Are historians probably the least recognized movers and shakers of the society?

Historians are probably the least recognized movers and shakers of the society. As historians, it is always about their works and not about them. Well, there may be quiet a few historians who are popular, but again, they became famous because other historians chose to study and write about them. Behind every historical figure, behind every icon, is a historian. So for me, this is a chance to shine the light on these people, a good way to return the favor. Going back to the discussion question, my affinity is more towards psychohistory.For me, this is probably the most challenging one, since it goes beyond the available information for a certain topic or person (385, Breisach). It involves reading between the lines, of how an event in a person’s life, say in his childhood, may influence his service as the president of a nation. It goes beyond gathering data and piecing them together in something that could be easily understood by others. It is not limited to a single person or event, as it could also be applied to a group of people at a certain time.Psychohistory deals with much more interesting works aside from the endless researches and investigations usually conducted by historians. Response 1: From your response, I can see that your deep interest with literature and art somehow influenced your affinity to Romantic historiography. I agree with what you said about how Romantic historians wanted to hold the reader’s attention, and it is because the topics included in this aspect are anything but the ordinary, thus keeping the focus and the attention of those studying Romantic history. This is very broad, and I doubt that you’ll run out of anything interesting.Response 2: I admire the set of criteria for a historian that you have laid down, but I think it’s rather hard to follow. First and foremost, just choosing on a subject would still be subject to bias. Why would do a historian choose to write about the Greeks and not about the Ro mans? There is a big difference between a historian and a news reporter. The biases that a historian possess is what makes history interesting. Despite all the facts about a topic, there is still a hint of uncertainty in it. For me, the need to clarify and verify facts about our history is what defines historians. Response 3:I agree with you that psychohistory is indeed very interesting. In fact, it is also my choice in this discussion. From your response, you focused on collective psyche, which for me is a defining aspect of psychohistory. It is usually the leaders who are subjected to this, since they are prominent and their actions affect a larger scale. However, I think that this could also be done to anyone else worth studying, since it involves informed interpretation. All you need to have is a basis for that interpretation, and that entails gathering data about the subject, something which is common to all historians.

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Thirteen

Elena stirred, then opened heavy eyelids. Light was showing around the edges of the curtains. She found it hard to move, so she lay there on her bed and tried to piece together what had happened last night. Damon. Damon had come here and threatened Margaret. And so Elena had gone to him. He'd won. But why hadn't he finished it? Elena lifted a languid hand to touch the side of her neck, already knowing what she would find. Yes, there they were: two small punctures that were tender and sensitive to pressure. Yet she was still alive. He'd stopped short of carrying out his promise. Why? Her memories of the last hours were confused and blurry. Only fragments were clear. Damon's eyes looking down at her, filling her whole world. The sharp sting at her throat. And, later, Damon opening his shirt, Damon's blood welling from a small cut in his neck. He'd made her drink his blood then. Ifmade was the right word. She didn't remember putting up any resistance or feeling any revulsion. By then, she had wanted it. But she wasn't dead, or even seriously weakened. He hadn't made her into a vampire. And that was what she couldn't understand. He has no morals and no conscience, she reminded herself. So it certainly wasn't mercy that stopped him. He probably just wants to draw the game out, make you suffer more before he kills you. Or maybe he wants you to be like Vickie, with one foot in the shadow world and one in the light. Going slowly mad that way. One thing was sure: she wouldn't be fooled into thinking it was kindness on his part. Damon wasn't capable of kindness. Or of caring for anybody but himself. Pushing the blankets back, she rose from the bed. She could hear Aunt Judith moving around in the hallway. It was Monday morning and she had to get ready to go to school. Dear Diary, It's no good pretending I'm not frightened, because I am. Tomorrow's Thanksgiving, and Founders' Day is two days after that. And I still haven't figured out a way to stop Caroline and Tyler. I don't know what to do. If I can't get my diary back from Caroline, she's going to read it in front of everyone. She'll have a perfect opportunity; she's one of the three seniors chosen to read poetry during the closing ceremonies. Chosen by the school board, of which Tyler's father is a member, I might add. I wonder what he'll think when this is all over? But what difference does it make? Unless I can come up with a plan, when this is all over I'll be beyond caring. And Stefan will be gone, run out of town by the good citizens of Fell's Church. Or dead, if he doesn't get some of his Powers back. And if he dies, I'll die too. It's that simple. Which means I have to find a way to get the diary. I have to. But I can't. I know, you're waiting for me to say it. There is a way to get my diary – Damon's way. All I need to do is agree to his price. But you don't understand how much that frightens me. Not just because Damon frightens me, but because I'm afraid of what will happen if he and I are together again. I'm afraid of what will happen to me†¦ and to me and Stefan. I can't talk about this any more. It's too upsetting. I feel so confused and lost and alone. There's nobody I can turn to or talk to. Nobody who could possibly understand. What am I going to do? November 28, Thursday, 11:30p.m. Dear Diary, Things seem clearer today, maybe because I've come to a decision. It's a decision that terrifies me, but it's better than the only alternative I can thinkof. I'm going to tell Stefan everything. It's the only thing I can do now. Founders' Day is Saturday and I haven't come up with any plan of my own. But maybe Stefan can, if he realizes how desperate the situation is. I'm going over to spend the day at the boarding house tomorrow, and when I get there I'm going to tell him everything I should have told him in the first place. Everything. About Damon, too. Oh, I'm scared. My stomach is churning. I could barely touch Thanksgiving dinner – and I can't keep still I feel as if I might fly apart into a million pieces. Go to sleep tonight? Ha. Please let Stefan understand. Please let him forgive me. The funniest thing is, I wanted to become a better person for him. I wanted to be worthy of his love. Stefan has these ideas about honor, about what's right and wrong. And now, when he finds out how I've been lying to him, what will he think of me? Will he believe me, that I was only trying to protect him? Will he ever trust me again? Tomorrow I'll know. Oh, God, I wish it were already over. I don't know how I'll live until then. Elena slipped out of the house without telling Aunt Judith where she was going. She was tired of lies, but she didn't want to face the fuss there would inevitably be if she said she was going to Stefan's. Ever since Damon had come to dinner, Aunt Judith had been talking about him, throwing subtle and not-so-subtle hints into every conversation. And Robert was almost as bad. Elena sometimes thought he egged Aunt Judith on. She leaned on the doorbell of the boarding house wearily. Where was Mrs. Flowers these days? When the door finally opened, Stefan was behind it. He was dressed for outdoors, his jacket collar turned up. â€Å"I thought we could go for a walk,† he said. â€Å"No.† Elena was firm. She couldn't manage a real smile for him, so she stopped trying. She said, â€Å"Let's go upstairs, Stefan, all right? There's something we need to talk about.† He looked at her a moment in surprise. Something must have shown in her face, for his expression gradually stilled and darkened. He took a deep breath and nodded. Without a word, he turned and led the way to his room. The trunks and dressers and bookcases had long since been put back into order, of course. But Elena felt as if she was really noticing this for the first time. For some reason, she thought of the very first night she'd been here, when Stefan had saved her from Tyler's disgusting embrace. Her eyes ran over the objects on the dresser: the fifteenth century gold florins, the ivory-hiked dagger, the little iron coffer with the hinged lid. She'd tried to open that the first night and he'd slammed the lid down. She turned. Stefan was standing by the window, outlined by the rectangle of gray and dismal sky. Every day this week had been chilly and misty, and this was no exception. Stefan's expression mirrored the weather outside. â€Å"Well,† he said quietly, â€Å"what do we need to talk about?† There was one last moment of choice, and then Elena committed herself. She stretched out a hand to the small iron coffer and opened it. Inside, a length of apricot silk shone with muted luster. Her hair ribbon. It reminded her of summer, of â€Å"About this,† she said. He had taken a step forward when she touched the coffer, but now he looked puzzled and surprised. â€Å"Aboutthat ?† â€Å"Yes. Because I knew it was there, Stefan. I found it a long time ago, one day when you left the room for a few minutes. I don't know why I had to know what was in there, but I couldn't help it. So I found the ribbon. And then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped and braced herself. â€Å"Then I wrote about it in my diary.† Stefan was looking more and more bewildered, as if this was not at all what he'd been expecting. Elena groped for the right words. â€Å"I wrote about it because I thought it was evidence that you'd cared about me all along, enough to pick it up and keep it. I never thought it could be evidence of anything else.† Then, suddenly, she was speaking quickly. She told him about taking her diary to Bonnie's house, about how it had been stolen. She told him about getting the notes, about realizing that Caroline was the one who was sending them. And then, turning away, pulling the summer-colored silk over and over through her nervous fingers, she told him about Caroline and Tyler's plan. Her voice almost gave out at the end. â€Å"I've been so frightened since then,† she whispered, her eyes still on the ribbon. â€Å"Scared that you'd be angry with me. Scared of what they're going to do. Just scared. I tried to get the diary back, Stefan, I even went to Caroline's house. But she has it too well hidden. And I've thought and thought, but I can't think of any way of stopping her from reading it.† At last she looked up at him. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"You should be!† he said, startling her with his vehemence. She felt the blood drain from her face. But Stefan was going on. â€Å"You should be sorry for keeping something like that from me when I could have helped you. Elena, why didn't you justtell me?† â€Å"Because it's all my fault. And I had a dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She tried to describe how he had looked in the dreams, the bitterness, the accusation in his eyes. â€Å"I think I would die if you really looked at me that way,† she concluded miserably. But Stefan's expression as he looked at her now was a combination of relief and wonder. â€Å"So that's it,† he said, almost in a whisper himself. â€Å"That's what's been bothering you.† Elena opened her mouth, but he was still speaking. â€Å"I knew something was wrong, I knew you were holding something back. But I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook â€Å"his head and a skewed smile tugged at his lips. â€Å"It doesn't matter now. I didn't want to invade your privacy. I didn't even want to ask. And all the time you were worried about protectingme. â€Å" Elena's tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. The words seemed to be stuck, too. There's more, she thought, but she couldn't say it, not when Stefan's eyes looked like that, not when his whole face was alight that way. â€Å"When you said we needed to talk today, I thought you'd changed your mind about me,† he said simply, without self-pity. â€Å"And I wouldn't have blamed you. But instead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head again. â€Å"Elena,† he said. It felt so good to be there, so right. She hadn't even realized how wrong things had been between them until now, when the wrongness had disappeared.This was what she remembered, what she had felt that first glorious night when Stefan had held her. All the sweetness and tenderness in the world surging between them. She was home, where she belonged. Where she would always belong. Everything else was forgotten. As she had in the beginning, Elena felt as if she could almost read Stefan's thoughts. They were connected, a part of each other. Their hearts beat to the same rhythm. Only one thing was needed to make it complete. Elena knew that, and she tossed her hair back, reaching from behind to pull it away from the side of her neck. And this time Stefan did not protest or thwart her. Instead of refusal he was radiating a deep acceptance – and a deep need. Feelings of love, of delight, of appreciation overwhelmed her and with incredulous joy she realized the feelings were his. For a moment, she sensed herself through his eyes, and sensed how much he cared for her. It might have been frightening if she had not had the same depth of feeling to give back to him. She felt no pain as his teeth pierced her neck. And it didn't even occur to her that she had unthinkingly offered him the unmarked side – even though the wounds Damon had left were healed already. She clung to him when he tried to lift his head. He was adamant, though, and at last she had to let him do it. Still holding her, he groped over onto the dresser for the wicked ivory-handled blade and with one quick motion he let his own blood flow. When Elena's knees grew weak, he sat her on the bed. And then they just held each other, unaware of time or anything else. Elena felt that only she and Stefan existed. â€Å"I love you,† he said softly. At first Elena, in her pleasant haze, simply accepted the words. Then, with a chill of sweetness, she realized what he'd said. Heloved her. She'd known it all along, but he had never said it before. â€Å"I love you, Stefan,† she whispered back. She was surprised when he shifted and pulled away slightly, until she saw what he was doing. Reaching inside his sweater, he drew out the chain he had worn around his neck ever since she had known him. On the chain was a gold ring, exquisitely crafted, set with lapis lazuli. Katherine's ring. As Elena watched, he took the chain off and unclasped it, removing the delicate golden band. â€Å"When Katherine died,† he said, â€Å"I thought I could never love anyone else. Even though I knew she would have wanted me to, I was sure it could never happen. But I was wrong.† He hesitated a moment and then went on. â€Å"I kept the ring because it was a symbol of her. So I could keep her in my heart. But now I'd like it to be a symbol of something else.† Again he hesitated, seeming almost afraid to meet her eyes. â€Å"Considering the and then gave up, his eyes meeting hers mutely. Elena couldn't speak. She couldn't even breathe. But Stefan misinterpreted her silence. The hope in his eyes died and he turned away. â€Å"You're right,† he said. â€Å"It's all impossible. There are just too many difficulties – because of me. Because of what I am. Nobody like you should be tied to someone like me. I shouldn't even have suggested it – â€Å" â€Å"Stefan!† said Elena. â€Å"Stefan, if you'll be quiet a moment – â€Å" † – so just forget I said anything – â€Å" â€Å"Stefan!† she said. â€Å"Stefan,look at me. â€Å" Slowly, he obeyed, turning back. He looked into her eyes, and the bitter self-condemnation faded from his face, to be replaced by a look that made her lose her breath again. Then, still slowly, he took the hand she was holding out. Deliberately, as they both watched, he slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit as if it had been made for her. The gold glinted richly in the light, and the lapis shone a deep vibrant blue like a clear lake surrounded by untouched snow. â€Å"We'll have to keep it a secret for a while,† she said, hearing the tremor in her voice. â€Å"Aunt Judith will have a fit if she knows I'm engaged before I graduate. But I'll be eighteen next summer, and then she can't stop us.† â€Å"Elena, are you sure this is what you want? It won't be easy living with me. I'll always be different from you, no matter how I try. If you ever want to change your mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"As long as you love me, I'll never change my mind.† He took her in his arms again, and peace and contentment enfolded her. But there was still one fear that gnawed at the edges of her consciousness. â€Å"Stefan, about tomorrow – if Caroline and Tyler carry out their plan, it won't matter if I change my mind or not.† â€Å"Then we'll just have to make sure they can't carry it out. If Bonnie and Meredith will help me, I think I can find a way to get the diary from Caroline. But even if I can't, I'm not going to run. I won't leave you, Elena; I'm going to stay and fight.† â€Å"But they'll hurt you. Stefan, I can't stand that.† â€Å"And I can't leave you. That's settled. Let me worry about the rest of it; I'll find a way. And if I don't†¦ well, no matter what I'll stay with you. We'll be together.† â€Å"We'll be together,† Elena repeated, and rested her head on his shoulder, happy to stop thinking for a while and justbe. Dear Diary, It's late but I couldn't sleep. I don't seem to need as much sleep as I used to. Well, tomorrow's the day. We talked to Bonnie and Meredith tonight. Stefan's plan is simplicity itself. The thing is, no matter where Caroline has hidden the diary, she has to bring it out tomorrow to take it with her. But our readings are the last thing on the agenda, and she has to be in the parade and everything first. She'll have to stash the diary somewhere during that time. So if we watch her from the minute she leaves her house until she gets up on stage, we should be able to see where she puts it down. And since she doesn't even know we're suspicious, she won't be on guard. That's when we get it. The reason the plan will work is because everyone in the program will be in period dress. Mrs. Grimesby, the librarian, will help us put on our 19th century clothes before the parade, and we can't be wearing or carrying anything that's not part of the costume. No purses, no backpacks. No diaries! Caroline will have to leave it behind at some point. We're taking turns watching her. Bonnie is going to wait outside her house and see what Caroline's carrying when she leaves. I'll watch her when she gets dressed at Mrs. Grimesby's house. Then, while the parade is going on, Stefan and Meredith will break into the house – or the Forbes' car, if that's where it is – and do their stuff. I don't see how it can fail. And I can't tell you how much better I feel. It's so good just to be able to share this problem with Stefan. I've learned my lesson; I'll never keep things from him again. I'm wearing my ring tomorrow. If Mrs. Grimesby asks me about it, I'll tell her it's even older than 19th century, it's from Renaissance Italy. I'd like to see her face when I say that. I'd better try to get some sleep now. I hope I don't dream.

The Commercialization of Football Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Commercialization of Football - Assignment Example The English Premier League is one of the most luxurious sporting leagues in the world. This league attracts football teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, etc (Soderman & Dolles, 2013). Players in this league are earning millions of dollars, and this is through their weekly salaries, and endorsements that they are getting from large companies such as AIG, Nike, Samsung, etc (White 2013). Because of the huge amount of money that is used by English teams to pay off their players, most of these clubs are always in debts. An example is a club such as Manchester United, Liverpool and even Chelsea who are operating their balance sheets out of deficits. The main stakeholders to a football club are the owners, football managers, fans, the management, players, the government and the Football Association. These stakeholders partner to play a role that has a level of control on a club. The influence of each can be direct or indirect to the club. If a club changes ownership like i n the case of Liverpool football clubs acquisition, the debts of the club are transferred to the new owners (Chadwick 2010), and it is their responsibility to service the debt. In the ownership of the club, the government can decide to regulate the process and limit the impact of the team acquisitions on the performance of the ownership. The Football Association is also a major stakeholder in the league, and this is because it is responsible for setting up rules, and fixtures for the games. In fact, without the FA, then the English Premier League would not be there (Kennedy and Kennedy 2014). These stakeholders normally have different interests, and because of these differences they normally clash on most occasions. It is important to explain that the major source of conflict between football managers, players, and the management of the organization lies on the money.

A short story or a poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A short story or a poem - Essay Example It was actually a fine day, which means when it was not particularly busy and we have some time for ourselves. I remember myself pushing some chairs, dragging them out of boredom and sheer laziness that they make some scraping sounds on the floor. I noted how, Mrs. Dory, an elderly regular and the only customer present, darted me piercing looks for annoying her fine breakfast. I ignored her entirely as I twiddled with some condiments on my hands, sending some caps down the floor in the process. Everyone was doing the same, on the counter Easton was still probably mooning over the past weekend, back at the kitchen the other guys must be asleep out of non-exhaustion, except probably with Marie, who were outside with her sun and reading her book. Needless to say, Tim was absent to cheer every one up. Just as Mrs. Dory was rising, perhaps to complain about my behavior, a woman was suddenly at the door. It was nothing much, really, except for the fact that there was only Mrs. Dory and I and the Easton visibly present. I was immediately jolted back from my troubles, out of my tantrums and, automatically, forced a smile on my face to welcome the newcomer. She was about 40, smallish - frail, if you may - and had the shock of black hair, which, now that I think about it, resembled the mop that framed Tims head. Anyway, she was making his way towards Easton, clutching a paper with her hand draped on her breast. The counter was close so I overheard her faint words. "Well, actually, theres no manager. Theres only the owner, Mr. Craig who comes here every so often to check on us. But if you have any message for him, I could just tell him or you can go back tomorrow afternoon. He will be here." There is really nothing like being told that someone close to you, of your own age and someone who have worked with you for a long time have died so suddenly. I, honestly, did not know what to say. Everything was like a blur and next thing I know she was gone and there was

One critiquing about operation managements as Tohoku issue I can the Coursework

One critiquing about operation managements as Tohoku issue I can the full project but I only these parts which are Sony, Power, and Ports and FedEx papers provided - Coursework Example The executive marshalled it human resources, corporate philanthropy and communications departments to focus on rescuing stranded employees. On early March 12, chartered helicopters were used to deliver water food and other necessities to the marooned workers. Over the next few days, all were rescued as the water levels receded. Sony also assisted to provide new temporary housing to employees whose homes were wrecked by the earthquake. Going forward, Sony should apply the gained insights and lessons learned from the Japan Earthquake to further strengthen its systems for response towards disasters and to ensure security and safety of its employees (Ranghieri and Mikio 39). Sony began to assist employees that sought to take part in volunteer activities. The strategy should have been a long established program at disaster prone sites aimed at meeting the needs of the communities in the would-be affected areas. At the end of May 11, Sony had managed to resume its normal operations at all sites despite having had to halt operations at ten production sites damaged or affected as a result of the disaster. Sony enforced temporary manufacturing adjustments at several of its manufacturing sites unaffected by the disaster. The changes were meant to cushion the company from the shortage of raw materials and its components. Immediately after the earthquake, there were many nuclear power plants that were closed to prevent larger miseries like tsunami that formed. As a further result of this occurrence, Japan had to put eventually restrictions on the power consumption of the people of Japan. In response to electric power use restrictions as a result of inadequate power supply in areas served by Tokyo Electric Power Co., as in the case of Sony, many companies enforced steps to lessen energy consumption (Lochbaum 42). The night shifts, daylight savings times, rotating facility closures, installation of energy-efficient lighting equipment

Source evaluation Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Source evaluation - Annotated Bibliography Example For instance, the institutions of learning in the United States are also known to provide some very generous scholarships to deserving individuals from poor countries; consequently, they receive many applications every year since individuals recognize that they might be given an opportunity to make their lives better. Even though, many have been associated with the urge of studying abroad, there are some cases approving that studying abroad is definitely a wrong option. In essence, answering this research question will help in discerning the associated negative impacts. Studying abroad can offer a lot of benefits to the students and the development of the society, but on the other side, it also have some drawbacks and disadvantages , over all studying abroad turned out to a good investment, but at the mean time people should realized that the profit exists paralleling risk. While looking up for relevant sources to back up the research, there are many credible articles that talk about the research question. This makes the completion of the project tedious since there is need to carry out evaluation of each source before picking up the most suitable for the study. Schemo discusses the gifts that are likely to befall students going abroad. Essentially, this source will help in answering the research question about why many students are attracted to the notion of travelling abroad for their studies. Schemo asserts that one of the benefits that students acquire from studying abroad is that they get a chance to pursue their education in an environment that is not limited by either geography or economic circumstances because they are able to work within an environment that is completely new and full of opportunities. Moreover, studying abroad makes it possible for students to develop the necessary skills at an international level that allows them

Week two questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week two questions - Essay Example Fats play a number of roles in the human body. Their basic function is protection. This consists of the insulation needed to maintain the body temperature, and providing a cushion to protect the body organs. Fats also encourage the growth and subsequent development, as well as the maintenance of the cell membranes. It is necessary in the digestion of vitamins. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body and also a source of calories to help maintain the weight of the body. A meal containing an optimum carbohydrates level may help prevent the body from fat accumulation. Carbohydrates are also influential in the development of the body organs and also the nerve cells, and also in the definition of individual’s biological identity like their blood group. The government should try and promote the eating of healthy foods, without passing their boundaries, since a healthy people are a productive people. It is in the best interest of the government to promote healthy eating. Yes, everything should have set standards. This will be able to prevent unscrupulous producers come up with low quality goods that will be harmful to the general health of the people. The government should ensure laws are in place, to prevent illegal foods that are harmful to the citizens, reach the tables. Supplements like the Folic acid, that is a B vitamin are beneficial as it helps boost the fertility and to prevent birth problems like spina bifida. It also stimulates the development of new cell growth. Tryptophan that works hand in hand with the natural Melatonin that gets created in the brain, to help in the regulation of sleep has side effects like mental changes and also a fast heart

Portfolio Report of Theory of Customer Service in a Service Setting Essay

Portfolio Report of Theory of Customer Service in a Service Setting - Essay Example A futuristic outlook should be used for an increasingly growing and counterintuitive, making an analysis with fewer errors (Shuen, 2008). Currently, the net lifetime worth of every Redbox client stands at 70$, and the stir rate stands at a constant 5%. This $70 presumption is openhanded because it does not consider the dilutive impacts of stock-based payment. This reimbursement does not have an impact on the value for every consumer. However, it has a direct impact on the share of every shareholder on every customer’s value. Redbox’s stir rate can keep on reducing, causing other competences to rise. At the same time, Redbox’s may perhaps raise its prices, an approach that has previously been done numerous times. This strategy creates a favorable environment for the organization to stick with the $70 value for its customers (Redbox.com, 2005; Shuen, 2008). Critical Incidents Redbox is a media store that provides rental movies to its clients, along with other enter tainment material such as music, videos and books. Redbox has a headquarter store that is located at 1 Tower Ln., Ste. 1200 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, United States, the enterprise has more than 27000 branches all over the country, with about 750 workers employed in these stores (Redbox, 2011). The specific locations at which the stores are situated include grocery stores, huge merchant vendors, drugstores, restaurants, and huge convenient stores nationwide. Redbox has however been looking forward to expanding its objectives into majority of the demands and requirements of the movie renters market. Founded by Coinstar, Redbox has the initiative as establishing it stores in major supermarkets and mall stores such as McDonalds as well as discount stores. However, the store is experiencing poor customer service management systems due to the lack of the latest and popular movies, which are the films with the most demands (Redbox, 2011). A major move that the owner of Redbox has to real ize is that customer service has five main varying orientations. They include CS (Customer service) software expertise, system, and technology; data storage space and scrutiny; CS has to be viewed as an alteration in business culture from a dealing objective to a client centric one; CS involves managing demand and that CS is also a strategy phase aiming at clients’ interests. Redbox on the other hand has the intentions of employing internet streaming to enable smoother movie selection as well as viewing (Reinartz et al, 2005). This initiative will enable the preferences of the clients to be heard and dealt with at a closer scale. Data storage systems of Redbox require improvement since the latest films are very much reported by clients to not be available at websites and their stores. Since such films are in the most demand, therefore, to maintain the most returns that the enterprise is capable of making, the data storage improvement can withhold the latest movies at a higher number that can sustain the market demands. This approach will improve the customer service with the enterprise (Kumar et al, 2011). Another approach about a proper CS system is the existence of elements that comprise the CS system. The elements are a data storehouse, systematic apparatus, protests management apparatus, interfaces to sustain panels. Databases ran by Redbox operate on the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Assignment Example This means that the test subjects wont necessarily be representative of the population. Random assignment means assigning test subjects to different treatments in the study. Randomization is the best way of making sure that the necessary control in the study is present. They are related to both internal and external validities as they increase both. Internal validity is the validity of the effect discovered in the study, and external validity is the validity in which the cause-effect relationship holds up when measurements are changed. The randomization increases both validities. a. Threats to the validity of the research about the two school groups include the fact that the number of students in each group isnt specified, and if it isnt above 30- the research isnt valid since at least 30 test subjects are needed to conduct a test on statistical hypotheses (even more according to different, more rigid approaches). A way to increase the external validity in this subject is to increase the number of test subjects in each group as much as possible, so that the results are as accurate and representative as possible, and also in order for them to be at least over 30, which is the agreed upon number of test subjects needed in a group in order to be able to test the validity of hypotheses. b. The threat to the validity of the study is mainly that the teacher had a pretest and a posttest for classes A and B while only having the posttest for classes C and D. it is impossible to deduce from this that the former classes are superior to the latter ones because of the introduction of the new materials and methods. She should have done both tests on all classes. Furthermore, there is a need to control possible intervening variables to make sure that there is a statistical link between these new materials and methods to the score achieved in the post test (the link can be a correlation and then it wouldnt be legitimate

Leadership & Ethics for Managers Research Paper

Leadership & Ethics for Managers - Research Paper Example Often organizations go through processes that redefine the way a company operates. The CEO of the company has the vision and the strategic plan to transform the organization. Companies in the 21st century do not longer seek individualism in the actions of its employees. Teamwork and cooperation have become a hot trend in the business world. The current approach and strategy of the CEO of the organization is to move to a team environment and to push many of the decisions to the lowest possible levels in order to achieve a team based empowered organization. The most valuable resource of any organization is its people because of the ability of humans to think, communicate and use judgment (Feinberg, 2012). The CEO is facing some resistance to change from the rest of the managerial staff of the organization. It is the duty of the leader to find a resolution to the problem. The first step towards finding an alternative solution to the dilemma is to open the lines of communication between the workers and the managers of the firm. The new plan that the CEO of the company wants to implement should be assessed by the entire organization. The managers should listen to the input of the workers about the proposed plan. Two concepts that many people visualize as similar, but in reality differ a lot are leading and managing. One of the purposes and visions of leaders is to inspire groups of people in organizations to aspire to achieve common goals (Entrepreneur, 2002). Leading involves motivating others to achieve a higher level of performance. Leadership can come from any person in an organization which implies that leadership abilities are not limited or exclusive of a managerial position. Sometimes companies gain the benefit of having strong leaders among the floor employees. Good leaders have excellent communication skills and are active listeners. Being an active listener can help an employee enhance his productivity and it improves a person’s ability to influenc e, persuade, and negotiate (Mindtools, 2012). One of the key differences between leading and managing is that managing entails complying with the basic managerial functions. Some of the basic managerial functions are planning, staffing, organizing, and controlling. Another difference between the two concepts is that managers are responsible for the actions of their subordinates. The CEO is trying to manage instead of leading this change initiative. Evidence that the CEO is using a managing approach is that the leader created a plan and provided a layout of the work structure that he expects the employees to follow. The managerial mandate of the CEO is to implement a team based work structure. One of the mistakes made is relying too much on managing instead of leading change. To lead change the corporate executive must convince others of the benefits of the change instead of imposing his will and vision on others and making unilateral decisions. The managers of the organization at fi rst glance did not like the plan of the CEO. It is highly possible that the managers felt threatened by the change management initiative because they felt their power and control would be diminished by the move. The CEO of the firm has to start a direct dialogue and negotiation process with the managerial staff. The use of formal meetings is a method that can be used to interchange ideas and opinions

THE Nuremberg Trials Essay Example for Free

THE Nuremberg Trials Essay Section 1: Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hypotheses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Importance of Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Methodology Section 2: Presentation and Analysis of Data   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (a) The Need for Gaining Justice: Holocaust’s History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (b) The Victims to Whom Justice Must be Rendered Section 3: Topic Summary Section 4: End Notes    The Nuremberg Trial Section 1: Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Holocaust had been a great mark in the pages of human history. Understandably, the ones who were involved within the situation as the victims certainly need to realize the fact that they are given the justice that they primarily deserve. Justice is one particular thing that could at least ease the pain of the family members of the victims if not the victims themselves of the said historical event. The establishment of the legalities of the matter through the Nuremberg trials actually notes the possible ways by which the said victims could be given the justice that they deserve. Hypotheses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The need for justice is an evident right of all human beings. Understandably, through the Nuremberg trials, this particular right of the victimized individuals during the Nazi regime shall be given attention through legal measures and investigations and punishment for those who have been found guilty of the massive human death that happened during the holocaust. Importance of Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding history and knowing that whatever injustices happened back then are given the chance to be straightened out later on through legal terms gives the society a better vision on the strength of legal institutions to take careful hold of upholding the idealisms of human rights. This gives the entire human society a better view of how the legal system works and how justice is applied even upon those who were powerful in government office. Justice served through careful investigation and rightful punishment stand as the proof of the strength of the legal systems to imply rightful justice for the victims of any war era which would rather give relief to those who were victimized as well as to their family members whom they may have left if they unfortunately died during the said dreadful events in the past. Methodology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To be able to garner the rightful foundation of the discussion that shall be presented herein, the researcher is to use the history of holocaust as a primary basis as to how the Nuremberg trial developed towards the aim of finding the right people who are supposed to answer for the deaths of many people during World War II. Later on, the discussion on the proceedings with which the idea of setting up a Nuremberg Trial shall also be given explanation thus giving a clear discussion on how the said system of justice and punishment works and how it particularly gave the martyrs and the victims a sense of justice from all the dreadful things that they have experienced during the Second World War. Section 2: Presentation and Analysis of Data (a) The Need for Gaining Justice: Holocaust’s History HOLOCAUST—what does it mean? According to some dictionaries, it was the genocidal slaughter of European Jews by the Nazis during World War  II. This could easily give the impression that only Jews suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis. Yet, are justice and truth served in having â€Å"Holocaust† apply only to the Jewish victims of the Nazi era? Writer Richard Lukas states: â€Å"The word Holocaust suggests to most people the tragedy the Jews experienced under the Germans during World War  II. From a psychological point of view, it is understandable why Jews today prefer that the term refer exclusively to the Jewish experience .  .  . Yet, by excluding others from inclusion in the Holocaust, the horrors that Poles, other Slavs, and Gypsies endured at the hands of the Nazis are often ignored, if not forgotten.† Lukas also states: â€Å"To them [the historians], the Holocaust was unique to the Jews, and they therefore have had little or nothing to say about the nine million Gentiles, including three million [Gentile] Poles, who also perished in the greatest tragedy the world has ever known.† When Hitler’s armies invaded Poland in September 1939, they were under orders to carry out Hitler’s policy of obtaining Lebensraum, living space, for the German people. As Richard Lukas states: â€Å"To the Nazis, the Poles were Untermenschen (subhumans) who occupied a land which was part of the Lebensraum (living space) coveted by the superior German race.† Thus, Hitler authorized his troops to kill â€Å"without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of Polish descent or language. Only in this way can we obtain the living space we need.† (Rule of Law, Internet) September 1939 started a relentless horror for the Polish people. Hitler had stated: â€Å"The war is to be a war of annihilation.† Hitler’s henchman Heinrich Himmler declared: â€Å"All Poles will disappear from the world. .  .  . It is essential that the great German people should consider it as a major task to destroy all Poles.† Thus, the Holocaust was not aimed at just Polish Jews; it was aimed at â€Å"all Poles.† â€Å"Terror was applied in all occupied countries. .  .  . But in Poland everyone was subject to such brutality, and mass executions based on the principle of collective guilt were far more frequent, because every Pole, regardless of age, sex, or health, was a member of a condemned nation—condemned by the policy-makers in the Nazi party and government,† states Catherine Leach, translator of the Polish book Values and Violence in Auschwitz. She states that Himmler viewed the Poles as a lower race to be kept in serfdom. â€Å"Even after Poland’s surrender [September 28, 1939], the Wehrmacht [German army] continued to take seriously Hitler’s admonition of August 22, 1939, when he authorized killing ‘without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of Polish descent or language.’† How could the German army and the SS be motivated to such pitiless murder? By being saturated with the teaching of the supremacy of the Aryan race and the inferiority of all others. Thus, as Lukas states in The Forgotten Holocaust: â€Å"The Nazi theory of colonial empire in Poland was based on the denial of humanity to the Poles whom, next to the Jews, Hitler hated the most.† In his introduction to the book Commandant of Auschwitz, Lord Russell of Liverpool said: â€Å"During the war probably not less than twelve million men, women, and children from the invaded and occupied territories were done to death by the Germans. At a conservative estimate, eight million of them perished in concentration camps. Of these, not less than five million were Jews. .  .  . The real number, however, will never be known.† On the basis of these figures alone, at least seven million victims were not Jews. Another testimony is that of Catherine Leach, who writes: â€Å"Poland was the first country to be subjected to Hitler’s ‘negative demographic policy,’ whose purpose was to prepare the vast territories in ‘The East’ for German resettlement, and Poland suffered the greatest losses in life of all the occupied countries—220 per 1000 inhabitants. Polish sources state that no less than 6,028,000 Polish citizens .  .  . lost their lives.† Of these, 3,200,000 were Jews. That means that nearly 50% of the Polish dead were non-Jews. (Conquest, 1990, 92) Indisputably, there has been a â€Å"Forgotten Holocaust† of millions of non-Jewish victims, mainly of Slavic origin. These include the millions of Russians slaughtered by the Nazis. Those Russians had no choice (Conquest, 1990, 92). By reason of Nazi racial doctrine, they were inexorably condemned to death. Yet, these statistics fail to take into account the thousands of non-Jewish Germans who also suffered as victims of the Holocaust for daring to oppose Hitler and his racist supremacy philosophy. Among these were thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to collaborate in Hitler’s militaristic pretensions (Conquest, 1990, 92). Yes, sprinkled across Germany and the Nazi-occupied countries were thousands of people who made a deliberate choice that led to the concentration camps and to death for many as martyrs. (b) The Victims to Whom Justice Must be Rendered WHY make a distinction between victims and martyrs? Because all those who suffered as a result of the Holocaust were victims, but only a minority were truly martyrs in the strict sense of the word. What is the difference (Bauer, 1972, 1300). A victim is â€Å"someone who is put to death or subjected to torture or suffering by another.† Victims usually have no choice. A martyr is â€Å"one who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles† or â€Å"one who sacrifices something very important to him in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.† (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language) Thus, the victim is usually involuntary, while the martyr is voluntary. In a conference on the non-Jewish victims of the Nazis, Dr.  Gordon Zahn, University of Massachusetts, defined the Nazis’ victims under three headings: (1) those who suffered for what they were—Jews, Slavs, Gypsies; (2) those who suffered for what they did—homosexuals, political activists, and resisters; (3) and those who suffered for what they refused to do—conscientious objectors. Millions of Jews suffered and died simply because they were Jews in the ethnic sense. It mattered not to Hitler’s henchmen whether they were Orthodox or atheistic Jews (Shnayerson, 1996, 132). They were condemned to the â€Å"final solution,† or extermination, as Hitler’s method of ridding Europe of all Jews was called. Likewise, the Slavs, who for Hitler’s crusade were mainly the Poles, Russians, and Ukrainians, were condemned just for being Slavic, ‘an inferior race’ in comparison to the â€Å"supreme† Aryan stock. The existence of the major victims of the history of holocaust primarily shouts out towards the legal systems at present to be able to gain the justice that they believe they deserve as primary receivers of the hideous situations of those times. This is the reason why the introduction of the Nuremberg trials actually answers this particular need, not only to give justice to the people who were directly affected by the said history but also to clarify the names who are really involved with the said situation in the past. In connection with the Nuremberg (Germany) trial of Nazi war criminals after World War II, the Nuremberg Law that was followed was this: â€Å"Patriotic obedience in crime does not establish innocence.†   Ã‚   The development of the Nuremberg trials started during the end of the Second World War when the victims of the Nazi regime began to cry out for the justice that they ought to receive. Having the people responsible for what has happened back then was believed to be a great relief to the depression that such victims felt after the war years. Their recovery of the dreadful experiences that they have dealt with during the war years is the utmost concern of such proceedings. Moreover, the said trial tries to identify the culprits behind the holocaust murder to give a statement that such acts of inhumane treatment deserves to be punished and shall never be overlooked by the legal systems established by the alliance of the different nations from then until the present days. It was primarily the symbol of the beginning of the recognition of human rights that is supposed to mark the minds of those who are still planning to do the same thing as Hitler himself did along with his comrades. Section 3: Topic Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   History would be history, but the indications of truth that it leaves the human civilization are reactive up until the present years of human living. The Nuremberg Trial remains to be among the huge indications that history actually impacts the legal systems until the current generations of human civilization. Likely, this system of historical impact in the legal systems does more than just address the needs of war victims. It also developed a more systematic process of which the human rights would be safeguarded even during war situations in case they would occur. This particular part of history is indeed a primary reason why it is important to turn one’s back to the past and learn something from what has happened before to have things run smoothly at present for everyone living in the human society. Section 4: End Notes # John Crossland Churchill: execute Hitler without trial in The Sunday Times, January 1, 2006 # ^ Tehran Conference: Tripartite Dinner Meeting November 29, 1943 Soviet Embassy, 8:30 PM # Judgement : The Law Relating to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity contained in the Avalon Project archive at Yale Law School. but by 1939 these rules laid down in the [Hague] Convention [of 1907] were recognized by all civilized nations, and were regarded as being declaratory of the laws and customs of war # ^Trial of Otto Skorzeny and Others, General Military Government Court of the U.S. Zone of Germany, 18 August to 9 September 1947. Bibliography # Conquest, Robert. The Great Terror A Reassessment London: Oxford University Press, 1990 page 92. # Bauer, Eddy. The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of World War II Volume 22 New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation 1972 page 3071. # Robert Shnayerson. Judgment at Nuremberg: Fifty years ago the trial of Nazi war criminals ended: the world had witnessed the rule of law invoked to punish unspeakable atrocities. From Smithsonian magazine, October 1996, pp. 124–141. 1996. # The Rule of Law. http://law.wustl.edu/alumni/magazine/spring2002/01_rule_of_law.pdf. (June 29, 2008). # Trial of Otto Skorzeny and Others, General Military Government Court of the U.S. Zone of Germany, 18 August to 9 September 1947. (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language)

African Caribbean Culture In The United Kingdom Marketing Essay

African Caribbean Culture In The United Kingdom Marketing Essay African-Caribbean communities organize and participate in Caribbean Carnivals Caribbean style carnivals throughout the UK. The best known of these is the annual  Notting Hill Carnival, attracting up to 1.5 million people from Britain and around the world, making it the largest street festival in Europe. The carnival began in 1964 as a small procession of Trinidadians in memory of festivals in their home country. Leeds West Indian Carnival  is Europes oldest West Indian carnival and now attracts around 130,000 people. Other carnivals include the Leicester Caribbean Carnival and the Birmingham International Carnival. British African-Caribbean people A majority of the African-Caribbean population in the UK is of Jamaican origin; other notable representation is from Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Anguilla, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana (which although located on the South American mainland is culturally similar to the Caribbean and was historically considered to be part of the British West Indies), and Belize. African-Caribbean people are present throughout the United Kingdom with by far the largest concentrations in London and Birmingham. Significant communities also exist in other population centres, notably Manchester, Bradford, Nottingham, Coventry, Luton, Leicester, Bristol, Leeds, Huddersfield, Sheffield, Liverpool and Cardiff. In these cities, the community is traditionally associated with a particular area, such as Brixton, Harlesden, Stonebridge, Tottenham, Dalston, Lewisham, Edmonton, Peckham in London, West Bowling and Heaton in Bradford, Chapeltown in Leeds, St. Pauls in Bristol, or Handsworth and Aston in Birmingham or Moss Side in Manchester. According to the 2001 census, the largest number of African-Caribbeans is found in Lewisham, south-east London, with 9%. British African-Caribbeans have an extremely high rate of mixed-race relationships, and could in effect become the first UK ethnic group to disappear. Half of all British African-Caribbean men in a relationship have partners of a different ethnic background, as do one-third of all British African-Caribbean women. 2009 estimates for England alone roughly put the full African-Caribbean to partial African-Caribbean heritage ratio at 2:1, with over 900,000 people of African-Caribbean origin in total. England in 2009: 609,400 (approximately 1.20% of the English population) Regions with significant populations Greater London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, West Midlands, Manchester, Bristol, Nottingham, Leicester Sheffield Caribbean London Its hard to say exactly which parts of London are synonymous with Caribbean culture. In August itll be Notting Hill, but although there are hubs of residential areas Peckham, New Cross, Dalston, and Lewisham That will have their fair share of Caribbean (and African) residents and at least a handful of grocers or takeaways selling Caribbean food; its a community thats fairly spread across town. Two main areas do stand out, however: Brixton in South London and Harlesden in the North West. Brixton Market is home to Europes largest amount of Afro-Caribbean foodstuffs, which obviously appeals to a large contingent of Afro-Caribbean consumers who can also find specialist hairdressers, barber shops as well as hair products in the surrounding streets. Harlesden also boasts its fair share of Caribbean cafà ©s and grocers, but is best known as the reggae capital of London. AFRO HAIR Black hair has been the subject of discussion for many years. Today, black hair has reached new heights, with new styles, news products, and leading hair fashions. Whether its natural Afro, braids, weaves or treatments make everyday a great hair day!   Latest Info MACADAMIA HAIR OIL In just three years, Macadamia Natural Oil has risen to become a global phenomenon in professional hair care. INTL BLACK HAIRITAGE 2012 The 2nd Intl Black Hairitage is back with an afternoon of films, QAs, talk, workshop as well as a Mini Market to celebrate and explore the culture and issues around natural living and holistic health. NATURAL NOVEMBER Natural November event showcasing the very best in natural hair, health and beauty products with special guests. INGRID FARRELL CELEBRATES East London hair stylist Ingrid Farrell is celebrating after reaching the finals of the prestigious English Hair and Beauty Awards. AFRO HAIR BEAUTY SHOW Afro Hair Beauty LIVE loves to introduce revolutionary style ideas and this year weve scouted out the freshest and most talked about movers and shakers in hair and beauty industry to make the shows line-up more exciting than ever! CREME OF NATURE AWARDS 2012 The Creme of Nature Community Action Award is all about giving something back to the many communities across the UK that have helped make Creme of Nature one of the most well known brands in the hair and beauty market for the past 30 years. BLACK HAIR INCOME (UK) NETWORK Kolorpurple Marketing, a Bedford based firm announced the launch of a network marketing program, Black Hair Income (UK) Network to tackle the problem of unemployment amongst women in the African and Caribbean community. MARCIA JOHNSON STILL A SUCCESS Prolific national hair champion Marcia Johnson has proved shes still number one in her industry, nine years after she won her first award as a hairdressing student at the College of North West London.   ORGANIC ROOT STIMULATOR Is your hair damaged, over-processed, shedding or breaking? It sounds like your overdue a Hair MOT, get the recovery underway with the Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise an intensive conditioning treatment.   AMAZONIA ORGANICS This miracle treatment will transform all types of afro, relaxed, curly over-processed hair to a sophisticated level, organically and without the need for chemicals or harsh ingredients. The results are apparent instantaneously, producing a lush shine. Controls and nourishes dry hair.   HAIR CELEBRATION Hair Celebration at arc Gallery is an event inspired by Hair Power Skin Revolution: an anthology of poems and essays edited by Nicole Moore, in which Black and Mixed-race women explore the range of skin and hair experiences. CHRIS FOSTER Multi award-winning hairdresser Chris Foster provides a range of services to the hairdressing industry, from training and skill-development with the Foss Academy, through to session services, platform stylist and show organizer.   AFRO HAIR BEAUTY BIBLE   The Afro Hair Beauty Bible The must have beauty book for Women of Colour by Alison Husbands. This glossy stylish handbag sized book is complimented by stunning images in an easy to read format, just what a busy woman needs no matter what her lifestyle. GOOD HAIR DVD Written, produced and narrated by the worlds biggest comedian Chris Rock (Madagascar, The Longest Yard) and winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 2009, GOOD HAIR is released on DVD by Icon Home Entertainment on 27 September 2010.   SPECIALIST LACE FRONT WIGS Whilst hair loss can occur due to medical reasons (hereditary, diffused, chemotherapy), the most common reasons for hair loss amongst black women is due to chemical processing or traction damage. AFRO SAXONS Chocolate Films documentary Afro Saxons blows the lid on Afro-hair competitions in the UK. A warm, inspirational and touching film that delves into the professional and home lives of the stylists while they express themselves with mind-blowing gravity-defying hair designs.   Business and Marketing Plan Summary The Marketing Plan for Beauty Queens Cosmetics Illustrates with a Vision to get a growth in Targeted Region with a mission to achieve a Unique and leading role in his business Industry. And it includes a Marketing and Sales Plan which if executed well then the company can get their targeted growth result. The Report is supported with a Regional Analysis of Target Area and some info on Hair Products in UK Region. The Business Business name: Beauty Queens Cosmetics Business structure: hair and cosmetics specially designed for African people Business location: African and Caribbean customers in UK Date established: The date you started trading. Business owner(s): List all of the business owners. Products/services: black Afro hair and cosmetic products Goals/objectives: Increase lifetime value of customers Increase the average number of items purchased per sale Increase the frequency that a loyal customer shops Increase the percentage of customers who are returning customers Increase the number of new customers Increase customer satisfaction Increase visibility and memorability of brand identity Increase new customers from referral and word of mouth The Market Target market: Black British women, African and Caribbean customers in United Kingdom. Marketing strategy: By offering a complete range of black Afro hair products, Services Solutions for a variety of customers requirements. Reach out the Giant Customer base from all sectors. Enhancing the Online marketing strategies to reach out the peoples via Internet marketing. Segmentation of Customers The bulk of the ethnic minority group as a whole are concentrated in large urban areas, especially London. An outstanding 80% of Black Africans and 61% of Black Caribbeans lived in London. Following London, the second largest proportion of ethnic minority population as a whole lived in the West Midlands (13%), followed by the South East (8%), and Yorkshire and the Humber (7%). So The Segmentation of customers should largely focus on London and Birmingham. Notably Manchester, Bradford, Nottingham, Coventry, Luton, Leicester, Bristol, Leeds, Huddersfield, Sheffield, Liverpool and Cardiff have the good Number of afro Caribbean peoples. So the Major Focus should be on these cities. THE BUSINESS OF BLACK HAIR AND BEAUTY Size and Growth of Industry According to Cobweb Research, African Caribbean hairdressing is a rapidly expanding sector of the industry with an estimated 2,000 salons in the UK, at least half of which are located in London alone. The size and economic impact of this market is however, said to be vastly under-estimated. As a result, the Knowledge Centre on Black and Minority Ethnic Businesses (KCBMEB) in partnership with Afro Hair Beauty conducted quantitative research to provide an estimate of the true size of the industry. Rough calculations result in an estimated 50 million pound market for London alone which employs approximately 5,000 people Hairdressing in general is one of the faster growing industries in the UK, and although black women are estimated to spend, on average, four times more on their grooming then the average woman, a lack of formal business skills amongst many Afro-Caribbean-led salons means that these businesses are not enjoying the same level of success as their mainstream counterparts. To further emphasize this point, research conducted by Business Link for Londons Knowledge Centre on Black and Minority Ethnic Businesses also shows that expectations of growth in terms of employee size and turnover are not being achieved. The following table reveals that 16% of businesses expect to move out of the 5 or less employees category into the 6 plus category and almost one in ten of these businesses expect to move into the 10 plus employee category within the next two years. What happens in reality (if we compare 2 years ago and now) is that only 2% moved out of the 1-5 employee category, 3% out of the 6-10 em ployee categories, and 1% into the 10 plus employee category). Number of Staff in African-Caribbean Hair Beauty Businesses Two Years Ago Currently Expected in Two Years None 13% 7% 5% 1 5 employees 70% 72% 58% 6 10 employees 13% 16% 23% More than 10 employees 4% 5% 14% 100% 100% 100% Achieving Growth Potential African Caribbean Hairdressing is a rapidly expanding sector of the increasingly lucrative UK hair and beauty industry and since its inception has been one of the strongest growth areas in the Black and Minority Ethnic market. Added to this, the UKs ethnic population is growing by 2.5% a year and even more within London, which holds about half of the UKs BME population. Overall, the groups disposable income is estimated at  £12bn and the markets potential is further boosted by the fact that black women spend up to four times as much money on their hair as their white counterparts. Salon owners and professionals must be educated on the business case for increasing their business and technical skills, and formalizing their business processes so as to reap the benefits available to them in the form of training, funding opportunities, publicity and involvement in government initiatives aimed at achieving business growth within the sector. Attitudes need to be changed and to do so requires a social marketing campaign, the main objective of which should be to encourage the dissemination of information that informs and encourages salon owners and their employees to improve standards. As a result, Business Link for Londons Knowledge Centre on Black and Minority Ethnic Businesses is working with partners, shebytes Ltd., and Afro Hair Beauty to: develop a sustainable programme of business training and support tailored to the needs of businesses in this industry revival of an industry association that will champion the needs of all players in this specialised market support the development of an accredited training academy which will meet the continuous skills and training needs of this dynamic market develop an online database of businesses in the industry, create inspirational case studies of good practice in the industry, and develop online tools that are specific and easily accessible to business owners and aspiring business owners in the industry Competitors Analysis Its up to entrepreneurs to attract and retain customers, and all your most profitable future clients already exist. Many of them probably belong to your competitors, so its up to you to persuade them to do business with you instead. This is a skill business owners can learn. At its base, it comes down to advertising, something successful entrepreneurs are doing anyway. Plus, if youre going after your competitors clients, your chances for success increase for two reasons: Youre targeting only those prospects who have already purchased or are in the process of purchasing a product or service similar to yours, and youre rewarding the competitions best clients for taking immediate action while showing you proof of their purchasing intent. To reach those prospects interested in making a purchase, here are five ideas you can use right now in your display or internet advertisements: If you have received a written estimate from any of our competitors, show us proof and youll receive a special discount at our establishment. Show proof that you received our competitors sales letter, sample or brochure and instantly receive $25 toward your next purchase with us. If you currently own an XYZ Widget, you immediately qualify for an instant credit of $20 toward our products and services. If your do-it-yourself home repair project didnt turn out right, show us your receipt for materials purchased, and youll receive an immediate discount up to 10 percent off your repair bill. Before worrying about the cost of gaining customers this way, remember that your initial rebate or incentive offer is a one-time acquisition cost. The lifetime value of acquiring this new client could easily be worth thousands of dollars or more to your business.   For this strategy to work, your ads must reach your competitions clients. Research the places your competitors advertiseonline and in newspapers, magazines and the Yellow Pagesand advertise there, too. Then, when creating your next advertising campaign, ask yourself if your incentive is irresistible enough to instantly steal business away from competitors. With enough incentive and reward for taking immediate action, youll have created an advertisement tempting enough to accomplish your goal. Differentiate yourself from your Competitors 1.  Reduce Expenses, Not Advertising Take a look at your Profit and Loss statement, or itemize all of your expenses, and ask yourself how each line can be eliminated or reduced. Find out where you can cut back. A little here and a little there will soon add up. However, the one expense you do NOT want to reduce is advertising. In fact, many retailers will increase their marketing efforts during slower sales periods because there is more competition and fewer consumer dollars. 2.  Get Creative Retailers in the same industry generally use similar marketing methods to reach customers. Now is the time to get creative and use unconventional marketing methods to distinguish your business from the competition. A unique marketing campaign attracts more attention and lands more sales. Also, look for some new untapped market you and your competitors overlooked. You may uncover a niche market you can dominate with little or no competition. 3.  Provide Outstanding Customer Service By going the extra mile to provide good service, retailers can outlast the competition. Make shopping in your store such a memorable experience that customers cant wait to come back or to tell their friends. People like to shop where they feel comfortable and where they feel the owner truly cares about their wants and needs. Use your salespeople to talk with your former customers, present customers, and the people who buy from your competitors. Not to be gauche as a business-performance consultant, the best-practice answer is to hire a competent outside-participant to learn customers attitudes. A hot topic: Since early 2009, it seems all we have heard about is social media and connecting with customers. Hence, the increasing popularity of social-media measurement, but it is still challenging to leverage social media for business success. It takes a savvy staff or outside experts to listen and engage prospective customers in the marketplace. Beat a Lower-Priced Competitor Its every companys nightmare: a competitor enters your market with a similar product priced at a fraction of what you currently charge. You need a strategy for beating the low-ballers. So whats the best way to proceed? On the one hand, all you need to do is drop your prices below the competition, and buyers will beat a path to your door. On the other hand, this approach will land you in a price war, and there are no winners in a price war only survivors. Even if you manage to run your competitor out of business, chances are you may not have much of a business left when the battle is over. Luckily, it  is  possible to beat a lower-priced competitor without crippling your profits. Thats the good news. The bad news is that youll need to make major operational changes, and youll need to rethink how you communicate with customers. The changes required may not be for the faint of heart, but theyre better than the alternatives. So gird your loins, corporate warriors; youre about to embark on one of the biggest strategy challenges youll ever face. Select a Value Strategy. Goal:  Lay the groundwork for repositioning your product. When customers prefer the lower priced of two items, its usually because they believe the cheaper item is a better value. To compete, you need to get the customer to value your product more than the competitions regardless of the price. There are four market strategies that accomplish this: Lower your prices.  Yes, this is an option. The challenge is to do it without destroying your own profit margins. (Well explain how to do that in the next step.) The big danger here is that youll end up with a price war, so you must ensure that you have what it takes to be the last firm standing. Example: Dell underpriced PCs during the 1990s in order to grow market share. Build a uniquely superior product.  Customers will pay more if theyre convinced your product is demonstrably better than the competition. This superiority can be rational (like a feature or function nobody else has), emotional (like a reputation for being cool), or a combination of both. Example: Car buyers pay more for Volvos because theyre seen as safer than other cars. Create a hassle-free experience.  Customers will pay extra if your product is easier to buy and use than the competitors. Example: Many shoppers happily pay more for the convenience of bagged lettuce, even though it is significantly more expensive than head lettuce. Take ownership of the customers results.  Customers will pay extra if, in addition to providing the product, you take responsibility for ensuring that it generates the results the customer seeks. Example: GEs Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines come with consulting programs, operating training, and a patient-preparation program a package that ensures that the machines will meet the hospitals performance expectations. Big Idea Where Do You Fit In? Think of product value as a grid. The left axis defines what you sell: Does your firm offer stand-alone products, or do you specialize in offering an ongoing set of services? The top axis is about your core value proposition: Does your offering compete largely on the basis of how much it costs, or does it offer features that make it unique? The more sophisticated your product gets, the more you can charge for it relative to the competition. Similarly, the more value your services provide, the more you can charge for them. Reposition, Readjust, and Reallocate Goal:  Make the internal changes necessary to support your strategy. Lowering your prices = Changing manufacturing and distribution.  To beat low-price competitors at their own game while also remaining profitable, you need to squeeze every last drop of inefficiency and cost from your manufacturing and distribution system. Example: If your competitor has outsourced its manufacturing to China, consider outsourcing your manufacturing to Vietnam, where costs are even lower.   Building a uniquely better product = Changing design and engineering.  Determine through market research what features or design will prompt customers to see your product as being unequivocally superior to the competition. Then get engineering to build it. Example: If youre launching a line of designer handbags, find out what fabrics and leather provide a look and feel that potential buyers view as upscale. Creating a hassle-free experience = Changing sales and marketing.  Figure out why its difficult to buy and use your competitors product, and then make it easy to buy and use yours. Example: Pioneer recently offered giant console TVs for sale at Home Depot, because many customers often already had a truck in the parking lot that they could use to haul the bulky item home. Taking ownership of the customers results = Changing customer support.  Build a deep bench of experts who really understand your customers businesses. Example: Under Lou Gerstner, IBM hired and retrained thousands of consultants, transforming the company from a mainframe computer vendor into a computing services vendor. Promote the New You Goal:  Communicate your new value strategy to potential customers. Once youve implemented all the operational changes required to reposition your product in the marketplace, its time to tell the world why your firm offers superior value. That means adopting a communications strategy that matches your market strategy, as follows: If you offer lower prices, mimic the competitions go-to-market strategy.  Ensure that whenever a customer sees a competitors product, your product is right next to it at a lower price. Example: Kinkos searches out local print/copy shops and locates a franchise across the street, offering prices that the local shop cant match and eventually driving them out of business. If you build a uniquely better product, target your advertising.  Reach customer groups that are most likely to believe your product is superior by selecting venues that the competition neglects. Example: Sonys VAIO PC business advertises in lifestyle magazines to reach female buyers, who are more likely to appreciate the VAIOs sleek design. If you create a hassle-free experience, generate positive word of mouth.  Make it easy for your customers to sell for you. Consider tell a friend coupons or offer referral fees. Example: Network Marketing products (like Amway) are typically priced higher than store-bought items, but they are sold by neighbors to neighbors (thats the word of mouth) and drop-shipped to the buyers (thats the hassle-free part). If you take ownership of the customers results, create a presence as an industry insider.  Get your sales consultants out to conferences, working groups, and industry-association meetings where they can work closely with decision-makers and develop consulting opportunities. Support your consultants with a wealth of case studies and reference materials. Example: The IT consulting firm Accenture promises to take responsibility for the successful implementation of the strategies it develops for clients. Some Big Online Competitors http://www.yhbuk.com/ Global Rank- 6,500,967 http://www.pakcosmetics.com/ Global Rank- 237,489 Rank in GB- 24,238 http://www.evolutionhairdressing.co.uk/ Global Rank- 21,314,825 http://www.miracleshairandbeauty.co.uk/ Global Rank- 19,385,944 http://www.blackbeautyandhair.com/ Global Rank- 1,644,907 http://www.bebeauty.co.uk/ Global Rank- 20,902,879 http://www.beautyqueens.co.uk/ Global Rank- 5,862,573 These People are doing much of advertising to make themselves more and more present online. Using Search Engine Optimization, they are turning more and more traffic towards their online stores. There are lots of SEO techniques by which one can get a good traffic to their websites. SEO Experts are well equipped in using all these techniques to make websites online presence more and better. Social Media networking platforms are best way to make a good number of local customers and targeted people. Marketing strategy Marketing activity/milestone Person responsible Time Duration Print advertising Marketing Manager Once in a month public relations Marketing Manager One Year branding and artwork Marketing Head One Year publications and catalogues Marketing Head online advertising SEO Expert 6 Months blog/social networking SEO Expert 6 Months mail-out SEO Expert 6 Months Website SEO Expert 6 Months Event Marketing Head Once in 6 months media release (Online Direct) Marketing Head Once in a month The Marketing Strategies are as simple as in every business all people Execute to increase their sales. These Strategies could be Online Marketing and direct both. Advertising sales Advertising and promotional strategy Planned promotion /advertising type Promotional strategy Execution Print media advertising By Using Business Print Media, The Top Most level of executives of Industry can see the Service we offer. The Relationship Manger with The Help of Design team can create an attractive designed offer to publish on daily print papers in their targeted audience. online advertising Using Online Advertisement, A huge amount of traffic comes to the desired destination we set as our goal. We can manage this process with SEO expert. He can design and execute the suitable template to most of searchable websites around the target. mail-out Using Email Marketing we send thousands or lacs of Emails to the Executives who have decisive power to Enhance their business. SEO expert team will manage this email marketing process with their executives. publications and catalogues In Publication Catalogues we Can Include Our Products, Features, Services and the Latest Offers for New and Old Customers. Our Clients Review also plays a vital role in this section. When Looking at the competitors, we can make us stand out with differentiate and make this offer available on publications, catalogues and daily prints. blog/social networking Social networking places are becoming the new platform to promote the businesses and can increase the traffic on the web. We can put our products and services there for the consumer in any part of the world. The SEO or Social Media team will do blog posts, classified ads on ad post sites, do make interact with local guys and make them feel better with our products and service. branding and artwork, Events These are the strategies where we can invite our global partners, clients, share holders and new people to tell how and what we achieved. We can make better retention of our old partners, clients etc and can acquire the new people for growing our business. Relationship managers team will Arrange Brand publish, event organise and invite key customers and big clients. There can be a Reward ceremony to our major partners and distributors. public relations This can be good if we have a good relationship manager; he can be good with the clients and can generate a referral program in his team for new Acquisition. We need a Good Relationship Manger from Local area with a good experience and fair knowledge of customers and local people. Online Sales and Marketing methods Online Advertising Channels Strategy Execution Online Business Directories Online directories give consumers a one-stop shop for finding local businesses that offer the products and services they need. There are general online business directories that host listings for business in various industries, but there are also more specific directories that hold listings for niche businesses. Choose quality online directories that receive constant traffic and that are updated frequently with new listings, as customers are more likely to use these sites. There are lots of Online

Self-Control Theory Analysis of Drug Use and Distribution

Self-Control Theory Analysis of Drug Use and Distribution Self-Control Theory Analysis of Prohibited Drug Use and Distribution References Buker, H. (2011). Formation of self-control: Gottfredson and Hirschis general theory of crime and beyond. Aggression and violent behaviour, 265-276. Gottfredson, M. G., Hirschi, T. (1990). A general theory of crime. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. Hirschi, T., Gottfredson, M. (1993). Commentary: Testing the general theory of crime. Journal of research in crime and deliquency, 47-54. Hirschi, T., Gottfredson, M. R. (2000). In defense of self-control. Theoretical Criminology, 59-64. Macquarie. (2009). Macquarie Concise Dictionary . Sydney: Macquarie Dictionary Publishers Pty Ltd. Newburn, T. (2013). Criminology. Oxon: Routledge. Self-Control Theory Analysis of Prohibited Drug Use and Distribution What is self-control and how do we apply it as a theory when referring to criminal activity? How do we use the theory of self-control to create appropriate reduction strategies for combatting criminal activity? The Macquarie Concise Dictionary defines self-control as ‘control of oneself and or ones actions, feelings, etc.’ (Macquarie, 2009) where as Hirschi Gottfredson refer to self-control as being a ‘concern for the long-term consequences of one’s acts’ (Hirschi Gottfredson, 2000). Are a person’s actions or their control of, predetermined through learned behaviours or is it merely a social â€Å"out† to state that a person has no control over their actions? That they should not be held responsible for behaviours not within their control? When does a person become responsible for their actions and can a person who has limited self-control take steps to become more self-controlled. At the age of eight years old a person is deemed to have from the ability to have self-control. At this age is would be more likely that they have learned this self-control from factors such a family structure and schooling. As maturity is a limited factor at such a young age, if a person has not formed the ability to self-control their own actions, it will be a ‘visible and stable issue as they grow older’ (Gottfredson Hirschi, 1990). Of those people whose self-control has formed it is often noted that they are more likely to resist temptation and are less impulsive, than those whose self-control has not yet formed. They are said to be able to rationalise and behave in what are deemed social norms on a regular and consistent basis. People with low or unformed self-control tend to be self-absorbed, egocentrically self-centred and bear no concern to what consequences their actions have on themselves or other people (Newburn, 2013). Generally speaking they are more likely to use prohibited drugs, engage in risky behaviour such as unprotected or unsafe sexual practices, consume alcohol to excess and are more likely to participate in criminal activity. It should be noted that there is a difference to lack of or low self-control and impulsiveness. Lack of self-control can in turn result is continual behaviour reoccurring due to a person creating an acceptable image within their mind that their actions are justified. Impulsiveness can be a one off event that is spurred on by a momentary thought process that may not ever occur again. But this does not mean that people with low self-control are criminals or that all criminals have low self-control. Like most crimes that are committed, there is an element of opportunity that needs to be present. Newburn makes mention that although it does not provide a long term benefit for the person, it can be stimulating, thrilling and is usually an unskilled act or it does not require any form of proper planning and execution (Newburn, 2013). Even with or without opportunity, most crimes need some form of planning to ensure that they are likely to succeed. In his article on the formation of self-control, Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime and beyond, Hasan Buker identifies factors such as Family Structure, Parental Practices, Education and Learning, Biological Factors, Social Structure and Religious Involvement that contribute to how a person’s self-control is formed (Buker, 2011). By examining these factors we can attempt to create positive approaches to interact with people who have committed criminal offences and try to rehabilitate them from reoffending. But can those people who have already had their self-control formed be rehabilitated? Or must we strike while the iron is hot during the younger years of a person’s life and ensure that they are being appropriately taught right from wrong? The primary factors that determine one’s self-control as outlined in the general theory of crime are family structure and diminished parental supervision and parenting practices. If this is the case then it must be said that the secondary influences for self-control formation are social structure, education and learning. Almost all of these factors occur before a person has hit the defined age of eight years old for self-control formation. If parents find it socially acceptable to use prohibited drugs, then a young impressionable mind may feel that it too is an acceptable practice and is more likely to experiment if they are offered prohibited drugs at a later stage in their life. If suitable supervision occurs, which includes setting up appropriate boundaries and expectations, during the early years of a person’s childhood, including the adolescent years, they are more likely to respond in a positive manner to those who have no set boundaries and expectations. With thi s in mind, if parents are behaving in what is deemed law abiding behaviour, and they supervise their children in the same manner, then it must be said that their children’s level of self-control and ability to resist temptation would be greater and they are less likely to behave in criminal activity to those children who are not supervised in the same manner. Buker also raises social structure in his article stating that this can also lead to diminished self-control in an individual. Lower socio economic neighbourhoods are often linked to poor family structure and parental supervision as well as adverse learning environments. In these areas due to limited parental supervision, parents may often fail to monitor adverse behaviour and discipline their children in a correct and an appropriate manner. (Buker, 2011).

Average Student Reaches For Above-Average Success :: Interview Essay

Average Student Reaches For Above-Average Success With her curly hair pinned up and her leg shaking nervously, Tricia searches for both potential employers to work for and Master’s programs on the Internet. In the midst of her psychology textbooks lay piles of GRE practice tests and Graduate school applications. For the past year this has been a daily ritual. As she clicks around, her eyes glaze over and a headache sets in; but she tells herself to stay focused. Graduation is quickly approaching, and she feels a lot of pressure to figure out what she is going to do next year. In May, Tricia will graduate from King’s College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. â€Å"My options are limited, especially in today’s world. Four-year degrees don’t matter anymore; higher degrees are what’s expected. With a four-year degree in Psychology I could be a Guidance Counselor at a High School or teach Psychology classes at a Community College. But as for what I want to do- Forensics- I need Graduate School, specifically in Forensics and there are only ten schools that have it. It’s very competitive,† says Tricia Buchanan. Tricia has spent the last year researching Graduate schools to prepare for next year. â€Å"I started looking in July for Graduate schools. I had my mind set on going to Graduate school in August after graduation and that I wasn’t going to work. So, I spent the majority of this school year taking GRE practice tests, studying, getting applications, meeting with the career planning and placement office, and talking to teachers,† says Tricia. Average Student Discouraged by GRE’s Tricia’s plan changed in December. Suddenly all of those visions of getting into a Graduate school and moving ahead towards her goal, Forensics, were wiped away. All those hours studying seemed like wasted time. â€Å"In December I decided I was going to go the job route. I changed my mind because I got discouraged. I felt I needed a break from school and some time off. The GRE’s were a lot harder than I thought they were going to be. Also, I realized how competitive Graduate schools are. I am an average student. I don’t have any experience. Graduate schools in my program rely heavily on GRE scores, your cumulative GPA, and work experience,† says Tricia.

Caught in the Net (the Internet, that is) :: Personal Narrative, essay about myself

"Hello. My name is Kim. I'm an online-aholic." There. I've said it. I guess I've been addicted for quite some time now, but I have just begun to realize it. My first interaction with the "Net" began when I was only 15 years old. My dad was the computer coordinator at our school, so he wanted to try Internet access at home before installing it at school. We became America Online members in 1993. None of my friends had e-mail back then. My relationship with e-mail started like a Romeo/Juliet conspiracy. I experimented with the Net on the sly at night when the rest of my family was sleeping. That's when I first created my own screen name. Although I was too young to drive, the locked doors of adolescence were suddenly flung open before me. I could be social in the evening rather than hang out with my family-the typical family that every adolescent wants to escape from. Hanging out in chat rooms became a nightly ritual. I quickly found friends who would meet me there, give advice for my adolescent problems, and discuss things such as dating, theater, religion, morals, and entertainment. I began to form emotional attachments with these new friends. In fact, I maintained two online relationships for over two years. Raul is a Hispanic teenager living in one of the roughest cities in our nation, Compton, California-the filming location of the 1991 movie Boyz 'N the Hood. I met Raul in a chat room one night. He sent me an instant message in the middle of a discussion about religion and asked what I believed. My subsequent chats with Raul seemed to have an impact on him and helped me to grow in my own faith. I occasionally took Raul's questions to my preacher or Bible teacher when I needed further explanation. For Raul's 18th birthday, I sent him a Bible that I bought with my paper-route earnings. Raul and I wrote each other for two years, and then Raul had to sell his computer. I haven't heard from him since. Brian is a middle-aged high-school theater teacher in Bowie, Maryland. He answered one of my message board posts about an upcoming audition for our school's performance of The Sound of Music. I was 17 years old at the time and greatly desired a part in the musical. Brian had expert advice for how to nail the audition, and as a result I was cast in the role of Maria. Caught in the Net (the Internet, that is) :: Personal Narrative, essay about myself "Hello. My name is Kim. I'm an online-aholic." There. I've said it. I guess I've been addicted for quite some time now, but I have just begun to realize it. My first interaction with the "Net" began when I was only 15 years old. My dad was the computer coordinator at our school, so he wanted to try Internet access at home before installing it at school. We became America Online members in 1993. None of my friends had e-mail back then. My relationship with e-mail started like a Romeo/Juliet conspiracy. I experimented with the Net on the sly at night when the rest of my family was sleeping. That's when I first created my own screen name. Although I was too young to drive, the locked doors of adolescence were suddenly flung open before me. I could be social in the evening rather than hang out with my family-the typical family that every adolescent wants to escape from. Hanging out in chat rooms became a nightly ritual. I quickly found friends who would meet me there, give advice for my adolescent problems, and discuss things such as dating, theater, religion, morals, and entertainment. I began to form emotional attachments with these new friends. In fact, I maintained two online relationships for over two years. Raul is a Hispanic teenager living in one of the roughest cities in our nation, Compton, California-the filming location of the 1991 movie Boyz 'N the Hood. I met Raul in a chat room one night. He sent me an instant message in the middle of a discussion about religion and asked what I believed. My subsequent chats with Raul seemed to have an impact on him and helped me to grow in my own faith. I occasionally took Raul's questions to my preacher or Bible teacher when I needed further explanation. For Raul's 18th birthday, I sent him a Bible that I bought with my paper-route earnings. Raul and I wrote each other for two years, and then Raul had to sell his computer. I haven't heard from him since. Brian is a middle-aged high-school theater teacher in Bowie, Maryland. He answered one of my message board posts about an upcoming audition for our school's performance of The Sound of Music. I was 17 years old at the time and greatly desired a part in the musical. Brian had expert advice for how to nail the audition, and as a result I was cast in the role of Maria.

The Closet :: Creative Writing Essays

The Closet Wolfgang knew about his father's past. It wasn't talked about much, but when it was, Wolfgang's mouth would perspire saliva and he would swallow it with fear. His past scared him, scared him so much one time while listening a small puddle began to form around his left leg. His father had never hit him or anything. His friends, they all got the belt, slap across the butt. Wolfgang tried to explain to them the stories, but they all thought he had it easy. The stories consisted of a kid, a non descriptive child. Wolfgang guessed it was supposed to be his dad. The stories were of the same idea, of a kid being bad and getting punished for it. But they weren't your butt slapping punishments like all the other kids got. They were kids locked away in basements for the rats to eat, getting sold on the street to dirty men, things to the degree only the grotesque mind could imagine such a horror. But when Wolfgang was really menacing or his dad was drunk he would tell the story of the kid in the closet. The kid in the closet story scared Wolfgang so much he wouldn't dare get near one. The night had fallen and the dealers came out just after dusk, so Wolfgang moved his toys from the corner and walked up the apartment stairs. As his little twelve year old legs climbed the steps, he had to pass the bums that lay cold on the steps with their bottles of liquor. Once to the top of the staircase he passed a late dealer, and headed toward his home. As Wolfgang reached to the door it swung open nearly swiping off his arm. "What the hell do you think your doing out this late?" It was his father, again in a drunken state. "Get your ass in here!" he grabbed Wolfgang by the ear and pulled in him. "You know what use to happen to me when I was a kid?" he asked. "Not the closet, please no." Wolfgang pleaded with him. He didn't want to hear it one more time, or not ever again. " Oh you want to hear about the kid in the closet?" he took time to say it with ease and in such a matter that it scared Wolfgang so much he began to beg. "No, no, please, please don't, anything, whip me like the other boys, anything." He couldn't hold back the tears. Wolfgang's crying only worsened the scene and his father picked him up by

Junk Food in Schools Essay

The school bell rings, signaling the start of the lunch hour and the kids all head out to the same direction: the cafeteria. After hours of sitting through class after class, their minds get weary from having to cram all that information into their heads. Consequently, the need for sustenance is almost always overpowering. Lining up towards the food counter, the children load up their trays with goodies of their own pickings. A can of Coke, a cheeseburger or tater torts, a bag of Cheetos and a candy bar and they’re on their way to devouring their savory spread. Thousands of schools across the globe are now being seen to serve an array of food that is high in calories and have elevated salt and fat content, not to mention the amount of preservatives in them. Cheeseburgers, fries, pizza, chips, sodas and candy bars have become largely available in today’s cafeterias, providing an unhealthy alternative to the traditional cooked meals. â€Å"Junk food†, as is appropriately coined for food that has low nutritional value, has largely become a favorite on our average youngster’s menu. As such, profit-seeking companies have targeted schools to market such products. Not only are they being promoted in high schools but they have now infiltrated the middle schools as well, knowing that most of these children are probably eating the same amount of junk food in their homes too. Although major cola companies are denying several harmful effects of their products, colas are causing children to be caffeine dependent. Crisps and other snacks may be attractive to [Insert Last name 2] kids in that they taste good but the consumption of these â€Å"empty† calories is the leading cause of obesity in youngsters and obese children could end up having chronic heart problems. Thousands of parents have voiced out their concerns and a lot of people are aware of the threat that this issue poses on the children’s health. Some areas actually pass laws prohibiting schools from turning on vending machines during lunch hours. This measure has proven to be ineffective. Such failure is the culmination of years and years of neglect upon the dietary needs of the children. If adults were more vigilant in supervising such an integral part of their growth, this health issue would not be an issue at all. As a result, what adults can do is to wean these kids from this unhealthy inclination and provide them with a well-balanced, highly nutritious yet equally satisfying fare. Regulations in preparing meals should also be implemented with respect to the children’s vitamin and mineral requirements. Fried products should be kept at a minimum as they are high in fat content, having been fried in oil. Burgers, sausages and other types of â€Å"mechanically recovered meat† should be banned from the cafeteria as well as sweets like candy bars, toffees, mints, chewing gum and savory snacks such as crisps, salted nuts and tortilla chips. These food items contain large amounts of sugar, salt, food additives such as monosodium glutamate and polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. The school is a place where the youth, who are to become tomorrow’s adults, go in order to gain knowledge of all the worldly things that they would need in the future. It is a place where they feed their minds but what they are feeding their bodies in a place of learning might someday lead to unseen health problems unless, the serving of highly nutritious and substantial meals can be strictly enforced in the educational system and that the adults who run the schools keep in mind that the children’s health should in no way be compromised. [Insert Last Name 3] Works Cited â€Å"Junk Food Banned in School Meals†. 19 May 2006. BBC News. 11 April 2008. â€Å"Junk Foods†. 2008. Ask the Dietician. 11 April 2008.