Resort World Sentosa

Resorts World Sentosa Private Limited is the leisure and gaming company that owns and operates Singapore’s biggest Integrated Resort, a 49-hectare development called Resorts World Sentosa. The mega resort is located on Singapore's holiday island of Sentosa. The S$6. 59 billion must-see destination welcomed its first visitors at its soft opening in early 2010. Resorts World Sentosa started operations with the four hotels in January, the Resorts World Casino in February and  Universal Studios Singapore ® family theme park in March, along with  MICE facilities that include one of Asia’s largest Grand Ballrooms.It offers a wide range of entertainment and shows, as well as celebrity chef restaurants, brand-name boutiques and a half-kilometer long shopping and dining Strip named FestiveWalk. Two more hotels, the Marine Life Park and the Maritime Experiential Museum will be added in subsequent phases of the resort’s growth. Resorts World Sentosa is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genting Singapore Public Limited Company (PLC), a leisure and gaming company listed on the mainboard of the Singapore Exchange. Genting Singapore PLC is part of the Genting Group that is listed in Malaysia.Dining can be a fun experience at Universal Studios Singapore. For some classic American fare, grab a gourmet sandwich at Celebrity Cafe and Bakery or sink your teeth into savory cheese burgers at Mel’s Drive-In. You might just be entertained by dancing and singing servers. Craving for some oriental flavour? Taste authentic Cantonese cuisine at Hollywood China Bistro or go for South East Asian favourites like noodles and curries at Casa Del Wild. Be it fine-dining or a quick casual lunch you’re after, it’ll be full-filling and fabulous! 3. 2. Service Quality This problem may occur every time even from professional staff, especially, untrained or unqualified staff. For example, when guests want to know some products such as wine list details, they can ask every staff, current F;amp;B staff, rotated staff, or casual staff, because they assume all staff are trained with basic of service knowledge. If a staff gives haphazard information, they will not judge only the staff but also the hotel. 3. 2. 2 Negative brand image When guests are unhappy with poor service, they love to complain to the staff.Dissatisfied guest may never return to use your service again because they do not believe that the service is not worth for their expense. Moreover, dissatisfied guests often tell about bad experience to their friends. This is call negative word of mouth. Negative word of mouth is the most powerful to make the business goes down because people like to ask other people for recommendation ; furthermore, it is the easiest way to find in internet. Most people love to know the bad experience more than good one. So the brand image is used very long time for recovery 1. Personal Benefits ;amp; experiencesHaving internship in Universal Studio Singapore was a great opportunity for me. In there, I worked in fine dining restaurant for 3 months, another 3 months was fast food restaurant. Honestly, I have gained many experiences from them. In fine dining restaurant KT’s Grill and fast food restaurant Celebrity Cafe ;amp;Bakery are totally different, no matter atmosphere, service standard. Western outlet it focuses on the service quality and cafe more concentrate at the service efficiency. So the internship not only shows me that what theoretical knowledge I have to study or learn more but also shows me as the career pathway.Additionally the wok experience will also help build an excellent resume (including relevant work experience) for when I’m out of the classroom and getting a job. 1. 1 F;amp;B operating knowledge Six months working experiences in 2 restaurant, gives me a better understanding about the nature of F;amp;B industry. In western restaurant KT’s Grill, the most important part is the table ser vice â€Å"Table Service† is a restaurant industry term that can mean either the presentation of food to patrons by waiters, or the place settings present on each table.Restaurants without either are usually referred to as â€Å"counter service† establishments. Most fast-food chains fall within this category, as patrons must place their orders, collect their food, and pick up any needed utensils at a centrally located counter, just like my second outlet, celebrity cafe. Table service establishments are usually more expensive, but more work is involved on the restaurant’s part both to set and clear tables and to present food to order. When taken to mean place settings, service typically consists of utensils, a napkin, and a water glass or goblet.After customers order food, a filled dish is added to complete the place setting. Depending on the type of meal typically served, much more may also be included. Traditional Western table service has several types and siz es of spoons, forks, and knives. Larger spoons are for soup, while smaller ones are used for eating dessert or stirring coffee. All place settings have a standard-sized dinner fork, while smaller forks are used for salad and dessert. Steak knives as well as duller, butter-type knives for bread may also be included. Talking about the table delivery, it can create challenges.It is not always easy for me to hold a food and drink-packed tray upright while weaving through dining tables and watching out for other guests at first. Waiters must often spend a lot of time practicing in order to ensure flawless delivery. Many restaurants spend a great deal of time thinking about the message their table service sends. Preparing dishes directly in front of the customer typically takes more time per dish, and is costly in terms of staff attention. If it helps promote a certain ambiance, however, it is usually worth it.Like our restaurant, it is an open kitchen which the guests can see the process how the chef cooking the food. The same is true with staff appearance. Servers who are dressed well, in formal wear, female staff wear white blouse and black skirt, and male staff wear black pant. It often projects a certain image that is lost when they come to the table in jeans. Usually, restaurants design all aspects of their table service to reflect the sort of ambiance they want to create. Fine dining restaurant may have well worn cutlery as its table service, while expensive eateries tend to have more elegant tableware.The decor in restaurants is also crucial as patrons are often eating not just for the food, but also for the overall experience. Everything from the quality and color of the tablecloth to the presence of flowers and overall durability of flatware and goblets plays a part in projecting the image and feel of the establishment. When comes to the menu, it is difficult for us to understand the English menu, because not familiar with the name of food, especially in E nglish version, like striplion, banger;amp;mash, and some desserts as well.Moreover, we have to know what kind of sauce in it, the ingredients†¦ It is a huge challenge for me at first, I have to go through the menu everyday, this practice slowly established a basic knowledge in my mind about the food and beverage that we usually served. And after a week, I can take order everyday, which quickly deepen my understanding all the items in the menu. We must be knowledgeable about the food and beverage so that we will able to answer and handle any question or problems the guest may have. While after I transfer to Celebrity Cafe, 1. 2 Service Sequence Seat the guest ;amp; pass them the menu ;amp;unfold the napkin for them -After order, offer the bread before Appetizer? -Sever the appetizer first – When theoretical experience meets real work experience, it shows many benefits between a management trainee who has knowledge and staff who has work experience and knowledge. The bene fits can be knowledge sharing because the trainee will use his/her knowledge to solve the problem, on the other hand, the staff will use his/her experience. For other benefits, the trainee can be realized that the selected position or department is suitable for them for choosing career pathway in the future.

Enforceable Contracts

Six Essential Elements of an Enforceable Contract In normal everyday life contracts are utilized for various situations and reasons. Some contracts are more binding as compared to others based on the six elements of offer, acceptance, consideration, the parties’ capacity to contract, the parties’ intent to contract and the object of the contract. This paper examines the above mentioned elements using a contract existing between a customer and a phone dealer.The phone dealer dealt with used but clean phones and because the customer could not afford a new phone, he approached the phone dealer who promised to deliver a functional and clean used smart phone at the price of $74 after two days. The payment was to be made after the delivery of the phone but on the condition that the phone would be fully functional and the customer could return the phone within the following week if it developed any problem.On the appointed day, the phone dealer delivered the phone as promised and the customer made the payment as he had promised too. After two days of using the phone the customer started to experience so many complications with the phone and it finally went off completely. When he returned the phone to the phone dealer, the dealer told him that once the phone was sold the customer could not return it. When the customer threatened to sue him for breach of contract, the dealer affirmed that there were no grounds because there was no written contract.The customer however went on with the suit because though the verbal contract between them was initially fulfilled through the delivery of the phone within the appointed time, it was breached when the dealer refused to accept back the phone within the agreed grace period. A breach of contract is defined as any form of violation that occurs on conditions contained in an enforceable contract. To ascertain the breach of contract the first step is affirming that a contract existed between the customer and the phone dealer. This can be done using the six elements of a contract.The phone can be identified as the object of the contract because it is legal ascertaining the enforceable nature of the contract. As per the first element the verbal offer of providing the phone within two days at $74 can be recognized as part of the binding contract between the two regardless of the fact that it was written. Under acceptance or genuine assent, the customer engaged in expressed acceptance of the offer within the stipulated conditions set by the dealer. The mutual promise between the customer and the phone dealer to eet their sides of the contract can be equated to consideration. Both the customer and the dealer had the capacity to contract because none was coerced into the agreement. The fact that both agreed to enter into the contract considering all the stipulated conditions, shows their intent to enter into the contract. The above clearly indicates that though no written contract existed between the d ealer and the customer, a verbal contract existed between the two of them and the dealer breached the contract by refusing to honor one of the stipulated conditions in the contract.The major two remedies that could be utilized to counter the breach of contract could be the dealer accepting back the phone and issuing the customer with another phone or refunding back his money as an out of court settlement because a court settlement can prove to be very expensive both on the dealer and the customer or the customer can go ahead and sue with the aim of acquiring a court settlement of the issue now that the dealer was unwilling to accept the first remedy.Though this would be costly on both of them, though the customer has better chances of winning the case because he can easily prove that though a verbal contract existed between them, it could be identified as an enforceable contract using the six essential elements of an enforceable contract. Based on this evidence the court will defini tely find the phone dealer guilty of breach of contract because he did not meet one of the major conditions of the contract between him and the customer.This will culminate into a stiffer punishment for the dealer which would have been avoided if he met all the conditions of the contract initially. In conclusion, though a verbal contract existed between the dealer and the customer, it can still be identified as an enforceable contract using the six essential elements of an enforceable contract and hence the phone dealer is liable for the breach of contract. References: Adamson, J. E. (2012). Law for business and personal use. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Japanese Culture and Literature Essay

The Japanese technology is leading the world these days. Especially with the mobile phone market is Japan far ahead of Europe and the United States. Although these progressions and innovations, two cliches still rule the thinking about the country. One is the fact that Japan is a small country, with no ethnic diversity, and has a high income per head. The other one is that Japan ‘imitates’; the idea that Japan does not make its own products, but tries to improve other products. Japan has of course its own creativity and its own cultural achievements, known throughout the world, such as the ‘tea ceremony’, ‘sumo wrestling’ and ‘sushi’. Japan’s economy, culture and civilization changed rapidly when the cultivation of rice was introduced, from China, in the fourth century BC. The nomadic life they used to live was changed for an agricultural one. They started to settle in villages and a new sense of economy and cooperation was established. This new sense of economic thinking also brought forth an ideal that still holds in the Japanese culture: the need of the group is more important than the need of the individual. The Japanese civilization developed very late in comparison with the civilizations found in Egypt, Greece, India or China. Japan, as consisting completely of small islands, stayed a long time being isolated from the rest of the world and therefore stayed a long time being a hunters-gatherers society. China had a great impact on the development of Japan. In the seventh and eighth century, China represented the most developed country in the world in those days. Before this Chinese influence that changed the political system in Japan, the political system consisted mainly of powerful warlords. These warlords and wealthy families established many different centers and Japan was not a unity. Finally one family succeeded in taking the power over the southern and central islands. This clan and its ‘emperor’ started the imperial line. After this establishment, many Chinese political models were introduced in Japan. Taxation systems, new law codes and the whole political administrative system were copied. This Chinese model did not seem to be the best for Japan. Land was divided among the population equally and the taxes were also equal for all the people. The emperor was the ruler and had absolute power and the administrators were chosen through examination and ability. In Japan, the emperors ruled with the family and kinship ties. There were no examinations or ability tests in the old Japan. The nobility did not want to leave their positions and government and laws started changing constantly. The introduction of Buddhism had a big impact on the Japanese society. The original Shinto religion was completed with Chinese and Korean Buddhism. Apparently, these two religions can co-exist well together. Buddhism can be seen as a ‘nature’ religion and because the people of Japan lived close to nature, this worked out fine. Shinto gave the people no hope beyond death, Buddhism did. Nature is not consistent, it is impermanent, and it keeps on changing and so does live. This concept of impermanence is not only seen in the culture and religion of Japan, but also in literature. Literary themes like suffering, life struggles, awareness of the transient nature of earthly things, is represented everywhere. Japanese Culture and Literature The Manyoshu The Manyoshu is the oldest collection of Japanese poetry. The title means â€Å"collection of ten thousand leaves†. The translation of the Japanese symbol ‘leave’ can also be translated as ‘age’ or ‘generation’. Therefore the collection is sometimes said to be the â€Å"collection for ten thousand ages†, which can be interpreted as a collection for the generations to come. At the time of the last dated poem, 759 AD, Japan had just changed into a society with a governing emperor, a new national identity and government and a new religious system. All these new influences came from neighboring country China, which had a big impact of the development of Japan economically, politically, religious and socially. Contacts with China also brought roads, irrigations works, harbors, new fabrics and pagodas to Japan. Japan was not just coping the Chinese ways, they made their own. This also meant the introduction of a new writing style, coming from the Chinese characters, but with a Japanese twist. It is amazing to see that the quality of the poems of the Manyoshu is very high. The experience and finesse of the writers is special for this collection and hard to find again in the poetry written in later ages. The passion, sincerity and innocence are attracting many people to reading the poems. There are basically two principal written forms used in the poems. The first one is the ‘choka’. This is a long poem with an indeterminate number of lines of alternating five and seven-syllable lines, ending with two seven-syllable phrases. It then has the pattern: 5-7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, †¦ , 7-7. The second poem form is the ‘tanka’, a short poem, written with a total of 31 syllables in the pattern 5-7-5, 7-7. The Manyoshu is often said to offer everything to the reader because there is so much variety to be found. For some it is also proof of the Japanese identity with its great creativity and complexity. References Keene, Donald. (Ed. ). (1994). Anthology of Japanese Literature: From the Earliest Era to the Mid-Nineteenth Century. New York: Grove Press.

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur Essay

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur - Essay Example The essay "Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur" describes the concept of the 'auteur', especially in the context of post-war European cinema, from the films of the Spanish director Almodovar. The paper also focuses on the different themes that can be found in the works of Almodovar, in order to explain why the 'auteur' is now an important part of contemporary European cinema. There have been a lot of developments in European cinema since the Second World War ended. Some of the filmmakers in Europe actually experimented with new ideas and concepts on how to make films, as well as on the very technique and purpose of filmmaking in itself. Some filmmakers experimented on social realism, while some also experimented in making magical realist, existentialist, psychological, and symbolic films. However, there is one particular development on post-war filmmaking in Europe that has caught the attention of the researcher, and this is the concept of 'auteur'. In fact, many popular European filmmakers are actually categorized by scholars of film studies as an example of an auteur, and one of the most famous is the Spanish director and filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, the director of the films â€Å"Matador,† â€Å"Hable con Ella,† and â€Å"Volver†. In order to explain the importance of the concept of the â€Å"auteur† in European cinema, it is important first to define this concept, especially in the context of post-war filmmaking in Europe. The word auteur is actually a French word, this word actually means the 'author'.... According to film scholars, the concept of the auteur actually refers to the original idea of the French filmmaker Francois Truffaut (1932-1984), who in his manifesto â€Å"The Policy of Auteurs,† declared that â€Å"Cinema as an art made by a filmic artist and not by a writer,† wherein the filmic artist, or the filmmaker, is actually the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, then, the concept of the auteur actually emphasizes the role of the filmmaker (or the director in that case), in the creation of the film itself, wherein the film is actually a creative product of the auteur (the filmmaker); also, it then follows that films actually represent the filmmakers actual creative vision (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, in the treatise of Truffaut, he actually argues that despite the involvement of film in an industrial or commercial process, wherein elemen ts of the studio may heavily determine the outcome of the film; but the theory of auteur still actually holds that the creative voice (or the creative elements) of the film still actually shines out, and this come from the artistic and creative viewpoint of the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, the theory of â€Å"auteurism† actually came out from this concept, wherein films can actually be analyzed or understood according to the different characteristics and themes of the auteur, and wherein common themes of the auteur can actually be identified with his works (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In fact, the concept of the auteur actually contributed much to the development of post

Tesco Case Study Individual Written Assignment Essay

Tesco Case Study Individual Written Assignment - Essay Example Currently, the firm is considered to be the most powerful competitor in the British supermarket industry – being involved also in activities of the retail sector, such as the provision of financial, insurance and telecommunication services. The high diversity in the firm’s activities and the support of promotion across its product line can been considered as the major advantages of the firm towards its rivals. However, the firm’s performance has not always been high; variations can be identified in the level of the firm’s growth, as proved through the firm’s financial analysis. In any case, these variations are temporary and have not influenced the level of the firm’s profitability – as verified using a series of relevant ratios. The stabilization of the firm’s growth would be achieved through the introduction of a series of measures, i.e. the alteration of the firm’s existing strategic plans. A balanced scorecard has bee n developed indicating the policies required for the increase of the firm’s competitiveness – referring to the achievement of a stable growth within the specific industry. The achievement of a continuous growth could be depended on the ability of the firm’s managers to understand organizational needs and potentials – as these elements have been incorporated in the Balanced Scorecard. Tesco is one of the leading supermarkets in Britain. The firm’s activities are expanded above the traditional grocery sales – financial, insurance and telecommunications services are available to the firm’s customers. Currently, the firm is first among the other firms of the particular industry. However, its growth is not stabilized – taking into consideration the fact that its rivals have achieved a higher rate of growth – compared to their performance in the previous years. This fact is clearer in the case of Sainsbury’s – another major competitor in the British supermarket

K Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

K - Essay Example Apart from AIDS, cancer is the only ailment that presents a life-threatening scenario in which the future is indeterminate. The patient often loses control of their ability to determine whether they live or die (National Cancer Institute). It is a psychosomatic response. This scenario, coupled with irrepressible pain, is what coerces suicide among cancer-detected patients. The younger age bracket is more probable to achieve their suicide threats than older counterparts, in line with recent research. In most cases, they perceive it as a death sentence, especially if it is not remediable or if it is unearthed at a late stage. A diagnosed patient considers suicide because of the augmented anguish and uneasiness that follows the cancer verdict. In most cases, it is fear that triggers the desire for suicide. Every so often, the patient is rendered incompetent to work (National Cancer Institute). Inability to execute their obligations or do work-related duties makes them feel useless. This enhances the chances of attempted suicide to end their valueless life. In addition, family history can persuade suicidal tendencies. For instance, if a family or colleague, previously distressed by cancer committed or had suicidal tendencies, then one is probable to consider the same. Interpersonal relationships are also affected if friends discover the diagnosis. If such relationships are hampered, one is bound to be depressed. Arguably, depression and suicide are closely interlinked. One may not be treated similarly as before and may even be avoided by friends who distinguish the disease as precarious. For that reason, suicide is perceptibly a worthwhile option to attain freedom from the shell of cancer. Cancer diagnosis has a considerable effect on both mental concentration and the body. It is essential to help such individuals to adapt to their new condition promptly through psychotherapy. The rationality of suicide is contentious, based on the desperateness these

Strategic Management of Target Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Management of Target - Assignment Example Target stores are usually large and cover about 95000 to 135000 square feet. They carry a variety of goods that includes hard lines, soft lines (clothing) and a few groceries. The items found in the target stores specifically includes clothing, shoes, jewelry, beauty and health products, electronics, DVDs, pet supplies, hardware supplies, beddings, sporting goods and kitchen supplies. The stores also carry seasonal merchandise, which includes Christmas decorations during the months of November and December. Depending on the location, the stores might also contain target optical, target clinic, and a portrait studio. By offering a variety of items to the customers, target stores emerge as a business that can survive in a competitive market (Bouwens and Kroos, P. 171).To survive in a competitive environment, a business should be able to assess its internal and external environment. In the internal environment, the business should be able to know its strengths and weakness. The strength s being factors within the organization that makes it compete favorably with the other competitors while weakness is factored at the organization that makes the business not to compete favorably with the other competitors. In external environment, the business should assess its threats and opportunities to be able to adjust to the market changes. This will enable the business to thrive in such environment. The target stores have a number of strengths that make them survive in the today’s competitive retail business.

How the rise of China has hurt the US economy Research Paper

How the rise of China has hurt the US economy - Research Paper Example However, there are fears for the US economy that China’s economic growth may beset America’s economy. Over time, China has accumulated trillions of American dollars of currency reserves. Out of these reserves, about 800 billion US dollars are treasury bonds. This development is a culmination of escalating balance of trade surpluses that China has had with America, since China sells to the US much more than America can sell to China. In the course of this development, China has played the instrumental role of elbowing many American manufacturers out of business (Clark and Monk, 99-100) According to Liang, with the large stockpile of money mentioned above and the leverage this stockpile gives China, China is now threatening to dump the US treasury bonds and the American dollar on the market. The crux of the matter herein is that in the event that China executes this move, America’s currency will have been significantly devalued and the price of goods will skyrocket. This means that America’s economy will have been crippled. Although China has never made good this threat, yet the fact that it made this threat reveals its possibility. This situation has been gradually building up and it therefore continues to place America in a precarious position. This is because America has been producing less and has continued to increasingly survive on imports (Liang, 54). Mundell contends that a very strong way in which China’s growing economy continues to undermine America’s economy is by blocking US’ exports. What informs this decision by China is the fact that the People’s Republic of China reserves the largest part of its market strictly for state-owned businesses. The Beijing Administration demands that state-owned organizations have dominance domestic markets in railways, coal, telecom and other areas of key strategic interests. This means that these firms are immune from

Death of a saleman-producer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death of a saleman-producer - Essay Example This includes the actors who will be performing on stage. The production crew can be the music producers, character analysts, cast managers and many more. In the production roles and responsibilities in the play, the production crew who are the board of directors, producers and the artists are given their individual roles to play on. The board of directors maintains the budgets of the finances and they also select the production. They also select the artistic director and the producer. They are the active producers who approve and set the budget and adjust any casting and production. The producer develops the budget to be used for performances, theater labor and other important budgets. They also deal with the security matters where by they are responsible for assigning the security team. He also secures the space needed for the production. The artistic directors deal with the artistic decisions on who to take responsibilities in the play. They also block the scenes needed in the play and block the rehearsals in the play. Working at the theatre as a collaborative team is another big issue in that not all the members in the board will agree on the procedures to be followed. This gives a challenge when the team is organizing for the best in the play. The most challenge in theater is lack of enough money to fund the production. This is majorly a problem when none of the board member has capital for the production play. As a producer you are supposed to gather all the board members and assign them the required tasks and always ensure that they are united when producing the play on stage. Learn to make decision that are always right and consult quite a number of leaders in the same field before coming to the decision. Looking for the right character to play on stage is another major problem. Deciding on the best actors to take up the characters is quite a critical decision. The actor must be captive and convince the audience who are the entertainers. He is

The role of logic in argumention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The role of logic in argumention - Essay Example The analysis of an argument is significant as this particular task asks one to read a brief argument, analyze the reasoning behind it, and write a critique of the argument. Analysis of an argument does not ask one to develop your own opinion like the analysis of an issue task. The analysis of an argument task involves analyzing a given opinion, including considering questionable assumptions that underline the opinion, counterexamples that may weaken the conclusion, or evidence that may support it. In analyzing an argument it is important to present a logical flow of ideas, clear control of the English language, and the use of a strong format, with an introduction and a conclusion. Due to the short time limit it is advisable to keep sentences concise and use a few well-developed examples to support one’s view. If one knows the elements needed to make argument analysis, the individual would be able to exhibit one’s ability to write analytically.

Define and Discuss ‘Retail Experience’ Essay Example for Free

Define and Discuss ‘Retail Experience’ Essay Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? David Olu RETAIL MANAGEMENT Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? When people go shopping they want to encounter an enjoyable experience which will satisfy their needs so in recent years retailers have tried to take the shopping experience to another level in order to encourage consumers to build a relationship with the brand. The purpose of this essay will be to outline what is meant by the term â€Å"retail experience†. The main focus will be on a particular case study involving Apple in order to explain how the retailer goes on to enhance value. Retail experience can be seen as a process in which a retailer packages an experience together with products. (Berman B Evans J 2010) highlight that â€Å"A Retailers image depends heavily on its â€Å"atmosphere†. When looking at atmosphere it is the psychological feeling a customer gets when visiting the retailer.’’ It is noted that atmosphere can influence hedonic value this is an important aspect of the experience, because this is what plays a vital role in gaining a customer’s interest and it can help in leading the customer into the buying process. All of the major retailers will aim to provide a relaxing environment for their consumers because shopping is considered as fun and pleasurable (Jones, 1999). There are some key factors that contribute to this, first we look at music because it provides entertainment for shoppers Turley and Chebat (2002). Followed by lighting the appropriate use of it,  such as product spotlighting and dim ambient lighting, and thirdly the use of bright and vibrant colours. Swinyard (1993) reiterated this by pointing out that â€Å"Mood states are present in virtually every shopping encounter, and could have a significant effect on shopping behaviour†. And In Relation to this (Kemp and Kopp 2011) also put forward that Emotions shape our everyday existence, including our consumption and purchase behaviour. So this could mean that a consumer in a bad mood may tend to view shopping activities differently from one in a good mood. When a customer enters the store atmosphere they are not able to experience the music in seclusion or smell the scent without seeing the colours as well they do not walk on the floor-covering without feeling the ambient temperature. The typical customer experiences amounts of all these and other incentives as an on-going, collective experience. So it can be argued that most buying environments are purposefully designed to produce specific emotional effects in shoppers. Berman Evans J (2010) argued that â€Å"The presentation merchandise and the displays that bring shoppers into the store are very important in creating a retail image. So other factors which have to be considered when looking at retail experience is the layout of the shop itself because if the shop is nicely laid out it will encourage customers to spend more time in the shop than originally planned. So retailers have to consider the layout of the products and how they can appeal to customers and also clearly labelled displays if they have any in order to make the customers indentify what is on sell clearly. So it is always essential for a business to ensure that the shop is properly organised. A store exterior provides a powerful impact on a business’s image this should be planned effectively a store exterior consists of the total physical exterior of the store itself, with a storefront most retailers can present a traditional, trendy, upscale environment, in relation to retail experience customers who happen to pass a shop they usually judge a store by its exterior so this can be used to draw in customers with things like display windows showing products will be able to catch a customer’s attention  straight away most retailers make use of mannequins in order to grab people’s attention. Customers always want to feel valued and welcomed when they visit a shop so when they enter the shop they expect a good customer service from the members of staff this is crucially essential for an organisation to manage. Because not only will shoppers appreciate the store due to the products offered, or atmospherics’ but they will have more of a strong interest due to the kindness of the salesperson (Lombart and Jeandrain, 2003). If the members of staff are always available and helpful it will create a customer satisfaction and this can be considered as a key determining factor with benefits of repeat shopping and buying behaviour if managed effectively so with this it means that customers will always have a good experience, when they encounter polite and helpful members of staff and this will also create a positive image for the business. Promotion is another tool in which retailers will aim to provide satisfaction to their customers so in order for them to do this they implement special offers as a strategy to achieve this, if an organisation regularly provides promotion as part of its experience it will find that they will attract more customers. So for example retailers like Tesco or Asda regularly offer promotion and they go head to head on offers in order to gain draw in more people. Not only will offering promotions attract repeat custom it will also allow the organisation to generate profit. All different kind of Retailers will try to use different ways in order to bring that retail experience that their consumers desire so retailers who connect with customers through experiences which are personally relevant , memorable, interactive and also emotional are more likely to increase sales and brand loyalty and this is why experience stores such as Apple have emerged, reason being that they want customers to bond with the brand, at first hand , a â€Å"try before you buy† approach . Apple is one of the biggest leading technology companies in the world apple provides customers with an attractive and relaxed environment where they can  handle. â€Å"Apple has been developing its experience stores since 2001 and by the end of 2008 the company had opened some 250 increasingly sophisticated stores† (Jones, Comfort, 2010). Benghazi (2012) States that entertaining browsing experiences might help a browser to learn more about the offers and characteristics. Customers will be able to use knowledge in order to make a decision on whether they should purchase the product or not so in regards to this Apple provide their consumers with a live interaction of their products for example the Apple store in London’s regent street lets customers get involved in â€Å"Getting started workshops† this includes showing customers how to set up a new Mac, connecting to the internet and sending emails. This goes to show that Apple are trying to involve their customers with a firsthand experience of the brand and the products they offer, the experience goes beyond the store itself the company provides summer camps for children and youth workshops. Children aged 8-12 years get what is known as a â€Å"hands-on Mac experience, during a 3 hour workshop 8-13years olds can compose a song â€Å"in a garage band†, construct a photo album and create key note presentations. This illustrates on how Apple are trying to expand retail experience to their customers by going beyond the in store experience this will in return generate a positive outcome for Apple. Within regards to the designs of the stores, the interior represents three values, which are transparency, community and service. There is the open spacious interior containing the computers, IPods and IPhones which are neatly placed on tables this portrays transparency. Community is encouraged by the store through its theatre and its lounging areas and then the commitment into services is branded into customers minds as they are able to visit the genius bar, each store is looked at as a place where people can feel comfortable and are not intimidated by technology. Apple stores may be designed to sell but also at the same time they are designed to teach, customers who walk into an apple store just for a casual play of the products can find that the experience can quickly turn into some serious learning. When we look at a typical apple store it has three  spaces the first one is usually for play and for purchasing, and the other one is for learning a customer would typically come across these areas in that order. The shop is laid out in a simple manner enabling the customers to move around freely to admire the products within the store. Like any other store, apple stores consist of members of staff who wear a blue t-shirt with the apple logo in the middle making them easily recognisable to the public as the staff with a casual look. There always there to help customers with their knowledge on how to use the products. The members of staff always ensure to ask customers if they need help if the customer looks lost, this type of retail setting allows customers and members of staff to interact as the members of staff are always asked questions in regards to the products, and the questions that the customers ask the staff guide the learning and they reveal what has been learned and what else is there left to be learned. So in a sense Apple have able to take the relationship between the customers, staff members and the store to a different level of retailing and learning. The Apple store has built relevance into every section of the shop, the members of staff are aware that they have to start with the customer and with whatever knowledge the customer knows and then progress on from there. Despite the technology the apple store experience is more focused on forming a relationship with the products rather than just focusing on products. An Apples store experience generally provides a powerful image about the brand Apple is able to combine products together with service effectively in order to reward their customers with a unique experience in which customers are able to feel like learners who are able to develop valuable skills. The Apple store learning experience is greatly adapted and focused on the interests and the needs of the individual customer. Conclusion Retail experience is vital for all of the retailers to establish in order to looking at Apple they have successfully established an environment where customers would want to come back again and again so in conclusion Apple has shown that they value their customers by ensuring that their customers experience the products at first hand and by also taking that experience out  of the store by providing their customers with things like summer camps. It is vital that Apple continue to bring this experience to their customers because it will mean that they will generate repeat custom and also they will be able to attract new customers. Bibliography Books Berman, B. and Evans, J. (2010) Retail management a strategic approach. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Pearson education Inc, p.508, 509,510,512. Internet Sonera, T. (2006). Apple case study. Available: www.buyukdemirci.com/Apple/Apple_case_.pdf. Last accessed 18th November 2012. Journals Ballantine, P. et al. (2010) Atmospheric cues and their effect on the hedonic retail. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 38 (8), p.1, 2. Burns, D. and Neisner, L. (2006) Customer satisfaction in a retail setting: The contribution of emotion. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 34 (1), p.50, 51. Jones, P. et al. (2010) Retail experience stores: experiencing the brand at first. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 28 (3), p.243. KEMP, E. and KOPP, S. (2011) Emotion in consumption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10: p.1. Kronrod, A. et al. (2012) Hedonic Consumption and compliance with assertive messages. Journal of Consumer Research, Inc., 39 (1), p.52. Nsairi, Z. (2012) Managing browsing experience in retail stores through. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 40 (9), p.678. Swinyard, W. (199300) The Effects of Mood, Involvement, and Quality of Store Experience on Shopping Intentions. Journal of consumer research, 20p .271. Washor, E. et al. (2009) At the Core of the Apple Store: Images of Next Generation Learning. The Phi Delta Kappan, 91 (2), p.61, 62, 63

Everything you Need to Know About Human papillomavirus Essay Example for Free

Everything you Need to Know About Human papillomavirus Essay Chances are you have at least came into contact with the human papilliomavirus and had no clue you did. Most adults have whom are sexually active have been exposed to HPV, with as many as 20 million estimated Americans to be infected with the strains that cause genital warts. The good news, most cases have no symptoms of health problems. Now for the bad news, it causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer . In many ways, you can compare HPV to genital herpes. Both are incurable and rarely have symptoms. However, both are capable of causing medical problems and are both widespread in this country. Luckily, HPV only causes cancer in a small percentage of those infected. Besides cervical cancer, which is usually all that ever gets mentioned when discussing this infection, HPV can also cause cancer of the vulva, penis, head, neck, and anus, but these are extremely rare. These viruses are called papillomavirus because they tend to cause warts, or papillomas. Which are benign tumors. Warts caused from HPV can appear in the hands, feet or on/around the genital area. The strains of HPV that cause warts on the hands and feet are rarely the same as the ones that cause genital warts. There are about two hundred different types of HPV. Only about forty strains are caused from some form of sexual contact and only a handful are associated with cervical cancer. More than ninety-five percent of HPV viruses cause no symptoms and problems. The Gardasil vaccine, a serious of three shots over a period of six months, was approved for women between the ages of thirteen and twenty-six. This vaccine was shown to prevent HPV strains sixteen and eighteen, strains causing seventy percent of cervical cancer. Gardisil does not cure or prevent all strains of HPV. Researchers dont know if patients who show no symptoms are as contagious as the ones who are.

The Alcohol Advertising And Adolescent Drinking Media Essay

The Alcohol Advertising And Adolescent Drinking Media Essay Alcohol is the most popular recreational drug in America, so beer and liquor companies advertise on various television channels. Recent research has discovered cable television shows with a significant proportion of teenage viewers are also those that have the most commercials for alcohol. There are many explanations why adolescents are influenced in to drink alcohol and there is reason to believe television advertisements have a large role. As alcohol advertisers turn towards cable television the exposure to younger viewers will escalate. The amount of money spent on alcohol advertising on cable television increased by 137% from 2001 to 2006. The extra money spent attributed to an increase of the number of alcohol commercials by 176% (Chung, Garfield, Elliott 2010). With over double the amount of new advertisements many alcohol companies started to compete against each other for the best commercials. For instance, Miller lite aired a commercial about a group of friends at a bar who all agree their one friend is unmanly for ordering a Bud lite. Competitive advertising of alcohol has resulted in new branding techniques that are effective across all viewers including the adolescent audience (Jones Jernigan, 2010). Assessing the influence of alcohol advertising on peoples drinking habits is a challenging task. Alcohol is an adult product, yet most underage consumers are already aware of its existence. This unavoidably limits the potential effects that alcohol advertising could have on increasing overall consumption. Due to the existing popularity of this product, advertisers focus on creating an appealing brand rather than increasing the total market. While new consumers are not advertisers target, the power of alcohol advertising campaigns to shape consumption habits cannot be neglected. Criticism has been directed toward alcohol advertising, particularly regarding the use of image (lifestyle) advertising, and its potential influence on adolescent alcohol consumption. This research study sought to determine if adolescents who drink, or intend to drink alcohol at some future time, find image advertisements for alcohol more appealing than product advertisements. 40 college students, ages 18 to 20, volunteered to fill out the survey. This study is focused on attitudes and beliefs towards alcohol brands and advertising rather than on consumption behavior. Attitudes and beliefs about alcohol advertisements are not irrelevant to understanding how advertising might influence consumption. Evidence of an association between preference for image advertisements and intent to drink in the future has been found in previous studies and experiments. When considering whether advertising has an impact upon young peoples alcohol intake, it is important to recognize that drinking alcohol can be influenced by a range of psychological, social and environmental factors. Parents, siblings, and groups of friends can have a significant influence. They can provide behavioral role models and establish a positive attitude towards drinking. Although this research survey is concerned with the effects of advertising of alcoholic beverages on adolescents alcohol consumption, it is beneficial to understand the other factors associated with the onset of alcohol related behavior. Surveys of teenagers and young adults have determined that alcohol consumption is often significantly related to peer-group influences. A particularly powerful predictor of their drinking behavior is whether their friends drink alcohol. Research has indicated that adolescents may be especially inclined to consume alcohol if their best friend also does. It was also found that if a teenagers best friend drank they were more likely to label themselves as a drinker (Wilks, Callan Austin, 1989). In a televised commercial for 1800 tequila an actor posed the question, What ever happened to best buddies? He goes on to demean people who have hundreds of virtual friends online then finished the commercial with the statement, A buddy is somebody who you share your 1800 tequila with. Parental influences can have important effects on teenager alcohol consumption as well. Most of the time parental rules about drinking come into conflict with peer-group norms. These rules may exert a powerful influence over teenagers expressed intentions to drink alcohol in the future, possibly weakening those intentions. However, such effects may be limited to young people who have so far not felt any social pressures to drink from their peer group. Teenagers with friends who drink may be more likely to reject family restrictions on alcohol consumption especially if they had their own involvements that lead to positive experiences about alcohol. An important note to keep in mind is further evidence has indicated that drinking onset is not a simple matter of copycat behavior. Dissimilar young people make different assessments of relevant group activities and beliefs linked to drinking (Thomsen Rekve, 2006). According to the World Health Organization, alcohol advertising can produce positive perceptions of drinking in all people and as an outcome young people may be more susceptible to possessing pro-drinking attitudes. The World Health Organization has two reasons to believe why advertising can cause this. The first of these is that exposure to alcohol advertising over time can lead young people to perceive drinking as a normal behavior and, as a result, an activity in which they wish to participate. The second reason is that alcohol advertising may reach children and encourage alcohol consumption well before they are legally old enough to purchase the product. In a survey with children, the majority answered that they believed alcohol advertising can cause alcohol consumption. This discovery along with evidence that mere awareness of alcohol advertisements could be linked to positive beliefs about alcohol, which is in turn related with future intent to drink. In this context, there is no surprise that liking of alcohol advertisements has also emerged as a significant factor in understanding potential effects (Babor, 2003). In 1984 an experiment was led by Kohn and Smart who showed a recording of Super Bowl 1982 to 125 male college students. Three versions of the program were produced that included zero, four or nine beer advertisements. Refreshments were available and among the drinks, participants could choose from soft drinks or beer. One half of the students were given immediate access to beer while the second half had to wait 30 minutes before given beverages. When beer was available it was consumed and the delay in beer resulted in compensatory behavior in the second group who had the largest amount of consumption. This experiment found that when alcohol advertising occurred there was a temporary upward in beer consumption. Even in conditions where consumption was decreasing, a first time appearance of beer advertisement could temporarily boost consumption again (Kohn Smart, 1984). Kohn and Smart conducted a similar experiment with college women except the independent variable was switched with w ine. This experiment proved women consumed more wine when they saw four or more wine advertisements compared to none. These results indicate that television alcohol advertising is capable of triggering a short term effect on alcohol consumption. Such studies may demonstrate the ability of advertisements to shape a preference for one type of drink over another, but they do not indicate anything about the role advertising might play in the genesis of alcohol consumption in individuals (Kohn Smart, 1984). Alcohol advertising is often associated with sports and athletic activities. For example Coors beer had a campaign that honored multiple athletes including the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. Advertisements that feature athlete images tend to perpetuate both the brands and consumers denial of potential consequences of drinking. Along with athletic imagery, critics view other lifestyle imagery as inappropriate. Some alcohol advertisements give the consumer an unrealistic view of what the products do, how they make the consumer feel, and how they fit in with an individuals lifestyle. For instance alcohol may be portrayed in a commercial as a reward at the end of a work day. In advertisements drinking is often viewed as a complement to a celebration of life. Certain television advertisements present alcohol as having the ability to make an individual attractive to the opposite sex or a romance booster. For example, Bud Lite Lime had a commercial on Ultimate Flight Club 132 featuring a young attractive women lying across hundreds of limes. She was not dressed and the limes were used to censor her private parts. She also had a tattoo on her rear end of a Bud Lite Lime logo. Even though she was not holding a beer, this television commercial led the viewers to associate sex and attractive women with Bud Lite Lime. Some critics agree alcohol commercials are associated with sexual imagery more than any other products (Fox, Krugman, Fletcher, Fisher 1998). I conducted an original research survey involving students, ages 18 through 20, from Temple University located in Philadelphia. The questions pertained to the students memory of alcohol advertisements they were exposed to while watching their normal television shows. The goal was to determine how many underage students were exposed to alcohol advertising through the television medium. The survey also sought to determine what kind of advertising appeal techniques they noticed and how they felt about the advertisements. These seven multiple choice questions were asked to 40 college students: How many hours a day, on average, do you watch TV? a. Never; b. less than one hour; c. 1-2 hours; d. 2-3 hours; e. More than 3 hours What are your favorite types of television programs? (Circle all that apply) a. Reality TV; b. Music related/music video; c. Game shows; d. Talk shows; e. Sitcoms/comedies; g. Drama; h. Nature; i. Sports; j. News. Do you ever see alcohol advertisements while watching TV? a. Yes; b. No. What do you remember about any of these TV ads you saw? (Circle all that apply) a. An animal or cartoon like character; b. The people drinking look attractive or sexy; c. A great party was happening; d. The actors who were drinking were physically attracted to each other; e. The people drinking looked like they had strength and athletic ability; f. The people in the advertisements looked popular or part of the in-crowd; g. The ads were funny or amusing; h. The ads portrayed drinking as a great way to meet people; i. the ads discussed contests and prizes; j. I remember the alcohol brand. Did anyone in any of the TV ads look like they could be under 21 years old? a. Yes; b. No. As a whole, did the TV ads you see make you think any of the following? (Circle all that apply) a. Drinking was a boring thing to do; b. Drinking was a good way to get guys or girls; c. Drinking was important for a real good party; d. Drinking will make you popular; e. drinking was fun or funny; f. drinking could be harmful to your health; g. It is better for people to drink responsibly; h. It is better for people to wait until they are 21 to drink; i. The advertisements had no effect at all on what I thought or felt. The role of alcohol advertising appeal was investigated in further longitudinal research that followed though 18-year olds until the age of 21 years old. The study had 630 participants and examined the effect of televised alcohol advertising and allegiance to specific brands of beer. The results found that earlier liking of televised alcohol advertisements and accompanying brand allegiance were associated with greater volume of beer consumption later on. Many self-reports of aggressive behavior from the participants were associated with drinking. Almost all of these individuals expressing aggressive behavior were documented with liking alcohol advertisements when the experiment began (Casswell Zhang, 1998). Although many critics recognize that college students decisions to drink often come from peer pressure, the images presented in advertising positively reinforce such decisions. Alcohol is the most popular recreational drug in America, so beer and liquor companies advertise on various television channels. Recent research has discovered cable television shows with a significant proportion of teenage viewers are also those that have the most commercials for alcohol. These advertisers are reaching the wrong demographic and are certainly affecting the younger audiences. (The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth) Should alcohol advertising be modified to limit exposure to underage viewers? There are many explanations why adolescents are influenced in to drink alcohol and there is reason to believe television advertisements have a large role. As alcohol advertisers turn towards cable television the exposure to younger viewers will escalate. The amount of money spent on alcohol advertising on cable television increased by 137% from 2001 to 2006. The extra money spent attributed to an increase of the number of alcohol commercials by 176%. (Schuster) With over double the amount of new advertisements many alcohol companies started to compete against each other for the best commercials. For instance, Miller lite aired a commercial about a group of friends at a bar who all agree their one friend is unmanly for ordering a Bud lite. Competitive advertising of alcohol has resulted in new branding techniques that are effective across all audiences including the adolescent audience. (Jones) The use of iconic characters, humor, and sexual innuendo are some methods used in alcoholic commercials that evidently attract younger viewers. For example, Keith Stone is portrayed as an influential character who acts smooth because he always has a 30 pack of Keystone. The Most Interesting Man in the World is another iconic character that many underage viewers can relate to the product Dos Equis. Young people can also be drawn to the music used in these commercials and associate the songs with the alcoholic product. It is true that no matter what anybody does, teenagers will never stop viewing TV. It is also true that alcohol companies have to support their business somehow. Just like any other company, advertisements are important to get a product out there and known. However, it is possible to do it in a way where they do not have to make drinking look so appealing to younger kids. Companies could easily not use sex appeal or partying in their ads and still get their product out and known to everyone.

Zara: Information Technology For Fast Fashion :: Problem, Solution, Case Study

Problem Statement: In 2003, Zara's CIO must decide whether to upgrade the retailer's IT infrastructure and capabilities. At the time of the case, the company relies on an out-of-date operating system for its store terminals and has no full-time network in place across stores. Despite these limitations, however, Zara's parent company, Inditex, has built an extraordinarily well-performing value chain that is by far the most responsive in the industry. Therefore the major problem to the company is to decide whether it has to upgrade the present system and by doing so, risking the reliability they have with the current system or to continue with the present DOS based system which will not be compatible for future changes or improvements. Analysis & Recommendation: Zara’s main strategy is the ability to respond very quickly to the demands of target customers which called for identifying trends of the customer in advance. The company has been able to identify the trends and meet the demand with the help of its autonomously organized structure and its effective value chain systems. The present system followed by Zara has been very effective and very easy to maintain, which as a result has persuaded the company to continue without any change in the present system so far. The problem that Zara faces right now is that the system that they use, P-O-S (Point of Sale terminals), runs on DOS which Microsoft does not support anymore and any hardware change in the POS terminal will not be compatible with the current POS software. Although the sense of urgency for the change may not be that high, investing in IT infrastructure is a must as MS Dos is an obsolete technology and there is no contract or guarantee from their POS terminal vendor that they will continue supplying the same terminal with out much changes in the hardware for any specific period of time, therefore change is unavoidable. The other main issue that Zara faces is that the stores don’t share inventory information electronically and hence inventory management becomes highly difficult and manual. The decision making process is based on the judgment of employees throughout the company instead of relying on a small set of decision makers; the majority of the decisions were made by store managers and as a result they placed orders for the items rather than simply accepting and displaying what headquarters decided to send them.

A Review of The Old Man and The Sea: Hemingway’s Tragic Vision of Man

The Old Man and the Sea is one of the most famous novel written by Ernest Hemingway. In this novel, Hemingway shows the world the story about the great Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who fights for his honor and pride. In the critical essay, â€Å"Hemingway’s Tragic Vision of Man,† Clinton S. Burhans, Jr writes that he and other authors have interpreted this novel, and he takes into account the following points: heroic individualism, interdependence, and Christian themes. I agree with Burhans’ essay. In the novel, Hemingway addresses the character of Santiago so properly that he inspires these points without doubt. â€Å"He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish† (Hemingway 1): This is how the story begins. The old man had spent almost three months without catching anything, so the next day he made up his mind and proposed to himself that he would take a big fish. That day he went far in the ocean. In the beginning, he feels that he has to redeem his bad luck by catching a big fish. He wants to demostra...

Farming Essay -- Personal Narrative Agriculture Papers

Farming "Beep , beep, beep, " the alarm clock sounded. "Shoot another day at work" I thought. It is 5:30 and time to head off to work. I go into the shoe room and throw on my once worn set of clothes, which consist of a tee-shirt, sweatshirt, long johns, pants, and some winter boots. I also grab a coat on the way out. I opened the door and the cold wintry blast hit my pale face. "Damn it's cold", I thought to myself. I trudged through the two feet of crusty snow and hop into my 87' Ram 50 pick-up truck. "rue, rur, rur, whiinee " the engine started. "Yes" I thought, "I don't want to jump my truck this cold morning". I started down the road into what seemed like a dark oblivion with only my headlights to guide me through. I came to the first stop sign and almost slide through it. "Whew that was close!" I shouted to myself . I start up again, a little slower this time as hoping not to slide through another stop sign, I then realize my heater is starting to kick in. It's getting warm in my truck. ,it's comfortable though. I finally arrive at work and walk in. "Good afternoon" my boss states sarcastically. It's 6:00 in the morning and its still cold in the barn. I go into the silo room and start to fill up the corn cart. The room is off to the side of the barn so it is also freezing in this part of the barn. I roll the full cart onto the cement lane ,it seems really heavy in these early morning hours. I pull in front of the first cow and think "Oh yea only 59 more to go." I get done feeding corn and move on to feeding the mineral; this only takes about five minutes because I don't have to feed as much. Next I move on to feeding protein out of the cart this takes a little more time than mineral, b... ... turn the first bolt and my wrench slips. "Ouch", I scream. "Whadidchya do?" my boss asks. " Hit my damn finger", I say. " Well don't slip off the burr and that won't happen." He instructs me. " Thanx" I said. We get the girder replaced and go in for a late afternoon dinner. I sit down and think, "warmth, ahh". Feeling begins to come back into my hands and they hurt from banging them several times on things. I eat the prepared meatballs and boiled potatoes with peas and carrots with rigorous vigor. "Will you pay me today please", I ask. "Sure", my boss says. I get my check and tell my boss and his family I'll see the tomorrow. I hop into my truck and finally start to go back home. I arrive home to find that my family has gone some where so I go in take a shower and proceed to call my buddy up on the phone to see where the party is at.

The Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is an expansive collection of art and artifacts that span multiple cultures and historical periods, as well as art movements, from classical to modern. Since the focus of this class is Ancient Egypt through to the European Middle Ages these were the exhibits in which I was mostly interested during my visit. The museum itself has a much more broad focus, but there is a great deal of pieces that fit into the time periods of our course and it was fascinating to really see the cultural remnants of the people and historical periods which we are studying. My visit was really interesting because of how incredible the collections of the museum were. There was interesting artwork from different cultures, like their Asian collection, and of course the more modern pieces that really brought to light the changes in movements in art throughout time. There was not a guided tour that I was able to participate in during my visit, but I was able to do a self-guided tour throughout most of the museum and found the entire building to be easy to navigate and beautiful to the eye. The ancient art was the first stop on my tour of the museum because it is the first time period that we have studied. There was a lot of beautiful pieces found here, including pottery and other cultural items, but some of the artifacts were much more beautiful and elaborate. There was a beautiful coffin of Osiris, that really had a lot of elaborate detail that made it come alive as an artifact. For me, the other artifacts that emphasized the gods, including a of sculpture of the god Thoth as a baboon and other Greek and Roman artifacts that all deal with deities, were an important lesson in how important it was to these groups of people. For them, the stories of their gods and goddesses were as connected with them and their world as they were. They saw their deities in nature around them and in their own homes. That is why the gods are felt everywhere in their artwork and why their stories are so well depicted. This, like this course, has given me a greater understanding of how the beliefs of ancient peoples is connected to their culture in a way that cannot be ignored, it was such a great force in their lives. The European exhibit was in two parts. There was the exhibit that dealt with Early Christian artwork, which transitioned from early to Renaissance and Baroque artwork. There is also another permanent exhibit called the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Collection. In these collections I was able to get another strong vision of what was important to the people who lived in the Middle Ages of Europe. The Early Christian artwork was very interesting as it, like the ancient work before it, shows the importance of faith to artists during the time in which it was created. One of the prize works of these collections is an ivory statue of God the Father that was awe-inspiring in its simplicity and it’s beauty. There was also a gothic Virgin and Child sculpture that was created by Niclaus Weckman the Elder. Both of these items were beautiful and showed me how important the things we’re learning in this course are to our understanding of the past. It was fascinating to see what we have learned come to life in the sculpture, artifacts, and paintings found at this museum.

Life of Pi †Significance of Color Essay

A woman once said, â€Å"There is no life without color. † This is just the case with the main character of â€Å"The Life of Pi†, Pi Patel. Pi is a cast away on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a tiger, an orangutan, a hyena and a zebra. There is one color that was mentioned multiple times throughout the story, the color orange. In the novel â€Å"Life of Pi† by Yann Martel, this color is used as a symbol for hope and survival. To hope means to wish for something with expectations of its fulfillment. Pi’s case is a pristine example of hoping for something. He has many instances when he gains hope throughout the novel, including building a raft, landing on the island, or even finding the food in the locker of the lifeboat. The most important, is the hope Pi is given through his companion on the lifeboat, Richard Parker, a four hundred and fifty pound Royal Bengal tiger. Being the color orange, the tiger becomes an example of hope throughout the book. Pi realizes, to keep himself, Richard Parker, and the will to survive alive, he must tame the tiger. â€Å"I had to tame him. It was at that moment that I realized this necessity. It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. We were, literally and figuratively, in the same boat. We would live–or we would die–together. † (Martel, 164) Keeping Richard Parker alive would allow Pi to constantly remember that he is not the only one suffering and he has someone there for him, whether he can answer or not. Although Pi has many reasons to be hopeful, the author gives the reader reasons as well. Prior to the scene of the sinking of the Tsimtsum, an interviewer and reporter that is talking to Pi about the sinking of the ship describes visiting Pi later in life at his home in Canada. He meets Pi’s family and mentions that Pi’s daughter, Usha, holds an orange cat. â€Å"Leaning against the sofa in the living room, looking up at me bashfully, is a little brown girl, pretty in pink, very much at home. She’s holding an orange cat in her arms. † (92) This scene guarantees the reader that the end result of the story and Pi’s life will be not total tragedy. Pi has a life where he has been successful and has children of his own. While in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Pi’s only goal was to survive. Items on the boat and religion truly gave him this will to survive, and Pi was more capable of surviving with them in his presence. While on the lifeboat, Pi has an orange life jacket with an orange whistle, an orange buoy, a bright orange tarpaulin, and a four hundred and fifty pound Bengal Tiger. Pi is thrown on the lifeboat by Chinese men with a life jacket already on him. â€Å"One of the men interrupted me by thrusting a life jacket into my arms and shouting something in Chinese. I noticed an orange whistle dangling from the life jacket. (105) The life jacket is used by Pi in constructing a raft to have a safe place away from Richard Parker, and the whistle is used by taming the large tiger. He utilizes his bright orange survival equipment to stay alive and keep away from Richard Parker. For most of the voyage they take on the lifeboat, Richard Parker remains under the tarpaulin, even from the beginning. After Pi is pushed overboard into the lifeboat, he says â€Å"I couldnâ⠂¬â„¢t see Richard Parker. He wasn’t on the tarpaulin or on a bench. He was at the bottom of the boat. † (106) Richard Parker having orange fur, is a symbol of survival. He keeps Pi alert and continuously reminds him of his situation. Religion played a big part of Pi’s life, and he prayed three times a day every day while he was on the boat. His family’s religion is Hinduism, and orange is the color of the second Hindu chakra, which are believed to be centers of the body from which a person can collect energy in the religion. Throughout his entire journey, he was always in contact with something that was the color orange, and that is why it becomes a symbol of survival. Every item and detail of his trip aids him in survival, and is part of the outcome of him being rescued. The color orange will always be remembered by Pi and readers as the color of hope and survival. The color gives readers hope for Pi and gives Pi the will to survive because of the possessions that are that color. The items Pi has on the boat all aid in his miraculous survival, just as Richard Parker and the religions he practices provides a measure of emotional support. These help the young boy maintain hope in this horrific tragedy. But above all, the orange color of survival and hope will always be known as the color that kept him alive.

Healthcare System In Hongkong Health And Social Care Essay

2. Public health care services in Hong Kong are to a great extent subsidized by the Government. However, with the ageing population and increasing medical costs, the public outgo on health care is estimated to increase at a much faster gait than the economic system in the coming old ages. With the existent figure that the public wellness outgo may turn from 2.9 % of in 2004 to 5.5 % of GDP by 2033, it is clear that the bing funding theoretical account is non sustainable. Auxiliary funding for health care is needed to supplement authorities ‘s outgo on health care services and for the longaˆ?term sustainability of our health care system.THEMEDICAL CHARGE IN HONG KONG3. The medical services in Hong Kong are provided by the public and private sector. The medical charge in Hong Kong can be divided into two facets: Government or Public Services and Private Service. Government or Public Services 4. Government or Public Services are provided by the Department of Health ( DH ) and the Hospital Authority ( HA ) . Medical charges of common out-patient and in-patient interventions are as follow: intervention at a authorities general out-patient clinic costs $ 45 for Hong Kong occupants ; specializer clinic for audience costs $ 100 for the first attending, $ 60 for followup and $ 10 per drug point ; free intervention for instances of TB, leprosy, genital disease, and pregnancy and kid wellness counsel ; the admittance fee of in-patients in public infirmaries is $ 50, while busying acute beds and non-acute beds are charged $ 100 and $ 68 per twenty-four hours severally. The above charges may be waived if patient can non afford them. 5. Apart from general out-patient and in-patient services, the DH and the HA besides provide Chinese medical specialty services and Student Healthcare Services to the populace. Chinese Medicine Centres will bear down patients $ 120 with two doses of Chinese herb for a intervention per visit. Healthcare services for pupils are free of charge. Immunizations against 10 childhood infective diseases are free as good. Family be aftering service is besides available in maternal and child wellness Centres at a charge of $ 1 for every visit. Private Servicess 6. Apart from authorities or public services, private medical services besides lead an of import function in Hong Kong ‘s health care system of. However, fees charged by private practicians vary and separate charges are frequently made. Patients are normally required to pay excess fees on services like research lab trials and X-ray scrutinies. With mention to the Report of Doctors ‘ Fees Survey 2010[ 1 ], the medians of some common out-patient and in-patient charges are as follow: audience fees for general patterns and specializer patterns are charged $ 200 and $ 575 severally ; day-to-day infirmary attending charge varies from $ 700 to $ 2,000, runing from remaining in ward to excellent individual suites ; surgical operations charges from $ 4,000 to $ 50,000, runing from degree 6 to level 1 surgeries. Other services such as vaccinums, composing medical studies and finishing insurance claim signifiers are charged individually and the fees varied.PUBLIC CONSULTATION7. We h ave conducted two intensive public audiences in order to roll up sentiments from every sector of our society about the health care system. 8. The first phase audience showed that the biggest concerns of the populace were ageing population and increasing medical costs. A comprehensive reform was needed to run into both challenges. The populace expected that the health care reform will make a long-run sustainable system. The bulk of people agreed that the reform should concentrate on both service bringing and funding agreements. Among the six possible auxiliary funding options, the populace expressed divergent positions over the voluntary private wellness insurance and compulsory private wellness insurance. Some doubted the effectivity of the mandatary health care insurance and voted for the voluntary strategy. 9. In the 2nd phase audience, the demand of reform to our health care system is confirmed. The populace called for auxiliary health care funding, and wider picks and better protection in health care services. Therefore, the Government has formulated proposals to reform our health care system and modulating voluntary wellness insurance. The public came to a consensus that the manner of health care insurance should be voluntary. Based on the community ‘s positions, the public support is the chief support beginning for health care. Individualised health care and wider pick with quality confidence to suit everyone ‘s demand were preferred. 10. There was a widely shared concern over the sustainability and the security of the health care insurance system. The Government warrants that the strategy provides uninterrupted protection for participants into their older ages. Besides, the strategy is standardised and regulated by the Government, so as to safeguard the insured involvements harmonizing to the jurisprudence.PROPOSED VOLUNTARY HEALTH INSURANCE SYSTEM11. Auxiliary funding is an indispensable constituent of the wellness attention financing reform. The signifier of auxiliary funding is an of import determination as it non merely influences the present community, but our future coevalss. Among the six possible auxiliary funding options, the Government decided to set forward the voluntary wellness insurance system as a portion of the wellness attention financing reform. 12. The proposed Health Protection Scheme ( HPS ) is a strategy that standardizes and regulates the voluntary private wellness insurance. Unlike other voluntary private wellness insurance in current market, insurances under the HPS is regulated to accept all endorsers and offer no exclusion of preexistent medical conditions with guaranteed reclamation for life. The pick of taking out insurance is voluntary either by persons or employers. The premium is based on the endorser ‘s pick and affordability. Subscribers will so hold a better entree to healthcare services under the HPS, and they would non detain primary attention until their unwellnesss worsen. Under the HPS, no one shall be left enduring from disease due to miss of fiscal agencies to pay for health care. Compared to the bing funding theoretical account, the voluntary wellness insurance system ensures effectual pooling and sharing of the health care hazards for persons. 13. Voluntary wellness insurance system aims at supplying the community with better picks for health care protection and heightening the longaˆ?term sustainability of our health care system. The insured are allowed to take both public and private health care services. Persons who can afford could utilize private health care on a sustained footing and even take top-up insurance programs to accommodate their ain demands. By promoting more people to take private health care services, the voluntary strategy can cut down the force per unit area on the public system. The public system could profit those who depend on the populace health care system by concentrating its resources on mark service countries and population groups, particularly low-income households, under-privileged groups and other needy. 14. The footings and definitions of the wellness insurance policy are standardized. Insurance companies take parting in the HPS are required to offer standard wellness insurance programs that follow the specified regulations and demands. However, the insurance companies are free to offer top-up benefits beyond the nucleus demands and specifications, so as to accommodate consumers ‘ demands. The HPS programs are required to supply coverage for hospital admittances or ambulatory processs, and its associate services like specialist outaˆ?patient audiences and probes, advanced diagnostic imagination. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for malignant neoplastic disease is besides included in the nucleus demands of the program. However, primary attention, specializer services and diagnostic imagination in general, and pregnancy coverage are non included as the program ‘s nucleus demand. Insurance programs under the HPS are besides portable between insurance companies and on g o forthing employment. The insured are able to maintain their wellness insurance policy for every bit long as they want, it will non be affected if they change occupations. Unlike the bing wellness insurance, insurance companies under the HPS could exchange their programs to another insurance company or go on their programs after retirement with no loss in coverage. 15. The Government has planned to utilize $ 50 billion financial modesty as fiscal inducements to back up the health care reform. Fiscal inducements are given to protect the bad persons, to offer premium price reduction for new endorsers and to lend to the salvaging constituent of the HPS programs.Decision16. The Government will widely publicise the voluntary wellness insurance and beg public support for our attempts to better the health care in Hong Kong. Any question on this brief may be addressed to Ms Li Wan-in, Assistant Secretary for Food and Health Bureau on 3150 8494.Food and Health Bureau22 October 2010

Advertising Billboards Essay

Everywhere you look these days you see a billboard or advertisement selling or promoting a product, it’s inevitable. You get in your car to go somewhere and look out the window and you are surrounded by them or you open a magazine and every other page is an ad promoting something. You walk into a store or public place and at every turn there is something staring you in the face. Since billboards are so big and visible from a distance they are hard to miss. It’s basically shoved in our faces without us having a choice, but to look and glance at it. Since we are exposed to this and this is something that everyone goes through on a daily basis, we tend to ignore a lot of it until something catchy or interesting catches your eye. Advertisements make things more appealing and make us more inclined to buy products. With the amount of competitors out there selling the same products, advertisement companies try and beat them out by coming up with attention getting ads. Advertisements these days seeming have more and more sexual content in them making them borderline inappropriate to fully inappropriate and unnecessary. See more: Experiment on polytropic process Essay This can be a negative effect on the public causing image issues and men and women being degraded. By using sexual innuendos and images, advertising companies are catching the attention of the public in bad and negative ways. Most advertising ads, whether on T. V. or on a billboard have some aspect and sort of sexual content involved. Many billboards or advertisements have a sexual hint in the message which may be taken literally and figuratively. They have two meanings depending on how you take it. It is usually a simple everyday product with a statement or saying to catch your attention. For example while looking at ads online, I came across an ad for a Toms Ford Fragrance. This ad contains a woman with red lipstick and red nail polish, she is clearly naked as she holds her breasts and the bottle of cologne is in between them. Now this woman has nothing to do with the cologne whatsoever, but I bet she helped sell a lot of the product which is directed at men. Why was it necessary to have her half naked in the ad? Because sex sells. Another ad and billboard I came across was for Ace Hardware. You have the Ace logo in the right corner and on the left in white writing against a black backdrop reads, â€Å"Need a good screw? Now this has a double meaning, you can take it literally as in needing a screw for maybe a project or something around the house or figuratively in a sexual way and meaning sex. Are these forms of advertising necessary, no, but it catches people’s attention and aids in selling and getting their product out there. Nudity has even become a major component in selling. Advertisement companies may think sex sells so they glorify it and use it. Yes, it helps to sell the product, but what affect does that have on society. Sex often has nothing to do with the product. If you look at clothing ads for top selling companies, it’s normal to see a woman or a man posing in a pair of jeans with their shirts off standing with their â€Å"perfect† bodies. Or you’ll see a woman in a bathing suit advertising for a hamburger company. Why do they need their shirts off or why does she need to be in a bathing suit? Because again sex sells. They are not completely naked but there is a lot of skin showing. This can create image problems in our society and make us self conscious as we try to strive to be like what they see in the ad or on TV. It causes body issues as you want your body to look like theirs, skinny and toned. Self esteem is a major issue that our younger generations are faced with especially in girls as they try and look like these women. For decades advertisers have come up with an â€Å"ideal† for the perfect woman. This woman represents what five percent of women look like, yet this body type represents 98% percent of the women seen in the media (Kilbourne). People look at themselves and compare themselves with what they see and tend to want to emulate it. Seeing these ads over and over with people you may want to look like can distort your thinking. You may start to dress like these ads and in turn are showing more skin because you think this is acceptable since it’s all you see around you. Or if you see a new product being advertised you want you go out and buy it not really needing it, but just want it because it’s the new â€Å"it† item, you can become never satisfied with things because you’re constantly out buying the new stuff. Sex appeal is a factor because would you buy something from someone who is considered less attractive? No, would be a common answer to some because our surroundings and being are built on looks and we are a very vain society where looks matter. So with companies having this way of thinking, how do others view this? They most likely are thinking the same thing. From commercials to infomercials you see beautiful people posing and acting selling something you may want. It can and may degrade men and women. Men are shown in these ads, but if you notice it’s mostly women who seem to be objectified to sell the products. Women are widely seen as sex symbols, so why not use them in ads. It’s become so common to see women half dressed that I don’t think we really realize what is being put out there. It has become a norm to see raunchy or inappropriate billboards and laugh. Many don’t see it as degrading, but as funny and entertaining. So imagine if we find humor in the ads and billboards now, just how far will the companies go to push the envelope to sell something. Using men and women in these ads in sexual ways only objectives them and we shouldn’t have to see them that way just to sell a product. Using â€Å"sex sells† is sending a bad message to the public. I think we should change our way of advertising and censor the ads a bit. Be considerate and respectful and realize that that ad might offend someone. There are a lot of people who feel these ads are wrong and shouldn’t be advertized. In fact, numerous women and men contacted the organization National Organization of Women (NOW) to complain about the sexist beer ads that for example were ran during the football season (NOW). NOW is just one of many organizations out there fighting for the cause of changing advertisements. So with people on board of changing the way billboards and ads are being presented and put out there we will one day see a change or at least see a reduction in the sexual ads out there. We as a society should see what is being put out there and see that what they are promoting is only a product.

The Performance of Microsoft Corporation and Oracle Corporation Essay

The Performance of Microsoft Corporation and Oracle Corporation - Essay Example Oracle, on the other hand has a net income of almost half as of with Microsoft, but has shown a growth of 17% which shows the company is progressing in the right direction. Account Receivables According to the balance sheets, the accounts receivable was $14,987 million in 2011 and $15780 million in 2012. The percentage of debtors compared to total revenues were 21.42 % (14987/69943 * 100) in 2011 and again 21.40 % (15780 /73723 *100) in 2012. On the other hand, Oracle, had accounts receivable of $6,628 million in 2011 and $6377 million in 2012. This as a percentage of total revenues was 18.6 % (6628/35622 *100) in 2011 and came down to 17.18 % (6377/37121 *100) in 2012. This indicates a tightening policy and Oracle started collecting cash quickly. Hence, Oracle has shown a positive trend making a good impact on its current assets, and in case of liquidation, it receives cash faster and might be offering cash discounts in order to speedup the collection. And as for Microsoft has been consistent with its debtors policy and has not made much effort in reducing the debtors collection period. Account Payables The accounts payable of Microsoft for 2011 were $4197 million and $4175 million in 2012. For Oracle, the creditors figure was $494 million in 2011 and $438 million in 2012. The accounts payable for Oracle was significantly lower. Also calculated as a percentage of the total costs the accounts payable for Oracle were significantly lower. This indicates that Oracle pays of its creditors earlier. This might be possible so that Oracle can avail cash discounts and not keep long credit term period. Inventory Looking at the past years balance sheet, it can be concluded that both of the firms were successful in reducing their inventory level over the past...However, this is not of due importance, the respective companies have been consistent with this over the years and this will not affect our analysis. Looking at the past years balance sheet, it can be concluded that both of the firms were successful in reducing their inventory level over the past two years. Microsoft reduced their inventory level from $1,372 million in 2011 to $1,137 million in 2012. This shows a decrease in inventory level of 17% over the year. On the other hand, Oracle was able to reduce the inventory level by 48% which is almost the half from the previous year. The company’s inventory level declined from $303 million in 2011 to $158 million in 2012. The above comparison of inventory level shows that Oracle has been able to reduce its cost of holding inventory such as cost to insure, track and storage cost. An inventory shows the firm’s investment tied up in form of stock until the good is sold. It also indicates that Oracle would have a better quick ratio which is a better measure of liquidity than current ratio. This ratio excludes inventory from current ratio as it is difficult for firms to convert inventory into stock. Also, Oracle might have a better inven tory management system as they might be using just-in-time method for their inventory, where company receives inventory only when needed or they might have a better a sales forecast in comparison to Microsoft.

What's the difference between greek theatre and roman theatre Essay

What's the difference between greek theatre and roman theatre - Essay Example Greek theatrics are considered to be a refined form of artistic expression, whereas Romans adopted it from the Greeks just for the sake of entertainment. For this reason, unlike the elaborate architectural designs of Greek theatres, Roman theatres were just temporary structures that were put up for a particular show and then taken down soon after (Walton & McDonald, 2007, p. 218). However, Roman did construct massive amphitheatres but those were primarily meant for gladiatorial activities and games. Roman theatres were largely 180 degrees and the orchestra was found in the seating area. Whereas, Greeks had open-air theatres that were built in the landscape, despite their simplicity the setting and stages were more elaborated decorated than that of the Romans and were slightly lower. The structure was 270 degrees and the entire theatre was more planned, with a clear demarcation of the areas allocated for the actors, audiences and the orchestra (Walton & McDonald, 2007, p. 136). All in all, the Greeks were incredibly serious about theatrics as a form of social expression, while Romans simply pandered to the demands of the audiences and focused just on making an act as entertaining as possible. As the elders feared that Roman pragmatism would be tarnished by Greek frivolity, the art form could not go beyond its superficial status. The perceptions of Theatrical Arts varied significantly between the Romans and the Greeks, which is the greatest difference between the two and forms the basis for all other dissimilarities in the production of their plays and the general architecture of the

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Summary - Essay Example The wages these companies give workers cannot be compared to the revenues they make in their financial years. However, this trend was created by local investors who created a very low wage margin for local workers. Comparing the wages given by local companies and international compared there is about 50 percent difference. This shows how much disregard local companies treat local human resources. On a brighter side, international investments have been of great importance to the economy on India. The country’s infrastructure has greatly improved and many SMEs have been cropping up creating imitations of the international brands (Selzer & Faigley, 395). Regardless of the lack of originality, analysts have argued that this is a good thing since there is creation of jobs (Selzer & Faigley, 393). This whole perspective begs the questions; should there be rules of trade that govern international exploration of local companies? If the rules are created, who will be the least benefici ary? In my opinion globalization should not be governed by financial insecurities. This is because globalization has made the international corporate world effective and much competitive and this leads to growth of the global economy. The article on America’s place on the world is based on the recent global view on the nation. After the Second World War, America assumed the position of super power. A position it effectively exploited with its colonization of European and Asian markets (Selzer & Faigley 379). Its mandate to safeguard the globe has also been effectively executed as the nation is always in fight against terrorism in any part of the globe. However, recent events such the September 11 attacks have made many nations question the capabilities of the United States in ensuring a safe globe (Selzer & Faigley 379). American citizens also feel that the nation has too much on its plate and this is creating a