Essay On Geriatists - 989 Words

Make Life Better with The Time Left Occupation therapist (OT) and occupation therapist assistance (OTA) made great strides in the medical field. Working with infants all the way to geriatrics, to habilitate or rehabilitate patients back to their active daily lives after a birth defect, disease, or any type of trauma. When one hears about someone getting omitted into hospice or have been diagnose with Alzheimer Disease and Dementia, most would think that it’s over for that person, but there is hope. (OT’s) and (OTA’s) are traditionally working in hospice care and emerging practice for Alzheimer Disease and Dementia patients to making a difference every day. According to Wagenfeld; when a geriatric patient gets admitted to hospice, a typical†¦show more content†¦Different occupations for a person that is living but, preparing to die may include (ADLs) that is routine, for instance having a final family meal, or something unorthodox as crafting a final gift for a loved one before death. The ( OT) practitioner have to facilitate a good death experience for all involved in the dying process by engaging in occupation (American Occupation Therapy Association 2017). This is when the client’s factors come into play such as body functions, body structures, spirituality, beliefs, and values. An (OT) practitioner in the hospice setting still holds the same code of ethics and core values as all (OT) practitioner. Hospice client participating in everyday occupations can have a meaningfulness purpose in their last days. Emerging: Alzheimer Disease, Dementia It is an increasing, urgency for (OT) practitioners to understand dementia patients by using evidence based way to better serve people with dementia. Alzheimer Disease is a type of dementia and is consider an irreversible, progressive brain ailment that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest task of daily living (padilla 9/2011). The symptoms of Alzheimer Disease may vary widely, but the most common symptom is characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function. Alzheimer Disease also can decrease independence in activities of

Analysis Of Lord Of The Flies - 988 Words

Everybody All Of The Time A saying that is used throughout the Norton Marching Band is â€Å"everybody all of the time,† which is to say if one person messes up once that causes more problems than just their own one mistake. If one was to miss one day of rehearsal there would be a hole and another individual would miss their dots because they had no one to guide off of. Golding believed that â€Å"everybody all of the time† was true in the sense of society. In his novel Lord Of The Flies Piggy, Ralph, and Jack have failures during the novel that cause other mistakes to be more significant. Proving that society fails due to the failure of the individual. Piggy fails three major times in the novel one causing his death and the civilization on the†¦show more content†¦This enables Jack and his hunters to be able to live on their own away from Ralph, the conch, and civilization. Piggy’s final mistake was again caused by being passive and instead of acting on his own opinions he looked to Ralph saying â€Å"you call an assembly, Ralph, we got to decide what to do,† (Golding 156) when Jack stole his glasses. Ralph decided to go confront Jack and a fight broke out between the two, and Piggy wanted them to stop but did nothing. When Piggy finally spoke up it was too late and the tensions were too high and he was murdered, ending the fire once and for all. Jack and his hunters then turn on Ralph and society falls apart. Ralph makes two major mistakes over the course of being on the island. His first mistake is saying that they need to make a fire on top of the mountain instead of prioritizing and realizing they need to get a census. Everybody then runs up to the top of the mountain to help with the fire. The fire serves as a symbol of hope of being rescued throughout the novel, as the fire burns so do their hopes of rescue. Ralph’s mistake happens when the fire burns out of control and a â€Å"littleun† gets lost. When the fire burns out of control so does the boys new society, mirroring the growing tempers, conflicts, and chaos. After this mistake the boys are unable to work cohesively as a unit. Ralph’s second mistake happens when Jack challenges him to go check on the beast on top of the mountain Ralph

Cross-Enterprise Biometric Identification - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Cross-Enterprise Biometric Identification. Answer: Introduction: Webbs is a retail company which has various stores around the Country. It has been faced with increasing issues of operational and application complexity. The management of their data has also become an issue to the company. The company has sought the services of a consultant who will give them the best strategy they can enforce to solve the problems they are facing. Webbs in solving their current issues have decided to move their MS SQL Server 2012 R2 database to the cloud as an IaaS. IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a service. This means that the company will be provided with the database infrastructure as a service instead of them having to buy any equipment to store and maintain the database. A cloud is a virtual space where data can be stored and the providers of these cloud instances offer their clients the infrastructure as a service so that their clients never have to worry about maintaining the needed infrastructure. Cloud computing is an information technology term used to describe a model which enables ubiquitous access to a collection of resources (Qusay, 2011). Cloud computing allows the users of this service to access the cloud over the internet and be able to manipulate and store their data. Webbs on consulting an expert in cloud computing have been advised to utilize a hybrid cloud. A hybrid cloud is a cloud computing model where a private cloud which is on premises and a third party cloud are used together to help achieve the needed tasks of a company. Cloud computing ensures that accessing of data is more reliable and efficient. The whole premise of cloud computing is sharing of resources to achieve economies of scale and coherence. The benefits of cloud computing are that it first enables the companies which use it to minimize on initial IT infrastructure costs. In such a scenario the company is given more headway to focus more on their core business and not spending a lot of resources on acquiring the IT infrastructure. When Webbs database is migrated to the cloud it needs to be protected from anyone who might have any kind of malicious intent. The Webbs database is critical in their operations and therefore needs to be protected to ensure there is no unauthorized access when the database is uploaded to the public cloud. Cloud security is the use of certain technologies, controls and policies to ensure that the applications, data and associated infrastructure being used in the cloud are protected. The security measures that need to be implemented to ensure the mission critical database being used by Webbs is secured include physical security. In this case the service providers of the cloud need to ensure that they have physically secured the cloud infrastructure that is routers, servers and IT hardware from theft, unauthorized access, fires and tampering or interference. Physical security also means that the service provider needs to ensure the needed resources to run the cloud such as electricity a re always present so that there is never any kind of disruption in the services being provided. Identity management is another way to ensure security is maintained in the cloud. Identity management systems control and monitor who has access to specific data and features in an organization. Cloud service providers usually integrate identity management systems into their infrastructure so that they are able to maintain security within the cloud. Identity management is integrated to the cloud through features such as SSO or federation technology, custom identity management systems or the use of biometrics to access the cloud. Data encryption also ensures security within the cloud in that if the cloud is breached by unauthorized personnel the data they may acquire will be useless to them since it will be encrypted and they will not have the decryption key. The company should conduct training sessions with the staff to ensure that they are aware of how they can become a threat to the security of the cloud. If they are aware of the dangers they may pose to the security of the cloud they become more self-active and alert in ensuring the cloud data is protected from anyone who might try to get information from them to access the cloud through initiatives such as social engineering. The benefits of enacting security measures on the cloud are that the cloud will be more protected from any unauthorized access. The use of biometrics and encryption to access and view data on the cloud ensures that the cloud is only accessible to people who have been granted prior access after thorough screening. In the event that the cloud is breached encryption is important in that the individuals who have gained unauthorized access will not be able to understand or decrypt the data. Protecting the physical location of the cloud infrastructure is also beneficial to ensure that no one can be able to tamper with clients data by gaining access to the physical infrastructure of the cloud. The issues that may arise when setting up these security measures may include users not being able to access the cloud or data in it if they are unable to understand how the cloud operates and how data can be decrypted for them to understand it. In the case of a virus or ransomware affecting the cloud infrastructure the company in proxy to the cloud service provider might be locked out of their data and have to pay money to ensure their data is returned. When there is minimal security on the part of the company it can cause individuals who are skilled in man in the middle attacks to tap data as it is sent and received from the cloud. The use of biometrics is good in securing access to the cloud however if an unauthorized person is able to attain these authentication measures such as the fingerprint of an authorized individual they can easily gain access to the cloud. The presence of several security measures including two factor authentication and encryption is important in ensuring cloud security is maintained (Haghighat, Zonouz Abdel-Mottaleb, 2015). The risks associated with migrating the database to the cloud are data breaches and data integrity. When data is being migrated it is moving from the physical location where the data is held to the cloud service provider. This migration has to go through the internet for it to be successful. It is therefore important to ensure as this data is being migrated it is not in any way tapped or hijacked by any unwanted parties. The cloud service provider should provide a secure connection in which the database can be migrated with very minimal chance of it being breached. Data integrity is also very important during migration. If the database being migrated is altered in any way it may cause the company to incur heavy losses in its business. It is therefore important to ensure the manner in which the database is being migrated is efficient and maintains its data integrity. The IaaS infrastructure as a service is the cloud infrastructure which is used to house and power the database as it in the cloud. When migrating the database to the cloud the IaaS infrastructure should be running at optimum levels. This will ensure that the database is migrated to the cloud with ease and efficiency without any loss of data. The probability of the IaaS infrastructure suffering a problem such as a data breach, power fault on no internet connection will hinder a safe migration. All these aspects and risks of migration should be planned for and mitigated so that there is minimal if at all no chance of there being a problem during the migration. Communication between the IaaS and Webbs during the migration should be at peak levels. For the database to be migrated there has to be a connection from Webbs to the cloud. During the migration both parties should ensure that they have scheduled the migration and that there can be no unforeseen communication problems during the migration. In case there are any communication issues Webbs should ensure it has a backup of all the data they are moving to the cloud so that is there is any tampering or loss of data, communication and migration of data can be scheduled to be done at a later date after all the issues have been solved. The risks of backing up data to the cloud are that the data is on the internet. There are rising cases of various institutions being hacked and their data being leaked. In such a case Webbs should be aware that there might be a possibility of the cloud service provider being breached. The cloud service provider should always ensure that cloud security is enforced and maintained to avoid any chance of a data breach. Backing up of data can sometimes be a problem if the data is manipulated by other parties as it is being sent to the cloud. The risk of having data in the cloud which is not reflective of what Webbs has can cause future problems if they utilize the backed up data. There should be secure connections and communication measures implemented when backing up of data is being done to ensure data integrity is maintained. Data being stored on the cloud means that it can be accessed by people who may know what they are doing. If the cloud service provider is breached the backed up d ata can be sold to the competitors of Webbs. This is referred to as corporate espionage and Webbs should have measures in place to mitigate such kinds of risks. They can do this by ensuring all the backed up data is encrypted so even if the data is breached it cannot be understood without a decryption key. Retrieval of data from the cloud should also be done securely through the use of a secure connection. When data is being retrieved only individuals with authorized access should be able to perform such actions to ensure that data integrity is maintained. The security measures such as antiviruses on both ends should be up to date to ensure that when data is being backed up or retrieved it does not contain any kind of virus that may cause harm or corrupt their database. Webbs had an initial data recovery plan where their data was stored in data centers and recovered from those in-house data centers. When they move their data to the cloud their data recovery plans do not change significantly. Instead of them recovering data from their in-house servers the will simply retrieve their data from their cloud service provider. Webbs also needs to have put in place measures to ensure that data is regularly backed up to the cloud so that when they need to recover data it is updated and they do not lose any data in the process. Their backup strategy will be more secure and most likely automated because their cloud service provider will handle most of the work. The strategy to backup data will be to ensure that data can be backed up to the cloud automatically maybe twice in a day to ensure that the backed up data is always up to date. Their retrieval strategy will remain the same only that now their data will be coming from their cloud rather than from their i n-house servers. As Webbs migrate their data to the cloud they need to ensure that security is a top priority in guarding their data and its integrity. Access to their data in the cloud should be monitored and maintained efficiently to ensure that it is accessed only by authorized personnel. The IaaS infrastructure should be protected from access by a lot of individuals. Webbs should entrust access to the IaaS to a select few who will be able to manage how data is backed up and retrieved from the cloud. Webbs should also ensure that they entrust their data to a reputable cloud service provider who is capable of keeping their data safe and secure from any threats. The cloud service provider should also be able to ensure there is never any downtime between the cloud and the company so that Webbs can get the full benefits of using the IaaS infrastructure. Webbs MS SQL Server 2012 R2 cloud instance should always be up to date to ensure that it cannot be a victim of any malicious activity. Webbs should ensure that only a few people are able to access the server and can be able to maintain it properly to ensure maximum efficiency is achieved from it. The cloud network infrastructure Webbs is using should be protected from various kinds of attacks. The network infrastructure should be modeled in a way that ensures there is always a secure connection between Webbs and the cloud. The network should be able to deliver maximum efficiency and have good security measures such as use of firewalls to ensure that any kind of tapping or attacking on the network to obtain Webbs data is avoided. Secure network connections will mean that the cloud network infrastructure has been designed in a way that it always maintains data integrity and discourages any unwanted parties from being able to access any data going to or from the cloud to Webbs. The clou d backup should be done in a professional manner. As data is being backed up access to this process should be granted to various individuals who may handle specific departments to ensure they are each responsible for backup of data in their respective department. Data should be encrypted before it is backed up to the cloud. This will ensure that data is secured through encryption so that if there is a chance of a data breach the unauthorized users will not be able to understand the data. Data can be encrypted when backing it up by ensuring it follows a secure connection from Webbs to the cloud. Restoring of data can be done in a well-organized manner whenever the company may need their data. The data as it is being backed up should be encrypted and should be secured when it is in transit to the cloud. No one from the cloud service provider should be able to access Webbs data without their knowledge. This is important so that any employees working for the cloud service provider are not able to manipulate and put Webbs data integrity at risk. While data is being restored only individuals with authorized access from Webbs should be able to access this data. Keeping the number of people who can access the cloud and perform backup and restore operations minimal ensures that the possibility of any kind of data breach is averted. These authorized individuals are the ones who are the gatekeepers of the company between the cloud and their in-house infrastructure. They should be in a position to know who is given what kind of access to data and what privileges they have been given to modify or update the data. Cloud computing is essential for companies today to maintain an edge in the growing demands that they have. It is essential that cloud computing is secure to maintain data integrity of all the users data which is stored on the cloud. References Haghighat M., Zonouz S. Abdel-Mottaleb M. (2015). CloudID: Trustworthy Cloud based and Cross-Enterprise Biometric Identification. Expert Systems with Applications. 21: 7905-7916. Qusay H. (2011). Demystifying Cloud Computing. The Journal of Defense Software Engineering.

Jazz A New but Enjoyable Experience free essay sample

If I hadnt noticed the iconic neon logo in their window, I would have continued to walk past Birdland yet again. Birdland is located in a quiet nook just around the corner, an extreme difference compared to the bustle of 8th Avenue, where people were packing up and closing shop after a day-long street fair. Before this concert, I had never been inside a jazz venue. Birdland was surprisingly cozy and intimate. I was mildly peeved by the venues dim lighting prior to the concert but these feelings evaporated as soon as the music started. My view of the stage was pretty good, aside from the column that occasionally obstructed my view of the left side (my right) of the stage which was to be occupied by the drummer and saxophonist. The Dave Holland Sextet is another spin-off of Hollands jazz groups. This current band is made up of Holland, the bassist and bandleader; Antonio Hart, saxophonist; Eric Harland, drummer; Alex Sipiagin, trumpeter; Mulgrew Miller, pianist; and Robin Eubanks, trombonist. We will write a custom essay sample on Jazz: A New but Enjoyable Experience or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Throughout all the pieces performed, it was very apparent that the musicians are very good at what they do and they enjoy the music immensely. Approximately five pieces featuring extensive solos were performed, though it was hard to keep count and I did lose track because I was very absorbed in the music. I only have good reviews for all the musicians. I feel like the rhythm section (bass, drums, and piano) is sometimes overshadowed in jazz but I was really delighted to see that the rhythm section was allotted solos. I got to see and hear a bass solo, another of my firsts of that evening. I enjoyed listening to Hollands bass throaty and soulful groove. As I had never really seen a bass player groove, I was pleasantly surprised to see Holland getting in to the music, swaying with his bass. Hart had given us a preview of his playing during class but it was nothing compared to his solo during the concert. Hart described the ultimate playing as being a conductor to the divine and he looked that way during his performance: he was so immersed in the music that it did appear as if he was possessed, serving as a filter to a source from above. Harlands solo was impressive. I would have never thought it, due to my lack of exposure to great jazz drumming, but the audience, including me, was hel d in rapt silence throughout his solo. Both Sipiagin and Eubanks demonstrated their musical prowess; they played their respective instrument in a way that I would have thought impossible prior to the performance. I could not even begin to understand how they were capable of producing notes so effortlessly and fluidly. Among the rhythm section, it was easiest to identify Millers playing. During the other musicians solos, his playing was the constant support but he didnt play the same, staid and repetitive music. He was continuously improvising though it was more expressive than fancy, and the same may be said for his solos. The other musicians moved off-stage or further away from the soloist during the solos but I loved that they still appeared to be tuned to the music, listening attentively and enjoying it rather than using the time to do non-jazz things. It was hard to tell how many people were actually in attendance but it appeared that Birdland was serving a full house that night. I immediately noticed a stark difference in audience etiquette at a jazz concert in contrast to a classical concert. Applause is more liberal at jazz concerts; it isnt about the volume of the applause, because performers are well received at both types of concerts, but it is about the appropriate moment for applause. While concertgoers refrain from clapping until the very end of a piece at classical concerts, even during the brief breaks in movements, it is the very opposite at jazz concerts: it seems that every solo and reintroduction deems applause. The applause is not a distraction at all and the performers look very appreciative of the commendation they receive. I thoroughly enjoyed this performance and it is a start for me. I do not see this as the only jazz experience that Ive had but a prelude to the prospective jazz concerts that I will attend. I would like to do away with the shame I have for not being more acquainted with this truly American music. After all, I am eager to experience the music in other venues, as well as see and hear other jazz artists because I like being pleasantly surprised.

Pros and Cons of Earning a Masters Degree Before a PhD

Pros and Cons of Earning a Masters Degree Before a PhD As a potential applicant to graduate school you have a great many decisions to make. The initial decisions, such as what field to study, may come easily. However, many applicants struggle with choosing what degree to pursue, whether a master’s degree or PhD is right for them. Others know what degree they want. Those who choose a doctoral degree sometimes wonder if they should first complete a master’s degree. Do you need a master’s degree to apply to a doctoral program? Is a master’s degree an essential prerequisite for gaining admission to a doctoral program? Usually not. Does a master’s degree improve your odds of admission? Sometimes. Is it in your best interest to earn master’s before applying to PhD programs? It depends. Pros and Cons of Earning a Master's Before Applying to PhD Programs There are both advantages and disadvantages to earning a master’s before applying to PhD programs. Below are some of the pros and cons: Pro:  A master’s degree will introduce you to the process of graduate study. Without a doubt, graduate school is different from college. This is especially true at the doctoral level. A master’s program can introduce to you the process of graduate study and help you understand how it is different from undergraduate study.  A master’s program can help you make the transition to graduate school and prepare you for making the transition from college student to graduate scholar.   Pro:  A master’s program can help you see if you are ready for doctoral study. Are you ready for graduate school? Do you have the right study habits? Are you motivated? Can you manage your time? Enrolling in a master’s program can help you see if you have what it takes for success as a graduate student – and especially as a doctoral student. Pro: A master’s program can help you see if you are interested enough to undertake a PhD The typical college survey courses present a broad view of a discipline, with little depth. Small college seminars present a topic in more depth but it will not come close to what you will learn in graduate school. It is not until students are immersed in a field that they truly come to know the depth of their interest. Sometimes new grad students realize that the field is not for them. Others complete the master’s degree but realize that they have no interest in pursuing a doctorate. Pro: A masters may help you get into a doctoral program. If your undergraduate transcript leaves much to be desired, a master’s program may help you improve your academic record and show that you have the stuff that competent graduate students are made of. Earning a master’s degree shows that you are committed and interested in your field of study.  Returning students may seek a master’s degree to obtain contacts and recommendations from faculty. Pro: A master’s degree can help you change fields. Are you planning on studying a different field than your college major? It can be hard to convince a graduate admissions committee that you are interested and committed to a field in which that you have little formal experience. A master’s degree can not only introduce you to the field but can show the admissions committee that you interested, committed, and competent in your chosen field.   Pro: A master’s degree can offer a foot in the door to a particular graduate program. Suppose you hope to attend a specific graduate program. Taking a few graduate courses, nonmatriculated (or nondegree-seeking) can help you learn about the program and can help faculty learn about you. This is even more true for master’s students. In many graduate programs, master’s and doctoral students take some of the same classes. As a master’s student, you’ll have contact with graduate faculty – often those who teach in the doctoral program. Completing a thesis and volunteering to work on faculty research can help faculty get to know you as a competent and promising researcher. A master’s degree might offer you a foot in the door and a better chance of gaining admission to the department’s doctoral program. However, admission is not guaranteed. Before you choose this option, be sure that you can live with yourself if you don’t gain admission. Will you be happy with a terminal master? Con:  A master’s degree is time-consuming. Typically a full-time master’s program will require 2 years of study.  Many new doctoral students find that their master’s coursework doesn’t transfer. If you enroll in a master’s program recognize that it will likely not make a dent in your required doctoral coursework. Your  PhD  will likely take an additional 4 to 6 years after earning your master’s degree. Con:  A master’s degree is usually unfunded. Many students find this a big con: Master’s students usually do not receive much funding. Most master’s programs are paid for out-of-pocket. Are you prepared to potentially have tens of thousands of dollars of debt before you begin your PhD.?  If you choose not to seek a doctoral degree, what employment options accompany your master’s degree? While I’d argue that a master’s degree is always of value for your intellectual and personal growth, if the salary-return of your degree is important to you, do your homework and think carefully before enrolling in a master’s program prior to seeking your PhD. Whether you seek a master’s degree before applying to doctoral programs is a personal decision. Also recognize that many PhD programs award master’s degrees along the way, typically after the first year and completing exams and/or a thesis.

Developers We Need Your Help

Developers We Need Your Help Free Online Research Papers There are amazing things happening with new advances in graphics and interfaces as technology improves and enthusiastic gamers have recently been introduced to convincing virtual reality with stunning visuals. There are videos of people playing these virtual reality games reacting in laughter, awe, and fear to playing these increasingly realistic games that have become fully immersive. Imagine some of the games today such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and Minecraft some of which not only have marvelous graphics, but now also an added element of realism that is so immersive, so real, and so elaborate that the action may as well be taking place in real life. It has long been debated whether or not video games cause violence, but with such convincing options in virtual reality, there are now endless possibilities when it comes to the effects these games can have. Some people think video games do not affect players in the real world despite the evidence, and some people think de velopers should have an ethically responsible duty for the content of games because evidence has shown positive behavioral effects on users such as an increase in prosocial behavior, as well as negative traits such as a decrease in empathy and an increase in aggression. There is plenty of evidence and accusations on how video games and other violent media affect consumers in negative ways, but recent developments indicate there are also positive behavioral effects on users such as an increase in prosocial behavior. Prosocial behaviors are often defined as helping behaviors that are done mainly for the benefit of the recipient with little regard for selfish gain by the person helping. For example, in a study done by Happ, Melzer, and Steffgen, â€Å"[p]articipants who played the hero character (Superman) showed more helping behavior and less hostile perception bias than those who played the evil Joker† (Happ, Melzer, Steffgen, 2013, p. 776). The prosocial behavior was measured after participants of a study in which players were evaluated on their empathetic responses to a perceived bad guy when exposed to a backstory of bad circumstances that may explain villainous behavior or just a neutral background of both Superman and Joker. Prosocia l behavior was indicated in the response of the test subjects in which a letter was dropped, fully addressed and stamped, that could easily be seen, and was not mentioned to be part of the study outside of the lab area, then counted as prosocial if the letter was either given to the addressee or the experimenter. This may indicate that it is not only negative effects that would result from gameplay, but also indicates empathy in the case of bad behavior if such behaviors could be rationalized through a backstory of wicked circumstances. This seems to show that developers could, in fact, affect behavior in more positive ways, as well as have the ability to inspire empathy and even rationalization of bad behaviors. It appears as though video games could be a great tool for emotional and social development as long as they are created with intent and attention to detail to encourage more positive actions. Greitemeyer and Osswald, â€Å"†¦presented evidence that exposure to pro social video games increased the accessibility of prosocial thoughts, which may instigate prosocial action† (Greitemeyer Osswald, 2011, p. 126), and that reinforces the idea for developers taking responsibility by writing positive storylines to show video games in a more encouraging light. This study demonstrated that prosocial thoughts were found to be more accessible through an experiment where reaction times were measured to either aggressive or prosocial words after playing an aggressive or prosocial game. The findings were dependent on the game played with either quicker reactions to aggressive words if the aggressive game was played or a faster reaction to prosocial words if the prosocial game was played, which indicated a priming effect. Essentially, if you are put into a negative frame of mind you will react quicker to negativity and if put into a positive frame of mind you will react quicker to positivity. It should be clearer that shunning the idea of being ethi cally responsible and continuing to churn out violent games will not have good consequences. A commonly featured negative aspect in studies of video game use is a decrease in empathy of players who play violent games. There was a recent analysis that concluded violent video games and exposure to those games can lead to increases in aggression while decreasing empathy (Fraser, Padilla-Walker, Coyne, Nelson, Stockdale, 2012). The analyses were concluded using many types of studies such as randomized experiments in which children were randomly assigned violent or non-violent games and their resulting behaviors were observed, cross-sectional surveys were utilized in which time was spent playing violent games was recorded and compared to self- reported acts of aggression, and longitudinal survey results were analyzed in which several measures of violent media were assessed for frequency and then compared to measures of aggressiveness. Most gamers who are adolescents are still developing and the most susceptible according to a study by Shin and Ahn who assert that â€Å"[p]la ying video games do not require game players to allocate mental resources to understand other agents, and this can lead to prolonged inactivity of the social brain† (Shin Ahn, 2013, p. 602). Video games do not require players to think about understanding the actions of other players, so, therefore, social interactions are not practiced as if they would be regularly with in-person social exchanges. These findings mean that if care is not taken and the gameplay is extended beyond a reasonable period where they are not utilizing or cultivating these skills that it may affect the emotional brain development of key social abilities in teenagers, such as cognitive empathy. A lack of skills or decline in cognitive empathy makes it harder for those affected to accurately recognize and understand the emotional state of others through visual cues. If reading the emotions of others is difficult it could lead to various misunderstandings, some of which could culminate into episodes o f aggression. Finally, the most important reason developers should be ethically responsible for the messages their games send is an increase in aggression. Hasan, Bà ¨gue, and Bushman found that â€Å"†¦ participants who played a violent video game were significantly more aggressive afterward than were participants who played a nonviolent video game. Violent game players gave their ostensible partners louder and longer noise blasts through headphones than did nonviolent game players† (Hasan, Bà ¨gue, Bushman, 2013, p. 68). This shows how a violent video game can have at the least, short-term displays of aggression, possibly caused by the agitation of a high-stress situation and how they were willing to inflict increasingly uncomfortable stimuli on their perceived partners. There may have been many reasons why their partners perhaps did not act as expected, but as mentioned previously playing video games does not require contemplating motives of other actors and it then becomes ea sy to act aggressively towards those around us. It has been, â€Å"†¦confirmed that violent video games can increase aggressive behavior- but they also indicate that certain safeguards can be employed to reduce such unsavory outcomes† (Gitter, Ewell, Guadagno, Stillman, Baumeister, 2013, p. 353). As the research in this paper shows, there is a great hope that positive behaviors can be inspired, reinforced, and encouraged using video games as long as proper care is taken by those creating these powerful tools. Evidence shows games are able to nurture prosocial attitudes that developers could take advantage of and do a great service to the public. Indeed, while not everyone who plays violent video games will suffer adverse social effects, there should be more ethical awareness by game creators of the messages these games send. It is now known that video games can foster positive behavioral developments such as an increase in prosocial helping behaviors as well as adopting undesirable behaviors such as lack of empathy and aggression. If the video games we see on the screen a few feet away can have this powerful of an influence on our psyche, just imagine how detrimental or uplifting the futures of children could be with virtual reality and an ever-changing landscape of technology gaining more momentum into full immersion. It must be accepted that the future of the youth is not just up to parents. Developers, there are many great stories that can be told with games that will elicit the best qualities out of people and make the future more utopian, all that needs to be done is to take responsibility for the power wielded. References Anderson, C., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L. R., Johnson, J., Linz, D. (2003). The Influence of Media Violence on Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 81-110. Fraser, A., Padilla-Walker, L., Coyne, S., Nelson, L., Stockdale, L. (2012). Associations Between Violent Video Gaming, Empathic Concern, and Prosocial Behavior Toward Strangers, Friends, and Family Members. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 636-649. Gitter, S. A., Ewell, P. J., Guadagno, R. E., Stillman, T. F., Baumeister, R. F. (2013). Virtually justifiable homicide: The effects of prosocial contexts on the link between violent video games, aggression, and prosocial and hostile cognition. Aggressive Behavior, 346-354. Greitemeyer, T., Osswald, S. (2011). Playing Prosocial Video Games Increases the Accessibility of Prosocial Thoughts. Journal of Social Psychology, 121-128. Happ, C., Melzer, A., Steffgen, G. (2013). Superman vs. BAD man? The effects of empathy and game character in violent video games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior And Social Networking, 774-78. Hasan, Y., Bà ¨gue, L., Bushman, B. J. (2013). Violent Video Games Stress People Out and Make Them More Aggressive. Aggressive Behavior, 64-70. Shin, D., Ahn, D. (2013). Associations between game use and cognitive empathy: a cross-generational study. Cyberpsychology, Behavior And Social Networking, 599-603. Research Papers on Developer's We Need Your HelpOrganizational Behavior - Analysis of Wal-MartAdvertising EssaySociology EssayBiological, Strain, My Writing ExperiencePlastic Surgery Essay

Financial Interest Against The Code Of Ethics Essay

Financial Interest Against The Code Of Ethics - Essay Example The essay "Financial Interest Against The Code Of Ethics" discusses the situation when the financial interest of the company goes before the possible harm that the product can bring to the consumers. The paper discusses the situation where the chemist Helen found herself in the situation in which her personal doubts about the safety of the product contradict with the desire of the company to sign a profitable contract and to launch the product. The dilemma that Helen has to deal with is probably typical for all chemists, and in such cases, they have to refer to the Chemical Professional Code of Conduct. I believe that Helen`s doubts about the product should lead to a thorough revision of the experimental data because her concerns are grounded on the fatal outcome of the experimental animals, which is always crucial. Helen did everything that was expected from her: informed her bosses about â€Å"the absorption problem† and its further possible risk and got their opinion on this issue. The bosses assessed economic questions more than the data received in the course of the experiments it seems. Helen has doubts herself because if she had been more convinced about the threat of the product she would have expressed her opinion more unambiguously insisting on the ban of the product launch. The first thing that should be done by Helen, in this case, is involvement of some other experts in chemistry for assessing the data once more before signing the contract. It is possible to attract the experts working in the same company.

Better Luck Tomorrow Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Better Luck Tomorrow Review - Essay Example Despite the fact that the film is an ensemble, the action that goes on in the film centers on Ben, who is in his last year in high school. He does everything that would give him an impressive identity when applying for college. This means that he has to get several honors and awards that he is not interested in, such as employee of the month award, athletic and student committee honors. He spends his time with friends who are equally gifted, but bored. They engage in shoplifting activities in computer stores and sell exam answers to other students. One day one of them draws a gun at a school Neanderthal, and they become respected by their peers for their notoriety (Huang 99). The main theme of the film comes up with regard to the question as to why teenagers would resort to crime. The film has not featured the parents of these teenagers in the activities that go on. This suggests that there might be parental neglect perhaps because they think that their children are innocent and cann ot do anything wrong. It could also be because parents think that their children are not smart to figure out certain things on their own. The children could also be engaging in these activities because of the many expectations that their Parents have put on them (Huang 100). The movie has been directed in the right atmosphere that creates the energy and intrigue that drives the film. These are mixed with humor and suspense that make the film interesting. The realistic performances by the young and energetic actors is crucial because it fits in when the audience has to suspend disbelief that the young actors are doing things that one would never suspect of them. Despite the fact that the cast has been created from the Asian American atmosphere, the theme cuts across. The theme might be resonant in the Asian American context where parenting is not as important as education (Huang 100). Morality and justice in the film seem mostly absent. The teenagers engage in immoral and activities that could be categorized as crime but they are not punished. They engage in these activities in a manner that suggests that no one is interested in discouraging from doing them. In fact, when one of them draws a gun in school, the other students do not care to report them to the school authorities. Instead, they respect them for their notoriety. The teenagers are free to do anything they please. This shows an identity crisis in a society where there is the lack of role models. The young cannot emulate their parents because their parents are busy doing other things to an extent that they have no time to check on what their children could be doing. The parents have also become careless to an extent that they assume that their children are a responsible lot who cannot engage in any crime or wrong activities. Therefore, they live them at the hands of their educators. Education does not help to model the teenagers into responsible human beings. Instead, the education emphasizes on award s, honors and better grades rather than molding the character of the young students. For instance, entrance into college requires that the students must have scored highly in academics and acquired awards and honors in certain activities. The measure of character is not provided for in those applications. Young people have been left to identify with immorality and prowess in doing wrong and committing crimes. This provides a wakeup call to the audience that

English Composition Essay Example for Free

English Composition Essay I am writing my research paper on the topic of mandatory minimum jail sentences. Why do we have mandatory minimum sentences for certain criminal offenses that cause individuals to do extended prison terms when their offenses are totally different from someone who commits a similar offense but do the same amount of time? My work in law enforcement leads me to believe that people should not be sentenced to mandatory sentences. I’ve seen a number young men incarcerated for minor crimes who received mandatory sentences that appeared to be very harsh in comparison to the offense they were convicted of. This argument should be of interest to those who have the power to change the law, opposers of the law, and those in favor of mandatory sentences who feel they are equitable. I will argue that the laws governing mandatory minimum sentences should be amended. I believe the length of a sentence, should depend upon the severity of the offense committed. For example, someone apprehended with a small bag of marijuana for personal usage should not be required to complete the same sentence as someone with pounds of marijuana that was planned to be widely distributed. To be sure justice is served, which is the goal of the court system, criminal sentences should be decided on an individual basis with due consideration to guidelines given by the law. It should also be argued that the first purpose of the court should be to rehabilitate. This can only be done by personal consideration of each case and punishment. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on this provocative issue.

Toyotas Decision to Build a Plant in France Essay -- Business Managem

Toyota's Decision to Build a Plant in France Background In late 1996, Toyota began to look at the whole of western Europe for a site for its ultra-modern plant. Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland and the UK all seemed to be the most promising investment recipient, but the list was quickly left a head-to-head battle between Europe's oldest foreign investment rivals - France and the United Kingdom. At first, the UK seemed the obvious choice. Toyota had its only European car assembly plant at Burnaston, in the UK's Midlands, where a skilled workforce and well-established automotive infrastructure and cluster of related firms are available. However, at the end of January, company president Hiroshi Okuda voiced doubts about investing in the UK because of its hesitation to fully participate in the European monetary system. In 1997, Toyota finally announced plans to build a $660 million car plant in Valenciennes, 60 km from Lille, France. Evaluation 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reasons for French government to invite Toyota to invest in France are attributed to the benefits of foreign direct investment (FDI) to France as the host country. a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Resource-transfer effect   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toyota can make positive contribution to French economy by supplying capital, technology, and management resources that would otherwise not be available and thus boost French?fs economic growth rate. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toyota, as a multinational enterprise (MNE), because of its large size, reputation, and financial strength, has access to financial resources which may not be available for French local firms like Renault or Peugeot-Citroen. These financial resources can be originated from Toyota?fs internally-generated cash, or from capital markets. As a reputable and financially strong company, it may be easier for Toyota to have access to such resources than French local companies do. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology plays important role in economic growth of a country, since it can stimulate economic development and industrialization. Technology can be incorporated into both production process and the product itself. In case of Toyota, the French government may be benefited from its advanced technology which it passed to its French employees, therefore improves the employees?f skill without additional investment to develop their own indigenous product and process tech... ...mic mismanagement will cause drastic changes in a country?fs business environment that adversely affect the profit and other goals of a business enterprise. If the French economic is in turmoil, Toyota?fs investment in this country will also be affected. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legal Risk   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legal risk is the likelihood that a trading partner will opportunistically break a contract or expropriate property rights. This may also happen to Toyota?fs when its trading partner in France infringes contract agreements. Beside those three risks, Toyota also faces the cultural risk since the ?grules of game?h of doing business in France with French people is different with that in Japan and other countries where Toyota already put its investment. The French language and culture can be a problem for Japanese firms used to speaking English when working overseas. Conclusion The decision to build a plant in France is a part of Toyota's global strategy in Europe. The company has already built plants in UK, Belgium, Poland, and Turkey. Supported by other plants in Europe, which supply the manufacturing components, the French plant will strengthen Toyota's position to penetrate European market.

Separation of Powers in the American Democracy

Separation of powers provides our government with a system of checks and balances, a way to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful. This concept was important in the creation of our government because it prevented one central government. Our Framers wanted to avoid a government that was run by one person, or one super powerful group. In order to effectively put their theory to work, they actually separated the powers between each branch of government. The three branches of our government consist of the Legislative Branch, The Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. While each branch does hold some authority over the other two, they are still politically independent of one another. Let me explain further how the separation of powers works. The Legislative Branch’s powers include passing all federal laws, the ability to override a president’s veto, declaring war, enacting taxes, and it can even impeach the president. The Executive Branch’s responsibilities include veto power over all bills, making treaties, pardon power, and it ensures all laws are carried out. Lastly, the Judicial Branch has the power to try federal cases and it can also rule that laws or executive acts are unconstitutional. As stated earlier, each branch has authorities, or checks over the other two. We know that the Executive Branch has the power to carry out laws. The Legislative and Judicial branches check over the Executive Branch in this manner because even though they are enforcing the laws, the Legislative Branch is the one with the ability to fund the laws and other executive actions, while the Judicial Branch interprets them. And, though the Legislative Branch has the power to impeach the president, a Chief Justice (a member of the Judicial Branch) sits as President of the Senate during this time. Each branch works together to ensure the other is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. I believe the Framers thought separation of powers was so important because their goal from the beginning was to establish a government that was unlike any other. Our Framers wanted to make sure that the government they were creating would be able to withstand itself over time. The Framers wanted to show they had faith (not much, but a little) in their fellow citizens by giving them the power to vote and make decisions. Giving the power to the people was the aim of our new government. By leaving behind countries where dictators ruled the people, and where Kings and Queens passed down authority from generation to generation, our Framers did everything they could to make sure our new government would not become what they disliked so much. Separation of powers preserves the ideas and wants of our Framers, and that is why I believe a system of checks and balances to be so important. References http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cnb.html http://americanhistory.about.com/od/usconstitution/a/checks_balances.htm http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/12/what-separation-of-powers-means-for-constitutional-government

All but My Life

History 121 Book Analysis â€Å"All But My Life† February 15, 2013 All But My Life All But My Life is a memoir about a young Jewish girl, Gerda Weissmann, who was able to endure the hardships of World War II and the Holocaust. Gerda went through and saw more horrific things in the matter of a few years than any of us will ever have to face in our lifetimes. The fact that a girl this young and hopeless can withstand so much pain but yet contain so much strength should be an inspiration to all. Reading this book really opened my eyes to what the world can bring.After reading Gerda’s journey, I will never again complain of times being tough or depressing in my life. This book really meant a lot to me for that very reason. It is amazing that no matter what Gerda had to face in those years she would constantly be looking forward. Regardless of the circumstances she pushed forward and longed for the time that it would all be over. As the book is coming to a close Gerda writes , â€Å"As I Finish the last chapter of my book, I feel at peace, at last. I have discharged a burden and paid a debt to many nameless heroes, resting in their unmarked graves. A burden is a heavy load and Gerda definitely had one to get off her shoulders. Up until this book Gerda was never able to tell anyone her full journey. She wasn’t able to share the times spent with the friends she made during the hardships of the Holocaust. The debt she paid to many nameless heroes was that she was able to get the story out to people. Gerda was able to share first hand experiences to people that just may not understand the fight these young girls and other Jewish people put up during these years.The book had to be written because Gerda knew that her journey needed to be told because of the small amount of survivors there were. She was one of the lucky ones who were able to gather the strength to get through this horrific time in history. Thus, as much as she wanted to probably forget , the book had to be written. In my opinion All But My Life was written to and for anyone who wants to be moved by a strong and inspiring young girl. Also it was written for those who were unable to survive the Holocaust.For those who will never be able to share their hard fought journey and are now just another number to total of lives lost during the Holocaust. Gerda’s long and eventful journey didn’t just take place in one location or even just one concentration camp for that matter. Her journey had several stops along the way and consisted of days and days of traveling in the harshest conditions. The journey of Gerda’s story begins in September of 1939 in her hometown of Bielitz, Poland (4). Bielitz is where Gerda spent roughly the first sixteen years of her life (43).In the early summer of 1942 Bielitz is Judenreined which means free of Jews basically. Gerda and her family are split and to travel in different directions. Gerda is headed toward Sosnowitz, Po land and gets there in June 1942 (96). From Sosnowitz, Gerda is sent to her first concentration camp in Bolkenhain, Germany (113). While at Bolkenhain, Gerda worked thread machines day in and day out; however, all in all the girls were treated pretty well at Bolkenhain compared to other concentration camps. Gerda would later found out that Bolkenhain was like heaven in comparison to what was to come.Soon Gerda and the rest of the girls are sent to another concentration camp called Marzdorf in September of 1943 (145). Marzdorf was nothing like Bolkenhain and was purely miserable for Gerda. Luckily Gerda doesn’t spend a great deal of time at Marzdorf and soon ends up in Landeshut during the month of September of 1943, another concentration camp with ten other girls originally from Bolkenhain (152). After spending some time threading supplies for the German army in Landeshut, Gerda is transported to her final concentration camp in May of 1944, Grunberg (166).After spending a sig nificant amount of time in Grunberg the group is transported toward Germany. Gerda feels that the end of the war may be very near. As the march continues on the group ends up in helmbrechts barracks in the spring of 1945 (194). The group spends about a month in the barracks of Helmbrechts with less than half the amount of people left than they had started with. With just a couple hundred girls remaining the mere group left heads toward Czechoslovakia (201).In May of 1945 Gerda and a handful of others arrive in Volary as the war slowly comes to an end (207). During her journey, Gerda is influenced by numerous people. Some she knew prior to leaving Bielitz and others she met along the way. All of which influenced every one of Gerda’s actions. Gerda would lose all of these people except for one. Gerda’s brother, Arthur, may have been the most influential person to her. He was there since her childhood and they acted as best friends. When Gerda was sixteen she saw her brot her for the last time as he was called to leave Bielitz (21).Gerda had enormous love for her family and her mother and father and also Niana were also very influential to her. Her father was her salvation. If not for what he had told her about suicide she may not ever have had the will power to go on with the cruel experiences of her journey. However, Gerda’s parents do not survive the Holocaust and she sees them and Niana for the last time in the summer of 1942 (92). Prior to leaving Bielitz, Gerda has what I would say is her first boyfriend. Abek is always caring for Gerda although she never really loves him.He too would not survive the Holocaust. As a child, Gerda and Isle meet and they are bestfriends. They spend nearly the whole journey together until Isle passes away days before the war ends (205). During her travels from camp to camp Gerda also makes really good friends with Suse and Liesel. These were two girls were there to help each other through the hardships of th e Holocaust. Suse died the day of liberation (213). While moving to further shelter Liesel also passed away (215). During Gerda’s time at Bolkenhain she meets in my mind her avenging angel, Frau Kugler.Although the Frau Kugler was thought to be sort of an enemy, she saves Gerda’s life and they develop a sort of friendship. However, once deported to a new camp they never see each other again (137). Once the war ends Gerda meets Kurt Klein. Kurt is an American soldier that feels for Gerda for he too lost his parents due to the Holocaust. The two grow strong feelings for each other and Kurt is partially the reason for Gerda’s fast and strong recovery. The two eventually move back to America and get married (246).When Gerda and Kurt meet for the first time she is simply confused. She wonders why he cared so much about her. She couldn’t figure it out. As time passed they met again and she loved seeing him. While apart she longed for the next time they would un ite. I didn’t expect the hand of fate in this story. I expected for Gerda to end up having feelings for Abek. However, Kurt was the one for her. While at the concentration camps Gerda encountered several guards. I was surprised by how many of the guards did what they could to help the victims as much as possible.Their motivation must have been fear of what could have happened to them if they did not treat the Jews like animals. I can not think of any other reason someone could possibly think what was going on was ok. During Gerda’s time in the Holocaust she is somehow able to gain strength to continue on while others are not able to. It was the words of her father that kept her from committing suicide even during the most gruesome times. The only thing that kept her positive was the thought that someday she might see her family again and be able to return to her home in Bielitz, Poland.The title, All But My Life to me means something very simple. Gerda Weissmann Klein endured thousands of things as a teenager. She saw many horrific and breathtaking images. Met numerous friends along the way, but none of it was life to her. She went through everything but none of it was a normal life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has truly touched me. My simple reaction is just amazement of how a girl can endure so much and still continue on with life with a positive outlook. This book will change the way I value life itself.

The Anglo-Saxon Angle

The Anglo-Saxon Angle The Anglo-Saxon Angle The Anglo-Saxon Angle By Mark Nichol Are you an Anglist, or an anti-Anglist, or are you neutral in the debate about whether to favor words of Anglo-Saxon or Germanic origin over Latinate language? You may have been unaware that there ever was a controversy about linguistic purism, or that the issue survives at all. Compared to the impassionate debate about the purity of the English language that raged several centuries ago, it’s nearly as dead as Anglo-Saxon otherwise known as Old English but it is pertinent to how we shape our prose. As early as 150 years ago, English writer William Barnes advocated using a Germanic vocabulary rather than one heavily influenced by Latin (and Greek), believing that such an approach to language would benefit writers who lacked a classical education. Even George Orwell, in the mid-twentieth century, wrote (in the famous essay that inspired this post) â€Å"Bad writers especially scientific, political, and sociological writers are nearly always haunted by the notion that Latin or Greek words are grander than Saxon ones.† Now, however, the sentiment survives only in diluted form, mostly in the welcome trend toward replacing obfuscating prose with plain English. But the writing world is a democratic one, and we therefore remain free (albeit with the intercession of editors) to employ the vocabulary that suits us. Do you have an ache, or a pain? It depends, literally, on how you feel. Do you have a sense of allegiance, or one of fidelity? Either will do, though connotations may differ (the former word often implies adherence to an institution, while fidelity is usually more of an interpersonal concept). Do you activate a beacon, or a signal? Again, divergent meanings have complicated the question, but the terms are largely interchangeable. In each of these pairs of word examples, the first term is of Germanic origin, and the second is from Latin or Greek. Frequently, the classical term is considered more sophisticated (gain/avantage, begin/commence, buy/purchase), but exceptions occur (behavior/manner). Adopting Orwell’s mild linguistic chauvinism to militant extremes is absurd, and any avoidance of a word or a turn of phrase on the basis of language origin is illogical English is what it is but consider that although Latin and Greek may seem more refined, Germanic terminology is often more colorful. A more evocative word than either ache or pain is throe, used now only in the plural form in the phrase â€Å"the throes of,† which has come to mean â€Å"in the midst of† or â€Å"in the thick of.† Troth, meanwhile is more evocative than allegiance or fidelity, and harbinger is a delightful word that puts beacon or signal to shame (though it is closer in sense to guide or warning). Furthermore, English would be enriched by some of the vocabulary suggested by various linguistic purists over the years, those who advocate, for example, shunning grammar for speechcraft and vocabulary for wordstock. These sturdy, hearty alternatives, along with the examples in the previous paragraph, have an archaic ring to them, but that’s no reason to confine them to the fantasy-genre ghetto. And owndom (property) and byspel (example) are too obscure to be of much use, but hue in place of color, sake in lieu of oops, that’s from French! cause, and span as a substitute for distance are trim, muscular words that strengthen sentences. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know7 Patterns of Sentence StructureHow to Write a Proposal

Mindfulness and the SAT

Mindfulness and the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In this article, we'll discuss how to use mindfulness to crush the SAT (and everything else that stresses you out!). On Test Day â€Å"Our mind is constantly evaluating our experiences, comparing them with other experiences or holding them up against expectations and standards that we create, often out of fear.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are When you walk into the gym/classroom/cafeteria on test day, it’s likely that you’ll be feeling anxious and scared. Even though you might have prepped for the SAT with all kinds of courses, you may be nervous. All kinds of important, but unpredictable, life situations produce these feelings. But here’s the thing: anxiety and fear actually impede (get in the way of) your ability to perform your best on the SAT. In fact, they impede almost everything we try to get done in a day. To boost our performance, the best thing we can do (besides personalized SAT prep) is try to minimize our anxiety, but most people have no idea how to do this. There is a simple solution: mindfulness. What’s mindfulness? â€Å"You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are Mindfulness, according to the Oxford New American Dictionary, is: 1: the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something; 2: a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. So, it’s possible to be mindful in any given moment, not thinking about anything but the present time and place. But the practice of mindfulness is cultivating the ability to be mindful more frequently and more easily, and is the secret to the inner peace of Buddhist monks, among others. However, while monks meditate for hours every day to cultivate their mindfulness, it is possible for high school students (and, in fact, anyone) to use the power of mindfulness. Given any amount of time, but especially if you start well ahead of test day, you can harness the power of your own inner strength using mindfulness to get your best possible score. // What can mindfulness do for me? Life is stressful, especially for teenagers. There’s school, sports, extracurriculars, social life, family time, andon top of it alltest prep. Mindfulness is a scientifically proven, thoroughly researched way to reduce stress and provide a calm state of mind that can help you get through any situation, especially one as potentially anxiety-producing as the SAT. Read on for details of what exactly this means. Practice: how and when? Meditation, or mindfulness practice, is nothing but sitting, standing, laying or even walking while focusing only on the present momentwhat you see, hear, and feel right now. There are a million websites and books that discuss when, where and how to do it. But the great thing about mindfulness practice is that, while 30 minutes or an hour of daily practice can do wonders, even 5 minutes of intentional mindfulness every day (or even every few days, or every week) can seriously improve your ability to stay calm, focus, and perform better. If you follow our recommendation to do 100 hours of focused online SAT prep (it’s not as bad as it sounds!), you’ll end up with 250-500 minutes, or 4-8 hours, of mindfulness practice. That’s more than enough to boost your emotional and psychological readiness for the SAT, as well as the crazy stuff college is going to throw at you. We recommend that, before you start your SAT prep session, sit (on the floor, ideally) or lay down and focus on nothing but the present moment. Many people find that it helps to focus on the breath moving in and out of their body. Try to do it for 5 minutes, even if it is difficult or frustrating. By associating your mindfulness practice with your SAT practice, you’re training yourself to be mindful on test day. Discipline concentration â€Å"Discipline provides a constancy which is independent of what kind of a day you had yesterday and what kind of a day you anticipate today.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are In addition to its other benefits, regular meditation improves discipline and concentration, which are key for any academic pursuit. You don’t have to do anything to gain this benefit: just do nothing for 5 minutes before every session of SAT prep you do, the more often the better. Try it out Right now, just sit cross-legged on the floor, close your eyes, and focus your attention on your breathing. Count the breaths, if that helps. When other thoughts pop up, acknowledge them and let them go, bringing your attention back to your breath. Try it for 5 minutes, and see if you don’t feel calmer and more centered afterward. If you found this helpful or interesting, please take a moment to sign up for our email list at right: we’ll never sell your email address, and we crank out great posts on SAT-related topics every week. Also, check out our Free SAT Guide:

Comparison of Economics and Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison of Economics and Marketing - Essay Example Marketing mainly is an art of making a product known to consumers by use of various marketing tools such as pricing and research, product promotions and price setting for a particular product. Economics and marketing are similar and different in several ways (Baker, Graham et al 73). Economics and marketing are similar mainly because of the business context in which they are applied. Goods and services are produced so that they are available for consumers who pay for them. In the economic system of a nation, consumers play a vital part as the target end after production. The key motivation for producers is to sell their products and services to consumers during a low consumer demand. This forms the marketing part of the production. Diverse schools of thought though argue that marketing is borrowed from economics. Trade off involving dissimilar alternatives impacts the behavior of consumers in marketing and economics. The alternatives are necessary for economics in that consumers try to decide on what to buy and not to buy based on unlimited human wants which needs satisfaction with inadequate means. In marketing, it is not just a matter of competing with competitors for buyers, but competition among unrelated different products in the market (Baker, Graham et al 84). This implies that in marketing consumers are convinced in the best brand and in the economic part, the brand has the best bargain for the cash. Consumers are willing to review the price of a commodity before they purchase it. Different consumers have a unique willingness to buying a product. This point explains well price discrimination working. Price discrimination is whereby consumers are buying similar products in the market for different prices based on their ability.

The impacts of oil spills on marine and terrestrial ecosystems Research Paper

The impacts of oil spills on marine and terrestrial ecosystems - Research Paper Example In this case, the paper will focus on discussing effects of oil leaks on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The Impacts of Oil Spills on Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems World's marine and terrestrial ecosystems are better understood through the subject of increasing use and efforts aimed at protecting specific marine species and habitats. In fact, these efforts entail designation of certain marine habitats with greater limitations applying to the activities being permitted (Viscusi, 2006). There is also increasing effort to learn about the sources of pollution in marine environment and the measures for the reduction of the amount of pollution. Marine and terrestrial ecosystems pollution refers to the contamination of the lakes and other water bodies by substances that are harmful to the living things. The pollution is associated with many issues among them being deaths of living things like the fish, birds and other animals that use water source (GLIN, 2010). Nevertheless, the pape r will focus on discussing the impact of oil spills on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Oil spills occurs from the ships, leaky underground storage tanks, pipelines and track tankers that consist of petroleum products, which are harmful when ingested by the living organisms in marine and terrestrial ecosystems (World shipping council, 2012). ... Numerous oil spills have been documented through various literatures in both technical and scientific field (Lounsbury, 2003). However, this documentation does not guarantee complete understanding of the effects of oil pollution to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In fact, indication of the scale and durations regarding these effects is obtained from available information. On the other hand, there is a substantial difficulty presented in the process of balancing the perception and realities involved in the impacts of oil spills. Moreover, this has resulted to polarization of the scientific communities due to their differentiated perceptions concerning the nature of the oil spills impacts. There are groups of scientists who oppose the camps with a side that focuses on quantification of aspects of damages. Other scientists focus on the capacity of the environmental recovery from the adverse impact of these oil spills (University of Michigan, 2006). Nonetheless, the reality relates to the significance of the damages that occur on marine and terrestrial ecosystems due to these oil spills, and ways to derive general information concerning the spills and their effects and longevity. There is a high complexity in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which is caused by the fluctuation in species composition, profusion and distribution. However, there is a substantial understanding of the significance of damages caused by the impact of the oil spills (University of Michigan, 2006). For instance, these oil spills can cause a reduction of the breeding success, productivity, diversity and functions of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, there

DISCUSSION FOURM 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DISCUSSION FOURM 6 - Essay Example These are normally identified in the early phases of the emergence of a disease, or an epidemiological ailment. The best communication approach is to open a communication line with environmental investigators, during the early phases of the emergence of an epidemic (Monroe, 2011). These communications should be frequent, and the methods used in communicating should be accessible to all. For example, health care experts should use mobile phones and the internet for communicating (Monroe, 2011). Use of mobile phone is an easy method of sharing information between environmental experts and public health officers (Monroe, 2011). It is important to denote that most infectious diseases normally emanate because of poor hygiene and environmental condition. This includes conditions such as contaminated water, poor sewerage system, etc (Monroe, 2011). Liaising with environmentalist will help a health worker to identify the various environmental health hazards, which might be a cause of an infectious disease (Shetty, 2010). Furthermore, there is a need of establishing health hotlines. Mobile hotlines will enable people to communicate directly with health care workers, in case of the emergence of an infectious disease. This is an efficient and easy method of identifying the source of a disease. All that health care workers have to undertake is to inform the public on the existence of the hotline numbers (Monroe,

Scope of technology Essay Example for Free

Scope of technology Essay In this essay, I will comment on Morton Winston’s definitions of technology, then apply the six aspects in every technology to an artifact selected from Friedman’s essay â€Å"The World is Flat†. The six aspects include first the skills, techniques, human activity forms, or socio-technical practice; second, resources, tools, and materials; third, technological products or artifacts; fourth, end, intention or functions; fifth, background knowledge; and lastly, social context in which the technology is designed, developed, used, and disposed of, and the artifact that I will apply is Nike. In Children of Invention Revisited by Winston, he describes technology in three different ways in reference to the artifact I selected. First, Winston clearly defines technology as â€Å"the organization of knowledge, people, and things to accomplish specific practical goal†; second, he states that â€Å"technology consists of not only useful artifacts and the tools and processes to produce them but also the entire organization of people and materials that permits the acquisition of the knowledge and skills needed to design, manufacture, distribute, use, repair, and eventually dispose of these artifacts†; lastly, Winston’s definition of technological systems states â€Å" the complex of techniques, knowledge, and resources that are employed by human beings in the creation of material and social artifacts that typically serve certain functions perceived as useful or desirable in relation to human interests in various social contexts†. Nike employs many human activity forms. To begin with, Nike uses many different skills to yield the best productivity. One skill they have is all Nike shoes are generally considered to be attractive and durable. They are innovative, introducing a number of new features designed to increase comfort and enhance an athletes performance. They use different techniques to make this happen. They import from China, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom being the top mentioned countries for Nike exportation. Also, Nike has worked to improve labor conditions in their footwear, apparel and equipment supply chains for more than 15 years. Key issues in which they have engaged include the health and safety of the workers who make their products, excessive overtime, the ability of workers to freely associate, and child labor and forced labor. In addition, Nike has created a â€Å"sustainable supply chain†, one that includes sustainability on equal footing with cost, on-time delivery and quality . As one of the pillars of their sustainable business strategy, they have developed a vision of what success looks like. The vision and steps they are taking are making them achieve this strategy of going forward and continuing to one of the leading companies in activewear. Nike employs human activity forms in almost every part of the company; starting with using ships to import, trucks and truck drivers to transport all their products to stores. Lastly, Nike uses socio-technical practices when it comes to designing their stores, deciding on their logo, and designing the layout of the store. There is just so much to speculate at because every aspect of their company relies on human-activity forms. Nike would not be able to be as powerful of a company if they did not make use of every resource, tool and material available to them. They use computers at stores, which is their most common and powerful resource used. They use computer software everywhere, from cash registers, to security cameras, to tracking their products, and to controlling production. One tool Nike uses in surplus is machinery, such as to produce their products, along with forklifts to boats. Material Nike uses range, for they manufacture and sell many different products from socks, shirts, shoes,hats, to bags. In addition, Nike sells and uses multiple technological products. They sell iPod cases, headphones, and watches. Nevertheless, Nike is stocked with technological products and artifacts for sell. As a matter of fact, Nike uses a lot of technological products themselves, from cell phones to electricity. Nike in fact is an artifact of technology. Nike is used to employ many people, to making people comfortable when being active. Nike is a large corporation that functions as a worldwide store. It provides consumers with a place to purchase to best quality and most known activewear. Nike functions as an employer to some, to make other go day by day in comfort, and a shopping option to many. Now, for Nike Inc. to have become the corporation that it is today, they need to have had an enormous background knowledge to be this successful and efficient. There are two kinds of background knowledge; knowledge-that and knowledge-how. To begin with knowledge-how, Nike had to know how to buy and find the right location to manufacture products and still make a profit. They also had to know how to expand and manage inventory accurately and precisely. Not only that, but also how to pick the locations for the stores. All this requires a lot of knowledge and ideas. For Nike to continue its everyday massive production and efficiency, knowledge- that is, is significant. Nike needed knowledge with the store layout, design, the technology that would be used, locations, and many more things. For Nike to operate efficiently, a lot of knowledge into technology and artifacts of technology was needed. Nike as a whole, is a social artifact for it is a corporation. Within this artifact, lie many divisions of labor. From managing, cashier, shoe designer, logo designer, each position requires different invisible technologies to fulfill the role. Ultimately, all these specific roles come together to create a social organization that run an artifact of technology.

BigBrother Big Sister Essay -- essays research papers

The main two types of mentoring are natural mentoring and planned mentoring. Natural mentoring occurs through friendship, collegiality, teaching, coaching, and counseling that is formed from un-constructed planning (Newman, 1990, p. 41). In contrast, planned mentoring occurs through structured programs in which mentors and participants are selected and matched through formal processes (Newman, 1990, p. 43). There are many different ways to describe mentoring, but they all boil down to one thing: a positive, supportive relationship between a young person and a caring adult. The most compelling data that we have shows the change in our American family structure. Day there are alarming number of children with mental disorders and children being raised in single parent homes has increased. In both areas it is shown that we need more preventive care (Petersmeyer 1989). Other statistics are equally troubling: each day in the United States, 3,600 students drop out of high school, and 2,700 unwed teenage girls get pregnant (Petersmeyer 1989). As a society we have a responsibility to our youth to help them become strong adults. My grandmother was always telling me that it takes more then the immediate family to raise a child well, if a child is to be rear well it takes a whole community contribution. This paper is a comparison of two agencies, Big Brother Big Sisters of America and Compeer. Big Brother Big Sister of America focuses on youth that are from single parent homes. Compeer focus is on children with a mental disorder. The reason why I have chosen these agencies are to show how the success of both and how each is similar to each other but also how each agency focuses on a different area. I do believe that it shows as a member of society and being a mentor we can make a difference in our youth today and our future leaders of tomorrow. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America was started over ninety years ago. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) agencies have provided supportive, one-to-one relationships between adult volunteers and youth living in single-parent homes. Today, BBBSA provides about 75,000 young people with one-to-one supports (Public /Private Ventures, 1995a). In a presentation of the BBBS services, Public/Private Ventures (1995a:4) stated the following: Volunteer screening is a must and is a very strict procedu... ...ntaged High School Students. New York: Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, 1990. ERIC Number ED 325598. Flaxman, E. Evaluating Mentoring Programs. New York: Institute for Urban and Minority Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1992. Haensly, Patricia A., and James L. Parsons. (1993) â€Å"Creative, Intellectual, and Psychological Development Through Mentorship: Relationships and Stages.† Youth and Society. 25(2), 202-221. Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster. Newman, Michael. Beginning a Mentoring Program. Pittsburgh, PA: PLUS (Project Literacy U.S.), 1990, pp. 34-43. Petersmeyer, C.G. "Assessing the Need" in M. Newman, Beginning a Mentoring Program. Pittsburgh, PA: One Plus One, 1989, pp. 5-25. Public /Private Ventures. (1995a) Grossman, Jean Baldwin and Joseph P. Tierney. Making a Difference. September 2000. Philadelphia. Public /Private Ventures. (1995b) Morrow, Kristine and Melanie Styles. Building Relationships with Youth in Program Settings. May 1995. Philadelphia.

Ann Taylor

Table of Contents |Executive Summary |2 | |Company background & Current Marketing Situation |3-7 | |Marketing Objectives |7-8 | |Opportunity & Issue Analysis |8-13 | |Marketing Strategy & Actions taken |13-16 | |Appendix 1 & 2 |17-20 | |Bibliography |21 | Contributions (write ups only)Executive Summary, Company background & Marketing Strategy- Priyanka Chigurupati Marketing Objectives& Marketing Strategy- Maira Braga Opportunity & Issue Analysis- Judy Seng & Yui Yasuda Executive Summary Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the largest apparel and accessories firms in the fashion industry for a long time. It has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet each of which caters the same category of apparel and accessories, i. e. work related clothing to different markets.The introduction of Dan Taylor; our challenge has been positive and we feel that this division for men’s clothing would reap benefits for the company primarily because the men’s market is a growing one. Also, Dan Taylor can capitalize on Ann Taylor’s reputation of being amongst the top few brands customers pick for work related, casual yet chic clothing. Our product line will follow along the path of LOFT; catered to men instead of women. Although there are several threats the company might face, we strongly believe that the opportunities will outweigh the risks.Dan Taylor will use promotional tools that Ann Taylor never used but in terms of overall advertising, Dan Taylor will follow Ann Taylor’s path. The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor & Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. will be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States. COMPANY BACKGROUND & CURRENT MARKETING SITUATION Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the most popular women’s clothing company in the United States for the past few decades.Founded in 1954 by Richard Liebeskind , the company was named â€Å"Ann Taylor,† because â€Å"Ann,† was considered a very New England name and â€Å"Taylor,† evoked an image of tailored clothing. Ann Taylor has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet. Ann Taylor caters to working women with classic clothing that is polished, refined and versatile. The fashions offered at Ann Taylor stores are for affluent career women. With price points between $40 (for a basic top) and $430, Ann Taylor falls in the â€Å"better,† category.LOFT was established in the late 90’s and offers more casual and relaxed fashions for relatively younger customers. Priced anywhere between $20- $90 and $200 for suits (two separates), it falls under the â€Å"upper moderate,† category. Ann Taylor Factory and the LOFT outlet are extensions of the brand (Ann Taylor and LOFT) in the outlet division. Ann Taylor Stores Corp. ’s product line (width) includes â€Å"Apparel,† that includes tops and blouses, sweaters and knits, dresses, pants, skirts, suits, jackets and coats, denim and accessories among all four divisions (based on different price points).The depth of the accessories includes shoes, jewelry, handbags, belts, scarves and shape wear. Ann Taylor has an exclusive line of Bridal wear that is an one stop shop for all wedding needs for women including wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, shoes and accessories at an affordable range of $38 (accessories) to $495 (wedding dress). LOFT, being the more casual between the two has an exclusive line of lounge wear ranging between $20 and $60. The extensive product line is available for Ann Taylor and LOFT in brick and mortar stores, on the internet (ecommerce) and in catalogues.Ann Taylor’s strengths lie in the fact that it caters to a strong and growing market, i. e. primarily to the working sector of people. Ann Taylor’s target market primarily comprises of ages between 30 years and 60 years to whom, the company offers a plethora of work related apparel and accessories. LOFT’s target market comprises of 18 to 34 year olds who have a wide variety of casual work related (can be used for other purposes) apparel and accessories. Although the two divisions cater to different target markets, their primary purpose is to provide to the ‘working customer. Ann Taylor’s expansion into value based divisions (LOFT and its clearance centers) has captured the value market. The pricing at LOFT is about 30% lower than its sister concept, Ann Taylor. The outlets too, have captured the market that comprises of consumers seeking deeper value over traditional pricing and stores. The corporation added more value to these â€Å"clearance centers,† by creating private labels for the outlet centers. All the three divisions have proven to be a success among consumers. A third strength of the company would be its marketing strategies through celebrity associat ions.Some of the biggest celebrities like Heidi Klum, Milla Jovovich, Rachel Bilson are the faces of the company. The brand equity of the company, i. e. the image of the company in the minds of the consumers is enhanced because of positive perceptions. To further enhance this, the company is specifically targeting different markets by using different celebrities for each type of market. For example: Christina Hendricks, known for her curves is a face of the company. Although not directly done this speaks to the relatively more curvy women, a huge upcoming market.Also, since Ann Taylor has been associated with ‘luxury products,’ its reputation has trickled down to its LOFT brand and customers have started to consider LOFT as affordably luxurious. One of the biggest weaknesses of the company (in disguise) is also a blessing for the company, i. e. its LOFT division. The LOFT brand has been growing rampantly with 506 LOFT stores as compared to 291 Ann Taylor stores in 2009. The reason for this growth has been the demand for value oriented ‘luxury,’ products offered by LOFT.When LOFT was set up in the late 90’s, it was oriented towards casual clothing. Today, with the shift towards more casual clothing even in the working environment (casual Friday), LOFT unwittingly turned into Ann Taylor’s direct competitor with a better value proposition. Ever since the economy has been in the throes of a recession, Ann Taylor’s performance like that of most other companies has spiraled downwards. Since 2008, the company has been spiraling downwards with net sales of $2. 4 billion in fiscal 2008, $2. 2 billion in fiscal 2009 and $1. 8 billion in fiscal 2010.The net loss went down considerably from $333,906,000 in fiscal 2009 to $18,208,000 in fiscal 2010. The company has been facing tough competition from its major competitors like White House Black Market, Chico’s, Anne Klein, Talbots, Banana Republic, J Crew and Cold Water Creek for Ann Taylor and The Gap, AK Anne Klein, New York & Co. and INC International Concepts (Private Label at Macy’s), a few among others. In terms of advertising, Ann Taylor promotes it products mainly through catalogs, television and magazine ads. It uses a combination of Institutional advertising, i. e. dvertising done to promote the company’s image and Promotional advertising, i. e. advertising that highlights an item or a category of items to get an immediate response. [pic] [pic] Institutional Advertising Promotional Advertising In 2009, Ann Taylor partnered with Proctor & Gamble due to the economic downturn, and handed out free samples of detergent and coupons to customers who buy machine washable clothes. In addition, Ann Taylor created an eight-page magazine, available for free in stores that provided tips on how to keep clothes looking fresh.Of course, due to the partnership, they require Tide or Downy Total Care, which are both Proctor & Gamble products, but this was one of the many successful promotional strategies implemented by Ann Taylor. In an effort to utilize maximum amounts of different media in order to integrate the customer with the promotion strategies, Ann Taylor partnered with CFDA/ Vogue fashion fund in which the selected stylists were asked to put together a full look for Ann Taylor that would suit today’s working woman. This brought out not only increased exposure but also offers a fashionable, vivacious look to the brand.MARKETING OBJECTIVES Given the current market situation, Ann Taylor should be looking to expand and conquer any new potential clientele to drive profits up. Sale trends still place the retailer amongst the top two competitors of its US Top Women’s Apparel Division, giving the brand a leadership position within its industry. Although product offerings are fairly uniform amongst such brands, very few of Ann Taylor’s direct competitors are currently in the Men’s clothes div ision (primarily department store private labels).Furthermore, as was once predicted of Contemporary and Young Designer fashions, Menswear is the next â€Å"white space† of the industry, offering high rates of growth and return for early entrants. This provides Ann Taylor a high incentive towards accepting the risk of being an early-mover and adding a menswear line to its current offerings. Ann Taylor’s previously existent mill and factory relationships will also conduce towards seamless integration of the production of a menswear line for select stores. Furthermore, despite harsh economic times, Ann Taylor shows clear signs of recovery, having started to post profits of $18. million in the second quarter of 2010, over $260 million to finance expansive efforts. Another trend that has been identified within a more general Apparel market is that women make up to 80% of all of all shopping for a family. This would indicate that for a large portion of the male population, it is in fact their female counterparts that are making the calls in regards to many purchasing decision. Large portions of these women are wives of family households as well as long-term partners. Nationally, nearly 50% percent of the entire population is comprised of married couples – a broad base for a core target audience.This buying behavior creates an untapped potential market for the Ann Taylor brand. Since women would already be in the store, this is a process of adding on to their current purchases, adding not only profit, but value to the Ann Taylor brand by having the client associate stores with convenience and multi-level shopping. This was already proven successful with strategic integration of home furnishings and accessories to select flagship stores. The target male consumer for these groups was a relatively simple process of reexamining our current demographics under a different lens.Most evidently, the targeted age group would be a similar 18-34. This age g roup makes up 23. 5% of the American consumer base as a whole, with over 23 million potential male customers. The ideal â€Å"Dan Taylor† is a middle classed, working male aged 18-34 either with, or thinking about a family who makes $75-99,000 a year, and is looking for workable, affordable, well-constructed clothes that speak to a tailored, New England look. Nationally, this corresponds to 12% of American households with a corresponding range of disposable income, with slight variations across regions of the country.Furthermore, in a more generic view, 78. 6% of the population consists of private wage and salary workers who would maintain the targeted aesthetic of the Dan Taylor line. Considering the harsh economic times, many higher income group clients would also be looking towards lower end options for their everyday work wear. This comprises an additional 31. 7% of the population that would be well within means to shop at Ann Taylor. With further research into specific r egional demographics, initial expansion of the Dan Taylor line would be limited to the Northeast area.As will be detailed, this capitalizes on maximum saturation of target market as well as core following of brand lifestyle and traditional aesthetic. The Northeast region shows the highest rate of educated males with a bachelor’s degree or higher educational attainment at 32. 5%. This figure is well above any other regions and is a full 4 points higher than the national average at 28. 4%. The Northeast also has to the second highest percentage of private wage and salary workers at 79. 5% or workforce, only behind the Midwest at 81. 1%. This category corresponds to the key lifestyle psychographics of the Dan Taylor customer.The area also corresponds to the second highest percentage of households within the targeted $75-$99,000 income level with 12. 6% and leads in terms of households making above $75,000 dollars, at 37. 6%, a full six points above the national level. Another co mpelling factor in terms of income is the Northeast’s mean male yearly earnings is a full $10,000 above the national level and is by far the highest of all regions. This higher income level means this population has a greater willingness to spend from discretionary income, particularly during harder economic times.Another great value in early investment in the Northeast of the United States is the historical association of the Ann Taylor brand with the region. As previously mentioned, the brand’s name is already associated with the area. The label’s look, comprising fashionable day and work wear for the active woman is also in key target with the ambiance and feel of the Northeast region. Color stories of Ann Taylor lines are also frequently associated with this area; pastels, khakis and navy are proven a timeless classic to locals of the area.This mix of ideal target market as well as a value-conscious higher income customer that is not only accustomed, but a f ollower of the Ann Taylor aesthetic creates an ideal marketing position for the Dan Taylor line. If success is seen within the Northeast sector, analyzed demographics then suggest the Western region of the United States as being the best to serve, followed by the Midwest and finally the South. OPPORTUNITY AND ISSUE ANALYSIS Opportunities 1. Growing Menswear Industry Men nowadays have become more aware of their appearance, and therefore, their spending on apparels also increased.According to Data Monitor (Table 1 & Figure 1- Appendix 1), from year 2004 to year 2008, the market value of the menswear market has a steady growth rate from around 3% to 5 %, its market value has also grown from $82. 6 billion in 2004 to $98. 2 billion in 2008. Data Monitor also forecasted that by 2013, the market value would grow to $118. 3 million dollars, an increase of 20. 4% since 2008. If we take a look at Table 3, our target customers who are among the age group of less than 25 years old and 25 †“ 34 years old, have a total of 27,919 thousand (7875 + 20,044) customers.Their added annual expenditure will be $76,413. Compared to women, men spend less on apparel. This may seem to be a discouraging data, however; it also proves that the menswear market is still catching up, and that Ann Taylor can utilize its edge of having the existing loyal female customers to expand to the menswear market. By introducing Dan Taylor in the Loft store, it is expected that our female customers would purchase menswear merchandise for their male friends and husbands.Some of the men may not like to spend too much too much time shopping around and may leave the styling job to their girlfriends or wives. This becomes a strong edge for the launch of Dan Taylor because this approach helps Loft to reach to a new group of male customers through our existing female customers. It is certain that the menswear market is still growing, and therefore Dan Taylor will seize this growing market to obtain some market share in the menswear industry for more profits in the future.By making the first move, Dan Taylor will have the first mover’s advantage. 2. Product line and Price Points The chart below includes the product lines of each of our competitors and their price points. Department private labels such as Alfani, INC and Izod have a narrow product line and a relatively lower price point. They place their focus on business clothing with items such as t-shirts, polo, shirts (casual and formal), sweaters, and trousers. However, for each assortment, they only offer a few styles. Compared to competitors, such asGap and Express, Dan Taylor positions itself as more for the same; we provide better quality but offer the same price points. This positioning allows us to fit in the white space between low to medium priced and medium priced specialty stores. Although our quality is comparatively lower than what medium priced brands such as Kenneth Cole and J. Crew offer; our price points a re much lower and therefore, Dan Taylor provides better value. In addition to the demographics qualities, we are also targeting customers that look for consistent qualities and values.Our goal is to establish a long-lasting relationship with our customers by offering great quality, details, and a wide variety of products with affordable price. We believe in values, and so do our customers. It is expected that customers from our competitors will be drawn to our store because of our promising value and quality. 3. Strong Brand Image Ann Taylor Loft has been in the women specialty retail market since 1983. Currently, we have around 900 stores in the United States, including the labels Ann Taylor, Loft, Ann Taylor Factory, as well as Loft outlet stores.Within these 900 stores, there are 509 LOFT stores because Loft has outperformed Ann Taylor by using a more moderate pricing strategy. Loft targets to a slightly younger group who has a more relaxed lifestyles at work and at home. Our cus tomers are value-conscious and are loyal; this allows us to introduce Dan Taylor (which will have LOFT’s price points and quality) which targets to a similar group of men. Our approach is to first introduce the menswear to our existing Loft customers. It is common that women will buy gifts for their boyfriends or husbands during special occasion such as holiday seasons or birthdays.Therefore, it will be a great opportunity to launch Dan Taylor since our well-known values and quality will draw our existing customers to purchase our menswear’s’ products as gifts for their spouses. This approach allows us to reach our potential male customers and provide them exploration to our products. 4. Online Opportunities The online U. S retail market is growing tremendously in the recent years. According to industry reports by Data monitor, ‘the US online retail market grew by 16. 6% in 2008 to reach a value of $186. 7 billion. in 2013, he US online retail market is fo recast to have a value of $325. 2 billion, an increase of 74. 2% since 2008†. This trend leads many of the retailers setting up their own websites, providing customers an easy access to their newest campaigns and other information related to the company. This approach helps the customers to have a better knowledge of the company. Some of these companies also set up an online store where customers can purchase directly online. Images, measurements and other details are shown to give customers a better visual idea of the merchandise.Today, with such busy lifestyles, people who do not have enough time to shop at the virtual store can now have the option to shop online. Therefore, Ann Taylor should keep focusing on the online sales channel to drive margins because e-commerce is the fastest growing and high margin segments which currently representing nearly a 25% of the company’s revenue base. 5. Collaborations with designer labels and international markets Today, the trend of retail stores collaborating with high-fashion brand labels is more popular than ever.Some of these examples would be H&M and Lanvin, as well as Uniqlo and Jil Sander. Regardless of it the partnership being short term or long term, this approach has always been successful. Long queues are found lining up outside the store on the launch date, and most of the limited merchandises in the collaboration collections are gone in less than a few hours. This not only creates instant buzz about the company but the other customers who come to shop the designer collections might end up looking at the other merchandize as well.Aside from advertising purpose, the limited merchandise brings in some differentiation and freshness to the company and attracts a new group of customers. A further opportunity derived from these collaborations is the recognition in the international markets. While Ann Taylor High-end designer labels now mainly focus on the domestic U. S market, the collaboration with d esigner labels can help promoting Ann Taylor Loft and Dan Taylor throughout the world. Getting the name out to the global market will be a stepping-stone for the company to launch new stores in new markets.Threats/ Issues 1: Effects of recessionary environment will continue impacting consumers spending habits The economic condition might be one of the most serious threats for Ann Taylor. We haven’t come out of the recession yet, and consumers in the US are suffering high unemployment and lower disposable income. Consumers are reluctant to pay for anything that is not on sale or with some sort of down pricing. Rising unemployment further reduces consumers’ ability to spend, which might be a threat to Dan Taylor although the economy is slowly recovering from the recession.Rising unemployment also means less people are at work – the precise demographic of the Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor aesthetics. Increased pursuit of everyday/ lounge wear from high unemployment tre nds could show significant damage to Dan Taylor’s future success. 2: Increased regulations on cards issued by the retailers will affect the appeal of these cards adversely A new act called the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 was passed which enforces several restrictions for retailers while issuing the credit cards.Several norms that originally contributed to the rising popularity of the retailer cards, have been identified as the reasons that later left the consumer with high debt. The new set of rules will benefit the customers, but will nevertheless restrict retailers and the earlier growth in retailer credit cards. Additionally, retailers rely on offering loyalty programs through these cards. The decline in the card base will negatively impact the success of these promotions. Ann Taylor issues its own branded and co-branded charge card for its customers.This will expose the company to high risk of default, higher regulations and compl iances. The new act further imposes higher restrictions and this might lead to less popularity of the cards impacting the cards business adversely. The new regulations might also make it more difficult for the company to issue new cards to the customers. 3: Rising of private label has affected the sales of national brands seriously Due to the recession, customers care now about price more than they did before. As customers became more price-oriented, large retailers filled that gap with lower priced private labels.Their close ties with factories allow these clothes to sit at a very low price point while still offering profit to the retailer. As a result, Macys, which is one of the largest department stores in the world and other companies have begun to focus on their private brands (Alfani, INC and IZOD for Macy’s, Aqua for Bloomingdales) and launched various types of clothes with reasonable prices for men and women of all ages. In addition, many discounted supermarkets such as Wal-mart and Target collaborated with designers and launched fashionable collections with reasonable prices as well.The popularities and sales of these brands increased rapidly. This might be another potential threat to the moderately priced Dan Taylor. 4: Rising apparel costs and labor costs in China are pressurizing margins Dan Taylor’s major production will be in China where the costs are estimated to inflate in the near future. This will increase costs for the company and pressurize margins. The prices of cotton, which typically comprise 40-45% of the price of a garment, were up 25% year in one year. Higher energy costs and rising labor costs in China will contribute to the increase in import cost of the apparel as well.The relative cost of manufacturing in China will almost certainly rise as the labor costs rise. Wage increases, coupled with higher costs for cotton, oil and freight will also push up prices. This cost increase is particularly troubling when taking into consideration the rise of private labels and increased competition within the industry to keep prices down. 5: A men’s brand in a women’s store might inhibit men from walking in Ann Taylor, being the feminine store it is might often prevent men from walking into the store.A large portion of men, even while shopping with their partner, prefer to wait outside or visit a different store, rather than shopping alongside the woman. This moderate level of interest shows a threat to the Dan Taylor line, however, it is also provides room for growth. By changing promotional efforts in-store, management can captivate the attention of such idle shoppers and transform their boredom into profits. MARKETING STRATEGY & ACTIONS TAKEN Ann Taylor’s primary advertising strategies will be â€Å"combination advertising,† including both Institutional and Promotional advertising.The promotion strategies will be divided into two phases. Stage 1 will involve bringing the companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s name out to the public and creating loyalty from Ann Taylor’s female consumers thereby exposing their partners to the line in a passive manner. Stage 2 will be dependent upon the first stage’s success and will encompass the creation of the actual ‘Dan Taylor,’ stores and shifting shopping responsibilities from the woman to the man. Product line |Tops |Bottoms |Jackets & Coats Accessories | |T shirts |Pants/ Trousers |Suit Blazers |Ties | |- Polos |- Flat front |- Suit jackets |-Boleros | |- Henley |- Pleated |- Sports blazers |-Neckties | |- Sleeveless | | |-Bow ties | | | | |-Ascots | |Sweaters |Denim | |Cufflinks | |-Vests |- Relaxed | |- Double faced | |-Crew neck |- Straight leg | |- Chain | |- Full sleeved |- Skinny | |- Snap on | |- Boat neck |- Boot cut | |Belts | |- V neck | | |- Casual | | | | |- Formal | |Shirts |Shorts | |Socks | |- Dress shirts |- Cargo | |- Ankle length | |- Cufflink shirts |- Chino | |- Low cut | | |- Bermuda | |- Mi d calf | Stage 1: At this stage, Dan Taylor’s promotional efforts will be limited to news papers, magazines, in store promotions and social media. Given the economic difficulties of the Ann Taylor stores at the moment and the high-risk nature of adding a menswear line, these forms of advertising were chosen due to their maximum exposure to both men and women. Although newspaper advertising is a slowly dying medium, it still has the maximum exposure at minimum cost.This is an efficient medium to get the â€Å"Dan Taylor,† name out there to people who read newspapers that are not fashion related. In addition, trade publications like Women’s Wear Daily and other national and local magazines in the North East Region will feature advertisements for both Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor with both male and female models. Social Media, a highly upcoming medium for advertising will be taken advantage of as well. Dan Taylor will feature on facebook and twitter. These social netw orks will be constantly updated with new arrivals, sales and other promotions. These are excellent tools for reaching out to a mass audience that is specifically interested in the brand.Particular focus will be placed on these tools before the launch of the first Dan Taylor line to reach a wide audience and create massive hype. By using such a medium the brand can create an interaction and communication with the fan base, sponsoring loyalty and a following before the label is even launched. To introduce line on a grand scale, the company will have a launch party for the Dan Taylor line. Social media will be heavily used to publicize and to create excitement over the brand before said opening. Much emphasis will be placed in public relations and in creating hype for the launch. One such effort will be a competition on the Dan Taylor website (which is a part of the Ann Taylor website). Links to the website will be available on the facebook and twitter pages.The competition will involv e men dressing their girlfriends or wives in Ann Taylor clothing and accessories and then submitting their entries. Visitors of the website will get a chance to vote for their favorite outfit and the top three couples will win free flight tickets, hotel accommodations and be featured at the launch party of the Dan Taylor brand. At the party, the winners, along with three celebrity couples will be highlighted as the event’s main feature. Each couple will be given an exclusive look into the Dan Taylor line and the woman will be given the opportunity to style their man. At the party, both the contest winners as well as the celebrity males will be asked to walk down a runway. Outfits will later be featured in editorials in a major fashion magazine.The celebrity couples will be chosen directly from previously existent Ann Taylor spoke models including Rachel Bilson, Heidi Klum and Christina Hendricks. Fortunately, all three women have famous actors as their boyfriend or husbands, which would translate seamlessly with raising awareness of the brand in a fun, star studded manner. Once the line is in store, promotional efforts will be rampant. Campaigns will appear primarily in newspapers and magazines. Adverts will always feature both a man and a woman, posing together in some manner to suggest a relationship. Emphasis will be placed on the novelty of the line as well as on how shopping the line makes the female reader a better wife or girlfriend.Ads will play on the idea that one uses gifts to demonstrate their love, adding that now woman can shop for men – while they shop for themselves! This activity will be depicted as pleasurable and an enjoyable addition to a woman’s afternoon shopping trip. The Dan Taylor line will be available in all Ann Taylor Loft outlets within the Northeast region. As previously detailed, this region shows highest rates of employment and of brand loyalty. It will be a perfect smaller test market to see whether the lin e has potential for future success. Loft stores were chosen due to their history of higher sales and lower price point. By limiting distribution of the product, we will also create a greater sense of demand and urgency for the label when stage two moves distribution nationwide.Stage 2: At this point, there will already be some sort of general awareness within the market of the Dan Taylor brand. Depending on the success of the first stage we will move directly into constructing brick and mortar Dan Taylor retail outlets. These will most likely be connected to Ann Taylor stores, much in the vain of Gap’s strategy. In addition to the print campaign, television ads will start being used specifically for the Dan Taylor line. Also, Dan Taylor print campaigns will no longer always feature a both a woman and a man. Campaigns should have similar feelings as Tod’s campaigns, with very manly, dark colors and a restrained sense of humor. We want a sleek sophistication in our ads t o go in line with the product.We will increase product offerings to match the larger retail space, with products no longer being exhibited simply in racks within already existent Ann Taylor Loft outlets. A large launch party will be offered for both the Ann and Dan Taylor lines. The ultimate goal is to have both men and women’s wear lines have equal stature within the corporate structure. We will have created a one-stop shop for the power couple family unit, creating a comfortable environment for both the man and the woman. Conclusion The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor & Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. ill be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States.Appendix 1 [pic] [pic][pic][pic] Appendix 2: [pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic] Bibliography †¢ Karr, Arnol J. â€Å"Ann Taylor Update Leads Retail Rally. † Women's Wear Daily 3 F eb. 2010,199th ed. , sec. 23: 14. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Moves to Profit in 2nd Qtr. † Women's Wear Daily 23 Aug. 2010, 2000th ed. , sec. 39: 10. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Swings to Pofit in 4th Qtr. † Women's Wear Daily 15 Mar. 2010, 199th ed. , sec. 56: 2. Print. †¢ Romano, Anthony M. â€Å"How Ann Taylor Put Strategic Sourcing on the Management. † Supply Chain Management Review October (2006): 32-40. Print. U. S.Censs Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey †¢ Datamonitor | the Home of Business Information. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www. datamonitor. com/ †¢ EBSCOhost – Worldaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Foremost Premium Research Database Service. 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