Diabetes: Evidence Based Diagnosis Tool Essay

Diabetes is a major health concern in the United Stated affecting 29.1 millions or about 9.3% of the population with new diagnosis of 1.7 millions in 2012 (ADA, 2014). According to ADA, there are about 8.1 millions undiagnosed diabetic patients in the US. With this figure, it is important that we have a proper tool to diagnose diabetes accurately. This will help to devise a proper intervention if the disease is diagnosed easily and accurately. Person with diabetes are unable to use and store glucose, which then stays in that person’s bloodstream and causes blood glucose level to rise. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is called adolescent diabetes or insulin-subordinate diabetes, where body does not create any insulin. Individuals with sort 1 diabetes must take insulin day by day. Type 1 diabetes generally happens in kids. In the US, five percent of total diabetes patients suffer from type 1 diabetes according to American Diabetes Association. Daily insulin intake with other medication as needed is the treatment of choice for type 1 diabetes patients. In type 2 diabetes, body does not create enough insulin or is not able to utilize insulin as required. Commonly, type 2 diabetes occurs to people who are over 40. Not having or failure to utilize insulin leads to higher blood glucose level, which could damage kidney, heart, eyes, and nerves. Management of type 2 diabetes is complicated. Early diagnosis is importa nt so that proper control and intervention can be done to avoid further damage of organs (ADA, 2014) Person with diabetes will show common symptoms but for laboratory test will confirm the disease. Laboratory testing of person’s blood is important. There are several types of blood tests that can be done to find out blood glucose level of the patient. â€Å"Conventionally, blood glucose levels measured either in the fasting state or following a standard glucose load have formed  the basis for diagnosis of diabetes (Florkowski, 2013).† Blood glucose level could be misleading especially when patients haven’t eaten or are ill (ADA, 2014). So, taking a blood glucose sample at a particular time instead of averaging out over time will not give a correct glucose reading. HbA1C test as a laboratory tool for diagnosing the diabetes have proven to be more precise and conclusive and reflective of the person’s glucose level over time. According to Florkowski, HbA1C provides an information of chronic glucose level instead of a single point in time. It provides an integrated reference of glucose over the lifespan of red blood cells, which is 120 days. â€Å"It therefore seems logical that such a test would be appropriate in diagnosing a disease characterised by chronic hyperglycaemia and a gradual progression to complications (Florkowski, 2013).† Also, the test itself is very convenient for patients because they do not have to fast and a single test is sufficient. Florkowski presents a massive study with 44623 participants aged 20-78 with retinal photographs to show that HbA1C test is as effective as or better than other glucose tests. The study analyzed the relationship between diabetic specific retinopathy and three blood glucose measures. The study found that fasting plasma glucose and Hba1c have slender edge runs inside which event of diabetes-particular retinopathy starts to increment impressively. The occurrence of retinopathy was small with HbA1C  prevention measures can be done at early stage of the disease and complications related to diabetes can be reduced. American Diabetes Association. (2010). Retrieved from www.diabetes.org on November 9, 2014. Florkowski, Chris (2013), HbA1C as a Diagnostic Test for Diabetes Mellitus – Reviewing the Evidence, Clin Biochem Rev., 34(2): 75–83.

Marketing of Hardbite Chips

Hardbite Chips Langara College School of Management MARK 1115 Introduction to Marketing D. Hill 23 November 2009 Executive Summary This report provides an analysis of Hardbite Chips and the Snack Food Industry and offers recommendations for Hardbite Chips to develop an effective marketing plan. Hardbite Chips is an environmentally sustainable business that provides healthy, good-tasting, and quality potato chips. The target market we have selected for Hardbite Chips is health conscious consumers, particularly those with children.It is our belief that the consumers will be attracted by the healthy features of our product and will be willing to pay slightly more for these benefits. It is our objective to significantly increase awareness of our product among these consumers. As our funds for promotional activities are limited and our target market can be hard to reach our marketing mix focuses heavily on sales promotion. Advertising and public relations will help us promote the features of our product and position it as a high quality brand in the minds of consumers. We hope to use personal selling to increase the number of retailers that carry our product.We believe Hardbite Chips has the ability to obtain satisfactory profits and grow the business. This will allow the company to better compete against the numerous competitors in the industry and increase sales. As the business grows, more funds can be spent on promotional activities enabling the company to expand its target market and appeal to more retailers. Table of Contents Current Marketing Strategy†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 Company Mission Statement.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1 Internal and External Analysis PEST Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Competitive Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Target Market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 Marketing Objectives and Issues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Marketing Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Product Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Pricing Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Distribution Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Integrated Marketing Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 12Appendix I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Endnotes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 Current Marketing Situation The Canadian snack food market presents a lucrative opportunity for new and existing companies in the industry. In 2008, Canadians ate an average of 3. 2 kg of potato chips. 1 Food stores capture the majority of snack food purchases in 2001 at approximately 67% and supermarkets accounted for approximately two-thirds of this. Convenience stores took the third largest share of the market at around 13%.Mass merchandisers and wholesale club stores have increased their market share in recent years, passing convenience stores, as more of these types of locations have opened in Canada. However, this change has not yet significantly affected food stores. 2 In 2007, Canadian retail grocery stores sold over $1. 8 billion worth of snack food, with potato chips accounting for approximately $550 million. This continues the recent trend of 6% growth in annual retail sales of potato chips. 3 This growth has encouraged companies to expand into nich e markets by offering unique flavours and organic products.The Canadian snack food industry has seen an increase in new entrants in recent years despite the presence of big corporations. These big corporations have economies of scale which give them a significant competitive advantage in terms of cost. Furthermore, these corporations benefit from massive advertising budgets that allow them to hold on to their majority market share. Frito-Lays, a division of PepsiCo. , is the leader in the Canadian snack food industry with multiple SBUs that offer many different products, including different varieties of chips in various flavours. However, the opportunity exists for smaller companies to come in nd target niche markets. In fact, â€Å"in 2006, 106 Canadian snack food manufactures shipped $1. 6 billion of product†. 4 However, big corporations are beginning to see the potential of these markets and are beginning to expand into them. A good example of this is Frito-Lays and the in troduction of their Wasabi flavoured chips5. Company Mission Statement Hardbite Chips is dedicated to providing our customers with a healthy, good-tasting, and quality potato chip. In doing so, we are committed to be an environmentally sustainable company with strong ties to the community. Internal and External Analysis PEST Analysis: Hardbite Chips | |Political Environment |Economical Environment | |Mandatory nutrition labeling |Economic recession | |Provincial Government policy bans junk food sales in elementary and |Tough to get capital | |high schools |People are less likely to spend money on unknown premium brands | |Social Cultural Environment |Technological Environment | |Trend away from unhealthy snacks |Equipment needed to expand production is expensive | |Potato chips blamed for contributing to obesity | | |Recent discovery of acrylamide, a possible carcinogen, found in | | |carbohydrates cooked at high temperatures | | |People looking to buy environmentally friendly products | | |Competitive Environment |Demographic Environment | |Heavy competition in industry |Many consumers more interested in environmentally friendly products | |Low brand loyalty among consumers in industry |Many people are concerned about health | |Large corporations have majority of market share | | SWOT Analysis: Hardbite Chips | |Strengths |Weaknesses | |Product is hand-cooked |Limited cash-flow makes it difficult to grow | |Potatoes are grown locally |Brand is fairly unknown | |Focus on quality |Small production facility compared to major competitors | |Unique flavours | | |Growing brand awareness | | |Sold in many health stores and on many campuses in BC.Also sold | | |across BC in well known stores such as London Drugs, Shoppers Drug | | |Mart, Overwaitea, and IGA Marketplace locations | | |Opportunities |Threats | |Expanding market |Provincial Government policy bans junk food sales in elementary and | |Many consumers are becoming more interested in environme ntally |high schools |friendly products |Larger competition may enter market | |Many consumers are concerned about health |Economic recession | |Opportunity to target niche ethnic markets |Tough to get capital | | |People are less likely to spend money on unknown premium brands | | |Low brand loyalty among consumers in industry | Competitive Analysis We wish to position Hardbite Chips as a top quality potato chip brand in the minds of consumers. It is our desire to utilize the frequent consumer assumption that quality and price are related. [pic] We believe Hardbite Chips has the potential to develop a niche competitive advantage. Our primary focus is on serving health conscious consumers.Thus, our most important unique selling proposition is to focus on the healthy qualities of our product. By producing an all natural potato chip that is free of trans-fats, we believe we will appeal to health conscious consumers. Also, Hardbite Chips was an early entrant into the expanding healt hy potato chip market and the company has expanded its distribution points from originally selling in health food stores. It is our belief that this has created brand recognition among the early adopters of healthy snacks. As the number of consumers purchasing healthy snacks increases, we think these early adopters will recommend the product to consumers helping the brand grow.Furthermore, with the discovery of acrylamide, a possible carcinogen, in baked and fried carbohydrates cooked at high temperatures, including many of the existing potato chips on the market, we have an advantage over many of our competitors as our product is not cooked at high enough temperatures to produce acrylamide. Hardbite Chips also uses unique ingredients such as Himalayan salt which provides more nutrients while keeping sodium levels low. This can be particularly appealing to health conscious consumers, especially to those with high blood pressure. Another unique selling proposition Hardbite Chips can use is to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. Our company is committed to be an environmentally friendly company.Our potatoes and spices are supplied by local growers and our packaging is supplied by a local manufacturer. By highlighting these facts we believe we can convince environmentally conscious consumers that our company operates with similar values. As the â€Å"green† movement grows larger, we think we are situated to capture a large portion of this growing market. Another advertising appeal that we could use as a unique selling proposition is our unique flavours which may appeal to particular ethnic groups. While we attempt to make flavours that we think will appeal to everyone, we realize that certain ethnic groups may find some of our flavours appealing as they are familiar with them.For instance, our creamy coconut and curry flavoured chips may have a special appeal to Thai people as coconut milk is often added to curry in many Thai recipes. Although w e currently offer only a few unique flavours, it is our desire to develop more. By looking for inspiration in traditional ethnic foods we believe we can find flavours that appeal to Canada’s diverse ethnic communities as well as more traditional consumers of potato chips. Target Market In examining the potato chip market, we have decided to segment the market based on a psychographic segmentation. Our key considerations are the consumers’ motives, personality, lifestyle, and geodemographics.Since, there is normally just one person who does the grocery shopping for an entire family, most likely a parent, it is our desire to target this person. In particular, we are interested in targeting working parents who are raising children in an urban environment. In terms of personality and lifestyle we would segment these people by looking at the type and amount of activities they do. We are looking to target people who have full, active schedules and are looking for healthy foo d options but do not have time to compare products on their own. For motives, we are looking for parents that are concerned about providing healthy snacks their children will actually eat.By using geodemographics, we will be able to slightly modify our advertisements for certain ethnic neighbourhoods. We have chosen to target this segment because our product is capable of meeting their needs and should easily appeal to them. Also, as this segment purchases most of the food for their family, our product will be exposed to their children as well. This will help grow brand recognition and will help increase the sales of our product among other segments. The primary challenge we foresee in targeting this segment of the market is our ability to find an appropriate and effective media to communicate to them. These people balance work and family obligations which can take up a substantial amount of their time.For a convenience product such as snack food, these people may not pay attention to ads for different brands. Also, these people often have other things on their mind so they may be distracted when presented with our ads. Marketing Objectives and Issues Our objective is to increase consumer awareness of our product by 30% in the next year. Since our product is still fairly unknown and the company has been focussed on expanding production facilities, we believe now is a good time to increase promotional expenditures and raise awareness of our product. We are most concerned with increasing the awareness of our product benefits and decreasing customer resistance to buying our product.To measure the success of our objective, we will use monthly surveys to determine the approximate number of consumers aware of our product. When increasing awareness of our product, we wish to focus on the benefits that our product offers to consumers. These benefits would include the healthy aspects and quality of our potato chips. We believe consumers will perceive our all-natural, h and-cooked products as highly compatible with their lifestyles. Thus, as consumers become aware of our product, sales should increase. Also, by increasing awareness of our product we hope to decrease consumer resistance to buying our product. In recent years, potato chips have come under attack for contributing to obesity and related health problems.Additionally, carbohydrates cooked at high temperatures have been found to contain acrylamide, a possible carcinogen. Our product addresses these concerns and by informing consumers of this, we believe they will decide to choose our product over our competitors leading to an increase in our sales. In order to measure the effectiveness of our strategy, it is important to receive continuous feedback from consumers. Therefore we will survey consumers throughout the year to measure changes in awareness of our product and the change in the number of people buying our product. We will also ask consumers how they view our product compared to th ose offered by other snack food manufacturers and how they perceive our product in terms of health.Challenges in meeting our marketing objectives will include selecting an effective channel through which to educate consumers about our product. Also, as more companies are entering into the market we will be competing with them to make customers aware of our products. Another challenge that may present itself is the large companies in the industry may also become aware of our product and choose to emulate some characteristics of our product reducing our competitive advantage and making it harder to convince consumers are products are differentiated enough to be material. To overcome these challenges we will attempt to communicate with consumers as close as possible to the point of purchase.Our integrated marketing communication strategy will be the key to providing us the opportunity to meet our marketing objectives. Marketing Research Our research thus far has only included secondary sources of information. However, this information has given us a basic understanding of the market, changes occurring in the market, and our competitors in the industry. Statistics Canada has provided us with detailed information on the total sales of snack food in Canada as well as how large a portion potato chips make up of these sales. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Services have helped us to determine where the majority of snack foods are purchased by consumers in Canada.Industry Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have also supplied us with detailed information about the size of the industry as well as general performance information for the industry. Despite the high cost of primary data, it is our belief that it would benefit the company to conduct such research. This would allow us to better define the exact size and distribution of our target market, the growth of this segment, and the rate at which this segment’s beliefs and attitudes are changing. Primary data will also allow us to develop new flavours that are customers would enjoy. To gather this information we would recommend the company use internet surveys with screened internet samples and to design the questionnaire to provide data on all of these areas so as to keep costs as minimal as possible.We have chosen screened internet samples because they can provide real-time reports and can be personalized for individual respondents. Also, since the segment we have chosen to target is quite active and busy, internet sampling will allow us to reach these consumers and hopefully receive a high rate of responses. Additionally, primary data is needed to assess the company’s ability to meet the marketing objectives. For this we would recommend the company conduct internet surveys with recruited internet samples each month. This will allow us to determine the effectiveness of our promotions. We have included a sample survey that the comp any may use for this purpose (see Appendix I). We have chosen the internet sample method because of its relatively low cost.However, as the company grows, we would recommend the use of focus groups to help develop and test new flavours of chips and to help determine the most effective way of promoting the product to our target market. Although they are more expensive, focus groups allow us to get more detailed information from consumers which we can then use to better serve our customers. Product Strategy Potato chips are at the maturity stage in the product life cycle. Many of our competitors have been in the business longer than us and have established a hold over some share of the market. Many new entrants to the industry, including Hardbite Chips, target niche markets that have been underserved by larger, more established companies. Our product is aimed at satisfying the needs of health conscious consumers.To meet these needs, our product provides consumers with many healthy fea tures not included with other potato chips. By making our potato chips trans-fat and cholesterol free we provide a product that consumers can snack on without having to worry about high cholesterol and its detrimental effects on health. We also use Himalayan salt instead of table salt on our potato chips. Himalayan salt provides â€Å"84 minerals in the same ratio as healthy blood plasma† and is a lower sodium alternative to table salt. 6 We believe this will be particularly appealing to health conscious consumers, especially those with high blood pressure. Another health benefit our potato chips have over those of most others potato chips, is our unique cooking process.During this process, temperatures do not get high enough to create acrylamide in our potato chips. Since acrylamide is has been found to be a possible carcinogen, we believe customers will see this as a significant benefit. Our product is augmented by offering our potato chips in different and unique flavours. Also, information about the healthy qualities of our product can be found on the packaging. We would like to further augment the product by increasing the number of flavours available and providing a guarantee of consumer satisfaction with our product. Our long term goal is to position the Hardbite Chips as a top quality brand in the minds of consumers. Pricing StrategyOur pricing objective is satisfactory profits. This will enable us to compete with our competitors and continue to grow our production levels. Our competitors in the industry are numerous and many have developed economies of scale giving them the advantage of lower costs. Therefore, to achieve our objective we want to position our product at a slightly higher price than our competitors. We want to utilize the assumption of uncertain consumers that price and quality are related. However, we must be careful not to price our product to high as the market for potato chips is elastic. It is important that the company has enough sales to cover our fixed costs and provide satisfactory profits.As we our selling a product in the maturity stage of the product lifestyle, the distribution channels we use is important to the company. Thus, it is important that we price our product at a level that appeals to wholesalers and retailers. Our pricing strategy is to focus on the market for healthy and high quality potato chips. We believe this will allow us to price our product at a price slightly above our competitors. In order to encourage customers to try our product we will offer coupons. This will allow us stimulate demand by offering a lower price temporarily. We can then discontinue the rebate once people are aware of our product. Distribution StrategyHardbite Chips currently distributes the potato chips it produces through numerous distributors. This strategy has helped the brand grow from being sold in mainly in health stores to being sold on many campuses across BC in addition to well known stores such as London Drugs, Shoppers Drug Mart, Overwaitea, and IGA Marketplace locations. This has allowed the company to increase demand for its products without having its own sales force. Given the proportion of snack food sales in retail grocery stores, we believe it is important that we communicate directly to these retailers to encourage them to carry our brand. We also think selling our product in convenience tores will help increase brand awareness. Retailers that we feel would immensely help increase our sales include Safeway, The Real Canadian Superstore, and 7-11. Getting our product sold in vending machines would also help increase brand awareness. Despite a provincial ban on the sales of junk food in elementary and high schools, vending machines are found in many high traffic areas. As our packaging has information on the health benefits of our product, health conscious consumers may be more inclined to buy our product given the alternatives. IMC Strategy Our primary communicatio n objective is to convince consumers our product is a healthy choice for their snacking needs.We would also like to communicate our commitment to the environment and our community. We feel that these messages can complement each other and work to position the company as caring and responsible in the minds of consumers. Given the size of our company and the limited amount of funds we have for promotion, we cannot afford to spend the amount we would like to on advertising. Thus, to reach our target market, we think we should advertise in magazines devoted to healthy lifestyles. The reason we have chosen magazines is they are a relativity low cost advertising option, they have a long advertising life and they have a high pass-along rate.We believe public relations may be the most cost effective way to increase customer awareness of our product. Sponsoring community activities, like a community garden, and co-sponsoring events like eco-challenge, which receives national television cover age, will help establish us as a health conscious and environmentally friendly company. Sponsoring activities like this will also likely result in positive media coverage for the company. This media coverage will inform consumers of our product that we were unable to reach through our advertising. Sales promotion provides many appealing options and offers the easiest way to reach our target market. For these reason it will be the largest portion of our target segment.Since potato chips are a convenience product, consumers spend a little time deciding which product to buy and they are not likely to remember advertising for a particular potato chip brand. Therefore, a point of purchase display may significantly help sway a consumer in favour of our product. This allows us to be the last promotional item they see before they make their purchase. Providing samples is another sale promotion technique that we think would work well for our product. By being able to sample our product befor e purchasing it, consumers will be less put off by our slightly higher price. As we discussed in our pricing strategy, we would also like to use coupons to entice customers to buy our product. By temporarily reducing our price we believe many more consumers will be willing to try our product.As we discussed in our distribution strategy, we would like to use personal selling to encourage more retailers to carry our product. By doing this together with our other promotional elements we hope to create an effective mix of push and pull strategies that will convince more retailers to carry our product. As the company grows and more funds can be spent on promotional activities we would like to increase the amount of advertising done. We would like to use different forms of media to reach our target market. Also, as consumer awareness of our brand grows and we increase our product offerings, we would like to expand our target market and create slightly different marketing campaigns to targ et certain ethnic groups. ConclusionDespite heavy competition in the snack food industry we think Hardbite Chips can produce satisfactory profits and continue to grow. Given that potato chips are in the maturity stage of the product life cycle, increasing the number of retailers that sell our product is an important part of our strategy. By increasing the number of retailers who sell our product, we will make it easier for our target market to purchase our product. We believe by increasing awareness of our product we can capture a large portion of health conscious consumers. By using our promotion mix to inform consumers of the benefits and features of our product, we can convince members of our target market segment that our brand is of high quality.Although our price is slightly higher than most of our competitors, we believe consumers will perceive our product as worth the extra cost. Appendix I Sample Survey |1. List all brands of potato chips that you are aware of. | |_________ _____________________________________________________________________ | |______________________________________________________________________________ | |______________________________________________________________________________ | |2.Are you aware of the brand Hardbite Chips? (if your answer is no, skip to question 4) | |Yes ___ No___ | |3. What product features of Hardbite Chips are you aware of? | |______________________________________________________________________________ | |______________________________________________________________________________ | |4. On average, how often do you buy potato chips? |More than once a week ___ | |Once a week___ | |Once a month___ | |Once every 2-3 months___ | Endnotes 1. Statistics Canada, Canada Food Stats: Analysis, http://www. statcan. gc. ca/ads-annonces/23f0001x/hl-fs-eng. htm 2. L. B. C. Consulting, Canada: Market Development Reports: Snack Food Market in Canada, Global Agriculture Information Network Report, United States D epartment of Agriculture (Ottawa, Canada: Foreign Agriculture Services, 2003), 6. http://www. fas. usda. gov/gainfiles/200301/145785163. pdf 3. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Retail Sales in Canadian Grocery Stores, 2007, http://www. ats-sea. agr. gc. ca/can/4714-eng. htmAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Retail Sales in Canadian Grocery Stores, 2006, http://www. ats-sea. agr. gc. ca/can/4715-eng. htm 4. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada's Snack Food Industry, http://ats-sea. agr. gc. ca/supply/3320_e. htm 5. The Province, â€Å"From pasta to potato chips,† May 21, 2006, Canadian Newstand, ProQuest 6. Sarah Merson, â€Å"SALT — THE PROS AND THE CONS,† Foods Matter (UK), March 2009, 9, EBSCOhost Bibliography Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Canada's Snack Food Industry. http://ats-sea. agr. gc. ca/supply/3320_e. htm. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Retail Sales in Canadian Grocery Stores, 2006. http://www. ats-sea. agr. gc. ca/can/4715-eng. htm.

A Dangerous Method Essay

David Cronenberg’s latest film, â€Å"A Dangerous Method,† recounts the relationship between two psychiatry pioneers, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, in the early part of the 20th century. Michael Fassbender as Jung, Viggo Mortensen as Freud, and Keira Knightley as Jung’s patient and future psychoanalyst Sabina Spielrein. It’s Jung around whom the story revolves, as a rising young intellect attempting to build on Freud’s fledgling theories of psychoanalysis. In Cronenberg’s version, we watch as their professional relationship evolves from student-teacher to one more like father-son, before eventually fracturing. Jung has a wife (Sarah Gadon) who spends most of the film either pregnant or lamenting that she’s popped out yet another girl. It’s a stable, normal relationship, exactly the type of thing to send a driven man like Jung into the arms of another woman. He can’t help himself, and he has a willing and ready partner in Spielrein. Knightley’s Spielrein is a patient of Jung’s during this time. See more: Satirical elements in the adventure of Huckleberry Finn essay With Spielrein’s committal and therapy sessions with Jung, she states, â€Å"I’m vile, filthy, corrupt! †, after admitting she found her father’s sexual and physical abuse arousing. The complexity of the situation is demonstrated by her academic and personal development. After an unusual on-off affair with Jung, whose disagreements with Freud are presented simultaneously, But it’s her romantic relationship with her mentor, in addition to varied professional differences, that Cronenberg tells us is at the center of Jung’s falling-out with Freud. There are reasons that doctors shouldn’t sleep with their patients, many of which surface during the course of Jung and Spielrein’s romance. As the relationship breaks down, things are further complicated by the fact that Spielrein is a psychiatric student herself, allowing her to analyze her doctor/lover right back. Spielrein eventually seeks out Freud to be her new analyst, which further poisons the Jung-Freud relationship. Sexuality issues portrayed in this film were the arousal from the beatings from her father and the affair that Spielrein was having with Jung. The beatings she first remembered started when she was four years old. Her father told her to go to this little room, then told her to take off her clothes, he then beat her. After the beating she then wet herself, and her father then beat her again for wetting. This excited her very much. After that every time she got sent to that room she got excited, then even more excited after her father beat her. She would instantly have to go masturbate after the beatings. After a little time it wasn’t just the beating that got her aroused, it was any kind of embarrassment. The more embarrassing the more excited she would become. One instance in the movie Spielrein dropped her coat on the ground, Jung picked it up and started hitting it with his cane to get the dirt off of it and she instantly needed to go back to her room because she was so excited that she needed to masturbate. The affair with Jung was of course inappropriate in many ways, but for Jung I saw it as a way to keep his life exciting. His wife always seemed to be pregnant and very low key and having the extra woman on the side kept him going. Not that it makes it okay, especially since it was clients that he was sleeping with. Even after Jung put a stop to the relationship with Spielrein, later when she came back to talk about her dissertation they then had another intimate encounter. The more Jung spoke with her, the more they explored her past with her father, and this gave Jung a better understanding of what things made her more aroused then others. At one point in the movie Spielrein is asked about her troubles sleeping at night. She explains that she feels like something is in bed with her and it felt slimy on her back. Jung then asked if she was naked, and her response was yes. He then asked if she was masturbating, and her response again was yes. This told him it wasn’t all her imagination it was also parts of her arousal while masturbating. I loved this film, I have now watched it three times. It shows how sometimes peoples pasts can really affect their daily life with something such as embarrassment, or being beaten as a child. It was very eye opening to me to see how easily Jung started sleeping with his clients, and how his wife just didn’t say much at all about the affairs. Almost like if she didn’t say anything then it didn’t make it real. The first time watching this movie I found myself on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what was going to happen next, and how they were going to deal with her outbursts and situations. I think this movie would be great for awareness, because it seemed so easy for them to go into a relationship, but really it is very wrong to become emotionally attached to a client, let alone sleep with them. I know this movie probably isn’t quite for everyone, but going into a human services field I think it would be a great movie to show in one of the many classes that regards to client and helper relationships. I found it intriguing and informational and I love building my knowledge when it comes to situations with helpers and clients.

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Action since - Essay Example His involvement reflected his keen interest in the company and with his work. He also wanted a safe working environment for his co-workers which show his interest in safeguarding the security rights for his employee workers. Soon, he realized that the safety plan occurs only on papers as he never saw the plan being implemented in a thorough manner. This made Gordon realized that he is just a low level employee. It has been evidently clear that the company is a growth-oriented company which has proven its image as a productive and as a most profitable one. For the company, other issues were not as important as they should be until they start hindering the profits or the provoked legal consequences. There was no authentic and working employee security memo which showed the lack of interest from company’s behalf for its employees. Gil, the VP of engineering has also played a key role in this case study. He can be referred as a dictatorial manager. He is very committed towards fulfilling his goals. Gil was known for his compassion, dedication and utmost involvement with his work. He is also known for reducing the 40 percent of the employees from the company’s new plant established in Arizona. He knows no emotions and feelings while working; in fact, he prefers the work in first place. The key differences in the personalities of Gil and Gordon and the organizational setup of the c ompany were the root-cause of the problem that emerged on the surface. The difference of organizational culture that Gordon felt between his new company and the Pacific Bell. The company did not provide any assistance to the employees for their personal development. Gordon also had differences with the key senior management personnel such as Gil. The dictatorial management style of Gil. His behavior and management style was one of the problems that stirred tension in the company and de-motivated his employees. To deal with the

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Writing - Essay Example However, Hou Hsai-hsien has used the concept of the red balloon in the context of modern day Paris. Hou Hsai-hsien’s film seems to underline the change in the perception of childhood since the 1950s. The little boy Pascal (The Red Balloon) and Simon (Flight of the Red Balloon) live two different types of life set apart by the time to which they belong. Their childhood too seems to be suffering from the whims of the adult world. The red balloon that connects both the films and gives the feel of continuity is the only representation of a child’s free spirit and imagination. Albert Lamorisse in his film The Red Balloon portrays childhood as a fairytale world where a child’s dream comes true. The big and bright red balloon brings variation in the otherwise monotonous life of Pascal. Lamorisse seems to stress upon the fact that childhood often gets lost in the attempt of making children live under strict routine. Pascal breaks free from the mechanical life with getting the balloon. He tries to shield it and protect it from the violence of nature and the human world. It seems as though he is trying to keep his imagination away from the clutches of harsh reality and live in his own imaginative world. The red balloon which stands for a child’s fantasy and boundless imagination follows Pascal everywhere. This sense of dependence and attachment that they bear for each other indicates the child’s love for his own imaginative world. But finally reality takes over as the older boys out of jealousy and the pleasure of bullying him steal his re d balloon and pelt stones at it. The conclusion of the film is made unique and full of optimism as Lamorisse does not project the death of a child’s imagination but by setting Pascal on a flight with the colorful balloons triggers childhood fancy. Hou Hsai-hsien’s Flight of the Red Balloon treats the red balloon as the icon of childhood

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American Gov3 - Research Paper Example These duties and responsibilities extend to all fifty states and other lands under U.S. supervision, such as Puerto Rico2. In addition to this, the FDA is responsible for various regulatory functions, such as monitoring and controlling electronic product radiation and tobacco products. This agency promotes public health by maintaining and releasing current information, based on scientific study and testing, on the various products and substances under its domain, so that citizen consumers have accurate information with which to improve their health. In addition, the FDA promotes the advancement of public health by safely and effectively speeding innovations within affected industries3. As the FDA is required to maintain certain safety standards in each are under its supervision, it can often come under pressure by government officials, corporations, and private businesses. The speed and efficiency of testing, the amount of regulation required in term so proper labeling, and other aspects of product regulation may be viewed as too harsh or too lenient by various standards. As a result, the agency is under constant pressure from producers and consumers

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Reflection on skills - Essay Example Humans gain different types of skills and knowledge in their courses of life experiences and formal learning. What is most important is what remains and is retained for purposes of applying it in the workplace. This essay is an explanation of the skills and knowledge I have acquired before and currently as a human resource student in our university class and an application of all these in workplace. An important knowledge I have acquired in the university is an understanding of leadership dynamics in the context of an organisation. Many other things in an organisation undergo change over time and so are the organisation’s leadership expected to change. Â  The shift from being static to dynamic/changeable is motivated by the need to achieve better performance whereas the push for better performance in many organisations is driven by the existing competition. This calls for the delivery of very quality services or production of quality products. This objective is normally well achieved through continuous innovation and creativity in the organisation. Agbor (2008) explains that leaders in organisations are sources and catalysts to innovation and creativity. An organisation’s leadership can be able to drive creativity by encouraging and managing diversity. This means the leaders should initiate a change in the organisation’s culture. According to Zaccaro (2001), the leadership structure of an organisation should be one that can support and sustain innovation process in the organisation. This means that necessary changes should be made to this structure. According to Zaccaro (2001), the factor of time is very important for leaders and this means leaders of an organisation have to choose wisely their time-orientation. This decision is very important considering the limited resource in many organisations. For example, long-term leadership perspectives are aimed at long term prosperity. Short-term orientation is important when aiming at immediate results and pay-offs. This usually becomes a good option if the organisation operates under social systems that are complex and insecure. However, leadership dynamics requires that organisation’s leaders should be able to adapt to the two perspectives because one perspective exploits the resources of the organisation. As an assistant manager, I was able to use time orientation skill in making long-term and short term decisions in the shoe company in response to existing organisation’s needs. I had to make a consideration of the available resources. According to Dyer (1999) competencies refer to context-specific behaviours that define success in a particular setting. I have come to acquire knowledge on diverse professional and personal HR competencies through this course. These competencies are grouped into core, role-specific and role leadership and management competencies, and personal attributes. The core HR professional competencies include compliance, stewardship, coaching and consulting , customer focus, technology expertise, talent, vendor and knowledge management, virtual teamwork, employee advocacy and , assessment and measuring skills (Brockbank and Ulrich, 2003). Â   According to Ramlall, (2006), personal attributes/competencies include result orientation, continuous leadership, commitment, and honesty and integrity. Leadership and management competencies include vision alignment, strategic thinking, resource management, networking, process excellence, teamwork, goal setting and performance development (Brockbank and Ulrich, 2003). Â  As an administrator in a beer factory, I utilised the HR competencies I had acquired during my past learning and online research to respond to customer needs. I did this in a way that adds value to the organisation while developing significant customer satisfaction. I also made sure that I handled employee issues in a way that it kept or increased their motivation no matter the situation. I am also knowl edgeable on the importance of practical and creative thinking skills in relation to HR. HR require

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Company Profile- Ted Baker - Essay Example But through them it has continued the journey of its prosperity and advancement. The company has opened many outlets worldwide; also it has jumped into the online shopping market. The Ted Baker Company used high quality materials and techniques in their production. It is one of the chief reasons of its prosperity (Ellen, 2007, p. 281). In this study we will discuss deeply the company profile of the Ted Baker Company. The history of the company, its products details, marketing and advertisement strategies, recent development, competitors and customers will be the main topics of discussion. In this way we will be able to understand the growth and the impact of the market values on the development of the company. It is important to note that the Ted Baker Company has only completed two decades since its appearance in the market. The founder of the Ted Baker Company is the passionate and the capable business man Ray Kelvin. Kelvin belonged to the long line of fashion retailers. In his childhood he worked in the garment shop of his uncle and after that he developed the idea of a long chain fashion store in his peak years. The aspect which greatly contributed towards the success of his idea and the acceptance of the company among the customers is the fine taste of Ray Kelvin. He had the ability to capture the needs and tastes of the buyers. He was also awarded a CBE for his extraordinary services to the industry of fashion and clothing. He used his greater sense of marketing techniques to capture the attention of the customers. The journey of the Ted Baker Company started in the year 1988 when the company opened its first store at the Glasgow. The progress was then followed by the opening of three more stores. The places were Nottingham Exchange Arcade, Manchester and King Street. The promotional strategy was that they offered dry cleaning services with every shirt they sold. At that time the chief product was men’s dress shirt (Ellen, 2007,

International Business - Inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Business - Inflation - Essay Example However inflation in rest of the world is seeing with great skepticism. Many political leaders view it as a failure of the policies of the governments especially in developing countries. Inflation, especially food inflation is on rise on those countries therefore there inflation is now more defined in terms of political terms rather than in economic terms. Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, seems not much worried about the inflation in the country. His stance seems to be in-line with US. Stephen Harper believes that sluggish economic growth is the main reason for the current economic problems whereas inflation is not the main cause of it. (CLARK, 2008) However the stance of the central bank of Canada is slightly different as compared to Mr. Stephen Harper as they view inflation as a worrying sign. Since Canadian economy is largely based on service sector therefore strong Canadian dollar is helping it. However it must be noted that the falling US economy has pushed for the relocation of the US factories to Canada which is helping Canada as strong Canadian dollar against US dollar provide. Further as the increase in the value of Canadian dollar sustain the overall attractiveness of the Canadian Products will increase therefore countries like China and India, Canada will be a better alternative as compared to US. It is believed that rising oil

Strategic Importance of GAP Essay Example for Free

Strategic Importance of GAP Essay GAP is the single most important development project affecting Turkeys regional relations. Its area of operation borders Syria and Iraq, covering close to 30,000 square miles, about 9. 7 percent of Turkeys total territory. About 6. 1 million people, nearly 10 percent of Turkeys population, live there. The reluctance of international financial institutions, especially the World Bank, to finance dam building in disputed river basins meant that GAP had to be almost entirely domestically financed. This region is relatively undeveloped. Agriculture plays twice the role in the areas economy (39. 6 percent versus 17. 7 percent) that it does in the Turkish economy as a whole, while manufacturing is about half as important (11. 7 percent against 25. 2 percent) as in the entire country. The region only produces about 4 percent of the national income and ranks low in almost all aspects of development, including education and purchasing power. GDP per capita in the southeast region has been roughly 55 percent of the Turkish average (Turkish State Institute of Statistics, 1997:722). GAP is an ambitious project to narrow this gap. When completed, it will regulate 28 percent of Turkeys total water potential, generate 27 billion kilowatts of electrical energy, and irrigate more than 4. 2 million acres of land, thus adding another 50 percent to Turkeys arable farmlands. The amount of agricultural land irrigated by the State Hydraulic Works Administration and the total hydraulic energy (42,162 billion kilowatts) generated in Turkey will be doubled. Moreover, expanding irrigation will allow the production of a larger variety and more profitable crops, hich should ease Turkeys balance-of-payments difficulties. When the total irrigation is completed in the GAP region, the total irrigated area is projected to constitute 19 percent of the total irrigated land in Turkey (21 million acres). Power generation is as important as irrigation in GAPs plan. Dams on the Euphrates account for more than 33 percent of current hydroelectric production in the country, with another 14 percent from the Tigris. In sum, almost half the countrys total hydroelectric generation is being met from dams on these two rivers. By improving living standards, GAP is expected to reduce and perhaps reverse the persistent emigration from the area. Finally, it is hoped that GAP will eventually solve social and economic issues that have led to armed conflict: the bulk of the Kurdish population lives in this poorest part of Turkey. Unequal distribution of land here is a major economic problem that has political implications. â€Å"Some 61 percent of the farmers (about 150,000 families) own less than five hectares (12 acres), and 10 percent of the population own 75 percent of the land. The social structure has remained virtually unchanged since feudal times, with wealthy Kurdish landowners owning dozens of villages† (Bruan, 1994: 26). The tendency of all the riparian states to use the water problem as a domestic ideological tool exacerbates the problem. As Kut and Turan suggest, â€Å"Water disputes may be handy to politicians in personifying real or perceived outside threats in the domestic context, and in this way serve to unite the society against foreign enemies and mobilize support for the government† (1997:140). Indeed, the water issue has been effectively used in projecting the developmental needs in each country as strategic priorities and in defining water as an indispensable part of independent, autonomous development. The maximalist positions that all parties adopt regarding this issue might indeed be explained through such ideological imperatives (Kut Turan, 1997). Conclusion Strategic considerations and recent developments have also had a major impact on the water issue. While Turkish-Iraqi relations have been shaped by events in the Persian Gulf region, Syrias stance has been affected by the growing cooperation between Turkey and Israel. There are many reasons for this relationship, but one significant factor is Turkish concern over Syria, and this is in large part related to the water dispute. By shifting the strategic balance toward Turkey and against Syria, the alignment also strengthened Turkeys hand in the water issue (Muslih, 1996:124). From Israels perspective Turkey is the only potential source of water imports. From the perspective of Turkey, having Israel as a credible ally on the southern border of Syria helps ease tensions over the water and related Kurdish separatist activity originating in Syria. All these developments suggest that Syria can no longer use the â€Å"ethnic card† in bargaining over water with Turkey. An additional factor here is the potential for Turkish-Israeli economic cooperation related to GAP, the expansion of agribusiness that uses irrigation, and related industrial projects. An official protocol between the GAP administration and the government of Israel in conjunction with the International Cooperation and Training Center of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for instance, is underway, in which the two sides will cooperate on technology and training. In broader terms GAP could contribute to regional development, including potentially involving Syria in peaceful cooperation. A memorandum of understanding signed between the GAP administration and the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas in Syria on June 26, 1999, for instance, aims to develop an agricultural research center in the GAP area and monitor national resource utilization. Such confidence-building measures can prove crucial for a cooperative solution to the water dispute. Although Turkey is not a direct party to the peace process it has many expectations from a developing peaceful environment in the region. Despite being only on the periphery of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Turkeys internal and external security has suffered from terrorist and Islamic radical movements that flourish in the region. The Gulf War had devastating effects on the economy of the eastern and southeastern provinces in Turkey and contributed to rising separatist PKK activity in the area. Peaceful southern neighbors would help defuse tensions based on developmental gaps between the region and the rest of the country and increase trade. A more peaceful Middle East, if achieved, is likely not only to ease tensions over the Euphrates-Tigris Basin but also create an environment for a cooperative solution to the issue. Delinking the water issue from the wider security concerns, Kurdish ethnic problems, focus on regional underdevelopment, and optimal utilization of water resources instead can itself be instrumental in building regional cooperation in the Middle East. References Tomanbay, Mehmet (2000). TURKEYS APPROACH TO UTILIZATION OF THE EUPHRATES AND TIGRIS RIVERS , Arab Studies Quarterly, 02713519, Spring, 22(2):79-101Z Demirel, K Kulege (2004). Heavy metal contamination in water and sediments of an estuary in southeastern Turkey. International Journal of Environment Pollution. Geneva: 21(5):499 Ibrahim Kaya (2005). â€Å"Possible Turkish Water Export As A Tool For Peace And Stability In Middle East,† The Journal of Turkish Weekly. Retrieved Dec 11 from http://www. turkishweekly. net/news. php? id=3758 John Waterbury, Transboundary Water and the Challenge of International Cooperation in the Middle East, in Water in the Arab World: Perspectives and Progress, ed. Peter Rogers and Peter Lydon (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994 Gun Kut (1993) â€Å"Burning Waters: The Hydropolitics of the Euphrates and Tigris,† New Perspectives on Turkey 9, 2:1–17. George Gruen (1992). The Water Crisis: The Next Conflict, Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center John Kolars (1994). â€Å"Managing the Impact of Development: The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers and the Ecology of the Arabian Gulf: a Link in Forging Tri-riparian Cooperation,† Ali I. Bagis, ed. , Water as an Element of Cooperation in the Middle East (Ankara: Hacettepe University. Y. Bakour (1992). â€Å"Planning and Water Management of Water Resources in Syria,† in Le Moigne et al. , Country Experiences with Water Resources Management: Economic, institutional, technological and environment (Washington, D. C. : World Bank Frederick W. Frey (1993). â€Å"Power, Conflict and Cooperation,† Research and Exploration: Water Issue 9: 18–37 Suha Bolukbasi (1993) â€Å"Turkey Challenges Iraq and Syria: The Euphrates Dispute,† Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies 16, 4. Turkish State Institute of Statistics (DIE) (1997). Provincial and Regional Statistics, Ankara: DIE Armelle Bruan (1994) â€Å"The Megaproject of Mesopotamia,† Centrepiece (March– April) Gun Kut and Turan (1997) â€Å"Political-Ideological Constraints on Intra-Basin Cooperation on Transboundary Waters, † Natural Resources Forum 21 Muhammed Muslih (1996). â€Å"Syria and Turkey: Uneasy Relations, † in Henri J. Barkey, Reluctant Neighbor: Turkeys Role in the Middle East, Washington, D. C. : U. S. Institute of Peace Press.

Bob Dylan Poetry Essay Example for Free

Bob Dylan Poetry Essay A comparison of recordings of Bob Dylans All along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix offers a vivid case study of what Samuel Floyd characterizes as the complementary oppositions of African- and European-derived musical processes and events. The song itself draws together elements of ballad and blues traditions; and the two recordings treat this synthesis in very different ways even as they share the common ground of late 1960s rock. Dylans is a spare, acoustic folk-rock rendition, while Hendrixs is an opulent electric spectacle whose sonic and syntactic conception npacks the latent drama only suggested by the original. In the process, Hendrix offers an alternative answer to the songs existential dilemma implied in its lyrics and emphasized in its musical setting. This paper examines the elements and the workings of the dialogic interaction represented first of all in Dylans song, and then in the transformation it undergoes in Hendrixs version. His use of language was unusual, and called attention to itself by Juxtaposing words and images not usually associated with each other. In contrast, All Along The Watchtower is spare and restrained. The song consists of only three verses, with no chorus. The language is simple. Yet the three verses are packed with meaning and drama. Lets see how it starts. There must be some kind of way out of here, OSaid the Joker to the thief. Notice how Dylan starts the song by throwing us into the middle of a conversation, and begins with an urgent statement. We dont know where the here is from which the speaker wants to escape, but we know he wants out. The sense of drama is immediate. We find out that the two people speaking are the joker and the thief. These are archetypal characters that have existed in one form r another for thousands of years. By identifying them in this way, Dylan invokes a sense of timelessness. Because these fgures are broad archetypes, there is already a suggestion that this might be a parable of some sort, a story whose essence remains the same over many different times, places and characters. The Joker, or Jester, can be seen in general to represent the artist: s omeone whose role is to amuse other members of the established order, but also to provoke them, to suggest alternate ways of looking at reality. And, of course, the Joker and the thief are both outsiders of sort, united in their separation from more ordered segments of society. Theres too much confusion, 01 cant get no relief. 0Businessmen, they drink my wine, OPIowmen dig my earth. ONone of them along the line 0Know what any of it is worth. The rest of the verse tells us why the Joker wants to escape: there is too much confusion. But what is confused? Others are benefiting from his labors, and working for him to help produce the results. But neither understands the worth of their efforts. So the confusion is about values: what is valuable and what is not. No reason to get xcited, 0The thief he kindly spoke. 0There are many here among us OWho feel that life is but a Joke. 0But you and l, weve been through that, OAnd this is not our fate. So let us not talk falsely now, 0The hour is getting late. The second verse begins with the thief speaking kindly to the Joker. This adverb lets us know that he is sympathetic and that he, perhaps, understands the worth of the Joker and his efforts. the thief and the Joker know better, having lived through that. So while others may still be confused, these two are not. Since they understand the value of life, it is mportant for them to be truthful with one another. Then the last line of the verse brings us back from exposition to a sense of drama and movement, and impending action: the hour is getting late. All along the watchtower, OPrinces kept the view, 0 While all the women came and went † 0Barefoot servants too. 00utside in the cold distance, OA wildcat did growl. 0Two riders were approaching, and 0The wind began to howl. The beginning of this final verse suddenly shifts the scene, without at first giving us any sense of how this new setting connects to the first one. In contrast to the first two verses, which were full of conversation, this verse unfolds almost cinematically, full of visual imagery. This new scene is populated with princes, women, and barefoot servants, establishing a time and place in the past, although again using enduring, archetypal fgures. These fgures guarding their castle seem to represent established society, and the existing power structure. But what are they guarding against? A wildcat growls from a distance, suggesting the savage, untamed power of nature lurking Just beyond the well-ordered lights of the castle. Then we see the two riders approaching. Suddenly, in only four words, the first two verses are connected with the last. With a sort of cinematic establishing shot, but used at the end of the story rather than the beginning, we see the thief and the Joker approaching the castle. We already know that they want to establish a different set of values, one based on the worth of human life. Their approach towards the guarded castle suggests an impending confrontation. And then the last line of the song strengthens this suggestion with imagery of a furious storm starting to build. Note how this last verse has made physical the relationships suggested in the previous lines. The thief, Joker and wildcat are all placed outside the castle, which is occupied by princes and servants. So we now have, in a very concrete sense, independent outsiders and a rigid power hierarchy. Dylans accomplishment here is nothing less than amazing. In the space of a few verses, in a song so spare it could almost be missed as a throw-away, Dylan manages to accomplish all of the following. Summarizes his own life to date. Given his earlier efforts to make pointed fun f almost everything around him, and his near-fatal motorcycle crash that marked a turning point in his career, it is hard not to see the Joker as Dylan himself. He has now learned that life is not a Joke, and distinguishes between artists and outsiders who understand the seriousness of life, versus the businessmen and fans who treat his art as simply a marketable commodity. Identifies the primary issue of our time as one of values. Modern thinkers such as Ken Wilber, with his image of our contemporary flatland, in which everything is seen as neutral, and devoid of value, are brought to mind. In earlier songs Dylan talked tirelessly of modern fgures misunderstanding the significance of issues such as war, freedom and poverty. Here Dylan stands back from these specific issues and reduces the confrontation to its essential element: human values against the established order. Propels his theme with a powerful dramatic structure. From a traditional dramatic viewpoint, almost nothing happens in this song: two riders talk to each play. Yet by repeatedly hinting at the intensity of a coming confrontation, and by identifying the two opposing forces, Dylan keeps us on the edges of our seats, ondering what will happen next. The effect at the end is comparable to the conclusion of William Butler Yeats famous poem, The Second Coming: And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? In both cases, there is a perceptible chill creeping up the spine, as the poet leaves his reader to contemplate the inevitability and intensity of the coming confrontation, and its consequences. Well, so much for the lyrics. Dylans original reading of the song is as spare and compact as his words, with the music adding little. Hendrix treatment is whole different matter, though. The first element to note is how the music here parallels the dramatic structure of the song. Listen to the opening drums and guitars, as one example. (Audio clip 44K. ) The beat starts, intensifies, and then stops. As in the lyrics, the power is hinted at, but not unleashed. The music, like the words, points towards some future action, presents the tension, but does not resolve it. This device is repeated throughout the song, with Hendrix mostly holding back, repeatedly returning the song to its basically quiet pace. The second element I want to note is Hendrix use of guitar to represent the confusion that the Joker is experiencing. This is a perfect role for Jimi, of course, since his guitar parts often defy our normal expectations for the instrument. He uses bent notes, a wah-wah pedal, and other devices to represent a disorienting, almost inhuman sonic landscape. Here is one example. (Audio clip 128K. ) The third musical element I want to comment on, and the one that really frames and defines the whole song, is Jimis repeated, gradually progressing ascents up the scale with blistering notes. Here is what I mean, the first ime it appears, at the beginning of the first guitar break, between the first and second verses. Audio clip 16K. ) Here is what it sounds like at the end of the second, and longer, guitar break, between the second and third verses. (Audio clip 40K. ) And here, finally, is the way it sounds at the end of the song. (Audio clip 220K. ) Notice how Jimi seems to be gradually reaching for a note that he only finally hits at the end of the song. And then when he gets there, he repeats it, over and over, making a high keening sound, representing not only the howling wind referred to in the last line, ut that coming conflict that the song so clearly prepares us for. And the music ends on this note, as do the lyrics, without resolution, but clearly pointing forwards to some anticipated future act of liberation. This is simply a brilliant collaboration between songwriter and musician, the accompaniment extending and reinforcing the meaning and drama of the lyrics, and showcasing the unique possibilities of the electric guitar along with nothing more than a bass, drum kit and acoustic guitar. Listening to this song is like trying to find your way through a washed-out desert at unset. Hes making some harsh criticisms of American society during the Vietnam era, but the music is so mellow and the lyrics so strange its like hes daring you not to pay attention. Aside from that, All Along the Watchtower is a song that defined the late 1960s, when the calm, disciplined protests of the early decade were degenerating into violence and confusion. No wonder Dylan ends the song with a howling wind. Hendrix got around to covering this song, it sealed the deal: the guitar solo at the end has come to embody the splitting apart of order into screeching, and possibly iberating, chaos. Hendrixs version has been used in countless movies and television shows, from the Spike Lee Joint Clockers to Forrest Gump to the episode in The Simpsons when Homers mother, an ex-hippie terrorist, returns to Springfield. And, if nothing else, its cool to think that Dylan has performed this song more than any other. Not many people are aware that Bob Dylan was the original writer and singer of All Along the Watchtower. Since Bob Dylan wrote the song, two other widely known artists have done their own version of this song: Jimi Hendrix and The Dave Matthews Band. Although it is the same song Just done by different singers, each song has its own characteristics which makes them appear as very different songs. In this paper, I will compare how each of these artists adds their own touch to the song by the use of their instruments. If you have ever heard any of Bob Dylans songs, you know that he as a very mellow tone to all of them. All Along the Watchtower is no different. Dylan uses only a very few instruments. At the very beginning of the song, you will hear a harmonica which immediately makes you want to hear the rest of the song. The only other instruments I can hear in Dylans version of the song are a guitar and drums. Throughout the song you hear Bob Dylan. An influential poet, writer, and musician who redefined American pop music. Dylan was able to use his skills to successfully reach an outstanding degree of accomplishments. Being able to take the term literature and give it a whole new meaning, Dylan has made a significant change in todays music listeners. Dylan was capable of taking his ability to write, his ability to perform, and putting them with the time he had to spare to become one of the most enigmatic, prolific performers in the world. In the time of Bob Dylans music, the world separated literature and music. Music included lyrics, beats, rhythms, and instruments. Literature, on the other hand, was strictly for poetry, ballads, letters, and stories. Never before had anyone considered the opportunity for song lyrics to be considered literature. People strongly thought of the two as being very different categories. With both literature and music being respected in their own unique way, Bob Dylan came along to add a new element. During his time, Dylan was known for his touching songs, however, many did not onsider him a poet. This thought was false. Dylan was a poet first aln meetings, Bob Dylan had raised an interesting question. Is it possible for a performance art to be considered literature (Marcus 119)? Bob Dylans music was unique; he was able to intertwine his lyrics through the life he had lived and through the events of the world around him. Some events in Dylans life were the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War. Dylan would come to be known for playing at concerts that were protesting the war at hand. Many young adults would flock to hear the man who new Just how to express the words. The words that expressed his deeper most feeling were the same words that comforted these many young adults by the mass. With people feeling the same sorrows as Dylan himself, it was his words that little significance. It was all in the words. l wanted Just a song to sing, and there came a point where I couldnt sing anything. I had to write what I wanted to sing cos what I wanted to sing, nobody else was writing (Spitz 407). Dylan shared this feeling with others everywhere. It is possible that him writing songs was the only way to say what needed to be said.

Application of Turkey to EU

Application of Turkey to EU Introduction Since its creation, the European Union has been enlarged six times during which it has accommodated twenty one new members. Today there are three candidate states that await membership Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia[1]. The most significant of those is Turkey whose candidacy has created more controversy than any other. Since Turkeys first membership application in 1987, it has sparked numerous debates on whether it belongs in the European Union, back then the European Community. This paper argues that Turkey should not be granted membership in the bloc. Several aspects have been taken into account such as its geographical position, economic state, vast population and cultural incompatibility, that render Turkey unfit to join the union. Moreover, the public opinion in both the EU and Turkey is assessed as important factor that reflects the attitudes towards the admission. Background information As already mentioned, Turkey made its first effort to join the European Community in 1987, when its application was rejected because of its economical and political situation and poor relations with Greece due to the Cyprus conflict. In 1999, however, candidate status was granted and in 2001 The EU Council of Ministers adopted EU-Turkey Accession Partnership[2]. In 2002, the Copenhagen European Council resolved that if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, theEU would open accession negotiations with Turkey[3]. Consequently, in December 2004 the European Council decided to open official negotiations[4]. Geographical and demographical aspects Although official negotiations have started, Turkey is not a part of Europe, therefore should not be part of the European Union. Only some 3% of its territory is on the Old continent, the bulk of its territory is in Asia[5]. This trivial fact is often overlooked as not as important in the debate for Turkeys membership. However, as a regional organization the EU should have some borders, and if it plans to expand outside Europe it should at least change its name, maybe to a World Union or Eurasian Union. Also in the event of Turkeys admission, it might become a precedent that would inspire other countries outside Europe to demand membership as well. Another aspect of the territorial location of Turkey is that, if it is admitted, the EUs external neighbors will be states like Iran, Iraq and Syria, all of which are marked by internal crisis and/or have account of terrorist groups operating in theirs territories. This might have serious security implications for the bloc, as dangerous el ements might enter the union through its Turkish border. Even if the territorial aspect is ignored, Turkeys vast population cannot be overlooked so easily. With its close to seventy-six million people[6], if admitted, Turkey will be the second country in population after Germany. According to birth rate projections by 2020 it would surpass Germany in population[7]. The latter prediction means that Turkey would have most delegates in the European parliament resulting in the paradox that the most unrepresentative country for the union would have most seats in its parliament. Another major problem associated with Turkeys population is emigration. With many Western European countries having a substantial Turkish minorities already, the admission of Turkey would mean opening the floodgates to further immigration from a large and poor country[8]. This perspective poses several problems: first, the cheap labor that would flow from Turkey would undermine the employment of native Europeans; second, the problem of the integration of the Turkish minorities, present nowadays, will be invigorated further; and last but not least the previous two will further fuel the already present in many countries antagonism against the Turks[9]. Those are the most obvious problems that emigration from an EU Turkey will bring. However, since Turkey is nothing like the rest of the members in many aspects, there might be other, not so evident problems that might arise with the flow of Turks in the EU countries. Economical and political aspects The countrys economical state, even with its positive GDP growth rates[10] is still falling behind in comparison to most EU member states. In fact, according to Pevehouse and Goldstein, if admitted Turkey would be the poorest state in the organization, even if the newest members from East Europe are taken into consideration[11]. Moreover, Turkey has very high debt to income ratio, twice as high as any other member[12], which indicates that big part of the income of the population goes to paying debts, instead of on covering costs of living. In political aspect, the emerging tensions between secularists and the Islamic government might have implications for the EU. The Turkish government is currently investigating Ergenekon, which according to prosecutors has committed dozens of terrorist acts and ultimately sought to topple Turkeys Islamic-inspired government.[13] The secularists, however, have their own point of view on the matter. According to Aysel Celikel, former justice minister, Egrenekon has become a larger project in which the investigation is being used as a tool to sweep across civic society and cleanse Turkey of all secular opponents[14]. With the political situation growing more unstable, there is ground for the radicalization of both sides. This should be a warning sign for the European Union that Turkey may not have the political steadiness to join the bloc. Also Turkeys unsatisfactory policy towards its Kurdish minority and the conflict of Cyprus indicate that it is not suitable for membership in the uni on. Cultural aspect and public opinion Apart from the more tangible characteristics of Turkey and the European Union, the massive gap between their cultural identities is a significant reason why Turkey does not belong in the organization. According to a 2006 Eurobarometer a clear majority of about 60% support the view that Turkeys cultural differences with those of EU members are so large as to impede its membership[15]. The fact is, that what makes the EU what it is, beside its economical and political aspects, is the common European identity of its members. Turkey does not fit this profile. As member of the Prodis European Commission Franz Fischler put it: Turkey is a sui generis society, far more oriental than European[16]. Turkeys double standard in human rights reflects its different values. Turkey is a member of the Organization of the Islamic conference (OIC), which on the 5 of August adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDRHI)[17], a document based on the Shariah law. It can be seen as an equivalent to the UN Declaration on Human Rights (UNDHR). However, there are some significant inconsistencies between the UNDHR and the CDRHI, especially in rights of women, right to expression and education and freedom of religion[18]. The drafting of the CDHRI creates a double standard by implying that rights of Muslims are incompatible with the concept of human rights embodied in the UNDHR. The CDRHI implicitly promotes the division between Muslims and people of other religions. As a member of the OIC, Turkey does not belong to the European Union, that adheres to the UNDHR. The view that Turkey is not European is also supported by the overwhelming opposition to Turkeys admission. According to the results from the latest Eurobarometer conducted in spring 2008, in the EU 27 bloc only 31 per cents of the respondents agree, and 55 per cent disagree[19] with the integration of Turkey, making it the least supported country. Moreover, Turkey is the candidate with most steady opposition compared to other previous applicants, as evident from the results from four consecutive Eurobarometer surveys from 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002[20]. Resistance to Turkey varies around 47-48%, whereas the country that is second in opposition, Romania has a result around 42-43%[21]. The strong opposition against Turkeys membership is a clear sign that Europeans do not want it in the EU, and in the event of a referendum on the matter, the public opinion might be the only thing that would ultimately block Turkeys integration. What is even more interesting is that support for the membership in Turkey itself is dropping compared to previous years. A study of the German Marshall Fund indicates that the ratio of Turks who see membership in the EU as a good thing fell from 73 percent in 2004 to 54 percent in 2006 [22]. In 2008, the support is even lower below 50 per cent[23]. It turns out that Turk majority is also against the integration of Turkey. Conclusion In conclusion, Turkey should not be accepted in the European Union, because its values in regard to human rights are incompatible with those of the bloc. The cultural gap between Europe and Turkey is undeniable. Moreover, public opinion marks the strongest opposition against Turkey compared to other applicants. Turkeys territorial location vast population, its economic and political situation will bring more problems than benefits. www.ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/index_en.htm www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/eu-turkey-relations Ibid. Ibid. www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/turkey-europe-acknowledging-reality www.oecd.org, OECD statistical profile, Turkey www.oecd.org, OECD population projections 2009-2020, data for Turkey and Germany compared Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman, 2009), 238 See outcomes of Eurobarometers further in the text www.oecd.org, OECD statistical profile, Turkey Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse, International Relations (New York: Longman, 2009), 238 Ibid. Dan Bilefsky. Subversion trial haunts Turkey; Vast case defines division between secularists and Muslim-inspired party. The International Herald Tribune. 13 Nov 2009 Ibid Standard Eurobarometer 66. National Report: Executive Summary: Turkey. European Commission. Fall 2006, p. 4. Senem Aydin Duzgit. Seeking Kant in the EUs relations with Turkey. (Istanbul: TESEV Publications), 4. www.oci-oci.org Comparison between the UNDHR and CDHRI. Standard Eurobarometer 69. Values of Europeans, Questions QA44.8 QA 44.12. European Commission, November 2008. Lauren McLaren. Explaining opposition to Turkish membership of the EU. European Union Politics (Sage publications, 2007), 253. Ibid. http://www.transatlantictrends.org/trends/doc/2006_english_key.pdf http://www.transatlantictrends.org/trends/doc/2008_english_key.pdf

A Separate Peace Essay -- essays research papers

A Separate Peace: by John Knowles   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During World War II in the struggle for peace among nations comes a smaller, but still significant struggle, in a prep school boy becoming a man and waking up to reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book A Separate Peace, the author John Knowles, creates the image of two sixteen-year old boys struggling to keep what little sense of peace they know, even though there is a war going on all around them. Gene Forrester, the narrator of the story also struggles with an inner conflict of his secret resentment of his best friend Phineas (Finny). Phineas struggles with the disbelief that he can never be of any use to the war efforts with a â€Å"busted leg.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gene Forrester, the main character in the book, returns to his old prep school-Devon- that he attended some fifteen years earlier. While there he remembers the incident that changed his life. In the summer of 1942, Gene and his friends stayed at their prep school for the summer session. His best friend in those days was a boy named Phineas, or Finny. During that time World War II was going on and the sixteen-year old boys were trying to preserve the peace in their lives, before they would be old enough to be drafted into the war-just one year later. One day Finny, the best athlete in the school, came up with the crazy idea to jump out of a tree into a river. All of the seventeen-year olds had accomplished this task because it was a mandatory test for the war. Phineas, naturally was the first sixteen-year old to conquer this feat; so Gene was the second. None of the other boys ever tried the jump. After a while the two made it an almost day-to-day activity. The two boys were a lot alike, but Gene had this underlying resentment of Finny and he felt that Finny was deliberately trying to make him do badly in school because he was constantly dragging Gene along with him to go jump out of the tree. One time Finny decided that he and Gene should do a double jump, since that had never been done before. While up on the limb, Finny is the further out then Gene, and Gene gets this sudden impulse to shake the limb, which sends Finny plummeting into the shallow part of the river, breaking his leg. After the accident, Finny could never play any sports again; merely being able to walk is a blessing. For the duration of the ... ...t contribute to any of the war efforts himself. He wrote to every group that was associated to the war and fighting for the peace, but he always got the same reply saying that they had no use of a person with a crippled leg. Gene finally wakes up to reality when Finny dies. He realizes the way of life that he was living while a Devon, and the type of person that he had become. After Finny died though, Gene discovers that he created a war between himself and Finny that never existed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author gets his point across and does a very good job at it. The book was very interesting and enlightening. It makes the reader think about their friendships and their life in general. People should not let little things rule their lives. Underlying resentment could build up to something very dangerous and destructive. The reader also learns from this book that there is a big world out there and one needs to become mature enough to fulfill their adulthood duties. The author lastly shows that everyone is fighting their own personal war, but how someone handles it is based on their maturity and their knowledge of knowing the difference between imagination and reality.

Comparing Womens and Mens Fears in Frankenstein and Pet Sematary Essa

Comparing Women's and Men's Fears in Frankenstein and Pet Sematary      Ã‚   Childbirth and the resulting mother/child relationship are realities for women that leave plenty of room for anxiety. It is no wonder, then, that these themes of birth and motherhood should be featured prominently in women's horror. In contrast, men's horror tends not to focus on these fears, but, instead, focuses on the act of intercourse (the nuts and bolts of making a baby) and the man's fear of the woman's strange childbearing power. In comparing women's and men's fears on these subjects, one can see what fuels resulting horror texts.    In Frankenstein by Mary Shelly a man gives birth which is very curious when considering Frankenstein as a feminist text. The male mother in this text can be read in different ways. One reading of the phenomena could be man's attempt to control nature can have dire consequences. Upon closer reading, however, one can see that by having a male protagonist in the situation of life-giver, Shelly was allowed to make her fears known to her male contemporaries and at the same time explore her own fears concerning birthing and raising a healthy, productive child.    Mary's focus on the birth process allowed men to understand female fears about pregnancy and reassured women that they were not alone with their anxieties. The story expresses Mary's deepest fears; What of my child is born deformed? Could I still love it or would I wish it were dead? What if I can't love my child? Am I capable of raising a healthy, normal child? Will my child die? Could I wish my own child to die? Will my child kill me in childbirth? Mary was expressing her fears related to the death of her first child, her abilit... ... of making a child-the aspect of child bearing that they are most directly responsible for. For men birthing and the relationship between mother and child are foreign and consequently characterize what men are afraid of: "the Other."    Works Cited and Consulted Abrams, M. H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 1993 Botting, Fred. Making monstrous. Frankenstein, criticism, theory. Manchester University Press, 1991. Boyd, Stephen. York Notes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Longman York Press, 1992. King, Stephen. Pet Sematary. New York: Signet, 1984. Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley. Her Life, her Fiction, her Monsters. Methuen. New York, London, 1988. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992   

A Compare and Contrast of Thomas Moores Utopia and Machiavelli?s The Pr

Just vs. Viable   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be just is to be fair and honorable. Kids are taught that if you are kind and just you will excel and be successful. But life’s not fair and being just doesn’t necessary mean that a society will stand the test of time and be able to grow. The two different societies introduced in More’s Utopia and Machiavelli’s The Prince are very different and although More’s Utopian society would be considered more just then Machiavelli’s society. Machiavelli’s society is more realistic and more likely to be viable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership is a major issue when it comes to whether or not a society is going to be viable. It seems that if the leader is a good leader, a leader that puts his people first and wants the best for his country, then the land and the society should flourish. But if the leader is a bad leader, a power driven leader, a leader who puts himself first, and lets his people starve while he and his nobles live in excess, then the society and land will not flourish. This idea is not demonstrated to us in Utopia or The Prince; it seems like the exact opposite. Utopia has a more democratic government. Each set of households elects someone and then those elects elect others, and although there is a prince they still have the power to throw him out of office if he’s involved in any wrong doing. And although their prince doesn’t have as much power as a prince in Machiavelli’s writing the prince in Utopia serves a different purpose. The prince in Utopia is there to provide stability. With the syphogrants and tranibors changing annually the stability of a constant figure head is needed. More describes the government as follows   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Once a year, every group of thirty households elects an official, Formerly called the syphogrant, but now called the phylarch. Over Every group of ten syphogrants with their households there is another official, once called the tranibor but now known as the head phylarch. All the syphogrants, two hundred in number, are brought together to elect the prince. They take an oath to choose the man they think best qualified; and then by secret ballot they elect they prince from among four men nominated by the people of the four sections of the city. The prince holds office for life, unless he is suspected of aiming at a t... ...s. But this society was in no way more just then the Utopian society, although this society was more viable. They had what it took to last, to grow and to flourish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both societies have there good points and both societies have their flaws. More imagined a new society, even though it still carried some remnants of the one he knew. And the Utopian society looked great on paper; they were very just and honorable people. But when examined in depth it falls apart. This society wouldn’t last people don’t think that way. Machiavelli criticized and critiqued history, he took things he knew and said how they could be made better for future societies. Except societies and societal ideas evolve, ideas that worked then don’t always work now. His society was based on backstabbing and deceitfulness, appearing virtuous but not actually being virtuous. So although his society would have lasted, it was far from just. But this is the opinion looking back at these texts. When these texts were written More and Machiavelli both thought these were the ideal societies. But if More and Machiavelli knew what people know now would their societal ideas still be what they were?

Ted Hughes ‘Wodwo’ and ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’

Hughes's poetry constitutes a moral project. It demands that we see our world and ourselves differently. Discuss. Together, ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’ and ‘Wodwo’ by Ted Hughes detail aspects of human nature that Hughes is calling the readers to reflect upon from external viewpoints. Hughes is asking a generation exposed to the horrors of war, the destruction caused by the atomic bombs and the Nazi holocaust to consider such pointless destruction and how so much of it is caused by our alienation from the complete being of the universe.He demands that we understand what it is all conscious beings feel we are missing, and fill that void by connecting to the natural world and through art and poetry. ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’ shows the effects of our alienation and its disastrous consequences, but also asks us to examine these from the outside perspective of Crow. ‘Wodwo’ is a poem showing the first stages of alie nation caused by self consciousness and its possible dangers.Finally, together these poems allow us to examine ourselves objectively, and understand what it is that Hughes is demanding we must do to survive our dangerous hubris. ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’ is a disturbing picture of human coldness told from the neutral perspective of Hughes’s ‘Crow’. While the Crow figure features in many of Hughes’s poetry in order to provide an objective viewpoint, we can still see in this poetry Hughes’s own disapproving feelings about war in the tone of the poem, â€Å"This had happened too often before/ And was going to happen to often in the future†.The nature of the word â€Å"Account† in the title is very scientific in itself, and the lack of metre in the poem accentuates the tone of a report. There are no agencies in this poem, we encounter human parts such as ‘ear’, ‘eyes’, ‘intestinesâ⠂¬â„¢, ‘brains’, ‘hair and ‘teeth’ but there are no sides, all Crow sees are humans at war. Also, the verbs have no subjects attached to them, â€Å"cartridges were banging off†¦/the fingers were keeping things going†.This lack of human presence also helps to remove any emotion, as Hughes can refer to not just the world wars, but any war in history, and therefore emphasise and demonstrate to us the cycle of destruction into which humans alone created and will continue to fall in to. ‘Wodwo’ is a stream of consciousness poem detailing a creature’s first moments of conscious being. As the creature becomes aware of itself and it’s surroundings, it also becomes alienated from it’s environment, â€Å"Do these weeds know me†¦ do I fit in their world? Hughes constantly suggests, but particularly in ‘Wodwo’, that our consciousness causes us to be alienated from our surroundings and that we will immediately begin searching for this sense of belonging. We can clearly see this in the Wodwo, and in the final line â€Å"again very queer but I’ll go on looking† ending with no full stop, suggests that like humans it will now spend its whole life searching for what it feels is missing. However, in relation to ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’, he also suggests this brings danger as we begin to perceive our world as beneath us since we have been given freedom of thought.The early stages of this danger are shown in ‘Wodwo’, â€Å"I seem to have been given the freedom of this place† and â€Å"I suppose I am the exact centre†, while the final, cataclysmic stages of it are demonstrated in ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’. While the Wodwo has appeared to have only recently stopped ‘existing’ and started ‘being’, Hughes demonstrates the catastrophic moral consequences this alienation can have, which are further examined in ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’.While ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’ is presented as the probable future of the creature in ‘Wodwo’, both poems still contain explicit references to the fundamental existential questions that we are constantly trying to explain. ‘Wodwo’ is the very example of such questions, the very word Wodwo sounds like an interrogative because of the ‘w’ sounds and the first line is a perfect example of a conscious beings’ fundamental question- â€Å"What am I? Again, ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’ is the evolution of such thoughts, but instead of asking these questions, the beings have started trying to explain them. We have a reference here to â€Å"Universal Laws†, â€Å"traps of calculus† and â€Å"theorems† (i. e. science) but also â€Å"pocket-books†, â€Å"life-mask† and â€Å"many prayers† (i. e. religion). However, since both of these explanations have been reached, and they are still in the middle of a pointless and immoral war and therefore are still trying to find what is missing, Hughes asserts that neither of these is the answer. If we return to the Wodwo’s origins, efore it became conscious, its surroundings are those of nature- we have leaves, rivers, weeds and roots rather than anything artificial. This, then, is what Hughes is suggesting is the answer. That we return to nature and try to reconnect with the whole being of the universe. He suggests that it is only then that we will discover what is missing and rediscover our potential to exist in harmony with all of the forces of nature. In conclusion, Hughes writes such poems as ‘Wodwo’ and ‘Crow’s Account of the Battle’ to warn us of our inherent hubristic view of the natural world.He asks us to step outside ourselves and consider the reasons that we ha ve become alienated, and how we have further extended our alienation by seemingly chronically searching for answers in the wrong places. Hughes is critical of both science and religion, of how we have used fundamental universal laws to our own advantage; almost always for destruction, and of how religion persistently places humans over all other beings. He instead asks us to connect with nature, or â€Å"The White Goddess† (the original Goddess, worshipped under many names, who encompassed the whole being of the universe) in order to rediscover that which we have lost.