My Habit Of Lips Licking And Biting - 900 Words

The behavior I want to eliminate in this assignment is my habit of lips licking and biting. When I heard about this assignment, I started to search for a bad habit. After a few days of observation, I found that I bite my lips a lot and also I lick my lips. Especially, while I am in a boring class or when I am in boring situations. People’s around me never told me that I lick and bite my lips, therefore I think this behavior of mine is not very recognizable. The reason why I want to eliminate this habit is because, when I lick my lips, saliva makes my lips very dry and easy to crack caused from excessive licking and biting. Although, this behavior of mine does not bother me much, it damages my lips a lot and makes it look bad which makes me want to eliminate this behavior more. As a result of my first four days of observation, I found that I bite my lips a lot when I am in a boring situation. Especially, when I was waiting to play basketball at the campus Recreational center I bite my lips frequently. In my opinion this is likely resulted from boredom of waiting to play for several minutes. Also, I bit and licked my lips many times in a class which I find quite boring. According to the classical conditioning terms, feeling bored is the conditioned stimulus (UCS), biting and licking my lips is the unconditioned response (UCR), whereas waiting in line or being in a boring class is the conditioned stimulus (CS), and biting my lips is the result of being bored in a class orShow MoreRelatedThe Ballad of the Sad Cafe46714 Words   |  187 Pagesup at Miss Amelia. That s me, she said. How do you mean kin ? Because -- the hunchback began. He looked uneasy, almost as though he was about to cry. He rested the suitcase on the bottom step, but did not take his hand from the handle. My mother was Fanny Jesup and she come from Cheehaw. She left Cheehaw some thirty years ago when she married her first husband. I remember hearing her tell how she had a half-sister named Martha. And back in Cheehaw today they tell me that was your mother

Time Essay - 976 Words

Time Time is defined as a measured or measurable period, a continuum that lacks spatial dimensions. This broad definition lacks the simple explanation that humans are searching for. There are many scientists, philosophers, and thinkers who have tried to put time into understanding terms. The aspects of time that we can understand are only based on what we can perceive, observe, and calculate. Every day we look at our watches or clocks. We plan our day around different times of the day. Time tells us when to eat, when to sleep, and how long to do things for. If time were based on these simple terms, then this mysterious enigma would not be in debate. There are the issues of space and time; what is the relationship†¦show more content†¦When space and the universe began, the existence of time also began. This theory is well-known as the Big Bang Theory. About fifteen billion years ago, the universe was comprised of very hot compressed gas, as a fireball. This is contrary to the idea of the universe beginning as a lump of matter somewhere in the void of space. Matter was created as a result of the Big Bang. Space and time was also created. So, with these ideas, time had a beginning. Looking at it a different way, in the early universe, the normal concept of time is uncertain. Our accepted perceptions, and calculations of time can’t be explained all the way back to the Big Bang. There is no way to define time in that era. This is another way that time has a beginning; as far back as we can calculate. Space-time began at the same time. According to Hawking, you can’t look at the universe using general relativity without finding a big bang or something similar to that at the very beginning. So what does time mean to people now? Time is different as you go through time zones. Everyone has their own perception of time. Nobody is ever on the same schedule, doing things exactly like another person. Even to go as far as other galaxies and planets, time cannot be existing on the same terms. In short, time is not absolute. In the space-time continuum, space bends whenever there is a mass. It’s kind of like a bowling ball hitting aShow MoreRelatedThe Time Of Time Traveling1706 Words   |  7 Pagesremains the same for all which is  time. You can look time as it’s a train that won t stop moving no matter what and all  on the same train whether we like it or not. So imagine this what if we could get off the train to board a slower one whereas the time moves slower. Since the time goes slower you age slower but when you  re  aboard the first train you’d be in the future relativity when you got off the first time; that’s the concept of time traveling. The idea of time traveling is popular among scienceRead MoreTime Is Precious1115 Words   |  5 PagesYes†¦the subject is Time. Time is the most precious thing for a man as it comes only once in someones life and never stays long. Our life is like a bubble, a short morning dream. Therefore, we should take good care and make the best use of it. In other words, we must understand the value of time. Time management is basically planning and dividing ones time in a constructive way. We all have a number of activities that have to be taken care of in a particular period of time. So we should be ableRead MoreThe Time Of The End1043 Words   |  5 Pagesthe end time, or the end of this present age as we know it, you must first understand that in the Bible the â€Å"time of the end† spans from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. Since it is often difficult for most people to find the time to study the Bible from cover to cover, it will be my job to highlight one of the most important threshold moments of the end time era for your understanding, and let that serve as a quick reference to knowledge that you so desperately need. Time is of theRead MoreThe Illusion Of Time?872 Words   |  4 PagesNovember 2015 The Illusion of Time No scientific experiment has ever been done or could be done to prove that time exists. One would say that time is real since it is everywhere, but is what is experienced as time really time? Physics, neurology, and psychology would say no. Many physicists believe time does not exist. Einstein proved through the theory of relativity that time is not an absolute quantity(Jones). Things do not change because of time; time passes on. Change occurs internallyRead MoreSaving Time1256 Words   |  6 Pages Saving Time Time management determines by the difference between successful and unsuccessful people. Successful people are able to balance the goals they wish to achieve and duties. And this success comes from their ability to their time optimally in light of their objectives. There are two types in our lives: Type I: A difficult time organizing, or managing how much time we spend in our basic needs such as eating, comfort, family relations and social mission. It is a time cannot useRead MoreThe Definition Of Time967 Words   |  4 Pagesgarden. But 3,600 represents the number of seconds in an hour, a time frame in which people can take as a short or long amount of time. Isn’t it fascinating how a number as large as 3,600 can be synonymous with a number as small as one? One hour; thirty six thousand seconds. That’s the time most people use to catch up on the latest episode of their favorite TV show. That’s the time some people use to commute to work everyday. Thats the time it takes to bake a cake. These simple tasks don’t all feel likeRead MoreTime and the Machine1287 Words   |  6 PagesAldous Huxley’s â€Å"Time and the Machine† the author is unenthusiastic with the use of the present generation’s use of time management as opposed to previous generations. In the past, people were more involved with nature, they enjoyed taking walks and kids ran and played outside more. Nowadays more children would prefer to remain in doors and play video games or surf the internet instead of a game of â€Å"jump rope.† Nature is relevant in this work due to the author’s frustration with time being spent elsewhereRead MoreThe Transition Times. Graduation Is One Example Of A Time1240 Words   |  5 PagesT he Transition Times Graduation is one example of a time of celebration and honor. It is the reward you receive for multiple years of difficult work and perseverance. It is also an extremely bittersweet occasion because often times you are required to make difficult decisions. Decisions that could take you away from everyone and everything you have ever known. This is known as a time of transition. Honestly, it seems a bit anticlimactic that after all the emotions and preparation you do beforehandRead MoreNo Time At Think And Time Ain t Money847 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"No Time to Think† and â€Å"Time Ain’t Money†, the authors paraphrase how new technology has affected businesses and its workers. In â€Å"No Time to Think†, Levy talks about how workers need more leisure time. In â€Å"Time Ain’t Money†, Rushkoff talks about how business are having to adjust due to new technology. Both of these authors talk about how Americans are living in a much faster s ociety. In â€Å"Time Ain’t Money†, Rushkoff explains how new technology is affecting businesses which helps perceive why LevyRead MoreTime Travel2722 Words   |  11 PagesFor many years time travel was the stuff of science fiction. This was all just part of the worlds imagination until recently. Scientists now believe that the current laws of physics allow us to travel though time. They believe that we can now travel back to see our founding fathers sign the declaration of independence. We could travel to 2999 to witness the birth of the next new millennium. Such travel would require a machine capable of withstanding great pressures and incredible amounts of speed

Huckleberry Finn Free Essays

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave â€Å"civilized† society and go back to nature. Twain expresses his opinions to the public through the innocent and naive eyes of a fourteen year old boy. He not only uses Huckleberry to convey his thoughts but also uses the Mississippi River as the grand symbolic representation of nature and freedom. We will write a custom essay sample on Huckleberry Finn or any similar topic only for you Order Now Twain criticized the contradiction that was present in Southern society. The ongoing feud occurring between the two families, Grangerfords and the Shepherdson’s illustrates this successfully. The families attend church every Sunday and listen to the service which is all about brotherly love. After this they go and begin shooting in the woods and killing one another. Furthermore the feud observes human’s barbaric nature and accepts it as the correct way to live. The ignorance and hypocrisy of Southern folk and civilization is heavily criticized as the families are not able to remember the actual reason that they are fighting. When Buck was questioned by Huck about the reason behind the feud, he replied â€Å"Oh, yes, pa knows, I reckon, and some of the other old folks; but they don’t know, now, what the row was about in the first place. † (page 168). Buck is clearly clueless as to the reason, but nonetheless continues fighting. This highlights how people in society simply accept the ideas and way of life that the society imposes upon them without any questions or second thought. Such conformity flies against the grain of Twain’s beliefs as they do Huck’s. Different personas are another aspect about shore life that Twain has explored in the novel. Huckleberry Finn assumes the role of multiple different personas. At one point when he was onshore he pretends to be a boy who hates niggers, but in reality he is saving and protecting one. Huck was once questioned regarding a nigger who had just escaped. He’s response was â€Å"You bet I ain’t! I run across him the in woods about an hour or two ago, and he said if I hollered he’d but my livers out. † (page 280). The constant use of Huck’s several personas indirectly alludes to the pretence of civilized people. Huck also wears the various ‘masks’ in order to survive alone in a man’s world. He is living life the only way that is possible for im. He is more concerned about being true to himself than to others. Huck predominantly returns to his true self and this assists in communicating the notion that no matter what the situation everyone always reverts back to their true self. Being true to yourself is a American ideal that is no t present on the shore but is vividly present in nature; particularly when Huck is on the raft and sailing down Mississippi River. When Huck become a fugitive and fled the shackles of ‘civilization’ that caused constrains to be imposed upon him; Huck decided to develop into his individual identity. Huckleberry’s discovery of his true identity is contrary to the Southern society’s beliefs, practices and lifestyle. A significant moment in Huck’s adventures was when he made the judgment to assist Jim to freedom. Huck was educated his entire life that aiding a ‘nigger’ to freedom was wicked and immoral; and that he would be banished to hell if he ever did exactly that. The instant that Huck tore up the piece of paper and said â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to hell†, he became of age and was no longer a boy; he turned away from society. Unequivocally, life on the river acts as a catalyst for transformation for character and conviction. In contrast, life on the shore is portrayed by Twain as being â€Å"old shackly dried-up frame concerns that hadn’t ever been painted† (page 200). Residents of the town had gardens that were full of rubbish and did not have plants flowering in the garden. There were hogs that were constantly coming into their gardens and in order to respond to this the people had to keep chasing them out because the hogs ruined the garden. The hogs are a symbolic representation of the people in the town, especially the loafers, which are causing the town to become dilapidated. They also are not contributing to re-establishing the town, socially or economically. Twain represents shore life as stagnant and that it is not evolving into a better society but it is indeed shifting backwards. Twain is more concerned about informing the readers about risking everything for the sake of freedom rather than to tell them a humble story about boyhood adventures. Huck’s replication of his death was the commencement of his adventures and pursuit of freedom. The persistent lying of Huck that assists in protecting Jim demonstrates how Huck has to constantly risk his life in order to honour his commitment to his slave friend escape the shackles of conformity and to Jim gain freedom. Risking one’s life for the sake of freedom is an ideal that is strongly articulated in American tradition. Twain reveals how Huck has to escape ‘civilized’ society in order to achieve this particular ideal. Twain used Huck’s persona to emphasize the true American ideal. The boyhood adventures were merely a mask for political and social comment. Following the analysis of the aspect of the contrasting river and shore life it can be interpreted that true life is obtained in when in nature. Twain expresses his opinions, ideas and beliefs successfully and clearly through the voice of a youthful and adventurous boy. Twain exposes and criticizes the contradiction and hypocrisy that is present in life on the shore. Being true to one’s self is a true American ideal that does not exist on shore life but is undeniably present throughout Huck’s and Jim’s journey down the Mississippi River. Shore life is expressed as stationary meanwhile life on the river ever-changing and a kaleidoscopic for moral change and development. Huckleberry Finn advocates the message that in order for a person to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, they essentially have to leave â€Å"civilized† society and return to nature. How to cite Huckleberry Finn, Essay examples

Competitive Advantage Of Aldi Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Competitive Advantage Of Aldi Retail Company. Answer: Introduction According to Wu et al. (2015), Aldi is a retail company that is present in countries like the UK, Germany and Australia as well. The company was first started in Germany and is named after its founder that is Albrecht Discount. The company is a supermarket and deals with all kinds of products so that it can cater to all the needs and preferences of the customers. It provides heavy discounts to the customers and is considered to be a medium type of supermarket. The company was established by Theo and Karl Albrecht in the year 1913 and its headquarters is present in Essen, Germany. The researchers Trevena et al., (2015) stated that the company opened its first store in Australia in the year 2001 and has been expanding ever since due to the heavy demands of the products by the consumers. The company has a wide network of supermarkets that is present in the Eastern Seaboard of the country. The products are given at a cheaper rate, which has helped the company in building a better relationship with the customers and increase its customer base as well. SWOT analysis Strengths The company provides top quality products, which helps them in building a large base of customers. The company also offers the products at a lower price so that it can cater to a large number of customers. The company maintains a lower cost of operations so that it can help them in keeping the prices low for the products that are being delivered to the customers. The company has a strong presence in the European markets and other countries as well, which has helped them in maintaining a better rate of profit in the market. The growth of the company has led in an increase in the share in the consumer market, which has also resulted in getting around 1.1 million new customers as well. The company has been named as the best supermarket over a period of four years consecutively, which has helped them in earning a better reputation in the consumer market (Shabanova et al., 2015). Weaknesses The company has not been able to create an impact on a global manner except for the stores that it has in different parts of the world. The consumers sometimes regard the stores where cheap and low low quality products can be found. The company works as a discount retailer but needs to increase prices of certain products such as bananas and milk products, as there has been a fall in the value of pound. The company is beyond the big four supermarkets and has not created a better impact than them such as Tesco has a market share of around 28 percent in the market and leads the consumer market as well (Yuan et al. 2015). Opportunities According to Shabanova et al. (2015), the company needs to invest more in themarketing so that it can stop the fierce competition that it faces from other supermarket stores. They need to think about expanding in to countries like Africa and Asia so that the resources can be tapped in these markets, which will help them in increasing their level of profits. The company can provide better alternatives to the products that are costly so that the consumers can buy those at a cheaper rate. This will help the company in expanding and developing the products so that it can expand in an efficient manner. The expansion of the company will help in creating more job opportunities, which will help in gaining the trust in the consumer market as well. Threats The company cannot cater to the needs of the customers who are looking for an overall experience in shopping. The recent takeover of Whole Foods by Amazon has increased their shares in the market, which will provide stiff resistance to Aldi due to the domination of Amazon on a global level. Companies such as Asda and Tesco provide better alternatives to the customers, which has resulted in increasing the trust among the customers and maintaining a large base of customers in the product market (Yuan et al., 2015). Recommendation Target market According to Sun et al. (2015), the target market is the breakdown of the market segments so that the company can concentrate on a certain section of the society and increase its profit levels. This will help the company in achieving the maximum satisfaction of the customers by offering the products and services in an efficient manner. The setting of the target market helps the company in adopting better promotional techniques along with the setting of prices so that it can provide the products to the customers in a cost-effective manner. Rothaermel (2015) was of the opinion that the target market can be divided in to demographic segmentation where the where they have to consider the various age groups of the customers who are interested in buying the products from the stores. The analysis of the demography will help the company in gaining a better understanding regarding the gender that is present in the market along with the age groups and the marital status of the population so that it can provide the products and services accordingly. Sun et al. (2015) stated that the analysis based on psychograph will help the company in determining the likelihood of the present market in purchasing the services or the products that are being given by the company. The interest and the lifestyles of the people need to be analyzed in an efficient manner so that the company can be able to understand the needs that are present within the market. The opinions and the attitudes of the consumers has to be dealt in a proper manner so that the company can provide the services in an optimum manner, which will help them in earning a better rate of profit within the market. The target market for the company is that they cater to individuals who belong to different age groups and the stores contain all the necessary items that the customers would want to purchase. The customers are treated in an equal manner irrespective of their caste and creed when they enter the store for purchasing the product and the employees assist them if they face any difficulty in understanding the utility of the products. New product/services description Trevena et al. (2015) stated that the introduction of products and services by the companies help them in gaining a competitive advantage in the market, as it helps the customers in getting a better shopping experience when they enter the stores. The use of efficient service procedures will help the company in gaining a competitive advantage, as the employees can associate themselves with the customers in a better manner. Wu et al. (2015) stated that the company will be providing new services to the customers such as the products that will be demanded by the customers will be made available to the doorsteps of the customers within one day. This service will help the company in associating themselves with the customers in a better manner. The demands of the customers will be met by maintaining a better chain of operations so that the products can be delivered to the customers in an efficient manner. Rothaermel (2015) stated that the services that the company provides to the consumers helps them in maintaining a competitive advantage in the market, as the customers get all the information regarding the products and its value as well. Since the customers in the modern world rely mostly on the fresh products, it helps the company in providing them all the necessary information so that they can maintain a better image in the market. Marketing mix relevant strategies Product Shabanova et al. (2015) were of the view that the company serves different kinds of products to its customers so that they can cater to their needs and preferences. This has helped the company in diversifying its products so that the needs of the customers can be fulfilled. The standard of service that they give to the customers helps them in maintaining a high level of satisfaction as well. This has resulted in increasing the trust among the customers so that they can come back to the stores for other needs as well. the company operates on the basis of twelve hours and remains open all throughout the year so that they can provide the maximum level of benefits to them. The employees are given training on a continuous manner so that they can have a better understanding and provide the best services to the customers if they face any query regarding the utility of the products. Price Yuan et al. (2015) stated that the pricing policy of the company is innovative in nature, as most of the products have a lower price than the other supermarkets operating in the same area. The products are priced at a lower rate by the company due to the fact that they purchase the items directly from their suppliers so that it can be provided to the customers at a lower cost. The quality of the products are fresh that is delivered by the company, which helps them in gaining a competitive advantage over the other supermarkets that are present in the area. The company maintains a higher rate of bargaining power over the suppliers, as they buy the products in bulk quantities, which helps them in getting it at a lower price. This advantage is passed on to the customers and provides a limited amount of choices to them so that they can enjoy the products at a lower price as well. Place According to Trevena et al. (2015), it is one of the important elements in the tools ofmarketing mix, which is regarding the channels of communication and the location of the stores so that it is viable for the customers to locate it in a proper manner. The delivery service that is provided by the company enables them in maintaining an effective level of communication with the logistics of the company so that the work can be carried out in an efficient manner. The delivery trucks collect the products and maintain a proper system of communication with the company so that they can be guided in an effective manner to the location of the customers. The customers are also made aware regarding the status of the products so that it can help in keeping a track of their products. This helps the company in maintaining a better relationship with the customers so that it can help in increasing their trust levels for the company. Promotion Wu et al. (2015) were of the view that the company promotes its products and services in two ways that is above-the line and below-the-line promotional activities. The promotional technique known as above-the-line helps the company in increasing its share in the market. It helps in increasing the loyalty among the customers by communicating with them in a proper manner. This type of promotion helps the company in increasing its level of awareness so that the brand can be recognized in a better manner. It also helps the company in increasing its demand for the products so that the image of the brand can be improved in the market place. According to Yuan et al. (2015), this method of promotional activity includes the paid advertising that helps in connecting with the mass audience. The mode of communication that is included in this type of promotional activity is radio, magazines, newspapers and television, which can reach to a large number of customers. The advertisements can be done through television, which will help in attracting a large number of people, as most of the customers watch TV during a part of the day. The use of leaflets can also be considered by the company, as it can be distributed among the customers so that it can help them in getting the valuable information, which will attract them towards the company. Rothaermel (2015) was of the view that the below-the-line promotional activities are the methods in which the company can engage with the customers in a better manner. This will help the customers in targeting the specific audiences in so that it can help the company in gaining better level of controls over the communicative skills. This type of promotional activity can be carried out through social media by advertising the products and services in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This will help the customers in gaining better knowledge regarding the products and services, as most of the modern day customers are hooked on to the social media platforms. Shabanova et al. (2015) opined that the website of the company also provides important information regarding the products that are present in the stores so that the customers get to know the availability of the products when they are in need of it. E-mailing the loyal customers also help the company in retaining the customers, as they get to know the discounts that are being offered by the company regarding the products. The customers will also be notified regarding the special discounts that they would get during the festive season or on an annual basis. Conclusion Therefore it can be concluded that Aldi needs to improve its services in the market so that the customers can be retained and can develop the trust over the company. This will help the company in increasing the base of customers so that the margin of profit for the company can be increased. The promotional methods that are used by the company will help them in informing the customers regarding the new services that are being offered by them to the customers. The services that will be provided by the company will help them in gaining a competitive advantage over the other firms that are present in the area, as proper techniques of communication will help them in carrying out the work in an efficient manner. The company would target people from all the section of the society; the stores contain most of the products that are in demand among the teenagers as well as old age people. This will help the company in increasing its customer base in the market so that it can earn a better return by selling the products. The price of the items also plays an important role, as most of the items are priced at a minimum rate so that customers from all backgrounds can afford the products. This is due to the fact that the company procures the materials directly from the suppliers, which help in keeping the prices low so that it can be purchased by the customers. References Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education. Shabanova, L.B., Ismagilova, G.N., Salimov, L.N. and Akhmadeev, M.G., 2015. PEST-Analysis and SWOT-Analysis as the most important tools to strengthen the competitive advantages of commercial enterprises.Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences,6(3), p.705. Sun, H., Liu, J., Zhang, Z., Jia, T. and Sun, Q., 2015. Fresh Food Online Supermarket Format Development Research. InLISS 2013(pp. 633-638). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Trevena, H., Neal, B., Dunford, E., Haskelberg, H. and Wu, J.H., 2015. A comparison of the sodium content of supermarket private-label and branded foods in Australia.Nutrients,7(8), pp.7027-7041. Wu, J.H., Neal, B., Trevena, H., Crino, M., Stuart-Smith, W., Faulkner-Hogg, K., Louie, J.C.Y. and Dunford, E., 2015. Are gluten-free foods healthier than non-gluten-free foods? An evaluation of supermarket products in Australia.British Journal of Nutrition,114(3), pp.448-454. Yuan, Y., Zhang, Y., Di, L., Wu, G.G. and Yang, Z.X., 2015, August. Research on large supermarket fresh food supplier evaluation and selection based on SWOT-Entropy Weight Fuzzy Comprehensive model. InAdvanced Mechatronic Systems (ICAMechS), 2015 International Conference on(pp. 15-19). IEEE.

Advocacy Action, Change and Commitment

Advocacy Action, Change and Commitment Introduction Advocacy according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) context is defined as the use of efforts that affect the political climate, plan and programme verdicts, as well as public opinions or social beliefs. This context also defines advocacy as financial determinations, community aid and involvement in an issue.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advocacy: Action, Change and Commitment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is done via a set of well-designed actions carried out through a group of dedicated individuals or corporations working in a performance. It simply entails exploring the environment, identifying the agenda, defining partners, lobbying assistance of decision makers, developing allies and constituent building. Advocacy according to UNFPA heavily depends on mass media, group and interpersonal communications. The common targets of advocacy include policy makers, several decision make rs, spiritual leaders and those managing access to substantial resources such as the media (Henderson Pochin 106). Discussion Advocacy was adopted as a core programme area by UNFPA in 1995 over other approaches such as social mobilization, social selling, education, health enhancement and BCC (Behavioral change communication). The advantage of UNFPA advocacy over these methods is that UNFPA advocacy brings light on ICPD precedence’s and rising concerns. Second, UNFPA advocacy puts into consideration key issues such as gender cruelty and the girl child education. In addition, UNFPA advocacy provides a well organized framework for controlling resources to attend to ICPD priorities. The main differences between UNFPA advocacy and IEC include the fact that while UNFPA advocacy targets people by enrolling their support for the gain of other community members, IEC targets people by enrolling them to transform their behaviors for their personal gains. UNFPA advocacy is thus directed towards affecting the communal policy and public arena while IEC is primarily directed towards affecting conduct that is more individual. There are eight essential elements of UNFPA advocacy strategy. These include openly defined issues, well planned objectives, properly evaluated environment, recognized stakeholders, principal messages, suitably chosen intrusions and tools, execution plan and particular indicators for supervision and evaluation (Freeley Steinberg 268).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The situation discussed for the preparation of UNFPA advocacy plan in this paper is gender issues in reproductive well being. Women are rapidly heading for full and equal involvement in all features of local and international development. Some of the key barriers to the development of female sexual and reproductive well being are their lack of authority to make decision s at all socio- efficient levels. Assenting actions are required in this case. The preparation of an advocacy plan should, therefore, attempt to achieve equality and justness based on well balanced relationships amongst men and women. It should make it possible for women to recognize their full capabilities. The advocacy plan should make certain the improvement of women participation to sustainable development by fully involving them in processes of decision making at all levels. Women should also take part in all areas of production, income creating activities, science, education, traditions and technology. They should actively participate as decision makers, contributors and beneficiaries (Subedi Thapa 98). Approaches that can be taken within an Advocacy programme include the involvement of significant leaders and chief decision makers. This work together to strengthen relationships that offer access to the other decision makers. They establish what pressures or agreements must b e passed to the public. They are instruments to supply precise information. These leaders also make the public understand the official and unofficial parts of the advocacy programme. This approach is appropriate in a situation involving gender issues. Working together with the mass media so as to generate consensus is another approach. This involves coming up with an outreach programme to keep the objectives of the programme in the brains of the media, the overall public and decision makers. This approach is appropriate in a situation involving reproductive health. The third approach involves building companionships, networks and unions. In advocacy, figures significantly matter and establishing a network that will act like a framework and execute tasks in support of the matter is an added advantage to the process. This approach may sometimes constitute action planning. Important actions may have to be carried out to make formal the proposed network. This approach is appropriate in a situation involving population development. The fourth approach is the development of national capabilities for advocacy. This involves visions for nations being agents of affirmative social change so that all the people in a nation have intrinsic value as partakers of a fair and inclusive society. This approach is appropriate in a situation involving gender issues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advocacy: Action, Change and Commitment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The last approach involves the mobilization of societies as pressure units. Practical communities are created. These share identical values. This approach generates the momentum of the actual world activities by adding the views and concerns articulated by virtual communities. It has the capability of mobilizing human resources past geographical, ritual and institutional barriers. This approach is appropriate in a situation involving reproductive he alth (Soonaval 802). The tools that are available include stakeholder evaluation, persuasion practices and media. Persuasion tools involve urging, petitioning, discussions, conciliations and conflict resolutions among the people. The use of media as a tool involves the use of press meetings, fact and background slips, media packets and radio and television shows. Stakeholder evaluation as a tool involves the identification and categorization of the potential stakeholders. This is done so as to know their interests as per a particular issue. Freeley, Austin Steinberg, David. Argumentation and Debate: Critical Thinking for Reasoned Decision. Boston, M A: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2008. Print. Henderson, Rick Pochin, Mikright. Advocacy, justice and empowerment. Bristol: Policy Press, 2001.Print Soonaval, Kavasha. Advocacy: Its principles and practice. Bombay: N. M. Tripathi, 1960.Print Subedi, Ram Thapa, Rosemary. Advocacy strategies and approaches: a training of trainer’s manual on advocacy strategies for community-based organizations in the Hindu Kush. Kathmandu: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, 2005. Print

The good life essays

The good life essays Aristotle refutes Plato's Theory of Ideas on three basic grounds: that the existence of Ideas contradicts itself by denying the possibility of negations; that his illustrations of Ideas are merely empty metaphors; and that they theory uses impermanent abstractions to create examples of perception. Though the theory is meant to establish concrete standards for the knowledge of reality, Aristotle considers it fraught with inconsistencies and believes that the concept of reality depends upon all forms' correlations to other elements. Ideas, Plato believes, are permanent, self-contained absolutes, which answered to each item of exact knowledge attained through human thought. Also, Ideas are in Plato's view concrete standards by which all human endeavor can be judged, for the hierarchy of all ideas leads to the highest absolute - that of Good. In addition, the theory claims that states of being are contingent upon the mingling of various Forms of existence, that knowledge is objective and thus clearly more real, and that only the processes of nature were valid entities. However, Aristotle attacks this theory on the grounds that Plato's arguments are inconclusive either his assertions are not al all cogent. Aristotle says, or his arguments lead to contradictory conclusions. For example, Aristotle claims that Plato's arguments lead one to conclude that entities (such as anything man-made) and negations of concrete ideas could exist - such as "non-good" in opposition to good. This contradicts Plato's own belief that only natural objects could serve as standards of knowledge. Also, Aristotle refutes Plato's belief that Ideas are perfect entities unto themselves, independent of subjective human experience. Ideas, Aristotle claims, are not abstractions on a proverbial pedestal but mere duplicates of things witnessed in ordinary daily life. The Ideas of things, he says, are not inherent to the objects in particular but created separately and place...

Six sigma (IEG) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Six sigma (IEG) - Assignment Example These rules and regulations are applicable to nearly all the organizations regardless of their size, scope or duration of a given project. While the major trends towards quality assurance and improvement can be traced back into 1960s and 1970s, the real origin of this concept from a mathematical view point can be stretched back to as early as the late 18th century. This comes in the form of the works of Carl Fredrick Gauss (Burton & Sams, 2005,p. 9). Later on, the developments kept coming in, and in the present day the concept of Six Sigma is a gift of the 1980s quality based initiatives. It was for the first time introduced in 1986 by a cellular telecommunication based company Motorola. Towards the early 21st century, many companies and experts from the field of quality management have brought about developments, yet the patent rights to original ownership and idea belong to Motorola. Later recognition and realization by the giants of quality based manufacturers such as Generic Electric gave the concept more sound bases with regard to the overall concepts of quality possessed in Six Sigma and its generic application to the various industries. Six Sigma constitute number of steps and features based on which the quality measures are adopted. These come along in the form of overcoming the defects and errors in the routine services and manufacturing processes. For this purpose, Six Sigma determines and sets forth a strict parameter of certain rate and ratio. This rate comes along in the form of 3.4 defective parts in a total of one million produced. In order to maintain the guidelines and parameters of quality given by Six Sigma, the incumbent company ought to have a defect rate of as low as only 3.4 items in a total of one million. This rate will further reduce as the rate of production increases. The Significance of Six

The Art of Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Art of Photography - Essay Example One of best-known portraits in the Western world is Leonardo da Vinci's painting titled Mona Lisa, which is a painting of an unidentified woman. Some of the earliest portraits of people who were not kings or emperors, are the funeral portraits that survived in the dry climate of Egypt's Fayum district. These are the only paintings of the Roman period that have survived, aside from frescos. An often neglected form of art in photography is that of portrait photography. A portrait is the basic rendering of someone's likeness. A good portrait photographer not only wants to capture the true likeness, but also the personality of the individual. The photographer needs to be proficient not only in the workings and setting of the camera, but also needs to understand form and lighting. Great lighting and positioning can make someone appear at their best form if used correctly. Lighting and camera placement can also aid in correcting defects such as shortening a nose, making someone appear slimmer, etc. In this form of art, portrait photography takes on many roles, and can help create various moods that the individual is seeking (Clarke 12). Portrait photography is a popular commercial industry a... Studios sprang up in cities around the world, some cranking out more than 500 plates a day. The style of these early works reflected the technical challenges associated with 30-second exposure times and the painterly aesthetic of the time. Subjects were generally seated against plain backgrounds and lit with the soft light of an overhead window and whatever else could be reflected with mirrors (Freeman 32-33). Change in photography - the optimist would call it progress - has a number of drivers. Changes in technology, changes in the marketplace and the need for a creative individual to do new things are among the more important. Of course these interact strongly, particularly in the case of the last two, as even the most creative among us need to eat. So when we consider how photographic portraiture has developed through any period of time, one vital consideration is the changes in the various market sectors that use it. Of course some market areas are conservative by nature, perhaps most strongly the bread and butter studio portrait for the general public. Even within this constrained genre there have of course been photographers whose work stands out, many who remain unsung, others who by accident of fortune achieve fame, even if posthumously - such as the great body of portraits by Michael Disfarmer - perhaps one day the subject for another feature. Arguably the greatest area of development in portrait photography from the 30's to the 50's was the illustrated magazine, for which many of the finest portrait photographers work. A good example is Bill Brandt, who produced striking photographs of literary, musical and artistic figures in the late 40s and early 50s. Few of

MBA in Marketing Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MBA in Marketing Admission - Essay Example Advertising refers to the various media used to convey your message. Printed advertisement, radio air time, television commercials and the Internet are all part of advertising that conveys your business message to the public." Another definition, which lists more steps of marketing, is listed by bookzonepro.com (n.d.), "this is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to satisfy customers." Since marketing can give a company a competitive advantage, I feel that understanding and knowing the business angles as well as the production techniques for advertising will certainly help my career as a professional. Advertisers appeal to the lusts, desires, and wants of the target market or potential customer. "Target market is the market segment to which a particular product is marketed. It is often defined by age, gender and/or socio-economic grouping," states Wikipedia encyclopedia (2006).

Natural Selection and Genetic Drift | Experiment

Natural Selection and Genetic Drift | Experiment Camouflage Lab Eduardo Pà ©rez Introduction In 1859, an English scientist named Charles Darwin published his book, On the Origin of Species. This book described his Theory of Evolution, the process by which populations of organisms change over time to adapt to their environment. Over the years, the Theory of Evolution has become one of the most well-supported and widely accepted scientific theories out there. The main purpose of this experiment is to show how natural selection and genetic drift look like when they are put into play. According to Dennis ONeil, anthropology professor at Palomar College, natural selection is a series of events by which some organisms are born with random variations of a specific genetic trait that gives those organisms an advantage in staying alive long enough to survive and successfully reproduce. [HS1]Over time, these organisms will have more offspring, causing a shift in the population to that trait (ONeil 2013). An example of natural selection is the finches of the Galapagos Islands. Each island has different food sources, and each species of bird has slightly different beaks that are better suited for consuming their food source. In his book, Life: The Science of Biology (2014), author David Sadava describes genetic drift as the random fluctuation of gene frequencies in a population due to chance events. An example of genetic drift would be an oil spill in a river populated by fish. The surviving fish will repopulate the river with their offspring who share the same genetic variations. In this experiment, small beads were put on a colored mat to represent mussels in their environment. In the first part of the experiment, one team member was assigned as the Oystercatcher and they selected beads one by one and removed them from the environment to represent natural selection. In part two, beads were randomly removed by a pencil wrapped in tape (a piece of driftwood calling with mussels and killing them) which represented genetic drift. Both parts of the experiment were repeated for three generations after the surviving mussels repopulated the environment. The question being tested in this experiment was: How do natural selection and genetic drift affect populations of organisms? I hypothesized that the blue and red beads would be the most commonly selected and removed in the first part of the experiment, and that the beads would be removed in equal numbers by the pencil wrapped in tape. Materials and Methods The two most important materials used in this lab were the small colored beads, and the mat. Blue, white, green, and purple beads were used to represent mussels with different traits. Ten beads of each color were placed in the environment to start the experiment. The environment for the mussels was represented by the mat with a random background printed on it to camouflage the beads. For the second part of the experiment, a pencil was wrapped with masking tape (sticky side out), and used to represent a log crashing into the environment. The pencil was rolled along the mat to randomly pick up beads. To start off the experiment the person designated as oystercatcher removed beads one at a time from the mat and placed them in petri dishes (independent variable). The oystercatcher was instructed to pick the first beads they saw, and to look away from the mat between selections. After 30 beads were removed and placed into a petri dish, the survivors were counted (dependent variable). The numbers of each color of bead was recorded, and that number of beads (x) plus 3x beads were added back to the mat to represent the repopulation of the species based on the number of survivors. These steps were repeated two more times, and the data recorded each time. In part two of the experiment, the pencil wrapped in tape was rolled along the mat to randomly select and remove beads until 30 beads were removed (independent variable). Then the same procedure used in part one to repopulate the environment was used in part two (dependent variable). These steps were repeated two more times, and the data was recorded. Results I. Population of mussels over 3 generations after natural selection from Oystercatcher. Oystercatcher Data Survivors Total Generation 1 7 green 73 = 21 21+7 = 28 28 0 blue 0x3 = 0 0+0 = 0 0 2 white 63 = 18 2+6 = 8 8 1purple 13 = 3 1+3 = 4 4 Generation 2 10 green 103 = 30 30+10 = 40 40 0 blue 0x3 = 0 0+0 = 0 0 0 white 0x3 = 0 0+0 = 0 0 0 purple 0x3 = 0 0+0 = 0 0 Generation 3 10 green 103 = 30 30+10 = 40 40 0 blue 0x3 = 0 0+0 = 0 0 0 white 0x3 = 0 0+0 = 0 0 0 purple 0x3 = 0 0+0 = 0 0 When the beads were removed by the oyster catcher, the blue beads were completely removed from the map in just one generation, and the purple and white beads were also driven extinct, but not until the second generation, leaving only green beads at the end of the three generations. II. Population of mussels over three generations after genetic drift from log colliding with habitat. Oystercatcher Data Survivors Total Generation 1 2 green 23 = 6 6+2 = 8 8 2 blue 23 = 6 6+2 = 8 8 2 white 23 = 6 6+2 = 8 8 4 purple 43 = 12 12+4 = 16 16 Generation 2 2 green 23 = 6 6+2 = 8 8 1 blue 13 = 3 3+1 = 4 4 4 white 43 = 12 12+4 = 16 16 3 purple 33 = 9 9+3 = 12 12 Generation 3 1 green 13 = 3 3+1 = 4 4 1 blue 13 = 3 3+1 = 4 4 7 white 73 = 21 21+7 = 28 28 1 purple 13 = 3 3+1 = 4 4 When the beads were removed by the log, the survivors were more random and more equal than when removed by the oyster catcher. By the end of the experiment however, a majority of the survivors were yellow beads. III. Population of mussels over 3 generations after natural selection from Oystercatcher. IV. Population of mussels over three generations after genetic drift from log colliding with habitat. Discussion In part one of the experiment, where the beads were selected and removed by the oystercatcher, the blue beads were immediately driven extinct, and the white and purple beads were driven extinct in only one more generation. This left only green beads by just the third generation. These results show that in natural selection, organisms chances of survival are based on how fit they are to survive in their environment. In this experiment, the blue beads did not blend into their environment very well, and they were eliminated immediately. The purple and white beads were also poorly camouflaged, and were eliminated very quickly as well. Even by the third generation, where there were only green beads left, the oystercatcher had a hard time finding 30 beads to remove, because the green beads were much more difficult to see in the environment. These findings could be applied to a real life environment, and used to predict how well certain organisms have adapted to their environment, and how a n entire population will change over time because of natural selection. In part two of the experiment, the number of survivors was much more equally spread out between the different colors of beads. Although there were definitely more yellow beads than anything else by the end of the experiment, this outcome would be different every time you repeat the experiment, based on the survivors from earlier in the experiment. These results are consistent with the principles of genetic drift, where organisms are eliminated randomly from a population based on random occurrences like natural disasters and diseases. If for example, lightning struck an area with a high concentration of a particular type of mussel, over time, the number of that mussel would decrease because there are fewer mussels to reproduce. This experiment was limited to the use of basic lab materials in a lab setting, but it accurately represents data that would be collected from an actual environment out in nature. This experiment was only able to demonstrate the effects of color and camouflage on the survival rates of an organism, but in reality, there are many other genetic variations which contribute to the fitness of an organism to its environment. An elephant, for example, may not be particularly well camouflaged, but its sheer size and strength help it to survive. Further research could be done to demonstrate the effects of other forces of evolution, as this experiment only involved genetic drift and natural selection. Conclusion The data in this experiment supports the hypothesis that the blue and purple beads would be the most commonly eliminated by the oyster catcher, but the yellow beads were also driven extinct, leaving only green beads. The data somewhat supports the hypothesis that the beads would be removed in equal numbers by the log, although the population shifted to a majority of yellow beads by the end of the experiment. The same experiment could be repeated several times to obtain more data to prove or disprove this hypothesis. References   Ã‚   ONeil, D. (2013). Early Theories of Evolution: Darwin and Natural Selection. Retrieved August 29, 2016, from http://anthro.palomar.edu/evolve/evolve_2.htm Sadava, D. E. (2014). Life: The science of biology (10th ed.). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. [HS1]Are these his exact words? If not, remove the quotes

Judge Holden of Blood Meridian :: Blood Meridian Essays

Judge Holden of Blood Meridian Although Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian tells the story of the kid and his journey through the harshest of environments, much of the action in the novel centers around Judge Holden. Judge Holden is a mystery from his very first appearance in the novel and remains so until the very end of the novel, when he is one of the few characters surviving. The kid first comes face to face with Holden in a saloon after a riot and eventually joins with Holden and a gang of misfit scalp-hunters to roam the Mexican-American borderlands. Judge Holden has some historical foundation as a character. The Judge is mentioned in Samuel Chamberlain's My Confession, a personal narrative published in 1956. Chamberlain was a private during the war with Mexico and met Holden when he joined Glanton's gang of renegade scalp-hunters. Chamberlain describes Holden as gigantic and without hair, just as Holden is described by McCarthy (Sepich 125). One of the most mysterious qualities of Judge Holden is his ability to move from place to place and almost be in two places at once. As Tobin says, "every man in the company claims to have encountered that sootysouled rascal in some other place" (McCarthy 124). Holden's first appearance in the novel is a prime example of his ability to appear in two places simultaneously. The Judge manages to escape from the riot in Reverend Green's tent to a saloon where he is completely dry, even though it is pouring rain outside (7-8). The Judge also mysteriously appears next to the kid at the bar where the dancing bear has just been killed. He looks "little changed or none in all these years" (325). In both of these situations Judge Holden is the cause of the chaos around him. The Judge single-handedly incites the riot on Reverend Green and is the cause of the bear being slaughtered. These events are indicative of the entire novel in that there is constant chaos and violence w herever Judge Holden go es. Judge Holden's physical appearance seems unbelievable and full of contrast. Holden towers over everyone, yet he seems pre-pubescent because of his total lack of hair and his small hands and feet. Much of the imagery surrounding Judge Holden describes him in child-like terms. The features of the kid and the Judge tend to complement each other.

Boiler Room

Boiler Room Boiler room is a story about a college dropout name of Seth. He likes the feeling of earning fast money, therefore he decided to quit school and start an underground casino in his apartment with a few of his friends. However, his father, who is a federal judge, finds out about the casino. His father then commends him to close down the casino and search for a real job. Seth wants to regain respect and approval from his father, and fortunately he got introduce to a stockbroker company J. T. Marlin. Seth has a great talent in this job and he becomes the best trainee in the firm. He works under the senior brokers, and starting to adapt to the â€Å"Always be closing† philosophy, which means he never take no as the answer and will keep convincing the customers until he objective is reached. Very soon, Seth becoming a successful broker and neglect all the unethical issues he is committing. He not only sells stocks to the rich â€Å"whales†, he also drags the poor workers that can barely afford a new house into the scam. Unfortunately, Seth discovers the truth about the numerous stocks sold by the firm and realizes J. T. Marlin is a boiler room that sells non-profitable stocks. And start to realize that all these times he is forcing customers to buy something that they don’t want or cannot afford. There are quite a few of unethical dilemmas throughout the movie. First of all, Seth and his firm are selling non-profitable stocks to rich people that are interested in high return investment. Moreover, J. T. Marlin teaches their employees to tell untrue statement about the stock and the company in order to attract the clients’ interest toward the stocks. The drug that helps infants to develop is one of the examples they mention in the movie. Also, at the middle of the movie, once the brokers see the rip increase, they will try to push the customers even harder in order to make a fortune for themselves. Furthermore, the more skillful Seth becomes, the more we can see Seth is using different powerful persuasive techniques in order to catch the attention of the clients. On the other hand, it is very unethical for Seth to drag the poor people into buy stock that will never be profitable, because they are selling stock for companies that don’t exist. However, there is still an ethical side of Seth. For example, he tries to protect his father from losing his job due to try to help Seth from trying to get back J. T. Marlin. He also agrees to work with the FBI to raid J. T. Marlin so that no more victims will fall into their scams. And most of all he helps Harry, the poor investor, to get his life saving back in the end. So it is nice to see Seth changes his mind and try to become clean in the end.

Like Used in Idioms and Expressions

'Like' Used in Idioms and Expressions The following English idioms and expressions use the word like. Each idiom or expression has a definition and two example sentences to help ​your  understanding of these common idiomatic expressions with like. Eat like a horse Definition: usually eat a lot of food Tom eats like a horse! Make sure to grill three hamburgers for him.He doesnt usually eat like a horse. Eat like a bird Definition: usually eat very little food She eats like a bird, so dont make too much for dinner.He weighs 250 pounds even though he eats like a bird. Feel like a million Definition: feel very good and happy Im feeling like a million today. I just got a new job!After his promotion, he felt like a million. Fit like a glove Definition: clothes or apparel that fit perfectly My new shoes fit like a glove.Her jeans fit like a glove after she went on a diet. Go like clockwork Definition: to happen very smoothly, without problems The presentation went like clockwork.Her plans went like clockwork and she was able to join the company. Know someone or something like the back of ones hand Definition: know in every detail, understand completely She knows me like the back of her hand.I know this project like the back of my hand. Like a bat out of hell Definition: very fast, quickly He left the room like a bat out of hell.They drove off like a bat out of hell. Like a bump on a log Definition: not moving Dont sit there like a bump on a log!She sits around all day like a bump on a log. Like a fish out of water Definition: completely out of place, not belonging at all He looks like a fish out of water on the football field.The boss felt like a fish out of water in San Francisco. Like a sitting duck Definition: be very exposed to something He felt like a sitting duck and moved to cover his position.Your investments have left you like a sitting duck in this market. Out like a light Definition: fall asleep quickly He went out like a light.I hit the pillow and was out like a light. Read someone like a book Definition: understand the other persons motivation for doing something She can read me like a book.I know you dont mean that. I can read you like a book. Sell like hotcakes Definition: sell very well, very quickly The book sold like hotcakes.The iPhone initially sold like hotcakes. Sleep like a log Definition: sleep very deeply I was tired and slept like a log.She went home and slept like a log. Spread like wildfire Definition: an idea that gets known very quickly His solution to the problem spread like wildfire.Her opinions spread like wildfire. Watch someone like a hawk Definition: keep a very close eye on someone, watch very carefully Dont make any mistakes because Im watching you like a hawk.She watches her son like a hawk whenever he goes outside to play.

Women In Advertising essays

Women In Advertising essays The role of gender in advertising has been an issue in society since the advent of modern media and advertising methods. Modern media uses methods that concentrate on sex and the stereotypical images and ideas of the parts men and women play as consumers. These methods construct a female social problem that began in the 1960s with the portrayal of stereotypical housewives. Today, this image has evolved into a new social problem for women. New advertisements are exposing women in ways different from ever before: the semiotic placement of the Robert Cavalli fashion advertisement found in In Style Magazine reveals the distorted perceptions that are placed on women of a hyper-sexualized and submissive female gender role in American culture. The color scheme layout and visual focus of the ad augment the construction of the overly sexual female function in society. Upon first glance, the ad is quite stunning. It is flashy and easily noticeable while flipping through the magazine pages. The ad uses bright colors to accentuate the two subjects and draw attention to their faces. The colors range from bright greens and orange-reds to subtler blues and browns towards the bottom of the ad. These colors are used to catch the magazine readers eye and draw attention to the clothing. The background is a bright orange curtain that draws the attention to the figures at the center of the page. They seem to be completely undistracted by the world around them. There are no outside forces drawing their attention away from each other. The mans eyes, strongly focused on the woman, suggest that the figures share a serene and perfect moment away from the outside world. Nothing else in the world matters more than the two of them being together at that very moment. The feeling of desire and need flaunt a sexual image that is constantly viewed by society. A clearly sexual message is revealed through the most drastic and eye-catch...

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Business - Essay Example In short, international business is facing fewer constraints at present even though it faced plenty of barriers in the past. The mode of entry into overseas market by international companies is often attracted huge debates. Some companies are looking for alliances with a company in the target country whereas other companies are looking for merger and acquisition as a mode of entry strategy to expand their business to overseas countries. Even the same company opts for different mode of entries in different countries. For example, Wal-Mart established a business alliance with Bharti group in India as a mode of entry in India market. At the same time, they used mergers and acquisition as the mode of entry in European and South African markets. â€Å"Cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are a main vehicle for foreign direct Investment. Yet despite its quantitative importance, the determinants of cross-border M&As are still not well-understood† (Brakman et al, 2008, p.1). G aughan (2007) explained M & A as a process in which two corporations combined together to form a single one. Moreover, only one corporation survives after the M & A while the merged corporation goes out of existence after the merger process (p.12). Merger and acquisition are one of the most popular business strategies in the modern business world. However, there are lots of concerns and debates about the success and failures of this business strategy. This is because of the fact that there are plenty of examples about the success and failure of the M & A deals in recent times. Some of the recent statistics show that the popularity of M&A as a mode of entry is decreasing in recent times. Some think the M&A cycle has already started to turn up. In the first three quarters of 2012, as the euro tottered and fear gripped the global economy, M&A activity worldwide was 17.4% lower than in the same period of 2011. Yet it surged in the fourth quarter, to the highest level of any quarter in t he past four years. This is one reason to expect more mergers this year, says a report by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a law firm that specializes in M&A. However, Mr Moritz suspects that some deals in late 2012 were rushed through by companies that were worried about possible changes to the tax code. Most deals in 2013 will probably be fairly small, designed to strengthen or fill a gap in the buyer’s existing operations. These are known as â€Å"plug and play†. Transformational megamergers grew rarer in 2012, with only four deals topping $20 billion. That was the same as in 2011, and fewer than in each of the three previous years (Mergers Shall we?, 2013). From the above statistics, it is evident that business pundits are not sure about the success and failures of M & As. To merge or not to merge, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the pains of negotiation & integration or to defy global trends and find alternatives. This paper critica lly evaluates the arguments of the pro-merger and anti-merger schools and takes a conclusive position that global mega-mergers are a good policy to undertake in international business practice. Arguments in favor of M & A Miller (2008) pointed out that Edwin L. Miller (Author) †º Visit Amazon's Edwin L. Miller Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you

WITH REFERENCE TO THE UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, CRITICALLY Essay

WITH REFERENCE TO THE UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE ASSERTION THAT HEALTH IS NOW TOP OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDA FOR DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example eover, the countries committed themselves towards reducing child mortality which is MDG number four, followed by a declaration to improve maternal health as the MD goal number five. This is followed by a promise to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases while a commitment to ensure environmental sustainability became the MDG number seven. The last goal in the list is the declaration to develop a global partnership for development. To fast track the achievement of the MDG, UNDP (2010, p. 10) explains that in September, 2010 there was a UN conference in which the countries reaffirmed their commitment towards achieving the MDGs and promised to accelerate efforts towards their achievement. In reference to the Millennium Development Goals one can rightly assert that health is currently top of the international agenda for development. Looking critically at all the millennium Development goals shows that United Nations gives health top priority. All the eight goals contribute in one or the other in enhancing the health of global population. According to United Nations (2007, p. 23), giving each person a chance to enjoy a long and healthy life is both an essential goal of development and a means of enhancing the potential of a country to develop. Millennium Development Goal one committed nations to eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. If this goal is adequately addressed, it could lead to significant improvement in the health of the global population. Under this goal, United Nations (2007, p. 23), explains that the first target was to reduce by halve the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day from what the population was in 1990. Reddy and Heuty (2005, p. 10) argues that poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon and defines it as lack of options to various dimensions of the quality of life. T here are many people living in absolute poverty in some parts of Asia and Africa as observed by Reddy and Heuty (2005, p. 10). Poverty deprives one a

Informal report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Informal report - Assignment Example HTC Desire HD has a 4.3 inch touch screen. The phone has been designed in such a way that it incorporates a big screen, which can be used to access websites, social media and other modern tasks undertaken by users. HTC Desire HD also comes with an easy grip coating on the phone, so that it does not slip out of the hand of the user too easily (see figure 1). Another main design feature of the phone is the way in which it makes it easier for users to put covers on them. The batteries and digital storage cards (microSD cards) can easily be interchanged. HTC Desire HD comes equipped with the Google Android 2.2 system, which is extremely easy to use. One of the core advantages of this operating system is that the user can easily customize the phone features according to his or her specific use. Another major aspect of the phone is the touch screen. The screen gives an instant response to the user, which enables him or her to learn from mistakes and without any specific need to read complicated manuals. All new HTC Desire HD’s come with a full 1 year manufacturer warranty. The maintenance is low, as the phone is equipped with a lithium ion battery, which lasts at least 2-3 years. Another main feature of the phone is that the battery can easily be changed by the user, as opposed to iPhone batteries which can only be changed by authorized centers. HTC Desire HD is loaded with a number of features which make it highly desirable to the user. The phone enables users to use Active Sync, which integrates email, calendars and contacts from a Gmail or an exchange account. The phone also comes preloaded with a number of social networking applications such as twitter, Facebook and Picassa. The phone also has wifi connection, in addition to the standard Bluetooth and USB cable links. A unique feature of HTC Desire HD is a accomplished camera, which can take pictures of up to 8MB resolution. The camera can also take stunning HD quality videos. Another key feature of the

How does this section of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

How does this section of Romeo and Juliet Essay The characters are utilised by Shakespeare to highlight a sense of loss and desperation. The Captain who is a neutral figure, expresses a sense of remorse and sadness when he sees Romeo and Juliets dead bodies as a pitiful site, also illuminating a sense of universal suffering. Juliets newly dead body is used so that the agony and pain of her death is felt again universally. Romeo and Juliet are described as piteous woes which portrays them as one and as abstractions of sadness which emphasises the loss and despair of a romantic pair. The words trembles, sighs and weeps are listed characteristics of suffering used to highlight a sense of loss and nervousness. The shock and astonishment of Romeo and Juliets death is highlighted by the repetition of dead showing how unexpected this tragedy really was. Tybalts death is exaggerated when Romeo and Juliets marriage day is described as Tybalts doomesday increasing the magnitude of desperation and sadness. Shakespeare illuminates a paradox of joy and sadness between Tybalts untimely death and the new-made bride groom creating a contrast of joy and misery. There is a cruel irony when Juliets borrowed grave became her actual death bed. When this great tragedy was described as an accident it conveys the image of this great tragic love story as a minor and petty incident. Shakespeare uses the language of an important character to highlight a lack of gravitas and feeling in the text. Shakespeare uses flowers which represent nature, good health, love and positivity as a conventional image to highlight what this tragedy is all about. The last line describes everyone as being punished which again shows universal suffering. Shakespeare focuses the blame and responsibility on many people to emphasise the complexity of this tragedy. When the captain of the watch holds him in safety there is an air of suspicion that suggests that there will be blame given. The mattock and spade are both physical emblems of the Friars responsibility, showing the explicit direct blame and responsibility, of the Friar. The fact that the families are unaware adds a sense of mystery and shows more clearly the rushed fickle and spontaneous nature of the marriage. When Montague asks What further woe conspires against mine age? it shows bad luck, dual responsibility and the loss of youth and innocence. Shakespeare plays upon a maternal instinct when Juliet is described as a daughter for the first time, which is much less formal and emotional, conveying a real image of suffering and grieving. Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliets stlen marriage day to portray a sense of immorality and negativity. When Juliet pined it reminds us of the rushed and hasty marriage. When Juliet is described as doing violence to her self, it presents to us a literal reading of suicide, but also lays a wider and inferred blame on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare describes the nurse as privy to show the nurses responsibility in keeping secret. Shakespeare highlights a sense of resolution and end to trouble by conveying subtle hints through the use of his characters. There is a healing of a rift when Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliets death to present a positive image of the families which is shown when Capulet says O brother Montague Which is used as a positive image of new unity and a bond between the two families. The statue in pure gold emphasises the preciousness and importance of this tragedy. Montague compliments the Capulets when he says true and faithful Juliet showing that despite all the sorrow and grief there is still a sense of positivity. The resolution is tarnished by the fact that it is still glooming but it still gives us a sense of peace and when the Prince who is neutral repeats this again which portrays a universal sense of suffering. The sun represents images of positivity and despite a sense of sadness and sorrow there is still a sense of calm and new peace. There is a sense of union and bonding when Balthasar says to the Prince to the same place, to this same monument showing the older generations past conflict and Balthasar represents youth and innocence so he also represents the ability to change attitudes and stop the rivalry and stubbornness that has become so ingrained. In this section Shakespeare uses tragic aspects to highlight tragedy towards the end. The Princes advice is to have patience and slow down which is an ironic reminder that Romeo and Juliets fatal flaw was that they rushed in to their love and marriage. Friar advised Romeo and Juliet to slow down and bear this work of heaven with patience but they still remained rushed which is Shakespeares way of reminding us of Romeos hubris. The Friar wants his old life to be sacrificed emphasising even more the loss of youth, innocence and change. There is a hint that the two families have not learnt anything from this great tragedy when Montague says I can give thee more which shows that the two families are still competitive and are both desperate to prove themselves better. There is an implication that they are still interested in materialism when the statue will be raised in pure gold which is another superficial attempt to show the power and wealth of the families. When this tragedy is described as a story it undermines the sense of real suffering and denigrates Romeo and Juliets love.

Role Of The Front Office Manager Tourism Essay

Role Of The Front Office Manager Tourism Essay Given the signification of the role of the front office manager in front office, there are some of the responsibilities that the front office manager has to take notice. Some of the major responsibilities of the front office manager include reviewing the final draft of the night audit, a daily review of the financial accounting procedures at the front desk and other guest service areas during the previous 24-hour period and an analysis of operating results; operating and monitoring the reservation system; developing and operating an effective communication system with front office staff and other department directors; supervising daily registrations and check-out; overseeing and developing employees; established in-house sales programming at the front desk; preparing budgets and cost control systems; forecasting room sales; and maintaining business relationships with regular corporate and communities leaders. The front office manager works with an assistant front office manager, a ni ght auditor, a reservation manager, and a bell captain to tend to the details of running an efficient department. These are just few of the responsibilities of the front office manager. The front office is a pivotal point in communication among in-house sales, delivery of service to the guest, and financial operations. It requires an individual who can manage the many details of guest needs, employee supervision, interdepartmental communication and transmittal of financial information. This exciting position enables the person to develop an overview of the loading property with regard to financial and communication. 2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 1 Guest checkout can indeed be a time of confusion, short tempers, and long lines, a test of the patience of the both guest and cashier. Check-in and check-out is the responsibilities of a front desk that are on duty on the particular day. Usually front desk is the first and last contact with the guests. Front desk clerk represents the hotel to the guest throughout all stage of the guests stay. Front desk clerk job involves customer service, answering the telephone, securing payment for services rendered, and resolving problem. Front desk clerk must possess a working knowledge of the reservation process and room pricing strategies. Front desk clerk also takes same-day reservation and future reservation and often need to able to sell features of the hotel along with the necessary pricing strategy guidelines. 2.1 PROBLEMS SOLVES As a position of front desk clerk, it is responsible for checking guests in and out of their rooms. When a guest arrives with a reservation, front desk clerk pulls the reservation from a computer; confirm the name, address, and length of stay; and ask for a method of payment. If a credit card is to be used, front desk clerk process the payment in the computer and have the guest sign the registration card or folio acknowledging the rates and length of stay. At check-in front desk clerk can also take cash deposits as necessary to cover any phone or other charges that may be incurred. After check-in, front desk clerk will past the guest the room key and give direction to the room, and offer to summon a bellhop to help with the luggage. Front desk clerk then place the information about the guest and room in the appropriate front desk racks and communicate the information to the appropriate hotel personnel. For guests who are walk-ins, or those who dont have reservations, front desk clerk find out each guests name, address, and the expected length of stay. If a room is available, front desk clerk quotes the rate and asks about preferences for a smoking or nonsmoking room, location, and room size. Front desk clerk should also try to sell up by suggesting that the guest spend a little extra money to obtain a larger room, one with a better view, or one with more amenities. The rest of the check-in process is the same as for guests with reservations. At check-out, front desk clerk take the guests room key, look up the account on the computer, and inform the guest how much is owed. Front desk clerk inquires whether or not everything was satisfactory. At the start of each day, front desk clerk print a report of special requests of incoming guest. Requests are recorded in the computer station at the desk and entered into a logbook, and they become part of a guests history in the computer system. The history is used each time the guest returns for a visit in order to personalize the guests experience. Another report lists any groups that will be arriving. Using it, front desk clerk can prepare materials packets, which includes a room key, for each guest to speed up check-in. Between check-ins and check-outs, the front desk clerk handles the mail and messages and the placement items in safe deposits boxes for the guests. Front desk clerk post and file all charges to the proper accounts. In addition, front desk clerk should also work closely with the housekeeping department in keeping room status reports up to date and coordinating requests for maintenance and repair work. Front desk clerk must know all safety and emergency procedures and be aware of accident prevention policies as well. Another important task is solving guest problems. Front desk clerk is the liaison or contract between the guest and the hotel. When guests have problems, they call the front desk clerk or go to the front desk personally. Front desk clerk job is to solve the problems-or quickly find someone who can solve it. Keep your guests happy by keeping everything easy for them. In turn, a satisfied guest is a repeat guest and that make dollars and sense for the hospitality professional. 2.2 PRINCIPLES FOR ACHIEVING GUEST SATISFACTION Guest satisfaction is the fulfillment of a guests wants and needs. In the hospitality industry, market share dominance is exceeding guests expectation on a regular basis. A hotel guest expects a safe, clean, comfortable sleeping room. A restaurant patron anticipates a tasty meal in a clean, pleasant atmosphere with a balance price-value relationship. Meeting these expectations is the hospitality professionals priority. The job is done only when the guest are satisfied. Below are the few principles for satisfying and keeping guests. Recognize your guest. Personalizing interactions by using the guests name is not always possible, but a sincere and warm interaction goes a long way. Make a positive first impression. The initial greeting and warm welcome are essential elements of creating a positive exchange. Guests judge your advertising claims against beliefs they already hold and accept only new information that match those beliefs. Changing a negative first impression is challenging, if not impossible. Fulfill your guests expectations. Guests expect a trouble-free environment. All the guests want is to have their needs met without aggravation. Those organizations that can exceed guest expectation will have leg up the competition. Facilitate customer decision making. The guest may not be familiar with the entire offer that provide by the hotel. Guest decisions can facilitated in subtle ways, such as carrying a flaming dessert that is sure that attract attention high on a tray. Engage the customer in dialogue about the food and beverage offering to enhance their experience and narrow the uncertainly of satisfaction they may have. Avoid violating the customers unspoken time limits. Time spent waiting always seems four times longer than it really is. Anticipate the next sequence in the service delivery and time the service accordingly. Expert your customer to remember bad experience. Also expect your customer to tell you about those bad experiences, embellishing with each retelling. The result can be an unfavorable impression on people who havent yet patronized your establishment. 3.0 CONCLUSION The functional role of front office manager can be understood by preparing a job analysis and job description. This process allows the future professional to see the major responsibilities of the job and the various departmental relationships involved. The many positions found on a front office staff have to common goal of providing hospitality to the guest. Training, empowerment, and flexibility are necessary to make the team work. Forecasting, scheduling, developing a supervisory style, motivating personnel, balancing staff personalities, delegating tasks, training and effectively communicating are only a few of the skills a good supervisor must master. It is a lifelong effort developed through continuing education and trial and error. QUESTION 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION Making reservation is a necessity for travelers and an important marketing tool for lodging establishments. Travelers in various market segments depend on a well-organized reservation system that is easily accessible through toll-free telephone numbers or on the Internet, or at a few moments notice through social networking opportunities such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to ensure a well-planned trip. Lodging establishment want to provide a continuous flow of guest, which will bring profits. A reservation system must ensure efficient means of accessing, processing, and confirming information. Without an efficient reservation system, all aspects of managing a hotel will be negatively affected. For example, while overbooking reservation may guarantee a full house for the hotel, it will also leave the guest who is turned away with a negative experience. This is not only decrease the hope of repeat business but also ensures the dissatisfied customer will tell to others of the negative experience. The reservation is an integral part of progressive front office management and the operation of a well-run system. 2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 2 Profitable business ventures rely on effective marketing principles. Effective marketing principles include reviewing people who are in need of hotel products and services, determining their needs, developing products and services that meet their needs and marketing a profit on the sale of those products and services. A well-organized reservation system allows hotels to ensure a steady flow of guest into their properties. Hotel chains, through their central reservation system, offer their members to ability to fill 30 percent or more of available rooms on nightly basis. Independent hoteliers, in contrast, have the onerous responsibility of creating exciting marketing programs to capture room business. Easy access to a chain hotels data bank of rooms help to fulfill the customers needs, as well as in reaching a targeted daily occupancy rate, average daily rate, yield percentage, and RevPAR. A reservation system is the primary represents means of producing positive cash flow and favorable income statement. 2.0 ANSWER QUESTION 2 2.1 TYPE OF RESERVATION SYSTEM There are two types of reservation systems such as Franchisee systems and Referral member systems. 2.1.1 FRANCHISEE SYSTEMS A franchisee is a hotel owner who has access to a national reservation system and services the benefits of the corporations management expertise, financial backing, national advertising, and group purchasing. A franchise member of a reservation system or a member of a reservation system or a member of a referral system gains significant advantage from interhotel property referrals, a system in which one member-property recommends another member-property to a guest, and national advertising. 2.1.1 REFFERAL MEMBER SYSTEMS A referral member of a reservation referral system, a worldwide organization that processes requests for room reservations at a particular member hotel, is a hotel developer/owner who has access to the national reservation system. Hotels that are members of the reservation system are more than able to justify the associated costs; for example, a chain property may obtain 15 to 30 percent of its daily room rentals from the national reservation system, depending on local economics and market condition. 2.2 SOURCES OF RESERVATION Guest reservations come from a variety of market segments. Some of the more common groups are corporate clients, group travelers, and leisure travelers who want to return to the same hotel. This is only one way of classifying guest reservations. The purpose of analyzing these segments is to understand the needs of each group and to provide reservation systems that meet their needs. Keep in mind that reviewing these needs will assist employee in gaining insight into guests methods of communication. 2.2.1 CORPORATE CLIENTS The corporate client is a hotel guest employed by a business or a guest of that business. Corporate clients provide a hotel with an opportunity to establish a regular flow of business during sales periods that would otherwise be flat. 2.2.2 GROUP TRAVELERS Group travelers are persons traveling as a group either on business or for leisure. Convention guests and seminar attends are examples of groups that travel on business. Participants in organized tours who pursue recreation, education, hobbies, and special interests constitute some of the leisure segment. The key to marketing reservations to this group is providing an efficient access method for planning details of a tour. 2.2.3 LEISURE TRAVELERS Leisure travelers are people who travel alone or with others to visits points of interest or relatives, or for other personal reasons. These travelers, who are often unrestricted by deadlines or schedules, are more flexible in their travel plans than are corporate clients and group travelers. They are more willing to seek someplace to stay along the way; however, some of the people in this group may want to obtain consists of many subgroups, including singles, married couples, young families, senior citizens, and student. Some of the methods the leisure travelers can use secure room reservations are travel agencies, toll-free numbers, reservation/referral systems, the Internet, Twitter and even in Facebook. 2.3 ADVANTAGES FOR RESERVATION The advantages for reservation are to prevent when customer need a place to stay overnight and the hotel are fully booking. This situation might make the customer feel disappointed when they expected the hotel is available for the rooms. The advantages for reservation are when the customer make a early book, the customer might get a discount from the hotel or even like buy 1 room free 1 room, free breakfast or free using the of the hotel. This type of promotion will satisfy the customers need and it make customer feel that the hotel are welcoming them to stay in the hotel. In other word, customer are usually are knowledgeable. Once the hotel services fulfill the customer need, the customer will sure visit the hotel when they make a next visit or they might share their experience in staying the hotel to other friend or relative so that they can also get the same services that the hotel provide. 2.4 IMPROVEMENT FOR THE EARLY RESERVATION BOOKING CUSTOMER The management of the hotel should given a plan for the customer who makes an early booking in the peak season. This holiday plan may help attract the customer who planning a holiday trip with the family member and the trip will help to build strong relationship with each of the family members. The promotion such as free breakfast, free uses the facilities in the hotel, and free tour guide to travel in the particular city. This may help to increase the sales of the hotel and even the customer will be coming back for their next trip. 3.0 CONCLUSION The reservation has addressed the hotel reservation systems. As the popularity of computerized reservation systems increases, chains and referral properties have adopted them to meets the needs of the traveling publics. Reservations ensure that corporate, group and pleasure travelers will have accommodations as their destination and provide the hotel with a steady flow of business. Determining the sources of these reservations assist the front office manager developing procedures to satisfy the needs of the guest. The traveler can use various means to make reservations, such as toll-free telephone numbers, fax numbers, the Internet and social media. The concept of customer relationship management links hospitality and technology. The management of social media applications helps develop the reservation concept.

The Power of Light in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarlet Letter essay

The Power of Light in The Scarlet Letter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the conception of humanity, man has been fascinated with that presence which illuminates, yet cannot be touched.   Mankind has brought it into his religions, giving it a great deal of importance in his creed.   Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light as a tool of God that illuminates the darkness of human iniquity and exposes its permanence.   He studies the psychological theme of the impossibility of eradicating sin from the human heart in his novel The Scarlet Letter.   The use of light in order to fortify this psychological theme confirms its significance in the novel.   As though he were weaving an elaborate tapestry, Hawthorne meshes light's intense symbolism into his characters' natures until a chef d'oeuvre manifests itself upon the loom of the reader's intellect.   This tapestry serves as a subtle background upon which the characters' sinful hearts are bared.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Hawthorne navigates the reader through th...

How Well Does Parliament Perform Its Various Functions? Essay

How well does Parliament perform its various functions? There are several important functions that Parliament must perform. The word Parliament derived from the Latin ‘parliamentum’ and the French word ‘parler’ which originally meant a talk- which is what Parliament does most of the time. Parliament consists of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarchy. Parliament is the highest judicial, legislative and executive body in Britain. A parliamentary form of government acknowledges that it derives its power directly from the consent of the people. This sort of system ensures democracy and an active interaction between the people and their representatives. The three functions that I am going to focus on are Scrutiny, Representation and Law Making. Scrutiny is carried out in four main ways- Prime Ministers Questions, Select Committees, The Back Benches and The House of Lords. Prime Ministers Questions is a weekly opportunity for backbenchers to scrutinise the Prime Minister. This happens every Wednesday and is an opportunity for the leader of the opposition as well as other MPs to highlight government failings or ask the Prime Minister a question. This is a good way to scrutinise the Prime Minister as it puts them under pressure to justify their actions and normally with potentially no pre-warning of what topics will have to be defended. The element of surprise allows opposition MP’s as well as backbenchers and sometimes members of the cabinet to catch the prime minister out with an awkward question. The relative performance of each of the main party leaders is closely watched and each is under great pressure to get the better of their opponent. The main weakness of this form of scrutiny is that it is often accused of being more like ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’ as many believe the questions are â€Å"planted† and therefore the Prime Minister and Opposition can prepare their answers beforehand. Select Committees in both the House of Commons and the Lords investigate the work of government departments and produce reports of policy proposals. They have the power to call witnesses in the course of their proceedings. Their role is multi-faceted and includes many tasks such as investigating the work of the government departments to determine whether they have acted efficiently and effectively. This is a strong form as scrutiny as it reports back to the public what is happening behind the scenes in the government but the Select Committees lack resources, expertise and power to create damage if the government weren’t doing their job properly. Select Committees have been described as a â€Å"mere irritant†. The government relies on backbenchers in providing services to their constituents and relaying the opinions of their constituents. Although backbenchers do not hold power, a concerted revolt could topple the ruling party through a â€Å"no confidence† vote. An example of a successful rebellion occurred during November 2006 over the Terrorism Act 2006 when a large number of backbenchers voted against the 90-day detention provision of the anti-terror legislation in order to stall the bill. This provided to be the single largest defeat for then Prime Minister Tony Blair since his government. Recently David Cameron faced a threat of a fresh backbench Tory revolt as traditionalists lined up to oppose government plans to legalise gay marriage but many debated that this in fact could not be counted as a rebellion as backbenchers would probably be given a free vote in any vote on legalising gay marriage. This therefore is a strong form of scrutiny as it has been proven extremely powerful and has even overthrown past governments for example Margaret Thatcher and James Callaghan. One of the main issues with scrutiny and backbenchers is that they are often under the control of the Whips (MPs or Lords appointed by each party in Parliament to help organise their party’s contribution to parliamentary business) and one of their main responsibilities is making sure the maximum number of their party members vote the way their party wants. Unless the backbenchers have enough people to rebel they will not succeed and therefore it is not often that a government is defeated, for example Blair’s government was only defeated in the Commons four times over their three terms in power. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament and is independent to the Commons although it complements the work of the Commons. Members of the Lords play a vital role in scrutiny, there are two main reasons for this, the first being that they are independent to the Commons and in many ways have increased power which they often use to stand up to the Commons by blocking reforms. Lords also have a better balance of parties so no government has a majority. The Government however can override Lords by using Parliament Act; this was used when the fox hunting ban was being put through under Blair’s government as there were too many in opposition of the ban in the House of Lords. The Parliament Acts, although rarely used, provide a way of solving disagreement between the Commons and the Lords. The Parliament Act of 1949 also prevents Lords from delaying bills for more than one year. The second function that I’m concentrating on is Representation. In the Commons MPs are elected every five years to represent local constituencies. The link between the House of Commons and the local constituency is very important as it provides information to the government on how the public is responding to their policies and ideas for new laws, reforms and ideas. In recent years there has also been many attempts to make the government more diverse – for example more women and ethnic minorities. This was especially pushed by Tony Blair as it was obvious to him that the UK was far behind the US in being diverse, he started by pushing for there to be more women in government and these became known as â€Å"Blair’s babes†. The Lords are also a large part in representing the ‘national interest’ as they are less party political and many have had long careers in public service, business, arts and culture, or another area of activity. Therefore the members of the House of Lords contribute their expertise and knowledge to Parliament and its work and consequently able to take the bigger picture into account. However there are many downfalls in representation in the government. The most often referred to is how First Past the Post (FPTP) does not produce a very accurate representation in the House of Commons as it produces many ‘wasted votes’. In the Institute for Public Policy Research report, which looks at the ratio of votes to MPs under FPTP for the main parties in the 2010 general election, it was shown that it took 33,468 votes to elect a Labour MP, 35,028 votes to elect a Conservative MP and 119,780 votes to elect a Liberal Democrat MP. This therefore is an interesting piece of evidence showing the unfairness of the FPTP system as it strongly favours some parties over others. However there was a referendum in May 2011 which asked the public whether the Alternative Vote (AV) system should be used for general elections instead of FPTP and more than two thirds of those who voted said to keep the FPTP system- although many of those in opposition to FPTP says this in itself was unfair representation as the turnout was less than 65% of the population. The lack of women in MPs has also been blamed on the FPTP system; there are currently 504 male MPs and 145 female MPs nationwide. Therefore the House of Commons is unrepresentative of the UK as there are roughly 28. 6 million males in the UK and 30. 2 million females. The House of Lords is also seen as unrepresentative as it is unelected and even more out of ratio with the population of the UK as it has many old, socially elite members. Another one of Parliament’s main functions is Law Making is debating and passing statue law. The Government introduces most plans for new laws, with many included in the Queen’s Speech at the opening of each session of Parliament. However new laws can originate from an MP or a Lord. Parliament passes about 100 laws each year and every law goes through several stages and is debated continuously in much detail before being passed. Emergency issues such as the threat of terrorism all contribute to the need for the new laws. Before draft laws, known as bills are introduced to Parliament there is often consultation or discussion with Standing Committees and as these consist of MPs from every party they guarantee that every view point is reflected in discussion. The House of Lords main role when it comes to the function of Law Making is to amend bills or make suggestions of improvements. The Lords also have the power to reject bills that appear unworkable or undesirable (for example the fox hunting bill and identification cards bill). The governments’ majority always ensures that its proposals are passed as they have ‘elective dictatorship’ and can also use Parliamentary Acts to override the House of Lords. Also the House of Lords is also limited to only one year of delaying bills and therefore the government can pass new laws fairly easily after one year. Standing Committees also generally reflect the composition of the House of Commons and therefore the party in government will always have a higher majority. Government often imposes time limits on Standing Committees discussions. In my opinion Parliament performs its various functions- scrutiny, representation and legislation (law making)- well. Although there are many weaknesses to each function it would be extremely hard to remove these weaknesses without making the executive separate like they have in the United States.