuracy, encouraging an almost exclusive emphasis on suprasegmentals’ (Goodwin, 2001: 117). There is the key word, when communication is the main goal linguistic practice turns into longer structures, at the suprasegmental level; therefore, the training on individual sounds makes way for macro structures that affect interaction directly. The second part of how to teach, moves away from theory to approach real problems and their solutions. Several authors have stated that when learners face problems in speaking they need practical and concrete solutions to know how to behave and respond in order to overcome those difficulties. Mariani, in his article ‘Developing Strategic Competence: Towards Autonomy in Oral Interaction’, recalls L1 strategies that native speakers use when they encounter communication problems, and suggests teaching those strategies to L2 learners: ‘just think of how often, in L1 communication, we cannot find the words to say something and have to adjust our message, or to ask our interlocutor to help us, or to use synonyms or general words to make ourselves understood’ (Mariani, 1994: 1). Mariani classifies those strategies according to the speakers’ behaviour: learners can either avoid certain messages because they don’t feel confident with their speaking skills (‘reduction strategies’), or make the most out of their knowledge and modify their message bearing in mind their weaknesses and strengths (‘achievement strategies’: borrowing, foreignizing, translating†¦(Mariani, 1994: 3). The author praises the latter by saying that achievement strategies are a very interesting way of developing learners’ language domain. Speakers who opt for this option make huge efforts to transmit a message by playing with the language to the extreme, which only brings beneficial consequences. In the second or foreign language classroom context, teachers should train learners to use and practice the different strategies that can help them face difficult situations. The only way of training students in this direction is by means of a bank of activities in which they become aware of the different possibilities that they can put into practice. Authors such as Goodwin or Lazaraton offer a varied list of exercises to be used in class: poems, rhymes, dialogues, monologues, role plays, debates, interviews, simulations, drama scenes, discussions, conversations†¦ Therefore, coming back to the initial question proposed above, I think it is absolutely feasible to teach adults strategies to improve their speaking skills. Of course, that objective depends on many different factors that will affect the degree of acquisition, let us think of age, motivation, or even the context in which the language is learned: ESL versus EFL. In that respect, learners in a second language context will have numberless occasions to practice the language and that will undoubtedly influence their skills development. With reference to the foreign language context, authors such as Lazaraton admitted the difficulties learners 89 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 ormally face: ‘homogeneous EFL classes, where all students speak the same first language and English is not used outside the classroom, present certain additional challenges for the teacher’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 110). As she said, teachers have considerable limitations in EFL classes such as lack of opportunities to use the language, lack of motivation in the learners, the number of students in the class, curriculum re strictions†¦(Lazaraton, 2001: 110), but there are solutions and strategies, as the ones previously mentioned, that should be put into practice. Mariani, in his article mentioned above, also makes a reflection on whether communication strategies should be teachable or not. He states the pros and cons by saying that training students on specific strategies can provide them with certain limitations and consequently hamper fluent communication: ‘we can hardly force them into a straightjacket of pre-selected strategies. Most of us would agree that we should encourage spontaneity, creativity and originality in language use’ (Mariani, 1994: 7). However, on the other hand, he argues that if learners become aware of the different strategies they can flexibly use, they will finally integrate them either consciously or unconsciously, which will stretch their possibilities for communication. To sum up, as teachers can, and should, improve learners’ speaking skills and communication strategies, the only thing they need to do is to plan their teaching around two main questions: what they want to teach, which specific speaking features they want to develop in their learners; and how they want to do it.

Disney Motivational Strategy Essay

Walt Disney is quoted as saying â€Å"of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them toward a certain goal† (Disney Dreamer, 2008, 41). It can be said that this management philosophy has contributed to eight decades of business success that has helped the company to become the business conglomerate Walt Disney is today. Co-founded by Walter Elias Disney, the Walt Disney Company today has branched out to various entertainment studios, theme parks, products and other media productions. How did one man’s dream form and manage an enterprise that has established itself as a household name through-out the world?The Walt Disney Company was established in a small office in Los Angeles California in the summer of 1923. Walt Disney moved to California from Kansas City Missouri with hopes of marketing his creative talent in the film industry. Walt had made a short film called â€Å"Alice in Wonderland† that he hoped to use as a pilot film to break into the industry. Partnered with his brother Roy they formed â€Å"Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio† and changed the name to â€Å"Walt Disney Studio† per Roy’s suggestion. Walt’s first break into the entertainment business came when a distributor by the name of M.J. Winkler contracted with the studio on October 16, 1923 to release a series to the public called â€Å"Alice Comedies.† This marked the formal beginnings of the Walt Disney Company (Corporate Disney, 2008). The company started to take off as Walt Disney hired animators to produce Oswald cartoons through his distributor, Mr. Winkler. As money grew tight Walt needed Winkler to provide him with the finances to keep producing his series. It was at this time that Walt found out the distributor was going behind his back to create his own studio using Walt Disney’s animators. Since Winkler owned the distributor rights to the Oswald cartoons there was nothing that Walt could do. It was at this point that Walt Disney vowed that he would own everything that he made (Corporate Disney, 2008). This was the event that led to the creation of the Mickey Mouse cartoons in1928 and the popularity of the Disney name. The company grew gradually despite the financial difficulties the brothers experienced over the years. The Disney brothers did not let this hamper their efforts and soon established themselves as an independent production  company in Hollywood. In the 1930’s Walt Disney was offered $300 to allow a marketer to imprint Mickey Mouse on paper tablets for children. Walt agreed as he truly needed the money. This began the production of Disney consumer products and has led them to be one of the most recognizable media brands in the world today. The war years (1939 to 1945) were financially difficult for the company but Disney did not give up. The studio made educational films for the United States government as well as made animated comedies. After the war the company branched out by concentrating their efforts towards films using people versus cartoon characters. In the 1950s Disney tapped into the television audience with a weekly show that featured past and present Disney film characters. In 1955 Disney was inspired by his children to expand his business ventures by opening up the theme park – Disneyland in Anaheim, California. This business venture was and still is one of Disney’s biggest successes. In the 1970s Disney had a dream to continue to offer family entertainment by developing plans to open up an entertainment and educational complex in Florida. This project became known as Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, Disney did not get to realize the accomplishment of this dream as it was completed after his death. Roy died two month’s after Walt Disney World opened in October of 1971. Despite the deaths of the two Disney brothers the company is still thriving today – not only in the United States but through-out the world. The company continues to expand their business offerings through media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, and consumer products. The Walt Disney Company has seen much financial success as it operates as world-wide entertainment company. Headquartered in Burbank California, Disney employs over 130,000 people. Revenue is generated through the operation of the company’s four segments. These operating segments are: Media Networks (television, radio, and the internet); Studio entertainment (live-action and animated motion pictures, musical recordings and video programming); Consumer products (products and licenses to promote and sell  the Disney characters and other intellectual property); and Parks and Resorts ticket sales, room nights at the hotels, and rentals at the resort properties). Financially, the company has earning stability according to the year-end fillings with the Security Exchange Commission (SEC). Positive net income has been reported for the last five years. The Media Networks division appears to be their biggest generator of income for Disney which brings in about 41% of their revenue while the Consumer Products segment produces about 7% of their revenue. Disney’s Parks and Resorts also have been successful revenue generators for the company. In 2007 alone operating income increase 11% from the prior year. According to Robert Iger, president and chief executive officer of Walt Disney Company, the positive financial results are a direct result of â€Å"strong brands, combined with high-quality creative content and our ability to promote and distribute the content across multiple businesses and platforms† this gives Disney â€Å"the unique ability to continue delivering growth and value to our shareholders† (Disney.com, 2007, 2). It can be said that Walt Disney’s ability to foster the spirit of creativity, innovation and excellence still continues to underlie the company’s success they enjoy today. Disney corporations pride is in maintaining the â€Å"magic â€Å"of Disney. Their slogan is the happiest place on earth. Guests from all over the world come and enjoy the magical experience of the imagination of Walt Disney. All of this imagination has created characters and a world of fantasy that is shared in a full day at theme parks. The mission statement that the company has created is to make people happy, all of this through the entertainment values of no cynicism, nurturing, and promulgation of â€Å"wholesome American values† and the creativity of dreams and imagination. The organization structure of Disney involves the board of directors; any decision related to the organization is brainstormed through the directors before the decision is approved by the CEO Bob Iger. Keeping in consideration that Disney Corporation has subsidiaries under them such as Disney Studios, the theme parks in California, Florida, Japan, Paris and Hong Kong; Disney also has Disney consumer products and media networks. All these Disney entities have  different business proposals that require attentive decision making. This is all carefully done with the board of directors. At Disney, â€Å"the bottom line is imagination, our culture is magic and wonder, and required previous work experience: childhood dreams.† Such insightful rhetoric entices employees to put forth their best effort to live up to the self-imposed hype. Disney’s approach to employee motivation and satisfaction is based on Frederick Herzberg’s theory that motivation comes from within the individual, rather than from a policy imposed by the company. Disney provides each of its 130,000 employees world-wide with the opportunity for recognition for achievement, increased responsibility because of performance, opportunity to grow in knowledge, chance for advancement, and improved maintenance items such as wages, off-hour programs and self-development opportunities. Disney is very aware that the only way of meeting customer’s expectations is by delivering the magic through the staff. The culture of quality perfected at Disney’s theme parks could not prevail without employee buy-in. To gain employee acceptance, the concept of show business is promoted as an organizational culture. The employee is not hired for a job, but cast for a role in the show. Hired employees are called cast members, wear costumes not uniforms, and they play before an audience of guests, not a crowd of customers. When they are in a guest environment; they are onstage; when they are in an employee environment, he or she is backstage. Prior to any interview, Disney prescreens applicant by showing prospective employees a video prior to filling out an application. This provides an opportunity to opt out of the hiring process if they do not agree with Disney’s expectations regarding appearance, guidelines, or even having their own transportation. After being selected for a role, cast members spend their first day at Disney University where are taught, amongst Disney traditional values, that their roles are bigger than their jobs. The cast is charged with creating magic moments for its guests. Additionally, cast members are empowered to make the right decision and provide the right behavior for each guest he or she comes into contact with. Empowerment of the Disney cast begins with a service  theme of â€Å"creating happiness† for people. Disney then provides extensive training, ongoing communication, and dependable support systems to help the cast make the right decisions in each guest encounter. Cast members uphold the standards of courtesy, efficiency, safety and show, along with aligning personal values, traits and behavior with those of the organization. Disney has 10 management principles in place that have contributed to the success of the company. These principles are: (1) Make Everyone’s Dreams Come True, (2) You Better Believe It, (3) Never a Customer, Always a Guest, (4) All for One and One for All, (5) Share the Spotlight, (6) Dare to Dare, (7) Practice, Practice, Practice, (8) Make Your Elephant Fly, (9) Capture the Magic with Storyboards, and (10) Give Details Top Billing (Capodagli and Jackson, 1999). Although all these are an integral part of the company, the first, fourth, and seventh principles are significant for employee motivation. â€Å"Make Everyone’s Dream Come True,† outlines the importance of allowing members of the organization to dream and develop his or her creative talents (Capodagli and Jackson, 1999). Disney encourages creativity in all its employees. This encourages participation and is credited with a decreased turnover rate as compared to the industry’s competitors (Capodagli and Jackson, 1999. The fourth principle, â€Å"All for One and One for All,† highlights the importance of teamwork and empowerment of the employees. Teamwork is described as a method of fostering intense loyalty, enthusiasm and commitment. Because the focus at the Disney Company is to make sure that each guest has a memorable and pleasant experience, it doesn’t matter whose â€Å"job† is to pick up a piece of trash. It becomes everyone’s responsibility (Capodagli and Jackson, 1999). The seventh principle, â€Å"Practice, Practice, Practice† outlines the importance of formal and continuous training (Capodagli and Jackson, 1999). Initially, Disney’s initial training programs covered only the very basic essentials to keep operations going. During those early years, the training consisted of a  first-day orientation, with some on-the-job training and a few recreational programs for employees. As Disney began to grow, more emphasis on training and the total employee environment was needed. Disney University’s challenge is to offer employees the finest working environment possible. To meet this challenge Disney training programs had to be executed in an effort to show interest and concern for the growth of the employees and the Disney organization. The name â€Å"Disney University† extends well beyond training and education implications (Cook, 1974). More than training is included at the university. The university feels a responsibility to the whole person; the university helps employees achieve their goals as the organization achieves its goals. A very important responsibility of the Disney University is the preservation of Walt Disney’s motivational philosophies and traditions. The university staff is concerned not only with an employee’s education and development, but also with his or her motivation, morale, communication and physical working atmosphere. The university also provides social and recreational activities for the employee. The Disney web site states: â€Å"The Company has a tradition of innovation and creativity that is the result of hiring and motivating diverse employees with a wide range of talents† (Walt Disney Company, 2008). The Walt Disney Company wants to empower its cast; to do this they start with committed leaders at the top who are willing to set examples. Disney applies the concept of cross servicing during peak hours. During these periods, supervisors and managers set aside their normal duties and help the cast in all other areas of the operation, including; food service, janitorial service, ticketing and guest assistance at all attractions. The cross-servicing concept allows cast members to see management in action and provides an extraordinary opportunity to model good behaviors and appropriate job/people skills. Every year, The Walt Disney Company holds service awards dinners at its theme parks around the world. All the company vice presidents are in attendance, and Disney employees receive plaques, jewelry and other merchandise  depending on their years of service. â€Å"When we hear of an employee doing something special, we bring it to the attention of Michael Eisner and he personally sends them a letter of thanks† (Alonzo, 1994). Every Christmas, the Walt Disney Company opens Disneyland for employees and families only with executives running the park. Disney provides a broad spectrum of recreational, social, cultural and special activities for employees and their families. These activities include sport programs of all types, theater workshops, community services, special employee-only visits to the â€Å"Magic Kingdom,† film festivals and previews, various travel and entertainment programs, and comfortable break and eating areas for employees. Employees are also provided with housing assistance, doctor and dentist referrals, and a variety of merchants who offer discounts to Disney employees (Cook, 1974). Employees (or Cast Members as they are commonly referred to) are afforded a wide range of benefits such as health, dental and life insurance packages. Cast members are also given complimentary theme park passports allowing them to access any of the Disney parks at no charge as well as Cast Member discounts on products and merchandise. Disney associates are also reimbursed for education, receive stock options and are eligible for service awards. Those with children who live near Anaheim or Orlando can take advantage of the childcare centers while they go to work. The many benefits motivate employees and form a good basis for employee retention. Disney incorporates distinctive values in it workplace. Innovation, quality, community, storytelling, optimism and decency are the foreground to its success. These core values resonate in very product Disney produces ensuring the consumer receives the highest quality entertainment product available. In 2006 Disney ranked number one on the BusinessWeek’s â€Å"best places to launch a career† (Disney 2006, Business Week). Disney’s strong on-campus recruiting, solid benefits and collaborative culture helped put the entertainment giant at the head of the Business Week ranking, which identifies top employers for new college graduates. At Disney, life is fun. People who come to enjoy Disney products are having fun and therefore, those providing these products and services should also be having fun – and be in good spirits. It helps motivate the guests to have fun. When the guests have fun they come back; when they come back the company generates revenue. Walt Disney was able to transform his imagination into a living organism that attracts people from all over the world. This business has left a legacy for many generations and is still an attraction that our upcoming generations are looking forward to exhaust and live for their children. Walt Disney was a true genius. He was able to turn fantasies and stories into a booming business that appears will be never ending. Walt Disney recognized that â€Å"whatever we accomplish is due to the combined effort. The organization must be with you or you don’t get it done. In my organization there is respect for every individual, and we all have a keen respect for the public† (Disney Dreamer, 2008, 54) Walt Disney’s management philosophy holds true today. Disney is a model for success. The company’s proven methods for employee motivation leave little if any for improvement. The finely evolved practice of putting associates before profits has yielded abundance in popularity and name recognition for the organization all over the world. For the foreseeable future, it does appear that Walt Disney Company will continue to expand its business and remain profitable. This can be contributed to the ability of management to foster the spirit of employee creativity, innovation, and excellence that continues to underlie all the company’s success. References Alonzo, V. (1994). The more the merrier. Incentive, 168(6), 47. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from MasterFILE Premier database. Capodagli, B. and Jackson, L. (1999). The Disney Way: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company. McGraw-Hill. Cook, M. (1974). What Can I Do For You?. Training and Development Journal, 28(9), 30. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. Corporate Disney. (2008, February). Disney Company History. Retrieved February 16, 2008 from http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/complete_history_1.htmlDisney Dreamer. (2008, February). Walt Disney quotes. Retrieved February 23, 2008 fromhttp://www.disneydreamer.com/walt/quotes.htmDisney Institute. (2008). Retrieved February 22, 2007 fromhttp://www.disneyinstitute.comHerzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B. (2007). Motivation to Work. Bloomsbury Business Library – Management Library, Retrieved February 23, 2008, from Business Source Complete database. The Walt Disney Company. (2008). Retrieved February 22, 2008 fromhttp://corporate.disney.go.com

Effectiveness of Advertisement based on Consumers Attitudes

The success of a business does not rely only on the quality of products or services that the company offers to the market.Even though the company provides the best product or service that the customer may avail, the success of the marketers will still be based on how the company executes their marketing plans. Apparently, the strategic plans do not refer merely to the supply chain management and marketing mix.The marketers need to consider the possible impact of the products, advertisements, and competitors in penetrating the market. Since the marketplace is a wide area where the marketers, customers, and even competitors meet, it is necessary for the marketers to understand the important factors that may help the product to stay and grow in the market.Consumers’ AttitudeThere are many reasons why people purchase the products in the market. Basically, they buy products because those are part of their needs while some purchase the products for luxury alone. Regardless of the re asons of the consumers in buying the product, the target of the marketers is always to create awareness and sell the products to the target markets.The marketers should always remember that people buy a certain product to satisfy the needs which could be another complicated term for the company who would like to penetrate the market. There are three factors that may affect the behavior of the consumers in buying the product, the internal, the external, and the marketing.Internal factors refer to the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of the consumers toward the product, personality and lifestyle of the buyer, and roles and involvement of the customers to the purchase. On the other hand, the external factors include the culture, situation, and groups where the consumers belong. Lastly, the marketing mix also plays very important part in the decision making of the customers. The last factor refers to the quality of product and service, affordability of price, and effectiveness of th e promotion to the target market.One of the most challenging parts of being a marketer is understanding the reasons of the consumers in preferring and buying the product in the store shelf. Consumer behavior refers to the disposal or use of the products and the study of how these products are purchased. Consumers purchase a certain product because of many factors which should be taken into consideration.The knowledge and strong understanding about the factors that affect the decision making of the consumers would help the marketers to reach the anticipated level of success. Apparently, the factors that affect the consumers are extremely complex making the marketers think of new concepts in order to persuade different kinds of people in different locations to buy only one brand of product in the market.The psychological influences in consumers’ behavior can easily be recognized; however, the activities that should be done by the marketers sometimes lack the ability to persuade the customers to purchase the product.   Motivation is the psychological concept that could help the marketers to improve the plan for developing and promoting the product in the marketplace.

Marketing Definition Essay

Definition The process of defining and subdividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. Its objective is to design a marketing mix that precisely matches the expectations of customers in the targeted segment. Few companies are big enough to supply the needs of an entire market; most must breakdown the total demand into segments and choose those that the company is best equipped to handle. Four basic factors that affect market segmentation are (1) clear identification of the segment, (2) measurability of its effective size, (3) its accessibility through promotional efforts, and (4) its appropriateness to the policies and resources of the company. The four basic market segmentation-strategies are based on (a) behavioral (b) demographic, (c) psychographic, and (d) geographical differences. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/market-segmentation.html#ixzz2ImOtX3b8 Do you think that it was a good segmentation for M&M’s to develop a new version targeting adults? In observing how M&M’s have changed over time from the addition of peanut butter and almonds to the changing of colors and sizes I think that was a great segmentation strategy to develop a new version targeting adults. The new line of M&M’s is 55 percent larger in size and they come in colors that are appealing to adults in its design (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2007). According to spokeswoman Joan Buyce of Masterfoods USA this creation is designed with adults in mind and â€Å"It broadens our portfolio so there’s something for everyone† (M&M’s get mega-sized, 2012, p.1). Buyce also states that the new M&M’s are available in milk chocolate as well as peanut varieties and come with an adult-oriented color scheme which includes teal, beige, gold, maroon, brown and blue-gray (M&M’s get mega-sized, 2012). Due to the new line of M&M’s including aspects that target adults I think that it is a great segmentation strategy because appealing aspects are included in the development of the new version. Discuss three basic types of research of design (exploratory, descriptive and casual). The three basic types of designs are exploratory, descriptive and casual research. In the explorative research there is systematic and flexible and allows the researcher to investigate desires (Marketing Research Design, 2012). Explorative research is also most commonly unstructured, informal research that is undertaken to gain background information about the general nature of the research problem (Marketing Research Design, 2012). While descriptive research describes and measure marketing phenomena at a point in time (Marketing Research Design, 2012). This type of research is classified as a cross sectional study, because it is a one-time measurement, which is established in market research, outnumbering longitudinal studies and casual studies (Marketing Research Design, 2012). Casual research is†¦ [continues]

A perfect world

Can you imagine a perfect world, a world where you had everything you wanted, no matter where you were or when it was? What would your world be like? Would your world be the same as it is now or would you change it in any way possible and create a completely different place? Well if I had to choose I would make my flawless world like it was in the essay Walden by Henry David Thoreau or even like it was in the speech â€Å"I Have a dream† by Martin Luther King Jr. In the essay Walden by Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau completely isolates himself from society and goes his own way. In my perfect world society wouldn’t be judgmental and rude and completely careless of how others felt or reacted to certain things. People will be able to walk down a street or even a hallway without getting bad looks or gestures or having to hear whispers about themselves behind their backs. People would be able to do what they want without getting judged or given bad motions or signals or even nods. People should be able to see others the way others see themselves. Nobody wants to be judged or talked about so why should they have to. In the speech â€Å"I Have a Dream â€Å"by Martin Luther King Jr. he stands up for not only himself but also all the African Americas of the world. He wanted to make sure everyone was treated equally. So in my impeccable world there would not only be no racial tension or segregation but also no discrimination of any sort and there would be peace between all no matter what race or background the person had or has. All people were created the same way why can’t they be treated the same way. Why does a person’s race, religion, background or even culture have to determine the way a person is treated? Or the rights they have been given. Why does it have to change when the person didn’t? So in my world everyone would be treated equally and no one would be judged because of their race, religion, background , or culture. Both these writings consist of the moral of standing up for yourself. Although they both also contain two different morals that are both needed in all areas of the world. Both morals that I would in want to have in a perfect world. These two morals are acceptance from society and equality between all people around the world. In conclusion, a perfect world for me would not only contain parts from the essay, Walden or the speech â€Å"I Have a Dream†. It would be a combination of both creations. Both acceptance and equality. A completely perfect world in my eyes.