Formosa Plastic Cops. USA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Formosa Plastic Cops. USA - Term Paper Example ed nearly the whole of the reactor facility and the adjacent warehouse igniting Vinyl chloride resins stored in a warehouse with smoke drifting over the local community who were then evacuated and the facility remains shut down. The initial fire was caused and fuelled by Vinyl chloride monomer, raw material for Vinyl chloride manufacture, which is highly flammable and a known carcinogen. The explosion occurred when the bottom valve of an operating reactor was opened spilling its highly flammable contents. The next section discusses the specific sections of 29 CFR 1910.146 that Formosa Plastics Corporation neglected. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Formosa Plastics Corporation did not comply with the Permit Required Confined Spaces 29CFR 1910.146. The sections of Permit Required Confined Spaces that were neglected are Training and Rescue and Emergency operations. Under the section of Training, Permit Required Confined Spaces requires that an employer provides training for the employees to understand, and acquire knowledge and skills vital for the safe performance and execution of duties within the confined space. It also requires training to be provided to the employee before being assigned duties, when duties are changed, when permit space operations are changed that are hazardous for which the employee has not been trained on, and if the employee feels that the permit space entry procedures have been deviated from or the employee has little knowledge of the procedures. The training is designed to establish employee proficiency in execution of the duties and new or revised procedures. After all the training has been done, certification should be made available with the name of the employee, trainers signature and the respective training dates. Formosa Plastics Corporation also neglected the Rescue and Emergency services regulations for confined space. The rescue and emergency operations require that the employer provides and trains

Three Sociological Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Three Sociological Perspectives Essay Generally, there are three sociological perspectives that sociologists use today to approach certain topics regarding the society.   These theoretical perspectives are symbolic interactionist, functional analysis, and conflict. These theoretical perspectives hold different approaches in terms of viewing the society as a whole. These different theoretical perspectives can also provide different approaches for different people depending on how it suits them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The symbolic interactionist perspective is a sociological perspective that generalizes everyday or fundamental forms of social interaction (Schaeffer and Lamm, 1998). The interactionist perspective, as the word suggests, focuses more on the small groups interact with each other.   The interactionist perspective focuses more on small groups in order to understand society as a whole. So basically it sees society as a product of the interaction to these small groups.   If I were to put this perspective into use, I can view myself as an individual who has certain responsibilities to fulfill in my family. In a larger picture, my family has responsibilities to perform in the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the functional analysis perspective, the structure of the society is given more focus to achieve stability (Schaeffer and Lamm, 1998). It focuses on the functions and dysfunctions of institutions within the society. For example, I am a student, thus I have a specific function to fulfill within the group I belong in, my school. Namely, I have to study and participate in the institution wherein I belong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to American functionalist sociologist, Robert Merton, there are two types of human functions under the category of functional analysis perspective. There are the manifest functions and latent functions. The manifest functions, as the word suggest, are functions pertaining to the obvious and explicit. Manifest functions can be easily identified by the merely use of common sense. Latent functions deals with the subtle and implicit. It is very hard to determine and pinpoint these latent functions as opposed to manifest functions that only require common sense. Latent functions require sociological approaches to be determined.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The conflict perspective argues that the structure of society is a product of conflicts, may it be past or ongoing. This perspective draws much from the works of Karl Marx on class conflict (Schaeffer and Lamm, 1998). If I am to use this perspective on my education, my education is a product of my past conflict which is the lower levels of education. It is also my ongoing conflict as I am still striving to graduate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are also levels of analysis that we can use to view topics in the society. There are the micro and macro levels of analysis. These sociological concepts are also known as macrosociology and microsociology. Basically, it is almost self-explanatory. Micro pertains to the â€Å"small picture† and macro is about the â€Å"big picture.† The micro level of analysis is much focused on the small societal patterns. It is more meticulous on the small details of the structure of society. On the other hand, the macro level of analysis is all about the larger societal patterns (CliffsNotes.com). An example of analysis on the macro level is the three sociological perspectives that I have presented in this paper: symbolic interactionist, functional analysis, and conflict. All three theoretical perspectives are on the macro level of analysis since they all have a different view of the society as a whole. However, it is argued by many critics that the symbolic interactionist perspective is on the micro level since it focuses more on the details rather than the whole of society. Reference CliffsNotes.com. 2008, January 4. Three Major Perspectives in Sociology. Retrieved January 4, 2008 from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/CliffsReviewTopic/topicArticleId-26957,articleId-2687.html Schaefer, R. T., Lamm, R. P.   (1998).   Sociology.   New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Review The Boer War History Essay

Review The Boer War History Essay The Boer War of 1899 was a dirty little conflict. It started as a result of cultural resentment between the Boers (Dutch settlers) and immigrating British. At first, the war was fought with the honor typically associated with the British, but, in the end, it turned nasty. South Africas Cape of Good Hope was colonized in the 17th century by Dutch Boers (farmers). The Boers used African slaves on their farms. Britain occupied the Cape during the Napoleonic wars and took complete control after the Congress of Vienna. Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire in 1833. Many of the Boers then decided that they could no longer live under British rule. They began moving northward and soon established two independent republics the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. There was peace between British and Boers until the Boer republics were found to be rich in diamonds and gold. Fortune hunters, mostly British, poured in to stake claims. The Dutch farmers called these people uitlanders (outlanders) and bitterly resented their intrusion. In 1895 the outlanders in the Transvaal planned a revolt against the Boer government. The British Empire, seeing their subjects mistreated, decided to get involved. Leander Jameson, with a small British force, invaded the Transvaal to aid the uprising. The Jameson raid was a total failure. The angered Boers, led by their president, Paul Kruger, began to arm themselves. Militarily, the conflict between Boer and British forces can be divided into two phases: first, a period of Boer commando successes, quickly reversed after the arrival of the main British force in January 1900, which captured the republican capitals between March and June. Then came a guerrilla phase when the Boer forces regrouped after the fall of Pretoria and carried on the conflict for two years before reluctantly accepting peace terms from the British in May 1902 in the Treaty of Pretoria. Though often called a white mans war, this conflict involved the entire population of South Africa in one way or another. Boer women and children who were evicted from farms or villages put to the torch by the British, were either sent to concentration camps where many died from disease, or went to endure the exposure of commando life in the field. African ex-miners and farm laborers were also concentrated in camps, and drawn into labor tasks by the British Army. Boers raided the African reserv es for food. Africans reasserted control over land and livestock previously taken by Boers, and on rare occasions attacked Boer commandos. Martial law was proclaimed step by step across the whole region, and the movements of people were drastically restricted. For African scouts on the British side, or Boers caught in captured British uniforms, punishments were swift and final, while of the 10 000 Cape Afrikaner rebels convicted of treason, a small proportion of those sentenced to death by military courts were indeed shot. Under Gruger*s Republic, Natal and the Cape, two of Britains colonies, were invaded in October 1899 by the Boers. They besieged a British force at Ladysmith. Other troops were pinned down at Kimberley and Mafeking. The second war, which lasted until 1902, was underway. Between September 1900 and the peace of Pretoria in May 1902, Boer commandos fought a prolonged guerrilla war against the British, who responded by putting Boer civilians in concentration camps. Then reinforcements came to the British from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In March 1900 Frederick Sleigh Roberts, the British commander who had been the hero of the Indian mutiny, captured Bloemfontein, capital of the Orange Free State. In June British forces reached Pretoria, capital of the Transvaal. The greatly outnumbered Boers continued to fight under Louis Botha, Christiaan de Wet, and Jan Smuts. Herbert Kitchener, the new British commander in chief, then decided and eventually proceeded to bring the war to an end. He advanced slowly, burning farms and establishing concentration camps for Boer civilians. The camps had a high death rate, due largely to lack of medical services. The Treaty of Pretoria (May 31, 1902) ended the war. The Transvaal and the Orange Free State became British colonies. Both Dutch and English were made official languages. Britain then began to restore the devastated farms of the Boers. The Union of South Africa was established as a self-governing dominion in 1910. The Transvaal and the Orange Free State became provinces of the Union. The first prime minister was the Boer general Louis Botha. Having lost the war, the Boers, however, won the peace. British pro-Boers had undermined the moral complacency of the victors, who decided to grant generous terms to the Boers, in order to ensure an enduring influence in southern Africa. This was largely at the expense of Africans (who were excluded from political power and forced to give back much land retaken from Boers during the war years). Britain implemented this decision from 1906 to 1907, by granting constitutions which gave Afrikaners political of both ex-republics with perhaps more gen erosity than was intended. But they did not object in 1909 when the South African National Convention opted for a constitution which ensured the retention of political power in white (predominantly Afrikaner) hands. The first attempted use of wireless telegraphy in war took place during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, according to a paper to be presented by Brian Austin, University of Liverpool in England, at the conference 100 Years of Radio sponsored by the IEE in London Sept. 5-7. His account details the early efforts by the British Army and Navy to use the new technology, which had been demonstrated by Guglielmo Marconi in 1896. The State Archives, located here, record that the Krugers Boer Republic placed an order for six wireless telegraphy sets from the firm Siemens and Halske on Aug. 24, 1899. The sets, which cost 110 Pounds Sterling, were supposed to provide communication for the fortifications around Pretoria. They had a guaranteed range of nearly 15 kilometers and used antennas 36 meters high. However, the sets never reached Krugers forces because they were confiscated by customs in Cape Town. Later, British forces tried unsuccessfully to use the equipment supplied by Marconi on the arid inland plains of South Africa, possibly plagued by ground conductivity and the lack of matching resonances of the essentially quarter-wave antennas. The British Navy had more luck after installing five of the sets the army rejected in the Delagoa Bay Squadron. Successful experiments over a range of 85 kilometers were recorded on April 13, 1900, and unsubstantiated claims were made for communication between Delagoa Bay and Durban, a distance of nearly 460 kilometers. Lynn Fordred, curator for the Corps of Signals Museum, said parts from the original equipment are in storage at the School of Signals in Heidelberg. Her research for a book dealing with military communications in South Africa highlights the roles of personalities and the problems experienced in coming to grips with the new technology. While the British Army showed a surpassing lack of interest in wireless telegraphy after their initial failures, Fordred said the Boer forces were unexpectedly progressive in their use of telegraphy and telephone facilities, and even had a telephone exchange at a time when the British Army had none. The concentration camps were places where African and Boer women and children and Boer men unfit for service were herded together by the British army during the War. Many of these people had become homeless as a result of the destructive tactics which the British army adopted in the Transvaal and Orange Free State after the last months of 1900 in order to deprive the Boer commandos the means of subsistence and thus force their surrender. Attempts had been first made to burden the combatants with these dependents in the hope of breaking the morale of the commandos. When this proved unsuccessful, it was decided to house then on-combatants in camps. The first two of these were established, as a result of a military notice of 22 September, 1900, to protect the families of burghers who had surrendered voluntarily. As the families of combatant burghers were also driven into these camps, they ceased to be refugee camps and acquired the concentration camp designation, as did other camps esta blished later in the War. Eventually there were 50 camps, in which about 136 000 people were interned. The families were conveyed to the camps by ox-wagon, trolley or railway train usually in open coal- or cattle trucks without any sanitary arrangements or they even marched on foot. No proper provision had been made for their housing. Numbers of them had at first to make shift in the open until tents were provided, or were held in the camps. Those who did not receive tents were, according to the report of the British commission of inquiry: placed, in every conceivable kind of dwelling, from a church vestry, hotel and store to a blacksmiths forge. In the opinion of the commission some of the places were hardly suitable for pigs. As there were insufficient blankets, clothes and other means of protection, and sometimes not even beds or mattresses, the internees were exposed, especially on the Highveld of the Transvaal and the Orange F. State, to extreme privations which undermined th eir strength, more especially in the case of the large numbers of small children. The food supplies in the camps, which were often established on badly chosen sites and were dangerously overcrowded from the start, was wretched. Not only was the food inadequate, but the quality, especially of the meat, sugar and flour, was at first very poor, while vegetables, fruit and other essential foodstuffs were not supplied at all; consequently, many of the inmates, especially children, wasted away to living skeletons within a few months. One British camp doctor felt compelled to report that, on account of the deficiency in diet the children especially become emaciated and have very little resisting power to disease. The sanitation, too, was very inefficient. No adequate provision was made for the disposal of garbage, and the latrines were so primitive that they became breeding-grounds for germs and areas of infection. So disease, particularly measles, broke out in the camps during 1901 and, a s there were not enough doctors or other medical care, the death-rate became appallingly high. The climax was in October, 1901, when the figure was 326 per 1 000 per year for the Transvaal camps and 401 per 1 000 per year for those in the O.F.S. The reports of camp superintendents as well as those of Emily Hobhouse showed that this was due to the bad conditions, and there was an outcry from the whole world, including England itself. This forced the British government to order a full investigation by a committee of prominent women, and sweeping changes were made in accordance with their recommendations. As a result of these changes, introduced toward the close of 1901, and which included great improvements in housing, sanitation, food-supply, medical attention, and protection against cold, the death-rate immediately dropped and by March 1902, was back to normal. Altogether, approximately 27 927 persons died in the camps 1 676 mainly elderly men, 4 177 women and 22 074 children under 16. An unknown Boer General wrote the following in his diary. The terrible prospectthat the continuation of the war would in that manner eradicate our whole generation, was one of the main reasons why the Boers ceased fighting and acknowledged defeat. It left a deeper impression on the Afrikaners mind than any other event in their history, and strengthened their determination to strive for national self-preservation and the recovery of political independence. The five battles of Belmont (Nov 23, 1899), Modder River (Nov 28, 1899), Magersfontein (Dec 11, 1899), Colenso (Dec 15, 1899) and Spion Kop (Jan 24, 1990) respectively, were all fought on the soil of British South Africa. That this would be an advantage in terms of morale and military maneuver turned out to be a rather foolhardy expectation. The conventional military goals of the overthrow and occupation of the enemy capitals were not pursued, but rather the relief of Kimberley and Ladysmith became the modus operandi of the British forces. Kimberley, because it could have provided a sorely-needed source of capital for the strained coffers of the Boer Republics, and Ladysmith because it would have given the Boer forces a quick road to Durban and more importantly, its seaport, dramatically increasing the chances of foreign intervention. The political ramifications for British prestige throughout the Empire, of the fall of either of these towns were not underestimated by those in Whiteh all. On a basic military level, these campaigns were hardly successful. However, their impact on the war in terms of the subsequent change of official attitude was immense. The Boer forces were not tribesmen fighting on foot with antiquated weaponry. They were mounted and equipped with the latest rifles and artillery from France, Germany and England. Many of the commandos were veterans of various wars against tribes throughout the region. The battles waged after these campaigns were fought with these hard lessons in mind. These stinging episodes introduced the British army to modern warfare and highlighted the weaknesses of the enemy the Boer forces.

Strategies Designed to Motivate Employees Essay -- Business Management

Strategies Designed to Motivate Employees One of a manager's responsibilities is to inspire employees and encourage them to strive for excellence and remain motivated even during the difficult times. While this task is challenging, there are measures a manager can take to generate enthusiasm in any working environment. Although different people are moved by different desires, values and goals, there are a number of generally agreed-upon motivators to which most people respond. The employees at Gullivers are de-motivated because of the poor environmental conditions. The employees work alone for long periods of time. This leads the worker to feel isolated. As well as this the tasks that some employees carry out are repetitive and boring. This is brought on by the use of a production line. The employees also work in two day time shifts. The hours of these shifts might not be suitable for some people, such as mothers. The times that shifts start and finish might clash with school hour, leading to people coming in late or leaving early. F. W. Taylor developed the early idea that to motivate the worker you have to pay him/her at the highest possible wage, through working in the most efficient and productive manner. This approach was called the rational-economic concept of motivation. Taylor believed if an organisation first evaluated the job to be done. Then came up with the best way to do each stage of that job. The lastly put the people in the right place to then carry out that job effectively. So the job would be completed in an efficient, producing more profit, which would lead to higher wages. Taylor believed that this alone wo... ...d the team leader allow discussion of any disharmony. Maintaining a highly motivated staff is key to a company's success. A lack of employee enthusiasm can alter your company's productivity, and ultimately, your bottom line. There are several factors which effect motivation. A combination of techniques that matches the unique needs and personalities of your employees will bring the most effective results. However any measures taken is only effective as far as the employee is willing to be motivated. Bibliography Laurie J Mullins 2002, Management and Organisational Behaviours, Financial Times Pitman Publishing imprint, Great Britain Susan Jarosz 2003, Class Notes, Borders College, Galashiels W.H. Weiss 2001, Building Morale, Motivating and Empowering Employees" Supervision. Vol. 62, Issue 1 pages 1-2

Historical documen Essay

Do you believe every historical document or book was true? Before, we consider if the historical documents or books are true; first, we have to look at the historical event with a different point of view because it is easy to get biased information; if we only focus on one side of the event. In the book After The Fact â€Å"The View from the Bottom Rail† by James West Davidson and Mark Hamilton Lytle, the authors demonstrate that discovering the historical story of the freed people is difficult because histories deal with â€Å"top rail† rather than the â€Å"bottom rail† of the lower social classes. Therefore, the freed people’s history has become flawed. Writing about a historical event is exceedingly difficult, because we have to consider different points of view. Thus, if a historian focused on only one side of the story, the historical event will remain biased. For example, the history of slavery was biased and was not accurate. According to the authors, the black slaves could not read or write during that time; even if someone could read, they had to hide this skill from their masters. Then, almost of the written books or documents about slavery were written by the white masters. Therefore, the information was not only accurate but also biased because the information came from white masters rather than slaves who actually know the truth. Moreover, although the interviews came from slaves, almost every interviewee experienced slavery by his or her childhood; therefore, the interviews were also biased because they focused on those who survived slavery. As the author explains, â€Å"the average life expectancy of a slave in 1850 was less than fifty years†(Davison and Lytle 180). Thus, when they were interviewed by someone, they were old. Two-thirds of them were over 80 years old; that could lead us to assume that they were treated less harsh than other people who died early because of harsher treatment in earlier years. Moreover, as interviewees get older, their memories could fade, and they could not certainly remember the details. This is common sense that if the event occurred a long time ago, the person could not remember every detail. In addition, the interviewees couldn’t answer honestly because they were scared. One interviewee says,† I’ve told you too much. How come they want all this stuff from the colored people anyway? Do you take any stories from the white people?† (Davison and Lytle 183). Like the interviewee, other interviewees were also scared to speak out about what they really experienced because they thought speaking out frankly would put them in a trouble. Therefore, they could not answer honestly. In retrospect, the slave interviews become flawed, and it was biased, because the interviews were not considering different points of view. Additionally, there was no voice recorder, which could provide us with what the interviewees truly said to the interviewer. Therefore, when we look at historical events, we have to consider different points of view; thus, we do not accept everything we just find out or read. As the authors state, we cannot believe everything at â€Å"face value† before we carefully discover.

Impact of motivation on employee performance

Entrepreneurship is the tendency of a person to organize his own business and run it profitably, exploiting the qualities of leadership, decision making, managerial caliber, etc. Risk Talking Risk-taking In Its true sense Indicates that risk Is Ignored In taking decisions and actions. We should rightfully use the word ‘risk averse' for the entrepreneurs. Risk averseness implies taking ‘calculated' risk and expecting premium for the risk taken. As the risk goes up the expected premium in return also goes up at a higher rate.Calculated risk means a few things, namely, Determining how much risk one should take. Risk taking ability of a rich person Is higher than that of a poor person. Still, two equally rich persons In equal situations may not equally perceive the risk in a given opportunity. 0 Risk assessment is equally important. 0 Risk mitigation is the final step that a risk-averse person would consider while taking calculated risk. Risk mitigation means taking steps to manage risk. For example, Insurance against non-business Is essential; Identify non-business risks and insure them. Sense of limits In every society people develop sense of limits from parents, friends and rounding's. These are the limits of what we can do and what we cannot, and what we can accomplish and what we cannot. Such sense of limit Is a result of social permissiveness at a given point of time In a society. On one side, developing such sense of limit is desirable because without adhering to social norms a society cannot function as a civilized society. On the other, the same sense of limit would impose more ‘don't' than ‘dos'. Entrepreneurs are different. Hem do not abide by the limits recognized by the society or they fight against these limits. CLC Locus of control There are two types of people in the world- (I) those who blame others and external situations for whatever happens with them, and those who believe that they could have done something better to avo id certain situations that happened with them. The first type of behavior of people is called ‘external locus of control' and the second ‘Internal locus of control'. It Is obvious from the definition that entrepreneurs have ‘Internal locus of control'.The sense of Internal locus of control gives tremendous to learn from failures rather than accepting fate. 0 Control of future Entrepreneurs are always in control of the situation. Their responses to the unfolding situations are more matured rather than like reactions. This gives them control over the current period as well as the future. Creators Entrepreneurs create ideas, businesses and organizations. Often they like businesses that are unique compared to the routine ones. They like challenges and deal with them in a unique or creative way.Entrepreneurs are good at startups. Need for achievement We would like to include one more characteristic over what Hofmann listed; and that is entrepreneur's need for achievemen t. Entrepreneurs do not start business for making money. Money and profits are not his primary goals. Their passion, thus, is to convert their dreams into reality. 0 Ethics This is yet another characteristic that Hofmann did not discuss. Can anything substitute ethics for a successful person? Can an entrepreneur be unethical and still make long-term success and attain his need for attainment?A true entrepreneur, since he is not driven by motives of profits but needs to achieve or do something different for getting sense of satisfaction, will demonstrate high degree of business ethics. Ethical game is necessary for a long-term player in the business of innovation. Q. 2†¦.. Business plan is a written description of the business. It is comprehensive in nature and comprises details like promoters, existing and proposed products and/or services, know-how and techniques intended to use, among others. A brief description of contents of business plan. Description of venture: For an exi sting business, the details like date of establishment, Journey over time with significant milestones, employee data, sales and profit data over time (if history is too long then selected period of say, five years' tat would be enough), organization structure, operating philosophy, vision and mission statements, and details of enabling factors are important. 0 Operations plan: Several operations have to be carried out with a view to succeed in providing products and services.The business activity must be clearly broken down into the discreet operations and details must be provided how those operations will be performed given the resources. If the operations plan fail then production plan would also automatically fail. 0 Production plan: In case of manufacturing activity, the details of technology and its ministrations, success factors, realistic assumptions regarding utilization of plant capacity supported with evidences from other businesses, processes, manpower of material and sev eral other details that can have an impact on production would become an essential part of production plan. Organizational plan: In the absence of strong organizational backing the most lucrative business can also fail measurably. Business operates in a very dynamic environment, whether internal or external. A business organization must develop capability of capturing information regarding the changing external variable that may effect the current business or future opportunities of the business. Marketing plan: A business needs to define a market in terms of geographical area or demographic details of potential customers or consumers.Market feasibility report would help in identifying the scope of business opportunity, and from that canvass, a businessman has to determine the right segment of market wherein he would like to do business. Promotion plan, distribution network and other marketing policies are useful in evaluating the potential market for the goods and services offered by the business. Financial plan: The contents of the business plan are now converted into the financial numbers to present the financial plan.The financial plan gives income statements and balance-sheets for the projected period, depreciation schedule, interest payment schedule, working capital schedule, disability schedule, cash flow statements, working capital financing schedule and schedule of funds to be raised and serviced. The financial plan also includes calculation of several ratios that are useful in the evaluation of funding options. 0 Assessment of risks: The production and marketing plans are usually prepared on he most realistic scenario.If actual scenario turns out to be better than anticipated (sales price is higher, sales quality is higher, expenses are lower, among others), then there is a positive surplus profit. But what if things do not turn out as good as estimates and cost of project goes up, cost of capital is higher, enough capital is not available, sales pri ce remain low, sales quantity is less, expenses are higher, skilled people are not available, among others. The assessment of down-side impact of risk must be assessed, if not upside reward of risk. Q. 3†¦ Answer†¦..Marketing is a function over which we can have only an influencing power but hardly any control over the outcome. Therefore, marketing function is very important especially for a new enterprise. The market analysis is done before a business plan is prepared and it is included in the business plan, I. E. , at the project phase of a proposed business. Market Assessment base, primarily aimed at checking whether there is gap between demand and supply if the product or service that will be offered by the entrepreneur is an existing product with or without modifications.In case of a new product, the market assessment at time is Just an informed evaluation of potential market. Market assessment aims at defining the market that would be most appropriate for the product and that would give strongest opportunity for the long-term growth. This involves matching the product with customer needs. This strategy of defining the market segment for you is derived from customer research and competitive analysis. 0 Impact of Market Dynamics An entrepreneur must understand the market dynamics. Conceptually, demand and supply determine the price.Demand and supply constantly change and, therefore, pricing mechanism becomes dynamic, which is called market dynamics. Several factors play a role in affecting supply and demand and thereby, the prices of products. Competitors' price, income level, employment level, inflation, production level, government policies and a host of other factors individually and collectively affect the pricing of a product. 0 Achieving Market Acceptance The proof of success is finally in attaining the sales level at profitable conditions. The essence of it is in achieving market acceptance of products and services.Start-ups eave a greater risk in achieving market acceptance than the firms already in business. However, for the existing business too market acceptance of a new product is risky. 0 Day-to-Day Operation There are several aspects of day-to-day operations. Procurement, storage, production, transportation, inventory holding, sales, collections, maintenance, man-management and several other functions together can make operations possible. In today's world, management of information technology is also a matter of daily operations. However, we will discuss only two important aspects of day to- day operations here.They are namely, (I) procurement of material-inventory and (it) use of information technology. Strategies for Growth The issue of growth is strategic in nature, therefore, it involve strategic thinking, and hence, application of SOOT analysis. A SOOT analysis model must suit the need for answering a particular question, which is related to either direction of growth or rate of growth or strategy for gr owth. Strategic models are described and their applications are explained in each of these fields of strategic decisions in the following sections of this unit.Growth Direction Decision Synergy is the measure of an effect on the net benefits of combining more than one activity. Synergy is said to exist when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The presence of some strength and its best fit with available opportunities are essential for creating a positive synergy. For the growth direction issue the synergy is searched in the areas of product and market. A SOOT analysis on these two parameters can give a quick idea about the value creating growth alternatives.

What is the effect of caffeine on soybeans

What is the effect of caffeine on soybeans What is the effect of caffeine on the growth of soybeans?Introduction: The plants used in the experiment are Glycine max, commonly known as soybeans. This table shows the taxonomy of the Glycine max.Kingdom Plantae ( plant)Division Magnoliophyta (flowering plant)Class Magnoliopsida (angiosperms)Order Fabales(an order of flowering plants)Family Fabaceae (bean family)Genus Glycine (a genus of the Fabaceae familySpecies Max (soybean)Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that the caffeine will have a negative effect on the plant's growth. The caffeine will stun the plant's growth, and maybe even kill the plant. As the amount of caffeine given to the plant increases, the damage to the plant will also increase. Therefore, the control group should grow the most, than the plants given the 15% solution, and the plants given the 50% solution should grow the least.Materials:1. A 15% caffeine solution2. A 50% caffeine solutionAnhydrous USP grade Caffeine Photographer: William...3. 10 soybean seeds4. 3 co ntainers5. Tap water6. 2 plastic bagsProcedure:1. Put the 30 soybeans into the 2 plastic bags (5 in each) and then put the bags in an area where there is no light.2. After the seeds germinate, (It should take a few days) put them into 3 containers by putting 3 seeds in each (One seed did not germinate).3. Label one container the control, one container for the 30% solution, and one container for the 50% solution4. Now put the seeds into an area where they will receive 8-10 hours of sun a day (This is the amount of sun that soybeans grow the healthiest in).5. Water the control group with .4 liters of normal tap water.6. Water the 15% group with .4 liters of the 15% caffeine solution.7. Water the 50% group with...

Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment Quotes and Analysis

Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment Quotes and Analysis Russian author Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment was originally published in 1866 as a series of monthly installments in the literary journal The Russian Messenger, but has since gone on to become one of the most influential works of literature of its time, riddled with numerous quotes ranging from a poor mans murderous thoughts to the guilt felt in the aftermath of a crime. The story focuses on Rodion Raskolnikovs moral dilemmas and mental suffering after he formulates and successfully plots to kill a pawnbroker to take her money, arguing that with the money he takes from her he can do good that would offset the crime he committed in murdering her. Like Frederich Nietzsches Ubermensch theory, Dostoevsky argues through his character that some people even have the right to perform such vigilante actions as murdering an unscrupulous pawnbroker for the greater good, arguing multiple times that murder is okay if done in the pursuit of the greater good.​ Quotes About Pity and Punishment With a title like Crime and Punishment one can correctly assume that Dostoevskys most famous work is riddled with quotations about the idea of punishment, but it can also be said that the author implored his punishers to have pity on the guilty and suffering the narrator must endure for committing his crime.   Why am I to be pitied, you say, Dostoevsky writes in Chapter Two, Yes! Theres nothing to pity me for! I ought to be crucified, crucified on a cross, not pitied! Crucify me, oh judge, crucify me but pity me? This question lends to the idea that there should be no pity given to the guilty - that it is not for a judge to pity the felon but to punish him appropriately - in this case, the speaker argues by crucifixion. But punishment does not only come in the form of a judge reaching a verdict and sentence for a criminal, it also comes in the form of a guilty conscience, wherein the morality of the criminal himself is pitted as the ultimate punishment. In Chapter 19 Dostoevsky writes, If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake; that will be  punishment - as  well as the prison. The only escape from this personal punishment, then, is to ask forgiveness of mankind and of God. As Dostoevsky writes at the end of the 30th chapter, Go at once, this very minute, stand at the cross-roads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled, and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, I am a murderer! Then God will send you life again. Will you go, will you go? Quotes on Committing Crime and Acting on Impulses The act of committing murder, of taking another persons life, is discussed multiple times throughout the text, each time with the implication that the speaker cannot believe he is about to commit such a heinous act. From the very first chapter, Dostoevsky makes this point clear as a contention element of the protagonists life, writing Why am I going there now? Am I capable of that? Is that serious? It is not serious at all. Its simply a fantasy to amuse myself; a plaything! Yes, maybe it is a plaything. This is almost a justification for the speaker to act later on impulse, an excuse to give into his carnal desires, painting murder as a mere plaything. He argues this concept again, coming to terms with the reality of committing murder, in chapter five wherein he says can it be, can it be, that I shall really take an axe, that I shall strike her on the head, split her skull open...that I shall tread in the sticky warm blood, blood...with the axe...Good God, can it be?   Would the crime be worth the moral implications, or the known punishment for such an act? Would it defy the very idea of living a good life itself? Dostoevsky also answers these questions through a variety of quotes in the book Quotes on Life and the Will to Live Especially given the idea of committing the ultimate crime of taking someone elses life, the ideas of the will to live and living a good life come into play many times throughout Crime and Punishment. Even as early as chapter two, Dostoevsky discusses the possibility that mankind may have its ideals of a good life skewed, or at least that mankind is in and of itself skewed from a good reality. In Chapter Two, Dostoevsky writes What if man is not really a scoundrel, man in general, I mean, the whole race of mankind - then all the rest is prejudice, simply artificial terrors and there are no barriers and its all as it should be. However, in Chapter 13, when faced with the idea of being punished by being put to death, Dostoevsky visits an old adage of waiting for death for eternity being better than actually dying in a moment to observe the reality of a persons will to live: Where is it Ive read that someone condemned to death says or think, an hour before his death, that if he had to live on some high rock, on such a narrow ledge that hed only room to stand, and the ocean, everlasting darkness, everlasting solitude, everlasting tempest around him, if he had to remain standing on a square yard of space all his life, a thousand years, eternity, it were better to live so than to die at once! Only to live, to live and live! Life, whatever it may be! In the Epilogue too, Dostoevsky speaks of this hope, mans never-ceasing desire to continue breathing for at least one more day, saying of the two characters that they were both pale and thin; but those sick pale faces were bright with the dawn of a new future, of a full resurrection into a new life. They were renewed by love; the heart of each held infinite sources of life for the heart of the other.

Chemistry Module 6 Separation of a Mixture of Solid Essay Example for Free (#6)

Chemistry Module 6 Separation of a Mixture of Solid Essay This lab experiment was conduct and taught based upon the primary instruction and introduction to mixtures. With this lab I was able to determine and execute the proper separation of a mixture of solids through various means, such as evaporation and filtration. Using these techniques presented the separation of different ingredients from a mixture was conducted based upon the usage of individual physical properties of each substance presented in the mixture. . Observations: Throughout this experiment I noted several things. For example as I was heating the sand I completely forgot to cover the top to prevent splatter. Although I did heat the mixture at a much slower speed, this resulted in a loss of sample, further impacting my overall results and contributing to my percent error totals, as the sand was bubbling and slightly splattered. Also, I noted my stirring rod, along with the other tools used, had a bit of solution attached to them. Although minuet in amount I should have weighed and taken note upon the mass of my materials before and after the procedures. Questions: A. How did your proposed Procedures or flow charts at the beginning of this experiment compare to the actual Procedures of this lab exercise? B. Discuss potential advantages or disadvantages of your proposed Procedure compared to the one actually used. C. How would you explain a sand recovery percentage that is higher than the original sand percentage? D. What were potential sources of error in this experiment? A.) The methods I proposed were highly similar to the instructions used in the labpaq manual. Just as stated in the instructions, I would have used the magnet to separate iron fillings, but I would have thought lastly upon evaporation for the sand separation and used the filter. B.) A potential disadvantage of simply filtering out the sand, is that fact that the benzoic acid substance, that was not completely dissolved could have too be filtered out. Also in the filtering of iron with the magnet I would have never thought to use a bag. C.) I could explain a sand recovery percentage that was higher than that of the original sand percentage, as simply a contamination of the other substances left within the sand, such as if the sand were not completely dry as there would still be water that would be included in the measured value, or possibly the benzoic acid? D.) The potential sources of error found in this experiment could include the was heating the sand I completely forgot to cover the top to prevent splatter, removing the mixture out of the ice before adequate crystallization had occurred,. Possibly having the sand, NaCl, or benzoic acid sticking to the iron, also maybe incomplete drying. How did your flow diagram for completing the separation compare to what was really done in the experiment? Were there any advantages or disadvantages to performing the separation the way you first thought it out? Discuss these advantages and disadvantages in the context how the approach might affect the measurement of some of the materials you separated. My flow diagram thought out prior to the conducting of this experiment was carried out well. The methods I proposed were highly similar to the instructions used in the labpaq manual. Just as stated in the instructions, I would have used the magnet to separate iron fillings, but I would have thought lastly upon evaporation for the sand separation and used the filter. I thought it was rather obvious to use the magnet for the iron filings, but really did not have an educated guess for how to separate the rest. A potential disadvantage of simply filtering out the sand, is that fact that the benzoic acid substance, that was not completely dissolved could have too be filtered out. Also in the filtering of iron with the magnet I would have never thought to use a bag. All together these simple differences, although minuet could have greatly altered my results and manipulated the entire data table. Chemistry Module 6 Separation of a Mixture of Solid. (2016, May 03). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Week 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Week 3 - Essay Example It also involves three important elements which include availability, accessibility and food utilization (Food & Culture Encyclopedia). When food security is threatened or not met, it can alarm not only the nutritionists, but the country or the nation affected, in general. This is because if there will be inadequate supply of food and related goods, it will directly affect the health and nutrition of the people. Thus, food insecurity can cause individuals, families, communities and to some extent, the world, to suffer in varying degrees. The Dictionary of Medical Terms defined malnutrition as a state or condition wherein a person is deemed as having a poor nutrition that resulted from either an insufficient, excessive, or unbalanced diet or in disorders in which there is an impaired ability to absorb and assimilate foods (Rothenberg and Chapman 269). Meanwhile, obesity is a malnourished condition of having an excessive weight and an increased amount of fat in subcutaneous tissues of the body. Obviously, obesity is the effect of overeating, but in some cases, it may be precipitated by disorders that involve organs such as thyroid, pituitary and endocrine glands where there is a disturbance of the body’s metabolism (Rothenberg and Chapman 318). Today, an alarming statistics states that approximately 60 million Americans are obese, while 9 million are extremely obese (ObesityinAmerica.org). Hence, according to Mokdad, et al, obesity has been regarded as the second cause of preventable death in the US (qtd. in Ob esityinAmerica.org). Suppose that you were engaged in biotechnology, or genetic engineering; what environmental safeguards would you impose on your own research? Are there experiments that would be ethically off-limits for you? If I were to engage in genetic engineering projects, or related experiments, conscientiousness on my part would be necessary, so as to

Hummer, BMW, and Corolla's Brand Personalities Coursework - 2

Hummer, BMW, and Corolla's Brand Personalities - Coursework Example Hummer has a rugged image but to enhance their sales, they decided to change the brand personality to attract the youth and the women. Corolla has a dull image but is keen to give up its conservative approach which projects nothing except dependability. BMW gives rise to feelings of sophistication and yearning and hence is preferred by the wealthy and those who seek importance. It is hence recommended that brand owners should first segment their target market and try to understand the needs of their segment. This would help them design the features as per their requirement and hence would be more appealing to the customers. At the same time, the same brand can appeal to more than one segment and this can be done by appealing to their self-concept.Products and services today are imbued with personality characteristics and are recognized through these characteristics both by the consumers and the marketers. Marketers are trying to project an image of the brand that matches the personal ity of the individual consumer. They try to use marketing material such as advertisements and phrases so that the brand has an emotional appeal to the consumer. This becomes necessary because to buy a product the consumer must have an awareness of the brand. The brand would catch the consumer’s attention if he finds some similarities with his own requirements and personality. This led to the concept of brand personality which has been described by Aaker as a specific mix of human traits that are attributed to a particular brand.   Within a sector, different products and marketers apply different strategies to attract the right customer. Each product has its own specifications and hence they target a particular segment. Thus, the personality of the brand that is projected to the target segment must have similar characteristics and emotional appeal. This paper evaluates how three different automobile manufacturers project their brands to attract the right segment to enhance t heir sales. Online academic journals and some useful websites have been used to study the concept of brand personality in the automobile sector.  

International Oil & Gas Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

International Oil & Gas Law - Coursework Example The oil and gas industry in the contemporary world has seen considerable growth and development. In the past decades, oil exploration in the world has been enhanced, and new national oil producers are emerging attracting attention from international investors.1 The massive oil reserves of Polenskya is a clear example, and the following section highlights the facts on the ground with respect to Polenskya and issues touching the actions to be undertaken by Atlantic Oil Company-as the interested investor. 1.1. Facts about Polenskya Facts about Polenskya include massive unexploited oil reserves in the developing country having a population of 20 million of which, majority are illiterate. In Polenskya, there exists no established banking system thus financial saving and investments in the country calls for massive turn over. Regarding the commercial practices and environmental care, there are no international, commercial or environmental laws to safeguard the integrity and decency of the environment, as well as trade. Further, Polenskya has little national oil industry expertise; thus, international investment is the only option for Polenskya realising its dream of exploiting its oil reserves.. This is through the incorporation of international oil investors to the country to drill the resource at set agreements or concessions. On the political environment, in Polenskya; it is rumoured that President Millapot might resign due to ill health after ten years in power. This gives rise to the probability of a new regime coming in power in the near future with the initial development on the project. Issues concerning the oil reserve land; this is a home to an endangered species attracting tourist throughout the year, as well as an indigenous community growing food crops on the land. With respect to ventures into transportation survey, there exists a small port 100 miles from the area, which is primarily utilised for fishing. 2.0. THE OIL AND GAS INVESTMENT BY ATLANTIC OIL IN POLENSKYA 2.1. Atlantic Oil Company in Context Atlantic oil is a multinational oil company interested in investing in the nation of Polenskya. The venture will have to look into the following factual information. A. Atlantic is considering entering into a Production Sharing Agreement with Polenskya. This report wills advice Atlantic Oil on the advantages and disadvantages of undertaking a Production Sharing Agreement with Polenskya. Further, clauses to be included for this agreement will be discussed to enlighten the company on the impending terms of the contract. B. On the basis of Atlantic Oil not wholly funding any development project in Polenskya, the types and sources of financing available will be analysed. Further, the mode of minimising commercial and political risks will be discussed. On the same note, the project entails having very minimal disruption to the environment. Therefore, critical environmental issues that Polenskya will have to undertake to look critically i nto this will be of the essence to highlight and

Equalization in Canada verses Equalization in Australia Essay

Equalization in Canada verses Equalization in Australia - Essay Example Equalization is one of four major federal transfer programs. The others are the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, and the Territorial Formula Financing (the main source of revenue for territorial governments). Equalization is the federal government's main device for reducing fiscal inequalities between the 'have and have-not' provinces (Mapleleafweb). The grant to receive equalization funding is calculated by a formula assessing each province's revenue raising ability against a five-province standard. Presently eight Canadian provinces receive equalization: Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan. This program is the Canadian government's most important initiative for reducing fiscal discrepancies between provinces (Equalization Program). Equalization payments allow less prosperous provincial governments to offer their residents public services such as hospital fees, electricity, water and other basics that are comparable to those in other provinces and at similar taxation levels. Each province receives unconditional equalization payments. ... For 2005-06 eight provinces are expected to qualify for $10.9 billion in equalization entitlements. The provincial governments may spend the equalization money they receive in any way they desire, unlike conditional transfer payments such as the Canada Health and Social Transfer. The equalization payments guarantee equal levels of health care, education, and welfare in all the provinces. Equalization payments do not involve payment transfers from wealthy provinces to poorer provinces. Instead the federal treasury provides the funds for these payments. In other words, for example, a wealthy citizen from a poorer province like New Brunswick, pays more into equalization than a poorer citizen in wealthy province like Ontario. Since Ontario has a bigger population and wealth, the citizens of Ontario as a whole pay more federal taxes and therefore their total contribution in equalization payments is greater than that of New Brunswick. Equalization payments also aid by encouraging national unity. Quebec, the most populous of the poorer provinces, is the largest single beneficiary of the payments. 70% of the 10 million Canadians of the poorer provinces reside in Quebec when British Columbia and Saskatchewan are removed. The history of Equalization dates back to Confederation and the Constitution Act of 1867. Two basic principles that Canada's founding fathers based the separation of legislative powers: 1) The central government must retain much of its revenue generating power for the purpose of building railroads 2) 'Coordinate federalism' in which provincial governments act independently and autonomously within predefined powers and must be the basis for the division of powers between provinces and the central government. The great

Sampling and production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sampling and production - Essay Example 69558 million in the year between 1996 and 1997 (Priyadharshini 2012). Today, Indian leather industry is recognized in the international markets which has led to it being ranked in India’s one of the top seven earning industries of foreign exchange (Priyadharshini 2012). India is suitable as a destination for the sampling and production of leather garments because leather industry in India has seen a massive transformation and development since the sixties. Today, it not only exports raw materials, but also exports value added finished products. More importantly, the liberalized trade and economic policies combined with the globalization of Indian economy make its leather industry poised for more growth and expansion in the future and increased share in the global trade. Leather industry is also flourishing in Turkey, which makes it a suitable country to sample and export leather products from. SF Leather is a potential leather sampler and producer based in Izmir, Turkey’s free trade zone. Specialized in leather handbags’ production, SF Leather is quite popular among the clients as an alternative exporter of leather products to East Asia primarily because of the efficiency of its delivery and more competitive prices than what are charged by vendors in Eastern Europe (SF Leather n.d.). Another major company that qualifies for consideration is Moda Sourcing Solutions based in Istanbul, Turkey (modasourcing.com 2014). China has been chosen as the country for sampling and production of all other fabrics because Chinese exports of fabrics is reaching new height in the contemporary international markets. Places like Hangzhou have plentiful small garment makers that produce anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 suits every year (Brown et al 2005, p. 81). A very noticeable and appreciable aspect of Chinese trade is that the country is capable of producing all varieties of fabrics customized to the needs of its customers. Thus, we find some of the most

International Oil & Gas Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

International Oil & Gas Law - Coursework Example The oil and gas industry in the contemporary world has seen considerable growth and development. In the past decades, oil exploration in the world has been enhanced, and new national oil producers are emerging attracting attention from international investors.1 The massive oil reserves of Polenskya is a clear example, and the following section highlights the facts on the ground with respect to Polenskya and issues touching the actions to be undertaken by Atlantic Oil Company-as the interested investor. 1.1. Facts about Polenskya Facts about Polenskya include massive unexploited oil reserves in the developing country having a population of 20 million of which, majority are illiterate. In Polenskya, there exists no established banking system thus financial saving and investments in the country calls for massive turn over. Regarding the commercial practices and environmental care, there are no international, commercial or environmental laws to safeguard the integrity and decency of the environment, as well as trade. Further, Polenskya has little national oil industry expertise; thus, international investment is the only option for Polenskya realising its dream of exploiting its oil reserves.. This is through the incorporation of international oil investors to the country to drill the resource at set agreements or concessions. On the political environment, in Polenskya; it is rumoured that President Millapot might resign due to ill health after ten years in power. This gives rise to the probability of a new regime coming in power in the near future with the initial development on the project. Issues concerning the oil reserve land; this is a home to an endangered species attracting tourist throughout the year, as well as an indigenous community growing food crops on the land. With respect to ventures into transportation survey, there exists a small port 100 miles from the area, which is primarily utilised for fishing. 2.0. THE OIL AND GAS INVESTMENT BY ATLANTIC OIL IN POLENSKYA 2.1. Atlantic Oil Company in Context Atlantic oil is a multinational oil company interested in investing in the nation of Polenskya. The venture will have to look into the following factual information. A. Atlantic is considering entering into a Production Sharing Agreement with Polenskya. This report wills advice Atlantic Oil on the advantages and disadvantages of undertaking a Production Sharing Agreement with Polenskya. Further, clauses to be included for this agreement will be discussed to enlighten the company on the impending terms of the contract. B. On the basis of Atlantic Oil not wholly funding any development project in Polenskya, the types and sources of financing available will be analysed. Further, the mode of minimising commercial and political risks will be discussed. On the same note, the project entails having very minimal disruption to the environment. Therefore, critical environmental issues that Polenskya will have to undertake to look critically i nto this will be of the essence to highlight and

Sampling and production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sampling and production - Essay Example 69558 million in the year between 1996 and 1997 (Priyadharshini 2012). Today, Indian leather industry is recognized in the international markets which has led to it being ranked in India’s one of the top seven earning industries of foreign exchange (Priyadharshini 2012). India is suitable as a destination for the sampling and production of leather garments because leather industry in India has seen a massive transformation and development since the sixties. Today, it not only exports raw materials, but also exports value added finished products. More importantly, the liberalized trade and economic policies combined with the globalization of Indian economy make its leather industry poised for more growth and expansion in the future and increased share in the global trade. Leather industry is also flourishing in Turkey, which makes it a suitable country to sample and export leather products from. SF Leather is a potential leather sampler and producer based in Izmir, Turkey’s free trade zone. Specialized in leather handbags’ production, SF Leather is quite popular among the clients as an alternative exporter of leather products to East Asia primarily because of the efficiency of its delivery and more competitive prices than what are charged by vendors in Eastern Europe (SF Leather n.d.). Another major company that qualifies for consideration is Moda Sourcing Solutions based in Istanbul, Turkey (modasourcing.com 2014). China has been chosen as the country for sampling and production of all other fabrics because Chinese exports of fabrics is reaching new height in the contemporary international markets. Places like Hangzhou have plentiful small garment makers that produce anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 suits every year (Brown et al 2005, p. 81). A very noticeable and appreciable aspect of Chinese trade is that the country is capable of producing all varieties of fabrics customized to the needs of its customers. Thus, we find some of the most

Lower Legal Drinking Age Essay Example for Free

Lower Legal Drinking Age Essay The United States has a long history with alcohol consumption. For better and sometimes worse, alcohol has been a popular aid in many social gatherings and events involving Americans. Currently however, only those above the age of 21 years are allowed to enjoy the privilege of drinking alcoholic beverages. This occurred in 1984 with the passing of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act within the Federal Highway Act bill (US Congress, 1984). The bill said that a 10 percent decrease of highway funding would take place in states that failed to raise the drinking age to 21 (US Congress, 1984). All states complied with the bill very shortly after it’s passing because the crucial need for highway funding. Nevertheless, this passage has been controversial since its inception in 1984. Data compiled in favor of increasing the drinking age is just a controversial and strongly contested. Therefore, the drinking age should be lowered back to 18 years old, because too much liability is placed on bars, liquor stores, and social hosts, little evidence points to adverse health affects due to moderate minor alcohol consumption, and finally all rights and privileges of adulthood are given at age 18 in the United States except for alcohol consumption. First, the liability placed on bars, liquor stores, and social hosts has become a great burden in the alcohol industry. Vendors selling alcohol are required to properly identify the age of the buyer. However, this can be very complicated in the technological age that exists today. Fake identification has become a huge black market business as well as using the identification of those with a similar appearance. Minors are using fake identification to buy booze more than ever. Vendors should not be held accountable if these various forms of fake identification truly dupe them. A law review done on fake identification, also argues that placing all the liability on alcohol vendors is a lot to ask (Murray). Computers and the Internet have grown to an exponential use of fake IDs (Murray). Bar owners and liquor stores are turning away huge portions of their business just to comply with the law (Murray). It is not fair for the government to hold these vendors accountable and hurt their busin ess. By lowering the drinking age back to 18, the biggest group of underage drinkers would be targeted. 18 to 20 year olds are the largest population of underage drinkers because they are college-aged students. They are the most likely to attempt to use fake identification. By lowering the drinking age to make these ages legal, the use of fake identification will decrease dramatically. Furthermore, it is not fair to hold vendors liable for the actions of intoxicated minors if fake identification is used to purchase the alcohol. Two cases examine this issue. First, in the case of Berg Vs. Zummo, the plantiff sued the minor defendant for damages caused during his intoxication (Berg Vs. Zummo). The case went all the way to the Supreme Court of Louisiana. The decision reached held that the bar was first and foremost responsible for serving the minor alcohol (Berg Vs. Zummo). It also declared some liability on the minor for his reckless actions. However, by lowering the drinking age to 18 year s of age, the liability would be solely held by the intoxicated person in this case and not the establishment furnishing the alcohol. Thus lowering the drinking age further protects vendors in this regard. In another case, employees at a military base were held liable for serving alcohol to underage servicemen (US v. Dotson). The case of the United States of America v. Dotson Et. Al. upheld that vendors of alcohol are liable for serving to minors (US v. Dotson). Again, if the drinking age were lowered to 18, the liability in this case would have been avoided. All servicemen are age 18 and older. This brings up another important point. Those able to serve in our military and potentially die for their country should be able to consume alcohol. The rights and privileges of adulthood are given to all those aged 18 including servicemen and women. It is unfair to prevent them from drinking alcohol when they put their lives on the line for this country. Although many people find alcohol as a valuable remedy after a long day of work, alcohol can potentially lead to addiction problems as well as other adverse health effects. A major point to note in the matter at hand is that not all individuals binge drink, or drink excessively during frequent times. The consumption of at least five drinks or more in only a two hour sitting is excessive, yet unrealistic to think that those who do drink alcoholic beverages, consume them so frequently. Drinking alcohol with companions is a social activity that can potentially be healthy for those involved. Although there is a lot of negativity on the subject of underage drinking, there are also many benefits from consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol, even at the age of eighteen. Health benefits that can potentially be attained by indulging in casual drinking include reduced risk of developing heart disease, lowered risk for stroke, reduced risk of heart attack, lowered risk of gallstones, and reduced risk for diabetes (Mayo). It is evident that many years of excessive alcohol abuse can cause serious neurological damage as well as other harmful health affects, yet there is still a lack of evidence that fully verifies how alcohol kills brain cells. Conversely, there has been scientific research and studies to demonstrate how it is somewhat beneficial to one’s own health. Scientific medical research has actually confirmed that the moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with better cognitive skills and memory than is abstaining from alcohol (Hanson). Moderate can also help the brain function better into old age. While alcohol impairs one part of the brain, another part of the brain that is involved in learning is actually aided by alcohol according to new research (Morikawa). Neurobiologist Hitoshi Morikawa of the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research at The University of Texas in Austin says that consuming alcohol primes specific areas of the brain to improve learning and enhance memory. People commonly think of dopamine as a happy transmitter, or a pleasure transmitter, but more accurately its a learning transmitter, Morikawa says. It strengthens those synapses that are active when dopamine is released (Morikawa). The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle while also being able to socialize with the consumption of alcoholic beverages is moderation. â€Å"The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that if you choose to drink alcohol you do so only in moderation – up to one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men† (Mayo). With that in mind, the overall number of people that are actually consuming alcohol is in decline. Here at the University of Evansville, over 91% of surveyed students believe that the average student uses alcohol once a week or more, but only 21% of the surveyed students reported using alcohol that frequently. Teenagers across the United States are drinking less and less as well. In the thirty-six year history of the federal government’s annual Monitoring the Future Survey, consuming alcohol by middle and high school students has reached its lowest level (Hanson). For many young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one, drinking is a staple of their weekend activities and life in general. These constant users and potential abusers of alcohol find access to alcohol in a variety of ways despite the United States’ legal drinking age being twenty-one. Much of society views underage drinking with a meager â€Å"out of sight, out of mind† approach. Unfortunately, the reality is that binge drinking does take place and is more prevalent on college campuses and with young people as a whole. A growing number of college officials are disputing the effectiveness of current drinking laws, arguing they have failed. These college officials feel instead of preventing students from drinking, the current drinking laws are facilitating underground underage drinking in an unsafe environment with dangerous extremes as the consequences. One college official trying to bring forth a change and lower the national drinking age is John M. McCardell, president emeritus of Middlebury College in Vermont. His proposal is for the United States to decrease the drinking age to eighteen but implement â€Å"drinking licenses† after completion of a rigorous alcohol education program. However, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) still opposes the lowering of the drinking age because they feel it would increase the number of young drinkers getting behind the wheels of their vehicles; in turn, increasing the number of harsh crashes and also fatalities. McCardell argues that the drinking age has very little to do with the amount of people who drink and drive and says if it were the case, a smarter option would be to increase the driving age to twenty-one (Giaimo). McCardell founded â€Å"Choose Responsibility† in 1997. It is a nonprofit organization devoted to lowering the national drinking age and researching the effects the current law places on minors. McCardell feels his proposal will minimize the amount of abusive drinking that has become so prevalent in the past twenty years by acknowledging that eighteen year olds are adults in the eyes of the law in almost every other respect. McCardell has seen a reported increase in binge drinking by his students due to alcohol use being pushed into hiding. Two recent studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown young binge drinkers are increasing their consumption of hard liquor as their main source of alcohol since hard liquor is much easier to smuggle and remains much more inconspicuous in comparison to beer. Not to mention hard liquor being much easier to get intoxicated from compared to beer or wine. McCardell is logical enough to recognize the reality of alcohol in the lives of many people under the age of twenty-one. He feels lowering the drinking age would encourage more responsible drinking among this age group (Giaimo). Another instance where the drinking age being lowered is in consideration is the state of Alaska. Currently, Alaska state Republican Representative Bob Lynn is proposing a bill that would allow people in the military under the age of twenty-one to legally drink in the state. While Lynn does not support drinking as a habit, he does feel that if someone is old enough to die for our country then they should be treated as adults in every aspect. However, a federal government mandate passed in 1984 requires all states to adhere to the national drinking age of twenty-one or forfeit ten percent of their highway funding from the federal government. For Alaska, this would mean losing $50 million of their current $495.3 million in 2010. Obviously, this proposal is going to be much debated with the risk of losing that much federal funding as an option. Work Cited Alcohol Use: If You Drink, Keep It Moderate. Mayo Clinic (2011) Web. 19 March 2011. Berg v. Zummo, 763 So. 2d 57, 2000 (La. App. 4 Circ 2001). Chakraburtty, Amal. Teens and Alcohol. WebMD (2010) Web. 18 Feb 2011. Clark, Stephen. Alaska to Consider Lowering Drinking Age for U.S. Fox News (2011) Web. 31 March 2011. Giaimo, Mellisa. Alcohol Laws: Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered? . ABC News (2007) Web. 18 Feb 2011. Hanson, David J. Does Alcohol Kill Brain Cells? Alcohol Problems and Solutions Web. 19 March 2011. Morikawa, Hitoshi. Alcohol Aids Learning Part of the Brain. United Press International (2011) Web. 13 April 2011. Murray, Christopher J. Fake IDs: Can Bar Owners Sue If They Get Fooled? Marquette Law Review (2005) Web. 18 Feb 2011. United States of America v. Dotson, 615 F. 3d 1162 (U.S. App 2010) United States of America. National Minimum Drinking Age. Washington DC, 1984. Web. 18 Feb 2011.

The Exposed Problems Of Sexism In The Media Media Essay

The Exposed Problems Of Sexism In The Media Media Essay For many years now the media we are exposed to every day has been filled with gender inequality (sexism) even though we might not always notice it. Gender inequality is a problem we as humans have been facing for quite a few years now and more often than not the media has been part of the problem and not the solution. Problem statement: Does the media promote sexism and outdate views of male/female behaviour? What is media sexism? The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology defines sexism as being the unfair discrimination on the basis of sex. This kind of discrimination tends to operate in favour of men and against women; however the obverse is not entirely unheard of. From this we can assume that the term media sexism refers to discrimination on the basis of gender that we perceive from day to day in the media. As easy as the term may seem to be to grasp, its a much more abstract term in the way that we arent always aware of the sexism that takes place in the media. For example, the percentage of newsreaders covering important news stories that are male dominates the amount of female newsreaders covering important news stories. This is quite subtle and most people dont notice this, whereas the amount of female sex workers seen in the news is much more than the amount of male sex workers seen in the news. Sexism of any kind, including media sexism can occur on many different levels and range from being covert to being outright blatant. Yes the media promotes sexism and sexist behaviour From my point of view, yes, media does promote sexism and sexist behaviour. I say it does promote sexism because women, or to be more specific womens bodies and specific women body parts are used to advertise new products. How many adverts have we seen in magazines where new gadgets are being advertised with half naked woman holding it? Cars, TV, graphics card, cell phone, laptop, etc, are all being promoted and it is being associated with women and their body. The adverts on TV are mostly being advertised by women. And if look at these commercials most of them the women have nothing to do with the product that is being advertised, one of the example is the advert for fruit juice where woman were being splashed with different fruit and fruit juice. If we also look at the computer games and their characters we can clearly that its promoting sexism. As they make the women characters look very attractive and expose their bodies. This is not the only place where media promotes sexism, if have we look at the movies and series, we can see that the men are the ones playing the important roles in the movie and women are there just as the hot sex icon, we can take Transformers for example, where Megan Fox who is the one of the main characters in Transformers plays a sex icon in the movie. If we remember when the Transformers 1 and 2 came out many men went with their friends to cinemas to watch the movie not only for its great action and effects but went to go watch it to see Megan Fox. I can remember many of my friends talking of going to watch it just to see her. This clearly shows that women, in this case Megan Fox, are used to advertise the movie so that it can sell better. We can clearly see that media does promote sexism after we have given and discussed different fields of media where media sexism is being used. This is not good as there are many disadvantages from advertising women in such a way. Women are being used as objects. This has influence on mens mind, as it changes the way they view women and how they treat women in general. No The media does not promote sexism and sexist behaviour For many years the media has been dominated by male presenters, reporters, writers etc. Women were seen as inferior to men and their voices were not heard in the media. However, this has now come to pass According to the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), a global survey that is taken every five years, in 2005, 57% of all television news presenters were female and throughout the world women are more frequently becoming strongly represented in newsrooms. These figures also remained stable during the 2010 survey. It showed that while men were more likely to report domestic news stories (70%), women were much more likely to report international news (61%). Also worth mentioning is that 83% of news stories focusing on women were also presented by female journalists. Their findings from 1995-2010 for reporting and presenting the news read as following: 1995 2000 2005 2010 %Men %Women %Men %Women %Men %Women %Men %Stories presented on TV and Radio 51 49 49 51 53 47 49 As can be seen from the above table taken from the GMMP 2010, the percentage of males and females presenting news stories on television and radio have been rather stable and more importantly, equal for the last 20 years. This is a good example of how gender inequality and stereotypes are starting to dissipate from the media we are exposed to in everyday life. This change was brought about thanks to various different approaches to the issue of gender equality in the media that include, but are not limited to: Bringing gender balance to the institution of media; Creating alternative media for women to tell their stories and to let their voice be heard; Empowering and hiring female journalists; These approaches arent mutually exclusive. They all play important roles in gender equality in the media today as well as the fair portrayal of females in the media. In conclusion, males and females are slowly but surely starting to enter a balance when it comes to equality in the media. The days of gender stereotypes are drawing to a close and we welcome female journalists and newsreaders into the previously male dominated field where they prove themselves to be equals to their male counterparts. How the media portrays men and women and the effects thereof Through sexism in the media, stereotypes of how men and women should act and the roles they should adhere to are developed. The media has the power to influence the masses and by communicating sexist ideas the media is creating stereotypes by which they expect the public to conform to. Adverting campaigns such as the Bar One Man launched by Bar One and Windhoeks Always Keep it Real advertising campaigns are typical examples of the media dictating how men should act. Women used for advertising and television programmes are most times abnormally thin and skinny. Women viewing this believe that this is the norm and are driven to unhealthy diets and eating disorders in order to obtain what the media has portrayed as the ideal body. Young girls and women can suffer from anorexia and bulimia while trying to conform to what the media has portrayed as the perfect body size. Men are portrayed as being very strong, masculine and muscular. Men spend hours at the gym trying to obtain what has been presented to them as the perfect body and sometimes turn to supplement such as steroids for help which damage ones health. As a result of not achieving the perfect body, people can suffer from anxiety, depression and a range of inner conflicting emotions. Men and women are glamorised and portrayed as completely flawless in the media, this prompts everyday people to waste large amounts of money on cosmetics so that they may conform to this flawless image. Women spend money on expensive make-up, perfumes, clothes, jewellery and accessories while men are prompted to buy colognes, after-shaves and other costly cosmetic products in order to make themselves look appealing to the opposite sex. Some people would go as far as to pay to have cosmetic surgery done to improve their bodies. In the media women are presented as sex objects to be used by men. This leads to decay in the self esteem of women as they begin to believe that the only way to get attention from men is to present themselves as sex objects. This also has a negative impact on men as they loose respect for women and are led to believe that there are many beautiful women in the world that are easy and willing sex partners. In the media men are often seen doing something stupid or potentially dangerous to gain the attention and approval of a woman. This is seen in a lot of First for Women advertisements on the television and in magazines. This encourages men to act recklessly to get a womans attention. The way the media portrays men and women is not an accurate representation of reality, but a false portrayal of how the media expects men and women to be. The way media portrays men and women creates an extremely high expectation of reality. People become obsessive about meeting that expectation and damage their health and emotions in the process. Men and women face disappointment when the opposite sex does not live up to the high expectation the media has created of them. Using sexism to help promote or sell products does not always work in the favour of the companies advertising. Sexist advertisements that appear in the media can often annoy and enrage the gender that is being exploited or ridiculed in order to promote the product. This causes negative feelings and emotions towards that advertisement. By using sexism in advertising a company can gain the attention of its audience but can also leave people feeling angered and opposed to buying that specific product. Group opinion After discussing the topic and considering all the information we gathered throughout this assignment we as a group decided that the media definitely promotes sexism and sexist behaviour particularly in favour of males. The female body is often being exploited to sell products; females are less frequently used to present important news and less than 30% of journalists covering important stories worldwide are female (GMMP, 2011). Hopefully in coming years this will become a thing of the past, but for the time being media sexism is a very real problem that we face. In conclusion It would appear that the media is still representing females as being inferior to males or at least to a certain degree. Despite this however, females are starting to fight back and are proving to be worthy equals to their male counterparts. Organisations such as the GMMP are trying to ensure gender equality in the media and are slowly, but surely achieving their goal. This is a mindset that might take many years to get out of, but it is a necessary change that will have to take place if we are to truly progress as a species. In our opinion, males and females are equal and it should be portrayed that way in the media and in any walks of life.

Affirmative Action Essay example -- essays research papers

Affirmative action is the nation’s most ambitious attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma, will be reviewed, beginning with the explanation of how affirmative action came about. In March l96I, less than two months after President John F. Kennedy took office, he issued an Executive Order (10925), which established the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. Its mission was to end discrimination in employment by the government and its contractors. The order required every federal contract to include the pledge that "The Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action, to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." (QUOTE) Here for the first time the government called for "affirmative action." Soon, thereafter the Civil Rights Act of 1964 restated and broadened the application of this principle with the Title VI, which declared that "No person in the United States shall, on the ground Or r ace, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." But within one year President Lyndon B. Johnson argued that fairness required more than a commitment to impartial treatment. In his 1965 commencement address at Howard University, he said: "You do not take a person who for years has been hobbled by chains and liberate him... ...us attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma. Affirmative Action is the bridge between changing the laws and changing the culture. The radical right wing would have us believe that women and people of color earn less because we don't work as hard or we're not as smart. That simply isn't the case. Laws have changed, but discrimination persists. Affirmative Action only opens doors, women and people of color have to walk through those doors by themselves. Affirmative Action Essay example -- essays research papers Affirmative action is the nation’s most ambitious attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma, will be reviewed, beginning with the explanation of how affirmative action came about. In March l96I, less than two months after President John F. Kennedy took office, he issued an Executive Order (10925), which established the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. Its mission was to end discrimination in employment by the government and its contractors. The order required every federal contract to include the pledge that "The Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action, to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." (QUOTE) Here for the first time the government called for "affirmative action." Soon, thereafter the Civil Rights Act of 1964 restated and broadened the application of this principle with the Title VI, which declared that "No person in the United States shall, on the ground Or r ace, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." But within one year President Lyndon B. Johnson argued that fairness required more than a commitment to impartial treatment. In his 1965 commencement address at Howard University, he said: "You do not take a person who for years has been hobbled by chains and liberate him... ...us attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma. Affirmative Action is the bridge between changing the laws and changing the culture. The radical right wing would have us believe that women and people of color earn less because we don't work as hard or we're not as smart. That simply isn't the case. Laws have changed, but discrimination persists. Affirmative Action only opens doors, women and people of color have to walk through those doors by themselves.

Video Games in Education Essay -- Gaming Video Games Essays Papers

Video Games in Education Since the Early 70’s video games have been giving a bad name. Parents state that video games rot the minds of children and are influencing them do be violent. These accusations are far from the truth. In my research I found that there are many positive effects of gaming. Some of these effects are increased skills, creativity, general knowledge, and also help those in need. Parents can also take proper precautions and look into a game before buying it to see if it meets the criteria discussed in this paper. Video games challenge the player and expand his ability to react fast with very little lag time. With years of practice the player becomes quicker and more accurate with the movements. Thus hand and eye coordination is better, the player sees something on the screen and has to physically react to it. Not only is hand and eye coordination improved but so is manual dexterity (Taking Children Seriously). For example Madden 2004 is a football game, which requires fast reactions. If the player does not have the quick reaction skills develop then the other team will most likely sack him. The player needs to realize he has a limited time to throw the ball and most get the pass off quickly, he needs to scan the field, look for a possible escape route, and watch for the defense closing in. Another type of game, which improves hand and eye coordination, is shooting games. Although these games, such as Time Crisis 2, are being criticized for its violent content, these games force the pl ayer to quickly scan the screen for criminals to shoot before they are shot. The police force uses similar methods to train their officers to raise reaction speed when they are out on the streets. Related to h... ...the ideas that are taught in schools. Games also need to intermix instruction with demonstration. This is a big difference from the basic way of learning in school, which is memorize and regurgitate. Demonstrating shows the student what it looks like and they retain the content longer. Video games have been an influence part of our society since the early 70’s. The bad named that they are given is false, the only reason they have this bad name is because kids like games, so anything that is fun is bad for you. If a child loved playing chess he or she would be rewarded but it to is a game. Video games can help the learning process and should be incorporated in to the school system. If a child loved playing chess he or she would be rewarded but it to is a game. Video games can help the learning process and should be incorporated in to the school system.

Why Online Shopping Is Making a Trend?

It seems everyone loves online deals, online discounts, online coupons and more! Millions of people are patiently browsing the web in search for the best online deals of the day and the best online discount websites. A realization settled in me then that in tough economic times, people become wiser. That somehow propelled consumers to browse for the best deals on the web. Life is now highly digitalized! Thus, online shopping and online coupon are now very popular and certainly a trend for years to come.Moms, budget enthusiasts, frugal people or shall I say wise consumers just can’t resist the convenience online coupons and online deals can offer. You can’t blame shoppers to find the best deals and eye-popping discount prices to maximize savings by going through the best online deal websites. Take ShopAtHome for instance, it provides online shoppers the best deals, best products with the best price with just a few clicks.The most amazing part of it, is its cash back prog ram where you can get as much as 50 percent of the price credited to your account which enable you to buy more needed items. Now who wouldn’t love deep discounts made possible by ShopAtHome and other online discount websites? Through them you can freely access catalogs, do comparison shopping, cash-back, exclusive daily deals from online retailers. Plus free shipping is recently a trend too.Coupons decline for almost a couple of decades and has just come back on track in 2009 which also mark the first year of coupon boom. Sometimes, things happen for a reason. The significant shift of the consumers shopping trend is undoubtedly caused by the the current economic status. People now opt to use the internet to find the hottest deals, online discounts, online coupons which also provide shoppers the best place to buy, how they buy and take advantage of promotions.