Survivors: Conquering the Antarctica Rage

Organizations are in a constant need for a good leader – one who can stand out to deliver the desired ends and goals and in the process create leaders among its ranks as well. This is particularly true in our society today: driven by the increasing stress of competitiveness, material needs and wants as well as technological changes, an organization ceases to persist if it cannot develop and train a leader or a manager in every employee. The same is true in the health care industry where nurses and other health care providers have expanded responsibilities and now manages their own subordinates in order to deliver the best possible care that can be given to patients. Hence, within the framework of developing leaders and managers in every individual and surviving through challenges successfully, the story of Ernest Shackleton in Shackleton's Way and his conquest of the wrath of Antartica presents a valuable lesson in leadership, motivation and management. Consequently, his saga and heroism is not only contained in the literary and science journals but also in management, leadership, sociology and psychology as well. For one, his leadership style and the manner by which he managed his crew of 27 in a two-year ordeal, with every one going home safe is a classic and a remarkable display of character and organizational skills. This paper evaluates Shackleton’s Way written by Morell and Capparell (2002) in lieu with his leadership and management style particularly in choosing the right people for the job, creating camaraderie among the group, developing the strengths and overcoming the weaknesses of the individuals and forming groups to overcome obstacles and creating leaders in the process. Particularly, an analysis of Shackleton's leadership style, communication strategy, use of team management, conflict resolution and change innovation are explored in lieu with the ability of the whole crew to survive through the challenges of their Antarctica trip. This paper argues that meeting the desired goals/objectives of a group entails the commitment, the knowledge, skills and the positive attitude of individuals as directed by a good leader. Shackleton’s Way: Summary and Analysis Morrell and Capparell (2002) presented the dilemma of Shackleton's Way in this scenario: captured by the ice of Antarctica for two years with twenty (27) men in tow and very limited resources including gas, food, medicine and other resources, how can one man bargain to save their lives when negotiation with their captor is impossible? Morell and Capparell (2002) trace how the great Ernest Shackleton had turned this tragedy into a voyage that became a legend. In the first parts of the book, the authors traced the character and leadership style of Shackleton: amidst the rat race in the corporate world, he worked with respectful competitiveness and turned his bad experiences and weaknesses into lessons to make him a better person. Morrell and Capparell (2002) presented that the character that Shackleton would show in his voyage was shaped through his childhood years and were learned from his family. For instance, his exposure to different cultures made him realize the diversity of people and in learning different attitudes, behaviors and priorities. In succeeding chapters, we see Shackleton knowing the value of hiring the right people for the job. With his eye for optimism and talent, he gave the best renumeration possible to people he thought are the best in the job among those whom he interviewed. Knowing fully well that his people are competent, he abolished the traditional vertical hierarchy in organizations and instead created team management in order to make the crew realize their value in the whole expedition and the organization. This allowed him to get the best work done by each individual- making them realize their value and giving them importance through one-on-one talks. Through optimism and confidence, Shackleton was able to guide his people to the goal that he had laid down to achieve and resolving conflicts with justice and impartiality. More importantly, his team management and implementation of group dynamics- assigning teams, balancing them and ensuring that their tasks are proportional with their capabilities had been critical in their success. Furthermore, Shackleton in the process created leaders among his crew. After the expedition, he provided an invaluable insight to the group and how society can improve through his ways can still be applied today. As indicated, the primary strength of the book is how it provided the reader with a step-by-step account of how Shackleton's leadership was developed- including his personal history and extending into his business ventures and the Antarctic voyage. While several books have already provided us an account of Shackleton, no book has explored it using the leadership and management literature as much as how Morrell and Capparell (2002) traced and retraced the steps undertaken by Shackleton in succeeding Antarctica. For instance, in terms of Shackleton's leadership style, the authors started from his innate capacities as a leader and how he valued the process of recruitment using unique methods to determine character and in creating a group dynamics that allows for his talented crew members to provide their output. His leadership style is therefore democratic and he can be considered as a charismatic leader. Morrell and Capparell (2002) devoted a lengthy and informative showcase of how Shackleton can be considered as such- with confidence and optimism, he was able to facilitate and regroup his crew to attain the maximum possible output that he wants to attain. This was done first by showing them the overall picture and locating each crew from that plan. By doing so, Shackleton and the authors motivated the crew and showed how their plan will not work without one member. How could he have created such group coherence in the middle of so much conflict? The primary tool as aptly shown by the book is the manner by which Shackleton communicates with each crew member. He opted to resolve conflict through one-on-one discussions and through constructive conflict resolution. By trying to look for solutions instead of blaming, he was shown by the authors to be a good conflict negotiator. On this note, the authors have succeeded in showing the readers how communication can be done. In terms of team management, his group dynamics were clearly illlustrated by Morrell and Capparell (2002) when they examined how Shackleton divided his group into two- leaving 22 of his men in an island and bringing the others to find food. Choosing the ones who would be left behind due to illness and bringing the ones who can best deliver the goods showed how Shackleton maximizes their resources as well as in knowing who can best do the job. As a change innovator, Morrell and Capparell (2002) in the latter part of the book had showcased how the crew members became leaders in their own right after learning from Shackleton. Primarily, the strength of the book is that it can serve as an informative as well as an academic resource for all organizations. Second, the manner by which the narratives were sewn together to fit how leadership is through Shackleton's way makes the readers appreciate the value of leadership and of the organization. Finally, the book is entertaining enough to be read and understoob by a wide range of audience. On the other hand, the book's primary weakness is its inability to provide comparisons with other legendary leaders. This could have given the readers the chance to compare the leadership style of Shackleton with others. Consequently, in today's modern organization, the lack of connection and the attempt to apply it amidst workers of today seems to be missing. Implication and Application to Nursing and Health Care Practice Leadership is universal in nature- regardless of the organization and its needs, leaders have common characteristics that make them effective. In the healthcare organization, leadership is no longer the strictly vertical hierarchy- more and more independence is given to nurses and other practitioners. For one, the emergence of positions such as Licensed Vocational Nursing, Licensed Practical Nursing, Nursing Assistants, etc. ompels nurses to develop their own leadership styles. For instance, as a provider of care to patients, the nurse delegates’ tasks, supervises their subordinates, reports to their superiors as well as plan the care of the patient to reach the goals of care. Therefore, gone are the days when nurses are dependent on their physicians for their actions. Simil ar to the experiences of Shackleton, nurses and health care practitioners can gain important insights on how team management can be organized in order to provide continuous patient care. In nursing for instance, nurses works in functional system where each shift would have a nurse and allied professionals, the ability to coordinate, collaborate, negotiate with the team, allocate resources to ensure that all patients are given care, and pursue both short-term and long-term goals are now the roles of nurses. Consequently, nurses are considered to be the primary caretaker among health care professionals because they are the ones who are with the patients most of time. Therefore, nurses’ serve as advocates to physicians and other health care professionals. In doing so, the lack of leadership of nurses can lead to inadequate provision of care. Accordingly, Shackleton provided a valuable lesson on how nurses can rise up to the ranks to be head nurses, supervisors and even administrators in the same way that Shackleton's crew became successful managers and leaders. For one, as shown in the book, a leader becomes a follower first. Leading without knowing how to follow is disastrous. This is because the value of respect as shown through good communication and motivation can only be shown by someone who had been through the process of following. Thus, while there are innate qualities for leadership, it is highly developed. Consequently, strength of character particularly confidence, optimism and willpower which were essential qualities in the success of Shackleton are important qualities for nurses- not only in direct patient care but also in managing other staff nurses. Essentially, Shackleton's Way provides an insightful manner by which leadership is connected to character and how it can be honed in an organization. For health care practitioners and nurses, this book provides a vivid and comprehensive display on how leaders are made and how they handle people. Ethical, Political and Social Consequences of Shackleton’s Way While far from being the best leader in the literature, Shackleton's Way was able to impart the simplicity of how leadership can be done: that is showing compassion to your people and your goals, as well as respecting the rights of each individual. In doing so, one becomes an ethical leader and in the process, gains the respect of their members. For one, it could have been easy for Shackleton to abandon his crew and save himself or just bring the strongest ones to help him escape Antarctica. However, he worked in a way that would bring the best in every individual and in the process save them all. In present organizations, we see leaders and managers using people for their own advancement. It is common that those in the top positions use politics to get ahead. This is also true in our society- whether the government or in private sectors. It is almost impossible to say that one got ahead without stepping on another's shoe. However, the ethics and politics of leadership in Shackleton's Way believed and showed otherwise. For one, we see the purpose of Shackleton- it is ethically and morally sound: for all of them to survive regardless if he risks his own life in doing so. Even in the healthcare industry and particularly in politics, turn coating and saving one's own face has been very common- to a point where the youth regards it as the status quo. However, Shackleton's Way proved that leaders in any organization can choose the harder and more complicated way but one that is just, humane and effective.

Counter Reformation

Counter Reformation, begun by the Catholic Church with the opening of the Council of Trent, 1545, had two sides. One, the Counter Reformation proper, was a struggle against Protestantism. The other—sometimes called the Catholic Reformation—was a movement for spiritual and moral reform within the Catholic Church (Reardon, 1981). For nearly a century many Catholic leaders had pleaded for a reform of the church â€Å"in head and members. † Little could be done, however, because key church appointments remained in the hands of political leaders.Spain was one of the earliest and strongest supporters of the Counter Reformation. Francisco Ximenes de Cisneros (1436- 1517) as archbishop of Toledo enforced drastic reforms in the church. Shortly before 1517 Giovanni Pietro Caraffa, later Pope Paul IV, helped found in Rome the Oratory of Divine Love, a society of priests committed to prayer and self- reform. In 1524, they disbanded and some of its members founded the Theatin es, an order of priests dedicated to reforming the church. The order spread through Italy, exerting growing influence (Bainton, 1983).In Spain, Saint Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun and mystic, reformed her order and exerted much influence through her writings. Another Spanish mystic and monastic reformer was Saint John of the Cross. Adrian of Utrecht, a Dutch cardinal, was elected pope, Adrian VI in 1522, but died 20 months later. He had tried to make institutional reforms in the church hierarchy and to keep church affairs independent of continental politics, but his efforts were fruitless. Clement VII (pope 1523- 34) was an intelligent clergyman, but timid and indecisive (Reardon, 1981).Paul III (pope 1534- 49) was committed to reforming the church. He was not influenced in church matters by pressure from continental leaders. Paul appointed many reformers to positions of authority. During Paul’s papacy, Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, an organization dedicate d to reforming and strengthening the church. Members, called Jesuits, worked as theologians to help clarify and reform church doctrines; as teachers to educate youth in these doctrines; and as missionaries to spread the Gospel to foreign lands.Paul approved the society as a religious order in 1540. The Jesuits guided the Catholic revival and led the Counter Reformation (Bainton, 1983). The Council of Trent marked the beginning of the Counter Reformation. As early as 1534, Paul III had called for an ecumenical council to institute the reform, but his plans were obstructed by corrupt church officials and various continental leaders who wanted to maintain their influence over the church. The council finally convened 1545 and sat for three sessions (1545-47, 1551-52, and 1562-63).It reaffirmed Catholic doctrines, implemented reforms to prevent abuses, and tightened papal discipline over the church. It also gathered church forces into a united front against Protestantism. In 1555 Caraffa became Pope Paul IV. To demonstrate his commitment for reform, he broke with the papal tradition of worldliness and began a life of austerity, a standard which later popes maintained (Reardon, 1981). References: 1. Bainton, R. H. The Age of Reformation. Krieger, 1983. 2. Reardon, B. M. G. Religious Thought in the Reformation. Longman, 1981.

Finance stock valuation Essay

Ragan, Inc., was founded nine years ago by brother and sister Carrington and Genevieve Ragan. The company manufactures and installs commercial heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) units. Ragan, Inc., has experienced rapid growth because of a proprietary technology that increases the energy efficiency of its units. The company is equally owned by Carrington and Genevieve. The original partnership agreement between the siblings gave each 50,000 shares of stock. In the event either wished to sell stock, the shares first had to be offered to the other at a discounted price. Although neither sibling wants to sell, they have decided they should value their holdings in the company. To get started, they have gathered the following information about their main competitors: Expert HVAC Corporation’s negative earnings per share were the result of an accounting write-off last year. Without the write-off, earnings per share for the company would have been $0.54. Last year, Ragan, Inc., had an EPS of $4.85 and paid a dividend to Carrington and Genevieve of $75,000 each. The company also had a return on equity of 17 percent. The siblings believe that 14 percent is an appropriate required return for the company. Ragan, Inc. – Competitors CompanyEPSDiv.Stock PriceROER Arctic Cooling0.840.3917.8316.00%10.00% National Heating1.340.6519.2314.00%13.00% Expert HVAC-0.550.4318.1415.00%12.00% Industry Average0.540.4918.4015.00%11.67% Questions 1. Assuming the company continues its current growth rate, what is the value per share of the company’s stock? SOLUTION: Total dividend= (75000Ãâ€"2) = $150000 Total earning= (50000Ãâ€"4.85) = $242500 Payout ratio= 150000/242500= .62 Retention ratio= (1-.62) = .38 g= ROExb= .17x.38= .065 or 6.5% D0= 75000/50000=1.5 P0= D1/(Ke-g)= (1.5Ãâ€"1.14)/(.14-.065)= $22.8 2. To verify their calculations, Carrington and Genevieve have haired Josh Schlessman as a consultant. Josh was previously an equity analyst and covered the HVAC industry. Josh had examined the company’s financial statements, as well as those of its competitors. Although Ragan, Inc., currently has a technological advantage, his research indicates that other companies are investigating methods to improve efficiency. Given this, Josh believes that the company’s technological advantage will last only for the next five years. After that period, the company’s growth will likely slow to the industry growth average. Additionally, Josh believes that the required return used by the company is too high. He believes the industry average required return is more appropriate. Under this growth rate assumption, what is your estimate of the stock price? SOLUTION: Industry EPS= (.84+1.43+.54)/3= .91 Industry Payout ratio= .49/.91= .54 Industry retention ratio= 1-.54= .46 g= 15x.46= 6.9% D6= 1.5Ãâ€"1.14^6= 3.2925 Stock price in year 5 with the Industry rate of return = 3.2925/ (.1167-.069) = $69.02

The Language used Street Billboards in Doha Essay

The Language used Street Billboards in Doha - Essay Example The data will be collected by photographing various street billboards and by surveying people on their perception of the language used in street billboards. The findings showed that the design of billboards and Qatari dialect used in most street billboards attracts people most, Arabic and English are mostly used, adverts in Qatari addressed in Arabic uphold Islamic culture, and the target group of most adverts is adults. Objectives of the Study This study aims to show the like between the advertisements’ language and the ideology of the Qatari society. Also, it focuses in the design and the texts of the billboards persuade the customers, and examining the target group behind the language of the billboards used in Qatar society. LITERATURE REVIEW This Literature Review will analyze previous studies done by other scholars on the topic. Literature review typically includes scholarly journals, scholarly books, authoritative databases and primary source. Asmi (2013) explores the role of Islam in Arabic language ideologies. Through juxtaposing of religious and secular traditions, Asmi clearly explains the relationship between Islam and Arabic. The connection between the two greatly affects the political, social and cultural agendas of the Qatari society. Arabic language is considered to be the most powerful symbol of Arabic-Islamic culture and mode of transmission. Islam played an instrumental role in helping Arabic attain its universal status as well as to emerge as one of the world’s principal languages. This is attributed to the fact that Arabic is an important means of natural and cultural revival in most Islamic countries.

In finance, risk is best judged in a portfolio context. Is this true Essay - 7

In finance, risk is best judged in a portfolio context. Is this true Why - Essay Example This paper takes an argument to prove that individual stock cannot allow investors to help judging the overall risk associated with investment on shares. A critical criticism context will also be introduced in the paper later on to justify the argument regarding risk being judged better in a portfolio of stocks. It will not be incorrect to state that investors of stock market are directly associated with the risk which is not avoidable. These risks can be variable in types such as short-term risk or portfolio risk. For the focus of this paper, portfolio risk is being discussed in a contextual manner. It should be noted that portfolio risk is relatively low in accordance to the movements within the stock market. Herein, the process or concept of aggregation is considered for calculating risk associated with an asset or for valuing a company. It is due to this reason that individual investors are suggested to manage their portfolio risk because their individual transactions are aggregated. This denotes that investors tend to diversify their assets in order to judge the risk of security (Brealey, et al., 2010). It is not being proven here that by taking an aggregate of the risk of in a portfolio can eliminate risk. Portfolio of stock allows the investors to understand the associated risk in accordance of variation in all levels of the market. There is an underlying condition associated with portfolio risk. As a matter of fact, risk can be best judged in a portfolio context, as diversified stocks can have reduced risk. The underlying condition is that the return which is received by the investors is less than one. In this case, it is stated that diversification will remain beneficial or the investors (Brealey, et al., 2010). Risk or systematic risk is interlinked with the changes that may occur in the market. The risk is

Learning English as a Second language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning English as a Second language - Essay Example As a second language, English can be learnt in two basic methods. Firstly, the language can be learnt through acquisition. This method of learning English takes place through interaction with native speakers. The method also involves practicing and imitations whereby the learner tries to copy the native speakers (Blackshire 123). Studying through a classroom setting is the second method through which a person can learn English as a second language. Unfortunately, I had to go through this procedure in order to become an English speaker and I always wish I had taken the first method. This perception concerning learning English through a class room setting always appeared as an inappropriate idea until recently when I held a conversation with one of my former teachers. During the encounter, the teacher informed me that had I opted for the first method, I would be in a far worse condition than I am right now. From the conversation, I realized that studying how to speak a language is equ ally important to learning how to write in the same language. I also realized that through the classroom setting there were measures that I could use to measure my progress unlike in the acquisition method where it is difficult to measure progress. These measures also acted as a source of motivation and challenges through my entire studentship. After discussing the issue of learning English as a second language with my teacher, I realized a change in my perception towards the standard of spoken English (Rokeach 34).

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud Research Paper - 4

The Continuum from Legitimacy to Fraud - Research Paper Example This essay demonstrates that different improvements and various practices should be involved in the process of earnings management. Financial reporting can be influenced by numerous factors and even a personal impact can be very important trigger when fraud occurs. A lack of motivation from the company can lead managers and accountants to fraud. Concealment is one of many possible strategies implemented in the process of auditing. It can be claimed that the following four parties are key determinants of internal and external concept development of legal and fraudulent earnings management: boards of the directors, stakeholders, managers, and auditors. It is possible to describe their mutual relations in the following way: stakeholders make boards of directors write invented figures in their financial statements, managers are subjected to the orders of the company's authorities and auditors are cheated when all these actions are combined. This paper makes a conclusion that thus, financ ial statement looks like Pandora's Box and different vices come out of it by voluntary actions of directors, accountants, and managers. Moreover, the two basic pillars would make earnings management fair and stable: flexibility and inviolability. In addition, It can be also supposed that any modern company can be influenced by changing the environment, politics of the county, national or local influences etc. Thus, ethical issues are integrative elements of legitimate practices in earnings management.... With respect to the study conducted by Levitt in 1998, accountants should develop more flexible practices, but the highest standards of objectivity. Fraud in management practices can be illustrated by numerous examples, such as a famous case of fraud experienced by the Enron Company (Hoffman et al, 1996). Accountants of the company were not afraid of providing their financial statements. The company experienced bankruptcy and a great impact was made on the employees of the company, retired employees and their pensions and many other people, who suffered huge financial losses. The following conditions are the most relevant to the earnings management conduct: â€Å"remaining alert, through observation and making inquiries as necessary, for evidence of noncompliance with relevant ethical  requirements by members of the engagement team, determining the appropriate action if matters come to the engagement partner's attention that indicate that members of the engagement team have not co mplied with relevant ethical  requirements, and forming a conclusion on compliance with independence requirements that apply to the audit engagement† (Statement on Auditing Standards, 2010). The words and word combinations in italics can be considered as triple conditions for fair and successful earnings management. To reveal fraud in earnings management relevant ethical  requirements, the appropriate action and independence requirements should be followed by the auditors. Otherwise auditing will fail and the company will be subjected to a spoiled goodwill, suspicion of stakeholders or even bankruptcy (Statement on Auditing Standards Overall Objectives of the Independent Auditor, 2010). Conclusion Different improvements and various practices should be involved in the process of

Written exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Written exam - Essay Example A good example is where giraffes with short necks die after short shrubs die out, and after some generations all the giraffes will have long necks. Mutation is the mechanism whereby a DNA gene structure in a species changes with some units being deleted, inserted or re-arranged in such a way that it affects or alters subsequent generations. An example is an albinism genetic anomaly (Wool, 67). Cladogenesis is the evolution that is brought about by the splitting of a lineage. This is the separation of a gene pool into two or more gene pools. Anagenesis, which is also known as phyletic evolution, is that which occurs within a lineage. It is basically the collective changes that completely alter a species into a new species with different characteristics (Wool, 74). The phylogenetic tree that uses ‘prosimian vs. anthropoid’ is different from the cladogram, which differentiates ‘strepsirhine vs. haplorhine’, in that it shows the ancestors together with the degrees of relationship and the time that the taxa lived contrary to cladograms, which only show the degree of relationship and a hypothetical ancestor (Jurmain et al., 68) A good example of this is propithecus diadema, also known as diademed sifaka. It is found in Madagascar. Its adaptation for grooming is what makes it special from other lemurs. It has a toothcomb and a toilet claw in its second toe mainly for grooming. The white-headed capuchin, which is a new world monkey found in Central and South America, is in the family of platyrrhines. This type of capuchin is special in the fact that it is dominated by both an alpha female and an alpha male. The Zanzibar red colobus found in the main island of Zanzibar, Unguja, is a good example of primates in this clade. The males of the Zanzibar red colobus are very social and defend their group in unison and even groom each other between meals. The gibbons are among the most endangered primates on earth and they fall under this

Reflections of what happened in early childhood center of early Essay - 2

Reflections of what happened in early childhood center of early childhood education in NZ as in order 509071 - Essay Example I realize I need to learn how to help children resolve conflicts between children whether or not there is a parent present resolve conflicts Analyse: I have learned from my studies and my experiences that young children are very egocentric (Piaget & Inhelder, 1969). The think the world revolves around them and that they can get anything they want. Perhaps that may be true in their homes especially if they are pampered little children who have their parents at their beck and call but when they enter into another social system like joining a children’s centre, they become aware that there are other children like them who are likewise egocentric and that they need to adjust to each other. In doing so, they learn the basics of socialization, sometimes the hard way, such as the fight I witnessed between the two boys wanting the same toy. Although I know that the situation is an opportunity for me to help them learn sharing, I myself was unsure of what to do. Theorise: Play is a goo d avenue for children to learn how they should behave with others. Sharing is one thing they learn when they have prolonged interactions with other children. They also get to learn socially acceptable behavior like not hurting others and playing fair. Most importantly, they get to know themselves better- how they react to certain situations in the play setting. Te Whariki promotes these through its principle of Relationships and its strands of Mana Tangata (Contribution) and Mana Reo (Communication) (Nuttall, 2003). In terms of conflicts that usually ensue during play sessions, children need to learn how to resolve them on their own. However, as toddlers, they would need adults to help them out due to their lack of social and language skills. As they grow, they need to develop the confidence in managing their own conflicts. By having a healthy self-esteem, sound decision-making skills and emotional intelligence, children develop confidence in the management of conflicts. They also n eed to be cognitively capable of processing information in order to solve simple problems. Act: Whether there is a parent around or not, I should learn to help toddlers in conflict with each other. I may be able to provide them both with a toy they both like or introduce a new game altogether. I can also teach them to delay their gratification by waiting for their turn in playing with a toy they both want. I will give each one a toy and one child can play with the preferred toy while the other counts to 10 and at the count of 10, they can switch toys. Not only will they learn to rote count but they will get to enjoy both toys and learn to wait for their turns. Enjoining the parent who is parent to encourage both children to share is one thing I can also do. I will get to see how the parent reacts with my strategy and at the same time I can also get feedback if it works. Reference: Nuttall, J. (Ed.). (2003). Weaving Te Whariki: Aotearoa New Zealand &early childhood curriculum documen t in theory and practice.Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Â   Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969) The Psychology of the Child. New York: Basic Books Reflection 6 LEARNING OUTCOME: Describe: Each day during mat time is a time for the teachers to inculcate in the children their Maori culture. The teachers teach songs in Maori and English, let them count or teach colours in

Political Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Campaign - Essay Example We reiterate our stand that cloning is against our social ethics and moral principles and equals to questioning God (Yaro's article, third Para ). The advocates of cloning will one day be punished by the God. We promise you that, if voted to power, we will bring a permanent Federal Law banning the practice of cloning through a Bill in the Congress which has failed to pass despite its introduction several times in the past. ( Laws on human cloning, third Para ). Cloning indicates the scientific advancement man has achieved over the years and stands as a tall witness for the supremacy of science. The creation of Dolly (The first successful clone of a sheep, first Para.) was only a first step in the right direction the scientific community had moved in the area of cloning. The advocates of its ban have no right to talk of ethics and morals as these issues are not their exclusive domains. One wants to know how cloning affects the tradition, morals and ethics. God had created humans and other living beings but did not stop at that. God encouraged us to invent so many things and cloning can be one of them.

PlayStation Marketing Mix & Environment & Target Essay Example for Free

PlayStation Marketing Mix Environment Target Essay The PlayStation brand is a series of video game consoles created and developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation was the idea of Ken Kutaragi, who known as â€Å"The father of the PlayStation, a Sony executive who had just come out of his hardware engineering division at that time. The consoles origins date back to 1986 where it was originally a joint project between Nintendo and Sony to create a CD-ROM for the Super Nintendo. The PlayStation made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in June 1991 when Sony revealed its console, a Super Famicom/SNES with a built-in CD-ROM drive. However, a day after the announcement, Nintendo announced that it would be breaking its partnership with Sony. The deal was broken by Nintendo after they were unable to come to an agreement on how revenue would be split between the two companies. The breaking of the partnership infuriated Sony President Norio Ohga, who responded by appointing Kutaragi with the responsibility of developing of the PlayStation project to rival Nintendo. The original PlayStation released in December 1994 was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation series of console and hand-held game devices. Target Market They targeted at fans of video games and teenager or audience starting at 17+ and the focus is more on the male. Of course the games themselves have limits on who can play them, depending on the content rating on the games cover. Sony developed the PlayStation with the intention of hitting a wider, especially the older generation of gaming enthusiasts. Marketing Mix * Product: A successful marketing efforts result in product that become a part of everyday life, and that what Sony reached by offers games of all genres to match customers gaming preference. With its product PlayStation they have succeeded in satisfying the customers wishes by developing it among the time as requirements of the customers and their needs. * Distribution Decisions with respect to distribution focus on making the product available in adequate quantities at places where customers are normally expected to shop for them to satisfy their needs. Selecting the appropriate retailers or wholesalers is an important thing. PlayStation covered the market. Its distributes it in various channels, customer buy it from the retailers recognized by Sony, and these retailers buy the products directly from the company itself. * Promotion Promotion is a key element of marketing program and is concerned with effectively and efficiently communicating the decisions of marketing strategy. A company’s promotional efforts are the only controllable means to create awareness among publics about itself, the products and services it offers, their features and influence their attitudes favorably. Advertising campaign carried out by Sony to promote their product for PlayStation was big, they published video clips on the Internet, and they have advertisements in television screens, newspapers and magazines all over the world and other promotional media are very important in term of creation awareness about it. Some of the phrases in the ads are: Live In Your World. Play In Ours. Wherever, Whenever, Forever. The most notable of recent PlayStation commercials is the series of It Only Does Everything, these commercials garnered popularity among gamers. * Price Pricing decisions are almost always made in consultation with marketing management. Customers directly relate price to quality. PlayStation is with price range from moderately-high. Here in Saudi Arabia its price varies from SR 1300 to 1700 first raises the market, and then begins gradually decrease its. Marketing Environment * Competitive Biggest competitors to PlayStation are Wii of Nintendo and Xbox from Microsoft. The competition among them is very strong, PlayStation sales dropped against Wii at the beginning of 2008, and one of the reasons is its low price. *Numbers in thousands * Technological The current penetration of Internet creates the stimulus for the increase use of Internet as information. The introductions of new technologies have changed the nature of customers expectations, creating new zones of tolerance. Today, customers expect more flexibility, speed and dependability from retailers, than before the introduction of web-based technologies. * Sociocultural The price has become the key determinant of purchase choice. Various consumers are always looking for the best price opportunities. Also, research shows the large number of UK consumers choice of product strongly depends on the appeal of product mix and its congruence with their self-concept.

The Virginal Conception of Christ Essay Example for Free

The Virginal Conception of Christ Essay The Virginal Conception is a vital aspects in Christian faith, this is also held by Muslims (Qur’an 3.47). Virginal conception is a miraculous, non-sexual manner. The Holy Spirit caused Mary to conceive God Incarnate without the help of a man. For some believers they believed that   Mary also gave birth to Jesus miraculously; He passed through her without wounding her or spoiling her physical virginity, But for some He passed through her in natural way- thus breaking her hymen and went thru birth pains. When talking of virgin birth, it means also, Virginal Conception (Virginitas ante partum), i.e. that Christ, one of the person in the Deity Incarnate, had no human biological father. The biblical basis of virginal conception of Jesus was prophesied in Genesis 3:15 and Isaiah 7:14. It came true in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:34-35. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7) However, the possibility of a virgin birth is often questioned for the fact that, from a biological viewpoint, it is impossible for a human being to be born without a biological father and a mother. Also, some Christians do not believe in the Virgin Birth. Research by many groups, including Christian researchers, indicates that among both the clergy and the laity (in all branches of Christianity) a belief in central tenets of the faith such as Virgin Birth or bodily Resurrection is highly variable. Although they believe in the Virgin Birth, Muslims do not call Jesus Son of God, rather Servant of God. In the Quran, Jesus (Isa in Arabic) is consistently termed Isa ibn Maryam a matronymic- because, in Muslim belief, he had no biological father. Philosophical controversy In the wider sense, arguments for and against the Virgin Birth depend on fundamental philosophical assumptions: if one believes God does not exist, or if God exists but does not perform miracles, the Virgin Birth cannot have taken place in any traditionally accepted sense. While parthogenesis, a type of virgin birth where a female gives birth without the intervention of the male material, is known in nature, the resulting offspring must be female since the mother has no Y chromosome to pass on. Also, the process has never been observed in mammals. The Virgin Birth not only violates a naturalist philosophy, but also science based upon methodological naturalism. Alleged late appearance in the New Testament There are explicit references to the virgin birth in only two places in the New Testament: the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which are believed by many scholars to be amongst the later written parts of the New Testament. The apparently older Gospel of Mark, on which Matthew and Luke are believed to be partly based, does not mention the virgin birth, and some scholars also argue from grammar and style that the first two chapters of Luke, describing the virgin birth, were a later addition to the Gospel, which may originally have begun at 3:1: 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. At 3:1 there is an abrupt change of subject and the story begins again. Nevertheless, this is characteristic of many stories in the Gospels and the author of Luke may simply be beginning a new segment of his narrative. Arguments regarding the addition of material to a narrative (Redaction and Form criticism), especially when the material in question is present in the earliest manuscripts, have received significant criticism in the last 20 years and are now regarded as dubious by some textual critics. Double attestation The Virgin conception and birth is a tradition that fits within the criterion of multiple attestation, that is, the same event appears in two independent traditions (most scholars argue that the authors of Matthew and Luke worked independent of one another). For many historians, independent testimony is a significant evidence for the historical validity of a said event. Matthew and Luke are testifying to an event, the birth, about which there was a tradition, namely, that it resulted from a miraculous conception. That the conception itself was indeed miraculous appears to rest on a single attestation, that of the Virgin Mary. The attestation of the Angel to St. Joseph on the miraculous nature of the conception would not be accepted by many scholars as historiographically valid. Critics of the double attestation argument cite many inconsistencies between the accounts of Matthew and Luke regarding Jesus birth. According to Matthew, Joseph was forewarned of the virgin birth by an unnamed angel; in Luke it is Mary who is notified of this by the angel Gabriel. Matthew tells us that Joseph and Mary were residents of Bethlehem who moved to Nazareth after Jesus birth in order to avoid living under Archelaus: according to the better-known story in Luke the couple lived in Nazareth and only traveled to Bethlehem in order to comply with a Roman census. Luke mentions that Mary was the sister of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, has the new-born Jesus visited by shepherds, and mentions several long hymns uttered by various characters, such as Marys Magnificat. None of this is mentioned by Matthew, who instead tells us of the visit of the Magi, the massacre of the innocents by Herod, and the flight into Egypt. There are thus two rival explanations for the double attestation of Matthew and Luke regarding the virgin birth of Jesus: The virgin birth was a historical event, and the stories of Matthew and Luke are based on different aspects and witnesses accounts of it. Matthew and Luke both wanted to make Jesus fit prophecies from Hebrew scripture. Both authors were aware of the prophecies concerning virgin birth and Bethlehem, and therefore these elements of their stories match. But each author wove these prophecies into the overall narrative in a different way. For example, both authors had to explain how Jesus was born in Bethlehem when he was known to be from Nazareth (as mentioned in Marks gospel) and each came up with a totally different explanation. The double attestation shows only that the two witnesses are independent, although, there are some inconsistencies but it does not disqualify the truth of the case. Dispute regarding Isaiah 7:14 In the past two millennia, there has been controversy among scholars about the translation and the meaning of a small section of Isaiah. For many scholars, the crux of the matter is the translation of the word  : × ¢Ã—Å"מה, `almah which has been translated as young woman and as virgin. In Isaiah the word for virgin here is almah. Some liberals1 and Orthodox Jews claim that the word really means young woman, and this is reflected in Bible translations such as the NEB, RSV, NRSV, and GNB. Such people fail to explain why a young womans bearing a son should be a sign it happens all the time. The Septuagint translates it as (parthenos), the normal word for virgin.2 Later Jews, such as Trypho,3 Justin Martyrs (c. 160) dialog opponent, and Rashi4 (11th Cent.) have claimed that the Septuagint was wrong. Trypho claimed that almah should have been translated neanis (young girl) rather than parthenos.5 However, even Rashi admitted that the word could mean virgin in Song of Sol. 1:3 and 6:8. In the KJV, the word is translated virgin in Gen. 24:43 (Rebekah before her marriage), maid in Ex. 2:8 (Miriam as a girl) and Prov. 30:19, and damsels in Ps. 68:25. These verses contain all the occurrences of almah in the OT, and in none can it be shown that a non-virgin is meant. In English, maid and maiden are often treated as synonyms for virgin (e.g. maiden voyage). Vine et al. note that the other word for virgin, betà »lah, emphasizes virility more than virginity (although it is used with both emphases, too).6 It is qualified by a statement neither had any man known her in Gn. 24:16, and is used of a widow in Joel 1:8. Further evidence comes from clay tablets found in 1929 in Ugarit in Syria. Here, in Aramaic, a word similar to `almah is used of an unmarried woman, while on certain Aramaic incantation bowls, the Aramaic counterpart of betà »lah is used of a married woman.37 The Encyclopedia Judaica, while criticising the translation of almah in Is. 7:14 as virgin, also points out that btlt was used of the goddess Anath who had frenzied sex with Baal.8 In the King James Virsion of The Bible, a traditional Protestant translation, the verses in question run like this: 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings. Some newer translations also use the word virgin: The New King James, The English Standard Version, The Contemporary English Version, Youngs Literal Translation, among others. Many modern translations concede that the word in the Hebrew does not mean virgin, including The Revised Standard Version, The New Jerusalem Bible, The Revised English Bible, The Good News Bible, The New Revised Standard Version, among others. This demonstrates that some Christian scholars, both Protestant and Catholic, prefer the traditional translation of the Hebrew in the context of Isaiah 7:14, while others do not. Skeptics argue that this is not a very clear prophecy of the birth of Jesus. In addition to the objection that Jesus was not in fact named Immanuel there are other problems: for example, (1) what does the butter and honey refer to? (One possible response to the butter and honey problem: it is a reference to one who, metaphorically, has eaten good meat his entire life in order to spit out the bad meat if it ever touched his lips. Note that the butter and honey reference is immediately followed by the comment on an ability to choose between good and evil; this may suggest that they are related.) (2) Why is Jesus, who was sinless from birth in the traditional Christian understanding, described as having to learn to refuse the evil and choose the good? and (3) This passage within the latter translations states clearly that the young woman within this prophecy is already pregnant with a child. This makes this prophecy about the coming Messiah Jesus very difficult to explain as the prophecy would have already been fulfilled during Isaiahs time. Some Christian aplogists have attempted to explain this problem of temporal context as: a) the latter translations are in error, and b) the latter translations are correct, but that the prophecy has a double-application for both Isaiahs time and the first century. Thomas Paine argued in the second part of The Age of Reason that Isaiahs prophesy (7:16) turned out to be false. He based his conclusion on the 2nd Chronicles (chapter 28) account of heavy defeat of Ahaz. Skeptics raise even greater questions about the translation of the first verse in this passage: 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, × ¢Ã—Å"מה (a `almah) shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Christian apologists respond that the passage is a double reference— a sign both to Ahaz that the alliance against him would be destroyed, and to the house of David as a whole that was threatened with extinction. This is shown by the Hebrew which uses singular you for the former and plural you for the latter. With the former, Isaiah reassures Ahaz that the alliance would be destroyed before his own son Shear Jashub, who was present (v. 3), would learn to refuse the evil and choose the good. Finally, there is archaeological evidence that Jewish speakers of Greek used the word parthenos elastically; Jewish catacombs in Rome identify married men and women as virgins, and some have suggested that in this case the word was used to call attention to the fact that the deceased was someones first spouse (although it is notable that this usage is from several centuries before the translation of the Septuagint [citation  needed]). Certainly, Jews stopped using the more explicit Septuagint translation as Christianity spread, and post-Christian Jewish translations into Greek use ÃŽ ½ÃŽ µÃŽ ±ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¹Ãâ€š, neanis, meaning young (juvenile) woman, rather than parthenos. Possible borrowing from Paganism Some have argued that the Virgin Birth is a Christian borrowing from paganism The impregnation of mortal women by gods is common in pagan mythology. However, this is not technically virginal conception, since virginity is lost by definition when the sex act is initiated. Christian writers have noted that the obvious sex of the pagan myths is missing in the Gospels: Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. A pagan myth of virgin birth may also underlie the disputed verses from Isaiah: It all boils down to this: the distinctive Hebrew word for virgin is betulah, whereas `almah means a young woman who may be a virgin, but is not necessarily so. The aim of this note is rather to call attention to a source that has not yet been brought into the discussion. From Ugarit of around 1400 B.C. comes a text celebrating the marriage of the male and female lunar deities. It is there predicted that the goddess will bear a son The terminology is remarkably close to that in Isaiah 7:14. However, the Ugaritic statement that the bride will bear a son is fortunately given in parallelistic form; in 77:7 she is called by the exact etymological counterpart of Hebrew `almah young woman; in 77:5 she is called by the exact etymological counterpart of Hebrew betulah virgin. Therefore, the New Testament rendering of `almah as virgin for Isaiah 7:14 rests on the older Jewish interpretation, which in turn is now borne out for precisely this annunciation formula by a text that is not only pre-Isaianic but is pre-Mosaic in the form that we now have it on a clay tablet. (Feinberg, BibSac, July 62; the citation to Gordon is: C. H. Gordon, `Almah in Isaiah 7:14, Journal of Bible and Religion, XXI, 2 (April, 1953), p. 106.) This philological reasoning seems to raise four possibilities: virgin birth is a pagan concept that Christianity has 1) taken from contemporary paganism; 2) taken from pre-Mosaic paganism through Isaiah; 3) taken from contemporary paganism and justified from Isaiah, who took it from pre-Mosaic paganism; 4) produced independently of all forms of paganism, though sharing similar vocabulary. If pre-Mosaic paganism supports Isaiah, and Isaiah supports Matthew and Mark, paganism has anticipated Christianity, perhaps because God was preparing the way for Christianity or because, as some Church Fathers argued, the Devil was blasphemously imitating Christianity. On the other hand, if paganism does not underlie Isaiah, there are several possibilities. Perhaps virgin birth was invented separately, first in paganism, then in Christianity. Perhaps the idea of asexual conception was so different from the idea of conception through sexual intercourse with a deity that there was little or no borrowing in either direction. Or perhaps, despite the earlier date of the Ugaritic text, virgin birth existed first in Judaism, without any other instances than this one, and was borrowed by paganism. The obvious difficulty with this idea is that virgin birth was much more prominent in paganism, where it occurs in many myths in many different areas, than it was in Judaism, where it occurs (if at all) in a single verse late in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, the argument that virgin birth was a Jewish concept first borrowed by paganism and later incorporated into Christianity was first made by Justin Martyr in The First Apology of Justin, written in the second century. Justin also made this argument in his Dialog with Trypho, in which he debates with a Jew called Trypho: Be well assured, then, Trypho, I continued, that I am established in the knowledge of and faith in the Scriptures by those counterfeits which he who is called the Devil is said to have performed among the Greeks; just as some were wrought by the Magi in Egypt, and others by the false prophets in Elijahs days. For when they tell that Bacchus, son of Jupiter, was begotten by Jupiters intercourse with Semele, and that he was the discoverer of the vine; and when they relate, that being torn in pieces, and having died, he rose again, and ascended to heaven; and when they introduce wine into his mysteries, do I not perceive that the Devil has imitated the prophecy announced by the patriarch Jacob, and recorded by Moses? Justin was clearly not referring to any Ugaritic texts, as these texts were not known in his day; he was referring to Greek paganism. That the Devil is responsible for the similarities between paganism and Judaism is not generally accepted by modern scholars, partly because the Devils influence would be impossible to disprove. The Devil could not, for example, imitate Christianity or Judaism before either existed, without violating the generally accepted historical rule that a culture cannot be influenced by a culture that does not yet exist; even though in point of fact it is likely that if the patriarch Jacob existed, he was contemporary with the inscriptions at Ugarit. In a similar vein, it might also be argued that God had chosen to out-do these earlier human myths, all as part of his Plan. Christian writers point out that if in fact the writer of Isaiah intended to borrow the idea of a virgin birth from an older pagan tradition, we might expect to find Isaiah using more explicit language to indicate that a virgin was meant. However, if Isaiah had borrowed the story from pagans, he might be expected to speak in the same way as the pagans, and that is what he does, according to the scholar quoted, who notes the remarkable similarity of the Ugaritic and the Hebrew. However, Isaiah may speak the same way as the pagans simply because he came from a similar sociological and semantic context. If Isaiah received a new prophecy direct from God, on the other hand, he had no tradition to conform to, and he could have expanded the meaning to make it completely unambiguous. That he did not choose to make it unambiguous is thus an apparent difficulty for the Christian interpretation of the text, though the ambiguity could be seen as being intended, if one supposes that God had a dual purpose for the text (i.e., to serve one function in Isaiahs time and another function later). Isaiahs prophecy departs from the Ugaritic version of the virgin birth by having the female be entirely human, whereas in the Ugaritic culture, the virgin was another deity, on par with the male; but this is exactly what might be expected if the myth were borrowed from paganism, since Judaism has only one male deity; a female deity in a borrowed myth might thus conceivably become a female human. According to Origen and Tertullian, the Christian doctrine of the Virgin birth met with lively opposition and mockery from pagan groups. This testimony would seem to discount the suggestion of those modern revisionists who have posited that the pagan religions had a similar or identical tradition. The doctrine of the Virgin Birth is frequently confused with the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. The latter, taught by the Roman Catholic Church states that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. Mary, however, unlike many peoples views of Jesus, was conceived in the ordinary way: i.e. she had a human father as well as a human mother (whose names, according to Catholic and Orthodox tradition, were Joachim and Anna/Anne or Jehoiakim and Hannah in Hebrew). Whilst Protestant denominations adhere to the doctrine of the Virgin Birth, they do not adhere to the idea of Marys immaculate conception, nor of her perpetual virginity. References: Hagner, Donald-Matthew 2 Vols. (Biblical Commentary) Dallas; Word, 1993,1995. Luz, Ulrich. Matthew 1-7 Minneapolis; Augsburg Fortress, 1989. Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1997. Keener Craig, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1999. Nolland, John, The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 2005 Raymond E. Brown, The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus, New York: Paulist, 1973 (pp. 21-68) Marshall, I. Howard. Commentary on Luke, Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1978 Fitzmyer, Joseph. The Gospel According to Kuke I-IX (Anchor Bible) Garden City. Doubleday. 1981

Legal Effects of the Mabo Case in Australian Law

Legal Effects of the Mabo Case in Australian Law The Mabo cases are some of the most well known cases in the Australian legal system, this paper will focus on the Mabo v. Queensland, a case that was litigated over for almost a decade in the Australian high court, this case was a monumental step for indigenous people in Australia. From the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788 The native Australians (Aboriginals) have fought to claim back their land, but it was seen by the first Australian colonists that Australia was terra nullius and therefore the indigenous people had no claim to land rights. There are many different points that need to be addressed before we can show that the legal effects of the Mabo case have turned out to be deceptive. The Mabo cases were seen by many people in Australia as a victory for indigenous people throughout Australia, but for some indigenous people it was not seen in the same light. A long battle between the indigenous people and the commonwealth had be going on since the first settlers had arrived in Australia and claimed the land as terra nullius (un-inhabited), even though Australia was clearly not un-inhabited. The indigenous people of Australia had a long and devoted relationship with the land and had set-up their families and homes on this land. In 1982, Eddie Mabo began an action for a declaration of native title over the Queensland Aboriginal land claims. They argued that terra nullius had wrongfully been used by the settlers that colonizied Australia, because for thousands of years indigenous Australians had enjoyed a relationship with the land that included a sense of ownership. In 1992 the High Court of Australia rejected terra nullius and the myth that the first settlers had used to deprive indigenous Australians of their land. In doing this, it recognized that native title existed before the arrival of the first Brittish colonists. The judgment became known as the Mabo decision, one of the most controversial decisions ever seen in an Australian court. It was a decision that was quite hard to fully comprehend, as there was no deffinition to which native title existed in Australia. Mining and other industry groups were not happy with the decision as it would take more time and money to gain leases on land and their applications may also be denied, but was celebrated by indigenous Australians and Paul Keating (prime minister), as an opportunity to appologise to indigenous Australians for the treatment they received and the taking of their lands. The Mabo decision in the high court awarded certain land rights to indigenous people, which were celebrated by some, but the terms and conditions that went along with the final high court ruling did not benefit all indigenous and had some negative effects on the indigenous, there are many requirements that must be met in order for an indigenous person / persons to claim rights to land in Australia, which some people see as unfair. For a long time before the first settlers came to Australia Aboriginals have inhabited what they called Mother Earth and there was a strong bond between the aboriginals and their land that they raised their families on, hunted on and built their homes on. The aboriginals roamed the whole of their country as the pleased and had many different sacred sites throughout, sites which had a link to their ancestors and what they called the dreaming, then in 1788 all of what they know and respected was taken from them by the white man, the first settlers had arrived from England and had claimed that land, that the aboriginals had called home for so many centuries, terra nullius (un-inhabited). With the arrival of the first settlers came with them a system of laws and government that had never been seen by the aboriginals. Laws and government that did not benefit the aboriginals in any way shape or form, laws that took away their land and left them with nothing. The indigenous people in Australia have suffered in different ways and forms from the days of the first settlers and have fought to claim back what many see as rightfully theirs, their land and their rights to own land and live, hunt and follow the way their ancestors lived on/ from the land. There have been many attempts by the indigenous to claim back their land and the MABO v Queensland is just one of many. Many of the land rights battles were started by the Milirrpum others v Nabalco Pty Ltd (1971), the Yolnga people brought an action against the Nabalco Corporation which had secured a twelve year mining lease from the federal government, ATNS. (2003), the argument was that the federal government had no right to offer a lease to the lands as they belonged to the aboriginal people. Justice Blackburn stated that native title was not part of the law of Australia and went on to add that even had it existed any native title rights were extinguished, ATNS, (2003), the rights of the indigenous were not heard until nearly two decades later when Justice Blackburns decision was overturned in the MABO others v Queensland others case, the indigenous peoples rights were considered for the first time since the colonization of Australia, Cullen, R. (1990). With the overturning of Justice Blackburns ruling the indigenous people of Australia have finally been given some legal rights to be able to claim some of their land back. But with these rights come quite a few guidelines and requirements that have to be met for an indigenous person to be able to make a claim to land in Australia, some of which in the Northern Teretory include, under the act the only land claimable is un-alienated Northern Territory land outside town boundaries, land that no-one else owns or leases, usually semi-desert or desert, also claims have been known to take a large amount to be decided and are often rejected by the government and Aboriginals must also prove to the government that they have a lawful claim to the land and that under their Aboriginal laws that they have a responsibility to sacred sites that they are trying to claim, Australiatrek.com. (n.d). Other states such as South Australia have different guidelines and requirements that have to be met in order to claim land some of which include the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 South Australia This gives Anangu Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people title to 10% of South Australia. The land, known as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, is in the far north of the state. Just south of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands lie the Maralinga Lands, this area was largely contaminated by British nuclear tests in the 1950s, this land in South Australia was returned to its Anangu traditional owners by virtue of the Maralinga Tjarutja Land Rights Act 1984 South Australia, Australiatrek.com. (n.d). To define native title, parliament passed the Native Title Act in 1993. Despite the mining industries anger, the act gives indigenous Australians very few new rights. It limits the application of native title to land which no-one else owns or leases, and also to land with which indigenous Australians have continued to have a sacred bond to. The act states that existing ownership or leases overrides the native title, although the native title may be given back to indigenous australians after mining leases have finished. If land is successfully claimed by indigenous australians under the act, they will have no rights over the developments of the land that they are claiming, including mining royalties. In conclusion i would have to agree and say that initially the Mabo decision would have been seen by indigenous Australians and by non-indiginous Australians as a win for all of the indigenous Australians living in Australia at the time of the decision.

Kate Chopins The Storm :: essays research papers

A Storm Within the Storm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two storms in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Storm.† The first happens as Bobinot (Calixta’s husband) and Bibi (Calixta’s son) are at Freidheimer’s store. Unable to walk home in such a downpour, they remain there waiting for the storm to pass. Meanwhile, â€Å"Calixta, at home, felt no uneasiness for their safety† (108). Preparing for the storm, Calixta goes to gather the clothes on the line outside. â€Å"As she stepped outside, Alcee Laballiere rode in at the gate. She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone† (108). As they both took refuge in the house from the storm outside, the second storm begins to brew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Calixta, scared from the storm, finds herself in Alcee’s arms. â€Å"Do you remember-in Assumption, Calixta? he asked...Oh! she remembered; for in Assumption he had kissed her and kissed her and kissed her† (109). As both storms begin to peak, they retreat to her bedroom. â€Å"They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms. Her firm, elastic flesh that was knowing for the first time its birthright, was like a creamy lily† (110).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This second storm seems to pass with the first. â€Å"The rain is over...Calixta, on the gallery, watched Alcee ride away. He turned and smiled; and she lifted her pretty chin in the air and laughed aloud† (110). As Bobinot and Bibi return, they enter in the backdoor expecting the wrath of Calixta for being muddy. To their surprise, she is rather carefree and seems only interested in their safe return. Bobinot pulls out from his pocket, shrimp he had purchased earlier, and they prepare to feast that night. The feast was full of laughter and relaxation. In the meantime, Alcee writes his wife, Clarisse, in Beloxi. â€Å"It was a loving letter, full of tender solitude† (111).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How does everything just go back to normal without difficulty of any kind?

Historic Model Of Science :: essays research papers

The ‘heroic model’ of science is one of the most influential phenomena in history. This surge of value-free knowledge, filled with realism, bold justification, absolute truth and complete objectivity, changed the way in which the world was perceived and how the future would be viewed. The ‘heroic model’ changed the rules and ushered western civilization into a new era, filled with wonderfully shocking scientific surprises. The backlash from the ‘heroic model’ was so powerful that it heavily influenced other subjects, such as history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ‘heroic model’ of science was a phenomenon of the western world, during the Enlightenment. This wonder aided in transforming scientists, philosophers and others among them into cultural heroes. Science became a part of home life, when in previous times science was seen as a threat to religion and thus proclaimed as wrong. Once science became a part of life and began to prove and bluntly say things that the bible and religion could not come near to explaining, it became the basis for fact. The ‘heroic model’ could easily be blamed for the breakdown of the religious-infested societies that plagued the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This became very important to everyone involved, which proved to be more people than expected. The ‘heroic model’ was an opening for scientist and others to express their opinions without the fear of being ostracized and labeled as a blasphemer. These people were no longer look down upon as sinners, against God and religion, yet they were praised for bring truth and secularity to the world. “Facts'; no longer were infested or influenced by religion, the truth was the real truth. “It replaced the fear and anxiety that nature once evoked with hope inspired by an ordered, harmonious, knowable world.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ‘heroic model’ boosted science to a level that nothing else had ever reached or attempted to attain. Science, during the Enlightenment and consequently afterwards, was used to measure the status of a country and their position of power. If a country was not as advance as another country was in the sciences then that country was obviously not civilized and was beneath the other country. Such as, the economy might be used to determine the status or worldly position of a country today that is how science was used during the Age of Enlightenment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The progression of science and the overwhelming success of the ‘heroic model’ not only yanked science to the forefront, but it also influenced and changed the way history was being perceived and studied.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place Essay -- Literary Analysis, Ernest Hemingw

Ernest Hemingway captures the essence and origins of nihilistic thought in â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place†, written in a time of religious and moral confusion shortly after The Great War. The ideas expressed in this short story represent the post World War 1 thinking of Hemingway, and the notoriously nihilistic Lost Generation in Paris, which was greatly influenced by the many traumas of war. Learning from his unnerving experiences in battle, Hemingway enforces the idea that all humans will inevitably fade into eternal nothingness and everything valued by humans is worthless. He develops this idea by creating a brilliant mockery of two coveted religious documents, revealing authority figures as typical, despicable, human beings, and reducing life into the most raw, simplistic, and frightening reality imaginable. He states that all humans will naturally die alone and literally be â€Å"in despair† about â€Å"nothing† (494), and that people will either seek a â€Å"calm and pleasant cafe† (496), or a self-inflicted death simply to escape despair. Undoubtedly, Hemingway destroys any existence of a higher meaning because, in reality â€Å"[life is] all a nothing, and a man [is] nothing too† (496). By viewing the actions of three different generations, Hemingway’s â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† elaborates on the idea that life is not continual enlightenment and growth, but gradual despair, and an inevitable death into â€Å"nada† (497). The youthful and confident waiter, representing the youngest of the three male generations, is the only apparent spec of existentialist thought in the story. However, this young man is simply an unconcerned person due to his age; he is not in despair because the end of his existence is not breathing down his neck at thi... ..., Well-Lighted Place†, represent the opinions and views of one typical person, in one ordinary life. The theme of a world of nothingness is overwhelming to the human brain, and almost inconceivable, and everything we do in this life is simply designed to help us take our mind off of death; suicide is the ultimate escape from â€Å"despair† over â€Å"nothing† (494). Hemingway’s brilliant transitions in time explain how life eventually grows worse with age, and humans will succumb to suicide, drunkenness, or something comforting and safe, much like a clean, well-lighted cafe. Further, Hemingway has shown the world that man has created many bogus ways to cope with the insurmountable fear of nothingness, namely religion. People can try to kid their selves into feeling soulful, genuine, or meaningful, but there is no need to â€Å"fear for [the human] soul†, as it is non-existent.

Biology Mitosis Lab

Mitosis and Meiosis Cell Division Lab Part 1-MITOSIS summary: In this experiment first the stages of an onion cell undergoing mitosis are going to be observed and every stage is going to be detected and drawn on paper. A brief description to what is going on should be attached to the pictures. This is important to understand the basics of cell division which is necessary growth,repair and asexual reproduction. Second the number of cells undergoing each phase is going to be counted to figure out in which phase the cell remains the most.If interphase is the stage in which the cell grows and prepares for cell division then the number of cells undergoing interphase will be the most. After cells were counted it came out that indeed the number of cells in interphase is the most followed by prophase, metaphase=anaphase and telophase. This makes us come to the conclusion that the longest phase for a cell is interphase in which the cell grows and gets ready to divide. The second longest in pr ophase in which the chromatin fibers start to form chromosomes. The other phases which follow are very short and quick. Introduction:Mitosis is the division of the nucleus,providing equal amounts of nuclear material to the daughter cells,in eukaryotes. Equal amounts of chromosomes are provided for the forming daughter cells by replicating the DNA and chromosomes before the division. Mitosis occurs in somatic cells and produces 2 daughter cells. The whole process of mitosis consists of 5 stages. 1-Interphase:is the stage in which the cell rests and gets ready for division. Consists of 3 parts. -G1:number of organelles double,size increases. At the end of this phase is a G1 checkpoint which controls is the cell is ready for division or not. S:chromosomes are duplicated. -G2:special proteins and enzymes for cell division are synthesized. 2-Prophase:Centrioles move to opposite poles of the cell. Form spindle fibers which’ll become the microtubules holding the centromere. Chromoso mes become visible as long threads and become shorter and thicker. Each chromosome joins another one forming sister chromatids attached in the middle by a centromere. Nuclear membrane dissolves. 3-Metaphase:spindle fibers from the centrioles attach to the chromosomes at the kinetochore lining the chromosomes in the center of the cell. -Anaphase: The centromeres divide and the sister chromatids separate.The spindle fibers full the chromosomes to different poles of the cell. 5-Telophase: When chromosomes have reached opposite poles a nuclear membrane forms around them. Chromosomes then untwist and stretch becoming invisible again. Spindle fibers break down. At the end of mitosis cytokinesis takes place which is the formation of a cleaved membrane between the two new formed cells to separate them. Materials: -onion root tip cells -microscope Procedure: 1-Observe the onion root tips under the microscope first at 100X and then at 400X. 2-Draw each phase of mitosis you see. -Write a brief description of what you observe in each phase under the picture. 4-Under 400X count the number of cells undergoing different phases. Record data. 5-Calculate the total number of cells. 6-Calculate the percent amount of time the cells spend in each phase. Analysis: The data we collected shows that 52% of the cells were in stage interphase. This indicates that more than the half of the cells are recovering from their previous division and preparing to divide again. 40% of the cells were in the second phase prophase while the other phases had a cell percentage number of ~2%. This denotes that prophase is the second longest phase.This can be because it takes a longer time to duplicate the chromosomes than simply lining them up and pulling them apart. Conclusion: Our hypothesis that if interphase is the resting phase then it’ll be the longest was proven true by the data we got from the onion root tips. The number of cells undergoing interphase had the highest number supporting ou r hypothesis. The complement of interphase is very important for organisms. If interphase isn’t completed before division or if something goes wrong during it many problems could occur like mutations or other things which would affect the proper functioning of the organism.The possibility of errors emerging in this experiment is very low. The only errors could be caused if something was wrong with the microscopes lens or objective. Another thing to be researched could be what factors effect mitosis and if the same process would still occur in a different environment. Part 2-MEIOSIS In this part the concept of meiosis which is the essential of sexual reproduction is going to be observed by using Sondaria fimicola a certain type of mushroom. The colors of the ascospores before and after meiosis are going to be observed to see whether there is crossing over or not.If meiosis is occurring then the newly formed sequences will look different then the ones to begin with. Observe the S. fimicola undergoing meiosis. Look at the ascospores after meiosis and notice the pattern. If the changes are in a 4:4 manner there is no crossing over. If any series of 2 like 2:4:2 or 2:2:2:2 occur it means that crossing over took place. The results we got were composed of different sequences including both patterns with 4’s and 2’s which means that crossing over took place. *Because S. fimicola was not available for the lab,cards with pictures of it undergoing meiosis were used. Introduction:Meiosis is a type of cell division which provides genetic variation by reducing the chromosome number to half and creating haploid cells. Later on a male and female haploid cell will join to form a diploid cell with the right number of chromosomes. Meiosis consists of one DNA replication and two nuclear divisions resulting in 4 daughter cells. The process which provides for genetic variation is crossing over. Crossing over occurs in the early stages when homologous chromosome s move together so that their chromatids form a tetrad. This is called synapsis and allows for the exchange of chromosome sections.In our case the crossing overs will result in different colorings of the ascospores of the S. fimicoli. Materials: -Microscope -S. fimicola meiosis cards Procedure: 1-Study the different phases of meiosis on the cards. 2-Notice the difference between ascospores with sequences of 4’s and 2’s. 3-Count the amount of different sequences present. 4-From the data you gathered calculate the percentage of asci showing crossover. Analysis: Out of a total from 26 sequences only 6 were made up of 4‘s while 20 were composed of different structures of 2‘s. This tells us that 77% of the asci showed crossing over while 23% did not.Conclusion: Our hypothesis that if meiosis is present the new formed asci will have different colors was supported by the outcome of our observations. The fact that different sequences of 2’s emerged from the first pattern of 4’s is prove that crossing over took place. Genetic variation is very important because it is a way of natural selection. Beneficial and strong genes are selected while the others are eliminated. (Survival of the fittest) For future research it could be researched if the crossing over happens randomly or whether there is some order to it and if could be controlled to get a 100% functioning ,ideal organism.

Dbq Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation The Protestant Reformation took place in Germany in the 16th century. During this time, Roman Catholic Church had a lot of power, and a priest called Martin Luther noticed their abuse of power. He decided to show people how the church was abusing of its power. He started by criticizing the sale of indulgences, and how priests, cardinals and even the Pope did not follow the teachings of the Bible. To criticize the Church, Luther wrote the 95 Theses and translated the Bible into German.This way, people could see how the Roman Catholic Church was not following the teachings of God. This caused a great controversy in Europe. He was accused of heretic and excommunicated from the Catholic Church. But some Germans, mostly peasants but also a few nobles, liked his teachings and agreed with him. The Holy Roman Emperor told German princes to kill Luther, but instead, they decided to convert to Protestantism and follow Luther. The Emperor Charles V and the princes finally agreed that every German state was able to choose their own religion.This series of events are called the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation had political and social impacts in Europe by promoting the idea of religious freedom, increasing the power of monarchs, and spreading of the idea of equality. One of the effects of the Protestant Reformation was the promotion of religious freedom. After this Reformation, each German State could choose which religion to practice. This treaty was concreted in the Peace of Augsburg in 1555. It was signed by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the German princes. â€Å"15.In order to bring peace to the Holy Roman Empire of the Germanic Nation [†¦] let them (each German State) enjoy their religious belief, liturgy and ceremonies. † (Document 6) This document shows the part of the contract where the Holy Roman Emperor and German princes agreed in having a religious freedom in each State. This made Europe had more than just a religion. During this time, there was not a Religious unity between German States within themselves and neither with the rest of Europe. Other very important effect of the Protestant Reformation was the increase of power of the monarchs.During the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church had a lot of power. Not many monarchs were happy with their excess of power. With the Protestant Reformation, some monarchs saw the perfect opportunity to stop sharing power with the Roman Catholic Church. One example is King Henry VIII of England. â€Å"[†¦] the king’s Majesty [†¦] is and ought to be the supreme head of the Church of England. † (Document 5) This is an excerpt taken from The Act of Supremacy, a Parliamentary Act from 1534. King Henry VIII decided to break apart from the Roman Catholic Church, and this way, have absolute power in England.Being the politic and religious leader allowed him to spend less money and at the same time gain more. All the income from the Church was now his, and he did not have to pay this entity any taxes. Henry did not have to share the power with anyone else; he was now an absolute ruler. Another impact the protestant Reformation had in Europe was the spread of the idea of equality. Catholicism already had this idea of all people being the same, but clearly they were not putting it into practice. Not even the Pope, who should have been a role model, was being humble and he even felt superior to the rest.In Luther’s 95 Theses he says, â€Å"86. Why does not the Pope [†¦] build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers? † (Document 2) This thesis says that the Pope should not be greedy and take money from the poor. He should instead give his money to the poor. Luther says that the Pope is not superior from the rest of the believers and should contribute economically to the Church, just as the rest of the people did. Another of his theses says, â€Å"37. Every True Christian [†¦] has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church [†¦]. (Document 2) In this specific thesis, Luther is criticizing the sale of indulgences. He says that there? s no need to buy indulgences because every Christian, rich or poor, is the same to the eyes of God. One should do good actions, rather than buying indulgences, to go to heaven, and these actions should be done by the common people, the priests and even the Pope. The Protestant Reformation clearly had religious impacts on Europe, but it also had social and political effects. Even though Luther criticized the Roman Catholic Church, his ideas were used by political figures to be able to get rid of the oppression of the Church.The promotion of the religious freedom is both a political and a social impact. The division from the Church and the German States is political, while the ability to choose which religion to practice is social. The increase of the power of the mona rchs is a political impact. The fact that Henry VIII was the religious and political leader in England meant he had absolute power. The spread of the idea of equality is social because it means to say common people are the same as the Pope. These social and political changes later lead to many things that are used nowadays.The idea of religious freedom is an idea that remains nowadays. Today, every person has the right to choose its religion, not like before which was every State. The idea of equality between all people was an idea that was used in the French Revolution and of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens. The increase in the power of the monarchs led to the later Age of Absolutism. These three ideas shaped the world into what it is today. They helped make the world be what it is today.

Plan Market Research Assessment Essay

Introduction This Project scope â€Å"Regain† has been designed to involve all stakeholders of D.A. Garden Supplies so that all aspects of the business can be be analysed through collecting invaluable information and data by the research methods below. Our aim is to identify the cause of the problem that the business is going through right now so that future marketing can be targeted accordingly for positive results. With proper research and strategic planning, D.A. Garden Supplies should be able to recover its lost and on its way to a successful future. Preliminary project scope Project name: Regain Project Owner: Even Tan Sponsor: D.A. Garden Supplies Stakeholder: David and Alison Required resources, sample size and research assistance Resources required for the scope research will include human, financial and physical resources. These will be required for each type of data collection as follows: Focus Group – This is a small group of customers in a discussion to focus on the main thought of cause to the problem, the competition. Could be held in the lunch room over a 1 hour period. An external marketing professional would need to be hired to conduct the focus group and 6 participants from the target market would also be required for the discussion. Physical resources required are pens, paper, tea and coffee, brochures of competition and light refreshments. Overall cost including preparation of the focus group would be $550. Survey – After the focus group has taken place the survey can be developed from the data collected. The 5 min survey could be conducted at the local shopping centre focused on surveying a minimum of 30 to 60 people from the  target market over a 6 hour period. An external interviewing professional would need to be hired to conduct the survey and briefed on who to approach and what to say. Physical resources required include surveys, pens, clipboard and a bag to store completed surveys. Overall cost including preparation of survey and external staff would be $450. Research Reports and Internet Research – A specialist market research organisation will need to be hired to conduct this research and for analysing the data from these reports, survey results, interviewed staff and experiment of product. The cost for analysing this data into a detailed report would cost $740. Another cost would be the purchase of secondary data from Ibisworld. The â€Å"Garden supplies retailing in Australia market research report† is $845 and this will provide invaluable information into the industry. Interview Staff – This could be held in the lunch room each one of the 9 staff members should have a half hour interview conducted by external marketing professional. Physical resources required are a questionnaire and light refreshments. The total cost would be for development of the questionnaire and 4.5 hours of interviewing the staff, this would cost $650. Research Method and timeline This research are using both quantitative research and qualitative research, since it conducted surveys, focus group and meetings in order to gather needed information. Using qualitative method such as focus group able us to develop our survey, This way we know we will ask the correct questions that are needed when surveying our customers and potential customers. This method was chosen as it is beneficial in developing a successful survey. Using quantitative method for this research because it is easily analysed using statistical methods. For example, a survey is carried out to obtain information about people, such as their opinions, preferences, attitudes, expectations, likes and dislikes. This method was chosen as it directly targets our customers and potential customers to get their opinions on D.A. Garden Supplies and the competition. This whole research process going to take 2 weeks, that give us, the researcher enough time to analyze the data and come out with a detail solution on the problem. Data gathering Types of data required This research need a combination of data in order to get the best result. Secondary data- this data is information that already exists, information like the â€Å"Garden supplies retailing in Australia market research report† are statistics conducted by government. This resource is easier and cheaper to obtain, and it provide a great insight on the market itself. Primary data- this data does not exist, it requires the researcher to communicating with people or making observation about people and situation in order to generate the data. Although it is much harder and time consuming compare to secondary data, it is the most valuable resource for the company since it targets the specific problem that the company has. Formal Research and informal research- Conducting a survey able to cover a broad range of topics and able to gather as much information as the research need to, Informal research such as asking opinions from staff about the company and customers feedback and analysing the company sales statistics from internal records are the easiest way to gather in the shortest among of time, however, be careful with the data as it might be data that are not as subjective as primary and secondary data. Quantifying the data The sample size is chosen to maximise the chance of uncovering a specific mean difference, which is also statistically significant. The reason larger samples increase your chance of significance is because they more reliably reflect the population mean. Therefore it is necessary to conduct any survey or interview with as many participants as possible that is acceptable under the given financial budget. Data processing method There are some consideration in deciding how to process the data gathered will include: -type of analysis that will be required -the amount of data to be collected -available budget -available time Hiring an analyst able to handle a more complex data, and able to receive the most accurate data in a short amount of time. Less complex data can be dealt with a specialist statistical software, however it requires specific training and the software itself is expensive. Small market research can be dealt with Microsoft Excel as it able to handle basic statistics. Lastly, very basic calculation with small data sets can be undertaken using a statistical calculator. This research includes both quantitative and qualitative data, and result can be complex because it involves personal feelings and opinions from staff and consumers, therefore, hiring a statistician consider as the most appropriate method for this research, as they have the experience to deal with complex data and able to analyze all data and turn it into results that are easy to understand. Although it is expensive to conduct, if this research has done correctly, it could help D.A. Garden Supplies turn into a successful business. Draft Research Objective After our previous consultation and analysing the information in the scope the main objective is to find out if â€Å"the competition was the main cause for the 5% drop in sales† The sub-objectives are; 1) To examine customers and potential customers attitudes on the competition. 2) To identify needs of customers. 3) To determine whether new products need to be introduced. By using market research D.A. Garden Supplies will analyse the competition find the cause of the 5% drop in sales and then use this information to increase overall sales by 10%. Feasibility of the research and Conclusion Focus groups, interviewing staff and secondary data are all forms of exploratory research which essentially gather qualitative data, its findings are inconclusive and should not be used for final or important decision making. Therefore to make a final decision a survey or experiment must be conducted as they are both descriptive research which have quantitative data which makes the findings conclusive and useable. Therefore after analysing the above research methods, it could conclude that the focus group and survey would be the best data collecting methods to use to â€Å"find the cause of the 5% loss of sales profit for D.A. Garden Supplies† as it targets the customers and potential customers directly which will provide information needed to find whether the competition is the main cause. Although for the purpose of this research we will be using all of the research methods above as this will determine a thorough result. With this vital information we can eliminate the cause in future marketing plans making D.A. Garden Supplies sales successful in the future. If you find this project proposal are acceptable, I will need you, the business owner, David and Alison, and all other stakeholders to approve this research proposal.

Princess Culture

In â€Å"Cinderella and Princess Culture†, by Peggy Orenstein, she guides us through her inner-debate on the true nature of princesses. Orenstein writes on what she calls a princess â€Å"craze† (326) and how major companies like Disney, Mattel, and Saks have joined in the frenzy to ensnare young girls with pink and sparkles. It is possible that Orenstein is trying to tell us that princesses themselves are not the problem; it is the marketing of princesses that has the potential to steal independence from young girls.Firstly, Orenstein reveals some of the eye-popping figures that companies have been making on princesses. Even with stringent competition from Mattel and Saks, Disney still tops the charts with an annual profit of â€Å"$3 billion, globally† (327). With a â€Å"myriad† (327) of products pouring into the market, Orenstein claims that â€Å"pink, it seems, is the new gold† (327). By pointing out all of the new products dealing with prince sses, perhaps Orenstein is attempting to draw attention to the sheer size of the princess â€Å"craze† (326) and how it is potentially detrimental to young girls because, if they only see princess toys, then their power to choose what they want has been diminished drastically.Orenstein worries openly about what exposing her daughter to stereotypes will do to her, wondering â€Å"what playing Little Mermaid is teaching [her daughter]† (327). Orenstein then moves on to reevaluate her feminist views, but feels that â€Å"maybe [she is] still surfing a washed-out second wave of feminism in a third-wave world. Maybe princesses are in fact a sign of progress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (328). Perhaps Orenstein is trying to get readers to realize that being a princess could be a new form of feminism and independence for girls instead of a symbol of dependence.Orenstein gives readers the inside scoop on how the â€Å"rise of Disney princesses reads like a fairy tale† (328) to furthe r investigate the influence the market has on young girls. Orenstein speaks to Andy Mooney, an employee at Disney, about the formation of the Disney Princess line. Mooney says that he saw that girls were already dressing as princesses and to create a specific line of Disney products was to â€Å"‘[allow] these girls to do what they’re doing anyway†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (328).With Mooney’s words, readers are  inclined to think that, if girls already want to be princesses, then there might be nothing wrong with the marketing of princesses after all. However, Orenstein then points out that, according to a survey by Girls Inc., â€Å"school-age girls overwhelmingly [report] a paralyzing pressure to be ‘perfect’† (329). Orenstein’s statement brings the reader back to realizing the immense potential marketing has to take away independence from young girls, further solidifying Orenstein’s worry and mistrust of the commercial empires that have played a part in the rise of princesses.From the beginning, Orenstein appears critical of the princess â€Å"craze† (326) and the monstrous marketing machine that has risen up beside it. Orenstein wonders, however, whether or not being a princess is truly bad for a girl’s ability to remain independent, but this thought does not last. As Orenstein’s thoughts draw to a close, it is apparent that she has made no definite conclusions about princesses, marketing, and who is to blame. Perhaps readers can take away the thought that, even with the market still looming over girls’ heads, there is still the potential to be an independent princess.