Thursday, December 26, 2019

Marijuana Has Always Been A Concern In How It Should Be

Marijuana has always been a concern in how it should be dealt with, whether it be legal or illegal, if it harmful or not, and even if it is for the privileged or minorities. Marijuana brings different controversies and currently legalized in some states and not in others, but a major issue is the arrest/incarceration rates based on the ethnicity of those who use and are caught with marijuana. This leads to the question how does ethnicity play a role in arrest/incarceration rates when taking into account marijuana usage? Looking at the prohibition of marijuana, how some states have legalized it and others still have it as an illicit drug and how ethnicity plays a role. The rates of usage based on ethnicity and how it affects the youth in†¦show more content†¦Neighborhood’s that tend to have issues with usage is due to structure and social process. Structure is the demographic characteristics, for example race and poverty rate, while social process is the social organiz ation, where redlining takes effect. Idealistically, being in a safe reliable community, and feel supported by adults have lower tendencies to use marijuana. Disadvantaged neighborhoods are often the opposite, with adults using, and society pushing the advertisement using of other substances that are legal and with those vices it could lead a path to the use of marijuana. Marijuana being illegal gives a chance for organized crime to occur in disadvantaged neighborhoods and the social process of being a minority and poverty contributes to the use of marijuana among the youth. For individuals there are certain explanations as to why they used marijuana, anxiety, school attachment violent victimization, childhood ADHD. Within families, if parents used substance youth’s probability of usage increases, and less strict vigilance of parents link to marijuana use, similar to overprotective parents leads to use. Similar to parents influence, peer influence is also a major factor to u sage, and all these are specific to youth. Referring back to the social process, society oppresses those in poverty and contributes to two working parents (possibly one with two or more jobs) trying to liveShow MoreRelatedThe Regulation And Taxation Of Marijuana Act1618 Words   |  7 PagesQuestion four on the ballot was known as the â€Å"The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act.† The numbers came in and beginning December 15, 2016 in Massachusetts, individuals above the age of twenty-one will now be able to legally purchase, possess, cultivate, and use marijuana, with limitations on quantity, for recreational and medicinal use under the statutes of the state laws. While the prohibition of marijuana in Massachusetts has ended, many new movements must now begin to maintain, regulate, and pursueRead MoreMarijuana Is Safer Than Alcohol1183 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes to anyone over 21 years of age. Jason Anderson COM/156 MARCH 2, 2011 Colleen Vosicky Marijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes to anyone over 21 years of age. Marijuana has been proven to be safer than alcohol, yet marijuana is against the law. Alcohol is known to contribute to acts of violence and crime, while in most cases cannabis can reduce aggression in its users. â€Å"In last year’s cases of reported violent crime threeRead MoreMedical Marijuana Should Be Legal1053 Words   |  5 PagesMedical marijuana, also called cannabis, is used in some places as a medication to treat diseases and symptoms. Many people consider it helpful and harmless making it the most used illicit drug in North America. With legalizing medical marijuana people can alleviate some health problems and help ease physical pain, but it also can bring many concerns, questions, and responsibility. Legalizing cannabis can help many people with their health conditions. There are some advantages to taking medicalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be The Gateway For Medical Breakthroughs? Essay991 Words   |  4 PagesNaturally Perfected Movements Usually when society has a discussion about Tetrahydrocannabinol (formally known as marijuana or cannabis) in general, the conversation about the mostly illegal molecule or plant is usually associated with getting high, gang banging, and drug deals gone wrong. However, Naturally Perfected Movements will enlighten readers that this is not always the case. Many politicians, scientists, doctors, and everyday people seem to believe that Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a deadlyRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1583 Words   |  7 Pagescigar at a wedding. I have made it a point to stay away from illegal drugs like meth, cocaine, ecstasy, heroine, and etcetera. As for marijuana, I tried it in Colorado recently with my boyfriend. Afterwards, and during, I thought about why it isn’t legalized for recreational use in more areas. There are many points to think about regarding the topic of legalized marijuana. Is it safe? Is it worth the cost? Will legalizing it increase the use amon g children? Can it creates jobs and help the economy? WillRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization1061 Words   |  5 PagesLegalization of Cannabis in Ohio Marijuana is a controversial topic all across the United States. Recently marijuana has been voted on, legalized, and denied legalization in multiple states. There are still more states trying to fight the green fight for marijuana. The fight for legalization hasn’t been an easy one for cannabis supporters; they have been fighting tooth and nail to make it happen. One of the main concerns in the marijuana debates are whether or not marijuana is a gateway drug, one of theRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1342 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana has earned itself a terrible name over the years. This plant has a long history with humans, from early medical uses to spiritual and even recreational use. In recent years, many states have seen the legalization of marijuana for medical uses. Most large scale experiments have been hindered because of the difficulty of getting experiments involving marijuana approved. Despite this roadblock for the research of marijuana, surveys and ob servations of the medical use of marijuana show thatRead MoreFamily / Living Situation By Raymond Scott1713 Words   |  7 Pagesdoes not have any children. At the time of his arrest, Mr. Scott lived with his girlfriend, Makiela Mayes. However, just before his arrest in this matter, Mr. Scott experienced homelessness for approximately eight months. Mr. Scott’s entire life has been spent in Milwaukee. He is the product of the non-marital relationship between Randolph Scott and Delores Prescott. Both his parents are deceased. Mr. Scott’s primary caregiver throughout his developing years was his maternal grandmother, Lula PrescottRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Should Be Legalized1432 Words   |  6 Pages The legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many positive arguments to support the idea. It has been scientifically proven that marijuana is not a health risk and that it is less toxic than alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and aspirin. It has helped many people with health problems, such as, Aids, Cancer, Epilepsy, and many more. It would also bring in a large amount of tax revenue; further proving that marijuana should be legalized throughout the United States. ThereRead More Medical Marijuana: A Safe and Effective Alternative Medication1723 Words   |  7 Pagesmedicinal marijuana can help. Many people have long used marijuana for both medicinal and other purposes for many years. However, its modern use is a very controversial issue having both strong supporters as well as firm opponents. With all the clinical studies that have been done on marijuana it has been proven effective enough when compared to conventional treatments to overcome the fact that it is an illegal substance therefore, it should be legalized for medical purposes. Marijuana has been

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Perfect Society in George Orwells Animal Farm - 1790 Words

Since the beginning of civilization, humans have domesticated animals and exploited their labor for personal gain. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, however the animals take control of Manor Farm from their human overlords and rename it Animal Farm. They decree that on Animal Farm all animals are equal, and instill seven commandments to ensure that the animals stay equal. Throughout the novel Orwell shows the destruction of the egalitarian utopia that the animals have created. He suggests that the flaws of human nature are too much to overcome, and that this â€Å"perfect† and equal society is impossible. In the novel Animal Farm, George Orwell demonstrates that the human tendency to manipulate and be manipulated is what prevents us from being perfect. The pigs rise to power because of their manipulation of language. Old Major gives a riveting speech about a dream he wishes to pass on to the other animals. This dream inspires the animals towards revolution and gives them hope that they can overcome the oppression that they have been facing for their entire lives. Since Old Major inspires the revolution, it is not surprising that after his death, his fellow pigs take a leading role during the formative years of Animal Farm. They help to create the seven commandments as well as the core principal of Animalism. To embody the essential beliefs of Animalism, Snowball the pig creates the slogan, â€Å"‘four legs good, two legs bad’† (34). This slogan causes uproar among the birds, becauseShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of George Orwell s The Great Gatsby 1285 Words   |  6 PagesMack Allen Mr.Booth Period 6 English 12/3/14 Author Study of George Orwell George Orwell was a literary tactician who won two major awards because of hia advanced and intriguing use of propaganda. At first glance, his books appear to be stories about animals, however, they contain much deeper and influential meanings. Orwell is most recognized for his portrayal of dystopian societies and how they parallel present society. Through intense allegories, Orwell unintentionally crafted novels that areRead MoreThe Works of George Orwell1347 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Orwell How did George Orwell, an author who died over 50 years ago, suddenly rocket to the top of the best sellers list? George Orwell was able to show peoples all over the world about dangers that not only pertained to people of his time period but to multitudes of future generations. He used his literary knowledge to write books that were incredible influential in both their literary skill and the message they portrayed. George Orwell greatly influenced British society through his literaryRead MoreThe Impossible Utopia Essay828 Words   |  4 Pagesand then, when they have done their job, enslaved over again by new masters† (Brander). Animal Farm, a farm with animals that are treated cruelly and dream for a better life in which animals are all equal and independent of depraved humans, is an allegory of the development of communism, even totalitarianism. After successfully driving away Mr. Jones, the cruel, tyrannous, drunken owner of the farm, the animals, with the pigs acting as l eaders for their superior intelligence, believe they are goingRead MoreThe Key Themes In Animal Farm By George Orwell952 Words   |  4 PagesAnimal Farm, an allegorical novel by George Orwell, depicts a very clear picture of the events leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. The techniques Orwell has used when writing this piece allows his robust view points and prominent reoccurring themes to become clear. A couple of themes that stood out the most to me was the use of education and intelligence, as well as corruption of power and leadership to fuel oppression. Orwell uses the imagery of aRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm1395 Words   |  6 PagesGeorge Orwell’s Animal Farm: The Power of Corruption In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Orwell illustrates how power corrupts absolutely and how Napoleon degrades the structure and stability of Animal Farm because of the decisions that he makes. I will also expand on the idea of how Old Major’s ideas for an organized society get completely destroyed by Napoleon’s revolutionary actions. It was ironic and satirical that Napoleon’s own power annihilates Animal Farm. The satire in George Orwell’s AnimalRead MoreEssay about Equality in George Orwell ´s Animal Farm827 Words   |  4 Pagesothers to give dictating commands. It sounds wonderful doesn’t it? George Orwell’s haunting book Animal Farm shows however, the near impossibility it is to make that idea a reality. In this fairy tale, a group of oppressed farm animals revolt against the tyrannical bonds of their evil master Farmer Jones, chases him off the farm, and attempt to make a society based on the idea listed above. But instead of having this incredible society, the pigs decide to make one instead where they are the ultimateRead More Critique of Communism in Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Marx’s perfect society described in his Communist Manifesto is in direct conflict with the implementation of Soviet Communism, which was scathingly criticized by George Orwell’s book Animal Farm. Karl Marx believed that in order to f orm a just and equal society, the working class, called the proletariat, would have to overthrow those who owned the means of production, who were known as the bourgeoisie. This was to be known as the Proletariat Revolution where the oppressed laborers in capitalistRead MorePolitical Allegory In Animal Farm, By George Orwell834 Words   |  4 PagesAnimal Farm is another book where the world is changed for the better yet life becomes either no different or worse. In George Orwells novel, â€Å" all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others†. Animal farm in a short summary is a small farm where the animals plot a rebellion against the humans, which they believe are corrupt. Two pigs, Snowball and Napolean, find themselves becoming the leaders of the animal rebellion. Throughout the story the animals create a communist likeRead MoreAnimal Farm Character Analysis713 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS† (Orwell 134). In George Orwell’s allegorical fable, Animal Farm, a group of animals lived with their master, Jones. Jones was an unfair man who didn’t care too much about the animals. One day Jones forgot to feed the animals, so they revolted. The animals wanted a perfect place without the corruption of man. The currently animal controlled land of Animal Farm, the smartest of all animals, the pigs take control. To prevent a human-likeRead MoreA Brave New World And Animal Farm Analysis751 Words   |  4 Pagesof explicit principles governing conduct within a particular activity† Sometimes these rules need to be bent for growth to occur. A Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, and Animal Farm ,by George Orwell, provide a clear explanation of when it is benefitting to take a stand against the rules. In the novel Animal Farm, the animals revolt against Mr. Jones, the farmer, and then end up under the rule of a tyrant pig named Napoleon. In A Brave New World, A revolutionary process allows for the creation of

Monday, December 9, 2019

Henry Ford A Life In Brief Essay Example For Students

Henry Ford: A Life In Brief Essay Henry Ford grew up on a small farm near Dearborn, Michigan. As Henrygrew up, he spent most of his free time tinkering, and finding out exactlyhow things work. A pastime that developed thinking and logic abilities. But being a farmers boy, he had little spare time, for there were alwayschores to be done. By twelve years of age, Henry was doing a mans work onthe farm and had begun repairing machinery for neighbouring farmers. Hisfather pleased when Henry would repair a harness, reset a tool handle, ormake some hinges for furniture but he was not pleased however, when his sonrepaired things for neighbours, as he often did, without charging them acent. It was one day when Henry saw a steam engine powering a farmingmachine that he dreamed that one day he would build a smaller engine thatwould power a vehicle and do the job that horses once did. Shortly after Henry turned thirteen, his mother died. Henry becamevery discontent with living on the farm but he stayed for another threeyears. When he was sixteen he finished his studies at the district school. Against his fathers will, Henry moved to Detroit, ten miles away. In Detroit, Henry worked eleven hours a day at James Flower Brothers Machine Shop for only $2.50 a week. As this was not enough topay for board and room, Henry got an evening job at Magills Jewelry Shopfor $2 each week, at first only cleaning and winding the shops large stockof clocks. Soon though, he was repairing them also. After three years in Detroit, and ceaseless persuasion from hisfather, Henry moved back to the farm at the age of nineteen. Farm work wasno more appealing than before. Henry did enjoy the birds and the wildlifein the country, and he liked operating and repairing a steam threshingmachine so he stayed. At a dance on New Years Eve in 1885, Henry met adark-haired young woman, Clara Bryant, who lived only a few miles away. In1888 Henry and Clara were married. As a gift, Mr. Ford gave Henry and hisbride forty acres of wooded land. Henry built a small cottage and theylived off the land. Henrys father thought Henry was content and hadsettled down for life, but this was not to be so. All of Henrys sparetime was still spent on engines. Three years after their marriage, Henrysaw an internal-combustion gas engine in Detroit. He decided that this isthe engine that he would have to use on his car. He had to move back toDetroit. For two years Henry worked nights as a steam engineer for the EdisonIlluminating Company. He worked every night from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. andearned $45 a month. After working hours he experimented on his gas engine. His wages barely paid for living expenses and for tools and materials forhis tinkering. But his wife was cooperative and did not complain butrather, encouraged him. In November, 1983, a son was born to Henry and Clara, they named himEdsel. A few weeks later, just before Christmas, Henry had completed hisengine. A successful testing of the engine excited Henry and he decided tobuild one with two cylinders. Slightly over two and a half years later,Henry had built his first horseless carriage with four bicycle wheels andseat. His contraption would not fit out of the workshop so he simplyknocked out a portion of the wall. The car tested successfully, but wasvery impractical as someone on a bicycle had to ride ahead to warn thepeople with horses as the car startled them. .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 , .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .postImageUrl , .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 , .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966:hover , .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966:visited , .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966:active { border:0!important; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966:active , .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966 .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udd13b75caa3eb1ecee1f36a595580966:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A new type of museum EssayHenry quit his very promising job at the Edison Illuminating Companyon August 15, 1989. He was to head the new Detroit Automobile Company. Instead of producing any cars though, Henry spent the money on improvinghis design. The experimental models that he produced cost a great deal ofmoney and a little more than a year later, the Detroit Automobile Companyhad failed. To gain supporters, Henry built a racing car. If he could wina race, he could get backers and form his own company. Henry didsuccessfully win a race in October, 1901 and acquiring backers became nolonger a problem. On November, 1901, the Henry Ford Company was formed. This companyfared no better than the previous. Ford still wanted to build a low-pricedcar that ordinary people could afford to buy and drive. Ford would notsacrifice his standards for the profit. (Much unlike his portrayal in BraveNew World). Finally in June, 1903, a third company, the Ford MotorCompany, was incorporated. Ford continued working on his cheap design. It was ready shortlyafter the new companys formation and orders came in faster than they couldbe filled. Ford, Charles Sorensen and a small group of dedicated engineersbegan working on a universal car. By October, 1908, the Model-T had beenconstructed. Again orders began coming in faster than they could befilled. This presented Ford with his next challenge, to increase theproduction rate of the automobiles. Sorensen and Ford finally came up withthe assembly line idea. Rather than having the men go to the work, thework would come to the man, brought along on pulleys and chains overhead. One problem bothered Ford increasingly, however. Assembly- line workwas monotonous and uninteresting. The Ford factory had a great turnover ofemployees, and too much time was wasted in training new men. The men werecurrently only being paid the minimum wage of $2 a day. Ford decided (muchto his colleagues displeasure and protest) that the men would be paid $5and that the work day would be shortened to that of an eight-hour day. Some people praised him as a great humanitarian. Others denounced Ford asa madman, a crackpot, and a villain. One may have considered Ford unjustin making his men work on the assembly line, this is not so. Ford had morethan doubled the wages of his men, shortened their work day, and therebytried to give the employees a share of the profits. Ford eventually resigned as president of his company and gave controlto Edsel. Conflicts rose between Edsel and Henry. All his life, Ford hadbeen in charge, calling the shots. Now, even though Edsel was President inname, none of the decisions went without Henrys approval. Edsel hadwanted to produce a new model for several years, and finally Henryconsented. In December, 1927, the Model A was unveiled to the public. Sales soared. This was last real success that Henry Ford saw in hiscompany. The great depression was coming, sales dropped, and labour unionsformed. Originally Ford had factory police to monitor the men and keepaway people related to union, but on June 18, 1941, the men went on strikeand Henry was handed a union contract. It spelled out the terms on whichhis men would work, and even set the speed of the assembly line. Fordrefused to sign. Only after his wife threatened to leave him, did Henrysign. He did not just sign, he gave them better terms. Henry felt a needto dictate. He had always been in control, and this was time was noexception. War broke out in December, 1941. Fords factories wereconverted to plants that constructed war machines. Even in this time, Fordkept his love for nature and the old times. Henry constructed a museum. .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 , .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .postImageUrl , .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 , .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542:hover , .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542:visited , .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542:active { border:0!important; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542:active , .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542 .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2e288e4c34d82ef3427eb0265316b542:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Serial Killer Mind EssayHe even had his fathers old farmhouse rebuilt.It was in 1942 that hisson Edsel died of cancer. The shock nearly killed old Henry, but ratherthan give up his hold on the Ford Motor Company, he made himself Presidentonce more. He was old now, and in 1945 he relinquished all responsibilityto Edsels son, Harry II. The Ford Company took on new life under youngHenry, but Ford was not around to see it. In 1947 Henry Ford fell ill andtook to his bed. On April 27, alone with his wife and one servant, Henrydied at age eighty-four. After his death, a foundation was formed to administer his vastfortune. The foundation gave substantial support to various projects inthe arts, in medicine and in other important areas of American life. Fordwas a great man who revolutionized our world. Ford put the world on wheels,and in so doing, he made it a smaller world. BibliographyMontgomery, E. Henry Ford: Automotive Pioneer. Illinois: GarrardPublishing Company, 1979Paradis, A. Henry Ford. New York: Putnams Sons, 1968

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Abbasid Revolution Essay Example Essay Example

The Abbasid Revolution Essay Example Paper The Abbasid Revolution Essay Introduction The Abbasid Dynasty, known to its supporters as the ‘blessed dynasty’, which imposed its authority on the Islamic empire in 132/750, claimed to inaugurate a new era of justice, piety and happiness. The dynasty ruled the Islamic Caliphate from 750 to 1258 AD, making it one of the longest and most influential Islamic dynasties. For most of its early history, it was the largest empire in the world, and this meant that it had contact with distant neighbors such as the Chinese and Indians in the East, and the Byzantines in the West, allowing it to adopt and synthesize ideas from these cultures.The replacement of the Umayyads by the Abbasids in the leadership of the Islamic community was more than a mere change of dynasty. It was a revolution in the history of Islam, as important a turning point as the French and Russian Revolutions in the history of the west. The Umayyad administration (661-750) of the Islamic Empire created serious grievances among various political, religio us, social and ethnic groups. Their monopoly of power denied other people important administrative positions and the accompanying privileges and benefits.The Umayyads favored Syrian Arabs over other Muslims and treated mawali, newly converted Muslims, as second class citizens. The most numerous group of mawali were the Persians, who lived side by side with Arabs in the east who were angry at the favor shown to Syrian Arabs. Together, they were ripe for rebellion. Other Muslims were angry with the Umayyads for turning the caliphate into a hereditary dynasty, for their over-dependence upon the bureaucracy of the preceding Byzantine Empire, for levying taxes forbidden by the Qur’an, and for their ethnocentric policies.Some believed that a single family should not hold power, while Shiites believed that true authority belonged to the family of the Prophet Muhammad through his son-in-law Ali, and the Umayyads were not part of Muhammad’s family. The Umayyads were accused by several religious groups of having a weak commitment to Islam. It will be remember that the Abbasid originally came to power by utilizing the discontent of the different segments of the empire such as the shi’is, the kharijites, the religiously orthodox, the Persian and other malcontents.All these various groups who were angry with the Umayyads united under the Abbasids, who began a rebellion against the Umayyads in Persia. The Abbasids built a coalition of Persian mawali, Eastern Arabs, and Shiites. The Abbasids were able to gain Shiite support because they claimed descent from Muhammad through Muhammad’s uncle Abbas. Their descent from Muhammad was not through Ali, as Shiites would have preferred, but Shiites still considered the Abbasids better than the Umayyads. A Persian general, Abu Muslim, who supported Abbasid claims to power, led the Abbasid armies.His victories allowed the Abbasid leader Abul `Abbas al-Saffah to enter the Shiite-dominated city of Kufa in 748 and declare himself caliph. In 750, the army of Abu Muslim and al-Saffah faced the Umayyad Caliph Marwan II at the Battle of the Zab near the Tigris River. Marwan II was defeated, fled, and was killed. As-Saffah captured Damascus and slaughtered the remaining members of the Umayyad family (except for one, Abd al-Rahman, who escaped to Spain and continued the Umayyad Dynasty there). The Abbasids were the new rulers of the caliphate.The ‘Abbasid revolution marked the end of the Arab empire and beginning of an integrated Islamic society in which the underprivileged mawali- (non-Arab clients) played a crucial role in the evolution of a common culture based on Islam and the Arabic language. In 1902 Wellhausen wrote: â€Å"The ‘Abbasids called their government the dawlah, i. e. , the new era. The revolution affected at this time was indeed prodigious. † The Abbasids had led a revolution against the unpopular policies of the Umayyads, but those who expected major change were disappointed. Under the second Abbasid Caliph, al-Mansur (r. 54–775), it became clear that much of the Umayyad past would be continued. The Abbasids maintained the hereditary control of the caliphate, forming a new dynasty. The alliance with the Shiites was short lived, and the Abbasids became champions of Sunni orthodoxy, upholding the authority of their family over that of Ali, and continuing the subjugation of the Shiites. Even Abu Muslim, the popular leader who more than any other single individual was the architect of the Abbasid victory, was put to death by the second Abbasid Caliph, Al- Mansur. However, the Abbasids did prove loyal to their Persian mawali allies. In act, Abbasid culture would come to be dominated by the legacy of Persian civilization. The Abbasid court was heavily influenced by Persian customs, and members of the powerful Persian Barmakid family acted as the advisers of the caliphs and rivaled them in wealth and power. One of the earliest and most important changes the Abbasids made was to move the capital of the Islamic empire from the old Umayyad power base of Damascus to a new city—Baghdad. Baghdad was founded in 762 by al-Mansur on the banks of the Tigris River. The city was round in shape, and designed from the beginning to be a great capital and the center of the Islamic world.Baghdad grew quickly with encouragement from the Abbasid state, and it was soon the largest city in the world. At Baghdad, the Persian culture that the Umayyads had attempted to suppress was now allowed to thrive. Art, poetry, and science flourished. The Abbasids learned from the Chinese (allegedly from Chinese soldiers captured in battle) the art of making paper. Cheap and durable, paper became an important material for spreading literature and knowledge. Abbasid administration was a development of that of the late Umayyads, and Mansur openly admitted his great debt to the Umayyad Caliph Hisham in the organization of the state.It no longe r based on racial administration and exclusiveness. A new position that of the vizier (wazir) was also established to delegate central authority, he was next to the Caliph. This office was an Abbasid innovation, possibly of Persian origin. Eventually, this meant that many Abbasid caliphs were relegated to a more ceremonial role than under the Umayyads, as the viziers began to exert greater influence, and the role of the old Arab aristocracy was slowly replaced by a Persian bureaucracy.A dictum of the Abbasids said that he who obeys the vazir has obeyed the caliph and he who obeys the caliph has obeyed God! One of the most important departments of the administration was the Department of Taxation. A significant feature of the Abbasid government was the postal department, of which was called Sahib al-barid. Interestingly enough, one of the functions of the post Office was intelligence service. Perhaps the only difference was that the Abbasid chief of the intelligence used a large numb er of old women in his service. Other departments of administration were audit, chancery and police.One of the functionaries of the Police Department was the muhtasib, who was in charge of public morals and religious observance. In the Army, the Arab militia was no longer important and the pensions paid to the Arabs were gradually discontinued except for regular serving soldiers, the all-Arab forces which had directly established the authority of the conquering people were replaced by a professional army and by the militia of the Persian dihqans supporting the dynasty who gradually supplanted the Arab tribal levies, thereafter recruited only for major campaigns.The rise of the Abbasids also greatly enriched Islamic literature as well as the natural sciences. Mathematics, astronomy and chemistry all advanced greatly during that period, mostly due to efforts by Muslim Persians in those respective fields. The openness of the Abbasid community allowed for new ideas and new methods of pr oduction to overcome their Arab counterparts and would reshape the present industries into something more efficient and eventually produce more wealth. The fifth caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, Harun al-Rashid (r. 86–809), is remembered as one of history’s greatest patrons of the arts and sciences. Under his rule, Baghdad became the world’s most important center for science, philosophy, medicine, and education. The massive size of the caliphate meant that it had contact and shared borders with many distant empires, so scholars at Baghdad could collect, translate, and expand upon the knowledge of other civilizations, such as the Egyptians, Persians, Indians, Chinese, Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines.The successors of Harun al-Rashid, especially his son al-Ma’mun (r. 813–833), continued his policies of supporting artists, scientists, and scholars. Al-Ma’mun founded the Bayt al-Hikma, the House of Wisdom, in Baghdad. A library, an institute for tr anslators, and in many ways an early form of university, the House of Wisdom hosted Muslim and non-Muslim scholars who sought to translate and gather the cumulative knowledge of human history in one place, and in one language—Arabic. At the House of Wisdom, important ideas from around the world came together.The introduction of Indian numerals, which have become standard in the Islamic and Western worlds, greatly aided in mathematics and scientific discovery. Scholars such as Al-Kindi revolutionized mathematics and synthesized Greek philosophy with Islamic thought. Al-Biruni and Abu Nasr Mansur—among many other scholars—made important contributions to geometry and astronomy. Al-Khwarizmi, expanding upon Greek mathematical concepts, developed Algebra (the word â€Å"algorithm† is a corruption of his name).Ibn al-Haytham made important contributions to the field of optics, and is generally held to have developed the concept of the scientific method. A numbe r of very practical innovations took place, especially in the field of agriculture. Improved methods of irrigation allowed more land to be cultivated, and new types of mills and turbines were used to reduce the need for labor (though slavery was still very common in both the countryside and cities).The Revolution gave the peasants greater possession rights and a more equitable system of tax assessment, based on a percentage of the crop, instead of a fixed rate, as previously. Crops and farming techniques were adopted from far-flung neighboring cultures. Hence, under the Abbasids, the Arab Empire was quickly metamorphosed into an international Muslim Empire, and the caliph became an omnipotent despot surrounded by imperial pomp and circumstance alien to the native Arab ideas-no doubt shared by the Prophet himself-of equality and simplicity.Soon enough absolute power and unlimited luxury corrupted the moral fiber of the dynasty, and the later Abbasid caliphs progressively became mere figureheads manipulated at will by non- Arab ruling provincial vassals, who were to all intents and purposes autonomous sovereigns over their own fiefs. The dynasty finally ceased when the Mongols stormed Baghdad in the year I258 and put the last Abbasid caliph al-Musta’sim to death. The Abbasid Revolution Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Buildings to See in Tennessee

Buildings to See in Tennessee From Memphis to Nashville, Tennessee offers a variety of interesting and often surprising architecture. The great state of Tennessee even boasts a house by Frank Lloyd Wright and the controversial home of former Vice President Al Gore. Architecture in Memphis Graceland Mansion was home to rock star Elvis Presley from 1957 until his death on August 16, 1977. Its now a National Historic Landmark and the most popular tourist attraction in Memphis. In fact, it seem that all Memphis tourism centers around Graceland, but its also worth a trip into town to visit some of where the locals hang out. Not many skyscrapers on the eastern shore of the Mississippi River. The tallest building in Memphis is the 430 foot 100 North Main Building built way back in 1965. From this skyscraper, turn around to South Main Street, where youll find turn-of-the-20th century architecture in the historic arts district. Headed back toward Graceland Mansion is the mid-19th century Elmwood Cemetery, which got its start during the Rural Cemetery Movement. Nashville Sites Capitol State Park MallSite of many important buildings and memorials.Tennessee State CapitolDesigned by the noted architect William Strickland.The HermitageHome of President Andrew Jackson.The Nashville ParthenonWorlds only full size replica of the ancient Parthenon of Greece.Batman Building (ATT), Earl Swensson Associates Architect (1994)The tallest building in Tennessee.Belle Meade PlantationQueen of Tennessee Plantations.Historic GermantownGrand houses, workers cottages, and shotgun homes.Nashvilles Best Historical HomesRyman AuditoriumHome of the Grand Ole Opry Chattanooga Terminal Station, Chattanooga Choo ChooHunter Museum of American ArtWalnut Street Bridge, 1891, wrought-iron and steelThe privately owned Usonian home built for Seamour and Gerte Shavin by Frank Lloyd Wright is located at 334 N. Crest Road on Missionary Ridge. Plantation Houses Belle Meade Plantation, NashvilleOaklands, MurfreesboroRippavilla, Spring HillAntebellum Architecture Victorian Tennessee Historic Rugby, a Utopian community founded by Thomas Hughes, author of Tom Browns School Days Plan Your Trip to Tennessee Plenty of other excitement can be found all over the state. When visiting Discovery Park of America in Union City, remember that architects were involved with its making. And if the museum looks familiar it might be because Bostons famous Verner Johnson company had a hand in its design. The Great Smoky Mountains alone are enough of an excuse to get yourself to Tennessee, but then theres Dollywood in Pigeon Forge that will keep you there. Architectural gems can be found throughout the state, like the Langston Hughes Library on the Alex Haley Farm in Clinton, Tennessee, a small reference library designed in 1999 by Maya Lin. Plan your trip with Tennessee Tourism and the whole state can be your destination. Sources Tallest buildings in Memphis, EMPORIS, https://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings/city/101918/memphis-tn-usa [accessed October 2, 2017]

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Mechanical Properties of FRP Composites

Mechanical Properties of FRP Composites Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites are used in a wide variety of applications. Their mechanical properties provide unique benefits to the product they are molded into. FRP composite materials possess superior mechanical properties including: Impact resistanceStrengthStiffnessFlexibilityAbility to carry loads When designing products out of FRP materials, engineers use sophisticated composite material software which calculates the known properties of given the composite. Typical tests used to measure the mechanical properties of FRP composites include: Shear stiffnessTensileFlexible ModulusImpact Components of FRP Composite Materials The two major components of an FRP composite material is resin and reinforcement. A cured thermosetting resin without any reinforcement is glass-like in nature and appearance, but often very brittle. By adding a reinforcing fiber such as carbon fiber, glass, or aramid, the properties are vastly improved. Additionally, with reinforcing fiber, a composite can have anisotropic properties. Meaning, the composite can be engineered to have different properties in different directions depending on the orientation of the fiber reinforcement. Aluminum, steel and other metals have isotropic properties, meaning, equal strength in all directions. A composite material, with anisotropic properties, can have additional reinforcement in the direction of stresses, and this can create more efficient structures at lighter weights. For example, a pultruded rod having all fiberglass reinforcement in the same parallel direction could have tensile strength upwards of 150,000 PSI. Whereas a rod with the same area of random chopped fiber would only have tensile strength around 15,000 PSI. Another difference between FRP composites and metals is the reaction to impact. When metals receive impact, they can yield or dent. While FRP composites have no yield point and will not dent.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Genetically Modified Food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Genetically Modified Food - Research Paper Example ically modified food started in 1994 and of late it has expanded in many areas with the corn, cotton seed oil, soybean, and canola plants being demanded in many countries. According to scientists, genetically modified foods do not pose high risks as compared to conventional foods. However, opponents argue that the foods raise safety issues, environmental concern as well as economic issues. While it takes time to breed conventional plants, genetic engineering ensures that the breeding process is not only fast but also it results into production of plants that have the exact traits that are desired with significant level of accuracy. Some of the major methods of coming up genetically modified foods include gene addition and gene subtraction. As the demand for food increase globally due to the increase in population, there is need for governments to ensure that food supply is maintained at a high rate. In third world countries, irrigation has been a major way through which food supply in increased. However, due to lack of water, the most of the irrigation schemes have failed. Thus, there is need to adopt genetically modified foods that use modern technology to produce. One of the advantages of genetically modified foods is that it produces foods that are pest resistance. As the result of pests, farmers have continued to incur high losses that are avoidable if they adopt genetically modified plants (Singh, et al, 2008). Additionally, most of the consumers do not wish to consume foods that treated with pesticides based on their health hazards. The use of pesticides is also a major cause of water pollution as well as environmental harm. Thus, for individuals to avoid such destructions, it is imperative that households start to use genetically modified foods such as B.t. corn. Another merit of GMF is that they are herbicides tolerance. While in their process of producing conventional plants, farmers take a lot time and resources to till their lands. Additionally, large

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Marketing planning sos analysis for tesco Essay

Marketing planning sos analysis for tesco - Essay Example Marketing has grown by leaps and bounds today. It is a creative industry that has expanded down to various genres such as advertising, distribution and selling. Customer base is figured out, their needs and aspirations realized and the relevant product developed accordingly. In today’s international arena, Marketing is an important tool since it contributes greatly to the success of the business and its products. Productivity and sales are largely dependent on companies’ marketing strategies. On the other hand, engineering is also an important aspect as it allows innovation in an organization which aims to bring positive change to boost customer or producer value. Most often, innovation is conducted as a private activity within an organization in a series of narrowly managed steps. Keeping in mind the importance of marketing and innovation, companies must understand their product to be able to market them. According to Bill Campbell in an interview, only engineers know the information that they should get and deliver about the product they have produced and only effectively communicating that information to the customers would yield desired results. Now, this effective communication is done by our super-creative marketers. Therefore, it is important that marketers and engineers work hand in hand to effectively deliver what customers want. Marketers know their customers and their goal is to create customer value whereas engineers know their product and their goal is to create producer value. Therefore, when marketers and engineers work together, they yield innovative products that are customer-oriented. In an investigation, it was found that those firms are more successful at innovative product development in which the employees are well equipped with the required skills to strategize marketing as a whole. Recently, a product-development process called Quality Function Deployment (QFD) has been adopted by U.S. and Japanese firms who promotes commun ication within the core team (marketing, engineering and manufacturing) and changes communication patterns from â€Å"top-to-bottom† management to focus more on horizontal routes where core team members communicate directly with each other and come up with better results. One of the greatest examples of integrating innovation with marketing is of Apple Inc., a multinational corporation which is ranked as the world’s most innovative company and who markets its designs and products as the customer’s need. Tesco is one of UK’s most successful super markets today. Its total market share stands at 38% and it continues to ride high. It is speculated to become the biggest super market chain of UK very soon. It is currently at number 8 amongst the top 10 grocery retailers of the world. Tesco is known for its huge variety of goods ranging across the board from groceries to fresh food to clothes to compact discs. It’s success has been a result of numerous fa ctors. It is claimed that it’s leading edge in areas like price, customer service, distribution, ecommerce, loyalty cards and own label products have been key to it’s phenomenal success. Their deputy Chairman, Mr David Reid, asserts that Tesco focuses on customer needs and delves a lot of time in understanding the customer needs and wants before translating them into plans aimed at adding value for the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Types of Introductory Paragraphs Essay Example for Free

Types of Introductory Paragraphs Essay According to world statistics, the level of air pollution has been steadily increasing throughout the years. Though the result is not alarming, it is important for us to take measures in controlling activities that lead to air pollution. Only by doing so, will we be able to have better quality air. Therefore, the first thing to do is to find out what causes air pollution and its outcomes. Based on my observation there are two major causes and effect of air pollution. Type: Anecdotal Topic 2: Arguments I used to live next door to a couple who always argued. They argued over even the smallest matter. Sometimes, they argued the whole day, and sometimes the argument even continued to the next day. After sometime, I learned to ignore the shouting and name calling that they used to do to each other. Sometimes, just for fun, I would listen to their arguments and made up my own refutations; my own answers to their accusations. When I was older and began to understand more, I started thinking about the reasons why people argue. From what I have heard from my neighbours, arguments can be caused by two main issues; money and jealousy. Type: General to Specific Topic: AIDS According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is an illness which attacks the body’s ability to resist infection. It is a lethal disease that everyone fears. However, in some countries where sex trade is rampant, this deadly disease is unavoidable especially for those directly involved. Why is AIDS deadly and how does it affect the victims? Based on scientific researches done, there are two deadly outcomes of AIDS. Samples of Concluding Paragraph : Causes and/or Effects Essay Topic 1: Air Pollution In summary, air pollution is caused by increase in population and industrial activities. Due to these reasons, the world is suffering from global warming as well as higher lung diseases. In my point of view, more preventive measures must be taken in order to improve the air quality in our nation. Only by doing this, will we be able to see healthier population and better environment. Topic 2: Arguments In a nutshell, arguments can break out at anytime and anywhere. The main reasons why people argue are usually because of financial difficulty as well as personal feelings towards each other. I think, it is wise for people to find time to talk about things that are causing these arguments in a mature manner or else, they will create animosity instead of unity in their relationship. Topic: AIDS To cut it short, people who suffer from AIDS will experience lower immunity as well as public criticism. In order to protect ourselves from AIDS, we need to educate our generation and future generations about the dangers of having unprotected sexual intercourse, taking drugs and to increase their awareness of general health.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Jurassic Park :: essays research papers

Jurassic Park Michael Crichton, in his outstandingly exciting science fiction novel, Jurassic Park, has put together a suspenseful, compelling, riveting, frightening, realistic, thrilling, and scientifically informative world, combining sophisticated biotechnology with prehistoric legend, blending the past, present, and the future, and a terrifying nightmares of science run wild, packed with humans and genetically engineered dinosaurs, including mesmerizing, fast paced action. It is a world where the reader where the reader decides what is happening in the book. If the reader enjoys fast-paced science fiction, the reader will certainly enjoy the fascinating world of Jurassic Park. All of the different characters in this world, share different feelings of action, reactions, thrill, nervousness, and their beliefs. Ian Malcolm, a very knowledgeable mathematician, decides to go to the island of Isla Nublar to observe the biological preserve that a company named In-Gen has created for the world to see at a price. Malcolm always had doubts about this world of total chaos. Everyone thought that the world of Jurassic Park, is a world of new state of the art technology and entertainment. Until everything goes wrong. The electric fences stopped working, and the dinosaurs escaped. Ian Malcolm's opinion of this world is that it won't survive, or the humans won't survive. The world has survived everything until now, it will surely survive the dinosaurs once more. But us, the humans are the ones that may not survive. "Our planet is four and a half billion years old. There has been life on this planet for nearly that long. Three point eight billion. The first bacteria. And later, the first multi-cellular animals, and the first complex creatures, in the sea, on the land†¦. Great dynasties of creatures arising, flourishing, dying away†¦, mountain ranges thrust up and eroded away, cometary impacts, volcanic eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving†¦.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Genre Defense of Shakespeare’s ”As You Like It” Essay

â€Å"As You Like It represents, together with Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night, the summation of Shakespeare’s achievement in festive, happy comedy during the years 1598-1601,† proclaims David Bevington his The Complete Works of Shakespeare (288). Bevington is obviously not the first editor to have categorized Shakespeare’s plays. In fact, part of the plays’ popularity might be based upon the fact that audiences know what to expect when they begin viewing the productions. For example, As You Like It’s title hints that audiences should expect the play to end happily. This play’s name is not, however, all that helps classify it as a comedy. Every element of the play drips with comedic elements, as Shakespeare characteristically critiques love, while highlighting the pastoral motif. The theme of the play is an obvious remark on its classification. Shakespeare exploits literary convention by mocking the foolishness love generates in us all. Kenneth Muir, in Shakespeare’s Comic Sequence, declares, â€Å"His [Shakespeare’s] lovers-Rosalind, Orlando, Celia, Oliver and Phoebe-would all make answer to Marlowe’s question ‘Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?’ with a chorus of ‘No one.'(88)† Each of the characters do and say impulsive things based solely on emotion. The Forest of Arden gives the characters freedom to act in such silly manners. Once their love relationships have been realized in marriage, the couples can prepare to return to the order, and presumably reason, of the court. The plot of As You Like It centers on the love relationships of four couples. Made up of the lovers’ stories and the story of the overthrown Duke Senior, who has fled into the Forest of Arden, the plot is quite complex. It centers on the movement of the characters from the court to the forest and then readying themselves to return to court. The play begins with the instantaneous falling in love of Rosalind and Orlando at court and the nearly simultaneous retreat of each into the Forest of Arden, due to Duke Frederick’s sudden disdain for Rosalind and Oliver’s intention to kill Orlando. The plotline continues with Rosalind disguised as Ganymede, a boy, blocking Rosalind and Orlando’s love. The plot moves from disorder to order, though, and the play concludes with a typical comic ending: a marriage ceremony. The marriage masque further solidifies the play’s comedic classification. Helen Gardner notes in her article that the masque of Hymen returns order as it is able â€Å"to end the whole with courtly grace and dignity. This is an image of civility and true society, for Hymen is a god of cities† (59). A song sung at the wedding feast declares Hymen’s dominion over towns: â€Å"Tis Hymen peoples every town / High wedlock then be honored. / Honor, high honor and renown / To Hymen, god of every town!† (Shakespeare, V. iv. 142-145). Furthermore, the scene accounts for all of the characters happy state: Rosalind and Orlando have finally overcome all obstacles to be united; Oliver and Celia are able to immediately marry and Oliver has changed his ways; Silvius finally obtains Phoebe’s love; Touchstone and Audrey are married; and Duke Frederick has repented and joined a monastery, leaving Duke Senior to assume his rightful throne. All problems have been resolved, which leaves no room for arguing that the play is a comedy. The characters also prove that the play has been appropriately classified. The different lovers demonstrate stereotypical kinds of love. Commentator Kenneth Muir remarks, â€Å"In As You Like It different kinds of love are examined-the lust of Touchstone, the self-love of Jacques, the pride and vanity of Phoebe, and the sentimental idealism of Orlando-and all are found wanting† (91). The central relationship is between Rosalind and Orlando, whom Bertrand Evans describes as â€Å"the brightest of Shakespeare’s bright heroines† and â€Å"the least conscious of his unconscious heroes† (92). Orlando seems a typical jock. He wrestles Charles in the court and then falls hopelessly in love with Rosalind-so hopelessly in love that he, despite being a poor poet, carves Rosalind’s name and poems about her into tree trunks. Although Oliver has denied him a gentleman’s education, he is a noble character, who is loyal to his servant Adam, brave enough to fight Charles, and loving when speaking about his beloved Rosalind. Nonetheless, Orlando must have some naivetà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in order for Rosalind to continue fooling him. Evans expounds, â€Å"Despite the deserved praise which Oliver heaps upon Orlando [†¦,] Orlando is exposed repeatedly in situations of which the truth eludes him. [†¦] His abrupt disposal of Charles the wrestler; his first tongue-tied meeting with Rosalind; his sword-brandishing, valiant, but frightfully unaware entrance to demand food of Duke Senior-all these are parts of the preparation.† (92-3) Orlando’s good intentions are mocked somewhat by his actions. Rosalind is also a good person, as is evident in her devotion to Celia, her father, and Orlando. However, Rosalind’s disguise leads to some humorous scenes as the (at least, original) audience is aware of the fact that, as Muir describes, when Ganymede is helping Orlando, â€Å"We have a boy pretending to be a woman, pretending to be a boy, pretending to be a boy, pretending to be a woman, satirising feminine behaviour† (90). Her disguise provides numerous incongruities as the audience continues to see the male Ganymede in opposition to Rosalind. Taking on a masculine role helps Rosalind to develop inner strength. In fact, Diane Dreher explains in her analysis of androgynous Shakespearean characters that â€Å"Rosalind’s disguise enables her to examine Orlando’s motives, allowing her to say and do things that traditional feminine modestly would not permit† (121). Despite her depth of character, the audience is constantly aware of her super objective : to marry Orlando. This goal in and of itself is a romantic convention that cannot be ignored. While Oliver and Duke Frederick appear as antagonistic characters in the beginning scenes when they are at court, both make a turn around after entering the forest. Shakespeare utilizes a romantic convention, the sudden conversion of a villain, to further illuminate the plays comedic nature. When Orlando rescues Oliver from a lioness, Oliver finds favor in his younger brother, and the two are reunited. Oliver and Orlando’s brother Jacques explains that Duke Frederick has changed: â€Å"And to the skirts of this wild wood [Duke Frederick] came, / Where, meeting with an old religious man, / After some question with him, was converted / Both from his enterprise and from the world, / His crown bequeathing to his banished brother, / And all their lands restored to them again / That were with him exiled.† (Shakespeare, V. iv. 158-164). Entering the woods leads the characters to become better people. The characters language, although sometimes a bit poetic, is rather common. The play’s pastoral elements make prose a more likely language choice. In fact, Dr. Sharron Cassavant, professor of English at Northeastern University has calculated that 54.5 percent of the plays 2, 636 lines are written in prose. The opening scene, exposition in conversation between Orlando and Adam, is entirely prose. Rosalind and Celia also interchange in prose. Prose dominates the dialogue between the lovers. Rhymed verse is generally used when Orlando attempts to write poems about his beloved Rosalind. Blank verse, a higher form, is used most often by Jacques, but Duke Senior also utilizes to proclaim the good that nature has offered him. In this critique of love, blank verse is reserved most often for use by those characters unaffected by love. The language lends itself to the play’s love-at-first-sight theme in that the lovers do not have time to organize their thoughts in a collected wa y, but rather speak whatever first enters their mind. The play appeals to the comedic audience visually and aurally as well. Most notably, Rosalind’s disguise allows the audience, aware of the fact that the boy they see pretending to be a woman is actually the woman he is pretending to be, to laugh at the incongruities of Orlando’s pretend love for and Phoebe’s real love for Ganymede. The disguise also presents funny sounds as Rosalind’s voice must change depending on the character she is playing. The other pastoral characters also lend country-bumpkin accents to the plays aural elements, as they are less sophisticated than the courtly characters. As You Like It could not be more comedic. Each of the plays elements presents stereotypical characteristics of comedy. Shakespeare obviously knew the requirements of each genre and managed to control those requirements while never ceasing to dazzle his audience. His works were all as we like them. Works Cited Bevington, David. Introduction to As You Like It. The Complete Works of Shakespeare. By Bevington. NY: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1997. 288-91. Cassavant, Sharron. As You Like It Main page. Introduction to Shakespeare. Course Website. Dept. of English, Northeastern University. 11 December 2004 . Dreher, Diane Elizabeth. Domination and Defiance: Fathers and Daughters in Shakespeare. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 1986. [OBU] Evans, Bertrand. Shakespeare’s Comedies. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1960. [OBU] Gardner, Helen. â€Å"As You Like It.† Shakespeare the Comedies: A Collection of Critical Essays, Ed. Kenneth Muir. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,1965.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Death on Pine street Essay

In this essay I will be comparing two detective stories. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story ‘The Speckled Band’ was written in the 1890’s and set in England. It follows Sherlock Holmes as he investigates the unusual death of a young woman. Through clever logic he manages to solve the case entirely by simply investigating the scene of the crime. ‘Death on Pine Street’ was written in the 1930’s and set in America. The detective in this is a more â€Å"street-wise† roughed up detective, investigating the murder of a woman’s husband. His sly and even dishonest methods of investigation solve the case, however there are a few complexities. Both stories are first person narratives. In ‘The Speckled Band’ Dr. Watson is the narrator but in ‘Death on Pine Street’, the Op himself tells us the story. This means that in the Holmes story the reader is kept in the dark about what is happening because we only know what Watson knows and, therefore, have to wait to the end of the story for Holmes to explain how he solved the crime to Watson. In the other story, because the Op is the narrator we know what he is thinking and what is happening to him. This different style works well, because although we know what he is thinking, we still have to wait to the end for the Op to explain how he solved the crime to the police; this way it doesn’t ruin the element of interest that keeps the reader going on. The detectives in the two stories, Sherlock Holmes and the Continental Op, have some things in common, but are also very different characters. This is due to the very different places and times in which the stories are set. Both are private detectives solving crimes for money. They are both loners with no wives, families or girlfriends. They are both quick thinking, clever and observant – they see clues and evidence that nobody else can see. They are both brave and strong, and can use weapons and know how to defend themselves. These are important factors in a good detective, which I think is why they share these traits whilst being from such different places and times. Sherlock Holmes was the first fictional detective ever, so it is probable that some of the inspiration for the Continental Op came from him. However they differ in many ways. Holmes is a more upper-class, well spoken and well-educated man. The Continental Op is more of a slang-talking, lower-class working man. He works for a company, and has to travel to meet clients. Holmes works from home; Miss Stoner comes to see him. He seems to do detective work simply for enjoyment, he tells Miss Stoner she need not pay him. Holmes seems more calm and collected, he doesn’t carry a firearm or get into fisticuffs – the Continental Op does both of these. Since Watson is narrating ‘The Speckled Band’, we get a good description of Holmes; the Continental Op does not describe himself at all – infact the only description of him is given by the Tenant, referring to him as â€Å"our little fat friend†. The Continental Op is always skulking around bad areas and apartments, Holmes usually takes a safe journey to the scene of the crime (in this case a mansion). It is the difference in location and time that plays an integral part in shaping these completely different characters that share similar and almost universal traits. ‘Death on Pine Street’ is set in America in the 1930’s; this was during the Great Depression when times were very hard on people. Unemployment was high, many people could barely afford to live and so naturally people were more highstrung or ill-tempered, and crime rose. It was this kind of tough way of life that forms the environment and the character in ‘Death on Pine Street’. ‘The Speckled Band’ is set in England, in the 1890’s, a fine period for upper-class people. Holmes would have been raised comfortably, and it would not have been a necessity for him to be â€Å"tough† like the Continental Op. He does not deal in the same way as the Continental Op; he quietly investigates a single place, and works without any interrogations or interviews. This greatly seperates the feel of the story from ‘Death on Pine Street’, as the Continental Op interracts far more, with many more characters.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Mexican economics follow the U essays

Mexican economics follow the U essays Mexican Economy Follows U.S. Economic Slump Growth has slowed considerably in early 2001 in response to the hard downturn in the US economy. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2001 is forecast to slow to 2%, from 6.9% in 2000. A rebound of growth in 2002 will depend on an upturn in the U.S. economy and continued conventional economic management. A tightening of monetary policy should enable inflation to fall to under 7% by the end of 2001. With hopes in 2002 of a further reduction in inflation, provided the peso depreciates gradually. The first year of the Fox administration, combined both the fiscal and monetary tightening that will characterize the administration, this will limit GDP growth to only 2% in 2001. A pick-up in growth to 4.5% can be forecast for 2002 as private consumption and export-oriented industrial output rebound with the beginning of a turnaround in the US economy. A sharper slowdown than currently forecast is possible if the US economy goes into recession. A slowing domestic economy, combined with tight monetary and fiscal policy, will ensure that inflation continues to fall in 2001-02, although not as quickly as officials have targeted. With inflation already at single-digit levels and the peso likely to depreciate during the next year, further large reductions in inflation will be difficult to achieve. To reach its inflation target of 6.5% for 2001, Banxico will have to tighten monetary policy again following several tightening moves over the past 12 months. Even considering a relatively tight fiscal deficit target ceiling of 0.6% of GDP, year-end inflation will probably be around 7.5% in 2001 and about 5% in 2002. Positive investor sentiment towards Mexico, fuelled by expectations of an investment upgrade, has resulted in a strengthening of the peso in 2001. However, with the trade deficit widening on the back of the US slowdown and a possible cooling of sentiment towards Mexico, the peso ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

150+ Powerful Character Mannerisms to Define Your Characters

150+ Powerful Character Mannerisms to Define Your Characters Defining Your Characters: 150+ Character Mannerisms Part of the magic of great fiction is its ability to let you see their characters in your mind’s eye. Think about Sherlock Holmes and you might picture him smoking a pipe, or stroking his chin in thought. Or Anne Shirley from Anne of the Green Gables, who might at any moment be gesturing enthusiastically and talking a mile a minute.Much of this ability to conjure actors in this theatre of the mind comes from one simple trick in the book of character development: character mannerisms. A well-observed tic or recurring behavior can unlock your characters and bring them to life in your audience’s imagination.If you’re wondering how to start going about it, you’ve come to the right spot on the Internet. We’ve split this post into three parts: what character mannerisms exactly are, how to write them into your story, and a list of 150+ mannerisms for you in case you're running short on inspiration.What are character mannerisms? 12 Types of Characters Featured in Almost All Stories Read post Mannerisms are here to helpUltimately, character mannerisms are only a small part of the bigger picture of character development. They should help reveal who your character is and that in and of itself will take some more work on your part. To understand your character on a deeper level, you can go here to download a free character profile template. Or if you’d like some character development exercises, here are eight of the best ones that you can use.So whatever mannerisms you choose in the end, remember that it should tie into your character’s personality, background, and upbringing. If you follow that route, you won’t stray far from reaching your ultimate goal: the creation of a memorable character.What memorable mannerisms and tics should be added to this list? Let us know in the comments below

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Left Bundle Dranch Blockade and Atrial Fibrillation Essay

Left Bundle Dranch Blockade and Atrial Fibrillation - Essay Example In this paper, a case study of an older patient diagnosed with Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and fast Atrial Fibrillation (AF) after a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) will be discussed, including the assessment, pathophysiology, treatment and management. Atrial fibrillation (AF) may result after a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) especially in older adults as a consequence of hypercoagulability and proinflammatory states associated with anaesthesia and surgical trauma, hyperadrenergic state related to perioperative stress, hypoxia, and hypovolemia leading to increased myocardial oxygen demand. Specifically, tachycardia as the heart’s compensatory mechanism to supply the systemic circulation leads to subsequent arrhythmias. In addition to AF, Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) also occurs as an associated condition in older adults above 75 years old due to vascular incompetency and stasis. Usually, people with AF experience palpitations, dyspnea, syncope, fatigue and other cardiovascular and pulmonary manifestations. However, the most important danger posed by LBBB and AF is the hemodynamic stagnation which promotes the thrombus formation and decreased cardiac output. The patient is an 83-year-old gentleman who had undergone a total knee replacement on August 16, 2011. His past medical history was significant for hypertension and arthritis. He reported to have past medical history of atrial fibrillation. ... He reported to have past medical history of atrial fibrillation. On the other hand, he stated independence on performing most of his activities of daily living including household chores without difficulties. He claimed not having episodes of orthopnea or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. He was able to walk half a mile before becoming short of breath. Impaired with worsening arthritis, the involved knee caused immobility problems and extremely debilitating pain that occurred usually after an exertion. In a short walk, the patient’s knee was traumatically injured that prompted surgical intervention. The patient qualified for the operation after the panel of pre operative assessment was carried out. However, the patient manifested shortness of breath and chest pain two days after the operation. He was then transferred to an orthopaedic centre to manage the acuteness of the symptoms. Also, the patient was connected to a cardiac monitor and an electrocardiographic reading was taken. He was initially given Bisoprolol 2.5 mg but the condition showed no improvement. At that same night, the patient was transferred to Critical Care Unit of Royal Sussex County Hospital where blood studies were run through. His final diagnosis is Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and fast Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Assessment Cardiac complications resulting from surgery are the result of an intricate and dynamic relationship among patient- related risk factors including the patient’s functional capacity, procedure-related risk factors, and the circumstances surrounding the operation. Preoperative patient evaluation begins with obtaining a detailed history and physical examination (Fleisher et al. 165). After the total knee

Friday, November 1, 2019

A real hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A real hero - Essay Example These superheroes joined forces (Moore & Gibbons chapter 1:3) after the death of Edward Blake. In accordance to my opinion, I believe that Doctor Manhattan qualifies as the real hero in the comic book as evidenced from being expressed as the main character in the story, he is close to perfection plus he is not a costumed hero. Doctor Manhattan is expressed as the main character in the story. Moore and Gibbons (chapter 3: 5) describe Doctor Manhattan as the character on which other superheroes rely on. Born as normal human beings, but later transformed to a superhero after an accident while conducting a nuclear physics experiment, Doctor Manhattan acquired god-like powers, telekinesis power, superhuman strength, teleportation ability, and control over matter existing at subatomic level. He also has the ability to perceive the present, past and future â€Å"... particles which travel backward through what... *you* perceive as time... therefore obscuring my vision of the present†¦ †(Moore & Gibbons chapter 3: 7). Not any superhero mentioned in the comic book surpassed the powers which Doctor Manhattan possessed hence remaining as the true hero. Among all others superheroes, it is only Doctor Manhattan that is perceived as a close to â€Å"perfection† creation (Moore & Gibbons chapter 4: 6). ... He acts as the leader of the superheroes as he possesses an ability that can only be equated to a god (Moore & Gibbons chapter 4:8). Lauri, Nite Owl, Rorschach, and Veidt are not real heroes as they had powers, but did not surpass that of Doctor Manhattan. In addition, these superheroes usually followed orders from Doctor Manhattan on what to do since they were dependent on his intellect abilities to make decisions on what to do. Doctor Manhattan was a real hero since he was not a costumed hero like the rest of the superheroes like Dan, Laurie and Rorschach. In the comic, other costumed heroes become disturbed when Doctor Manhattan gets picked up by the United States army and kept as the ultimate weapon in case of attack. In addition, he is dubbed as a real super hero making the costumed superheroes more worried of what might become of them (Moore & Gibbons chapter 4:9). Hence, the costumed superheroes more so depended on Doctor Manhattan a lot to make sound decisions. It is via Doct or’s Manhattan intelligence that the military is able to build sophisticated weapons that they could use in fighting their enemies. The costumed superheroes also took advantage of these. In summary, Doctor Manhattan is a real superhero in the comic book as evidenced from his depiction as a main character of which the story is dependent on him. In addition, he is a real hero since he is equated to a perfect being in the sense that he is equated to a god and could not be killed easily like the rest of the superheroes who expressed various weaknesses. Furthermore, Doctor Manhattan is depicted in the comic book as a real hero as evidenced from him being taken by the U.S government army to help them in the fight of their enemies. This did not happen to the other costumed superheroes and at

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

ECommerce Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ECommerce Coursework - Essay Example Turban et al have compared the internet economy to the ecosystem in nature because the users find their own ways and means to generate profits and service the customers. They create an environment conducive to attract the customers and suppliers and make changes as the situation demands. Today the internet has scores of online businesses business-to-business (B2B), business-to-customer (B2C) and customer-to-customer (C2C) and has definite advantages over the traditional way of transacting business (Amit and Zott 2000). However, the internet ecosystem has a business model that has enhanced the value chain and eliminated the dis-intermediaries. There are various business models that operate on the internet each having its own advantages and benefits for the participants. This is because the internet is an open and non-proprietary platform for collaboration and communication. It has allowed free information sharing and close connections with customers and among supply chain or business ecosystems partners’ information systems (Lee and Vonortas 2003). This results in benefits like real time pricing, flexible products and services, low cost of distribution as the intermediaries can be eliminated. The extensive reach and the richness of the information can be maintained between the ecosystem partners. The digital assets for a firm include the information about the customers whereby they are able to provide value across different markets. Information is a source of revenue for the digital economy and this enhances transparency. Business offer virtual online stores where the customers can visit stores, compare prices and take an informed decision. In the digital world keeping pace with the change that is taking place is important and firms must learn to adapt to the changing business environments. Today there are definite value drivers of e-commerce, which refers to any factor that enhances the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

MBA Marketing Analysis and Planning

MBA Marketing Analysis and Planning The report analyzes the market for Converses Chucks All Star range of footwear in the United States of America and includes a look at other competitive brands for comparison. Graphs depicting market data in terms of net sales in US dollars have been included to support the findings. The report segments the market for Chucks on basis of demographic, psychographic and behavioral factors and then moves on to highlight the target market for the canvas shoe. Also included is the market position of Chucks relative to its competitors. The report describes the products marketing mix and its influence on the market position and customers buying behavior. Also, the approach has been criticized in terms of current and future opportunities. Finally, the report draws a conclusion of the market Introduction to Converse and Chucks All Star It all began in 1908, when Marquis M. Converse launched the Converse Rubber shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts. The company started as a manufacturer of rubber shoes, which offered winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children. By the year 1910 the Converse Shoe Company was producing 4,000 shoes daily, but it was not until 1912, that it first began producing athletic shoes for tennis. In 1917, the company revolutionized basketball by introducing the worlds first canvas high-top performance basketball shoes, that it named the All Star. Five years later, a semi-professional basketball player, Charles Chuck Taylor officially joined Converse as Americas first sports player endorser; Chucks signature was added two years later in the All Star patch and for the next four decades, Chucks, as they became known, were the shoes to have, particularly on the basketball court. The involvement of America in World War II (1941) took Converse into a new phase and it began manufacturing boots and ponchos. Converse designed the A6 Flying Boot for the U.S. Army Air Corps and even post the war these shoes remained the government issued athletic shoes for military training. For its war efforts Converse received a number of honors from the Army, Navy, and U.S. Treasury. Converse shoes became the number one footwear among the teenagers, who wore them as a symbol of youth rebellion in the 50ÂÂ ´s and for the same reason they continued to be popular in the 70ÂÂ ´s and 80ÂÂ ´s. But it was in the late 80ÂÂ ´s that Converses popularity started to decline. A series of unfortunate events and bad decisions lead Converse to file for bankruptcy in 2001. In June, 2003 Nike bought Converse out for $305 million and has ever since invested more than four million dollars into its advertising. Today, Converse has over 1,000 different types of Chucks selling in the market to individuals and organizations, all with the same goal WEAR A SHOE THAT MAKES A STATEMENT. As mentioned in the mission statement of the company: Our MISSION is to deliver personal service to our customers knowing that soon we will become friends. Our hope is that we provide the same shoes that our owners father wore for cross country in 1965, and his grandfather wore to play stickball in the streets of Philadelphia in the 30s. This report is an outcome of an analysis of marketing strategies used by Converse in the United States of America. The main purpose of the report is to indicate the market segmentation and target customer base of Converses most famous range of shoes, the Chucks or Converse All Star, in the U.S. The report further analyzes the position of Converse in the footwear industry in comparison to its competitors; the positive and negative aspects of the positioning strategies. It further discusses the product, pricing, promotional and distribution strategies and their influence on the buying behavior. Market Segmentation, Target Market and Positioning of Chucks Converse claims to be the first shoe company to launch footwear with Self Expression and till date Chucks enjoy the status of being the most popular shoes with this advantage. Despite this fact, Converse prefers to focus only on certain preference clusters and chooses target marketing over traditional mass marketing. The market for the Chucks All Stars has primarily been segmented according to demographic factors, namely, age and income. Furthermore, the company also divides the market on basis of psychographic factors like lifestyle and personality. Behavioral factors, like attitude and user status, have also been used to segment the market further. The product goes beyond segmenting the market on basis of gender, by offering shoes for both men and women, and also unisex shoes. The market for the Chucks has been segmented on basis of the following factors: Demographic Under this factor the U.S. population is primarily categorized on basis of age, discretionary income and generation. The age groups have been split into four parts, namely: under 13, 13 to 19, 20 to 35 and above 35. *Further, the income groups have been divided into: 0 income (students), $ 1 to $ 30,000 (young entry-level professionals) and above $ 30,000 (upper middle class). The generations have been segmented into baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (those born between 1964 and 1984) and Generation Y (those born after 1984). Psychographic For this factor the market has been categorized on basis of lifestyle and personality. The population of the U.S. has been segmented on basis of lifestyle into seven groups, namely: Resigned Rigid, authoritarian, chauvinistic (older) Mainstream Domestic, conformist, conventional (Part of the mass, favoring big brands) Aspirer Materialistic, acquisitive, image conscious, attractive more important than quality of contents (Younger, clerical/sales type occupation) Succeeder Strong goal orientation, confidence, work ethic (Top management) Explorer Energy-autonomy, adventurous (Younger students) Reformer Freedom from restriction, intolerant of bad taste ( Higher education) Behavioral The market has been segmented on basis of loyalty status into Hard-core loyals, split loyals, shifting loyals and switchers. Also, attitudes of the American populace have been used to factor the market into: upbeat enjoyers, insecures and financial positives. Converse has analyzed web users online activities to figure out who is most likely to be interested in its product, which enables them to place ads on whatever sites those consumers are visiting. For example, behavioral segments important to the footwear industry, such as fashion-interested, outdoor sports enthusiast or soccer mom, would be based on where the user has gone and/or what they have done on various web pages. Share of U.S. Footwear Retail Sales by Consumer Group and Major Product Category, 2008 (%) Target Market With respect to the segments classified above, the Chucks have been made to target two age groups: the Teens, ranging from 13 to 19 years of age and the entry-level professionals ranging from the age of 20 to 35. The Chucks are designed for both male as well as the female consumers with different variations and patterns for both. The product also offers a unisex range to its consumers. Chucks marketing strategy also targets the zero, mid and upper range income groups. The marketing focus lies mainly on the younger generation, Generation X (Gen X) and Generation Y (The Echo Boomers), who fall in the Aspirer, Explorer or Reformer category based on lifestyles. *The shoes became very popular with rock musicians, and younger generations wore them for their distinctive looks, colors, and comfort and as an alternative to the high priced high performance shoes made by Nike and other companies. They were considered a leisure shoe and also were purchased because they were fashionable.* People from inner-directed hierarchy of stages, particularly I-am-me and Experimental lifestyles are being targeted. Product Positioning of Chucks relative to its competitors Converse once stood for athletic footwear. Now the brand has developed into a fashion statement for the retro-modern sub-culture prevalent in todays generation and is marketed as a Classic shoe for the new generation. Converse has obtained a good position in the buyers mind through better product attributes, price, quality and image, offering the product in a different way than the competitors do. The company offers the product in a variety of colors and styles at an affordable price with high branding, which ultimately helps to position the Chucks, in the buyers perspective, as trendy yet simple shoes. Converse has adopted the Cultural Symbol Approach to position Chucks in the market by associating the product with the basketball legend Chuck H. Taylor and appending his signature with the brand logo. The brand value of Converse is such that owning a pair of Chucks is equivalent to owning a piece of history, which apparently is a value offered by none other in the market. The Product User Approach for positioning the Chucks relative to its competitors. Another advantage Converse enjoys over its competitors is the association of the brand with music. The shoe became associated with puck rock and counter culture after being worn by the bands The Ramones and Blondie, who communicated with both strong music and fashion statements. The Ramones used the shoe as part of their street image with black leather jacket and blue jeans whereas Blondie gave the shoe a glossier menswear revamp creating an alternative suiting look as band members wore red and black colored Chucks with tight black pants, black jackets, shirts and ties on the cover of their Parallel Lines LP. Adopting the Product User Approach to position the Chucks Converse have also collaborated with designer John Varvatos and worked on several innovative marketing and charitable projects. They also released a collection of Converse shoes inspired by Kurt Cobain featuring artwork sourced from Cobains journals. Cobain was often seen wearing Converse and was wearing Chucks when he ki lled himself. The Converse Cobain collection has earned a mixed response from Nirvana fans who have noted that Cobain was particularly concerned about corporate appropriation of counter culture value. The unique selling proposition (USP) of Converse All Star is their simple design, wearing which the consumers declare the ownership of the old-school essence. The classic 2-ply canvas and rubber sole has been the only design that Converse shoes have revolved around and always will. Apart from the image value provided by Chucks, the product also provides its consumers with a diversity of patterns and colors to choose from, a most attractive attribute for the youth. Moreover, Chucks also come in low ankle height design and high boots to suit the style of every individual. The Chucks also compliment almost all outfits for both the genders. Be it under skinny jeans, or a short skirt, Chucks can give a trendy look to all. The big broad colored laces in the shoes can easily be arranged by youngsters in different ways to give a new look on every arrangement. It has also been a fad amongst youngsters to paint the shoes highlighting their individualism. *Therefore, Chucks are more than just shoes. Marketing Mix and Market Position of Chucks This section describes the way Converse uses the tactical marketing tools for marketing Chucks in the United States. This section will cover the product attributes, pricing, distribution channels and promotional activities of Chuck Taylor All Star. Product The benefits provided by Chucks can be classified into three groups: The core benefits of the product comprise of the fact that Chucks are classic kicks that fit any look. They provide a perceived look of self-expression, free-spirit and creativity for every owner. Also, Chucks are easy to care for and teens prefer them because of the low maintenance feature that comes from a simple canvas and rubber design. The actual benefit of the shoe is its exquisite quality for a reasonable price. The Chucks use 2 ply canvas and a sturdy rubber toe-guard, which looks trendy and at the same time protects your feet. Although Chucks are not designed for athletics, they feel pretty comfortable and have a relatively simple design. Another special quality is their ability to transcend cultures; they appeal to punks, rebels, athletes, and kids. Another benefit of chucks is that they come in an unimaginable range of colors and also are packaged in color-themed shoe boxes, making it more appealing to the target consumer base. One of the most important features of chucks is that they provide the consumer with a variety of choices in terms of designs and patterns. The consumer can choose from hi-top, low-top, X-Hi and Slip-On. Above all, Converse is a recognized brand in the market of canvas shoes. Because of this, even after Nike took over Converse, they carried on the range with the same brand name. Augmented benefits include, the consumers being offered with an option to buy a customizable shoe with user-generated content, allowing users to design and select colors for the entire shoe. Consumers are able to create unique custom canvas shoes by uploading their own designs, patterns, illustrations, images and text, and then preview their shoes instantly. Users can also embellish their shoe designs with preset colors and patterns. The shoes are embellished and assembled from scratch within 24 to 48 hours, which enables consumers to receive their shoes in one to two weeks. Apart from all these benefits offered by Chucks, they also come in limited editions for those who want an exclusive shoe. Converse keeps coming up web exclusive offers to increase sales and make consumers revisit the site frequently. The sales and purchase agreement of Converse also offers an easy return within 30 days if the consumer happens to be unsatisfied with his online purchase. If purchased at high-end retailer, satisfaction guarantee Price Converses Chucks are priced quite reasonably relative to its competitors. On one hand, where brands like Sketchers, Vans, Levis, Adidas and Lee Cooper, offer the same quality and style for a high price, Converse All-Stars dont usually cost more than $35-60. Chucks are positioned to suit practically every pocket. Consumers can also avail the Just Reduced and Last Chance offers on particular shoes while purchasing online. The company usually provides discount coupons or vouchers on in-store purchases which can be utilized at the time of the next buy. Place/Distribution Converse has 53 outlets in the Unites States located in all major cities like California, Florida and Texas. (www.converse.com) Apart from exclusive Converse Stores, the product is also distributed to major retailers and is sold to the consumer through a variety of channels. According to data from BIGresearch, in the years 2006-2008 BIGresearch, nearly 18% of adult consumers have no preference for a particular branded outlet, 12% of consumers shop most often at Wal-Mart and Payless for footwear. Chucks can also be bought online from Converses official website www.converse.com. Promotion Apart from competing in price, Converse has to fight for market share through strategies like strengthening brand image and product proliferation. The brand image of Converse is created by extensive marketing campaigns and celebrity endorsements. The product has had a collection of classic advertisements after Nike invested a sum of $4 million post its takeover of Converse. The figure below shoes the growth in the sales of Converse after Nike pushed its promotion. Nike, Inc. Net Sales of Cole Haan, Converse Other Products and Percent of Total Net Sales, 2005-2009 (in millions $) Source: Nike, Inc. annual reports and press releases. Chucks have been marketed by famous personalities like Chuck H. Taylor, The Ramones and Will Smith from the field of sports, music and entertainment respectively. Converse has been actively building up a presence within the hip, indie/alternative music youth culture for the better part of the past decade, in particular emphasizing its retro-tinged Chuck Taylor All Star brand. Previously, the company has tapped musicians like Tokyo Police Club and Matt Kim to design shoes and sponsored collaborative singles from blog-hyped acts, including a recent release from Best Coast, Kid Cudi, and Vampire Weekends Rostam Batmanglij. The company also sponsors rock concerts, a kind of event associated with the target market. Since Converse is more like a community, a part of its advertising is done by its existing consumers through Word of Mouth (WOM) and internet blogs. Influence of Marketing Mix on Buying Behavior for Chucks Though the marketing mix needs to be updated on a regular basis to suit the variable needs of the existing customer base and to foray into newer markets, Converse has always promoted Chucks as an affordable trendy shoe for youngsters. With its classic customizable range of kicks, Chucks directly meets the need of creativity and self-expression for the youth. Also, the association of the brand with music since decades is a strong attraction to the followers of punk rock. Colors, styles, fashions, and what is likely to be hot are important criteria in the design of fashion footwear, and Chucks meet them all. Moreover, Converse is a renowned brand for canvas shoes and this brand familiarity influences the buyers decision to purchase Chuck Taylors each time he walks into a store with the intent of buying a pair of shoes. Chucks are reasonably priced and therefore are more likely, than its competitors, to be purchased. The frequent discounts and offers that Converse comes up with play a significant role in attracting the customers. The vouchers earned on in-store purchases work to persuade the customers to shop at Converse again. With several factory stores in the important cities of the country, Converse has made the purchase of Chucks quite convenient for its customers. Comforters are also lured by the option of website purchases and the availability of the shoe in ubiquitous retailers like Wal-Mart and Payless. The association that Converse has made with the celebrities from all spheres of life, sports to music to media, has helped it make a positive impression on minds of the targeted younger generation. The followers of indie/punk rock also relate with Converse much more than with any other brand, owing to Converses sponsorships of music events. Also, since Converse is a recognized brand, customers tend to buy Chucks since influencers or the reference groups possess the shoe. Conclusion Converse is a recognized brand in the fashion footwear industry, which positions its Shoe, Chucks All Star, as a shoe of self-expression. The product is reasonably priced and targets the younger generation of students and young professionals. With a variety of designs and colors, high quality standards and relatively low pricing, Chucks are amongst the most preferred shoes in the target market. Converse promotes Chucks through a number of distribution channels and celebrity endorsements. Overall with its marketing activities Chucks has been a successful brand. The only area in which Chucks are lagging is the athletic footwear segment which is huge market to be forayed in.