Primark and Blockbuster Describe the main aims and objectives of the business

– Describe the main aims and objectives of the business and the external factors which have affected the ability of the business to achieve its aims and objectives. -Analyse how marketing activities, enterprise skills and teams have contributed to the success of the business Task 1 – Aims and Objectives All Businesses have a variety of goals that they aim to achieve and most businesses do achieve their goals. When they do they set their business with a much bigger goal that they will then try and reach. The common aims of business are to aim to make profit so that the owner can expand the business even bigger and which will influence the way that they behave. Some of the common aims are stated above and also explained in details below. The business I have chosen is Primark. First Primark store was opened in June 1969 in Mary Street which is where the Headquarter is also located. The business sells a variety of clothing, shoes and home ware such as curtains, pillows/cushions, rugs and simple bathroom equipment e.g. toilet seats. Primark has 238 and 156 store just in United Kingdom, 38 Stores in Ireland and etc. Also read The Story of an Eyewitness Essay Analysis Primark’s goals are mainly to provide what the public needs in a good quality and a low priced way. Seeing as Primark does not charge much money for any of the products that they sell, people should be realising that the product would not last very long as more expensive products that we would get from other store. The prices for Primark’s Products are all based on the quality of the product and its use which will all be taken into account when they price their products. Primark’s business aims and objectives Primark aims for increased sales by placing sales on a daily basis such as at the end of every season. For example, at the end of winter they place the winter products on half price sales which is a good strategy for a business to use because people will try to save money on products that they will be needing for the next winter and they want to be a step ahead and prepared for the arrival of the next winter. They objective here would be to make sure that they do not price their products at a higher cost rather than a reasonable and affordable price. Primark sell goods at a reasonable price and they want their customers to have a variety of options to them, so Primark are offering their customers good quality products at reasonable prices. This will be achieved by looking at their competitors and other stores, selling similar products, and making their prices lower than their competitors. Primark mainly aims to provide good quality products for their customers because they want their customers to realise that Primark is a good company. Just because they sell products at a very cheaper price, this does not mean that the products they sell are not good or at a bad quality. The main objectives in order to reach this aim will be to satisfy their customers and gain more potential customers. This will be done by making sure that they provide the customers with good quality products in order to grab potential customers. This will also help them to grab more potential customers as well as letting their customers know that they sell good quality products. Primark makes sure that their aims and objectives are linked to SMART which includes their aims and objectives being specific meaning that the goal can be accomplished than a general goal and measurable meaning that they can measure the progression that they are making to achieve the goal. Achievable, realistic and timely meaning that the aims and objectives can be achieved, realistic and can be achieved in the time they want to spend on achieving the aim. Primark aims to provide their customers with an excellent customer service which involves them being friendly and helpful towards customers and staff. Primark wants the public to think that they are a friendly company, so that this makes their customers want to come back to their store if they feel welcomed. Primark’s objectives for this are to make sure that the staff treat and greet their customers properly. They are trying to achieve this by greeting customers as soon as possible and making them feel welcomed at Primark and they also ask if they want any help in case they are shy to ask for help, just to make it easier for their customers. This will also help them grab potential customers and which will mean that Primark will be benefiting from a range of areas such as increased sales, potential customers and etc. Primark has a policy to treat everybody the same and everybody have their own rights. Primark wants to make their regular customers to feel like everyone is treated the same. Each and every customer are the same to Primark whether they have less money or lots of money with them, Primark intends to treat all their customers as equals. Primark will achieve this by having an objective to making everyone in the store feel individual and also by making everyone feel like they are ‘special' and no different from one another. Primark aims to target young, fashion-conscious under the age of 35’s, offering them high quality and fashion basics at a reasonable pricing, so that it could be afforded by everyone and are value for the amount of money they pay. Making a profit is one of Primark’s main aims and the objective to achieve this aim would be to make sure that they get increased sales instead of decreased sales. Increased sales will help Primark to make a lot of profit and will also show them if they have gained any new potential customers for Primark. This will also help Primark know the performance of their staff such as if they are providing an excellent customer service because this will increase sales. Primark comes up with their own designs for clothes that would attract their targeted customers which would be the under 35 year olds and the young who like to be up-to date with the latest fashion. Gaining more potential customers would also ensure Primark making more profit than usual. Making a profit will also help Primark to expand their business Total revenue is the total amount of money that comes into the business, Primark from selling products or service that were originally designed by the business. The total revenue can be calculated by: PEST Political Factors: There are several political factors that could affect the entire firm of Primark. One would be that if they were sued by their competitors for copying their similar products this will bring the market to a downfall for Primark. Primark was brought to court and sued by many of their competitors for copying designs of their products. This has a major effect on Primark as a whole firm because if they keep getting sued that will bring their market to a downfall and that is not great. In May 2004, Monsoon also took legal actions against Primark. Monsoon claimed that Primark had copied their  £44 butterfly skirt, selling it at  £11, as well as copying the Brittany top for girls. Primark charged around  £23,000 by Monsoon which was also an out-of-court settlement and this was after Primark admitting to the copies. In April 2005, Monsoon accused Primark of copying the designs of six more items that they claimed to have created. Primark was once again forced to remove all of these products that monsoon sued them form, from all the Primark shops when Primark was threatened by Monsoon to take legal action. Primark was not sued just by Monsoon because in 2009, Primark was sued by Superdry for making a cheap imitation of their ‘Brad' jacket. Primark got an out-of-court settlement with high street fashion brand Superdry, after Primark was accused of copying one of the Superdry’s leather jackets which was originally priced  £174.99 at the Superdry store and the imitation was sold for  £30 at Primark stores. This lead to Primark being sued which exposed that they were copying their competitors’ products which would have brought suspicion to all their other competitors on Primark. Primark was made to suffer the financial consequences of their illegal action that lead to a downfall of Primark. Political Analysis relates to the ability of the organisation to adopt or follow on the different governmental initiatives that might affect the performance of the entire firm, so basically this will affect Primark as a whole not just one Primark company the entire Primark companies and this will also include the headquarters. The government might establish certain policies for Primark and these policies that are established by the government might divert the local priorities of all the Primark companies. The government has a role to contribute in estimating and also forecasting the success of downfall of the Primark. The government might regularly take action in the changes of financial and economic policies in at a certain point on how the economy reacts. As the government also holds the regulations that should be part of the business’s cycle. Examples of the several acts that the organisation needed for compliance included the health and safety act, sex discrimination act, disability discrimination act, data protection act, sales protection acts, consumers’ protection act and so on. It is highly recommended that the organisation should be reacting to the impact of any increase or decrease in taxation or even to the impact of the acts in their business. Economical Factors: There are many Economical factors that may affect Primark and which may cause Primark to fall behind of their competitors. Primark targets the young Customer’s specifically the under 35 year olds. In 2008, Primark opened over 12 new stores and has now moved its business around Europe. This is a successful event that took place for Primark in 2008 and this could be affected in the future if they don’t make sure that they keep up with the forever changing economy. This will have an effect on few of the aims and objectives that Primark aims achieve because Primark’s potential customers would not have faith in them due to them copying products of other retailers. The business environment is ever-changing, and it is crucial that Primark analyses the environmental factors correctly in order to allow them to adapt to changes that may arise in the future. If Primark fails to analyse the environment changes correctly, or if they do not pay enough attention to observing the environmental changes then there are chances of Primark missing out of vital opportunities and will certainly fall under massive threat. This will also help their competitors to get ahead of Primark and it would not be an easy matter to handle. It will take Primark a very long time to get back on track and make sure that they handle things properly and to compete with their competitors on the same level. Economic analysis will help the Primark answer the increases and decreases in interest rates and its impact on their business or how a recession in the business cycle can affect their business as a whole. Primark has been recognised as one of the strongest businesses that can contribute a lot in the country’s Gross Domestic Product or GDP. In order to make Primark able to stand indifferent economic changes, there should be a strong financial fund that holds in the effects of recession as much in low exchange rates made by the import and export operations. Unemployment began to level off towards the end of 2011, and the beginning of 2012 saw the first fall in almost a year. This would have affected Primark due to the fall of Unemployment it would have made it harder for Primark to recruit appropriate and suitable staff for their companies which means less staff and it would have put more pressure on the staff that are employed at Primark because they will have to complete two people’s tasks in a day. Inflation could possibly be one of the factors to affect business. Inflation is actually a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a specific period of time. I don’t think Inflation would affect my selected business, Primark because their products are a mainly fast-fashion and a decent cost and that’s one of the main reasons that Primark makes a lot of profit and has many potential customers. Interest rates could also be a cause that affects the business. An interest rate is like the fee that you would have to pay as an interest which is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrowed from a lender such as the Bank. So basically the charge for borrowing money which is called Interest and Primark has also paid interests for the amount of money that they have borrowed of the bank. Primark has made sure that they pay back all the money that they have borrowed with the interest. Social Factors: Primark has received several awards for being value retailer of the year and UK retailer of the year. This will mean that Primark has an advantage of going abroad to other countries that they have not opened a Primark street store in those certain countries. Primark can now also easily expand and diversify, giving its competitors such as Next, H;M, New Look and so on, a competitive environment with the large amount of financial power that they hold. Primark now operates from 5.4 million sq. ft. of selling space which gives them the advantage of providing more goods and services for their potential and usual customers. Primark has many competitors and the competitive rivalry is â€Å"VERY HIGH† as there are a number of similar sized companies in the market who are offering similar kinds of products and due to high cost on exit (Exit barrier). The threat of substitutes are also â€Å"HIGH† for Primark because other company are offering similar products that are offered by Primark with a lower price and now it is very easy for customer to switch from one product to other as they have a variety of products to choose from for cheaper prices. The threat of new competitors for Primark is ‘LOW’ due to the high cost setup because new business cannot afford the amount of setup costs. Now-a-days banks tend to give loans for only larger businesses due to the smaller businesses not succeeding and failing to pay them back. Primark have number of smaller ones rather than relying on one big supplier. So here the negotiating power of suppliers is ‘LOW’ with Primark and amount of Buyers power is ‘HIGH’, as the market has many multi companies in them and now customer have become more sensitive than before towards the price that they pay for the products they purchase so they tend to visit every similar shores and then they come to an conclusion on where to buy the product and this would include the switching cost which is also not too high. The economies of scale may also have an effect on certain businesses. An economy of scale is the increase in the effectiveness of production as the number of goods that are being produced by Primark increases. In general, a company such as Primark that achieves economies of scale lowers their average cost per unit through increased production seeing as fixed costs are shared over an increased number of goods. There are two types of economies of scale; one which is an external economy, which means that the cost per unit depends on the size of the industry, not the firm. The second type of economies of scale is internal economies which meaning the cost per unit depends on size of the individual firm. The taste and preferences of the buying population is on the priority of the business. If there are newly-marketed products, the organisation will surely find many other ways that they could develop their own design which would make them be on the leading market. This would show the ability of Primark in different social changes and challenges mainly when they have many competitors. There are lifestyle factors that may affect Primark because they will also have to think about what the customers want. Most customers expect to have the latest fashion with the cheapest demands, meaning they would like to keep up with the latest fashions and be able to get them for cheaper. This could also affect the aims and objectives of Primark because if the customers decide not to shop at Primark t would decrease their sales. This would have a major effect on one of their aims, which is to get increased sales and they business would be on a downfall. Technological Factors: There are few technological factors that may affect the success of Primark and there are a number of technological factors that may help Primark succeed against their competitors. In Primark's bid for world class, cutting edge management of its ethical auditing programme, it has signed a deal with BSI Management Systems for the provision of Entropy Software. The investment in Entropy Software is a key part of Primark's ethical trade strategy, which will help calculate all supplier audits, non-conformances and remedial actions and also allow it to be managed through the Entropy Software platform, with much greater global visibility and management control. This means that Primark would either be on the same level or ahead of most of their competitors with this software installed at their stores. However, Primark lacks on online shopping whereas M;S have an online shopping which gives M;S a head start and gives the leading position to them. This affects Primark because they do not own an online shopping system which most people shop on. Online shopping is one of the most essential things for Primark as most people are lazy now-a-days and shop online. Moreover, most people tend to check out the new products that Primark has and customers will also want to find out if any products are on sale at Primark through online as well as shop. Environmental factors: Environmental factors can affect the business because if there was certain changes in the climate and environment. For example, if there was a sudden change in the sea levels, which would certainly have an effect on the transportation of supplies for Primark. If the goods are delayed for some time, this would decrease the sales for Primark and making them lose their potential customers that they have worked so hard to gain. Marketing activities: Marketing mix Blockbuster has been applying huge amount of effort in achieving their aims and objectives and in being successful. Factors such as marketing mix, they are providing the best product they possibly can. The products are high in quality, and original. The pricing they are keeping it fair. They are not ripping of customers, the customers feel safe with them because the customers know keeping a link with blockbuster mean they are happy with their pricing and the quality of their products. Furthermore, the placing is extraordinarily well; they have situated their store in a place where the customers are able to find it easily. Blockbuster is situated in a place where they are closer to wherever the customers are. The blockbuster organization knows what the best is for their customers, because of the carried out primary and secondary research. E.g. some primary research which blockbuster looked into was test marketing and focus group. Test marketing involved a certain product being tested in certain market to an individual age groups and seeing where it fits the best. Secondary research was looking at their competitors work, how they are getting all their customers and trying to expand in that idea and link it to the ones which blockbuster already has. So these types of secondary and primary research which blockbuster carried out and managed to gain the success in reaching their aims and objectives. To prove or disagree with that statement on the next page are graphs and charts of a questionnaire on the customers who shop at blockbuster asking how well blockbuster are doing in their 4ps and the overall business itself. Team working collaboration How the blockbuster team has effectively managed themselves in receiving their organisational aims and objectives. The meaning and importance of groups and team work in a business is essential. Work is a group based activity and if the organisation is to function effectively it requires collaboration and co-operation among members. In other words meaning any number of people who interact with one another are psychological aware of one another and perceive themselves to be a group. Group are characteristics of all social situations and almost everyone in an organization with will be a member of one are more groups. The working of groups and influence they exert over their membership is an essential feature of human behaviour and of organisational performance. So one event which blockbuster team has collaborated is the bankruptcy moment. Despite having the worst time and getting sued by Netflix, they were looking into their research more effectively. They looked at the 4ps carefully. They looked at the competitors’ way of gaining customers. The pricing, the productivity the quality of it and so on. The team work or the groups have co-operated with the business so well from going bankrupt they made the position of the business become number 1 in the rental retailing world. Questionnaire questions asked in the two different questionnaires are shown below for both questionnaires. Question on questionnaire audience What are your thoughts on the pricing on the products which blockbuster are holding them on? Public The qualities of the products are they up to the standards and are they up to your satisfaction! Public The promotional activities which blockbuster holds on occasions are they the best! So meaning should they reduce the price further or add additional accessories on to that deal and have it for longer periods of time. Public The placing of blockbuster is it situated in a place where you can easily get to it and find it easy to find! Is it the best place to reach the audience so customers? public Overall, blockbuster how good are they doing in their business, so are they achieving the best, most customers, and good quality products and so on? public The top questionnaire is a public based questionnaire which I handed out to those who shop at blockbuster and are working in place. The bottom questionnaire is a student based questionnaire. Why I chose to do two different questionnaire is because they will help me get the view of two different classes. Public side will tell me what they think of blockbuster rental industry, through what they can afford because they work. The student questionnaire is a based questionnaire on what they think of blockbuster rental industry because they buy mostly from blockbuster, e.g. games. The students will be saying what is good about blockbuster by not thinking of what the price of the products are, and how they are given out. Because they don’t work Questions Audience What are your thoughts on the pricing of blockbuster products? Students What are your thoughts on the products of blockbuster? Students What are your views on the promotional activities on the blockbuster deals? Students What are your views on the place where blockbuster store is nearest to you? Students What is the overall view on the blockbuster rental industry? Students The two questionnaires are compared at the bottom, which shows what they have in common and what they don’t and there you can see why I chose to do two different questionnaires. The different in minds and the classes they are in. Question 1) pricing of blockbuster? School public What the questionnaire found out for me from the students is that positive feedbacks may include something along the line that it is the value the pricing should be for their products because the value of the product is in high quality, the gaming renting and the buying of the movies or games are up to the customer s expectation. Furthermore you can buy membership for rent, so the students thought that that was a good deal. The public replied by the same sort of answer. The pricing for games as an example, is that high because firstly they are high quality, online severed, amazing graphics and the game modes. The movies are high definition. So the public graph shows the nearly the same sort of positivity and the amount of numbers which they thoughts was the right pricing. Negative feedback may be along the line of that it is expensive. So opposing what the positive feedback all concluded to. They don’t think the quality is up to what they think is right and so on. Negative feedback which I got back was that they are expensive. Again opposing the positive feedback. Some say that due to their pay they can’t buy it but overall, it’s good. The two pie charts above show the difference in views in acknowledgment of blockbuster from the students in Drayton manor high school and the people in workplaces or outside in public. The pricing of blockbuster utilizes where the faults and the goods are for this company or blockbuster. In general terms pricing is simply what the company gives their products in order to sell the most goods from their stores. In the bottom table you can see how the two graphs show the differences in themselves and the similarities in them self selves. Or moreover the disadvantages and the advantages blockbuster got in their pricing strategies. Overall, blockbuster has a good quantity of numbers supporting the goods of pricing. E.g. blockbusters are becoming global leaders through this. More and more people are renting their movies and games and buying them also. So blockbusters have been doing fairly good with their pricing but however. More people are downloading the movies and games of online for free. This put blockbuster into gaining loses of customers. So their profit level went done by miles. This also gives a bad impact on them reaching their aims and objectives. Question 2) quality of productivity? School public Firstly, products are simply what the market provides to its target audience. The charts above show the different thoughts on what they think of the productivity of the blockbuster products. The positive feedback which I concluded to get from the students was that they are up to what they expect to get. But some thinks that the products that blockbuster provides are of other companies like Disney or other game software companies. So it doesn’t actually count to what the products of blockbuster are up to high standards. What the positive feedback which I gained were that they were not scratched up, they worked properly. So you can see in the chart everyone ticked yes so full 10 people agreed that the blockbuster provide the best productivity they can offer. Negative feedback which I received about the products were that they are angry with the quantity of how many of the same product blockbuster has got. Some students went to buy fifa they get the response of `we are out of stock for that product’. So the quantity of the product matters when dealing with the productivity of any company. As you can see that the negative feedback which got was nothing. Because everyone I asked ticked yes. They did not objective with the productivity of the product of blockbuster. Overall, the productivity of the product from blockbuster is too what the customers expect. Blockbuster never had any complains about their products and they got positive feedback about their products. Blockbuster however, been unable to get the most amounts of people to buy their product. Because their competitor has been stealing their customers with their online movies watching site. With amazing quality and the best they can provide. So with the productivity blockbuster has been doing great but Netflix beats them by an inch of better nests. So competition is a main obstacle in reaching their required aims and objectives, so blockbuster must know what to do in order to restore its profit levels Question 3? Promotional activities? School public Promotion is type of communication that uses various methods to reach its target audience in order to sell the best and still gain the scene profit. Positive responses which I had been given by some of the students were the promotion types which blockbuster gives out are pretty effective. Why? Some say that it attracts the customers in varies different ways. Firstly, the deal itself. What it is? Secondly, the pricing, so what the deal is ended up adding to and how much of amount disc for movies and games can be bought. Positive feedback which was given to me by the public was as follow. The deals which blockbuster gives out are always amazing to look up to. They don’t give a slight dissatisfaction of what the deal disapprove them by. So any bad faults. Negative feedback such as they don’t have the best for their deals. They are simple. In order to gain more customers they need to promote their promotions through TV and billboards maybe. Negative feedback which I received back where they were still high in pricing. They may have some deals which give out 5-10 DVDs but people just download it from the internet for free and for high quality. The promotional activities for blockbuster have been effective in gaining various customers. However people just download the movies or get pirate copies for  £2. They can get cheapest games from gaming sites such as steam. Steam is an online gaming site where you can buy games including the latest ones like fifa 13 and mw3 and play them on your pc for the same type quality on the gaming consoles. So blockbuster may have great deals but, people don’t buy from them they download it free of the internet and or buy it for cheaper room online gaming sites like steam. Again blockbuster must research the competitions. There is not only Netflix or game, but online gaming sites like steam so this is a let-down for blockbuster they got ruined by an online gaming site. Question 4) the placing. School public Blockbuster which I looked at is in west Ealing the nearest blockbuster to my house and to those who I have asked to fill out my questionnaire. Positive feedbacks were basically as simple as the blockbuster store is near my house. Or it is around the corner. Blockbuster is on high street of west Ealing so they are seen without having the people for them or their store. They are easy to find. But most importantly they are close to their houses. Positive feedbacks were the same as the section for the students. Some whys which were the response were they are closer to their housings and in the main shopping centre to where they live. So in this case it is west Ealing. People say they can just walk to their nearest blockbuster so it’s great for them. Negative feedback not given because nobody though blockbuster had a bad placing. Negative feedback was they are not more than one blockbuster around their housing area. So in west Ealing there is only one blockbuster, none in Ealing Broadway and other towns. So they need to extend their store to further reaches. Blockbuster placing of their stores in fact done great for them, because whenever you enter west Ealing that is the first store you see. Most importantly it is the only blockbuster store you will find. Why this is a good thing, blockbuster will get all of its customers to that coming store so they will receive the great deal of profit and customers. However not having a blockbuster everywhere or every town, such as Ealing Broadway customers or consumer will go to their nearest gaming store. So Ealing Broadway has Argos or game or other stores like him. So blockbuster has lost in profit and customers due to this point. Question 5) overall view of the business. School public Overall view of blockbuster, means it include the 4ps and the whole business layout itself. Meaning the staff, the stores and what the business should, does provide. Some positive feedback which I got back from the students was that the students thought that the deals which blockbuster gave were amazing. E.g. game like call of duty, if you pre order it and get at midnight on the day comes out you get it for  £2. So the students enjoy these kinds of deals and that’s why the students think that blockbuster is the best store. Positive feedbacks are simple being just a great shop and the place for to rent and buy DVDs. The staffs are helpful; they tell you about any unsure products, they will give you feedback and their personal views on the product. So you if are buying it you won’t regret buying it. Negative feedbacks were that they weren’t enough stores in London. They need to build more stores in order to gain that max profit and take on their competitors like Netflix or game. Or as I previously said online gaming site named steam. Negative feedbacks were as follow, they said that it was slow on customer service and the stock levels. What that means whenever someone goes to buy something, blockbuster don’t have it or it’s for viewing only. Overall, the business has done great but for them to reach their aims and objectives they need to build more stores to reach their max profit and not go bankrupt. Blockbusters have gone bankrupt by Netflix. Blockbuster has been sued for coping Netflix ideas which concluded the future of blockbuster into bankruptcy. No customers went with them. No nothing bought and rent. So overall blockbuster has been having difficulties in life of its stores but blockbuster still managed to achieve the aims and objectives it has dreamt of. So global leadership is still highly stated with blockbuster, they still are in front of Netflix, they are still the best rental type. All this because they knew what they were doing. The 4ps were defined well. So the right pricing, good quality products, and so on. Blockbuster may of have been deflected in many ways but they stood their ground and did achieve their biggest aim of global leadership in the rental retailing world. Manager response to the success of business in achieving their aims and objectives In order to reach the aims and objectives, the manager gives me an answer of management and control. In the discussion the role of the manager attention was drawn to the motivation of staff and importance of control over the performance of other people’s work. Organisation implies control. A social organization is an ordered arrangement of individual human interaction. Control process help keep them conformant to the rational plan of organizational. Organization requires a certain amount of conformity as well as the integration of diverse activities. It is the functional of control to bring about conformance to organisational requirement and achievement of the ultimate purpose of the organizational. This shows that team work is an important factor in running blockbuster rental retailers. Control and management is essential in order to get the best out of the staff as a manger. In order to reach the max potential to gain the organizational aims and objectives you will need control on the staff. Furthermore you need control over the 4ps in order for the business to succeed in their aims and objectives. Control over the 4ps is essential. Control over the 4ps meaning full success on the business profit lines and aims and objectives. 4ps meaning control on place, product, promotion and price. The business needs to know what has the best meaning of customer needs is. They need to find out their expectation and what they can afford. This can help the business achieve their aims and objectives.

Deception Point Page 47

Arriving now at the doorway of the Communications Office, Tench felt alive with the thrill of the fight. Politics was war. She took a deep breath and checked her watch. 6:15 P.M. The first shot was about to be fired. She entered. The Communications Office was small not for lack of room, but for lack of necessity. It was one of the most efficient mass communications stations in the world and employed a staff of only five people. At the moment, all five employees stood over their banks of electronic gear looking like swimmers poised for the starting gun. They are ready, Tench saw in their eager gazes. It always amazed her that this tiny office, given only two hours head start, could contact more than one third of the world's civilized population. With electronic connections to literally tens of thousands of global news sources-from the largest television conglomerates to the smallest hometown newspapers-the White House Communications Office could, at the touch of a few buttons, reach out and touch the world. Fax-broadcast computers churned press releases into the in-boxes of radio, television, print, and Internet media outlets from Maine to Moscow. Bulk e-mail programs blanketed on-line news wires. Telephone autodialers phoned thousands of media content managers and played recorded voice announcements. A breaking news Web page provided constant updates and preformatted content. The â€Å"live-feed-capable† news sources-CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, foreign syndicates-would be assaulted from all angles and promised free, live television feeds. Whatever else these networks were airing would come to a screeching halt for an emergency presidential address. Full penetration. Like a general inspecting her troops, Tench strode in silence over to the copy desk and picked up the printout of the â€Å"flash release† that now sat loaded in all the transmission machines like cartridges in a shotgun. When Tench read it, she had to laugh quietly to herself. By usual standards, the release loaded for broadcast was heavy-handed-more of an advertisement than an announcement-but the President had ordered the Communications Office to pull out all the stops. And that they had. This text was perfect-keyword-rich and content light. A deadly combination. Even the news wires that used automated â€Å"keyword-sniffer† programs to sort their incoming mail would see multiple flags on this one: From: White House Communications Office Subject: Urgent Presidential Address The President of the United States will be holding an urgent press conference tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time from the White House briefing room. The topic of his announcement is currently classified. Live A/V feeds will be available via customary outlets. Laying the paper back down on the desk, Marjorie Tench looked around the Communications Office and gave the staff an impressed nod. They looked eager. Lighting a cigarette, she puffed a moment, letting the anticipation build. Finally, she grinned. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen. Start your engines.† 53 All logical reasoning had evaporated from Rachel Sexton's mind. She held no thoughts for the meteorite, the mysterious GPR printout in her pocket, Ming, the horrific attack on the ice sheet. There was one matter at hand. Survival. The ice skimmed by in a blur beneath her like an endless, sleek highway. Whether her body was numb with fear or simply cocooned by her protective suit, Rachel did not know, but she felt no pain. She felt nothing. Yet. Lying on her side, attached to Tolland at the waist, Rachel lay face-to-face with him in an awkward embrace. Somewhere ahead of them, the balloon billowed, fat with wind, like a parachute on the back of a dragster. Corky trailed behind, swerving wildly like a tractor trailer out of control. The flare marking the spot where they had been attacked had all but disappeared in the distance. The hissing of their nylon Mark IX suits on the ice grew higher and higher in pitch as they continued to accelerate. She had no idea how fast they were going now, but the wind was at least sixty miles an hour, and the frictionless runway beneath them seemed to be racing by faster and faster with every passing second. The impervious Mylar balloon apparently had no intentions of tearing or relinquishing its hold. We need to release, she thought. They were racing away from one deadly force-directly toward another. The ocean is probably less than a mile ahead now! The thought of icy water brought back terrifying memories. The wind gusted harder, and their speed increased. Somewhere behind them Corky let out a scream of terror. At this speed, Rachel knew they had only a few minutes before they were dragged out over the cliff into the frigid ocean. Tolland was apparently having similar thoughts because he was now fighting with the payload clasp attached to their bodies. â€Å"I can't unhook us!† he yelled. â€Å"There's too much tension!† Rachel hoped a momentary lull in the wind might give Tolland some slack, but the katabatic pulled on with relentless uniformity. Trying to help, Rachel twisted her body and rammed the toe cleat of one of her crampons into the ice, sending a rooster tail of ice shards into the air. Their velocity slowed ever so slightly. â€Å"Now!† she yelled, lifting her foot. For an instant the payload line on the balloon slackened slightly. Tolland yanked down, trying to take advantage of the loose line to maneuver the payload clip out of their carabiners. Not even close. â€Å"Again!† he yelled. This time they both twisted against one another and rammed their toe prongs into the ice, sending a double plume of ice into the air. This slowed the contraption more perceptibly. â€Å"Now!† On Tolland's cue, they both let up. As the balloon surged forward again, Tolland rammed his thumb into the carabiner latch and twisted the hook, trying to release the clasp. Although closer this time, he still needed more slack. The carabiners, Norah had bragged, were first-rate, Joker safety clips, specifically crafted with an extra loop in the metal so they would never release if there were any tension on them at all. Killed by safety clips, Rachel thought, not finding the irony the least bit amusing. â€Å"One more time!† Tolland yelled. Mustering all her energy and hope, Rachel twisted as far as she could and rammed both of her toes into the ice. Arching her back, she tried to lift all her weight onto her toes. Tolland followed her lead until they were both angled roughly on their stomachs, the connection at their belt straining their harnesses. Tolland rammed his toes down and Rachel arched farther. The vibrations sent shock waves up her legs. She felt like her ankles were going to break. â€Å"Hold it†¦ hold it†¦ † Tolland contorted himself to release the Joker clip as their speed decreased. â€Å"Almost†¦ â€Å" Rachel's crampons snapped. The metal cleats tore off of her boots and went tumbling backward into the night, bouncing over Corky. The balloon immediately lurched forward, sending Rachel and Tolland fishtailing to one side. Tolland lost his grasp on the clip. â€Å"Shit!† The Mylar balloon, as if angered at having been momentarily restrained, lurched forward now, pulling even harder, dragging them down the glacier toward the sea. Rachel knew they were closing fast on the cliff, although they faced danger even before the hundred-foot drop into the Arctic Ocean. Three huge snow berms stood in their path. Even protected by the padding in the Mark IX suits, the experience of launching at high speed up and over the snow mounds filled her with terror. Fighting in desperation with their harnesses, Rachel tried to find a way to release the balloon. It was then that she heard the rhythmic ticking on the ice-the rapid-fire staccato of lightweight metal on the sheet of bare ice.

Macro-Economic Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macro-Economic Issues - Essay Example The impact would stem around profitability, efficiency, risks and leverage. At first a brief overview of the UK economy for FY 10, 11, 12 would be given and would then be followed by the effects on Imperial tobacco. Then a speculation would be made as to how Imperial tobacco would respond to these macroeconomic changes based on strategy and corporate objectives of Imperial tobacco. The growth of the UK economy seems sluggish in the aftermath of the financial crisis. The crisis had hit the UK from both eastern and western borders. This includes the housing market crash of US and the Euro Zone Debt crisis. Between 2008 and 2010, the GDP growth rate has been negative (Trading Economics, 2012) and the rate after 2010, although positive, has not been satisfactory. There is also a fear of double dip recession since the second quarter of FY 12 has experienced a GDP growth rate of -0.2 % (BBC News, 2012), the production sector has also experienced a decline of 1.4% , followed by a fall in co nstruction output of 0.5 % and compensation of employees by 0.3%. Now coming to the fiscal statistics, the National debt to GDP ratio stands at 80 %, the budget deficit has been reduced and increased VAT yield show signs of fiscal tightening. Interest rates are an all time low and despite of this bank lending to small businesses is falling. Low interest rates and increasing current account deficits are also putting pressure on the British Pound. A falling pound would hurt distributors country wide since import costs would rise as they would have to pay more in terms of the domestic currency. Unemployment hovers around 8.4 % and no signs of improvement are expected. Consumer confidence shows no signs of improvement despite yearly increases in current expenditure (The Economist, 2012). In addition to, UK has seen some major structural changes over the years, of which the most notable is the ageing population. Ageing population refers to a rise in the average age of the population of a country over time. So it is unlikely that the market for UK would continue to grow. In addition to, this has the impact of increasing wage levels across the economy as Labor supply reduces in the long run. Apart from these macroeconomic issues, the tobacco industry has been subjected to severe regulatory policies around the world which include: Increased duties year on year Ban on cigarette advertising Ban on smoking in public places Allegations of illicit trade Plans to introduce plain packaging All these regulations tend to have a negative impact on tobacco industry, with the exception of the levying of excise duties which would be discussed later on. Imperial tobacco seems to be quite resistant to macroeconomic changes. The risks that currently pose threat to Imperial tobacco plc are interest rate risks and exchange rate risks. Interest rate risks accommodate the financing and profitability of the company since Imperial Group plc has a high Debt to Equity ratio and raises a larg e amount of capital from debt capital and Bank loan markets. Now if the bank fail to meet their obligations of refinancing the debt then it would definitely limit the ability to capitalize on global opportunities and mitigate threats. Movement in interest rates can also affect the credit rating of Imperial tobacco and reduce its profitability because of increased finance costs.To reduce these risks Imperial employs various hedging strategies and has invested some of

Medical Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Medical Law - Essay Example Moreover, the evaluation of the physicians, with regard to the continuance or otherwise of the patient’s life, is bestowed with primacy. In many instances the courts have agreed with the physicians’ evaluation that it would defeat the best interests of the patient to continue with life prolonging medical measures (Mendelson & Jost, 2003, p. 131). The 1993 case of Airedale NHS v Bland proved to be a landmark case in the area of cessation of artificial feeding and therapy. The court permitted the withdrawal of treatment from persons in a persistent vegetative state (PVS). In this case, the defendant Anthony Bland was in PVS as a result of having been asphyxiated in a stampede. The physicians attending upon him proposed the discontinuation of artificial feeding and antibiotic therapy (Tibballs, 2007, p. 233). Subsequent to undergoing a persistent vegetative state for three years, a court order was procured by the physicians attending upon Bland. This order permitted the me dical authorities to write finis to the indignity and degradation that had become an integral and overwhelming component of this hapless individual’s life. It was the considered opinion of the judges, ruling in this case that the inability of Bland to execute a will had prevented an earlier end to his pain and indignity filled life (Docker, 2000). It was clearly realised by the medical authorities that such cessation of feeding and treatment would result in death by starvation. However, such a course of action would not cause discomfort to the patient. It was also assumed that it would be in the best interests of Bland to legally discontinue the life sustaining treatment and tube feeding. Lord Hoffmann opined that the discontinuation of treatment was not only in the best interests of Bland but was also aimed at stopping the humiliation being undergone by him and to prevent distress to his family members. According to Lord Mustill, Bland had to be allowed to die in the best in terests of the community. He further stated that this decision was in the best interests of the family members of Anthony Bland (Tibballs, 2007, p. 233). While pronouncing judgement in the Bland case, one of the presiding judges stated that the States of the Union in the US, which had enacted laws to permit living wills, there was an explicit exclusion of terminating life by discontinuing nourishment and hydration (Ozimic & Fleming, 2011). It is the duty of a doctor to take into account, the best interests of a patient. However, there is an erroneous presumption that the best interests of the patient can be determined only by reference to the patient’s wishes, prior to his becoming incapacitated. The choice exercised by a patient need not necessarily be in his best interests, on every occasion (Ozimic & Fleming, 2011). In addition, ignoring the wishes of an incompetent person, should not be invariably be deemed to be disrespectful to the patient, and in contravention of his r ights. Although, patient autonomy is of considerable significance, doctors take other factors, such as life and health, and the provision of adequate health care in order to support the health and life of the patient. With respect to an incapacitated individua

Company Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Company Security - Essay Example The needs of users of  the data provided via a network and subsequently develop a security policy and plan that addresses the security issues concerned (Langer, 2001). The ensuing distribution of data in client or server networks leads to increased susceptibility of the system to fraud, damage by malicious software, misuse, as well as physical damage. With business organizations and their stakeholders developing complex networks, security issues become a key factor of consideration. The security systems developed by such organizations must seek to protect all areas of concern across the network to prevent the occurrence of unethical practices in relation to the information flowing through the system. The value of security in a client/server network plays an inevitable role in protecting the data, as well as the ethical concerns of the parties involved thus, requiring the development of a comprehensive network security policy as reviewed in this context and with reference to ZXY Cor poration. In order to enhance secure access control over the network, the company can apply advanced authorization, as well as access control methodologies that would subsequently enhance network security. The interrelated methods of user authentication and authorization that are applicable will depend on the sensitivity of the section of the network and the information that may be accessible. Shared resources in the network are available for all the users except the resource owner. As such, the security system needs to protect such information from unauthorized access and use. In the network’s access control framework, unique security identifiers (SIDs) may embody the users in the system, and they are subsequently assigned permissions and rights that provide information to the operating system concerning what each of the users can do in the system. Each of the resources in the network has a designated owner who grants  permission  to users. In

Usage of Drugs at Music Festivals Research Paper

Usage of Drugs at Music Festivals - Research Paper Example Most of the people on the occasion take drugs just in the name of having fun while others have just the curiosity of knowing how it feels taking the drug. Not being considerate of the adverse effects of the drugs, some people consume alcohol among other drugs abused, in the name of getting high. They believe that they need to be off their chops to enjoy the loud music and lights. Beginners suffer more compared to frequent users of the drug (Platt 1).  In some occasions, the carries away some individuals, who becomes hyped and pushes limits too far by doing things that they would not do in ordinary situations. At such point, they take drugs and do crazy stuff that they come to regret afterward when nursing their hangovers. Some go back to their homes injured only to realize when sober. Games such as â€Å"truth or dare† and â€Å"dirty deeds† played by youths during the event also contribute significantly in such occasions. Sometimes they dared one to drink or take a d rug that they do not know. They do so in the name of the game. Drinking competitions also leave others taking too much of alcohol, chewing blackout among other adverse effects (Lim et al. 440). One of the most commonly abused drugs during Electron Music Festival in the US is Molly, the recent name for ecstasy. They take the drug for the stimulation by light, sound, and touch sensation. To them, it gives a good feeling. They forget its side effects, which include paranoia, depression, nausea, and dehydration. Adversity of the effects of the drug occurs with an increase in temperature. Taking the drug in this condition increases the effects of hyperthermia. In some cases, it causes death from dehydration or heart failure (Hesse and Tutenges 88).

How to Look Good when Pregnant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How to Look Good when Pregnant - Essay Example After all the pregnancy condition is a celebration of your female nature especially motherhood. There is no need to spoil the joy with a dull look. There is no proper reason to do that since there are abundant stores in our country, which offers a number of fashions that will help you look impressive in the period of pregnancy. If you think of price, there are varied fashions that are suitable for you at your power to purchase. What you ought to do is choosing the best out of the best, nothing else. This article gives you everything you need to look good when you are pregnant. What should you wear when pregnant Your look generally depends on the type of clothes you wear. For you to look good when pregnant, you have to be smart in your selection of clothing. In the ancient times, people used to hide their bellies when they are pregnant. If you still use them, then you have to read this article with a lot of keenness. Pitched in a tent like dresses were used by the mothers so that they could not be noticed in any way that they were pregnant. This culture has long ceased, and in today’s world, there are fashions and styles of making clothes that will always make you look beautiful and impressive. Here, are some of clothing and possible shops where you can get them. Tops As you know or have realized your bust will always increase when you are pregnant. You need tops that will cover you well as well as make you feel relaxed always. This should not bother you anymore. There are diverse versions of tops which the you can use to fit your increasing body at pocket friendly price. You may choose to wear the empire waist top which pushes over one right below the bust allowing ample space for the bump or use other tops such as stretch t-shirts, flannel shirts, bottom-front shirt among others. All these are found at different sizes in the shops and their prices won’t injure your bank account. Stores that offer such selections at an affordable price are for ins tance the Ann Taylor Loft, the Motherhood Maternity and the sears. Maternity dresses Presently, your pregnancy bump is not something to hide in your dresses. Celebrations should be your theme due to the maternity clothes which are now becoming better looking with each passing day. They will make you look pretty and feel feminine. Never mind of your pants, get stretch pants, which also look a lot better. Tummies are often exposed with dresses that skim the body, jeans that are low waist and even reaped T-shirts. Dresses are the most relaxed piece of clothing to sport while you are pregnant. The dress will also make you look stylish. As one selects a dress to wear while she is pregnant, some considerations must be made. The dresses are fitting through the shoulders and have a neckline that is flattering. These dresses are modeled in a way that to be able to add a jacket or a sweater for a different look. Type of shoes to wear during pregnancy The formal dress will make you look cuter when paired with low heels or boots, earrings, handbag, as well as a little makeup. Pigtails are low safeguarding and sexy all at ago. You can even dress up a roll with a little bit of coverings and elegant clips. Swelling of feet is one of the symptoms of pregnancy. You need to change the shoes you wear in order to be fitted and make you comfortable (Riley 2006). This as well is available, and

Answer dq 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer dq 7 - Essay Example He built a relationship which was firm and tackled it enthusiastically. He set an example by personally adopting all possible traits to be a fruitful leader which motivated his followers and ultimately it is understood that if a company flourishes, workers flourishes. One of the main points is, a leader who has a charisma can understand the issues that would arise with his new plans, and therefore he remains ready to guide, help and accommodate his followers well. (Raelin 2003) explains that all leadership styles have something good to be adopted; therefore charismatic leadership can walk parallel to transformational leadership because charisma spreads over groups and transformational leadership supports it well. To attract followers, we studied well in our last discussions that currency exchange and implementation law of reciprocity can be good deal to make followers work accordingly. Different leadership styles are interlinked and therefore in my last article I wrote that theorists claimed that leadership is the most complicated phenomenon to be completely implemented. (Bascal and Associates) narrates that Charismatic leaders have an ability to communicate on strong emotional grounds and can convince, support and make followers understand the requirement of a desired plan, John F. Kennedy who is referred as a charismatic leader serves perfect example. He convinced people to remain strong and fight back for their rights during crucial time of Civil War. I agree with the point raised that setting charisma and vision into two different entities can simplify things to be understood. Vision is embedded in charisma and therefore a charismatic leader is able to convince people to understand his vision and work together to accomplish it, while remaining on a powerful emotional ground. Strong leadership is about executing the plans firmly and charisma makes it more fascinating

Immigration As A Way To Change Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Immigration As A Way To Change Life - Essay Example The underdeveloped living environment, with its darkened and rather unpalatable manufacturing structures, create an  atmosphere of dreariness which is emphasized by the haggard-looking citizens who haul themselves around the city wearily as they live out their lives in both social isolation and fear of the uncertainty that troubling economic environments can cause. During this time period, on the inside the homes of the citizens of Tyler, most interior dà ©cor is completely barren, with tattered curtains and aged weathered furniture. Oftentimes, families have no formal dining areas, causing further psychological damage in terms of finding both self-esteem and a sense of belonging in a hostile living environment. Many families are forced to allow their extended kin to live in their ramshackle apartments or modest domiciles in order to secure enough income simply to keep food in their hungry bellies. In my family, children were forced to crowd into a singular bedroom, which generally consisted of multiple beds, lined up in a perfect row amidst an environment desperately in need of renovation and a splash of color. While other children across the globe experience joy from well-decorated bedrooms, laced with embroidery and posters of famous celebrities or athletes, the sleeping environment in Tyler was as cold and uninviting as the exterior surro undings. During the nighttime hours, my siblings and I would whisper to one another in the quiet night, always trying to drown out the deafening silence which brought sensations of instability and fear of the unknown. Shortages of food and other Westernized products caused significant problems with most of the local community. Because I was amongst the healthiest in my extended family, I was often elected to secure a single loaf of bread so that the family could have a sustainable supper.

Analysis of Federal Courts Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Federal Courts - Article Example U.S. Magistrate Judge. Magistrate Judges are appointed to assist the U.S. District Judges with their court duties. They are authorized by the U.S. law of Title 28 of the United States Code. (Magistrate Judgeship, 2011) U.S. District Courts. District courts are the general courts in the United States federal court structure that accommodate both civil and criminal cases. Known to be the court of law, court of equity, and court of admiralty. (United States Courts, 2011) U.S. Courts of Appeal. Court of Appeals is the courts that have the power and influence for intermediate appellate of decided court cases. This is also known as circuit courts. (United States Courts, 2011) U.S. Supreme Court. Supreme Court is nevertheless the highest court in the United States. This court has the ultimate appellate jurisdiction through the entire states and federal courts. This is also regarded as the court of the last resort. (United States Courts, 2011) Specialized Courts. Specialized courts are courts that possess entitlement of jurisdiction of the specified cases such as the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Tax Court. (Gale, 2011) Federal Judicial Administration. The federal judicial administration is smaller than the court systems in many states. Judge Russel Wheeler had described this as â€Å"a product of accretion rather than specific design, but it is a system that members of the governance and administrative Consequences of Federal Involvement in the Criminal Justice System. Federal law has overwhelmingly changed the nations criminal justice system particularly the last period of the century.  Ã‚  

Crime-free Children Today Essay Example for Free

Crime-free Children Today Essay Open a newspaper or switch on the radio for news and you will no doubt see a number of horrifying crimes reported there murder, rape and robberies are no longer surprising or shocking news to the Indian citizens. But what can shock us is the fact that most, at least a third, of the crimes committed in a year are by youngsters below the age of 18. Juvenile delinquency is increasing rapidly. A large part of the world’s children are in India. Children are often perceived as the epitome of innocence and naivetà © by most people. But the phrase â€Å"child-like innocence† can no longer be used, because the adolescents are one of the most violent age categories in the world. There are many incidences of crimes committed by the adolescents these days. The number of juvenile court cases are increasing and the crimes become more horrifying by the minute. There are increasing evidences of road rages, crimes against women, violence in school etc. all committed by teenagers. Parents and others involved in a child’s life are equally responsible for the child’s hostile behavior. The amount of violence in the adolescent’s day-to-day life plays a large role in this issue, too. The child’s guardians have to take time to understand this complex problem and try to solve it; but what most of the Indian parents do is say to themselves, â€Å"He/she will grow out of it,† and simply avoid the issue, hoping it is just a phase. But this ignorant way of treating the problem is the start of a life-long trouble that will not only affect the family, but also the society, because in most of the cases of aggressive juvenile violence, the adolescent grows to be a criminal, thus delaying the development and progress of the nation.  The family does not bother to think of what may be the cause of the child’s behavior. Violent mannerisms in children can include a wide range of behaviors: explosive temper tantrums, physical aggression, fighting, bullying, homicidal thoughts, use of weaponry, cruelty towards animals, destruction of property etc. Most of this is caused by the problematic upbringing of the child – parents who pamper and spoil their children or agree to the child’s tantrums are endangering the child’s future. The television and the media can also increase a child’s violent tendencies. A child tends to imitate what he observes and this is a huge problem in India, because Indian cinema often has its heroes resort to violence to bring down their opponents. This makes the child think that using assault and bloodshed to achieve one’s needs is fine. Video games lessen the child’s value for a human life, as most of them involve killing animated characters. Being a victim of sexual abuse, presence of firearms in the house and even head injuries during childhood can cause adolescent violence. Remember, violence always leads to violence. Now that most of the people and the Government of India are starting to recognize and address this issue, solutions have to be found and made accessible to the citizens. Parents have to look out for signs of intense anger, impulsiveness, irritability and cruelty in children and look for the reason. Feelings of revenge and vengeance should be discouraged; tell them what the Father of our Nation once said, â€Å"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.† Make it clear to them that violence does not solve anything. Only clearheaded thinking can lead to good results. The amount of violence that the child is exposed to through media has to be restricted, but the media can also help by raising awareness and to show the children the adverse affects of violence. Developing a reading habit is also highly helpful in curbing a child’s hostility. Family conflicts, problems in school, discrimination by other children etc. should be found out and solved. Parents should not hesitate to consult a psychiatrist if necessary. Making the adolescent part of the Indian population is necessary because only calm and responsible children can grow into stable, responsible, patriotic citizens in the future. We should remember that it is the youth that will shape our country’s future. Every child is bright in his or her own way and it is the duty of the adults to keep the light burning, for the next generation will fulfill the dreams of our great leaders and lead our  nation to its victorious destiny only if our society is united, strong and nonviolent. Teach the children to follow the Mahatma’s policy, the motto that toppled the British, the strongest invading force of the past century: nonviolence.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Edward Lear | Analysis

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Edward Lear | Analysis The Owl and the Pussy-Cat In this essay I will be analysing Edward Lears poem ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (Appendix 1), first providing a technical stylistic analysis concentrating on sound patterning, secondly locating its place in the history of poetry for children, and thirdly how the poem envisages childhood. Written in December 1867 for the daughter of a close friend of Lear, it was first published in an anthology by Lear entitled Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets (1871). Since then it has been published, illustrated, translated, and set to music many times. In 2001 it was voted Britains favourite poem. Lear uses simple, but creative language to tell the enchanting story of the voyaging sweethearts; the incongruous bird and cat. Comprising three stanzas, each eleven lines long, it consists of twin ballad quatrains and a three-line refrain, composed in a distinctive iambic metre. The rhyme scheme is ‘abcbdefe alternating between four and three stressed syllables per line, followed by the refrain ‘eee consisting of two lines with just one stressed syllable, and a final line with three. This uniform rhyme scheme not only gives the poem musical structure, but also coheres the very different parts of the story. The rhythmic parallelism of the refrains, in which all three lines end with the same stressed word, is a strict pattern in itself and foregrounds this part of the poem as it takes on an incantatory feel. Although the refrains are not the dominant structure of the poem, they do add musical reinforcement. The regular metrical pattern is what gives the poem its rising rhythm (anapests) and sing song form and there is little to disrupt the flow of the rhythm, or the story. The aim then is simplicit y and repetition; indeed the first instance of repetition occurs in the opening line, which features the poems title words thereby reaffirming the focus of the poem. But in the first stanza, the most noticeable sound pattern is the concentration of /p/ sounds; a phonological parallelism that extends across the text with the words ‘Pussy, ‘pea, ‘plenty‘ and ‘pound as well as occurring in ‘wrapped and ‘up. The recurrence of this plosive consonant emulates the plucking of guitar strings, which not only enhances the rhythm but also the visual effect of the serenading owl. While the plosive /p/ in ‘Pussy paired with the /b/ in ‘beautiful is not quite alliterative, it is sonorous and seductive of music, reflecting the depth and passion of the owls endearments. Note, too, that Lear also uses punctuation to emphasize meaning; the exclamation marks at the end of lines ten and eleven denote an expression of the owls feelings suggesting tha t the relationship is indeed more than just friendship. In addition to repetition and alliteration, Lear employs strong full rhymes to reinforce sound, meaning and rhythm, and they play an active part in the mood and purpose of this poem. Perfect end rhymes are the most noticeable, but there are also strong internal rhymes, namely occurring in every third line of each stanza, but also in the fifth line in the second and third ones. This mix of one and two syllable rhymes act as a sub-refrain bringing the song sound ‘round and round again to our ears while the text becomes more and more whimsical. Sound and musicality are further brought to our attention by the chiming end rhyme between ‘sing and ‘ring in lines thirteen and fifteen. The words are bright and short, as is the vowel sound, but followed by the consonant /ng/ the sound is extended, and the repetition of ‘ring in the refrain helps to mimic the ringing of a bell where we may hear the onomatopoeic resonance of ‘bong (from ‘bong-tree). The third stanza culminates in a concentration of internal and assonant rhymes which conjure a visual and aural feast to match the wedding banquet itself, with the final lines evoking the who-o-o, who-o-o of an owl through the long vowel /oo/ in ‘moon. All the qualities of song are present: pleasure, ease of repetition, memorability, rhythm, rhyme and refrains. The apparent spontaneity of these elements emerge from very traditional principles and Lears witty organisation. Besides musicality, the other main feature of the poem is ‘word-play with Lear incorporating occasional invented words: ‘bong-tree, ‘Piggy-wig and the nonsense adjective ‘runcible. As well as having a humorous effect, they introduce elements of spontaneous fantasy that punctuate the surreal journey of the anthropomorphised animals. Although these words appear made-up they still remain, just, within our normal expectations of English. However, the fact that they do deviate from the poems surrounding simple language means they are foregrounded, thus, the reader/listener pays particularly attention to them because they are satisfying to say without necessarily having to make sense. Even though ‘runcible has no actual meaning (although it has since been popularly defined as a three-pronged fork curved like a spoon) it has a phonological playfulness with the rolling of the ‘r in ‘run followed by the two syllables in ‘cible. The hyphenation o f ‘Piggy-wig actually incorporates the phonemes and meanings of two words, ‘pig and ‘wig, managng to succeed as an internal rhyme. While the inclusion of these words doesnt really add anything to the meaning of the phrase, they do at least sustain, and quite possibly strengthen the rhythm. It is not until the final stanza that the rhythm is disrupted slightly by the ‘running over of line twenty-three into twenty-four without a pause. The effect of this enjambment is that we are hurried on to a pivotal stage in the story, the point at which a transaction occurs. The caesura at the word ‘ring creates not just a pause, but also a brief tension as we await the pigs answer. Note, too, that the direct speech in these lines references traditional marriage vows reinforced by the stress on the words ‘willing and ‘will. Furthermore, this transaction also brings the ‘real world nearer to the surface. Without a ring the marriage cannot take place. Only when the ‘deal has been done can the tale, and thus the poem, continue as before. Once the regular rhythm resumes it drives the narrative onward, ending with feline and fowl dancing ‘hand in hand, on the edge of the sand†¦by the light of the moon. Imagery created by the moonlight (traditionally invoked as being romantic) means the enchantment of the scene dances on with the fantasy sweethearts and is where the reader/listener has to leave them. In spite of the whimsical narrative and word-play the poem is solidly anchored by the strong iambic ‘gait woven through the traditional ballad form of tetrameter and trimeter. The rising rhythms move the poem along whilst being controlled by the full and stable rhymes, making it very satisfying. Lears talent first saw the light of day in A Book of Nonsense (1846) containing a collection of his limericks and amusing illustrations which proved an immediate success with readers and critics. Lears work, along with that of Lewis Carroll, developed and popularised nonsense literature, especially with regard to their use of ‘nonsense words, thus, it is often seen as a distinctively ‘Victorian genre. But literary nonsense existed long before this and, as Styles points out in her essay about the history of poetry for children, can be traced back to the ‘wildness of the nursery rhyme (Styles, p. 211). These ancient and traditional rhymes from the oral tradition, familia rly known as ‘Mother Goose rhymes, are a collection of verses, lullabies, rhymes and tunes offering humour, repetition and storytelling, although few were originally created or intended for children. Eighteenth century poetry considered suitable for children was mostly didactic or moralistic, and often mean-spirited. Its chief aims were concerned with saving the soul and creating good character and, like other childrens literature, mostly reflected the ideas that adults held about what children should be interested in. But as Puritanism waned and new ideas about childhood emerged, poetic collections written specifically for children began to appear. Tommy Thumbs Song Book (1744) was the first attempt to put nursery rhymes from the oral tradition into print, and two collections from William Blake in 1789 and 1794, although not specifically written for children, did capture the essence of childhood. Other volumes of child-centered poetry appeared in the early part of the ninetee nth century, and even though poets at this time continued to follow in the same moralistic tradition there was a growing interest in childrens emotions and experiences. The mid and late nineteenth century produced Stanzaan abundance of poetry for children, including that of Lear, which coincided with the changing views on childhood. Although the roots of nonsense verse are earlier than the nineteenth century, this is the period the most celebrated and notable examples appear. Lears limericks and nonsense rhymes were not just enjoyed by children, but also by adults, who found them a welcome relief from the restrictive teachings of the Church and Victorian society in general. These witty and humorous rhymes were fun to read aloud and easy to remember. But Lears work is not just distinguished by his linguistic play; it also included eccentric and comical drawings. Although his illustrations for ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat are somewhat conservative in that the animals are depicted quite realistically and appear expressionless, they do offer an interpretative effect and would have greatly enhanced the impression of the poem at the time of publication. By contrast, the single illustration in 100 Best Poems for Children (Puffin, 2002) is unsophisticated and childlike. While the small brightly coloured picture does offer a modicum of interpretation, in the context of the anthology its purpose is more generic and there is very little for a child to linger over. The lack of illustrations implies that the value of the text is greater than the visual component, and that the anthology is aimed at the older child who can read independently. Indeed, the publishers own website advertises it for an age group of eight to twelve years. Intere stingly, Montgomery points out that the book ‘includes rhymes for the (just) pre-schooler (Montgomery, p. 137) which suggests that the purpose of this anthology is not just for children to read alone, but also by parents, or in the classroom. Certainly part of the appeal and enduring popularity of ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat is that it lends itself to group choral reading. The poems jaunty rhythm, playful rhymes, nonsensical words, and the enchanting tale it tells all conspire to grab a childs attention. Creative words and light hearted verse mean children can explore language and enjoy words for their sound and the images they conjure without it necessarily having to make sense. Although the story is reminiscent of fairytales, it is the ‘nonsense words that distinguish the ‘real world from make-believe. Whether the child believes that owls and pussycats really do sail away and get married in the moonlight is irrelevant: a story, especially one told in the for m of a poem or song, is understood by the child to be part of play and the imaginative world, not the ‘real one. The rhythm and sound-patterns of the poem are more important than the potential ‘reality or credibility of the tale being told. However, the prioritising of sound and rhythm over sense and ‘realism does not mean that this ‘nonsense poem is meaningless. Lear plays on the sound of words, but with or without the nonsensical elements logic still exists and it is a perfectly coherent tale of romantic love. Yet themes emerge in terms of different depths as well as in terms of being central or peripheral. The surface topic, the one most appealing to children, is a jolly tune about animal adventures hinting at love and a comedy of marriage. On another level it is a strange pairing of species and events set to a rather hypnotic rhythm. Deeper down still, both protagonists are carnivores and night hunters. The poem then is not just about innocent ‘nons ense, but also something uncanny. Lear manages to achieve a balance between elements that seem to make sense and elements that do not; a fanciful tale set against the solid foundations of traditional song, familiar everyday language and image unfamiliarly juxtaposed, conventional but also childish. It gratifies the childs appetite for the musical and for the strange. The organisation of the rhythms, rhymes, and nonsensical words gives the poem a whimsical, and yet compelling narrative than lodges in the mind of the adult as well as the child. All these elements contribute to making it entertaining and memorable: ‘nonsense that delights the ear and the imagination.

Migration Plan from UNIX to Microsoft Server

Migration Plan from UNIX to Microsoft Server Data Migration is the process of transferring data between different storage types, servers or formats. It’s not just about copying data, but also about validating the data according to constraints and since different databases uses different data types, this step also include modifying the data as per the target server. One essential requirement is that the data migrated should verify the Business logic to run applications smoothly on target server. Migrating from one server to another can be a tricky situation. There are various challenges while migration of full data from UNIX server to Microsoft Server. First of all the user should completely understand the data sources and their proper formats. Usually, too many spreadsheets or excel files, or redundant data may affect proper migration. Wherever possible, instead of manual, automated systems should be used. Microsoft offers MAP (Microsoft Assessment and Planning) tool to identify the various constraints, or issues that might occur while migrating from UNIX platform to Microsoft server. Moreover, SSMA (SQL Server Migration Assistant) can further help in performing the migration. SSMA can create mapped schemas to UNIX server, which helps in easy migration of data. It is essential that the all applications like email, finance systems, personal records, CAD/CAM engineering facilities, production systems, Sales Marketing databases, Website etc. should run smoothly after migration. There are various underlying steps that need to be taken care of for easy and error-free migration, as explained below: Recognizing the pattern-Template Creation: To begin migration, first we’ll have to understand the schema of UNIX database. We’ll create a template consisting of master data key objects. The template has following two sections: Section 1: Key Data Fields: In the first section of the template user will provide the key values, such as storage objects material, address etc. Usually, in key field columns, drop-down lists are provided for accurate and easy entry of data. Section 2: Derived and Default Fields:Based on the key field values, various fields can be derived based on the Business translational logic. For example, using the production unit key field the template will determine the employee names working in it. For different production units, different employee names will be automatically derived by the template. The default fields like, â€Å"currency used† will be automatically updated. Process of Migration: The process of migration is summarized on the figure below: Figure-1 (Source: Ranga Rao Davala, Nikhil Singh, 2011, A Case Study on Data Migration Strategy, The Data Administration Newsletter, Robert Seiner Publishers.) Select Source:Due to various applications running on UNIX server, the data will be spread across many sources like different DBs, excel files or spreadsheets. In this step, user will identify the various data sources that are to be migrated. The selection of sources will be based upon the requirements in the project, according to which what data needs to be migrated can be identified. Data Fields Mapping:This is an essential step, where the schema or key fields from source system are mapped to target system. The field names in target schemas should be kept similar to source schema for easy mapping. This step is usually done manually for error-free mapping. Usually the different database servers will have different underlying data types. For example, Integer’s maximum and minimum limit in UNIX server is different from in SQL Server. The mapped data, therefore, should be transformed according to destination server data types. Data Transformation:This is where the template we created will come in picture. User will manually enter the key field values in the template and based on that all the derived and default field values will be generated automatically. Moreover, in this step, the user will transform the data based on the difference between data types of both servers. Validations and Constraints:This step is to ensure that the data entered in the template is accurate. The template will gray out the field which are entered wrong or doesn’t qualify the constraints, such as mandatory fields, null values etc. This step will help in minimizing errors and improving the quality of data. Extract Files:Once the data is entered into the template, the master data objects are extracted or generated. Load files:The load files are in text format, and they can be generated in single click by macro-enabled extract files system. This step ensures that data present in the text file is in exactly the same format as we require in the Microsoft system. Loading data in Microsoft Server:The data is loaded in batches. Since there are multiple applications running on UNIX system that are to be migrated, this step may take several hours to complete. Web server migration (FTP or HTTP Websites) Once we have completed the initial steps of creating a template and selecting the proper migration tools, we can begin full migration from UNIX to Microsoft server i.e. IIS. We must follow following steps: Assessment of hardware requirements and acquiring new hardware if required. We can begin migrating FTP or HTTP websites by copying their content to destination server. Next step is to replicate Web application files to destination. Migration of log files. Migration of Web server configuration settings. The last step is to create security settings and user permission and roles. DHCP/DNS Migration: The process of migrating UNIX server DHCP/DNS services to Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS servers requires the following steps: Install Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS Services Manually Configure Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS Services Create Forward and Reverse Lookup Zones: Creating lookup zones will make sure that Microsoft server is authoritative for the DHCP/DNS names for local resources and forwards other queries to an ISP or performs recursive resolutions. Add secondary zones to Microsoft Windows Server DHCP/DNS for the existing zones that are hosted on UNIX based DHCP/DNS servers. In this step we’ll initiate zone transfers at the Microsoft Windows Server-based DHCP/DNS servers to transfer the zones from the UNIX servers. After the transfers are successful we will convert secondary zones into primary zones. In the last step, we’ll point client configurations to Microsoft Windows based DHCP/DNS Servers. Avoiding downtime while migrating: We can avoid the downtime while migration by reconfiguring our sites to connect to our new database remotely. Using this way, our users or visitors will be redirected to new site and all the updates will be saved to new server. This technique is, though, very complex, but it will minimize the downtime to a great extent. We can summarise this process in following steps: Transfer the files, DBs and important settings to the new server. Then we can test our site on the new server to check if it’s working as expected. After two steps are successfully completed, we will change the various database settings on our site, to make sure that the old server accesses the DB from the new server. Then we’ll modify the name servers and DNS and point them to the new server.

Business Trip Encounter with SARS :: Personal Narrative China Travel Essays

Encounter of the Worse Kind My scheduled flight to Hong Kong was delayed because of a conference meeting that ran over in New York. I rescheduled for the following week on Tuesday, February 21, 2003. I arrived in Hong Kong and met my business contact and headed off to the conference at the Metropole Hotel. Something seems odd here, unlike my trips before. There are people with masks on everywhere. I asked my business contact what was going on. He said there was some kind of flu going around. I have never seen so many people with masks on before. In the U.S. people rarely put on masks even if they have the flu. He also said that a lot of people are sick and some have died from it. It seems odd that people would die from catching the flu; I mean nowadays who dies from getting the flu. We finally arrived at the conference and I met my clients. Most of the clients seemed sick but were determined to finalize the deal. Some of them were coughing and some had sore throats. I was afraid I would get sick from being too close to them and I tried to take precautions by taking cough drops and Tylenol when I felt I was coming down with the flu. I was glad when the meeting was over. The contract took two days to iron out all the details. Since the meeting went well I decided to stay in Hong Kong for a little longer. I needed a break from work and wanted to go sight seeing. I have been to Hong Kong a couple of times but never had the chance to see the countryside. The following morning when I woke up I started to cough and was running a fever. I was probably infected from the close contact of the sick clients. So I decided to stay in and rest for a while. I was sleepy and couldn't get up from my bed. The next day it got worse. I had a sore throat and had muscle pain. I've never been this sick before and I thought to myself that it was due to getting older and my immune system not being up to par. I have been very busy lately and my stress level has been up more than usual.

The Ineptitude Of The United S :: essays research papers

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Those are the opening lines to the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. Yet, slavery continued in the United States for nearly ninety years after this document declared that "all men where created equal," and those "unalienable rights" are still not shared by everyone in the United States. The U.S. has been lacking in its responsibility to its citizens. The state responsibility for human and civil rights must be expanded in the United States. In December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The thirty articles of the UDHR were developed to provide a clear definition of human rights. It then became the responsibility of the states of the United Nations to protect those rights. This is where the United States is lacking. The U.S. is one of the founding nations of the United Nations and one of the most influential, yet it has failed to take adequate state responsibility for human rights. Before the ineptitude of the United States can be discussed, the concept of state responsibility for human and civil rights must be clearly defined. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines state as "a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory," and responsibility as "moral, legal, or mental accountability." These definitions of state and responsibility can be interpreted and combined to provide a literal definition of state responsibility. The definition of state responsibility could then be seen as "the moral and legal accountability of a government." A concise notion of state responsibility for human and civil rights would then be congruent to "the moral and legal accountability of government for life, liberty, security, and any other finite right of a person." With the concept of state responsibility for human and civil rights having been defined, the extent of state responsibility in the United States can be discussed. Rhonda Copelon once noted, "†¦the most limited conception of state responsibility [in the United States] has been essentially dismantled." Copelon also made a statement to the effect that rights in the U.S. are limited to constraints on government and that they do not reach private conduct or include the most basic social and economic needs.

Character Motivations in The Crucible Essay -- Arthur Miller

Motivations In the play, The Crucible,by Arthur Miller.Many characters have desires that drive them to pursue certain things.This affects the plot in many ways.In this puritan society,people strongly cared what other people think of them and how their reputation stands in the village.They always strive to make sure their actions reflect wisely on their names.A major motivation John Proctor,Abagail,and Parris share is pride in their names,which eventually leads to their ultimate downfall. When the play sets in action, John has had a past affair with his servant, Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor, is very forgiving of his sin, but John has his mind set that he will not confess to anyone else, in fear of ruining his good name and reputation. The affair between John and Abigail causes the start of chaotic witchery and accusation. After the affair, Abigail becomes horribly jealous of Elizabeth Proctor. Proctor realizes there is only one way to stop all the witch hysteria in Salem, and that would be to admit to adultery which is considered a sin. . Also in the beginning R...

Bloom’s Research and Response Essay

Each domain has its own set of specific expectations. Bloom broke down his taxonomy into different levels of complexity. They are arraigned in a hierarchy from less to more complex. When teaching, the educator will use the levels so that mastery of the first level is necessary by the learner before the next level can be achieved. The Cognitive Domain focuses on knowledge and developing the skills of comprehension, it also uses critical thinking skills. There are six levels of complexity in this Domain: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. The Affective Domain focuses on how the learner deals with emotions and with his ability to feel empathy for others. Bloom broke down this domain into five levels: Receiving (awareness), Responding (active participation in the learning process), Valuing, Organization, and Internalizing (values held that influence a behavior so it becomes a characteristic). The third domain, the Psychomotor Domain was not broken down into subcategories by Bloom but by Simpson in 1972. The Psychomotor Domain focuses on the ability to manipulate an object physically. This domain has seven levels: Perception, Set (readiness to act), Guided Response, Mechanism, Complex Overt Response (the ability to perform without hesitation), Adaptation, and Origination. When used, Bloom’s Taxonomy will provide the educator with a measurable way to assess the level of comprehension of the taught information by the learner (â€Å"Big Dog and Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition,† 2010). Nurses can use Bloom’s teaching method in educating patients with chronic diseases. First the nurse must assess the patient for level of understanding and readiness to learn. The nurse uses the Cognitive Domain to teach the patient about his specific disease and to facilitate understanding of all concepts associated with the disease and its treatments. In following the hierarchy the nurse would start with the simplest information and ideas and increase the complexity of the information after the patient has exhibited comprehension of the previously taught material. Using the Affective Domain the nurse helps the patient deal with his emotions related to his diagnosis and to attach a value to it. Once a patient has processed the information given to him, realizes the importance of managing his care and placing a value on its importance, he is ready to use the psychomotor domain. The educator uses the Psychomotor domain to teach the skills portion of education. Diabetics need to learn how to use blood glucose testing equipment; patients may need to learn how to self-catheterize these are just two examples of skills that nurses teach that fall under this domain. There are many areas of education a nurse teaches daily. One of which is the information given to patients with chronic diseases in order for them to achieve or maintain self-sufficiency. Bloom’s teaching method gives those patients the best chance at mastering the necessary information and skills needed to live day-to-day with a chronic illness.

Private Peaceful Essay

Have you ever felt like a character in the book that you are reading? Some authors write in such a way that makes the reader feel as if he or she were actually in the book. Michael Morpurgo is one of those authors. In Private Peaceful, he uses characterization, imagery, and setting to really help the reader understand and relate to the plot. Characterization plays a key role in making the reader relate to the plot. For example, in the beginning of the book, Tommy feels as if he does not belong in society. He is also dependent on Charlie and looks up to him to protect him and guide him through life. But, towards the end of the story, Tommy becomes completely independent and matures into a young, confident soldier. The situation shows the reader how war changes people not only on the outside but also on the inside. Another example is the friendship between Molly, Charlie, and Tommy. They had a deep friendship all through their early years and into their teens. Morpurgo then developed that friendship into a relationship between Molly and Charlie. This eventually excludes Tommy from the group and adds to the fact that he does not belong. The reader can relate to this if they have ever been excluded from a group or ever had a girl that they loved stolen form them. Another literary element that makes the reader connect to the book is setting. The setting is very detailed. The Peacefuls’ live in Hatherleigh, England which is near the southern part the United Kingdom. When Morpurgo describes where they live, the reader gains a picture of the setup of the town. He describes the house as an old cottage home which is next to a large hill. On top of that hill, the Colonel, the man that Tommy and Charlie’s mother works for and the man that owns their house, lives in his mansion. This provides an image that the reader can use throughout the story. Another example of where they live is the creek that lies just at the bottom of the hill where Molly, Charlie, and Tommy fished for trout when they were younger. This helps the reader connect situations to the picture that they already have of the layout of Hatherleigh. The setting then moves to France where Charlie and Tommy get thrown into the war. Morpurgo paints a mental picture of the setting as their bunker is right in front of no-man’s land and the enemy right on the other side of no-man’s land. He does this so the  reader has an understanding of how close the enemy is to Tommy. The final literary element used in this book is imagery. Morpurgo uses visual, auditory, and olfactory imagery in the book. He uses auditory when Charlie, Tommy, Hanley, and the rest of the squad are sitting in the bunker and Hanley is ordering them to make a break for it but Charlie ignores the order and the rest of the squad moves with Hanley. Morpurgo depicts the rattling of the machine guns and the screams of the soldiers that were cut short. The visual imagery is used when the wall of Germans are coming over no-man’s land. He describes the German’s as an invincible wall that cannot be penetrated until he sees the Germans’ falling to their knees and falling over. This helps the reader see the wall and the Germans’ falling to their knees. Olfactory imagery is used when he is in the bunkers in France. Tommy smells men that have not taken showers in weeks and the stench of death. The reader now has an understanding of what war and death smells like. This makes the reader feel as if he or she were in Paris. The literary elements in the story bring the whole story together. The characterization, imagery, and setting makes the reader connect to the book and not just understand it. This book really explains the cost of war on cities as well as the people in it.