Strategies for analyzing and entering foreign markets Essay

Strategies for analyzing and entering foreign markets - Essay Example onal franchising is the strategy that gives the opportunity to an independent entrepreneur to operate a business under the name of another established brand name. International franchising helps businesses to expand into foreign markets using a franchise agreement. When franchises are expanded internationally, it opens new opportunities to new markets that the business could not have reached. International Franchising also allows businesses to take advantage of favorable government regulations in various countries. This helps to save money through the paid taxes. There are cultural differences that exist in various countries that might go a long way in killing the business in these countries. There is also financial risks involved when trying to expand the business into other countries. In analyzing foreign markets, firms first critically need to choose well the foreign market in which it would want to venture in. This would involve the analysis of the potential success of the business products in that market (Adam, 2001). The firm then requires gathering enough information to use in the analysis process. The information may include the knowledge about domestic government agencies, private agencies in that country as well as other private sources. In the analysis, it is also important for the firm to assess the possible risks in the foreign market. Firms choose their modes of entry into a foreign market through identification of the market, collection of information about the market, risk assessment, securing capital and space to carry out the

Early Childhood Educator Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Educator Essay The inspiration for the Reggio Emilia approach came from Reggio Emilia, Italy. In Italy, all the preschools are centered on this approach. It is a city run program for children from birth to the age of six (Cyert Center, 2004). The philosophy is that, â€Å"children’s interactions and relationships with other children and adults are a vital component of their learning† (Schiller, 1995). Reggio Emilia schools in the United States, Italy, and other countries around the world differ greatly from standard preschools here in the United States. Some of the key differences and components of the Reggio Emilia program is its role in the community, attention to the environment, and its emergent curriculum which functions as a part of the teachers and the children. Role of the Community The community is a big part of the Reggio Emilia schools. There are regularly scheduled meetings for parents to take part in. These meetings are scheduled in the evening so that working parents are able to attend. The parents and teachers discuss issues regarding school policies, child development concerns, and curriculum planning and evaluations (Wikipedia, 2007). The parents are involved in the whole process of the education of their children. Teachers send home journals of children’s thoughts and ideas expressed in class. This kind of cooperation among teachers and parents make learning on the children’s part much easier and complete. Attention to the Environment According to Lilian G. Katz, â€Å"The physical environment of a preschool center is considered a ‘teacher’ in and of itself! † (Katz, 1990). This holds true in a Reggio Emilia school. The environment is considered the â€Å"third† teacher to the students attending this kind of program. The building itself and classrooms are filled with indoor plants, vines, and lots of natural light. Natural light enters the classrooms through wall-sized windows letting the children connect with the outside world. All of the classrooms have a door to the outside and open to a center piazza. Each classroom flows well with each other and the surrounding community. The lunch rooms, courtyards and bathrooms are designed in a way to encourage community among all the students (Wikipedia, 2007). Incorporated into each school is a common space available to all children in the school that includes dramatic play and work tables (Cyert Center, 2004). Each classroom is connected with a phone, passageway or a window. The classrooms are equipped with art centers called atelier (Gandini, 1993). In the atelier are easels, watercolors, crayons, markers, paper, and any art materials children need to be creative. Another part of the classroom has books about artists and a place where children can read comfortably (Schiller, 1995). Displayed around the classroom, among all the photographs of the children and carefully placed mirrors in the school, are works completed by the children with transcriptions of their discussions about the work. The physical environment of a preschool center is considered a ‘teacher’ in and of itself! † (Katz, 1990). Emergent Curriculum There is no time schedule where at some part of the day the students are learning about science, then language arts, and then math. The kind of schedule the students follow is that there is a group meeting when the students arrive in the morning. Then there is a work period, play period, lunch time, play time, nap time, and then another work period or play period (Hertzog, 2001). For their work period, there is no set curriculum that the teachers must follow. The curriculum is an emergent curriculum which is child centered. Emergent means that is builds upon the interests of the child. The teachers have broad goals but can follow the lead and interests of the children (Schiller, 1995). During the work periods, a teacher will work with one small group on their project while the other students are engaged in self selected activities. The projects are teacher directed and child initiated and begins with the teacher observing the children and asking the children questions on a topic that interests the child. The students then do in depth studies of the content that interests the children of that group (Wikipedia, 2007). The project moves in unanticipated directions. To avoid confusion the teachers help children make decisions about direction of study, how to research the topic, and how to represent the topic (Cyert Center, 2004). The projects can range in length from one week to the whole school year. When the students are content to be complete with their project they depict their knowledge through drawing, sculpting, dramatic play, or writing. At every school, there is a visual art specialist, an atelierista, who works closely with the other teachers and children (Gandini, 1993). The atelierista guides the children into appropriate media choices to complete their ideas and projects. Because art is such an integral part of all activities, the students’ old works, finished and unfinished, are available to them to finish or add on. While they work on their art projects, the teachers talk to the children and write down any thoughts or ideas the students have. They display the students’ discussions with their art work around the classroom and school (Schiller, 1995). In order for this curriculum to work, the teachers must also learn with the students. The teachers take turns with the following roles: observing, note taking, and recording observations between children. After all observations are recorded, they are shared with other teachers and parents in the planning of the students’ projects. It is crucial that teachers become skillful observers of the children. Their observations guide the curriculum planning and implementation (Wikipedia, 2007). Conclusion The Reggio Emilia approach to learning is a constructivist approach where the students learn at their own pace and guide the curriculum. It is all about the children. The children’s interests lead them into a project that is researched in depth at a level that they can understand. The children’s thoughts and ideas are implemented into the curriculum and planning and are shared with the community. Reggio Emilia works because the children are learning what they want to learn with the help of their parents, teachers, and the community.

Joseph Conrads Background and Heart of Darkness Plot Summary Essay

Joseph Conrad was an author whose life was as equally amazing as the stories he wrote. In many cases, he derived the situations he wrote about from his many experiences as a seaman and adventurer. Born Teodor Jozef Konrad Korzeniowski on December 3, 1857, of a patriotic Polish couple living in the Polish Ukraine, he did not have the average childhood of the time ("Bibliography" 1). When Conrad was five years old, his father was arrested for alleged actions in revolutionary plots against Russia and was exiled to northern Russia with the young Conrad and his mother. Due to her already weak health, his mother did not last the imprisonment and died at the age of thirty-four. His father sent the young Conrad back to his uncle for an education. Orphaned at twelve years old due to his father's untimely death, Conrad entered a state of deep emotional stress ("Conrad, Joseph"). With the break of the strong bond shared by Conrad and his father, his writings as an adult would later convey a melancholic attitude. After receiving a good education in Cracow, Poland, and spending time traveling, Conrad decided to leave Poland. At the age of sixteen, he left the grip of Russian-occupied Poland and set out for Marseilles, France to pursue the unlikely career choice of a life at sea. For the next four years he worked on French ships, smuggled guns to Spain, and was allegedly involved in a duel that wounded him. He continued to work at sea, which became an integral part of most of his works, and in 1878 at the age of twenty-one, Conrad left France for England ("Conrad, Joseph"). When he arrived in England, Conrad knew no English, but signed onto an English ship anyway. On this ship, he began to learn E... ...incensed that he lied to the woman, but did nothing and left her. Finally, the scene returns to the present deck of the Nellie where silence ensues with the end of Marlow's story. The men share no feelings of the emotional story they have just heard and are more or less indifferent. They just sit afloat on the Thames, which seems to flow into the endless "darkness" of the horizon. Works Cited "Bibliography of Joseph Conrad." Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1983. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1910. "Conrad, Joseph." Microsoft Encarta. Microsoft Corporation; Funk & Wagnallis Corporation, 1994. Guerard, Albert J. "Introduction." Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer. New York: Penguin Books, 1978.

Hispanic Diversity in the United States :: Immigration Latino Hispanic Immigrants

The Hispanic diversity of the United States has been well documented in immigration and population numbers for many years. In 1994, there were 26.4 million Hispanic Americans living in the Continental United States.In 2005 that number had ballooned to over 35 million.Now in 2008 the number is over 45 million people.(US Census 2008) The four main groups of Hispanic citizens are the people from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Central America.Our Hispanic population has given the United States many contributions to politics, economics, family traditions and bilingual advancement in the world. Mexican Americans, probably our best known and documented immigrated citizen to The United States has made great strides in developing our culture and adding Rich history to our country.Economic contributions cannot be overlooked,while being one of the least educated groups and most economic disadvantaged groups Mexican Americans are a key attribute to our economy by continuing to participate In great numbers in the workforce in pursuit of their part of the American dream. Mexican Americans are excellent contributors to politics as well. Cesar Estrada Chavez Founded and led the first successful farm workers' union in U.S. history.This was aimed at fair wages for worker to avoid the poverty he was forced to endure as a young man Federico Pena Was the first Mexican American to head the Department of transportation.

How Social Networking Has Affected the Way We Work Essay

Social networks are a fun way to communicate, interact with friends, and enjoy online schooling, but are also harmful due to the harassment of cyber bullies and predators. Social networks/medias show their good side when we are all having fun on them, communicating with our friends. It is a fun and interactive way to converse, and meet new people; it gives people opportunities to learn characteristics that they have in common with each other, and make stronger relationships. Some people use Facebook, Twitter, and even Myspace to communicate with their friends; usually it is to make them aware of what you’re doing, going to do, or already have done, and meet new people, all through a fun, inventive way. Cyber Predators find their victims through internet sources, which is often social media, to learn personal information, harass, and stalk their victims; in most cases causing physical, emotional, and/or mental harm to the victim. Cyber School is an effective way to receive an education over the internet and helps to balance a home, school, and work life; getting an education that is flexible to any schedule is a positive development. Social media is a fun and interactive way to converse with friends and meet new people; it gives people opportunities to learn about things that they have in common; and make a stronger relationship. Cyber Bullies and Predators usually affect the lives of teenagers and children because of their vulnerability; â€Å"75% of children are willing to share personal information online about themselves and their families in exchange for goods and services;† A Cyber Bully is someone who uses the internet to torment another person using cruel words and hateful sayings to purposefully discourage them; a Cyber Predator is usually an adult internet abuser that exploits children or teenagers because of their lack of wisdom and their large amount of vulnerability. Others might think that social networking isn’t helpful at all, that there is no use of it, and that it needs to be used less because of the lack of exercise children receive and connection it has to the increasing obesity growth rate or that it has only negative effects on its user’s safety. Social networking has changed how people live, work, and communicate by offering helpful schooling online, fun communication between others, but it also gives bullies and predators another method of victimizing others. Social media, though it may be a fun way to interact with others, can be harmful when it comes to your safety; many people don’t realize that putting much of their information on the internet can invite unwanted problems to your life.Andrew Ferguson, author of the web article, â€Å"R U Tweeting 2 Much?† published by Gale Opposing View Points In Context, in 2011, implies, people spend too much of their time on twitter and they tweet about any and everything based on impulse. Social media can be a powerful tool for social change and an alternative to more traditional methods of communication. â€Å"Consequences from over-sharing personal information include vulnerability to sexual or financial predators and lost job opportunities from employers finding embarrassing photos or comments.† No one would want their boss to see a picture on Facebook of their new employee getting drunk, so why would they put it up for the entire world to see? There is a saying that goes â€Å"If you wouldn’t want your pastor at church, your parents, or your boss to know/see, then don’t do it.† Socialnetworking.procon.org, updated in 2012, clarifies that, â€Å"43% of online sexual solicitors were identified as being adolescents (under 18), 30% were adults between the ages of 18 and 21, and 9% were adults over the age of 21 (as of Dec. 31, 2008).† Predators can be any age; so if someone gets a friend request from a random person that they’ve never met before, but is the same age as them, they will probably accept the request; they think that because we are the same age, that the person must want to get to know me. Most people don’t worry about the harm that an unknown Facebook friend, or Twitter follower is capable of; they mostly think â€Å"Yay! A new follower/friend! I’m so popular!† Well, yeah, maybe they’re popular in the mind of a predator, but people should still watch out for situations like that because you never know when your life is at risk. Cyber bullying is a form of harassment via social networks; it causes its victims – mainly teenagers between the ages of fourteen and seventeen – to become emotionally and mentally scarred by its use. The web article â€Å"Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?† updated in September, 2012, urge, social networking sites make cyber bullying – a form of bullying that occurs online – easier and more public than bullying through other online activities such as email and instant messaging. Cyber bullying can be classified as just commenting on someone’s picture on Facebook, saying that their hair is really messed up. But other form’s of cyber bullying can be calling someone out in a status, calling them ugly, or fat, or any hurtful word. It can differ, but all forms of it can be hurtful and send anyone of the edge. The web article â€Å"Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?† updated in September, 2012, â€Å"A 2009 study found that 17.3% of middle school students have been victims of cyber bullying; victims often experience a drop in grades, decreased self-esteem, and other symptoms of depression.† Well, kids would drop their self esteem because their self esteem is built by their surrounding peers; and if their peers are nothing but a bunch of bullies then it causes a decrease. The web article â€Å"Cyber Bullying Statistics†, published in early 2012, realizes, around half of teens have been the victims of cyber bullying. Many teenagers and children do not care for people who are outside of their groups of friends, so they feel that if they are different than them in any way, or they do things that they don’t do, then they are weird and they don’t like them, so they bully them for being different. Socialnetworks.procon.org, suggests, â€Å"Social networking sites make cyber bullying, a type of bullying that occurs online, easier and more public than bullying through other online activities such as email and instant messaging†. It’s easy for a child or a teenager to bully their peers, because kids just don’t care how they make each other feel; they don’t care about anyone but themselves in many situations. It’s also easy for a kid to call someone a mean name, but even easier to call them a mean name through a computer monitor; probably so they don’t have to deal with a conflict between the victims in person. Cyber predators find their victims through internet sources; which is often social media to learn personal information, harass, and stalk their victims in most cases causing physical, emotional and/or mental harm to them. Michelle Dean, author of the web article â€Å"Amanda Todd: Cyber Bullied,† published in October 2012, comments, â€Å"The systematic way the harasser allegedly followed Todd to new schools, repeatedly posting the images and threatening to do it again, makes it textbook harassment regardless of the medium.† Some Cyber predators will stop at nothing to get what they want from their victim, no matter how far off the edge it will make the victim go; of course predators only think of themselves when it comes to their own wants. The web article â€Å"Killer Created Facebook Profile to Lure Girl to Bushland,† published by Gale Opposing View Points in Context, in 2012, explains, A man [that stalks] a girl on Facebook, learns all about her life and interests to plot how he would murder her. A man kills a woman by making a fake Facebook profile and telling her that he is a part of an animal association, drawing her into his lies by knowing all of her interests because of shared online information. Cyber predators use the internet as their source to figure out any and everything that is in association with their victim’s life. They are a regular predator, searching the internet for, usually young, victims. Victims are younger because they are the ones that don’t really pay any attention to who they do and don’t talk to through the internet, and are the most open to making a conversation with a random person. Communication between others over the internet can be fun and entertaining, but also it can be taken as a way of decline in our communication skills. Jonathan Cummings, author of the article â€Å"___________________†, published by _________ in ____, insists, Communicating through the internet is not as meaningful or reliable as face to face relationships. Although communicating through a computer monitor can be quite engaging, it isn’t as meaningful as chatting with someone in person; you can’t get the fullness of the conversation because you can’t see their emotions and actions. It just isn’t as much fun as a regular, in person conversation. Jonathan Cummings, author of _______, published by ______, in ____, states, â€Å"Using the internet to build social relationships results in social interaction that is wanting, at least when it is explicitly compared to the standards of face-to-face and telephone communication, to social relationships that are primarily conducted offline, and to traditional small groups†¦the Internet is less effective than other means of forming and sustaining strong social relationships.† For instance, the internet can give you another form of communicating but it isn’t as insightful as having a conversation with someone in person. Many people are starting to enter the huge world that the internet holds, it may be very fun, but you can’t grasp the meaning of a good conversation when you are lacking one of the senses that most people include in their conversations; usually people’s actions or tone is what triggers a good, or meaningful conversation. Social networking has changed how people live, work, and communicate in a positive light by offering helpful schooling online, interesting social communication between others, and negatively by giving bullies and predators another method to victimize others. To help prevent these situations, people could not add others on social media websites that you do not know and are actually friends with. â€Å"Social networking sites have no way to verify that people are who they claim to be, leaving people vulnerable to solicitations from online predators who are able to mask their true identities.† Although it makes anyone seem like they’re super popular on Facebook when they have around 2,000 friends, they DON’T know them all. Maybe they know about 300 of them personally, but the rest are all people that they don’t even know. It’s not about having a lot of friends, it’s about having a safe life online. â€Å"Social media can be a powerful tool for social change and an alternative to more traditional methods of communication.† Works Cited Carter, Denise. â€Å"Living in Virtual Communities: Making Friends Online†. Taking Sides: Science, Technology, and Society. Eighth Edition. Thomas Easton. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill. 2008. Print. 15 Sep. 2012. Dean, Michelle. â€Å"Amanda Todd: Cyber Bullied.† The New Yorker. Web. 15 Sep. 2012 Ferguson, Andrew. â€Å"R U Tweeting 2 Much?† Commentary 131.1 (2011): 72+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 Sep. 2012. â€Å"Killer created fake Facebook profile to lure girl to bushland.† Sydney Morning Herald [Sydney, Australia] 1 Sept. 2012: 5. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 Sep. 2012 â€Å"Social Networking.† SocialNetworking.ProCon.org. ProCon. 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Sep. 2012. Tsukayama, Hayley. â€Å"Dreams of Ray Bradbury: Predictions That Came True.† Washington Post 6 June 2012. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 Sep. 2012.

Health Risks Associated With Chromium-6

Health Risks Associated With Chromium-6 Chromium-6 is recognized as a human carcinogen when it is inhaled. Chronic inhalation of chromium-6 has been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer and may also damage the small capillaries in kidneys and intestines. Other adverse health effects associated with chromium-6 exposure, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), include skin irritation or ulceration, allergic contact dermatitis, occupational asthma, nasal irritation and ulceration, perforated nasal septa, rhinitis, nosebleed, respiratory irritation, nasal cancer, sinus cancer, eye irritation and damage, perforated eardrums, kidney damage, liver damage, pulmonary congestion and edema, epigastric pain, and erosion and discoloration of ones teeth. An Occupational Hazard NIOSH considers all chromium-6 compounds to be potential occupational carcinogens. Many workers are exposed to chromium-6 during the production of stainless steel, chromate chemicals, and chromate pigments. Chromium-6 exposure also occurs during work activities such as stainless-steel welding, thermal cutting, and chrome plating. Chromium-6 in Drinking Water The potentially adverse health effects of chromium-6 in drinking water have become an issue of growing concern nationwide. In 2010, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested tap water in 35 U.S. cities and found chromium-6 in 31 of them (89 percent). Water samples in 25 of those cities contained chromium-6 at concentrations higher than the safe maximum (0.06 parts per billion) proposed by California regulators, but far below the safety standard of 100 ppb for all types of chromium combined that was established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That doesnt mean the EPA was declaring drinking water with a chromium-6 safe for human consumption. Rather, it underscored the lack of confirmed knowledge and clear guidelines concerning the level at which chromium-6 in drinking water becomes a public health hazard. In September 2010, the EPA launched a reassessment of chromium-6 when it released a draft human health assessment that proposes classifying chromium-6 as a likely carcinogenic to humans who ingest it. The EPA expects to complete the health-risk assessment and make a final determination about the cancer-causing potential of chromium-6 through ingestion in 2011  and will use the results to determine whether a new safety standard is needed. As of December 2010, the EPA has not established a safety standard for chromium-6 in drinking water. Evidence of Adverse Health Effects From Chromium-6 in Tap Water There is very little evidence of chromium-6 in drinking water causing cancer or other adverse health effects in humans. Only a few animal studies have found a possible connection between chromium-6 in drinking water and cancer, and only when the laboratory animals were fed levels of chromium-6 that were hundreds of times greater than the current safety standards for human exposure. Concerning those studies, the National Toxicology Program has said that chromium-6 in drinking water shows clear evidence of carcinogenic activity† in laboratory animals and increases the risk of gastrointestinal tumors. The California Chromium-6 Lawsuit The most compelling case for human health problems caused by chromium-6 in drinking water is the lawsuit that inspired the film, Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts. The lawsuit alleged that Pacific Gas Electric (PGE) had contaminated groundwater with chromium-6 in the California town of Hinkley, leading to a high number of cancer cases. PGE operates a compressor station for natural gas pipelines at Hinkley, and chromium-6 was used in cooling towers at the site to prevent corrosion. Wastewater from the cooling towers, containing chromium-6, was discharged into unlined ponds and seeped into the groundwater and contaminated the towns drinking water. Although there was some question whether the number of cancer cases in Hinkley was higher than normal, and how much of a danger the chromium-6 actually posed, the case was settled in 1996 for $333 million- the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history. PGE later paid nearly as much to settle additional chromium-6-related claims in other California communities.

Time Values for Access SQL in Delphi

Format Date/Time Values for Access SQL in Delphi Ever get the awful Parameter object is improperly defined. Inconsistent or incomplete information was provided JET error? Heres how to rectify the situation. When you need to create a SQL query against ​an Access database where a date (or a date time) value is used you need to make sure the correct formatting is used. For example, in a SQL query: SELECT * FROM TBL WHERE DateField 10/12/2008 you want to get all the records from the table named TBL where a general date field DateField equals 10/12/2008. Is the line above clear? Is that December, 10 or October, 12? Luckily, we are pretty sure the year in the query is 2008. Should the date part of the query be specified as MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY or maybe YYYYMMDD? And do regional settings play a role here? MS Access, Jet, Date Time Formatting When using Access and JET (dbGo - ADO Delphi controls) the formatting of the SQL for the date field should *always* be: #YYYY-MM-DD# Anything else might work in limited testing but can often lead to unexpected results or errors on the users machine. Heres a custom Delphi function you can use to format a date value for the Access SQL query. function DateForSQL(const date : TDate) : string;var   Ã‚  y, m, d : word; begin   Ã‚  DecodeDate(date, y, m, d) ;   Ã‚  result : Format(#%.*d-%.*d-%.*d#,[4, y, 2, m, 2, d]) ; end; For January 29, 1973 the function will return the string #1973-01-29#. Access SQL Date Time Format? As for the date and time formatting, the general format is: #yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS# This is: #year-month-daySPACEhour:minute:second# As soon as you construct a valid date time string for the SQL using the above general format and try it using any of Delphis dataset components as TADOQuery, you will receive the awful Parameter object is improperly defined. Inconsistent or incomplete information was provided error at run-time! The problem with the format above is in the : character - as it is used for parameters in parametrized Delphi queries. As in ... WHERE DateField :dateValue - here dateValue is a parameter and the : is used to mark it. One way to fix the error is to use another format for date/time (replace : with .): #yyyy-mm-dd HH.MM.SS# And heres a custom Delphi function to return a string from a date time value you can use when constructing SQL queries for Access where you need to search for a date-time value: function DateTimeForSQL(const dateTime : TDateTime) : string;var   Ã‚  y, m, d : word;   Ã‚  hour, min, sec, msec : word; begin   Ã‚  DecodeDate(dateTime, y, m, d) ;   Ã‚  DecodeTime(dateTime, hour, min, sec, msec) ;   Ã‚  result : Format(#%.*d-%.*d-%.*d %.*d.%.*d.%.*d#,[4, y, 2, m, 2, d, 2, hour, 2, min, 2, sec]) ; end; The format looks weird but will result in the correctly formatted date time string value to be used in SQL queries! Heres a shorter version using the FormatDateTime routine: function DateTimeForSQL(const dateTime : TDateTime) : string;begin   Ã‚  result : FormatDateTime(#yyyy-mm-dd hh.nn.ss#, dateTime) ; end;

The Man On The Moon essays

The Man On The Moon essays In the early 1950s, America and the Soviet Union competed in the greatest race of all time. It was the race to space, more specifically the race to the moon. The Space Race became a symbol of a broad political contest between two rival world powers. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union struggled to reach the moon, and put man on it. Before a watchful world, each side sought to demonstrate its superiority through impressive feats in rocketry and space flight.(Space Race). The Soviet Union put the first satellite into orbit, as well as the first human in space. America had to reply, so we in turn put the first man on the moon, with the Soviet Union following close at our heels when they nearly succeeded in doing the same. Since America was in such a rush to reach the moon, several skeptics, and conspiracy theorists have brought up the idea that this historical event was possibly faked. There is a good deal of evidence that demonstrates no one had actually ever landed on the moon. NASA may not have had the technical capability of going to the Moon just yet, but pressure from the Soviet Union may have forced them to fake it. The first bit of actual evidence brought up is the lack of stars in the pictures taken by the Apollo astronauts from the surface of the Moon (There are none!). Without air, the sky is black, so where are the stars? More evidence also involves pictures. In all the pictures taken by the astronauts, the shadows are NOT black. Objects in shadow can be seen, sometimes clearly, including an American flag symbol on the side of the moon lander that can be read easily. If the Sun is the only source of light on the Moon, the skeptics say, and there is no air to scatter that light, shadows and everything in them should be completely black also. Several pictures from the Moon are shown where objects on the lunar landscape have long unparallel shadows. If the Sun were the only l ...

Organization group work, politics & leasership Essay

Organization group work, politics & leasership - Essay Example A group, created to perform certain tasks may contain members from different departments of the organization. It is done so to get the members with diverse skills so that the group can perform better in terms of work. This makes the different departments and segments of the organization to come closer and to coordinate with each other. Otherwise in usual circumstances, there is a less chance of different departments in an organization to come closer in this way. They share their skills with each other, which broaden the view and experience of the group members. It helps them in their further work in the organization and enables them to get creative in their work. Groups are formed usually of the like minded people, the people who think the same and can work with each other on friendly grounds. These people work together for their mutual cause not for anything which is beneficial for them only. It is the best solution for the organization problems and is famous all over the world. All the organizations in different countries practice it and it gave them the best result. While working together in a group, individuals are committed to achieve a goal and aim that is important for all of them as a part of the organization. ... While working together in a group, individuals are committed to achieve a goal and aim that is important for all of them as a part of the organization. All of them are striving and working hard for a goal that is important for all of them, not for the benefit for any individual person and this is the biggest advantage of group work. The individuals work together to get their mutual goals, without thinking of their own interest. The individuals may be different in many terms. Their knowledge could be different from others, their skills might be different from their other group members, and while working in a group they learn how to communicate well with each other and how to work with diverse nature of people in the organization. The cooperation is the main point while working in a group and the group members are expected to cooperate with each other in a manner that makes the group environment best to do their work. Individual's knowledge plays an important role in group work. Suppose a group consists of five to seven people. If, instead of a group work, they had preferred to work individually, then what had happened All of them would be scattered and they will work on their own ideas. But the advantage of working in a group is that the all five to seven people will put their efforts and ideas at one place and like this the result will be much better than everyone working individually. Five to seven brains would be thinking about the same thing and they will come up with their own ideas. The team leader will listen to all of them and all the ideas would be written properly. And after sometime a decision would be taken on the best idea or may be an idea would be generated by combining two or more ideas

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a processes improvement Essay

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a processes improvement - Essay Example Lean encompasses the various just-in-time approaches. (Bryan, 2002) These two methodologies are the best practice because they fit this framework: For many managers, lean manufacturing is something that looks great on paper and sounds wonderful in theory, but they want proof that it really works in their ever-changing manufacturing environment. ( Lau, 1996). Now two years into its lean journey, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Cascade Engineering (www.cascadeng.com), is trying to avoid the common mistake of just implementing lean on the shop floor. The 1,200-employee plastic components provider in the automotive, home and office, and container industries is implementing lean throughout its enterprise. One thing that becomes clear after you tour Cascade's facilities is that the company is striving to adopt lean as a way of life for the whole company, rather than just in the manufacturing plants. The company's leaders recognize that to reduce waste and create customer value, everyone has to actively take part in the process. Cascade's founder, chairman and CEO Fred P. Keller, sent a message about how important lean was for the c ompany as a whole when he hired G.L. Brown as the company's director of lean manufacturing. Keller is making sure all of the necessary resources are available to make the gains of lean stick. "If this company wants to remain an active leader in the upcoming century, it is crucial that we eliminate waste and dedicate ourselves to becoming a lean enterprise," says Keller. (Klier, 1994, 18). To further demonstrate his dedication to the employees, Keller stressed that some job responsibilities may change but no employees will be laid off as a result of the company's lean initiatives. Their dedication to employees and their superior performance have not gone unnoticed. Cascade has been recognized nationwide for their commitment to people, most notably by recently winning a Ron Brown award and the Michigan Manufacturers Company of the year award. G. L. Brown knew that one of the hardest parts of lean was going to be creating the right environment for Cascade employees. (Lin, 1999) To ease the transition, Brown started a series of training and support sessions. With many years in operations management during his 34-year tenure at General Motors, Brown understood that the employees must have a firm grip on three crucial aspects before initiating the conversion to a lean enterprise: - everyone must understand why the company is dedicated to the lean philosophy and what's in it for them; - the employees must understand the system; - they must understand that there are a number of techniques in the toolbox to implement the system. Cascade's training consists of lean manufacturing orientation, eyes for waste and eyes for flow, takt time, standard worksheets, the 5-S processes, natural work groups, and value stream mapping as well as other aspects of the "lean enterprise system." Cascade also invites customers and suppliers to training events and kaizen events as they relate to their products. This

McDonald's strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

McDonald's strategy - Assignment Example ged across the globe because of the economic recession of 2010, McDonald’s adopted a combination of the cost focus and differentiation strategies to boost sales. This campaign comprised of initiating cost cutting measures in business operations, maintaining the affordable of menu offerings and improving the menu to address changing customer preferences. According to Mourdoukoutas (2013), McDonald’s has previously demonstrated similar patterns of adopting a specific strategic direction in the past starting from the 1960s when the company identified the customer’s demand of having access to a menu which offered both affordability and convenience. Consequently, the organization realized the onset of globalization as a fundamental trend that emerged in the decade of 70s and 80s thereby, choosing to take the McDonald’s brand worldwide because of favorable conditions. The company’s strategic decision-making in the past therefore, reflects that the organization carefully tailors its strategy around its most valuable element – the customers. Henceforth, the organization’s strategies have surfaced as winners when other companies have failed to make a mark or have succumbed to unfavorable economic conditions. Moreover, the company also recognizes the implications of competition in a highly volatile i ndustry which is also an important consideration behind the success which it has been able to achieve and sustain. Mourdoukoutas, P. (2013). Starbuck’s and McDonald’s Winning Strategy. Forbes. Available online at [2nd July,

Final Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Final Exam - Assignment Example Government regulatory cases are concerned with laws and public policies while government entitlement/benefits administration cases are concerned with facts such as citizens’ welfare. In the United States, the policies and procedures in government regulatory cases and government entitlement/benefits administration case should be revised. The importance of regulatory policy also needs to be reassessed. Van Puymbroeck defines independence as â€Å"a state or condition of being free from the control, dependence, subjection, or subordination of an outside agency or authority† (2000, p. 268). In the judiciary, such independence is given to ensure that justice is administered without fear or favor, as well as impartially and freely. Failure to administer justice according to established procedures and in accordance with the law leads to judges being held accountable. Judicial accountability on the other hand places constraints on judges by holding them responsible for their behavior. This is done on legal and political grounds. Here it is judged whether judges have fulfilled their responsibilities and according to set standards. If the responsibilities are not met, sanctions are imposed. In the American government, judicial accountability helps prevent usurpations of power, corruption and other abuses hence protecting the interests of the public. In the rule of law, judicial independence is a feature in its own right. The two features of judicial independence are separation of powers and independence of judges. In the separation of powers, the concern is the independence of the courts as an organization. According to Alder, â€Å"judicial independence requires the independence of individual judges from pressures that threaten not only actual impartiality but also the appearance of impartiality† (2013, p. 132). Although

Competition in the Movie Rental Industry Research Paper

Competition in the Movie Rental Industry - Research Paper Example Suppliers adopt strategies such as patents in order to acquire supremacy within the industry. Companies provide attractive movie prices and services in order to control the buying power of their customers. Buyers have several companies to choose from, and these companies must strive to keep their customers. Competition is high in the movie rental industry due to easy entry by new companies. There are several companies with similar products at reduced prices, which increase competition. Some of the new entrants provide substitute products such as cable services. Customers subscribe to cable providers, and they gain access to several movies at a reduced monthly price. Competitive rivalry between companies creates the need for new strategies and businesses enjoy a competitive advantage only for a short time. One of the five forces of competition is supplier power. Companies in the rental business acquire their content from studios and movie distributors. The movie industry has several s tudios such as Walt Disney, Pixar, and Warner Bros and other distributors from which rental companies can choose from. The number of suppliers and the uniqueness of their products determine the supply prices. Blockbuster purchased Movielink which is a leading movie downlink service and reduced the need for DVD’s and plastic cases (Blockbuster Corporate, 2009). Suppliers and distributors who deal with DVD movies will experience reduced purchase power. Blockbuster customers can purchase and download movies from Movielink which reduces the need for DVDs. Netflix acquires its content by buying DVDs from studios and distributors, paying on a fee-per-DVD basis (Thompson, Strickland, & Gamble, 2009). Some suppliers offer unique products, which reduces the chances of substitution. Movie studios and distributors generate revenue by selling movies to rental companies and a large number of viewers. This creates a symbiotic relationship between suppliers and rental companies, which contr ols supply prices. Buyer power in the movie rental business is usually high due to the wide range of movies present in the market. There is no legal substitute for movies in the market, which makes rental companies dictate the market prices. The industry has few operators who have similar product prices and deal in almost similar products. This enables the companies maintain high prices affordable by several buyers since they do not buy large volumes of movies. Netflix has over 8.4 million subscribers who prefer online browsing and mailbox delivery of movies. There is no cost of cancelling subscriptions and switching to other companies; therefore, there is little migration of customers. Blockbuster utilizes total access sealed envelopes that can be traded for movies at no extra cost. Buyers can utilize these envelopes to purchase movies of their choice from the local stores without incurring any shipping charges. Movie rental companies offer downloadable movies to increase the buyin g power of their customers. Competitors may offer different prices to attract more buyers. Redbox offers its customers reduced prices in order to have a competitive advantage over Netflix and Blockbuster. The high demand for entertainment across the world provides rental companies with large numbers of customers. The presence of substitute products in the market creates competition between different businesses in the industry. Customers have a wide range of entertainment products to choose

Final Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Final Exam - Assignment Example Government regulatory cases are concerned with laws and public policies while government entitlement/benefits administration cases are concerned with facts such as citizens’ welfare. In the United States, the policies and procedures in government regulatory cases and government entitlement/benefits administration case should be revised. The importance of regulatory policy also needs to be reassessed. Van Puymbroeck defines independence as â€Å"a state or condition of being free from the control, dependence, subjection, or subordination of an outside agency or authority† (2000, p. 268). In the judiciary, such independence is given to ensure that justice is administered without fear or favor, as well as impartially and freely. Failure to administer justice according to established procedures and in accordance with the law leads to judges being held accountable. Judicial accountability on the other hand places constraints on judges by holding them responsible for their behavior. This is done on legal and political grounds. Here it is judged whether judges have fulfilled their responsibilities and according to set standards. If the responsibilities are not met, sanctions are imposed. In the American government, judicial accountability helps prevent usurpations of power, corruption and other abuses hence protecting the interests of the public. In the rule of law, judicial independence is a feature in its own right. The two features of judicial independence are separation of powers and independence of judges. In the separation of powers, the concern is the independence of the courts as an organization. According to Alder, â€Å"judicial independence requires the independence of individual judges from pressures that threaten not only actual impartiality but also the appearance of impartiality† (2013, p. 132). Although

Identify the one event introduced in the post-Civil War era that you Essay

Identify the one event introduced in the post-Civil War era that you feel best represents Twain's imagery of the Gilded Age and explain your reasoning for this selection - Essay Example ndals had become more common to the extent that similar events were being referred to as â€Å"Grantism,† a term that effectively captured greed and dishonesty of leaders of the time. The then citizens thought that funds from these investments were eventually used to bankroll Republican Party operations (Elder, 2002). This is especially true considering that the dealings led to the creation of the Liberal Republican Party. Regardless, the actual loophole for these corrupt Gilded Age deals was the then prevailing spoils system, in which better-endowed people used their influence to reward their relatives, friends and corrupt business allies with lucrative government tenders (Gerrard, & Newell, 2006). As Gerrard and Newell (2006) said, an ever-growing citizenry, however, began to acknowledge the fact that the civil service needed urgent reform. The Dawes Act of 1887 for example, was a major piece of legislation which mandated the president to oversee the granting of land and citizenship to Indians (Gerrard, & Newell, 2006). The Act arguably set the pace for more accountability by state officers as evidenced in the Manifest Destiny, when it comes to the allocation of national resources. Manifest Destiny sought to correct acts of greed and dishonesty that were synonymous with the Gilded Age and build a better society where every community had a

Media Coursework Report Essay Example for Free

Media Coursework Report Essay For my AS Media coursework, I chose to use fashion as the genre of my magazine. To help with my pre-production, I had to perform my own qualitative and quantitative research into fashion magazines and find out what my target audience of 15-19 year old girls would want from it. I went on to create the preliminary products which included the front cover and contents page, and from these the main products which were the alternative front cover and double page spread. These were all produced using Photoshop. I began by creating a questionnaire, as this is an effective way of finding out what my target audience will be looking for in a fashion magazine. I included 8 questions which asked some general questions into what the participant is interested in, and some into what they would like to see in a fashion magazine, to help me create my front cover and contents page. I gave 20 questionnaires out to other students aged 16-19 as this fits my target audience. By analysing the results of the questionnaire, I found out a range of information to help my design my front cover. The participants chose  £2.50 as the appropriate price and for the magazine to be produced monthly, which I will apply when creating the front cover. 80% of participants said they would be more likely to pick up the magazine if there was a celebrity on the cover. Therefore, I will ask a friend to pose as a celebrity to make it more appealing to my target audience. 50% of participants wanted to see interviews in the magazine and 30% wanted genre-specific features (in this case, it will be fashion, clothes etc.) which I will make sure to include in the contents page. I formed a focus group with other AS Media students in my class. They were all females, ranged from the ages 16-17, and had an interest in fashion, making them representative of my target audience. I asked them if I should put just one image on the front cover, or add smaller ones around the page to show what’s included inside. The feedback I received was very helpful, and led me to use just the one main photo for my preliminary front cover and  my main front cover, to keep the brand consistent. This keeps it looking professional and stops the page from looking overcrowded and trashy. By textually analysing fashion magazines currently on the market, I discovered a recurring theme among them. The bigger magazines (Vogue, Elle) have been around for much longer, and their cover stars overlap the masthead. However, when analysing Look, I noticed that the masthead overlapped the cover star, suggesting that this magazine is new and lesser known. From this, I decided to have the whole masthead of my magazine visible by audiences for my preliminary front cover as it is new and allows audiences to recognise the brand in future. I then chose to overlap part of the masthead on my main front cover with the cover star, as it is a later issue and audiences should then be able to recognise it. The content analysis allowed me to see what’s included in fashion magazines. This helped when compiling the contents page. Obviously the main part of a fashion magazine is the fashion itself. However, it also includes items related to hair and beauty, interviews, articles, advice and special features. I made sure to include all of these when designing my contents page, but I chose to keep the main focus on fashion. I decided to target my magazine towards teenage girls aged between 15 and 19. I thought this was a good range, as girls in their teens will have a more developed sense of style. From my institutional research, I discovered that many fashion magazines were targeted towards women in their 20s and 30s, and decided to aim mine at a teenage audience. Audiences for fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle were predominantly female; therefore it was important to include items in the contents and on the cover that would attract a female audience. I also tried to use feminine colours where appropriate in the magazine to indicate the target audience. I also made sure my focus group was a good representation of my target audience, thus making sure they had a clear interest in fashion and fit the age category, which they did. I created my preliminary and main products using Adobe Photoshop which had all the necessary tools I needed to create a realistic and professional  magazine. By comparing my magazine in relation to Vogue, I am able to see the strengths and weaknesses of my production. I began by selecting the images I would use for each page. I used a Fujifilm Finepix S2950 to capture the photos. The models used direct mode of address as this is the most effective way of attracting the audience. I used a hairdryer to create the effect of wind blowing the model’s hair. I chose to use an image with a light background, with a model wearing spring clothing. I think this helped to make the cover look more professional as Vogue often incorporates the colours of the magazine to fit the season. I increased the contrast of the image to make it look brighter and more appealing. I then went on to create puffs around the image, and used only ‘Century Gothic’ font to keep it simple and sophisticated. I used a dark blue for the text as it contrasted well with the pink clothing that the model wore. I made sure to include small details as well, including the bar code, price and date to make the product more realistic. I was very pleased with the outcome of my preliminary front cover as it looked professional in relation to magazines on the market today, and had a similar style to that of Vogue magazine. My next task was the contents page, and from the research I did I was able to see what needed to be included. I wanted to keep it consistent, and so I used the same masthead from the front cover and used it at the top of the contents page. This was used in InStyle’s contents page. I also used the same colour scheme as the front cover, to show that the two are related. I kept the text in columns and split the content into sections, which is what I noticed InStyle and Vogue did when I researched them. I also noticed in the Vogue contents page that there was some information about the front cover image, so I decided to include that in my own, with information on where to buy the clothes. I was quite pleased with the result of my contents page, as I spent a lot of time on it. However, I felt that there was too much white space that could have been filled in. It may have been a good idea to add in some borders to give the page some depth. For the alternative cover, I made sure I kept the same font style and size for my masthead. This is because it is important to keep the brand recognisable. I asked my focus group if this was a good idea and they  agreed, saying it would keep it consistent and professional. All magazines do this, but fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle often change the colour every month to fit with the theme. I have decided to do the same in my own production, by changing the colour of the masthead and the puffs to a maroon colour, to tie in with the month and season. It also contrasted well with the cover model’s blue dress. Like Vogue, I made sure I kept three puffs around the edges of the main image, to stop them from overlapping. I am really pleased with the outcome of this as I think it could pass as a real magazine. I then went on to create the double page spread in A3 size, and selected my image to cover the whole background. This meant there was no white space left around the edges, but there was still space to put some text. I wanted the image to take up dominant space on the page to catch the reader’s eye, which is what I noticed was used in Vogue’s double page spread. I brightened the image and removed some blemishes on the model to try and reach a flawless image, as perfection is one of the main selling points for a fashion magazine. I set the text out in two columns, as this is the layout that most magazines use, including Vogue. I used ‘Rage Italic’ for the headline, which is what I used for the headline on the cover, to keep a consistent house style. I also added page numbers to the bottom corners, as these small details help to build up a realistic product. I feel that my magazine is very similar to a professional product and would stand out in the market place. It follows the codes and conventions of a typical fashion magazine, and is aesthetically pleasing for the target audience. If I were to change anything, I would make the front cover masthead slightly larger, to make it more eye-catching.

English Literature Essays Novel Conflict Alex

English Literature Essays Novel Conflict Alex Novel Conflict Alex Book Review: Smaller and Smaller Circle I. Critical Analysis of Plot Structure The novel starts with Father Emil running. The mood set is that of agitation and disturbance. As the novel progresses, one will eventually also see the pattern: that each of the characters are figuratively running from a traumatic past, an experience or a memory. Interspersed in the story are a few paragraphs which describe and imply a particular characters conflict with the self. Their conflict involves either denying or covering up the characters whereabouts or past experiences. The whole novel itself, being of the murder-mystery type, involves chasing, concealing information, uncovering secrets and solving ambiguities. Alex, the murderer, kills children and eviscerates their bodies as a way to cope and fight against a traumatic experience in the past. He strives to run away and break free from this bitter past by destroying and getting rid of the children who remind him of his unpleasant experiences, and whom he perceives as witnesses to his shame and suffering. The dehumanizing removal of their faces, hearts, and genitals not only echoes his desire to be rid of the parts of himself he perceived to be the cause of his suffering, but also seems to speak of how dehumanized he felt after his childhood ordeal. Attorney Arcinas, in the same vein, tries so hard to have a life which is completely different and far better than the life his parents had given him. At present, his behaviors are manifestations of his denial of his past and his attempt to disassociate himself from the status he used to have in society. Joana, the journalist, in spite of working for the truth has a secret of her own to conceal. She has an affair with a married man; this readily lends itself to humor when we consider how her penchant for going under cover turns up in, of all places, the bedroom! On the other hand, the keys to clearing the cloud that seems to envelope the true relationship of the two protagonists, Father Jerome and Father Saenz are left quite obviously for the readers to discover by themselves, albeit upon either the second or third re-reading; these will be discussed more thoroughly later. In connection with the characters attempt to deny and run away, the author also uses the image of the rain to symbolize the attempts or the efforts of the characters to wash themselves, and to bring new life water to what seemed to have been enveloped by hopelessness and despair trauma and unfavorable circumstances in the case of both Joanas affair and the plight of the families of the victims. The point of view in the story shifts throughout the plotfrom the omniscient third person to a first person, which is that of the killers point of view, and then back again. In connection with this, the murderers monologues aim to level him with the omniscient narrators view, creating an aura of power, and even fear for the sake of the other characters in the story. You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more The author uses dreams and recollections/flashbacks visvis direct narration by the omniscient narrator. The novel ends with an impending conflict that the reader deems will have a great impact on the two lead characters. Again, as the case of the murders is solved, so there must also be a need to uncover and shed light on a matter (the very probable more-than-friendship relations between Fr. Jerome and Fr. Saenz) that is insinuated through out the story. The plot in the story develops through the complex interaction of the characters with one another. The main conflict in the story, the serial killings, stems from a distorted relationship between mentor (PE teacher) and student (Alex); similarly, the protagonists (Fr. Jerome and Fr. Saenz) who are tasked upon to solve the cases also exhibit an extraordinary bond between them. The relationship among the characters leads them to commit actions that drive the development of the plot. Alexs parents play the key role of revealing his traumatic past, which is what drives him to commit the murders. The differential power relations between some of the characters also drive the plot; this is seen in the case of the (NBI) Directors exertion of power over Arcinas, which puts the quest of the two protagonists to solve the murders back in track. Additionally, this time around they can be in control of things. II. Critical Analysis of Characters Father Saenz provides the epitome of a good mentor one who is a good example to his student his remaining calm during traffic jams in particular and situations which require patience and understanding in general comes to mind especially by taking good care of and respecting his parishioners, even to the point of avoiding contact with them outside of mass in order to maintain their professional relationship.. He also tries hard to abstain from sexual fantasies or acts, such as the time when he didnt take advantage of the lady-dentists flirting. His character is completely in contrast to that of Alexs PE teacher, who lets his perversion lead him to take sexual advantage of his students. Father Jerome, unlike Alex, possesses high regard for his mentor, Father Saenz. He respects him not only because he is his teacher, but also because the two of them have become very good friends. If Alex loathes his teacher, even to the point of killing him, Fr. Jerome cares very much for the life of Fr. Saenz; this is very evident during the confrontation scene between Alex and Fr. Saenz, wherein Fr. Jerome exhibits concern so extreme it surprises Atty. Arcinas. Attorney Arcinas represents the dysfunctional system of government agencies in the Philippines. Driven by his selfish motivations and greed, he grabs every opportunity he can to benefit himself, be it to his finances or his reputation. He doesnt care if he is really able to function as a defender of the law and of the people, rich or poor as they may be. Fortunately, his powers are clipped by an authority figure, the Director, who knows what Arcinas is really up to and sets him straight. Joana, for her part, represents as an individual what the media is as an institution: persistent in its quest for truth, but just as full of anomalies, controversies, and lies within its walls. In the case of Joana, her passion for journalism and determination to uncover the truth exist visvis her being involved in a secret and forbidden love affair. Moreover, even if the reader gets impressed with her strong desire to uncover the truth behind the murders, s/he may be appalled by her intrusion on the relationship of the two priests. Alex, although characterized as a murderer, may also be seen as a victim himself. As an adolescent, he is molested by a person who shouldve been like his second parent. He is a brilliant student, responsible and respected in school, but because of what happens between him and his PE teacher, his view of himself and of the world changes from bright to dim. His parents, on the other hand, arent able to do anything for him with regard to what he is experiencing in school. He becomes embittered by his trauma and eventually turns angry, displacing this feeling on innocent children. He then becomes a victim of his own self, particularly his despair and wrath. III. Critical Analysis of Themes Taking into consideration the context of the setting of the novel, an emerging theme is that serial killers are not a stranger to the Philippine society and it is not something that should be taken lightly. This revelation of an issue creates a concern within and around us. It makes us realize the reality of the statement and it triggers certain emotions which may result in our being more vigilant. Another emerging theme is that of pain: Pain transcends time and space, and it can be shared with others. This concept was blatantly expressed within the story through the life of the killer. During childhood, he experienced pain, suffering and humiliation that he wasnt able to escape and resolve. This pain showed itself through his emotions of anger and thoughts of violence. He constantly feels the pain and is consistently reminded of the horrors he experienced before. He shares this pain to others through his behavior: hurting, killing, and doing to others what has been done to him. Yet another theme deals with the truth. Even if the truth is, most of the time, absolute, it may also be manipulated by people. For example, this is evident in Arcinas attempt to present to the media a bogus suspect in place of the true murderer who still remains at large. This move of Arcinas serves as one of the conflicts in the novel. Manipulation of truth may also take the form of using it either to benefit or destroy other people. The two lead characters used the truth to bring justice to the bereaved families of the victims. On the other hand, Joana plans to reveal the truth, or at least the perceived truth, for the benefit of her career. Still another theme in the story points to the significance of context with regard to the behavior of people. The environment impinges upon the individual so that one cannot fully claim that a person is inherently good or bad. In the case of Alex, his traumatic experience during his adolescence greatly contributes to his abnormal behavior. Although this does not justify the killings he commits, it goes to show that a person must not be judged using his personality as basis. One must also take into consideration the experiences and events that molded him/ her to what he/ she has become. Find out how our expert essay writers can help you with your work The novel also illustrates the vulnerability of humans. It acknowledges the fact that people, no matter what vocation or career they pursue, are still capable of making mistakes, intentionally or unintentionally. Arcinas, although a lawyer, does not really work for justice; Joana also has ulterior motives in getting and knowing the truth; Fr. Jerome also gets angry just like any other person. The title itself, Smaller and Smaller Circles, alludes to the fact discussed above and reiterated here for claritys sake that truth, although it may be subjected to manipulation, will eventually be revealed. No matter how complex the information have become because of attempts to twist the truth, with careful analysis and persistence one will arrive at the core of the truth. IV. Critical Analysis of Language and Style The author uses simple descriptions to illustrate the setting and set the mood in each of the scenes in the story. The novel stimulates the formation of a vivid imagery on the part of the reader, since the author attempts to tap not only a single sensory modality when describing a particular scene or event. In spite of richness in descriptions, comprehension of the text comes relatively at ease. The words, in spite of their simplicity in structure not highfaluting at all elicit the desired effect since they are put into context and combined with supporting data by the author (e.g. unwholesome air, maggots in it [body]). Comparison and contrast are also utilized by Batacan as tools to develop the themes in the novel. As mentioned in the analysis of the characters, the implied contrast between Fr. Saenz and Alexs teacher serves as a justification for Alexs excessive wrath. The positive characteristics of Fr. Saenz as a mentor becomes more salient as he is put side by side with Alexs teacher, and this in turn justifies Jeromes high regard and respect for his mentor- friend. Internal contrast is also evident in the character of Joana who strives for the revelation of truth while she herself conceals a dark secret. It is also interesting to note that the element of intrigue is instilled in the story through the manipulation of the characters, particularly Fr. Saenz and Fr. Jerome. The fact that these two characters are priests makes it ironic that they are involved in solving the murder cases a very physical aspect of life when they are commonly associated with the spiritual needs of the people. Beside this, the extraordinary bond or even possibly romantic relationship hinted at through the powerful and meaningful lines used by the author to convey her message, although stated in terms which leave enough room for the reader to imagine and give his/her own interpretation of the text which exists between the two becomes a juicier topic because they are men of cloth. Indeed, the two men have an extraordinary rapport that goes far beyond any mentor student relationship; textual details abound. Here are a few: The two men have an extraordinary rapport that goes far beyond any mentor student relationship. Although the two men have been more different in character and temperament, they now find themselves on either end of a baffling mutual affinity (p 22.). Again the inexplicable rapport between the two men as Saenz glances up at him (p. 125). It isnt Gus job to get killed The younger priests voice seems terribly loud to his own ears, and Arcinas blinks once or twice as though startled.. Impatiently and with violence that he never would have thought he possessed, Jerome pushes the lawyer aside and starts running. (p. 150). Another, less controversial device utilized by Batacan to help create an affinity in the reader for the characters is the narration of simple, everyday tasks. This not only firmly sets the tale in the modern world, but also allows the reader to connect with the characters on a mundane basis; certainly we cant all relate to a detective priests passion for forensics, but when that passion is interrupted by a craving for fast food we all find ourselves knowing what its like to be in his shoes. That said, it is reasonable to conclude that Batacan manages to introduce a genre almost entirely alien to our culture without turning off her readers. Her simple yet engrossing prose entices us, making us crave for more; however, a search for Philippine literature made in the same vein ultimately proves futile, leaving us to drift in smaller and smaller circles towards repeated readings of Batacans magnum opus hence the detection of homosexual undertones.

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre - Fire and Ice in the Characters Essay

Fire and Ice in the Characters of Jane Eyre Two of the main characters in Jane Eyre have a sense of fire and ice in their personalities, which is displayed through their emotions and their actions. Although, Edward Rochester seems cold and icy in the beginning of the book, his true trait of fire is reveled throughout the book as we get to know him better. St. John Rivers, who isn't introduced until the late chapters of the book, plays a important role of contrasting Rochester by way of ice. In the first chapters where Rochester was introduced, he seemed cold and icy both in his personality and his appearance. The first time Jane meets Rochester, she notices his coldness; "his full nostrils, denoting. I thought, choler; his grim mouth, chin, and jaw - yes, all three were very grim and no mistake." (77) As we learn more about Rochester and see him and his actions around Jane we come to find out that he has the warmness of fire within himself. After Rochester proposes to Jane he is constantly around her, kissing and holding her. On the night the terrible storm blew into town and past Thornfield hall, Rochester went to Jane's room, more than once, to check on her well being. Rochester wanted Jane to know how much he loved her, by buying her beautiful dresses and jewelry. He wanted to spend every waking moment of the day pampering and loving Jane, and he did. Rochester talked of all the places they would trav... ...e personality. Even though the personalities of Edward Rochester and St. John Rivers are opposites, they each have something that makes them similar in a way. Throughout Jane Eyre, we have seen these two characters change from showing one of their traits to showing a completely different trait. Rochester acted cold and icy when he was first introduced into the novel, and then his true personality of fire and warmness came out when he met Jane. St. John acted warm, when he took Jane into his home, but as we got to know him better we realized that his true trait is coldness. Thus in the novel, Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester represents fire, and St. John Rivers represents ice. Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre - Fire and Ice in the Characters Essay Fire and Ice in the Characters of Jane Eyre Two of the main characters in Jane Eyre have a sense of fire and ice in their personalities, which is displayed through their emotions and their actions. Although, Edward Rochester seems cold and icy in the beginning of the book, his true trait of fire is reveled throughout the book as we get to know him better. St. John Rivers, who isn't introduced until the late chapters of the book, plays a important role of contrasting Rochester by way of ice. In the first chapters where Rochester was introduced, he seemed cold and icy both in his personality and his appearance. The first time Jane meets Rochester, she notices his coldness; "his full nostrils, denoting. I thought, choler; his grim mouth, chin, and jaw - yes, all three were very grim and no mistake." (77) As we learn more about Rochester and see him and his actions around Jane we come to find out that he has the warmness of fire within himself. After Rochester proposes to Jane he is constantly around her, kissing and holding her. On the night the terrible storm blew into town and past Thornfield hall, Rochester went to Jane's room, more than once, to check on her well being. Rochester wanted Jane to know how much he loved her, by buying her beautiful dresses and jewelry. He wanted to spend every waking moment of the day pampering and loving Jane, and he did. Rochester talked of all the places they would trav... ...e personality. Even though the personalities of Edward Rochester and St. John Rivers are opposites, they each have something that makes them similar in a way. Throughout Jane Eyre, we have seen these two characters change from showing one of their traits to showing a completely different trait. Rochester acted cold and icy when he was first introduced into the novel, and then his true personality of fire and warmness came out when he met Jane. St. John acted warm, when he took Jane into his home, but as we got to know him better we realized that his true trait is coldness. Thus in the novel, Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester represents fire, and St. John Rivers represents ice.

Binary Oppositions in Leda and the Swan Essays -- Leda and the Swan Es

Binary Oppositions in Leda and the Swan Yeats' "Leda and the Swan" uses the binary oppositions of the beauty and viciousness of Zeus as a swan and the helplessness and eventual strength of Leda, Yeats reveals that even the mightiest entities may suffer the consequences of their misuse of power. In "Leda and the Swan," the beauty of the swan is contrasted with the physical attributes of a swan who acts out his male animalistic power over his female prey, demonstrating the raw male and female relationships in nature. Swan are huge birds, and as pointed out in the Internet site "The Swan and Leda" (a poem on the same subject as "Leda and the Swan") "Swans, unlike most birds, have external genitals" (1). Thus, the swan is a perfect animal for such a hideous crime as Zeus performs on Leda. In further developing the underlying repercussion theme, the basis of the poem must be analyzed. In Greek Mythology, Zeus disguises himself as a swan in order to lure the pure and sexually ripe Leda into violence. Critical Survey of Poetry, edited by Frank N. Magill, says, "In the tale from antiquity, a Spartan Queen, Leda, was so beautiful that Zeus, ruler of the Gods, decided that he must have her. Since the immortals usually did not present themselves to humankind in their divine forms, Zeus changed himself into a great swan and in that shape ravished the helpless girl" (3716). Zeus as the swan is described as being "great" and of "feathered glory" (lines 1-6). He is a terrific product of nature, yet his male sexual tendencies get the better of him, and he gives into his uncontrollable lust for Leda. Zeus is a selfish male who uses his superhuman powers to exploit an innocent human. Clearly, the oppositions Yeats uses provoke intrig... ...Literary Criticism. Ed. Dennis Poupard. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1989. 397. Hathorn, Richmond Y. Greek Mythology. Lebanon: The American University of Beirut, 1977. Johnsen, William. Yeats and Postmodernism. New York: Syracuse University Press, 1991. Kuehn, Robert E. "Yeats." Contemporary Literature Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfronski. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1979. 284. Lucas, John. "Yeats." World Literature Criticism. Ed. James P. Draper. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1992. 4110. Magill, Frank N. ed. Critical Survey of Poetry. Pasedena: Salem Press, 1992. "The Swan and Leda." On-line. Internet. July, 1996. Available Netscape Navigator: http://charm.physics.ucsb.edu/people/hart/poem/swan.html Yeats, William Butler.   "Leda and the Swan." Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense.   4th ed.   Ed. Laurence Perrine.   New York: Harcourt.   1983.   636

Mannerism vs Classicism

During the sixteenth century a style of art was developed almost by accident. It was developed mainly in Italy, in the city of Florence. It was different than all the other styles, and this intrigued many. It had not had a real name until about 1921, it was called Mannerism. Mannerism is the best art form that came out of the Renaissance. During the sixteenth century while the High Renaissance was evolving two definite styles of artwork developed. The first, which was Mannerism and is also sometimes called anti-classical style, and the second was Classicism, also known as anti-mannerism. This is some sort of hint that the two were almost opposites. 1 One response that was provoked by the upheavals of the sixteenth century was the attempt to escape reality, an effort that was echoed by some of the painters of the age, known as Mannerists. The Mannerists and their patrons cultivated artificial and esoteric images of the world; they undermined perspective, distorted human figures, and devised unnatural colors and lighting to create startling effects. 2 Mannerism broke all of the unwritten rules of painting. It created darker paintings and showed more emotion. Mannerism can be quite easily recognized. Art was no longer boring, it was more creative; this is not to say that art before then was not creative. The artists mixed colors, creating new shades. Classicism however was almost totally different. Classicism, attempted to recapture the aesthetic values and the strict forms that had been favored in ancient Greece and Rome. Classicism aimed for grandiose effects, through restraint and discipline within a formal structure. 3 A classicist painter was restricted in the ways that he painted. There were unwritten and written codes on how to paint in the classic style. There was not as much creativity in the painting. The classicist painters used traditional shades and lighting effects, while mannerists experimented with them. Mannerism tore away from the traditional bounds that held the rest of the art world in. Mannerism produced many new ways of painting. Mannerism breaks apart from the formal principles established during this period. Michael Angelo, with his tormented figures, seems to have shown the road. Symmetry disappears in favor of diagonal compositions; balance and measure give room to movement and expression. The games played by light and shadow become as dramatic as the faces. 4 Many new shades of color and lighting effects were developed and this helped to set the mood that the artist wanted you to feel. They began to use acidic colors and painted new scenes not seen before. This got the people interested. They had seen the scenes that the classicist painters were painting, and that got boring. It s the same with things now. People always want the new, and not the old. The Mannerist artist has the right or duty to employ any possible method of observation. Thus, creating new and exciting paintings. Some of the best painters of all time came out of the Mannerist style. If one removes from an account of sixteenth century art in Rome Raphael and all Michealangelo s works then little is left. Only Sebastiano del Piombo and Giulio Romano remain as major painters. 6 Although these are the major painters of the Mannerist style, there were others, such as, Vasari, Ammanati, and Salviati. Mannerism was first definable by Raphael s pupil Giulio Romano. 7 Mannerism as a style had many influences in later art, such as with baroque. Baroque tried to do the same as the Mannerist style, only on a more grandeur scale. 8 Caravaggio who grew up in Rome around the evolving styles of art, mannerism influenced him the greatest. One of his greatest paintings, The Supper at Emmaus, is a great example of how mannerism was blended into a painting, although it cannot be placed under the same category. Mannerism doesn t only produce brilliant and rebel artists, it also produces schools which imitate it. 9 This sparked a whole new movement in art because individual artists shape their own styles, developing new ones, which people imitate and so on. Also, it wasn t just a period of art like classicism, people later in history painted in this style. Painting was not the only form of art that mannerism was used for. Architecture was also a form of art that was widely used in Europe. The Sistine Chapel is perhaps one of the greatest examples of mannerism used in architecture. The handling of decoration and space seen in Michealangelo s plans for the Laurentian Library is also Mannerist. 10 Mannerism used in architecture however was mainly used in the northern parts of Europe, but the most famous are in Italy. The architecture of the Classicism movement was all straightforward and Gothic-like. The mannerists found new ways to design manneristic architecture. The figures of the rhythmic anti-classical painter and or architect function otherwise, for in themselves they express neither an established rule of nature, nor any unambiguous rationally understood space. In a word, for them the problem of three-dimensional space vanishes, or can do so. 11 The Classical painter or architect would stay with many two dimensional figures and not let the building give a true three-dimensional look and feel, mannerists did this. In conclusion, Mannerism is definitely the best art style that came out of the Renaissance period. Not only did it find new and exciting ways to paint and sculpt, but also new ways to build buildings. Some of the greatest artists of all time were mannerists. The mannerist style influenced many painters and architects of later time. Mannerism, unlike other art styles was not so much a rebellion against older styles as a deliberate cultivation. 12 Therefore mannerism is the best art form that was developed during the renaissance.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn

In 1861 the US government introduced the reservation solution. Plains Indians were to be moved to designated areas known as reservations. There they would receive payments from the government and be taught the ways of the white men. However the Indians who refused to surrender their lives and the Grace land that they and their brothers had lived upon, long before the white men's unexpected arrival, soon disrupted this plan. The breaking of the treaty, which prevented white settlers to settle upon their land, and also them passing through it, angered Red Cloud. There were many Sioux attacks on travellers. These attacks went on for many years, until 1866. The US army ignored their accusations and set up forts along the reservation, to prevent further attacks. Red Cloud in disgust attacked the army. The forts, which had been built upon the Bozeman trail, were soon under siege. The Sioux alone were not strong enough to capture the forts, which were equipped with weaponry the Plains Indians had rarely see before, Rifles. Red Cloud kept a force of several Sioux Bands and had also allied with the Arapaho and the Cheyenne. The incentive, of their livelihoods spurred them on. They fort for many months. Red Cloud also had the vision to try and persuade the Crow, traditional enemies of the Sioux, to fight with his people. Although this did not happen, Red Cloud and his people fought on. In 1868 the government admitted that the Indians could not be defeated militarily. So the Us government signed the treaty of Fort Laramie, which saw the creation of the great Sioux Reservation. No non-Indians were to set foot inside this reservation. As soon as the army had left, the forts were burnt to the Ground. It was the start of many years of peace for Red Cloud. However not all of his people agreed with the life that they had been hand fed. Red Clouds power decreased and the Sioux now looked towards the more militant leaders such as Sitting Bull and Red Cloud. However there were worse times to come for the people of the Sioux. The Peace Treaty could not be maintained forever, could it? In 1874 a man by the name of George Armstrong Custer led the seventh Cavalry to the Black Hills, to see whether the area held, the shiny stone that the White Men craved. In doing this he broke the Peace Treaty of Fort Laramie, which had been signed 6 years earlier. Custer had found Gold, hills full of it, ‘From the grassroots down'. This enticed thousands of miners, in search of happiness to the area. The army could not prevent this, and the government did not want to. The Sioux did. The inhabitants attacked many miners. The Government of the United States offered huge sums of money, per year, to the Sioux, in return for the rights to the Gold that they were obviously not using! But the Indians were not interested in round pieces of metal, that the white men exchanged and they were bot willing to give up the Birthplace of their people up easily. In December 1875 all Sioux were ordered to return to their disturbed reservation. The Indian numbers made this hard. There were reported to be 7000 Indians, amongst them Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull refused to agree to reservation life, and so many Sioux looked upon him as their new leader. February 1876 saw the army been ordered that any Indians that was not inside the reservation were to be treated as Hostile. This led to a three- pronged campaign, ordered by General Philip Sheridan. The campaign that followed led to the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Bighorn being the mountain ranges where the battle was to take place. And so George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry set out along with two other parties to force the Indians back to their reservations. Custer rode along the Rosebud River with the men he had been allocated by General Terry. Whilst riding into position, Custer spotted the Sioux village about 15 miles ahead. Custer contemplated attacking, ignoring the conversation he had had with General Terry earlier, Terry: â€Å"Don't be greedy, wait for us† Custer: â€Å"No, I won't Little did any of them know, that this would be one of the most controversial and misinterpreted conversations, ever made? Custer ignored Terry's orders and prepared to fight. He split his battalion up in three, and planned to send troops under Captain Frederick Benteen, who was ordered to prevent the Indian's usual tactic or escaping. Another group of men were given to Major Marcus Reno, who was to pursue the group. Custer hoped to attack the camp from the North and South Simultaneously. By looking at the tactics he pre-prepared, you would come to the conclusion that he was a very intelligent man, with a lot of experience and will power. However, he was soon to realise that these tactics were not properly thought out, in fact they were soon to be the biggest mistake of his life. A life that, would not see another battle, or another day. Custer had not used his Scouts well; he had barely used them at all. He had Indian Scouts from the enemy tribe of the Sioux, who could of told him a great deal about the strength of the Indian Camp he was preparing to attack, about the firepower of the Indians and the terrain that surrounded the camp. Custer sidelined the scouts, he was the man that ran the show, he knew everything, and he was the noble and brave war veteran. Well, at least this is what he had thought, and if truth were told, so did his men. They had not lost under Custer; he was a respected and experienced Indian fighter. He had never needed scouts before, why was this battle going to be any different? He needed Scouts, especially ones who could blend in, and this would be different. Little did George Armstrong Custer know that the Indian camp he was about to attack with only his battalion was three times his strength, containing not only Sioux, but also Cheyenne warriors. Custer' s plan was put into action: Reno's squadron of 175 soldiers attacked the northern end of the camp. Quickly finding themselves in a desperate battle with little hope of surviving, Reno halted his charging men before they could be trapped and killed, they fought for ten minutes in un-orderly state, hoping that it wasn't going to be their scalps upon the mass of tee-pees they saw before them. Reno withdrew his men into the woods that lined the river. When that position proved indefensible, they retreated uphill to the bluffs east of the river, pursued hotly by f Cheyenne and Sioux Warriors. Just as they finished driving the soldiers out, the Indians sighted roughly 200 of Custer's men coming towards them, through the tough terrain at the other end of the village. This then took the pressure off of Reno's men. Cheyenne and Hunk papa Sioux together crossed the river and locked horns with the advancing soldiers, forcing them back to a high ridge to the north. Meanwhile, another force, largely Oglala Sioux under the command of Crazy Horse, swiftly moved downstream and doubled back in a sweeping arc. This boxed the un-defeated men of the 7th cavalry enveloping Custer and his men in a pincer move. The Indians began pouring in gunfire and arrows. Gunfire came from Winchester repeating Rifles. Rifles that they traded with white men for fur. The exact rifle that Custer had ordered to be left behind, as this would hold his men up, in a battle where, he thought, guns were not necessary. Custer thought a lot of things would weigh him down. The gattling Guns, Sabres and extra troops for example. All because he thought they'd slow him down. But how much he would of wanted them despite their ‘weight', whilst surrounded by the ‘savages' he had promised to leave in peace. The peace was broken, and so was Custer's plan. As the Indians closed in, Custer ordered his men to shoot their horses and stack the carcasses to form a wall, but they provided little protection against bullets. In under an hour, Custer and his men were killed in the worst American military disaster ever. Proving that Custer was greedy and Custer didn't wait. There were many factors that led to the defeat of Custer. However by reading the facts about the war, above, you can see that Custer eyes were clouded over. An urgency to go down in American history as the noblest man, the greatest Indian slayer and most of all The President of the United States. A great Indian slayer should be able defeat a camp of Indians on his own? This was why George Custer did not use Scouts. Therefore he ran into a camp that was 3 or 4 times larger than he had first anticipated. So the men he obtained, of which he thought he had sufficient were out numbered 3 to 1. This obviously was a huge factor to why he and his men were slain. He did not expect to come across a camp of this size, let alone a camp that were equipped with a greater fire power than his squadron. This was another factor. Custer had not expected the Indians to have Guns as well as the knifes and bows and arrows they were expected to own. This meant Custer's men were facing 3 times as many warriors as he had, who were more equipped in the white mans fire arms than them. Having known this a war veteran would have surely come up with alternative tactics. So you see, lack of and misinterpreted information led to unsuitable tactics. It was like a chain of events. Lack of knowledge meant lack of weapons and firepower, which meant poor tactics. This lack of knowledge could have so easily been avoided, by sending out some of their many Indian Scouts. Who could have quite easily got an insight into the size and firepower that the rival Indians had. But Custer' eyes were clouded with greed, he needed no scouts. Custer definitely went down in history. He went down as the General who led his men into worst military disaster in American History. What happened to the Sioux after the battle? Although the Indians won the Battle of the Little Bighorn, it was not a major event in Sioux history. Knowing that there would be severe punishment for their victory, the Indians immediately split up and traveled on so that the U. S. Cavalry would have a difficult time trying to find them. Eventually, they would be forced to live on reservations as their land went into the hands of the U. S. government for mining and farming. Something the Indians did not do or intend on doing. They had fought hard in a losing battle. They had success in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but had lost their way of life. Their victory attracted even more discrimination and racism and gave the white men an extra incentive to wipe out the Plains Indians altogether. They would now be forced to live as the white men, be taught to farm crops and live in captivity. Some Indians killed themselves rather than live a false life with their humiliated and half annihilated brothers. So the Battle of the Little Bighorn was not really a victory for the Indians. They had fought with their lives, and what had they won, a life of shame, cruelty and eventually death. The reward for their victory was nothing.

Simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Simulation - Essay Example Now the application of cost accounting system came into practices for the fact that that the firm had to come up with a decision i.e. whether to accept this order or otherwise, since bulk orders go for discounted prices, but the exceptional quantity makes the fixed cost distribute over larger volumes. Number cracking leads to the conclusion that the contribution margin and operating profits from lemon cookies are lesser when compared to the real mint ones. So the suggestion came out was to reduce the volume of lemon ones and increase those of real mint, as it would also accommodate the order. In realistic terms, the application should be otherwise, since the unit contribution margin for lemon cookies is on the higher side. At the same time, any order cannot be accepted at a point in time when production capacity is already on maximum utilization point, since it implies the inability of the firm to cater to the order. Along the similar line, the order should not also be considered because the selling price per unit for the bulk order is the one at which contribution margin is less than the fixed costs incurred so it makes less sense to accept the order under such a circumstance despite the fact that the contribution margin would yet be greater than zero, but would result in a loss for the business. Subsequently, it doesn't turn out to be worth for fulfilling the order. Some more facts reveal that the break-even point for the lemon cookies is around 563,000 packs. The current manufacturing is around 600,000 packs, which turns the cycle into a profitable one, as it goes beyond the breakeven, and this manufacturing is around the same marks as the production requirements and monthly targets. However, increasing the break-even volume to 650,000, would not be profitable, despite the firm bring in operating profits. Though in doing this, the existing unit may be forced to reduce its volumes for lemon cookies, as the variable cost per unit for lemon is on the higher side. These were some outcome from the simulation conducted, however, the three major learning points were the taking up of key figures of fixed costs, variable costs and breakeven point. These are the major constituents of cost for running a business. Majority of the costs are easily observable and thus, can be quantified to ensure that their relationship with the level of output can be determined in direct form or otherwise (Costs, 2005, para. 1 and 2). Fixed and Variable costs are the basic bifurcation or classification of costs in a business, while break-even point determines the zero profit/loss levels and beyond this point, is all the profit a firm earns from its operations. Fixed costs remain same irrespective of the volume of output, while variable costs vary with the level of output produced (Marshall, McManus and Viele, 2004, pg. 417). There is another category of costing referred to as mixed cost, and this is a form that contains elements of both fixed and variable costs. The most classical examples are bills that contain a line rent (fixed part) and a unit based rental (variable part). The analyses of all these costs are done