Free Essays on The Eternal Conflict

The Eternal Conflict Bram Stoker’s Dracula focuses on the oldest conflict known to literature: good versus evil. The beliefs of Harker and his allies are firmly rooted in Christianity, whereas Dracula haunts them and hopes to bring them over to the dark side. Although the battle between good and evil is prominent throughout the text, chapter 21 provides a stellar example of the conflict. When Van Helsing and Seward confront Dracula in the Harker’s bedroom, there are many elements that reveal the theme of good versus evil, most often with Biblical references. Early in the chapter, Stoker goes to great lengths to show the nobleness of Dr. Van Helsing and Seward. After Renfield is attacked, Seward and Dr. Van Helsing are immediately at the injured man’s side. In fact, Dr. Van Helsing is able to bring Renfield back to consciousness just long enough for him to explain what happened. Dr. Van Helsing’s miraculous medical operation mirrors Jesus’ revival of Lazarus. The selfless actions of Seward and Dr. Van Helsing establish them as righteous characters. Renfield’s story of his dealings with Count Dracula reinforces the fact that Dracula is an evil, disloyal creature. Dracula had come to Renfield’s cell a few days earlier. The Count made an offer to Renfield: â€Å"All these lives I will give you, ay, and many more and greater, through countless ages, if you will fall down and worship me!† Dracula’s visit to Renfield recalls the Devil’s temptation of Jesus in the desert. However, Renfield is unable to resist Dracula’s offer, and he agrees to serve the Count. However, Dracula fails to make good on his promises, and instead mortally wounds Renfield. Since Dracula takes advantage of the mentally weak Renfield, then betrays him, Dracula is shown to be evil and treacherous. The theme of good versus evil is most prominent when Seward and Dr. Van Helsing confront Dracula in the Harker’s bedroom. Armed wit... Free Essays on The Eternal Conflict Free Essays on The Eternal Conflict The Eternal Conflict Bram Stoker’s Dracula focuses on the oldest conflict known to literature: good versus evil. The beliefs of Harker and his allies are firmly rooted in Christianity, whereas Dracula haunts them and hopes to bring them over to the dark side. Although the battle between good and evil is prominent throughout the text, chapter 21 provides a stellar example of the conflict. When Van Helsing and Seward confront Dracula in the Harker’s bedroom, there are many elements that reveal the theme of good versus evil, most often with Biblical references. Early in the chapter, Stoker goes to great lengths to show the nobleness of Dr. Van Helsing and Seward. After Renfield is attacked, Seward and Dr. Van Helsing are immediately at the injured man’s side. In fact, Dr. Van Helsing is able to bring Renfield back to consciousness just long enough for him to explain what happened. Dr. Van Helsing’s miraculous medical operation mirrors Jesus’ revival of Lazarus. The selfless actions of Seward and Dr. Van Helsing establish them as righteous characters. Renfield’s story of his dealings with Count Dracula reinforces the fact that Dracula is an evil, disloyal creature. Dracula had come to Renfield’s cell a few days earlier. The Count made an offer to Renfield: â€Å"All these lives I will give you, ay, and many more and greater, through countless ages, if you will fall down and worship me!† Dracula’s visit to Renfield recalls the Devil’s temptation of Jesus in the desert. However, Renfield is unable to resist Dracula’s offer, and he agrees to serve the Count. However, Dracula fails to make good on his promises, and instead mortally wounds Renfield. Since Dracula takes advantage of the mentally weak Renfield, then betrays him, Dracula is shown to be evil and treacherous. The theme of good versus evil is most prominent when Seward and Dr. Van Helsing confront Dracula in the Harker’s bedroom. Armed wit...

Top 10 Confused Words in English [S]

Top 10 Confused Words in English [S] Top 10 Confused Words in English [S] Top 10 Confused Words in English [S] By Maeve Maddox My cumulative list of â€Å"words commonly confused† continues with ten that begin with the letter S. The confusion relates to spelling or meaning. 1. sight / site Both words function as nouns and verbs. As a noun, sight is a thing seen. Ex. The Pont du Garde is an astounding sight. As a verb, sight means â€Å"catch sight of something or to take aim.† Ex. The lookout sighted land at dawn. Ex. The  surveyor sighted the  compass. Site is from Latin situs: place, position. The principal meaning for web users is probably â€Å"a web address.† Ex. Daily Writing Tips is one of my favorite sites. The context in which site is frequently confused with sight regards physical location. Examples of correct usage: A small  Iron Age settlement  was found during excavations at  the site of  a new housing development near Swindon. Redness, soreness,  swelling, or itching may develop at  the site of  the injection. 2. stationary / stationery Stationary is an adjective meaning fixed or unmoving. Ex. All of his traffic violations involved stationary vehicles. Stationery is a noun meaning writing and office materials, especially writing paper and envelopes. Ex. She’s old-fashioned enough to write letters by longhand on monogrammed stationery. Tip: An easy way to remember which is which is to be aware of the er in stationery. It matches the -er at the end of paper. 3. storey / story This distinction concerns British speakers, although some older Americans were taught to observe the difference between storey, â€Å"the level of a building,† and story, â€Å"a tale.† Younger generations of Americans are accustomed to using story for both meanings. Examples: I  live in  a one bedroom  second-storey walkup  in Chelsea. Children derive comfort as well as vocabulary from a daily bedtime story. The plural of storey is storeys. The plural of story is stories. 4. sometime / sometimes / some time Sometime is an adverb that means an indefinite, unstated time in the future. Ex. I’ll clean the garage sometime. Sometimes is an adverb that means â€Å"continually, off and on, occasionally.† Ex. Sometimes she reads in the evening instead of watching television. Some time is a phrase that refers to a period of time. Ex. My web design took some time to complete, but was worth the wait. 5. shear / sheer Both words function as different parts of speech with numerous meanings. The confusion is that of misspelling sheer as shear when the meaning of sheer is â€Å"thin, fine, diaphanous.† INCORRECT: She bought some shear curtains for the living room. CORRECT: She bought some sheer curtains for the living room. Shear is a verb meaning â€Å"to cut† or â€Å"remove wool by cutting.† Ex. We watched the men shear the sheep. 6. set / sit As a verb, set means, â€Å"to place.† Ex. Please set the hot dish on a pad. The verb sit means, â€Å"to be or remain in that posture in which the weight of the body rests upon the posteriors; to be seated. Ex. Are you going to sit at that computer all day? 7. sale / sell Sale is a noun meaning â€Å"the act of selling.† Ex. He regretted the sale of his old Encyclopedia Britannica. Sell is a verb meaning â€Å"to transfer ownership of something for a price.† Ex. When are you going to sell your golf clubs? Sell functions as a noun in the expression â€Å"hard sell.† Ex. Jones has mastered the art of the hard sell: he can bully a customer into buying anything. The error with these words is to use sell in place of sale, as in this example from a site about garage sales: INCORRECT: I had a  garage sell  and I only made 5 dollars! . CORRECT: I had a  garage sale and I only made 5 dollars! . 8. straight / strait Both straight and strait function as more than one part of speech. The error with this pair is one of spelling. In all its uses, strait conveys the ideas of â€Å"tight,† â€Å"tightly fitting,† and â€Å"narrow,† whereas straight connotes the idea of â€Å"not crooked.† Here are some examples of both strait and straight: What the British call a â€Å"strait waistcoat,† the Americans refer to as a â€Å"strait jacket†: a garment for the upper part of the body, made of strong material and admitting of being tightly laced, used for the restraint of violent lunatics or prisoners. One meaning of strait as a noun is â€Å"a comparatively narrow water-way or passage connecting two large bodies of water, like the Strait of Gibraltar. A straight line is the shortest distance between two points. The old soldier stood straight and tall as he saluted the flag. 9. statue / statute A statue is â€Å"a representation in the round of a person, animal, etc., which is sculptured, molded, or cast in marble, metal, plaster, or a similar material. Ex. One of the most famous statues in the world is the David of Michelangelo. Generally speaking, a statute is a law. Ex. The perpetrator was identified just before the statute of limitations ran out. The usual error with this pair is to write statue for statute, as in this comment on a legal site: INCORRECT: My husband was sentenced to prison on a 20 year old burglary charge in California? Can they do this? Is there no statue of limitations on this type of crime? CORRECT: My husband was sentenced to prison on a 20 year old burglary charge in California? Can they do this? Is there no statute of limitations on this type of crime? 10. sensuous / sensual Both adjectives relate to the senses and are often used interchangeably. Sensuous, however, contrasts with the adjectives spiritual and intellectual. Although often equated with sexuality, sensuous can describe anything that appeals to the bodily senses, producing an agreeable effect conducive to physical comfort or contentment. For example, the touch of a cat’s fur, the aroma of bread baking, the warmth from a cozy fire, etc. are sensuous in nature. Sensual, on the other hand, implies a certain indulgence of appetite, a gratification or titillation of the senses that goes beyond what might be considered acceptable, at least in public. Ex. Madonna and Led Zeppelin Make a Startling, Sensual Pairing in â€Å"Justify a Whole Lotta Love.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireHomogeneous vs. HeterogeneousOne Scissor?

Knowledge of Legal rules and Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Knowledge of Legal rules and Regulations - Essay Example From criteria set by employers alone, it is clear that those in the geomatics profession are expected to be knowledgeable of legal rules and regulations relative to their work, and institutes of higher learning are taking notice. The curriculum design for the Geomatic Engineering Education at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in Ghana includes among others Land Law, Law of Contract and Tort.2 On the other hand, survey law, legal surveys procedures, and property rights systems are marked as field skills for geomatics by the Canadian Geomatics Industry, one considered as historically very strong technologically.3. The land surveyors and land survey technicians may have the local land laws as their guide in their work, and student surveyors, their special knowledge of relevant subjects including law.4 Unquestionably, education in geomatics is evolving and developing.5 Geomatics empl II. Geomatics as service Geomatics employs techniques used in land surveying, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), and related forms of earth mapping.6 Said to be coined by B. Dubuisson in 1969, the term "geomatics" has its exact definition still shifting. Among so many names, the University of Calgary's web page refers to it as "geomatics engineering." 7 The term, "geomatics," however, has been adopted by the International Organization for Standardization, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and other authorities, while some countries like the United States prefer the term, "geospatial technology.." Geomatics is actually a union of geography and information technology, with the purpose of improving business and policy decision-making, 8 A report of the Federation Internationale des Geometres (FIG) Commission 7 of 1998 reflects the overriding weaknesses of the then-existing cadastral systems as having limited computerization, with inefficient linkage between land registration and cadastral mapping, with incomplete legal framework, sporting little map accuracy, with slow updating, slow customer service, and unsuitable financing model, among other things.9 Advances in computer technology, however, has enabled the rapid progress of geomatics since the 1990s.10 Due to the ease in procuring and working on spatial referenced data, changes have been rapid in geomatics with forceful impact.11 The geomatician's role of surveying in the 1980's has shifted dramatically from acquiring data to today's total information management.12 With various surveying or mapping disciplines involved in different levels of geo-information, geomatics has become a must in almost all courses all over the globe.13. Geomatics

Minsheng bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minsheng bank - Essay Example The regulation of various industries by the government is intended to influence the manner in which an economy is run. The banking industry in China is highly regulated by the Chinese government, but this does not rule out the coexistence of both public and private sectors in the Chinese economy. Minsheng bank operates alongside state-owned banks which constitute the basis in which Minsheng and other private commercial banks are regulated in China. The effects of government regulation impact differently on different enterprises, companies, or organizations. Government regulation has its benefits and shortcomings. On the positive side, the imposition of regulations by the government does not only protect consumer interests, but also the interests of all players and stakeholders in the industry. The consumer is safeguarded from exploitation by the operating enterprises. On the other hand, government regulation creates cohesion in the industry, making it possible for the markets involved to exhibit fair competition. Such moves treat all players in the industry equally, thereby enhancing economic growth and development in regard to the contribution of all operational firms in the industry. On the other hand, government regulation curtails the full potential of an enterprise. It limits the expansion capacity of a company, in the event that the company’s expansion strategies are not consistent with the government’s provisions at that time. Government regulation also interferes with market autonomy and free market activities, thus limiting the liberalization factor in the global arena. In this respect, the public sector appears to be relatively favored by the government due to the priorities it is accorded within the regulation process. In the light of government regulation, another significant business strategy emerges in the global banking industry; acquisition. The substantial regulation of Chinese markets and

Reincarnation and Past Lives Essay Example for Free

Reincarnation and Past Lives Essay Reincarnation is the belief that when one dies, ones body decomposes but something of oneself is reborn in another body. It is the belief that one has lived before and will live again in another body after death. The bodies one passes in and out of need not be human. One may have been a Doberman in a past life, and one may be a mite or a carrot in a future life. Some tribes avoid eating certain animals because they believe that the souls of their ancestors dwell in those animals. A man could even become his own daughter by dying before she is born and then entering her body at birth. The belief in past lives used to be mainly a belief found in Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but now is a central tenet of much woo-woo like dianetics and channeling. In those ancient Eastern religions, reincarnation was not considered a good thing, but a bad thing. To achieve the state of ultimate bliss (nirvana) is to escape from the wheel of rebirth. In most, if not all, ancient religions with a belief in reincarnation, the soul entering a body is seen as a metaphysical demotion, a sullying and impure rite of passage. In New Age religions, however, being born again seems to be a kind of perverse goal. Prepare yourself in this life for who or what you want to come back as in the next life. Belief in past lives also opens the door for New Age therapies such as past life regression therapy, which seeks the causes of todays psychological problems in the experiences of previous lives. L. Ron Hubbard, author of Dianetics and the founder of Scientology, introduced his own version of reincarnation into his new religion. According to Hubbard, past lives need auditing to get at the root of ones troubles. He also claims that Dianetics gave impetus to Bridey Murphy and that some scientologists have been dogs and other animals in previous lives (A Note on Past Lives in The Rediscovery of the Human Soul). According to Hubbard, It has only been in Scientology that the mechanics of death have been thoroughly understood. What happens in death is this: the Thetan (spirit) finds itself without a body (which has died) and then it goes looking for a new body. Thetans will hang around people. They will see a woman who is pregnant and follow her down the street. Then, the Thetan will slip into the newborn usually two or three minutes after the delivery of a child from the mother. A Thetan usually picks it up about the time the baby takes its first gasp. How Hubbard knows this is never revealed. Channeling, like past life regression, is distinct from reincarnation, even though it is based on the same essential concept: death does not put an end to the entirety of ones being. In classical reincarnation, something of the consciousness of the deceased somehow enters a new body but as that body grows only one unified consciousness persists through time. Channeling might be called temporary intermittent past life invasion because there is a coming and going of the past life entity, which always remains distinct from the present self-conscious being. For example, JZ Knight claims that in 1977 the spirit of a Cro-Magnon warrior who once lived in Atlantis took over her body in order to pass on bits of wisdom hed picked up over the centuries. Knight seems to be carrying on the work of Jane Roberts and Robert Butts, who in 1972 hit the market with Seth Speaks. Knight, Roberts, and Butts are indebted to Edgar Cayce, who claimed to be in touch with many of his past lives. One would think that channeling might muck things up a bit. After all, if various spirits from the past can enter any body at any time without destroying the present person, it is possible that when one remembers a past life it is actually someone elses life one is remembering. From a philosophical point of view, reincarnation poses some interesting problems. What is it that is reincarnated? Presumably, it is the soul that is reincarnated, but what is the soul? A disembodied consciousness? Reincarnation does seem to offer an explanation for some strange phenomena such as the ability of some people to regress to a past life under hypnosis. Also, we might explain child prodigies by claiming that unlike most cases of reincarnation where the soul has to more or less start from scratch, the child prodigy somehow gets a soul with great carryover from a previous life, giving it a decided advantage over the rest of us. Reincarnation could explain why bad things happen to good people and why good things happen to bad people: they are being rewarded or punished for actions in past lives (karma). One could explain deja vu experiences by claiming that they are memories of past lives. Dreams could be interpreted as a kind of soul travel and soul memory. However, past life regression and deja vu experiences are best explained as the recalling of events from this life, not some past life. Dreams and child prodigies are best explained in terms of brain structures and genetically inheritable traits and processes. And since bad things also happen to bad people and good things also happen to good people, the most reasonable belief is that there is no design to the distribution of good and bad happening to people. Stories, especially stories from children, that claim knowledge of a past life, abound. One collector of such stories was the psychiatrist Ian Stevenson, who made a weak case that the stories offered scientific evidence for reincarnation. Finally, since there is no way to tell the difference between a baby with a soul that will go to heaven or hell, a baby with a soul that has been around before in other bodies, and a baby with no soul at all, it follows that the idea of a soul adds nothing to our concept of a human being. Applying Occams razor, both the idea of reincarnation and the idea of an immortal soul that will go to heaven or hell are equally unnecessary. Reference http://www.skepdic.com/reincarn.html

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

One of the major masterpieces of American literature, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee originally as a love story, was published in 1960 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961. It also won an Academy Award when it was later made into a film starring Gregory Peck. The story is set in imaginary Maycomb County in southern Alabama. The time frame for the story is the early 1930's during the great depression. Poverty was common and times were extremely tough. This book is loaded with interesting characters. Here is an outline and description of some of the most important characters. The story revolves around the Finch family, led by Atticus Finch, a lawyer. Atticus has two children: Jem, short for Jeremy, his eldest son and Scout, nickname for Jean Louise, his younger and only daughter. Scout is a bit of a tomboy and enjoys hanging out with her brother and their friend Dill. Dill is a young boy who comes to stay in Maycomb every summer with his aunt, Miss Rachel. Aunt Alexandra is Atticus' sister and the family has a maid named Calpurnia. The children spend a great deal of time at the house of Arthur "Boo" Radley. Bob Ewell who lives with his daughter Mayella Ewell is the man who accuses Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping Mayella. Law enforcement in Maycomb consists of Heck Tate, county law official and Judge Taylor. The story begins when Jem and Scout meet a new friend, Dill, who has come to spend yet another summer with his aunt, Miss Rachel. The town is full of gossip about Boo Radley, which fascinates the three friends. Dill, Jem and Scout try to think up creative ways to lure Boo out of his house with no success. The next summer Dill returns and is even more curious and becomes more daring in his attempt to see Boo. On the last evening of Dill's stay in Maycomb the children decide to sneak up on Boo's porch to see what they can see. Just as Jem reaches the window, Nathan Radley, Boo's son, fires his shotgun and scares them off. One night during the following winter one of the Finch's neighbor Miss Maudie's house burns to the ground. As Scout was standing and watching the efforts of the town in fighting the fire, someone placed a blanket over her shoulders.

Morality as Anti-Nature

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher known for his radical critics of the classical philosophical thought and religion. Nietzsche rejected social laws, morals and religion. Nietzsche’s views on religions and morals get the best realization in his later works. In Beyond Good and Evil he explores the ethical mechanisms, which regulate people behavior and their origins. He did not believe that nature was morally neutral. He distinguished two types of morality: herd morality and master morality. Herd morality he attributed to Christianity. Nietzsche criticized both – this type of morality and religion, based on the consciousness of slaves. He correlated the appearance of the terms good and bad to the terms of Roman Empire when everything connected with warriors and cruelty. Such moral system gave week and suppressed a kind of compensation in their miserable situation and gave them mechanisms to control strong and successful members of the society.   Nietzsche states that generations of people live directed by the ethical judgments created by the generation of slaves. He believes that   using such moral principles we only distance ourselves from true liberation and fortify the continuousness of the slaves. The type of morality described above reflects â€Å"herd morality†, which dominates in the society for centuries. Another type of morality, which is contrasted to herd morality, is called master morality. According to Nietzsche this morality is realistic and reflects the real destination of all human creatures. Master morality asserts the power of successful and strong individuals, who have the right to rule the world. Nietzsche denied the morality of the nature, calling it morally neutral. â€Å"There are no moral phenomena; there are only moral interpretations. Thus, master morality speaks of â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† rather than â€Å"Good and Evil† (Nietzsche, 87).   He saw master morality as the way to overcome limitations, created by the moral judgments of slave morality. Master morality for Nietzsche becomes the way to realize the potential to will-to-power. Denying religions values, Nietzsche did not recognize rich literary prophesy of world religious. He did not see any value in religious texts and sermons. The Sermon of the Mount is an essence of all Christian teaching. It contains instructions of Jesus Christ to his Disciples. These instructions teach people compassion and patience. Speaking about afterlife, Jesus underlines that all needy will get everything they deserve after death. In his sermon, Jesus underlines the importance of seeking for the righteousness, he states: â€Å"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled† (Matthew 5:6). Principles of non-violence and obedience to the will of God are close to the ideas expressed by the majority of world religions. Jesus Christ stresses on the unconditional universal love, which he defined as a main moral principle. The Ten Commandments given to Moses on the Mount of Sinai contain the very principle ideas of Christian teaching. According to the Bible God gave these Ten Commandments to Moses in order to pass his will to all people. These Commandments became universal guidelines for all religious people. They express norms of moral behavior for all people. If we study them in greater detail we will see that these Commandments are universal and can be applied for all people regardless of their race and religion.   For many centuries the Ten Commandments have been the foundation for moral system of Western Civilization. It is difficult to doubt such universal truths, as: Honour thy father and mother Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:2-17). It is had to imagine a person, who would disagree these Commandments. The Ten Commandments are designed in order to regulate not only relations between God and humans. They also contain guidelines for person to person interactions and social behavior. Night Journey or Al-Isra wa Al-Miraj of 24th Rajab 619 CE is a story from Qur’an, which describes the journey of the Prophet Mohammed to Jerusalem and his meeting with God.   This story describes Prophet’s journey through seven heavens and his conversation with God. On his way Mohammed meets a lot of characters from religious texts. After his conversation with God he gets the message that it is necessary to pray God five times a day. Often people, who read this story understand it literary and see it only as a message about the necessity to pray. In reality the message of this story is much deeper as it speaks about such important themes as faith in God, individual responsibility, right faith, avoiding evil and sacredness of life. This passage from Qur’an raises the questions of human freedom and responsibility.   Mohammad passes not only the message about the necessity to pray God. He also speaks that each person should be responsible for his actions. Nietzsche’s critique of religion has an aesthetic nature. He also denies morals.   For Nietzsche religion is only an ugly form, weak people use as compensation for their weakness.   The cult of weak and miserable was established for centuries and it included the denial of everything beautiful, healthy, strong and powerful, including human body. Nietzsche states that â€Å"Christianity, which despised the body, has been the greatest misfortune of humanity so far† (Nietzsche, 119). For him religion along with morality serves only for the justification for weak and powerless, who have no other means to express their right for living. Calling for revolt and setting up the morality of master Nietzsche deprives week of their right to live and realize themselves. â€Å"God is dead† is a phrase from his writing which reflects his radical attitude to religion and ethics. Nietzsche stated that religion, philosophy and what is most important – humanity – were killed by the traditional values of society. The way of life and social organization have lead to the destruction and depreciation of moral values and basic human qualities. As he states: â€Å"Morality, as it has so far been under stood, it has in the end been formulated once more by Schopenhauer, as â€Å"negation of the will to life† is the very instinct of decadence, which makes an imperative of itself. It says: â€Å"Perish!† It is a condemnation pronounced by the condemned† (Nietzsche, 154). Nietzsche wanted to create a generation on new human beings – supermen or Overman – free from the false morality.   â€Å"Our moral judgments and evaluations†¦are only images and fantasies based on a physiological process unknown to us† – he states to prove the relativity of the moral norms and principles. Nietzsche believed that the society’s traditional way of thinking and morals were life-denying and destructive. Traditional morals gave a rice to â€Å"slave morality† which suppresses all impulses to creatively and free will of the humans and makes them to adopt a â€Å"herd mentality†. It makes people believe that thing which is good for the majority is good for everyone. That is the reason people put themselves into the strict limitations and boundaries of the predefined good and evil. â€Å"Slave morality encourages conformity; national, racial, gender, and religious bigotry; and unthinking patriotism† (Soccio, 114). The world was defined by Nietzsche to be dead. He put all the burden of responsibility for this on the traditional Christian morals accepted by the vast majority of the western world. According to Nietzsche, traditional moral values, such as self-sacrifices, humanity, love, compassion have killed everything natural. The only way out Nietzsche saw in crossing the line, getting out of the moral limitations and restrictions of good and evil and following only â€Å"the will to power†. That would place the humans on the other, higher plane of existence. Nietzsche is an influential philosopher, famous for his critics of Christian morality. His critics of all religious doctrines is a brave attempt to overcome religious dogmatism and domination. Despite his teachings contain a lot of innovative ideas and strong arguments I think that rejecting Christian morals and religious moral in general he rejects not only bad things, but also rich prophesy created through the centuries. Nietzsche regards religion as a source of suppression of human will. He counts on conscious individuals, who are directed by inner moral, which regulates all their thoughts and actions. Unfortunately, modern society consists of different people, who are not always driven by higher moral standards. In this case religion, social norms and regulations become those defensive mechanisms, which help to avoid bad consequences.   Rejecting their norms and regulations can bring harm to the society and human race in general. Works Cited Nietzsche, Friedrich On the Genealogy of Morals. trans. Walter Kaufmann and R.J. Hollingdale, in On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo. New York: Random House, 1967. Nietzsche, Friedrich Beyond Good and Evil. trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Random House, 1966. Nietzsche, Friedrich, Thus Spake Zarathustra, tr. Thomas Common, London: George Allen and Unwin, 1999. Nietzsche, Friedrich Beyond Good and Evil:   Prelude to a philosophy of the future, tr. R.J. Hollingdale, Harmondsworth, Middlesex:   Penguin Books, 1973. Nietzsche, Friedrich, The Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ: or How to Philosophize with a Hammer, Penguin Classics, 1990. Soccio, Douglas J. Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy, Belmont, CA : Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2004.

Resources and Capabilities of Coca-Cola Essay

In the competitive corporate world it is very important for organizations to have a strategy. This strategy should be based on resources and capabilities that the firm has and also taking into consideration the opportunities that arise in the external environment enabling companies to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. (Grant, 2005). The company that I have chosen is Coca-Cola. The reason behind me choosing this company is because from my point of view, Coca-Cola has been a company that has always invested, upgraded and leveraged its resources and capabilities to be the most successful brand in the soft drink industry for more than 120 years. According to Interbrand ´s report on Best Global Brands, Coca- Cola has been ranked in the first position for the 13th consecutive years. Estimating its brand value at $77.8 billion and having a rise in 8% since last year annual report. (The New York Times, 2012). Coca-Cola ´s was discovered by John Pemberton, a pharmacist from Georgia, as a result of an accident, which has now become the most consumed soft drink in the world. (The Coca-Cola Company, 2012). Around 1.7 billion of Coke products are consumed in a day. (The World Fact Book, 2012). Its portfolio of products range from the traditional Coca-Cola, carbonated soda water, bottled water, tea, sports drink and fruit juices, having over 3,500 products and brands. The company holds 275 bottling partners around the world; these companies are dedicated to produce, package and distribute most of the company ´s products. The company competes in over 200 countries. (The Coca-Cola Company, 2012). The resource based view is a framework that suggests that companies obtain competitive advantage by focusing on strategies that exploit their internal strengths by responding to the external opportunities and trying minimize external threats and internal weaknesses. (Barney, 1991). The advantage of this model is that the firm can consider factors that are within their control. (Connely, 2010). Moreover, this model has two assumptions in analyzing resources. The first one is that the firm is heterogeneous to the strategic resources they control. The second is that resources aren’t perfectly mobile across firms and thus heterogeneity can be long lasting. (Barney, 1991). Before talking about Coca-Cola ´s resources and core capabilities it is important to understand the difference between these two. â€Å"Resources are the productive assets owned by the company, capabilities are what the firm can do well. Resources can be classified as three types; tangible resources, intangible resources and human resources.† (Grant, 2005, p. 136-137). Authors such as Teece and Pisano (1997) suggest that an organization has to always renew and recreate its resources to meet the needs of changing environments. They are three basic types of dynamic capabilities the ones sensing opportunities and threats, the ones concerning seizing opportunities and the ones concerned in re-configuring the capabilities of an organization. Dynamic capabilities can take various forms such as recruitment and management process, major strategic moves, such as acquisitions and alliances. Tangible resources are physical and financial resources that can take a variety of forms. These assets and capabilities determine how efficiently and effectively a company performs its functional activities†. (Grant, 2005, p.139). To determine if a company has a strong financial position financial analyst tend to evaluate in general the gross profit margin, operating margin, ROA and ROE ratios. The Coca Cola Company has a very strong financial position, its sales were $46.542 billion, its gross profit margin in the year 2011 was 60.86%, 2010 it was 63.86%, in 2009 it was 64.22% meaning that the company has been consistent in their efficiency of manufacturing and distribution during the production process. (Google Finance, 2011). The operating margin in 2011 was 23.06% and 2010 it was 39.13%. The margin is the measure of the proportion of company ´s revenue left after deducting variable costs. The margin has been consistent which means that the company is always trying to maintain its variable costs. The ROA is the indicator of how efficient a company is using its assets to generate earning. In 2011, Coca-Cola ´s ROA was 10.17%, during this year the management was less efficient at using its assets but during last few it has been quite efficient. In 2010 it was 16.19%; in 2009 it was 14.02%. The ROE from last year has dropped from 28.17% in 2010 to 17.73% in 2011, even though the company is trying use less shareholders equity to produce profits. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). The physical resources that Coca-Cola owns can be classified into building, equipment and their bottling partners. The buildings account for $ 5.24 billion, the property, plant and equipment account for $ 23.15 billion. The distribution of the drink is done through 275 bottling partners. The bottling partners manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the finished branded beverages. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). The intangible resources tend to contribute more than tangible resources. They can be classified as; intellectual property, resources for innovation and reputation. (Grant, 2011). One of Coca-Cola ´s most valuable intangible resource is its secret formula. The company tends to sell concentrated syrups to their bottling partners, who then use the syrup to produce the final product. This means that the company does even share their secret formula with its bottling partners. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). According to Coca- Cola another intangible resource that they own is their technology and the know-how. They related this technology to the â€Å"Company ´s products and the processes for their production, the packages used for our products, the design and operation of various processes and equipment used in our business and certain quality assurance software.† (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011, p. 9). An intangible asset that Coca-Cola owns is its â€Å"Goodwill†. The goodwill can be classified as the strong brand name, good customer relations or good employee relations. (Investopedia, 2012). In 2011 Coca- Cola ´s good will accounted for $ 12,219. The company performs impairment tests of goodwill at geographic operating areas. The operating areas are: Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and Pacific. Coca- Cola ´s brand loyalty and recognition can be considered as Coca-Cola ´s most valuable intangible resource. Every day 1.7 billion of coke products are consumed in a day, more than 60% of the of the world ´s population have a Coke drink in a day. (Market Line, 2011). Moreover, the red and white logo is recognized by 94% of the world ´s population. (Business Insider, 2012). The Coca-Cola Company had 146,200 employees worldwide in the year 2011, respectfully called associates. The Company always tries to keep their employees engaged by motivating and indulging responsibility in projects. Their work place includes on site company gym, free Coca-Cola drinks, summer and flexible working hours. Training and development also plays a big role, they continually invest in employee development plans, internal talent management, leadership development for managers and employee performance management. They also tend to reward their employees by different elements such as pension, health care and additional holidays. Once analyzed Coca-Cola ´s tangible and intangible resources I now proceed to analyze their core competence and dynamic capability. Core competence can be defined as â€Å"the linked set of skills, activities and resources that, together, deliver customer value, differentiate a business from its competitors and potentially can be extended and developed†. (Johnson et al, 2011, p. 89). Coca-Cola ´s major dynamic capability is large investment in marketing. In 2011, Coca- Cola spent $ 3.3 billion on advertisement. (Google Finance, 2011). Their marketing programs are developed to â€Å"Think Globally, but act locally† designed to enhance more consumer awareness and product appeal for customers. The company tends to differentiate its marketing strategy in developed markets and developing markets. In developed markets is objective is continue having growing profits and in developing markets its objective is to increase brand value. In emerging markets they invest in brands and infrastructure programs to give access to the consumers to the product. In developed markets they invest in making the product affordable, good communication with its customers and differentiation within its products. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual report, 2011). Another core competence that enables the company owns to gain competitive advantage is their distribution and bottling operations. Most of their products are â€Å"manufactured, sold and distributed by independently owned and managed bottling partners†. (Coca- Colas Annual report, 2011, p. 32). The company owns nearly 275 bottling companies, distributing their products in more 200 countries. Three most known bottling companies are Coca-Cola Hellenic, Coca-Cola Femsa, and Coca-Cola Amatil. Coca-Cola Hellenic distributes in 28 European countries. In 2011, 46% of the unit case volume of Coca-Cola Hellenic consisted of Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages. Coca-Cola Femsa is a Mexican company covers most of parts of South America. In 2011, 62 percent of the unit case volume of Coca-Cola FEMSA consisted of Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages. Coca-Cola Amatil covers Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Indonesia. In 2011, 45 percent of the unit case volume of Coca-Cola Amatil consisted of Trademark Coca-Cola Beverages. According to Coca-Cola the ownership of bottling companies helps them reduce costs and make the product more available throughout the world. In the next five years the company has committed to invest $30 billion in their bottling companies. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). Coca-Cola ´s innovation in products can be classified as one of its most dynamic capability. They always try to â€Å"recreate and renew† their products. The company holds around 500 products. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual Report, 2011). Their innovation philosophy is â€Å"70/20/10†. They invest â€Å"70 of their resources in existing products, 20% in innovations related to existing products and 10% in pure innovation. (Forbes, 2012). The newest products launched into the markets are mini cans of 7.5 ounces and has only 90 calories. Another new product is Sprite Green, naturally sweeten Truvia, every 8.5 ounce serving has 50 calories and 5% lemon juice. (World of Cola, 2012). Once analyzed all of Coca-Cola ´s resources and core capabilities, the next step is to use the VRIN model, which consists in externally analyzing the firm’s resources and dynamic capabilities to see if these are useful to generate sustainable competitive advantage. VRIN stands for Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Non-Substitutability. (Barney, 1991). Nevertheless some authors such as, McEcily and Chakravarthy (2002), believe that the framework lacks semantic logic that account for characteristics that impede certain activities in the firm at the same time enhancing others. The value of resources can be determined if they can give a company competitive advantage at a cost that it allows the organization to have acceptable profits. (Johnson et al, 2011, p. 89). In case of Coca-Cola the company is very innovative this makes them the market leader. It always takes advantage of new market trends to develop new products and gain competitive advantage. In 1892, they were the first ones recognize about the change that consumers were getting more health conscious and introduced the Diet Coke, a low calorie beverage, which since then became the world ´s top-selling low-calorie soft drink. (World of Coca-Cola, 2012) In terms of Rarity, rare capabilities are those that no or few firms posse. (Johnson et al, 2011, p. 89).According to Coca-Cola their brand value, brand loyalty and brand recognition are capabilities that no other firm holds in the industry. As stated before, their brand value is estimated at $ 77.8 billion and their logo is recognized by 94% of the world population. They have been holding this capability since many years which drives them sustainable competitive advantage. (Coca-Cola ´s Annual report, 2011). Coca-cola resources can also be classified as inimitable. Their distribution system and bottling companies are so widely spread throughout the world, making their products available to customers everywhere at any time of the day. It is really difficult for companies to have such wide distribution network as the costs would be really high for a new firm trying to do this. (Forbes, 2012) Moreover, their secret formula of making coca-cola is considered as non substitutability resource. This is because it hasn’t been discovered by any other soft drink company. Even thought there are substitutes available in the market none of them meet up to Coca-Cola ´s taste or standard. (Coca-Cola ´s Sustainability Report, 2011) In conclusion, Coca-Cola ´s history, brand equity, people, distribution network, secret recipe, etc. are resources that are difficult to imitate, while being extremely valuable. The company constantly works to gain competitive advantage by developing healthier products as consumers are becoming more health conscious and by having big investments on marketing programs to have more consumer engagement. Even though Coca-Cola ´s strategies and competitive advantage are extremely sustainable the company can face competition from healthier and more environmental friendly firms, which the company is trying to tackle by implementing the 2020 vision. The 2020 vision has 5 long-term objectives. The first one is energy conservation/climate change which consists in reducing by 15% carbon footprint. Second, sustainable packaging/recycling makes their packaging 100% recyclable. Third, water stewardship which consists in establishing a water sustainable operation in which they minimize the use of water and have neutral water impact on the local communities where they operate. The Fourth is product portfolio/wellbeing, they intent to provide healthier beverages for every lifestyle and occasion. Fifth, diverse and inclusive culture consists in creating a better work place to work every employee with a wide diversity of culture.

The History of Public Relations

The History of Public Relations The history of public relations dates back to the revolutionary war in the history of the United States. This was a component of great significance to the development of public relations. Another great input to the development of public relations came from the Creel Committee that was in place during the First World War.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The History of Public Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Edward L. Barneys who was a committee member and was later considered by many as the father of public relations. He was part of an intensive verbal and written communications in an effort to gain support for the war. This was rather unusual as information was first time used as weapon of war (Litwin, 2000, 2). There have been a number of personalities who have contributed to the development of public relations. These persons include Ivy Lee who has also been referred by many as the father of publ ic relations. He is known for promoting the slogan ‘’ The public must be informed always’’. Edward Barney was the first to teach a public relations course at the NYU in 1923. Doris Fleisch, the wife of Edward Barney, made great contributions to the industry by encouraging the entry of women into the industry (Letwin, 2000, 2). Public relations can be defined as a function of management that helps to establish and maintain mutual lines of communication between an organisation and the public (Watson, 2002, 2). It involves the cultivating of favourable relations for corporate and its products and public perception. Public relations as an industry is a very complex one involving aspects of detailed research, publicity exercises, aspects of strategic management, development fundraising, management of emerging issues, member or employee relations, organisation of special events and the participation of the public ( Seitel, 2011, 20). An organisation in todayâ₠¬â„¢s business world cannot operate in a vacuum. Maintaining a favourable relationship with the communities in which the organisation works in is crucial. A company that engages in public relations has a lot to gain. For instance, it is a form of promotion that is held in high regard. A company that engages in public relations ensures that the targeted market gets adequate information than would be offered in any other form of promotion (Information centre, 2009, 2). Tobacco Companies Public Relations Tobacco companies in the United States seem to have engaged in a series of   corporate sponsorship and advertising initiatives. These are aimed direct at the sale of tobacco product. The intention of these drives was to cultivate a favourable image in the eyes of the public and especially to the consumers and to the society in general.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mo re Following the Master Settlement agreement of 1988 corporate public relations has become of an increasing importance to Tobacco companies not just in America but in the world over (cancer control center, 2010, 179). These companies are interested in influencing public perception to their advantage as well as encourage public interest in the companies’ operations. This helps to increase corporate brand visibility among the targeted consumers and to the market at large. Corporate social responsibility as a strategy by the tobacco companies involve a number of initiatives. These initiatives include involvement in activities where communities are set to benefit, donating to a worthy cause, as well as supporting causes for the minority. This in today’s world has been referred to as ‘’Corporate Social Conscience’’ (Litwin, 2000, 4). Websites of these tobacco companies intentionally seek to address a number of issues with regard to corpora te social responsibility. In the marketplace today, companies that intend to stay in business and make profits should realize that public relations is a necessity. Corporate advertising for the tobacco industry has been practiced for many years although in the recent past corporate image campaigns have been integrated more extensively (Watson, 2002, 3). In October of 1999, Philip Morris, a tobacco company in the United States of America, began its first campaign with the slogan ‘’Working to make a difference. The people of Philip Morris’’. This initiative portrayed the company as one that provides contributions for a big cause to community based organisations and also portrayed the image of a company that puts in an extra measure to stop the sale of cigarettes to the underage (Litwin, 2000, 4). In  2003 the company directed the public to its website on information about preventing smoking in minors, the effects of smoking and help for those who wanted to drop the habit  Corporate advertising has   been used increasingly   by  Philip Morris than another competitor, Marlboro. In the recent past, there has been a call for increased research with more insight with regard to the public image of tobacco companies. A  number of issues   have to be addressed that includes:Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The History of Public Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Improving of public perception of tobacco companies Effects o corporate social responsibility on the jury perceptions Effects on the sales of quitting tobacco products based on the public’s perception Public Perception of Tobacco Companies In the past, the public has had a negative attitude towards the tobacco industry, although after a close analysis the public opinion of individual Tobacco companies is not a uniform one with all the players in the industry. The four largest cig arette manufacturers in the United States include Philip Morris, R.J Reynolds, the Lonllard company and the famous Liggett Group. Very few Americans can directly link the companies to their products in the market. Litigation that is continually increasing in the last couple of years this coupled with the general negative attitude by the public towards the tobacco industry players. This is a challenge that the industry players have to deal with. A number of multibillion lawsuits have been filed against these companies that has led to a dent in the effort to change the public’s attitude towards the companies (cancer control center, 2010, 182). In general, the public tend to develop a negative attitude towards these companies and see the companies as providing the public with wrong information about their products.  This has been due to the lack of awareness by the public in general, about the tobacco industry players and linking one company to its products in the market (Canc er control centre, 2010, 183). Jurors have in the past slapped tobacco companies with damages awards that has affected the performance of the companies and also damaged its reputation. With this background of this, unfavorable aspects of the industry corporate have sought to build a corporate brand image. This is an effort to strengthen as well as to influence the corporate image through the eyes of the public. In order to achieve   this a number of tools that have to be used, which includes press releases, events sponsorship, lobbying, public interest activities and media, releases. Using market media to not only promote positive image of the product but to also enhance and seek to improve the corporate image. Corporate Sponsorship Sponsoring social causes such as sports events, arts exhibitions and galleries, entertainment events and so on is a communication tool often used by corporate   world over. This is often referred to as event marketing used by corporate to build brand equity. Companies invest in this initiatives to increase brand equity. Sponsorship as a tool for communication is generally perceived by the public favourably especially in relation to the product. In the last couple of years, tobacco companies have spent millions of dollars to sponsor social causes in an effort to build brand equity. Corporate  sponsorship is encouraged as companies believe that:Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The public is encouraged to show interest in the company as well as the company’s products Promote  beneficial associations with other companies as well The public can identify a company and the company’s products in the market, for a tobacco company, the company’s name is popularized amongst among those in attendance Strengthen the corporate entity as being identified with a particular market The public perceives the company as being aware of social issues affecting communities Companies have a forum to provide support for community development. Corporate sponsorship increase opportunities to promote the companies products Generate exposure by the events being covered by the media, which indeed leads to an even larger audience beyond only those who attended the sponsored event (Cancer control centre, 2010, 185). Corporate brand image association are strengthened when corporate openly engage the public by sponsoring social events. In the past decade, tobacco company sponsorship has been in the interest of educational youth programs and community events. Tobacco Companies Sponsorship and Consumers Attitudes Corporate sponsorship especially tobacco companies, has been an interest of many researchers. It has been discovered that sponsorship in other related industries has had the effect of creating a positive feedback in relation to consumer trends. Social responsibility gives a company a competitive edge because of its good reputation in the eyes of the public (cancer control centre, 2010, 187). This has been used in many markets to set companies apart. Once the public views the public as a pioneer and a trendsetter in its social responsibility policies and this is integrated in the company’s marketing strategy it works in the company’s favor. Just as corporate social responsibility is viewed as a positive thing for a company, the reverse has the opposite effect. Tobacco companies face the challenge that some organisations do not wish to be associated with them. Such organisations cite two reasons: one, the companies would not want to be associated with a tobacco company because it is perceived to undermine its objective to improve overall general health. Two, the organisations are concerned about their reputation if it is involved publicly with a tobacco company will damage the organisations reputation. Corporate Advertising In an effort to improve, the company’s image companies engage in corporate advertising. Unlike corporate sponsorship, corporate advertising aims to enhance the company’s reputation as a great law abiding citizen, influence public opinion of the organisation (Cancer control centre, 2010, 189). This takes the approach of a clear and well directed persuasive deal that intend to show that sponsorship is positively but it affect the public at large. Indirect advocacy employed in corporate advertising and seeks to characterize the organisation as one that is serving publi c interest and its activities are aimed at providing solutions. Various campaigns of tobacco companies such as youth smoking advertisement ( Cancer controls centre, 2010, 192). Conclusion Public relations as a function of management is an important component of any company that seeks to stay in business in today’s market. Public relation as a discipline is continually evolving and shaping the face of corporate America. References Cancer Control Centre. (2010). Tobacco companies’ Public Relations Efforts:  Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising. P. 172_189. Information centre. (2009).  History of Public Relations. Web. Litwin, L. (2002).  The Practice of Public Relations. Web. Seitel, F. P. (2010).  The Practice of Public Relations: New Jersey. Prentice Hall-Pearson. Watson, T. (2002).  History of public Relations. Web.

Geography of Jamaica

Geography of Jamaica Population: 2,847,232 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: KingstonArea: 4,243 square miles (10,991 sq km)Coastline: 635 miles (1,022 km)Highest Point: Blue Mountain Peak at 7,401 feet (2,256 m)Jamaica is an island nation in the West Indies located in the Caribbean Sea. It is south of Cuba and for comparison, it is just under the size of the United States state of Connecticut. Jamaica is 145 miles (234 km) in length and 50 miles (80 km) in width at its widest point. Today, the country is a popular tourist destination and it has a native population of 2.8 million people. History of Jamaica The first inhabitants of Jamaica were the Arawaks from South America. In 1494, Christopher Columbus was the first European to reach and explore the island. Beginning in 1510, Spain began to inhabit the area and by that time, the Arawaks began to die off due to disease and war that came with the European settlers.In 1655, the British arrived in Jamaica and took the island from Spain. Shortly thereafter in 1670, Britain took full formal control of Jamaica.Throughout most of its history, Jamaica was known for its sugar production. In the late 1930s, Jamaica began to gain its independence from Britain and it had its first local elections in 1944. In 1962, Jamaica gained full independence but still remains a member of the British Commonwealth.Following its independence, Jamaicas economy began to grow but in the 1980s, it was hit by a severe recession. Shortly thereafter, however, its economy began to grow and tourism became a popular industry. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, drug traff icking, and the related violence became a problem in Jamaica. Today, Jamaicas economy is still based largely on tourism and the related service sector and it has recently held various free democratic elections. For example, in 2006 Jamaica elected its first female Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller.​ Government of Jamaica Jamaicas government is considered a constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm. It has an executive branch with Queen Elizabeth II as chief of state and a local position of head of state. Jamaica also has a legislative branch with a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives. Jamaicas judicial branch is made up of a Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Privy Council in the U.K. and the Caribbean Court of Justice.Jamaica is divided  in 14 parishes for local administration. Economy and Land Use in Jamaica Since tourism is a large part of Jamaicas economy, services and the related industries represent a significant portion of the countrys overall economy. Tourism revenues alone account for 20% of Jamaicas gross domestic product. Other industries in Jamaica include bauxite/alumina, agricultural processing, light manufacturing, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products and telecommunications. Agriculture is also a big part of Jamaicas economy and its biggest products are sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables, poultry, goats, milk, crustaceans, and mollusks. Unemployment is high in Jamaica and as a result, the country has high crime rates and violence related to drug trafficking. Geography of Jamaica Jamaica has a varied topography with rugged mountains, some of which are volcanic, and narrow valleys and a coastal plain. It is located 90 miles (145 km) south of Cuba and 100 miles (161 km) west of Haiti.The climate of Jamaica is tropical and hot and humid on its coast and temperate inland. Kingston, Jamaicas capital has an average July high temperature of 90 °F (32 °C) and a January average low of 66 °F (19 °C). Sources Central Intelligence Agency.  CIA - The World Factbook - Jamaica.  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html Infoplease. (n.d.).  Jamaica: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107662.html United States Department of State. (29 December 2009).  Jamaica.  state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2032.htm

Public Funding for the Arts and Sciences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Funding for the Arts and Sciences - Essay Example The ironic thing is Elmo’s involvement in the whole thing, because if PBS were to end today, it would have very little impact on â€Å"Sesame Street.† â€Å"Sesame Street† and the Sesame Workshop (SW), the non-profit organization that produces it, currently depend very little on public funding. Most of what â€Å"Sesame Street† historian Louise A. Gikow (2009) has called its â€Å"endowment† (p. 268) depends upon other sources like licensing and merchandising sales from â€Å"Sesame Street† toys, DVDs, clothing, and books. â€Å"Sesame Street† dependency on federal funds occurred in its early years, when much of its initial $8 million budget came from the federal government. Early on, however, the SW recognized that if they were to survive past the first two seasons, they would have to raise money from other sources, so they established a â€Å"non-broadcasting† department. They also began producing versions of the show in other countries.

Business decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business decision making - Essay Example Within the five year period, the number of elite clients has risen from 453 in 2006 to 1124 in 2010. However, there was a sharp in the number of this category of clients in 2007, with the bank recording only 411 Elite clients (Institute of Business and Management, 2012). Additionally, the report shows that the number of Preferred clients has grown by approximately 30 per cent, rising from 3148 in 2006 to 3809 in 2010 (Institute of Business and Management, 2012). This rise has been steady except for the year 2008, which experienced a sharp fall in this category of clients (3148), as compared to the previous year’s 3551. The same trend has occurred in the amount of deposit, where the maximum deposit for the regular clients was 690,354,000 in 2010 (Institute of Business and Management, 2012). The success of the bank has not been on a regular trend though. There has been a mix between the years of success and the drops in terms of deposits. Rating success and failures in terms of income, the final year 2010 indicated success for all the three classes of clients except for a drop in 2007. The remaining years have shown an indicator to financial growth in income, considering that it has been a continuous trend of progressive increase from 2008 to 2010. Comparing each class for every year, regular clients outnumber the rest of the classes, followed by the preferred class and finally the elite class. Perhaps owing to that, the amount of deposit for the regular clients has been the greatest followed by the preferred class and eventually the elites. 1.2. Data Analysis and Summary The table below shows the analysis of the data for all the clients of the bank DM. It shows the average and the mean for all the five years. However, the function for computing modes did not function because none of the values appeared more than once. Table 1: Data Analysis table for the bank DM for performance from 2006 to 2010 (i). From the analysis, it appears that the regular clients are more on average than all other clients, followed by the preferred clients then the elite clients. The deposit balance for the regular clients is also higher than for the categories of clients, followed by the preferred clients then the elite clients in the third rank. The same result is observed for the service income, where the regular clients lead followed by the preferred and finally the elite clients. From this analysis, the most advisable decision Bank DM executive committee can make is to develop marketing strategies for the other two client categories. The strategies can begin from analyzing customer needs concerning the preferred and the client elite accounts. After the analysis, there are two optional actions that the bank can consider. First, there should be a more structured sales promotions program for increasing the performance level of the less performing accounts. The customer satisfaction level can enable the executive committee to improve the qualities of the ac counts. If the sales promotions do not yield the expected outcomes, the next option is to eliminate the accounts from bank and develop a better account product for the preferred and the elite customers. (ii). The second analysis uses measures of dispersion such as variance and standard deviation of the distributions of the numbers for the three banks for all the five years. The measures of dispersion appear in the table below Account Type Number of Accounts Deposit