US and the world in the 21st century. (SOFTPOWER, IMMIGRATION, ISIS) Essay

US and the world in the 21st century. (SOFTPOWER, IMMIGRATION, ISIS) - Essay Example However, the person without receiving a proper legal clearance or certification move to other nation in order to become citizen of the nation is classified as illegal or undocumented immigrant. Advancement in communication as well as transportation has enhanced the aspect of globalization, which allows people to migrate to different places with minimal amount of barriers1. Furthermore, it has been noticed that international immigration will create both positive as well as negative impact over the origin community as well as destination community, as in one aspect immigration lead to facilitate the transfer of skills and workforce that allow enhancing the growth of the community. Thus, in this regard, immigration is reflected as the process of migration of the people from one place to another across the international or state boarder. Moreover, migration is not the resent phenomena or trend it has been the part of human history since the beginning. Rather since the creation of the reg ions, people are migrating from one continent to other, from nation to nation or internally. In the 21st century the major causes of immigration has been however been catalyst by the economic progression of a nation. The economic progression of any nation attracts immigrant from other underdeveloped countries2. In the general prospect, immigration has both positive as well as negative impact because the process significantly influences the economy at large. In this context, it has been affirmed that process of immigration is likely to influence the domestic labor market, which can affect the wage rate as well as reduce the employment rate among the domestic workers. Apparently, on the other hand, the aspect of immigration is also associated with other factors that are likely to offset the potential negative aspects of economy. In this context, it has been revealed that if the immigrants are significantly more skilled over the

Research article Essay Example for Free

Research article Essay Based upon your request, I have conducted a research article on a potential venture which our firs can introduce and invest in a developing country such as India. Due to a shortage of healthcare providers and the poor conditions of the healthcare system, many Indians were dying because of the delay in receiving medical treatment, because labor supply of health professionals is intensive in India, the launch of InstyMeds[R] should help significantly resolve these issues. Recently, a company named InstyMeds Corporation developed their first ATM-Style medication dispenser, â€Å"InstyMeds ®Ã¢â‚¬ , which can label and dispense containers of different shapes and size; most drug forms including tablets, liquids, creams and so forth.    InsteyMeds ® claim that the dispensers can issue medication in a faster, simpler and more convenient way compared to those of traditional drug stores. Moreover, these dispensers are user friendly with their touch screen operating systems. For example, once the patient has been seen, the doctor can simply issue the prescription via the InstyMeds ® system, therefore patients are only required to enter the barcode which has been assigned under their name for verification purposes. The dispenser takes care of the rest and the medication will be labeled and dispensed within five minutes [5]. It is an all-in-one dispensing process which can be done at the same hospital/clinic; patients will no longer have to endure waiting times for medications. Because health professionals are inadequate in India, this is the target sector for this firm to launch InstyMeds ®.   At present there is an unstable drugs delivery schedule and a shortage of health specialists, patients are required to wait longer time before they receive their treatment.   For instance, most of the developing countries have only one doctor and pharmacist per 160,000 people [2]. The absence of health care professionals limits the access of both hospitals and pharmacies to up-to-date medical information; this affects the quality of services.   Since the latest information regarding medication is not accessible to the majority of pharmacists, they are heavily dependent upon the inserted package leaflets used as sources of medical information [3]. To prevent pharmacists from engaging these kinds of practices, InstyMeds ® will be an advantageous approach to solving this. Based on the research, InstyMeds ® can greatly benefit India within three reasons: 1. InstyMeds ® would provide benefit to people in India: Installations of InstyMeds ® allows patients to obtain their medicine 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service is favorable to patients as the local transportation system is not yet sufficiently developed in India. 2. InstyMeds ® means to Pharmacists: The company claim the dispensers will handle more than 100 prescriptions per day; this can reduce the work load of pharmacists and so it allows the hospital to become more flexible when allocating their manpower.   Moreover, InstyMeds ® internal system will prompt pharmacists to re-stock medicine when the dispensers are running out of drugs.   As a result, pharmacists will then have more time to consult patients with regards to the usage of drugs; this will reduce, if not eradicate medical errors and ideally deliver patients a better service. 3. InstyMeds ® will also benefit the Indian government; the available funds that support the healthcare service are constricted for India, and so the use of InstyMeds ® would be an economical way to allocate the resources of healthcare systems. In general, pharmacists often spend a quantity of time keeping track of drug expiration dates, selecting package and labeling, and maintaining stable inventories. InstyMeds ® can handle everything as mentioned above so instead of hiring new pharmacists, costs can be saved and used in building up the infrastructure. Before the InstyMeds ® becomes public, it is a great opportunity for this firm to donate some of the dispensers free of charge to some non profitable organization such as â€Å"Mà ©decins Sans Frontià ¨res†, this is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger; the organization operates in more than 70 countries. By offering InstyMeds ® to their organization, offers a gesture and a positive image for our company and will promote the dispenser at the same time. I believe the public will commonly use the dispenser in the near future and so it is a great idea for this firm to be the first company to launch it. InstyMeds ®, would be a new business venture of pharmaceutical services in the next ten years and this dispenser is not only beneficial to those people in India but profitable to our firm as well.   By investing capital into InstyMeds ® while offering free dispenser to the Mà ©decins Sans Frontià ¨res, it will develop an investment strategy, which can maximize both financial return and social benefit. InstyMeds ® would be considered a socially responsible investment; conveying goodwill to the public and eventually bringing up our service to the next level. When the use of InstyMeds ® is grounded, it will become a new profit center for the firm.

Ancient Egypt - Land of the River :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

Ancient Egypt - Land of the River "All of Egypt is the gift of the Nile." It was the Greek historian Herodotus who made that observation. The remarkable benefits of the Nile are clear to everyone, but through history he was the first to talk about it and consider its fascination. Through history, the Nile played a major role in the building of civilizations. The first civilizations to appear in history started on a river valley or in a place where resources are numerous and example of these are in India where Indus river is found and Tigris where Euphrates is found and many other places (cradles of civilization). The Nile is the longest river in the world, cuts a swath of green and life through the bareness of the giant Sahara desert in northern Africa. It is almost 4160 miles long from its remotest head stream, the Lavironza river in Burundi, in central Africa to its delta on the Mediterranean sea north east of Egypt. The river flows northward and drain 1100100 square miles, about tenth the size of Africa, passing through ten African countries. It has many tributaries but there are two main ones: the White Nile fed by lake Victoria and the Blue Nile coming from Ethiopian mountains. These two main branches join near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and they continue together as Nile proper until meeting the Mediterranean Sea and forming the Nile delta in northern Egypt. Around 5000 BC, one of the first great civilizations developed in the northern Nile river valley dependent on agriculture in a land called Egypt. Water; Fertile soil; and river's flow north while prevailing wind blows south made the Nile the best transportation way, were examples of the Nile gifts. Another gift is that every year the flood came bringing disaster and famine due to destroying the crops and their villages. The first forms of government appeared in Egypt when the Egyptians organized their efforts under one leadership to avoid the disasters of the yearly flood. On the other hand Nile flooding caused some problems in landmarks. Simple geometry had to be found to keep the boarder and a simple system metric (invention of the nilometer) to study the Nile flow and flood every year. As the state grew and more complex religious and political systems started to emerge, the need for a system to record events and rituals was growing too.

Otello Aslam Essay -- Character Analysis, Lago

Othello â€Å"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves† as Victor Frankl once explained, that it is our environment that makes us who we are. And if we don't like who we have become, than we have to change ourselves to change the environment we are in. In Shakespeare's Othello, the order and disorder of the setting parallels the order and disorder of Iago's character. The story begins in Venice where Iago's character is parallel to the setting that is â€Å"orderly [and] law-binding†, of the city where the society is peaceful. Iago's charter reflects the current setting, since Iago has not yet caused any problems. He is acting orderly, like when he did not get the promotion, Iago simply said â€Å"there’s no remedy† (). Which develops his character as a peaceful person,because he simply accepted Othello's decision and dose not fight back or go against it. Thus reflecting the setting, because just like the setting Iago is acting orderly and peaceful. Not only did Iago not fight back when he did not receive the promotion, he also questioned himself â€Å"weather I in any.. term am affined to love [the] Moor† (1.1.40). By Iago questioning himself, it shows that Iago is being civil, because he is not attacking Othello, or hating Othello right away for not promoting him. Instead he is making a decision through thinking logi cally weather or not he likes Othello. So like the orderly setting of Venice, Iago’s character is the same because by thickening through the options you have before making a decision represents order since the decision will have reason behind it. Furthermore, Iago not only thought through his decisions while in the tranquil city of Venice, but he also provided security for Ro... ...arter thorough violence when â€Å"[h]e stabs Rodrigo† (5.1.61). Thus Iago’s character reflects the setting, since anger leads to violence because both anger and violence are directly related to each other. Also because it is our anger that causes us to become over passionate which causes us not to behave in order, casing us to commit violent acts . In short the new chaotic and tense,setting parallels with Iago’s character. Since Iago, stirs conflict between people, murders Rodrigo which reflects both a chaotic and tense environment. Altogether, in the story Othello, as the setting changed from orderly, to unpleasant, and to chaotic, Iago's character reflected the setting each time. As his character also changed through the story, from being orderly in Venice to finally becoming violent in Cyprus. Thus Iago’s character is parallel with the setting.

Exploring the Chinese Distribution Strategy for Gallo

According to China Research and Intelligence (2010), distribution channels are still the key factor to success. Since the Chinese and Hong Kong markets show a slight preference for on-trade channels, especially concerning exclusive products such as wine, E&J Gallo Rose concentrates on them (China Research and Intelligence, 2010). According to Hollensen (2011), given that Gallo Rose is a high quality product selective distribution would be the appropriate form of distribution as Gallo Rose would be targeting a specific market. Gallo would depend on Chinese and Hong Kong wholesalers to distribute the wine to hotels and supermarkets, preferably those whom the competitors are not currently using. Therefore, a range of intermediaries has to be chosen carefully: mid to high price restaurants offering Western food, international pubs and lounges build a trading base. Once the wine is established, cooperation with high class Chinese and Hong Kong establishments could be considered. However, a presence in high segment supermarkets will be obligatory to make the product accessible. Jenster and Cheng (2008) stress the rise of other off-trade channels, such as specialty wine stores and online wine-sites. The former is particularly important for new Chinese wine drinkers. The latter will be a part of Gallo’s distribution chain as soon as it reaches a higher market share. As outlined by Bretherton and Carswell (2001), the Chinese distribution system is improving slowly. To set up in Hong Kong and coastal areas of China is relatively easy, as the infrastructure is excellent. Direct exports with the support of an executive office are sufficient. Nonetheless, further expansion will conflict with trade barriers and local protectionism. Areas have to be treated separately and high transaction costs are necessary to build own distribution channels. However, the advantages of higher reliance and lower control costs are obvious. Import taxes in China are lowered according to WTO agreements (9), but still 14% (Yu and Sun et al, 2009) plus value-added and consumption tax. On the other hand, Hong Kong tries to create a wine trading hub with the exemption of import taxes since 2008 (Winechina. com, 2010).

Clinton Scandal Essays - Lewinsky Scandal, Drudge Report

Clinton Scandal Essays - Lewinsky Scandal, Drudge Report Clinton Scandal The Clinton Sex Scandal Rare is a person that crosses the path of the White House without some emotion of envy or awe. This building epitomizes world leadership and unprecedented power. This renowned leadership may be the only association made by certain countries, while in the United States many see an other significance: Watergate, Whitewater, Kennedy's brutal and mysterious assassination, and today, Clinton's zippergate scandal. When the President of the United States takes oath, he gives up a part of his life. His private life becomes the public's life, and they feel the right to know what happens behind the Oval Office. Now the Presidency must battle against Newspaper journalists, radio personalities, televised news reports and now, even more menacing: the Internet. Presidents, who are constantly reminded of their power and prestigious rank, become exasperated because they cannot control the news media, even though they can to a large degree set the news agenda. Media has expanded in its presence, becoming widespread on the Internet, perhaps monopolizing the domain, by becoming more powerful and more used than written, televised or radio journalism. The Presidents' inability to control the press exposes their vulnerability and tends to question the actual power they can actually exert. All presidents, at some time or another, became frustrated at what they perceived as unfair treatment by the press, even while acknowledging its vital function in a free society, and many presidents have been a part of a scandal. The current presidential scandal with Monica Lewinsky had swept the Nation overnight. It seems quite impossible to know just how it will all turn out, and unfair to even speculate, but the media certainly seems to think they possess that right. It is obvious that this story has changed the face of journalism, has put online media on the map in a major way, and has made life more difficult for newspapers forever. First, let's take a look at how this story developed and how it acted on the Internet. David Noack of E&P in his article Web's Big Role in Sex Controversy does a great job of detailing the twisting path this tale took from rumor to investigation to publication, and how the Internet played a key part. Noack points out in his article that the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal has drastically changed online media. He writes: A year ago, most newspapers and news magazines adhered to the hard rule that they would not stoop themselves by putting breaking news on their Web sites before it appeared in their print editions. But a rapidly-growing public demand for almost instant Web coverage of breaking national news stories has forced even the largest newspapers and magazines- like the Washington Post and Newsweek-to abandon the old rule. Out with the old, in with the new. It is easy to think breaking stories online could dilute journalists' on-paper presence; now many have realized that online media puts all journalists on equal footing with radio and TV. So who drove this change, pushing away the status quo? Matt Drudge, author of The Drudge Report. It is still the Internet's gold rush period and everyone is running around trying to make a profit. The irony is that the person who best embodies what's revolutionary about the Internet has made next to no money from it: Matt Drudge, 30, is the author of The Drudge Report, a bulletin of entertainment gossip, political rumor and witty meta-news. His web page (drudgereport.com) is austere; it consists of a headline, links to news sources and some black and white clip art. Apparently he is really quite well informed, he reads 18 newspapers a day and he admires politics enough to go after both sides of the story when the time comes. Drudge's contact list has been expanding far quicker than his bank account he now has a huge following, with a mailing list of over 85,000 people. This web journalist has such an impact on the Internet that last week he managed to cause consternation in the White House-and this was not the first time. He flagged a story Newsweek had been sitting on for six months: that President Clinton may have propositioned a White House worker named Kathleen Willey on federal property. I

Essay Sample on Corporate Social Responsibility Pros and Cons

Essay Sample on Corporate Social Responsibility Pros and Cons Definition of Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility is internal to an organization; it dictates the manner in which it has to plan about the courses of action it has to carry out with respect to the society. This term basically deals with the organizations set of operations that it carries out for the welfare of the society while existing within itself. It helps the humanity in more than one ways, to train and educate them and to ponder upon issues, which can really change the fate of coming civilizations. It all comes under this heading of Corporate Social Responsibility. [Dave, Responsibilities Under Spotlight, The Evening Standard, 1997] Role Played by Government and Citizens in CSR The Government must play its role in harnessing the skills attached with the corporate sector in finding out the better means in which it can benefit the society. For that certain loans and grants can also be fixed for a certain company depending on its market level in the business world. Extensive research has found that corporate responsibility is becoming an essential part of any companys day-to-day undertakings. Thus, the responsibility played by the Government as well as the citizens in this regard should be quite eloquent and expressive. Their voice is given due value by the company and it does just about everything to get more and more customers and consumers which in turn excites it to search for better means to get the very same people. This, in turn, enthuses the company to sponsor big events and sports galas, competitions as well as come towards social welfare works, which really benefits the society in more than one ways. Mr. Higgins, who completed a research on the local community, was not that enthusiastic about the role played by these companies in the social sector. People, according to him, were of the view that these companies filled in social responsibilities to a certain limit and not beyond that extent where other large organizations jumped in and took the lead. For the small business owner, CSR means a different thing altogether. He sees it in a different attitude encompassing his own business and its responsibilities fulfilled for the betterment of the society or let alone none at all. [Dave, Responsibilities Under Spotlight, The Evening Standard, 1997] Pros and Cons of Corporate Social Responsibility The Advantages Corporate Social Responsibility helps as a survival agent for any business in the new atmosphere of economy. By that it means whenever the economical climate changes, it favors the CSR that has been initiated by a business with respect to its role in fulfillment of the social responsibilities. This can be regarded as an advantage of CSR whereby the business gets a slight edge as opposed to the other ones in the corporate world who havent actually started with the idea of investing with consideration to the society in the forms of different sponsors, helping of non-Governmental organizations and the like. The Disadvantages The major disadvantage that CSR possesses within its fold is that it doesnt have any profits in the short-term duration but hope can certainly be placed on the longer ones. This can be regarded as a short-term con, which can banish with the changing times of the business situation. [Leadbeater, New Statesman, 1996] Application of CSR to Business and the Community Corporate Social Responsibility can be applied to a business in a very innovative way. The company can invest in the social arena with much return in mind, not in the short-term but of course in the long run. Such is the example of Shell, which has introduced education programs for children all over the globe thus acting as a consumer-friendly company. People in return like to buy products of Shell because it gives them the pleasure that some proportion of the money earned by Shell would be spent on its different social and literary programs. [Cowe, Consumer Pressure Is Not Enough (Corporate Social Responsibility), 2000] Culturally, CSR can prove to be a very vital agent which can really highlight the problem areas of different people within a particular society and then go about correcting and reforming them in the best manner possible with the aid of funds and grants. This is the basic way in which CSR has been acting to do something for the sake of community welfare. The companies from the economic aspects can earn a due share with arranging all sorts of cultural activities in the name of charity that will benefit their cause and help the poor and needy. Tesco, which is a supermarket franchise, has been involved in Corporate Social Commitment ever since 1988. It formed a new team that had the mission of raising about 2 million pounds for Macmillan nurses, which was termed as the charity of that particular year. Thus, Tesco did its part in the field of community for the people and the Macmillan nurses in specific. Same is the case with Diageo, which is an international consumer goods company that highlights on the responsibilities of the corporate citizenship in its code of conduct. This policy encourages the community welfare work to its fullest from the companys side. It has set up different programs in this very respect, one such of them is the Skills for Life program that gives the people a chance to come and discover their secret talent, attain new skills and know about themselves. Their Bartender project helps provide training and job experience for unemployed young men in Brazil. This is all community welfare work on the part of Diageo. [Cowe, Consumer Pressure Is Not Enough (Corporate Social Responsibility), 2000] Main Input: Corporal and Social Behavior Together Corporal behavior is one, which has taken its base from the dealings of the business world. As such it has no direct or indirect contact with the social norms of human life but when we talk about Corporate Social Responsibility, this mixture of both these behaviors comes in the frame. When the corporal mannerisms interact with the society and its different manners and ways whereby it helps the society in various means, call it culturally or from the community point of view then this merger comes into reckoning. The society gains quite a bit from the corporal interaction and thus gives back much in return as well. Its sort of a symbiotic relationship between the two where each benefits the other one. The business company, by helping the society in terms of different reforms and programs, gains a lot for the companys overall standing between its competitors and all. The society, on the other hand, gets to make quite a lot as the business entity restructures the different people who are either illiterate or need help or are in distress. [Dave, Responsibilities Under Spotlight, The Evening Standard, 1997] Controversies about Corporate Social Responsibility There are obviously many controversies whenever anything is done which involves the business doing something out of its actual set approach. The example here can be given of the company Enron for which the critics had said that considering the personal relationship between the CEO Kenneth Lay and the US President George Bush, the company would be rather listening and applying to Vice President Cheneys energy policy process than any other single interest taking birth from within the company itself. Such kind of controversies can erupt anytime within any company that has set its mission to go about the process of carrying the Corporate Social Responsibility. Much has to be tackled whilst hundreds of obstacles come. CSR movement needs caution while promoting their achievements because there are many critics around who can question the legitimacy of a particular accomplishment and can sabotage it altogether. Learning from CSR CSR can really get the best out of business companies and industries. When they find out that their market is in direct proportion to what they do in the social sector, they invest more and more which ultimately profits the society and the needy in particular. The citizens, no, matter what they feel about the corporal responsibilities they own to the society, must agree in principle that these business companies can really get the best out of themselves and help the society in more than one ways. Their commitment is loyal because this is the golden tenet of business, never to lie with the customer so how can they tell untruths and fool around people with false welfare works and the like. [Dave, Responsibilities Under Spotlight, The Evening Standard, 1997] Application of CSR to Enron Enron was a company that rose from nowhere to being one of the Americas top ten companies in terms of its size and employees. It employed around 21,000 workers in nearly about 40 nations of the world. This companys name is synonymous with the bi-word for corporate irresponsibility. Enron was all at ease with the CSR reporting, environmental and community programs in the society but within years this company came down to its feet. This is the same company that boasted Fortune Magazines Most Innovative Company in America for six successive years. Problems with Enron The company had been estimating itself as a highly profitable one, one that had gained much of the market share. But all this was untrue. This image rapidly changed and saw the company hiding debts of a large sum. They were being concealed so that they didnt show up on the firms account books. The company was also entailed in political lobbying whereby it had a large number of legislators close to the firm in one way or the other. This point should have saved the company from its changing image in the global market but it didnt happen that way. People started inquiring about the degree and appropriateness of such closeness between the business and the politicians. They also asked how the company had resisted the political influence for so long. Also, the firms accountants were found involved in the slicing of Enrons accounts documents. These documents listed a fair scale of involvement. Prevention of Problems for Enron Enron could have prevented these problems much before it actually encountered them. The company should have avoided political lobbying at all costs and should also have invested in the social sector as its primary duty to the society. The top heads of the company were more towards the political framework of the country, which really hampered the progress of Enron as a business unit. People started to question all sorts of claims made by the company that it was the most profitable one. Much was needed to be answered when the accounts documents were found implicated by the accountants of the company. The company, speaking from an ethical point of view, should have concentrated more on the welfare of its workers and the society but its entailment with the politics really ruined its status worldwide and nearly pulled its name out of the top American companies. It ought to have followed the code of ethics that are set to be adhered by every business company. The Government regulation body should have imposed certain restrictions on the companys involvement with the political set up. It could also have made it obligatory for the company to follow the norms like the other business giants do, failing whereby they could be imposed upon certain sanctions legally as well as otherwise. CSR as a Regulation Factor Corporate Social Responsibility can regulate the workings of the company and serve as a welfare organization for the masses of a particular society, thus boosting the market as the competition will increase between the different corporals, which will, in the long-term, only benefit the society. It would also fulfill the role due on the business companies part.

How to Apply to Grad School

How to Apply to Grad School Most applicants become anxious when they realize that graduate school applications are very different from college applications. What do you need to know when applying to graduate school? First, the process of getting into graduate school can be confusing and downright overwhelming. Yet nearly all grad school applications are consistent in requirements. These include the following: TranscriptsGRE or other standardized test scoresLetters of recommendationAdmissions essay(s), also known as a personal statement Ensure that your grad school application contains all of these components because incomplete applications translate into automatic rejections. Transcripts Your transcript provides information about your academic background. Your grades and overall GPA, as well as what courses youve taken, tell the admissions committee a great deal about who you are as a student. If your transcript is filled with easy As, such as those earned in classes like Basket Weaving 101, youll likely rank lower than a student who has a lower GPA comprised of courses in the hard sciences. You wont include your transcript in the application that you send to the graduate program. Instead, the registrars office at your school sends it. This means that youll have to visit the registrars office to request your transcript by completing forms for each graduate program to which youd like to forward a transcript. Begin this process early because schools require time to process your forms and send the transcripts (sometimes as much as two to three weeks). You dont want your application to be rejected because your transcript was late or never arrived. Be sure to check that your transcript has arrived at each of the programs to which youve applied. Graduate Record Exams (GREs) or Other Standardized Test Scores Most graduate programs require standardized exams  such as the GREs  for admission.   Law, medical  and business schools usually require different exams (the LSAT, MCAT  and GMAT, respectively). Each of these exams is standardized, meaning that they are normed, permitting students from different colleges to be compared meaningfully. The GRE is similar in structure to the SATs but taps your potential for graduate-level work. Some programs also require the GRE Subject Test, a standardized test that covers the material in a discipline (e.g., Psychology). Most graduate admissions committees are inundated with applications, so apply cut-off scores to the GRE, considering only applications that have scores above the cut-off point. Some, but not all, schools reveal their average GRE scores in their admissions material and in graduate school admissions books. Take standardized tests early (typically, the spring or summer before you apply) to guide your selection of programs  and to ensure that your scores arrive at the schools you want to get in early. Letters of Recommendation The GRE and GPA components of your grad school application portray you in numbers. The letter of recommendation is what permits the committee to begin thinking of you as a person. The efficacy of your letters rests on the quality of your relationships with professors.   Take care and choose appropriate references. Remember that a good recommendation letter helps your application tremendously but a bad or even neutral letter will send your graduate application into the rejection pile. Do not ask for a letter from a professor who knows nothing more about you than the fact that you got an A such letters do not enhance your application, but detract from it. Be courteous and respectful in asking for letters and provide enough information to help the professor write a valuable letter. Letters from employers can also be included if they include information on your duties and aptitude relating to your field of study (or your motivation and quality of work, overall). Skip getting letters from friends, spiritual leaders and public officials.   Admissions Essay The admissions essay is your opportunity to speak up for yourself. Carefully structure your essay. Be creative and informative as you introduce yourself and explain why you want to attend graduate school and why each program is a perfect match to your skills. Before you begin writing, consider your qualities. Think about who will be reading your statement and what they are looking for in an essay. Not only are they committee members; they are scholars who are searching for the kind of motivation that implies a dedicated and intrinsic interest in the matters dealt with in their field of study. And they are looking for someone who will be productive and interested in their work. Explain your relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments into your essay. Focus on how your educational and occupational experiences such as research led you to this program. Dont rely only on emotional motivation (such as I want to help people or I want to learn). Describe how this program will benefit you (and how your skills can benefit the faculty within it), where you see yourself in the program and how it fits into your future goals. Be specific: What do you offer?   Interview Although not part of the application, some programs use interviews to get a look at finalists. Sometimes what looks like a great match on paper isnt in person. If youre asked to interview for a graduate program, remember that this is your opportunity to determine how well a fit the program is for you. In other words, youre interviewing them, as much as they are interviewing you.

Emergence and Development of Stem Cell Research Paper

Emergence and Development of Stem Cell - Research Paper Example Two main sources of stem cells include embryos during the early phase of embryonic development and adult stem cells. Interestingly, opposition to stem cell research is not uniform for embryonic and adult stem cells. Most of the regulations across the world are supportive of adult stem cell research but varies hugely for embryonic stem cell research. For instance, in the United States, stem cell research on studies proposing to use animal sources of adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells or embryonic germ cell lines do not have any restrictions and are federally funded, unlike human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research (Downing, 2003). 3.1. Emergence and development of stem cell research: In the US, many Christian groups protested President Bush’s initial decision regarding research on human embryonic stem cells, which resulted in forbidding further research on research. Though this consoled the priests and other religious figures in the US, this decision also received much oppo sition from other religious groups within the US and other parts of the world. Although religious groups expressed satisfaction over the President’s decision to withdraw support for research on hESCs, they also detested manipulation of existing stem cells for research purposes (Petersen, 2003). Research ethics concerned with ESCs are mostly about the method of deriving healthy human embryos and their moral status during early stages that carry different views in different religions (McLaren 2007). These differences have been the reasons for most of the ethical debate about ESC research. 3.2. Restrictions and limitations on stem cell research: After President Bush passed the bill on hESC research in 2001, funding restrictions were also imposed on this aspect as part of his campaign promise made to the citizens of the US that their money would not be used for stem cell research purposes (Stolberg, 2001). As a reaction to this, states like California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa , Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York enacted independent funding systems (Frost & Sullivan, 2008). Regulations imposed on hESCs and adult stem cells are different in different countries. The policies on hESC research in the United States are more liberal, like that of Germany, Spain, France, and Canada; but the policies in the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and Israel are even more liberal than that of the United States (Herring, 2006). Evidence of the amount of research indicates that adult stem cell trials have been more successful in most of the countries that encourage and support stem cell research. Outcomes of these researchers on adult stem cells have been applied to treat many diseases, birth defects, cancers, severe heart-related issues etc (Herring, 2006). This evidence only indicates the extent of advancement in adult stem cell research and application in various countries across the world.

Differentiation Chart for Elementary Education Classroom Research Paper

Differentiation Chart for Elementary Education Classroom - Research Paper Example The learning stations designed will have to appropriately expose students to the intended diverse strategies and choices which will effectively meet the needs of the learners (Tomlinson, 2004). Offering an equal number of assignment questions for each group of students. However, the complexity of these questions will vary from one group to the other. The learners who will demonstration the need of rather challenging questions will be provided to, especially those at the higher level of cognitive thinking as demonstrated in the blooms taxonomy. Creating small temporary groups that will last for specified periods of time. This will enable the learners to temporarily accomplish tasks together in a variety of ways. Consequently, the activities and learning outcomes will determine the means in which the learners engage in learning (Tomlinson, 2004). Assessing the awareness, readiness, knowledge interests, weaknesses and strengths of a learner relative to academic abilities. This is to find out the entry behaviour of the learner. For example finding out the prior mastery of knowledge, the previous understandings as well as the skills possessed by the learner. This helps in the prediction of what is necessary for furthering the understanding and level of mastery of the learner (Tomlinson, 2004). Provide an objective to be accomplished by flexible groups with members who has similar readiness level. For example providing opportunities for the learners in order to practice using individual whiteboards and manipulatives. For example, how to add fractions with like denominators different groups will accomplish varying complex questions (Benjamin,

Enterprise Software Architecture Design The Project Proposal, Essay

Enterprise Software Architecture Design The Project Proposal, Requirements and Architectural Model(s) - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present an enterprise architecture design as an enterprise structural description that comprises of enterprise components, for instance business entities, external visible properties of the components and the relationship between the components. Basically, enterprise architecture describes the enterprise components, composition and terminologies and their relationship with external environment. Furthermore, it also describes analysis guiding principles, evolution of the enterprise and design. Enterprise architectural design is a comprehensive description of an enterprise goals, roles, business process, organizational behavior, organizational structure, computer system, software applications and business information. On the other hand, enterprise software is enterprise application software mostly used in organizations, for instance, government or business. It is an information system integral part. This is a project proposal paper on enterprise softw are architecture design. It highlights issues of setting up a project design, risk analysis and describes the formal techniques that will be used in the proposal. It also highlights architectural views and models. Main of the project proposal is to offer technical background information of the workings in management of systems in buildings and enhance understanding of capstone projects. The main problem area in this study is ventilation system or air conditioning. It highlights on the choice of cost effective and efficient architecture for ventilation system or air conditioning.... Each research objective therefore used varying fractions of each form of data (Babbie and Benaquisto 2009). The research method chosen for this study was Focus Group Discussions. It was the most appropriate method since the study is primarily qualitative on the choice of cost effective and efficient ventilation system or air conditioning. The FGD was composed of ten architectural specialists who discussed the topic at hand in detail (Babbie and Benaquisto 2009). The study adopted a qualitative approach, as technical matters can be evaluated using data which is practical, and one that has been tested. Therefore a qualitative approach is best suited to meeting the research objectives, as it aims at gathering, analyzing and measuring data from a large sample to test the relation between different variables. Primary data was collected by questionnaires, which included structured and unstructured questions, one on one discussion with the experts, and interviews, which were used to collect data immediately. Secondary data was collected through a review of published and unpublished materials, such as articles, government policy papers, and books (Babbie and Benaquisto 2009). Limitations of the study Validity determines whether the research study actually measures what it is supposed to measure or not. That is, whether the interpretation of the data is valid or not. This can be done by comparing the data collection methods with those of previous studies, and by carrying out a preliminary investigation to find out which methods of data collection are likely to be most effective within the context of the study (Tight et al 2006). The purpose of reliability analysis is to determine whether data are trustworthy or not.

Leaders Obligation When Discharging Patients Essay

Leaders Obligation When Discharging Patients - Essay Example From a social perspective, timely discharge may appreciably improve a patients health and decrease the chance of readmission of patients. Social responsibility is essential even for the poor and the disadvantaged. Political influences are evident in legislations that intend to improve the healthcare system through the reduction of health care costs and bettering its quality by ensuring appropriate behavior among health care providers. Healthcare reforms demand for appropriate behavior in managed care in spite of political influences (Wong, Yam, Cheung, Leung, Chan, Wong, and Yeoh, 2011). Legally, there are court cases and lawsuits in case hospitals handle discharge inappropriately. Besides, nurses have an ethical obligation to attend to their patients and ensure their moral wellbeing without any conflict of interest. In terms of regulation, it is in line with good practices in hospital discharge process. There are diverse skills and strategies that a nurse leader should use to advocate for positive change related to discharge. Discharge is an ongoing process that should start at the earliest opportunity, and not be an isolated event. Positive change involves minimization of the number of readmissions and enrichment of the financial well-being of healthcare systems. Other strategies include pre-discharge interventions such as medication reconciliation and patient education, and post-discharge interventions such as home visits (Hachem, Canar, Fullam, Gallan, Hohmann, and Johnson,

Budget Support to SME for Malaysian budget 2013 Article

Budget Support to SME for Malaysian budget 2013 - Article Example Moreover, SMEs are also differentiated on the ground of turnover or total balance sheet amount over a certain period of time (European Commission, â€Å"Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)†). The role of SMEs currently played within the context of a developing nation can be well-explained with the illustration of Malaysian economy. In the current day context of Malay economy, SMEs play important functions in order to develop the industrial sectors. Furthermore, SMEs are considered as significant contributors for the development of the Malaysian economy (Radam, Abu and Abdullah, â€Å"Technical Efficiency of Small and Medium Enterprise in Malaysia: A Stochastic Frontier Production Model†). In Malaysia, SMEs are identified in accordance with activities performed, the size of the enterprises along with the extent of turnover attained by these entities over a certain period (Saleh and Ndubisi, â€Å"An Evaluation of SME Development in Malaysia†). Malay SMEs are defined into two categories, i.e. (1) manufacturing services and agro-based industries and (2) service, primary agriculture as well as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based on their annual turnovers and their total worker population. SMEs in the manufacturing services and agro-based industries segments operate with the manpower of around 150 employees on a full time basis. Additionally, the annual turnover of these enterprises accounts to around RM 25 million (Saleh and Ndubisi, â€Å"An Evaluation of SME Development in Malaysia†). On the other hand, SMEs of the service, primary agriculture as well as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors employ around 50 workers on a full time basis, while, the annual turnover of these enterprises are accounted to be around RM5 million (Saleh and Ndubisi, â€Å"An Evaluation of SME Development in Malaysia†). Contextually,

Leaders Obligation When Discharging Patients Essay

Leaders Obligation When Discharging Patients - Essay Example From a social perspective, timely discharge may appreciably improve a patients health and decrease the chance of readmission of patients. Social responsibility is essential even for the poor and the disadvantaged. Political influences are evident in legislations that intend to improve the healthcare system through the reduction of health care costs and bettering its quality by ensuring appropriate behavior among health care providers. Healthcare reforms demand for appropriate behavior in managed care in spite of political influences (Wong, Yam, Cheung, Leung, Chan, Wong, and Yeoh, 2011). Legally, there are court cases and lawsuits in case hospitals handle discharge inappropriately. Besides, nurses have an ethical obligation to attend to their patients and ensure their moral wellbeing without any conflict of interest. In terms of regulation, it is in line with good practices in hospital discharge process. There are diverse skills and strategies that a nurse leader should use to advocate for positive change related to discharge. Discharge is an ongoing process that should start at the earliest opportunity, and not be an isolated event. Positive change involves minimization of the number of readmissions and enrichment of the financial well-being of healthcare systems. Other strategies include pre-discharge interventions such as medication reconciliation and patient education, and post-discharge interventions such as home visits (Hachem, Canar, Fullam, Gallan, Hohmann, and Johnson,

Same Sex Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Same Sex Marriage - Essay Example On the other hand there are a few states that have not recognized same sex marriages as legal marriages. State of Texas is one of the very few states in which same sex marriages are not yet considered as legal marriages (Ncsl.org, 2015). On the other hand majority of the states have recognized such marriages as legal ones. Same sex marriages as well as civil unions between couples of the same gender have been prohibited in the state of Texas since the period of 2003. As of 2005, the constitution of the state of Texas was even amended in order to ban same sex marriages (Freedomtomarry.org, 2015). During 2005 it was decided the state of Texas will only recognize those marriages as legal that take place between a male and a female and marriages between two females or two males were recognized as unconstitutional. It is not that no same sex marriages take place within the state of Texas. During the period of 2015 a same sex marriage took place between two individuals belonging to the female gender and the matter was taken to the courts. The courts decided the case in the favor of the coupl es but they did not recognize same sex marriages as legal (Sanchez, 2015). The reason for recognizing their marriage as legal was the illness that was experienced by one of the couple. The ban on such marriages by the state of Texas have been severely criticized and recognized as unconstitutional by the federal as well as the state level courts of Texas. These courts have recognized that the measures taken by the state of Texas to ban same sex marriage is against the constitution of the United States of America. Same sex marriage laws that have not yet been passed and enacted by the state of Texas include the consideration of legalization of same sex marriage in Texas. In the state of Texas, civil unions which are a kind of marriage but not legal marriages have not yet been legalized in the state. Same sex couples of the state of Texas are not entitled to the

Good Communicator Essay Example for Free

Good Communicator Essay Effective communication begins when a specific message is conveyed to people and that your idea is being received and people understand what you are saying to them. This is especially important in the healthcare industry because proper interpretation from patients is critical in them receiving the utmost care and proper diagnosis. Interaction between healthcare workers, doctors and patients is critical in communicating symptoms, diagnosis and test results and treatment of patients. When workers are able to communicate with each other it makes it easier to interact with the patients by having all the needed information, whether it was symptoms relayed from patient, test results relayed from lab or diagnosis relayed from the doctor. There are six characteristics of both supportive and defensive relationships, where one set of characteristics focus on compassion and empathy and defensive characteristics are to the point and abrupt without any interpersonal communication between parties involved. Supportive relationships would seem to be the better choice for the healthcare industry because like a broken wheel halts forward progress, so does non-communication among professionals and patients. When there is no empathy present with a patient they feel like no one understands their problem and feel like they are not getting the help that they deserve. Assertive communication allows an idea to be brought up and talked about but making sure all parties are respected. By being assertive is a learned technique to use and if not done correctly can cause conflicts among the workplace because people do not like abrupt changes in the workplace. Once changes are felt by all and are eventually practiced, it becomes part of a daily routine in the office and there are no longer conflicts having to be resolved. When being assertive one must not become aggressive also or a person would become known as a â€Å"bully† in the workplace and doesn’t care what the consequences of actions will entail. Not only can assertive behavior be bad if not utilized correctly, it may also cause undue stress on the coronary system and could ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke. When using an assertive style in the workplace, one must be aware of negative reactions that could occur and be able to be ready with additional information to sway the receiver. One must not be too aggressive with tone and pitch of the voice and it will send off the wrong impression to receivers and not sway them to understand what is being said. When faced with aggression most people react negatively and this would not be advisable in a healthcare setting. An example would be when a medical coder has a question on what a doctor has documented in a patients file that doesn’t seem appropriate for the diagnosis so a doctor must be spoken to get more information to code correctly but without pointing fingers at the doctor. If the coder inquires aggressively then the doctor would become irate over being questioned but if the coder were to inquire assertively they would seem more like they just wanted more information to properly code the patient’s records. I fall under the type B personality because I am very easy going, but I do want to be heard when needed. I don’t feel that aggression is the answer but I do feel that one can be assertive and get a point across without being viewed as being too aggressive. Assertiveness takes into account what others feel and say and aggressiveness is all about what â€Å"I† want and need and not what â€Å"they† want or need. Previous positions that I’ve worked, I had many supervisors that used very assertive behavior and they really didn’t get good feedback. When workers became assertive about their needs for specific things at work, then supervisors are more likely to hear what they want and react appropriately. I do have a hard time getting my point across because I know what I want to say in my brain but when it comes out of my mouth it becomes all jumbled and does not make sense. I’m trying to work on my communication skills and am hoping that this course will increase my skills so that I can speak more clear and concise and have people understand what I want to accomplish in the workplace.

Nestle Marketing Plan Analysis

Nestle Marketing Plan Analysis Nestlà © S.A. is the largest nutrition and foods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. Nestlà © originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, which was established in 1866 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and the Farine Lactà ©e Henri Nestlà © Company, which was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlà ©. The company grew significantly during the First World War and following the Second World War, eventually expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. Today, the company operates in 86 countries around the world and employs nearly 283,000 individuals. Nestlà © S.A. is the largest food and beverage company in the world. With a manufacturing facility or office in nearly every country of the world, Nestlà © often is referred to as the most multinational of the multinationals. Nestlà © markets approximately 7,500 brands organized into the following categories: baby foods, breakfast cereals, ch ocolate and confectionery, beverages, bottled water, dairy products, ice cream, prepared foods, foodservice, and pet care. Nestlà © is often referred to as the most multinational of the multinationals with a manufacturing facility or office in nearly every country of the world. Nestlà © markets approximately 7,500 brands organized into the following categories: baby foods, breakfast cereals, chocolate and confectionery, beverages, bottled water, dairy products, ice cream, prepared foods, foodservice, and pet care. Nestle is a decentralized organization where responsibility for operating decisions is delegated to local units, which have a high degree of autonomy concerning pricing, distribution, marketing, etc. Nestle is organized into seven different worldwide strategic business units (SBUs). These have responsibility for high-level strategic decisions and engage in overall strategic business development, including acquisitions and market entry strategy. There is a regional organization that divides the world into five major geographical zones, such as Europe, North America, etc. The regional organizat ions are responsible for developing regional strategies and assist in the overall strategy development process. However, neither SBU nor regional manager gets involved in local operating decisions. Research and Development department is rather important for the company. Nestle spends around 1 percent of its annual sales revenue on RD and has 3,100 employees dedicated to this function. The RD function comprises eighteen different groups, which operate in eleven countries all over the world. For more than 30 years, consumers have been enjoying the healthy benefits of BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder. But now, Nestle has introduced a great innovation. Nestle has launched BEAR BRAND CHOCO. Moms and kids are the target market for this new product. Aside from its irresistible chocolatey taste, BEAR BRAND CHOCO has the goodness of milk. Just like BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder, it is fortified with resistance-building Zinc and Vitamin C. These are essential nutrients that help fight sickness and fatigue. Company Perspectives: Quality is the essential ingredient in all brands and the reason why millions of people choose Nestlà © products every day. Nestles consumers have come to trust in Nestlà ©s commitment to excellence and turn to Nestlà © brands to maintain nutritional balance in a fast paced world. Marketing Plan of Nestle In todays very competitive marketplace a strategy that insures a consistent approach plays an important role. It offers products and services to be competitive. However, marketing strategy must have a well defined methodology for the day to day process of implementing it. It is of little value to have a strategy if there is lack either in resources or the expertise to implement it. Marketing strategy must address some unique considerations. However, many are common to all marketing strategies. Marketing plan of nestle consists of the following framework: Purpose and Mission Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy and Objectives Additional Consideration This marketing plan is aimed at highlighting one of the product line extensions of Nestles. It mainly focuses on the internal and external environment of Nestle. Apart from that, this plan include the marketing strategies, brand promotion strategies, marketing mix involved and competitive strategies adopted by Nestle. SWOT analysis one of the major content which is included in this marketing plan. SWOT analysis helps in finding out the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Apart from that it helps the organization to have a deep knowledge about the opportunities and threats which the organization is likely to face. Purpose and Mission The main purpose of this marketing plan is to analyze various aspects of product-line extension by Nestle. Here the chosen product-line extension is BEAR BRAND CHOCO. The mission of this plan is to find out whether this product-line extension has met Nestle-Corporations expectations before launching this product in the market. Situation Analysis To bring this product, Nestle has applied a lot of innovation in their existing production pattern keeping in view the tastes and preferences of target group mainly kids and moms. Kids mainly prefer tasty food and moms want their kid to be healthy. So, BEAR BRAND CHOCO is a mix of both taste and health. Thus, this product is creating value to its target group. Internal environment of Nestle Nestle has well satisfied employees, who strives to attain the goals of the organization with enthusiasm and hard work. They constitute a major part of internal environment of an organization. Resources of Nestle have been efficiently employed to the maximum extent. Nestle has created satisfaction among customer. Thus, it has a good reputation among customers. Nestle has good expertise who are capable of delivering their ideas which can achieves the organizations goals and objectives. External environment of Nestle Competition: Nestle is facing competition largely. Nestle has played a good role in facing the competition. Market: Nestle has very efficiently managed the market demand by proper market research. Technology: Nestle has adopted the best technology to produce its products. Thus, all these above mentioned aspects clearly indicate the internal and external environment in which Nestle has been situated. While launching a new product Nestle has to keep in mind all these environments. Nestle has to fore see the environment by adopting the opportunities which is prevailing in the environment. Nestle has to put effort in converting its weaknesses into opportunities and using strength to face the threats present in the environment. Marketing Strategies International Strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà ©s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets than Americans or Europeans. Nestlà © has employed a wide-area strategy for Asia that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country. For example, Nestlà © produces soy milk in Indonesia, coffee creamers in Thailand, soybean flour in Singapore, candy in Malaysia, and cereal in the Philippines, all for regional distribution. Another strategy that has been successful for Nestlà © involves striking strategic partnerships with other large companies. In the early 1990s, Nestlà © entered into an alliance with Coca Cola in ready-to-drink teas and coffees in order to benefit from Coca Colas worldwide bottling system and expertise in prepared beverages. Nestle employ local staff. Local employees better know and understand the local culture and business procedures. This can result in a more efficient way to respond adequately to local demand conditions, therefore increasing the companys market share and profitability. Nestlà ©s strategy for business development Nestle enters in an early stage the emerging markets, in order to establish a network there before competitors. Nestle simply purchases local brand names which the consumer is accustomed to. This helps the company to overcome cultural barriers and customer resentments to foreign brands. Nestles strategy is to establish a basis and then expand into more niches as demand rises. Other strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà © established its expatriate army which is a group of about 700 managers who have a lot of experience in doing management activities in foreign countries. These managers are highly educated and trained in order to enable them a worldwide field of operations. Another approach is to form SBUs. These units formulate the high level strategic decisions on a worldwide basis, while each of these SBUs focuses on a specific segment: chocolate, infant food, cereals, coffee etc. Overall strategy development such as acquisition and market entry strategy these SBUs form an important part of the companys decision making and operating process. Nestlà ©s marketing mix includes the following: Product Price Promotion Place Product Nestle has launched BEAR BRAND CHOCO which is a health drink specially for kids and moms. Aside from its irresistible chocolatey taste, BEAR BRAND CHOCO has the goodness of milk. Just like your trusted BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder, it is fortified with resistance-building Zinc and Vitamin C. These are essential nutrients that help fight sickness and fatigue. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is nutritious and delicious with affordable price. Price Customers directly relate price to quality, particularly in case of products that are ego intensive of technology based. Nestle, being a company that emphasizes product quality, it tends to sell its products with price affordable to all. Market Penetration Strategy Nestle has adopted market penetration strategy since they have to penetrate the market as much as possible and for them income is not so critical and rapid market penetration for eventual market control is desired Thus, the price for such product is very low. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is a budget friendly pack available in different pack size. BEAR BRAND CHOCO comes in two pack sizes, namely the 300g pack, which is good for 10 servings and the 60g pack, which contains 2 servings. A serving only costs P7.50*. Promotion Nestle is mainly focusing on advertisements which is considered to be a very good medium of promotion. It has a good reach among the customers. Moreover Nestle has adopted various other modes of promotion like magazines etc. The Push Strategy maximizes the use of all available channels of distribution to push the offering into the marketplace. The Pull Strategies involves direct interface with the consumers. It focuses in advertisement rather than various channels of distribution. Thus, Nestle is focusing on both Pull and Push Strategy. Place Nestle has targeted almost all the areas including rural areas and urban areas. In almost all the super-market and all other out-lets Nestle products are available. All the customers seem to be very happy with the availability of Nestle product in the market. Addition Consideration Based on the above mentioned information, a critical SWOT analysis can be made with the help of available information. SWOT analysis helps an organization to understand their strengths and weaknesses and also to have an idea about what the opportunities available to them outside and what are the likely threats they can face in future. Strengths Global food producer, located in over 100 countries. Consistently one of the worlds largest producers of food products, with sales in the USA in 2008 of $10 billion; sales and earnings in 2008 were better than expected, even in a downturned economy. Repeatedly ranked as the worlds largest bottled water company and have set up facilities to operate water resources in a responsible manner. Nestlà © was named one of Americas Most Admired Food Companies in Fortune magazine for the twelfth consecutive year. Nestlà © provides quality brands and products and line extensions that are well-known, top-selling brands including: Lean Cuisine, Yoplait, Maggi, Dryers/Edys, Haagen-Dazs, Stouffers, Boost, Dibs, Hot Pockets. Chocolate and Candy: Kit Kat, Toll House, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Crunch Bar, the Willy Wonka Candy line. Pet Products: Purina, Alpo, Cat Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Tidy Cat. Drinks: Carnation, Perrier, Nesquik, S. Pellegrino, Nescafe, CoffeeMate, Tasters Choice, Juicy Juice. General Mills: subsidiary which makes Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Hamburger Helper, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, cereals, fruit snacks, frozen pizza, canned soups, frozen vegetables, ready-made frozen meals. Gerber: baby formula, prepared baby foods, baby cereals, water, juice, yogurt, foods for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Professional brands sold to restaurants, colleges, hotels, and food professionals including Jenny Craig meals, Impact liquid meals for trauma patients, liquid meals for diabetics, and OptiFast weight loss products. Successful due in part to their unquestionable ability to keep major brands consistently in the forefront of consumers minds (and in their shopping carts) by renovating existing product lines, keeping major brands from slipping into saturation/decline and having superior access to distribution channels. Weaknesses Their LC-1 division was not as successful as they thought it would be in France. In the late 1980s, Dannon entered the market with a health-based yogurt, and become the top selling brand of yogurt; Nestlà ©s 1994 launch was behind the product life cycle curve in an already mature market and could not compete against a strong, established brand. Growth in their organic food sales division was flat in 2008, even though the industry grew 8.9%. Since 2004 the breakfast cereal industry has been under fire from the FDA and the American Medical Association, both of which say that false claims of heart healthy and lower cholesterol need to be removed from packaging and advertising. They have also been forced to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, as parents advocates groups claimed they were contributing to the diabetes epidemic among American children. General Mills is an experienced, established brand and are the market leader in the USA, however, they have been lacking in innovation, have not cashed in on the booming health food craze and have been behind in creating new, niche products, especially in their yogurt division, where Yoplait is the only brand making a profit. In 2008, although their products did not carry the recalled pistachios, several of their ice cream brands, Dryers, Edys and Haagen-Dazs, were still plagued with bad PR and loss of sales. Opportunities In todays health conscious societies, they can introduce more health-based products, and because they are a market leader, they would likely be more successful. Provide allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. They launched a new premium line of higher cacao content chocolates dubbed Nestlà © Treasures Gold, in order to cash in on the recession economy in which consumers cut back on luxury goods, but regularly indulge in candy and chocolate. Americans want luxury chocolates, and high-end chocolate is immune to the recession (so far), because it is an inexpensive indulgence. Opened Nestlà © Cafà ©s in major cities to feature Nestlà © products. Threats Any contamination of the food supply, especially e-coli. Their Toll House brand cookie dough was recalled in March of 2009 because of e-coli. Outbreaks were linked to 28 states and the product had to be recalled globally. Nestlà © has yet to find out how this happened, and is still investigating. They were affected by the pet food recall in 2007, in which 95 different brands of dog and cat food was recalled due to contamination with rat poison. Also in 2007, FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. FDA found contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food. Raw chocolate ingredient prices are soaring; dairy costs alone rose 50% in 2008, this cuts heavily into their profit margins and often gets passed on to consumers, by shrinking the packaging in a way that is almost unnoticeable-therefore the consumer is paying the same prices for less product. They have major competitors, like Hersheys, Cadbury-Schweppes (owned by Pepsi), Lindt and Ghirardelli, Kelloggs, Post, Starbucks, Beech-Nut, Quaker, Kraft Foods, Dannon, Del-Monte, Iams, Earths Best, Heinz, Frito-Lay (owned by Pepsi). Conclusion Nestle can earn greater return from its distinctive competencies, i.e. unique strengths that allow a company to achieve superior efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness. By applying those competencies, and the products they produce, to foreign markets where indigenous competitors lack similar competencies and products, Nestle can realize enormous returns. Furthermore, Nestle can take advantage of location economies. Location economies arise from performing a value creation activity in the optimal location for that activity, anywhere in the world. The optimal location for a value creating activity lowers the costs of value creation therefore helping the company achieve a low-cost position. Nevertheless, Nestle must evaluate basic entry decisions before entering an emergent market. The company has to make a choice among different foreign markets on the basis of their long-run profit potential. Nestle has to balance the benefits, costs. INDIVIDUAL CRITICAL REFLECTION Nestlà © S.A. is the largest nutrition and foods company in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. Nestlà © originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, which was established in 1866 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and the Farine Lactà ©e Henri Nestlà © Company, which was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlà ©. Nestlà © is often referred to as the most multinational of the multinationals with a manufacturing facility or office in nearly every country of the world. Nestlà © markets approximately 7,500 brands organized into the following categories: baby foods, breakfast cereals, chocolate and confectionery, beverages, bottled water, dairy products, ice cream, prepared foods, foodservice, and pet care. Quality is the essential ingredient in all brands and the reason why millions of people choose Nestlà © products every day. Nestles consumers have come to trust in Nestlà ©s commitment to excellence and turn to Nestlà © brands to maintain nutritional balance in a fast paced world. Nestle has always delivered high quality products with reasonable prices and in different quantities and sizes. This tells us the way it is marketing its products. Even consumers from low level can have access to the product. This is one of the best features of Nestle. Even though, Nestle has undergone various problems in the past with regard to the contamination of food product which has created bad impression in the minds of the consumers and has affected its reputation in the market. Still Nestle has put great effort in overcoming all its pitfalls by developing products of high quality and good nutritional value. Following are the sources which clearly determine the way in which Nestle has delivered value to the customers: Nestle has well satisfied employees, who strives to attain the goals of the organization with enthusiasm and hard work. They constitute a major part of internal environment of an organization. Nestle has good expertise who are capable of delivering their ideas which can achieves the organizations goals and objectives. Nestle has very efficiently managed the market demand by proper market research. Nestle has adopted the best technology to produce its products. Nestle has made available their products in all most all the geographic areas of the world. Suggestions for Nestle to have improvement in delivering the value to customer: Nestle can have improvement in its RD department, so that the products produced by them are efficient to satisfy the needs of the consumers and deliver maximum value to the consumers. Nestle should have a through market research and identify the changing pattern in the market so that it can ensure greater value to its customers. Nestle should strive to produce environmental friendly products which are totally harmless and are capable of giving value to customers. Applying the above mentioned suggestion help Nestle to create a good reputation in the market and deliver greater value to the customers. Value created by advertisement Advertisement plays an important role in promotion of products. It creates a direct link between the product and end users and there by deliver a long lasting impact on consumers. Consumers can feel the products with the help of advertisements. They can understand the feature of the products before buying. Nestle has used both channels of distributions and advertisement for the promotion and distribution of the products. Nestlà ©s marketing mix includes the following: Product Price Promotion Place Product Nestle has launched BEAR BRAND CHOCO which is a health drink specially for kids and moms. Aside from its irresistible chocolatey taste, BEAR BRAND CHOCO has the goodness of milk. Just like your trusted BEAR BRAND Filled Milk Powder, it is fortified with resistance-building Zinc and Vitamin C. These are essential nutrients that help fight sickness and fatigue. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is nutritious and delicious with affordable price. Price Customers directly relate price to quality, particularly in case of products that are ego intensive of technology based. Nestle, being a company that emphasizes product quality, it tends to sell its products with price affordable to all. Market Penetration Strategy Nestle has adopted market penetration strategy since they have to penetrate the market as much as possible and for them income is not so critical and rapid market penetration for eventual market control is desired Thus, the price for such product is very low. BEAR BRAND CHOCO is a budget friendly pack available in different pack size. BEAR BRAND CHOCO comes in two pack sizes, namely the 300g pack, which is good for 10 servings and the 60g pack, which contains 2 servings. A serving only costs P7.50*. Promotion Nestle is mainly focusing on advertisements which is considered to be a very good medium of promotion. It has a good reach among the customers. Moreover Nestle has adopted various other modes of promotion like magazines etc. The Push Strategy maximizes the use of all available channels of distribution to push the offering into the marketplace. The Pull Strategies involves direct interface with the consumers. It focuses in advertisement rather than various channels of distribution. Thus, Nestle is focusing on both Pull and Push Strategy. Place Nestle has targeted almost all the areas including rural areas and urban areas. In almost all the super-market and all other out-lets Nestle products are available. All the customers seem to be very happy with the availability of Nestle product in the market. Thus, Nestle has a good marketing mix, in which each component is capable of delivering value to the customers to the maximum extent. Marketing Strategies International Strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà ©s strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of autonomous regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets than Americans or Europeans. Nestlà © has employed a wide-area strategy for Asia that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country. For example, Nestlà © produces soy milk in Indonesia, coffee creamers in Thailand, soybean flour in Singapore, candy in Malaysia, and cereal in the Philippines, all for regional distribution. Another strategy that has been successful for Nestlà © involves striking strategic partnerships with other large companies. In the early 1990s, Nestlà © entered into an alliance with Coca Cola in ready-to-drink teas and coffees in order to benefit from Coca Colas worldwide bottling system and expertise in prepared beverages. Nestle employ local staff. Local employees better know and understand the local culture and business procedures. This can result in a more efficient way to respond adequately to local demand conditions, therefore increasing the companys market share and profitability. Nestlà ©s strategy for business development Nestle enters in an early stage the emerging markets, in order to establish a network there before competitors. Nestle simply purchases local brand names which the consumer is accustomed to. This helps the company to overcome cultural barriers and customer resentments to foreign brands. Nestles strategy is to establish a basis and then expand into more niches as demand rises. Other strategies adopted by Nestle: Nestlà © established its expatriate army which is a group of about 700 managers who have a lot of experience in doing management activities in foreign countries. These managers are highly educated and trained in order to enable them a worldwide field of operations. Another approach is to form SBUs. These units formulate the high level strategic decisions on a worldwide basis, while each of these SBUs focuses on a specific segment: chocolate, infant food, cereals, coffee etc. Overall strategy development such as acquisition and market entry strategy these SBUs form an important part of the companys decision making and operating process. Components of a professional marketing plan The Marketing Plan is a highly detailed, heavily researched and, hopefully, well written report that many inside and possibly outside the organization will evaluate. It is an essential document for both large corporate marketing departments and for startup companies. Essentially the Marketing Plan: Forces the marketing personnel to look internally in order to fully understand the results of past marketing decisions. Forces the marketing personnel to look externally in order to fully understand the market in which they operate. Sets future goals and provides direction for future marketing efforts that everyone within the organization should understand and support. Is a key component in obtaining funding to pursue new initiatives? The Marketing Plan is generally undertaken for one of the following reasons: Needed as part of the yearly planning process within the marketing functional area. Needed for a specialized strategy to introduce something new, such as new product planning, entering new markets, or trying a new strategy to fix an existing problem. Is a component within an overall business plan, such as a new business proposal to the financial community? In this project Following components are used: Purpose and Mission Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy and Objectives Additional Consideration Prior knowledge with regard to the learning outcomes If the market is very attractive and enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry you then the organization should invest best resources in support of their offering. If the market is very attractive and the enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry then it must concentrate on strengthening the enterprise, using their offering as a stepping stone toward this objective. If the market is not especially attractive, but the enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry then an effective marketing and sales effort for their offering will be good for generating near term profits. If the market is not especially attractive and the enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry then the organization should promote their offering only if it supports a more profitable part of your business or if it absorbs some of the overhead costs of a more profitable segment. Otherwise, the organization should determine the most cost effective way to divest the enterprise of this offering Comments on the learning process undergone While undergoing learning process, I was able to apply various concepts which were taught in the classrooms to the practical situations which Nestle has under went in their way of doing business. I could analyze the importance of various factors which were directly related to the success of the business like the appropriate mix of marketing components called product, price, promotion and place. I could relate various marketing concept which were studied in the text books like pull and push strategy and pricing strategies like price skimming and price penetration. I could understand the market mix in dept and it was a great experience to find out what happens when there is a slight change in the marketing mix of an organization. I could understand the strategies which Nestle has followed from time to time in order to sustain and gain competitive advantage. I could understand how organizations take strategic decisions in the long run and what the effects were if the strategic decision does not work well. Questions and answers with regard to the learning outcomes How will an organization develop a clear idea about the changes in the consumers change in tastes and preferences? Answer: An organization can have a clear idea of changes in the consumers tastes and preferences by having a detailed marketing research in all most all the aspects of market. How can an organization make changes in their marketing mix? Answer: An organization can make changes in their marketing mix by gaining a detailed idea about what consumers tastes and preferences are. How does an organization fix its pricing strategies? Answer: Organizations usually fix there prices as per the cost incurred to them plus the profit margin. Sometimes pricing strategy greatly depends on the target group for whom the product is produced. Thus, we can identify how different marketing functions and marketing concepts are inter-related and how a slight change in one affects the other.

Othello And Desdemona :: Literary Analysis, Othello and Desdemona

Obsidian and Alabaster: Othello and Desdemona Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was doomed from the start. Even considering the racial nature of the marriage, his lack of a constant home, and the improper method of his courting, there is another reason why their marriage would never have worked. Othello’s label of Desdemona prevents him from considering her a person. He thinks of her instead as superior to himself in every way, to the point that she is a god. Her race, beauty, and status make her godly in his mind. Because Othello thinks of Desdemona as â€Å"Alabaster†(5.2.5) he will never consider her capable of responding to his love. Because Othello is at his wit’s end when he refers to her as â€Å"Alabaster†, he is speaking out of his heart. After Othello reads the letter from Venice, he begins to speak in less cohesive manner. For instance the line, â€Å"Pish! Noses, ears, and lips. Isn’t Possible? Confess! Handkerchief! O devil!†(4.1.42) contains none of Othello’s former eloquence. He begins to speak with word association, rather than in complete sentences. For instance, the word â€Å"confess!† brings up the word â€Å"Handkerchief!†, and â€Å"devil!†. Because Desdemona, the handkerchief, and the sense of maliciousness were on his mind so much, he begins to express with abstract words and ideas instead of sentences. Although this makes his lines harder to read, they show us what he is constantly thinking of. Instead of clear and concise lines, they are a torrent of his true feelings. Therefore when he describes Desdemona as â€Å"Alabaster†, we can be sure it is his inner picture of her. Alabaster’s beauty gives you an idea about his feelings of bodily inferiority to her. Alabaster is a naturally beautiful stone, used by ancient Egyptians and Chinese to make statues and vases. This word choice gives the reader a sense of his feelings of inadequacy to Desdemona. He is never said to be ugly, on the contrary, he is described as â€Å"far more fair than black†(1.3.291). He must have felt some sensitivity about his physical appearance. In contrast, he describes her face as â€Å"fair as Dian’s visage†(3.3.389), Dian most likely being the god of healing in Celtic mythology. This implies both beauty and health. He then goes on to say â€Å"begrimed and black as mine own face†(3.3.390). Othello superimposes her clean and young white face with his grimy old black face. The fact that he believed her to be unfaithful with Cassio further proves his insecurity.

India shine

As the first reports started to trickle in, the apprehensions of the party workers at 7 RCA and Congress WHQL began to crystallize to gloom. The early trends seemed to be daunting and slowly yet steadily the buildup towards the ultimate result was emerging. Beyond doubt the flow was In favor of Brutally Kanata Party (BGP), the major opposition party. By the end of the day†¦ The Congress was truly humbled with an abysmally low tally†¦ 44 seats, the lowest ever in the electoral history since independence. For the first time in two decades BGP emerged on its own as the arrest single party.Backdrop & Introspection The result had its impact, at the Congress Parliamentary Board Meeting, the next day. Party President Mrs.. Sonic Gandhi and the Vice President Mr.. Rural Gandhi offered to resign. In an expected twist to the tale, their resignations were not accepted and the party decided to take collective responsibility. There were many issues to focus and It was quite unclear as t o how the grand old party would seek to address these. For two successive terms, the party governed at centre along with Its coalition partners. 2004 elections sprang a definite surprise.The BGP government was on an upswing, the campaign was highly Innovative, the economy In good nick with growth rate around 9. 5% and the image of Its leader Mr.. ABA Payees was most respected. The party perceived itself to be in the driving seat and its campaign â€Å"India Shining† was expected to hit off well with the electorate. In spite of strong economic indicators, fairly good record of governance, general sense of well being and all the predictions of re-election, the BGP were stunned. The congress campaign negated the best of Bops claims thus enabling them to take the lead in forming the government.An intrepid and a politically innovative advertisement blitz failed to impress. The most unexpected happened and Congress secured its victory. The first five years I. E. 2004-2009, were con servative yet relatively non controversial. The symptoms of decline began to emerge. The economy was showing signs of recession, growth rate was on the slump, global economic conditions started to show challenging signs yet the congress managed to pull off In 2009 to get re-elected to form a coalition government again. Things began to change†¦ Emboldened by its re-election and the arty started to influence policies and decisions resulting in an indifferent state of governance, conflicts, dilution of control, ineffective monitoring. Ministries began to exert themselves and more or less operated with impunity and became non responsive to PM; abundance of corrupt practices and scandals broke out, economy began to decline with high inflation, price rise, unemployment, dropping investments, growing incidents of violence against women, Look pal agitation etc which put a great deal of pressure.The PM to large extent restricted his operations to his domain and as not seen exerting hims elf to bring the administration under his control. Coupled with this was the most Ineffective approach towards media and interaction on media which left the party scuttling for cover on many occasions. There emerged a general sense of strolls and stagnant state of affairs which was becoming a common overlook a large number of them. For the elections 2014, the focus of the party remained on personality I. E.BGP preliminaries candidate and the issue of secularism. The emergence of PAP and its impact was sidelined and many issues relevant to the runner context of elections were not taken into cognizance. The approach was quite ambivalent and ambiguous. The net result was a mixed message to the electorate looking for answers to questions which remained unanswered. Campaign Challenges : BGP By 2011, the BGP apparently began its preparations to target the 2014 elections. The party began its preparation with a focus on identifying the correct strategy.Having faced the double defeat in 2004 and 2009, it realized that success is possible if the party is able to project its image and be identified as a national alternative. In order to do so, it had to set itself on important issues namely Personality, Platform, Plank, Diversity, Demography and Development. By default, the PUP lead government seemed to pave way for crystallization of BGP campaign strategy by series of actions and inactions. As a first step, the BGP began the exercise of identifying a candidate suitable for spearheading the campaign.After a series of up's and town's, the party was able to narrow down to the CM of Gujarat, Mr.. Neared Mood. The choice was fraught with controversy as many including leading political analysts felt that this old endanger the Bops chances. Even within the party there was a dissent from senior leaders like ELK Divan, Cushman Swarms etc. The other national parties seemed to rejoice as they felt it was a trap BGP had set for itself and the choice would undo their chances. By 201 3, the official declaration took place and Mood was anointed the PM candidate, the face of BGP for the 2014 elections.While the choice of Mood was becoming a controversy, the approach towards elections was to be aligned. The reach out was tremendous, the political alliances were challenging, the geographical ileitis were imposing, the regional heavy weights were difficult to rope in, Mood as a choice was also alienating some erstwhile partners like JDK(U). The party had to identify themes and means to reach out to the target population and make a convincing pitch. The environment had undergone an extensive technology makeover since 2004.The decade has brought in changes in perception as regards elections, greater apolitical pro activity and dependence on reliable and fast communications. The demography too has undergone a rapid change; there was a growing sense of discontent on account of various factors effecting the society, economy and evildoer. Moreover, issues like unrest due t o nationalism, cross border tensions, reactive neighborhood etc also tended to make the Job of convincing electorate that much more difficult. Though the national situation on multiple fronts was grim, the fact that such a situation was a hidden opportunity or not was truly debatable.There were challenges in abundance and the choices were limited by time. The objective was to conceive and present a campaign which appeals to all sections simultaneously and converts the message to conviction and thereafter to action in terms of vote. Starting a campaign too early would be self defeating (2004 stands testimony for that) and too late would be ineffective or defensive (2009 a possible example). The question of when, where, how and who? For an effective campaign message and medium were to be identified and reinforced convincingly as a national alternative.Bops approach towards 2014 was characterized by structured planning and focused execution. It SE about the Job in a clinical manner wit h pre defined objectives to achieve. The campaign activity was set in motion by basic reorganization of the party dare, revamp & election of national executive, short listing prospective Prime Ministerial candidate, identifying issues relevant for campaign, projecting party agenda through articulate spokespersons, adopting multiple media options to leverage reach & communicate were part of numerous hurdles that needed to be considered.The national demography has undergone a substantial change and the increased awareness would also need specific attention. The climate across the country appears to have undergone a change with people across the cross section of society evincing a new found interest in elections. The youth and the educated middle and the upper middle class known for its disregard towards participation in elections appeared reengineering. A conservative estimate put the number of youth vote bank across the country was at 100 million.A substantial chunk of this needed to be harnessed and it was also essential for the party to enhance its vote share across the country. The party needed to correctly identify the challenges of multiple segments divided by diverse parameters such as culture, language, education, age, economic status, religion. Large number of local issues were taking precedence over sectional issues which diluted the party's influence visa–visa the regional players.The campaign called for deliberate action plan with defined objectives and with red flags across the time span to accelerate/ decelerate the campaign. The party decided to go all out leveraging the best of technical brains. A multi-tiered campaign was to be conducted with the objective of targeting and winning over the circumspect population in its favor.. The impact was like a corporate entity trying to rebind itself with a new product launch. There was branding, there was product development, here was segment specific media strategy and there was people to people co ntact.As the stage was set, the BGP was in top gear with the assemble results in northern states showing a thundering favor towards BGP. The time of opportune but the choices were different and difficult. Any misalignment would prove costly. The Aftermath The campaign was highly intense. Both the national parties pitched in all the resources. It was a no holds bar election with reputations at stake. The results were historic. An outright majority for BGP and an irrevocable domination of the Look Saba long with its allies.The congress and the PUP stood decimated. The results were a surprise & beyond all the expectations of all political parties, experts and election surveys. What went right for BGP and why? What factors in this election are lessons for use of effective advertising and media promotion? How did Congress â€Å"Fail to sense the pulse†? What went wrong with experts and pollsters who could not identify the mood? Did â€Å"Personality, Platform, Plank, Diversity, D emography and Development† influence the advertising and media choices and if so how?

The Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace

Most people would think that wars are launched because a country needs more territory, or because a country's borders are threatened, or because of appeasement. The real reason for war is that countries begin to feel that their honor is threatened; they feel that other nations are not giving them the worth and dignity they deserve, and so they take to the battlefield. On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace, Dr. Kagan is a classical scholar who hopes to get politicians and statesmen to understand history so as not to repeat it. He reminds that this was the intention of Thucydides of ancient Greece who wrote a history of the Peloponnesian Wars for â€Å"those who wish to have a clear understanding both of events in the past and of those in the future which will, in all human likelihood, happen again in the same or a similar way. † His book starts with the Peloponnesian War of the fifth century B. C. – -the subject of a four-volume history Kagan finished in 1987–and ends with the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. He also analyzes the Second Punic War of 218 to 201 B. C. World War I, and World War II. War usually arrives over long distances and long stretches of time. For instance, in 226 B. C. Rome was by far the most powerful state in the Western world, but it concluded a treaty with Carthage which was expanding its influence in what is now Spain. The treaty sought to preserve the peace. Eight years later, after many twisting and turnings and concessions by Rome, it led to war. Rome limited the expansion of Carthage to the area south of the Ebro River, and it looked like an order delivered by Rome, not a concession. Actually, Kagan writes, â€Å"†¦ it was an attempt at appeasement in a moment of weakness and fear, the effect of which was to neither soothe nor deter but to inflame and encourage the Carthaginians. † The aftermath included events, which almost destroyed Rome's fortunes: Hannibal's arrival at the head of a powerful army in Italy itself and the beginning of the 18-year Second Punic War. Two wars, the First Opium War 1839-42 and the Second Opium War 1856- 60, waged by Britain against China to enforce the opening of Chinese ports to trade in opium. Opium from British India paid for Britain' s imports from China, such as porcelain, silk, and, above all, tea. The First Opium War, between Britain and China, resulted in the cession of Hong Kong to Britain and the opening of five treaty ports. Other European states were also subsequently given concessions. The Second Opium War followed between Britain and France in alliance against China, when there was further Chinese resistance to the opium trade. China was forced to give the European states greater trading privileges, at the expense of its people. 839-42 and 1856-60, two wars between China and Western countries. The first was between Great Britain and China. Early in the 19th cent British merchants began smuggling opium into China in order to balance their purchases of tea for export to Britain. In 1839, China enforced its prohibitions on the importation of opium by destroying at Guangzhou (Canton) a large quantity of opium confiscated from British merchants. Great Britain, which had been looking to end China's restrictions on foreign trade, responded by sending gunboats to attack several Chinese coastal cities. China, unable to withstand modern arms, was defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing (1842) and the British Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue (1843). These provided that the ports of Guangzhou, Jinmen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai should be open to British trade and residence; in addition Hong Kong was ceded to the British. Within a few years other Western powers signed similar treaties with China and received commercial and residential privileges, and the Western domination of China's treaty ports began. In 1856 a second war broke out following an allegedly illegal Chinese search of a British-registered ship, the Arrow, in Guangzhou. British and French troops took Guangzhou and Tianjin and compelled the Chinese to accept the treaties of Tianjin (1858), to which France, Russia, and the United States were also party. China agreed to open 11 more ports, permit foreign legations in Beijing, sanction Christian missionary activity, and legalize the import of opium. China's subsequent attempt to block the entry of diplomats into Beijing as well as Britain's determination to enforce the new treaty terms led to a renewal of the war in 1859. This time the British and French occupied Beijing and burned the imperial summer palace (Yuan ming yuan). The Beijing conventions of 1860, by which China was forced to reaffirm the terms of the Treaty of Tianjin and make additional concessions, concluded the hostilities. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a dangerous and volatile situation that has attracted American attention for some decades. The conflict is a sensitive subject that produces strong emotions in people. This conflict deals with Jewish nationalism, distribution of resources, and politics. About a hundred years ago, Jews underwent a drastic change in their view of themselves. At first a few, and then more, began to call themselves Zionists. Zionism is a term that in its broadest and early sense meant simply the â€Å"return† of Jews to their ancestral homeland. That homeland was called Zion (or Israel) and its heart was Jerusalem, known as the â€Å"City of Zion. Early Zionists were simply pious, nonpolitical, religious Jews who thought they could best practice their faith in the Land of Zion. Some went primarily to pray, to study their religious books, and to await the arrival of the Messiah. Politics played an influential role in their thinking. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, Zionism came to have a political meaning: that Jews were not just a religious or ethnic group but were a nation of people who should have their own state. Today Zionism is the term for Jewish nationalism. Not all Jews agree upon what Zionism is, but to a point there is agreement, it is upon three things: there should be a Jewish state; it should be permanent, independent, and secure; and Jews who are threatened anywhere in the world should be able to go there to be safe. All other issues-the boundaries of the state, the nature of government, relations with the Palestinians, relations with American Jews, religious law-are in dispute. It is important to understand the Palestinian views . Keep in mind two points. First, people respond to the circumstances in which they live. If one is rich, one sees problems one way; if one is unemployed, one sees it a second way; if one owns a small shop, one sees it a third way. One must understand the circumstances in which Palestinians live if we are to understand their positions and actions. Second, there are about five million Palestinians. Like Americans, they disagree on political issues. They also change their minds as new circumstances develop. It is wrong to think Palestinians have a common view that remains unchanged. Their view changed considerably over the years. They view that the Israelis are taking the land rightfully theirs, and are being â€Å"bullied† by Israelis. They are the ones who had their land taken away from them and are left with no where to live. In 1948, there were approximately 860,000 Palestinians inside today's Israel. About 700,000 were driven out or fled during the fighting that followed the declaration of Israeli statehood. The Palestinian population of Jerusalem went from 75,000 to 3,500; of Jaffa from 70,000 to 3,600; of Haifa from 71,000 to 2,900; of Lydda-Ramle from 35,000 to 2,000; of Tiberias from 5,300 to zero. All refugees lost their property (about 800,000 acres were taken for Israeli use. ). The 160,000 Palestinians still in Israel in 1949 when the fighting stopped lost another 250,000 acres. The Palestinians in Israel were left without resources or strong leaders. When the Likud Party took power in 1977, it intensified colonization, pouring some $1 billion into settlement building over the next seven years. Today, land taken from the Palestinians and earmarked for military purposes or Jewish settlements amounts to more than 52% of the most fertile areas of the West Bank and 40% of the Gaza Strip. Only a very small percentage of this land was sold willingly by Palestinians. Most of it was confiscated, and is held to be for Jews only-not-just Jews from Israel, but Jews from anywhere in the world. Many newly arrived immigrants from the United States and Russia are given heavily financed housing in the settlements built on seized Palestinian land. 1990, according to Israeli estimates, will divert 83% of the water from the West Bank to Jewish settlements and Israel. The indigenous Palestinians will get only 17% of their own water. This taking of natural resources from the Palestinians, are the reasons for the rise in conflict. To a large extent Jews and Palestinians are geographically concentrated. Most Jews live in Israel and most Palestinians live in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. There are exceptions of course. Many Jews live in the new ring of suburbs around East Jerusalem and in the new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. And many Arabs live inside of Israel, particularly in Galilee, including Nazareth, and in the Negev Desert in the South. The first comprehensive peace talks between Israel and delegations representing the Palestinians and neighboring Arab states began in October 1991. After Likud lost the parliamentary election of June 1992, Labor party leader Yitzhak Rabin formed a new government. Rabin took a more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians and imposed strict limits on new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. In 1993, after decades of violent conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, leaders from each side agreed to the signing of an historic peace treaty. Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin met in the United States on September 13 to witness the signing of the treaty, which paved the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in Israeli-occupied territories. The Gaza-Jericho Agreement was signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994, and applies to the Gaza Strip and to a defined area of about 65 square kilometers including Jericho and its environs. The Gaza-Jericho agreement addresses four main issues-security arrangements, civil affairs, legal matters, and economic relations. The document includes agreement to a withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza and Jericho, a transfer of authority from the Israeli Civil Administration to a Palestinian Authority, the structure and composition of the Palestinian Authority is a Palestinian police force, and relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After intensive diplomatic efforts by the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Yasser Arafat agreed on September 29, 1996 to go to Washington the following week to seek ways out of a war that has put the entire Israeli-Palestinian peace in jeopardy. Despite the historical tensions of the Middle East, recent issues have arisen to intensify the conflict. Angry Palestinians protested Israel's decision to open an archeological site, the issue becoming one more in a growing number of Middle East tensions. The Muslim crowd feared the excavation of an ancient tunnel, right beside the foundations of Jerusalem's al Aqsa Mosque compound, would undermine what is the third-holiest shrine in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The tunnel excavation dispute is only the latest indication of rising tension between Arabs and Israelis. And the latest death count is 76 (as of October 1, 1996). In conclusion, this is an issue that deals with politics, uneven distribution of resources, and nationalism, and will take a great effort to come to an agreement. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a â€Å"battle† that has a long history that will continue till a mutual understanding and agreement is settled. Until the Israelis and the Palestinians can settle their differences and cooperate with each other, the â€Å"battle† will continue on. â€Å"No new taxes. This is a quote that most all of us remember from the1992 presidential election. Along with it we remember that there were new taxes during that presidents term in office. There are a myriad of promises made and things done in a presidential election year that have questionable motives as to whether they are done in the best interest of the people or in the interests of the presidential candidate. These hidden interests are one of the biggest problems w ith the political aspects of government in modern society. One of the prime examples of this is the Vietnam War. Although South Vietnam asked for our help, which we had previously promised, the entire conflict was managed in order to meet personal political agendas and to remain politically correct in the world's eyes rather than to bring a quick and decisive end to the conflict. This can be seen in the selective bombing of Hanoi throughout the course of the Vietnam War. Politically this strategy looked very good. However, militarily it was ludicrous. War is the one arena in which politicians have no place. War is the military's sole purpose. Therefore, the U. S. Military should be allowed to conduct any war, conflict, or police action that it has been committed to without political interference or control because of the problems and hidden interests which are always present when dealing with polite United States involvement in the Vietnam War actually began in 1950 when the U. S. began to subsidize the French Army in South Vietnam. This involvement continued to escalate throughout the 1950's and into the early 1960's. On August 4, 1964 the Gulf of Tonkin incident occurred in which American Naval Vessels in South Vietnamese waters were fired upon by North Vietnam. On August 5, 1964 President Johnson requested a resolution expressing the determination of the United Sates in supporting freedom and in protecting peace in southeast Asia (Johnson). On August 7, 1964, in response to the presidential request, Congress authorized President Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any attack and to prevent aggression against the U. S. n southeast Asia (United States). The selective bombing of North Vietnam began immediately in response to this resolution. In March of the following year U. S. troops began to arrive. Although the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution specifically stated that we had no military, political, or territorial ambitions in southeast Asia, the interests back home were quite a different story (Johnson). The political involvement in Vietnam was about much more than just promised aid to a weak country in order to prevent the spread of communism. It was about money. After all, wars require equipment, guns, tools and machinery. Most of which was produced in the United States. It was about proving America's commitment to stop communism. Or rather to confine communism in its present boundaries But most of all it was about politics. The presidential political involvement in Vietnam had little to do with Vietnam at all. It was about China for Eisenhower, about Russia for Kennedy, about Washington D. C. for Johnson, and about himself for Nixon (Post). The last two of which were the major players in America's involvement in regards to U. S. Troops being used (Wittman). The military involvement in Vietnam is directly related to the political management of the military throughout the war. The military controlled by the politicians. The micro management of the military by the White House for political gain is the primary reason for both the length and cost, both monetary and human, of the Vietnam War (Pelland). One of the largest problems was the lack of a clear objective in the war and the support to accomplish it. The predominant military opinion of the military's role in Vietnam in respect to the political involvement is seen in the following quote by General Colin Powell, â€Å"If you're going to put into something then you owe the armed forces, you owe the American People, you owe just you're own desire to succeed, a clear statement of what political objective you're trying to achieve and then you put the sufficient force to that objective so that you know when you've accomplished it. The politicians dictated the war in Vietnam, it was a limited war, the military was never allowed to fight the war in the manner that they thought that they needed to, in order to win it (Baker). To conclude on the Vietnam War, the political management of the war made it unwinnable. The military was at the mercy of politicians who knew very little about what needed to be done militarily in order to win the war. There is an enormous difference between political judgment and military judgment. This difference is the primary reason for the outcome of the Vietnam War (Schwarzkopf). The United States policy of Vietnamization was a good idea, but the time was not ripe for it to best be used. Nearly all experts in South Vietnam as incapable of handling a combined threat rated Saigon's military strength. True, Vietnamization was not what led to the total withdrawl of troops from Vietnam, but the opinions pressed by Laird had somewhat of an affect on our agreeing to sign a cease-fire agreement. Also, if we had used Vietnamization's program of building up South Vietnam's armed forces more extensively, South Vietnam might still be in existence today. The Gulf War in the Middle East was almost the exact opposite in respect to the political influence on the war. In respect to the military objective of the war the two are relatively similar. The objective was to liberate a weaker country from their aggressor. The United Nation's resolution was explicit in its wording regarding military force in the Persian Gulf. The resolution specifically stated â€Å"by all means necessary. â€Å"(Schwarzkopf). The President was very aware of the problems with political management of warfare throughout the war. He was very determined to let the military call the shots about how the war was conducted. He made a specific effort to prevent the suggestion that civilians were going to try to run the war (Baker). Painful lessons had been learned in the Vietnam War, which was still fresh on the minds of many of those involved in this war (Baker). The military was given full control to use force as they saw fit. Many of the top military leaders had also been involved in the Vietnam War. These men exhibited a very strong never again attitude throughout the planning stages of this war. General Schwarzkopf made the following statement about the proposed bombing of Iraq in regards to the limited bombing in Vietnam, â€Å"I had no doubt we would bomb Iraq if I was going to be the Military Commander. † He went on to say that it would be absolutely stupid to go into a military campaign against his, Iraq's, forces who had a tremendous advantage on us on the ground, numbers wise. It would be ludicrous not to fight the war in the air as much, if not more, than on the ground (Schwarzkopf). The result of the Gulf War in which the military was given control, as we know, was a quick, decisive victory. There were many other factors involved in this than just the military being given control, particularly in contrast to Vietnam, but the military having control played a major part in this victory. In conclusion, although there are some major differences between the two conflicts one fact can be seen very clearly. That is the fact that the military is best suited for conducting wars. Politicians are not. It is not the place of a politicians to be involved in the decision making process in regards to war or military strategy. The White House has significant control in military matters. That control should be used to help the military in achieving its goals, as it was in the Gulf War where George Bush said specifically to let the military do its job. The only alternative to this is to use political influence in the same way that it was used in Vietnam. If we do not learn from these lessons that are so obvious in the differences between these two conflicts then we are condemned to repeat the same mistakes. Lets just pray that it does not take the death of another 58,000 of America's men to learn that the politician's place is not in war but in peace (Roush).