In the Company of Heroes essays

In the Company of Heroes essays SUBJECT: In the Company of Heroes by: Michael J. Durant 1. Purpose. To understand specific historical aspects of the United States Army and also to read and learn first hand one mans story of overcoming adversity and staying true to his country. a. If you have seen the movie Black Hawk Down then there is no doubt that you know who Michael Durant is. Michael J. Durant was a chief warrant officer who flew black hawk helicopters and was shot down in the United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Somalia during 1993. It was during a snatch and grab mission, Operation Gothic Serpent, where Durant and his crew were to extract suspected members of the Habr Gidr Clan that his helicopter was shot down. He was not killed in the crash or the hellacious firefight that ensued; he did break his back and fractured both legs. He was then loaded into the back of a pick up truck and held prisoner of the warlord Mohammed Aidid, a man who used starvation of children as a political tool, for ten days being given only aspirin for his wounds. Durant refused to be a victim and the book tells about his unforgettable experience that he had while in captivity and what he had to do to overcome his adversity. b. The Army has identified 23 leadership dimensions to measure leadership potential, Durant definitely excelled in all of these dimensions through both his mission and capture. I will list a few characteristics that Michael Durant demonstrated during his time in Somalia. (1) Loyalty Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other soldiers. I think its obvious that Michael Durant was a very loyal person to his friends, family, and also to himself. When he was captured he never once gave into the warlords and remained strong at all times. He could have possibly gave them valuable information in exchange for better trea ...

Roberto Gomez Bolaños, Influential Mexican TV Writer

Roberto Gomez Bolaà ±os, Influential Mexican TV Writer Roberto Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os (February 21, 1929–November 28, 2014) was a Mexican writer and actor known around the world for his characters â€Å"El Chavo del Ocho† and â€Å"El Chapulà ­n Colorado,† among many others. He was involved in Mexican television for more than 40 years, and generations of children all over the Spanish-speaking world grew up watching his programs. He was affectionately known as Chespirito. Fast Facts: Roberto Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os Known For: More than 40 years of writing, acting, and producing for Mexican televisionBorn: February 21, 1929 in Mexico CityParents: Francisco Gà ³mez Linares and Elsa Bolaà ±os-CachoDied: November 28, 2014 in Cancun, Mexico.Television Programs: El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulà ­n ColoradoSpouse(s): Graciela Fernndez (1968–1989), Florinda Meza (2004–to his death)Children: Roberto, Graciela, Marcela, Paulina, Teresa, Cecilia Early Life Roberto Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os was born into a middle-class family in Mexico City on February 21, 1929. He was the second of the three children of Francisco Gà ³mez Linares, a noted painter and illustrator, and Elsa Bolaà ±os-Cacho, a bilingual secretary. He was obsessed with soccer and boxing as a child and did have some success with boxing as an adolescent, but he was too small to turn professional. Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os studied engineering at the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico but never worked in the field. He began writing for an advertising agency at the age of 22, but soon he was writing screenplays and scripts for radio, television shows, and movies. Between 1960 and 1965, Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os wrote for the two top shows on Mexican television, â€Å"Comicos y Canciones† (Comics and Songs) and â€Å"El Estudio de Pedro Vargas† (Pedro Vargas’ Study). It was about this time that he earned the admiring nickname â€Å"Chespirito† from the director Agustà ­n P. Delgado; it is a version of â€Å"Shakespearito,† or â€Å"Little Shakespeare.† Writing and Acting In 1968, Chespirito signed a contract with the newly formed network TIM- Television Independiente de Mexico. Among the terms of his contract was a half-hour slot on Saturday afternoons over which he had complete autonomy- he could do with it whatever he wanted. The brief, hilarious sketches he wrote and produced were so popular that the network switched his time to Monday night and gave him a whole hour. It was during this show, simply called â€Å"Chespirito,† that his two most beloved characters, â€Å"El Chavo del Ocho† (â€Å"The Boy From No. Eight†) and â€Å"El Chapulà ­n Colorado† (The Crimson Grasshopper) made their debut. The Chavo and the Chapulà ­n These two characters were so popular with the viewing public that the network gave them each their own weekly half-hour series; although slapstick and low-budget, the programs had an affectionate center and were wildly popular among adults and children. First produced by Televisa in 1971, El Chavo del Ocho is about a freckle-faced 8-year-old orphan boy, played by Chespirito well into his 60s, who lives in a wooden barrel and gets into adventures with his group of friends. Chavo, a truth-bearing simpleton who dreams of tasty sandwiches, and the other characters in the series, Don Ramon, Quico,  and other people from the neighborhood, are iconic, beloved, and classic characters of Mexican television. El Chapulà ­n Colorado, or the Crimson Grasshopper, was first televised in 1970 and is about is a cocky but dimwitted superhero who foils the bad guys through sheer luck and honesty. His weapon of choice is a squeaky toy version of Thors Hammer, called chipote chillà ³n or loud bang, and he took â€Å"chiquitolina† pills that shrank him to about eight inches tall. The program opened with the words More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, nobler than a lettuce, his coat of arms is a heart, it’s the Crimson Grasshopper! American cartoonist Matt Groening created his Bumblebee Man, a character in the animated show The Simpsons, as an affectionate version of El Chapulà ­n Colorado.   These two shows were immensely popular, and by 1973 they were being transmitted to all of Latin America. In Mexico, it is estimated that 50 to 60 percent of all televisions in the country were tuned into the shows when they aired. Chespirito kept the Monday night time slot and for 25 years, most of Mexico watched his programs. Although the shows ended in the 1990s, reruns are still shown regularly all over Latin America. Other Projects A tireless worker, Chespirito also appeared in more than 20 movies and hundreds of stage performances. When he took the cast of â€Å"Chespirito† on a tour of stadiums to reprise their famous roles on stage, the shows sold out, including two consecutive dates at the Santiago stadium, which seats 80,000 people. He wrote several soap operas, movie scripts, and books, including a book of poetry. Although he started out writing music as a hobby, Chespirito was a gifted composer and wrote the theme songs for many Mexican telenovelas- including Alguna Vez Tendremos Alas (We will have wings some day) and La Dueà ±a (The Owner). In his later years, he became more politically active, campaigning for certain candidates and vocally opposing an initiative to legalize abortion in Mexico. Chespirito received countless awards. In 2003 he was awarded the keys to the city of Cicero, Illinois. Mexico even released a series of postage stamps in his honor. He joined Twitter in 2011 to stay in touch with his fans. At the time of his death, he had more than six million followers. Marriage and Family Roberto Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os married Graciela Fernndez in 1968 and together they had six children (Roberto, Graciela, Marcela, Paulina, Teresa, and Cecilia). They divorced in 1989. In 2004 he married actress Florinda Meza, who played Doà ±a Florida on El Chavo del Ocho. Death and Legacy Roberto Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os died of heart failure at his home in Cancun, Mexico on November 28, 2014. His movies, soap operas, plays, and books all found great success, but it is for his hundreds of television programs that Chespirito is best remembered. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote of him, Mexico has lost an icon whose work transcended generations and borders. Chespirito will always be known as a pioneer of Latin American television and one of the most creative writers and actors ever to work in the field.   Sources Lopez, Elias E. Roberto Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os, Mexico’s Comedic Artist ‘Chespirito,’ Dies at 85. The New York Times, 28 November 2014.Miranda, Carolina A. Roberto Gomez Bolaà ±os Dies at 85; Mexican Comedian Known as Chespirito. The Los Angeles Times, 28 November 2014.Rott, Nathan. Mexican TV Icon Roberto Gà ³mez Bolaà ±os Dies at 85. All Things Considered, 2014.

MoD 3 FIN501 Risk and Returns Protfoli Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MoD 3 FIN501 Risk and Returns Protfoli - Essay Example We can use the following models to determine a company's required rate of return: 1) Dividend Discount Model: The dividend discount model is an example of a present value model of stock valuation in which dividends are used as stream of cash flows and the present value of the stream of dividends is defined as the value of the stock. The basic assumption of this model is that an investor who buys a share receives return only in the form of dividends. This assumption strictly holds for dividend paying stocks and for companies that are stable and pay a constant amount of dividend to its share holders. Companies that are categorized as high growth companies do not pay out dividends to their share holders since the excess funds are invested elsewhere in the business to exploit the existing growth opportunities (Madura, 2008). Hence DDM is not a suitable model to use for high growth companies that do not pay out dividends to its shareholders. Another assumption of the model is that there a re no taxes and transaction costs. This is a false assumption since dividends earned are taxed in most of the countries. DDM is one of the oldest and easiest model to calculate a company's required rate of return. ... The required rate of return is very sensitive to the inputs used in the DDM constant growth formula and hence the value of required rate of return is as good as the assumptions used by an analyst. DDM also assumes that the prices are efficient and the intrinsic value of a stock is equal to the market price of a stock. This assumption does not hold in equity market indices of developing markets. In conclusion, DDM is appropriate for valuing a company's required rate of return when its key assumption of steady future dividends hold. Most of the Equity market indices of developed markets satisfy this assumption. Lastly, an analyst should be aware of the fact that the output of the model is very sensitive to the inputs used and the model's accuracy largely depends on the assumptions used by an analyst. 2) Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM): CAPM is an equation that can be used to calculate the required rate of return of a stock. CAPM is one of the widest used models in finance to calcula te the required rate of return because of its comparatively objective procedure of calculating a company's required rate of return (Jaffe, Westerfield, & Ross, 2005). Following equation can be used to calculate the required rate of return in CAPM: One of the assumptions of CAPM is that the shareholders are risk averse and they make the decision to invest in a stock based on the mean return and variance of returns of their total portfolio . This assumption does not hold in developing markets where investors are not very knowledgeable about the concepts of portfolio management. Another assumption of CAPM is that there are many investors in the market and all of those investors are price takers. This assumption does not hold true if the financial markets are not

How to set off a roadside bomb (IED) using radio, mobile phones etc Essay

How to set off a roadside bomb (IED) using radio, mobile phones etc - Essay Example Considering the attacks on the troops of U.S. in Iraq with these bombs as well as increasing reports of IED attacks in Afghanistan, have led to the rising need to find counter measures to act against IEDs (Freudenrich 2013). Previously the IEDs were like basic pipe bombs. However with advancements in the field, artillery shells in multiple numbers, explosives and rocket propellants are used for the detonation of the IEDs. The wires that are used in the roadside bombs in the present times are not easy to detect and set off. Uses of cell phones or devices like garage door opener are often used for the purpose of detonation as well. The size of the IEDs used for explosions are varying in sizes where large IEDs are capable of exploding large vehicles and areas. Reports are mostly obtained for the destruction of the U.S. troops and in Afghanistan for the use of these bombs. Since these bombs are mostly detonated in a remote manner, it has been observed that jammers are essential in the bu siness of IEDs. It has also been reported that many times the detonators are used where the wires are connected for the purpose of detonating the bombs. Remote detonation is also possible with the use of roadside bombs (Congress 2006). Setting off such roadside bombs or IEDs also makes use of different ways and devices. This is the way the bombs are triggered. Pressure-switches, trip wires, and devices like photo detectors can be used for setting off the bombs. Heavy military vehicles are generally required to set off bombs through use of pressure switches. Radios, cell phones, walkie-talkies are some of the other devices, the signal transmissions of which are used effectively in the setting off the IEDs. The control of such remote devices is generally placed under the responsibility of some man who stands at a distance to trigger the bombs at the correct time. Use of devices like the radio and mobile phones has been found to be more effective than using wired controls over the bomb s (IED Defeat n.d.). Aim and Objectives of the Study: The aim of the study is to learn about the process of detonating or setting off roadside bombs or IEDs using devices like radio and mobile phones. Considering the above mentioned aim, the following objectives have been set for the study: The study will discuss about the GSM mobile phones that are used and their technical standards. Discuss about the standards of the 3G phones that are available. Discuss about the standards of the 4G LTE phones. Learn about the UHF and VHF modes of communication including cordless phones, DECT, 2.4 GHz WiFi, 5GHz WiFi Have an overview on the commercial devices that can detect and locate these forms of communication. Discuss how roadside bombs or IEDs can be set off using mobile phones and radio like devices. GSM Mobile Phones: Technical Standards: GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications can identify the account of the user using this particular system. It is a wireless network technology ba sed on TDMA (What is â€Å"GSM†? 2013). TDMA refers to the technology Time Division Multiple Access used in mobile devices that allows increasing the amount of data that can be passed and communicated by dividing the channel of communication into different slots (Rouse 2006). The use of GSM has allowed users to easily change their mobile devices by simply taking out the SIM (or Subscriber Identification Module) card from one device and inserting it into

Ceratopteris Fern Growth and Analysis Essay Example for Free

Ceratopteris Fern Growth and Analysis Essay I: Abstract Observing the effects of ammonium nitrate has on the germination days of C-Fern gametophytes by constructing an experiment with two spore-sown petri dishes, one control and one treatment – a normal nutrient-rich agar petri dish and an ammonium nitrate-containing petri dish respectively. The two petri dishes were each inoculated with three drops of spore suspension by a pipet, then spores were spread by a sterilized-bent paper clip to allow even distribution of spores. Gametophyte germination occurred approximately two weeks after inoculation for the control, and gametophyte germination occurred approximately three weeks after inoculation for the treatment; thus possibly suggesting ammonium nitrate worked to hinder the mitotic cell division in the haploid gametophyte. II: Introduction C-Fern begins with a haploid spore known as the spore imbibition (Hickok, Warne 2009), then after 3 to 4 days the spore will develop into a gametophyte via mitosis after germination. This is a photoautotrophic process. The gametophyte will then undergo differentiation (Hickok, Warne 2009), to form the antheridium and the archegonium after 6 to 8 days (Hickok, Warne 2009). Following the gametophyte displaying its hermaphrodite form, sexual maturity allows cross-fertilization to occur between the sperm from antheridium and the egg from archegonium. After one sperm fertilizes the egg, a zygote forms, thus forming a diploid cell (Hoshizaki 2001). The formation of the zygote exemplifies sporophytes’ alternation of generations via the diploid cell completing mitosis and meiosis yet still retaining a full set of genetic material. In other words, alternation of generation refers to going from a multicellular diploid form to a multicellular haploid form. (Hickok, Warne 2009). The fertilized egg develops into a sporophyte by mitosis to form a microscopic young fern (embryo), which is a gametophyte under the reproductive leaves called sporangia. Note that sporophytes are diploid and gametophytes are haploid. When the sporophyte reaches maturity, it releases spores via meiosis, then the spores will undergo mitosis, thus forming gametophytes, and the life cycle continues (Brooker 2011). Figure 1 is a pictorial depiction of the life cycle of a fern. [pic] Figure 1: The life cycle of a fern. [1] This experiment aims to discover the germination time of C-Fern under a controlled condition and a treatment condition. Experimenting if the treatment of ammonium nitrate will allow faster germination of the C-Fern. Some data shows that ammonium nitrate possibly functions as a fertilizer for many species of plants, however, not all plants will reap the benefits of ammonium nitrate (Aderkas 1984). [2] The null hypothesis of this experiment is that the ammonium nitrate will not hinder the rate of germination of the C-Fern, thus the data obtained from the control will not have a statistical difference from the data obtained from the treatment. III: Methods Two 60 mm petri dishes were prepared. One labeled â€Å"C† for control, another labeled â€Å"T† for treatment. The control contained a layer of agar and the treatment contained agar and ammonium nitrate. Petri dish for control was inoculated with three drops of C-Fern spore suspension via a pipette, and petri dish for treatment was inoculated three drops of C-Fern spore suspension via the same pipette. A Bunsen burner was used to sterilize a bent â€Å"T† shaped paper clip, the paper clip was used to spread the spore suspension in the petri dish for control. The same paper clip was sterilized again by a 70% ethanol solution and was used to spread spore suspension in treatment petri dish. Two petri dishes were each covered with a lid and now considered culture trays, culture trays then were transported to a climate controlled light dome for optimal growth. Light dome maintained a full spectrum of light 24/7 with temperature in the range of 28 to 30 degrees Celsiu s. Observations were made on every Friday at approximately 3:10 pm for the next 3 weeks. Spores were sown in the week of September 10th and no observations were made. First observation was made in the week of September 17th, Friday 3:08 pm, the control displayed some growth with flagella-like hair, however, no germination was observed. The treatment did not display any signs of growth, only air-like bubbles were observed. Second observation was made in the week of September 24th, Friday 3:10 pm, the control displayed germination, gametophytes were visible under the microscope, however, hermaphrodites were not significantly observed. The treatment still does not display signs of germination, only small green spores were observed under the microscope. Last observation was made in the week of October 1st, Friday 3:05 pm, the control displayed significant signs of growth, it appeared that fertilization took place and an embryo was in development. The treatment only displayed minimal germination, however, some spores appeared to be infested with fungus.

Huck?s Moral Lessons And His Changing Attitude Toward Jim :: essays research papers fc

In many ways, to understand the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, the reader must also know a little about the author. Mark Twain was one of the many pen names of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He was born in 1835 and grew up in the Mississippi River town of Hannibal, Missouri. Twain is considered the father of modern American literature, primarily because of this novel. Numerous schools have banned this novel from their reading lists because they believe it to be racist. The ironic part of this is that Clemens was an abolitionist. He hoped that people would understand and be able to see the unfairness and horrors of slavery by reading his book and seeing what slavery does to people. This book is set in the year 1852 in the south. It is a coming of age novel about an adolescent boy named Huckleberry Finn. In this early stage of his life, Huckleberry is taught many of life’s lessons that will help him deal with events that may occur later on in his life. Huck fakes his death in order to run away from his alcoholic father and his caretaker, Mrs. Watson, and also to escape from being â€Å"sivilized†. While floating down the Mississippi River, he meets Jim, the runaway slave who is owned by Mrs. Watson. His life begins to change when he is faced with many moral struggles along the way. He has to fight against society’s views, which conflict with his views. One of the most significant moral struggles that confronts him is the issue of slavery. Throughout the novel, Huck Finn becomes more self-reliant and mature. He begins to understand the evil in slavery and he realizes that he must follow his own conscience in his actions towards Jim. Even at the beginning of the novel, before Huck has gotten a chance to explore what he believes is right, Huck has grown tired of dealing with society and what society thinks is right and civilized. He says, "The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me...I got into my old rags and my sugar hogshead again, and was free and satisfied (1)." Huck prefers living free and being able to think what he wants, rather than being â€Å"sivilized.† When Huck escapes from society, he runs into Jim at Jackson Island and is very happy to see him.

Story That Makes No Sense

I’m in big trouble. I can feel it. I don’t exactly know what I did or what I am running from, but I keep on running. I ran without stopping. I don’t know what is giving me this unlimited energy to run without stopping but I know if I stop, I will be in trouble. I see all these big columns and high vault ceiling as I run. Where am I? I don’t know. If this was any normal, ordinary day, I probably would like to take a slow walk and enjoy all these grand architecture elements. However, I don’t know how I know this, but if I stop I will be in big trouble. I heard a loud noise behind me and I look back.I see a giant clown running, chasing me. He is calling my name while chasing after me. The clown is holding something. While I am busying looking at the running clown, I didn’t notice there is a pole right in front of me. I bang right into it. My head is spinning and I pass out. When I wake up, I am back on my bed. It was the weirdest dream that I ev er had. As I walk out of my bed toward the door, it seems like everything slows down. Moreover, as I try to crab the doorknob it seems to get further and further away from me. Everything is in slow motion, and then I decide to jump for the doorknob with the slightest of luck.Luckily, I grab on to it and quickly open the door. I run out the room but everything seems different. I could see object floating on the air. It’s weird. It is like I am in outer space. I quickly close the door behind me and jump out the window. Then I see a strange man approach me. He is wearing all black but he is too far away for me to recognize anything else. However, as he approaches closer to me, I could see there is blood trooping down his sleeves. Suddenly, my body shivers. I try my harder to pull myself together and run. That scary man is chasing after me. I run and run.While I am running, I stop on the way to pick up laundries. I always like to keep my clothes clean and in perfect condition. Th e man in black is still chasing after me. Then I think of an idea when I see the lady sitting outside selling fruits. I pay her with money then take the fruits throw it at the scary man. Out of nowhere, he pulls out a sword and starts to cut up all the fruits that I threw at him. Nothing seems to stop him, therefore, I continue to run. As I run, I see my life splashing back on my mind, all the good and bad times. At that moment, I didn’t want to run anymore.I turn around and scream out to the bloody man: â€Å"What do you want from me? † He answers: â€Å"I have come to take you with me, where you belong. † I didn’t like his answer and it makes no absolute sense to me. This time, I see a police station right in front of my eyes. I know in there will have the things that I need to protect myself. I spin fast toward it and I closer I get, I saw a lot of policemen pointing guns at me. I hesitate for a moment then I hear one of them scream at me: â€Å" Come quick! We wont hurt you! † As I turn my head around, I see hundreds of zombies trying to infest the station.

Marketing Concept and the possible limitations Essay

Marketing is defined as a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and values with others.(Kotler.P 2002 : 5) The goals of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and keep and grow current customers by delivering satisfaction. There are five core concepts of marketing, which includes needs, wants and demand; products, services and experience; value, satisfaction and quality; exchanges, transactions and relationships; and finally, market and marketing. After World War II, the variety of products increased and hard selling no longer could be relied upon to generate sales. Customers afford to be selective and buy products which can precisely met their changing needs with increased discretionary income. The key questions arose: What do customers want? Can we develop it while they still want it, and how can we keep our customers satisfied? In order to response to these discerning customers, firms began to adopt the marketing concept. This involves focusing on customer needs before developing the product, aligning all functions of the company to focus on those needs, and realizing a profit by successfully satisfying customer needs in long-term. In other words, in the context of marketing concept, company must first determine what the consumer wants, then produces what they wants, then sells the consumer what they wants. In marketing concept, more listening to and eventual accommodation of the target market occurs. Two-way communication is emphasized in marketing so â€Å"learning† can take place and product offerings can be improved. Business must first fulfill consumers’ needs and wants. Marketing concept â€Å"holds that the key to achieving organizational goals consists in determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors† (online material #5) To illustrate the marketing concept, Peter Drucker, in 1954 said: â€Å"If we want to know what business is, we must first start with its purpose†¦Ã‚  There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer. What business thinks it produces is not of first importance – especially not to the future of the business or to its success. What the customer thinks he/she is buying, what he/she considers â€Å"value† is decisive – it determines what a business is, what it produces, and whether it will prosper.† (Online material #4) Marketing concept was considered a breakthrough in business philosophy. It’s because it represented the antithesis of the product, production, and selling concepts. The marketing concept holds that businesses should first determine the existing needs in the marketplace and then design and produce a product to satisfy this need rather than taking an existing product and endeavoring to modify demand for it by reducing price or varying promotional technique. Marketing concept plays an important part in an organization. According to the Customer Service Institute, it costs as much as five times as much to acquire a new customer than it does to service an existing one and that the customers tell twice as many people about a bad experience over a good one. According to their studies, 65% of the business of an average company comes from its presently satisfied customers. (Online material #4) There are a range of firms gain success and earns at a very high profit through the use of marketing concept. One of the examples of successful organization implementing marketing concept is JVC. JVC has been building and expanding its mobile electronics capabilities throughout the last decade, and it now markets a complete line of mobile audio equipment and accessories. In the December of 1998, JVC celebrated its success. (Online material #3) JVC launched revolutionary and market-making products like the world’s smallest CD changer, cutting-edge MD-to-CD receiver for audio aficionados, as well as JVC’s loaded  car A/V system. JVC sees customers’ needs and wants and made an attempt to fill their needs and wants, and satisfy them by expanding its product offerings and adding more varied and exciting features. They are very successful in satisfying their  customer that their customers know that with JVC, they are getting the very best sound for their dollar. JVC is so successful with its marketing concepts that they have become a global leader in the development and manufacturing of innovative audio and video hardware, as well as related software products. Another example of successful firm is the Thayer Interactive Group (TIG), an online hospitality marketing firm. TIG sees that consumer behavior has changed. People are using the internet more than ever to make research of different options prior to booking travel, and that they are approaching hotels preemptively. Therefore, TIG targets individuals who are actively looking for lodging solutions at the precise place and time that they wanted to get. Because they know that the consumers nowadays are buying based on â€Å"get more, pay little†, their program offers the industry’s first and only comprehensive suite of Web marketing services designed to administer all aspects of a hotel’s internet presence, AND bypass excessive fees charged by third-party travel sites. TIG even provides a customized â€Å"five-part program† – website development and content management; search engine marketing; guerilla marketing and online advertising; reporting and analysis; and proactive account management. The objective is to deliver the travel consumer directly to individually managed hotel Web sites which allows them to maintain control of pricing and avoid excessive third-party fees.TIG is so successful that it is already generating an average of more than $1 million in incremental revenue per participating hotel. (Online material #2) Other successful firms which have adopted the marketing concept are such as  Procter and Gamble, Wal-Mart, Marriott, Dell Computer etc. The marketing concept is founded upon the assumption that consumers are knowledgeable, intelligent, and rational, and base their product purchases upon a careful consideration of the relationship between their own needs and product attributes. However, do the consumers always know what is â€Å"needed†? In many cases, customers do not know what they want or even what is possible. For example, 30 years ago, how many consumers would have thought to ask for 24-hour Internet brokerage accounts and DVD players? Moreover, by focusing on customers’ needs, marketing concept ignore other important stakeholders. In order to implement marketing concept, a lot of research are needed to be carried out and it is very expensive to do such marketing researches. In U.S., the latest consumerism movement has caused limitations to marketing concept as well. Nowadays, consumers assert their rights to products which are safe, economic, reliable, honestly labeled and advertised, and product’s impact upon the environment. Moreover, consumerists have been very proactive in seeing that these â€Å"rights† are guaranteed, either by the firms selling the products or by the government of the U.S. In this, Peter Drucker blamed the marketers for failing their consumers and publics in using the marketing concept: We have asked ourselves where in the marketing concept consumerism fits or belong. I have come to conclusion that the only way one can really define it within the marketing concept is as the shame it. It is essentially a mark of failure of the concept†¦ (Drucker P. 1969). (Online material #5) It is often taken for granted that the marketing concept is true. The concept is usually expressed as the assertion that firms which are marketing oriented will do better than firms which are not. This assertion is being put to test empirically by Massey University by comparing the financial  results of firms exhibiting high levels of marketing orientation with those of lower levels. The result showed that there is actually no clear association between adapting in line with marketing concept and success. (Online material #1) In order to adapt and implement marketing concept, firms have to be able to meet changing customer needs and wants, as well as competitor strategies. There are a number of firms such as General Motors and Zenith, which lost substantial market share because they failed to adjust their marketing strategies to the changing market. Top management in an organization must ensue that all employees are driven by marketing concept. They must be driven by the marketing concept before they can expect employees to whole-heartedly commit to it. In addition, top management should foster an organizational culture and set organizational values that embody the concept by encouraging cross-functional communication and coordination directed toward satisfying the needs of the customers. Bibliography Armstrong G & Kotler P, 2002, Marketing An Introduction 6th ed, Prentice Hall, New Jersey Online Material #1: Marketing Bulletin,1991,2,1-7, http://marketing-bulletin.massey.ac.nz/article2/article1b.asp [22/9/2003] Online Material #2: Business Editors,2002,Thayer Interactive Group Proves Marketing Concept to Hotel Industry, http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/mOEIN/2002_Oct_7/92536200/p1/article.jhtml?term=%22marketing+concept%22 [20/9/2003] Online Material #3: Business Editors,1998,JVC Celebrates Success in Mobile Electronics With New Image and New Marketing Concept, http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m4PRN/1998_Dec_15/53402065/p1/article.jhtml?term=%22marketing+concept%22 [20/9/2003] Online Material #4: The Research Exchange Vol.5, http://www.ncddr.org/du/researchexchange/v05n01/adapting%20Marketing%20Concept.htm [23/9/2003] Online Material #5: Robert D,Social Responsibility,Consumerism,and The Marketing Concept,1999, http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/Research/1999/SMA/99sma110.htm [24/9/2003]

The girl on the bus essays

The girl on the bus essays The story by William Sansom is named The girl on the bus. The title of every story is significant because it names the sense for the story. The title of the story introduces the main hero- the girl. It is clear that the girl is in the center of action, which states the cause of the conflict. The words on the bus determine the place of the story. It doesnt mean that the main action takes place exactly on the bus, but it could mean the surrounding of the story. In my opinion, the author by the words on the bus wanted to hint at the changeable setting of the story. The exposition starts with the words Once leaving Haga and finishes with the words Naturally, he felt nervous, frustrated, and dull. The exposition lies in the opening the point of the story. The exposition presents the setting. It presents the place and gives short information about the place and time. The first event takes place in a park in Stockholm, on a winter day. There is no any other description about place; the information about the place is very short. Also the first sentence gives the name to the main hero, who is named by Harry. The event takes place in a park, where Harry met the girl and the beauty of the girl took his breath away. The main action of the exposition is that Harry immediately fell madly in love with her. We find the beginning of the conflict when the girl cast the glance at him, but he never knew whether she saw him at all, or looked past or through him. The exposition is very important because it says about future conflict. We see in that part the position, feelings, emotions of the men, who is waiting for her reaction and attention. To describe the strength of the feelings and emotions of the men the author uses the strong words such madly, alone, nervous...

5 Tips for Passing the Bar Exam

5 Tips for Passing the Bar Exam Youve successfully made your way through law school and now youre one two-day test, the bar exam, away from becoming a lawyer. The first piece of advice: celebrate your JD quickly and then move on to bar exam prep immediately after graduation. Time is ticking. Here are five more tips to help you pass the bar exam. Sign up for a Bar Review Course You may wonder why after three years of very expensive schooling you are now expected to pay even more money to learn what you thought you were supposed to be learning during law school. But now is not the time for you to worry about the cost of bar exam prep. Be as economical as possible, by all means, but think about what it would mean to you, financially, to fail the bar, face employers without a license to practice law, and have to pay to take the bar exam again. If you are really strapped for cash, there are special bar exam loans available exactly for this purpose. Why sign up for a bar review course? Well, those who take bar review courses have great passage rates for a reason- the course employees study and analyze exams so they know what examiners are likely to test on and what they are looking for in answers; they can steer you to hot topics and train you how to deliver the right answers, and that is what is most important during the bar exam. Yes, you need to know and understand the fundamentals of the main areas of law, but all the legal knowledge in the world wont help if you dont know how to frame your answer as the graders want to read it. Tell Everyone You Know Not to Expect to See You for Two Months Thats a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. Do not plan on doing anything else during those two months between graduation and the bar exam except study. Yes, you will have nights off and even whole days off here and there, which are essential for relaxing your brain but dont schedule work, planning of family events, or other serious obligations during the two months before the bar exam. Quite simply, the bar exam should be your full-time job during those months of studying; your promotion will come when you get the results that you passed. Make a Studying Schedule and Stick to It Your bar review course will most likely provide you a recommended schedule, and if you manage to abide by it, youll be doing well. The main subjects tested on the bar exam will be the same basic courses you took the first year of law school, so be sure to dedicate huge chunks of time to Contracts, Torts, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Property, and Civil Procedure. States vary as to the other subjects tested, but by signing up for a bar review course, youll have the inside track on those as well. A very basic bar exam prep study schedule can set aside a week to study each topic, including practice questions. That will leave you two weeks to devote time to trouble areas and to more nuanced areas of law that might be covered on your states bar exam. One tip here on studying: think about making flashcards. In the process of writing them, youll be forced to condense rules of law into short snippets to fit on a card, exactly as youll need to provide them in bar exam essays- and they just might sink into your brain as you write. Take Practice Bar Exams A large part of your preparation time should be spent taking practice bar exams, both multiple choice and essays, under exam-like conditions. You dont need to sit down and take an entire two days every week to take practice bar exams, but be sure you are doing enough multiple choice questions and essays so you have a good feel for the exam structure. Just like when you were preparing for the LSAT, the more comfortable you become with the test and its format, the more youll be able to concentrate on the material and getting the answers correct. Start doing practice questions even as early as the first week of studying; no, you wont get everything right, but if you pay attention to what you got wrong, those principles are likely to stick in your head even more than if you had simply tried to memorize them through studying. And, as an added bonus, if the questions were included in bar prep materials, they are also likely to be similar to those that will appear on the bar exam. Think Positively If you graduated in the top half of your law school class, chances are extremely good that you will pass the bar. If you graduated in the next quartile, the likelihood that youll pass is still pretty good. Why? Because bar exams, no matter what state, test your competence to be a lawyer and not how great a lawyer you will be- and that means you need only earn a solid C on the exam to pass. If youve passed law school, theres no reason you cant pass the bar exam on the first try. This doesnt mean you should rest on your law school accomplishments and assume youll pass, of course. You still need to put the time and effort into learning and applying the materials, but the odds are in your favor that youll pass. Most states have higher than 50% pass rates. Remember those numbers when stress starts setting in. Just remember that it will all be over in mere weeks. With the right bar exam prep, youll never have to go through it again.

Descartes Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Descartes - Term Paper Example Essentially, the mind/body problem centers on trying to determine what constitutes 'real' experience. It is clear that the mind can fool the body into thinking it is experiencing something. Examples of this are found in the experiences of people with lost limbs or psychosomatic illness. However, the body can also fool the mind into experiencing something, such as in the case of false scents, misperceptions or vertigo. It is necessary to investigate the theories of Descartes any time one is researching dualism because it was Descartes who first suggested the body and mind could be divided and he who began to define the proper realms of the mind as compared to that of the body. The more these ideas are researched, though, the more they seem to fall apart. Dualism is the result of an attempt by Descartes to bring the discipline of mathematics with its basis on ‘real’ factual knowledge together with the more intangible concepts of thought. His attempt is characterized by a c ategorical rejection of anything that could not be externally proven. This method is now referred to as hyperbolic doubt. Regarding this method, Burnham and Fieser say â€Å"he refused to accept the authority of previous philosophers – but he also refused to accept the obviousness of his own senses. ... en applied to the school of philosophic thought because the formalist paradigm of the Socratic-Platonics denied any possibility of empirical knowledge. â€Å"On this view, sensory experience can inform us only about appearances, about how things seem. Authentic knowledge (episteme), however, must be of reality. The idea of empirical knowledge, that is, experiential knowledge, is thus intrinsically incoherent. The provenance of knowledge proper, that is, knowledge of the eternal and independent Forms, is reason alone. With regard to the world available to us through the senses, the world of appearances, we can aspire only to opinion (doxa)† (Rosenberg). According to the formalist paradigm, then, there is no means by which a mortal human being can access the epistemic knowledge Descartes sought simply because we do not have the appropriate capabilities required to understand what it is we are seeing/experiencing at this level. To accomplish the type of evidence he required, Desc artes applied four basic rules of logic to his process of discovery to use as guides and method. The first rule applied was that he could only accept truths that were 'clearly and distinctly' known to be true. The second rule employed was to reduce problems down to their most common elements. This enabled the philosopher to tackle them each as micro problems which could then contribute to solving the macro. The third rule was to proceed in logical order from the easiest solution to the most difficult so as to reduce the weight of issues being considered. The fourth and final rule was to take a broad view of each individual micro-problem in order to be sure nothing has been missed at the macro level. As Brians comments, â€Å"He calls into question everything that he thinks he has learned through his

Near Earth Objects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Near Earth Objects - Essay Example However, some asteroids which orbit near the sun can intersect with the earth’s path, and the results could vary from no-effect to catastrophic. Asteroids are floating masses of rocks which can also have a mix of iron and nickel. These irregularly-shaped chunks which can range from boulder-size to that of our very own moon are, thanks to Jupiter’s massive size and pull of gravity, held near the huge planet and Mars. There are different classes or types of NEAs depending on their aphelion distance, perihelion distance, and semi-major axes, namely, Aten, Apollo, and Amor. To show their differences, here is a table from the Near Earth Object Programpage of the NASA portal (â€Å"Neo Groups,† NASA Portal): Chunks of ice, dust, and rocky rubble that travel though space are called comets. Comets go much farther than asteroids do, reaching as far as the orbit of Neptune or even way beyond to a cloud surrounding the outer solar system known as the Oort cloud. Comet size usually ranges from half a mile to six miles across. A comet’s travel around the sun can take from a few years to thousands. Comets sometimes get â€Å"dislodged from their orbits by gravity and flung toward the sun, gases vaporizing off the surface create the familiar ‘tail’† (Wyckoff, â€Å"Asteroids and Comets†) that people see. Although this trail of gas and debris is considered a thing of beauty to behold, we must take note that this is due to a dislodgement in the comet’s orbit and things could certainly turn very ugly once size, speed, and direction come into play. One good example of that is the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. In July of 1994, this catastrophic comet collided with Jupiter—the first collision of two heavenly bodies in the solar system to be observed. The comet was broken into fragments and left huge marks on the planet. Fragment A, for example, â€Å"struck