Dangerous Sports Essay

In recent years we have seen a considerable rise in dangerous or extreme sports. This essay shall discuss some of the main reasons why people engage in such sports and suggest ways in which some risks involved in such sports can be reduced. The main reason why people go for dangerous sports is that they get the thrill out of them. They like taking risks. They like to challenge their abilities and potentials. They feel a sense of satisfaction when they come face to face with fears while bungee jumping, rock climbing and so on. In addition, going through a dangerous experience gives them courage and confidence to face the hurdles of their daily life. Another reason for pursuing such sports is that there is a lot of fame and money involved in them. They get attention by doing stunts on motorcycles and jumping from tall buildings. They make headlines in newspapers and TV News Channels. They feel great when their name comes in the Guinness Book of World Records. Once they get famous they get a lot of money also. For instance, many businesses hire them to endorse their products. They also get jobs on the basis of such skills. Many steps can be taken to reduce the risks are that involved. Firstly, these sports should be done under strict supervision. All safety precautions should be taken. Such sports should be performed after sufficient training and under supervision of adults. Sport companies which cater to such sports should require a license for providing such training. Some people suggest banning some sports. However, I do not believe that banning is a good solution. We all know that forbidden fruits taste sweeter and people will do such sports in hiding which would increase the risks involved. To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, people do such sports for fun, for money and for fame. However, such sports should be performed after sufficient training from licensed companies and under some supervision.

Animal Abuse Problem Essay

Animal abuse is a people problem. Cruelty to animals can be prevented by all costs. Educate people you see abusing their animals and always, always report suspicious activity to your local law enforcement or animal control. An abused animal can turn on a human in an instant, so children and innocent bystanders can be attacked by an animal if it feels threatened. When abused, animals are not the only ones in danger. As C.S. Lewis once said, â€Å"If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies, or capitalists for the same reasons.† Maybe an eye for an eye should be implemented on animal abusers. Continue reading at NowPublic.com: Animal Cruelty: Facts, Prevention, Statistics and Action | NowPublic News Coverage http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/animal-cruelty-facts-prevention-statistics-and-action-2886267.html#ixzz2L2yNrWDW As humankind has progressed, there has been an increase in governance and rules and regulations of everyday life. These governance and rules rise from general disgust over happenings and concepts all over the world. One such rapidly growing concept is animal cruelty. Animal abuse simply put is cruel unwarranted treatment of animals. Such treatment generally has a single point program – to subject animals and sometimes pets to unnecessary harm and pain. One major type of animal abuse is torture. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/animal-cruelty-animal-abuse-facts-statistics.html It is prevalent in all areas of the society. People in rural as well as urban areas are reported for animal cruelty cases. The statistics show reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of cases related to animal abuse that go unreported. People carry out violent and gruesome attacks on animals, both domestic as well as stray. The most common victims of animal abuse are: Horses Livestock Dogs Cats Birds Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/animal-abuse-statistics.html We have heard of an old saying ‘Dogs a man’s best friend’. Most of us must have read Black Beauty at least once. The lion is the king of the jungle, a fact even kids from kindergarten are aware of. There are many other instances where animals are thought of as our friends. Yet, we tend to inflict pain and torture on our friends. Animal cruelty is not an issue that is unheard of. Since time immemorial, man, the high in the food chain, has tortured those beneath him. Practically all animal species have been abused by man in some way or the other. Humans are thought to be the most intelligent of all species. Still, when we look at the animal abuse statistics, mankind is put to shame. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/animal-abuse-statistics.html Animal Abuse Facts and Statistics It’s really hard to write about animal abuse facts. It’s hard to do the research, read the stories, get the statistics, watch the videos, and see the pictures. But the statistics are just so disturbing that readers need to know the truth. According to the Human Society of the United States, there is no national reporting system for abuse to animals. However Pet-Abuse.com has collected statistics on animal cruelty since 2001. As of October 13, 2012 they have 19,517 cases listed on their web site. The following animal abuse stats for the U.S. are from their database: Top 5 Types of Abuse [pic] †¢ 32% neglect or abandonment †¢ 12% hoarding †¢ 11% shooting †¢ 9% fighting †¢ 7% beating Most of the above forms of violence toward animals is self-explanatory. However, hoarding may need some more explanation. This involves people who are often well intentioned but what they do is collect animals and may have hundreds of animals living in their house, barn or yard. It’s pretty much impossible to take care of this number of animals well and the cost of food and veterinary care would be sky high. Hoarding is really another form of neglect, just on a much grander scale than traditional neglect or abandonment. Most cases of abuse toward animals are directed toward dogs, cats, and horses. The statistics on dogs included non-pit bulls pit bulls. Of the cases listed on their website, 48% are alleged cases, 24% are convicted records, and 16% are open. Most abusers of animals are men between 31 and 50 years of age. While many animal cruelty cases are tracked on the web, it is believed the number of cases is much greater. A recent search of Google News found more than 10 articles regarding allegations or convictions toward animals in September in Texas alone compared to just 13 on Pet-Abuse.com for all of the United States. In other words, the data on animal abuse is even worse than what is reported on well known web sites.

Characteristics of Money to Function Effectively

Characteristics of Money to Function Effectively Explain the characteristics required by money if it is to carry out its functions effectively. What is money? Money is primarily a current medium exchange, for a person to buy goods and services from other person in the form of coins and banknotes (Freeman, 2012). It is critical to have a clear definition between money and wealth. In general, people may tend to use the term â€Å"money† as a synonym for â€Å"wealth†, such as Warren Buffet has a lot of money. However, economists clarify that these two terms are not in fact synonymous. In the side of economics, â€Å"money† is specifically used to refer to the currency, but not an individual’s wealth or assets. Yet, technically anything can be served as money as long as it possesses the following four main functions (Beggs, 2014). First of all, it must have the primarily function of serving as a medium of exchange. People need an item that is able to act as money to undergo the activities of buying and sel ling goods and services. In other words, an item that considered as money must be widely being accepted as payments for goods and services (Beggs, 2014). Money has made the transactions easier as everyone is willing to trade money for goods and goods for money. However without money, the transactions must be conducted through the barter system where exchange can only happen if there is double coincidence of wants. This system will cause inconvenience to the people as they cannot buy what they want or need or the seller may hard to sell his goods unless double coincidence of wants happens. Hence, we can conclude that money has eliminated the inconvenience which was faced in barter transactions by eliminating the double coincidence when purchasing or selling goods and services (UPADHYAYA, 2012). People can buy what they need from the seller and inversely seller can sell all the goods and services to people who need. Besides that, money is able to create efficiency as it eliminates unc ertainty regarding what is going to be accepted as payment by various businesses. With a generally accepted medium of exchange, trades are easier, more efficient, and resources can spend more time doing production (Money Functions, 2000-2014). Besides that, an item must work as unit of value or standard value in order to consider as money. Money is being used as the common benchmark to designate the prices of goods throughout the economy (Money Functions, 2000-2014). Money provides and measures various goods and services with different value that produced in the economy, in the terms of monetary unit. Without this function, money is extremely hard to identify since there is no value in between, and also hard to make a decision on how much volume of goods and services should be given in exchange of a given quantity of a commodity in a barter economy (UPADHYAYA, 2012). However, money has solved this problem by letting people to know the exact value or price of a good. It enables both the suppliers and buyers to make wise decisions about how much to supply for the goods and how much to purchase in exchange (Function of Money, 2013).

Human Trafficking Online Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Trafficking Online - Essay Example The paper therefore, tries to examine the relevant laws that exist in the United States to curb the menace, various innovations that encourage the growth of human trafficking online, the role of social networking sites and development of technology such as computers that has motivated the felony. Due to the rise of the online trafficking, the United States has developed anti-trafficking laws under the trafficking victims protection act (TVPA). The laws have since been reviewed for almost four times in the last decade. They are known as the 3P and using this approach, the TVPA provides that; the perpetrators of the human trafficking online be prosecuted in persons through establishments of crimes and listing them in person (Marcus, & Snajdr, 2013). The legislation tends to make it hard for those individuals who carry the act and are meant to be aware that each person bears his/her burden. Second, the legislation has created a bill of right that provides protection to the victims of online trafficking that includes but not limited to access to information, medical care, and resistance. (Reichert, 2013).Finally, the law provides for programs and grants that increase the general public awareness regarding online trafficking. Knowledge contains information that includes preventiv e measures and possibility of the act occurring. The citizens are hence taught how to develop protective means that reduce human online trafficking. For instance the government encourages the young adults to share information with whom they know rather than strangers they meet in different websites. The emergence of technology has provided a new and common platform where the crime of human trafficking online is carried out. Previous crimes were easily detected as it involved physical interaction between the population and the offenders (Snajdr, 2013). But since the development of technology, human trafficking has developed new ways to the management and control as it is majorly done

Immigration law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Immigration law - Essay Example n bring, employers, however, need to understand how to comply with relevant legislation as well as understanding how to recruit and retain migrant workers. According to Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 or the law preventing illegal migrant from working which came into effect on 27th January 1997, there are three main components that employers must take into consideration when employing migrant workers: First, it is a criminal offence for an employer to employ someone who has no right to work in the United Kingdom, or no right to do the work they are offering; second, by checking and copying certain original documents belonging to the employee, the employer can establish a statutory defense against conviction for employing an illegal worker; and lastly, the employers are obliged to ensure that their recruitment practices do not discriminate against individuals on racial grounds (Employingmigrantworkers.org, 2007). With these in mind, let us take a closer look at some of the hypothetical cases given on which this paper will focused on. These cases concern Immigration Law and practices in United Kingdom and how employers should address each situation based on their legal ramifications on both the employees and the employers as well. Case # 1: Agrobiz, a large market gardening undertaking, manage an extensive cultivated acreage of soft fruit grown under polytunnels. Local villagers are unwilling to work for Agrobiz because the work is only available for a few months each year and the company only pays a minimum wage. In order to make the work more attractive to worker from abroad, Agrobiz is prepared to offer â€Å"free† chalet style accommodation and meals at its communal catering facility. Legal Implications: Migrant farm work is usually seasonal and inconsistent. Migrants are often needed because local people in the area are unwilling to do this kind of work. These workers are mostly comprised of immigrants, many of whom work illegally in this

Journalism and Communication - Screen cultures Essay

Journalism and Communication - Screen cultures - Essay Example Does video gaming portend any detrimental implications on those persons who are fanatics of constantly playing an assortment of diverse video games? Most researchers and writers typically address this concern with regard to reference to violent themed games (Melisa 2002). Moreover, it is overtly a pertinent prospect for the upcoming field of persuasive video games. These games encompass a diverse assortment of games that their authors design for educational, political and advocacy among other critical areas in the daily life. These video games seek to purposely influence and alter behavioural and notional perspectives of individuals who take an interest to play them (Ruth 2011). Moreover, it is critically consummate to determine the effective aspect of these games as potential vectors of persuasion on the persons who take an active role in gaming. With regard to various pertinent interrelationships of aspects such as intent, messages conveyed, player predisposition and quality of gam e among others, it is complicated to generalize regarding their implications and relative effectiveness. With use of a persuasive video game that I have designed, I intend to prospect and gauge its effectiveness as a social backing applet while isolating the various issues that put in to that (Gilles 1992). Introduction In the fresh past, in the year 2006, Gill, a 25 year old person murdered a woman and critically wounded nineteen other persons in a grave shoot out spree at a college affiliation in Montreal and eventually committed suicide. In his specific outline journal entries, he scribbled about his unconditional love and fanaticism for certain films, television shows among other constituents of popular, contemporary media and entertainment culture. However, he mentioned various video games, especially Super Columbine Massacre, that captured most of the entire media nerves to attention and raised the subject of how much mental and character influence various computer games can i mplicate on their players (Film Philosophy 2010). Moreover, this was nevertheless the initial time the matter was raised to publicity. The truth that the masterminds of the massacre game played doom and additionally modelled their own doom rankings was immensely criticised, as was the intelligence that a driver associated with a fatal motor accident had a copy of the violent street racing game, NFS, on the frontage seat of his carriage. These happenings among others resulted into various media critics and political figures arguing that by merit of their fascination, violent and realistic images and graphics with the aptitude to allow the players to practice diverse tasks and scenarios, video computer games could implicate on behaviours and attitudes. This would be for good or worse, though in the viewpoint of critics, it is typically for ill (Patrick 2011). The row that Calgary Sun correspondent Mike presented is archetypal. He questions the readers why they have to wait and witness assorted video games being evidence in several crime occurrences. He pickles the people to wake up and take an initiative to have control over such a situation which would be detrimental in society owing to the ill bizarre situations that arise when gamers take too much dose of typically murderously themed video games. Purportedly, Gill’s obvious signoff in blogs would state that life is a video game and that

Domestic and Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Domestic and Foreign Policy - Essay Example According to the paper after the Spanish American war, the Americans wanted peace and stability of mind. Undoubtedly, the US could remain as an isolationist as it continued to expand outward. Even looking back at history, the country’s attempt to remain an isolationist during both World War II was not susceptible. The US verily had to enter both World Wars since it became a leader in the Western frontier. The United States returned to isolationist foreign policy since domestic problems plagued the country. Furthermore, Europe was in chaos itself and the US could not afford to indulge itself in such petty issues. However, one can argue that the isolationist policy did have some ramifications towards American diplomacy. The United States embodied the foreign policy of isolationism into an international role because it wanted to strengthen its capitalistic economy, address reform, acknowledge immigration and continue to pursue its beautiful American dream even though it lost thre shold in foreign affairs. The roots of isolationism were well established years before independence. A brilliant testament towards this theory can be clearly seen through the decision of the Continental Congress to reject help from France during the War of 1812. The notion of America to remain independent was because of the exerted influence by the forefathers and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. During the 1800s, the United States expanded its horizon in North America and commenced to build an empire in the Caribbean and the Pacific with its traditional isolationistic policy. It fought the  Mexican War and the  Spanish-American War  without assistance from any other nations. Thus, the isolationism theory that oozed out of American diplomacy can be traced as far as the colonial era. The Monroe doctrine was one of the most pivotal documents that embodied the non- interventionist policy that dominated American affairs.

Outsourcing Software Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Outsourcing Software Development - Essay Example Faster work pace: Companies, relying on outsourcing software development, may be able to develop and deploy software applications faster than they would if developed locally because the cost savings enable them to employ bigger teams with lesser cost, which speeds up the process. High demand short term phases: When larger quantities of resources are needed for relatively short bursts, it is easier to outsource it than go through the process of hiring and then firing or finding personnel to do contract work. India's advantage: Thanks to its long tradition in offshore software development, a high percentage of English literate population and the availability of high level IT education, India is a popular choice for outsourcing software development. It also commands growing infrastructure and very competitive rates of software development. Vendor characteristics: Picking the right vendor is crucial. Ability of the vendor to deliver, history and integrity of the vendor, financial background and quality of service are all determined by choosing the right vendor in order to arrive at the benefits. An incapable vendor is often unable to deliver and may cause more problems than solutions. Managing the project: Often the hidden costs of managing the project are overlooked. This is a necessity to monitor the vendor and make sure milestones are met. In addition cost of communication and connectivity as well as training need to be factored and this will all add up bit by bit. Communication gaps: Cultural differences, time zone differences and work ethics often lead to communication gaps and misunderstanding project deliverables. These cause costly errors and failure to meet expectations that defeats the purpose of outsourcing. Transparency : Vendors often have the opportunity to manipulate the Time and Materials contracts, state the usage of more resources than actually used, add more hours logged than actual etc. trying to bump up revenues thereby taking away the cost advantage of the companies that outsource. Lower quality of end product: This may be the direct result of a high attrition rate in the vendor company, high employee rotation in the project and lack of continuity among the vendor resources. All these will result in loss of technical expertise resulting in poor output quality. Data security: Cultural differences and lack of strict standards governing Intellectual property rights often result in data piracy and safety breaches. If the vendor breaches statutory laws, without the company knowing they are still is held responsible for the violations. Much of these risks can be mitigated by executing due diligence to the research before the work is outsourced. Choosing the right experienced vendor ensures half of the success of the project. Asking earlier clients about satisfaction of qualitative timely deliverables. Choose a certified vendor with ISO 2000 or CMM level certification that assures a minimum quality level in

Psychosocial Risks at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychosocial Risks at Work - Essay Example Whereas one's interpersonal relations influence the success of the strategies to minimize stress in the workplace, these strategies have a significant impact on approaches to reduce depression and related health-issues of the employees. In their study on psychosocial risks at work, Michael Ertel, et al. maintains that "psychosocial risks such as work-related stress, violence, bullying and harassment have become major concerns for occupational safety and health." (Ertel, et.al., 169) Therefore, it is essential to comprehend that there is a close cause-and-effect relation between occupational health and psychosocial factors. "Psychosocial factors refer to all organizational factors and interpersonal relationships in the workplace that may affect the health of the workers." (Vzina, et.al) As a result of the emerging need for reducing psychosocial risks, modern companies adopt several psychosocial risk intervention strategies to deal with psychosocial factors. It is indubitable that the stressful nature of a work situation, workload, interpersonal relationships, career prospects, and organizational climate highly affect an employee's health-related issues, including depression.

Stakeholders Essay Example for Free

Stakeholders Essay Different stake-holders have different aims and objectives in which conflicts can arise. A small business has Primary stake-holders which are considered important. Those are the owners, managers, workers and customers. Where as, the large company have share-holders which are considered to be the primary stake-holders, they are enabled to vote out and in who they want when business is down in the falls. Those stake-holders who have less influence within this are known to be Secondary stakeholders. Owners have a more influential say in how the aims of the businesses are agreed upon and decided. However, other groups have more of an influential say in decision making,. Customers are also considered a key, their opinions and concerns are taken in to consideration allowing the business to acknowledge on how to improve. Published information help stake-holders judge the business’s performance, information such as company reports include the amount of profit earned and the losses, enabling community policies to be set. Owner’s  judge on how much profit is being made, improving so profit increases which may consider a re-election of directors. Rivals compare the profit and Pressure group research on the environmental policy. Primary stakeholders are those individuals or groups that are affected either positively or negatively by the actions of the business, institution or organization, the secondary stakeholder are those who are affected indirectly and key stakeholders who can have an affect either positively or negatively but are involved in the business or organization. The director is the key stakeholder alongside the line staff directly working with participants, there are many more, for example, funders, heads of businesses and government etc. An business takes in to account what all the stakeholders interests hold in, they all link up to become one. Stakeholders generally have an interest based on whether they are affected by decisions taken or not, they all tend to look for what they can benefit in as well as lose within it. In the two companies decides upon, we have a variety of stakeholders: Beginning with Subway, The customers want tasty food at reasonable pricing, Subways is expected of having delicious quality food worth spending on from them, not only do they expect but like to see improvements and new products, in this case sandwich’s and ingredients giving better value of money. There are also the employers, subways provide them with a livelihood, a set regular pay enabling them to live their life and provide for their family, alongside these they expect worthy promotions, good rates of reward and a safe secured job. We then have the owners of each franchisee, in a partner ship with the main owner of subway, they are seen to be the ‘principals’ taking risks, they play the main part of setting up the franchise and expect their business to grow earning high profit. Included in this are the suppliers, subways need fresh ingredients, food and drinks supplied to them on a regular basis, suppliers want them to keep purchasing from them and therefore would like the business to work out. The government also under come being a stakeholder as all taxes have to be paid even thought they would like the business to work out. Local communities are included within the stakeholder’s category too, the actions of subway have and effect on the community too, for example, if the franchises have an  un-cleared, low in hygiene environment then it will attract rats which will spread. BBC is paid by the government through our taxes making not only the government an essential stake holder but also us as we pay our taxes. They then have the employees, in which they provide a job for them to live off, they earn money through working for BBC enabling them to have a shelter and provide for their family, this can be the presenters, actors/ actresses, producers, directors, camera man etc. In addition to this are also the union groups, in search of higher pay and better working conditions, with this we have the employer associations, although this is equivalent to the trade unions this looks more in to representing the interest of the employer’s specific industry. They then have the suppliers, who rent out equipment such as the camera’s or even things to use in the act such as a car or even place’s for them to hire and residential. In all this there is the national community playing a big part to, not only do we run this through paying our tax’s but BBC have to take care of their actions as they can have an dramatic affect on ourselves, one of these ways could be through offending members of the community racial saying, cultural or maybe topics such as drugs, alcohol etc.

Strategic Development of Starbucks

Strategic Development of Starbucks STARBUCKS INTRODUCTION The Starbucks coffee company was founded in the year 1971. The starbucks headquarter is situated in Seattle, Washington (USA) Starbucks operates a chain of branded coffee shops in around more than 35 countries of the world. The outlets offer hot and cold coffee drinks and few food items such as beans, coffee accessories and teas. The Starbucks owns 7100 of outlets which located more than 10 countries but most of the stores situated in USA. The major process of enlargement of starbucks started from 1982 when Howard Schultz joined the company in order to see the marketing and the retailing activities. Since then Starbucks has evolved from a modest $0.5 million business to a whopping $6.4 billion of turnover. In this assignment the time frame of 5-25 years and analyze development of Starbucks along with strategies applied and the present scenario of the organization with the help of Porters five competitive forces, SWOT analysis and value chain analysis. The future recommendations to Starbucks would also be included in this assignment. 1 ANALYSIS OF THE PAST THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE STARBUCKS In 1971 Starbucks was settle in Seattle (USA) In 1984 Mr. Howard Schultz join Starbucks to boost up marketing and retailing Starbucks acquire 5 stores in San Franciscos peet coffee and Tea chain in 1984 In 1985 Starbucks start the espresso bar concept in their store In 1986 Schultz left Starbucks In 1987 Starbucks expands in the American market by starting its outlets in British Columbia and Chicago In 1992 Starbucks get listed with its first public stock offering with 165 business comprise outlets In 1996 Starbucks open its branch in Tokyo (JAPAN) In 2003 Starbucks continues to open branches all over the world and reached 6400 0utlets worldwide In 2008 the global recession hits Starbucks badly, due loss in business Starbucks shuts 600 outlets all over the world In 2009 Starbucks released a public long-term growth strategy that included meeting customer need for quality and value as key goal 1.2 THE STRATEGIES APPLIED BY STARBUCKS Integrate horizontally Starbucks has gone for acquisition of a large number of companies in abroad market, and expanded their outlets whole over the world. This strategy gave Starbucks a chance to reach customers whole over the world. For instance Starbucks acquired Seattles Best, Torrefazione Italia and Coffee People. Penetrate the market To increase the market share, Starbucks has differentiated itself in providing a unique experience to its customers by giving specific themes in stores. The product mix consists of different beverages to suit peoples needs. Starbucks have also tied up boost up company profitability with other beverage companies such as Pepsi co and Kraft food. Developing the market Starbucks has developed the market for specialty coffee industry for America. In this context, Starbucks has created brand awareness and demand for coffee stores amongst American population. This is enabled by better market penetration through apt store locations and standardized services offered all through the world. Diversification strategy To gain higher market share, Starbucks has provided a diversified product mix. To move forward starbucks produced new product linked with beverage business. This strategy helps Starbucks to grow both on the base of the operations and overall proportion of services. They have developed unique products and at the same time acquired companies like Ethos water. The product differentiation has been its core competence all through since its inception. Alliances strategy The Starbucks also applied alliance strategy to became player in the leisure and service industry, and not only a specialty restaurant business, Starbucks has tied up with companies like i-Tunes to create the Hear Music campaign and XM Studios to offer customized music services for Starbucks customer, which has helped Starbucks to attain a level of niche over a period of time where even the nations where its presence is still at a nascent stage. CSR strategy Starbucks have also applied the CSR strategy to enhance the brand image and they also funded non-governmental organization to improve the level of literacy amongst the educationally backward communities. Starbucks also run the Green Store campaign to reduce the usage of paper cups. A 10% discount was given to customers who brought their own mugs to the store. Its latest campaign of Fair- trade coffee has spread on a subtle yet widespread manner. 1.3 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR STARBUCKS The important factors that helped Starbucks to associate with success in the initial years of its operations are as follows: Market Research The factor market research helps Starbucks to apply the strategy to move forward their business through expansion. In year 1980 Starbucks expanded to Chicago. This helped management to learn how to expand business over the country. In the years 1991 Starbucks moved to California. This was a major strategic decision that came in after a lot of market research. Employee Motivation and Rewards One of the major success factors of Starbucks has been its employee motivation and giving time to time performance base incentives. One of the major steps taken by Starbucks to retain their employees was to increase the health and safety benefits for employees who worked more than twenty hours in a week. The top management to select the right employee for the right job in the store in order to reduce employee turnover ratio. First Movers Advantage In the year 1987 under the supervision of Howard Schultz Starbucks open 150 store in the first 5 years. Being the only player in the market Starbucks profits were huge enough to allow them invest in their expansion plans all over the world. Catalogue Retailing In the early years of the companys operations, Starbucks started the process of catalogue retailing. This played a major role in determining the location of stores for Starbucks. Starbucks had a catalogue which comprised of a range of packed coffee beans with their prices. Consumers from along the world ordered them and looking at the zonal preferences the store locations were decided. 2. ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SCENARIO AS starbucks is a popular coffee company so we look at a scenario of the period around 2008 and 2009. In this section we will look at the strategies of Starbucks through SWOT analysis, Porters 5 forces analysis 2.1 SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Strong Brand Image Starbucks has been ranked amongst the top 100 brands in the world consistently over the last ten years. Innovative marketing strategies and its cost effective campaigns Starbucks have created brand awareness among the American population. High visibility of store in the market helps Starbucks to attract more customers and make company more profitable. Starbucks has maintained a high level of service through which it has achieved a consistent level of customer satisfaction with strong relationship with its supplier. The global presence of the Starbucks with quality based services of food and beverage, at the same time entertained their customer with music and internet in their stores. Starbucks is applying the innovative strategy to provide unique themes in their store to make their customer loyal to brand. One of the strong strength of Starbuck is his CEO Mr. Howard Schultz. Due to efficient HRM strategy to motivate and time to time performance based incentive and giving proper training to staff according to job specification. WEAKNESSES The one of the weakness of Starbucks is lack of internal focus and too much think to expand their business. Increasing number of the competitor in the growing market such as Dunkin Donuts, Nestle and Tim Horton (Bramhall). The dependency of Starbucks in US market, Starbucks company earn its more than 70% of revenue only from the US market however they have presence more 35 country in the world and market cannibalization. The weak financial position in the market due to the recent global recession in the 2008. Starbucks has loss in the share price and they have shut more than 600 stores. OPPORTUNITIES The continuously expand their store globally with expansion into the retail market and advancement of technology by using different kind of coffee machine in their store. Emerging international market specially BRIC nation Brazil, Russia India and China to plan to expand in these countries. Starbucks also continue to expand in the rural area of US and also segment the high populated area of the city. Brand expansion through selling T- shirt and coffee mug to their customer in their store on discounted rates. THREATS Competition in the market (restaurant, street cart, supermarket, other competitor such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. The chain such as Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds do not serve coffee is a core product but they give food as well to their customer in cheap prices than Starbucks. US market saturation and coffee prices volatility in developing coffee producing country such as Brazil, India etc. US consumer trends towards more health ways and away from caffeine. The current economic recession is a major threat for Starbucks since they had to close down a large number of stores around 600 stores leading to declining profits and large level of unemployment. Large size of the Starbucks Corporation cause in decrease in quality of customer services. 2.2 STARBUCKS VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS All firms consists of activities that links together to develop the value of business, Starbuck main activity includes in the value chain human resource management, marketing and retailing operations. In this section of assignment the value chain can be used to analyze the different competencies of Starbucks and then competencies will be discussed in later section. The core competencies of the Starbucks lie in its human resource management, marketing and retailing activities. Infrastructure In this activity includes planning of store locations, controlling such as financing, accounting and corporate strategy etc (lynch 2003). Human Resource Management Due to the global expansion the Starbucks faces a lot of problems in the management human resources. Starbucks have faced the problem of high level of employee turnover, but deploying right human resource still remains one of their key competencies. The company still believes that employees are its biggest assets. Starbucks continues to maintain a high level of corporate culture due to above industry standard employee benefit plans and employee stock exchange and ownership plans. Procurement The procurement relates to purchasing the material that is necessary for Starbucks. Efficient procurement of the starbucks is about buying highest quality coffee on lowest prices form developing countries. Marketing Marketing of Starbucks play a vital role to boost up profitability globally as Starbucks is strong coffee brand. Most of the advertising campaigns include, online advertising and store advertising. Retail Sales Starbucks is mainly focus on store retailing around 80% Starbucks sales come from store sales. Consistent upgradation of service levels by hiring the right people for right job in store through efficient HRM practices. 2.3 ANALYSIS OF THE STARBUCKS USING PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL COMPETITIVE RIVALRY The Starbuck faces strong competition from small domestic coffee players and large competitors in the market. The high price factor leads to decrease in sales compared to other coffee player all over the world. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS The overcrowded market of the US is the main cause of to increase the barraging power of supplier because most of the farmers growing coffee beans are now united together to sell coffee beans. They started certified coffee beans through the fair trade policy in the US. BARGAINING POWER OF CUSTOMER High pricing is the main reason for decrease in sales. The low switching cost in the industry plays a negative factor to the companys growth by increasing the bargaining power of buyer. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS The specialty coffee industry does not put a high premium on economies of scale. Most players in the specialty coffee industry have developed their own distribution channels in their own countries, thereby gaining greater economies of scale and reducing cost. The low cost imposes an entry barrier for new players who want to set up an international chain, thus reducing their threat. The high differentiation within the specialty coffee industry made possible to establish brand that could act as barrier to entry. The specialty coffee retail store may switch high cost to new player, cost such as ambience and skilled employee in the store giving complimentary drink or any food to make customer loyalty. Therefore it may become difficult for new player to set business in the specialty coffee. So threats from the new entrants relatively low. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS The primary substitutes to the specialty coffee company such as Starbucks from the beverage companies make caffeinated soft drinks such as Pepsi and Coca Cola, which has the caffeine inherent in the specialty coffee; at significantly lower prices.(Quelch 2006) The tea is also a substitutes in some country such as UK, the English people like different kind of tea instead of coffee 2.4 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF STARBUCKS In year 2008 Starbucks hit by the loss in share prices because of world economic recession and net income down by 70% and the figure 1.4 show that how badly Starbucks affected in the world economic recession hence the chairmen announce the report of decline share prices to $ 9.33 of Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks is well positioned company to challenge any economic recession with strong cash flow and solid balance sheet. The year 2008 strongly hurt Starbucks with shutting down 600 store, loss of 6700 job and $ 500mn operating cost saving for 2009. Mr. Schultz cut in their salary $1.2mn to $ 10000. Here in the figure 2.5 show that clearly result operation with the information of net revenue, balance sheet of between 2004-08 and also shown that the stores information in the percentage and store opened in the between 2004-08. 2.5 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF STARBUCKS CORPORATION Finance Marketing CEO Howard Schultz HOW Deputy Legal Compliance CFO Administrator Board of Directors Global Coffee Procurement Legal Global Logistic Supply Chain Operation Partner Resource (Hr) Us Retail, Human Resource Development Greater China Public Affairs International Development Consumer Food Services Consumer insight Support US development Global beverages Global Development Marketing Seattle Best Coffee France International EMEA Retail Japan China Starbucks Coffee Us Asia pacific CIO And Digital Ventures North East/Atlantic North West / Mountain South East/ plain Western Pacific 3. FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS Strategic future recommendation to overcome from the declining profits of the Starbucks would be mentioned below. 3.1 EXPAND INTERNATIONALLY Expand internationally is one of major strategy starbucks has applied to become most profitable specialty coffee company. The one of the major problem Starbucks face continuous declined in the sale of in stores. The main reason for this is Starbucks is self cannibalizing its own business in the United States. Cannibalization is the negative impact of a companys new product on the sales performance ofÂÂ  its existing related products. Therefore Starbucks should focus more on opening stores in growing economies such as BRICK nation where the product purchase power is high among the people of India and the Middle Eastern countries, Brazil and Russia rather than on just concentrating on US market. Starbucks should have to think about international expansion primarily for two reasons. The first reason being that because many developing economies lack the penetration of specialty coffee chains. For many countries Starbucks can adopt the Market Development strategy to strengthen their brand, gain more market share and minimize their risks. Second reason for international expansion is that, migrating to different countries would give Starbucks a chance for product innovation. For example Tazo tea was first tested and tried in the Japanese market and then it was introduced in US market. 3.2 FRANCHISING Starbucks should have concentrate on the franchising model like McDonalds is doing in to expand whole over the world. Most of the Starbucks stores are company owned company operated stores. This strategy is good but not good to survive long term profitability this increases the cost of control, it he case of franchising they can minimize control and concentrate more on building up their quality and maintain their high brand image, something similar to what McDonalds, pizza hut and Dominos have done over the years in US market and globally. The practice of expansion through franchising would also help Starbucks in entering potential markets such as India and speared in the Middle East country. In India, the foreign direct investment (FDI) restrictions allow only 49% investment of paid up capital by any foreign retailer. This restriction is playing a major role in Starbucks entry to the country. Franchising would allow Starbucks overcome such problems. 3.3 INTRODUCE LOYALTY CARDS To make any company profitable the loyalty of customer may plays a vital for the Starbucks. It has been observe Howard Schultz has envisioned selling coffee at a lower price in order to attract new customers. According to my view the overall price cut would tarnish Starbucks brand image in the eyes of the loyal customers, who have been committed with the company due to strong brand image. However the price cutting policy should not be left away completely. It should be practice at certain places where the demographic income is low, in other places discount should be introduced customer loyalty card and point reward system for instance retail companies Tesco, Sainsbury, and Mark Spencer. With every purchase made at a Starbucks store points will be added to the customers loyalty cards. The customers will have schemes to redeem these points at specific time to get price discounts or extra quantity of product. 3.4 CORPORATE THEME STORES Starbucks can come up with a new theme of stores which is the corporate theme stores specially to keep in mind corporate people. In this theme, Starbucks should remodel store to keep in mind the interest of corporate people. Starbucks store should have to be situated in the commercial business places such as Westminster, Holborn in London and if look at the US Manhattan in New York. The facility should include free Wi-Fi internet, corporate business Magazine and financial times Newspaper availability in the morning. There should be any specific area in stores for corporate meeting to make extra revenue for the company. 3.5 LEISURE THEME STORES Starbucks should also have stores with leisure theme that should have a comfortable and lively ambience that encourages people to come to the stores for a peaceful time. These stores should have facilities such as soft music, instant digital photography for taking snaps and arranging get-togethers like parties and official meetings. Many pubs and bars have pictures of their regular customers and special events. Similarly, Starbucks can also have a wall dedicated to pictures of local customers or memorable events in the store. This will help Starbucks to maintain a close relationship with its customers and will attract potential customers. 3.6 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THEIR PROCESSES A recent survey conducted in the year 2008 showed that people prefer more of McDonalds coffee than Starbucks. Starbucks recently has failed to deliver newer exotic range of flavours. Variety is missing in their menu. Hence from time to time the company must review its coffee making process and consider renovating their equipments and technology from time to time. 3.7 EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND MOTIVATION The most important asset for any company is their employees, as Starbucks is expand already in more 35 countries in whole over the world with strong brand name; with the closure of large number of stores and lay off of over 6000 staffs, Starbucks have lost a considerable amount of its employees. So to keep in mind the starbucks should have review on their recruitment processes and give them proper training regarding to their work area. For the job satisfaction and to motivate team member company should have give performance based incentive and paid holidays. It should hence now identify new leaders for the future, from the existing sales team members. The company should have give the chance of cross training in other department of the company and according to the performance company should have to give internal job promotion. 3.8 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) For food and beverage company should also have to keep in mind environmental issue and minimize wait. Now days all service company are using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as strategy and its work for brand awareness among domestic people. Starbucks should also invest more in developing products and services that are more eco friendly and would also enhance the companys brand image. For instance they should use porcelain and glass mugs in the stores rather than paper cups. This would minimize the usage of paper. Also they should encourage customers to use recycle bins in stores that would allow recycling of food waste. REFERENCES Larson.C.Ryan; 17/4/2008; Starbucks a Strategic Analysis Anders, George, Starbucks brews a new strategy; Fast Company; July 2001; Issue 49:144. Datamonitor Report Starbucks Corporation, May 2006; www.datamonitor.com Adamy, J. (2007, November 15), At Starbucks, Too Many, Too Quick, Wall Street Journal. 2008, January 7 McDonalds takes on Starbucks; http://online.wsj.com/article/sb119967000012871311.html 2008, February 22; Starbucks Cuts 600 positions, http://online.wsj.com/article/sb120362397558983703.html http://www.starbucks.com

Conformity and Rebellion in Conversion of the Jews Essay -- essays pap

Conformity and Rebellion in Conversion of the Jews Though it seems like a stereotype, all teenagers, at some point, choose to rebel against authority figures or conform with their friends. Part of growing up means becoming the person God intends you to be and finding out how to survive, or be independent, on your own. Conformity and rebellion, two issues that each human being has experienced, have great effects not only on the conformist and rebel, but on the people around them as well. In â€Å"Conversion of the Jews,† Ozzie rebels against the religious complacency that he sees in his Hebrew school, and his friend, Itzie, projects an example of religious complacency and conformity. Ozzie, a thirteen-year-old boy born into the Jewish faith, has spent his short life conforming to what his single mother, his religion, and Rabbi Binder wanted him to be and believe. Judaism means everything to Ozzie’s mother, Mrs. Freedman. The importance of her religion, expressed through her actions as Ozzie states that â€Å"she didn’t look like a chosen person. But when she lit candles she looked like something better; like a woman who knew momentarily that God could do anything† (1103). Judaism defines who she is as an individual and who she is as a member of society as well. Ozzie has many questions about Judaism and Mrs. Freedman and Rabbi Binder feel he does not need to ask them, but just have faith. It becomes clear throughout the story that Rabbi Binder wants Ozzie to behave. By behave, Rabbi Binder means conform to his way of thinking. The rabbi dodges his questions and Ozzie says that â€Å"he kept explaining about Jesus being historical, and so I kept asking! him. No kidding, Itz,... ...onforming. Conforming means not standing out, not thinking, and involves little work. In a religious setting, conforming gives a person a place to be important and accepted. Being truly â€Å"religious† requires some work; however, mindless conforming and religious complacency seems much easier. Rebelling, on the other hand, seems like something people like to do just as much. In the case of religion, a line rests between rebellion and spiritual questioning. In Ozzie’s circumstance, his questions went beyond spiritual questioning, crossing into the realm of rebellion. In any case, conforming and rebellion both have consequential effects. Conforming can lead to a life of unanswered questions and being the person that you are not. Rebellion can lead to alienating yourself from something good that might only need a few simple explanations.

The Grim Grotto: Elements of Fiction :: essays research papers

There are many elements of fiction. All of them together are a recipe for the perfect story. There are five elements all together. They are conflict, setting, character, plot and theme. â€Å"The Grim Grotto† displays all of these elements with an exceptionally well written storyline. Conflict is a very significant factor of fiction. Without conflict there would be no story. The main conflict in â€Å"The Grim Grotto† is locating the sugar bowl and keeping it away from Count Olaf. The opposing forces are Count Olaf’s troupe and the Baudelaire orphans. This conflict was never resolved within the book. However, there are many subordinate conflicts in this story. The first subordinate conflict is finding Quigley Quagmire and meeting him at the last safe place. The conflict is in between the Baudelaire orphans and Count Olaf. This is the Baudelaire’s conflict. Another one is saving the youngest Baudelaire-Sunny from the poisonous Medusoid Mycelium. This is Sunny’s conflict because she is suffering from the Medusoid Mycelium. All of these conflicts were external conflicts because they are about characters against each other and not about emotions. I agree with the way that the characters try to solve the conflict because they refuse to give up on anything. They didn’t give up when they had to save Sunny or get away from the Medusoid Mycelium. â€Å"There must be something we can do to save Sunny. There just has to be something.† The importance of the conflict is huge. This is because the characters go to great lengths to try and get the sugar bowl. They travel underwater and go to the darkest of places to reach the sugar bowl. They go through numerous dangers just for a little sugar bowl. They go through the Medusoid Mycelium and a huge submarine just for a sugar bowl. You also know this because many characters, such as Captain Widdershins, Count Olaf and Quigley Quagmire say that this object is too important and secretive to reveal its purpose. The climax of this book is when Violet Klaus and Sunny are walking to the taxi parting with Mr. Poe. This is the climax of the book because this was the highest point of interest and appeal. The author, Lemony Snicket, uses details and delays the end to an extent where you become very anxious to read the story. Setting is an important aspect in some stories and less important in others.

The Color Purple :: Essays Papers

The Color Purple The novel, The Color Purple, is an epistolary novel. In the letterforms, Alice Walker gives several ideas, such as, friendship, domination, courage & independence. She impacts readers by looking at the story through the eyes of Celie and Nettie. The book describes the fateful life of a young lady. It tells how a 14 year old girl fights through all the steps and finally she is in command for her own life. Celie is the young lady who has been constantly physically, sexually, and emotionally abused. Eventually she turns into a lesbian. In the book, The Color Purple, "dear God, Nettie, dear stars and trees" are the only people she communicates with. All the letters show that Celie is a very insecure person, and that reflects to her teenage years. All the abusing caused her a scar in her heart, which would stay there and wouldn't go away. Every time she thought about the abusement she felt like she was experiencing it all over again. In The Color Purple, there are many conflicts, which arise from the theme. First of all, Celie is against Pa and Mr._____, that shows the conflict of man Vs man, and unfortunately, Celie doesn't have the power to fight back physically. Secondly, Celie and herself that show the conflict of man Vs him/herself. She can't win over herself and that is why she doesn't have enough courage to stand up and be in command for her own life. Thirdly, the tradition of men had high social status then women. That shows the conflict of man Vs society. At the e nd of the book Celie eventually fight over the tradition. Men are no longer in charge for her life. In the book, The Color Purple, Alice Walker used several symbols and personifications to describe Celie's insecure and painful life. From the view of a reader, the title of the book, "The Color Purple" represents the pain and the bruises that had been given to Celie through her pitiful life. Dear God, Nettie, dears stars and trees show Celie's insecure personality, also Alice Walker personalized the stars and trees to be involved with Celie's communication. By reading through the book, readers would understand the discriminations of men and women's social statuses at that time when the story was taking place, and Celie is just one of those young ladies who has a fateful life.

How far was Lloyd Georges fall from grace in 1922 the result of his own mistakes after 1918? Essay

A general election held in 1918 gave Lloyd George and the Conservative coalition a very comfortable majority in parliament, but it also left Lloyd George in an untenable position. The coalition consisted overwhelmingly of Conservatives, meaning that Lloyd George’s hold on power was extremely weak. He could not do many of the things he would have liked to do in a purely Liberal government, simply because he did not have the support of the Conservatives. After the war, Lloyd George faced some very serious domestic problems. Firstly was the issue of the German reparations and punishments. There was a strong feeling in Britain that Germany was fully responsible for the war, and therefore should be punished severely. Lloyd George did not subscribe to this opinion. He felt that Germany should be punished, but not to the extent that it ceased to exist. He came to the conclusion that if Germany was effectively destroyed by war payments, it would leave a large power vacuum in the centre of Europe. Lloyd George was worried that this gap would be filled by the Communist ideals of the Bolsheviks. Along with this, the post-war depression that was consuming Britain resulted in a loss of popularity for Lloyd George. The new markets Britain were relying after the war had not materialized, and several of Britain’s old markets had found cheaper suppliers. This resulted in a large scale closing of many industries. The failure of both France and Russia to pay back their war loans meant that Britain in turn was not able to pay back the loans borrowed from America. This in turn resulted in a dramatic increase in unemployment, going far beyond the ‘intractable million’. In both of these situations, the Conservatives in the coalition were more than happy to sit back and let Lloyd George take the blame for these domestic problems. They began to notice his dwindling popularity and made no effort to halt it. The Conservatives were more than aware that they had a large enough amount of MP’s to have an overall majority in parliament, so for the time being they were content to sit back and allow Lloyd George to try and work Britain out of it’s economical mess. After the war, the vast gap in Liberal and Conservative policy became overwhelmingly apparent. The pressing issue of the continuing nationalisation of the coal mines caused many problems for Lloyd George. As a liberal, George was in favour of public ownership of the mines. Knowing that it would be impossible to convince the Conservatives to carry on with the nationalisation, he ordered an independent commission into the matter. He told the trade unions that he would abide by whatever was decided by the commission. Lloyd George assumed he had averted the matter by appointing a top judge, Mr. Justice Sankey. Lloyd George felt that Sankey was bound to want privatisation of the mines. When Sankey found in favour of continuing nationalisation, Lloyd George was in a compromising situation. He had already promised to carry out whatever Mr. Sankey decided, but he did not want to upset the Conservative majority. In the end, Lloyd George decided to do nothing. This greatly upset the trade unions, and resulted in a lasting distrust in him. The Chanak incident resulted in a similar situation for Lloyd George. Firstly, it widened the chasm between the two factions of the coalition further, with Lloyd George supporting the Greeks, and the Conservatives continuing their support of Turkey. More importantly, the Conservatives were worried with Lloyd George putting Britain at military risk so soon after WWII. This is the clearest sign of Conservative disillusionment with continuing the coalition. Lloyd George was also plagued by external factors he had no control over. An example of this is the change in leadership of the Conservative party. Bonar Law was an extremely influential figure within his party. He was good at persuading people to his point of view. His successor Austen Chamberlain lacked the finesse of Bonar Law. He spoke to his party about continuing the coalition only days after two coalition Conservative MPs had been defeated in by elections. This meant that at the time the Conservatives had very little patient with the coalition. The growing disenchantment with Lloyd George was only elevated by his style of government. During the war, George formed a small war cabinet that had the power to make changes in any area of the government. After the war, this continued. Rather than consulting his cabinet on important matters, he preferred to consult a small group of advisors. This obviously upset the Conservative cabinet, as their influence over Lloyd George was falling. Another source of discontent from the Conservatives toward Lloyd George was the so called ‘honours scandal’. After his split from Asquith and the original Liberal party, Lloyd George’s liberals needed a secure source of funding. To aid this, he allowed honours to be sold to wealthy people for a great deal of money. This was certainly not the first example of this happening, but it was the first example of it happening on such a wide scale. To further contribute to the problem, several less than savoury business bought themselves titles. The press caught hold of these affairs and made it commonly known, much to the Conservatives dismay. Examples like these show clearly that Lloyd George contributed significantly to his own downfall, but it’s likely that the Conservative decline in support played a larger part in his fall from grace. While Lloyd George was popular with the public, he was an electoral asset, but as his popularity among the electorate decreased, so did his support from the Conservatives. Backbench Conservative MPs were particularly upset with continuing the coalition as it meant they had less promotion opportunities as a number of cabinet places had to be filled by Liberal MPs. Even if Lloyd George’s popularity among the electorate had remained high, it is hard to imagine the Conservatives wanting to continue the coalition past 1922. The 1918 election had given the Conservatives the confidence they needed after having several years out of power. They realised they would have had a majority in Parliament without the Liberals in the coalition. While it is impossible to ignore Lloyd George’s shortcoming as Prime Minster in peace time, it is clear that Conservative disillusionment was the main cause of his downfall. Bibliography: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk http://www.llgc.org.uk â€Å"David Lloyd George – A Biography† Peter Rowland

Ideal student Essay

Students are the future hope of the country. A student is like clay which can be molded into any shape. Hence, it is very necessary that the student should be brought up and taught in the right ways. Teachers and parents are responsible for shaping the character of students. Discipline is the foremost quality of a student. He has to live with good behavior and in a discipline way. This is the time of life when the foundation of character is laid. A student without a sense of discipline is like a ship without a rudder. He should be obedient, cautious, humble and simple. He should respect his elders and gain knowledge so that he may become a good citizen. A good student should be studious. He should not only study but also let others study from him. For this he will have to be law-abiding. An ideal student should keep himself healthy by taking part in games and extra curricular activities. He should be an all rounder. He should select his friend intelligently and wisely. He should have no evil in him and let no evil tempt him. An ideal student should be any time helping and an amusing friend. He should keep the atmosphere lively by his humorous nature. He should never be passive in mind and body. He should take an active part in the activities of the school. He should be a source of inspiration for others. The school is a community and an ideal student should have good relations with his authorities and friends. He should be frank and fearless. An ideal student will admit his mistake, get it corrected and learn from it. He is fully conscious of his duties and responsibilities. He sets an example for the younger generation. An ideal student has many good qualities. He presents an ideal model of character before others such a student will be an asset to others.

Billie Holiday’s Cruel Life

To understand the controversy that Billie presented one must first go to the root or source of such controversy and examine Billie's childhood. Billie was born Eleanora Harris to her father Clarence Holiday and mother Sadie Fagan who were just fifteen and thirteen years old, respectively, at the time (A 91). Born between 1912 and 1915 in Baltimore, the date unsure, Billie grew up without her father, who moved away early on in her life. Billie and her mother used to fight a lot, when her mother was around. Much of the time Billie was left in the care of relatives or friends, many of whom were unloving (E). Billie's relationship with her family was very weak, as Billie throughout her life and career never or rarely got family approval or recognition (W 13). The extent to which Billie did not get along with her family is evident as she was chastised for her grandmother's death at the age of six (E). The turmoil within Billie's family was manifested when Billie commented later on in life that â€Å"As far as I'm Concerned, all the Fagans are dead† (W 14). This made her family very mad and lead to their further abandonment of Billie. Aside from the superficial tension between Billie and her mother, they did their best to remain loyal to one another and provide for each other (W 201). As Billie grew older, life grew harder and reality slowly became more and more real for her. At age 10, Billie was raped, further strengthening Billie's image of reality. As Billie grew older she became carefree and grew to have a strong temper. One musician remembers Billie as â€Å"a child, 11 or 12 years old, shouting the worst words she knew in the street, anxious to be grown up† (W 35). And on the numerous occasions when Billie's mother was out of town, she would be out having fun without any worries. Billie grew accustomed to using men to get money. Billie would pick up guys, pretending to be a hooker, and then she and her friend would jump him and take his money (W 28). â€Å"She became a fast woman. She wanted fast money, fast life† (W 26). Her life did become faster and faster as Billie was brought further down into the truths of the world when Billie became a prostitute. â€Å"[Billie] ran errands for a brothel in Philadelphia and in 1927 moved to New York, where for the next three years she earned a living as a prostitute† (E). These aspects of Billie's life molded her attitude towards life in the future, and her future decisions and goals. These influences became her boundaries, her disposition, and in some cases, her limitations. Educationally, Billie was deprived. Never getting beyond the fifth grade, Billie was the victim of the educational restrictions that were imposed on many of those who dwelt in Black Ghettos (BB 67). As Billie grew older her education became a limitation. â€Å"This woman's talent and her looks, and yet in some ways she really had the mind of a 12-year-old† (BB 67). This lack of education would haunt Billie later in her career, a startling reminder of her childhood, and its definite shortcomings of providing safety, an education, and a moral base. Musically, Billie grew up listening to the blues, although it never really was her type of music. Billie loved listening to Jazz records as a child, early influences including Louis Armstrong. Eventually, Billie moved on to attempt a singing career. â€Å"Inspired by her love of singing, she talked the manager of a club into letting her sing a few tunes with the house band- she made $57 in tips† (E). In this way, Billie was motivated to become a singer, a decision that will prove not only to be beneficial to her, but also to be a risk factor that would threaten her health.

The Best Alaskan Salmon in Ohio

The Best Alaskan Salmon in Ohio David Johnson DeVry University The Best Alaskan Salmon in Ohio If I said it was possible to have fresh, never frozen, Alaskan salmon delivered anywhere in the United States within two days of the fish being caught, people might call me crazy. I know I would but that is exactly what I found being advertised when I began searching for online retailers of Alaskan salmon. I have been enjoying salmon for a long time and living in central Ohio has forced me to try many avenues for the best salmon I could find.My choices were often limited to whatever stock of salmon was available at local retail locations that were often previously frozen. What I needed was a service that offered me a wide variety of wild, fresh salmon and Great-Alaska-Seafood exceeded my expectations with the best tasting salmon I have ever had. The first thing I look for when I buy salmon is quality and to me that means wild-caught, not farm raised salmon. The problem here is the vast majo rity of salmon sold in stores is sold as being â€Å"wild† from the Atlantic Ocean but this is not completely true.The trick here is fisheries are allowed to market their salmon as â€Å"wild† as long as the fish is allowed to swim in the Atlantic Ocean. However, they are still being fed processed food pellets. The main difference between wild and farm raised is their diet, which affects the overall quality of the fish. There are even health considerations that should be taken if farm raised fish is frequently consumed. Wild salmon from Alaska are considered by many as the best source of quality salmon available.Since this fishery was based out of Alaska I had some confidence I would be paying for the best salmon out there and they delivered on their promise. The freshness of the fish was also a big concern when I began to entertain the idea of making an order for salmon online. Locally I am often left to pick from Alaskan salmon filets that were previously frozen for transportation to Ohio, on the other hand, the first thing I noticed was this company offered free overnight shipping with a minimum purchase that was in my price range. This almost seemed too good to be true.Amongst many other online retailers I could not find a single competitor offering this service. With their service offering free overnight shipping with special packaging that involves dry-ice, I was able to purchase a fresh, never frozen, salmon. When I received my first order I was almost stunned that I could have an Alaskan salmon, just caught a day or two before, delivered to my door. This exceeded my expectations largely because I would have never thought it was possible. As much as I love salmon, everything must be taken in moderation. Eating the exact same type of salmon every week might get boring fast.So, I also needed a good amount of variety available to purchase amongst the different salmon species native to Alaska. The main types between salmon are â€Å"whiteâ₠¬  and â€Å"red† flesh and they taste distinctly different. When parlayed with the different locations and diets of the Alaskan salmon species, this allows for a lot of different ways to prepare and cook the fish. This is very important to me and I was very happy to see this company offered 8 different species of salmon. To add even more variety the company offers over 10 different smoking methods that add incredible flavor to the fish.All of which I have tried and taste phenomenal, including a variety of other seafood items they sell ranging from colossal crab legs to prawns that weigh one pound each. When I began my search for a new source of salmon I figured I would not have much luck living in Ohio. What I found was a company offering one of the best online services I have ever seen. The free overnight shipping plus the large variety of fresh salmon was exactly what I was looking for. I did a vast amount of research on multiple retailers that sell salmon and other seafo od online and what I found is, for us salmon lovers far from the ocean, this is best option available.

Article review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Article review - Essay Example The second recommendation that the article makes contends that math programs for children must shift from focusing on numeracy and begin to explore concepts and ideas, which will develop a more powerful foundation in math (Burghes, 2012). Thirdly, the article recommends that math teachers need to focus more on designing better lesson plans. By studying the Japanese structure of lesson study, in which the math teachers undergo professional development by using their ‘research lessons’ to share their practice (Burghes, 2012). The article contends that this type of professional development successfully changes approaches to teaching since it gets all teachers engaged and on board. In the lesson study, the article proposes that teachers should first come up with an overarching lesson study aim. In addition, they should agree on the objectives for each lesson among themselves, plan a research lesson that satisfies two or more of the objectives, carry out an in-depth review after teaching the lessons, and note action plans that will be disseminated to be used for the next lesson cycle. Finally, the author claims that learning mathematical concepts will only be improved with leadership. The math coordinator mus t be a leader in the initiative to improve teaching and learning of math concepts. The coordinator will take responsibility for supporting and encouraging the rest, discussion and monitoring their progress, and intervening in the presence of uncertainties and problems (Burghes, 2012). The article studies an innovative math program for children that have achieved impressive results in Hungary, which is called the Mathematics Enhancement Program (Burghes, 2012). Most of the lessons learnt from the article are relevant in the US math curriculum. It is non-confrontational and friendly, encouraging teachers to engage pupils in discussion to find solutions to problems in math. The innovative structure enables the lesson plans to support class

Corporate Social Responsibility for Medium-Sized Companies Assignment

Corporate Social Responsibility for Medium-Sized Companies - Assignment Example For this reason, there is room for CSR activities and an enhanced action plan with the stakeholders. Employees, investors, customer and suppliers are part of the internal circle. At Pured ®, workforce being 160 results in diminished employee inefficiencies and friction. However, employee-focused workshops can be arranged on a quarterly basis so that any unwanted stir-ups or potential inefficiencies can be eliminated. Since every employee adds value to the concise nature of company operations; any disruption can do more harm than it would in a large enterprise. Subsequently, labour unions will also be content with Pured ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s employee management. As for customers and suppliers, the general rule of thumb should be honesty and respect of commitment. Since the company values all its contributing stakeholders, customers and suppliers need utmost deliverance. If things are optimum with the supplier, the positive effect will trickle down to the customers. Exclusively for customers though, ethically-aware advertising and quality maintenance are most important. Pured ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s 68% public ownership roughly amounts to 4000 shareholders. Some important points should be taken into account here. Pured ®, being a public corporation, must try to keep the investors up-to-date about the financial and overall situation of the company; the financial reports should be transparent. When it comes to secondary stakeholders, however, government laws and taxation duties should be top priorities for Pured ®. The tax bracket needs to be re-evaluated since the company has grown from a small company to medium-sized company. At the end of the day, indirect stakeholders influence the company in many ways, hence, social developmental activities and external parties should be considered as well. The factory is located on the outskirts of the city and there has been considerable allotment of funds towards a ‘greener’ way of manufacturing techniques. This can be reaso ned with the fact that one of the main motivations for small businesses to be socially responsible is reputation (Six Key Issues on Corporate Social Responsibility, 2003). As the new CEO, I find it necessary to make sure this ‘green’ approach is implemented. The outskirts of the city are also home to various fruit and dairy farms. Hence, this calls for environmentally-friendly processes at the factory. Emissions should be cut to minimum and recycling should become part of company values. This could very well create a positive image of the company especially among local residents that might include employees who live nearby. Also, recycling and ‘green’ processes would help save costs in the long-run. Recycling will help save costs in the raw material purchase. In future, the filling machines and packaging automated systems can be run on solar power. Apart from that, CSR activities are also important. For large companies, there are a lot possible avenues for social deliverance such as educational institutes, entertainment industry and government welfare projects. But, sponsoring and funding social campaigns on a large basis are difficult for small and/or medium companies; however, small contributions can be made to potentially needy class of society. Brand recognition is vital here; since our products are beverages, we

Commercial Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Commercial Insurance - Essay Example This is engineered by the employer themselves and requires that a substantial amount of the employee’s salary be directly injected into the scheme. It sometimes covers the individual’s family or the next of kin for all benefits as entitled to the employee. Covered here is the key employee policy. This is extended, by the employer, to that employee whose sickness or demise will greatly affect a business’s returns. The individual health plan sometimes also features a funeral expenses cover (Gevine, 1995). Pharmacy benefits to customers comprise the accessibility, and the ease of doing so, of quality medication upon prescription. Members of the scheme can access drugs, prescription or otherwise, anytime from participating medical facilities. The benefits with this program are that you are not only diagnosed but also given drugs recommended by your doctor without â€Å"buying†. The medicare plan is useful in that it allows for subscribers to access services such as change in dressing, regular checkups on weight and blood sugar levels at zero extra cost. Medevac plans also categorized here whereby the patient, if in a remote area is evacuated by plane or an ambulance and promptly accorded medicare. However, these might come at a cost to the average subscriber. This caters for prime US citizens. The plan seeks to ensure that even in old age, they will still access quality health care. It is also inclusive of advisory services in terms of diets, exercise routines, quality sleep patterns and healthy lifestyle which are exclusive of smoking or drinking. Stress management is also featured there. This is because, since these members are advanced in age, this might trigger morbid heart related complications (Gevine, 1995). Specialty packages cater for members with special needs to enable them acquire services without

Socioeconomic Status in Relation to Language Literacy Research Paper

Socioeconomic Status in Relation to Language Literacy - Research Paper Example Therefore they should work hand in hand with each other. The content-area instructor must assist the learner to develop the reading strategies, acquire knowledge and thinking skills to have insight and learn text that are complex (Comber, 2013). This should be done to both students who come from high socioeconomic status and those who come from low socioeconomic status. The content-area instructor may enhance the learning strategies by providing the students with instructions that are more effective for them depending on their socio economic status to improve their reading skills. Some of these instructions are: 1. There is need for dialogue on content from the text to enable students to share different ideas about the subject of discussion. The teacher can act as a facilitator among learners in their focused group discussion and encourage discussions among people from different socioeconomic status. 2. In order for the student to improve on their language and literacy it is necessar y to revise the curriculum. 3. Content-area teacher should create a motivating and engaging classroom, by interacting with the students in a more friendly way to know more about their socioeconomic status in order to understand their problems at a personal level and motivate them. 4. Teacher should be aware that the students come from different cultures. Hence he should know to teach them and the teaching techniques that should be used to teach different students depending on their culture especially those from non English speaking origin. Family Support Parental support is one of the crucial elements that impact children’s learning because it is the pathway through child competences are influenced and enhanced. Research carried out on the influence of parental involvement... This essay stresses that parental support is one of the crucial elements that impact children’s learning because it is the pathway through child competences are influenced and enhanced. Research carried out on the influence of parental involvement on their children’s language/literacy revealed that maternal education qualifications and other factors such s family income played a critical role in children’s learning of language and literacy skills. This paper declares that parents are the people who set and lay foundation for their children; therefore, their support and involvement in early language and literacy learning is very valuable in helping the children prosper in education. Furthermore, parental interventions are also essential because it helps children develop positive behaviors towards literacy. In addition, it is important that families should have a good knowledge of literacy and language in order to assist the young ones in developing these skills. Similarly, family support is closely related to culture, which also proves to be extremely valuable in language and literacy development. For instance, social activities available in ones culture allows the children to derive meaning from what is learn from text or classroom, and consequently, put this to practice. The early years of a child with parents and family are very important because what they learn impacts on future activities. Families and parents assist child ren to establish emotional interconnections, which gives children strength and resilience to meet future difficulties.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

Business Strategy - Essay Example The distribution networks handle yogurt as one of the most interesting products in fresh food division. The consumers have also their own preferences where market and product development are also hinged on. An adult consumer is particularly interested in the health/nutrition component of the product thus she chooses yogurt with added probiotics, or natural yogurt. She consumes the product as a breakfast or a main meal of the day. While the young consumers eat yogurt mainly as a snack for self-indulgence though they still consider health and nutritional value. For the children consumers, they have mothers who choose the product, are considers self-gratification and at the same time the nutritional aspect. The dominant competitors in this sector which have a national scope are the incumbent players such as Sitia Yomo, Danone, and Parmalat; and the new entrant Muller. Other firms operating in the dairy industry (Nestle, Granarolo, Lactis, A.L.A., Milkon, Latteria Sociale Vipiteno) had also their share in the yogurt industry, including the importers (Ehrmann, Stuffer) which caters a multi-regional market. There were emerging challenges among competitors because of the entry of new players in the industry. This has reduced the amount of display space allocation to market leaders and brands. Also, the overcrowding of the sector has increased the discretional power of distribution. The growth in commercial brands and price brackets (from average to medium price) has reduced the linear shelf space available and thus has increased the referencing costs of the major companies. The emergence of modern distribution channels has also raised the level of competition among players with regard to the economic crisis and the development of distribution formulas, e.g., hard discount stores. This has caused major distributors to take actions aiming to improve price perception of the end consumers. They inserted commercial brands in the market and introduced premium prices. Development of new products was done by traditionally marketing oriented companies. On the part of product developers, there are also challenges that can be considered to better compete in the industry. These concerns the choices and evolving values of the end-consumers: the emerging culture of valuing low calorie and health aspects of foods; the fact that proper meals are becoming less popular; because of fast-paced life, there was less time spent for breakfast. 1.2 Changes and reasons Thus, the intense competition among major players in the industry, the not-so-fast paced growth rate, and highly price sensitive consumers have contributed in the structure change. On the part of Yomo, Danone, and Parmalat, they have opted to maintain substantial investments in advertising of their products as well as improving their trade investments. While Yomo has continued to give a high retail price positioning, Danone, Parmalat and Muller has opted to become aggressive in determining and enforcing their pricing policies. The creation of new refrigerated sections and reduction of linear shelf space given to other fresh products such as pre-packed salami, butter or margarine has expanded the display shelf space allotted

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 71

Reflection - Essay Example complish God’s will.† This is the actual meaning of life; that is, to attain God’s will by making the best use of your competencies that He has blessed you with. Secondly, as Johnson (1990, p.17) asserts, I would also like the world to believe that that we find the true happiness in worldly possessions, positions, wealth, and status, if only we are able to relate the acquiring of these to God’s will. For me, true happiness, which is the essence of life, comes not from worldly possessions but from obedience of God. Thirdly, my last lesson is that one should limit one’s lust for the world. One should start living according to ethical boundaries set by God, because only then will God intrude in one’s matters to shower His blessings. The German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, contradicts this viewpoint with his idea of nihilism, in which he argues that human existence does not have any meaning. According to him (as cited in Keiji, 1990, p.29), t he idea of afterlife is so strong that the worldly life becomes meaningless. This idea denies the importance or the ultimate meaning of life. Still, I believe that it is important to spend this life whole-heartedly while remaining within the ethical boundaries. Sharpe and Bryant (2005, p.130) raise the concern in their book: Does the success of science mean that we must abandon the Divine like a plaything we once loved but have now outgrown? Such and other concerns raised by the authors make us ponder upon the relationship between science and religion. This course has, thus, impacted my understanding of science and religion to a great extent because I have been able to understand how science has proven what religious scriptures mentioned many hundred years ago. I have understood that science and religion do not stand far apart; instead, they strengthen each other’s claims and findings. I have understood that Diving power can never be put in the background or can never be forgotten, because it is the Divine that

Health Care Management Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Care Management Program - Essay Example Health Care Management Program Some of the best mentors and leadership role models whom she has worked with at prior institutions have helped excel Ms. Webb in providing her with a plethora of best practices, creating learning environments, and pushing her limits and boundaries. She seems to be very grateful for that. For example, some of the main services included in the field of healthcare management are preventative care, emergency services, and follow-up and rehabilitation. Without effective management, the coordination of healthcare services and improvement in the health of patients is not possible. Therefore, healthcare practitioners and concerned authorities need to design an effective healthcare management system in order to ensure provision of best health facilities to people. This course is set up to explain the definition of healthcare management and the roles a healthcare manager represents within the industry. A healthcare manager has the most critical role to play in ensuring the wellbeing of patients. He/she is the one who is responsible for provision of the highest quality health services to patients using all available resources. The purpose of this assignment to gain an insight into the way a health care manager effectively uses their resources related to finance, human retention , human resources, and strategic services. The goal of this assignment given to us is to gain an insight into the way healthcare managers understand their professional practice in terms of a business, as well as to know what efforts they can do to improve the health of patients. ... lar business needs to have an in-depth understanding of all core issues related to the business, as well as of all internal and external business issues in order to run the business successfully. The manager is the person who is mainly responsible for all ups and downs of the business. Therefore, managers must be competent enough to ensure growth of the business. In case of healthcare industry, the managers of healthcare organizations need to have all leadership skills and abilities, as well as advanced professional experience to accomplish the organization’s goals, objectives, and mission successfully (Flynn et al. 2007). To complete this assignment, I visited Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHC) on Monday, September 23, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. to interview Ms. Dianna Webb who is the Business Manager of the said organization. During interview, I discussed and understood her professional duties and responsibilities in her current position at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHC) located at 13123 East 16th Avenue, B300, Aurora, CO 80045. Ms. Webb’s direct line is (303) 724-2357. Ms. Webb’s educational background includes a BS in Biology from Michigan State University where she set her professional goals to become an OBGYN. However, after shadowing her brother’s pathway to become a physician, she decided to go for something else. Therefore, she began working on obtaining a master’s degree at Cornell to help her professional track with a position in midlevel or executive hospital management where she could lead a department. Her professional job responsibilities at this position include planning budgets, evaluating staff, writing and overseeing quality and patient services. She further told me that she entailed more responsibilities while moving up with her career. For

Commodity Trade Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Commodity Trade Questions - Essay Example The regulations were set at 40%. GAFTA is the only agreement that comprises of all the Arab states coming together to agree on trade relations. It was also guided by politic institutions which include the Gulf Cooperative Council and Arab League. It removes several walls that would have prevented an easy flow of trade which include the tariffs, monetary, administrative and NTBS. It has well defined rules from the routes of these communities. Benefits With this agreement, All the member states are expected to expand their intra-regional trade. Production is bound to increase since his agreement will encourage exploitation of comparative advantage and scale economies. With an increase in competition in the market, there will be a choice for consumers as companies are going to struggle and venture in other form of producing different products. Rules and regulations of trade will improve as import prices are going to go down. With GAFTA in effect, regional development is going to be noti ced drastically. Question 2 How to reduce the risk for global commodity trader Since there is high profit expected in any global commodity trade, the risks are also high. According to (Williams, 1999), when one is involved in commodity trading, he is bound to lose more cash than what he takes to the bank. Always have a strategy to control some risks. If you have a valid risk plan, it will warn you when to indulge in the risk or run away. A global commodity trader should interpret all the risks involved in a business deal so that he does not get confused in the time of when to stay put or to run. Every commodity global trader should have established a specific price so as to prevent losses unlike when he does not have a stop price. If this trader has a stop price he is more likely to manage his losses and vice Versa. Risks due to language barriers can be solved with the presence of an interpreter or trading in the market where there is a language spoken in common. The trader should a lways make sure that he is trading with registered and incensed traders. He should upgrade his license every time it is required of him to avoid problems that may arise from it. It is up to the seller to determine where to deliver his goods. The place of trade should be a peaceful place free from war. He should be positively confident that the country he is trading in has a foreign currency. It is up to the seller to have the right quality and quantity of goods needed in the market foe efficiency. He should also learn about the markets he is involved in and try to understand them fully. This includes their terms and conditions. He should understand the culture of the particular people he is trading with and should avoid all corrupt deals as they are likely to backfire. Learn about all the governments you are involved in during trade and know their capabilities of them paying their debts. There are other markets that a global commodity trader can consider. According to (Cark, Lesourd , & Thieblemont, 2001) trading of commodities, markets may be physical or derivative. Question 3 What do the following ICC Inco terms stand for? According to (Moens & Gillis, 1998) EXW: this Inco term stands for EX Works/Ex factory. When doing business under the influence of this policy, the seller is supposed to make the products available to the buyer at the sellers’ business premise. It is up to the buyer to collect it. WWD: Weather Working Days. This means

Stop Playing the Blame Game Essay Example for Free

Stop Playing the Blame Game Essay Growing up children love to eat at McDonalds, Burger King, or their local pizza place. The fast food industry offers prepackaged, unhealthy foods that are marketed through advertisements and media as a kid friendly quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. Many blame obesity in children and young adults in the easy access to fast food. Is it fair to suggest that the numerous fast food places that are available are the leading factor in the increase of obesity amongst children? There are other factors that should be considered such as parents, lack of exercise, numerous amounts of hours spent in front of the television. David Zinczenko’s article â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† supports the hypothesis that the increase in obesity is caused by the easy access, affordable, numerous fast food restaurants that are available. He argues the availability of healthier food options by writing, â€Å"drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit† (Zinczenko 392). He utilizes his own personal story being raised by a single mother who worked two jobs and did not have a large amount of income coming in. Zinczenko notes, â€Å"By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid teenage tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame† (Zinczenko 392). He listed choices such as, Taco Bell and McDonalds as his daily meal choices due to the lack of healthy choices and alternatives that aligned with his situation as a child. Is extra weight he gained as a child Taco Bell’s fault? To some, this claim could be seen as ridiculous and lacks personal responsibility. Helen Lee reports on a study she performed to argue the hypothesis that local food availability such as fast food, and convenience stores explain the obesity increase and risk among school aged children. Helen Lee performed a study on school aged in children in low income and high income households. Lee utilized different tools and resources to report on children’s BMI and how it changes over time. The study brought attention to some astonishing results. Contrary to Zinczenko’s claim that grocery stores and healthier food choices are limited, Lee’s study finds that, â€Å"poor and minority neighborhoods not only have greater access to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores; they also have access to large-scale grocery stores and full service restaurant’s† (Lee). She also confirms from her research study that, â€Å"food outlet exposure holds no independent relationship to child weight gain† (Lee). Obesity in Children cannot solely be blamed on fast food services. Parents play a leading role in what their children consume. Lee provides relevant factors explaining obesity risk among young children: â€Å"For example, poor self-reported parental health is significantly associated with higher risk of weight gain, suggesting a relationship between parental health and child health. Television viewing is a highly significant predictor of BMI gains over time. For every additional hour per day of television viewing, there is a predicted 1. 5 percentile gain in BMI ranking by the end of fifth grade. Physical activity level is also important: increases in the number of days per week the child engaged in exercise significantly reduced their BMI gains†. (Lee) With this information it is safe to conclude that it is time to stop playing the blame game with your children’s health as well as your own. Take responsibility of your actions and live responsibly so that you may teach others to do the same. Works Cited Lee, Helen. The Role of Local Food Availability in Explaining Obesity Risk Among Young School-Aged Children. Social Science Medicine 74. 8 (2012): 1193-1203. Social Sciences Full Text (H. W. Wilson). Web. 24 Feb. 2013. Zinczenko, David. Don’t Blame the Eater. They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing with Readings. Graff, Gerald. Cathy Birkenstein. Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2012. 391-394. Print.