Film/novel “True Grit” Essay

Out in a middle of nowhere, a man rides a horse in haste as if it were chasing after something. This is the common image of the cowboy that we have all become familiar with. In fact, it is next to impossible not to recognize the image of the cowboy because it is so powerful in pop cultural myths. It is interesting to examine the myth and image of the cowboy in a comparison of the legendary film/novel â€Å"True Grit† and the unique paintings of Remington Remington. A sparse description is the hallmark of the style of Remington’s usage of blurry touches and specific colors on the painting as seen in â€Å"against the sunset† which portrays a man’s masculinity in the form of a mythical hero figure of west. In the previously mentioned painting, Remington emphasized a man’s masculinity by using the environment of the painting. There is nothing in the frame besides the land and many small bushes. Although these bushes are small as a group they seem like an obstacle for a man. Moreover, their dark colors emit a negative image and even evoke threatening obstructions for a challenger. However, as a man, he seems to be not hesitating to face challenges in front him, but rather to keep going forward even faster. Although it seems like sun is setting, a man still rides a horse and never looks down in twilight. Just like Mattie he must be not â€Å"scared of the dark† (True Grit 60). Also it seems like the unknown man’s image is similar to my opinion of LaBoeuf from â€Å"True Grit†. The unknown man is â€Å"wearing two revolvers† (True Grit 67) just like LaBoeuf. Also, his â€Å"belt [is] thick and wide and bedecked with cartridges† (True Grit 67). Additionally, his appearance matches with LaBoeuf although his face is blurry on the painting. Also he looks like he is â€Å"around thirty years of age† (True Grit 67). There are other similarities, In the novel â€Å"True Grit†, though LaBoeuf was not as good at shooting as Rooster, he did not fear chasing a criminal in Unknown Territory which can be very dangerous for strangers. Also, at the novel’s conclusion, he sacrifices himself for â€Å"little sister Mattie† proving that he is also a man with â€Å"true grit†. As a result, LaBoeuf-like image evokes an essence similar to the unknown man’s masculinity. On the other hand, â€Å"against the sunset† gives an image of changes through its back ground color and empty surroundings. The unknown man seems almost lonely in the painting with no buildings or people around. However, â€Å"An area of free land† (Turner 199) portrays this image of the west during the nineteenth century which was a period of sudden change. By the time when Eastern part of the United States became industrialized, the west still remained a wilderness. However, many people started to immigrate west because the west was the land of opportunity. Therefore, many immigrants and migrants were â€Å"compelled to adapt themselves to the changes†¦ involved in crossing a continent, in defeating a wilderness and in [developing the newly expanded territory] out of the primitive economic and political conditions of the frontier into the complexity of city life† (Turner 199). As Turner said, developing caused many changes in the west including economic status, surroundings, and political view. Now, the portrait â€Å"Sunset† makes distinguishable the day and the night. As sun goes down and the whole colors of surrounding changes. Shadow gets shorter and shorter and by the time the sun sets, it disappears. As visible in Remington’s piece, the background color remains very bright and looks like a strange mix of yellow and orange. It must be right when sun set started. However, if the artist was intended to capture one additional, the image would turn out to be whole different color. Also, it already seems to appear darker because the edges of painting depict themselves darker than the middle. Also, although it is not shown in the painting completely, we can imagine that soon the twilight will be gone. â€Å"Against the sunset† also evokes an image of mythical hero figure by cowboy-like dressed man. It is ironic that even though cowboy does not maintain a particular status and never was what is considered a â€Å"cowboy† by their stereotyped and commonly depicted appearance. Of course, what is real and what we expect are clearly not the same item, but it does not matter. What does matter is that our expectations in the image we have are met (that is, the cowboy wears a cowboy hat and not a derby) and that the character is presented in slightly dissimilar manner as well so that we are not treated to everything we expect. In other words, there must be some deviations and subtle if not outright differences present so we experience something new enough to pique our interested while staying within the framework of our expectations of the genre. For example, Rooster, the narrator from â€Å"True Grit†, never said that he is a cowboy, but we categorize him as a cowboy anyway. He is old, but tall, big, â€Å"one-eyed† man, and â€Å"wear[s]† a dusty black suit of clothes (True Grit 40). It is not described in the book in a detail, but it is clear in the movie that he wears cowboy hats and carries big rifles with him. Just as people categorize native Indians by skin color and appearance, cowboys are categorized by their way of dress, their status and masculinity. In a manner similar to Rooster, the Unknown Man seems to be a â€Å"cowboy† because he wears cowboy hat, leather vest, and dusty pants. By the mere fact that the Unknown Man looks like cowboy makes him very powerful because from the media and books we have always receive impression that cowboys symbolize justice, machism and a heroism. In a way, the novel â€Å"True Grit† portrays Rooster as a super hero who is not a mere human. When Rooster meets Lucky Ned Pepper’s gang, he faces a crisis because it was a showdown between him alone versus three relatively young men. However, by way of a miracle, Rooster stays alive and manages to kill all three of the other men. This determines Rooster’s character as a super hero because in reality such melodrama could never actually happen. (It is more akin to a RAMBO film than a serious treatise on life in the old west) This is similar in how the way of dress makes the Unknown Man’s image similar to the super hero Rooster. From this connection, we provide the Unknown Man with many known traits that we have come to expect from a cowboy. These expectations are overwhelming and they create an image that transfers our positive images from one source (cowboy films, novels, etc) to the portrait. In a way the portrait â€Å"air lifts† imagery from another area that is already established as having certain positive traits. The cowboy image is powerful enough to do this because the cowboy is a character that is the essence of independence and the American spirit. It is a difficult thing to depart from the collective and live the life of the individual. This is what the cowboy does and he gains massive respect and an eternal mythos because of it. The cowboy is a complex individual and this complexity manifests itself in different mediums that borrow from the cowboy’s rich history. This mythos of the cowboy can be seen in novels/films such as â€Å"True Grit† and in the amazing portraits of Remington. The mythos becomes even more interesting when one looks at the mythos and compares it to the portraits and â€Å"True Grit. † From this examination, we learn the mythos is more powerful than we ever imagined.

Kodak Major Case Essay

Kodak’s main problem was not foreseeing and adapting to market changes of price and competition. Kodak had dominated the photo film market for most of the 1900s until competitors like Fuji began taking market share from Kodak in 1984. Kodak ignored the new threats until the late 1990s, relying on their market dominance. Problem Analysis Kodak offered three product lines to target various market segments as a part of their Funtime strategy to regain market share. Prior to this strategy, Kodak offered only two product lines, Ektar, their superpremium line, and Royal Gold, their premium line. They planned to introduce Funtime film, an economy brand film, which targeted the price sensitive consumer. The target market is the average film user who has little or no education about film, buys strictly on price, and is not influenced by advertising — the 50% of buyers that were not brand loyal (40% were film â€Å"samplers†; 10% purchased on price). Gold Plus is the premium brand film and is developed to target average consumers who are already Kodak-loyal or seeking quality photos over price. The superpremium film, Royal Gold’s target market is professionals, serious amateurs and average consumers who pay the premium for professional grade pictures for â€Å"very special† occasions. (See Appendix A) In the 1990’s Kodak’s main competitors were Fuji of Japan, Agfa of Germany, 3M, Konica of Japan, and Polaroid as a late competitor. Kodak has many ways to differentiate themselves from all of these competitors. As an established photography and film brand, Kodak has dominated 70% of the market share in the U. S. ; where many of their competitors are new to the market. Kodak has not offered a private or economy film line like many other competitors have. In the superpremium tier Fujicolor Reala was targeting advanced amateurs and professionals only while Kodak targeted a more broad segment with their competing Royal Gold line. In the Economy brand tier, Funtime was launched as an economy brand competing with Fujicolor Super G, Konica Super SR, and ScotchColor. Funtime was the only film in this brand tier to be offered only at off-peak film use times and only packaged in value packs. Kodak dominated the film market all through the 1900’s. They never received any major competition until Fuji began to attack their market share in the 1980s, when they were announced as the official film sponsors of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Kodak 3 California. Kodak believed their dominance and customer loyalty would continue to carry them as new competitors entered the market and as film prices were beginning to fall. They underestimated their competition and did not react soon enough. It seemed as if Kodak believed that people would not buy another film other than Kodak. By the late 1980s the film market began to see many competitors and Kodak’s market share began to fall. While still the dominant competitor, their market share fell from 76% in 1989 to 70% in 1994, and similarly the average price of film began to fall. While Kodak’s film rolls were in the neighborhood of $3. 50 to $6 per roll, competitors began releasing film under private brands starting at $2. 19. Shortly after the economy film market began to form, Consumer Reports released a quality test of the top 6 films in the market. While Kodak positioned themselves as the superior quality film, Consumer Reports reported that, â€Å"We found most films to be no better or worse than their competitors of the same speed†¦ and will yield prints of comparable quality. Kodak’s standard, Gold Plus, even ranked below Fuji’s economy film. With film market evolving, Discount Merchandiser released a survey in 1991 stating that â€Å"more than 50% of the picture takers in the US claim to know nothing or little about photography, and as a results they tend to view film as a commodity, often buying on price alone. † This led Kodak to a major repositioning of its film product line, introducing Funtime film, an economic film line, something Kodak would have never previously considered. Kodak was desperate to recover some of the market share they had recently lost and implemented a new strategy to help recapture some of their market share. They introduced the Funtime Strategy. In this strategy, Kodak would offer 3 lines of film (superpremium, premium and economy). The economy line was new for Kodak since they specialized in high-end photography that was parallel with their high quality brand image. Funtime was to be offered at 20% less than Gold Plus (their premium brand) and offered in limited quantities only twice a year at off-peak film use times, 4 months out of the year. Funtime was only sold in â€Å"valuepacks† of two or four rolls of the two most popular speeds, ISO 100 and 200. The major inconsistency with implementing this new strategy was the lack of advertising spent by Kodak; they offered no support and a lack of commitment to Funtime. Kodak was too concerned with maintaining its high profit margins that they were not willing to cannibalize their own market share before the competition did. Kodak 4 Whereas their focus was to regain some market share with their new Funtime line, they replaced their superpremium line with Royal Gold, broadening their â€Å"professional† target market. They emphasized that Royal Gold could be for â€Å"very special† occasions not just professional photography. Kodak spent 40% of its total film-advertising budget on this line and the other 60% on its Gold Plus. The Funtime strategy was a last chance effort to regain market share and compete with private label brands. It seemed that the economy line was introduced too late to recover the shares that were lost. By only offering it twice a year Kodak seemed as if they were not fully committed to this line. The lack of advertising sent a deceitful message. It appeared as if they were hiding the line as to not take away from their other â€Å"quality† lines. They wanted to keep their high quality image while competing in the low end of the market as well. This strategy does not solve their problem of competing with their competitors. The case did not mention any new ways that Kodak tried to differentiate themselves from their competitors or explain to their customers why they thought they were superior to them. Kodak offered 3 main lines of film but did not educate the customer on the difference between the lines. They stated their superpremium, premium and economy lines but did not take time to educate the consumers of the difference between the three lines and how they differentiated from their competition. Since Consumer Reports released a study showing that most film rolls in that time performed similarly and printed pictures of comparable quality. Kodak did not take time to distinguish themselves from this new competition but simply relied on their trusted brand name they had built in the years prior. Before differentiating themselves from their competition they should have reacted immediately to new competition rather than ignore it. Because Kodak was late to react, Fuji was able to easily differentiate themselves from Kodak. Kodak should have viewed Fuji’s sponsoring of the LA Summer Olympics as a threat. They should have immediately started discussion strategies on repositioning themselves to avoid the competition absorbing their market. Kodak was not prepared for the market changes that came. The week of January 25, 1994, Kodak’s stock lost 8% in value. Kodak was used to the large profit margins on film and could not rationalize cannibalizing their own profits by lowering costs due to their rigid management before the whole industry lowered prices. The reality was that the film industry was slowly declining, people viewed photography as a commodity and they were just on the cusp of Kodak 5 the digital era. Kodak was reluctant to come to terms with this new reality. Their competition capitalized on the market changes and private film companies began offering lower cost film of comparable quality. Kodak did not look far enough into the future of the market and were slow to react to competition which is why they failed to remain ahead of their competition and minimize any losses. Alternative Solutions Due to Kodak’s lost market share, lowered stock prices, and declining profit margins, it was evident that the company was headed in a downward spiral. Surviving within the industry, due to film being a commodity product, was not easy, and the company was in dire need to revive its own value. To solve its main problem, not foreseeing and adapting to market changes, we propose five alternative solutions: (1) delve into wholesale market share, (2) better educate customers regarding the products’ benefits and values, (3) spend more time on research and development, (4) halting production of the Funtime product, and (5) both educating customers about the products’ benefits and values, and spending more time on research and development. Alternative Solution 1 Kodak could sell its film in value packs at wholesale stores, such as Costco or Sam’s Club, in order to regain the market share within the industry. In doing so, this would be a great way for Kodak to tap into market share that had not yet been touched. Film, at this point, had not been sold in larger wholesale packs, and was being sold primarily in smaller groupings, at general retail facilities. Because of the recent upward trend with consumers buying in bulk, wholesale retailers were gaining more loyal customers on a daily basis. By selling within these types of stores, companies were more likely to succeed because this was a retail niche that was evolving, and would give particular brands and products more consumer recognition. Kodak could have taken advantage of the strong market and loyal customers that a wholesale retail company already has. By partnering with Costco, for example, Kodak could become its exclusive film partner. With this type of partnership, Kodak might be able to capitalize on the exclusivity of Costco’s film sales. Also, seeing in recent years that Costco has become a very common place for consumers to have their rolls of film developed, and frequently sells film rolls in value packs, it seems to be a one-stop-shop for families who are constantly on-the-go. If Kodak 6 Kodak were to partner successfully with retailers like this, the company would be able to gain further market share and sales, because people would increase their recognition of this particular brand, and could become the go-to brand for most. Wholesale retailers, like Costco, are extremely popular and well-trusted. By associating its image with these companies, Kodak would have a competitive advantage over others within the industry, and could be associated with Costco’s positive identity, thus giving itself a positively-positioned image relative to its competitors. The biggest disadvantage in implementing this solution, however, would be in securing a mutually-beneficial partnership with a wholesale retailer. Most wholesalers would not necessarily be likely to commit to an exclusive partnership to one particular brand (in this case, Kodak), simply because they limit their own product availability, and therefore cut into their own sales. Retailers, like Costco and Sam’s Club, focus on having a wide variety of products from which consumers may choose. If wholesalers were to commit exclusively to Kodak, per se, then they could lose out on potential sales from consumers who desire the competing film product. There is not necessarily an inherent benefit for wholesalers with exclusivity. Alternative Solution 2 Apart from selling within wholesale retail locations, another way to regain lost market share is to better educate consumers regarding camera film. Film had become a commodity product to most consumers, and there was little customer loyalty to any particular camera film brand. Differentiation between the companies’ own products, as well as the competitors’ products, is an important aspect of any business. However, it seems that Kodak lacked a differentiation strategy and had not communicated to consumers how its products were positioned positively, relative to those of its competitors. Consumers knew â€Å"little or nothing about photography,† according to the 1991 survey in Discount Merchandiser. Its lack of educational advertising left customers in the dark, as far as the difference between products available. Because many uneducated customers simply buy based off of price alone, Kodak needs to inform customers why they should pay the premium price, and what benefits come along with paying that premium. No other film companies were educating consumers about value and benefits, so Kodak had an opportunity to capitalize on the lack of knowledge thereof. By educating consumers, they Kodak 7 would become familiar with their film needs, and the film’s benefits. Simultaneously, they would also acquaint consumers with the value of their product, when compared to others. As a result, Kodak would create more brand loyalty. Moreover, in the case study, we are told that Kodak offered three types of films: Gold Plus, Royal Gold, and Funtime. To the average consumer, Gold Plus and Royal Gold are far too similar in name, and give off the impression that they are of the same quality. Customers were becoming confused due to the similarity between these two names. By educating the consumers about its products, consumers would begin to understand the value of Kodak’s film relative to competitors, and the inherent differences between its products. However, if this solution were implemented, the likelihood of making a large impact on its own market share would be minimal if implemented by itself. By itself, it would not help repair Kodak’s decline in sales, stock prices, and market share (because of its inability to adapt to market trends). Let aside, this would not address the problem of having been unadaptive, at its core. Educating consumers would likely only work best when paired with another alternative solution. Alternative Solution 3 It was ten years before Kodak responded to the Fuji’s sponsorship of the Olympic Games. Clearly, Kodak should have had a rapid response to this threat. Due to their lack of capitalization and overconfident mindset, Kodak lost a vast amount of their market. Kodak should have recognized that technology would advance sooner rather than later. Instead of only focusing on repositioning their film, they should have also tried to advance the technology of their cameras. The key to a successful business is focusing on the present product, while spending time on researching and developing the future product. Kodak executives should have asked themselves, â€Å"What can we do to get ahead in the market? † Seeing that the main problem with Kodak was its inability to anticipate and adapt to future market trends and developments, it should spend more time, efforts, and money on proper product development. This late response resulted in a rapid loss of market share. Had Kodak responded to this with more immediacy, its market share would not have dropped so significantly. To prevent market loss in the future, Kodak should invest more time and money on properly developing â€Å"cash cow† products. Prior to the development of Funtime, the products Kodak 8 within Kodak’s camera film portfolio were considered cash cows. Due to negative market rumors, the company intended on creating another cash cow, as to maintain its market share. However, had the company spent more time on researching the camera film industry, it might have noticed that developing another cash cow product was not intelligent. Market research is extremely important in knowing what next steps a company should take, and how to create a strategic business plan. Rather than Kodak’s executives asking themselves â€Å"What can we do to sustain our market share? † they should have asked themselves â€Å"What can we do to get ahead in the market? † Kodak’s strategy was to boost its existing products as stars, and develop a new product (Funtime) as a cash cow. Accordingly, the star products (Gold Plus and Royal Gold) would be funded and, ultimately, further promoted. In asking the wrong questions, Kodak forged its own demise: Funtime became a question mark product, liquidating revenues made by the existing cash cows. By spending more time on analyzing current trends and advancing technologies, Kodak could develop products that would help it recover lost market share and become a dominating force within the industry. The biggest disadvantage in implementing this, however, would be the risk of product failure. Kodak’s executives would need to make informed decisions regarding whether such developmental risks are worth product failure. Alternative Solution 4 As mentioned in the case study, Funtime film would be offered â€Å"only twice a year at offpeak film use times†. Kodak confused its customers in regards to the value of its product. In the eyes of the consumers, offering a different product only at certain times of the year, with a lower price, brought down the value associated with Kodak film. The case mentions that Kodak’s â€Å"stock had lost 8% in value on rumors of a price cut on film†. If rumors of a price cut brought down its stock prices, then adding a lower quality product, like Funtime, would also bring down company stock prices. In analyzing Kodak’s products with a BCG Matrix (see Appendix B), Funtime could be viewed as a question mark, whereas each of its other products were cash cows. The market share for lower quality film was not growing and did not generate much cash. Often times, dog products should be divested. Kodak should have quickly determined whether the Funtime Film Kodak 9 would develop into a cash cow or dog. Because Kodak was only selling this product during the off seasons, Funtime could never become a cash cow. While developing Funtime would have been a great solution given normal circumstances, developing a new lower quality product amidst negative market rumors was a risky move. Other companies, such as Fuji and Polaroid, had dog products, and were fighting to become cash cow products. To retain the market share it already has, and since the Funtime product is already developed, though, Kodak should phase out its production. This would turn the product into a dog, and over time, would be fully liquidated. Some foreseeable cons with this solution would be the costs incurred from holding inventory and phasing out a product. This would further cut into company revenues, making it more difficult to return from a decline in stock price. Alternative Solution 5 We believe that a combination of Alternative Solutions 2 and 3 would be an effective solution for Kodak. Education will explain the products’ values and benefits, while simultaneously maintaining its exceptional brand image. By educating customers and anticipating future market trends, not only is Kodak able to retain its loyal customers, but positively position themselves in the minds of non-Kodak-loyal film consumers, as well. This, however, only speaks to part of its main problem. Accordingly, this education needs to be aided by proper market analysis, so that Kodak is able to foresee market trends, and is able to react accordingly. The company must focus equally on both the present and the future. By using this two-pronged approach, between education and proper R&D, the company is able to educate consumers within the market for film, and additionally, determine how to stay ahead of the competition. Proposed Solution In direct reference to Kodak’s main problem (not foreseeing and adapting to market changes), we highly suggest that Kodak choose Alternative Solution 5: spend more time educating customers and communicating the value of Kodak’s products, as well as investing more efforts in proper product development, aided by effective market analysis. By educating customers, Kodak is able to both lock-in the loyalty of current customers, sustain its competitive advantage, and find additional ways to attract more new customers. Moreover, investing its time Kodak 10 and money on proper product development and analysis will allow Kodak to grow within the developing market. As a result, Kodak would be able to develop a star product, while maintaining several cash cows. Implementation Product In regards to the product life cycle, Kodak’s current product Gold Plus, exists in the maturity stage and their primary objective at this point is to defend and regain market share. To do this, Kodak needs to redevelop an existing line that will appeal to a broader audience of photographers. We are going to introduce Royal Gold to replace the current film, Ektar, in the high-end segment. At the same time we are going to propose to keep our premium product, Gold Plus, where it’s currently at in the middle segment and over the course of a year, as we want to phase it into the low-end of the middle segment, and make the price competitive with economy brands. This is partly because most consumers do not buy as much from the middle segment. Therefore, we want to enter a more profitable market segment. By phasing Gold Plus into the lower end, we can compete in both the high and low-end market. However, we cannot go about this by simply dropping the price of Gold Plus immediately. Mainly because doing so, in the eye on the customer, will cause confusion and potentially reduce brand equity. Instead, we will drop prices once or twice a month over the course of a year. This way, both products will be positioned better, in that we will be competitive in both areas. Royal Gold will be targeted to a broader customer base. It will be targeted to professionals and serious amateurs, as well as any photographer seeking film for â€Å"special† occasions, as referenced in the case study. Royal Gold will produce a sharper image and overall a better quality photo, thus attracting customers who prefer to have options in what they do with their photos. Those wishing to potentially enlarge the photo will have a finished product that is so crisp they will have the peace of mind in knowing it will not jeopardize the integrity of the picture. Royal Gold will be available for purchase in a variety of forms. In order for Kodak to be profitable with this new product it will need to be sold in individual packages, as well as packs of three and/or six in order to give customers a variety in selection. Kodak 11 Place Royal Gold and Gold Plus will be sold in places where other Kodak products are currently being sold. There are several retail outlets that carry Kodak products so purchasing the new line will not be difficult or hard to find. The distribution will be allocated in amounts that will maximize profitability and will be attractive to customers who are selective in where they buy film. Our main distribution for Royal Gold and Gold Plus will be to discount and department stores, about 34%; the eased decline in pricing will not be as noticeable in such a store. Next will be to drug stores who typically do not offer as many discounts unless a customer is part of their rewards program, about 25% will be distributed to such. Camera shops will get about 15% of the distribution, as this will attract the customer base that Gold Plus targets, those photographers seeking a more professional picture. It is in the privately owned shops that single rolls of film will be purchased more frequently. The other 26% will be allocated to supermarkets and wholesale clubs. We predict profits will be maximized greatly coming from these establishments, especially in sales of the three/six value packs. It would be wise of Kodak to track the profits where the film is distributed within the first few months after repricing Gold Plus, gauge consumer demand and produce and distribute enough film in order to satisfy the market. Price While trying to implement an economy brand, Kodak failed when releasing Funtime film. The consumer was not educated in the differentiation between the superpremium Royal Gold, premium Gold Plus, and economy Funtime. Although the market was searching for a product from Kodak that would be introduced in the economy brand, Funtime was unsuccessful. By taking Funtime off the shelves, the economy portion of the Kodak market is unavailable. Gold Plus is Kodak’s current lowest brand of film, but still offers higher quality over competing economy brands. Due to the stages in the product life cycle, Gold Plus’ price will naturally decrease. Gold Plus has already experienced its peak times of sales during the introduction and growth stages. Now that Gold Plus has been on the market for a while, it is now in the maturity stage of its life cycle, as sales have begun to stabilize. In order for a product to still succeed in the Kodak 12 maturity stage, the product must stand out among competitors. Implementing a gradual price decrease will slowly lower Gold Plus into the economy level tier without adding an entire new Kodak line. Eventually, a 15% price cut would give Gold Plus a price of $2. 96, $. 05 more than the Fujicolor Super G and Konice Super SR economy brands. Still allowing Kodak to have a distinguished brand image over competitors in the economy brand, this would place Gold Plus as a premium brand competing with competitors of the economy level. Sending coupons to customers is another way to help Kodak gain back market share in the decreasing market. Coupons create brand recognition and make customers feel like they, personally, are receiving a great deal. Because perception is reality, it is important for Kodak to position its brand as a product of high value. Instead of drastically slashing prices, Kodak’s gradual price decrease, along with coupons, will help gain back the market. Making coupons available to customers helps Kodak keep their value. On the other hand, Royal Gold is still in the growth stage due to the replacement of Kodak’s previous superpremium film, Ektar. When Kodak implements Royal Gold into the market, replacing Ektar, Royal Gold’s price is 20% lower than the previously existing Ektar, at $4. 19. In the superpremium market, Fujicolor Reala is selling at $4. 69, a $. 42 increase over Kodak Ektar. By gradually decreasing the price of Royal Gold, overtime, it will eventually take the place of Gold Plus’ previous position. In 1993, the premium brand, Gold Plus sold at $3. 49, competing at the same price as Agfacolor XRG. â€Å"Gold Plus price was standard of the industry†. Gold Plus no longer has the power of setting the price due to the lack of market share and position in the product life cycle. Instead of allowing Gold Plus to completely diminish from the market, diffusing it into the economy tier will still give Gold Plus a competitive edge. Promotion In order to regain market share, it is important for Kodak to advertise the benefits of Royal Gold and Gold Plus film. A simple picture can prove quality of film; alongside educating through commercials, Kodak will ensure the consumer knows exactly what to look for in film. Mailing out coupons is another great form of advertising. Promotion will help Kodak educate, along with create brand recognition. In turn, customers will purchase Kodak film and avoid post-purchase dissonance. By launching an advertising campaign and Kodak 13 emphasizing the long-term quality of Kodak, as well as educating the customer on distinctions between each product, consumers will be attracted to the film best suited for their needs. Kodak can gain a larger market share by informing the customer what they are gaining from purchasing Kodak film before even entering the store. This campaign, done through commercials, emphasizes the benefits of buying each Kodak product. As Royal Gold is new to the market, more advertising must be focused to educate consumers about the product. Devote 60% of the advertising budget to Royal Gold and 40% to Gold Plus, allowing Royal Gold more resources to takeoff as a new product. Pinpointing the idea that the average picture taker can take a picture like a professional, without being targeted to professionals. A commercial representing Royal Gold as well as Gold Plus is necessary to show the perk of each product. The innovation of Royal Gold coming from Ektar, which was originally targeted to professionals, adds confusion to the average photographer, assuming the consumer must be a professional to purchase the product. By making it clear to the market that Royal Gold is targeted to the consumer wishing to capture the â€Å"special moments†, the average consumer will be more drawn to the product. Gold Plus advertisement will focus on the value of everyday quality film. Whenever you take a picture, Gold Plus is there for you, always dependable in any situation. In a Kodak commercial, Royal Gold is the film used to capture the special first moments of a baby being born. Gold Plus is the dependable film for irresistible times thereafter when the baby is constantly photographed. As a result of consumers being uneducated in the film market, the general hesitation of purchasing film will come from being unaware of the benefits each film provides. Educating consumers, promoting benefits of Kodak and showing the attributes important in the Gold Plus as well as the Royal Gold film will lead consumers to the correct product. With the correct promotional strategy, the education will be suited for the target market, resulting in a satisfied consumer.

Personal statement for Appllication to Master of Financial engineering

For Appllication to Master of Financial engineering - Personal Statement Example For the first time, I realized that certain patterns can be discovered in something which is apparently random. This was a revelation to me and it ignited my interest in Analytical Math. I became an avid reader of books on Number Psychology, Odds Formation and Investment Strategy. I tremendously enjoyed using Analytical Math to predict game outcomes. I even formulated my personal odds model and way of analysis. In fact, I can often accurately predict the bookmaker William Hill’s odds of success! The more I delved into the subject, the more I fell in love with numbers! After graduating from High School, I visited an uncle who works in a large investment firm in China. During my time with him, I perceived that mathematical analysis is not just the perfect prediction tool for fun games – it is also a practical instrument in the world of business. Statistical analysis is the most reliable means of accurately predicting organizational performance. The commercial applications of mathematical analysis again impressed me as I observed my father’s work as the Manager of an export/import company. It was wonderful to know that Mathematics, the love of my life, is also one of the most powerful tools in commerce! I began to see the outlines of my future career and the path to its realization. My parents, both of whom hold graduate degrees, are living examples of the life-changing empowerment of strong academic qualifications. They show me that any successful career needs to be firmly founded on impeccable academic credentials. My mother is the Dean at the College of Education at Shenyang Normal University. I believe that it is of crucial importance to find well-qualified mentors to serve as guides on an educational voyage. As the first step in my own journey, I chose to do my Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics at Georgia Tech. During the past four years, I

Obesity as a Special Need - The Difference of Relation between Body-Es Case Study

Obesity as a Special Need - The Difference of Relation between Body-Esteem and Self-Esteem of Obese and Normal Children - Case Study Example However what has emerged recently is that the problem is not restricted to the adult population. Children and adolescents are showing increasing signs of obesity. Concern against the rise in obesity and overweight have been raised by paediatricians, health professionals and the media. The risks of obesity for children between 6 and 11 years have increased from approximately 8% in the 1970s to approximately 13% at the beginning of the new millennium (Klaczynski, Goold & Mudry 2004). Among adolescents aged 12–19 it tripled, from 5 to 16% between 1980 and 2002 (Classen & Hokayem, 2005). Obesity in young people can be considered a special need because the attitude towards obesity influences the self-esteem of a child and self-esteem influence the performance of an individual (Byrne, 1999). Obesity usually starts during childhood and continues into adulthood through adolescence. It has dramatically increased during the past two decades and it is now essential to gain a better under standing of this condition as it is a barrier to the development of the individual. This will help to develop a support system which is essential to enable the obese to overcome feelings of low self-esteem and body-esteem. These impact the psychosocial functioning of an individual which is a barrier to development interventions (Dreyer & Egan, 2008). An obese colleague at work often turns up late for class and suffers from low-esteem. She attributes it to her overweight, which makes her feel tired and making it a great effort to move around. This is a childhood obesity and though she has been trying to lose weight, she has not been able to. This has had a negative impact on her psychologically and she feels disliked by other students and ‘different’ which makes her feel slightly marginalized. As a result, her self-esteem is low and she is unable to communicate effectively with her peers.  Ã‚  

Revelation by Flannery O'Connor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Revelation by Flannery O'Connor - Essay Example Additionally, the Christian nature of Mrs. Turpin expects her to be a caring people, but real Mrs. Turpin is someone who cares only for herself. To this extent, she is expected to show some concern to Mary Grace due to her health condition. On the contrary, the real Mrs. Turpin shows a high degree of inconsistency with her Christian faith. This is well illustrated when she asks Mary what she thought she was. Moreover, through Mary, Mrs. Turpin is reflected a naturally self-absorbed person. Instead of showing some concern on the health condition of the girl, Mrs. Turpin only recognizes the attitude and actions of Mary Grace towards her. The first turning point is when Mary Grace challenges Mrs. Turpin’s ability to communicate with God or God’s message and asks her to go to hell. At this point, Mrs. Turpin shouts the name of Jesus; Mary’s eyes got violent. As the conversation continued, Mary Grace began to lose patience with Mrs. Turpin and her mother. She suddenly slams her book shut and looked at Mrs. Turpin violently. Mary Grace’s eye is compared to an unnatural light that is lights night road signs. The comparison of road signs in the night is a reflection the ability of Mary Grace to send some guiding revelation message to Mrs. Turpin. At this time, Mrs. Turpin how it is useless to help people like the white trash woman. Her mind ransacks of this issue, Mary’s eyes are still glued at her, and they reflected some agency of some actions lingering in her mind. Immediately, Mary’s eyes stopped rolling and focused on Mrs. Turpin. They were now much brighter than before. Mary Grace’s eyes are just compared with a tightly closed door that has opened to admit air and light. Nonetheless, the openness described in Mary Grace’s eyes allows Mrs. Turpin to realize that there was a need for relation. This encounter and Mary’s action and reaction to Mrs. Turpin are a turning point in Mrs. Turpin’s life since it goes

Islamic architecture 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islamic architecture 2 - Essay Example The beginning of Islamic Architecture takes place with the construction of the Great Mosque at Cordoba in the Iberian Peninsula. Muslims as well as the Christians consider it a wonder of the medieval ages. The construction of great mosque of Cordoba initiated in between â€Å"784 and 786 at the site of a Christian Visigothic Church† 2. In specific, Abd ar-Rahman acquired the church, and subsequently, his grandchildren modified it over two centuries to transform it into a religious entity, starting in 784. The mosque itself was built in four phases  and is observed as a trademark of sacred Islamic architecture. Ferdinand III king of Castile took over Cordoba in 12363 and sanctioned the Great Mosque as the cathedral of city, Mezquita, and used it with negligible changes for the next three centuries4. In 929, when Abd al-Rahman III5 confirmed himself caliph, and the Spanish Umayyads attained the peak of their supremacy. The caliph built the fortress capital of Madinah al-Zahra about thirteen kilometers Northwest of Cordoba, with its focus to impress the world and exhibit its massive military. He made it his empires managerial and legislative headquarters. The construction in Medina al-Zahra proceeded speedily, particularly since Abd al-Rahman III put in one third of the state revenues in its progression. Finally, he brought in the largest and most grand secular venture of his period, which stayed matchless irrespective of the numerous cities founded until its end. As the caliphate fell in the 11th century, the city then was sacked and smoldered. The new Minister of Caliph Hisham II, Vizir-ul-Mansur6 shifted his concentration towards the east of Cordoba and deserted the city during his reign. Later, the Berber troops destroyed this palace-city in 10107. The Great Mosque of Cordoba is most illustrious for its gigantic arches, with approximately eight hundred fifty six pillars of natural stones. These legendary

Heritage Tourism in Cities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Heritage Tourism in Cities - Essay Example However, every heritage contains real, underlying or symbolic importance that plays a critical role in terming its perception in society. This paper examines dark tourism, focusing on marketing and interpretation of House of Terror Museum in Hungary, a traumatic site as touring sites in the contemporary society. Smith and Robinson (2006, p105) defined heritage tourism as â€Å"leisure expeditions with the major objective of touring historic, natural, recreational and scenic sceneries to learn more about the past†. Dark tourism is one component of heritage tourism and it involves â€Å"visiting places associated with death, suffering and tragedy† (Cooper, et al 2008, p49). Heritage tourism is founded on the motivations and perceptions of the consumers or tourists rather than the particular characteristics that define the destination. According to Smith and Robinson (2006), the major motivation for touring heritage sites is the uniqueness of the tourism destination in rel ation to the tourists’ awareness or perception of their own heritage. Heritage tourism to a site with dark history evokes various emotions such as nostalgia, idealism, and a feeling of belonging in the time and space (Foley and Lennon1996). Stone (2006) argues that heritage tourism is both unique and universal, because it presents a heritage for all people at a given time. Although each site has its unique characteristic, dark tourism sites present a universal message to all persons, from the message of pain to suffering and anger among other feelings that characterize human beings. Heritage sites include various inherited localities such as historic buildings, artwork and scenic areas among others. A tourist travels to the heritage site with an objective of seeing the historical artefacts. These artefacts usually form an important connection between the cultural background of tourist and his or her history or past. However, the particular historical site or artefact elicits different emotions and reactions from various people. Holloway (2004) argues that it could elicit emotional encounter and make the individual feel closely connected with ancestors and the historical event, which makes the experience more than just a learning experience. Manino (1997) argues that dark tourism is a mysterious combination of heritage, history and tragedy. It evokes discussions of the past, present and future morals and ethics surrounding death of mankind. Some of the most popular sites for dark tourism include conflict sites and death camps which figuratively or literary embrace the memory of human suffering and violence that took place in a particular historical period (Manino 1997). Disastrous events such as the collapse of the world trade centre continue to elicit attention and curiosity from different people across the world. Similarly, scenes of accidents and large-scale loss of human lives usually become spontaneous attractions, where people gather to pay their r espects or just to witness and experience the terrifying aftermath. The uncharacteristic connection between leisure and pleasure in dark tourism has been a matter of moral and ethical discussion in the hospitality industry especially when it comes to marketing and promotion of the sites. Some heritage tourism critics contend that tourism is an immoral and inappropriate practice for presenting disturbing events of human history, such as death and tragedies and other forms of suffering. According to MacCannell (1989: p73),

Dream Interpretation in Psychoanalysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dream Interpretation in Psychoanalysis - Essay Example Early in his career, Freud postulated a descriptive categorization of the human psyche into the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious. The first of these refers to what is actively part of someone's immediate awareness, the second to what can actively be called to the conscious state, and the last refers to subjects present in the mind which cannot be called into the conscious. This last division contains desires or memories hidden in the psyche which cause one to act, think or feel in a certain manner that they are not able to explain in a rational way. Freud further divides these unconscious 'triggers' into instincts, drives which relate to meeting or ignoring basic human needs, and developmental drives, which are a reaction to social behavior learned from one's parents or environment. By the 1920's, Freud's research evolved into a structural model of the mind, in which he divides the psyche into the id, the ego, and the superego. The id operates on the "pleasure princip le", which seeks to gratify the most immediate desires of a small child. At the opposite end of the model is the superego, which is a human's conscience, containing all of the rules and regulations learned as acceptable to society. Between the two is the ego, or the conscious mind, which interprets the reality of the outside world and how best to operate in satiating the needs of the id. The ego frequently serves as the battleground when the superego rushes to prohibit a desire of the id that clashes with acceptable parameters of social conduct. When such conflict occurs, the ego and superego frequently collaborate unconsciously to repress the desire. Freud believed that the root of most neurotic illnesses lay in this repression. Used as a defense mechanism, repression occurs when an individual tries to avoid an interior conflict by pretending that the desire itself does not exist. When this occurs, the desire does not disappear, but instead remains in the unconscious part of the mind. Here it retains its instinctual strength and the energy manifests itself in other guises: most often in neurotic symptoms, unconscious 'slips of the tongue' when speaking, or in dreams. Furthermore, by repressing the desire to the unconscious, one relinquishes control: the symptoms cannot be alleviated and the repression will not allow the initial instinct to be brought into the conscious mind. By extending Freud's theory of dream manifestations into psychoanalysis, dreams are extremely flexible in the manner with which they can be interpreted. Dreams allow the unconscious to satisfy unfulfilled desires, by allowing 'latent' issues to manifest in the 'real' content of the dream world. Two of the most frequently interpreted methods by which repressed issues surface in dreams are defined by the terms displacement and condensation. When something in a dream causes a disproportionate emotional response, it is because the seemingly unimportant matter is a symbol of a much deeper personal interest. In this manner, when an individual recalls a trivial matter from a dream much more distinctly than the overall elements of the dream, the minor thing is a manifest representation of a deeper trouble. For instance, a dream involving a small dog constantly yipping could be indicative of an

How service delivery can be improved through better project management Case Study

How service delivery can be improved through better project management - Case Study Example The major facet of the new market trend is that it offers wide ranges of products and services to customers. Since customers get the opportunity to choose from different marketers’ products, in addition to product quality they give emphasis on the efficacy of service delivery. Service delivery system has a considerable significance in South Africa. This paper will focus on effectiveness of South African construction management and consultancy services. What is service delivery? Modern business houses have developed a distinct team called project management team in order to improve various activities associated with service delivery. The efficacy of service delivery can be enhanced through the better project management strategies initiated by such a professional team. Better project management provides improved methodologies and tools for service delivery thereby beneficially accelerating the service delivery (Professional service delivery). The persons involved in project mana gement collect information regarding customers’ necessities or product demand in the market; and try to manage the project effectively to improve the service delivery as a whole. This system has greatly developed in South Africa; the following part illustrates different service delivery activities and their importance in South Africa. ... The customer interaction initiated by the project management team must make good relationship with customers. Many of the market researchers opine that good customer relationship would play a vital role in the overall success of project management and thereby the effectiveness of service delivery. Therefore, as Mehta (n.d.) points out, communication skill and good customer relationship are the basic qualities that a project manager must possess. Through project management, the available resources can be used effectively by team members sharing their knowledge and innovative ideas (Project management course). Market trends are changing everyday and hence service delivery system must par with the latest trends so as to vie with the competitors. The active involvement of project management in market research and demand forecasting activities can add to the updation of service delivery trends. This accessibility of project management team to the current information enables them to identi fy the existing problems and demands of the customers. The collected data should be efficiently processed in order to get meaningful information. After the analysis of the processed data and decision formulation, there are large numbers of phases ranging from planning phase to implementation phase. In each of these phases, the project management has an inevitable role to play. Once a change is implemented, it is necessary to assess it acceptance among the customers (How good are your change management skills?). Since the project management team has a direct contact with market and customers, it is very easy to evaluate the effects of the implemented changes. If the market survey indicates that

AN310 Cultural Anthropology Assignment 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AN310 Cultural Anthropology 5 - Assignment Example There is no denial in the fact that every aspect of living has faced a change due to the evolution that includes transportation, ways of banking, communication techniques and many others. In every home, there is an accumulation of technological elements that are essential for the home life and for the workplace and at times combine both. Due to the evolution of technology, it has become easy to approach anyone that has its own benefits and pitfalls. Through the mobile phones, one can simply access the other family member. Although, it has resulted into lack of security and space and due to this, family rules are formed related to the technology punishments. The task of workplace can be assigned through mobile phone at any time thus, dividing the family time into the work time. I personally believe that technology has changed the structure of family and family life. With the advent of technology people have started giving less time to their family and more time to people who live far away from them. Even when family members sit together they tend to ignore those who are with them and rather communicate with those who are far away. Molitor, Graham. "Communication technologies that will change our lives. - USA Today Magazine - Nbr. 1312692 - Author: Molitor, Graham T.T. - Id 54521417 - vLex." News and Business - United States - vLex. N.p., 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.

Profit Maximization Essay Example for Free

Profit Maximization Essay Details Pixie ( £ per unit) Elf ( £ per unit) Queen ( £ per unit) King ( £ per unit) Selling Price 111 98 122 326 Variable Costs: Direct Materials 25 35 22 25 Direct Labor 5 5 5 5 Variable Overheads 17 18 15 16 47 58 42 46 Contribution 64 40 80 280 Type 1 Labor 8 6 Type 2 Labor 10 10 Type 3 Labor 5 25 Contribution per type 1 labor 8 6.67 Contribution per type 2 labor 8 28 Contribution per type 3 labor 16 11.2 Details Ranking Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Pixie 1 N/A N/A Elf 2 N/A N/A Queens N/A 2 1 King N/A 1 2 Planned Production Schedule Elf = no production (no hours of type 1 labor available) King = 1,000 units (full production) Queen = no production (no hours of type 3 labor available) Profit Statement Pixie ( £ per unit) King ( £ per unit) Total ( £ per unit) Sales 111,000 326,000 437,000 Variable Costs: Direct Materials 25,000 25,000 50,000 Direct Labor 40,000 175,000 215,000 Variable Overhead 17,000 16,000 33,000 Total Variable Costs 82,000 216,000 298,000 Contribution 29,000 110,000 139,000 Fixed Costs 15,000 Net Profit 124,000 Direct Labor King: Type 2 = 1,000 units x 10 hours per unit x  £5 =   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚    £50,000 Type 3 = 1,000 units x 25 hours per unit x  £5 =  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚    £125,000 Total Direct Labor Cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚    £175,000 b) Under instances of limiting factors, like labor in this case, profit maximization is determined by deducing the production that will provide the highest contribution per limiting factor (Drury C. 1996, p 265). This is based on the premise that optimum utilization of resources will stem from producing the products that provide the highest profit in terms of the limited resource used. The main limitation of the aforementioned approach is that it solely considers financial factors.   In a business environment, there are qualitative features, which also significantly affect the organization.   For instance, products Elf and Queen might be loss leaders.   These are products, they generate low profits and sometimes-even losses, but are key variables in boosting the sales of other products (Kotler P. et al 2004, p 378).   For example, blank CDs and DVDs generated few profits to retailers of computer equipment.   However, they attract clients, who may eventually purchase hardware products that generated greater income. References:    Drury C. (1996). Management and Cost Accounting. Fourth Edition.   New York: International Thomson Business Press. Kotler P.; Armstrong A. (2004). Principles of Marketing. Tenth Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education Incorporation.

The Cultural Relevance of War and Art in Lysistrata Essay Example for Free

The Cultural Relevance of War and Art in Lysistrata Essay War, it seems, is mans chief preoccupation. Throughout history, as one regards how civilizations thrived and crumbled and flourished and collapsed, how cities rose up, fell, cultures subsumed and assimilated in the process, one notices that before language and art, customs and traditions, in man dwelled conflict, combat, and the pervasive propensity for hostility. On this basis, one may argue the consistency of battle in mans nature; the ever-present presence of this desire to dominate and destroy, for one reason or another: an instinct, it seems, stemming from the savage past where survival meant killing or being killed. But the advent of civilization tempered and somewhat refined mans attitude toward war. Though ever-present still, even to this day, as all base instincts are, many responses to warfare have been devised: often, alongside those who preach in favor of battle, the voices of those opposed to slaughter and bloodshed speak too, through various avenues and paths. And throughout history, no mouthpiece has been used more often than art: paintings and plays, poems and sculptures and displays of oratory: all depict what man feels, what he dwells on: that which batters and bombards his mind and soul, driving him to action. And as war remains a constant in life, so remains the presence of war in many works of art. From 431-399 BC in Ancient Greece the Peloponnesian War was fought. The thirty year conflict changed the entire social structure and landscape of Greece, inciting skirmishes and civil wars aplenty, causing much bloodshed and sorrow and suffering. The cessation of this war is the main theme of the ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata. To achieve this end, the playwright, Aristophanes, pits another base instinct against mans propensity for conflict: sexual intercourse. Aristophanes has the namesake of the play, a strong-willed woman, convince all the women of Greece to withhold all sexual favors from their husbands in order to cease the Peloponnesian War. A bloodless battle ensues between the forces of man and woman; in the end, fueled by an urgent desire to copulate, the men of the warring states of Sparta and Athens as well as their allies establish peace; this sets all aright, and celebration follows. In order to probe more deeply into the nature of the play and the concepts found therein, one must investigate the actual war Aristophanes alluded to and used as backdrop for his play, as well as the Mythology and Religion surrounding its conception. Both are integral to understanding and analyzing the social relevance of Lysistrata in the culture that produced it. When evaluated alongside current western religious inclinations and cultural leanings, one can discern the similarities and differences in the perception of war and its presence in art. The Peloponnesian War was a conflict waged between the forces of Athens and Sparta (and the people of the surrounding areas, either allied to one of the two mentioned states) over a period of approximately 30 years. The aftermath of the war completely transformed ancient Greece, restructuring the distribution of power and inflicting untold horrors upon a multitude of people and cities, in the process wreaking havoc and devastation comparable to the atrocities and mass destruction observed in many contemporary accounts of modern warfare. Aristophanes wrote Lysistrata in 411 BC, at the height of the war, which was brought to a close in 399 BC; thus the comedy was in part a piece of wishful thinking, a satirical look at the atrocity-filled events currently occurring at the time. Greek mythology, comprised of a plethora of gods and goddesses, played a large role in ancient Greek life; this is reflected in the play when Lysistrata and the throng of females, in vowing to halt any sexual activities with their husbands, seal their oath by sacrificing wine to the gods, pledging their resolve to follow through on their self-appointed task. This example portrays religion as a component and constituent of culture and history, a cultural artefact contributing to the social make-up of Greek civilization. Thus does the play begin: the women, bolstered and enforced by religion-as-culture, driven to cease a cultural event in this case, war and bloodshed. Thus do we see Aristophanes affixing a cultural context into his play, assimilating the religious and cultural practices of his time into his art, assigning it an integral role as a driving factor in the action of the play. Culture informs all pieces of art. All works can be seen as offshoots of a particular culture at a particular point in time. Lysistrata can be construed as being the product of Aristophanes, himself a product of Athenian culture and religion, compelled to create the work by the cultural events preoccupying his mind at the time, namely the Peloponnesian War. This action a cultural creation (in this case, Aristophanes) creating Art (a cultural artefact) in response to cultural Events such as war mirrors the countless acts of creation found in the myriad number of books and sculptures, plays, films, poems, and pieces of music man has produced in reaction to cultural entities and events. The brutality provoked by war and the ensuing cultural creations were prevalent in much of twentieth century history. Two world wars and countless civil wars and armed conflicts worldwide have instigated the construction of hundreds of Lysistratas, engendered by countless cultures, comprised of and informed by a multitude of sociopolitical, religious, and cultural activities. The many acts of barbarity and bloodshed have as driving forces sociopolitical and cultural Epistemes: take the Communist-driven Spanish Civil War, or the Cold War waged in the latter part of the twentieth century; take the Nazi-Ideology driven battles fought in World War 2, or the armed campaigns resulting in colonization and appropriation of land and resources and people in various parts of the world, as reflected in the subjugation of Greece by Sparta at the end of the Peloponnesian War, replayed time and time again when Western nations colonized much of Asia and Africa in the name of King, God, or Country. Razed lands and lives led many to create works of art immortalizing the history, outcomes, and consequences of the aforementioned events, contributing to the cultural and historical landscape of their own times. These cultural artefacts allow us to examine how cultural events propagate themselves, and perceive the subtle links between past and present culture and history .

Green Energy Bricks in Construction

Green Energy Bricks in Construction NON – STRUCTURAL MATERIAL  (BRICKS) The General Concept of Green Material The concept of sustainable building incorporates and integrates a variety of strategies during the design, construction and operation of building projects. The use of green building materials and products represents one important strategy in the design of a building. There are many benefits of using green material to the building owner and building occupants which is, it can reduced maintenance or replacement costs over the life of the building, it can supply energy conservation, it can improved occupant health and productivity, it can lower costs associated with changing space configurations, and it has greater design flexibility. Roodman and Lenssen (1995) said that the building and construction activities worldwide consume 3 billion tons of raw materials each year or 40 percent of total global use. Using green building materials and products promotes conservation of dwindling non-renewable resources internationally. In addition, integrating green building materials into building p rojects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these building industry source materials. Spiegel and Meadows (1999) said green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than non-renewable resources. Green materials are environmentally responsible because impacts are considered over the life of the product. During construction or at the end of useful building life, construction materials and components are often discarded with construction debris accounting for nearly 28 percent of landfill waste. So, using the green elements to the building can protects environment safely. For bricks, Energy Bricks are made for committed to energy savings. In addition, using the Energy Bricks, a wall can be constructed much faster than conventional brick laying. From the Journal Green Technology and Environmental Conservation (GTEC2011) by Sandasamy D, Govindarajane S, Sundararajan T, sustainability means to minimize usage of energy and resources, thereby reducing waste generation and pollution, as byproduct of construction. Therefore Engineers, Environmentalist, and Architects have been directing their efforts to find ways for using the byproducts of any manufacturing process, as input or source material for manufacturing other items. Sustainable buildings maximize the energy efficiency by using sustainable materials and construction technology, generation of industrial waste by products, through better planning, designing, construction, operation, maintenance and removal, throughout the complete life cycle. So, Energy Bricks are made for energy savings and safe envir onment from pollutions. Besides that, the Energy Brick can save time, cost and gives the maximum energy savings when it comes to building a home. Eco Labeling Eco-label is a method of environmental performance certification and labeling also been practiced throughout world. Eco-label is a label that identifies in overall environmental preference of a product or service proves the particular product or service category. Labeling will be provided by a third party who can be trusted based on consideration by the party that is not biased in relation to the products or services specified independently for environmental leadership criteria .The purpose of eco-label is to guide consumers to choose products and services deemed to be less harmful to the environment than other products in the same category. Eco-label is designed to encourage industry to produce more environmentally friendly product for their consumer. Bricks product selected is Green Energy Brick. Green Energy Bricks introduce the latest innovation, They have been designed with a massive R8+ insulation rating, they cut down on construction time, save on construction costs, are load bearing, require no core filling, are light weight, are easy to install, are fire resistant, can be used in all cyclonic zones. Moreover, wall can be constructed much faster using green energy brick compared to the conventional brick. The Energy Brick fulfills all the criteria to save time and cost yet gives the maximum energy savings when it comes to building a home. Advantages of eco labels are as follows: Inform consumer choice eco-label is an effective way to inform customers about the environmental impact of selected products. Promoting economic efficiency, eco labeling generally cheaper than the controlled rules product .By empowering customers and manufacturers to support environmental decision making. Stimulate market development, when customers are choosing eco-labeled products, they have a direct impact on the supply and demand in the market. This is a signal that the benchmark towards environmental awareness. Encourage continuous improvement, a dynamic market for eco-labeled products promoting corporate commitment to continuous environmental improvement. Encourage certification, environmental certification program is the seal of approval that indicates that the product reaches a certain degree of eco-labels. Assist in monitoring, another benefit of the program is the official eco labeling that environmental claims can be more easily monitored. Function of Green Energy Bricks The Green Energy Brick was developed to avoid adding extra layers of materials and labor, which would add cost to conventional construction. They have been designed with a massive R8+ insulation rating, they cut down on construction time, save on construction costs, are load bearing, require no core filling, are light weight, are easy to install, are fire resistant, can be used in all cyclonic zones and much, much more. Using the Green Energy Bricks, a wall can be constructed much faster than conventional brick laying. First function of Green Energy Brick is to become the external skin and they replace all other forms of standard clay bricks, concrete blocks, weather boards etc. This function were gain by the design criteria of Green Energy Bricks that come with a 9 mm Magnesium Oxide internal and external skin, already bonded ready for paint or texture or other applied finishes. Second function of Green Energy Brick is to replace slab foundation that made of concrete. By using Green Energy Brick, it will save the concrete from providing a rebated base or foundation made of concrete in conventional building processes. Third function of Green Energy Brick is to closed cell foam resists any vapour transfering. By this specialty of Green Energy Brick, there will no requirement for building sislation or a foil vapor barrier for a building to be constructed. Fourth function of Green Energy Brick is to replace the need for any separate structural frame, as the energy brick is load bearing. It means that there will be no needs for load bearing support such as column structure made of reinforced concrete as the Green Energy Brick have the strength to support load. Lastly, the function of Green Energy Brick is to replace the wall with finishes. Applying an interior finish like plaster is not required as it already comes with an interior skin, but is optional and will further increase the walls R rating value of the building walls. Specifications on Functions of Green Energy Bricks The design criteria and objective in the development of the Energy Brick was to make a radical cost effective improvement in the thermal performance of buildings for both concrete slab and above ground construction. Firstly, Green Energy Bricks come with a 9mm Magnesium Oxide internal and external skin, already bonded. With this specification, Green Energy Brick become the external skin and they replace all other forms of standard clay bricks, concrete blocks, weather boards etc. The Energy Brick with its Magnesium Oxide board skin allows for all types of applied finishes, render and painting.So, applying an interior finish like plaster is not required as it already comes with an interior skin, but is optional and will further increase the walls R rating value. Secondly, Green Energy Bricks brings you the ultimate in structural light weight bricks. Even though they are light weight, the bricks from Green Energy Bricks are structural or load bearing. Green Energy Brick unique formulat ion consists of a central core of rigid Polyisocyanurate Foam (PIR) with an external and internal skin of 9mm Magnesium Oxide Board. This makes it both light weight, yet load bearing and with an attractive finish. Thirdly, Green Energy Bricks is a Single wall system, but has superior properties and functions than a double brick wall. The design includes a 80mm diameter hole running vertically every 300mm to allow for running of electrical cabling, telephone lines, TV or sound cabling after the wall has been constructed. This deletes the need to run conduits or install electrical metal boxes during the wall construction process. This also makes it easier to know where electrical cabling can be run if there is a need to add any electrical points at a future time. Fourthly, this Green Energy Bricks is fire-resistant brick product compared to other brick that available nowadays. The Green Energy Brick Magnesium Oxide skins are non-combustible and the foam core self-extinguishing from fire. This makes the Green Energy Brick one of the most fire resistant building materials available on the market. As a conclusion, Green Energy Bricks were made with better specification that brings them the better function compared to the conventional brick on market todays. e)  Development and Erection Process The development of the Energy Brick was to make a radical cost effective improvement in the thermal performance of buildings for both concrete slab and above ground construction. The Energy Brick was developed to avoid adding extra layers of materials and labour, which would add cost to conventional construction. The Energy Brick from Green Energy Bricks achieves four to five times the insulation rating of conventional housing. It designed to reduce the labour content of wall construction. Over five processes, all with different materials and trades can be reduced to one or two processes, with skills that can be learned in a few hours. While the bricks are more expensive at present than the material components of conventional walls, the labour to assemble is considerably reduced, it means Green Energy Bricks increase the insulation rating considerably, while at the same time it can reducing the labour complexity and costs. From the case study (Fritz Moedinger), the environmental impa ct of the production process is mostly due to the consumption of energy for the firing of the bricks and quarrying of raw materials. The average direct energy consumption of the production process is to be found ranging between 1.840 and 2.800 kJ/kg of fired brick (of which about 150 kJ/kg are electrical). f)  Comparison of Convention Material and Green Material in Term of Cost From the case study (Fritz Modinger), all of the energy used is traditionally generated with fossil fuels. At the Gasser brickyard fossil fuels have been substituted successfully with renewable fuels such as biogas and liquefied rendering fat. The biogas is generated in an own plant based upon a process patented internationally by the brickyard itself. Rendering fat is supplied from rendering plants. Renewable fuels have the main advantage over fossil fuels that the resulting flue gases feature a lower content of contaminants such allowing to heat up the brick dryer directly by recycling the flue gases instead of having to have a separate source of heat to run the dryer. The achieved total heat requirement reduction alone by this measure is about 30% of the former total heat requirement. So from this case study, cost can reduce because renewable energy are used during the development of Energy Bricks. We know that convention material usually has more cheaper than modern material, but the reality is Energy Bricks also has their own benefits when we choose it. There can save cost which is no rebate are required as part of the concrete slab and only an outer square edge is required. Energy bricks also is single wall system which replaces the external skin of brickwork or any other type of lining, replaces the need for a structural stud wall as the Energy Brick itself is load bearing, replaces any need for insulation as it is already at a massive R8, replaces any need for sislation, and replaces the need to add other materials to the external wall. It can increase the wall’s energy rating. The Energy Bricks can be laid from inside where it is a flat platform. This also avoids the use of expensive scaffolds to perform the work from the outside and lessens the possi bilities of OSHA issues. It also reduces ongoing utility costs, which equates to continued savings year after year. g)  Impact to use Green Energy Bricks Green building is one of the most important trends in the construction industry today. When build a house it cannot avoid impacting the environment, but it can work towards reducing that environmental impact. Impact to use Green Energy Bricks is to help accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings. Informed choices will help reduce energy bills, while providing a healthier living environment, it also reduce the need to burn fossil fuels and help fight climate change. Besides that, the Green Energy Bricks has taken the initiative through our super energy efficient bricks to assist builders and consumers with a unique environmentally friendly building technique and to lessen the impact on our environment. The foam can be sourced from petroleum oils, coal oils and a series of vegetable based oils like soy, corn, palm oil etc. In all cases the carbon in the materials is sequestered in the bricks for at least the life of the building, as recycling is a realistic probability. Energy Bricks pass all the tests for superior energy efficiency with a massive R8+ energy rating. This makes a dramatic difference in assisting to lessen the impact on the environment. This makes Green Buildings cost less to operate because they will use less energy and water, and require less maintenance Green Building using Green Energy Bricks for the building envelope is the only choice for the future.    APPENDIX Figure 1 : Energy Bricks. Figure 2 : Clay Bricks. Figure 3 : Energy Brick Detail (Side Elevation). Figure 4 : Energy Brick Detail (Front Elevation). REFERENCES Chan, C.-M. (September 2010). Journal of Sustainable Development. Development of a Strength Prediction Model for â€Å"Green† Compressed. Garzoli, K. (2009, June 10). Green Energy Bricks. Retrieved from http://www.greenenergybricks.com/. Moedinger, F. (2003). CASE STUDY. SUSTAINABLE CLAY BRICK PRODUCTION. Mohd Syahrul Hisyam Mohd Sani, F. M. (2012). IEEE Symposium on Humanities, Science and Engineering Research. Comparison Study of Common Brick with. Sandasamy D, G. S. (2011). Green Technology and Environmental Conservation.

Essay --

Children are our future and they should be given every possible opportunity to succeed in life even if they are born into disadvantaged situations. Sometimes the families of certain children can’t provide as much as other children’s families and this can create a gap in the achievement and development of these children. Those disadvantaged children need special programing that accommodates for the lack of cognitive and social development that if not properly addressed could lead to poor school performance and delinquency. The Head Start program was created to address this shortcoming that some children face and to catch them up with their more advantaged peers. (Garces, 2002, p. 999) Head Start was originally designed to provide a nurturing environment that would provide children with preschool education, positive social interaction, and nutritious snacks and meals to help compensate for the lack of those things in the children’s lives. Head Start does an adequate job at meeting the needs of children in the manner in which it was originally founded. The Head Start program is not bad and should not be done away with. But, from what I have learned through this study, amendments could be made to increase the longevity of the desired results. In this paper I will discuss the Head Start program. How Head Start has succeeded. The way it attempts to influence children’s behaviors. I will also discuss some of the shortcomings of the Head Start program and ways to make the program more effective. Discussion: Early intervention into the lives of children has been proven to prevent delinquency. At an early age it is an effective means of changing the course of children’s lives for the better. The most commonly agreed upon age to begin e... ...have health concerns as well. Perhaps an upgrade with some of the standards of the Perry Preschool Project would be a sound investment in the lives of children. This investment would serve to better achieve a reduction in crime and delinquency. This upgrade would be relatively simple since the current policy is similar to the Perry Project. Another very important reminder, and something that I became aware of through this project, is to always consider the individuals who will be impacted by this policy. The investment in their lives is extremely important because at the ages that early intervention deals with, they may not have anyone else to fight for them. The policy that is implemented should really have the best possible outcomes for children associated with it. Head Start and other early childhood interventions are important for the children that they impact. Essay -- Children are our future and they should be given every possible opportunity to succeed in life even if they are born into disadvantaged situations. Sometimes the families of certain children can’t provide as much as other children’s families and this can create a gap in the achievement and development of these children. Those disadvantaged children need special programing that accommodates for the lack of cognitive and social development that if not properly addressed could lead to poor school performance and delinquency. The Head Start program was created to address this shortcoming that some children face and to catch them up with their more advantaged peers. (Garces, 2002, p. 999) Head Start was originally designed to provide a nurturing environment that would provide children with preschool education, positive social interaction, and nutritious snacks and meals to help compensate for the lack of those things in the children’s lives. Head Start does an adequate job at meeting the needs of children in the manner in which it was originally founded. The Head Start program is not bad and should not be done away with. But, from what I have learned through this study, amendments could be made to increase the longevity of the desired results. In this paper I will discuss the Head Start program. How Head Start has succeeded. The way it attempts to influence children’s behaviors. I will also discuss some of the shortcomings of the Head Start program and ways to make the program more effective. Discussion: Early intervention into the lives of children has been proven to prevent delinquency. At an early age it is an effective means of changing the course of children’s lives for the better. The most commonly agreed upon age to begin e... ...have health concerns as well. Perhaps an upgrade with some of the standards of the Perry Preschool Project would be a sound investment in the lives of children. This investment would serve to better achieve a reduction in crime and delinquency. This upgrade would be relatively simple since the current policy is similar to the Perry Project. Another very important reminder, and something that I became aware of through this project, is to always consider the individuals who will be impacted by this policy. The investment in their lives is extremely important because at the ages that early intervention deals with, they may not have anyone else to fight for them. The policy that is implemented should really have the best possible outcomes for children associated with it. Head Start and other early childhood interventions are important for the children that they impact.

Determination of a Rate Equation Essay -- GCSE Chemistry Coursework In

Determination of a Rate Equation Rate equation has the form rate = k [A]x[B]y which shows how the rate of a chemical reaction depends on the concentration of the reactants (A&B) and the rate constant k. The rate equation normally indicates what species are involved in the rate-determining step and how many species are involved. A rate equation is used to describe how the concentration of a product increases or the concentration of the reactants decreases with time, the equation also indicates how the concentration of one or more reactants directly affects the rate. Occasionally it can even be the concentration of a product that affects the rate. In general the rate equation for the reaction: A + B C + D Is found by experiment to follow simple kinetics with the rate equation being written as: Rate = k [A]x[B]y k = rate constant, x = order with respect to [A], y = order with respect with [B]. There are three orders of reactions, zero order, first order and second order. Zero order = the rate does not depend upon the concentration of the reactant. The rate of reaction is fixed. Doubling or tripling the concentration of the reactant makes no difference to the rate. Thus: Rate of reaction = k or rate of reaction = k[A]0. First order = the rate of reaction depends directly upon the concentration of the reactant. If the concentration of the reactant is doubled, the rate doubles, thus: Rate of reaction = k[A] or rate of reaction = k[A]1 Second order = the rate of reaction depends directly upon the square of the concentration of the reactants. If its concentration is doubled, its rate of reaction quadruples. Thus: Rate of reaction = k[A]2 The graph below shows zero, first and second order reactions and how changes in the co... ...ean that the concentration would be altered so this wouldn’t work. Also when doing the experiment the temperature was not always constant in the surroundings and in the solution. This could have affected the rate of reaction by some reactions happening faster and some slower than the others. To improve this i could make sure all the solutions were at the same temperature before starting the reaction. This would then ensure that the test was being conducted fairly and that way i could get more accurate results. To improve the experiment and minimise errors I can try and devise a better method that would ensure that all of the above errors were reduced. When measuring out my solutions I was taking readings from below the meniscus, this reduced the numbers of errors in my results. REFERENCES:  · Cambridge chemistry 2 text book  · Letts revision guide.  · Class notes.