It’s Time to Crack Down on Police Brutality Essay

It’s Time to Crack Down on Police Brutality Police brutality has become a widespread and persistent problem in the United States. Police brutality occurs when a law enforcement officers use excessive or unlawful force while on or off duty. Established: A Pattern of Abuse is an article in The Humanist, written by Barbara Dority. She states, Thousands of individual complaints are reported each year and local authorities pay out millions of dollars to vicitms in damages and lawsuits (5). Dority also describes some of the types of abuse that officers have done. [They] have beaten and shot unresisting suspects; they have misused batons, chemicals sprays, and electro-shock weapons; [and] they have injured or killed people†¦show more content†¦Their ball hit a police car that was parked on the side of the road and the officer, Francis Livoti, got out of the car and was angry. He arrested Anthonys younger brother for disorderly conduct and Anthony tried to step in and told the officer to calm down. Anthony and Officer Livoti must have had a fight because a few moments later Anthony was found dead from suffocation. He had large bruises on his neck and burst blood vessels around his eyes. The officer had choked him to death with his hands and there were marks on his neck to show it. The term officials use to describe the kind of restraint that this officer administrated is the chokehold, which is illegal. Mr. Livoti was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in a judge-only trial in state court in October 1996. The judge said that he had not found Mr. Livoti innocent, he just considered him not guilty because of lack of evidence. Later, Federal prosecutors investigated the case. On June 27th, Mr. Livoti was convicted by a federal grand jury of violating Anthony Baez civil rights. He is now facing ten years in prison. (32) This case was one of the few that ended in a positive conviction of the officer. In many cases, it ends after the first trial and the officer gets off with out even going to jail. This police officer committed a terrible crime and his job was to protect the public, not kill them. Its impossible for us toShow MoreRelatedThe African American Subculture in Changes by Tupac Essay1242 Words   |  5 Pagesproblems of police corruption and brutality. When a police officer kills a black person, the communities celebrate the officers as a hero for helping the society for taking one person off welfare. Example of police officers brutality in the 1990s would be Rodney King and the LAPD. King, an African American man who was beat down severely by multiple police officers after he stopped resisting. 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Causes Of The Cuban Missile Crisis - 1279 Words

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy said, â€Å"It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization,† (Nuclear Ban Test Treaty). This quote directly describes the overall idea of Cuban Missile Crisis. The â€Å"Thirteen Days† of the Cuban Missile Crisis refer to the closest point where the Soviet Union and the United States came to nuclear war. For thirteen days both nations waited in fear, for news if there was about to be an attack. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a dilemma that could have been solved easier if more communication would have been involved. There had been a great amount of conflict leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The conflict began†¦show more content†¦The Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev risked the missile bases for the goal of being in range for a nuclear strike. Khrushchev was apprehensive about the number of nuclear weapons that were targeted at The Soviet Union from countries in Europe and Turkey, so he needed to find away to even out the playing field (Cuban Missile Crisis. History.com). The finding of the missile bases imposed a sense of urgency on the situation. The base unit in Cuba was only ninety miles away from the southern coast of Florida. This information was alarming because the communist were finally capable of reaching the eastern United States. From that moment, President Kennedy knew something that had to be done about the medium-ranged missile sites in Cuba. Both superpowers were aware of the others aggressiveness and assertiveness. This means that once one missile goes off, there w ill be massive havoc; both sides will strike until they are defeated. If a nuclear missile went off, there could have easily been an end to a civilization. President Kennedy immediately formed a group of advisors and officials. 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The SovietRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis During The United States1219 Words   |  5 Pages Dylan Thomas Connolly U.S. History 14 December 2015 The Cuban Missile Crisis In October of 1962 the U.S. entered a conflict called the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is arguably the closest the U.S. has ever come to nuclear war. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union resulting from the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis was considered the climax of the Cold War, a period lasting from about 1947 to 1991, in which a politicalRead MoreEssay about The Cuban Missile Crisis756 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis Between 1959 and 1962 relations between USA and Cuba deteriorated. Up until 1959, America had kept General Batista in power over Cuba and had strong links, especially in trade. Castro’s ascent to power in 1959 triggered the short-term events contributing to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The main cause of the Cuban Missile Crisis was the cold relationship between the two great superpowers: America and Russia. This hadRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis The World On The Edge Of Its Seat1315 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"We’re eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked† (Dean Rusk). The Cuban Missile Crisis put the world on the edge of its seat, and was the closest humanity has ever gotten to full-scale nuclear war. Even though the event lasted a mere two weeks (from October 14-24, 1962), it played a significant role in international politics, and its effects can still be seen today. The Cuban Missile Crisis is significant to current international relations because it proved the importance of theRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis : The Cold War1323 Words   |  6 Pagesrights and freedoms. Some wars cause dramatic amounts of deaths, but the Cold War resulted in none. The reason there were no deaths is due to the fact that the Cold War was just that, cold. 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Australian Industry Report Office of the Chief Economist

Question: Describe about the Australian Industry Report for Office of the Chief Economist? Answer: Introduction Financial Statement Analysis is an important tool in understanding the financial performance and position of a company for a specified period. The analysis comprises of three financial statements i.e. Balance Sheet, Income Statement and the Cash Flow Statement. There are many users of these reports which include management, investors, creditors, debtors and the government. In this report, we have analysed the financial performance of Rio Tinto Group which is into the mining and metals business with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom and management office in Australia. The financial statements of the company for five years starting from 2010 to 2014 have been referred to and analyzed. The financial statements are available in the annual report of the company. However, a consolidated data from a financial website Morningstar have been extracted and the same has been analysed. This analysis is majorly useful to the potential investors as the analysis includes determining the profitability, liquidity and stability of the company. Based on the above analysis, the investor can decide whether to or not invest in the company depending upon the financial performance. Various ratios have been calculated to ascertain the profitability, liquidity and stability of the company. The results have been analysed after reading the annual report and other source o f information to make them meaningful. Rationale for choosing Rio Tinto Mining is one of the most important industries in Australia and contributes a major part of the National Income. Rio Tinto is into the business of finding, mining and processing the Earths mineral resources. These minerals and metals are further used in the infrastructure industry to build the countrys infrastructure. Hence, the nature of the business is core to the growth of an economy and hence, the company has been chosen for analysis. Australia has experienced boom in the mining sector in the last decade which has brought in investment, jobs and wealth to Australia. However, the boom has peaked now and the commodity prices have started falling. The second half of 2014 was challenging for the mining companies due to low commodity prices, changing demand patterns, tougher regulatory environment, increasing costs and a changing competitive landscape, but the real challenge was to continue smooth operations and maintain profitability for the shareholders in such a volatile environment. Only companies with operational excellence, improved productivity and profitability, lower costs, and a strong cash flow can sustain in such changing market conditions. The changing landscape of the mining industry makes it imperative to study and analyse the companies working in this landscape to see whether they are able to cope up with the changing market conditions or not. Rio Tinto appears to be a strong player and has maintained a value driven approach to stay ahead in the competition. The company very well realises the end of boom and hence has framed its policies accordingly. Performance Analysis The performance of the company has been analysed by calculating various ratios which are explained below: Profitability Ratios Gross Profit Ratio The gross profits are highest in 2011 as the year experienced the peak of mining boom, thereafter, the commodity prices started falling and so did the total revenue. However, the gross profits have increased in 2013 and 2014 due to operating cash cost improvements and strengthening of the US dollar against the local currencies. Net profit Ratio The net profits are negative in 2012 mainly due to impairment charges of $5 billion and also the though the gross profits were high in 2011 but net profits are comparatively very low due to impairment charges of $8.5 billion. Even in the era of falling commodity prices, 2014 has recorded a significant net profit due to increased sales volume, improved operational efficiencies and strengthening of dollar against local currencies. Operating Ratio The ratio was highest in 2012 as the year is marked by high costs with respect to impairment charges, similarly year 2011 also has high operating ratio even though the revenue is higher than other years, majorly due to the impairment charges. After 2010, 2014 has the lowest operations ratio as the company has moved towards being cost effective. Return on Assets The ROA has decreased from 2010 to 2012 due to a fall in net income as the total assets have increased in these years. In 2013 and 2014, the total assets have decreased mainly due a fall in receivables, inventories and property, plant and equipment. Even then the ROA has increased as a result of increasing net profits. This means the company has been able to utilize its assets efficiently to generate profits in the later years. Return on Capital Employed The ROCE also has similar pattern as the ROA. The total capital employed has decreased from 2012 to 2014, but the ROCE has increased due to an increase in EBIDTA, where the interest expenses have fallen in 2014 and so has the depreciation expense. In 2014, the company has been able to generate higher returns on lower capital employed. Stability and Liquidity Ratio Current Ratio The current ratio is above 1 in all the years which means that the current assets are sufficient to meet the short term obligations. The current ratio has been the lowest in 2012 as the current assets decreased considerably in the form of cash and cash equivalents and the current liabilities increased due to short term debts. However, the company recovered and the cash balance increased in later years and was at $1.2 billion in 2014 indicating high liquidity of the company. In 2014, the company also got rid of some part of its short term debt and there was a decrease in accounts payables, thus leading to a further increase in liquidity. Quick Ratio The quick ratio is also the lowest in 2012 as the cash balance has decreased and payables and inventory have also increased. Even after removing the inventories, the liquidity still remains low in 2012 due to lower assets as compared to current liabilities. However, in 2013 and 2014, the company has reduced its inventories, thus increasing the liquidity and the payables have also gone down so has the short term debt in 2014. Thus 2014 can be termed as a year in which the company was very liquid with low inventory, debt and more cash balance. Debt to Equity Ratio The company has on an average 50% debt and 50% equity in its capital structure. The total debt has been increasing from 2011 to 2013, whereas, stockholders equity has decreased continuously with equity increasing slightly only in 2014. The company has undertaken both short term and long term debt. The borrowings of the company decreased in 2014, making it less risky and more stable. There is more financial flexibility and low cost of capital. Interest Coverage Ratio The interest coverage ratio has decreased during 2010 to 2012 and after that it has increased. The negative coverage in 2012 is on account of negative EBIT resulting from high impairment charges. 2010 and 2011 were years of high profits and low debt, hence a very impressive interest coverage ratio is there. However, with the mining boom reaching its peak in 2012 and commodity prices after that, the profits have gone down and the company has undertaken debt to finance its growth and expansion. However, in 2014, the interest expense reduced due to repayment of debt and increased profits led to coverage ratio being 15 times. Working Capital Management Ratios Accounts Payables Turnover The company has a very impressive accounts payables turnover with there being no payables in 2012 to 2012. The company mostly paid its suppliers in cash. In 2013 and 2014, the payables have occurred and show an increasing trend. This is a good sign as the company has started making use of credit and the amount saved from there can be used for other business purposes. Inventory Turnover Ratio The inventory turnover ratio has improved from 2012 to 2014. This is because the company has reduced its working capital tied up in inventories. This is a good sign as it signifies that the working capital management is moving towards being efficient. The turnover is the highest in 2014 as the inventory is the lowest in this period and the revenue has also increased as compared to 2012 and 2013. Accounts Receivables Turnover Ratio The accounts receivables turnover also has a similar trend as that of inventory turnover indicating that the company is improving its working capital management and hence its liquidity. The receivables have decreased continuously i.e. the company has been able to collect cash for sales made. The fast turning cash makes more cash balance available to the company to meet its expenditures. From 2012 onwards, the revenue has increased and the receivables have decreased resulting in higher cash balance and efficient working capital management. The days receivable for Rio Tinto is approximately a months time. Stock Market Performance Ratios Earnings per Share The earnings per share has decreased from 2010 to 2012 and increased after that. The weighted average share capital has not undergone any major change except in year 2012 when it was reduced by approx. $1billion. Thereafter, it has remained almost constant. The change in EPS is due to a change in net income available to equity shareholders. The earnings have increased after 2012 even in a challenging market where the commodity prices were falling mainly due to increased volume of sales and lower operations costs. Dividend per Share The dividend per share has continuously increased from 2010 to 2014. This is due to an increase in the dividends paid every year. The number of shares has not undergone any major change. This is a good return from the shareholders point of view as they are getting paid in cash for the investments made in Rio Tinto shares. A company paying higher dividends is always preferred by shareholders as they are directly being benefited. In spite of suffering losses in 2012 due to impairment charges, the company has still paid dividends of $3 billion as the underlying earnings were positive and cash balance was strong since impairment charge is a non cash item. Dividend Payout Ratio The dividend payout ratio is negative in 2012 because the net income is negative. The ratio is highest in 2013 because net income is low as compared to 2014 but the dividends are almost similar. In 2014, the company has generated the highest net income after 2011, whereas cash dividends paid have not increased in the same ratio, resulting in a low dividend payout in 2014. The company has retained its earnings after paying sufficient dividends. Earnings Yield Ratio The earnings yield has improved from 2012 to 2014. This yield is higher in 2014 as compared to 2013 because the earnings per share have increased and the market price of the shares of Rio Tinto has decreased making it an undervalued stock. The market share price of Rio Tinto was the highest in 2010 followed by 2013. However, the yields are higher in 2014. Dividend Yield Ratio The dividend yield shows an increasing trend due to an increase in dividends paid and a less then proportionate increase/decrease in share prices. The share prices increased in 2013, thus lowering the yield. However, a fall in share prices in 2014 and an increase in dividends paid led to an increase in the dividend yield. Summary of the Analysis Profitability Ratios Comments 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Gross Profit Ratio 35.20% 40.10% 26.40% 29.40% 27.30% Decrease Net Profit 25.30% 9.60% -5.90% 7.20% 13.70% Increase Return on Assets 12.70% 5.00% -2.50% 3.20% 6.00% Increase Return on capital 24.60% 16.80% 2.10% 9.20% 15.80% Increase Operating ratio 62.30% 77.40% 104.50% 92.20% 78.60% Improved Stability and Liquidity ratio Current Ratio 1.82 1.46 1.39 1.47 1.73 Increase Quick ratio 1.42 1.11 0.95 1.09 1.37 Increase Debt to Equity ratio 0.26 0.42 0.57 0.62 0.54 Improved Interest coverage ratio 27.45 27.59 -8.30 7.91 15.72 Increase Working Capital Management Ratios Accounts Payables Turnover NA NA NA 11.67 13.37 Increase days payables 31.29 27.3 Improved Inventory turnover ratio 7.71 6.83 6.12 6.29 7.97 Increase Days Inventory 47.3 50.6 55.6 31.3 53.1 Decrease Accounts Receivables Turnover 9.08 9.55 8.49 10.9 13.17 Increase Days Receivables 40.2 38.2 43 33.5 27.7 Increase Stock Market Performance Ratios Earnings Per Share 7.3 3.03 -1.62 1.98 3.53 Increase Dividend Per Share 0.89 1.16 1.64 1.8 2.01 Increase Dividend Payout Ratio 0.1 0.4 -1 0.9 0.6 Decrease Dividend Yield 0.015 0.023 0.031 0.032 0.039 Increase Earnings Yield 0.12 0.06 -0.03 0.04 0.07 Increase The increase/decrease in the comments section has been given for the most recent year i.e. 2014 as compared to 2013. Limitations of Ratio Analysis Though the above ratio analysis gives insights to the companys financial performance, however, there are many limitations of the same that are discussed below: Inflation inflations makes it difficult to compare the financial results over a period of time as it can lead to price increases and thus can mislead the investors. Use of different accounting policies inter firm comparison may be difficult as different firms may use different accounting policies. The standards provide firms with the flexibility to use different accounting policies that may make the comparison difficult. Outdated information in financial statements the balance sheet shows a companys financial position at a point of time. A ratio based on the balance sheet figures may be reflective of the financial position for the year as a whole. Like for a seasonal business, the year end debtors and inventories may be low. Use of creative accounting management may use creative accounting to show better financial performance in the form of changing method of depreciation etc... This may mislead the users of financial statements. Interpretation of ratios it is difficult to generalise whether a particular ratio result is good or bad. Like of the current ratio is high, it is considered good from liquidity point of view but this may mean excessive cash which is bad. Hence interpretation of ratios cannot be generalised. Impact of seasonality on trading there are many fluctuations that may occur during a financial period. However, the financial statements are based on the year end results. Hence, a seasonal firm may choose its accounting period according to seasons to show better results. This may mislead the users of financial statements. Summarised information - the financial statements present the summary of the accounts. The financial statements are presented in two pages whereas notes to financial statements which are written in more than 20 pages are not taken into consideration in calculating ratios. Conclusion and Recommendation Looking at the above financial analysis of Rio Tinto, it is clear that years 2011 and 2012 were not good in terms of profitability as there were huge impairment charges which highly impacted the companys financial position. Impairment of assets means the company has made bad investment decisions of the assets and impacts both the balance sheet and the income statement. However, the company has taken a corrective step and has replaced the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tom Albanses who was held responsible for such impairments. The new CEO is expected to work towards better investments decisions. Apart from that, the company has increasing profits in 2014 despite of low commodity prices; this has been possible due to high sales volumes and lower costs. The company is committed to maintaining operative and commercial excellence and even in such challenging market conditions where competition is increasing, prices are falling, it has been able to increase its earnings. The company can be easily said to be liquid and stable. This is because the current ratio and quick ratio have increased in the recent years due to reduction in current liabilities like payables and an increase in the cash balance. The inventories have also reduced in 2014 making the company more liquid. Cash comprises the highest component in the current assets thus indicating high level of liquidity. The company has increased its stability by reducing the debt to 50% of the total capital. The gearing ratio is good enough to give tax benefits and maintain stability. Year 2014 was marked by a reduction in total debts. The company has interest coverage ratio if more than 15 times in 2014 which is an impressive figure as the company can comfortably pay for its interest expenses. Hence, it can be concluded that the company is very stable and liquid. The working capital management is also efficient as the company has reduced its receivables and inventories thus increasing the respective turnover ratios. This gives the company free cash that can be utilized for other growth and expansion purposes. The payables have also reduced meaning good rapport with the suppliers but the company has ensured enough payables to make use of available credit facilities. Thus, it can be said that working capital is being managed efficiently. The stock performance ratios also indicate an improving trend where the cash dividends paid has increased over the period thus increasing cash returns for equity shareholders. The company has not increased its shareholder capital by a great extent whereas the earnings available to the equity shareholders has increased, thus increasing the total earnings available to the shareholders. The companys market share price has fallen in 2014 due to a fall in the commodity prices resulting from a fall in demand of these commodities like iron ore, copper and coal by China. In spite of this, the companys earnings have increased. Though the financial position of the company appears to be strong, however, the falling commodity prices pose a danger for the company. The demand for resources from China which was a major profit driver has slowed down; hence the revenue of the company is expected to decrease. For now it would be better to not invest in the company or the mining sector in particular. References Industry.gov.au, (2014), Australian Industry Report, Office of the Chief Economist Newport Consulting, (2014), 2014 Mining Business Outlook finds Confidence at a new Low, accessed online on 8th Feb, 2016, available at https://newportconsulting.com.au/2014-mining-business-outlook/ Abc.net, (2014), How Important is Mining to Australia, accessed online on 8th Feb, 2016, available at, https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bushtelegraph/mining-value/5543658 Raszkiewicz, O., (2015), Why the Rio Tinto Limited share price may continue to fall, accessed online on 10th Feb, 2016, available at https://www.fool.com.au/2015/12/03/the-rio-tinto-limited-share-price-continues-to-fall/ Morningstar, (2016), Rio Tinto Plc Adr: Financials, accessed online on 8th Feb, 2016, available at, https://financials.morningstar.com/ratios/r.html?t=RIO Rio Tinto, (2014), Rio Tinto: 2014 Annual Report, available at riotinto.com/ar2014 Rio Tinto, (2012), Rio Tinto: 2014 Annual Report, available at riotinto.com/reportingcentre2012 Yahoo finance, (2016), Rio Tinto Plc Historical Prices, accessed online on 8th Feb, 2016, available at, https://in.finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=RIO.L World finance, (2011), Rios tainted assets, accessed online on 10th Feb, 2016, available at https://www.worldfinance.com/home/contributors/rios-tainted-assets-2 Critchlow, A., (2015), Commodities Crash Could Turn Australia into a New Greece, The Telegraph, accessed online on 10th Feb, 2016, available at, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/mining/11749706/Commodities-crash-could-turn-Australia-into-a-new-Greece.html Woolrich, N. (2014), Commodity price crash causing Australian economy to 'unwind', accessed online on 10th Feb, 2016, available at, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-02/commodity-price-crash-causing-australian-economy-to-unwind/5933532 Timbrell, M., (2014), what do falling commodity prices mean for Aussie miners and our economy? Accessed online on 10th Feb, 2016, available at, https://www.mywealth.commbank.com.au/investing/what-do-falling-prices-mean-for-aussie-miners-and-our-economy--hottopic201412

The suffering in Frankenstein is undeserved. How far and in what ways do you agree with the view of Shelleys presentation of suffering free essay sample

‘The Suffering in ‘Frankenstein’ is undeserved’ – How far and in what ways do you agree with the view of Shelley’s presentation of suffering? Frankenstein’s characters suffer in a couple of ways, psychologically such as through loneliness or through emotional pain of the death of close ones, and physical suffering. Shelley herself was an only child, so could have been considered lonely when she was younger, and her mother died, which is obviously a death of a close one. While suffering is deserved by some of the characters as they bring it upon themselves, some of the characters are not deserving of their suffering as it is thrust upon them. The creature’s suffering is, at least initially, the most undeserved. He is brought into the world by Frankenstein and is then left, and becomes lonely. He is also treated badly by people for the way that he looks, which is not something he can help. We will write a custom essay sample on The suffering in Frankenstein is undeserved. How far and in what ways do you agree with the view of Shelleys presentation of suffering? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The creature says â€Å"There was none†¦ who would pity or assist me†¦ I declared ever-lasting war against the species†¦ and against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery†. These are the reasons he gives for changing the way he was – kind and good as society had gone against him. This starts with the destruction of Felix’s house after the creature is beaten for visiting his father. It is here that he takes vengeance, and continues his vengeance elsewhere by killing those close to Frankenstein. As the being takes revenge after being hurt by the De Lacey family, he must have been born good, but society changed him because he had not done anything wrong before this point. This would mean that on one hand, he doesn’t deserve to suffer as he did because it is the fault of society that changed him. However, because he had a moral compass and free will, he should know what he was doing was wrong, and could therefore be deserving of the suffering he endures. He murders, among others, a young boy called William. William did not want to befriend the creature as the creature had wanted him to, and was subsequently killed. We know that the creature has a moral compass after reading books from the De Lacey household, and it would seem that he knew what he was doing was wrong. I believe that the being did not deserve the suffering, however, for the fact that he only became bad because of others. It would mean that if he was born into a better society and treated better by its people, he would not have done what he did. Victor Frankenstein, on the other hand, was deserving of the suffering he endured because a lot of it was his own fault. He keeps his family members at a distance to protect them; however, the protection of his family was probably a cover for wanting to be alone to create the being. He ran away from his own creation, and was egotistical, arrogant, and self-serving. He suffers from illness, the loss of family and friends, and is haunted by the thought of the pursuance of the creature. Frankenstein created â€Å"A new species (that) would bless me as its creator and source†. As you can tell from the quote, the creation was all for selfish reasons and he did not think of the consequences that would occur, leaving the creature, and not looking after him. This led to the creature being lonely, and the suffering caused to Frankenstein was in revenge for this – the creature began killing his family members. Elizabeth in the book is killed, but in the theatre production by Danny Boyle, Elizabeth is raped before being killed, increasing the suffering caused for Frankenstein in the play than compared with the book, and also of course for Elizabeth herself. Also, Frankenstein had gone back on his promise of creating a female being at the request of the creature, which tells you that he treated the creature poorly, showing his deservingness of the suffering he had. His egotistical tendencies can be seen when he refers to Justine – â€Å"The poor victim†¦ felt not as I did, such deep and bitter agony†, showing that he believed his suffering to be worse that the suffering of someone was tried and found guilty of something she had not done. I believe that overall in the book, suffering is undeserved. Frankenstein is the only character that truly deserved to suffer, while the murders of others such as Clerval and Elizabeth were completely undeserved. It could be argued, however, that the reason Frankenstein acted as he did was because he lived in a patriarchal society, where his characteristics were encouraged and were expected. Keeping the being a secret also had a huge impact. Most of the events occurred through the lack of knowledge of the creature to anyone but Frankenstein. For instance, William would not have been allowed to get in a situation with the being to be killed, and if Frankenstein had told the court how Justine was innocent, she would have been found not guilty of this murder.

10 Chrome Extensions to Make Your Studying Easier (And More Effective)

10 Chrome Extensions to Make Your Studying Easier (And More Effective) Okay all you tech-savvy students, it’s time to take your Google game to the next level. In this article we’re going to take a look at 10 Chrome extensions that you can use to study better, stay more organized and be a couple steps ahead of the collegiate show. Some of them you may already use, but there’s definitely a finding here for everyone. Enjoy the list! #1: The Invaluable Time Tracker How long do you actually research in comparison with the time you are lost on YouTube or sleeping at the keyboard? Time Tracker is like your own personal Big Brother that will watch where you go online, track it and show you how long you were there. Judging by the reviews in the Google web store, it isn’t perfect and has its share of issues, but it’s been great for plenty of students or even online workers. #2: The Unstoppable Quick Note Quick Note is one of the most prolific Google extensions for students. We’re talking the upper echelons of tech-savvy GPA enhancing madness. With 6848 reviews it’s hard to deny the regality and college-style browser opulence it can bestow upon you. Do be a sport and check into it. No kidding, you’ll probably end up using the same extension years from now in that cushy career you’re working towards. #3: The PDF’s Best Friend So basically, it’s called CleanPrint and using it you can either print the PDF completely, view it in more dynamic ways or print only specific sections. Pretty handy, especially these days, when most of the college experience is happening online and files really matter. PDF is probably one of the most common type of files you’ll use, so this extension just makes handling them efficient. #4: The Ultimate Mind-Mapping Tool LucidChart Introducing LucidChart and when it comes to a brainstorming or mind-mapping tool it’s hard to beat. Now you can chill in your dorm room with your tablet and organize your thoughts, connect the dots and make some real progress on projects that would have likely stumped or overwhelmed you before. #5: The Checker Plus for Google Calendar It’s sort of an add-on extension that integrates with Google Calendar. Checker Plus helps you keep tabs on, â€Å"your next events, get meeting desktop notifications, add or snooze events without opening the Google Calendar page!† Don’t be late anymore or miss something important happening on campus. There’s always so much to do and now you can turn your smartphone, iPod or tablet into an amazing calendar. #6: Get the Google Dictionary! If you’re not using Google Dictionary, then you need to go talk to some psy-majors immediately. #7: Epic Document Creation Tool The extension is called Docs Quickly and using it you can create documents within your browser. No kidding. â€Å"Add a simple menu to your browser bar to quickly create new Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms, and Drawings for Google Drive.† Seriously, it is handy, and it is one of those extensions that you can rely on. #8: A Legendary Spell / Grammar Checker We’re talking next generation and custom-designed Spell Grammar Checker. Dynamic. Comprehensive. User-friendly. Dependable. Stuffed with nifty features that basically ensure you’ll be writing and communicating far more fluently! Less errors mean less hassle for you and higher marks as well. Raise your hand if that sounds cool! Since it’s literally a part of your browser, you can create all kinds of new documents due to Docs Quickly†¦Youll definitely love it! #9: Announcify! The ultimate app in modern intellectual laziness age, but it is really helpful! â€Å"Announcify reads out loud every website you want. For example, if youre too tired but still need to study one more Wikipedia entry, Announcify can help your tired eyes relax.† Yippy! So it’ll be ten times easier to fall asleep trying to catch up on some quick research! #10: Flashcard Stash If you need to do a fair amount of vocab work or memorizing, be sure to grab Flashcard Stash because it’s simply amazing. Forget about traditional color-coded sticky flash cards that you have to put all over the place and yadda yadda! Here’s but a smidgen of the goodies: â€Å"Flashcard Stash allows you to create interactive flashcards and helps you learn with engaging quizzes and games.† Didn’t we tell you that there would be at least one awesome pick in here. If you’re new to Google Chrome and the extension-universe don’t get lost. The key is to use about 3-5 that really make your life easier. Do you already use some extensions, and if so what are they?

Biography of Diana, Princess of Wales

Biography of Diana, Princess of Wales Princess Diana (born Diana Frances Spencer; July 1, 1961–August 31, 1997) was the consort of Charles, Prince of Wales. She was the mother of Prince William, currently in line for the throne after his father, Dianes former husband, and of Prince Harry. Diana was also known for her charity work and her fashion image. Fast Facts: Diana, Princess of Wales Known For: Diana became a member of the British royal family when she married Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981.Also Known As: Diana Frances Spencer, Lady Di, Princess DianaBorn: July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, EnglandParents: John Spencer and Frances SpencerDied: August 31, 1997 in Paris, FranceSpouse: Charles, Prince of Wales (m. 1981–1996)Children: Prince William (William Arthur Philip Louis), Prince Harry (Henry Charles Albert David) Early Life Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, in Sandringham, England. Although she was a member of the British aristocracy, she was technically a commoner, not a royal. Dianas father was John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, a personal aide to King George VI and to Queen Elizabeth II. Her mother was the Honourable Frances Shand-Kydd. Dianas parents divorced in 1969. Her mother ran away with a wealthy heir, and her father gained custody of the children. He later married Raine Legge, whose mother was Barbara Cartland, a romance novelist. Childhood and Schooling Diana grew up practically next door to Queen Elizabeth II and her family, at Park House, a mansion next to the Sandringham estate of the royal family. Prince Charles was 12 years older, but Prince Andrew was closer to her age and was a childhood playmate. After Dianas parents divorced, her father gained custody of her and her siblings. Diana was educated at home until she was 9 and was then sent to Riddlesworth Hall and West Heath School. Diana did not get along well with her stepmother, nor did she do well in school, finding an interest instead in ballet and, according to some reports, Prince Charles, whose picture she had on the wall of her room at school. When Diana was 16, she met Prince Charles again. He had dated her older sister Sarah. She made some impression on him, but she was still too young for him to date. After she dropped out of West Heath School at 16, she attended a finishing school in Switzerland, Chateau dOex. She left after a few months. Marriage to Prince Charles After Diana left school, she moved to London and worked as a housekeeper, nanny, and kindergarten teachers aide. She lived in a house purchased by her father and had three roommates. In 1980, Diana and Charles met again when she went to visit her sister, whose husband worked for the queen. They began to date, and six months later Charles proposed. The two were married on July 29, 1981, in a much-watched wedding thats been called the wedding of the century. Diana was the first British citizen to marry the heir to the British throne in almost 300 years. Diana immediately began making public appearances despite her reservations about being in the public eye. One of her first official visits was to the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco. Diana soon became pregnant, giving birth to Prince William (William Arthur Philip Louis) on June 21, 1982, and then to Prince Harry (Henry Charles Albert David) on September 15, 1984. Early in their marriage, Diana and Charles were seen to be publicly affectionate; by 1986, their time apart and coolness when together were obvious. The 1992 publication of Andrew Mortons biography of Diana revealed the story of Charles long affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and alleged that Diana had made several suicide attempts. In February 1996, Diana announced that she had agreed to a divorce. Divorce and Life After The divorce was finalized on August 28, 1996. Settlement terms reportedly included about $23 million for Diana plus $600,000 per year. She and Charles would both be active in their sons lives. Diana continued to live at Kensington Palace and was permitted to retain the title Princess of Wales. At her divorce, she also gave up most of the charities shed been working with, limiting herself to only a few causes: homelessness, AIDS, leprosy, and cancer. In 1996, Diana became involved in a campaign to ban landmines. She visited several nations in her involvement with the anti-landmine campaign, an activity more political than the norm for the British royal family. In early 1997, Diana was linked romantically with the 42-year-old playboy Dodi Fayed (Emad Mohammed al-Fayed). His father, Mohammed al-Fayed, owned Harrods department store and the Ritz Hotel in Paris, among other properties. Death On August 30, 1997, Diana and Fayed left the Ritz Hotel in Paris, accompanied in a car by a driver and Dodis bodyguard. They were pursued by paparazzi. Just after midnight the car spun out of control in a Paris tunnel and crashed. Fayed and the driver were killed instantly; Diana died later in a hospital despite efforts to save her. The bodyguard survived despite critical injuries. The world quickly reacted. First came horror and shock. Then blame- much of which was directed at the paparazzi who were following the princesss car, and from whom the driver was apparently trying to escape. Later tests showed the driver had been well over the legal alcohol limit, but immediate blame was placed on the photographers and their seemingly incessant quest to capture images of Diana that could be sold to the press. Then came an outpouring of sorrow and grief. The Spencers, Dianas family, established a charitable fund in her name, and within a week $150 million in donations had been raised. Princess Dianas funeral, on September 6, drew worldwide attention. Millions turned out to line the path of the funeral procession. Legacy In many ways, Diana and her life story paralleled much in popular culture. She was married near the beginning of the 1980s, and her fairy-tale wedding, complete with a glass coach and a dress that could not quite fit inside, was in synch with the ostentatious wealth and spending of the 1980s. Her struggles with bulimia and depression shared so publicly in the press, were also typical of the 1980s focus on self-help and self-esteem. That she seemed to have finally begun to transcend many of her problems made her loss seem all the more tragic. The 1980s realization of the AIDS crisis was one in which Diana played a significant part. Her willingness to touch and hug AIDS sufferers, at a time when many in the public wanted to quarantine those with the disease based on irrational and uneducated fears of easy communicability, helped change how AIDS patients were treated. Today, Diana is still remembered as the Peoples Princess, a woman of contradictions who was born into wealth yet seemed to have a common touch; a woman who struggled with her self-image yet was a fashion icon; a woman who sought attention but often stayed at hospitals and other charity sites long after the press had left. Her life has been the subject of numerous books and films, including Diana: Her True Story, Diana: Last Days of a Princess, and Diana, 7 Days. Sources Bumiller, Elisabeth, et al. â€Å"Death of Diana: Times Journalists Recall Night of the Crash.† The New York Times, 31 Aug. 2017.Clayton, Tim, and Phil Craig. Diana: Story of a Princess. Atria Books, 2003.Lyall, Sarah. â€Å"Dianas Legacy: A Reshaped Monarchy, a More Emotional U.K.† The New York Times, 31 Aug. 2017.Morton, Andrew. Diana: Her True Story - in Her Own Words. Michael OMara Books Limited, 2019.

Strategic Management, Analysis of the Strategic Situation of HTC and Essay

Strategic Management, Analysis of the Strategic Situation of HTC and Its Industry - Essay Example HTC was founded in the year 1997 and commenced its business with manufacturing and designing of mobile accessories. Since the year 2006, HTC has introduced many mobile phones with various portfolios like tablet, android and smartphones for the developing markets (HTC, 2012). The objective of this paper is to analyse about the strategic current situation of HTC in the smartphone industry. The analysis would take into consideration industry analysis by using Porter’s five forces model, industry lifecycle analysis and value chain analysis. The study would also endeavour to comprehend the scale and the scope for HTC in respect of the existing industry scenario in the upcoming future. Analysis of the Strategic Situation In the present market scenario, it is observed that a number of companies are manufacturing smartphone along with HTC like Apple, Samsung, Nokia and Sony Ericsson among others. Due to which, the competition among the companies is rising day-by-day in the mobile phon e market. As a result, many advanced technology smartphones have been launched in the market. A few companies have been recognised to have lost out somewhat in market competition due to facing a lack in terms of offered technology in their smartphones or other mobile devices (Hu & Meier, 2010). With due reference to the context, it can be observed that HTC has been facing quite a tough scenario in the smartphone market to sustain its position among the topmost brands. Since the year 2006, HTC had expanded its reach with its smartphone in a number of global markets. HTC was the first cellular manufacturing company to introduce android phone in the market. Subsequently, it was observed that from 2010 onwards HTC faced a downfall because of the vast developments with modern technologies among the competitors’ products. The leading competitors of HTC include Nokia, Samsung and Apple. These companies also started to offer competitive brands of smartphones which significantly affec ted the sales of HTC. Generally, HTC was affected due to the rapid growths of Samsung and Apple’s smarphones such as Galaxy line as well as iPhone respectively. Moreover, Sensation and Desire brands of HTC smartphone have also faced quite indifferent responses from the consumers. Thus, this aspect has also led towards the declining trend of HTC in the smartphone market (Hu & Meier, 2010). Source: (Dotmobi, 2012). The above depicted figure depicts the position of the smartphone manufacturing companies in the present scenario. Therefore, it can be avowed that HTC, in recent times, has considerably lacked behind as compared to its major competitors such as Samsung, Apple and Nokia among others. Thus, by considering the downfall, HTC needs to recognise certain strategies to improve its product and to fight back against its competitors. Key strategies that can be employed include making product modifications, changing to the fast-moving approach for unpredictable markets, creating enhanced brand awareness through positioning and targeting high end users (Hu & Meier, 201

The Proslavery Thought of George Fitzhugh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Proslavery Thought of George Fitzhugh - Essay Example Fitzhugh had revealed not only the sectional divide over slavery on the eve of disunion, but also the ideological distance amid the revolutionary generation of Virginia slaveholders and mid-nineteenth century Carolina planters. The political ideology of secession, exemplified by his speech, belonged to the surge of reaction with the intention of followed the age of revolution in the Atlantic world. The political ideology of secession in America consisted mainly of formal constitutional arguments and proslavery thought. The systematic construction of Southern constitutional theory and the theoretical defense of slavery proved to be very influential in the long term and provided the ideological justification for secession. Under the political and intellectual guidance of Fitzhugh, slaveholders formulated the "Carolina doctrine" of nullification, or the state veto of a federal law, state ownership of national territories, and the constitutional right to secession with the intention of helped make disunion a reality. The proslavery argument was also central to the growth of political separatism in America. Regardless of the individual political beliefs of proslavery writers, their works were crucial in the construction of a separate Southern identity based on slavery.

Argument Essay - Illegalize Alcohol Essay Example for Free

Argument Essay Illegalize Alcohol Essay Our country is facing a growing problem. It is a problem of moral decay. The legal and open use of alcohol is an unnecessary vice that is enjoyed and accepted by a majority of the United States population, unfortunately, it leads to social and moral downfalls. Alcohol should be held to the same standards as other illegal mind and body-altering substances, as alcohol is addicting and has no medical value. Lawmakers and active voters should put an outright ban on alcohol. The revenue that is generated from the manufacturing, distributing, and sales of alcohol is a major source of taxable income that is a benefit. As of 2007 the U. S. Government was collecting $5. 6 billion dollars annually from the taxation of alcohol (joshritchie). This revenue has tended to increase each and every year. Although the revenue is important, the question must be asked, is it moral? Is it moral for our government to profit off the sale of a frivolous vice that causes fatalities and creates addicts? The revenue that is made from the taxation of alcohol could be lost, and would simply increase our never-ending national debt by a miniscule amount. Through out history our country has faced several social epidemics that have resulted in many people becoming substance abusers. Though these times our government has stepped in and enforced laws to restore the moral and social fabric of the infected areas. The current epidemic that we are facing is the abuse of alcohol. It is widespread and available almost everywhere in our country. â€Å"According to the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) tool, from 2001–2005, there were approximately 79,000 deaths annually attributable to excessive alcohol use. † (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Beyond the number of the deaths that are related to alcohol every year, a staggering number of people in the United States are alcoholics. According to the National Library of Medicine, â€Å"nearly 17. 6 million adults in the United States are alcoholics or have alcohol problems†. (U. S. National Library of Medicine) We need to completely ban alcohol so that we can start working on decreasing the number of addicts in our country rather than encourage the use to every single person just as he or she turns a certain age. The United States government has already tried to ban alcohol in the past, it was a complete failure and subsequently repealed. This attempt resulted in a spike in organized crime and was an obvious failure. Eventually the government conceded and re-legalized the use of alcohol. I too will concede that it was a failure on the part of our government in enforcing the prohibition of alcohol. Even today we are fighting the exact same battle by the DEA with the Controlled Substances Act. There is already a long list of illegal substances that are given priorities and schedules and are subsequently enforced. It would not be a stretch to incorporate alcohol into this list of illegal drugs. Many would assert that it would be difficult to enforce the mere consumption and manufacturing of small amounts of alcohol by individuals in there own homes. It is a very simple process to either brew low alcohol content drinks or to distill higher alcohol content spirits. The enforcing of these laws would be similar to current laws of cannabis cultivation. These laws would seem just as hard to enforce, yet they are enforced. The manufacturing of homemade alcohol could be given the same fear of punishment and could be enforced on incident-to-incident bases. Alcohol has the tendency to increase the probability of someone committing a violent crime. If alcohol were banned and harder to get a hold of this number of crimes would greatly diminish. The National Center for Victims of Crime has referenced the U. S. Department of Justice concerning drug and alcohol related crimes. The report states, â€Å"The U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey asks the violent crime victims who reported seeing their offenders whether they perceived the offender to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to the 1999 survey, over a quarter of the violent crime victims could make such a determination. About twenty-eight percent (28%) of those reported that the offender was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The most common substance identified was alcohol alone. About sixteen percent (16%) reported that the offender was under the influence of alcohol alone (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001). † (The National Center for Victims of Crime) This only takes into account the victims that were able to see their offender; this means that there are possibly more unaccounted for alcohol related crimes. The legal and open use of alcohol as a vice is leading to the downfall of our society. It is creating addicts while not offering a single practical medical benefit. The United States Government has already invested time, money, and effort to enforcing its Controlled Substances Act. Alcohol should be held to the same standards as all other physically altering substances are held to. Alcohol poses the risk of dependence and has no beneficial medical value. In order to start the moral fabric of our country we need to do away with the crime inducing substance alcohol. Lawmakers and active voters, it is our duty to hold our selves to higher standards and completely abolish the manufacturing, sale, and use of alcohol. Works Cited Alcoholism: MedlinePlus. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 25 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/alcoholism. html. CDC Alcohol and Public Health Home Page Alcohol. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://www. cdc. gov/alcohol/. Drug Related Crime. The National Center for Victims of Crime. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. http://www. ncvc. org/ncvc/main. aspx? dbName=DocumentViewerDocumentID=32348. Joshritchie. How Much Is the Government Making Off of Alcohol? | Tax Break: The TurboTax Blog. Tax Break: The TurboTax Blog | Its All about the Refund. 5 July 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. http://blog. turbotax. intuit. com/2010/07/05/how-much-is-the-government-mak

Temporal Becoming and the A- and B- Theories of Time :: Philosophy Philosophical Time Papers

Temporal Becoming and the A- and B- Theories of Time It is interesting to note that many of Saint Augustine's concerns about time around 400AD are the same as we have today. For example, Augustine was puzzled about the nature of the distinction between the past, the present and the future. He was also concerned about the nature and status of the apparent flow of time. In this essay we will consider a much more recent approach to time that came to the fore in the twentieth century. In 1908 James McTaggart published an article in Mind entitled 'The Unreality of Time', in which, as the title implies, he argued that there is in reality no such thing as time. Now although this claim was in itself startling, probably what was even more significant than McTaggart's arguments was his way of stating them. It was in this paper that McTaggart first drew his now standard distinction between two ways of saying when things happen. In this essay we shall outline these ways of describing events and then discuss the merits and demerits of each, and examine what has become known as the 'tensed versus tenseless' debate on temporal becoming. One way which we speak, experience and conceive of time is that time is something that flows or passes from the future to the present and from the present to the past. When viewed in this way, events which are present have a special existential status. Whatever may be the case with regard to the reality or unreality of events in the future and the past, events that are in the present exist with a capital 'E'. It can then be postulated that it is the 'present' or 'now' that shifts to even later times. If events in time (or moments of time) are conceived in terms of past, present and future, or by means of the tenses, then they form what McTaggart called the A-series (from which the A-theory of time is derived). This type of change is commonly referred to as 'temporal becoming', and gives rise to well known perplexities concerning both what does the shifting and the type of shift involved, which we will discuss later. On the other hand, we experience events in time as occurring in succession, one after another, and as simultaneous with other events. When viewed in this way, events stand in various different temporal relations to each other but no one event, or set of events, is singled out as having the property of being present or as occurring 'now'.

Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2006

Spenser Garrison Strategic Management 3/17/10 Case 1: Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2006 The soft drink industry is very competitive for all companies involved. Recently the competition between established firms has only increased with the market nearing its saturation point. All companies in the industry, especially those thinking about entering, have to think about Porter’s 5-Forces model and the pressures it outlines; rivalry among establish firms, risk of entry by potential competitors, substitute products, suppliers, and buyers. When talking about market share, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have the lions share. They have dominated the industry over the past 40 years with Coca-Cola leading in the category in 2004 (C256). With little resistance from Cadbury Schweppes, the distant third largest company in the industry, the two companies’ main focus was to increase market demand by outdoing each other in promotions, advertisements, and corporate acquisitions. Rivalry and power struggle have defined the existence of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, looking for a competitive advantage to gain an edge on the competition. This rivalry has been to the benefit to the companies, the industry, and its consumers as a whole. Both have learned to not only stay afloat, but flourish in an industry that has constantly grown since Coca-Cola began advertising in 1891 (C258). They did this by increasing the demand in their products, and gaining brand loyalty by their consumers. In some instances, they were selling cases of Dasani (Coca-Cola) and Aquafina (PepsiCo) for less than the cost of bottling it (C267). The risk of entry by potential competitors isn’t a strong competitive pressure in the industry. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola dominate the industry with their brand name and distribution channels, which makes it difficult for new entrants to compete with these existing firms. High fixed costs of production facilities, logistics, and economies of scale also deter entry. It’s difficult for a new firm with a small production capacity, and a high cost structure to compete when, as soon as their product is introduced to the market, the two leading firms drop prices below your cost structure. Pepsi and Coke’s economies of scale allows them to do this since it costs so much less for them to produce their products than it would a new company. Substitute products come from competitors outside of the soft drink industry. These include: coffee, sports drinks, bottled water, tea, and juices. This is an increasingly growing force since consumers are becoming more health conscious in society. Most people are thinking about what carbonated soft drinks do to their bodies and replace them with sports drinks which appear to be healthier. These drinks also allow for a larger variety of flavors the appeal to different consumers (C263). Coffee and tea may also be substitutes for the consumer who drinks soda for the caffeine they contain. Consumers can switch to coffee to decrease the amount of sugar and carbonation. These also come in a larger variety of flavors provided companies, such as Starbucks, that have become extremely popular over the past 20 years. These substitutes are a large and powerful force in the industry, especially since the switching costs (the cost to switch from one product to the next) are essentially zero. Supplies to the industry don’t hold much competitive pressure. Bottling and packaging of the product don’t hold much of a bargaining position in the industry. Coca-Cola’s CEO Roberto Goizueta looked to consolidate a large number of bottlers in 1986, creating an independent bottling subsidiary called Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), went public and sold 51% of its shares while retaining the remaining which enables Coke to have separate financial statements from CCE (C261). This vertical integration essentially made Coke its own bottler, which almost cut out suppliers entirely. PepsiCo soon followed suit in the late 1980s with the Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and went public in 1999, retaining 35% of its shares (C261). By 2004 Coca-Cola had CCE bottling 80% of its North American bottle and can volume, while PepsiCo had PBG bottling 57% of their beverages in the region (C261). These consolidations took away much of suppliers’ bargaining power. The buyers of soft drinks range from Supermarkets, to mass retailers and supercenters, to gas stations. Soft drinks are sold to these stores which are, in turn, resold to customers. Buyer power in the industry is very strong. Larger stores purchase soft drink in large volumes allowing them to buy at low prices. Gas stations have less bargaining power since they buy smaller quantities. Although soft drink demand is beginning to plateau which could cause a shift in bargaining power to the buyer because of decreasing demands in both Pepsi and Coke. Porter’s 5-Forces model completely encompasses all factors of the soft drink industry. It has shown that industry has been very profitable in earlier years, especially to Pepsi and Coke. Demand for soft drinks is beginning to level off because of a new health conscious trend by the consumer which will inevitably affect profits. The industry has also been defined by intense rivalry by the two largest firms which leave little room for new entrants. The soft drink industry has reached its peak in society and will soon begin to decline soon because of the consumers decrease in demand for the product and increased demand in other healthier products. For both companies to stay profitable, they will have to curtail their products to the new health conscious trend of the consumer. The value created by the soft drink industry is apparent and distributed across the industry in a variety of ways. Pepsi and Coke at first only produced their cola products, two companies each with one product line. The success of both companies led them to diversify their production capabilities and produce different flavors of soda; Fanta, Sprite, and Tab (1960-63) from Coke, and Teem, Mountain Dew, and Diet Pepsi (1960-64) from Pepsi (C259). These expanded product lines proved to be highly profitable and were continued and expanded on in the years to come. By the late 1980s Coke and Pepsi each offered more than 10 major brands of soda in 17 or more sizes (C261). This product proliferationincreased profitability, rivalry, and barriers to entry. Soon both companies would break into markets other than carbonated soft drinks. Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade, juices and juice drinks, energy drinks, tea based drinks, and bottled water. These new product lines all had substitute products from the other company to battle with. Pepsi and Coke had a vast understanding on game theory and demonstrated it with their sequential and simultaneous move games. This led to an enormous selection for the consumer, whose only problem was choosing a flavor. Both Pepsi and Coke both have secret recipes to their flagship cola. Coke was the first to be imitated in its early years. The company constantly fought trademark infringements in court. There were as many as 153 barred imitation of Coca-Cola in 1916 alone (C259). When Pepsi proved to be a viable competitor to Coke, the company filed a suit against Pepsi claiming it was an infringement on the Coca-Cola Trademark. From that point on the two companies engaged in competitive marketing campaigns to gain market share. In 1950, Coke controlled 47% of the US market, while Pepsi’s was only 10%. Coke and Pepsi are two gigantic companies that have flourished throughout their existence. They can be described as the definition of rivalry and competition in the modern business world. They are exact substitutes of each other and have battled to control the carbonated soft drink industry for over a century. From the 1950s-present, the carbonated soft drink industry has steadily increased in terms of consumption by person in the US (C251). Both companies have spent billions in marketing, research, acquisitions, and promotions to meticulously exchange percentage points in the $66 billion a year industry that they have created (C250). Unfortunately times are changing, and the superiority that the carbonated soft drink industry once held among beverages is slowly fading. Schools are banning sodas from being sold in them, claiming they are unhealthy for children (C263). People in today’s society are more health conscious than they were in prior years. This is why you see a health clubs left and right, and â€Å"0g Trans Fat† labeled on snack foods. A majority of the US population is very health conscious, which leaves little room for the sugary carbonated soft drinks that used to dominated beverage consumption. The stability of the Soft drink Industry as a whole is in jeopardy. Coke and Pepsi will have to find alternatives to increase market share, or break into new markets, if they want sales to keep increasing like they have in the past. Non-carbonated beverages, such as juices, sports drinks, and energy drinks, are beginning to grow more rapidly than when they first were introduced, while carbonated beverages are leveling off. This health conscious shift will lead Coca-Cola and Pepsi executives to focus in these once thought auxiliary components of their business to pick up the slack that the carbonated industry is leaving behind. Coke and Pepsi will not be able to repeat their success with carbonated beverages in the water segment. Water can’t differ like soft drinks can. There are simply too many similar substitutes for customers to turn to, and the brand loyalty diminishes. A mere 10% of consumers say they choose a brand of water because â€Å"it’s my favorite brand† when compared to the 37% of carbonated beverage consumers (C267). To compete in this new market, Coke and Pepsi will need a new competitive dynamic to stay profitable, one that won’t end in price wars. Fortunately for the market it is much cheaper to bottle and sell water than it is carbonated soft drinks, so competitive advantage will need to inevitably be realized in other parts of the business.

Market Entry Essay

Value chain outline Business model restructuration Domestic market 1. Analysis 2. Factors of success 4. International expension strategy 1. Management method 2. Analysis 3. Factors of success 5. 6. Value creation Debate   Top quality products Adapted and productive management style Group capacity to restructure and timulate other companies Value chain analysis & good partnership Value Chain Outline Business model restructuration Domestic Market International expension strategy Value Creation Debate Value Chain Outline Business model restructuration International expension strategy Domestic Market 1984 1988 Zhang become Manager of Quingdao General Refrigiretor Factory Gold medal for product quality in national competition Value Creation 1989 1991 Chinese market face oversupply Diversification through aquisitions (eg, telecommunication, equipment†¦) Debate Raise the price and move to high quality strategy 1998 Operational restructuring Value Chain Outline Business model restructuration Domestic Market Diversification and internal reorganization ? 7 product divisions ? Glocal strategy: ? 4 Group-wide  « Development Divisions  » International expension strategy Value Creation Debate Value Chain Outline Business model restructuration Domestic Market International expension strategy Value Creation Debate Market share in 2004 Refrigerator Washing Machine Air conditioner 28% 18% 30% other ? ? ? By 2002, they accounted for 61% of industry profits. From 1989 to 1996, the number of refrigerators producers :100 to 20 3 Chinese manufacturers = 60% of the market ? Kelon is the main competitor Value Chain Outline ? Business model restructuration Domestic Market After the Chinese entry in WTO: ? new entrants (Electrolux, Siemens†¦) ? Refrigerator unit sales: 31% in 2002 vs 26% in 2001 ? Automatic washing machine: 38% in 2002 vs 31% in 2001. ? Before 2000: ? Core profit ? state-owned department stores ? In 2004: ? individual specialized shops/ private retail International expension strategy Value Creation Debate % Haier’s sales Domestic Chain International chain Licensed dealers Independent retail shops Government purchases. Management method Market responsiveness: focus on meeting customer needs Good after-sale service: offerings that Chinese customers was not accustomed (free replacement, warranty†¦) Distribution network: one single company (Haier logistics) serving the entire group, good network Be cautious: These points can be learnt, copied and imitated by multinationals International expension strategy Value Creation Debate Value Chain Outline ? ? Business model restructuration Domestic Market International expension strategy Value Creation Debate Key factor for international strategy Focus on market pressure: choose difficult market (eg. US, Europe)  « If we can succeed there we can succeed in easier market  » ? Look for hard challenges ? Focus on Human Resources assets ? Implement a  « local thinking  » ? Hire Local employees Value Chain Outline Business model restructuration Domestic Market International expension strategy Value Creation ? Since 1997: Willpower of a global expansion strategy (3third) ? Joint ventures ? Manufacturer of Liebherr (Germany): 8 top ranking ? 1999: Willpower of Haier to make a brand reputation overseas. Difference with the domestic rival Kelon ? Take example of the successful Japanese and Korean model. % of sales in the US an EU Export from China (% of total revenue) 1998 – 3% 2004 – 17% 1998 – 3% 2004 – 8,3% Overseas Made and Sold (% of total revenue) 2002 – 4,6% 2004 – 8,3% 70% of Haier overseas’ revenues come from developed markets Debate Value Chain Outline Business model restructuration Domestic Market.International expension strategy Value Creation Debate Focus on difficult (flat market) and highly competitive markets Penetrate the market with niche products Hire local people Make JV on five continents ? Benefit from existing networks. Pay close attention to market specifications Make  « response speed  » Satisfy customer needs Value Chain Outline Business model restructuration Domestic Market International expension strategy Value Creation Debate Growth leverage Restructuration Differentiation Know How After Sales Management Vision Market responsiveness Distribution Glocal Strategy Value Chain Outline ? ? Business model restructuration Domestic Market International expension strategy How would Haier evolve in order to gain more market share internationally and in their home market?

8 Ways to Increase Your Confidence at Work

8 Ways to Increase Your Confidence at Work Think about the most successful people you know. Chances are, the common thread is confidence. Successful people believe in themselves and that confidence helps them to keep on succeeding and succeeding- which, in turn, makes them more confident! Feel left out of the confidence club? Don’t fear. But don’t do nothing either. You can and should induct yourself into the secret society of self-satisfaction. Here are 8 easy ways to do just that.1. Know yourselfTake a good hard look at yourself, first and foremost. Confidence is usually earned, and confident people are just as aware of their shortcomings as they are of their strengths. Get to know your selling points and the areas where you might need work. Do a thorough self-assessment.2. Don’t be a pushoverIt’s important to say â€Å"no† from time to time. Practice saying â€Å"no,† when prudent, and make sure to make your refusals clear. A simple â€Å"No, sorry† is worth a million  "I’m just not sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ s, and will make both you and the favor-asker feel less stressed and more secure.3. Get in good with the bossIf you have a good relationship with your boss, great. If not, try to strategize how you might repair the relationship and start over on a better foot. Otherwise, the stress will be a huge drain on your energy and your self-esteem, both in the office and at home.4. Set a bunch of smaller goalsConfident people are always winning, even in small increments. Challenge yourself constantly and, more often than not, you’ll succeed. Celebrate these small victories both because you deserve to and because you’ll get into the habit of succeeding. Before you know it, you’ll be used to winning too.5. Get a mentorA good mentor can help you advance in the course of your career, making small corrections to steer you straight. They’ll tell you where you’re coming up short, but they’ll also give you a pat on the b ack when you deserve it. And pats on the back build confidence!6. Work outSeriously. Exercise creates endorphins. It also makes you feel more capable emotionally, socially, and professionally. If you can work out regularly and push yourself, you’ll feel like you can translate those skills out of the gym and into your work.7. Play dress upPeople are judgmental. They do pay attention to how we present ourselves physically. Try dressing a bit smarter, but make sure to choose clothing that reflects you and your style. Be neat and tidy and make the extra effort. The compliments alone will boost your confidence.8. Don’t be a jerkIt’s important to be assertive, but make sure not to overcompensate with aggression. This means keeping your insecurities in check. Once you learn this delicate balancing act, you’ll be well-equipped to wield your new confident self with ease.

Strongest Predictors of Marketing Success With Jordan Loftis [PODCAST]

Strongest Predictors of Marketing Success With Jordan Loftis [PODCAST] What separates successful marketers from those who struggle? Have you ever wondered? Finding out is the key to effective marketing. Relying only on anecdotes isn’t effective; you need to have actual data. Today we’re going to dive deeply into the topic with Jordan Loftis, the content marketing strategist here at . Armed with his insights, you’ll be able to make decisions based on what really works and what doesn’t. Get ready to glean the wisdom you know to decide what to do to be most effective! What Jordan does at as the content marketing strategist. Information about the 10x vs 10% framework and how it helps marketers prioritize what to work on next. Why Jordan took on the huge project of surveying 1,600 marketers to compile a report on the state of marketing strategy, as well as some of the findings that surprised Jordan. Why documentation of a marketing strategy is vital to success. What Jordan found out about goal-setting when it comes to marketing, including the â€Å"trifecta† of documentation, goal-setting, and success. How often the most elite marketers conduct research. Jordan’s best advice for marketers: Embrace reality and learn to enjoy being proven wrong. Links: State of Marketing Strategy Report (free download) Joe Pulizzi on documenting your marketing strategy The Power of Habit If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Jordan: â€Å"Our main job is to create the best content on the Internet to help marketers solve problems and just do awesome work all the time.† â€Å"There’s a huge correlation between being successful and documenting your strategy.† â€Å"You can’t just create awesome content you have to create the right kind of awesome content.†

Primate communication and language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Primate communication and language - Essay Example One research shows one primate seeking the help of another primate to increase the communicating primate’s groom activities. The young primate gives a happy inviting sound to other young primates to play among the trees. One research shows the playing young primate raise their arms to indicate they want to play with the other nearby young primates (Pika 41). The research shows one playful chimpanzee poked the other young primate. The poking was a clear signal that the poking chimpanzee was inviting another chimpanzee to play. The communication language helps the nonhuman primates adapt to different environments. In the caring for the young environment, the researchers observed that the mother apes communicated by nodding their heads, similar to human nodding of heads to say no. The primate mother nods to stop their babies from playing with their food. The water seems to persuade the baby to eat the food. When the mother ape was climbing a tree with her baby hanging to her back for safety, the mother used this environment to shake her head as she looks at her baby. She communicates to the baby to stop her from climbing the tree. The mother fears that the baby may fall from the tree and crash down to her death. In another Arnhem Zoo research, the ape researcher observed during a close family get together environment that the mother shook her head. The mother is communicating to her baby not to approach a mad or bad mood male chimpanzee. The mother fears that the male chimpanzee may physically hurt the baby during times of anger, stress, or in a bad mood (Boos 278). The male chimpanzee may bring out his anger on the innocent and knowledge-wanting baby chimpanzee. During the environment of mating, the male gorillas hoot to make love overtures to their female gorilla members. The apes howl their message across to their group members. In another 2007 nonhuman primate survival research, the researchers observed that the young chimpanzee asked for food

Poverty in politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Poverty in politics - Research Paper Example Empirical research evidence indicates that the united state political system had played a significant role of escalating cases of poverty and hunger across the entire economy. Whereby, instead of establishing measures that can help to address the issue of hunger and poverty. The United States political system tends too busy in executing policies that are jeopardizing the standards of living. For example, the government spends substantial amount of financial resources in Military rather than using this funds to execute programs that can improve both social and economic welfare of its citizens (World Hunger Information Service, paras1-2). Some of the methods used in carrying out this research include the application of case study research design whereby, the united state was selected out of 10 most economically powerful states, like China, Japan, Japan, Spain, Canada, Germany, Italy, United States, France and Russia. The united state was selected out of the above mention states using S imple random sampling techniques. Simple random sampling was utilized because it gives each element equal chances of inclusion into the study. Secondary research was, utilized in carrying out research on how poor politics in the United States led to escalating levels of poverty. ... d quantitatively (Sreenivasan and Jyotsna,pp.76-89) Therefore, the study of this topic is important because it helps to gain an insight on the aspects of poverty in the United States as well as measures that can be put in place to address this problem. Additionally, the study of this topic is important because it indicates ways in which government officials, agencies, and policies affect poverty /have led to an increase in poverty levels. The topic had had further explained the impact of poverty in the United Stated as well as measures that can be put in place to address poverty problems. In addition, the study of this is important because it provides fundamental basis for further research. Literature Review Aspect of the politics of poverty in the United States Poor political and economic policies have been highly attributed to be the main cause of an increase in the levels of poverty among the United States citizens. Some of the main aspects of politics of poverty include: The unit ed state has loosely organized political system that fails to address social and economic problems facing the U.S citizens. For example, the united state has only two political parties that are not well structure. This means that there are no enough watchdogs to scrutinize how the government is spending public resources and hence, the federal government tends to spend public financial resources in activities that bring fewer benefits to its citizens. In above connection, the united state political system had failed to address the issues facing its people but instead the federal government has been reported to make the situation even worse (Rector and Rachel,P.1-3) Empirical research evidence indicates that half of the United States budget tends to be allotted to ministry of security and

Teenage Drinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teenage Drinking - Essay Example One argument for teenage drinking is based on the fact that at the age of 18 individuals are already legal adults and can marry or get married, have a say in elections through voting, adopt children, drive vehicles, procure abortions, serve on juries, fly airplanes, hold important public offices, serve imprisonment and even capital punishment and sue or be sued in court, yet they cannot drink until they are 21 years old. This can only be termed as hypocrisy especially considering that one acquires a driving license at 16 years and can be entrusted with a gun for hunting at the tender age of 12 years while they cannot be entrusted with drinking (Hanson). There is also the view that prohibition of teenage drinking in public places has resulted in teenagers hiding and drinking in unsupervised places and maximizing such opportunities through binge drinking which has far serious health effects. Lowering the drinking age may have the effect of removing the taboo tag on alcohol and thus rem ove the thrill that drives teenagers towards alcohol and breaking the law. This will result in reduced binge drinking and moderate teenage alcohol consumption (ProCon). Bryson weighs in on the debate with the view that at the age of 18 one can not only represent the country in war but also work at a beer/wine/liquor distillery besides owning a bar among numerous other adult rights and freedoms such as paying taxes, act and access pornography, engage in commercial sex activities in some states, sign legal contracts and run for most political offices while being forbidden to drink. This is tantamount to treating the adults of 18-20 years as second class citizens. Besides all these, the drinking restriction has not served its purpose as evidenced by the amount of unstoppable drinking occurring at college level. Studies also indicate that there are no significant differences in harm caused by alcohol between an 18 year old and a 21 year old. Arguments against Teenage Drinking: Alcohol d rinking has been shown to have serious medical complications in teenagers especially when they engage in binge drinking. These include brain damage which is a consequence of the neurotoxicity of consumption of large amounts of alcohol and fears are that such brain damage may be irreversible. Comparative studies indicate that drinking teenagers have impaired memory and limited cognitive skills as compared to non-drinking ones. Teenager’s brain is not structurally fully developed hence teenagers are at higher risks of damage in comparison to adult brains (IAS 3; CADCA 1; Trudeau). Johnson (2) identifies alcohol as a major contributor to juvenile delinquency stating that such teenagers are more likely to bear guns and other weaponry, damage property, commit rape and assault among other violent conduct and illegal acts. A closely related consequence of teenage drinking is engaging in abuse of other drugs including drugs such as marijuana, inhalants, cocaine and smoking (CDC Facts heet; Hitti). Such drugs not only create problems with the law but also health and mental problems alongside drop in performance in schools. This is a scenario which results in cross-over youths which referring to youths causing concerns across multiple systems such as counseling, juvenile criminal justice, education and health.

Repressive And Ideological State Apparatus Cultural Studies Essay

Repressive And Ideological State Apparatus Cultural Studies Essay Althusser (xxxx) points out that, to assure its existence and continuity, every (industrialized) social formation must reproduce the conditions of its production at the same time as it produces. Therefore, societies must be able to reproduce and maintain their productive forces as well as the exiting relations of production. He makes clear that, in order for these processes to be successful, capitalist societies put into operation (repressive) state and ideological state apparatuses. On the one hand, departing from stringent Marxist ideas, Althusser states that the repressive state apparatus is embodied by the prison , the courts, the police, the army, etc. which ensure the domination of the bourgeois capitalist society over the working classes by securing the political conditions of the reproduction of relations of production so the latter is subjected capitalist exploitation. This apparatus function mainly by violence, which not necessarily always take physical form. In other words, force is used to obtain compliance in the society (Francis, 1995). However, a distinction is made between state apparatus and state power, being the latter related to the objective of the class struggle while the former is the concerned repressive actions and may survive circumstances affecting the tenure of the state power. On the other hand, ideological state apparatuses (ISAs) refer to a body of specialized institutions including the church, the educational, the family, etc. the communications which function predominantly by ideology, and secondarily, by repression since school and church often apply mechanisms of repression such as punishment, expulsion, selection, etc. According to Althusser, ideology functions or acts by recruiting and transforming every single individual into subjects in a process is called interpellation. At the same time, ideology allows mutual recognition among subjects and, eventually, the subjects recognition of himself, which assures that the subject freely recognizes and accepts his own subjection to a meaningful, natural and commonsensical way of viewing the world. McLaren states that ideology can be described as the intersection of meaning and power in the social world where rituals, social practices, values and beliefs are seen as common sense. Extending this idea he adds that: (Ideology) produce(s) in the individuals distorted conceptions of their place in the sociocultural order and thereby serve to reconcile them to that place and to disguise the inequitable relations of power and privilege. In spite of their differences, the unity of the ISAs is secured as long as they work under the principles of the ruling ideology as the ruling class has the power of the (repressive) state apparatus so it is acceptable that this same ruling class is active on that Ideological State apparatuses insofar as it is ultimately the ruling ideology which is realized. As long as the (repressive) state apparatus is unified under the leadership of representatives of the classes in power the ISAs are relatively autonomous and provide a buffer zone to mitigate the clash between capitalist and proletarian classes. Therefore, the (repressive) state apparatus provides a shield for ISAs, which concentrate the ruling ideology, to largely secure the reproduction specifically of the relation of production. The Educational State Apparatus Althusser special attention to Educational state apparatus and puts forward the idea of school as the dominant ISA due to its paramount role in the reproduction of the relations of production. This apparatus has been installed by the bourgeoisie, the author explains, to replace the previously predominant ISA: the church the reason for this is that school has replaced church in its functions. He states that the power of this ISA resides on that no other ISA has the obligatory function of leading the children at their most vulnerable age, squeezed between family and school, into the capitalist social formation during such long periods of time weekly. It is by transmitting the skills and knowledge necessary for workers to adjust to their role in capitalist mode of production (Francis, 1995) and producing marketable knowledge (Phillipson, xxxx) that the relation between exploiter and exploited is intensively reproduced. School appears as a neutral environment where parents can endeavor their children to free and conscious teachers for them to lead students along a path of liberating virtues. In other words, school fulfills three basic functions in capitalist societies: economic-reproductive, ideological (inoculation of values, attitudes and beliefs) and repressive (the imposition of sanctions for not accede the demands of the school) (Phillipson, xxxx). Hegemony Antonio Gramsci (as cited in Stillo, 1999) develops the concept of hegemony departing from the Marxist concepts of base/superstructure, economic determination and class struggle. However, he considers these ideas as overly deterministic and focuses on the superstructural institutions where political and ideological institutions as well as the hopes, dreams and culture of a society can be found, i.e. ,as McLaren (2003) states, hegemony could not do its work without the support of ideology. Gramsci states that the supremacy of the bourgeoisie is based on two equally important concepts, these being the economic domination and intellectual and moral leadership. He claims that class struggle must always involve ideas and ideologies, which would make the revolution or prevent it. Furthermore, Stillo (1999) states the Gramsci recognizes the importance of the human agency since economic crises by themselves would not subvert capitalism and builds up a more dialectic than deterministic theory stressing the autonomy, independence and importance of culture and ideology. Stillo (1999), on referring to Gramcis theory discuss that the concept of hegemony as a process where the ruling class persuades subordinated classes to accept its moral, political and cultural values. Hegemony, in this sense, can be understood as a set of ideas by means of which dominant groups strive to secure the consent of the subordinated groups to their leadership. In other words, hegemony is a struggle in which the dominant win the consent of the oppressed, with the oppressed unknowingly participating in their own oppression (McLaren, 2003). However, consent in not always achieved peacefully and may combine coercion with intellectual, moral and cultural inducement In other words, social control be sustained in two ways: coercive and consensual. While the latter is exercised by direct force and threat, the latter arises when the individuals voluntarily assimilate the worldview of the dominant group. Dominant groups will provide the symbols, representation and social practices i n such a way that the unequal relations of power remain hidden (McLaren, 2003). Thus, the oppressed Furthermore, hegemony must be constantly renewed, re-negotiated and can never be taken for granted. In fact, during revolutionary scenarios, the function of the hegemonic does not disappear but changes its character (Stillo, 1999). In this fashion, hegemony goes beyond culture and ideology. Culture represents the way in which men and women define and shape their lives, while ideology is a system of values and meanings projects a particular class interest, thus the form in which consciousness is at once expressed and controlled (Stillo, 1999). Strinaty, 1995: 168-169) holds that Hegemony operates culturally and ideologically through state ideological apparatuses which characterizes capitalist societies and that these institutions namely the church, the family, the school, popular culture, etc. are determinant in the construction of our beliefs, identity, opinions under the rule of a dominant common sense. In other words, hegemony is entirely related to the issues of ideology and is itself ideology that has been institutionalized and legalized by ruling classes (Cheng Hsiao, 2001). English Language and cultural hegemony. As described above, the dominant culture is able to exercise its domination through over the subordinates classes or groups through hegemony (McLaren, 2003). That is, a struggle in which the dominant classes win the consent of those oppressed with the latter unknowingly participating in its own oppression. Here dominant culture refers to a set of practices, ideologies, and values that asserts the interests and concerns of the social class in control of the material and symbolic wealth of society. McLaren (2003), states that dominant cultural forms are referred as those symbols and social practices that express the dominant cultures way of shaping their lives and make sense of the world. Cultural forms include music, clothes, food, religion and education as well as television, films and video. Extending this idea, he suggests that it seems central to link the concept of dominant culture and its cultural forms with wider structural scope: Cultural forms dont exist apart from sets of structural underpinnings which are related to the means of economic production, the mobilization of desire, the construction of social values, asymmetries of power/ knowledge, configuration of ideologies, and relations of class, race and gender In this view, language becomes a key element for the transmission of the dominant culture, and its correspondent cultural forms, to the subordinated classes. The learning of English unavoidably brings with it an invasion of Western Culture (Qiang Wolff, 2004) as well as fosters western countries cultural, economic and political domination that goes hand-in-hand with the language that encodes the cultural practices that it helps to sustain. Reinforcing this idea, Whorf (1986) states that the structure of language directly influences how speakers will understand and organize the world around them and contributes enormously to the formation of personal and cultural meanings and identity. But for these aspects to remain hidden, English language needs to be divorced from cultural and social matters and be presented as non-political, divorced from wider social, educational and cultural issues (Phillipson, xxxx). This makes of English a marketable, standard product focused on technical and pedagogical aspects, which allows cultural hegemonic matters without scrutiny. Another aspect that contributes to the hegemony of the dominant culture is the intimate relationship between English Language and economic prosperity. Gaffey (xxxx) suggests that the success of English worldwide relies on that learning the language is believed to help people to achieve a better quality of life and on the dogmatic idea of English as concrete solution for the economic disadvantage. English also promotes the entrance to a culturally modern western-like world, which enhances the ideological incorporation intensively and extensively. Furthermore Pennycook (xxxx) explains that: teaching [and learning] English as a second or foreign language is not only good business, in terms of the production of teaching materials of all kinds à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but also it is good politics. (p. 63). Given the connections à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ between English and the export of certain forms of culture and knowledge, and between English and the maintenance of social, economic and political à ©lites, it is evident that the promotion of English around the world may bring very real economic and political advantages to the promoters of that spread. (p. 22) Extending this idea, Moffat (2004) suggests that the link that exist between English and economic prosperity is a prove of how the economic power of the centre is transferred to English Language. Furthermore, she asserts that when non-English speakers realize about the economic benefits of speaking English, such us higher paid jobs, they are induced to accept the language as a possibility of better life. In this sense, the learning of English appears to be as commonsensical and as the natural state of affairs and, even more important, the interest of a whole nation rather than a personal choice reflecting specific interests (Gaffey, xxxx) Hence, English language becomes the vehicle that allows the dominant culture to become hegemonic since dominated classes voluntarily accept not only the language, but the dominant culture which the language brings with it through the operation non-coercive forces in view of becoming part of prosper, modern world. English Linguistic Hegemony. As stated above, ideology is a constituent element of hegemony and latter cannot function without the former. A comprehensive definition of linguistic hegemony is offered by Wiley (2000): Linguistic hegemony is achieved when dominant groups create a consensus by convincing others to accept their language norms and usage as standard or paradigmatic. Hegemony is ensured when they can convince those who fail to meet those standards to view the failure as being result of the inadequacy of their own language. Ideological structures supported by the dominated are vital for the operation of hegemony. Thus, non-coercive forces are to be present in the process of internalization of the dominant group ideas by the dominated and legitimated through the Ideological states apparatuses. Suarez (2002) Linguistic hegemony is asserted and legitimated when the dominant language is promoted as a way of getting social, cultural or economic benefits out of its use. For example, Gaffey (xxxx) suggests that the success of English worldwide relies on that the sole act of learning the language is believed to help people to achieve a better quality of life and on the dogmatic idea of English as concrete solution for the economic disadvantage. These ideas are enthusiastically supported by the benefits that monolingual communication may bring about due to the link that exist between communication and financial success. At the same time, English promotes the entrance to a culturally modern western-like world, which enhances the ideological incorporation intensively and extensively through pop-music, films, television and magazines. Extending this idea, Moffat (2004) suggests that the link that exist between English and economic prosperity is a prove of how the economic power of th e centre is transferred to English Language A theory that reinforces the hegemonic conception of English is Bourdieu à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Pennycook (1994) draws from Ndebele (1987) to support this view that English produces and reproduces à ©lites who consistently profit from knowing that language: teaching [and learning] English as a second or foreign language is not only good business, in terms of the production of teaching materials of all kinds à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but also it is good politics. (p. 63). Given the connections à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ between English and the export of certain forms of culture and knowledge, and between English and the maintenance of social, economic and political à ©lites, it is evident that the promotion of English around the world may bring very real economic and political advantages to the promoters of that spread. (p. 22) These à ©lites are mostly people for whom English is the first language. However, a large number of non-native English speakers are convinced that by learning English they will enter the inner circle of those with very real economic and political advantages. ( no iria) ELT Ideology (also include something from Trojan horse article) However, although ELT ideology relies on its benefits, there are corresponding inferred threats that negative consequences will result from a failure to convert to the dominant (ELT) ideology, which are used to enhance the desire for learning the language (Gaffey, xxxx). For example, negative minority languages might be associated to poverty and conflict, which might be interpreted as disadvantages in accessing educational and economic resources. Furthermore, it may argued that success of ELT ideology, also remains in the asymmetrical relationship that exist between the centre and periphery regarding authority in the production of ELT material and immaterial resources. The former being books, teaching positions, etc. while the latter includes ideas, teaching principles and pedagogy that the periphery should seek as the norm imparted by universities and experts of the centre (Phillipson, xxxx). This unidirectional flow of information, which eventually poses English as dominant a language, is legitimized by anglocentricity and professionalism. Anglocentricity refers to the representation and functions of English, i.e. where English can lead people to. Professionalism includes the whole body of techniques, methods and procedures, which are constantly renewed to maintain the periphery in a dependant situation. In other words, ELT professionalism and anglocentricity discourse disconnects culture from structure by presenting ELT as neutral and non-political, thus becoming a marketable, standard product worldwide focused on a technical approach to ELT, divorced from wider educational issues (Phillipson, xxxx). This narrows ELT spectrum to procedural and pedagogical matters, but leaves aside social, cultural and political issues (Phillipson, xxxx), which allows ideological matters without scrutiny. ELT Hegemony (anda a finding the path y dejate de joder) As discussed above, the concepts of ideology and hegemony and close intertwined, being latter a constituent part of the former. Phillipson (xxxx) states that ELT hegemony can be understood as: referring to the implicit and explicit values associated, beliefs, purposes, and activities which characterize ELT profession and which contribute to the maintenance of English as a dominant language Williams (as cited in Phillipson, xxxx) also suggests that this term is more useful than ideology since the hegemonic ideas associated with ELT are just not a deliberate manipulation but a more sophisticated and complex set of personal and institutional norms and experienced meanings and values. Phillipson (xxxx) proposes that these concepts are part of the base as well as the superstructure since they arise from an economic conception of ELT based on institutions, publishing houses, project funds, and ultimately the mode of production which these are an outcome of, and from the consciousness of the ELT profession which are intellectual manifestations evolving from dialectic interaction with the economic base. Furthermore, Tsuda (2008) claims English Language Learning hegemonic position is also reflected in the threats that ELT represents to other languages causing differences between those who speak the language and those who not, the former having more resources and power than the later who is usually discriminated. In this sense, the learning of English appears to be as commonsensical and as the natural state of affairs and, even more important, the interest of a whole nation rather than a personal choice reflecting specific interests. ESL Teachers and textbooks Tengo que escribir sobre los teachers y los textbooks. Garigner (lo que respecta a los concejos que da para elegir libros), + book + giroux. Es decir, tengo que explicar cual es la funcià ³n del teacher en la relacià ³n con el libro. ELT materials Here I will comment on the publishing houses. Tengo que decir que los libros son esenciales para la reproduccià ³n de las condiciones de produccià ³n asà ­ como para la diseminacià ³n y ejercicio de la hegemonà ­a del centro. Tambià ©n contenido ideolà ³gico en imà ¡genes. Tambien hacer diferencia entre ideologà ­a y hegemonà ­a. Despuà ©s de todo estas estudiando hegemonà ­a en estos contextos. Influence, power and control are all legitimate and complementary interpretations of what hegemony means and how it plays itself out in our lives. While ideology is the direction in which these are orientated. State and ELT in Capitalist Societies. (agregar lo de Penny cook CDA acritical introduction social and cultural reproduction in schooling) As discussed above, state plays a decisive role in reproduction of relations of production of Capitalist societies in which schools are to impart education that contributes the continuation of the modes of production by generating and distributing knowledge which is useful and marketable Phillipson (xxxx). In fact, it is the state the one which ensures the reproduction of knowledge and skills reproduced in schools. Therefore, being ELT organized by the state it turns to be relatively simple to scrutinize how ELT serves the three main functions of education: economic-reproductive, ideological and repressive. The economic-reproductive function of ELT education is based on that English Language qualifies people to build up a nation and provides people with the tools to operate the technology the English provides access to, and which the state has decided to embrace. Hence, ELT brings a nation the possibility of becoming part of the globalization process, thus obtaining profits coming from the participation on trade, business and technology. In fact, Phillipson states that this is what language skills, such as those specified in syllabuses, are to be used for. ELT ideological function within schools since, as Phillipson (xxxx) proposes, English is to bring modern ideas and to be a channel for interpersonal, social and cultural values and a getaway for communications, better education, and so a higher standard of living and better understanding. Language is critical in defining individual identity, culture and community membership (Phaahla, 2006) so the learning of English also contributes to the formation of particular cultural meanings thus helping to the dissemination of western ideologies making us blind to structural realities (Phillipson, xxxx). The repressive function of English at school is performed when students are not allowed to apply their own language, thus limiting their communication within the classroom only to the target language. The repressive effect is more profound when English is applied for Education in subject rather than the language itself (Phillipson, xxxx)