Essay Arthurian Literature The Evolution of Merlin

Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin In all the long history of literature, some fictional characters have loomed above others, written about again and again by various authors of various eras. Arthurian literature is one area of fiction that has always been popular for writers to recreate in new versions, and one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian literature is Merlin, the magician/ prophet who aids Arthur early in his reign. As the Arthurian saga develops, so does Merlin, changing from an aloof, druidical character into a more human, magical being, though always retaining some traces of his Welsh origins. Merlin gains his first mention in eight ancient Welsh poems attributed to the†¦show more content†¦Here we first meet the character Merlinus (Merdinus, a more exact Latinization of the original Welsh, was impractical because of its similarity to the Latin or French word for excrement, surely an inappropriate name for a great hero). (Bruce) Yet the Merlin of this story is not the great magician of later works. In his tale, Geoffrey uses not the Latin word magus, which would imply that Merlin was some sort of sorcerer, but rather the word vates, commonly indicating a poet or, often, a prophet or seer. (Tatlock) Merlin does exhibit many features of a mystic in Geoffreys Historia: he uses clairvoyance in the familiar case, borrowed from Nennius, of Vortigerns vanishing tower; he foretells Vortigerns death and prophesies to Aurelius and Uther of Arthurs coming reign, also making several predictions about political events occuring just prior to the publication of the Historia; and he interprets to Uther Pendragon a portent of the death of the king Aurelius Ambrosius. (Bruce) Clairvoyance, prophecy, and the interpretation of dreams are all rather shamanistic actions that would fit Merlins Welsh character as a druid. Merlin is not yet a romance magician in Geoffreys work: the few feats later expanded into mighty demonstrations of magic are not so in Geoffrey. Merlin disguises Uther as Gorlois for his rendevous with Igerne using medicamenta, which could includeShow MoreRelatedThe Real Merlin Essay2171 Words   |  9 Pagesaccounts of the mystical Merlin abound. Did Merlin really exist, and if so, was he the dark magical wizard of legend or an image conjured up by superstitious townsfolk to explain occurrences they didnt understand? To answer this question, one should first look at the actual accomplishments of the figure Merlin. When was the character introduced and what did he do afterwards? What kinds of feats did this person accomplish to make him as well known as he is? Secondly, Merlin was well known as a mythicalRead More The Use of Magic in Medieval Literature Essay2847 Words   |  12 PagesThe Use of Magic in Medieval Literature The concept of magic and magical creatures has been around for a long time, however, in the time period ranging from Beowulf to Malorys Arthur, there has been an evolution in attitudes and the consequent treatment of magic in medieval literature. The discussion of magic involves not only the disparity between Christian and pagan tradition but also of gender roles, most notably in the Arthurian mythos. Beowulf, Marie De Frances Bisclavret and Lanval,Read MoreEssay about The Once and Future King1411 Words   |  6 Pagesmany people can name off Arthur’s knights? Everyone knows Arthur’s name, but the details are less defined. Arthurian legend has many parts, the first being how Arthur came into being, then the most well-known part of the legend, but there is also his famous knights, the possibility of a historical Arthur, and how the legend has evolved over the ages. One thing that is unique about the Arthurian legend is that it has a story to set up the main part of the legend. It traces back to Arthur’s grandfather

Thomas Aquinas And His Views On The Existence Of God

Thomas Aquinas was a famous philosopher and theologian from the 1200’s who dedicated his life to praising and explaining the existence of a higher being, God. Aquinas presents his evidence for the existence of a higher being through five distinct ways in the Summa Theologica. These ways give reason for God’s existence through the cause, existence and final cause of different events and objects. The two first ways made by Aquinas are the most influential sources I found that provide good evidence for the existence of God and are the ways I will be analyzing. Aquinas first way explains that there must be an unmoved first mover who initiates change in reality but is not itself changed while his second way explains that there is a first cause to everything, which causes a chain of causes that cannot go on to infinity. These two ways presented by Thomas Aquinas provide, in a way, some evidence up front for people to conclude that indeed there is a higher being who is God. H owever, Aquinas first and second ways need to be deeply explained and ridded of objections to truly convince everyone, instead of just some, that there is a being who is the unmoved mover and first cause of everything. Aquinas first way gives evidence for the existence of God by explaining that everything in motion is set in motion by God the unmoved mover. When Aquinas explains that everything is in motion, he does not mean that everything is literally physically moving around all the time, but instead, heShow MoreRelatedThe Italian Kingdom Of Sicily1363 Words   |  6 PagesMedieval period witnessed the rise of the religious movement which was lead by Thomas Aquinas who invented the Thomistic way of thought which was based around Medieval scholasticism. He revolutionized the catholic church beginning in 1245 when he moved to Paris and studied under Albertus the Great. I am a monk who studies in a monastery similar to one that Thomas Aquinas studied in his earlier years. I, like Aquinas, was originally a Benedictine monk who realized the wrongs associated with livingRead More The Worldwide Influence of St. Thomas Aquinas Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesInfluence of St. Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas was born in the year 1225 into an incredibly Catholic family in a small town in Italy. As Thomas Aquinas grew up, he was very smart and was very interested in the catholic faith and philosophy and ultimately became a teacher of all these things. Thomas Aquinas proved that he was an important historical figure over his life time by being a leader in the Catholic Church , writing The Summa and spreading his beliefs. Thomas Aquinas proved himself asRead MoreCritique on Whether God Exists Essay837 Words   |  4 PagesWhether God Exists Countless philosophers since the beginning of recorded history have pondered the question of whether God exists. One such philosopher, Saint Thomas Aquinas, put forth his own theory on the existence of God. In his text â€Å"Whether God Exists†, he stated that through his five arguments he could prove God’s existence. His five arguments are from motion, from first efficient cause, from possibility and necessity, from gradation, and from design. Aquinas begins his text withRead MoreAccording to Aquinas: The Basics of Aquinas Philosophy622 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to Aquinas â€Å"When there is more than one aspect under which a given item can be known, there will be more than one science concerning it† (Aquinas 5). This pertains to the relationship between nature and grace and how it impacts the relationship between church and culture in that nature is the philosophical view and grace is theological. Thomas Aquinas had a cunning way of uniting the ideas until the Reformation and the Renaissance. Nature can be fused together with the science of philosophyRead MoreTopic sentence. Thomas Hobbes interpretation of natural law is not only radically different, but1300 Words   |  6 Pages Topic sentence. Thomas Hobbes interpretation of natural law is not only radically different, but inconsistent with the traditional view. This can be seen through the similarities and differences found when comparing Thomas Hobbes theory, and Thomas Aquinas’ theory in regards to their view of man’s ultimate goal, their definition of natural law in regards to its relationship with human rationality, and lastly how they view the meaning and relationship of divine providence and religion in naturalRead MoreAnselm and Aquinas Argument Regarding God1678 Words   |  7 PagesAnselm and Aquinas Argument Regarding God The article I am writing is about Anselm and Aquinas views on God’s existence and the different arguments trying to find out the same thing, does god exist? And if so what is he? The following will be a comparison about Anselm and Aquinas views on god. I mostly agree with Anselm on the topic of that if god were to exist that he would have to be greater than anything conceived. Although I think Aquinas argument that if everything has the possibilityRead MoreThe Philosophy Of St. Thomas Aquinas1367 Words   |  6 PagesSt. Thomas Aquinas was an influential philosopher who strongly incorporated faith into his philosophy. In his Summa Theologiae, Aquinas uses his own arguments along with those of both Aristotle and Plato to strengthen his claims. First and foremost, Aquinas uses his own philosophy to back the Christian faith and the existence of God. However, Aquinas also extends his argument past the initial claim of God and Christianity, and it is here where he uses these other influential philosophers to helpRead MoreAquinas’ and Dante’s Common Ideals1153 Words   |  5 PagesAquinas’ and Dante’s Common Ideals While St. Thomas Aquinas established himself as the New Aristotle of the 13th century, Dante Alighieri established himself the new Virgil. The two men made an immense impact in their respective fields (poetry and philosophy). Yet surprisingly, the two share common ideals. In each of their respective literary and philosophical views, they establish the importance of the relationship between nature and grace. In Dante’s Inferno the unique relationship ofRead MoreThe Cosmological Argument643 Words   |  3 PagesArgument An important argument to try and prove the existence of God is the Cosmological Argument brought on by observations of the physical universe, made by Saint Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth century Christian philosopher. The cosmological argument is a result from the study of the cosmos; Aquinas borrows ideas from Aristotle to make this systematically organized argument. Aquinas’ first point begins with the observation that everything is moving. Aquinas’ says that everything that moves must be movedRead MoreExplain Aquinas Cosmological Argument652 Words   |  3 PagesExplain Aquinas’ Cosmological Argument The basis of the cosmological argument is that the universe cannot account for its own existence. There must be a reason, the argument says, for the existence of the universe and the reason has to be something which is not part of the physical world of time and space. The cosmological argument was used by Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) in his five ways, which were ways of demonstrating the existence of God through inductive argument based on observation and evidence

Neonatal Growth And Physical Assessment †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Neonatal Growth And Physical Assessment? Answer: As per trigger 2, we need to discuss the: Needs and requirements of an adolescent mother How to care for a 4-day old, baby boy, born through well-controlled birth Advices that would be required by the mother to cope with the care of the baby and Challenges the mother, Aisha, might face while coping with her changes in her body Neonatal Growth Physical Assessment The physical development of a baby in initial days is not pronounced Jarad, the baby boys eyes may be fuzzy, and will not be able not focus well (Hogg, et al, 2005) Do not panic if he does not make an eye contact Move across his vision, (Which will make him shift his eyes according to the blurry movement he sees) to strengthen the eyesight May experience frequent bowel movements, with an initial greenish coloured bowel, which will gradually transform into whatever mother feeds upon (since Jared is completely on mothers milk) (Tappero, Et.al, 2012) Sensitive skin, with red blotches or patches, which might fade after a while The expected neonatal growth symptoms include: Feeding Pattern Feeding is a crucial part of infant care, and Aisha needs to understand the following facts essential for feeding: Breast milk contains micronutrients, immunological ingredients as well as enzymes that the babies do not have initially. Breast milk not only acts as a primary feed, but also as an aid to infant digestion (Wilson, et.al, 2012) Infants feed in shorter duration and whenever hungry Can take only smaller feeds initially, and duration between feeds will increase gradually Mother needs to make herself comfortable before feed, since some feeds can last longer than the other (T et.al, 2005) Apply cold press for soreness in nipples Slide- Iv Sleep Pattern A new born baby does not have a fixed sleeping pattern. Here are a few significant facts that Aisha can expect in the coming weeks: Jared may sleep between each feeds The baby might not sleep for longer periods and wake up crying when hungry Initially, a baby might have interrupted 16-18 hours of sleep Night time routine is not fixed, and hence, might not sleep full night It takes about 6 weeks to set a pattern in sleep, especially a full-night sleep (Weissbluth , 2015). Keeping baby clean and comfortable will increase the sleeping duration Put the baby to sleep on its back, to avoid SID risk Slide- V Conclusion: Initial few weeks are difficult for a baby as well as for the mother. A mother, (and an adolescent one) might have great many challenges dealing with a small baby. The instructions/advice provided might help establish a pattern Aisha can always consult the specialist, in case of any different patterns/discomforts she notices in the baby or in herself References Cloherty, J. P. et.al (2012).Manual of neonatal care. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Hogg, T., Blau, M. (2005).Secrets of the baby whisperer: how to calm, connect, and communicate with your baby. New York: Ballantine Books. Tappero, E. P., Honeyfield, M. E. (2016).Physical assessment of the newborn: a comprehensive approach to the art of physical examination. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Weissbluth, M. (2015).Healthy sleep habits, happy child: a step-by-step program for a good nights sleep. New York: Ballantine Books. Wilson, D., Hockenberry, M. J., Wong, D. L. (2012).Wongs clinical manual of pediatric nursing / David Wilson, Marilyn J. Hockenberry. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby.

The Treaty Of Versailles Essays (2944 words) - Treaty Of Versailles

The Treaty Of Versailles One of the greatest conflicts in the history of the world, that of World War II, changed the course of events in Western societies for the rest of the 20th Century. Its effects are felt today even today with the final ascent of the United States as a superpower and the decline of Europe. In fact, World War II was the final judgment concerning European domination of the world. However, many have said that World War II was a continuation of World War I, a war which destroyed much of Europe, crippled its domination of the world with its ruinous economic ramifications, and created the ?lost generation? of millions of wounded and dead soldiers. These changes contributed to the downfall of European society. John Maynard Keynes observes, ?Perhaps it is historically true that no order of society ever perishes save by its own hand.? (1) In fact, the victorious Allies of World War I condemned themselves to another world war with the Treaty of Versailles, particularly with respect to its effect s on the vanquished country of Germany. The conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and their inherent weaknesses set the stage in Germany for yet another world war. French insistence upon crippling Germany influenced many of the conditions set forth in the treaty. The chief aims of the French towards the disabling of the German state were concerned the disarmament of Germany, the demilitarization and occupation of Allied military forces in the German Rhineland and Saar Basin for fifteen years, the severe reparations, the cession of German territory. (2) The Germans ultimately resented the harsh conditions of the treaty, promoting even more animosity between the two nations when plenty had already existed earlier. Germany was forced to give up all overseas possessions, which the Allies administered as mandates. (3) In addition, France resurrected Poland to dismantle Germany's eastern borders. (4) This separated East Prussian from the rest of Germany by the Polish Corridor (5), which contained a large German population. (6) These conditions would later resurface as major issues in Hitler's Germany twenty years later. Furthermore, Article 102 of th e treaty established the town of Danzig?as a Free City.? (7) The controversy surrounding this provision developed as a sensitive issue to the Germans since the population of Danzig was largely German. To the Germans, these conditions added insult to injury. Unfortunately, the treaty did not stop with these conditions. The Treaty of Versailles has become infamous for the harsh reparations it imposed on Germany. Perhaps even more notorious is the ?War Guilt Clause? contained in the peace. The ?War Guilt Clause,? Article 231 in the treaty, arose out of a controversy during the negotiations in the spring of 1919 concerning the nature of reparations that would be collected. It was argued whether or not to include war costs in the reparations to be levied or ?just? civilian damages suffered. Prime Minister David Lloyd-George of Britain and Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, unsure of whether or not war costs would be include, insisted that the treaty assert at least the moral right of the Allies to recover the cost of the war forced upon them by Germany.? (8) Lloyd-George maintained that if we do not exact it [war costs], it is not because it would be unjust to claim it (9) This sentiment, though meeting opposition from President Wilson's delegation, resulted in the inclusion of Article 231 in the treat y. The provision, after Germany's Weimar Republic delegates signed the treaty on June 28, 1919, bound the German nation to accept full moral responsibility for all damages to the citizens of the Allied countries and for the precipitation of the war itself. (10) The provision blatantly ignored Austria-Hungary's culpability in the conflict, as that country was completely dismantled by a separate treaty. The effects of Article 231 were far-reaching. Besides the obvious discontent such a provision would cause in any nation, German governments used it to rally their people against the Allies in combination with the controversial French occupation in the western regions of Germany, most notably Hitler in the 1930's. (11) In addition, although David Lloyd-George supported the clause, Great Britain throughout the 1920's and 1930's showed their ironic guilt over the

6 Forms of the Subjunctive Mood

6 Forms of the Subjunctive Mood 6 Forms of the Subjunctive Mood 6 Forms of the Subjunctive Mood By Mark Nichol Are you in a subjunctive mood? Then you should frame sentences in one of the six following forms. The subjunctive mood is used in cases in which what is expressed is not necessarily real, as opposed to the indicative case, which is applied to factual statements. The key difference is a change in the form of a given verb: Am or was is supplanted by were, be takes the place of are, or singular active verbs lose their -s or -es endings. In conversation, it is common for speakers to fail to distinguish between the moods, but in careful writing, the distinction must be made. 1. Counterfactual In this subjunctive construction, the writer expresses a notion contrary to fact, such as â€Å"If I were you, I’d return it to the store.† 2. Imperative In this class of the subjunctive mood, commands and demands are expressed: â€Å"I demanded that she walk away.† 3. Necessity This subjunctive form refers to requirement: â€Å"It is necessary that she fill out the form first.† 4. Proposition This category applies to proposals and suggestions: â€Å"We proposed that they reconsider the offer.† 5. Supposition In this form, the writer expresses a possibility: â€Å"If I were to accept the position, I’d have to relocate.† 6. Wish This type of subjunctive form deals with expressions of desire: â€Å"I wish that I were able to go back and do it over again.† The subjunctive case also survives in such idiomatic phrases as â€Å"as it were,† â€Å"be that as it may,† â€Å"be they [one thing or another],† and â€Å"would that it were.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business LetterCapitalization Rules for the Names of GamesThe "Pied" in The Pied Piper

Insects - Insecta - The Animal Encyclopedia

Insects - Insecta - The Animal Encyclopedia Insects (Insecta) are the most diverse of all animal groups. There are more species of insects than there are species of all other animals combined. Their numbers are nothing short of remarkable - both in terms of how many individual insects there are, as well as how many species of insects there are. In fact, there are so many insects that no one knows quite how to count them all - the best we can do is make estimates. Scientists approximate that there may be as many as 30 million species of insects alive today. To date, over one million have been identified. At any one time, the number of individual insects alive on our planet is staggering - some scientists estimate that for every human alive today there are 200 million insects. The success of insects as a group is also reflected by the diversity of habitats in which they  live. Insects are most numerous in terrestrial environments such as deserts, forests, and grasslands. They are likewise numerous in freshwater habitats such as ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands. Insects are relatively scarce in marine habitats but are more common in brackish waters such as salt marshes and mangroves. Key Characteristics The  key characteristics of insects include: Three main body partsThree pairs of legsTwo pairs of wingsCompounds eyesMetamorphosisComplex mouth partsOne pair of antennaeSmall body size Classification Insects are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Invertebrates Arthropods Hexapods Insects Insects are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Angel insects (Zoraptera) - There are about 30 species of angel insects alive today. Members of this group are small, hemimetabolous insects, which means they undergo a form of development that includes three stages (egg, nymph, and adult) but lacks a pupal stage. Angel insects are small and are most often found living under the bark of trees or in rotting wood.Barklice and booklice (Psocoptera) - There are about 3,200 species of barklice and booklice alive today. Members of this group include granary booklice, booklice, and common barklice. Barklice and booklice live in moist terrestrial habitats such as in leaf litter, under stones, or in the bark of trees.Bees, ants, and their relatives (Hymenoptera) - There are about 103,000 species of bees, ants, and their relatives alive today. Members of this group include bees, wasps, horntails, sawflies, and ants. Sawflies and horntails have a body that is joined by a broad section between their thorax and abdomen. Ants, bees, and wasps have a body that is joined by a narrow section between their thorax and abdomen. Beetles (Coleoptera) - There are more than 300,000 species of beetles alive today. Members of this group have a hard exoskeleton and a pair of rigid wings (called elytra) that serve as protective covers for their larger and more delicate  hind wings. Beetles live in a wide variety of terrestrial and freshwater habitats. They are the most diverse group of insects alive today.Bristletails (Archaeognatha) - There are about 350 species of bristletails alive today. Members of this group do not undergo metamorphosis (immature bristletails resemble smaller versions of adults). Bristletails have a cylindrical body that tapers to a narrow bristle-like tail.Caddisflies (Trichoptera) - There are more than 7,000 species of caddisflies alive today. Members of this group have aquatic larvae that build a protective case in which they live. The case is constructed of silk produced by the larva and also incorporates other materials such as organic debris, leaves, and twigs. Adults are nocturnal and short-lived. Cockroaches (Blattodea) - There are about 4,000 species of cockroaches alive today. Members of this group include cockroaches and waterbugs. Cockroaches are scavengers. They are most abundant in tropical and subtropical habitats although their distribution is worldwide.Crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera) - There are more than 20,000 species of crickets and grasshoppers alive today. Members of this group include crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and katydids. Most are terrestrial herbivores and many species have powerful hind legs that are well-adapted  for jumping.Damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) - There are more than 5,000 species of damselflies and dragonflies alive today. Members of this group are predators in both the nymph and adult stages of their life cycles (damselflies and dragonflies are hemimetabolous insects and, as such, they lack the pupal stage in their development). Damselflies and dragonflies are skilled fliers that feed on smaller (and less skilled) flying insects such as mosquitos and gnats. Earwigs (Dermaptera) - There are about 1,800 species of earwigs alive today. Members of this group are nocturnal scavengers and herbivores. The adult form of many species of earwigs  has cerci (the rear-most segment of their abdomen) that are modified into elongated pincers.Fleas (Siphonaptera) - There are about 2,400 species of fleas alive today. Members of this group include cat fleas, dog fleas, human fleas, rabbit fleas, oriental rat fleas, and many others. Fleas are blood-sucking parasites that prey primarily on mammals. A small percentage of flea species prey on birds.Flies (Diptera) - There are about 98,500 species of flies alive today. Members of this group include mosquitos, horse flies, deer flies, house flies, fruit flies, crane flies, midges, robber flies, bot flies, and many others. Although flies have one pair of wings (most flying insects have two pairs of wings), they  are nevertheless highly-skilled  fliers. Flies have the highest wing-beat frequency of any liv ing animal. Mantids (Mantodea) - There are about 1,800 species of mantids alive today. Members of this group have a triangular head, elongated bodies, and raptorial forelegs. Mantids are well-known for the prayer-like posture in which they hold their front legs. Mantids are predatory insects.Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) - There are more than 2,000 species of mayflies alive today. Members of this group are aquatic in the egg, nymph, and naiad (immature) stages of their life. Mayflies lack a pupal stage in their development. Adults have wings that do not fold flat over their back.Moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) - There are more than 112,000 species of moths and butterflies alive today. Moths and butterflies are the second most diverse group of insects alive today. Members of this group include swallowtails, milkweed butterflies, skippers, clothes moths, clearwing moths, lappet moths, giant silk moths, hawk moths, and many others. Adult moths and butterflies have large wings that are covered with t iny scales. Many species have scales that are colorful and patterned with complex markings. Nerve-Winged Insects (Neuroptera) - There are about 5,500 species of nerve-winged insects alive today. Members of this group include dobsonflies, alderflies, snakeflies, green lacewings, brown lacewings, and antlions. Adult forms of nerve-winged insects have highly-branched venation in their wings. Many species of nerve-winged insects act as predators to agricultural pests, such as aphids and scale insects.Parasitic lice (Phthiraptera) - There are about 5,500 species of parasitic lice alive today. Members of this group include bird lice, body lice, pubic lice, poultry lice, ungulate lice, and mammal chewing lice. Parasitic lice lack wings and live as external parasites on mammals and birds.Rock crawlers (Grylloblattodea) - There are about 25 species of rock crawlers alive today. Members of this group lack wings as adults and have long antennae, a cylindrical body, and long tail bristles. Rock crawlers are among the least diverse of all insect groups. They live in high-elevation habit ats. Scorpionflies (Mecoptera) - There are about 500 species of scorpionflies alive today. Members of this group include common scorpionflies and hanging scorpionflies. Most adult scorpionflies have a long slender head and narrow wings with highly-branched venation.Silverfish (Thysanura) - There are about 370 species of silverfish alive today. Members of this group have a flattened body that is covered with scales, Silverfish are so named for their fish-like appearance. They are wingless insects and have long antennae and cerci.Stoneflies (Plecoptera) - There are about 2,000 species of stoneflies alive today. Members of this group include common stoneflies, winter stoneflies, and spring stoneflies. Stoneflies are so named for the fact that as nymphs, they live beneath stones. Stonefly nymphs require well-oxygenated water to survive and for this reason, are found in  swift-moving streams and rivers. Adults are terrestrial and live at the edges of streams and rivers where they feed on alg ae and lichens. Stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) - There are about 2,500 species of stick and leaf insects alive today. Members of this group are best known for the fact that they mimic the appearance of sticks, leaves, or twigs. Some species of stick and leaf insects are capable of changing color in response to alterations in light, humidity, or temperature.Termites (Isoptera) - There are about 2,300 species of termites alive today. Members of this group include termites, subterranean termites, rotten wood termites, dry wood termites, and damp wood termites. Termites are social insects that live in large communal nests.Thrips (Thysanoptera) - There are more than 4,500 species of thrips alive today. Members of this group include predatory thrips, common thrips, and tube-tailed thrips. Thrips are much maligned as pests and are known to destroy a variety of  grain, vegetable, and fruit crops.True Bugs (Hemiptera) - There are about 50,000 species of bugs alive today. Members of this group include plant bugs, seed bugs, and stink bugs. True bugs  have distinct front wings that, when not in use, lie flat on the insects back. Twisted-wing parasites (Strepsiptera) - There are about 532 species of twisted-wing parasites alive today. Members of this group are internal parasites during the larval and pupal stages of their development. They parasitize a variety of insects including grasshoppers, leafhoppers, bees, wasps, and many others. After pupating, adult male twisted-wing parasites leave their host. Adult females remain within the host and only partially emerge to mate and then return to the host while young develop inside the females abdomen, emerging within the host later.Web-spinners (Embioptera) - There are about 200 species of web-spinners alive today. Members of this group are unique among insects in that they have silk glands in their front legs. Web-spinners also have enlarged hind legs that enable them to scurry backward through the tunnels of their underground nests. References Hickman C, Robers L, Keen S, Larson A, IAnson H, Eisenhour D. Integrated Principles of Zoology 14th ed. Boston MA: McGraw-Hill; 2006. 910 p.Meyer, J. General Entomology Resource Library. 2009. Published online at https://projects.ncsu.edu/cals/course/ent425/index.html.Ruppert E, Fox R, Barnes R. Invertebrate  Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach. 7th ed. Belmont CA: Brooks/Cole; 2004. 963 p.

Comparison of two nursing education systems Assignment - 1

Comparison of two nursing education systems - Assignment Example Notably, there has been increased enrolment into degree nursing education as compared to diploma enrolment because of numerous reasons. Under degree baccalaureate degree in nursing, experts identify it as a unique and holistic education program that allows practical and theoretical application of nursing. Firstly, it encompasses all course work taught at diploma level, in-depth treatment of physical and social sciences and nursing services management. It is, therefore, more superior in terms of coverage and relevance to modern nursing (Mayne et al., 2013 pp 15). Secondly, the degree program encompasses humanity courses that allow students to have a wider knowledge beyond medical diseases and patients. Unlike, degree program diploma system has narrow scope that restrict curriculum to fundamental medical cases and patient management. Lack of additional courses at diploma curriculum inhibit professional development, and graduates lack broader scope of practice (Mayne et al., 2013 pp 15). The Joint Statement on Academics Progression for Nursing Students and Graduates (JSAPNSG), American Association of Colleges, American Association of Community Colleges, they together agreed that degree nursing was more diverse and equipped. The had students shown knowledge on sociological view of patient care. Diploma curriculum centers hospital as a key health institution with little focus on the role of preventive medicine. On contrary, degree program has been anchored on environmental and sociological view of health. It envisions healthy community through medical research and preventive medicine unlike diploma program whose research scope is insignificant (Cabaniss 2014 pp 182). Leonardo (2012 pp 258) states that during May 2010, Tri-Council of Nursing identified nursing degree as a rightful direction that would foster patient safety and quality nursing care that is scientific. It asked diploma nurses to advance their studies in order to

Describe the various political party systems that can be identified, Essay

Describe the various political party systems that can be identified, more or less, with the developments of the following period - Essay Example The constitution recognizes that human beings are equal and have inalienable rights. As such, most political parties in the US fight for equalitarian ideals whenever another party veers off the ideals set by the constitution; for example, the democrats often advocate for strong national government and taking care of the interests of the wealthy for economic progress forgetting social equality and on the other hand, republicans worked so hard to maintain equality (Reichley, 2000 p. 30-36).There has been many political parties pursuing different interests since independence ranging from nativism, anti-catholism, slavery, taxation, and the national bank but the dominant parties in modern USA are the democratic and republican parties. The aim of this paper is to trace the history of political party systems since independence; their ideals, nominations and elections, social groupings, major fault lines, and the changes from each era to another. To answer this question, the paper will be d ivided into five sections. The first section will cover the first party system during the period 1787-1828. Then, the second party system from 1828-1854. Thirdly, third party system period from 1854 to 1896. Followed by the fourth party system 1896-1932 and lastly, fifth party system which covers the period from 1932 to 1960s. 1787-1800 Though America declared independence in 1776, the constitution was signed in the year 1787. By then there were no political parties as was the norm in other countries of the world. It was a federal constitution and as such presidents, House of Representatives and congress were elected on a federal ticket until the 1790s when political parties were invented. The first Electoral College was constituted in 1789 and George Washington from Virginia State was elected as the president with 69 votes (Reichley, 2000 p. 29). His vice president was John Adams of Massachusetts. After assuming office, Washington chose Thomas Jefferson as the secretary of state an d Hamilton as secretary of treasury. These two posts were very vital in the administration of the state thus the holders of these offices were close confidants of the president. Hamilton as the secretary of treasury was involved in making policies on development and as such he embarked on an ambitious economic program of ensuring the national state remained dominant or in control. The program involved assuming national and state debts by the federal government, establishing a national bank and levying taxes especially on whiskey (Reichley, 2000 p. 30). His philosophy was the inclusion of business interests as part of ensuring rapid economic growth in the belief that the support for commerce and manufacturing was for the benefit of all citizens. However, some individuals thought that he was reverting to the monarchical era and criticized him for placing less value on social equality which is one of the principles of the constitution. Though he conceived that there may be an abuse of power if too much power is placed on national government, he also believed that the civil society could remedy the situation (P. 30). The national bank was of such importance that different factions kept arguing about whether it should exist or not. Some individuals mostly republicans were also opposed to the idea of the federal government assuming debts and making workers pay high taxes to recover such debts. The only people who profited from such a move were speculators who had expected high

My Sisters Keeper Essay Example for Free

My Sisters Keeper Essay I am discussing the movie, â€Å"My Sisters Keeper,† the moral dilemma in the movie is not revealed until the end; Kate has put her sister Anna up to suing her parents for the rights of her own medical decisions so that in actuality Kate can die in peace; in essence voluntary passive euthanasia. The dilemma described in the movie is immoral based on the Categorical Imperative by Immanuel Kant. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative rejects the view that a person’s actions are good or bad based on solely on the consequences of those actions; Kantians emphasize that a person is praised or blamed for their actions based on the intentions with which they act. This film explores the medical, legal, ethical and moral issues related to long term illness and discusses some of the bioethical issues around the experimental technique known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. It presents many ethical dilemmas when a couple chooses to genetically engineer a baby to create a bone marrow match for their terminally ill daughter. That creation is Anna Fitzgerald, who is beginning to wonder about her place in the world and questions her on going donations in order to save her sister’s, Kate’s life. Anna feels that her existence is defined by her ability to save her sister. That type of knowledge of such form of conception must have some sort of psychological ramifications upon a growing child. If I knew that I was a test tube baby, it would make living a little less extraordinary because it takes away the romance of creating life. â€Å"Most babies are accidents. Not me. I was engineered, born to save my sisters life. †Those opening words are spoken by Anna Fitzgerald, an 11-year-old girl who was conceived in vitro as a genetic match for her leukemia-stricken older sister Kate. Whenever a part of Kate’s body fails, Anna’s parents Sara and Brian immediately offer up the needed part of Annas body for donation.

Smoking Cigarettes :: Argumentative Persuasive Example Essays

Throughout the book, the conflict between the mothers, their Chinese tradition, and language and the daughters, their American tradition, and language are evident. Suyuan and Jing-Mei Woo are mother and daughter, respectively, who are characters that illustrate the conflict between the two cultures. In the beginning of the story, the mothers who play Mahjong tell Jing-Mei to see her long lost sisters and tell them of their mother. Jing-Mei replies, "What will I say? What can I tell them about my mother? I don't know anything. She was my mother. (p31)" Then it occurs to Jing-Mei that "they are frightened" because in her they see "their own daughters, just as ignorant, just as unmindful of all the truths and hopes they have brought to America. (p31)" In these quotes, Jing-Mei perceives the gap that occurs between the mothers and daughters. This gap between each mother and daughter is described in later chapters. Jing-Mei Woo, who is called June in America, represents her mother's hopes and dreams. Her mother's name, Suyuan, meaning, "long cherished wish" speaks of this hope for Jing-Mei, whose name means "the pure younger sister (p322-3)". In the beginning, June is excited and dreams of what she will become. "In all my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect. My mother and father would adore me. I would be beyond reproach. I would never feel the need to sulk for anything (p. 143)." Her mother pushes June into many areas- academics, dance, and the piano. After failing to excel at any of the areas presented to her, she feels like a failure. She sees all the hopes her mother has for June as expectations. The final conflict comes when June performs a piano piece filled with mistakes at a talent show, which makes June believe that her mother is completely ashamed and disappointed with her. June looked through the crowd to her motherâ₠¬â„¢s face. She thought to herself, "...my mother’s expression was what devastated me: a quiet, blank look that said she had lost everything." (p. 143) What June did not realize, was that the real reason why her mother was upset was not because she had not lived up to her expectations. She was unhappy because June did not care about having the best for herself. She did not have high hopes or a passion to be successful at anything.

Iomega Corporation Data Storage

The purpose of this report is to examine the Iomega Corporation, based in Roy, Utah, for the BA 201 – Survey of Business course at Birmingham-Southern College. The company manufactures computer storage devices: the ZipTM and JazTM drives, the Clik! Storage device, and the BuzTM audio and video drive. 1 The leading supplier of data storage devices in Europe, and the third largest supplier in the world, Iomega has now strengthened its line of products with the Ditto tape backup device.2 The industry†s enthusiasm and public satisfaction with which these products were received is unprecedented in the computer industry, making Iomega an innovator among innovators. This report will discuss the following components of the Iomega Corporation: History of the corporation and its products Marketing strategies and product offerings Iomega was founded in 1980 with its flagship removable storage device, the Bernoulli drive. Though its original efforts are now more than antiquated, Bernoulli Optical Systems remains a subsidiary of Iomega. In 1983 Iomega was made public, and for the next twelve years, the company would see a period of experimentation and growth. While Iomega remained behind the major industry names of Apple and IBM, the late eighties and early nineties were integral to Iomega†s current success. The technical bases for the Zip and Jaz drives were built upon, leading to these products† 1995 release.2 Public response to the release of the portable data storage devices was enormous. Orders clogged the production component of Iomega before the disks were even released to the public, and by April 1996, barely one year after its introduction, Sony Pictures Entertainment entered into an exclusive agreement with Iomega for use of its Jaz disks.3 June of that same year would bring even greater response; Iomega entered into marketing agreements with IBM, NEC Technologies, Gateway, and Unisys.4 By the end of the summer of 1996, Iomega had formed partnerships with every major computer manufacturer in the United States. The media frenzy surrounding the release of the drives was further fueled by honors awarded by computing magazines PC Computing and Gadget Guru. The Jaz drive was named 1996†³s â€Å"Innovation of the Year† and â€Å"Most Valuable Product† by PC. Gadget Guru named the Jaz drive the â€Å"Best Computer Accessory of 1996.† These and other accolades pushed public familiarity of Iomega products higher and higher, boosting production and sales.5 In response to this domestic success, Iomega began a complete expansion of its foreign production and marketing in early 1997. European headquarters were set up in both the Netherlands and Switzerland, and their production site in Malaysia was expanded and modified. While the base of the company remained in Roy, Utah, Iomega†s presence in both Europe and Asia was fortified with a larger number of production jobs for Asians and Europeans. Coupled with a greater concentration of foreign marketing and advertising, Iomega emerged as the third largest producer of data storage devices in the world.6 The end of the 1996 fiscal year showed a 272% increase in revenue from the previous year.7 The introduction of the Jaz and Zip drives in 1995 was undoubtedly responsible for this success, which was followed in 1997 by new partnerships with Motorola, Apple, Kinko†s, and Hewlett Packard.4 By June of 1997, Iomega†s Zip drive shipments reached six million; it was then a standard in new Sony personal computers, Micron notebook computers, and in all Kinko†s store computers nationwide.8 The success of the Iomega drives remained rampant when the company announced the introduction of the Buz multimedia producer in late 1997. The Buz producer would allow consumers to capture movies, music, and photographs on their personal computers. While the success of the Buz drive still remains far behind that of the Zip and Jaz drives, this diversification allowed the company to remain on the cutting edge of computer technology. The Jaz drive was marketed as a companion piece to the Buz drive, lightly forcing consumers to purchase two products with one goal in mind.9 The approach was successful, leading to 1997 fiscal year earnings of 77%.10 May 1998, in the wake of the Buz release, brought about another important computer modernization, the Clik! drive. The Clik! drive revolutionized methods by which consumers could store digital information from handheld video cameras, computers, and cameras.11 Marketed with special Clik! disks, the drive itself brought the portable storage efforts of Iomega full circle, now having storage products for virtually every major computer product on the market. Iomega advertises in many different places. The web site www.iomega.com provides a simple way to find out about the company. It provides potential customers with many different sections geared towards answering their questions about Iomega and its products. The site allows potential customers the opportunity to gather information through press releases and news articles related to the company, and gives customers a chance to win free products in contests. More importantly, Iomega†s web site allows customers the opportunity to order its products online via a virtual shopping mall. Customers can receive Iomega†s products without ever stepping foot outside their front door. Iomega also advertises its products through other companies. Having Iomega Zip drives already installed in computers, such as Apple, Dell, and Gateway, allows customers the option of buying a Zip drive already installed in a computer of a well-established personal computer (PC) manufacturer. About 40% of Dell computers already have Iomega Zip drives installed in them. Due to all of the positive responses Iomega has received from forming partnerships with these PC manufacturers, it has decided to form a new partnership with Fujifilm. Fuji Photo Film Company Ltd. has recently started marketing branded Clik! disks. Fuji already markets Fujifilm branded Zip drives and has now signed with the forty megabyte Clik! disks. Said Steven A. Solomon, senior vice president of Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc., â€Å"We've had great success branding Iomega's popular Zip disks and we believe that we will have similar success with Clik! disks.† 12 Iomega offers customers a way to store large amounts of information on disks rather than saving them on the hard drive of their computer. The company offers 100MB Zip USB and now the new 250MB Zip drives. This option benefits both businesses and personal computer owners. Businesses profit from owning a Zip drive due to the convenience of saving large presentations or proposals on a disk and then carrying it to different places; for personal computer owners, the Zip drive allows everyone in the house to have their own disk, keeping children†s games separate from parent†s finances. The notebook Zip gives people with digital computers the ability to carry large amounts of information with them in a slim, low power design for easier storage and transportation. Iomega recently lowered the price on their external Zip 100MB SCSI and their 100MB Zip USB; the new prices are $99.95 and $129.95, respectively. Reducing the prices was â€Å"driven by the product†s universal adoption by the users of more than twenty-two million Zip drives,† said David J. Henry, vice-president and general manager of Zip/Jaz management at Iomega Corporation. 14 By lowering the price of the product, Iomega makes their products more affordable for their customers, attracting more potential buyers. Iomega Corporation announced in January 1999 that it is restructuring in hopes of increasing gross profit figures for the upcoming fiscal year. Although Iomega controls over 86% of the removable storage market, its gross profits have decreased to levels that have made public investors somewhat weary. Previously, Iomega†s structure was that of three decentralized product units which included the Professional Products, Personal Storage, and Mobile Storage divisions. The new structure will focus on eight business functions that include sales and marketing, product development, manufacturing and operations, corporate marketing, finance, legal, human resources, and corporate development and strategy. In addition, top management created a new functional group known as customer service and development which combines the existing customer service organization with a new group of applications engineers.15 Iomega hopes that these changes will ease the rise-fall-and-rise-again impression that the company has acquired since its entry into the removable storage market in 1980, thus spurring improved gross profits, consumer confidence, and an increased interest on Wall Street.16 In 1983, Iomega was on top of the Wall Street world. The searing property raised $21.7 million in public offerings due to the interest drawn by IBM PC users who were amazed by Iomega†s patented Bernoulli Box technology. The Bernoulli Box used a subsystem with stand-alone disk drives that rest beneath the monitor and provide unlimited data storage capability with removable cartridges. After several years of prosperity, the bottom fell out in 1986 and 1987 when computer makers began including relatively large storage hard drives as a standard part of the home PC. Demand for the Bernoulli Box technology waned, and Iomega experienced hard times that included an $8.5 million bank debt and enormous inventories. Michael Kucha took the reins as chief executive officer (CEO) and immediately made an impact on the struggling company. Kucha cut costs by trimming the workforce from 1,350 to 750 as well as utilizing substantial tax write-offs. In less then a year, Kucha helped Iomega gain an $18 million cash balance, cut the bank debt to zero, and slashed inventory by 50%.16 More importantly, Kucha stressed research and development during his leadership reign. The company was able to adapt its Bernoulli Box product for the Apple Macintosh computers and began benefiting from the increased demand for the Macintosh in the late 1980†³s and early 1990†³s. After a few years of slightly above average success, 1993 proved to be a disastrous year for Iomega. CEO Fred Wenniger, who replaced Kucha in 1989, departed due to shrinking margins and increased competition. The removable storage market had recently been flooded with Iomega clones that caused prices to decline, thus increasing competition. Analysts wondered if the company would survive the year.17 Leon Staciokas was named acting CEO as the company restructured during 1993 and 1994. In January 1994, Staciokas advocated a staff cut in hopes of reducing overhead expenses and freeing up extra cash. Eight percent of salaried positions were cut as part of the corporate wide restructuring.18 Later in the year, Kim Edwards replaced Staciokas and became permanent CEO of Iomega. Edwards first task was freeing up more money to invest in updating and improving technology. In July, Iomega cut 100 salaried jobs in a bold management move that would free up $4 million in overhead annually.19 Edwards† new management approach towards Iomega eventually transformed the company from a struggling business into the most successful removable storage manufacturer in the world. This approach was based on the idea of creating a product that the public would buy and use rather than simply admire. After meeting with top management and technical advisors in the early months of 1995, Edwards was able to lay the groundwork for the release of Iomega†s new Zip drive that would revolutionize the industry and reestablish the company as a major player in removable storage software. The creation and release of the Zip drive in late 1995, as well as wise financial management by Edwards, helped to increase Iomega†s operating budget from $141 million in 1995 to just over $1.2 billion in 1997. 20 Unfortunately, Iomega encountered more problems in late 1997 and early 1998. Edwards believed that opening a new product engineering and manufacturing plant in Milipitas, California, would yield greater productivity and allow for quicker response time to customer demands for new technology.21 And it did. However, in July 1998, Iomega acquired Nomai, another removable storage manufacturer, in hopes of shrinking competition and placing the company squarely in front of all competitors. This bold move hurt Iomega†s finances and caused a significant increase in operating expenses when paired with the upkeep of a brand new factory. This poor management decision by Edwards cost him his job. 22 Presently, Jodie Glore serves as president and CEO of Iomega. Mr. Glore is the permanent replacement for Kim Edwards after James Sierk served a brief stint as interim CEO. Glore hopes to reorganize and restructure Iomega; he wants to focus on the areas that the company has been criticized for in the past such as customer service and unsatisfactory product performance. Glore has already taken steps to alleviate these problems by ordering internal restructuring that will overhaul the previous system. The new system of eight business functions is a more elaborate, yet organized hierarchy. Glore hopes that it will allow a quicker response to customers, placing their needs as a top priority.15

American Beauty – Paper

American Beauty In the movie â€Å"American Beauty† there is a list of interpersonal conflicts. Lester and Carolyn Burnham are a seemingly ordinary couple in an anonymous suburban neighborhood, whose marriage and lives are slowly unraveling. They both have become so distant but remain together to keep up appearances. This relationship shows all the factors that Daniel Dana considers being a conflict. Two people are independent; they each need something from the other, both parties blame the other or find fault with them for causing the problem, one or more of the parties is angry or emotionally upset, the parties’ behaviors are affecting their relationship with each other and/or their relationships with others. †(Dana, 2000) In the movie there are many conflicts but the interpersonal conflict that stands out is that between Lester and Carolyn. The conflict between Lester and Carolyn is hard to ignore. They have stopped communicating effectively to one another. Les ter is a middle aged man, whom sees no satisfaction in his life anymore.Carolyn is a middle aged woman, whom only shows her satisfaction, but it is a mask; to make it seem that she is happy. Lester, at first, seems to have a passive communication style, compared to Carolyn’s aggressive communication style. In the narration from Lester in the beginning of the film; he seems to be tired of his life and how it is going. They live in a big white house with a red door and a white picket fence; living the American dream. Unfortunately it is anything but. They have a daughter Jane who Lester believes he has failed. One night, Lester and Carolyn go to one of her work functions.Almost immediately they go their own ways at the function. Carolyn is being entertained by the â€Å"King† of real estate, drinking. While Lester has found himself outside with the new neighbor boy Ricky Fitts, smoking the illicit drug marijuana. When they go home and are in bed, their problems come to f ruition. At this point the â€Å"blame game† comes into the picture; with much negativity. They fight back and forth sarcastically, saying hurtful things, until Carolyn jumps up out of bed and bursts out â€Å"This isn’t a marriage†. Then Lester finally speaks up and tells her what he has been feeling for years.One factor is the lack of sex between them. Also, he states that he has been her puppet for years; since she received her realtors license, and finally that he has been extremely unhappy. Then he continues saying that the only reason she is mad and saying anything is because he is finally fighting back. His dramatic and angry speech makes Carolyn silent. At this point in the film, I am more aware that they haven’t had effective communication to resolve their conflicts, for many years now. This situation escalated from their root cause of both of them becoming withdrawn, and not resolving their conflicts. When conflict erupts, emotions are involved, and the relationship can be threatened if the conflict is not resolved amicably. †(Sole, 2011) I think what started their downfall, years ago, is that they avoided conflict. This can be destructive in any relationship and/or marriage. If you don’t have the skills of resolving conflict; you run the risk of ruining your marriage, separate friendships, and shatter your family. Since both parties did not obtain the skills necessary to resolve their conflicts, it resulted in Carolyn stepping out of their marriage; to have an affair with her real-estate rival, Buddy Kane the â€Å"King†, of real-estate.Also, resulting in Lester acting out, quitting his job, smoking marijuana, buying a 1970 Pontiac Firebird, and working out to impress a 17 year old girl; what some may call a mid-life crisis. Amazingly enough, this could have all been resolved, as long as they both are willing with positive emotions during their conflicts. Research has shown that interjecting positive e motions, along with negative emotions, during discussions result in happier marriages.I think that is Lester and Carolyn would have used some basic elements like humor, light-hearted fun, or some playfulness during their conversations, their marriage could have remained happy. Then if they could know and understand one another’s communication style, they would be better at resolving conflicts between them. Lester started out having a passive communication style, and then it quickly moved to a passive-aggressive communication style. I believed this happened because he was fed up with how his life was going and started to display resentment.With negative feelings, this indirectly sabotaged his life. If Carolyn held an assertive communication style, rather than an aggressive communication style, I believe they would have been able to eventually resolve their conflicts. All in all, if they had effective interpersonal communication, they would have continued to go down the path, t o be a happily married couple. References Sole, K. ,Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication,(2011),BridgePoint Education Inc. Retrieved From: https://content. ashford. edu/books

Exploring The Fish By Elizabeth Bishop English Literature Essay Essays

Exploring The Fish By Elizabeth Bishop English Literature Essay Essays Exploring The Fish By Elizabeth Bishop English Literature Essay Paper Exploring The Fish By Elizabeth Bishop English Literature Essay Paper every bit good as the stoping rainbows, contains legion mentions to this cognition, every bit good as a cognition of the fish s anatomy ( mica is really the clear, gelatinlike stuff that comprises the fish s swim-bladder ) . The ability of see farther and in more item than with the normal human oculus, which is the power of the field glassess, besides is the power of Bishop s verse form, which enlarges at the same clip as it focuses on the ocular visual aspect of the fish. This extract identifies the writer s purpose of utilizing mica in the verse form. The readers that have experience in the scientific field are to boot referred to see the fish as the storyteller does. The verse form besides has a symbol which is identified through the repeat and initial rhyme of the word rainbow. In line 75, the word rainbow is repeated three times merely before the storyteller Lashkar-e-Taiba s the fish spell. This symbol could be one of spiritual definition when God gave Noah a mark of peace, the rainbow. Possibly, the poet and the fish are now at peace with each other as they go their separate ways. Another significance may be that the fish has a particular ability to flim-flam fishermen by making rainbows perchance through light diffusion of his graduated tables, so he knew that this fisherman would merely allow him travel in awe of his impressiveness. This may be why he did non contend the storyteller. All these poetic devices help the reader get to cognize the fish every bit good as the storyteller knows the fish. The Fish is a narrative verse form by Elizabeth Bishop that exercises poetic elements exemplifying the gimmick of a tremendous fish. Bishop takes advantage of imagination, sensory inside informations, symbols, and similes to heighten the verse form. All of these poetic devices make the verse form existent to the reader by making a image in the reader s head of the narrative that is similar to the poet s apprehension of the verse form.

Folk Wisdom in Pregnancy Module 1 Writing Assignme Essays (1139 words)

Folk Wisdom in Pregnancy Module 1 Writing Assignme Essays (1139 words) Folk Wisdom in Pregnancy Module 1 Writing Assignment PSY 241-N02 Shianne Buie When it comes to pregnancy there is no shortage of the curiosity and uncertainty that surround the birth and delivery of a child. For centuries people have held superstitions and beliefs about pregnancy that many still trust in today. People may believe in wives' tales due to personal experience, supporting facts or plain fear, but either way folk wisdom does seem to hold some insight into the mysteries surrounding pregnancy. I personally come from a family who are no strangers to wives' tales, my own mother actually decided to put one to the test when pregnant with me. When I asked her why she would do that she stated, " I was just really tired of being pregnant and wanted to hurry things along " (Northcutt, 2017). You see I was her firstborn and since she didn ' t necessarily consider patience a virtue in the first place, she was dying to get me out as soon as possible. Tho ugh I ' m guessing that carrying around a baby in her belly with swollen ankles probably had something to do with it as well. The youngest of eight, she ' d grown up listening to my grandmother talk about her own pregnancies and the truth of all the wives' tales she ' d heard throughout the years. One of these tales was that if a woman drinks a spoonful of castor oil near the end of her pregnancy, it will induce the labor. Naturally my mom came to the conclusion that this particular idea was brilliant and she would try it out, despite not knowing a thing about what might really happen. That being said the method was indeed effective, just half a day later I entered the world and needless to say my mother couldn ' t have been more relived. Even with that being said I ' m still pretty skeptical when it comes to placing too much trust into things like that, I just can ' t believe something that is not completely proven like my mother is able to. At least not something that can affect a human life, although I must say some wives' tales might be little easier to put faith in if they had some scientific proof to back them up. While there are individuals who can merely believe in something without confirming that it exists, there are also those who rely on facts and physical evidence to convince them. I myself belong to the latter group and so to really believe that something is true, I have to see the facts to support it. There ' s one wives' tale in particular that does have just that. It suggests that if woman experiences particularly bad heartburn during pregnancy, then her baby will be born will a full head of hair. This occurrence is often found to be correct as according to Robinson (2015), " In a 2006 study involving 64 participants, researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital found that women who reported moderate levels of heartburn throughout pregnancy gave birth to babies with hair on 82 per cent of occasions , while most expectant mothers who did not show signs of digestive discomfort had children that were bald at birth . Now being a person who naturally places more trust in science that century old superstition, I have no problem admitting that this folk wisdom is indeed highly plausible. However, there are also some folk wisdoms that I ' d rather not put any trust in at all and I know I ' m alone in this. While most are centered on harmless ideals, there are some wives ' tales which carry more fear than fact for any expecting mother. Perhaps one of the more terrifying of these is that if pregnant woman lifts her hands above her head, the umbilical cord will be wrapped around the baby. This particular tale probably scares more expecting mothers into believing it due to the known consequences of an umbilical cord actually causing harm to a child. As it is a fact that when the cord becomes wrapped around a child ' s neck, it cuts

Classic Airlines Benchmarking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Classic Airlines Benchmarking - Essay Example The analysis of the Toyota Motor Corporation’s management style and policies applied by it, could prove to be valuable in analyzing the case of Classic Airlines. Generic Benchmarking—The purpose of generic benchmarking is to identify potential solutions to the problem statements defined in Task A. You will do this by looking at how companies in other industries have dealt with similar issues. The Toyota Motor Sales Inc. (USA), headed by Jim Cookie – the national facilities operations manager, initiated concrete steps to revive its old management policies and adopted a new performance based facilities management approach which focused on the customer relationships so as to enable it to meet all needs and expectations of its customers. This new management approach, launched about 3 years back, ensured that the managers spent more time with the customers and was hugely successful, and translated into nearly $10 million in savings over the first five years of its launch. Toyota’s operations in North America comprise of a geographically diverse area, with several business units and branches spread across the length and breadth of the country and hence the company focused on their customer needs and expectations in order to attain optimum levels of customer satisfaction. â€Å"In a large corporation with multiple business units, marketing may be called on to assess consumer trends as an aid to corporate planning. At the business unit level, marketing may be asked to provide leadership in developing a new, integrated customer service program across all business units† (Kerin et al, 2006, ch.2, pp.7). a. Prior to initiating the new management plan, the company initiated measures to assess the needs and expectations of all its customers so as to have a better understanding of the composition of its customers and fulfill those needs and desires to

Human resource and employment law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human resource and employment law - Coursework Example He served as an unofficial spokesperson against the abuse of workers in industrial organizations and government corruption. LaFollette supported union growth and development as a check-and-balance on large corporations’ power. Some of the notable, specific measures he supported included protection of workers’ rights, defense of small farmers, preservation of state forests, breaking up monopolies, and taxation on railroads (Wisconsin Historical Society, 2011). The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals case of Spoerle v. Kraft Foods Global, Inc. involved plaintiffs (employees) suing their employer, Kraft. The lawsuit claimed the company was not paying employees for all time owed. Employees were fighting for payment of time spent getting into and out of required safety and sanitation clothing. Additionally, the employees felt they should be paid for the time spent walking to and from the stations where they worked at both the beginning and end of their shifts (Nicholas Kaster Attorneys at Law,  2008). The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows union employee and employer relationships, as far as management and policies are concerned, to vary depending upon the agreed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Judge Easterbrook determined the provision, â€Å"requirement that employers pay workers for time spent donning and doffing ‘integral and indispensible’ safety gear under 29 U.S.C.  § 203(o),† did not override Wisconsin’s state law. The current law requires payment to employees for time spent on these required tasks (Nicholas Kaster Attorneys at

Barbara Kruger's strategic role in post-modern art resurfaces Dissertation

Barbara Kruger's strategic role in post-modern art resurfaces - Dissertation Example The study "Barbara Kruger's strategic role in post-modern art resurfaces " discovers the influence of Barbara Kruger on modern art. Kruger proved to be a powerful force in having challenged the long established conventions, typecasts and traditional practices of society. Through her works she established a strong link between the popular photographs of the 1940s and 1950s by including the public spaces that people are exposed to in their everyday lives. By conceptualizing the conflict and tension latent within theses spaces, Kruger is able to strike an alarming irony through unmasking the violence that disturbs space. The main force for these works revolves around the notion that power, and thus violence, is what propels the splitting of the external to create the internal; space. Kruger argues that space is not an area of freedom but a ‘closed interior’. By shedding light on the external and excluded items submerged underneath what we see in an internal space, Kruger ex poses these never before seen grounds to the public. I believe that Barbara Kruger is most definitely an artist that is worthy of attention; she has inspired a new sphere of, but not confined to, graphic design. Her work is a prime example of ‘Spatial practive’, whereby, she completes a space by exposing it in its entirety, not only its internal elements. This dissertation will tackle in depth the significance of ‘spatial practice’ and ‘site specificity’, and how exactly Barbara Kruger utilizes this in her work to challenge society. It will also discuss the societal impact and influences her pieces have produced. Kruger is often misunderstood, and it not always conceived as narrated in the brief description above. Her role, her purpose and her intention are often contested; some critics comment that she is merely a political agitator. Kruger’s stance in the artistic, political and social worlds will be thoroughly examined. Despite critiq ue, this dissertation will focus on bringing forward the argument that Kruger employs site specificity as a tool for accusation, uncovering conflict ,but not for mass commercialization or for creating acts of violence. Another element that I would focus upon is a critic, David Deitcher who questions that Barbara Kruger is not easily categorized because of her self-constructed identity. ‘Her work has both a place and a strategic role within contemporary artistic discourse’ (Goldstein, A, 2000, p.25). This will be an argument that the dissertation would bring forward how Barbara Kruger’s figure of speech and her presentable artworks effects her ‘strategic role’ and how it brings her practice into external sites and not within a space. At last but not least, this dissertation would analyze the genre feminism in Kruger’s work and how it affected the women by observing her piece of work and what reality brings forward to them. Throughout these chap ters, artworks by Barbara Kruger would be analyzed in depth and how her works have influenced and affected the society and as well how these artworks can resurface the hidden truth of the political society. This will also relate to Jean Baudrillard theories in the context that Barbara Kruger can connect her work to. â€Å"Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality; a hyperreal† (Baudrillad, 2008, p.342). Chapter 1: Site Specificity This chapter delves into the site specificity in Barbara Kruger’s works. Site specificity is defined as ‘artworks take location into account in large scale work’, and the reason for examining this topic is because Kruger has considered the space in her works in attempting to establish relationships

Proposals Relation to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania Essay Example for Free

Proposals Relation to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania Essay In the â€Å"Proposals Relation to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,† 1749, Benjamin Franklin reconciled public service, the benefits of classical learning, and the necessity of practical training for young people in the colony. Mr. Franklin discussed that knowledge helps to give honor. Not just honor to yourself for knowing what you are doing and talking about but, also an honor for your country to represent them if you were to become a part of office and have to communicate with others outside of country. Not even just to be in office but, to also become a minister or priest for a religion thanks to the studies of religious and civil morality. Thanks to their knowledge the academy will give to them they will be able to help their country in not just honoring them but, helping the citizens in the country. Due to their knowledge they will be able to give the citizens fair amounts of income, fair prices for taxes, and prayers. The men that will have this knowledge will not only be from a rich background with an abundance of money and high class families. As well as, poor background young men with little money and probably no family at all have a chance to receive an education and help their country. Then after one school is built to help young men, more and more can be built by other men with knowledge and help others get the education they once received. In this academy the students will learn similar subjects to what the modern day student learns today. Students will be taught the English language by reading some of the best authors in the 1700’s. There was Tillotson, Pope, Cato’s Letters, and etc. hould be some of the classics read. They will be taught to write with neat handwriting, swift drawing of arithmetic, accounts†¦ geometry, and astronomy. All of these can count as basic classes to help with any future job the student might want to have/achieve when they graduate. These basic classes can also help with everyday jobs, for example, directions in the stars while on a journey in the ocean or lost in the fore st (science), buying or trading goods for money (math), or even just being able to read and write a form of a constitution or charter (grammar). Benjamin Franklin also states â€Å"But art is long, and their time is short. † in paragraph 8 of â€Å"Proposals Relation to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,† 1749. In the passage, the author also talks of the necessities of practical training which has to do with knowing how to handle and work on machines and the histories on machine. Something that will be taught is the machines used in wars. Men can learn to make these machines and use them. Then they can improve them in ways to make them better so they can be used when needed. The knowledge of machines can help those week men that cannot do much physical work can invent new machines to reduce labor for all men and slaves. Manufacturing companies will begin to grow in ways of money and making more of what they sell. Their money will flourish and the companies will gain power. Once the companies grow, trade will also increase which can make that country gain more money also. That is when math and grammar also come in handy. Manufacturing companies will not only flourish but, farming as well because of the farming technique they give you, to plant cash crops and even plant your own foods to eat at home. Benjamin Franklin put to rights that public service, the benefits of classical learning, and the necessity of practical training for young men in the colonies by giving them knowledge to honor and help themselves and country. Next, the students learning the basics will help with future jobs and everyday lives. Lastly, the men learn to use and invent machines by learning their histories and how they were used. These arguments should make anyone want to open up an academy and teach young men.

Charles V :: essays research papers

CHARLES V FEBRUARY 24, 1500 – SEPTEMBER 21, 1558   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles V was born on February 24, 1500 in Ghent, which today is better known Belgium. He was the oldest in the family so when his father died in 1506, he inherited the Netherlands and the Franche Comte, which was located in France but actually belonged to the Holy Roman Empire. He gained much more land once his maternal and paternal grandfathers died. Not since Charlemagne, in the early 9th Century, had one person dominated so much land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Charles visited Spain for the first time, he realized that he wasn’t popular among the citizens. However, his fight against the muslim Turks and the German Protestants won him some acceptance. Though being accepted was a problem, controlling the finances became a much larger one. There were many times when promising military campaigns had to be broken off due to lack of money and at times it appeared that Charles didn’t much mind that such actions had to be taken.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1519 Charles was elected German King and Holy Roman Emperor. So after his visit to Spain he went to Germany to be officially crowned king. But, he would have to wait until 1530 to become the Holy Roman Emperor. Charles was going through a lot and he soon started feeling the pressures of his obligations and to add to his pressures, he would soon be going into war with France, a big competitor and persistent enemy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles V went through many wars, but his most were with France. The Valois kings fought the emperor for the leadership of Europe in general and for the domination of Italy in particular. Though in 1525 Charles’s army defeated and captured Francis I of France at the Battle of Pavia in Italy it was thought that the war was over. But when the peace compromise was final and Francis was released, the Italian wars began again. In 1535 the Spaniards captured Milan and confirmed their domination of Italy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, in stages, between 1555 through 1568, Charles V voluntarily gave up the throne.

Plastic Cups Industry

{draw:frame} December 8, 2009 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 2 Industry/Product Category Overview 2 Market Size 2 Growth of Product Category 3 Recent Product Innovations 3 Market Sub-Segments 4 MARKET SECTOR RESEARCH 4 Differentiation 5 Value to Consumers 5 Fit in the Market 5 Pricing Strategies within Market 6 NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION 7 PRICING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND THEORY 8 CONCLUSIONS 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 Introduction Industry/Product Category Overview The Foodservice Packaging industry deals with plastic products such as plastic bowls, cups, plates and cutlery. The industry encompasses packaging for the home, commercial use and government institutions, such as schools and correctional facilities. Specifically, the product being developed belongs to the reusable cup category, in which the primary national competitor is Solo Cup Company. Although the Foodservice Packaging Industry was impacted by the economic situation, the challenges proved beneficial for the industry as they led to increase in product innovation. More notable, the â€Å"greening† of products, making them less harmful to the environment, has become a signal of the changing times. Additionally, the reason for the resiliency in some product categories in the industry, is the result of consumers downgrading their, spending on dining out and increasing their spending on home cooked meals. As consumers continue to downscale they will be looking for more disposable items to use in their homes. The foodservices packaging industry contains already established firms, such as Solo Cup Company, however, our product will service a niche in the market not effectively reached by other vendors. Market Size Recycled, reusable plastic wear finds its place in the disposable sector of the industry under the segment, â€Å"Cups and Lids. This market accounts for several segments of plastic ware: Cups and Lids, Containers, Dinnerware and others. In addition, the market includes several â€Å"end-use† markets such as restaurants, retail stores, and various institutions. With respect to the â€Å"cup and lid† market the U. S. is predicting increases over the course o f a four-year layout. It has been speculated that between now and 2012, demand for this respective segment will continue to grow by approximately 4. 3 percent to a figure of $7. 8 billion. Looking further ahead, we see predictions that this industry is expected to eventually reach $16. 52 billion by year 2015. This growth has been associated with increasing away-from-home expenditure, and dual-income families with reduced time for making elaborate home cooked meals, finds immense applications in restaurants, institutions, and retail stores among others. Increase in the number of working women and changing trends in ethnicity have also led to greater indulgence in foodservice disposables. While these aren’t figures directed at the cup market in its entirety, research has noticed a close correlation between purchasing plastic dinnerware (i. e. plastic plates and eating utensils) and the significant increase in plastic drink ware. It’s been noted, however, that of the foodservice market, cups and lids are anticipated to produce the quickest growth in profit from now until 2015. This is expected to be fueled by the increasing demand in environmentally friendly cups, such as compostable cups or recycled content cups, will add value gains as these cups tend to be higher in price than conventional cups, thus generating a respectable profit. Growth of Product Category The Solo cup company was founded in 1936. Solo was and still is one of the biggest companies in the plastic disposable cup industry. In 2006, the company posted sales of over 2. billion dollars. Since the founding of the consumer packaging industry, growth has been exponential. The industry is multi-billion dollar commerce and one that most consumers contribute to at one point or another. Plastic cups are now an everyday item in many people’s lives and have literally countless uses. With the modern, fast-paced lifestyle, convenient, disp osable plastic cups are practical. There are also niche products that are still plastic disposable cups but they have a bit of flare to them. Some of these products include insulated plastic cups and cups that have hand grips added to them. The first Solo red, basic cup that most people know was introduced in late 1972. Since then, the popularity has grown exponentially. What used to be just a family consumer product has now morphed into a product that is used by some of the biggest corporations in the world. 80% of Solo’s sales come from these large corporations such as Starbucks and fast food restaurants who use other, smaller containers as condiment holders. What started out as just simple cups has evolved into something much more broad and diverse. The aforementioned condiment containers are an example. Another example would be the lines of complete tableware that some companies now offer. They are entirely plastic and disposable, just like the cups. The industry has grown from just a simple singular product into completely separate lines and product trees. The expansion from the beginning is enormous. Recent Product Innovations In the plastic tableware industry, lines have blurred between â€Å"disposable† and â€Å"reusable. † With many disposable cups now being marketed as dishwasher safe, low-grade dinnerware has become single-use for some market segments, but multiple-use for others. The â€Å"Green† movement has also influenced this industry. Increasingly, consumers are willing to spend more on products made from recycled or biodegradable materials. Several companies have taken advantage of this new market segment by promoting â€Å"green† product lines. MicroGreen Polymers, for example, is a Seattle-based company that manufactures disposable coffee cups produced from recycled pop bottles. The company uses a thermoformed plastic technique that infuses tiny bubbles into the plastic, resulting in a â€Å"more bang for your buck† product. In addition to resisting temperatures up to 400 degrees, the product also costs fifteen to twenty percent less than competing products. Another eco-friendly tableware producer is EcoProducts, which makes plastic-looking cups that are made from compostable corn. The cups require less energy than a traditional plastic cup to produce, resist heat up to 145 degrees, and compost in only 45 days. Solo Cup Company, the market share leader in plastic cup manufacturing, has also come out with a line of â€Å"green† products called â€Å"Bare. † It is the first nationally available full line of food service and consumer products made of recyclable or renewable materials, and because Solo has the brand recognition that emerging companies don’t, it has a unique advantage over the competition. Another recent product innovation is the beveled cup design that allows for a slip-free grip of the beverage. Solo has released products with this feature called â€Å"Grip Cups†, while Hefty released a similar product called the â€Å"Easy Grip Cup. † Advancement in the industry is the development of color-changing plastics which are being used in the production of low-grade cups. The company MoodCups uses this technology to produce customizable cups for large-scale customers that change color in response to contact with cold temperatures. MoodCups is one of a variety of companies which currently utilize this technology, but thus far the products are only available in mass orders of 250 or more rather than in family-size quantities. Market Sub-Segments There are two main market sub-segments for this product: college students and home users. College students (24 and under) are often price sensitive, with less sensitivity to quality. Additionally, this segment already uses this type of cup for playing drinking games, keg parties, and everyday cup use. Kooler cups will be a draw to this segment because of their unique color-changing technology, low price, and versatility. Home users, generally classified as those consumers 25 and older, are interested in value rather than price alone. The ability to use the product we have created, Kooler Cups, at dinner parties or in everyday settings will add value to the product for this segment. As with college students, these cups will draw in home users looking for that little extra bit of flare to throw in at a home party or with the kids. Market Sector Research The presence of myriad â€Å"off-brands† offering substitute products to the classic Solo cup creates a unique challenge in this product category. While Solo remains the number one competitor in this product category, almost identical products are available to consumers at a lower cost that are packaged under generic and store brands. Throughout our in-the-field pricing research, we found that the store brand alternatives to Solo cups were consistently priced much lower than comparable name-brand products. Differentiation Our product will compete with existing products in the market sector through characteristic differentiation rather than low cost. Kooler Cups will be considered somewhat of a novelty item by offering consumers the ability to own a disposable cup that is more fun and different that other items they see by major competitors. Kooler Cups are temperature activated cups that change colors which add excitement and allows for the consumers to see that the beverage is the perfect temperature. This feature is currently not part of the market our product is entering and this is a main reason it will be successful. Additionally, Kooler Cups are made of a harder plastic that is both inexpensive and manufactured of a higher quality material than competing products. By producing Kooler Cups with a higher quality material, we can ensure that the product is dishwasher safe. Value to consumers These unique features bring a whole new set of desirable and valuable traits of disposable cups to the consumer. The higher quality material establishes a large part of the value of the product as consumer will pay less for a reusable cup that is able to be disposed at the consumer’s discretion. This feature allows for a range of uses at an affordable price which leads to a decrease in consumer disappointment with the accidental destruction or loss of the product. Additionally, the products material provides value by being dishwasher safe which will decrease the spread of germs or residue that may occur with hand wash only cups offered by major competitors. The new material will also add to the ease of cleaning the product, saving the consumer time as well as money because they will need to purchase the cups as frequently. The color change features adds value by bringing an element of surprise and excitement to whatever event the product is used at. For the inexpensive nature of the product, this feature will be a major selling point and will lead to a higher perceived value by consumers. Fit in the market Kooler Cups will participate in the disposable food service products market with products manufactured by major companies like Solo Cup Inc. Kooler Cups will be available at a comparable price to other products in the market because they can be considered disposable even though they are not necessarily one-time use cups. We will package and sell Kooler Cups in comparable quantities to its competitors in the market to encourage the selection of this product for gatherings where many cups are required. Pricing Strategies within Market With several outside factors affecting the profitability and bottom line of a firm, pricing plays a crucial role in reaching that yield. Understanding the costs associated with the product (cost of goods sold and operating expense) is the first step before determining an appropriate pricing strategy. The cost of goods sold accounts for the various costs that go into production of the good as well as shipping and handling expenses. In addition, operating expense takes into consideration the costs associated with overhead, marketing, payroll, and office supplies. The pricing strategy used should more than cover these expenses to result in a respectable profit. With respect to the Palouse region, it appears that our main competitor, Solo Cups is employing a promotional pricing strategy. This strategy is best used as new products are introduced into the market, or in our case, to stimulate demand for an already-established product. The demand for this well established product comes with respect to seasonal changes, given the â€Å"special events† occurring during those seasons. During the fall and winter months, Solo cups are found on sale because of the influence of the two most common sports in our area, football and basketball. With the multitude of residents who tailgate as well as attend or host pre-game parties, breakeven on sales of cups are surely met and exceeded with the use of effective promotional efforts. Also, it was noticed that during off seasons such as late spring throughout summer, the plastic cup industry aims to target the outdoor enthusiast crowd. This group includes those involved with barbequing, casual camping, outdoor sporting events, as well as general picnicking. With this, Solo can maximize reach of its target audience under various shifts, both seasonally as well as activity-based by providing a recognizable price during these respective months as well as using other products to help promote their cups. Upon visiting local stores such as WinCo, Wal-Mart, Rosauers, and Safeway, we observed that Solo Cup places a significant emphasis on product positioning as they are determined to set an inviting, yet profitable price. In WinCo, Rosauers and Safeway, they take advantage of end-cap displays generally strategically positioned with complementary products such as America’s â€Å"beverage of choice,† Busch Light and Keystone beer. This type of strategy grabs the consumer’s attention through use of effective signage, as they are stocking up on supplies for any given event. Given the availability of wide aisles, such as the bordering aisles at Wal-Mart, Solo can position its cups at conveniently located product islands. These islands are also generally shared with other complimentary items, namely Busch Light and Keystone beer as well as twelve pack cases of soda. This is especially effective because people will pass these islands on their way to satisfy their regular shopping lists, being reminded of their need for cups and beverages, if not already realized. New Product Information Our product is a sixteen ounce plastic cup. The features that distinguish Kooler Cups are that they are reusable, dishwasher safe, and color-changing. We believe that by adding these, our product will have value associated with it that the products we are competing with do not have. These features add extra cost to the production of the cups; however, these will be strong selling points to the consumers and will bring in the volume of sales needed to counter the extra costs. By having Kooler Cups made as reusable and dishwasher safe cups, they are more appealing to a broader market, ranging from the household parent who is purchasing to entertain guests, to the college student who is looking for an affordable option as a party cup, and everyone else in between. If a consumer were to go to the grocery store and purchase a pack of Solo brand cups, they would use them for the evening, and throw them away at the end of the night just like any other trash. However, with Kooler Cups, the consumer is able to use the time after time, making our product a much better value over the life of the cup. Kooler Cups will be the life of the party with the color changing technology. This feature will appeal especially to college students looking something extra to have at their party, as well as being a strong selling feature to mothers who go hopping with their children. It is a feature that is sure to be determining factor in the minds of potential consumers, and will result in Kooler Cups gaining a sizable amount of market share from the product launch. Kooler Cups will be positioned on the shelf where all of the other plastic party supplies are located. They will be at a higher price point than most of the competing products because of the reusability a nd color changing features of the cups. Kooler Cups will be offered in packs of twelve, even though many of the competing plastic cups come in packages of twenty. Our product cost would be too high if we offered packs of twenty, so at packs of twelve, the price will seem closer to the competing cups, even though the price per cup will be much higher. The Kooler Cups will sell in packs of twelve cups, and made so that they are stackable. The design of the cup will have a more modern of a look, with a slight outward curve on the upper half of the cup. It will be constructed out of Polypropylene plastic (No. 5), which is a food safe plastic that is dishwasher safe and more durable than Polystyrene (No. 6) that Solo brand cups are made out of. Polypropylene plastic is also able to be engineered to have thermodynamic qualities. Forecasting the demand of our product has proven to be somewhat of a difficult task. After looking at many different factors, the estimated monthly demand in the first year of Kooler Cups is 155,000 packages of Kooler Cups. This was found by looking at the total amount of college student in the United States which is about 14 million. We estimate that probably about 3/5’s of college students participate in drinking, which would bring the number of college age drinkers to 8,400,000. Assuming that each drinking college student consumes about 3 plastic cups a month that would bring the number of cups used monthly to 25,200,000. We are estimating an initial market share of 5%, which would equal 1,260,000 cups purchased monthly. That is 105,000 packages of cups sold per month, and we added an additional 50,000 cups to be consumed by other markets such as households. This gives us a monthly demand of 155,000 packages of Kooler Cups. Pricing Strategy, Tactics, and Theory Our plan is to implement a price-skimming strategy to establish Kooler Cups as a competitor in the market. By pricing the cups slightly higher than our primary competitor, Solo Cup, we will communicate high product value and capture the price insensitive market first. While the price for a package of thirty sixteen oz. Solo cups ranges from $2. 67 to $5. 49 (depending on the distribution channel), we will package our product in twelve cup packages for approximately $3. 99. Because our production cost per cup is much higher due to the higher-grade plastic used for raw materials and the thermodynamic technology, offering the same package size as Solo would make the price per cup difference obvious. However, packaging the cups in sets of twelve accomplishes two goals: 1) increasing the customers’ propensity to purchase the product because the package price is within an acceptable range of competitors’ prices, and 2) reinforcing the reusable feature of the cups (i. e. , if they’re reusable, why buy thirty of them? ). Once the price insensitive market is saturated, we will lower the price slightly to capture more price sensitive markets. Logistically, this strategy makes sense for a company starting with limited production capacity. As a result of high startup costs and little brand awareness (and, consequently, low initial revenues), we will only have the capital to produce limited quantities of the product in the beginning. Then, as brand awareness increases and we begin to re-coop our startup costs, we will generate enough cash flow to increase production capacity and decrease our cost per cup. With a lower cost per cup, we can lower the price without eroding our margins. Because our product has a differentiating feature (the color changing technology), we won’t be forced to compete on price. Additionally, since there are no comparable substitutes for this product’s differentiating feature, we can be the ones to determine its value. Rather than choosing between a name brand Solo cup and a store brand cup that looks virtually identical, customers are choosing between a commodity (the classic disposable cup) and a whole new product entirely. Firms often times find too much comfort in their pricing strategy, and are too optimistic, that they fail to realize what could go wrong with regards to sales or driven demand. As a business, it’s crucial to analyze these â€Å"what-ifs,† if you will, to determine the next plan of action. It becomes entirely necessary during the initial stages of product development and marketing, to come up with something known as a worst case scenario. So, with this scenario in mind, what if the demand for Kooler Cups plummeted during the first three to six months, creating a significant decrease in our sales figures? Would we just â€Å"call it quits,† and bail before too much of our time, money, and efforts are wasted? Well, the primary strategy behind price-skimming doesn’t say to bail, but instead reduce price if that initial market isn’t purchasing our product. The idea behind this strategy resides in the fact that there are different pricing phases over time to generate profits with respect to various price-sensitive markets. If, in our case, consumers aren’t buying during the initial phase of pricing [first 3-6 months], we will reduce the price to try and capture the next segment, using an effective promotional strategy. For example, we would attach a $. 50 off coupon on the outside of the package, as to not degrade the price or brand of the cups, but increase the value leading to higher sales volume. This will keep broadening the consumer base until, eventually, we have maximum market potential given our product. Looking on the other end, if sales skyrocket given a drastic increase in demand, there are a couple different options to consider: increase capacity while maintaining (or even lowering) price, or implement a slight price-increase to counteract demand. Seeing as the product is rather new into the market and un- established, most would agree that the appropriate strategy to take would be to slightly increase price without coming across to customers as charging an unreasonably high price. A brand new business, such as ours, would not hold the necessary resources needed to expand and increase capacity (i. e. purchasing new equipment or hiring additional people). The next best alternative at hand would be a slight price increase until demand starts to level off again. *Conclusion * The disposable sector of the Foodservice Packaging industry is comprised of single-use products such as plastic bowls, cups, lids and cutlery for the commercial, government and home use sectors. The specific product category that Kooler Cups will be competing in is titled â€Å"Cups & Lids†, and includes disposable beverage products made from various grades of plastic, Styrofoam and molded paper. This category is projected to have the highest revenue growth between now and 2015, due largely to innovations in environmentally friendly products such as compostable cups and cups made from recycled materials. Solo Cup Company, the primary competitor in this product category, has overwhelming market share and posted sales of $2. 4 billion in 2006. Created in 1936, Solo enjoys well-established brand equity and has the advantage of low production costs due to its high volume manufacturing. These factors allow Solo to retail its products at a premium price, resulting in high profit margins. By differentiating our product based on its unique characteristics, we will enter the market as a high-quality alternative to the classic Solo cup. With its color changing technology and durability, Kooler Cups will compete in the market by providing the customer with a uniquely valuable product. Bibliography â€Å"Ammended Annual Report. Solo Cup Co.. N. p. , 1 Jan. 2006. Web. 14 Oct. 2009. . â€Å"Cold Cups & Lids. † EcoProducts. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. . â€Å"Cups & Lids to 2012 – Market Research, Market Share, Market Size, Sales, Demand Forecast, Market Leaders, Company Profiles, Industry Trends and Companies including Solo Cup, Dart Container and Georgia-Pacific. † _ The Freedonia Group – Market Resea rch _. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. http://www. freedoniagroup. com/Cups-And-Lids. html. â€Å"Cups & Lids. † Market Research Reports – Business Market Research Reports & Industry Analysis. N. p. , n. d. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. http://www. marketresearch. com/product/display. asp? productid=2021950. Dunn, Collin. â€Å"MicroGreen: Recycled Plastic Cups Cut Heat and Waste : TreeHugger. † TreeHugger. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. http://www. treehugger. com/files/2006/02/microgreen_recy. php. â€Å"Our Values, Vision and Mission. † Foodservice Packaging Institute. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Oct. 2009. http://www. fpi. org/EXPAGES/ourvalues. asp. â€Å"Packaging Industry Related News. † IDS-Packaging – Online Information Resource, Exhibition, Conference, Packaging White Papers, Suppliers, Products, and much more. N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. http://www. idspackaging. com/packaging/us/newsrelease. html. â€Å"REVOLVER. † ONESHOT CORPORATION. N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. http://www. one-shot. com/solocup_r. html. â€Å"Solo Cup Company | Company profile from Hoover's. † _Hoovers | Business solutions from _Hoovers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. http://www. hoovers. com/company/Solo_Cup_Company/hsxrti-1. html. â€Å"US Census Press Releases. † Census Bureau Home Page. N. p. , n. d. Web. 3 Dec. 2009. http://www. census. gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_