Thursday, December 26, 2019

Essay on American Pie. Coercive Sexuality - 693 Words

Coercive Sexuality By Diep Chu FS 337 March 2013 Coercive Sexuality Coercive sexuality is an important factor in American Pie movie. In this movie, audiences can see different pictures of teenagers trying to experiences sexual intercourse for the first time in their lives (Zide, Perry, and Weitz, 1999). And the more aggressive they are, people can see coercive sexuality involved in different scenes. Coercive sexual behavior among students has been an area of concern to society. At the time when human sexuality topic becomes so popular in teenagers’ world, those students in the movies let people understand more about their points of views about sexuality. The question that I want to address in this paper is: Do we as a†¦show more content†¦But on her side, she sure will not be happy to have him do that without her consent (Zide, Perry, and Weitz, 1999). In what way do the attitudes towards these mirrors the attitudes of our society in general? For many years society tried to control sexual behavior in youth by citin g the traditional negative consequences of sexual experiences and community disapproval. Television, being the highly influential, has been both part of the solution and part of the problem in the area of sex and youth. At the beginning, Jim was watching porn and his parents notice it (Zide, Perry, and Weitz, 1999). This would happen to many families in our society today when kids are in puberty. Those entertainments affect teen’s sexual behavior heavily. They will copy those disapproval contents in it. At almost the end of the movie, those youth figured out they want to experience sex only because of peer pressure. They finally understand sex had no meaning without love or the girls’ willingness (Zide, Perry, and Weitz, 1999). Public education has had some major problems in this area and few schools have any real programs in sex education. Many parents do not want their children to learn about sex early. But the more they avoid it, the more kids want to learn about it . This movie indicates good pictures of how teens nowadays think about sex. The sexual values are much different in themShow MoreRelatedLeading Function of Management15642 Words   |  63 Pages 16 ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT – Report on The LEADING Function of Management 7) Contributions of Elton Mayo : The work of Elton Mayo is famously known as â€Å"Hawthorne Experiments.† He conducted behavioral experiments at the Hawthorne Works of the American Western Electric Company in Chicago. He made some illumination experiments, introduced breaks in between the work performance and also introduced refreshments during the pause’s. On the basis of this he drew the conclusions that motivation was aRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesand Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Animal Products Used For Animals - 700 Words

There are various animal products used for animals. Products used for animals are silk, cashmere, and other animal products. Silk is the fiber that silkworms interlace to make cocoons. A silkworm is a trained insect, in nature, that goes through metamorphosis. Silk is derived from the cocoons of larvae. Approximately 3,000 silkworms die to make every pound of silk. The second animal product is cashmere which comes from goats underbellies. The goat that has cashmere fur is commonly kept on farms where they are dehorned and castrated and have their ears notched without anesthesia. While on the farm young goats are killed 50 to 80 percent of the time for not having the coat that meet standards. (Silk, Cashmere, Shearling, and Other Animal Products Used for Clothing.PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Jan. 2015.) There are lots of ways people use animals for entertainment. For example people use animals as entertainment by dogfighting, cockfighting, and also captivity. Dog fighting is a type of blood sport, usually well-defined as conflicting two game dogs against one another in a pit or ring for the entertainment of watchers, or the fighters also called dog men. Dog fights are often in rural areas held in barns or outdoor pits, in urban areas, fights can take place in garage, basements, back alleys and more. Dog fights mainly last until one dog is declared winner which occurs when one dog fails to scratch, one dog dies or one dog jumps out the pit. The loser if not killed in the fight,Show MoreRelatedDo Animals Have Rights. Animals Are Used To Test The Products3736 Words   |  15 PagesDo Animals Have Rights Animals are used to test the products that we use in our everyday life. Is it ethical or right to test our products on animals? If animal testing were not used, how would the safety of the products we use be insured? If animals were not used in medical testing, how would researchers come up with new medicines and vaccines? Different people have different opinions about this issue. Arguments abound for both sides. In order to have an organized argument, there must first beRead MoreShould Animals Be Used For Product Or Medical Research?767 Words   |  4 PagesThat’s what animals go through almost everyday. Animal medical research and animal testing has been going on for years and years and needs to be stopped immediately. They have lives just like us and are being treated like their nothing. Animals should not be used for product or medical research. To begin with, the behaviors of animals has become violent because of animal research. A 2013 poll showed that two thirds of respondents oppose testing cosmetics and other consumer products on animals. (â€Å"Is animalRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong1495 Words   |  6 PagesHarmful Testing on Animals is Wrong In American society, many groups and organizations are debating whether or not animal testing should be banned. Some people believe that there are reasons why animal testing should be done. Others believe that animal testing is morally wrong. Some experts believe that there are other options available. I believe that animal testing is wrong based on three observations: animal testing is unethical, pointless, and abusive. Numerous years ago, animal testing was startedRead MoreEssay on Animal Research Bill655 Words   |  3 Pages__________. Animal Testing Bill Section One: This bill will set rules to any make-up company creating cosmetic products for humans. Companies who create the make-up must have the product tested on animals before testing on humans. Section Two: Congress hereby finds and declares that cosmetics has been flawed because of it’s lack of sufficient research. In order to fulfill an efficient research (synonym), cosmetic companies should undergo animal testing. Products created by the companyRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Outlawed Essay1158 Words   |  5 Pagesmillions of innocent and helpless, animals are being tortured and murdered. They are used for product testing as well as to put into products without consumer knowledge. These defenseless animals are deprived of respect and are victimized to an extent where it becomes unbearable to watch. There are many organizations that are trying to fight for animal rights. However, these organizations struggle with is because there is no legislation in the United States to combat animal testing. Even though it is notRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned878 Words   |  4 PagesKazmierczak Mrs. Kaiser English 11 29 May 2015 Animal Testing You are one of the 26 million each year chosen to suffer from testing and in laboratories. You are one of the fifty chosen just for that certain test. You are and the other 26 million are not the lucky ones. That 26 million are being murder in laboratories every year (Should Animals†¦ Testing? 1). Innocent animals are being brutally killed to serve humans through animal testing for cosmetic products when this brutality could be stopped by educatingRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Stop Testing Their Products On Animals1722 Words   |  7 Pageshistory, animal experimentation has played a significant important role in leading to new discoveries and human benefit. However, what many people tend to forget are the numbers of animal subjects that have suffered serious harm during the process of experimentation. Each day across America innocent animals are used as test subjects for products that have little to no relevance importance. Animal testing has had many negative issues arise i n society in a negative way. 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Animal testing is an outdated science while alternative, non-animal methods are rapidly becoming more effective. Laws in the United States do not require cosmeti cs or medicinal drugs to be tested on animals, only thatRead More Its Time to Stop Animal Research, Testing, and Experimentation1594 Words   |  7 PagesTime to Stop Animal Research, Testing, and Experimentation    Using animals in research and to test the safety of products has been a topic of heated debate for decades. According to data collected by F. Barbara Orlans for her book, In the Name of Science: Issues in Responsible Animal Experimentation, sixty percent of all animals used in testing are used in biomedical research and product-safety testing (62). People have different feelings for animals; many look upon animals as companions

Monday, December 9, 2019

Consumer Behaviour Major Factor in Marketing

Question: Describe about the Consumer Behaviour for Major Factor in Marketing. Answer: Introduction Consumer behavior is the major factor in marketing of products as well as a business. It is defined as a study of customers acceptance or rejection towards a certain product. It is a research of their all the methods of choosing, buying, utilizing and disposing of the products, conducted on individuals, groups and on organizations (Hoyer MacInnis, 2010). Their satisfaction and need for the product, its effect on the individual and on society as a whole can be learnt from it. their suggestions can be applied to develop the product or service. Thus , a brand becomes known to the mass. The report above will be carried out in order to understand the factors that directly affects the acceptance of brand amongst the consumers. The suitable theories and models will be taken in by the researcher to explain and understand how a brand gets accepted by the buyers (Weilbacher, 1993). There exist some factors which influence consumers behavior directly, which are- communal factor, financial factor, cultural factor, physiological factor and personal factor. These factors bring up the question that a buyer may think before deciding on buying a product and then selecting the same brand for a long term. Since, the customers are the spine of marketing, such factors have to be noticed to learn their needs (Graybeal, 1942). The factors that drive acceptance of a brand across an entire segment. Brand acceptance is something that decides the future of a specific brand as well as the manufacturing organization. It is directly related to customers loyalty. Their loyalty has to be won to develop the brand through marketing and delivering. Buyers notice every well-known or widely famous brands very easily, therefore the new ones have to make their place in the market very skillfully. Some customers gets attracted to a certain brand due to some emotional reasons, though rational reasoning is more common in customers while deciding. Advertising takes a major part in this. If the company can advertise their products, and deliver as promised, it is much likely that customers will be satisfied with it. besides, the faces that are used for advertisement such as celebrities and personalities, it also catches their attention towards the brand. The people also follow the icons, or leaders of those brands as their voices can be persuasive. The leaders ay use their personality features to get through the mass and understand what and how they want it (Li, Jervis, Drake, 2015). peer influence is also a huge deal in the purchasing decision and it has increased a lot in the past few years. As the media grows, the peer pressure on people about brands become more effective. Also, personal relations and fellow workers can talk someone into buying a product or opting for a brand. Economical or financial factors have an extreme role in cosumers decisions. As long as a brand is reachable for the bigger proportion of the population in a specific location, it will get recognized and attract more customers in the near future. The prices of products and services have to be reasonable so that the people with medium wages can also buy them and use them as well as the upper class families. The values can be in a wide range along with different qulaiites so that every class can be satisfied. the main and the most important role in this is of ones personal expience with it. no other f actor will effect on buying decision that their own experience with the brand after purchasing it (Li, Jervis, Drake, 2015). Rogers model as explanation of brand acceptance: Rogers model which is actually named the diffusion of innovation model was published by Everett Rogers in 1962. Rogers argument is that diffusion is the methodology by which a headway is granted after some time among the individuals in a social system (Rogers Shoemaker, 1971). The origins of the scattering of advancements speculation are moved and cross various controls. Rogers proposes that four essential segments affect the spread of another idea: the progression itself, correspondence channels, time, and a social system. The classes of adopters are innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. The model was explained to understand and notify the organsiation with how brand acceptance works (Rossiter, 1993). Other perspective that differs from the rogers model There are numerous theories, assumptions and concepts on several features of marketing. Most of them do not correlate, rather clash. One such model which is different from the rogers diffusion model is the Ansoffs Matrix model of marketing. Igor Ansoff, known as the father of key organization, was a mathematician and business boss. In the 1950s his work was made and finally scattered giving manager and the propelling scene with a key, down to earth instrument that is being used 50 years at some point later. Fundamentally the Ansoff thing/showcase system is an instrument that helps associations pick their thing and market advancement approach.Ansoff's thing/publicize structure suggests that a business' tries to create depend on upon whether it showcases new or existing things in new or existing markets. The standard four box structure or system Ansoff illustrate This strategy encourages digital marketing as the technologies are growing up and moving forward so fast, more companies are adapting this as a first choice. This theory reflects that in marketing reaching is a huge deal for public before they opt for a brand. Therefore, it has different perspective that the previous model. There are some limitations in the rogers diffusion of innovation model. In the first place, the model does not incorporate the covering impacts of the diverse settings what's more, spaces in which all new innovation works. In the convention of Innovation research this is helpful as it gives a successive framework to the thought of key decisions, yet Sociologists may discover such clarifications excessively oversimplified without dialog of the framework all in all. Second, a significant part of the work on which we based the model is drawn from NPD and Marketing hypothesis. Both fields are overwhelmed by the presumption that clients embrace new innovation to expand their utility. So in the present era, as the organization has adopted new advancements in the work area, this model may not work in all the situations. Though, this model is well-explained and widely used in brand acceptance and public relations, but it cannot be applied for all products or services. The ways in which a comprehension of the diffusion concept is of value to marketing practice. The diffusion of innovation model: This model helps a business to see how a purchaser receives and draws in with new items or advancements after some time. Organizations will use it while releasing new items or services in the market, modifying it or bringing a present thing into another business segment. It indicates how the item can be received by five unique classes/client sorts and how to draw in as a business with these sorts of individuals: Source: https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Diffusion-of-Innovation-model.png Clearly, the ascent of new released technologies and publicizing methodology suggests that the spread of improvement model is particularly applicable to automated sponsors. Researcher Gartner have a long standing report displaying the times of social event of new advancements that is valuable for front line strategists to take after (Rogers, 2003). In case an association is pushing another tech thing, for instance, programming, they can use this model which will help with recognizing the advancing materials required for each social affair. The Adoption theory is most significant when looking thing dispatches, be that as it may it can be useful when taking existing things or organizations into another business segment. Therefore, this model is very useful in marketing practices (Boehner Gold, 2015). The specific components of the marketing process might be influenced by the diffusion concept Four essential component that effect the spread of another contemplation are the improvement, correspondence channels, time, and the social system. Diffusion of innovation theory shows itself in different courses in various social orders and fields and is astoundingly subjective to the kind of adopters and improvement decision methodology. Publicists are particularly enthusiastic about the diffusion method as it chooses the accomplishment and rejection of any new goods introduced in the business sectors. According to Rogers, an innovation is a thought, practice, or dissent that is seen as new by an individual or other unit of apportionment. Rogers created that the progression decision period is the time traverse required to experience the improvement decision technique. The rate of gathering is the relative pace with which a progression is grasped by people from a social framework. Communication mediums are the strategies by which messages get beginning with one individual then onto the following. According to Rogers, a social structure is a course of action of interrelated units that are involved with joint basic deduction to accomplish a mutual goal. Justification for key contentions The above report contains reasoning, factors and model that are related to consumers behavior and their acceptance of new products and services. All these data are taken into account in order to explain the subject thoroughly in details and with key points. The management of companies can learn the matter with this report and implement changes and modifications with their items so that the brads will get widely accepted. The model and the other theories and concepts used by the researcher in this report are justified as they all have effects on consumer behavior as well as customers loyalty and acceptance. References Boehner, R. Gold, S. (2015) The Influence of the Marketing Mix on the Diffusion of Innovation: Bass Model Redux. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2626947 Graybeal, T. (1942). Factors which influence the behavior of directional relays. Electr. Eng., 61(12), 942-952. https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ee.1942.6435478 Hoyer, W. MacInnis, D. (2010). Consumer behavior. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Li, X., Jervis, S., Drake, M. (2015). Examining Extrinsic Factors that Influence Product Acceptance: A Review. Journal Of Food Science, 80(5), R901-R909. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.12852 Rogers, E. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press. Rogers, E. Shoemaker, F. (1971). Communication of innovations. New York: Free Press. Rossiter, J. (1993). Brand awareness and acceptance: A seven-set classification for managers. J Brand Manag, 1(1), 33-40. https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/bm.1993.5 Weilbacher, w. (1993). Brand marketing. Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC Business Books.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Le Rossignol Essays - DraftHistory Of Women In Norway,

Le Rossignol Le Rossignol est un lai de Marie de France qui s'etait traduire en vers romans de huit syllables entre les annee 1160 et 1180. Dans Le Rossignol, Marie de France examine l'amour courtois et l'amour de la court qui observe des regles. Un exemple de ses regles s'appele **Traite de l'amour ?courtois?** de Andre Le Chapelain qui nous avons deja lu en classe. Marie de France a ecrit ce lai en troisieme personne. Donc, mous pouvons avoir une comprehension dans l'ensemble de l'histoire, comme le but, les images et le ton; mais, nous n'avons pas une complete comprehension des points de vue personnels des l'epoux, la femme, et le voisin (l'autre homme). Dans **Le Rossignol** par Marie de France, il y a un but evident, a mon avis. C'est clair que dans ce lai la femme dans le mariage n'a pas de pouvoir. Elle est marie avec un homme, mais est amoureuse d'un autre homme. Cet amour ne s'exprime pas a cause de l'epoux. C'est une chose enervante, c'est vrai. Et quand l'epoux est tue le rossignol il est tue l'amour entre la femme et l'autre homme. C'est triste. Mais, pour un instant je veux explorer le point de vue de l'epoux. Imaginez que vous etes l'epoux dans ce lai. Vous etes marier avec une dame et vous avez l'espoir d'une vie contente et facile. Vous connaissez les regles de l'amour et vous avez confiance en l'avenir. Malheureusement, votre epouse fait des choses que vous n'aimez pas. Toutes les nuits elle va a la fenetre et elle ne reste pas avec vous. Enfin, vous tuez l'excuse qu'elle vous donne?le rossignol. Il y a des gens en ma classe qui pensent que l'epoux etait mechant. Moi, je plainds l'epoux. Il est la victim de l'amour entre la femme et le voisin. Il ne fait rien a l'autre homme ou sa femme directement quand il decouvre la verite. Il seulement reprend la maitrise de sa vie et de sa situation. Peut-etre, il a une autre dame qu'il aime plus de sa femme et il ne peut pas rester avec elle parce que son mariage etait arranger. Dans les deux cas, le ton est triste. Personne est avec son amour et tout le monde est une victime de la societe et les regles d'amour. Marie de France a ecrit un bon lai des relations entre les femmes et les hommes.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

DNY influence of the dutch on nycs early history Essays

DNY influence of the dutch on nycs early history Essays DNY influence of the dutch on nycs early history - Dutch trading companies push factor missing 1,2.,3.,4 they didnt feel like going out to dicover pull factor not strong 1.,2,3, they were only interested in trading - 1602 Dutch East india Company- monopoly on dutch spice trade often considered first multinational company/corporation in the world first issue stock -1614 first dutch settlement Fort Nassau -1621- dutch west india company -march 31st 1624 ship the new Nederland 30 familes first dutch immigarnts tp north America -1624 fortress, Fort Orange -1625- fortress, Manhatten Island, farmers from Holland brought here five farms established -farms bouwerijen 1629- DWIC promised liberties 2nd exemptions 50 colonists- own expense called a patron buy land-full ownership held in perpetuity for himself and heirs 1629- dwic bought back 4 or 5 patroon ships- Rensselaers wyck-Kiliaen vao Rensselaers 1647- Nieuw Amsterdam became trading center of the colony- Pieter Stuyvesht-700/100? de wal Amsterdam- nienw Amsterdam- new york city 1626- Peter Minuit, governor of new Amsterdam purchased Manhatten Island for 60 guilders (24$-25$) 1664- 1500 inhabitants-350 houses- not all Dutch- many languages- cosmopolitan city- atmosphere of tolerance(religious), as per 17th century Holland 1646- town of breukelen Brooklyn 17th century- Netherlands and England maritime powers- rivalry for trade and freedom of the seas August 28,1664- English fleet off Nienw Amsterdam four men- of war- dutch surrender 1673- Dutch again- nieuw Oranje/ New Orange 1674- Treaty of West minister ended Anglo- Dutch war territory to Britain- NYC

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Content Audit Template How To Improve Your Content - CoSchedule

Content Audit Template How To Improve Your Content Here’s a common situation: You’re creating lots of content. You pour your heart and soul into creating stuff you think your audience will find extremely useful. So†¦ how is that content working out for you? Content audits are a perfect way to help you understand what’s working- and what you can improve- to get the results you need from your content. Is It The Best? Improve Your Content With An Audit Template.Plus, it’ll only take a day or two to complete your content audit with this template. If you’ve got a 50-page website, use this content audit template to complete the job in less than four hours. Have a 1,500-page site? Give yourself two days. The Basic Elements Of This 3-Step Content Audit Template These are the three components of a successful content audit: Discover what content worked. Figure out a way to improve your content. Make a plan to optimize, create and promote your content for the next 6–12 months. Step 1: Figure Out What Content Worked Using The Pareto Principle Start with the 80/20 Rule. The 80/20 Rule, a.k.a. â€Å"The Pareto Principle†, suggests that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. To apply the 80/20 rule to your content audit, find which 20% of your content creates 80% of your results. For example, if you want to generate more website traffic, then determine which 20% of your website pages generate 80% of your traffic. Content Audit Template How To Improve Your Content Here’s a common situation: You’re creating lots of content. You pour your heart and soul into creating stuff you think your audience will find extremely useful. So†¦ how is that content working out for you? Content audits are a perfect way to help you understand what’s working- and what you can improve- to get the results you need from your content. Is It The Best? Improve Your Content With An Audit Template.Plus, it’ll only take a day or two to complete your content audit with this template. If you’ve got a 50-page website, use this content audit template to complete the job in less than four hours. Have a 1,500-page site? Give yourself two days. The Basic Elements Of This 3-Step Content Audit Template These are the three components of a successful content audit: Discover what content worked. Figure out a way to improve your content. Make a plan to optimize, create and promote your content for the next 6–12 months. Step 1: Figure Out What Content Worked Using The Pareto Principle Start with the 80/20 Rule. The 80/20 Rule, a.k.a. â€Å"The Pareto Principle†, suggests that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. To apply the 80/20 rule to your content audit, find which 20% of your content creates 80% of your results. For example, if you want to generate more website traffic, then determine which 20% of your website pages generate 80% of your traffic.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

How I Dress and Customize Myself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How I Dress and Customize Myself - Essay Example My dressing manifests the decency, the body exposure, and the minimum dressing requirements that my religion and culture accepts. Indeed, my personal beliefs and values also define the tightness and type of clothes that I should put on. Actually, I put on clothes that will not expose or outline my body since that is against my personal beliefs and values. I dress to achieve and maintain my dignity and to respect mu cultural values. I also dress to support my personal belief of being joyful every day since that gives me energy for the day. I also dress to express my love for style. Personally, I do not envy body adornment like tattoos because I have a personal belief that they do not reflect decency, they are against my cultural values, and are equally painful. Nevertheless, I put on watches to support my personal belief of keeping time. I also have a personal belief of drawing attention and hence I dress to be stylish and attract attention. RESPONSE 2 I make these dressing and body a dornment to express my emotions. Moreover, my dressing decisions and choices seek to justify my beliefs and values. At the same time, I make these choices to abide by the lessons that my parents have taught me for years. Indeed, I seek to copy my parents’ dressing tastes as they reflect our cultural values. I also make these choices to avoid the recurrence of my own life experiences where my dressing embarrassed me. Additionally, in my dressing I present my class and respect for others. My choices also seek to dress appropriately for the occasion and venue where places like class, church, workplace, and sports ground require different clothing choices. Moreover, I make these choices for the sake of my health and manners where body adornments like tattoos maybe unhealthy and undignified. I also dress to achieve my professional requirement of decency. RESPONSE 3 Indeed, my dressing and body adornment have changed over the years. The surrounding, my parents, and peers influenced my dressing and body adornment choices. As I moved from one college to another, this changed my environment as well as my experiences on dressing. Indeed, I moved to a place where the dressing was more liberal than my hometown and I had to adapt to that norm. My experience of people who are no afraid to express their beliefs through dressing also motivated me to change my dressing for purposes of expressing my personal beliefs and values. As such, I have changed my dressing to reflect the local dressing ways. My peers have also changed my way of dressing as I sought to identify with them. Indeed, over the years I have had different peers with different dressing styles, which I have respectively adopted. I have also been copying my parents dressing which have changed overtime but remained decent. Moreover, as l grow and mature I gained the capacity to make my own dressing decisions, which manifest in the changes in my dressing. Ultimately, when I got a corporate job, I had to change my dressing choices thus reflecting how my dressing has changed over the years. RESPONSE 4 The core beliefs and values in my family were dignity, professionalism, decency, and emphasis on respectable and appropriate dressing. Ideally, dressing and body customization communicated these beliefs and values. My parents wore nice and decent clothes to work which reflected their professionalism and respect for others. They put on shirts, trousers, and skirts that reflected their decency and dignity. Moreover, even during holidays and outings, my parents always dressed appropriately and I had to adopt their dressing behavior as it maintained our core beliefs and values. Additionally, my parents never had tattoos because they believed that tattoos did not reflect

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Simple 1 page journal entry on Kate Chopin Essay

Simple 1 page journal entry on Kate Chopin - Essay Example Chopin has also shown in the novel that women of that time had strong desires of autonomy and individuality but they were hardly able to fulfill those desires. In this short story, Chopin raised some important issues, which play their roles in the life of a woman. Some of those issues include importance of love and sex in marriage, factors of guilt and honesty, and sexual desires of women. Chopin revealed that women of that time had less freedom and they used to fulfill their desires using unconventional means. In this story, Chopin revealed that women of the late 19th century although had sexual desires but they used to keep their desires hidden because of the respect and esteem they had for themselves. In the view of Chopin, lives of the women in the late 19th century were focused towards their maternal roles and they had less freedom of expressing their sexual desires. Basu, Harsha. â€Å"Kate Chopins The Awakening: Role of Mademoiselle Reisz in Edna Pontelliers Awakening.† Ezinearticles.com, 21 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 Jul. 2011.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The notion of death seems to be the definite consequence Essay Example for Free

The notion of death seems to be the definite consequence Essay William Shakespeares Hamlet is an anecdote of love, tragedy and the demise of man. Inevitably, a story with so much conflict and turmoil will involve death to some degree, and Shakespeares expression of death is unimpeachable. The altercation of the characters is the driving force behind the ultimate tragedy that befalls the characters. This conflict is a succession of events which leads to the climax, their downfall. What is the conflict that causes their destruction? It is the kings death which eventually causes Hamlets own destruction. Hamlet, as the protagonist, is the leading factor that affects the other characters notably Claudius and Gertrude. Claudius as Hamlets opposite, his opponent and the antagonist of the play would noticeably be influenced by Hamlets actions. The other characters, especially Ophelia whose demise is intertwined with Hamlets actions. His refusal of her love, his deception of her, all condemn her to madness and finally her death. This leads to a certain intuition that death seems to be the definitive result to their problems. In other words, death inevitably seems to stem from and is the consequence of conflict, both internal and external, for the characters of Hamlet. However, how does this conflict lead to their collapse? The conflict of emotion is one of the principal aspects of the play and is shared by many of the characters but Hamlet, Ophelia and Laertes are the foremost in that order. These characters share a similar cause for their emotion and of their conflict, the loss of a loved one. For Hamlet it is the premature death of his father, for Ophelia, her loss of Hamlet and of her father while Laertes, it is also the loss of his father. However, Ophelia seems to be the hardest hit as Hamlets deception of her turns her to madness. During the dialogue between Ophelia and Hamlet, we can see Hamlets true intentions. Hamlet tells Ophelia, I did love you once, Ophelia responds, Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so, and Hamlets response is, You should not have believed me (III, i, ll. 115 117). Ophelia, as a woman, is portrayed as a lower character. She is a nai ve, little girl who falls in love and when is deceived, goes insane. Ophelia is a perfect example of this conflict. She experiences and struggles with internal and external conflict. She is torn between obligation to Hamlet and her father. Her relationship with Hamlet is an interesting one. It shows how fragile their relationship is and how love can slowly transcend to madness. This can also express Hamlets obligation, his obligation to provide her with love. However, this obligation is the surface of the water, so to speak. Hamlets intentions lie deeper within and this is Ophelias demise. Her conflict with Hamlets intentions and her intentions do not bode well with her. Indisputably, the demise of most of the characters results from the conflicts of intention and emotion. We can observe this when Ophelia speaks to Claudius about how, he promised her wed. The role of Ophelia is the personification of the general role of women. Once again, the domination of Hamlets objectives clouds her judgment and leads her to conflict. Hamlets domination and the general dominion of men in this play elucidate the struggles of women, especially Ophelia. Finally, it matters that Ophelias struggle with Hamlet and with loss of her father drives her to suicide. With her suicide, she is free from her obligation to men, notably Hamlet and uninhibited by the conflict she struggles with. As indicated before, Hamlet, Laertes and Ophelia have a lot in common. They struggle with the loss of their father, and with the exception of Ophelia, they are motivated by the yearning for revenge. The conflict between Laertes and Hamlet is clearly described, as it was Hamlet that slew Polonius, and Laertes seeks revenge for his slain father. It is this open conflict that would inevitably lead to their death. This is articulated in the final battle between Laertes and Hamlet. All the discord between them is expressed in this final battle. In the end, the fracas brings about both their downfall. This is the best example of the results of conflict in Hamlet. Even Laertes states, I am justly killed by my own treachery (II, ii, l. 298). The implication of this statement illustrates that in the process of conflict, the result will inexorably be death. The issue of external conflict clearly showed its correlation with death. However, external conflict always stems from internal conflict. The kings death triggers a desire for revenge in Hamlet and this, in turn, affects others. The death of Hamlet, Laertes and Ophelia ultimately, was the result of Hamlets own internal conflict. However, the best example of death through internal conflict would be Claudius. Claudius, as the antagonist, would be adversely affected by Hamlets actions but more importantly, the conflict within him regarding the murder of the king is a greater hazard. We have an indication of this guilt during The Mousetrap. Throughout the play, we can see Hamlet observing Claudius for any sign of weakness or discomfort. He is not disappointed as he clearly observes Claudius getting very uncomfortable and arrives at his conclusion. Henceforth, Hamlets objective has been ascertained. From this point forth, we can see the conflict between Hamlet and Claudius heat up. The epitome of their conflict is expressed in the final battle. The inner conflict within Claudius inevitably led to an open conflict with Hamlet and finally, to his death. Gertrude is in a similar condition as Claudius. Her incestuous marriage to Claudius was the catalyst for the conflict to begin. Again, the internal conflict within Gertrude evolves into open conflict with Hamlet and undoubtedly leads to her death. These two characters are appropriate examples for the chain of events that led to the downfall of many of the characters in Hamlet. They portray inner struggle translating to external conflict and finally the definite consequence; death. The characters in Hamlet are apposite expressions of the dangers of conflict. The seed of conflict is sown in any individual, in this case, Hamlet, and it grows and eventually affects others. Throughout the play, this is evident. It all started with the murder of Hamlets father. His desire for revenge progressed into open conflict as he slowly went mad. His relationships with the other characters notably Ophelia, deteriorated. Finally, it was his desire for revenge that killed him and others. It just goes to say, revenge is sweet but the consequences are bitter.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

On The Waterfront :: Movie, Film Analysis

Setting – The story starts out in the nineteen fifties in a typical small town exploited by the mob. The title On the Waterfront befits it well, for the town’s only way of employment is working on the docks for the mob. The mob controls everything in this town; they are the union and the law. If anything accurs you don’t know anything about it. Even if you were right there you were blind or D&D (Deaf and Dumb). Situation – The situation in the town is that a very prominent man in the town was thrown off of the roof of his apartment building. Most of the people in the town were mystified by this because he as a good man that would not have many enemies. Most people would say he was a saint. His name was Joey. When the police arrive at the scene of the crime no one is cooperating with them because of the fear of the mob. Although some witnesses were almost family with the victim they will not be a canary or pigeon to squeal. This problem has been around for a while and some town members are starting to feel the guilt of their silence (with help from the priest) and decide to meet and talk about the problem. On the docks work was on a first come first serve basis. Friends of the mob was given good easy jobs while the other work tokens were thrown on the ground and the men would fight for them. Characters – The main character is Terry an ex semi-professional boxer who became friendly with the mob during his career. He is a common unintelligent man (typical of his town) that unlike his brother quit school. He was the man that helped the mob kill a good man in the opening scene by distracting him to come onto the roof and check out his pigeons (Symbolic). His brother keeps the mobs papers. The Antagonist is the mob boss named Johnny who blames poverty for causing him to transform into a crook and murderer. It is either make no money or make money. They live like animals in a Social Darwinism. The other main actor is the sister of the murder victim named Iddie. She comes from a totally sheltered life, growing up in a catholic school raised by nuns. She refuses to return to school because she wants to face a real problem, not just read about them.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Indigo Spell Chapter Eight

I THINK ADRIAN WOULD'VE gone hunting Ms. Terwilliger's sister with me then and there. Amberwood's curfew wouldn't allow it, and besides, it was something I wanted to do in daylight. To his credit, he did heal Marcus without them getting into a fistfight, so that was progress. Marcus lost a little of his animosity and tried to engage Adrian in conversation about what spirit could do. Adrian gave wary responses and looked relieved when Sabrina showed up to take Marcus away. He gave me a mysterious farewell, simply saying he'd text me soon about the â€Å"next stage.† I was too tired to ask for more details and headed back to my dorm to sleep off what had been a pretty crazy day. I was awakened at the crack of dawn by heavy pounding at my door. I squinted at the clock, grimacing when I saw that it was an hour earlier than I usually got up. I stayed in bed, hoping whoever it was would go away. If there was something really urgent happening, someone would've called me on my cell phone. The display showed no missed calls, however. Unfortunately, the knocking didn't stop. With a feeling of dread, I finally dragged myself up, half-afraid of what I'd find outside my door. It was Angeline. â€Å"Finally,† she said, inviting herself into my room. â€Å"I thought you'd never answer.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said, shutting the door behind her. â€Å"I was busy sleeping.† She walked right up to my bed and sat down like she owned it. I really didn't know her schedule, but she always struck me as a late riser. Apparently not today. She was dressed in a school uniform, with her brilliant red hair pulled back in what was, for her, a rather tidy ponytail. â€Å"I have a problem,† she said. My feeling of dread grew. I turned on my coffeemaker, which I always had ready with fresh grounds and water. Something told me I was going to need a cup to get through this. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked, settling into my desk chair. I made no attempt at even guessing. When it came to Angeline, her problems could range from throwing a desk in rage or accidentally spilling hydrochloric acid on another student. Both had happened recently. â€Å"I'm failing math,† she said. This was unwelcome but not unexpected news. Angeline's mountain community, while still educating its children, didn't quite match the standards of Amberwood's elite curriculum. She struggled in a number of her classes but had managed to scrape by so far. â€Å"I'm already in trouble in my Spanish class,† she added. â€Å"But that pinata I made got me some extra credit, so I'm hanging in there okay for now.† I'd heard about the pinata. It had been for her class's cultural day, and she'd been so thorough with her papier-mache that none of her classmates had been able to open it through normal means. Angeline had ended up beating it against a wall and had to be stopped by her teacher when she'd produced a lighter. â€Å"But if I slip there and in math, I could get expelled.† That dragged me away from the flammable pinata and back to the present. â€Å"Ugh,† I said, having no better way to articulate my thoughts. The problem with a school that had high standards was . . . well, it had high standards. Trouble in one class might be tolerated, but not two. And if Angeline got kicked out, we'd be down one level of security for Jill – not to mention the fact that I'd probably get blamed for it all. â€Å"Ms. Hayward told me I need to get a tutor. She says I either need to get better or at least show I'm trying.† That was promising, I supposed. Even if a tutor couldn't help, hopefully the school would be lenient with her good faith effort. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"We'll get you a tutor.† She frowned. â€Å"Why can't you do it? You're smart. You're good at math.† Why couldn't I? Well, first I had to stop an evil sorceress from sucking the youth and power from innocent girls. Then I had to crack the secrets and lies that the organization I'd been born into was telling me. Instead I said, â€Å"I'm busy.† â€Å"You have to do it. It'd be easy for you,† she protested. â€Å"Really busy,† I said. â€Å"I'm surprised Eddie can't do it.† His name brought a smile to her face. â€Å"He offered, but his grades are just average. I need someone really good.† â€Å"Then I'll get you someone really good. I just can't do it myself right now.† Angeline didn't like that answer, but at least she didn't flip over my desk. â€Å"Okay. Fine. Just hurry up.† â€Å"Yes, your majesty,† I muttered, watching her strut out of my room in a huff. At least Angeline's academic problems were something a little easier to deal with than the other supernatural intrigues occupying my time. Since I was already awake and had coffee, I decided there was no point in going back to sleep. I showered and dressed, then caught up on some extra homework while I waited for breakfast. When the serving time started in our cafeteria, I headed downstairs and lingered near the entrance. It only took about five minutes before my friend Kristin Sawyer came by. She always went running before class started and was usually one of the first in line for breakfast afterward. She was also in AP calculus with me. â€Å"Hey,† I said, falling in step with her. â€Å"Good run?† â€Å"Great run,† she said. There was still a little sweat on her dark skin. â€Å"A lot nicer now that the weather's cooler.† She eyed me curiously. â€Å"I don't usually see you here this early. I don't usually see you eat breakfast.† â€Å"It's the most important meal of the day, right?† I selected oatmeal and an apple. â€Å"Besides, I have a favor to ask you.† Kristin nearly dropped the plate of scrambled eggs one of the servers handed to her. Her brown eyes widened. â€Å"You have a favor to ask me?† While I wasn't responsible for my human friends in the same way I was the Moroi and dhampirs, I still had a tendency to look after them. I'd helped Kristin a number of times. â€Å"Yeah . . . my cousin Angeline needs a math tutor.† There was an expectant look on Kristin's face, like she was waiting for me to finish my story. Then understanding hit. â€Å"Who, me? No. No way.† â€Å"Oh, come on. It'd be easy.† I followed her to a table, having to hurry to catch up. I think she thought that if she walked quickly enough, she might be able to escape my request. â€Å"She's in remedial math. You could tutor her in your sleep.† Kristin sat down and gave me a long, level look. â€Å"Sydney, I saw your cousin punch a grown man and throw a speaker at someone. Do you really think I'm going to sign on for a job that makes her do work she doesn't want to do? What if she gets frustrated at what I'm telling her? How do I know she won't stab me with a compass?† â€Å"You don't,† I admitted. â€Å"But I think it's unlikely. Probably. She really wants to improve her grade. Otherwise, she could get kicked out.† â€Å"Sorry.† Kristin actually did look legitimately apologetic. â€Å"You know I'd do almost anything for you – but not this. You're going to have to find someone who's not afraid of her.† I thought about her words over and over as I headed off to history class. She was right. But the only people completely at ease around her were Eddie and Jill, and they were off the list as tutors. I wondered if maybe I should offer up money to someone when I went to calculus later. â€Å"Miss Melbourne.† Ms. Terwilliger was back in her classroom, no doubt to the relief of yesterday's sub. She waved me up to her messy desk and handed me a single sheet of paper. â€Å"Here's the list we discussed.† I scanned it. It contained the names of six girls as well as their addresses. These must be the ones she'd mentioned, girls with known magical aptitude but no coven or teacher to look out for them. All the addresses were in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. â€Å"I trust Mrs. Santos got you the other information you needed for your project?† â€Å"Yes.† Mrs. Santos had emailed me the historical neighborhoods she knew about, and I'd narrowed them down to a couple likely candidates. â€Å"I'll start working on the, uh, project this weekend.† Ms. Terwilliger arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Why are you putting it off? I've never known you to procrastinate on an assignment.† I was a little startled. â€Å"Well . . . normally I don't, ma'am. But this is going to take some extra time – travel time – and I don't have enough of it on school days.† â€Å"Ah,† she said, realization hitting her. â€Å"Well, then, you may use your independent study for it. That'll give you extra time. And I'll tell Mrs. Weathers you may be coming in after curfew. I'll make sure that she's accommodating. This project is of the utmost importance.† There was no protest I could make. â€Å"I'll start today, then.† As I was walking back to my desk, a voice said, â€Å"Jeez, Melbourne. Just when I thought that independent study you had with her couldn't get any easier . . . now you don't even have to show up for class?† I paused to give Trey a smile. He was Ms. Terwilliger's assistant during this class period, meaning he did a lot of filing and photocopying. â€Å"It's a very important assignment,† I said. â€Å"I guess. What is it?† â€Å"It'd bore you.† I did a double take as I looked him over. I didn't even have to grope for a change in conversation. â€Å"What happened to you?† His eyes were bloodshot, and the unkempt state of his black hair suggested he hadn't had a shower this morning. There was a sallow, almost sickly hue to his normally tan skin. He gave me a weak smile and lowered his voice. â€Å"Craig Lo's brother scored us some beer last night. It was from some microbrewery I guess that's good.† I groaned. â€Å"Trey, I thought you were better than that.† Trey managed as much of an indignant look as he could in his hungover state. â€Å"Hey, some of us like to have a little fun now and then. You should give it a shot sometime. I already tried to help you with Brayden, but you messed that up.† â€Å"I didn't mess anything up!† Brayden was a barista who worked with Trey, one who rivaled me when it came to a love of academia and random knowledge. Our brief relationship had been full of facts and low on passion. â€Å"He broke up with me.† â€Å"You wouldn't guess it. Did you know he writes all this lovesick poetry about you on his breaks?† I was taken aback. â€Å"He . . . he does?† The reason Brayden had broken up with me was because my various duties to my vampire family had constantly interfered with the two of us, forcing me to neglect him and cancel a lot. â€Å"I feel kind of bad he took it that hard. I'm surprised he'd have such a, I don't know, outburst of passion.† Trey snorted. â€Å"I don't know that it's that passionate. He's more concerned about form and sits around with books detailing iambic pentameter and sonnet analysis.† â€Å"Okay, that sounds more like him.† The bell was about to ring, so I had started to return to my seat when I noticed something on Trey's desk. â€Å"You're not done with that?† It was a big homework assignment we had for our chemistry class, involving a number of complicated acid and base problems. It was due in our next period, and it seemed unlikely Trey would finish in time since all he had on the paper so far was his name. â€Å"Yeah . . . I was going to finish it last night, but . . .† â€Å"Right. The beer. Having fun.† I didn't even bother to hide my disapproval. â€Å"That's a huge part of our grade.† â€Å"I know, I know.† He looked down at the papers with a sigh. â€Å"I'll finish as much as I can before then. Partial credit's better than no credit.† I studied him for a moment and then made a decision that went against many of my basic principles. I reached into my messenger bag and handed him my completed homework. â€Å"Here,† I said. He took the pages with a frown. â€Å"Here what?† â€Å"It's the assignment. Use my answers.† â€Å"I. . . .† His jaw dropped. â€Å"Do you know what you're doing?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I don't think you do. You're giving me your homework.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And telling me to pass it off as my homework.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But I didn't actually do the work.† â€Å"Do you want them or not?† I asked in frustration. I started to take the papers back, but he pulled them close. â€Å"Oh, I want them,† he said. â€Å"I just want to know what you want in return. Because this doesn't really make up for getting me ostracized from my family and friends.† He kept his tone light, but I heard the edge of bitterness. There it was. No matter how friendly he and I were, our respective allegiances to the Warriors and the Alchemists would always be between us. Maybe it was a joke now . . . but someday it wouldn't be. â€Å"I need a favor,† I explained. â€Å"A small one, really. Has nothing to do with any of that . . . stuff.† Trey looked understandably wary. â€Å"Which is?† The bell rang, so I spoke quickly. â€Å"Angeline needs a math tutor or else she'll fail. And if she fails, she'll get kicked out of school. It wouldn't be hard for you at all. And it'd look good on your college applications.† â€Å"Your cousin's a little unstable,† he said. But he didn't say no, so I thought that was a good sign. â€Å"You used to think she was hot,† I reminded him. â€Å"Yeah, that was before. . . .† He didn't finish, but I knew. Before he found out she was a dhampir. The Warriors had the same taboos the Alchemists did about relationships between the races. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I understand. I'll just take my homework and go.† I held out my hand, but he didn't give the papers back. â€Å"Wait, I'll do it. But if she injures me, I hope you'll feel really bad. Basketball season just started, and the team will fall apart if I'm sidelined because of her.† I grinned. â€Å"I'll be devastated.† Angeline was not so thrilled when I told her at lunch. She flushed with rage and looked like she was about ready to throw her tray across the cafeteria. â€Å"You expect me to work with that . . . that . . . vampire hunter?† she demanded. I wondered if she'd had another name in mind but had held back in some remarkable show of restraint. â€Å"Especially after what they tried to do to Sonya?† â€Å"Trey's not like the rest of them,† I said defensively. â€Å"He refused to kill her and even went through the trouble of getting me in to help her – which ended up severely messing up his life, I might add.† Eddie looked amused, despite the grim subject. â€Å"You should also add that he wants very, very badly to get back to that old life.† I pointed at Eddie with my fork. â€Å"Don't tell me you think Trey's a bad choice too.† â€Å"For tutoring?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nah, he's fine. I'm just saying you shouldn't be so quick to assume everything's happy and bright with him. It seems pretty likely his group's working against us.† â€Å"He's my friend,† I said, hoping my firm tone would put an end to the discussion. After a few more assurances, Eddie convinced Angeline to work with Trey, reminding her she needed to keep her grades up. Still, Eddie's words haunted me. I believed absolutely that Trey was my friend but again wondered when that rift between us would rear its ugly head. When Eddie and Angeline left to go to their afternoon classes, I asked Jill to hang back at the table for a minute. â€Å"What's Adrian doing right now?† â€Å"He's in his painting class,† she said promptly. â€Å"The bond must be running strong today, huh?† I asked. Sometimes her view of his mind and experiences was clearer than others. She shrugged. â€Å"No, but it's eleven on Tuesday.† â€Å"Right,† I said, feeling foolish. I knew everyone's schedules; it was necessary for my job. â€Å"I should've realized that. Do you think he'd be able to meet up with me after school?† â€Å"To go on that witch hunt? Yeah, he'd probably leave right now.† Jill knew what Adrian knew, so she'd also been briefed about my search for Veronica. While I'd learned to accept Jill's knowledge as part of confiding in Adrian, it was still a little shocking for me to hear these forbidden topics discussed openly. Seeing my stunned reaction, Jill smiled a little. â€Å"Don't worry,† she said. â€Å"I keep Adrian's secrets. And yours.† The bitterness in her voice also caught me off guard. â€Å"Are you mad at me?† I asked, puzzled. â€Å"You're not . . . you're not still upset about what happened between Adrian and me, are you? I thought you'd eased up on that.† Although Adrian's proclamation of loving me against the odds had been unsettling, his more relaxed attitude had come through in her until now. â€Å"Adrian has,† she said. â€Å"He doesn't see the danger of you running around with another guy.† I was lost. â€Å"Another guy? You don't mean . . . Marcus? That's crazy.† â€Å"Is it?† asked Jill. The bond was so strange at times. Jill was jealous on Adrian's behalf. â€Å"He's human, you're human. You've both got this rebel Alchemist thing going on. And I saw him. He's pretty cute. There's no telling what could happen.† â€Å"Well, I know what could happen: nothing,† I said. Even through a psychic bond, Marcus could win over girls. â€Å"I just met him. I don't even know if I can entirely trust him, and I certainly don't have any feelings for him. Look, I get that you want to help Adrian, but you can't be mad at me about what happened. You know why I turned him down – especially after Micah.† Micah was Eddie's human roommate, and even though she knew human-vampire relationships couldn't get serious, she'd still been surprised at just how complex and difficult the situation had been. â€Å"Yeah. . . .† She frowned, no doubt conflicted over Adrian's feelings and what she knew was true. â€Å"But maybe with Adrian, I don't know. Maybe things could be different. Or maybe there's at least a way to make them less painful for him.† I looked away, unable to meet her eyes. I didn't like to think of Adrian in pain, but what else could I do? What did either of them expect me to do? We all knew the rules. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said, picking up my tray and standing. â€Å"I never asked for any of this. Adrian will get over me.† â€Å"Do you really want him to get over you?† she asked. â€Å"What? Why would you even ask something like that?† She didn't answer and instead made a great show of stirring around her mashed potatoes. When I realized she wasn't going to elaborate, I shook my head and walked off toward the exit. All the while, I could feel her watching me as that question echoed in my mind: Do you really want him to get over you?

Sunday, November 10, 2019

International Business and Global Strategy Essay

In-Depth Market Analysis of two target markets: China and Argentina China is a great world exporter receiving large amounts of foreign investment and is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Entering the market therefore will be easier than when China was not part of the WTO. According to The World Fact Book (2010) by 2009, China had a population of 1. 34 billion. Although its population growth is not very high at 0. 49, the population is the highest in the world and provides for ample market for Body Shop International Plc (BSI plc. ). China has an income distribution of 51. 10. This indicates that the distribution of purchasing power is standardized. BSI plc does not have to specialize in its clientele and can anticipate a wide market for its products. China’s mean age stands at 35. 2. In the age demographics, China’s largest age bracket is the 15-64 yeas age category. This makes up for 71. 9% of the population as in 2008 where men were estimated at 491,513,378 and women at 465,020,030 (The World Fact Book. 2010). For BSI plc this creates a large market since beauty products are usually consumed by this age group. In terms of education, China population is educated with a literacy rate of 92% (The World Fact Book. 010) . The overall enrollment for elementary, secondary and higher education is at 69. 1. This is a good indicator that beauty products would be well received and are a part of the population that can appreciate its use. China’s growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was at 8. 70 in 2009. This GDP has been on a rising trajectory and is expected to continue as China continues to rise as an economic power. This provides for a secure market with good financial indicators that investment would respond favorably and quickly. The per capita gross income at 6600. 0 is also high making it easier for BSI plc to invest widely. The disposable income at 2. 60 represents a China’s purchasing power. BSI plc would be able to promote its products and the conditions are favorable for household spending. The continued rise in GDP growth will increase the spending habits of the population as the disposable income becomes more elastic. Inflation would negatively affect BSI plc and that is why the low inflation rate in China provides for market security against rising of prices. In china the population has continued to increase its cosmetics buying. At 46. 80 the population indicates a sizable spending on cosmetics. This creates a potential for BSI plc to garner a market share. China presents some difficulties in terms of ease of conducting business and economic freedom. However, foreign investment is still welcome and the government has opened the doors for foreign investment. Argentina is one of the countries in South America that have been experiencing economic growth. It therefore presents itself as a great target market. Its population of in 2009 was 40. 1 Million. The population growth is not very high at 1. 17 but the country has a viable market population. Argentina has an income distribution of 51. 90. This indicates that the distribution of purchasing power is high and standardized. BSI plc therefore can anticipate a wide market for its products without having to cater for a specialize clientele. Argentina’s mean age stands at 30. In the age demographics, Argentina’s largest age bracket is the 15-64 years at 63. 5% with the men standing at 12,961,725 while the women stand at 13,029,265 (The World Fact Book. 2010). For BSI plc this creates a large market since beauty products are usually consumed by this age group. According to The World Fact Book (2010) Argentina population is educated with a literacy rate of 97. %. This is a good indicator that beauty products would be well received and are a part of the population that can appreciate its use. Argentina’s growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was at 0. 20 in 2009. This GDP is low. This provides for a less secure market whereby BSI plc’s investment may take longer to respond favorably and quickly. Despite the global economic crisis Argentina and most of the Latin America were not acutely affected. The per capita gross income at 10200. 0 is also high making it easier for BSI plc to invest widely. The disposable income at 1. 0 represents a moderate purchasing power for Argentina. BSI plc would be able to promote its products as the conditions give room for moderate household spending. Inflation would which would negatively affect BSI plc stands at 4. 20. In Argentina spending on cosmetics has also increased although it is at 25. 40. This means BSI plc still has potential to make an investment in Argentina’s existing market. At 127. 0 Argentina represents favorable ease with which BSI plc can do business in Argentina. It also has good economic freedom. Foreign investment is welcome. Contacts and Competitive Analysis  Contacts are important in that they would allow BSI plc to gather information that is relevant to its venture. That is why the chamber of commerce assists foreign companies conducting business their country. It also offers its members relevant business contacts and information about Argentina. Through events and opportunities the Chamber also enables businesses to meet with government officials and key players thus facilitating relations. Contact with the ministry of foreign affairs is also important to BSI plc. The ministry is responsible for trade agreements and policies. By having the Ministry’s contacts, BSI plc can make necessary plans to attend and benefit from the ministry’s consular and diplomatic activities. As the ministry seeks businesses and companies that would increase investment in their country, BSI plc would have an opportunity to market itself to the target countries. Contacts of possible suppliers, importers and buyers are helpful so that a company can establish business relations within the industry. The choice of Alibaba Company is ideal in that it is a recognizable global distributor with very strong financial and corporate growth according to Alibaba. om. (1999-2010). China Target Market potential The market potential in China is quite high at 2530500000. This is calculated from number of potential consumers, the frequency with which the consumers buy in a year and the price of the product. This represents the potential of the cosmetic industry in China which BSI plc targets. Company Sales Potential BSI plc sales potential is dependent on the market share it will capture out of the potential market. If BSI plc secures a market share of 13. 5 %, it will estimate whether it can meet the demand of its target. Competitors Analysis  Lush Company provides competition for BSI plc. According to Lush (19950-2010) its main product is body butter. The location of its headquarters is in China providing it with advantages of proximity. BSI plc is localized and thus there are policies that favor it against foreign companies. This helps it keep its prices affordable. Lush has been in business for the past 32 years giving it long experience in the industry. Lush Company caters to the local market in China and has specialized in the product demands of the local population and tailored the product to suit the particular needs of the Chinese target market. Its employees number 1200 giving it good human resource. Lush has also invested in e-commerce offering customers its products even where it does not have retails and wholesaler stores. They vary their prices in response to the market. In their promotion strategy Lush aims to protect its reputation and maintain its image. Their products they have chosen to use to promote the quality of their product is care butter, Tuca &Tuca perfume, Tuca& Tuca massage oil, and Black stocking. Regulatory Environment for the industry In China, the regulatory environment would regulate cosmetic products. This is because although a company would use the Automatic import licensing granting its cosmetics products freedom from import controls, the importation of materials like plastic need monitoring. FDI regulations and implications for BSI plc China is becoming the greatest receipient of FDI and as such it is poised for economic growth and increased capital that places BSI plc in a great position for growth if it makes investment. The government regulates foreign investment according to WTO regulations and its economic goals where China is now quite open to and is keen to attract foreign investors. Argentina Target Market potential The market potential in Argentina is high at 41250000. This is calculated from number of potential consumers, the frequency with which the consumers buy in a year and the price of the product. This represents the potential of the cosmetic industry in Argentina. Company Sales Potential BSI plc sales potential is dependent on the market share it will capture out of the potential market. If BSI plc secures a market share of 3. 5 %, it will estimate whether it can meet the demand of its target. Competitors Analysis L’ Occitane Company provides competition for BSI plc. Its main product is mini shea butter/L’ Occitane body toner. According to The body Shop (2009) BSI plc deals with sweet almond oil in its moisturizers. The location of its headquarters is in Argentina providing it with advantages of proximity. BSI plc is localized and thus there are policies that favor it against foreign companies. This helps it keep its prices affordable. L’ Occitane has been in business for the past 34 years giving it long experience in the industry. L’ Occitane Company caters to the local market in Argentina and has specialized in the product demands of the local population and tailored the product to suit the particular needs of the Argentinean target market. Its employees number 2000 giving it great human resource. L’ Occitane has also invested in e-commerce offering customers its products even where it does not have retails and wholesaler stores. They vary their prices in response to the market. L’ Occitane uses advertising, personal sale and product promotions as its promotional strategy. The products it uses include shea cocoa butter, Almont body care, verbena liquid soup honey and lemon scented and summer Travil Hair care. Its target market is 14 years and above both male and female. Regulatory Environment for the industry In Argentina, one of the key regulations would be in business conduct and tradition. Companies have to publish their Technical barriers to trade (TBT) measures. It contains duty and obligations related to the business and operation of TBT investigation Points. Companies have to confirm their recognition of the Code of Good Practice. Argentina the Bureau of Customs is the governmental agency is strict in the enforcement of the tariff and Customs laws and regulations. Importation of goods is governed by a numerous of import policy. FDI regulations and implications for BSI plc Argentina is currently not attracting much foreign investment due to its slow economic development and inflation rate. Although the government is using the WTO regulations and working hard to increase investment, there is difficulty for foreign companies because of high interest rates.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Business Information Systems Essays

Business Information Systems Essays Business Information Systems Essay Business Information Systems Essay An evaluation of Apple Inc’s use of information systems through its website apple. com/ Introduction In the highly competitive world of business the ability to understand and make use of information systems can provide substantial benefits to an organization. The diversification of consumer taste and competition has put pressure on organizations to focus on customer involvement and business information systems have proven to be a versatile and useful tool in order to achieve this. Strategic information systems have the potential to allow an organization to gain a competitive advantage by accessing new markets and providing a more efficient and faster form of communication between managers. By improving communication within the organization, strategic information systems have the potential to reduce the cost of advertising, delivery, design and manufacturing. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the use of information systems in consideration of Apple Incorporated’s website. About Apple Inc. Founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the company was incorporated on January 3, 1977, under the company name Apple Computers. Initially the multinational company predominantly dealt as a manufacturer of personal computers, however in 2001 following the successful release of the iPod, the company established itself as a credible competitor within the consumer electronics industry. By 2010 Apple Inc had surpassed Microsoft in terms of market capitalization to become the largest technology company in the world. Apple Inc now provides 13 core products, including desktop computers, laptop computers, a tablet computer, a mobile phone range, a range of portable media players and a home media player. In addition, the company also provides accessories for all of its core products, as well as server and networking solutions. Furthermore Apple Inc provides both tangible products, as listed above, and intangible digital media through its software ‘iTunes’ and more recently via the newly launched ‘App Store’. Over 10 billion songs and applications have been downloaded via Apples software based digital media outlet and within the first quarter of 2010 Apple had sold 3. 36 million Macintosh computers, 8. 7 million iPhones and 21 million iPods (Apple Inc. ). As with other consumer electronics companies Apple Inc provides a comprehensive after sale support service including hardware, software and educational services through its websites and retail outlets. Apples main manufacturing facilities are located within China along with the majority of its suppliers of electrical components such as Foxconn Technology Group. The company has in excess of 70 offices worldwide with 46,600 permanent employees (United State Securities and Exchange Comission, 2010). Apple Inc’s current business model encompasses three broad categories those being, software engineering, hardware manufacturing and retail. The company operates across a multi-channel platform of commerce selling to customers through the use of its website, software based digital media outlet, official retail stores and franchised retail stores. In terms of e-commerce Apple acts as a content provider through iTunes the App Store, an online service provider through its ‘mobile me’ subscription service, an online marketplace providing an environment in which buyers and sellers can meet to procure apple targeted accessories, e-tailing in providing official apple products and social networking services through ‘Ping’ as well as its online support discussion boards. The company is also actively involved in M-commerce through mobile software on its portable media players, tablet computers and mobile devices using the iTunes store and App Store. In order to reduce time between the point of sale and delivery, Apple has made use of a Just In Time approach, in turn reducing inventory costs. The JIT production technique is an integrated socio-technical inventory management system famously pioneered by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Website interface and usability Apples website makes use of a monochromatic colour scheme providing a white backdrop whilst displaying product images in colour. This enables Apple to draw its customers towards the products rather than distracting them with an overly complex or distracting layout, a technique mirrored in their advertising campaigns. The aesthetics of their website closely follows the design of their core products with the use of monochromatic colours and gentle gradients to give the illusion of aluminium. Apple has strived to provide simplistic and stylish design and their website is no exception. The design of the website is a conscious effort in an attempt to unify the sense of style and design across Apples product lines and points of customer contact whilst giving the user the perception that the interface is simplistic and easily accessible. Individual pages are well structured giving the user the perception that the information displayed on the page flows which in turn reduces the likelihood that the user will lose interest or have difficulties in navigating the site. Apple is extremely successful and well known for its marketing techniques, its website is used as another point of contact for customers providing a medium to display its marketing prowess. Individual pages for core products normally begin with a large image or set of images of the product with headlines, the choice to watch an advertisement or feature video directly below and directly under this, smaller images accompanied with key features or unique selling points. Apple structures each page by showing key features and images of the product drawing the customer in and providing easy to navigate links to find out more on greater detailed pages followed by the ability to purchase resulting in a flowing chain of information leading the buyer from the hard sell, to the product information, to the sale itself. Navigation on the site centres around its navigation bar which remains fixed at the top of each page on the website providing consistency to the site. [pic]. The bar consists of separate segments focused towards its main products followed by a support option and finally a search feature. The company also makes use of this fixed banner for branding purposes with the apple logo embedded on the left hand side of the bar. Once an option is chosen the user is then taken to a more detailed page containing sub sections, these secondary pages normally have their own navigation sections to explore the issue further, in the case of the online store making use of a sidebar. Apples search feature on the navigation bar compliments the websites simple and flowing design very well in that it enables users to search and skip to the information they require straight away. The search bar uses AJAX live search results providing a benefit over traditional searching as results are shown as the customer types, narrowed as he or she continues and if the results become too narrow the user is able to delete words to broaden the search horizon. The search results are grouped in a drop down window below the search bar in an easy to understand manner. The text on the website is easily readable and headings are easily ascertainable. Apples website can be optimized for user compatibility by changing language and country as well as providing clear links to an education store and business orientated store. The website also makes great use of white space to separate images and texts making product information and images stand out without distraction. In most cases the website accompanies text with images in order to maintain the customers attention to the product and its unique selling points. Use of Databases Apple successfully incorporates a variety of databases into its website design allowing customers to navigate, search and input data such as order information, tracking information and in the case of support, product information. As a result Apple is able to align inventory and sales to appropriately manage supply and demand across its supply chain. Through the use of variable field and searchable databases Apple also allows its users to make use of unique product numbers tailoring online support to customers specific needs. This type of searchable database results in a quick an efficient way in which customers are able to get the help and support they need. Apple also makes use of relational databases throughout its website design for instance in the case of its product pages and online store. By clicking on the primary key ‘Mac accessories’ a customer is then taken to another page featuring a database of information with similar links enabling the customer to successfully navigate and browse the online store until they find their preferred product. Apple also collates its products under sub categories or databases as in the case of ‘top sellers’ ‘top rated’ and ‘just added’ products options. A conscious effort by Apple to increase usability and minimize data redundancy ensuring the site is quick and easy to navigate. The majority of the primary keys on the store relate to Apples core products making them a useful tool in navigating the databases across the site. Apples website uses SQL [Structured Query Language] to manage its relational database management systems. Over the years Apples website has been tested by a string of SQL injection attacks creating hyperlinks to malicious sites from legitimate links on the website (CGIsecurity. com, 2010). The online databases must be updated in accordance with supply levels, with the addition of new products and the retraction of old. Apple’s fully integrated enterprise business information system and use of its JIT inventory approach enables a fully interactive supply chain, however with the use of the Apple online store as an e-marketplace the supply of products from other suppliers not fully integrated may distort the efficiency of current databases. Integration of business information systems Through its website Apple Inc provides its customers with the ability to personalise and configure their products prior to purchase. In addition, they are then able to their track orders, download manuals and driver support as well as receiving support via an online interactive library or alternative methods of contact such as online reservations to see certified staff in store, by email, phone or live chat. The website also provides discussion boards to resolve issues with other customers, online training and a self-service repair feature enabling customers to track and monitor product repairs as well as checking their entitlement under their personalised service and support packages. [pic] Apple has successfully integrated information systems across its business enabling the company to coordinate its e-commerce across its global operations and supply chain benefiting from real time information. Orders, reservations and requests placed on Apples fully interactive site are integrated with Apples procurement, manufacturing, management, retail and stock control systems providing information to the relevant departments automatically. This in turn allows managers to assess the demands and needs of the organization in real time. To do this successfully Apple’s website provides computer generated billing, personalised product configuration, secure document management and a secure payment system to its customers. Historically Apples information system was based on a legacy platform distributed across 16-legacy applications. In January 1999 however, Apple successfully implemented an Enterprise Resource Planning system called SAP Business One into its business model enabling them to integrate their manufacturing, finance, sales and distribution sectors together, present day Apple manages a fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning system. Security and Privacy Apple Inc has a legal obligation to protect it customers and users privacy whilst ensuring transactions are kept secure. Apple provides an extensive privacy policy and also provides explicit terms of use for the site. In addition its online store uses industry-standard encryption to protect customers confidentiality when checking out as well as a 128-bit Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer (EV SSL) encryption technique to protect information in transit from the customer to the company following a purchase online. This can be seen in the web address during checkout as sites featuring SSL technology begin with ‘https://’ as apposed to ‘http://’. TRUSTe, one of the worlds leading online privacy companies, independently verifies Apple’s online privacy standards to ensure they meet an industry standard and protect their consumers. Customers are able to create accounts for ease of future transactions called Apple ID’s. An apple ID allows consumers to personalise their online shopping experience giving customers a unified account to be able to purchase products online including downloadable content, the ability to make reservations in store and or tailor online learning, access support and register Apple products for added security. All information held within your Apple ID is protected under Apples comprehensive privacy policy and the user information is protected through user personalised security protocols such as security questions and passwords. Apples privacy policy also extends to information stored in cookies upon visiting and revisiting the site through a web browser. Although Apple reserves the right to share information with third party affiliates any information shared as a result of its e-market business is also explicitly covered by its extensive online privacy policy and data protection technology during transit. Conclusion Apple employs consistent, coherent and unified branding across its website by mirroring the look of its hardware and software with the use of monochromatic colours and subtle shading. The website is modern, sleek, user friendly and has an emphasis on the visual experience providing rich content against a minimalistic background making great use of white space. The consistent use of varied databases, the AJAX live search system and a central navigation bar offers a user-friendly experience. The sites security is of an industry standard however it has still proven vulnerable to malicious attacks proving the website is not without its flaws. With that being said Apple’s website bears example to a successful integration of information systems across a business enabling the company to coordinate its e-commerce across its global operations and supply chain efficiently and effectively. Bibliography Apple Inc. (n. d. ). Apple Reports First Quarter Results. Retrieved March 22, 2011 from apple. com: apple. com/pr/library/2010/01/25results. html CGIsecurity. com. (2010, 08 18). Apple website hit with SQL Injection. Retrieved March 28, 2011 from cgisecurity. om: cgisecurity. com/2010/08/apple-website-hit-with-sql-injection. html Laudon, K. C. , Laudon, J. P. (2006). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm (10th Edition ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Limited. United State Securities and Exchange Comission. (2010, September). Form 10-K, Apple Inc. Retrieved March 28, 2011 from https://www. apple. com/investor/: http://phx. corporate-ir. net/External. File? item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Njc1 MzN8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=t=1 1 2

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Conservative Perspective on Health Care Reform

Conservative Perspective on Health Care Reform Contrary to popular opinion, conservatives do indeed believe there is a need for health care reform. If there is one thing upon which Republicans, Democrats, liberals, and conservatives can agree, it is that the health care system in America is broken.The issue, then, is what exactly is broken about it. Liberals generally believe the only way to fix the system is for the government to operate it, the way Canada and the United Kingdom run their systems via universal health care. Conservatives, on the other hand, disagree with this notion and contend that the American government is wholly unequipped to take on such a huge endeavor, and even if it were, the resulting bureaucracy would be terribly inefficient like most government programs.Conservatives arent just naysayers, however. Their plan is more optimistic in tone because they believe the current system can be fixed with reform measures such as promoting competition between health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, reforming the Medicare payment system, establishing clear standards of care and ending the lottery court system by capping damage awards ordered by activist judges. Latest Developments Democrats on Capitol Hill have been floating the concept of a single-payer health care system similar to the ones currently in practice in Canada and the United Kingdom.Conservatives staunchly oppose this idea on the grounds that regardless of what filmmaker Michael Moore says government-run health care systems are notoriously slow, inefficient and costly.Before he was elected in 2008, President Barack Obama promised to save the typical American family $2,500 annually by reforming the insurance market and creating a National Health Insurance Exchange. In his press releases, the president claims the Obama/Biden plan will Make Health Insurance Work for People and Businesses Not Just Insurance and Drug Companies.The National Health Insurance Exchange is ostensibly modeled after the Congressional health benefits plan. The plan would allow employers to reduce their premiums by switching most of their employees over to the government program (of course non-unionized workers would have n o say in the matter at all). The new nationalized health care plan would then absorb these new individual health care costs, bloating an already overburdened federal government even further. Background Costs surrounding the health care industry are inflated by three very particular elements, two of which involve the insurance industry. Because of (in many cases) preposterous court settlements that create a veritable lottery for plaintiffs seeking damages, liability insurance for health care providers is out of control. If doctors and other medical professionals want to continue to operate and generate a profit, they often have no choice but to charge exorbitant fees for their services, which are then passed along to the consumers insurance company. Insurance companies, in turn, raise premiums on the consumers. Physician and consumer insurance plans constitute two of the culprits in the high cost of health care, but both are related directly what is happening in American courtrooms.When consumer insurance companies receive the bills for these high-cost services, it is in their best interest to find reasons not to pay or reimburse the insured. In many cases, these companies are unabl e to successfully avoid payment (because in most cases the services are medically necessary), so not only the consumer but the insured consumers employer experiences a rise in health care insurance premiums, as well. Bottom line: activist judges, seeking to drive home a point or make an example of a particular physician, combine to drive up the costs of liability insurance, which in turn drives up the costs of health care insurance.Unfortunately, these problems with the health care system are compounded by an out-of-control pharmaceutical industry.When a pharmaceutical manufacturer makes an important discovery and successfully introduces a new medication into the health care market, the immediate demand for that medication creates a disproportionate rise in cost. Its not enough for these manufacturers to make a profit, these manufacturers must make a killing (literally, when certain consumers are unable to afford the medication they need).There are pills that cost upwards of $100 each in the retail market, yet cost less than $10 per pill to manufacture. When the insurance companies receive the bill for these very expensive medications, it is in their nature to attempt to find a way to avoid absor bing those costs. Between exorbitant physician fees, exorbitant pharmaceutical fees and exorbitant health insurance fees, consumers often cannot afford the health care they need. The Need for Tort Reform The main culprit in the battle over health care costs is the extensive damage awards doled out by activist judges every day across the country. Thanks to these inflated awards, defendants hoping to avoid a court appearance are left with no other option than inflated settlements.Conservatives realize, of course, that in many cases there are reasonable complaints against providers who misdiagnose, mismanage or neglect a consumers proper treatment. Weve all heard the horror stories about doctors who confuse patients, leave utensils inside surgery patients, or make an egregious misdiagnosis.One way to ensure plaintiffs receive justice, while keeping health care costs from becoming artificially inflated is to develop clear standards of care to which all physicians must abide, and assign clear penalties in the form of reasonable financial damages for breaches of those standards and other transgressions.This may sound eerily like the concept of mandatory minimum sentencing, but it is not. Instead, it sets maximum civil penalties, which judges may impose, with the maximum penalties being awarded for circumstances resulting in wrongful-deaths. For more than one transgression, more than one penalty would apply. Such guidelines could also urge jurists to be creative; requiring providers to perform specific community service or, in the case of physicians, pro-bono work for a specific segment of society.Presently, legal lobbyists have made imposing caps on damages virtually impossible. Lawyers have a vested interest in procuring the maximum penalty possible, since their fees are often a percentage of the settlement or award. Reasonable legal fees should also be built into any system placing caps on penalties to ensure settlements or awards actually go to intended parties. Extravagant lawyer fees and frivolous lawsuits do as much to drive up the high costs of health care as the scandalous damages awarded by activist judges. The Need for Competition Many conservatives believe families, individuals and businesses should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide to heighten competition for their business and provide a variety of choices.Further, individuals should be permitted to obtain insurance privately or through organizations of their choice: employers, churches, professional associations or others. Such policies would automatically bridge the gap between retirement and Medicare eligibility and cover multiple years.More choices in coverage is just one aspect of a free-market health care system. Another is allowing consumers to shop for treatment options. This would promote competition between conventional and alternative providers and make patients the center of care. Permitting providers to practice nationwide also would build genuine national markets and give consumers greater responsibility in their own health care decisions.Competition ensures the public is better educated about preventative health care and treatmen t options. It forces providers to be more transparent regarding medical outcomes, quality of care and the costs of treatment. It also means more competitive pricing. Lesser quality providers get weeded out, because like elsewhere in the free-market economy they get priced out of malpractice insurance and have no way to raise their prices. Developing national standards of care to measure and record treatments and outcomes ensures only top-quality providers remain in business.Dramatic reforms in Medicare would have to supplement a free-market health care system. Under this scenario, the Medicare payment system, which compensates providers for prevention, diagnosis and care, would have to be overhauled into a tiered system, with providers not being paid for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.Competition in the pharmaceutical market would force down drug prices and expand cheaper generic drug alternatives. Safety protocols permitting the re-importation of drugs would keep competition in the drug industry vigorous, as well. In all cases of health care competition, the consumer would be protected through enforcement of federal protections against collusion, unfair business actions and deceptive consumer practices. Where It Stands Democrats in the US House and Senate are preparing legislation that would include government-subsidized insurance plan and would require individuals and businesses to be covered or face financial penalties.Obamas vision of a National Health Insurance Exchange is a step closer to reality, while the nation is a step closer to universal health care.The governments entrance into the health insurance market could spell disaster for private insurers, which would be unable to compete. Adding further complications for the private health insurance industry are new mandates included in the bill that would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals based on their medical history.In other words, Democrats want to create a public health insurance program that competes with private companies, and at the same time, make it harder for private companies to stay in business.Conservatives, meanwhile, fear that the legislation could lead to an entire takeover of the health care ind ustry, thus implementing a model of European socialism in America.