AIS Implementation Case Study

Steve Cowan is the owner of a distribution company of salon hair products. The company, Professional Salon Concepts, (PSC) was growing and decided to upgrade their AIS to support the demands of the company. Steve hired Mike, his brother-in-law to assist him and the two of them began to research the different products available believing they could better determine the needs of the company than a consultant could. After a short time they bought first one and then changing their minds and bought a second system. After a short training period the new system was installed with some very problematic first few days. Eventually the system was up and running but never fully doing what they had originally wanted from the new system. Romney & Steinbart (2009). Implementing new AIS is something that businesses everywhere have to consider at some point and time. The case of PSC and how they went about choosing and implementing their AIS is what we will be looking at. There are six main points of consideration I will be covering in this study. The first is a look at how good of a job PSC did in selecting, installing and implementing their new system. We will look at what they did wrong and what they could have done differently. We will try to determine how PSC could have avoided the missing features, the conversion and reporting problems they had. Next we will review Steve’s analysis of his numbers and determine if his conclusions were correct. Looking at his new shipping system we want to see if there is a way that PSC’s customers can defraud the company. Finally, we will take a look at the level of service PSC received from the company where they purchased their new AIS and how it could have been improved. Steve’s Assessment Selecting the New AIS PSC spent months researching software and attending demonstrations. While doing research on their own is not a bad thing they however dismissed the possible use of consultants. Again not always a bad thing but when they did their research, it is not clear if they had a confirmed set of requirements of their needs in the new AIS. As a result PSC never compared companies through a request for proposals, (RFP); if they had they could have sent their requirements to the vendors. The vendors would then have sent back their proposals to PSC. After eliminating vendors that do not meet the minimum requirements, PSC could then do a comparison of the remaining vendors before making a final decision. Romney & Steinbart (2009). The key is the set requirements and minimum standards they were willing to settle for. In the end they had decided on one system, paid for it and had started installing it when they changed their minds and went with a different company. The company, DSM was chosen almost on a whim. DSM could not demonstrate all of the features PSC had wanted and took a reassurance that they would get those features without documentation. PSC also did not do an extensive background check into DSM before they purchased the new AIS. Installation Installation and implementing of the new AIS was anything but smooth. In retrospect even Steve knew they did not take the time needed to properly test or to train employees on how to use the new system. Three months was not sufficient time to try and work out the possible problems they would have with the new AIS. While Steve felt that training was very important he greatly underestimated the amount of time that was needed for proper training of employees on the new systems. The operators should have been involved from the beginning to determine what was needed and how it was being implemented into the new AIS. Each of these operators should also have been included in the design of the interface they would be using. If their input was not a possible part of the design they should have at the very least been included in the original installation and testing part of the new systems to determine what the possible problem failures would be and to better learn the new systems. Missing Features How could PSC have avoided the problem of the missing features? If PSC had gotten RFPs the problem of missing features in the system they chose would have been eliminated during the vendor selection process. However, in the route they did take those features that were important to Steve but were not included in the AIS could have been included by having a systems requirements list and a written contract with the specifications explicitly written out. Conversion and Reporting How could PSC have avoided some of the conversion and reporting problems it faced? As I stated before, more time was needed in the testing and training portion of the conversion before the new AIS went online. One trick I learned from our own system change at the city I work in is to train a few operators on the new systems during the testing phase and then have them train a few more in their own departments. By using your own employees to train each other they are gaining a better understanding of how the system works. This way on the day of the change you have more people who understand the system and how to fix or correct the things that can go wrong. The more people you can have trained this way before the system change the better off you will be at the critical moment. Steve’s Analysis Steve’s analysis of the numbers is incomplete in my opinion. Steve looked only at the initial cost of the package but he did not look at recurring costs of up keep of the hardware and software, systems maintenance, conversion cost, training expense, cost of running the testing phase as well as several other things. The conversion alone cost him a 15% drop in sales and none of these expenses were calculated into the cost of the new AIS. Steve and Mike should have consulted an accountant to help with the crunching of numbers before they had purchased the AIS from DSM. One other mistake they made in this purchase was not to have the extra features written into a contract as a part of the cost. Shipping and Fraud Is there a way PSC could be defrauded by the new multi-box shipments? After looking online for ways the only thing I could come up with was for the customers to claim that not all of the boxes were received. Because they only require one packing slip for multiple boxes, one of the boxes could just not make it to the stores or items could go missing from the shipments. I don’t think it would be hard to say that one of four or five boxes was missing an item. Without a packing slip in each box it would be easy for something to be overlooked when they are being packed. I’m not sure if there is another way the multi-box one packing slip approach could be defrauded. Level of Service On a level of one to five, one being the best, I would probably rate DSMs level of service about three. DSM was not the worst company I have read about but they could have stepped up their service. One of the things they could improve on is their training. Training was something of a disaster judging from the first day. More of the employees should have been trained and trained much better than they were. Another area of improvement would be in the testing phase of the installation before the new system went online. The sales person made assurances that it was apparent after the fact that they had no right to made or no intention of keeping. The extra features that PSC was told would be included in their package were only going to be added for an extra fee that PSC would have to shoulder the majority of. One feature was added at an additional cost of ten thousand but the second feature was never added. Conclusions In the end Steve was satisfied with the new AIS. While the new AIS did decrease the turnaround time to only twenty minutes from five hours it never did do all the things they had wanted. PSC is negotiating with DSM to write the programs that will complete the processes he wants the AIS system to do, for an additional cost. Upgrading from the system they had was necessary but, I can’t help wondering if they wouldn’t have been better off sticking with the original $20,000 purchase and having a company write the programs they were missing. The price PSC paid for the AIS from DSM was rather steep in comparison. In the end Steve said he was satisfied but I have to wonder if he really was or if he was just trying to feel ok with what had happened and what he paid.

Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Have you read any Agatha Christie yet? Because she is extremely awesome and not boring and conventional like you might think. In fact, her 1926 novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was so controversial when it came out (due to a twist ending that I'm not going to reveal) that critics were divided and other mystery writers aghast. In this mystery a widow has apparently committed suicide one year after her husband's mysterious death. The town doctor confirms the death and later dines with a friend (and the wealthiest man in town), who was also close with the widow.After the doctor leaves the man's house for the evening, he is called back only to find his friend has been stabbed in the neck. And there we have the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Lucky for (almost) everyone, a strange foreigner has recently moved to the town for his retirement. He is none other than the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, and after a little coaxing from Ackroyd's niece, he takes on the case and begins investi gating the murder with the good doctor as his sidekick. There are a whole household of intriguing suspects, each of which would benefit from Ackroyd's death and every one of them seems to be hiding something.In this book, as in the other Agatha Christie novels I've read, the strength lies in the balance between a great mystery (lots of clues, red herrings, and teasing hints) and a masterful sense of character and psychology. Truly a perfect mystery. This is the first Hercule Poirot book that I've read, and although I've seen some TV adaptations of Poirot stories and had a general familiarity with his character I've been told by a friend that I would get even more out of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd if I had a little more Poirot under my belt. Which is great because I can't wait to read some more†¦

American Perception V.S Kite Runner Perception

Perreault 1 Emerald Perreault Mrs. Wagner English IIII 20, December, 2011 American Perception V. S Kite Runner Perception of Afghanistan The U. S went thru the most tragic, life changing, mind conflicting event of all time. On September, 11, 2001 terrorist flew two plans into the Twin Towers in New York City. The terrorist attack on 9/11 devastated and ruined an enormous amount of American lives. Weather an American lost a friend, loved one, or relative, every American lost something valuable that day. Americans lost their right to feel safe: at work, at home, or at popular locations.The last time American safety was threatened was during World War II. U. S citizens are not use to war or violence happening in their country, unlike the Middle East. Americans do not reacted positively, when tragic situation happen. Their reaction to 9/11 changed the American perception of Afghanistan and Muslim culture. Americans lost all their trust for Muslims. That lack of trust between them created a whole new stereotype. Stereotype: A general statement or word, fit to describe a specific group of people.The American stereotype created to describe Muslims is anyone who is Muslim or from the Middle East was sent to America, to destroy their wealthy non dictated, country. National Geographic Channel says,† Afghans who fled their homeland for a new life in the United States are troubled to find themselves subject to suspicion and mistrust on the basis of their nationality and religion. † Based off of this information, Muslims are all being put into one pile, stereotypically. Afghanistan man who goes by the name of Fouzia Afshari says,† We are good people, we are civilized† who volunteers at Mustafa Center, an AfghanPerreault 2 Culture Academy near Washington D. C â€Å"We are not that type of Afghan people are thinking about right now. † Fouzia Afshari is a Muslim, obviously he is not a terrorist or out to get America, the controversy is the attack ers were not American. By not being American, the terrorists allowed Americans to lose trust in a whole country of people. Muslim people will have to deal with the uncertainty of ever gaining American trust back or the American perception of Afghanistan should not be based off of what a handle full of Muslims did,but based on actual facts.Khaled Hosseini book The Kite Runner portrays Afghanistan realistically V. S the American Perception. (National Geographic news website) Clearly, the American Perception of Afghanistan is a little farfetched. The perception is not based on Afghanistan or Muslim culture, but based on what a hand full of Muslims did (AKA 9/11). The terrorist attack traumatized Americans, giving them a stereotypical perception. Typically, when a person thinks of war, immediately people think of other people being shot left and right, bombs exploding everywhere.Americans think that the terrorist attack was the Middle East declaring war on them. From that point on, Amer icans believed that the Afghans that were not fighting U. S troops off, were all sitting at a table brainstorming how their going to attack America next. Some Americans were so devastated that they will not go anywhere near Muslims or anyone from the Middle East because of their stereotypical perception. Muslims own about 75% of the gas station and covenant stores in the United States. Americans that will not associate with Muslims will go farther out of their way for gas.Americans think that Muslims do not like Americans because of the U. S troops in the Middle East and when an American goes to a Muslim gas station, their receiving less gas. Even in an unstable economy Americans still go out Perreault 3 of there way for gas, allowing Muslims to see that Americans truly view them all as terrorist. For Afghans and Muslims it is confusing for them to understand why the America perception is so ridiculous. The perception is not only based on 9/11, it is also has to do with Americans no t being given the full picture of the war in Afghanistan.The media diffidently confuses Americans. Josh Meyer stated in his article Gap between the U. S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits † While Americans are given one media report after another about how Afghanistan is filled with exploding bombs, attacking hordes of the Taliban and a lawlessness that pervades every corner of the war torn nation, the real story is a more nuanced one. † Americans are given exaggerated reports on what’s happening in Afghanistan. The media is 100% to blame for the skewed version of the Afghanistan war Americans have.Based on that version of the war Americans make false actuation, which hurts the Afghanistan and Muslim population. (Josh Meyer) The American perception of Afghanistan upsets Muslims and makes it harder for their people to come to America. Muslims who are leaving Afghanistan are on America’s side. They are fleeing their own homeland and co ming to start new in America because they do not agree with how their country is being ruined. Afghans come to America for the freedom that is taken from them in Afghanistan. Naweed an Afghan woman tells National Geographic channel â€Å"No art, no radio, no television, painting, drawing-nothing is allowed.Education for women is not allowed. Music is not allowed, they call it satanic. That’s why we are strongly working to keep our culture alive here in America. † Naweed is one of many who wants to feel at home. For Muslims America is their new homeland, but because of the American perception the majority of Perreault 4 afghans feel out of place. â€Å" I’m raising my kids here and I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong here. But, that’s what I feel here as an Afghan and a Muslim. † said Alina to the National Geographic Channel, adding: â€Å" I don’t want to lose another home. Afghans don’t want to come to America the y rather live in their own country where feel at home, but they have no choice. Yet hope remains that Afghanistan will one day be in the hands of peace-loving Afghans and everyone will see the truth. (National Geographic Channel) Afghanistan was once a country where Afghans could be successful and wealthy. Then the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and the Taliban was created, but took a turn for the worst and the U. S army went to help the people in Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union was defeated the Civil War still continued.The Taliban was created to go in and unify the country. The Taliban comes form the word student- that’s what it means. The Taliban is made up of students that went to religious schools in Pakistan and former fighters, who use to fight in the war against the Soviet Union. The Taliban is what made Afghanistan a terraces place to live. After the Taliban brought peace to 80% of the country, they became power hunger and started to take away Afghanistanâ€℠¢s freedom. Even with the Taliban dictating Afghanistan, Josh Meyer, author of Gap between the U.S perception and reality in Iraq, Afghanistan, author posits says, â€Å" Anyone in this room could go to Kabul now and have a fairly good time. There are restaurants and there are bars,† and the streets are not a shooting gallery with various factions trying to kill each other, while armed insurgents are also trying to U. S and coalition forces. â€Å" The Taliban Is not a very large insurgent group. † Josh Meyer is trying to inform Americans that Afghanistan is not Iraq, but it is still not a place where all Afghans can make a living. (Josh Meyer) Perreault 5The Kite runner is the perfect example of how Afghanistan is not Iraq, but not a place where all afghans can make a living. Author Khaled Hosseini tells a story about Amir and Hassan these two Afghan boys who grew up together, but where separated by Amirs will to make his farther proud and the Soviet Union invading. A mir betrayed Hassan by watching him being raped by Asseft because Hassan was a Haraza. Guilt ate at Amir until he framed Hassan for steeling and Hassan and his father left in embarrassment. Shortly after Amir and BaBa ( Amirs farther) took a journey to America.Where Baba had to run a gas satiation and sell items he bought at a yard sale at the local flee market. Before Baba and Amir came to America they were wealthy. So wealthy that Hassan and his father were Baba servants. Afghanistan is not as poverty strict end as Americans thought it was. Amir and Baba did not come to America to destroy it, he came to America because Kabul was not safe and he hoped Amir could receives the best possible education in America. Baba and Amir were in America for two years. For those two years Baba would by a jar of fruit form the same people everyday with cash.One day Baba had no money, he wrote a check out instead. When the man asked for Id Baba exploded, â€Å"He wants to see my license? Almost tw o years we’ve bought his dam fruits and put money in his pocket and son of a dog wants to see my license. † Amir says, â€Å" They’re suppose to ask for Id† Baba says,† Dose he think I’m a thief? What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody. † Baba thought that the man working thought he was steeling when the man asked Baba for Id. Baba was offended. Years down the road Amir is told that Hassan died in Kabul.Hassan was shot in the back of the head because a Talian member thought him and his family where living in Amirs old house instead of in the hut outside made specifically for servants. Amir felt responsible because if he Perreault 6 and Baba would of stayed Hassan may still be alive. For Hassan he is an Afghan who should fled from Afghanistan. Amir and Baba could of stayed in Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini book portrayed Afghanistan well and realistically. (Khaled Hosseini) The American Perception of Afghanistan is not realist ic or based on actual facts.The Kite Runner diffidently grasps and gives a better understanding of Afghanistan. Unfortunely, Afghans who come to America will have to deal with the mistrust Americans have towards them like Baba. The American Perception is not do to Americans not educating themselves. It is because of terrible media reports. Bergen the author of The Longest War: Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda says, â€Å" It is not being well communicated to the American public that the afghan war is nothing like the Iraq war, the media has to take responsibility for that.The differences between Afghanistan and Iraq couldn’t be more stark. † Bergen wants people to know that the media is portraying Afghanistan as a war torn place like Iraq, when they are both completely different. Afghanistan is not in as big of an up roar as the media made it. Instead of relying on the media to prove Americans with the proper information, Americans should educate themselv es, stop listening to everything they hear. Also Americans should not rely on electronics and once in a while pick up a book or ask someone who is Muslim to explain what’s going on. (Bergen)

Strategic Sourcing within DoD at the Operational Level Thesis

Strategic Sourcing within DoD at the Operational Level - Thesis Example But, it so happens that when hard workers develop great amenities, the fellow nations tries to copy those technologies either in a friendly or in a forceful manner. However, the nation which has toiled so hard to develop those technologies knows the effort which it has put in for gaining those utilities and as such would not be ready to forego that advantage for any friendly gesture. The resultant would be a war. As such, the nation with great amenities should always be watchful of this dilemma and be on its toes to avoid such war situations so as to safeguard its best technologies. This is the main reason that all the nations around the world maintain their own defense departments to create a fear of loss to their neighboring countries. This fear could be maintained only when secrecy of the technology developed is maintained. The same is the case with the Department of Defense (DoD) of U.S.A. with its headquarters in Pentagon. The main purpose of DoD is to maintain and supply forces of military in order to avoid situations of war and safeguard the nation. In this journey, it is forced to develop sophisticated technology for which a lot of resources have to be procured including the precious human effort thereby stretching itself to find out ways and means of fulfilling its mission of nation’s security. Along with such development, care should be taken to safeguard that technology so that, in the game between two nations, enemy nations do not become conversant with those inventions. Hence, ultimate secrecy has to be maintained at every point thereby impeding the commercialization of the unique inventions which were developed for defense purposes. It so happens that during such inventions, an off shoot of those inventions stands to be of immense help to the common man that if known its utility, their commercial value could be established with no doubt. For instance: Rayban sunglasses, were originally developed for air force pilots to ban the

LEVEL 4 VTCT BEAUTY THERAPY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LEVEL 4 VTCT BEAUTY THERAPY - Essay Example e salon is a safe place for all, and that by default the practices in the salon will not lead to accidents or pose health, safety and security risks to customers and employees. These are   fundamental to business practice The justifications for such recommendations and proposals stem from the need to secure the salon and to make it safe, primarily because accidents and harm to customers can result in lawsuits, loss of trust, the tarnishing of the image of the salon, and even business closure and loss of revenues.    Compliance with the law ensures that practices relating to safety, security and health meet legal standards and regulatory standards. This is good business practice that can protect the salon from lawsuits and regulatory fines and problems. What can happen when regulations and the law are not followed is that the salon can be subjected to lawsuits and legal problems that can hamper operations. Also, these translate to shortcomings that can be used against the salon by customers in cases of legal and regulatory disputes. A good way to manage improvements is to benchmark processes versus a checklists of compliance targets, and those targets must meet minimum legal and regulatory standards for such points of compliance. The checklists must be strict and that post-implementation measures to measure compliance must be put in place to gauge whether the compliance activities led to adequate compliance with such minimum standards. The regular evaluation of salon health, security and safety measures acts as a kind of regular audit of how well the salon is implementing procedures and measures to ensure those, and how well the work processes of the salon meet minimum regulatory and legal standards for compliance. As well, the idea is to exceed those minimum standards. This acts as a kind of health check for the salon, to make sure that it does not slide downwards in terms of its security, health and safety standards and practices. Written communication modes

Rate the influence, based on your studies in this course, as well as Research Paper

Rate the influence, based on your studies in this course, as well as information from other sources, of the legislative bodies, - Research Paper Example Introduction Public policy is said to be a broad field whose principal utility is one of clarification about how the public policymaking and implementation process works (Nicholas, 1999, p. 348). Its formulation and implementation is composed of various factors which eventually influences the outcome. This paper hopes to identify and rate the various bodies and factors which influence the formulation and implementation of public policy, and would attempt to explain reasons why such amount of influence is made on public policy. Legislative Bodies Legislative bodies highly contribute to the formulation and to an extent, how a specific public policy may be implemented. The Legislature in the United States on the federal level, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not only has a role in the passage of laws, but also have other such powers provided under Article I Section 8 of the US Constitution which provides, thus, â€Å"Section 8. ... sures; To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States; To establish post offices and post roads; To promote  the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries; To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court; To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations; To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; To provide and maintain a navy; To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces; To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying

Dell Computer Corporation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dell Computer Corporation - Assignment Example It is responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing processes of a wide range of products. It also markets, distributes and sells various products that are tailored to fit individual customer necessities that include desktop computers, mobility products, software, servers and storage, services and networking. The company has four large segments that support its operations. These segments include Large Enterprise segment, Public segment, Business and Consumer and Small and Medium segments (Aruvian's R'search , 2008, p. 14). The Large Enterprise segment is responsible for the innovation of products and services by using cloud computing solutions and data center. The Public segment is responsible for services that include simplification of IT, provision of faster provision of Information Technology applications, the expansion of enterprise and services operations and increase of customer relations. The Small and Medium Business segment is specifically deals with small and medi um enterprises through offering open and capable solutions including innovative products and customizable services and solutions. The last segment deals with customer care. This paper will analyzes the Dell, inc. Company in terms of its history, its activities, key financial activities, SWOT analysis, PEST analysis and competitor activities among other details. Investigation methodology In the study and analysis of the Dell, Inc. Company, the information was provided by conducting a research in relevant websites, company profiles, and its financial details that include sales turnover, profit and growth details. Research was also undertaken on books and journal materials that provided information about Dell, Inc. and comparisons made with its competitors. Company outline Dell was established in 1984 in Texas, by Michael Dell who is the owner. The company was named after him. The company was initially known as PCs limited. It employs over 100,000 people around the world in 180 countri es around the world. He founded the company on the basis of a simple concept that through the sale of computer systems to customers, the company could provide for the needs of the customers by ensuring that it provided effective computing solutions to meet the specific needs of customers (Pinegar, March, 13, 2002).1988 was also a significant year for Dell, Inc because it went public giving 3.5 million shares of its company’s stock to the public. Currently, Dell Inc. is the leading retailer of computer systems in the whole world. It controls a global market share of more than 15 percent. Dell deals in several products and services that include for designing, developing and manufacturing processes of a wide range of products. It also markets, distributes and sells various products that are tailored to fit individual customer necessities that include desktop computers, mobility products, software, servers and storage, services and networking (Pinegar, March, 13, 2002). Dell, Inc . has experienced growth in terms of its sales turnover, profit and development. Starting an estimated cost of $1000 dollars, Dell, Inc. has grown with a fiscal of 11 per cent increase from $13.43bn year-over-year. In 2010, through the sale of the cheap PCs, the company increased its percentage of sales. In the quarter that ended in the end of January 2010, Dell had increased its earnings to $334. In 2011, Dell had enterprise

The Effect of Ethnicity on Our Perception of the World around Us Essay

The Effect of Ethnicity on Our Perception of the World around Us - Essay Example It is therefore fair to say that physical matters aside, none of us are unique in our traits or qualities either. We are the result of the biases and perception of each one of those persons, collected into one big trend, and transmitted into us, which we will in turn transmit to another human. These biases and perceptions in turn affect the biases and perceptions of other such collective individuals, which we come to know as races. As a result, we find it an endless cycle, where our race affects our identity, and our perception of the world around us, and therefore the actions we take in that world. This in turn cements our identity and develops those traits that are the characteristic of our race, and in turn restarting the cycle. The effect of race or ethnicity on our identity and thereby perception of the world around is a theme explored in many of the stories and poems in Sherman Alexie's book, War Dances. As a Native-American himself, he drew out on many of his own experiences o f that fact and incorporated them into providing a personal insight into the unique stories and poems. There are many examples of this in the very first story, Breaking and Entering, where the protagonist of the story finds himself in a fix for killing a young African-American who attempted to break into his house. The effect of ethnicity upon perception is overwhelmingly prevalent throughout the story. For example, when the young man breaks into his house, the protagonist immediately assumes danger. As it is written, 'I didn't think, there's a black teenager stealing from me. I only remembered being afraid and wanting my fear to go away (Alexie, 2009, page10).' Did it make sense to be afraid of a 17 year old boy, who was stealing DVDs from the television rack? The protagonist himself states that he could not have been sure he had been breaking in with the intent to harm. He states that he had no reason to get violent and protective. Not only was his family out of town and therefore there being no one to protect, but also because the young man seemed to pose no certain threat. He had no weapons, he was not being violent. In fact, he entered the house only after making certain, in his view, that there was nobody home. Why then, would it make sense to harm him? Because as the author said, he was afraid. Perhaps if he had been in a white neighborhood and a black teenager had broken in he would have had the sense to talk to the boy. But being white in a prevalently black neighborhood might have played a subconscious role in the man's being afraid, even though it did not consciously cross his mind. Furthermore, when the protagonist ends up killing the boy and investigation is conducted into the crime, he is not charged guilty with anything, as it was a crime of self-defense. This fact, the fact that in their eyes, a white man was acquitted of the murder of a black man, makes it a matter of injustice and inequality in the eyes of the black boy's family. Would a prot est have been conducted if a white man was held innocent in the death of a white boy, under the assumption and likelihood of self-defense? It is unlikely that every death that occurs under the self-defense notion is met with protests, as the law would undoubtedly have been changed if it was. But this murder, because it seemed that a white man, living in a black neighborhood was allowed to walk free, after the death of a 17 year old boy who had no weapons, no criminal record, no intent to

Brand Management of Video Game Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Brand Management of Video Game Industry - Essay Example For this assignment, various marketing reviews were researched upon. Scholarly articles and textbooks were researched for concepts of Brand Positioning, Product Design, Building Brand Equity and Nintendo’s strategies of Wii were analyzed in the light of the latter. In order to analyze the branding strategies of Wii, I used the concept and applications of Disruptive Strategy to see where Nintendo has positioned its Wii. This concept is also known as the â€Å"Blue Ocean† strategy where the brand is positioned in the virgin space or spot in the market which hasn’t been targeted by the competition yet. On the basis of that, Nintendo targeted the market of former gamers or non-gamers who were not habitual gamers but did play games produced in Flash or other computer games like Solitaire. Besides the brand positioning of Nintendo’s Wii, I also studied the product design of Wii in the light of the competitors’ products, Play station 3 and Xbox. This also helps Nintendo’s Wii to become more of a family brand where an adult or a non-gamer can give a fair competition to a hardcore player in the family belonging to the ideal gamer demographic profile of aged 18 – 35 years. As far as the pricing is concerned, Wii was targeted for the down-market in the game console industry. This meant that Nintendo had to push the prices down in order to attract more consumers. Its advertising and promotional strategies helped Wii to become the most selling brand during Christmas time and especially amongst families who preferred to own only one of all the consoles in the market which lead them to purchase Nintendo’s Wii. In the short-run, Nintendo did capture the market with its unique design, price and going down-market strategy but in the medium-run Nintendo was planning to go in direct competition with the other up-market brands namely Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox. What these major players failed to rea lize was that Nintendo was positioned just as a casual gaming brand whereas Nintendo did not only wish to stay with the family positioning as it believed that there was no casual gamer and that only non-gamer-or-former gamer existed which made Nintendo see a huge potential beyond the down-market’s easy gamers market. With a long-term plan in consideration, when Nintendo established its brand of Wii in the down-market, it then moved into the up markets which were being catered and ruled by Sony’s Play Station and Microsoft’s Xbox.

A Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

A - Coursework Example Economic globalisation is a broader idea that encompasses concepts such as globalisation of production, market competition, multinational corporations, and industries. The concept of economic globalisation was suggested along with the policy of trans-national trade and hence it has been occurring for the last 20-30 years. By the end of the 20th century, economic globalisation was greatly promoted and this situation led to the integration of developed economies and developing economies through increased foreign direct investment, elimination of trade barriers, and high immigration flow. Although evidences suggest that economic globalisation has a range of positive financial effects, it is also argued that such effects benefit only developed countries and cause power imbalance in the global economy. This paper will analyse â€Å"in what ways economic globalisation has affected the state†? International capital markets, labour markets, and commodity markets constitute the concept of economic globalisation. While analysing the history of economies, it seems that majority of the economies was influenced by foreign markets by the early 1900s in terms of either money and labour or business policies. Advancement of ship building technology and railroad inventions greatly contributed to the economic interdependence of global economies. Although World War I & II noticeably disrupted these advancements in economic globalisation, this concept again achieved widespread attention in 1970s and since then it has been gradually developing. Nowadays, dramatic advancements in information technology ensure the effective flow of information. Subsequently, economies tend to constitute a single global market so as to take advantages of integrated trade and other economic operations. While analysing the UK economy in the context of economic globalisation, it is obvious that this process has significantly

HRM of Sonoco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HRM of Sonoco - Essay Example The strategic value of the Human Resource Management Structure in the development and implementation of the organization’s goal cannot be gainsaid. Thus its involvement in any planning and roll out of strategies and initiatives is not only a must but mandatory (Little, 2011). Sonoco is a 100 year old organization that have survived wars and repeated economic crises. It is also a paternal organization that values relationship rather than performance. Sonoco will be examined in this thesis to assess how the value of human resource management will be applied. Background The growing role of Human Resource Management in organizations (Losey, Meisinger, & Ulrich, 2005) that enable it to play an important role in strategic initiatives cannot be made more apparent that in the case of Sonoco. For the better part of the last one hundred years Sonoco packaging company have successfully achieved uninterrupted growth coupled with impressive financial success. However, the past several glob al crises have also affected the primary customers of Sonoco that contributed to a drastic reduction in its fiscal performance. Despite these adverse economic situations Sonoco managed to grow through the acquisition of several other companies. In trying to survive several crisis that would include reduced local demands Sonoco also had to contend with the increasing visibility of off-shore competitors that severely undercuts its prices. To resolve these challenges Sonoco tried and failed to get the right talents that would give it a fresh perspective. Instead Sonoco experienced productivity issues. The unreliable market experienced during the case would have been as a result of poor production which is also a consequence of lack of... According to the research findings the growing role of Human Resource Management in organizations that enable it to play an important role in strategic initiatives cannot be made more apparent that in the case of Sonoco. For the better part of the last one hundred years Sonoco packaging company have successfully achieved uninterrupted growth coupled with impressive financial success. However, the past several global crises have also affected the primary customers of Sonoco that contributed to a drastic reduction in its fiscal performance. Despite these adverse economic situations Sonoco managed to grow through the acquisition of several other companies. In trying to survive several crisis that would include reduced local demands Sonoco also had to contend with the increasing visibility of off-shore competitors that severely undercuts its prices. To resolve these challenges Sonoco tried and failed to get the right talents that would give it a fresh perspective. Instead Sonoco experien ced productivity issues. The unreliable market experienced during the case would have been as a result of poor production which is also a consequence of lack of proper management by the group managers and corresponding supervisors within the packaging department. Some of the consequences of poor management experienced in the case study include but not limited to reduction in sales which negatively impacted the company creating a perception that the company is losing consumer interest in the global market.

Good Parent Essay Example for Free

Good Parent Essay Being parents must have many variable quality or responsibility for their children. Parents play a major role in the life of a child that the children can learn what they live with their parent. Good parent is invaluable to our society as lack of good parenting in can have long-term effects on children and on society. Good parents are those who are self-sacrificing, teachable, curious, and diligent. Firstly, one quality of a good parent is one who is self-sacrificing. A good parent does all he or she can to meet the needs of his or her children. Notice this is the child’s needs, not wants. Good parent should content childrens material needs, namely a home, food, clothes, and so forth. This provision should help at least on the level of minimum childrens requirements or better depending on parents financial capabilities, though not infinitely better so that not to surfeit and consequently spoil the child. Secondly, many decisions parents make are guided by the end goal of meeting these needs; decisions such as, the way money is spent and even how much or how little personal time is taken for oneself. Self-sacrificing does not mean that a parent gives up his or her life for their children, but they do end up putting much of their life on hold in order to put the child’s needs first. Good parents should actively promote childs physical and mental development. This include disciple the child, habitual the child to physical exercises and studying, providing the child with as best education as possible, and edifying or advising the child on any problem he or she encounters during life. Thirdly, good parent needs to be teachable. This is not to say that as a parent, you have to heed all, or even most of the advice readily given to you, especially if this advice conflicts with your values and ethics. However, if there is no conflict, a good parent should be able to accept the advice and mull it over for possible use or implementation. Parents make mistakes, it is going to happen. Being willing to listen and learn can help to avoid some of these mistakes, and learning from any mistakes that are made will make you a better parent in the end. Finally, the most important and quite comprehensive quality of good parents is being responsible for their children. This responsibility of activities and roles a parent should perform through the whole life or at least until the child become mature enough to live independently. Most of these activities spending a lot of time with children, which is in many cases problematic as adults usually have a lot of things to do in their lives even with no parenting taken into account. But good parents should always procure opportunities to spend with their children as much time as possible. Also, good parents should protect their children. It may imply protection of childs health, that is they should try to prevent the child from getting ill and take care of the child if he or she however got ill. Parents should also protect their children from any dangers both internal and external. An example of an internal danger may be a possibility of getting hooked on cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. An external danger may be any ill intention from any other people, like bullies at school. Good parent should always provide both moral and material support for his or her children. In conclusion, good parent should help the child to go through the life to the adulthood in order to make him or her feel comfortable in the family.

The Responsibilities Of Organisations Operating Globally Business Essay

The Responsibilities Of Organisations Operating Globally Business Essay Over the past few years, the rate of growth of businesses in a region has been faster than the rate of growth of output round the world as a whole. Almost all countries in the world are becoming ever more integrated with the world economy. This process is called globalisation. Globalisation could mean for example that: most of the cloths we buy are made abroad; a country buys financial and legal services from other country etc Globalisation has many effects upon businesses/organisation throughout the world. The impact of globalisation has not been evenly spread. Some businesses have witnesses dramatic changes because of globalisation of the organisation. This report explains the knowledge of issues Arik Air is facing in operating in global context and review of the issues currently impacting on its businesses. Arik air is an Airline company situated in Nigeria need to acquire another airline in United Kingdom whish proposed to be called Arik Air UK and be a global organisation 1.1 ANALYSES OF THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORGANISATIONS WORKING IN DIFFERENT SECTORS, INDUSTRIES AND CONTEXTS There are different types of organisation which consist of sole trader, partnership, private public partnership and limited company. Sole trader; this is a business solely formed by one person and owned by single person with one or more workers. This type of business can also be classified as small scale business. The merits of sole trader are; Independent -the owner will have total control of the business. Little capital -to establish sole trading it cost less the owner did not need huge money, also sole trader need small loan that can be obtain from bank, relatives and friends . Sole owner of profit-the profit belong to the sole trader, he does not share with anybody. Business affairs are private- it will be difficult for the competitors to know how much the sole traders earned because sole trader keeps all the affairs of the business private. The demerits of sole traders are; Unlimited liability. It sometimes difficult to get loan from banks because of the nature of the business. Lack of continuity if the owner dies Partnership is when two or more people come together to form a business, most partnerships are between two or twenty members. Deed of partnership is set up by the partnership this contain the followings Formation that will be use to share profit or loss incur during the business. Amount of money to be contributed by each partner to start the business. The power of votes will be determined by the proportion of capital provided by each partners. This is rules to be follows when taking in new partners. Blue print of how the partnership will be dissolve. Disadvantages of partnership are; Workload on one partner will cause dispute among the partners. Different direction of business from partners can cause disagreement. Corporation -is a distinct legal entity that has been form through registration process, this is a body that have legal right to enter into contractor or get loan from financial institution, it can sue and sued, recruit workers and pay taxes. The business is different from the owner, corporation is limited liability dividend. The shareholders are not liable for the company liquidation. Limited company An organisation which is liable to investor or subscribers. The investor are limited to their investment or guaranteed to the company which the profit is share, its finances in the business different to his personal money. Private company limited-when the company is liquidated they agreed to pay certain amount to bailout the company. Private unlimited company- during the liquidation of the company the shareholders and board of directors are solely liable payment of debt owed. Public limited company- the company traded publicly on stock market such as London stock exchange, Nigeria stock exchange etc. Public sector organisation -this is an organisation owned by the government, Federal, state and local government, there aims and objective is to provide social amenities for the public in terms of services e g, provision of public transport, health, research non profit making all the money made are rechanneled into the society. Non profit organisation- this is an organisation that is established for charity all the profit make is channel back to the business to pursue the aims and objective of the organisation. They generate money through donation from government and public. They are exempted in tax or tax deduction. Global Context- international transaction between two organisations from two different companies, global context is a term used to collectively describe all commercial activities of private and government globally in terms of sales, investment, logistics and transportation. 1.2 ASSESSMENT OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ORGANISATIONS OPERATING GLOBALLY. The multinational organisation face a lot of challenges, the company have to acquire power to like money, connections to go into foreign land challenges that will fit in a global business context. Three environmental factors that the company have to put into considerations are; Political economy-this is the policies made by the government of the acquisition country for the new establishment also international business law must be look critically before venture into it. The resource and marketing- the market and resources of the country and host of their new business, the strength of the business in the country. Competition- There will be competition among the local business of the host country, the local business will give them a lot of threat because the people have already used to their local product, and meanwhile the company have to make sure that their service is unique to be accepted by the buyer in the host country. Localizing strategies-The organisation have to know how to respond to the geographical opportunity and threats because the culture different also the competitors threat must be addressed with the local organisation. Sales and marketing strategy- must be considered because of the geographical different. Supply chain- is another factor because its different from one country to another. Different in legal system-there different legal system, labour laws and distribution, production strategy must be considered when going into global business because it varies from one country to other. International trade is a trade between two or more country, most private organisation call multinational undertake such transaction for profit making while government do the business for profit to increase their gross domestic product GDP or for political reasons, and this can be in terms of producing goods and services. The services may include finance banking insurance, construction etc. Organisational responsibility may be explained based on the following heading: Shareholders shareholders are investors of funds into the business, so they expect average financial returns; there will be interest on their money which will come in form of dividend. They can also be part of policy making in the organisation. Customer -they are like king in the whole issue, without the customers there will be no products. So, the organisation must responsible in providing good value for the money they spent interims of durability of the product or services given to them. Employee-the employees must be treat beyond the contract signed with them, treat them like they are part of the business. They must be given adequate training in new skill and technologies to be able to render an international standard of services and product to the customers. Community the organisation must be friendly to the people in the community in which they operate. Environment -they must conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for new operation also they must not pollute the environment with hazard or dangerous toxic waste that can affect water agriculture, health of the people in the country. Ethical issue the ethical issue is very important in business they should pursue the ethics for the development of their organisation statues and long term survival; they should behave as customers, suppliers, competitors and the environment general. 1.3 STRATEGY EMPLOYED BY ORGANISATIONS OPERATING GLOBALLY IS; Political the political scene in another country must be embraced to facilitate better trade between the governments of other country in the world; a business agreement must be signed between the organisation and the organisation in other country. Economy the organisation must be ready to integrate the economy policy of another country their product or services attract lot of investor in other part of the world. Social the organisation will recruit workers from other country that they are doing business with and pay them good wages also support the community by providing CSR (corporate social responsibility) by providing scholarships etc. Technology -the world is boom in terms of technology uses for some times ,the use of technology like internet will help global organisation in transacting their business fast to provide better and fast services. Legal-the government policy of the other country must be recognised because the policy is used to protect the international trade against bringing of fake or outdated products or providing substandard services. Environmental- the global organisation assist in providing sustainable project ,like tree planting also caution in terms of amount of waste released to the landfill they should also help in recycling of some product and help in campaigning for good environment. Analyse how the performance of national economy impact on the activities of business organisation using Airlines as a case study. SWOT analysis is concerned in determining the performance of business vis-a-vis it competitors. It is widely accepted way of performing such an analysis, other methods can produce similar (or better) results. SWOT links the knowledge of the present bases of competition with market scenarios. The result of swot is shown SWOT table below, which is a concise statement of the situation in which the firm or business organisation finds itself. An example of a SWOT table for a no-frills airline. Strength Opportunities Weaknesses Threats Airports used are better than those used by the other no- frills airlines Strong business demand for cheap air fares Airport used are worse than those used by the big carriers The further entry of subsidiaries of the big carriers Management skills Strong leisure demand for cheap air fares Reputation for punctuality Higher airport charges Lower cost than established airlines The interest Cash flows Ease of booking flights Many secondary airport underused No safely record yet established Better than average employee relations Poorer than average customer service The characteristics of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and the associated analysis are described and the difficulties in carrying out a formal analysis are expected. Many leader-managers find it useful to encapsulate the position of their organisation in a concise statement of its strengths and weakness vis-a-vis competition and the opportunities and threat that it faces in its environment. They do this by constructing a SWOT table. A SWOT TABLE provides a useful spring board for their identification of strategy, since it identifies the weaknesses that need to be strengthened, the strength that can be used for competitive advantage, the opportunities that can be used to the organisations advantage, and the threats that it needs to guard against. The impact of global factors on UK business organisation. Businesses are affected by an external environment as much as they are affected by the competitors. Global factors influencing business are legal, political, social, technological and economic. Understanding of these factors is important while developing a business strategy. a. Social factors These factors are related to changes in social structures. These factors provide insights into behaviour, tastes, and lifestyles patterns of a population. Buying patterns are greatly influenced by the changes in the structure of the population, and in consumer lifestyles. Age, gender, etc all determine the buying patterns and understanding of such changes is critical for developing strategies which are in line with the market situations. In a global environment it is important that business strategies are designed keeping in mind the social and cultural differences that vary from Uk to other countries. Consumer religion, language, lifestyle patterns are all important information for successful business management. b. Legal factors These factors that influence business strategies are related to changes in government laws and regulations. For a successful business operation it is important that the businesses consider the legal issues involved in a particular situation and should have the capability to anticipate ways in which changes in laws will affect the way they must behave. Laws keep changing over a period of time. From the point of view of business it is important that they are aware of these changes in the areas of consumer protection legislation, environmental legislation, health safety and employment law, etc. c. Economic factors These factors involve changes in the global economy. A rise in living standards would ultimately imply an increase in demand for products thereby, providing greater opportunities for businesses to make profits. An economy witnesses fluctuations in economic activities. This would imply that in case of a rise in economic activity the demand of the product will increase and hence the price will increase. In case of reduction in demand the prices will go down. Business strategies should be developed keeping in mind these fluctuations. Other economic changes that affect business include changes in the interest rate, wage rates, and the rate of inflation. In case of low interest rates and increase in demand Businesses will be encouraged to expand and take risks. d. Political factors This refers to the changes in government and government policies. Political factors greatly influence the operation of business in the United Kingdom. This has gained significant importance of late. For example: companies and businesses operating in the UK have to adopt directives and regulations created by the UK. The political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of businesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. Business must consider the stability of the political environment, governments policy on the economy etc e. Technological factors These factors greatly influence business strategies as they provide opportunities for businesses to adopt new innovations, and inventions. This helps the business to reduce costs and develop new products. With the advent of modern communication technologies, technological factors have gained great impetus in the business arena. . Huge volumes of information can be securely shared by means of databases thereby enabling vast cost reductions, and improvements in service. Organisations need to consider the latest relevant technological advancements for their business and to stay competitive. Technology helps business to gain competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. While designing the business strategies firms must consider if use of technology will allow the firm to manufacture products and services at a lower cost. Firms can select new modes of distributions with the help of technology. It has become easier for companies to communicate wi th their customer in any part of the world. . Domestic markets -is the goods and service producing in a country within a year. The of National statistics make us understand that survey of business which will include the activities of the airline operating within the United Kingdom. the uk economy became shrank toward the end of 2012,it goes down by 0.3% in the last three months according to the official GDP figures released, the short fall was not in Air industry alone but due to drop in mining and quarrying by ONS. This affect many stores, manufacturers and some financial institutions that force banks to closed down as a result of this many people lost their jobs, many consumers cut their spending even tourist that used the Air bus reduced due to cut. Global market- is the process when the products and services of a country or an industry is been operating in many countries. The global markets helps the industries to move higher in business.Uk British airways is example of British carrier .British airways sometime in November merge with some airline in other country. the merger make the British airline to become a recognised and the world third largest airline in the world and increased in terms of Revenue among other airline in competitive market globally. Government policies-this is the law that the Uk government put in place to meet the criteria in global market world, this are done both locally and internationally to protect the business world. They are as follows; Security-internet scam has been checked by spending more money on IT professionals to track any business fraud on line. Also terrorist this also very important recently UK government send some troop of army to Mali to combat the terrorist network that may be treat to international business in future. Air traffic policies-the UK government present a comprehensive and very big whitepaper on air traffic from 180mppa 476 by 2030, to satisfy future request, also new runway, terminals and improved on the management operation. Tax- recently the UK government took a severe measure against tax Evasion both locally and internationally, government spend millions of pounds on watchdog to checkmate the activities of companies through HM revenue and customs. e.g. Google ,Amazons ,star bucks coffee company recently penalised.(metro-Monday 17dec 2012) Bilateral relationship Health and Safety Environmental policies-this policies is to control noise in the air by the airlines, also government appraise climate change impact. Trade block- this is barrier to trade between two more countries, a group of countries within a geographical region may decide not to allow other country to import some goods to their region, some that are not from their country examples are EU and non EU members.EU is created to have single market for their goods, services and labours they also created trade block among the non EU .discriminatory trade policy. Technology in the past 20years technology has made a huge impact on globalisation, it has fastrack the growth seen in global business examples are Email, internet and mobile phones. Internet has made it possible for quick internal and external communication which made it to be the most important marketing tool in global business .meanwhile using mobile phone to communicate around the world which is faster and not expensive, this also avoid individual moving up and down while travelling. Technology not only helps global business in terms of growth but also help the global organisation to be more effective in their business activities. CONCLUTION Registration procedure for investors is very easy in united kingdom ,it allow investors design the internal company rules as long as you have right to invest under its legislature law ,the corporate or company law of united kingdom is welcome development because they have the laws that protect the right of shareholders to independently trade their shares.

The Street Child Report Children And Young People Essay

The Street Child Report Children And Young People Essay Street children want the freedom o being abused by parents; nevertheless, their lives seem not so easy. They want working in some odd jobs; if they have no job, for them its normal to steal to eat, and if they have extra money, they buy drugs. In general, street childrens lives are rather short. They are in bad health, because of their abuse of drugs, venereal disease. First, street child is a term used to describe those kids who live and work in streets. There are more street children around the world than the whole populations in Egypt and United States, there are currently 100 million children living on streets. In turn this sector population it is increasing through the years, because of the economic crisis, family disintegration. Wherefore they are more inclined to drugs, not only bringing troubles to the society, also problems to their health. When we talk about street children, we are talking about young people who face poverty, hunger, disease, violence and homelessness. We are talking about children who have resorted to all sorts of drugs because they think this is the only way they can remain happy under their difficult circumstances. These children that have been allowed to live on the streets are on a daily basis exposed to diseases of all sorts. We have seen some of these children on the streets a result of poor people since access to food is another problem for them. These children live in the street because they do not have anything to call a home.Street child are children between five and seventeen years old who live in parks, or light stop sign. In the same way they are deprived of family protection. Children on the street divide themselves into groups who can sell things to people and who can steal money from people car. The street kids do whatever they can to earn money. Whereas that more than 20 million of kids are living on the streets, we can see the, drugs as a normal activity in the streets. The reality begins talking about food, because they only eat what they find in the garbage or what they can steal. Likewise they steal money or drugs to forget hunger. Those kids do all of these activities in order to forget about street troubles, but they feel that these activities are necessarily to survive, so it makes them more inclined to drugs. In addition to that, Street child commit illegal in America. It means if a childs get in the street without any reason the police have to take them. That called breaking the law because its not legal to do it. Each child in America have chance to work and get more also they can learn in the school without any more. United states havedrug policy and Alcohol too. If the police saw any one who drink and child fewer than 18 they will take this child to the police station. But in Egypt child cant go to school without pay more for their books Because of the high cost of services many street children are unable to go to school .Even in countries where schools are free they are unable to buy books, uniforms and shoes that are required to attend., also they do not have any chance to work to get money. The money is an important factor in their lives that can determinate important things in their daily life like eating or not. Likewise, the drugs affect not only their thoughts but also affect their health. A street kid, they cannot imagine their daily live in the streets without using drugs. In the other hand the main problem is that most of types of substance consume by street kids are legal, so they can find it easily. The drug abuse is the worst problem for them and it brings them health problems. Those kids do all of these activities in order to forget about street troubles. Therefore, a lot of country have this problem too, The problem of street children in Vietnam, a country rapidly growing and integrating with the world, arises from the interaction of traditional causes such as the loss or divorce of parents and new causes such as economic incentive. We then propose a new typology of street children based on causes and situations. Causes are classified into broken family, mindset problem, and economic migration. Situations are divided into current protection and future investment. It is shown that the broken family group is most difficult to assist while the economic migration group often shows strong desire for study and better life. Since street children are not a homogenous group, intervention must also be diversified according to the needs of each type of children. Also, there is a lot of country that effected by street child such as; Russia consists of two million street children. Officially, the number of Russian children without supervision is more than 7 million. Also china the number of street children population continues to grow at 15 million and India is home to 4 million-8 million street children. The republic of India is the seventh largest populated country in the world. Due to the economic growth has appeared. Consequently, Vietnam is the country that has from 21 thousand in 2003 to 8 thousand in 2007 street child. Not just these countries had effected by the population of street children there are more and more had effected by this population. Which is going to affect all people life and future and countries future too? In a poor developing country, a child will have disabilities to learn how come he will learn without any money and when the children think about their future, they will find out that there are no work no future and they cant connect with their family too. Poor country gives children scary future. Moreover, Children who drop out of school due to the wrong attitude of the parents are less deprived, relatively speaking, in the current situation than the first group since their parents can look after them. They are relatively well fed and protected. It is rare to see them severely by street joining them. The biggest problem with this group, however, is the strong opposition of the parents when someone (teacher, social worker, or the children themselves) proposes an education for them. There are many causes of there being street children: Poverty, Neglect, Disease, War, Famine, Social, and Family Breakups. From another of perspective on the word causes, the causes they or others on their behalf fight for are the reasons that they become street children in the first instance and to provide ways out of their problems through things like providing shelter and education them with their families.so they find the way to get themselves freedom from home and school. Do whatever they want to do. The causes of children to the street can be divided into two main groups which we shall call broken family and mindset problem. First, children with extremely difficult family situations such as being abandoned as a result of the death. This is the traditional cause of street children which exists in any developing country with or without economic growth. Also the parents continue to take care of them. Children abandoned as a result of parents divorce have to undergo an even greater emotional shock. Being left with relatives or grandparents, such children are easily discouraged from study and lured by bad friends. Most of the street children who have left home because of domestic violence are spiritually and emotionally impaired. Second causes where the family enjoys relatively unbroken relations and an average or at least not so destitute standard of living but still sends children to work in the street due to the wrong attitude of the parents or the children themselves. Some children leave home because they are lured by friends or because they want to freedom instead of going to school. Seemingly exciting life in big cities and friends who already know the street life are the pulling force. For such children, earning money is not the main purpose. However, the mindset problem most often arises on the parent side. Some parents think that cash income is more important than childrens education. How we solve the problem for the street children with their home and family? For the children and their families, being on the street is not a problem. It is their solution to a number of problems. Crowded living conditions are a problem. A young lad, who shares a single-room with his mother and two grown-up sisters with children of their own, solves a problem by finding somewhere to sleep with his friends. He remains attached to his family and visits them regularly. He is integrated with them and does not need to be reintegrated. But it is better for him to sleep out than to stay at home. When he finds a group of friends with whom he can stay at night, his situation has improved. He becomes visible as a street child and part of our problem, but for him, being on the streets solves the problem of sharing an overcrowded room. For the families and the children, it is the solution to the problem of not having enough money to feed and clothe the children. Child can be a problem. If a child is forced to work all day for an adult who takes most of the childs earnings as sometimes happens with refugee children who are afraid .It may be a problem for children to have to do hours of manual at school, or to spend much of their day in misery learning useless and boring information. Somehow, we always accept child if it is enforced in the respectable environment of the school. But spending a few hours earning a bit of extra money for himself or the family can be quite fun. Sometimes the children have to adopt the tough culture of the streets. When they are with their friends from the street, they have to act and speak as if they enjoy street life. All children should have security. They should be able to play games and have fun. They should be improving themselves at school. Children should not have to earn their own living. They should be clean and wash regularly. They should be healthy, and get help immediately when they are sick. These we regard as the fundamental rights of children and street children appear to all of these rights. This is there life and they should enjoy it. What happen to todays street children when they grow older. Are they going to affect their countries or they are going to affect us. These children can grow up and constitute nuisance in the society. They will make governments project fail. They wont do these because they enjoy it, but because that is all they have grown to know and love. At the end, nothing will work because they will fight back because we had a chance to give them good lives but we failed to do it. All children should have security. They should be able to play games and have fun. They should be improving themselves at school. Children should not have to earn their own living. They should be clean and wash regularly. They should be healthy, and get help immediately when they are sick. These we regard as the fundamental rights of children and street children appear to all of these rights. This is there life and they should enjoy it. Lastly, street children problem always cause a lot of terrible to people who walk in the street and they cant be save from street child also this children they need a future to be better people and they can help their country. If we help these children they can help us in the future. For example if a child from the street get a good job in the future and he got a lot of money that give his country a better future and his family too and himself. He will be better than anyone who lives in the street. Inside of steal money from people and ate from the street , he can now eat a health food and get a good family that carry his name and his good future. Overall, streets children are poor and as a result they are untaught. As a result, they have bad food and unhealthy body system. The street children are kids who live and work in streets and homeless people. Furthermore, they use drugs as a way to forget about their harsh reality. Lastly, they steal money in order to get food and survive. Although, they can be educated children with the government help, but they got used to their life as a children streets. We now move to How can we contain those street children, first of all Ms. Agnelli (April 24, 1922 May 15, 2009) was an Italian politician, businesswoman and writer. She was the only woman to have been Minister of Foreign Affairs in Italy neither underestimates nor dramatizes her topic, but rather carefully explains the complexity of how children arrive on the street, how they do or do not survive and what has or has not worked to improve their lives. There is no mistaking the understated prose for detachment. As Ms. Agnelli states in her prologue, Let their plight be known to all: let the conscience of humanity revolt. Ms. Agnelli has prepared this report for the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues (ICIHI). ICIHI, organized in 1983 and recognized by the United Nations, is composed of private individuals dedicated to informing policy makers and the public about neglected humanitarian issues. The report focuses on street children, a highly vulnerable social group, described simply as children who exist on the street or in abandoned buildings and lack adult protection. The United Nations Childrens Fund places the global total of street children at over 30 million. This estimate, acknowledged as conservative, varies considerably. By definition these are children whose existence is not recorded on school, employment or prison registers. Some of these children are totally abandoned, others know of their families and may maintain sporadic contact. Critical is the recognition that whatever the count is today, the trends towards increasing global urbanization and younger populations portend far greater numbers of threatened children. The report provides brief descriptions of the lives of individual street children. Some are abandoned, and some are trained and left to perform or beg to contribute to their familys survival. For others the street represents an escape from an abusive family or situation. Their work is part of an underground economy and includes cleaning windshields, carrying bags, reselling items bought or stolen, and scrounging, as well as prostitution and drug-related acts. As their stories differ so do their attitudes about their situation and their hopes for the future. What is overwhelmingly similar is that on the street these children are vulnerable to exploitation, and survival means learning how to cope with physical danger and terror. A major means of ensuring survival is the formation of gangs. These groups develop highly complex organizations which offer structure, information and safety to each member in exchange for stiff obedience and obligation. Ms. Agnelli describes the various forces that result in dispossessing the most vulnerable societal groups, in this case children, from full participation in the community. She draws a parallel to the past when groups were dislocated by social upheaval, whether by drought, famine or the process of industrialization. In the present this is compounded by the lack of urban jobs and the subsequent pressures on family structure. There are obvious differences between countries. Developing countries, with their waves of migration to cities, are likely to have the most severe problems with limited solutions. Those with largely rural populations are just beginning to experience the phenomenon. In industrialized countries, the immediate availability of social services provides for unprotected younger children. Street children in these countries are generally over the age of 15. With the full presentation of multiple causes on both the micro- and macro-levels, the reader is aware that a simple solution is not in the offing. Rather, Ms. Agnelli presents a detailed discussion of various programs, generally small in scale and close to children, that have provided support for these youngsters. Never giving up on the potential effects of general social programs, i.e., employment, elimination of poverty, and support for women and families, Ms. Agnelli calls for the currently possible- support for programs with demonstrated success. In many ways the young street child is similar to other children. He(they are becoming males at this age) wishes for a bike, seeks affection, wants to belong. However, he has achieved some independence and cannot reasonably be expected to discount his experience and relinquish control over his lifes decisions. Generally, paternalistic programs have not been successful. Approaches advocated by this report suggest finding the means to locate and contact the child, respecting his perceptions and offering support. One of the programs described is the Bosconia/La Florida in Bogotà ¡ which has successfully moved children, in phases, from the street to a self-governing community with its own business. Programs that sort out youth in positive community service, such as New Yorks Guardian Angels or Californias Conservation Corps are cited as opportunities for the development of personal strength and self-worth for the participants. Examples of ways that the problem has been ameliorated in different cities suggest that as the situation of street children becomes ever more apparent in cities, usual bureaucratic solutions will not be sufficient to help either the children or the community. This report calls for a grassroots lobbying effort to promote public awareness and governmental policies that support community efforts and within which on-governmental national agencies can operate. This approach recognizes that just as important as government support is implementation by people whose life experiences have prepared them to recognize street children as citizens with a right to be included in their community.

Reading Nightmares :: essays papers

Reading Nightmares Reading nightmares exist at many different levels. There are nightmares at the national and state levels. There are nightmares within the field of reading education, and with teachers across all subject areas. This is a key point in the article â€Å"Exploring reading nightmares of middles and secondary school teachers† by William P. Bintz. At the national and state levels, research indicates that students experience a declining interest and slowing development in reading from the seventh grade on (Farr, Fay, Myers , & Ginsberg, 1987). They â€Å"demonstrate gains in reading during the early years, these gains seem to taper off in the middle and upper grades, and decline during the high school years.† (Chall 4) Many studies give strength to this argument that reading nightmares occur nationally. They show that students have difficulty with tasks requiring interpretations of what they read, that students do little, if any, reading in school and for homework, and that there is a decline in reading skills amongst 12th graders. (Bintz 13). Goodland (1984) believes that this problem may exist because of the relationship between time spent on reading instruction and the decline in reading abilities. He points out that â€Å"reading occupies only approximately 6% of class time in elementary school, 3% in junior High school, and 2% in senior high school. â€Å" (p 106-107). It is noted that 8th grade students watch TV, on average, almost 22 hours per week. They read for less than 2. (Humphrey 23). Reading instruction, as a field of study, is also ripe with nightmares. Too often, educators make assumptions about reading and its’ instruction. These include â€Å"(a) Reading instruction is primarily, if not exclusively, the role of elementary, not middle and secondary school teachers; and (b) reading is an isolated skill; once mastered in the elementary grades students require no further instruction.† (Bintz 14) As Burnett is keen to show, these attitudes are changing, but slowly. Teachers on the secondary level are still hesitant to get involved in reading instruction. They see themselves as teachers of content. But, perhaps, as Summers states, maybe the content area teachers are hesitant because they, along with many language arts teachers, aren’t properly trained to provide reading instruction. Regardless of content area, all teachers are seeing the same nightmares.

Teenage Smoking in Canada Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a society where it is not unusual to see a ten year old child smoking a cigarette in public, where large tobacco companies sponsor all big sporting events and where smoking advertisements are everywhere you look, how can it be understood that what is going on is a form of suicide. Smoking is comparable to a serial killer; a cigarette acts as the weapon used by tobacco companies and its victims subjecting themselves by their own free will to participate in the crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The governments of the United States and many other countries have chosen to regulate addictive substances, like cigarettes, via taxation; minimum-age purchase laws; restrictions on consumption in schools, the workplace, and public places; and stiff fines for driving under the influence of alcohol. The prices of these substances will rise because of taxation; other forms of regulation, and bans. Thus, measuring their responsiveness to price is important in determining the optimal level of taxation and the impacts of legalization. Contrary to conventional wisdom, studies find that the consumption of addictive substances is quite sensitive to price.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teen smoking has been increasing since 1991. There are economic, psychological and sociological factors that play an important role in this increase.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Economically, cigarettes are highly advertised, extremely affordable and accessible to practically anyone. As for the advertisement aspect in the sale of cigarettes, tobacco companies spend billions of dollars per year to advertise their brands. This money is spent on the actual advertisement, and also on manipulating the subconscious minds of teenagers. (Reynolds, 1999) Billboards and magazines lure teenagers to smoke, by using teen idols and appealing photos in their ads. The Canadian Government has been attempting to put a stop to tobacco industries using teen idols in selling their products, by passing Bill C-71, a legislation that forbids tobacco companies from putting up signs for events in which they sponsor. The car racer and teen idol, Jacques Villeneuve can no longer be advertised in his car racing suit as Rothman's cigarettes advertisements are highly visible on it, as this would give off a negative message to teens who look up to him. The only exceptio n to this law however, is that the signs may be put up at the site of the event, in bars or in newspaper... ...by the behavior of their parents is central to many considerations of health and social behavior. Many teenagers begin smoking to feel grow-up. However, if they are still smoking when they reach 30, the reason is no longer to feel like an adult; at this point, they are smoking from habit. Goodwin, D. W., Guze, S. B. (1984).Young children who see older children or family members smoking cigarettes are going to equate smoking with being grown up. Patterns of both drinking and smoking, which are closely associated, are strongly influenced by the lifestyles of family members peers and by the environments in which they live. Minimal, moderate, and heavy levels of drinking, smoking, and drug use, among family members are strongly associated with very similar patterns of use among adolescents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To conclude, one can look economically at the cost of cigarettes, the accessibility of cigarettes, and the amount of money put into advertisements for tobacco. Also psychologically at the effects and real meaning of ads and at females ideas and misconceptions about smoking. And, finally sociologically, peer and family influence play a huge role in the increase of teen smokers.

Be Careful What You Wish for

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR Drama practice. Revision. Homework. Writing essays– which is what I am doing now! So many things to do, so little time to actually do it. I am sprawled on my bed, along with my dictionary fiddling with my pen, deep in thought. Throughout that thousands of seconds I spent writing this essay, I often scrambled through the dictionary or Googled for words that would come in handy, composing this essay by scribbling word after word that was unreadable to everyone except myself.As my eyes darted to the untouched Chemistry homework due in two days, I rummaged through the strands of information that meandered at the back of my mind, in the hope of finding the answers to the questions regarding the practicality of what I was doing; why am I even writing this essay when I had other plans for today, like revising Chapter 2 of History. Sighing, I dropped my Carrera pen and clutched my iPod Nano–which I believed would be the antidote to my chagrin. Then, I stuffed my earphones into my ears willing my fingers to trace the song that I desperately needed at that moment–Time by Hans Zimmer.I was immediately taken in by the mellifluous song, the tender flow dictating my muscles to relax, the abstract beauty of it sinking my mind into a trance. Completely oblivious to the sounds of the outside world, I stared blankly at the four alphabets displayed on the screen- T I M E. Time. That was when realisation dawned on me. It’s strange how time, woven into our daily lives, casts a huge significance in every molecule of our being. It shows us no benignancy as it numbers our days, thus forcing us to endure the dull prospects of limitations, practicality and also the inability to maximise diversity and perfection at the same time.If only I could FEEL like I was divorced from time, savouring one moment to another, without having regrets or ‘I could have’ moments. For instance, if only I felt time held no sway over me, co uld I have kick-started my day with those Manchester United matches in the wee hours of certain mornings without wailing about the lack of sleep? Or I could have aroused my book-worm taste buds by dwelling on that stack of untouched storybooks which I purchased during the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale last year. Brushing the zig-zag thoughts off my mind, I flipped my iPod and gazed at the words engraved at the back of it-Live in Limbo!My mind propelled me to the thought of what that line meant to me. Limbo, as depicted in the movie Inception, is an unconstructed dream space of raw infinite subconscious which is more real than reality itself. Every second in Limbo would feel like an eternity, when in contrary, every second actually passes by with blinding speed. And when I meant Live in limbo, I was referring to it as a reminder to enjoy life and FEEL like I am in Limbo†¦ To FEEL that time really does crawl so that I can revel in the assumption that time would always be by my side like my Best Friend Forever, even when it is not.Right now, if I really was in Limbo, I wouldn’t be fretting or whining about time constraints. How I deeply wish that Limbo would be my reality. In that instant, I was transported into a seemingly endless and vast expanse of blankness, similar to that of being in an isolation tank. I knew where I was; Limbo. It was now my world, my reality. I had the power to create, filling my world with elements ranging from trees to buildings; imagination was the only tool I needed. I was even capable of creating a personal aeroplane but what I wanted at that very moment was to FEEL like I had control over time.In a split second, I had become someone who was born with an ‘imaginary silver clock’†¦The words ‘silver clock’ symbolising time that passes by unhurriedly, the word ‘imaginary’ referring to the fact that I only FEEL the seconds crawling pass and so it is only part of my imagination that time is not running out. I wasted no time in engineering my world–copying and pasting flashes of my memories into my surreal world. My subconscious mind, on the other hand, automatically filled up my world with projections of people I knew and never knew.My life went on as usual- going to school, attending drama practices, going for tuition, Face booking†¦But the difference was the pinch of conjury in it; that of the fact that I didn’t FEEL distressed, that I somehow held the key for doing anything I wanted as I felt time siding with me. I saw myself achieving goal after goal, consigned from oblivion that none of it was real; that I was in Limbo, and it was all part of my imagination. The youth in me got sucked out as every second passed- Until I got older and older and at the age of 28, I actually ran out of goals.I had a career, a house, a car that anyone would have dreamed of; all of it due to the grace of time being on my side. What else did I want after feeling like I had what I wanted and it seemed like an eternity had just whipped by? I wanted nothing any more. That was when my mind reeled into aimlessness, boredom, disheartenment. I had nothing else to do. However, even if I did, I would always feel time creeping by me, past me and somehow I would always achieve my goals, even if it was a mile apart from me. It was my world after all.I was bewitched by a spell on my mind indicating that time, for me would be like a space probe plummeting into the depths of the universe. As my mind free-fell into thought, questioning my well-being†¦I remembered. The memory came in thick and fast, like someone flipping through the pages of a diary as one image popped out after another vividly in my mind; That essay, that sixteen year old girl who had so many things to do. Where did all of that go? Stark reality hit me like a 10. 0 magnitude earthquake; I carried memories of twelve unreal years, I had grown older in my own imagination.After that, I would have to battle a poison called aimlessness for the rest of my life. That was only because I wanted to FEEL that time passed by slowly. Now I bemoaned wishing Limbo was my reality. The fear that gripped me; visceral, primal. The violent tremor on my shoulders jolted my eyes open. It was my mum. I was sixteen and young. Only ten minutes had passed by since I was in Limbo. I would never wish that Limbo was my reality–the promise to FEEL that time was on my side was an impossible cross to bear. Next time, I will be careful what I wish for because it might be a poison that I would not be able to deal with. (1199 WORDS)

Advertising encourages a desire for products which people do not actually need

They ar everywhere. Banners, billboards, profits Websites, brand- newfoundspapers, radio spots, television commercials, magazines, logos on clothing, cars and even cutlery. Advertising has so permeated effortless life that at last count, individuals can expect to be bombarded by around 1200 messages everyday, telling them what to eat, wear, do and debate in. The ubiquitousness of advert is a phenomenon of our modern benevolentkind akin to and whatsoevertimes elevated to an invention form, a consequence of the more than t come unitary and only(a)d ethos of lay off trade and capitalistic consumerism. But non all atomic number 18 lured by the witch song of the commercial jingle.Cynics lambast advertisers for convince people to sp subvert m atomic number 53y they do non hurl, for something that they do non motivating. Malcolm Muggeridge, with child(p) British journalist and opineer direfully prophesied that history will remember announce as 1 of the evils of our time, wrongfully stimulating people to constantly exigency things, want this, want that. Critics like conjuration Ar barelyhnot Fischer see the corrupt connection between societys deteriorating values and the unfathomable agenda that denote subtly (or not so subtly) champions that youth equals popularity, popularity equals success, success equals happiness.How does advertize weave such a mesmeric influence? The ultimate objective of ad is to sell products, work and ideas persuasively and creatively. To that end, advertisers and reduplicate writers resort to all manner of scheme to arrest the attention of consumers long tolerable to create awareness and perhaps, even entrust for the product, service or idea. The variety of methods to lure both existing and potential trade range from the obvious to the subtle, from the staid to the imperceptible (incidentally outlawed in many countries).Whatever the methods used, sea captain advertisers all agree that advantageou sly announce is not just about travel information it is about penetrating the in the public eye(predicate) mind with intrusts and belief. In fact, advertisement guru social lion Burnett once said that the secret of ingenuous and original commercials is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships. Such perception altering strategies are what whitethorn induce consumers to desire and finally bargain the superfluous and the frivolous.Consider for instance De Beers diamonds. originally its advertisements for diamonds were launched, the gemstone was merely another glitter jewel, fit for royalty, not so much for the commoners. By equating diamonds with love, De Beers successfully created a hitherto non-existent appetite for the stones (albeit really amiable ones). If a girl does not guide a diamond engagement ring, the husband-to-be had purify be prepared for trouble. Take a closer look also at the latest range of Louis Vuitton advertisements which capitalize on big-name appeal.The very public figures of Mikhail Gorbachev (former premier of the Russia, no less), Sean Connery (of James Bond 007 fame), even queen of pop and controversy Madonna, who have fronted these advertisements channelise more than just a wiz of the luxury that the brand is famous for. These iconic figures, exuding power, history and a touch of legend, are whom a successful generation has bighearted up with and therefore feel a connection. You may not subscribe a Louis Vuitton bag, but being able to buy one becomes a subtle teaching that you have arrived, putting you in the aforesaid(prenominal) league as the celebrities who endorse the brand.Yet, magic spell it is received that advertising can hold awareness of peoples desire of things that they now know to exist, it is equally true that advertising cannot create a need that did not previously exist. Jeff I Ri blackds points out that adverti sing will only intermit when people everywhere are conform to with their weight, their hair, their skin, their wardrobes and their aroma. Certainly, advertising brings to the fore feelings of inadequacy, omit and perhaps deep underlying insecurities that may be alleviated to some extremity via purchasing a product or service.Scarcity is the business organisation that you may miss an opportunity to purchase a product. Thus one day sales and phrases such as, for a limited time only or limited supply are commonly employed to increase sales and bring forward the idea that you can supply a lack. Advertisements about health often capitalize on fear to get the earshots attention. once this is accomplished they hope to scare the audience enough to produce an attitude change, be it buying their product or changing your lifestyle.Alcohol and backside advertisements appeal to peoples desires for pleasure Models and actors are portrayed as having a good time, leading to the belief t hat if you purchase these products you in like manner will have a good time. Of course, many advertisements employ more than one technique in attempting to persuade the audience. credit card surgery ads, for instance, work well by appealing to peoples love of beauty via exposing their fear of aging as well as their vanity and egotism.Fear, love, pleasure, and vanity are therefore powerful motivators of behaviour that can supposedly be eradicated or fulfilled by dint of some product, service or action, at least in the mind of the consumer. Without them, advertising messages are simply messages. Moreover, while it is true that some deep-seated desires rule human nature and behaviour, almost everyone exercises a survival of the fittest as to when and how such desires are met. To some extent, the consciousness-raising power of advertisements puts the onus of action on the consumer and provides some options for exercising that initiative.Yet, advertisements cannot make one do anythi ng that one is not unforced or able to undertake in the first place. Campaigns and posters (a type of advertising) warning against the evils of smoke are visibly mounted, but have not really produced a material reduction in the numbers of smokers in Singapore despite the fact that cigarette advertising is banned here wellness promotion advisories across the world heighten healthy eating plans and options, but that does not stop one from chomping on that artery-clogging hamburger or carcinogenic char kway teow.In fact, not all advertising is rivet on inducing consumers to purchase the unnecessary. To believe that would be to limit the many efficacious functions it fulfils. There are genuine require that require the consciousness-raising and educational function of advertising to fulfil. Look at the countless advertisements for domestic, blank space and personal needs. Consider also the innovations that advertising brings to ones awareness. Take into accountancy that advertis ements can serve as reminders to consumers, oddly when a consumer has a specific need or desire that can be associated with a product or service.At the end of the day, what must be remembered is that in a free-market society where a plethora of goods and services is available, consumers ultimately exercise the responsibility that accompanies the independence of choice. Advertisers will continue to market their wares strategically, but consumers are not helpless victims held please in a life-or-death struggle. If they were, advertisers would not have to wrack their brains to conjure up creative ways to entice customers. To think otherwise is to sorely underestimate the specialization of the human mind and spirit.