History Study Notes Essay

Topic 1 Investigating History †¢ interpret and construct time lines †¢ define the terms that describe historical periods of time †¢ the terminology and concepts of historical time, including year, decade, generation, century, age, BC/AD, BCE/CE †¢ sequence societies and events within specific periods of time †¢ ask historical questions †¢ distinguish between fact and opinion †¢ draw some conclusions about the usefulness of sources including a website †¢ examine differing historical perspectives and interpretations †¢ explain cause and effect †¢ identify significant people of the past  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ examine the motives for people. s actions in the past †¢ the process of historical inquiry: . Fact and opinion . †¢ the usefulness of sources as evidence including a website . †¢ differing perspectives . cause and effect . history as the study of people †¢ explain the consequences of people. s actions †¢ describe some aspects of family/community heritage †¢ heritage issues †¢ appreciate the value of preserving and conserving our heritage Ancient Egypt †¢ the origins of the society or period †¢ identify the origins of the society or historical period †¢ daily life of men and women in the society or period  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ describe how both men and women lived in the society or period †¢ Civics and citizenship in the society or period †¢ describe the way in which the people of the society or period were governed †¢ describe the rights and freedoms of different groups in the society or period †¢ beliefs and values of the people of the society or period †¢ explain the beliefs and values of the society †¢ impact of significant people and/or events †¢ explain the impact made by significant people and/or events on the society or period †¢ contacts with other peoples †¢ outline the contacts that the society had with other peoples.

Media: a Fictional Reality Essay

Introduction We increasingly move from one kind of reality to another. As spectacles are created with our own lives we are vastly becoming the characters we once saw on television. In media, the producing and promotion of these realities encourage people to misinterpret false depictions into reality. Advertisements When we examine media advertising we find art and technology being used to create a false reality through stories in an effort to evoke desired reactions from audiences. We see a production of characters playing physicians, housewives, used car salesmen, and everyday people with plots and quick resolutions of conflict in which the characters overcome obstacles and fulfill their desires in record time with the help of their product. For example media display products that are cosmetically altered to seem more appealing to viewers. Raw turkeys are made to look baked and delicious with food coloring, burgers are big and juicy, water drops slide down fresh vegetables, even the sizzle from cooking food turns out to be a sound effect added during editing. These sensory deceptions are supplemented by exaggerated claims, to create a false identity for the product. Commercials also include another kind of falsity in the form of digitally manipulated images. They convey a sense of life as celebration, full of people who can’t help but sing out because they love their Skittles or who emerge from swimming pools, all luminescent, with magnificent hair and wonderful lives, surrounded by bright colors, upbeat music and dancing friends, in which everything is in motion to convey a sense of what life can be if we buy the product. They invent â€Å"worlds† based on fantasy and desire. â€Å"To achieve these effects, media engage in the new production process of high-tech capitalism, which is to turn everything into an image. This process is very evident in what happens to actors — they are turned into simplified human images. Their role is to become characters in false utopias so they can act as living sales pitches for products† (Boorstin 1961). They are all false promises that make everything seem better than it is. Cities City landscapes increasingly resemble places all around the world. These false depictions serve as attractions for millions of people, as well as a pseudo reality that the media likes to make into a spectacle. For example, sin city is becoming sim city; the city of simulation. Through varies attractions people are given a misrepresented idea on how media interprets the world. â€Å"One of the city’s monuments is Luxor, a $375 million hotel and casino that is a fantasy version of ancient Egypt, presenting visitors with material images of mystery, mysticism and splendor in one of the greatest monstrosities ever built: a 36-story, pyramid-shaped hotel with a ten-story replica of the Sphinx as an entrance for valet parking. The hollow core of the pyramid is a 27-story atrium that started out with a fake river Nile at the bottom, which took visitors on a barge ride passed tableaus of ancient Egypt. Meanwhile, â€Å"inclinators† — elevators that travel diagonally, following the pitch of the pyramid — take guests to their rooms in the upper floors. † (Kens 1997) They aim at representing an ideal experience, as if you really were visiting the great monuments of Egypt, but these manipulated visions are forced onto people as true depictions of reality. â€Å"Luxor is themed, offering a story line that is intended to give the visitor’s experience a meaning and coherence. But Luxor, like many similar attractions, appears to suffer from an identity crisis: it can’t seem to keep its theme together. In place of presenting one idea or trying to show one kind of place, it has jumbled together all kinds of times and places, which are removed from any sense of context or relation to each other†. (Kens 1997) Thus, the Sphinx is the entrance to a pyramid, which contains an ancient-looking temple, which takes visitors to a dig of a fictional civilization, while a talk show goes on next door and celebrity impersonators play Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Blues Brothers, or other Vegas-style shows go on nearby in Nefertiti’s Lounge. Las Vegas thrives on having the best attractions of the world on one famous street; the Vegas strip, but they’re all attractions focused on historical allusions. Media creates a spectacle of historical information in which gets misinformed to the public. Zoos Many zoos are beginning to offer â€Å"educational† exhibits through fictional realities. Resembling scenes out of movies or Disney related themes, parks and zoos are increasingly using fictional characters and ideals to promote their parks. â€Å"They are imitations that are intended to be better than the originals. To the degree that visitors think of them as accurate representations, they will come away with an image of a rain forest as a place crowded with large animals, where one can get good vistas of peaceful surroundings full of impressive landscapes and gigantic trees. † (Eco 1990) These false depictions are being represented as an educational experience by the media and leave them with a tainted view of reality. â€Å"An increasing number of exhibits portray something that is unlike nature in another sense: under constant pressure to be entertaining, they are incorporating themed environments based on fantasy that have little to do with the natural world. In essence, these attractions, even though they are the handiwork of nonprofit institutions, have to attract an audience that will help keep the enterprise afloat financially and justify its existence. They are trying to win that audience with ever more spectacular displays and excursions into fantasy. The result is the growing numbers of those simulated ruins, suspension bridges, vines that hang over pathways and other popular fantasy elements commonly found in television and movies, which are, supposedly, the sugar that coats the pill of educational value. †(Eco 1990) The act of displaying a rainforest is for entertainment purposes but it should not tarnish the educational responsibility by providing false depictions as reality. Media provides a distorted image of rain forest by the India Jones themed movies. We come to believe that every jungle, rain forest, safari is going to have hidden civilizations, cities of gold, and ancient Mayan ruins. The reality is, that these places are not so exciting. The media raises your hopes for reality at the cost of your educational experience. â€Å"Non-Fiction† Television Newscasts are beginning to foster a type of reality that entertains a viewer as if they were watching the latest episode of Law and Order. Providing their audience with a â€Å"fictional† reality of news highly made into spectacles for entertainment rather than newsworthy purposes. â€Å"These programs are well known for reciting the daily litany of crimes, and personal and community disasters, with all the potential that has for evoking sympathy, fear and anger in audiences. † (Kens 1997) The media publishes a compelling story each with a happy ending. They are more about the storyline then the actual â€Å"factuality† and newsworthiness. Newscasts are no longer an avenue for the â€Å"need-to-know† news but rather the â€Å"want-to-know† news. It is a civil duty that we get provided with accurate information, but that sometimes gets tarnished following a new update from the Octomom. â€Å"In forms of fiction; both evoke anger, fear and sympathy in an audience and then convert these emotions into reassurance and hope. Fiction accomplishes this primarily with a happy ending. Local news does it by placing stories about danger and suffering in a program that overflows with benevolence and camaraderie. Each, in a different way, is designed to provide a satisfying emotional experience to audiences. † (Kens 2007) The experience is the most important aspect newscasts are aiming for. Kens relates newscasts as â€Å"Back to The Future†¦ the ride† because it takes viewers on a journey of images and computer generated graphics meant to serve as an entertaining attraction rather than a trusted source with direct information about the world. Conclusion â€Å"Art and technology masquerading as life. † This is medias lens on reality and how many of us perceive much of today’s world. We believe that the beautiful life portrayed in a commercial is obtainable by the simple act of buying their product. At least if we can’t look like a celebrity we can smell like one, in relation to cologne commercial. People are increasingly becoming less satisfied with their own lives and believe they can just jump into an alternative reality forever. Where there are no problems and like the actors in â€Å"Friends† seem to spend their whole lives together in a coffee shop with no relation to work or any responsibility for that matter. Being the monuments in Vegas or the story lines in â€Å"rainforests,† now days, this exposure of entertainment is increasingly becoming a pseudo reality. They are masquerading real life experiences into a huge spectacle. Media has transformed our lives and everyone in it to the characters and drama series we love to see on television. We live in fiction and are entertained by â€Å"reality. † Work Cited 1. Vick, Roger. â€Å"Story Line as Ideology. † (1989): Print. 2. Robert J. Stoller, Observing the Erotic Imagination (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1985) pp. 58-61. 3. Sans, Ken. â€Å"A Culture Based on Fantasy and Acting Out. † (1997): Print. 4. Sans, Ken. â€Å"Advertising and the Invention of Postmodernity. † (1997): Print. 5. Sans, Ken. â€Å"Las Vegas: Postmodern City of Casinos and Simulation. † (1997): Print. 6. Boornstin, Daniel. The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. Vintage, 1992. 200-320. Print.

Business Proposal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Proposal - Research Paper Example Digital book reader and synthetic listening technology seeks to enter the market amidst tight economic barriers and market conditions that requires critical analysis of relevant economic analysis concepts that include market structure and the elasticity of demand. The firm is focused on delivering customer-focused product that will be considered affordable, efficient and reliable. In its bid to turn tables on the existing competition, it calculates its move in respect of the market structure in which it falls. This is seen to affect it’s pricing and the general non-pricing competitive strategy in the digital book reading and listening industry. Digital book reader and synthetic listening technology has relatively larger number of competitors. Some of the alternative firms in this industry include Amazon Inc., and other firms that can convert the printed word into audio. This firm will therefore fall in a monopolistic market structure where competition is significantly high. It seeks to differentiate its product by creating an authentic voice in audio conversion of the written text to the customer. Although there exists products that can also transform text to voice, they sound inhuman and this will give Digital book reader and synthetic listening technology an opportunity to create its own design and completely different experience to the user (Barclay, 2012). It differentiated product aspect will give it an upper hand in giving a price that is based on marginal cost. The increasing substitutes of similar products bring in the concept of elasticity that this product must consider. For instance, there are competing products that also convert textbook writings into digital audio form, which presents a close substitute to Digital book reader and synthetic listening technology. This means it will be operating in a highly elastic market where price changes carry significant consequences in terms of its

Islamic accounting and financial reporting Essay - 1

Islamic accounting and financial reporting - Essay Example 16). On the other hand, IFRS was enacted to harmonize the universal accounting procedures and processes into a harmonized system. This study will cover the implementation of the IFRS by the country of Malaysia. The paper will have a candid review of the adoption of the IFRS by Malaysia, and the conflicts that this move presents to the application of the AAOIFI standards. As a start off, the paper evaluates the financial and accounting system in Malaysia. AAOFIFI and IFRS are then evaluated with respect to their components, procedures of application and treatment of various financial transactions. The paper then compares and contrast the accounting treatment of both standards before discussing the procedures that are used by the Malaysian authorities to implement IFSR and overcome Conflicts with AAOIFI (Schoon 2009, p.50). The study finalizes by analysing the effectiveness of the IFRS implementation strategy in Malaysia. The financial system of Malaysia is made up of Islamic and conventional financial institutions which operate in parallel. The apex of financial and monetary structure in Malaysia is the Bank Negara, which is the Malaysian Central bank. The financial system comprises the banking and non-banking system. The banking system is made up of 21 Islamic banks, 25 commercial banks and 15 investment banks. To compliment banking institutions are the non-banking financial institutions. In Malaysia, there are 43 insurance and re-insurance companies, 13 Takaful Operators, four retakaful operators and six development financial institutions. The Islamic financial system in Malaysia has continued to grow and develop. Currently, the Islamic financial system comprise of Takaful, Retakaful, Islamic Capital Market and Islamic Interbank Money market. MIFC (International Islamic Financial Centre) was opened in the year 2006, with the aim of strengthening

Cultural differencies and people management Essay

Cultural differencies and people management - Essay Example Understanding the culture of host country and consideration of cultural differences is important for companies in the international arena. The importance of cultural importance has been widely studies and research on it indicates that possessing a sound knowledge of the culture of markets in which businesses operate is of paramount significance. The Importance of cultural differences At the international level, have a good understanding of the cultural differences between the global market and the national level is critical in building long-term relationships and achieving business success. For example, in majority of Asian cultures, operating business is not limited to the confines of working hours, but rather can be extended to blend into social situations such as meals where opportunities are exploited to build bonds, making understanding and appreciation of the local culture an essential factor (Morrison, 2006). Cultural differences also play a significant role in determining the type of entry mode to be adopted by a company that is thinking of venturing into international markets. An example given by Morrison (2006) that can be cited as an area where the importance is clearly defined is in joint ventures where cooperation and trust is key to maintaining long-term business success. It is important for firms that going into joint ventures in the international market to critically analyze the culture of host country and come up with ways of blending the culture of different locations into a distinctive corporate culture in order to augment the sense of corporate identity. However, international managers need to appreciate that this comes with considerable challenges especially when strong national cultures clash in the case of global mergers (Morrison, 2006). In order for strategic alliances between firms in a different cultural setting to remain successful, it is important to maintain consistent corporation that ensures risks associated with opportunistic be haviours are minimized. Therefore, there is need to develop a higher level of trust between joint ventures, and cultural difference can be effectively used a measure of the different levels of trust between among countries. For example, it has been argued that masculinity can negatively impact joint venture projects, and individualism seems to have negative effects on the voluntary joint management of a firm, depending on the national cultural setting that a company operates under (Lee et al., 2011). In addition, the cultural difference of countries can be an important factor in determining the type of wholly owned subsidiary investment to be considered by international organizations. For example, a greater level of difference in culture necessitates that firms have stronger business controls, and firms operating in such markets are more likely to prefer wholly owned subsidiary as a way of entering into international markets. Therefore, the cultural difference increases the benefits of a company by acquiring n existing firm in the new foreign market since the organization entering the market has the opportunity of learning the different norms and routines unique to the host country from the acquired subsidiary. This plays a significant role in maintaining the success of the company as it ensures that firms make sound

Leagalization of Medical Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leagalization of Medical Marijuana - Essay Example Unlike alcohol abuse and other drug abuse that kill the grey cells causing brain damage or long term memory loss, the use of Marijuana causes only short term memory loss and that too, only while the individual is under its influence. Marijuana does not cause long term memory loss neither does it effect the immune system in the body. According to the UCLA School of Medicine study in 1997, (Volume 155 of the American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine) on 243 Marijuana smokers for chronic lung disease, over the period eight years, it was found that "Neither the continuing nor the intermittent marijuana smokers exhibited any significantly different rates of decline in lung function as compared with those individuals who never smoked marijuana." In relation to smoking of Marijuana, the study found "No differences were noted between even quite heavy marijuana smoking and non-smoking of marijuana."The study concluded that unlike tobacco that is a major cause of deaths in the country, death from an overdose of Marijuana has never been recorded so far. Moreover, Legal prohibition of drugs is not going to prevent its consumers from taking them.

William Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

William Shakespeare - Essay Example The parents of William were John and Mary, in whom father belonged to a merchant class, and mother land gentry. During his teenage years, William’s dad faced with much financial difficulties and it continued till the success and fame of his son. It is not very easy to track the exact details of the life of William Shakespeare, the greatest, writer, poet and art lover of England. Surprisingly, William married women 8 yrs senior to him and became a proud father of three children not very late. The life of William Shakespeare could be categorized in to three phases : the first 20 years in which he completed his schooling and got married and attained father hood, the next 25 years where he explored and practices his writing and poetry skills, and last 5 years when he retired to Stratford to live a satisfying and successful old age. The distinction of Shakespeare was that, he was immensely talented play writer and wrote his works mostly foreseeing the actors in mind. According to ( Mcevoy,19)â€Å" William Shakespeare just like all other play writers of his time working in London playhouse, did not write with readers in mind. He instead wrote lines to speak for actors to speak which has to be understood as soon as they were heards by the audience†. Part II -The Masterpiece of Shakespeare -Romeo and Juliet i)Plot of the story Romeo and Juliet is a famous play written by Shakespeare in his early literary career, and this work went on to become one of his greatest literary works. This play is all about a young couple, Romeo and Juliet, who passionately fall in love each other, and longs for union in a background of hatred and violence. The families of both the lovers are enemies to each other and strongly oppose the romance shared by the young hearts. Romeo being the Son of Lord Montague meets the charming and beautiful Juliet in an uninvited ball and instantly falls in love with her. Interestingly, on the same night Romeo proceeds to the balcony of Juliet to exchange love vows and further decides to get married to his lady of love. ii)Form of the story This play is classic one written by William Shakespeare and unlike his other prologues it starts with a sonnet. As per (Elizabeth) â€Å"Three main sonnet forms have been in use since the Renaissance: the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, the English or Shakespearean sonnet, and the Spenserian sonnet. Each is named for a poet who made the form famous.†This story initiates with a prologue and explains the outline of the story and is followed by 5 acts which is the rest part of the story .This play is different from most of other plays of Shakespeare as it had no dream scenes or flashbacks. The main centre of attraction of the story is the male character Romeo, and he carries the story till the climax. Structure of the story a)Exposition : The exposition of the story initiates with a prologue and the scene of fighting servants depicts the rivalry of the two families where Romeo and J uliet belong. This prologue defines the enemity that had been long practiced by the two families and indicate that the two lovers in such a case can never have a romantic union. This fight shows the intensity of revenge and hatred boiling in the hearts of the two families. b)First Incident: The initial incident that occurs in the story is the act by Romeo at the ball party, where he arrives uninvited. He here meets Juliet for the first time and innocently falls in love with her at the first sight. c)Rising Action - The action starts to progress greatly at the scene of balcony where each confess their love for each other. They instantly plan to get married and are talked out

What Is Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What Is Management - Essay Example The need for management: The core idea behind management is to bring things in order, achieve the objectives and reduce any hassle and unwanted activity and process that hinder the overall task undertaken. In short management is to do things in the right way. Key words: synchronization, management, theories, order and chaos. Management in organizational context: The concept of management is directly associated with the field of administrative and business activities. The management may be associated with that of personnel, resources, processes, or other activities that collectively make up for the part of project and are undertaken under given scheme of action and policy to deduce distinct outputs and objectives. Henry Fayol defined it as commanding control and planning of actions (Murugan, 2007. 2) Domain of Management: Management in different spectrums may have the following means and impacts: Organizational management: this is related to the holistic management of the organization . Which may include the dealings and negotiations, the centering of policies, handing of manpower or any other function that may seek direction and guidance. Key steps in management: The function of management itself requires organization and balanced thinking and functioning. Thereby the process of management in itself requires consideration and scheme of action undertaken. The first of these steps is that of planning. Planning what to do will allow for comprehension over how to do. This is followed by the acting phase. The third phase is that of administration and monitoring while the final stage is that of checking over in a feedback stage. Budget management: Budget in an organization serves as the driving force and enables purchase and exchange of goods, machines and other components. Budgets play a vital role towards the success or failure of any project undertaken. Therefore management in this domain is highly important and it serves as the focal point of overall project. Dry up due to budget limitation may result in halting of the processes or possible compromise of the original manifesto and objectives understated initially. Excessive usage of capital may lead to defaulting. Hence management comes to rescue in such scenarios and enables handling the important domain of budget accordingly. Budget may also be associated with the salaries, increments and bonuses of the customers which serves indirectly towards the motivation and encouragement of the personnel associated. Hence in an analogical manner, it can be deduced that management of budget is akin to satisfaction of the workers involved in the project or overall organizational operations. Theories of Management: There are many theories that are used in different circumstances and scenarios by different organizations and enterprises. Each of these vary subject to its applicability, scope and other relevant factors. Two of these theories are: Bureaucratic theory of management and administrative: The or igin of this theory stretches its roots to Europe. With the word being French in its origin, yet the concept being propelled and main streamed by Max Weber (Dolan & Rosenbloom, 2003, 8), the German sociologist. Since in inception three centuries ago, the theory still holds good and is part of major organizations, governmental institutes and other structures. This theory is more solid in its implementation towards organization with large size of workforce, administrative domain and other relevant functions and schemes. For this reason this theory finds its applications on governmental level (Singla, 2010, 57). The pre requisites of this theory require, merit, specialization,

International law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International law - Essay Example ........................................................................................ 6 State Practice...................................................................................................... 7 Hierarchy of sources........................................................................................... 8 International trade and development.................................................................. 8 Conclusion...................................................................................................................... 10 References...................................................................................................................... 11 Main Sources of International Law Introduction International law is the primary governing authority in the management of international affairs. It includes laws and provisions which indicate standards by which states can interact with each other. These provisions also provide processes which are mandated for states to follow in relation to territorial, political, social, and economic relations. The commonly known source of international law includes the legal provisions passed by the United Nations and its General Assembly. However, other laws also make up the overall international statutes which help ensure the peaceful and efficient relations of states and other international actors. Although these statutes are often difficult to implement due to the inherent independence of states, sanctions are nevertheless forthcoming for violators. This paper shall outline and explain the main sources of international law. It will evaluate these sources in terms of their significance and importance in promoting the growth and development of international business and trade. This study will initially discuss the different sources of international law. An evaluation of these sources shall also be carried out and associated with the development of international business and trade. This paper will be discussed in order to provide an academic evaluation of international laws and provisions with the end goal of guiding the future evaluation of international activities and actions of states and business entities. Body Overview of sources of international law The sources of international law would include the materials and provisions where the standards and principles managing states and international actors are established (Jennings and Watts, 1992). These sources are based on various political and legal principles. In the 19th century, the concept of pacta sunt servanda was recognized, mostly as a means of limiting sovereign power and authority (Jennings and Watts, 1992). This homogeneous perspective of international law was apparent in the 1920 Statute for the Permanent Court of International Justice, and further specified under Article 38(1) of the 1948 provisions on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) (Malanczuk, 1997). Article 38(1) is acknowledged to be the most enco mpassing provision indicating the sources of international law (Koskenniemi, 2000). This article calls for the International Court to use international conventions which are expressly acknowledged by other states and international customs as general practices supported by the law. To prevent non liquet, where no law would apply, the article also mentions that general principles used by the courts are those which have long been supported and used by civilized countries (Koskenniemi, 2000). Since states are the ones which give their consent and which

Visions of the future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visions of the future - Essay Example It is not known how the virus got spread so quickly and why it appeared. At the point the director draws attention to the possibilities of chemical weapon and inability of people to control it. More precisely, he emphasizes the necessity of people to be responsible for scientific advances. In â€Å"Twelve monkeys† the number of victims of the deadly virus is estimated as 5 billion so the major part of the planet population simply disappeared. The life of those who have survived differs greatly from normal. People are forced to live in little bunkers which remind tin boxes deep under the ground without any fresh air and sun shine. They travel with the help of some flying cars in almost complete darkness and smog. They do not see sun, they are unable to grow plants and their life does not promise any improvements in future. Artistic people are usually more sensitive and fatalistic because they often examine such topics as life and death. Terry Gilliam with his apocalyptic vision is not an exception. In his â€Å"Twelve Monkeys† people are deprived of normal and sometimes perceived as habitual things such as ability to move freely and to enjoy nature. Their life reminds survival in jungles with no place for entertainment and simple pleasures. Gilliam probably wanted to show that thoughtless science can be deadly. Scientists now deal with many dangerous chemicals, make and create powerful viruses, experiment with nuclear weapon. One careless decision and the whole humanity may find itself doomed. Probably Gilliam wanted to show the situation similar to Chernobyl Catastrophe, one of the tragedies of that kind, when people are not able to live on the land which was contaminated. And it does not matter whether the reason is radiation or a virus, it is all connected to the scientific experiments. Not accidentally there is another plot line I the movie showing fight

Major Intended for The Future Essay Example for Free

Major Intended for The Future Essay The past year and eartly months of 2009 had put the world in a bind. The Financial recession had been experienced all over the world. America had seen this through the collapse of real estate market which had caused bonds problems. The bank and the government of America had been trying to create appropriate solutions but unfortunately it has been unsuccessful. In effect, lots of companies had been affected. Alarming news had been heard last September 14, 2008. Lehman Brothers had announced their bankruptcy. As we all know, the company had existed in America for 158 years. This is considered to be one of the biggest banks in the country. How did these things happen? It is all related to the economy of the country and this is where my intended major comes in. I chose Economics as my major to further understand why things like this happen. Being an economist had been a dream when I was in my ninth grade. I like to study economics because this could help me know more about society, and it would also help in enhancing my analysis skills for the future. For me, the economics controls society. When the economy rises, the customers’ purchasing power also increases. Hand in hand with this, when economy goes down, consumers’ purchasing power goes down as well. This only shows that the economy dictates what the society can afford to lose. It becomes the center of the society’s purchasing power. In effect, to know society, one must understand how the economy is. The study of economics also helps improve one’s thinking. The economy changes every now and then. In conclusion, the study of economics requires heavy analysis. During these times of financial crisis, economists need to find methods on how to change society’s state of play. As I’ve narrated awhile ago, the real estate market is going down. The economists and government must find different policies to reduce the property problem. By being one of the economists, it would greatly provide help in society by creating solutions to the problem that is being faced. Through studying Economics, there are lots of options for the future. It would greatly give big job opportunities for anyone who would study it. An Economics graduate could become involved in Investment of Assets, Marketing, Managing and Financing. As a conclusion, by choosing Economics as a major it would help me understand society, enhance my analysis skills and give me good opportunities for the future. I had volunteered in a disaster exercise and I found it quite refreshingly fun. There were around twenty people who joined the event. I was given the character of a pregnant lady in a disaster. I played the part where I must get in the ambulance and the staff inside the ambulance would ask me for information about how I was feeling. I told the staff that I am pregnant. They then asked how long was I pregnant. I replied about thirty six months. The reply that I got from them was â€Å"That’s why you need to go to the hospital. The scene was supposed to be dramatic but it turned out to be a very funny one. We kept on laughing on the ambulance. It had become a very wonderful experience. This activity had taught me how to face disaster. It gave me insights that a person must keep calm and tell the person assisting you the things that had happened clearly. If one panics, nothing can be solved. No one would be able to help. This can also be applied to what is happening now. The government and the economists must stay calm and think things through before doing anything to solve the problem of financial crisis.

I Believe In Jesus Christ Religion Essay

I Believe In Jesus Christ Religion Essay Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman wrote this song in 1953 and Frankie Laine sang the most popular version of it. Jane Froman commissioned the song was commissioned for her early 1950s television show, becoming the first hit song ever introduced on television. Troubled by the outbreak of the Korean War in 1952 so soon after World War II, Froman invited the four men to compose a song which would offer hope and faith to the people. Over the years the song written for Americans became a world-wide success with Frankie Laine singing the most popular version.  [1]   Just as Jane Froman who suffered chronic pain and wore a leg brace for most of her life after surviving a plane crash in February, 1943 while she was touring army camps in war torn Europe, commissioned this song to lift the spirits of people fearing the Korean War would become World War III, so did the Christian Church develop popular statements of faith to sustain its members in the face of heresy. Every, declaration in The Creed was an early Church attempt to clarify the Churchs beliefs and theology. ADOPTIONISM Lord and Christ The Man Jesus KENOTICISM Divine Pre-existence Lord and Christ The Man Jesus DOCETISM The eternal Lord Human appearance The Church took many hundreds of years to develop the beliefs and theology which you and I take for granted. During the first 400-500 years the Churchs theologians and those who repudiated them debated and discussed the nature of Jesus Christ: Was He human? Was He divine? Could He be both divine and human at the same time? The Church also tussled controversially with non-believers about the crucified Christ. If Jesus was divine, how could He suffer on the Cross? Wouldnt He just go through the motions of dying without actually experiencing human pain? The people who said this was the case, not only denied Jesus humanity, but also denied His human birth to Mary, His mother and denied His human death and descent into hell. Christians had to think carefully about such issues. They had to be even more careful about how they stated their beliefs: on one hand so they would clearly delineate Gods revelation and on another hand repulse all wrong proclamations and teachings. SLIDE FOUR To say I believe in God, the Father Almighty, The Maker of heaven and earth was to align Christian beliefs and theology with Judaism from which Christianity had emerged. It was also to set Christianity apart from Greek and Roman religions and all other religious practices and proclamations by which devotees worshipped many gods. To say I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary was to set Christianity apart from Judaism and, in the seventh century, from Islam. Christians commitment and devotion to Jesus Christ sets every Christian apart from everyone else in the world, because Christians commit to and worship only God whom you know through Jesus Christ. The name Jesus comes from the Aramaic name Yeshua (Joshua), from Hebrew Yah-shua, meaning God saves which was a popular name of the time.  [2]  The name points to Him being an historical person and not a figment of someones wild imagination. Jesus is often called Jesus Christ or Christ with Christ being the English term for the Greek ÃŽÃ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ Ã…’à Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ meaning the anointed one. It is a translation of the Hebrew Ãâ€"Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€" ¸Ãƒâ€" ©Ãƒâ€" ´Ãƒâ€" Ãƒâ€"â„ ¢Ãƒâ€"-Ãâ€" · (MÄ Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ®aà ¡Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¥), usually transliterated into English as Messiah.  [3]  Use of this title grants Jesus a specific place in History. When you declare that you believe in Jesus Christ your Lord, you are seeing Him in His role in relation to your personal spiritual needs. Only through Jesus Christ can you hope to know God, so He overcomes your ignorance of God. Only through Jesus Christ can you hope to be related with God, annihilating your estrangement from God. Only through Jesus Christ can you receive the guidance and protection you need to live as believers who know God and are reconciled to Him. SLIDE FIVE When John wrote of such things, he called Jesus Christ the Word of God (John 1.1-4). He assumed that anyone who read his Gospel would have at least a working knowledge of the Old Testament and of Judaism within both of which the Messiah is referred to as the Word. John assumed that his readers would know that Jesus, as the Word, was active and powerful in Creation (Genesis 1), in deliverance of Gods people (Isaiah 42.1-9; 49.1-7; 52.13-53.12) and judgement of peoples behaviour and belief (Psalm 96.13). SLIDE SIX Comments such as those John made in the first few verses of his Gospel (John 1.1-4) underpinned the stand the Church took against heresy. SLIDE SEVEN In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him and without Him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in Him was life and the life was the light of all people. (John 1.1-4 NRSV) When John started his Gospel with these words, he indicated his belief that Jesus was eternal, sharing eternity with God His Father, because In the beginning was the Word: i.e., Jesus existed before the creation of the world and the human race. John also gave the Church a theological foundation upon which it could establish declarations such as The Apostles Creed. In the way human beings measure Time, Jesus was in the beginning with God and, because He rose from the dead defeating death, He has no end. Yes! Jesus lived as a man within Time for about thirty-three years, but Time did not bind Him. He was not like God, because He was God actually, is God. Where God is, Jesus is. With these words John countered the heretical claim that God the Father and Jesus the Son were two distinct entities two distinct separate beings. SLIDE EIGHT John also stated his belief that Jesus participated in the Creation of the world and Mankind, because nothing was made without Him being the Creator: All things came into being through Him and without Him not one thing came into being (John 1.3; Hebrews 1.10). Also, What has come into being in Him was life and the life was the light of all people (John 1.4). Jesus not only participated in Creation, but also in giving life to people. Jesus did not just create, but also continues to provide, so that life can go on and on. SLIDE NINE CONCLUSION Although the Church published the first known appearance of The Apostles Creed about 710-714AD  [4]  , Christians of most persuasions have used it repeatedly to affirm their faith and to give them a basis for further theological thinking. In todays western society in which Christianity is increasingly marginalised and in which indifference and a lack of sympathy towards Christianity is spreading obliges all Christians to behave openly as believers and to declare their beliefs more boldly using The Apostles Creed. You are encouraged to clarify your beliefs for yourself and others and underpin your Christian behaviour. I:sermons 2010Christian Year 2010Pentecost 17 Location Raymond Terrace 19-09-2010 Scripture John 1.1-18 Hebrews 12.1-4 Sources Bettenson, H. Documents of the Christian Church (OUP) Oxford 1993 repr. 23-24 Bray, G. Creeds, Councils and Christ (IVP) Leicester 1984 98-104, 212-214 Leith, J.H. Creeds of the Churches (John Knox Press) Louisville 1982 22-24 Milne, B. The Message of John (IVP) 1993 31-50 Packer, J.I. Affirming the Apostles Creed (Crossway) Wheaton 2008 24-36 Scriptures Nestle-Aland Greek-English New Testament (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft) Stuttgart 1971 26th Edition Thomson Chain Reference Bible NIV (B.B.Kirkbridge Zondervan Company) New York Lexicon Perschbacher, W.J. (ed.,) The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Hendrickson) Peabody 2006 repr.

Coca Cola Globalisation Methods And Plans Business Essay

Coca Cola Globalisation Methods And Plans Business Essay This part of the research report would provide a detailed account of Coca-Colas globalisation methods and plans using the business techniques explained in part 2 which are the SWOT analysis and Ohmaes five Cs. It would include a description of results of Coca-Colas globalisation plans and methods with any limitation. Besides that, market results of Coca-Cola expansion with the use of tables and flowcharts. There would be a critical analysis of the results of the globalisation effect of Coca-Cola. Lastly, conclusions would be drawn based on overall research findings while overseeing how well projected objectives and research questions are met and appropriate recommendations. 3.1 Globalisation According to the Levin Institute, Globalisation is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments of different nations, driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has major effect on the environment, culture, political systems, economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being and societies around the world. (Levin Institute, n.d) Its effects influences people as businesses tend to move beyond their domestic and national markets to other markets around the globe, where different markets are interconnected. It is also seen as extending its reach to other parts of the world. 3.2 Why did Coca-Cola globalise? Using Kenichi Ohmaes 5Cs framework with reference to the BPP textbook, we can understand the reasons why Coca-Cola moved towards international markets for expansion. Customer The Coca-Cola Company wanted everyone around the world to enjoy its product. It was the owners vision for its product to be enjoyed worldwide. The companys success was also ensured since it enjoyed homogenous customers where people around the world enjoyed the same taste. This partnered with major advertising campaigns made Coca-Cola one of the most famous brand name in the world. With the help of creative advertising, Coca-Cola was able to capture the loyalty of consumers to continue use of its products. Advertising is seen as a medium for the company to communicate and promote its products to its customers which is widely used by The Coca-Cola Company. According to Figure 1, there is clear indication of gradual increase of unit case sales over the 4 year period. Table 1 show that the increase of unit cases sold over the 4 years compared to the previous year has dropped slightly in 2009 with only 2.95% whereas the highest increase was in 2007 with a 6.07% increase from 2006. The Coca-Cola Company has also introduced new products to existing markets in order to suit to a particular country taste bud. In 2009, research testing of a new fountain dispenser called the Coca-Cola Freestyle is able to dispense more than 100 different brands of beverages which is currently being placed in selected US markets and would continue to be placed worldwide. The purpose of the new dispenser is to capture data of what kind of taste people have in preference, this allows the company to gather data on statistics of peoples choice in order to develop and introduce a new product into the market. (The Coca-Cola Company) Company The Coca-Cola Company enjoys large economies of scale by moving into international markets. Large scale bottling in the long run makes the company more competitive by improving their production methods in order to achieve the lowest cost possible. They also look into potential international markets for growth and investment opportunities. After local market needs are fulfilled, the company would want to enter into new markets in order to increase its sales and profits. It would also increase the companys customer base since there is a new supply of demand to be met. Listed below in Figure 2 and Table 2 is the net operating revenue, operating income and net income for the Coca-Cola Company over 4 years. Net operating revenue, operating income and net income ($ millions) $ (millions)Figure 2: Net operating revenue, operating income and net income of The Coca-Cola Company over a 4 year period According to Figure 2, the companys net operating revenue is seen to be increasing gradually over the 4 year period while dropping only slightly in 2009 although there was a major recession. Net income also has been increasing over the 4 year period to a record high of $ 6.8 billion in 2009. This could be due to better cost management. Further analysis on Table 3 indicates that the companys cost is also kept at a constant level of around 33% to 36% of total net operating revenue in order to maintain a high gross profit margin of 63% to 66%. This is to ensure that the company is always profitable to attract move investors. According to the recent capital expenditures made by The Coca-Cola Company, the company is still seen expanding its operations worldwide with increased capital expenditure made over the 4 years. This can be found in Table 4 below which show the capital expenditures made by the company from 2006 to 2009. Competition The Coca-Cola Company competes in the non-alcoholic beverages segment of the commercial beverages industry. The beverage industry is highly competitive, as there are many different types of drinks in the market ranging from non-alcoholic to alcoholic products. There are many companies that are similar to The Coca-Cola Company, some of which tends to compete for share of market across the world. The company particularly globalised due to the fact that they wanted to gain access into new and bigger markets since their domestic market needs are already fulfilled. Another reason would be due to strong competition from The Pepsi-Cola Company as they are the companys biggest rivals. According to the Coca-Cola Company, there are numerous competitive factors that could impact the business which include pricing, advertising, sales promotion programs, product innovation, increased efficiency in production techniques, the introduction of new packaging, new vending and dispensing equipment, bran d and trademark development and protection. (The Coca-Cola Company) Below Figure 3 and Table 5 indicates the top 10 beverage companies ranked accordingly by market share. According to Figure 3, The Coca-Cola Company still leads in market share of 41.9% ahead of PepsiCo of 29.9%. This is a good sign for the company as PepsiCo is the companys biggest competitor. The company should remain focus on defending its market share and stay the market leader. According to the data in Table 5, market share for The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo have negative share change in 2009 while the others have a slight improvement or no improvement. This should not be taken lightly by the company as the competitors might team up and take on the company. Currency Coca-Cola also went international so that they can mitigate their foreign currency exchange rates by earning revenue in a different currency through sales in a particular country. Selling products and services in multiple countries also reduces the companys exposure to possible economic and political instability in a single country. In 2009, The Coca-Cola Company traded in 71 different functional currencies in addition to the U.S Dollar. A total of 74 percent net operating revenue was derived from outside the United States. Therefore, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies will have a major effect on the items that are denominated in foreign currencies. Listed below in Figure 4 are foreign exchange rate gains or losses from 2006 to 2009. Country The Coca-Cola Company would want gain access to cheaper labour, raw materials and finance. Such as the cost of labour hour in China is only $1.27 per hour (Malone, 2008) which is ranked fairly low compared to other developed countries. This would minimize the cost of bottling and result in higher revenue gained. Bottling plants in China as of end of October 2009 total at 39 plants and is still increasing at a high rate. (The Coca-Cola Company) Furthermore, resources that are difficult to obtain in their home market can be located elsewhere at a better price while going international. This can be achieved by outsourcing some of their operation to other countries in order to improve efficiency since service providers are specialised in its services rendered. Outsourcing is widely used by todays company, as it allows the company to focus on its core activities where non-core activities are outsourced to specialist industries. This can lead to a saving in fixed cost as there is no need t o hire monthly salaried staff. As per Figure 5, we can see that average salary earned in the United States of America (USA) is much higher than the salary earned in China which is more than a 150 percent difference. This is mainly because China is still a developing market while USA is a developed market. This enables the company to fetch a lower cost for labour in China than in USA. 3.3 How did Coca-Cola globalise There are different entry modes a company can choose on how to enter a market. The Coca-Cola Company uses different stages of entry modes depending on the markets. It mainly depends on the total size or market population, the percentage of that population using their products, and the quantity of products that they can sell to non-users. Once the market is identified and selected, they would first consider the degree of resource commitment and the extent of the firm operational involvement in that particular region. As their bottling strategy, the company would first help their bottlers to build up their business. This is by injecting funds into the said bottlers through equity investments. This is beneficial for both the company and its bottler as in increase in production capacity at bottler level would have a resulting increase in concentrate sales. The level of investment depends on the bottlers capital structure and resources at the time of investment. (The Coca-Cola Company) According to the company, it maintains business relationship with three types of bottlers which are: Bottlers in which the company has no ownership interest; Bottlers in which the company has invested and has a non-controlling ownership interest; and Bottlers in which the company has invested and has a controlling ownership interest. Bottling operations in which the company has as of 31st December 2009: According to the company, controlling interest is only often held for a temporary basis. By owning such interest, it helps by being able to exert influence in monitoring bottlers revenue. It also develops the bottlers business where funds are used to build the capital structure of the bottle which would enable them to widen its operations. As part of their long term strategy, the company would consider reducing their ownership interest in the bottler when their investment matures. The company then comes down to two options, one is to combine their bottling interest with others to form strategic alliances, or the other is to sell their interest to equity method investee bottlers. However, the company will still continue to monitor the bottlers results. For investments that are non-controlling interest, the company would provide its expertise and resources to strengthen those businesses. China The stages of entry are explained in detailed below using China as an example by referring to Moks journal review. (Mok et al. , 2002) During the first stage (1974-84), Coca-Cola exported and sold its concentrate to its franchised Chinese-owned bottlers. Local market agents were held fully responsible for production and distribution whereas the company were in charge of advertising. Due to the bottlers opportunistic behaviour which first prioritise their own bottom line, it limited the expansion of Coca-Colas market share in early stages. The method used is seen as exporting through contractual agreements as trust of the bottlers has yet to be gained. During the second stage (1985-92), Coca-Cola bought equity shares in the bottling businesses in order to reduce the effect of uncertainty. Besides that, it was also to restrict the opportunistic behaviours of its local bottlers since their only focus was on their own bottom-line which were disadvantageous to Coca-Cola. This is known as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the said bottlers which may include acquisitions of well established companies in the later stage. During the third stage (1993-present), Coca-Cola teamed up with two foreign bottlers which are the Kerry and Swire group under a franchise agreement. The company then began to internalise its management and operations by sourcing locally. Soon then, the whole operation was handed to locals and watched over by the foreign division manager. Sourcing for upstream suppliers is decentralised to the division manager since buying locally would have savings on taxes. Contracting in local language would be made easier as a result of the localisation. India Coca-Cola was the leading bola business in India before 1977. However, a change of government forced them to pull out their business since new legislations required the sharing of the secret formula with a local partner which posed a huge risk. The Coca-Cola only re-entered the market in 1993, after Indian regulations were changed to allow foreign brands to operate without any Indian partnership. By then, PepsiCo had already captured majority share and ruled without competition as they were there since 1988. (Srivastava, 2010) To make things worse, Coca-Cola suffered a huge blow to their brand name in India as their plants had huge demands for water, which led thousands of farmers out of work by draining the water that feeds their crops which had implications on the local economy. Besides that, the waste sludge produced by their plants sold as fertilizer was proven to be toxic to the soil. (Brown, 2003). PepsiCos market in India has been strong since then, as it has become the default name for colas in India. However, the company has not given up on the Indian market as growth is picking up slowly. Their strategy includes introducing other products in their portfolio to the market and buying up a local brand cola competitor Thums Up, to compete against PepsiCo. Thums Up is now ranked first in India with a market share of 16.16% as of 2009, Sprite also a product of Coca-Cola is ranked second with 15.6% compared to Pepsis market share of just 13% according to AC Nielsen data. (Bhushan, 2009) The Coca-Cola Companys mode of entry often changes according to suit the particular country. Internationalisation is seen as a sequential process whereby firms gradually increase their commitment to new markets and accumulate knowledge slowly in order to increase their capabilities. It suggests that firms initially use entry modes that allow them to maximise knowledge acquisition whilst minimizing the risk of their assets. 3.4 Effects of globalisation The effects as a result of The Coca-Cola Companys globalisation have had a huge impact on the world. By using the SWOT analysis, the effects of globalisation of The Coca-Cola Company can be separated into positive and negative effects. Positive effects consist of strengths and opportunities, whereas negative effects are the companys weaknesses and threats. 3.4.1 Positive effects Strengths Competition to improve quality Globalisation has led to increased competition for the non-alcoholic beverage market for the company. Hence, there is an overall competition to improve the quality of their products for them to compete for market share. In order to survive, the company must be able to cope with the rising standards of their customers. The company must be able to compete at low prices and continuously improve their bottling processes. Keen competition forces companies to accelerate their product innovation and advertising campaigns which can be seen as strength for the industry. Innovation The economic environment is changing rapidly as a result of globalisation. The future development of the world is shaped as a result of globalisation. Benefits to society are often shared among people for the greater good. With the invention of seatbelts by Volvo shared, it increased the survival rate of car accidents. (Bellis, n.d) An example would be the bottling plants built by The Coca-Cola Company uses mechanics that are advanced automated robotics which introduces countries to a more effective and efficient way of bottling which could then be improved further to suit local needs. By improving their production line around the world, it would strengthen the companys presence. The company will be able share their technical know-how around their bottling plants based on experience in different countries. Such as improvements made in one country can be shared with other bottling plants owned by the company around the world. The first bottling plant that follows Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards was opened in 2009 in Latin America. (The Coca-Cola Company) Popularity and recognition As a result of mass expanding and advertising programs, the company was able to enter into countries worldwide which eventually made their brand name one of the most well-known brands of today. Many companies have since followed by expanding into international waters while keeping focus on brand recognition would eventually come to known worldwide still can be seen in todays industry. Advertising campaigns are the strengths of The Coca-Cola Company as it can capture the loyalty of consumers with easily recognised advertisements. An example would be the commercial advertisement in 1971 where The Hillside Singers sang a song called Id like to teach the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony. (The Coca-Cola Company) In this commercial, people of all different cultures and races come together to sing about wanting world peace and infers that world peace can be achieved by buying someone a coke. Opportunities Job opportunities With the companys global expansion, it was able to provide job opportunities in over 200 different countries worldwide which would definitely build and enhance the economic development of ones country. The Coca-Cola Company itself currently has 92,800 employees worldwide as of 2009 (Hoovers, 2009) and much more if other related parties are added. This is seen as an opportunity for the company as it would be able to employ a diverse background of employees from all around the world. Cultural influence Cultures around the world have come together and created so many different societies across different cities around the globe which have grown and improved according to globalisation. Some old traditions are discarded while new ones are form from day to day. The same can be said of Coca-Cola, which has pop-up in countries across the world and change the way people have their meals. The brand is widely accepted by different nations due to homogenous markets. This is such a great opportunity for the company to make an impression and an indelible move as the different types of cultures around the world, where there is a similar or common culture, that is, Coca-Cola. (Kulkarni, n.d) Huge portfolio to pursue Since The Coca-Cola Company has over 200 brands in its portfolio, there are other many up and coming new brands for the company to pursue. This would ensure the companys survival in the late future if a brand succession plan is in place. An unknown product does not mean its a failure, just not yet discovered by people. Once discovered it will pave the road to success and therefore securing the companys future. One of the main company strategies is to buy out competition of rising brands that they think would do well in the distant future. 3.4.2 Negative effects Weaknesses Lack of popularity in other portfolio brands In addition, the other brands offered besides the main brand Coca-Cola lacks popularity. It is mostly unknown or rarely seen on shelves probably due to restricted distribution in a particular country as testing acceptance of the market. These brands are kept low profiled and no related link is made to the main brand in case the brand fails. This is seen as a weakness in the line of products Coca-Cola has to offer as advertising allowance is not fairly distributed to all their products. Health effects There are also certain health effects to be concerned with as a result of Coca-Colas globalisation. By referring to the book Liquid Candy written by Jacobson (Jacobson, 2005), he discusses the effects of consuming soda drinks that could lead to several health concerns. Below are adverse health effects viewed as a threat to the companys going concern if people boycott their products which would have adverse effect on the companys revenue and survival. Sugar is important source of carbohydrates for our body. However, soft drinks contain high amounts of sugar (Better Health Channel, n.d) where regular consumption could lead to overweight or obese problems. By being obese, it tends to increase the chances of having diabetes and many other types of diseases. Obesity could also lead to social and psychological problems such as starving oneself to reduce weight. Soft drinks often have links with lower calcium levels which could lead to the disease osteoporosis. Deep concern should be placed on children since calcium is needed in early stages for development of bones. Too much soft drinks could lead to poor bone materialisation in the future life of the children. Therefore, in order to safeguard ones future, parents should control the intake of soda drinks of their children. Soft drinks also have high levels of phosphoric acid which can be harmful to ones teeth. The acidity level in soft drinks can be compared to that of vinegar which can cause corrosion of the enamel. Most of the soft drinks contain caffeine for its energy boosting effects. Therefore consuming too much soft drink could lead to caffeine addiction. There are withdrawal symptoms such as nausea or headache if one is addicted. High intakes of caffeine can lead to insomnia and even irregular heartbeats. (Yakowicz, 2010) Threats Changing health consciousness With the companys globalisation, bad aspects of foreign cultures would tend to affect its way into local cultures. Such as the soft drinks craze that is spreading around the world. Although beneficial for the company where higher consumption leads to higher revenues, consuming too much will have adverse health effects on its consumers. The health consciousness of people are starting to change, as they are moving towards a healthier lifestyle in which avoidance on soda drinks may be a threat to the company future. Job insecurity Companies often seek to lower their cost in order to earn a higher profit margin. One of the methods is to outsource their non-core activities such the payroll function to service providers. This would ensure a lower cost with an acceptable level of quality in work done. As a result, it increases unemployment rate in developed nations. Developing countries like China and India dominate the outsourcing market because of their fairly low labour cost. There is a higher risk of retrenchment for employees in the developed countries as they can be replaced by their counterparts across the world in pursuit of low cost. Therefore, a threat exists where the company might lose its good employees to competitors if it shows the slightest signs of restructuring. Local industries taken over by foreign multinationals Foreign multinationals often take over local companies as a mode of entry into the particular country. It would deprive the upbringing of local industries as those who remained will have to face a tougher competition posed by the foreign multinational. This is one of the strategies used by The Coca-Cola Company as they are actively acquiring local bottling plants around the world. A threat would be present if the local governments start to restrict the company from further expansion in its country in order to safeguard their home grown companies. This would serve as an obstacle to the companys expansion plans into the said country. (Pillai, n.d) Waste and pollution Developing countries are often taken advantage of by foreign multinationals. Since developing nations need high levels of foreign investment to boost its economic development, the local governments would tend to overlook on the pollution caused as they cannot risk a withdrawal of funds from the country. The environmental laws and regulations of a developing nation are also in the process of setting up. Therefore, foreign multinational companies often take this advantage by setting up plants at an early stage. The Coca-Cola Company has taken advantage of this matter in India where their factories produced waste sludge and were sold as fertilizer which was proven toxic to crops. (Brown, 2003) As this poses a threat to the environment, the companys licenses can be revoked if not settled. Measures should be taken by the company to implement environmentally friendly plants for the future in deluding the toxic waste. 3.5 Conclusions The international expansion of The Coca-Cola Company can be seen worldwide. Its products have permeated into societies all over the world. The first project objective of this research project has been met, which evaluates the positive and negative effects of globalisation of Coca-Cola brand name where the SWOT analysis was used is outlined below in Figure 7. (S)trengths Popularity and recognition Competition to improve quality Innovation (W)eaknesses Lack of popularity in other portfolio brands Health effects (O)pportunities Huge portfolio to pursue Cultural influence Job opportunities (T)hreats Job insecurity Changing health consciousness Local industries taken over by foreign multinationals Waste and pollution The second project objective was to assess the job opportunities The Coca-Cola Company created jobs worldwide. As of 2009, the company has 92,800 employees employed worldwide. By providing jobs to developing countries such as China and India, it would greatly help the development of the said country. We can understand why The Coca-Cola Company moved towards globalised markets based on Ohmaes 5Cs as discussed previously. According to market research, The Coca-Cola Company has the largest non-alcoholic beverage market share worldwide with a market share 42.9% as of 2009 according to (Sicher, 2010) with 24.4 billion unit cases sold worldwide in 2009. (The Coca-Cola Company) Therefore, the third project objective was also met. 3.6 Recommendations The main recommendations for The Coca-Cola Company are to exploit their strengths and opportunities, while mitigating their weaknesses and threats. The main strength is its popularity of the brand Coca-Cola. The company can use the Coca-Cola name to support their other products if the product is accepted by consumers. A step further is to advertise the products side by side since its advertising campaigns are refreshing and easily recognised. This enables the company to capture a new type of customer loyalty. Popularity of a brand name mainly depends on the peoples word of mouth. This can either be positive or negative in different conditions. Other brands that the company offer lack popularity which is a weakness for the company. The company should not just focus on the main brand but also push potential brands to the public. The Coca-Cola Company should pursue other brands in their portfolio since Coca-Cola is already a world known product. This can be done with increased advertising for the less popular products which would lead to more brand recognition if the product is successful. If a product is unable to capture a market and operations are running at a loss, the product should be discontinued. Funds saved from closing the division can be used to improve other brands or to acquire new potential brands. A major threat to the company is the changing health consciousness of the people. The company has made efforts since then by introducing low sugar and caffeine-free products into their portfolio and must continue doing so. Besides that, there is strong competition from other rival brands such as PepsiCo. The main idea here is to steal market share from its rivals such as finding out what are the strong brands the rival have and to introduce a similar product that would serve as an alternative.

Bolts a Man For All Seasons: Reasons For A Persons Actions :: essays research papers

Bolt's "A Man For All Seasons": Reasons for A Person's Actions Reading about individuals whose ways of life are dramatically different from our own provides readers with fresh insights into their own experiences and ideas. A reader of A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt, may not be accustomed to the actions of the play's characters. Though, it is important to figure out and understand why the character reacts or acts as he/she does. This enables the reader to have a new or modified outlook on his/her own actions. If one turns the kaleidoscope of his/her life just a little, the world becomes a different place. Sir Thomas More lived the type of life that is foreign to many readers. More's actions were all based upon two things, his conscience and God. When More is being pressured into signing the oath by Norfolk in the name of fellowship, he replies by saying, " And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Paradise for doing according to your conscience, and I am damned for not doing according to mine, will you come with me for fellowship?"(77). He adheres to his philosophy and conscience, knowing that he will inevitably be executed. One who is reading this may reply by thinking More's decision was asinine. The reader may believe that life is the greatest value to man, and to place anything above it would be asinine. More's behavior was bizarre even to his own time period. His daughter, Margaret, pleaded for him to sign the oath, "Then say the words of the oath and in your heart think otherwise"(81). Her father could not morally be satisfied by this. More believed that when an oath is taken, one is placing his pledging his self and soul. " When a man takes an oath, Meg, he's holding his own self in his own hands. And if he opens his fingers then- he needn't hope to find himself again"(81). On the other hand, Richard Rich's actions were not based upon conscience or morality. He would sacrifice his friend's life in order to receive a job offer. After Rich testifies, and More learns that Rich was appointed Attorney- General for Wales, he is full of disgust and disbelief when he says, " For Wales? Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the world.....But for Wales!"(92). Rich can be portrayed as the lowest of life forms. More implies that Rich abandoned his conscience to have a title, which in the whole scheme of things is really insignificant. On that day of judgment,

The Character of Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarlet

The Character of Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter Old Mr. Prynne began his new life in the town of Boston as the Physician Roger Chillingworth. The moment he arrived, the town deemed him intelligent and mild mannered; he always seemed pleasant although a little odd. Throughout the seven years he remained in Boston, his character changed so dramatically from admirable to evil that even those who did not know him personally seemed to notice an evil nature deep within his soul trying to break free. Chillingworth stood with Hester Prynne within the confines of the prison, talking with her about how he would go about finding her lover. He says to her, "I shall seek this man, as I have sought truth in books; as I have sought gold in alchemy. There is a sympathy that will make me conscious of him" (pg. 70). As any man who found their wife to be adulterous, Chillingworth reacted with a fairly normal response- although angry and wanting revenge, he did not react totally unreasonably. After this talk with Hester between the prison walls, Chillingworth makes it his personal goal to find Hester's lover; no sudden change had occurred within Chillingworth, although over a few months his demeanor beings to change. Even though Hester has many other issues on her mind, while she is at the Governor's house, she notices without hesitation that Chilingworth's demeanor has made a drastic change. While Dimmesdale and Governor Bellingham are trying to decide the fate of Pearl and where she will remain during her lifetime, Hester glances at Chillingworth, who happens to be stand... ...ing to us a character like Chillingworth, Hawthorn creates a villain that one has to think whether he/she hates Chillingworth or feels as though he's a victim of circumstance. Without directly telling us that others influence our lives in such a powerful way, Hawthorne conveys this idea through Chillingworth and Chillingworth's effect on those around him. Because of Chillingworth, the reader gets to see how a person who is not necessarily an evil man to begin with, can become so corrupt that even those around him view him as the Devil's worker. By putting a character like Chillingworth in his book, Hawthorne is able to show how religion had a big influence over the people during that time period. Even though Chillingworth harassed Hester and Dimmesdale, the two were more afraid of their fates after death, than Chillingworth during their lifetimes.

Business to business system in supply Chain extension Essay

In the aerospace sector, manufacturers are making strategic efforts to consolidate their supply base and forge stronger relationships with remaining suppliers (Stundza, 1999). For example, Boeing consolidated and standardized its supply contracts and plans to reduce its number of suppliers from 3,100 to 2,700 (Stundza, 2000b). Bowman (1998) notes that within the last year in the logistics industry shippers are increasingly bidding at the corporate level. More of them are making decisions by committee, whittling down their international provider base to a bare minimum. For example, he notes that about 40 percent of the global accounts of APL Ltd. , a worldwide logistics provider, had some type of logistics council or centralized body for purchasing, strategizing, and decision making. 8 To set the stage for PSM change, innovative customers are conducting comprehensive, corporate-wide spend analyses 9 to better understand their primary sources of expenditures and to then target their PSM improvement initiatives (e.g. , quality, speed, or cost effectiveness) on those goods and services that represent their largest and most strategic expenditures (see Owens et al. , 1998, and Laseter, 1998). 10 Customers are also stratifying their supply base by effect on results and level of strategic risk and then matching the specific management approach and type of relationship formed with particular suppliers to (Moore, Baldwin, Camm, and Cook 2002, 6 – 7). The truth of the matter is that the chains grew because they introduced a method of retail distribution for which there was a definite need and which the old wholesaler-retailer system failed to supply. To what extent the old system was inherently deficient and to what extent its shortcomings could be and have been corrected must be discussed now, not for the sake of stressing the imperfections of a competitive system but in order to contrast certain features of the chain-store system. The ideal distribution system would bridge the gap between production and consumption with maximum efficiency at minimum cost. Without any question, the outstanding inherent defect of the old wholesaler-retailer system lay in the fact that, under it, the wholesale function and the retail function are performed by separate, independent factors, whereas, under the chain-store system, the two functions are, to a major extent, combined. In no sense does the chain-store system eliminate the wholesale function: it still has to be performed, but, whereas under the old system the wholesaler exercised no control over his retail outlets nor did the retailer have any control over his sources of supply, under the chain-store system both functions are performed by the same organization and the control is unified. That this basic difference between the two systems has been partly nullified by the development of voluntary chains of various kinds is true. But the fact remains that such organizations did not come prominently into the picture until the chains had established themselves on a firm basis. When the chains were making their greatest strides, the old wholesaler-retailer set-up provided their principal competition. Reduced to its simplest terms, the main result of the essential difference between the two systems lies in the fact that under the old plan it is necessary for the wholesaler to sell to the retailer before the merchandise can find its way into consumption. Under the chain-store system, this intervening selling process, with all its disadvantages, is obviated. (Lebhar 1963, 87- 88) â€Å"In 1981, standards for shipping containers were adopted; these facilitated the extension of the UPC into the emerging supply chain processes then appearing in both manufacturing and retailing industries. One of the reasons that the UPC had to spread grew out of the fact that not all goods sold in grocery stores were food; they included health and beauty aids, household cleaners, and so forth, which came from other industries. To take full advantage of the technology, the Grocery Industry wanted others to adopt the symbol as well. During the 1980s and 1990s, that was what happened. † (Cortada 2004, 299) a. Keywords ? GDP = the growth development project is one of the most important factors in determining the standing of the country in terms of their economic inflation. ? e-buisness = is one of the most popular business internet market the products here are quite fast in the presentation to the client or so called the customer. ? Probability of UK GDP = this is something to do with the computation of the GDP of UK. This will reveal the trends of the UK if the economic inflation will fall or ascent. ? Linear regression= is the model that will suit in some computation for economic studies. This will also lead the person to identify the trends of the business to the market place. b. Basic Definitions and Terms The following terms were formulated for more understanding: ? Business to business (B2B) = It refers to the business situation and ? Inflation = This means that †¦.. ? Information technology = This refers to †¦.. c. Primary Sources d. Map out Important Areas e. Originality f. Review Conclusion.

Goals: Goal and Prestigious Law Firm Essay

Every person, no matter their race, gender, or language that they speak, have huge goals that they want to accomplish in life. We spend our lives either receiving a college degree or performing on world tours in the pursuit of happiness and success. In the end, it’s not all about the long term goals but the steps to get me there. My long term goals are to travel, graduate with a master’s degree in Business, and make partner at a prestigious law firm. The ultimate long term goal is to travel to Paris and Antarctica. Paris has always been number one on my bucket list of things to do before I die. Visiting the Penguins in Antarctica is closely behind Paris though. My intermediate personal goal is to get a passport and the expensive tickets that will help me get there. In other words, for my short term personal goal I will be sure to find a job that will help me save the money I need to go on this trip. However, an obstacle could be that when I am doing the process of getting my passport I might be missing papers, or it will take time to get them. The possible solutions are that I go and get all of my paperwork that I might be missing or that I pay the fee that they request in the case it takes too long to receive it. Without education there’s limited ways to achieve success. My long term goal is receiving my master’s degree in Business is my long term academic goal. Furthermore, my intermediate goal is to graduate from Valencia. Education is really important to me and graduating will also point me in the right direction of working towards my career goals. My short-term academic goal is to finish this semester with A’s in all of my courses. Procrastination could be a huge obstacle that I will definitely have to work on. Planning ahead and maintaining my free time is two possible solutions to this problem. To make partner at a prestigious law firm is my long term career goal. I’ve wanted to become a lawyer since I could start to think for myself. My intermediate career goal is to get my security license. This is not a short term goal because it may take up to seven months or longer to acquire. This job would be great because I’ll be getting paid to keep the peace and protect innocent civilians. At the moment, I am employed by Barnes and Noble on the UCF campus. This is a good job but my short term career goal is to find a job that pays better than this job. A larger income would assist greatly with my living and educational expenses. In conclusion, all of my goals, either short term or long term, have an equal effect on my life. This paper has helped me put my goals in order. Before I wrote this essay, I had no clue about what I wanted to do in the future. Now, I have more of an idea of where I want to go in life and the small steps to get to the very much wanted long term goal: Happiness.

Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne Rebecca Townsend Hum2235 Dr. Hoover Edison College Fall 2012 Townsend 1 The painting of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne took more than a decade to complete. It was created in the 16th century, in Florence Italy. A young master artist declined the original commission for The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and suggested Leonardo da Vinci. The monks who commissioned the painting, an artifact of Christ’s family tree, gave Leonardo a workroom.The figures in the picture are of Saint Anne representing the grandmother, the Virgin as mother (Mary/Madonna), the Child as Christ, and the lamb as the future sacrifice of Jesus. They are closely intertwined in the painting showing their tight bond in Christian History. Da Vinci could not separate Christianity from his work. Leonardo in his painting as well as in his life seemed to cultivate a sense of mystery (Capra XIX). The monks of the Florentine Santissima Annunziata commissioned Leonardo to pa int The Virgin and Child with St. Anne as an altarpiece for their high altar. In his typical fashion, Leonardo did not complete the work on time.The monks, eager for their altarpiece had to commission another artist to complete the work. The monks approached Filippo Lippi to complete the work Leonardo had started. Filippo Lippi was the artist that painted Madonna and Child with Two Angels in 1465. Lippi was the artist who had initially rejected the commission suggesting the monks give the project to Leonardo. Lippi considered Leonardo to be a superior artist. Lippi agreed to finish the project but died before its completion. After Lippi died, the monks had a young Florence artist named Perugino finally complete the piece.At last, the monks of the Santissima Annuziata in Florence had their painting for their high altar. Some consider the painting to be a treasure of esoteric and occult wonders. Some are fascinated by the sight of St. Anne supporting her heavy daughter on her knee, wi th no visible means of support (Budny36). Townsend 2 It’s hard to find any evidence of Leonardo’s beliefs in his paintings, since there are no written records that have survived if they ever existed. Leonardo believed that a good artist must also be a good scientist in order to best understand and describe nature.The humanistic, naturalistic, and scientific aspects of Leonardo’s life and work are not always clear because he was an original Renaissance man [Leonardo’s art, scientific investigations, technological inventiveness, and humanistic philosophy were all bound] together. During the 16th century he made numerous drawings and sketches with different themes that eventually lead to this famous artifact The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. Various designs still exist of the version painted in 1510. Leonardo could not fuse the two qualities he desired: an abstract formula and the immediacy of life.The final painting now hangs in the Louvre in Paris. The painting is a complex and masterful synthesis of his previous variations (Capra 105). In some research it is stated that this artifact is unfinished, even though he had worked on this painting possibly for eight or nine years (Bramly 321). Leonardo had a habit of never finishing his work. Leonardo had drawn many different cartoons painting and sketches leading up to the final painting of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. One of his cartoon sketches had St. John the Baptist kneeling next to Christ (Capra 105). Leonardo switched St.John to a lamb in the final painting. The lamb (sacrificial animal) represents passion suffering in Christ’s destiny. It is not known why Leonardo replaced St. John, who was Christ’s cousin, with a lamb. He painted the Christ child as being about a year old. It looks as if he is slipping out of his mother’s hands and trying to grab hold of his destiny, the lamb. The lamb, being embraced by Christ has his head bent, while its tail a nd hind legs are clearly indicated to be in a comfortable place (Johannes 86). Townsend 3 Leonardo put his thoughts to paper and painted through, light, shadow, and geometry, using three dimensions.Da Vinci declared, â€Å"There are three kinds of perspective. † The first is concerned with the reason for the diminution of things as they form from the eye. Second contains the way in which colors vary as they form the eye. The third and last declaration of how objects should appear less distinct the more distant they are. Examples, perspective of disappearance (Capra 219). Perspective in painting was his destiny. From the pyramidal construction to the fact that only three feet belonging to the figures are visible, everything in the picture seems to be threefold.In fact in this painting, Leonardo was pursuing a theological meditation on the destiny of Christ, which had begun in his early painting Virgin of the Rocks (Bramly 320). Most research indicates the rocks, mountain strea ms, and escarpments of his childhood made up his private landscape in his paintings (Bramly 86). Leonardo depicts the women as sister like in age even though they are indeed mother and daughter. Saint Anne, the mother of Virgin and Child, sits with her daughter on her lap. The Virgin is half rising from her sitting position and she appears to want to restrain her daughter from separating the Child and lamb (Kemp 273).It is unusual for Mary to be portrayed in her mother’s lap. The painting may have more meaning to it than the Passion of Christ. Saint Anne perhaps represents the Church in this painting. Art critics have admired the unity of the three figures, the freedom of movement, the sweet and melting quality of the faces, and the mountains in the background. The family figures almost blend into each other in their rhythmic balance, with Leonardo’s dreamy mountains, foreshadowing the landscape of the Madonna, in the background (Capra 105). What better way to describe the bond of maternal love uniting three generations?Leonardo had written in a short note in one of his journals, The Virgin and Child Townsend 4 with Saint Anne means â€Å"the glorification of motherhood†. The Virgin and Saint Anne in this masterpiece seem to be about the same age in the painting, with their two bodies merging almost into one. Leonardo gave the child two mothers both graced with the blessed smile of happiness. To the viewer’s eye, the painting may imply to evoke his thoughts on his childhood which the painter wanted our thought as childhood had been divided between his real mother and his stepmother.He may have united them in his mind as he did in his painting, a picture that no one could have painted except of Leonardo De Vinci (Bramly 318). Both women, Saint Anne and the Virgin, have dedicated their lives to God, which had touch Da Vinci. One research source stated that in the painting Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, the Virgin is designed first, as she is in so many of his drawing, and the landscape seems to flow from her. The Painting is designed by Da Vinci in a diagonal, where we formerly saw a pronounced swing down from top right at the crown of the tree, through St .Anne’s left arm and elbow, through the successive arm/knee/arm/knee configuration of the Virgin, down to the placement of St. Anne’s feet on the then more brightly â€Å"spotlighted† left section of the rocky foreground. Against that progression, we saw in the earlier state how Leonardo had orchestrated a countervailing upper left to the bottom right sweep through the principal heads and the arms of the Virgin and the Child, down to the rump and tail of the lamb. This movement was decisively echoed and enforced by the parallel diagonals of the Virgin’s right leg and St.Anne’s left leg (Johannes 3). It is stated that Saint Anne’s left arm was painted the same way in another Leonardo da Vinci painting. Townsend 5 Leo nardo’s composition of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne is perhaps the one which, of all his designs, he contemplated the longest and in great depth. Perhaps, he felt attracted by the particular formal and iconographical problems presented by the subject. When we were asked to select an artifact to research and write about, the painting of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne caught my eye.The love and compassion in the women’s eyes and their expressions towards the innocent child reminds me of the love I have for my own children. Although much research has been done to discover why Leonardo painted the picture the way he did, it is still unclear. It is unclear why the women appear to be the same age and why he substituted St. John with the lamb for the final painting. Research is still being done on his journals and notes. Leonardo, who was left handed, wrote all his notes in mirror writing, from right to left (Capra, 27).Perhaps further analysis of his notes and sketches will reveal more insight into the painting of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. [pic] Work Citied Bramly Serge. Leonardo the Artist and the Man. Penguin Group. Great Britain. 1994. Print. Budny Virginia. The Art Buletin. Vol. 65, No. 1 (Mar. , 1983), pp. 34-50. Print. Capra Fritjof. The Science of Leonardo. New York. Anchor. December 2008. Print Johannas Nathan. Miteilungen. 36. Bd. H. ? (1992), pp. 85-102. Article. Kemp Martin. Leonardo on Painting. Yale Nota Bene. Yale University. 2001. Print. Marani Pietro C. Leonardo Da Vinci. Abrams Harry N. New York: 2000. Print.

Catfish and Mandala Essay

Andrew Pham, author of Catfish and Mandala, is on a journey of self-exploration. Family dysfunction, the illusions of the past, and the inability to move forward and find meaning to life when living between two cultures, are all catalysts’ for Pham return Vietnam. Contrary to being welcomed with open arms, Andrew is referred to as Viet-kieu when he is in Vietnam, a derogatory term meaning Vietnamese-American. Vietnamese people feel that the Viet-kieu abandoned everything about their culture when transplanted to America. This is an additional layer to the struggles Andrew faces. Andrew’s life is fractured into many pieces. His family is plagued with deep-seated hostility and trauma that developed long before his birth. From the abuse his father endured as a child and then transferred to his own children, the family decay after the Vietnam War, and the displacement of his family to America, Andrew has no sense of identity. Andrew is troubled with the duality of being Vietnamese and American and feels if he returns to Vietnam he will find meaning for his life. He does not assimilate to either culture and his anxiety grows as he tries to find a place to belong. Pham reminisces on his childhood, and includes deep memories of his other family members as well. The fissure in his family stems from the physical abuse and inability for the entire family to merge the two cultures and adapt together. The damage from the violence moves like a virus through the family, branching off and taking victim after victim. Chi-Minh, Andrew’s transsexual brother, cannot rise above the hardship and kills himself. Through out the book, Andrew goes back and forth giving the reader insight into Chi-Minh conflicts. Andrew never moves past Chi-Minh’s death and writes about his last moments with his brother,† It was my season of unraveling. And his as well. I couldn’t remember all, what he said. Nor what I said. Maybe he wished I’d said something. And I him. Perhaps we should have shared our troubled hearts. But in the end – My long-staying memory – I heard only the wavering catch in his voice† (334). Pham regrets not being able to open his heart to Chi-Minh, and overcome the emotional disconnect of the Vietna mese culture. Chi-Minh struggles to maintain a healthy existence and find life meaning. Sex change aside, Andrew blames the Vietnam War, family dysfunction and abuse, and a forced move to America as reasons for Chi-Minh’s short life and suicide. He draws parallels between his own struggles and Chi-Minh’s inability to create a life in America. The trauma of Chi-Minh’s death is an emotional vehicle for Andrew’s bike journey to Vietnam. As Children, Andrew and Chi were brutally beaten by their father. Even as a teenager, Chi survived a dreadful caning that resulted in her running away. Later, Andrew’s father recants his temper and wishes he could have â€Å"been more like an American father† because â€Å"They know how to cherish their children† (320). Andrew watches his own father struggle with being Vietnamese in an American society. He was use to a father who had a â€Å"survival instinct† and â€Å"refused victimization† (321). His brothers are homosexual, this is a point of embarrassment for Andrews father. Andrew tries to explain how they are successful and happy, but the definition of successful and happy are vastly different in the two countries, with his father being â€Å"Old-World† (321). Andrew realizes his entire family has trouble converging Vietnamese and American cultures and he is not the only victim of the abusive and dysfunctional life. In his preparation to bike across Vietnam and absorb the country that he believes keeps the roots of his existence; he is unaware of the drastic changes since the Vietnam War. Andrew remembers Vietnam through the eyes of a child and the memories are mostly happy and quite biased. Pham’s illusion of the past leads him to an emotional awakening while traveling and he compares current-day Vietnam to a prostitute. Vietnam has been reduced t o poverty in most places. Andrew remarks, â€Å"Saigon was thick with almsfolk, every market, every street corner, maggoty with misshapen men and women hawking their open sores and puss-yellow faces for pennies† (106). Although his description is putrid, Andrew weeps for the poor. Having sympathy for the impoverished is an American way of thinking, and this is a point of shame for his family that he stays with in Vietnam. Crying is seen as weakness in men. The reader sees the internal struggle that continues as Andrew tries to â€Å"be Vietnamese† or to â€Å"be American†. Andrew is repulsed by the cold hearts of his Vietnamese family members, and then ashamed for having ill feelings against his family. Andrew believed he would find his identity with the Vietnamese people and his life would move forward with strong meaning and purpose. Andrew goes through life living for his parents, living for the happiness of others, and in this neglects to find his true self. Before his ride to Vietnam , he rode to Mexico, then through the coast of America, and through Japan for 45 days. His physical journey mimics his stagnant and redundant state. He was wandering, living a superficial life. Andrew held the stress of the first-born son, to make his parents proud. He became an engineer, just as his mother told him he would do when he was four. He acted the role of the â€Å"Good Oriental employee† (25). Andrew recalls, â€Å"My father said ‘Good’ to me twice in my life. I showed him the glowing congratulatory letter from the national honor society†¦and for landing a cushy engineering post at a major airline† (24-25). As he travels, Andrew speaks as an American, and as a Vietnamese man. Chapter two begins with Andrew stating that he is â€Å"Vietnamese-American† (10). He lists out his likes and dislikes, implying that he has a strong sense of self. The reader soon finds out this is superficial. Andrew proclaims all of this to set up where he is now and gives a brief family history of the stark difference of where he came from. When he arrives to Vietnam, he is ready to embrace the culture and be Vietnamese. On the plane Andrew is divided by his feelings toward the Vietnamese as they fight for toys that have spilled, â€Å"Mortified by the Vietnamese’s behavior and equally dismayed that I feel an obligatory connection to them, I sink deeper in to my seat, resentful, ashamed of their incivility† (64). This is the beginning of the conflict Andrew faces about being American yet being from Vietnam. Instead of finding his way, his identity, value for his life, he is engorged with a larger paradox of emotion. Who is Andrew X. Pham? This is the question that Catfish and Mandala tries to answer by using memories and events of the past and journey of the present. A chasm opened in his family when they all integrated into American culture through very unique ways. The family inadvertently makes the journey of self-exploration difficult for each other, with Chi-Minh’s being virtually impossible. Abusive treatment of the children acts as a symptom of the disorder and illusion of self through out the entire family. Andrew writes his memoirs in a rhythmic motion swaying back and forth through past and present, in hopes of finding who he is to be in the future. Andrew is torn between being Vietnamese in America, and American in Vietnam. He is afflicted with living a placid half-life, never socially accepted by either society, and forced to carve his own path and make his own statement of self. From Vietnamese immigrant, to respected engineer, and now famous author and food critic, Andrew has found a way to merge the Vietnamese and American cultures to fit the mold of Andrew X. Pham, the Original. Works Cited Page Pham, Andrew X. Catfish and Mandala. New York: Farrar, Stratus and G, 1999. Print.