Thursday, August 27, 2020

How Authors and Editors Can Work Better Together

How Authors and Editors Can Work Better Together How Authors and Editors Can Work Better Together Reedsy was made to permit free creators to work with the absolute best article and structure ability out there, and manufacture enduring, productive coordinated efforts. In this visitor post, proofreader and writer Andrew Lowe clarifies how independently publishing has changed the writer manager association into a ground-breaking innovative partnership.Have a gander at this sentence:â€Å"Jim dropped the special necklace into the sack and snared it through his belt.†You could contend that there is a disarray over the item here. Is Jim snaring the special necklace, or the pack, through his belt? The ‘correct’ structure would be something like:â€Å"Jim dropped the talisman into the sack, which he snared through his belt.†The object disarray has gone; it’s clear that the pack, not the ornament, is being snared through Jim’s belt. It’s in fact right, yet dead on the page. We’ve adjusted the component of the sentence, yet killed it a s a bit of streaming prose.A great supervisor †especially on account of fiction †comprehends that the work is a fragile parity of craftsmanship and science and that occasionally one must be yielded for the other.In this model, I would keep the first sentence, contending that the specialized blemish is optional to the vibe of the prose.Other editors may go after our preferred mantra: never confound the peruser. Yet, it is particular to contend that a peruser, inundated in the more extensive account, would stop to contemplate the special necklace/sack question as introduced here.It’s an emotional careful decision which, for me, takes advantage of the most significant quality that creators ought to anticipate from your supervisor: an energy for joint effort. An enthusiasm for coordinated effort is the most significant quality creators ought to anticipate from their proofreader @ReedsyHQ At the point when you recruit a supervisor, you are not giving over your valuable dear to be damaged and remolded. You’re paying for an expert eye; a thoughtful colleague who will work to a lot of steady standards and help you to make your book tantamount to it can be.* * *So, let’s characterize terms.Actually, let’s not. On the off chance that you Google something like ‘book altering duplicate line structural’ (and you truly shouldn’t) at that point you’ll before long be sucked into a whirl of fluffy definitions and clashing concepts.Like most imaginative teaches in the advanced age, the various kinds of book altering are ever-changing, generally as a result of the associated and communitarian nature of online tools.I was a purchaser columnist †for the most part at editorial manager level †for a long time, and I comprehend the requirement for explicit distributions to stick to set up rules. They face various duplicate streams streaming in from several authors to be dealt with by a large number of sub-editors. A bound together house style guarantees that the undertaking isn’t fastened to a solitary individual.Traditional book distributing has for the most part followed this model, for comparative reasons. It is an industry and must work at modern scale, with many titles having their spot on a trusted and practical creation line. The altering procedure is regularly simply one more pinion in this corporate machine.But the ascent of independently publishing has introduced an open door for the procedure to be increasingly community; to reinforce the connection among creator and editor.Because independently publishing doesn't mean ‘do it all yourself’.I accept that all the absolute best creatives †even those with a notoriety for being independent auteurs †depend on some type of joint effort to understand their vision. The ‘self’ in independently publishing is increas ingly about self-strengthening. You settle on the choices †including which manager is directly for you. In any case, an editorial manager would now be able to think about the work nearly as much as the creator. The ‘self’ in independently publishing is progressively about self-strengthening. You settle on the choices. - @andylowe99

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 8 Free Essays

Section 8 I’ve figured out how to sneak into the restroom sufficiently long to peruse a couple of sections of this New Testament that they’ve added to the Bible. This Matthew individual, who is clearly not the Matthew that we knew, appears to have forgotten about a serious tad. Like everything from the time Joshua was destined to the time he was thirty!!! No big surprise the blessed messenger took me back to compose this book. We will compose a custom paper test on Sheep: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 8 or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now This Matthew individual hasn’t referenced me yet, however I’m still in the early sections. I need to proportion myself to shield the blessed messenger from getting dubious. Today he went up against me when I came out of the restroom. â€Å"You are investing a great deal of energy in there. You don’t need to invest such a great amount of energy in there.† â€Å"I let you know, neatness is essential to my people.† â€Å"You weren’t washing. I would have heard the water running.† I concluded that I expected to go into all out attack mode on the off chance that I was going to shield the blessed messenger from finding the Bible. I stumbled into the room, jumped onto his bed, and secured my hands around his throat †stifling him as I recited: â€Å"I haven’t been laid in 2,000 years. I haven’t been laid in 2,000 years. I haven’t been laid in 2,000 years.† It felt better, there was a cadence to it, I kind of squoze his throat a piece with each syllable. I took a brief reprieve in stifling the wonderful host to strike him over his alabaster cheek. It was a mix-up. He got my hand. At that point snatched me by the hair with his other hand and smoothly moved to his feet, lifting me into the air by my hair. â€Å"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow,† I said. â€Å"So, you have not been laid in 2,000 years? What does that mean?† â€Å"Ow, ow, ow, ow,† I answered. The heavenly attendant set me on my feet, yet kept his grip on my hair. â€Å"So?† â€Å"It implies that I haven’t had a lady in two centuries, aren’t you getting any of the jargon from the television?† He looked at the TV, which, obviously, was on. â€Å"I don’t have your endowment of tongues. What does that have to do with gagging me?† â€Å"I was gagging you since you, indeed, are as thick as earth. I haven’t engaged in sexual relations in 2,000 years. Men have needs. What the heck do you think I’m doing in the washroom the entirety of that time?† â€Å"Oh,† the holy messenger stated, discharging my hair. â€Å"So you are†¦You have been†¦There is a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Get me a lady and possibly I won’t invest such a great amount of energy in the restroom, on the off chance that you get my meaning.† Brilliant confusion, I thought. â€Å"A lady? No, I can't do that. Not yet.† â€Å"Yet? Does that mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh look,† the holy messenger stated, abandoning me as though I was close to fume, â€Å"General Hospital is starting.† What's more, with that, my mystery Bible was protected. I don't get his meaning by â€Å"yet†? In any event this Matthew makes reference to the Magi. One sentence, however that’s one more than I’ve gotten in his Gospel up until this point. Our second day in Jerusalem we went to see the incomparable Rabbi Hillel. (Rabbi implies instructor in Hebrew †you realized that, right?) Hillel seemed to be a hundred years of age, his whiskers and hair were long and white, and his eyes were blurred over, his irises milk white. His skin was weathered earthy colored from sitting in the sun and his nose was long and snared, giving him the part of an incredible, daze bird. He held class throughout the morning in the external patio of the Temple. We sat discreetly, tuning in to him discuss from the Torah and decipher the refrains, taking inquiries and taking part in contentions with the Pharisees, who attempted to inject the Law into consistently detail of life. At the finish of Hillel’s morning addresses, Jakan, the camel-sucking spouse to-be of my cherished Maggie, inquired as to whether it would be wrong to eat an egg that had been laid on the Sabbath. â€Å"What would you say you are, dumb? The Lord doesn’t care at all what a chicken does on the Sabbath, you nimrod! It’s a chicken. On the off chance that a Jew lays an egg on the Sabbath, that’s most likely a transgression, come see me at that point. In any case don’t burn through my friggin’ time with that rubbish. Presently leave, I’m hungry and I need a snooze. Every one of you, scram.† Joshua took a gander at me and smiled. â€Å"He’s not what I expected,† he murmured. â€Å"Knows a nimrod when he sees †uh †hears one, though,† I said. (Nimrod was an old ruler who kicked the bucket of suffocation after he pondered so anyone might hear before his watchmen what it resembles to have your own head stood up your butt.) A kid more youthful than us helped the elderly person to his feet and started to lead him away toward the Temple entryway. I ran up and took the priest’s other arm. â€Å"Rabbi, my companion has originated from far away to converse with you. Would you be able to help him?† The elderly person halted. â€Å"Where is your friend?† â€Å"Right here.† â€Å"Then why isn’t he talking for himself? Where do you originate from, kid?† â€Å"Nazareth,† Joshua stated, â€Å"but I was conceived in Bethlehem. I am Joshua bar Joseph.† â€Å"Oh better believe it, I’ve conversed with your mother.† â€Å"You have?† â€Å"Sure, pretty much every time she and your dad come to Jerusalem for a dining experience she attempts to see me. She thinks you’re the Messiah.† Joshua gulped hard. â€Å"Am I?† Hillel grunted. â€Å"Do you need to be the Messiah?† Joshua took a gander at me as though I may have the appropriate response. I shrugged. â€Å"I don’t know,† Josh at long last said. â€Å"I thought I was simply expected to do it.† â€Å"Do you think you’re the Messiah?† â€Å"I’m not certain I ought to say.† â€Å"That’s smart,† Hillel said. â€Å"You shouldn’t state. You can think you’re the Messiah all that you need, just don’t tell anyone.† â€Å"But in the event that I don’t let them know, they won’t know.† â€Å"Exactly. You can think you’re a palm tree in the event that you need, just don’t tell anybody. You can think you’re a group of seagulls, just don’t tell anybody. You get my importance? Presently I need to go eat. I’m old and I’m hungry and I need to go eat now, so just on the off chance that I pass on before dinner I won’t go hungry.† â€Å"But he truly is the Messiah,† I said. â€Å"Oh yeah,† Hillel stated, snatching my shoulder, at that point feeling for my head so he could shout into my ear. â€Å"What do you know? You’re a uninformed child. How old right? Twelve? Thirteen?† â€Å"Thirteen.† â€Å"How would you be able to, at thirteen, know anything? I’m eighty-four and I don’t know shit.† â€Å"But you’re wise,† I said. â€Å"I’m savvy enough to realize that I don’t know poop. Presently go away.† â€Å"Should I solicit the Holy from Holies?† Joshua said. Hillel swung at the air, as though to slap Joshua, yet missed by a foot. â€Å"It’s a case. I saw it when I could in any case observe, and I can disclose to you that it’s a container. What's more, you comprehend what else, if there were tablets in it, they aren’t there now. So in the event that you need to converse with a case, and presumably be executed for attempting to get into the chamber where it’s kept, you go right ahead.† The breath appeared to be taken out of Joshua’s body and I figured he would black out on the spot. How could the best instructor in all of Israel discuss the Ark of the Covenant in such a manner? How could a man who clearly knew each expression of the Torah, and all the lessons composed since, how might he guarantee not to know anything? Hillel appeared to detect Joshua’s trouble. â€Å"Look, kid, your mom says that some exceptionally insightful men came to Bethlehem to see you when you were conceived. They clearly knew something that nobody else knew. Why don’t you go see them? Get some information about being the Messiah.† â€Å"So you aren’t going to reveal to him how to be the Messiah?† I inquired. Again Hillel connected for Joshua, however this time with no resentment. He discovered Joshua’s cheek, and stroked it with his palsied hand. â€Å"I don’t accept there will be a Messiah, and now, I’m not certain it would have any kind of effect to me. Our kin have invested more energy in subjection or under the impact points of outside rulers than we have spent free, so who is to state that it is God’s will that we be free by any means? Who is to state that God frets about us in any capacity, past permitting us to be? I don’t imagine that he does. So know this, little one. Regardless of whether you are the Messiah, or you become a rabbi, or regardless of whether you are simply a rancher, here is the whole of everything I can show you, and all that I know: treat others as you might want to be dealt with. Would you be able to recollect that?† Joshua gestured and the elderly person grinned. â€Å"Go locate your astute men, Joshua bar Joseph.† What we did was remain in the Temple while Joshua flame broiled each cleric, watch, even Pharisee about the Magi who had come to Jerusalem thirteen years prior. Clearly it wasn’t as large an occasion for others as it was for Josh’s family, in light of the fact that nobody had any thought what he was discussing. When he’d been grinding away for several hours he was truly shouting into the essences of a gathering of Pharisees. â€Å"Three of them. Entertainers. They came in light of the fact that they saw a star over Bethlehem. They were conveying gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Please, you’re all old. You’re expected to be astute. Think!† Obviously, they weren’t satisfied. â€Å"Who is this kid who might scrutinize our insight? He remains unaware of the Torah and th

Friday, August 21, 2020

How to Manage a Drunk Relative

How to Manage a Drunk Relative Addiction Alcohol Use Children of Alcoholics Print Dealing With a Drunk Relative During the Holidays By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Updated on October 14, 2019 maskot / Getty Images   More in Addiction Alcohol Use Children of Alcoholics Binge Drinking Withdrawal and Relapse Drunk Driving Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Situations vary among adult family members of people who drink too much. You might be a drinker yourself, or you may have decided not to follow in your relatives footsteps, but dealing with an older relative who is often drunkâ€"whether its a parent, uncle, aunt, or grandparentâ€"will always feel challenging, even when you love the person dearly. As you get older, you may find that  your roles become reversed. You may need to take care of them and set  boundaries and expectations about their behavior, a shift that will probably not feel completely natural to either of you. Understanding how to approach these situations and conversations helps. Managing Holidays and Celebrations If past celebrations have been ruined by your relatives drunkenness, think about whether you should put yourselfâ€"and your family or friendsâ€"through another painful experience. Your relative might expect to be included in family celebrations or you might think it would spoil the holidays to have a grandparent or older relative absent. But if you know that they will be inappropriate, abusive, or completely unreasonable regardless of what you say or do, you have a right to decline to spend family celebrations with them  and to protect yourself and your family from their harmful influence. This is difficult to do, but you are not rejecting your family member, nor do you have completely avoid them over the holidays (unless you want to). Consider alternatives like: Spending a holiday breakfast with them. Even the  heaviest drinkers are usually more sober in the morning. But also consider how they might behave if they are hungover, and plan accordingly.Visit and drop off gifts on the day before, instead. Choose a time earlier in the day and keep it limited.Mail or drop off a card or gift before the event and say you will be away at that time. Starting a Conversation All too often, families fall into a communication pattern designed to avoid conflict and the truth. However, social stigma about intoxication, fear of your relatives anger, and feeling pity towards your relative may encourage you to discuss the real reason you prefer not to spend time with them.   If  it seems like your relative lies all the time, you may have been brought up to lie  and think that this is your only choice. It may even feel that lies are what has held your family relationships together. In one sense this may be true even though the relationships are not authentic or based on trust. While it is understandable that you want to avoid conflict, ultimately, your relative may be more likely to control their drinking behavior around you once they realize it is driving you away from them. Knowing that their time with younger children is being affected might also give them pause for thought. So it might be worth having the conversation with your relative in a tactful way. Talk to them when they are not drunkBe honest and let them know that you dont appreciate their drinkingBe honest and say that you and your family or friends will skip the party, rather than making an excuse. Declining Drinking Together It is not unusual for drinking too much to run in families. There are many reasons for this, both biological and social. However, you are not destined to be a heavy drinker yourself. Your relative may pressure you to join them in a drink, but now that you are older you have an option. If you know that drinking together will only encourage more drinking,  dont do it. Instead, use  effective strategies for refusing. Treat this situation as you would any type of  peer pressure. Even if you do choose to drink, the greatest risk is when both you and your relative are drunk. Your ability to respond appropriately will be impaired and you may end up behaving negatively yourself. These are the kinds of circumstances where the risk of family violence increasesâ€"although even if your relative doesnt get violent, dealing with their impaired communication, problematic behavior, and poor role modeling can spoil your day. Managing Your Feelings Its normal and understandable to feel angry, upset,  or embarrassed when your relative gets drunk. If they have a tendency to become violent or otherwise abusive, you may also feel fearful or anxious around them or re-experience negative memories from past situations. These feelings are natural and an indication that the situation is wrong, not that you are wrongâ€"even if you are made to feel that you are the problem. Although your relatives drinking is not your fault, avoid any confrontations while they are drunk. They wont be in a good state to listen to reason, and they may become defensive or even aggressive. As alcohol impairs memory, they may not even remember what you said. If you feel you must confront your relative, wait until they are soberâ€"or at least as sober as possibleâ€"and calmly explain your feelings about their drinking. Understanding your relatives addiction  can help you cope better, too. People often drink because they feel inadequate in some way and alcohol can help them feel like they fit in with others. When drinking becomes a problem, they cant stop without having to face the reasons they started drinking in the first place, which makes it difficult to stop drinking. Learning how to better  support your relative  and communicate in a way that wont encourage more drinking can also help. Communication and family support are often very important in the recovery from addiction and could be a helpful step in getting along with your relative and even helping them to eventually face their addiction. Protecting Others No matter how important your relative is to you, there are probably other people who matter to you at least as much, if not more. These people should not be subjected to your relatives drunkenness, and spending time with them should take priority over anyone who insists on drinking. You deserve to enjoy the company of people who respect you and your choices around alcohol, and your other family members and friends deserve to be able to enjoy your company in an alcohol-free environment. In particular, if you have a partner and children, you should prioritize enjoying authentic, low-stress time with them, as this is very important to your childrens healthy emotional development. Conversely, spending time with an intoxicated relative could be emotionally damaging and harmful to your relationship with them, particularly if they experience or witness any violent or disrespectful behavior, even if it is directed towards you and not them. So politely decline any invitations from your relative involving these other loved ones, now or in the future, if you know that your relative will be drinking. Seeking Help Many children who grow up with a family member who drinks too much dream of saving them. You may crave the person they were when sober, or, if you never knew your relative when they were sober, you may yearn for a relationship with your relative that is everything it should beâ€"supportive and kind. Although your support will help a great deal if your relative decides to change their drinking, you cant save them from their addiction. That is something they can only do for themselves, although others, including you, may be important in their success in becoming sober. Letting your relative know how much you would appreciate them quitting or cutting down on their drinking, or drinking in a more appropriate way, may encourage them to think about change, but it may also provoke their defenses and denials. You may even find yourself on the receiving end of unfair accusations and blame, which may provoke your own anger. Generally, people who drink a lot dont respond well to other people telling them to stop. Sometimes, families try an intervention, but responses to interventions are unpredictable and there is no research support for the approach. The bottom line is that even if your relative tries to quit because you ask them to, they may not be successful. However, the good news is that those who are successful at quitting often cite the encouragement and support of their family as a significant aspect of what helped them succeed in quitting. So dont give up supporting your relative in their efforts to control their drinking.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Breaking Standards in Society in Harper Lees To Kill a...

Human behavior is often based of the laws and expectations set by community surrounding them. Breaking these norms results in many arrays of emotions. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, and The Help by Kathryn Stockett all exemplify the consequences of breaking standards in societies with set norms to uphold. The various authors have crafted societies that behave in distinct manners, and classify people as either normal, or abnormal. These works show that breaking societal standards, familial standards, and ones own standards sprouts disaster, and in serious cases, leads to the demise of characters. Disregarding societal standards within civilizations controlled by prejudice is comparable to a double-edged sword. An individual is capable of standing up for their beliefs, however will ultimately be affected by a backslash of deleterious consequences. Within To Kill a Mockingbird, Calpurnia wields the sword. Calpurnia disregarded the standards established by both the white and black community, that the two opposing communities are incapable of interacting in a sociable manner. When Calpurnia introduced Jem and Scout to the members of First Purchase Church, she received discouraging remarks, as Lula says, â€Å"You ain’t got no business bringin‘ white chillun here—they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?† (Lee 119). By resisting the norms of the feuding communities, Calpurnia, Jem, and Scout had to

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Effects Of Television Violence On Our Society

Our world has a variety of problems today, with violence being at the top of the list, you go anywhere and that is all you here about. Unfortunately it’s in front-page headlines of the newspaper and broadcasted on the news as top stories. Violence is a very big topic, although it is categorized into many small groups. There is juvenile violence, domestic violence, hate violence, terrorist violence, and violence displaced through various forms of the media. This research will be on violence in the media and does it affect our society. How we view television, has changed the world, no doubt in that. Turn your television set on and pick a channel at random; the odds are that half of the programs you come across will contain violent material. The statistics are overwhelming as I look on the internet, read articles, and look at the research. One of the things that most interests me in the violence on television, is the effects it has on children. Children learn by repetition while watching educational shows, so is learning violence on television an exception? This research paper is directed to parents, educational providers, psychologists in research, clinical practice, and individuals with public advocacy roles and defined by education, age and gender. Both women and men will be a core audience for this paper, as I have come across the fact that adolescent boys and adult men are more drawn to violent television then women. It will draw both genders for differentShow MoreRelatedTelevision Is Destroying Todays Youth, but Dont Blame T.V., Blame the Parents.1302 Words   |  6 PagesEver since television was invented, it has become increasingly controversial every year since. So many programs and movies shown on television have become increasingly violent and show sexual innuendos and sexual content. If you were to turn on the six o clock news, you would hear about the murders and the kidnappings and the rapes and all of the horrible things which happen in so ciety, presented in a neutral manner which makes them all seem not quite so bad. Imagine how that looks to twelveRead More effects of tv violence on children Essay719 Words   |  3 Pages Effects of Television Violence on Children In our society today, it is extremely important to pay attention to what influences children. One of the biggest influences America’s youth may have is the television. It is possible for children to be pulled into the television’s realistic world of violence with sometimes devastating results. The impact of television violence on youth behavior has been an issue for many years. Violent programs on television lead to negative behavior by children and teenagersRead More Media Violence and Its Effects Essay709 Words   |  3 Pagesone day you lost your television. You lost your favorite talk show, your CNN, your favorite cartoon and all of your connections to the whole world. Throughout decades, media have became one of the most powerful weapons in the world. As time passed, more and more varieties of media were shown, like television, magazines, and internet. From reporting the news to persuading us to buy certain products, media became the only connection between people and the world. But violence in media is shown everywhereRead MoreEssay on cartoon violence779 Words   |  4 Pages Animation Violence nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Children from the ages 6-11 spend more time watching television than they do in the classroom. The â€Å"renaissance of TV animation† has undoubtedly led to more violent cartoons then ever before. But to talk about cartoon violence, it must first be defined. Webster’s Dictionary defines violence â€Å"as the act (or threat) of injuring or killing someone.† (Webster) And although the violence is not real, a child does not know the difference. Throughout theRead MoreViolence in Television, Movies, and Video Games Should Not Be Censored1653 Words   |  7 PagesVIOLENCE IN TELEVISION, MOVIES, AND VIDEO GAMES SHOULD NOT BE CENSORED Television, movies, and video games have a great influence on the minds of todays youth. But, what exactly are the effects of such an influence? Certain people have exaggerated the effects that these media have on todays youth. Many people, including government officials, have singled out these three media sources as the cause of some types of violence simply because it is an easy target for laying the blame. The truth isRead MoreDesensitization From Lack Of Discretion1614 Words   |  7 Pagestyrannical government, loss of freedoms such as our freedom of speech and our freedom of press, and a stronger presence of authority in our lives on the one side. On the other side our country’s moral fabric could come apart, there could be a rise in violence, and the innocence of our children is at risk. It is the innocence of our children that we are going to take a closer look at. What part does uncensored media play in the desensitization of our youth? Why should we be concerned abo ut this issueRead More Violence in the Media is Not to Blame for the Effect on Children1158 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effect of Violence in the Media on Children Television, movies, and video games are a big part of children’s lives in today’s technologically advanced society. However, there is a big controversy questioning the effects of these media outlets on children. Much of society claims to have proof for the belief that media violence affects children negatively. However, I am skeptical of the evidence that is stated to prove that claim. I feel that society has placed the blame on these mediums forRead MoreViolence in the Media Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesViolence in the Media In today’s world, there is an endless amount of information available to people everywhere around the globe. Mass media is definitely shaping our world, whether it is in a positive way or a negative way. Television and the radio waves provide us with hours of entertainment. The emergence of the Internet allows us to access thousands of pages of information within the reach our very own fingertips. But with the convenience of all this information comes along a certain levelRead More Children and Violence: An American Media Controversy Essay1014 Words   |  5 Pagesand Violence: An American Media Controversy As censorship of the American media has broken down over the years, the amount of violence allowed to be shown in movies, on television, and in video games has skyrocketed. From coast to coast in our nation, this saturation of hostility in our media has caused many contentious debates between scholars, parents, students and government officials alike. In this controversy, the central argument revolves around the effects violent media has on our societyRead MoreViolence And Sex On Television898 Words   |  4 Pages Violence and Sex on Television: Effects on the Younger Audience In today’s society, the media is used greatly for communication, advertisement, information, and for numerous other reasons. The world has evolved by technological advances as well as by the type of content that is put out on the internet, radio, and especially on television. In particular, violence and sex are two of the most controversial content types that have been recently used loosely in the present as compared to the

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Cognitive Dissonance in Mean Girls Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Cognitive Dissonance in Mean Girls. Answer: Definition of Cognitive Dissonance Theory (CDT) Cognitive Dissonance refers to the mental discomfort that is experienced by a person when he has to perform an action that contradicts the values and personal beliefs of a person. (Ciao et al., 2015). According to the principle of consistency theory, new stimuli are assimilated with that of the old encountered stimuli. If the new stimulus is found to be inconsistent, then acute discomfort is experienced by the person. Human beings crave for consistency and psychological inconsistency gives rise to dissonance. Dissonance triggers effort that helps in achieving consonance. The cognitions that are contradictory and are of less importance give rise to less amount of dissonance. The relevant cognitions being consistent and outnumbering the dissonant one, will produce less amount of dissonance. Attitudes and thoughts that are inconsistent give rise to feelings of dissonance that provides a feeling of unpleasant arousal. The dissonant beliefs should be reduced and adding to the consonant be liefs can serve as useful techniques in dealing with the dissonance. Application of Cognitive Dissonance Theory in Mean Girls Cady Heron who was born in Africa was a victim of culture shock when she joined the American High School and wanted to become a part of the girl world. Friendships are fake in that world and tensions are rampant as she is forced to assimilate in the Plastics that is a popular group. It brings to the fore a strong woman who has a fixed perspective on everything. (Oliver, 2013).The movie highlights the brutality that exists in the heart of the high school students. Cadys life in high school is full of such situations that compel her to reject values related to her previous life. She is forced to assimilate in the new culture that gives rise to cognitive dissonance. Her external appearance along with her internal self undergoes a drastic transformation. Regina the Queen Bea, has assimilated herself in the life of high school and she is also a result of the factor of dissonance. Her friend wants to sabotage her life, blackmail her and spread wrong information regarding her. Cady soon becomes like the Plastics when she wants to cut off the resources of Regina and want to separate her from Aaron and destroys her beauty. She manages to turn Gretchen Wieners along with that of Karen Smith against that of Regina. Cady pretends to be weak at math so that she can get the attention of Aaron and arranges the break-up between that of Aaron and Regina. She confesses regarding the infidelity of Regina with that of another boy. Cady does this because she cann ot ingratiate herself in the new culture and she wants to break the bonds and friendships of her friends at school. It is her insecurity that led her to do this (Walsh, Sekarasih Scharrer, 2014). Cady was facing difficulty because she cannot easily integrate herself in the new culture and took the evil way out. Cady forces Regina to have the high calorie nutrition bars by saying that it would help her to lose weight. Gretchen who is the Dumb Girl also suffers from cognitive dissonance but cognitive dissonance is felt less by her as compared to that of Cady. When Regina starts favouring Cady instead of Gretchen, then Gretcen feels insulted and her world is shattered. Gretchen then loses her sense of morality and begins spreading gossip and wrong information regarding Regina (Cvencek, Meltzoff Kapur, 2014). The character of Karen faces the least case of cognitive dissonance and she is the least vitriolic of all the characters. Her character serves like a basic moral compass. Karen recognizes the mean and abject behavior of the girls. Gretchens burst of dissonance comes to light when she over shares secrets regarding Regina to Caddy. Her feelings can be easily understood with t he use of expression: Ive never told anyone this before (Oppliger, 2013). In order to get revenge on the character of Regina, Cady undergoes a lot of transformation and moulds herself in the image of Regina without realizing that the qualities of Regina does not deserve not be imitated. Social influence along with peer pressure compelled Cady to change herself and changes in circumstance and situation led to drastic changes in the behavior of Cady. (Brock et al., 2014). Cady was put into a place which maintained a great degree of social influence. She went on to give more importance to the meanest girls at school which cost her greatly. Cady was so overcome by the need to fit in that she forgot about all the moral principles that she was taught. Regina kissed the guy on whom Cady had a crush thus infuriating Cady, Janice along with Damian. They fed her Kalteen bars which made her grow fatter and gave her foot-cream to apply on her face. Regina is soon kicked out of the Plastics which makes the room for a new Queen Bae. When Cady becomes a Plastic then Regina gets revenge on her by writing about her in Burn Book. They then undergo a trust workshop where Jenice tells Regina that Cady becoming a member of Plastic was only a matter of joke. Cady Heron undergoes de-individuation in the movie and she has to lose her sense of self-awareness (Rohde et al., 2016). In the Spring Fling Dance, Cady got elected as the Queen and in her famous acceptance speech she declared that her victory does not hold any meaning and she recognizes that everyone has their own wonderful abilities. The victory in a sense belongs to everyone. Cady breaking her tiara and distributing it to her other class mates stands as a gesture that is symbolic. Cady understand that quarrelling is futile and ingratiates herself with that of Janis, Damien and Aaron. She reaches truce with that of The Plastics (Antoniou, Doukas Subrahmanyam, 2013). By the start of the next year, The Plastics disbanded. Regina joins the team of lacrosse, Karen got acknowledged as the school weather girl and Gretchen joined the gang of Cool Asians. Conformity plays a great role in changing the actions of the characters in the movie Mean Girls. People follow the behavior of other people so that they can go along with the accepted social norms and they seek approval of their individuality. Cady has two perspectives in relation to the popular group- The Plastics. On one hand, she views The Plastic as evil and on the other hand she starts craving for the attention and liking of the group. These are the two cognitive dissonances that compel Cady to face the issue of cognitive dissonance (Bae, 2016). There is a part of her that is ideal which does not go along with that of the moral policy of The Plastics and she goes around with them in order to pull the characters down. On the other hand, is her real self that is hanging out with The Plastics so that she can be liked by the group. The character of Regina George who is considered to be very popular in school also undergoes a lot of conflict in their mind. Her ideal and her real self cannot easily match up. Her ideal self wants to become more popular but her real self is extremely self-conscious Moore, P. A. (2016). She just tries to make the pretence of being confident and assumes a kind of stance that is unflawed. She was concerned regarding her weight and did not want her school mates to think that she was fat. Conclusion and Implication In the course of the movie, Cady becomes like the Plastics and she becomes judgemental and she tries to fit in the wrong place. She loses her identity by conforming to the behavior of Plastics. The movie Mean Girls thus shows Cady trying to assimilate into a foreign culture and the mental turmoil that she had to endure in order to fit in the new life. Cady undergoes Cognitive Dissonance in her new social milieu as the culture perpetrated on her was drastically different from that of her life in Africa (Trekels Eggermont, 2017). Fake Friendships are exhibited in the movie Mean Girls and Cady has to endure a lot of tensions since she is forced to assimilate in the popular group Plastics. Karen has to go through the least case of cognitive dissonance and her character serves the role of that of a moral compass. Karen understands the mean behavior of the girls. Conformity plays a pivotal role that changes the mindset of characters in the movie Mean Girls. People followed and imitated th e behavior of other people irrespective of the fact whether they were right or wrong (Halliwell Diedrichs, 2014). Getting recognized and assimilation was more important for them as compared to that of the following the right moral path. While on the one hand Cady views The Plastic as an evil group on the other hand she starts still gropes for getting attention from the malicious group craving for the attention. These two cognitive dissonances force Cady to face cognitive dissonance and she undergoes a lot of mental turmoil. References: Antoniou, C., Doukas, J. A., Subrahmanyam, A. (2013). Cognitive dissonance, sentiment, and momentum.Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis,48(1), 245-275. Bae, B. B. (2016). Believing Selves and Cognitive Dissonance: Connecting Individual and Society via Belief.Religions,7(7), 86. Brock, C. H., Oikonomidoy, E. M., Wulfing, K., Pennington, J. L., Obenchain, K. M. (2014). Mean girls go to college: Exploring femalefemale relational bullying in an undergraduate literacy methods course.Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology,20(4), 516. Ciao, A. C., Latner, J. D., Brown, K. E., Ebneter, D. S., Becker, C. B. (2015). Effectiveness of a peer?delivered dissonance?based program in reducing eating disorder risk factors in high school girls.International Journal of Eating Disorders,48(6), 779-784. Cvencek, D., Meltzoff, A. N., Kapur, M. (2014). Cognitive consistency and mathgender stereotypes in Singaporean children.Journal of experimental child psychology,117, 73-91. Halliwell, E., Diedrichs, P. C. (2014). Testing a dissonance body image intervention among young girls.Health Psychology,33(2), 201. Moore, P. A. (2016). Smells Like Teen Spirit. InThe Hidden Power of Smell(pp. 167-186). Springer International Publishing. Oliver, R. T. (2013).Cognitive Dissonance: The Causal Factor for Drop Out from Parent Training Programs among Ethnically Diverse Parent Populations. Northcentral University. Oppliger, P. A. (2013).Bullies and Mean Girls in Popular Culture. McFarland. Rohde, P., Stice, E., Shaw, H., Gau, J. M. (2016). Pilot trial of a dissonance-based cognitive-behavioral group depression prevention with college students.Behaviour research and therapy,82, 21-27. Trekels, J., Eggermont, S. (2017). Aspiring to have the looks of a celebrity: young girls engagement in appearance management behaviors.European Journal of Pediatrics, 1-7. Walsh, K. R., Sekarasih, L., Scharrer, E. (2014). Mean Girls and Tough Boys: Children's Meaning Making and Media Literacy Lessons on Gender and Bullying in the United States.Journal of Children and Media,8(3), 223-239.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

INTRODUCTION Essays (681 words) - Jack London,

INTRODUCTION Jack London (1876-1916) was easily the most successful and best-known writer in America in the first decade of the 20th century. He is best known for his books, The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The Sea-Wolf, and a few short stories, such as To Build a Fire and The White Silence. He was a productive writer whose fiction traveled through three lands and their cultures such as the Yukon, California, and the South Pacific. His most famous writings included war, boxing stories, and the life of the Molokai lepers. "He was among the most influential people of his day, who understood how to use the media to market his self-created image of a once poor boy to now famous writer"(biography of Jack London). He left over fifty books of novels, stories, journalism, and essays. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION London was born in San Francisco to an unmarried mother, Flora Wellman. His father may have been William Chaney, a journalist, and lawyer. Because Flora was ill, for eight months Jack was raised by an ex-slave, Virginia Prentiss. Late in 1876, Flora married John London, a partially disabled Civil War veteran, who adopted Jack. The family moved around the Bay area for a while before settling in Oakland, where Jack completed grade school. When he was young, London worked at different hard jobs. He searched for oysters on San Francisco Bay, served on a fish patrol, sailed the Pacific on a sealing ship, hoboed around the country, and returned to attend high school at age 19. During that time, he became familiar with socialism. He ran unsuccessfully several times for Mayor of Oakland. London's great love became agriculture, and he often said he wrote to support his Beauty Ranch in Glen Ellen. He brought techniques observed in Japan, like terracing and manure spreading and used them on his farm. Troubled by physical problems, during his thirties, London developed kidney disease. He died on November 22, 1916. Following his death, for a number of reasons a myth developed in which he was made up to be an alcoholic womanizer who committed suicide. But it was proved wrong. But its rumor has resulted in neglect of his books and his popularity. His writings became translated in several dozen languages, and he remains more widely read by other countries around the world, than in America LITERARY INFORMATION Because he read so much, he chose to become a writer as an escape from the terrible life as a factory worker. He studied many famous writings and began to submit stories, jokes, and poems but most came without success. His experiences when he was a boy, later formed books for boys' adventure stories like The Cruise of the Dazzler (1902) and Tales of the Fish Patrol (1905). A committed socialist, he insisted against editorial pressures to write political essays and insert social criticism in his fiction. Spending the winter of 1897 in the Yukon, he began publishing in the Overland Monthly in 1899. Many were books were written during this period of his life he told stories in The Son of the Wolf (1900), Children of the Frost (1902), Smoke Bellew (1912). Although The Call of the Wild (1903) brought him lots of fame , many of his short stories also became famous, like The People of the Abyss (1903), and the same for his discussion of alcoholism in John Barleycorn (1913). London's concern for the outcasts of society were notably written in The People of the Abyss (1903), a harrowing portrayal of English slum life and The Road (1907). His struggle to become a writer is recorded in his autobiographical novel, Martin Eden (1909). London's long voyage (1907-09) across the Pacific in a small boat also created more books about the cultures he saw. He helped break the fear that people had about leprosy. After their marriage he followed with a book he co-wrote with Anna Strunsky, The Kempton-Wace Letters, which said that mates should be selected for good breeding, not love. (Bess agreed.) London's fiction and political writings express a strong commitment to his belief individualism and socialism. Bibliography BIBLIOGRAPHY "Biography of Jack London" The Jack London collection (DL SUNSITE) "Jack London Search Results" BIOGRAPHY.COM. "London, Jack" Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. 1996 ed.

Monday, March 9, 2020

History of Computer Essay Example

History of Computer Essay Example History of Computer Essay History of Computer Essay HISTORY OF COMPUTER THE PRE-MECHANICAL AGE: 3000 B. C. – 1450 A. D. 1. Writing and Alphabets – Communication First development of signs corresponding to spoken sounds, instead of pictures, to express words. Around 2000 B. C. , Phoenicians created symbols that expressed single syllables and consonants (the first true alphabet) The Greeks later adopted the Phoenician alphabet and added vowels; the Romans gave the letters Latin names to create the alphabet we use today. 2. Paper and Pens – input technologies. Sumerians’ input technology was a stylus that could scratch marks in wet clay. About 2600 B. C. , the Egyptians wrote on the papyrus plant. Around 100 A. D. , the Chinese made paper from rags, on which modern-day paper-making is based. 3. Books and Libraries – output technologies (permanent storage devices) Religious leaders in Mesopotamia kept the earliest â€Å"books† The Egyptians kept scrolls. Around 600 B. C. , the Greeks began to fold sheet of papyrus vertically into leaves and bind them together. 4. The First Numbering System Egyptian system: The numbers 1-9 as vertical lines, the number 10 as a U or circle, the number 100 as a coiled rope, and the number 1,000 as a lotus blossom. The first numbering system similar to those in use today were invented between 100 and 200 A. D. by Hindus in India who created a nine-digit numbering system. Around 875 A. D. , the concept of zero was developed. 5. The First Calculator: The Abacus. One of the very first information processor. The Abacus was man’s first recorded adding machine. It was in 500 B. C. when the Abacus was invented in Babylonia, then popularized in China, the Abacus is an ancient computing device constructed of sliding beads on small wooden rods, strung on a wooden frame. You could call the Abacus as the first Calculator. THE MECHANICAL AGE: 1450 – 1840 1. The first Information Explosion. Johann Gutenberg ( Mainz, Germany; c. 1387-1468) Invented the movable metal-type printing process in 1450. 2. The first general purpose â€Å"computers† People are the one who held the job title â€Å"computer†: One who works with numbers. 1614 John Napier introduces logarithms, he invents logs. Logs allow multiplication and division to be reduced to addition and subtraction. 1617 John Napier employing an ancient numerical scheme known as the Arabian lattice, lays out special version of the multiplication tables on a set of four-sided wooden rods, allowing users to multiply and divide large numbers and find square and cube roots. 1623 Wilhelm Shickard, a professor at the University of Tubingen, Germany who invented the first mechanical calculator that can work with six digits and carries digits across columns. 1625 William Oughtred (1575-1660) invented the slide rule. 1642 Blaise Pascal invented a mechanical calculation machine and he called it as Pascaline. The Pascaline can solve mathematical problems like addition and subtraction. 1671 Gottfried Leibniz, a German mathematician who invented a machine called Stepped Reckoner that could multiply 5 digit and 12 digit number yielding up to 16 digit number. 1801 Joseph-Marie Jacquard developed an automatic loom that was controlled by punched cards. 1820 Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar a French who developed the Arithmometer, This device performed the same type of computations as Leibniz’s Stepped Reckoner, but was more reliable. 1821 Charles Babbage invented the first, modern Computer Design: a steam powered adding machine called the â€Å"Difference engine. † Babbage understood that long math problems were just repetitive operations. Therefore, Babbage made a machine to automatically solve math problems. 1832 Babbage also invented the â€Å"Analytical Engine. † A mechanical adding machine that took information from punch cards to solve and print complex mathematical operations. 1842 The first program was written by Ada Augusta Lovelace for Babbage’s Difference Engine. Thus Ada Lovelace is credited with being the first computer programmer. The programming language Ada is named in her honor. THE ELECTROMECHANICAL AGE: 1840 – 1940 1. The beginning of Telecommunication. Voltaic battery The first electric battery, known as the voltaic pile, was invented in 1800 by Alessandro Volta. Telegraph Samuel F. B. Morse conceived of his version of an electromagnetic telegraph in 1832 and constructed an experimental version in 1853. Telephone and Radio 1876 Alexander Graham Bell developed the first working telephone and transmitted his now famous quotations â€Å"Watson, come here, I want you. † 1894 Guglielmo Marconi discovered that electrical waves travel through space and can produce an effect far from the point at which they originated. 1852 George Boole develops binary algebra. This became known as Boolean algebra and became important in the 20th century when binary computers were developed. 2. Electromechanical Computing 1853 Pehr and Edvard Scheutz complete their Tabulating Machine, capable of processing fifteen-digit numbers, printing out results, and rounding off to eight digits. 1885 Dorr Felt devices the Comptometer, a key driven adding and subtracting calculator. 889 Felt’s Comptograph, containing a built-in printer, is introduced. 1890 The first person to successfully use punched cards- specifically for census taking- was Herman Hollerith. By the 19th century, the number of people in the United States was so large, it took seven years to count them all. 1893 Otto Shweiger, a Swiss engineer, invented the first efficient four function calculator called the Milli onaire. 1906 Lee De Forest invented the Vacuum tube. This was important because it provided an electrically controlled switch; a necessity for digital electronics computer. History of the computer electronic age Presentation Transcript HISTORY OF THE COMPUTER THE ELECTRONIC AGE 1941-PRESENT 1941: KONRAD ZUSE Built the first programmable computer called the Z3, capable of following instructions . Z3- was the first fully functional, PROGRAM CONTROLLED computer of the world. Z1 Z3` 1942-Howard Hattaway Aiken A student of Harvard University built the Mark I â€Å" The First Stored-Program Computer. ASCC Harvard Mark 1 is 8 feet tall, 51 feet long, 2 feet thick, weighed 5 tons, used about 750,000 parts, 500 miles of wires, 3-5 seconds per calculation. A- Automatic S-Sequence C-Controlled C-Calculator 1942: John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry Completed the first all-electronic computer, called the ABC Computer, it was the first computer to use electricity in the form of vacuum tubes to help make electric computation possible. This is used for solving complex system of equations. ATANASOFF BERRY THE FOUR GENERATIONS OF DIGITAL COMPUTING THE FIRST GENERATION COMPUTERS: 1951-1958 VACCUM TUBES AS THEIR MAIN LOGIC ELEMENTS. PUNCH CARDS TO INPUT and EXTENALLY STORE DATA. ROTATING MAGNETIC DRUMS FOR INTERNAL STORAGE OF DATA PROGRAMS. First generation computer had vacuum tubes, resistors, and welded metal joints. They were large, slow, expensive, and produced a lot of heat. Often broke down because of burned-out vacuum tubes. Also needed many experts to operate them. When running these computer, people stood by shopping carts full of replacement of vacuum tubes. 1945: PRESPER EKERT and JOHN MAUCHLY Developed the first operational electronic digital computer, called ENIAC, for the US Army. It is over 1000 times faster than Mark I, and could perform 5,000 additions per second. E- Electronic N-Numerical I-Integrator A-and C-Calculator ENIAC had more than 18,000 vacuum tubes, and took up 1,800 square feet of space. In addition, the electrical current of ENIAC required could power more than a thousand modern computers. Today ENIAC’s technology could fit in a modern wristwatch. ECKERT and MAUCHLY 1951: UNIVAC This computer was also designed by Eckert and Mauchly , became the first commercially available electronic computer. One of this version the UNIVAC 5 was used to predict result of the 1952 US presidential election. It is used for business transactions and operations. UNIVAC is 5 feet tall, 50 feet in length. Consist of 5,600 vacuum tubes and 18,000 crystal diodes. An internal storage of 1000 words or 12,000 characters. UNIV ersal A utomatic C alculator 1951-1953: MAGNETIC CORE MEMORY This was the fastest type of memory until the late 1980’s. 1953: IBM 701 Known as the â€Å"DEFENSE CALCULATOR. IBM’s first commercial or business scientific calculator.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Strategic Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Strategic Perspectives - Essay Example The paper also reveals the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats of the Company. The value chain analysis and the resource capability analysis of Zara reflect the systematic and effective management of the products and services which has helped the company to achieve a successful position in the retail industry. This paper also provides insights on the current issues regarding the violence of the CSR activities by the company. It has been identified that the company should plan for an effective cost structure to overcome the recent problems. Recommendations have been provided using porter’s three generic strategies and Ansoff’s matrix to help the company make suitable strategies for achieving competitive advantage through market penetration and product differentiation. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Zara: A Company Overview 4 External Analysis 4 PESTEL Analysis 4 Industry Analysis: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis 6 Value Chain Analysis 7 Resource Capability Analysis 9 Issues related to the PR crises of Zara 10 Strategy Recommendation 11 Strategy Evaluation 15 Conclusion 16 References 17 Appendix 20 Zara: A Company Overview Zara is a well known Spanish clothing and accessories retailer. It’s headquarter is located in Arteixo, Spain. The company was founded by Amancio Ortea Gaona. It is one of the renowned brands of Inditex which was founded in the year 1975. The company had a slow growth in its initial years of operations but expanded to a great extent after the 1990’s. Zara is successfully operating in more than thirty different countries. Presently it is one of the leading fashions designing as well as manufacturing companies successfully providing services to the customers. External Analysis The environmental scanning of Zara will be done using the PESTEL Analysis. Pestel Analysis helps in analysing the issues related to the macro environmental factors (Lorat, 2009). PESTEL Analysis Factors Analysis Political UK is presently facing various problems related to high public debt, high unemployment etc. The government has taken important measures like cutting down the budget to an extent of 23 percent for media department, 22 percent for sports and culture department in order to reduce the overall financial deficit caused due to the sovereign debt crisis and the economic recession (Lynn, 2010). The Government has also planned to decrease the corporate tax rate in order to facilitate the companies operating in the country to recover from their financial crisis condition. Economic The economic recession has affected the European countries including United Kingdom. This recession has resulted in the increased unemployment rate for UK. Economists have also forecasted the future rise of the unemployment rate in the coming years. The recession has resulted in the decrease in the purchasing power of the customers as well. Thus the fashion retailers will have to face a situation of demand crunch du e to their operation in UK. Social The sovereign debt crisis along with the budget deficit in UK has decreased the purchasing capacity of the individuals and has also created a challenge in maintaining a standard life style. The working age population in UK is rising. The fashion retailers should focus on bringing a change in its product portfolio in future in order to satisfy the needs of the aging population of the country. Technological The retailers in UK are

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Debenhams Strategy of Consumer Buying Behavior Essay

Debenhams Strategy of Consumer Buying Behavior - Essay Example Cultures keep on changing, and marketers need to be aware of cultural changes. Core values are the values that are most pervasive in a society. They must be enduring, and with respect to marketing, they must be consumer-related so that marketers can use them to understand consumption (Luna and Gupta, 2001, P.50). Culture is manifested by society in different forms and includes heroes, rituals, symbols and cultural values. Values are integral to the expression of culture. This stems from the verity that values are collectively shared by most people in a certain society. One of the noteworthy organizations that have a British heritage and with operations in the United Kingdom is the Debenhams. Debenhams has a global presence in more than twenty-five nations and operates more than 200 stores across the globe. Debenhams is known for its wide-ranging and unique brands that offer an immense deal of gratification to its customers. The corporation has diverse business ranging from clothing w ear, electric products, beauty products, as well as health products. This diversification has made Debenhams a market leader with yearly earnings surpassing the ?2 billion mark. To further its operations, Debenhams has embraced the concept of e-commerce through its online presence across nations. The online presence has attracted many online shoppers, ranking the corporation among the largest online retailers in the UK. The Company has over the years invested in British design through its portfolio of brands. This paper explores the cultural aspect of consumer behavior evaluating ways in which Debenhams can use them in its marketing mix (About Debenhams, 2013, para2). 1.2 Analysis of Debenhams’ strategy of incorporating culture into its marketing mix The aspect of culture is indispensable in any marketing endeavor as it heavily influences consumer buying behavior. Hofstede; a culture researcher held that culture refers to the social glue that keeps people of a certain group t ogether. Every culture has its manner of doing things, and this is what distinguishes in-group and out-group people. Culture provides a lens through which people shape reality. Culture acts as a reference guide when one intends to take a certain course of action such as buying a product (Luna and Gupta, 2001, p 50). Heroes In every culture, there are some behaviors and attributes that are highly regarded as role models. Individuals who observe and portray those behaviors to society are considered as heroes. One of the strategies that Debenhams uses in assimilating culture into its marketing operation is using such cultural heroes to influence consumer behavior. This is done by associating cultural heroes with certain brands or products (Arnould, Price and Zinkhan, 2005, P.76). Debenhams recently launched an ad campaign starring paralympian amputee Stefanie Reid in an effort to show diversity in its advertising. The campaign also features three models over 40, an elderly lady and a s ize 18 swimwear model. The company aims to turn the industry standard of young thin models. The company argues that the campaign is a reflection of its customers and demonstrates a broad range of body and beauty ideals. The company spokesman asserted that the company’s customers are not the same size or shape and thus the new lookbook celebrates diversity. The campaign aims to make people more comfortable with their bodies.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Marketing Analysis of Netflix

Marketing Analysis of Netflix Netflix is an online company with corporate headquarters in Los Gatos, California. Netflix was founded by Hastings who is also the CEO of the company. Netflixs key business is online rental services in the software industry. Netflixs software business services span various software products and services. Among these are DVD movies and several other software products. Despite disappointing results on its performance at the beginning, the innovative entrepreneur continued to tailor the company while identifying and exploiting new opportunities that presented themselves. That was when the company designed and developed a website that saw it host millions of subscribers making it rake in huge profits. That was in 2006. Netflix was founded at a time when the video industry was largely populated by small retail outlets which were characterized by long product delivery time. The market was dominated by the then giant Blockbuster Inc. Blockbuster had no real marketing strategy and customer royalty was based on impulsive buying. It enjoyed booming sales with almost 100 percent success when Netflix joined the market. Upon its entry into the market in 1997, Netflix realized that the market that was dominated by the brick and motor marketing methods. The launch of this company was at the time of the beginning of internet retailing. Online selling was gaining an upper hand to brick and motor methods. This compelled Netflixs to launch its own website in 1998 that specialized in the use of cross platform technologies in service delivery. At this time, different pricing models were tested to increase sales volume. Netflix was also adept at countering new entrants and developments in the market. One of this was the development of a video provision services on line. Porters Generic Strategy According to Porter (1974), successful business organizations incorporate one or more of the generic strategy options to propel it to success. Among these strategies are cost leadership, focus, and group differentiation. A critical analysis and evaluation of the cases study reveals that Netflix had to various extents incorporated these strategies in its business pursuits with each generic strategy contributing to the success or failure of the company in its pursuits. Netflix emphasized on the focus strategy with the other strategies playing a minor role in the firms pursuits. The differentiation strategy is where a company concentrates its efforts in developing a single product then invests in identifying and incorporating unique attributes that meet customer needs (Porter, 1974). Porter (1975) asserts that by adding value to a product and creating uniqueness in product to attract customers, customers are likely to purchase the product at a higher price. That was the case with Netflix. Netflix original move into the market targeted the renting of videos in the movie industry. That strategy could be achieved by the use of recently developed and upcoming internet marketing technology which other companies had not incorporated in their business pursuits. The case study reveals that Netflixs newly launched website integrated a search engine that enabled each customer to search and access products of ones choice. Netflixs management showed such talent and ingenuity in marketing their products by employing already available and established supply chain infrastr ucture and technology. One of the infrastructure tools included the USs postal services. The firm incurred slight expenses in delivering the DVDs to the customers as they were light in weight. In creating value and uniqueness to its products using the group differentiation strategy, Netflix endeavored to characterize its products with value, user friendliness and convenience, and unique selections. That was evident when Hastings coined a term for their customers that Amazon used to refer to its customers, eBay. According to Porter (1975), a company that invests in this approach should be led by a well skilled and dedicated team. That was the case with Netflix. Netflixs management was led by Hastings, an entrepreneur at heart. In addition to that, Porter affirms that a company organized around pursuing excellence and aiming at gaining a greater advantage in the market should have a good reputation should revolve around high product quality and innovation. The case with Netflix is outstanding here. Netflix did not only focus on DVD sales, they had other serious considerations in product innovation. Among these were a focus on video-on-demand and alternatives to VOD. Porter (1974) argues that a company may not necessarily integrate all the generic characteristics depending on the nature of its business. An analysis of the case study indicates that Netflix did not pay much attention to cost leadership. Some of the pricing models did not work for Netflix. One such model involved a situation where the firm spent several thousands of dollars in adverts only to gain a paltry income from such an endeavor. Netflix at times charged high rental fees for their online videos which at times drove its customers away. However, technology seems to have paced Netflix at an upper hand compared to other companies involved I the same business pursuits. However to a large extent, Netflix incorporated the generic aspect of focus strategy. The focus strategy is where a firm concentrates on one firm and later on attempts to manipulate product prices to achieve an advantage over competitors (Porter, 1975). Netflix did not succeed with this strategy to a desirable extent but seems to have lost some customers due to that. Porters Five Forces Netflix entered a market that Porter (1974) affirms is driven by five forces. These include the bargaining power of customers, threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products, and rivalry among competing firms. At Netflix, the bargaining buyer of customers was realized when despite intensive marketing activities, the firm earned paltry sums far below their target. Instead of earning the company more customers, thus increasing the revenue, the company was facing a loss. Customers had driven sense into the companys executives that they could determine a companys profitability and the model they use in pricing their products. This pricing element was evident when some customers felt dissatisfied by the pricing system compelling Netflix to rethink and introduce a new pricing mechanism. Netflix could counter new entrants by its relentless pursuits to adopt new technologies and integrate them to the service sit was offering. That was the case when it entered the field of video-on-demand. Despite the huge investments it had made, Netflix did not realize quick returns as there were no technologies in the form of hardware platforms to support such services. Netflix is noted to have lost a chunk of revenue in advertising these service customers were not willing to pay for. The case study however reveals that later innovations saw Netflix succeed in this field. One other case was the entry of VOD services and the fierce completion Netflix had to fight off before they could get a foothold in this widely dominated market by Netflix. Netflix swung into action by exploiting new technology platforms that were not characterized by her competitors in gaining a firm foothold. Another force experience in this industry was the bargaining power of buyers. As discussed above, Netflix had to succumb to buyers buying behavior as in some instances; new innovations could not be priced as per Netflixs dreams. That was the case with investments and intense marketing campaigns conducted by Netflix for the newly launched services, VOD. Porter (1975) asserts that companies can endeavor to enter a market by offering substitute products that may serve the needs of current products offered in the market. The case with Netflix is a striking one. The case study reveals that substitute products were too below bar in competing with those offered by Netflix and the company was now enjoying an undisrupted share of the market. Netflix carefully blended these generic forces to its advantage. Rivalry among competing firms saw Netflix to be a runaway case. Arguments demonstrate how competitors went to the extent of accusing Netflix of infringing upon copy right laws in offering these videos online. This line of attack was shaken off by Netflixs executives who argued that Netflix was offering these services just like any retail outlet could buy and sell a product, except Netflix was using the new internet technology that these other firms had not put to full use. Value Chain Netflixs management was keen at exploiting information technology in incorporating value chain activities in its service. A striking example was when the companys turnaround time for product deliveries was drastically enhanced by the use of appropriate technology. Each customer who opted to stay or leave the company could be requested to leave an answered questionnaire about their decisions. These could be used to identify the weaknesses inherent in the system and determine new methods of fulfilling customer needs and wants. One such revelation was identified with the companys ever changing rental fees. Other value chain addition activities spanned the infrastructure the company was using and its implementation of new technologies to enhance value for its customers. Netflixs system product acquisition was also automated, with automated searches using an integrated search engine. Implementation of Information Technology in Netflix To stay afloat in the already large market and maintain the customer base, Netflix will have to implement an IT infrastructure that could offer reliable support for its business transactions (Smith, Short, 2001). One of these could be a data mining application. The data mining application could be integrated in the organizations information system to assists in decision making. Netflix is a highly customer focused organization. Data mining could help enhance communication, help the company compare its prices with other companies evaluate customer satisfaction, evaluate supplier relationships, enhance staff skills, and provide an overview of company progress and performance. On the other hand decision support system could be incorporated into the company to help improve decision making from the companys data warehouse, provide real time sales compressions, and model decision making context (Shermis, Stemmer, Berger, Anderson, 1991). The outputs from this system could significantly depend on the inputs from the companys data warehouse and the decisions made could reflect the actual potion of the company. In addition to that, a customer relationships management should be incorporated as it helps the management to sustain its old and new customers, meet customer needs, and establish a good working relationship with other companies and customers. According to Silverman (1993), a supply chain management system if well incorporated into this company could help create competitive advantage for the firm by enabling it to optimize all factors relevant to customer satisfaction and company benefits. This system could help the company identify key factors central to its success and enable management optimize all aspects of controls in its marketing strategies and supply and acquisition logistics (Smith, Short, 2001). Recommendations Based on the above discussion, Netflix should continuously adapt to changing technological dynamism and new market opportunities in reaching various markets. Netflixs management should hire experts on cross culture management to ensure a cross culture component is incorporated in its pursuits. This could be the case since newer opportunities lie outside Netflixs current market that is characterized by a fairly uniform culture. In addition to that, the firm should incorporate user friendly software products that are cross platform and compatible with other software products to enhance usability. To maintain a large market share, the company should always incorporate faire business practices in its pursuits. In addition to that, Netflix should endeavor to develop software that can bar piracies on its products in addition to patenting its products. The company should invest in software technologies that bar any could be illegal downloading of files or unauthorized access or copying of i ts products. That could bar illegal usage of its video products since it denies the company legitimate profits that could accrue from those sales. The company should continuously evaluate the role played by information technology in propelling it to its position, the ever changing trends in the industry I terms of provision of services and other related services. It should continuously revise its plans to make them current and relevant to the identified changes and endeavor to incorporate new technologies in its pursuits.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Rasputin Essay -- Essays Papers

Rasputin Rasputin had a significant impact on the royal family as well as Russia during the reign of Czar Nicholas II. Rasputin was a staret that worked his way into the royal family. The influence of Rasputin on Alexis, the heir to the throne, gave him great power. The power given to Rasputin had a notable impact among the Russian people as well as Russia. Grigory Efimovich, better known as Rasputin, was born in the town of Pokrovskoe in 1871. The name Rasputin means "dissolute," for his tireless pursuit of girls, and "crossroads," in which his town was located between. He had a dual reputation of "second sight" from the beginning. It was said that he could spot a horse thief in a crowd with one glance and predict the weather for farmers. This cast a religious glow of sanctity about him. These were all factors that led up to him presenting himself to the Imperial Palace in 1905. Besides gaining the friendship of Grand Duchess Militza and Anastasia, Rasputin also gained the trust of Anna Vyrubova, Empress Alexandra's trusted companion. It was under the recommendation of the Grand Duchesses and Anna Vyrubova that Rasputin was summoned to appear before Alexandra. He showed up in crude country boots and a caftan. They saw that Rasputin was a very dirty man. He had a long, uncut beard, greasy hair that was slicked back, and terrible oral hygeine which is shown in the 3rd picture. Alexandra favored him and was obsessed with the man's ability to heal so he became her servant...

Saturday, January 11, 2020

History of the Retail Industry

Write the history of the retail industry chosen. JUSCO  is the  acronym  for  Japan United Stores Company, a chain of â€Å"general merchandise stores† (or  hypermarket) and the largest of its type in  Japan. The various JUSCO companies are subsidiaries of  AEON Corporation Ltd. The JUSCO name was adopted in 1970 by a company originally founded as a kimono silk trader in 1758. Renamed AEONin 1989, it operates stores throughout  Japan  under JUSCO and other names and also has a presence in  Malaysia,  Hong Kong, mainland  China, and  Thailand.As of March 1, 2011, all JUSCO and SATY stores under the Aeon umbrella in Japan officially changed their names to AEON while all the JUSCO stores and shopping centres in Malaysia are fully re-branded into AEON since March 2012. However, JUSCO stores still operate in the Greater China region and some others. In 1985 the first JUSCO overseas store was opened, in  Plaza Dyabumi,  KualaLumpur,  Malaysia,  as a jointly-owned company with  Cold Storage  and three local companies. It was the first time that a Japanese company had entered into a significant joint venture in the Malaysian retail industry.JUSCO assumed total operational control of the chain in 1988. Currently. there are 20 AEON (formerly known as JUSCO) Retails stores and shopping centres are in operation in Malaysia. The oldest (though not the first) JUSCO store in Malaysia is JUSCO Taman Maluri in  Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. It opened on 30 October 1989. 2. List some products and services available at that retail business. Products -Coca Cola, Pepsi, 100Plus, 7-Up and other soft drinks – Junk Foods, Sushi, Fried Chicken – Shampoo, Shower, Toothpaste, and many other Daily necessities Services -FREE Gift with JUSCO J CARD Renewal â€Å"No Plastic Bag Day† at JUSCO -Jusco Home Furnishing Year End Stock Clearance Sale 3. Describe the Value Chain of the chosen retail industry (business receive raw materials as input, add value to the raw materials through various processes, and sell finished products to customers). Partnering with Vendor > Buying > Managing Inventory > Distributing Inventory > Operating Stores > Marketing and Selling. 4. Visit the website of retail business and discuss the information that would be useful to customers and clients of that business. AEON Company BHD. formerly known as Jaya Jusco Stores Bhd. ) is a leading retailer in Malaysia with a total revenue of RM3. 73 billion in the financial year ended 31st December 2009. The AEON group of companies consists of AEON Co. Ltd. , and more than 150 consolidated subsidiaries and affiliated companies. In addition to its core general merchandise stores (GMS) plus its supermarket and convenience store operations, AEON is also active in specialty store operations, shopping center development, operations and services. 5. Why the chosen retail business is known to be successful / not successful?The retail busi ness I’ve chosen is known to be successful. The reason why Jaya Jusco success in thier business is they have a very good principal. Regardless of how times may have changed, Jusco always serve the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Customer First ’. The customers are satisfied, therefore they will go to Jusco again without any doubt. Secondly, the price are reasonbable and it is affordable by everyone in this big city. 6. Is the chosen retail business is a local based industry of international and who are the target market of this retail business?Yes, Jusco company is a local based industry of international. They aim all of the citizen as thier target market. Jusco company not only sells daily necessities, but also toys for kids as well. In addition, the kitchen stuff are for sales as well in Jusco company. Customers can even buy the clothes they like in Jusco. Therefore, kids, teenagers, adults, and old folks are the target market of this retail industry. 7. Describe thier Operations, and Ma nagement. Improving the quality of Jusco’s staff with OUM.On 4 August 2006, AEON Company BHD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with OUM (Open University Malaysia) for the Executive Diploma(in Trade Management, Human Resource Management and Retailing) Programme. AEON was represented by the Managing Director, Mr. Nagahisa Oyama and OUM was represented by Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Anuwar Ali. A welcome ceremony was also held for the first batch of 69 students. On 18 December 2006, 31 AEON staff members were awarded their Diploma in Management (Retailing) at OUM’s 3rd Convocation ceremony, held at the PWTC’s Dewan Merdeka.The 24 apprentice and 7 international staff members received their Diplomas from the Pro Chancellor, Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Hashim. Japan Trainee Program The 5th batch of trainees who successfully completed the Japan Trainee Programme returned to Malaysia on 17 January 2007. They are now all holding positions as leaders in their respective stores nationwide. The Japan Trainee Programme is designed to help selected leaders prepare for the ever-changing retail environment, by exposing them to overseas working conditions. One of the vital ways to enhance their knowledge and skills in retailing is by giving them some experience in AEON Japan.This programme also teaches them to be independent, in preparation for their future roles as leaders in the Company. The AEON Business School The AEON Business School is an intensive course for the benefit of merchandisers, store managers and deputy store managers organised by AEON. To celebrate the successful completion of the course, a special closing ceremony was held on 22 September 2006. 8. Why Supply Chain Management (SCM) and JIT is important in this business and how do this business retain thier suppliers and customers.Supply Chain Management deals with linking the organizations within the supply chain in order to meet demand across the chain as efficiently as possible. Why is supply chain management so important? -To gain efficiencies from procurement, distribution and logistics -To make outsourcing more efficient -To reduce transportation costs -To meet competitive pressures Just in time  (JIT) is a production strategy that strives to improve a business  return on investment  by reducing in-process  inventory  and associated  carrying costs. Why is JIT so important? Reduced setup time -The flow of goods from warehouse to shelves improves -Employees with multiple skills are used more efficiently -Production scheduling and work hour consistency synchronized with demand -Increased emphasis on supplier relationships -Supplies come in at regular intervals throughout the production day -Minimizes storage space needed -Smaller chance of inventory breaking/expiring 9. Discuss on how quality is taken care in this business, you may explain in the context of ISO. Finding Employees with Ownership.Ownership is something that is easily recognized, but no t easily defined. An obvious illustration of ownership can be found in real estate. Generally when you own a property, you treat it with respect, keep it in good repair, and make improvements to protect your investment and increase its value. Many managers don’t know there is such a thing as ownership until they accidentally hire someone with it. Suddenly the sharp contrast between the employees with the owner mentality and the employees with the renter mentality becomes apparent.The newly awakened manager can now see that the quality of ownership brings with it the kind of proactive  and productive behaviors that get things done and get them done well. Since employees with ownership are usually self-directed and low maintenance, managers find that they have few time-consuming supervisory hassles with them. Liking what they see, managers instantly want more of this ownership stuff, but since they’re not sure how they got it in the first place, they’re not sure how to go about getting more employees with it for the future. 10. Draw the layout of the retail industry.

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Main Problems in Fallen Societies - 947 Words

Societies fall due to three main problems, corrupt government, unemployment, and lack of freedom for citizens. So many things have fallen from grace, including society, I say it as a whole and not a plural due to the general rule that every society falls at some point. In a few sentences, describe what your entire essay will be about. You should state the three reasons why great civilizations and societies fall. There are three main reasons, all stemming from that fact that humans destroy what they build, all in good time to the proximity of the original building of that particular society, some societies hold on longer than others, and some disappear almost the same day they were built, everythings different, but every fallen societies have suffered from the plague that is corrupt government, unemployment, and lack of freedoms. So many things have fallen from grace, including society, I say it as a whole and not a plural due to the general rule that every society falls at some poin t. But why, why do these powerful, wondrous, and wealthy societies crumble in the metaphorical palm of the universe? There are three main reasons, all stemming from that fact that humans destroy what they build, all in good time to the proximity of the original building of that particular society, some societies hold on longer than others, and some disappear almost the same day they were built, everythings different, but every fallen societies have suffered from the plague that is corruptShow MoreRelatedThe Main Causes Of The Fall Of Great Societies1328 Words   |  6 PagesGreat societies fail all around the world at anytime, is America in danger? How can we prevent our society from falling like others? 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