Make up a title Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Make up a title - Essay Example By the wars end, Mexico lost almost half of its territory, the current American Southwest from Texas to California, and the United States emerged as a continental power. Austin was anxious to justify the contract, and bring a good number of families. As many unmarried persons, as well as young men, came to the colony. Austin also suggested the primary concern of them being in pairs, making an individual the head of a particular family.Thus, the two would obtain a family head right, and the family members will increase. The arrangement leads a fortunate result to all concerned. Early 1823, Austin returned to his colony. Then Austin stopped to ascertain the powers held by general captain of the northeastern internal provinces. In addition, to have it defined and structured in the form of Spanish, and Austin was declared to have full administrative powers to administer justice in the colony. Austin made defensive war against the Indians and commanded the militia with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Moreover, Austin was clothed with executive, legislative and judicial powers. In addition, Austin was required to give a report to the states governor, and responsible to the captain-general of the

Argumentative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argumentative - Essay Example Biblical Christianity, on the other hand, is a worldview that attributes our ethics and morals to a universal standard of right and wrong that is not subject to change over time (Beach 54). In this way, these two opposing worldviews have two opposing positions on the nature of ethics and morality. One holds that morality is relative – the other holds that morality is not relative. They could not be in greater opposition. We can see the ways in which this worldviews and their ideas about ethics/morality shape the culture we live by looking at our past and comparing it with our present. Once this is done, it will be seen that our culture must return to religion if we are to maintain the happy and healthy lifestyle we claim to desire. Our culture, if you think about it, has been digressing for quite some time, and recently the problem has become more serious from an ethical standpoint. God is being removed from nearly every aspect of life and being replaced with other belief systems, such as humanism or naturalism. The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written by men who believed in God, men who thought prayer was important, that life was sacred, and that many of our current-day controversial practices, such as homosexuality and abortion, were biblically and morally reprehensible. The reality that a few of our Founding Fathers were deists, rather than theists, does not change the fact that these documents were written by and for a generally theistic people. According to John Adams, "Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other" (Beach 59).   Today, however, popular culture has forgotten that our nation was founded, in larg e part, on Christian principles, and that the Constitution was written for a "moral and religious people." We are, of

Organizational Structure of AirAsia

Organizational Structure of AirAsia 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, the use of information technology plays a vital role for businesses to compete and succeed. According to Laudon and Laudon (2010), almost the all firms and organizations use information technology to survive; they invest in information technology and systems because these investments will return a lot of advantages, such as; an increase in productivity, a decrease in costs and an increase in revenue. Information systems provide information for managers which help them to make better decisions and improve operations. This assignment will look at the largest low cost carriers in Asia Pacific region AirAsia Berhad, which is known as AirAsia. In this work we will analyse how organization has successfully used information technology and systems to improve their business. In addition, this paper will look to IT strategies of Air Asia and to some businesses processes within organization where information systems were successfully implemented. Organization background If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday. (Pearl Buck) Generally, without past, there is no future and everything in our life has his history. Thus, it is brief Air Asias background: First of all, AirAsia was founded in 1993 by Malaysian government as a second airliner to the major national air company MAS (Malaysian Airlines) and AirAsia started operating after three years on 18th November 1996.During the following 5 years, AirAsia failed every year to bring profit, as a result; AirAsia had a great debt of about USD $ 37 million in 2001. However, this time is the time when the real story of the largest low-cost airlines began. In 2001, Dato Sri Dr Tony Fernandes with partners Dato Pahamin Rejab (former chairman of Air Asia), Dato Kamarudin Meranun, and Dato Aziz Bakar purchased the AirAsia from Malaysian owner HICOM Holdings Berhad (now known as DRB-HICOM Berhad), for a symbolic price RM1 (USD 0.25 cents), and agreed to close the debts of the company. (AirAsia Annual Report, 2008, p.3) They started with an innovative goal to make air travel cheaper and more affordable to people that Now Everyone Can Fly. AirAsia was re-branded and re-launched and started new life with two Boeing B737 planes, approximately 250 staffs and had only five destinations to Kota Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi and Penang. According to AirAsia website, today after 10 years Air Asia has around 100 air planes and flies to more than 60 destinations from 23 countries. Additionally, Air Asia operates more than 3,500 flights a week and has around 8,000 staffs. In 2009 AirAsia ferried more than 22 million passengers and AirAsia is ASEAN (Association of South Asia Nations) carrier. (AirAsia Annual Report, 2009, p.4) It can be clearly seen that AirAsia has made a tremendous success in airline industry and it is interesting to know what and how managers of AirAsia use to achieve this fantastic outcome. It will be described later in following chapters. Organization Vision and Mission. Nowadays every organization has mission and vision statements, which show what organization is (mission) and a view of what organization wants to be (vision). (Harrison and John, 2009) In addition, the mission statement of the organization must be broad because it is an umbrella which encompasses organizations programs and services. (Angelica, 2001) 1). AirAsias Vision: Continue to be the lowest cost airline in every market we serve. 2). AirAsias Mission: To be the best company to work for whereby employees are treated as part of a big family Create a globally recognized ASEAN brand To attain the lowest cost so that everyone can fly with AirAsia Maintain the highest quality product, embracing technology to reduce cost and enhance service level (AirAsia website) Business Strategies and Success factors. Without a strategy the organization is like a ship without rudder, going around in circles. (Joel Ross and Michael Kami) Air Asia Success factors. AirAsia has achieved a tremendous success since its renovation. Because of some success factors AirAsia gets some competitive advantages in airline competition. By using it AirAsia is the best lowest cost airline company in South Asia. The key point of Airasias success factors is to deliver low fares is to consistently keep costs low. Providing low costs needs the high efficiency in every part of the business. Thus, every part of organization, every system process, everything must incorporate best industry practices. AirAsiaa success factors can be analyzed in the core values of the organization. AirAsia gets competitive advantages and makes their business successful by using these key strategies: Safety First Safety is the most vital criteria in every part of the organization operations; safety is the area where AirAsia will never compromise on. All conditions, which determine by regulators in the countries where AirAsia operates, are complied by the largest low fare airline. Furthermore, partnering with the worlds most renowned maintenance providers to be ensured that AirAsias airplanes always in the best condition. High Aircraft Utilisation The AirAsia airplane captains ability, to make a fast turnaround of 25 minutes which is the fastest in the region, is more convenient for customers to travel. It has resulted in high aircraft utilisation, better airline and staff productivity and lower costs. Low Fare, No Frills Providing to guests to have the choice of buying exclusively prepared meals, snacks and drinks from in-flight service at an affordable price. Streamlined Operations The important key of the AirAsias success is to make processes are simple as possible. Leans Distribution System Offering a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and travelling easier. Point to Point Network Applying the point-to-point network keeps operation simple and lower costs. Most of the AirAsias flights are short haul (four-hour flight radius or less) which helps to keep lower costs. Company Business Strategy. The Business Strategy of AirAsia is To continue to be the lowest cost short-haul airline in every market it serves, delivering strong organic growth through offering the lowest airfares at a uprofit. This strategy focusing in six main strategic thrusts: Leanest Cost Structure Efficient and simple point to point operationsÂÂ   Attracting and retaining hardworking and smart peopleÂÂ   Passion for continuous cost reduction Maximise Shareholders Value Resilient profit growth through our lower cost baseÂÂ   Expansion of the AirAsia network in a prudent and disciplined mannerÂÂ   Invest and enhance the AirAsia brand to increase investors returns Safety Comply with the highest International Aviation Safety Standards and practices Keep operations simple and transparentÂÂ   Ensure the security of our People and Guests ÂÂ   Passion for Guests Satisfaction Maintain simplicity in every applicationÂÂ   Practice the unique and friendly AirAsia experience at every opportunityÂÂ   Recognize the linkage between guests satisfaction and long-term success ÂÂ   Transparency Transparency in decision-making and information sharingÂÂ   Optimum disclosure higher than industry normsÂÂ   Timeliness in disclosing information ÂÂ   Human Capital Development Invest in both hard and soft skillsÂÂ   Recognize all our People as contributors to our successÂÂ   Reward excellence and individual contributions Maintaining one brand across the Group Analysis of the current Business Environment. Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces Model. 1. Bargaining Power of Supplier First of all, it can be clearly seen that the main AirAsias supplier is the airplane suppliers. Generally the power of airplane suppliers is very strong because of monopolisation in airplane manufacturers; there are only two types of airplanes Boeing and Airbus. The switching cost for airplane suppliers is very high due to expensive needs to change airplanes, for example: it will be very costly for AirAsia to change airplanes and train employees to be used of new airplanes. To be honest, nowadays, only several airline manufactures exist in airline industry, thus the power of airplane suppliers is very fantastic. If we look to other suppliers, such as, fuel, food and other suppliers, it is clear that their power is not so strong because AirAsia can change them and it will not affect to costs. The increase in price can be risky for these suppliers because AirAsia can quit working with them. 2. Bargaining Power of Buyer Generally, the power of customers is always high because there is no any switching cost for customers to change from one airline company to another, however; in this case, it can be thought that the output of AirAsia is very unique and fantastic in South Asia region. In addition, there will be switching cost for customers who want to change AirAsia to another airline company, as a result; the bargaining power of buyers is low. 3. Threat from Substitutes In South Asia region there are several possible substitutes for airline industry, such as; trains, buses, cars or ships. However, the prices for other substitutes are more expensive or at the same level, comfort, time spending and other factors during the travelling are more worse than in irline travelling. Nowadays, air travelling is faster, cheaper and more comfortable, as a result; threat of substitutes is respectively low. 4. Threat from New Entrants Airline industry is very expensive for new organizations to entrance into this industry. New organizations must have a big capital, strong support from government and must correspond for some requirements for airline organizations. There are difficult barriers for new organizations, for instance; cost advantages of existing airline organizations, brand loyalty of customers, high switching costs for customers and government restrictions. Therefore, the threat from new entrants is low. 5. Rivalry Intensity In general, the competition between airline organizations in Malaysia is not very strong. There is only one competitor for AirAsia in Malaysian airline industry is Malaysian Airlines (MAS) which can be considered as a friendly rival. Thus, the intensity of rival is low in Malaysian airline industry. 3.3 AirAsia Competitive Advantage. The strategic positioning has several ways in which the company can achieve competitive advantage. For instance, offering similar benefits for a lower cost to customers or retain cost but offer greater benefits for customers. In the case of Maybank, the strategy used by the company is to preserve the value of banking products and services, while offering great benefits and value, as well as the good quality of their products and services. Focusing on the variety and quality of their products and services, Maybank exercise their competitive advantage. In particular, through its subsidiaries Maybank provides a wide and diverse range of products and services. That allows its customers to use multiple services in one banking group. By entrusting their money to the time-tested bank, whether it be insurance, private banking or assets management. All this, along with high quality services and highly professional staff of the bank create convenience for customers, thereby increasing competitive advantage. One of the important factors in achieving competitive advantage of Maybank is to improve the quality and speed of services through the introduction of information technology. Maybank since its inception is looking for ways to make life easier for its customers, through improving the quality of its services. Information technologies have played an important role in this. Maybank always has been the first to introduce new technologies, thus providing greater benefits and opportunities for its customers. 4.0 Analysis of the Current IS/IT Strategy Environment and IT solutions of Maybank. Yield Management System (YMS) It is also known as Revenue Management System; it understands, anticipates and reacts to the behavior of customer to maximize revenue for the organization. This takes into account the operating costs and aids AirAsia to optimize prices and allocate capacity to maximize expected revenues. The optimization is done on two levels in AirAsia: Seat (Every seat is considered an opportunity to maximize revenue. Seats are available at various prices in different points of time. A reservation done at a later date will be charged more than the one done earlier for the same seat) Route (By adjusting prices for routes/destinations that have a higher demand when compared to others). The effective method however is to combine these two levels for all flights, all routes so that both the seat and the route are effectively priced for all the flights. AirAsia has realized increased revenue (3-4%) for the same number of aircrafts by taking advantage of the forecast of the high/low demand patterns, effectively shifting the demand from low period to high period and by charging a premium for late bookings. Over the past couple of years, AirAsia have actually lowered prices (essential for LCC) as the YMS has given them the window to increase their revenue by offering higher discounts, more frequently during off-peak times while raising prices only marginally for peak times. (Voneche, n.d). Computer Reservation System (CRS) AirAsias CRS (Open Skies by Navitaire) has helped it to grow at a dramatic pace in the past couple of years Navitaires Open Skies technology has truly enabled Airasias growth from 2 million passengers to 7.7 million passengers in less than two years. Open Skies scaled easily to accommodate our growth. Tony Fernandes CEO AirAsia Source: Navitaire (http://www.navitaire.com/res_and_dist/openskies.asp) It is an integrated web-based reservation and inventory system. It includes Internet, call center, airport departure control and more. It is a direct sales engine that effectively eliminates the middleman (travel agents) and the sales commissions that need to be paid to them. Centralized customer data is also maintained by Open Skies and this helps AirAsia to track booking and schedule flight activities with real-time, on-demand reporting feature. The vast booking information that is provided online to the customers acts as a force that brings more customers to use the website thus reducing the customer support costs. An important feature is that Open Skies seamlessly integrates with the already implemented YMS so that the systems can be used in unison for pricing and revenue maximization (by providing information on bookings, schedules etc) and driving down the costs of operation at the same time. This CRS enabled AirAsia to introduce the first ticket less travel option and also pro vides features such as advanced boarding passes in addition to online booking that enabled the growth of AirAsia as these features attracted customers that did not have the time for purchasing tickets from counters and coming in 1 hour early for securing a seat on the aircraft. AirAsia have proposed to implement a Wireless Delivery System (WDS) to expand its reach via mobile phones. With this, potential customers will be able to book tickets via their mobile phones. This is a strategic move for growth as the Asia-Pacific region has a larger population of mobile phone users rather than internet users. Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) AirAsia has recently (May 2005) opted for a full fledged ERP system implemented by Avanade consultants. By implementing this package AirAsia is looking to successfully maintain process integrity, reduce financial month-end closing processing times, and speed up reporting and data retrieval processes. (Microsoft Malaysia) 4.1 IT and IS deployed by Maybank. It can be said that Maybank has been always be on the way to improve quality of their products and services, thereby satisfy all the needs of their customers. In other words Maybank has been always innovated its products and services by implementation of IT. If to look back to the past we can see that Maybank was the leader to introduce new technologies to the market. For instance, Maybank was the first to embark on a computerisation programme, First to implement the use of ATMs and establish a shared ATM network with its subsidiaries, First to introduce Phone banking and First to introduce Internet Banking. In 1981, Maybank was first Malaysian bank to set up Automated Teller Machine (ATM) services.(annual report, 2009). Since that time Maybank increased the number of ATMs, with each year. ATMs give a lot of opportunities and benefits to the customers of the bank. Such as, access to own account 24 hours/7 days a week, fast cash withdrawal, cheque book and statement request, fund transfer between own accounts and funds transfer to third party accounts. Furthermore, Maybank was first domestic bank to implement MAS electronic Ticketing at their ATMs, this enable Maybank customers ticketless air travel in Malaysia on Malaysia Airlines. Later, due to its expansion to the South Asia markets Maybank launch the Maybank RegionLink Service. RegionLink Service allows Maybank customers in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Philippines to access ATM transactions at any Maybank ATM in these four countries. To effectively usage and managing its ATM network as well as to enable their customers to have a be tter service, Maybank uses automated teller machine management software from Diebold Inc. Without a doubt, the Internet is one of the most important technological advances of recent years. The rapid development of information technologies have created vast opportunities for companies to reduce operating costs, increase speed and quality of their services, as well as the creation of additional benefits for their customers. Because of this and to create competitive advantage Maybank launch its Internet Banking. Basically, Maybank launch Internet Banking through its online financial portal maybank2u.com in 2000. This portal bring the convenience of online banking for its customers, who can open an account, check balances, transfer funds, settle bills and shop online via this site, which employs 128-bit SSL security technology. Later in 2001, Maybank launch its E-bills service, which can be used only by their customers. At that time there were 325 business organisations that were able to accept payment through internet banking. Conducting funds transactions over the internet has been convenient and quick. This allowed the company to reach RM 500 million monthly total average transaction. In 2003, Maybank launched Internet Banking Kiosks. It enable their customers to undertake internet banking transactions in provided terminals at its branches. To maintain its leadership position in internet banking services, in 2006, Maybank launch Mobile Banking services in collaboration with Celcom and Maxis. It was the first mobile banking in Malaysia . It allowed Maybank customers to access to the three most popular applications of Maybank2u.com: bill payment balance enquiry and fund transfers. From that time, Maybank customers have the convenience of undertaking selected banking transactions in real time via the mobile phone. In order to improve its efficiency and service MayBank concluded a series of deals with companies such as CSC and Microsoft.The main objective of IT infrastructure outsourcing agreement with CSC was to improve their IT services to position it for global economic growth and, in the case of major disasters, to reduce its recovery time from three days to less than eight hours. The data center was moved from Maybanks headquarter to a secure and modern CSC facility. In addition, CSC set up separate data center for disaster recovery that fully duplicates all of the banks critical data across all platforms. CSC also provide simultaneous connection between bank branches, the main data center and disaster recovery center. This deal allowed the company to reduce response time, to increase productivity and transactional speed. An Enterprise Subscription Agreement with Microsoft Malaysia to adopt a common software toolset for Maybanks desktop applications has given Maybank the ability to promote greater communication among employees and customers and to enhance cost efficiency. One of the results of this agreement was increasing efficiency and productivity of the employees. 4.2 Impact on the usage of IS/IT by Maybank. In general, the use of information technology has a significant impact on the work of the enterprise. Effect of IT can be both at the organization, its efficiency, as well as to clients and their relationship to the company. In the case of Maybank, IT was one of the essential factors of growth and continued leadership of the bank. Maybank always has been a pioneer in the introduction of the use of IT, which allowed the company to achieve certain benefits. These benefits include competitive advantage, achieving the goal of the company, better service for customers and increase profits and market share. Maybank was able to improve their service through the use of information technology and information systems. Provision of banking and financial services through a network of ATMs and internet banking has allowed its customers to access their accounts anytime and anywhere in the world. Also, the IT/IS have an impact on the reduction of transaction costs and the time spending on transaction, that is convenient for customers. Customer relationship management system has been significantly influenced by information technologies. Increasing the ways of interaction between the company and customers, has given Maybank opportunity to increase and improve understanding of the needs and desires of customers. All this resulted in improved service and customer satisfaction, as well as the obvious convenience for customers of Maybank. Paying great attention to the use and implementation of IT, Maybank thus creating conditions for improving efficiency and productivity of their employees, as well as facilitating a repository of knowledge and being able to share this knowledge across the organization. In Maybank firmly believe that effective knowledge sharing is a source of competitive advantage. Also providing new products and services Maybank has a competitive advantage. At the same time, it is a temporary competitive advantage, because competitors can later enter the market with similar products and services. Therefore Maybank is always on the way to improve its service. On the other hand, Maybank as a pioneer in the introduction of the usage of IT has the first-mover advantage. This has a significant impact on enlarging market share. Also, the IT/IS has an impact on the reduction of transaction costs and human capital costs. All this has allowed Maybank to increase profits and market share. Increased profits and market share, competitive advantage and better service has given Maybank an opportunity to achieve its goal. Namely to become a leading banking group in Malaysia, and set the following goal to become a leading regional banking group by 2015. 5.0 Conclusion Technical progress is coming more quickly than ever before, thus, affecting all aspects of a typical company. Today, it is vital to the company to use information technology in order to work. It is become crucial factor for the Maybank to employ IT/IS in order to compete in digital world, where almost everyone use IT. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the most important factor still is the people and companies such as Maybank also need to invest their money in staff training, in order to be competitive enough or even to create competitive advantage. Because it is the people who create it.

Should The Internet Be Trusted? :: Website Internet Essays

Should The Internet Be Trusted? The Internet has become more and more of a favorite place for students to go when searching for sources to use in research papers. This is mostly because of the wide and relatively simple access that the Internet provides to all kinds of information. Why get up and travel all the way to the library when it is so much easier to open a browser window and head to Google? While the Internet can be a wonderful source, and is definitely a fairly new, unique, and versatile way of sharing information, not everything one finds on the free area of the Internet can be trusted. Literally anyone with an Internet connection can put up a webpage in a matter of minutes that would be capable of fooling the unwary Internet surfer. It is crucial when looking for valid sources on the free Internet to look carefully for the purpose of the page, the author(s) of the page, and the institution that backs or produces the page, if any. One quick way to check the purpose of a webpage is to look for any obvious ads. A webpage that is obviously trying to sell you something is not as likely to be a scholarly webpage. Runway.net has a multitude of ads right on its front page (Cousins homepage). Its purpose is clearly at least partially to sell you something, in this particular case the services of the webmasters in the area of web design. â€Å"Linguistic Diversity on the Internet† simply has functional menus leading to the information being presented (Jones homepage). There are no ads and not even any bright, flashy graphics. This article heads straight for the information in a professional manner, lending it a more scholarly feel. While prominently featured ads on a webpage do not necessarily mean that the webpage is a bad source, it should certainly be a cause for a deeper look into the merits of the page. Another good way to determine if a webpage is a useful source is to investigate the author or authors of the page. If no information at all is listed for the author, the page is useless because its authenticity can not be verified. The authors of Runway.net give no convincing credentials of any kind (Cousins About Us). While they do list their names, contacts, and some information about their background, there is no way to confirm that any of this information is true.

Branding, Pricing, and Distribution

Branding, Pricing, and Distribution Gary D. Tate Strayer University Marketing-500 Instructor: Brett Jordon 5/17/2012 Branding, pricing, and distribution are all integral parts of a strategic marketing plan. Each segment of the plan needs to be developed individually with the entire culmination of the plan in mind. In other words, each segment should be a link in the chain to a completed marketing strategy.The ultimate goal is to reach a successful culmination of all three tiers that will have a successful impact in introducing the brand, pricing it correctly, and forming a distribution model that will maximize the competitive advantage to the company or service in question. This report will outline the steps in developing a local branding outline as well as an international branding strategy . The idea behind branding is to differentiate your product, value, quality or service from your competitors, and make it more readily identifiable to the end user.There are at least four questio ns that need to be asked before implementing a branding strategy. The first of course is whether to brand the product vs, a no brand decision. The second decision would be to use a manufacturers brand vs. a private label strategy. The third question entails whether to go with a single brand vs. multiple brands. The final decision is to decide whether to brand in a local market or a global market or a combination of both. Branding in a global market is much more complicated than branding in a local market. When branding in a global market. Culture becomes a major consideration.It is generally wise to chose countries that have similar or closely related cultures and, or language skills to expand your brand globally. International marketing is the last frontier of the marketing discipline. International marketing is yet to be fully explored but is being increasingly tested to reach an ever growing sea of future consumers. The Lanham Trade-Mark Act of 1947 defines a trademark as â€Å" any work, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof adopted and used by a manufacture or merchant to identify his goods and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. Preoccupation with the marketing aspect of branding without giving due consideration to the legal aspect may easily defeat the main purpose of a trademark and protection of the owners valuable property. Onkpisit (2001). The legal rights to a registered trademark do not necessarily prevent others from illegally using it from counterfeiting in other countries. Branding in the host country (United States) is protected by law but this does not extend to foreign entities. A brand is an idea or image of a specific that customers can identify with.It can be associated to the product or service by name, slogan, or image portrayed by the initiating company. Branding is when the idea or image is recognized by more and more people. Branding is especially important in e-business. People will naturally se arch for brands or names they can quickly associate with. The foundation of your brand is your logo. Branding is developed through your website, packaging, and all promotional materials. Your brand strategy consist of how, what, where,, when, and to whom you are to communicate your brand message to.Branding is a continuous marketing strategy that may continue through numerous generations of existing and potential customers. The brand should add intrinsic value in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. The brand, slogan or logo should be placed on every aspect of your business. The brand is what helps to differentiate your product from all others. The significance of branding is important whether you are involved in a domestic market or a global campaign. One of the most difficult is to decide how much to charge for your product or service.There is no single or right way to determine the correct price for your product. There are several considerations that may be cons idered when pricing your product or service. How do want to position your product or service. Do you want to be perceived as a discount outlet? If this is the case, you will want to keep your prices low. On the other hand, If you want to be perceived as a limited edition or luxury product or service, you will command a higher price structure. People really do equate price with quality. Other criteria for pricing would be to estimate what the demand will be for your product or service.The price will normally affect the demand curve. The higher the price, the less the demand in most cases for the product or service. In order to get the best possible price, a marketer might do some test marketing in several similar markets using a different price for each. Generally, the best price will be the one that provides the maximum amount of profit to the company. Example: 100 widgets for $1. 00 get 78 sales. 100 widgets for $2. 00 get 49 sales. 100 widgets for $3. 00 get 14 sales. The middle p rice would constitute the biggest profit for the company.The first example provides 78 dollars in revenue, the second 98, and the third 42. The $2. 00 price would be the most appropriate. Another consideration concerning pricing involves the costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of the product or service. All costs fixed or variable must be considered in pricing the product to maximize profit. The main consideration for any business is to maximize profit. Profit margins can vary drastically from industry to industry, but no matter the margin, a profit must be maintained to sustain the company. Environmental considerations must also be taken into account.Certain regulations place constraints on the price the company can charge. Lowering your price to low might trigger price wars from your competitors. A company needs to examine what external factors might affect the price charged. The next step is to determine what pricing strategy should be used in implementing your price. Short-term profit maximization might be considered for optimal cash flow for a cash strapped company, but may be a hindrance to long term profits. Short-term revenue maximization may be the approach used to lowering costs through economies of scale.This approach is frequently used when trying to lure investors. The company realizes little profit but builds market share. Maximizing quantity can be used in lowering long term cost or to maximize market penetration. A company may chose to maximize profit margin. This strategy is used when sales are lower than expected or sporadic in nature. Differentiation is another extreme that sets the company up as different from other competitors and generally commands a higher price. The perceived differentiation is one created by the marketer to command a psychological benefit to the customer.No matter what pricing strategy you may chose, the price must seem fair to the consumer, or they will not buy. Strategic distribution channels lead to a competitive advantage from the configuration network. The company must determine what type of distribution channels will be used to supply the product or service to the end user. Two basic methods are basically used to channel goods or services to the customer, direct and the use of subsidiaries. If you will be dealing directly with the customer, a simplified warehousing and shipping department should suffice.If you are using intermediaries to deliver the product or service, it is crucial to select partners who will be excellent stewards for delivering the product or service to the customer or end user in a timely manner. The distribution strategy should be defined on the number and types of customer interface. Much of the decisions will depend on the order entry points and how fulfillment to the customer is handled. Careful thought must be given to the cost factor when establishing a distribution network. Consumer products fall into two basic categories, remote access( web or catalog sales or local access( typically brick and mortar operations.Remote access is generally made by phone, mail, e-mail, or from a website. Fulfillment of an order is generally shipped directly to the end user by Fed-Ex, UPS, or Postal carriers. Local access is still the most prevalent form of distribution. Sales from the web have been increasing and according to news reports have reached a staggering six percent of all sales. In many cases the distribution strategy has led to a cooperative mingling of both remote access and brick and mortar retail or wholesale outlets. This trend should continue to grow with the increased ease of shopping through advanced technical means.Shopping by phone is becoming increasingly popular. The downside of this type of transaction lies in the security issues that abound. References Distribution Strategy retrieved May 19th from Faculty. msb. edu/homak/homahelpsite//WebHelp/Distribution_Strategy. htm Onkpisit (2012). , What is Branding? Retrieved f rom Entrepreneur Media, Inc. on may 20th, 2012 from www. entrepreneur. com Allen, Scott, Pricing Strategy How much should you Charge? Retrieved on May 21st, 2012 from http://entrepreneurs. about. com/od/salesmarketing/a/pricingstrategy. htm Branding, Pricing, and Distribution Branding, Pricing, and Distribution Gary D. Tate Strayer University Marketing-500 Instructor: Brett Jordon 5/17/2012 Branding, pricing, and distribution are all integral parts of a strategic marketing plan. Each segment of the plan needs to be developed individually with the entire culmination of the plan in mind. In other words, each segment should be a link in the chain to a completed marketing strategy.The ultimate goal is to reach a successful culmination of all three tiers that will have a successful impact in introducing the brand, pricing it correctly, and forming a distribution model that will maximize the competitive advantage to the company or service in question. This report will outline the steps in developing a local branding outline as well as an international branding strategy . The idea behind branding is to differentiate your product, value, quality or service from your competitors, and make it more readily identifiable to the end user.There are at least four questio ns that need to be asked before implementing a branding strategy. The first of course is whether to brand the product vs, a no brand decision. The second decision would be to use a manufacturers brand vs. a private label strategy. The third question entails whether to go with a single brand vs. multiple brands. The final decision is to decide whether to brand in a local market or a global market or a combination of both. Branding in a global market is much more complicated than branding in a local market. When branding in a global market. Culture becomes a major consideration.It is generally wise to chose countries that have similar or closely related cultures and, or language skills to expand your brand globally. International marketing is the last frontier of the marketing discipline. International marketing is yet to be fully explored but is being increasingly tested to reach an ever growing sea of future consumers. The Lanham Trade-Mark Act of 1947 defines a trademark as â€Å" any work, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof adopted and used by a manufacture or merchant to identify his goods and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. Preoccupation with the marketing aspect of branding without giving due consideration to the legal aspect may easily defeat the main purpose of a trademark and protection of the owners valuable property. Onkpisit (2001). The legal rights to a registered trademark do not necessarily prevent others from illegally using it from counterfeiting in other countries. Branding in the host country (United States) is protected by law but this does not extend to foreign entities. A brand is an idea or image of a specific that customers can identify with.It can be associated to the product or service by name, slogan, or image portrayed by the initiating company. Branding is when the idea or image is recognized by more and more people. Branding is especially important in e-business. People will naturally se arch for brands or names they can quickly associate with. The foundation of your brand is your logo. Branding is developed through your website, packaging, and all promotional materials. Your brand strategy consist of how, what, where,, when, and to whom you are to communicate your brand message to.Branding is a continuous marketing strategy that may continue through numerous generations of existing and potential customers. The brand should add intrinsic value in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. The brand, slogan or logo should be placed on every aspect of your business. The brand is what helps to differentiate your product from all others. The significance of branding is important whether you are involved in a domestic market or a global campaign. One of the most difficult is to decide how much to charge for your product or service.There is no single or right way to determine the correct price for your product. There are several considerations that may be cons idered when pricing your product or service. How do want to position your product or service. Do you want to be perceived as a discount outlet? If this is the case, you will want to keep your prices low. On the other hand, If you want to be perceived as a limited edition or luxury product or service, you will command a higher price structure. People really do equate price with quality. Other criteria for pricing would be to estimate what the demand will be for your product or service.The price will normally affect the demand curve. The higher the price, the less the demand in most cases for the product or service. In order to get the best possible price, a marketer might do some test marketing in several similar markets using a different price for each. Generally, the best price will be the one that provides the maximum amount of profit to the company. Example: 100 widgets for $1. 00 get 78 sales. 100 widgets for $2. 00 get 49 sales. 100 widgets for $3. 00 get 14 sales. The middle p rice would constitute the biggest profit for the company.The first example provides 78 dollars in revenue, the second 98, and the third 42. The $2. 00 price would be the most appropriate. Another consideration concerning pricing involves the costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of the product or service. All costs fixed or variable must be considered in pricing the product to maximize profit. The main consideration for any business is to maximize profit. Profit margins can vary drastically from industry to industry, but no matter the margin, a profit must be maintained to sustain the company. Environmental considerations must also be taken into account.Certain regulations place constraints on the price the company can charge. Lowering your price to low might trigger price wars from your competitors. A company needs to examine what external factors might affect the price charged. The next step is to determine what pricing strategy should be used in implementing your price. Short-term profit maximization might be considered for optimal cash flow for a cash strapped company, but may be a hindrance to long term profits. Short-term revenue maximization may be the approach used to lowering costs through economies of scale.This approach is frequently used when trying to lure investors. The company realizes little profit but builds market share. Maximizing quantity can be used in lowering long term cost or to maximize market penetration. A company may chose to maximize profit margin. This strategy is used when sales are lower than expected or sporadic in nature. Differentiation is another extreme that sets the company up as different from other competitors and generally commands a higher price. The perceived differentiation is one created by the marketer to command a psychological benefit to the customer.No matter what pricing strategy you may chose, the price must seem fair to the consumer, or they will not buy. Strategic distribution channels lead to a competitive advantage from the configuration network. The company must determine what type of distribution channels will be used to supply the product or service to the end user. Two basic methods are basically used to channel goods or services to the customer, direct and the use of subsidiaries. If you will be dealing directly with the customer, a simplified warehousing and shipping department should suffice.If you are using intermediaries to deliver the product or service, it is crucial to select partners who will be excellent stewards for delivering the product or service to the customer or end user in a timely manner. The distribution strategy should be defined on the number and types of customer interface. Much of the decisions will depend on the order entry points and how fulfillment to the customer is handled. Careful thought must be given to the cost factor when establishing a distribution network. Consumer products fall into two basic categories, remote access( web or catalog sales or local access( typically brick and mortar operations.Remote access is generally made by phone, mail, e-mail, or from a website. Fulfillment of an order is generally shipped directly to the end user by Fed-Ex, UPS, or Postal carriers. Local access is still the most prevalent form of distribution. Sales from the web have been increasing and according to news reports have reached a staggering six percent of all sales. In many cases the distribution strategy has led to a cooperative mingling of both remote access and brick and mortar retail or wholesale outlets. This trend should continue to grow with the increased ease of shopping through advanced technical means.Shopping by phone is becoming increasingly popular. The downside of this type of transaction lies in the security issues that abound. References Distribution Strategy retrieved May 19th from Faculty. msb. edu/homak/homahelpsite//WebHelp/Distribution_Strategy. htm Onkpisit (2012). , What is Branding? Retrieved f rom Entrepreneur Media, Inc. on may 20th, 2012 from www. entrepreneur. com Allen, Scott, Pricing Strategy How much should you Charge? Retrieved on May 21st, 2012 from http://entrepreneurs. about. com/od/salesmarketing/a/pricingstrategy. htm

Child Called It

Jalen Jones Mrs. Moore English 113 A 1/3/12 Book Summary A Child Called It by David Pelzer is a real life story about a boy who was brutally beaten and severely starved by his alcoholic mother. When David was young, he lived a well and typical life with his parents and brothers. However, his mother unexpectedly, became a monster, taking her anger out on her anger on her vulnerable child.David was forced to lie in freezing cold water with his whole body under except for his nostrils, forced to eat his own vomit, sleep in the basement under the stairs, stabbed, and forced to sit in the bathroom with a mustard gas solution while the door was closed. These are just a few of the brutal, tortuous games that David’s mother used to play. She treated him not like her son, but like nobody with no feelings or emotions. David’s mother would never call him by his name, she always either called him â€Å"The Boy† or â€Å"It† David experienced both psychological and phy sical abuse.In order to survive from his mother's sick games, David used willpower. David has a strong will to survive at any cost. Through all of mothers’ torturous games, David's internal strength began to come into view. Introduction to Interview David Pelzer’s story is the exact opposite of a fairy tale. There was something I couldn’t get right about him. He looked normal but his childhood wasn’t. The room was bright and warm. I sat there preparing my questions for David Pelzer. As he walked into the room and sat down in the chair, I wondered â€Å"is this going to be a dreadful, painful day for David Pelzer? I knew that today, skeletons will be brought out of the closet. Today, there will be secrets revealed. Interview Questions Okay David, let’s jump right in. What was mother like? Mother was†¦ Mother. She was an alcoholic who tortured and starved me for her sick pleasure. She would do things to me that you couldn’t possibly fath om. Once she stabbed m in the stomach and gave me a slightly longer time to complete my chores. But the person, who I loathed in that situation the most, was father. After I was stabbed I turned to him for help and I assumed he would rescue me. Boy was I wrong.He just sat there†¦ In his chair†¦ Continuing to read his paper. When I told him all he could say was â€Å"Jesus H. Christ! Does Mother know that you are talking to me? You better go back in there and do the dishes. Damn it boy, we don’t need to do anything that might make her more upset! I don’t need to go through that tonight†¦I tell you what: you go back in there and do the dishes. I won’t even tell that you told, okay? This will be our little secret. Just go back in the kitchen and do the dishes. Go on now, before she catches the both of us. GO! † That day I lost all respect for him.The day I was taken away from that house was easily the best day of my life. What was the worst th ing mother did to torture you? The worst form of torture? Easily the â€Å"Gas Chamber† I would be trapped in the bathroom with a solution of Clorox  ® and Ammonia. In case you didn’t know that makes Mustard Gas. This was used in WWI to burn your eyes and lungs. The only way to save myself was to push the bucket closer to the door, put one of my work rags over my face. The main reason why I would push the bucket toward the door was so that when Mother opened the door, she would get a taste of her own medicine.My eyes would be red and burning and my throat will be sore and will be blister filled. Every time she did this I would pray to god that he would bring me through this. I had much will power. When Mother opened that door after each session, I would sprint for fresh air, and every time she would get a kick out of it. What was mother like before the abuse? Before the abuse started, my family was the â€Å"Brady Bunch† of the 1960’s. When it came to h ousekeeping mother was a clean fiend. After feeding my two brothers and me breakfast, she would clean, disinfect, scour, and vacuum everything.She never believed in doing anything half way. Our flower garden was the envy of the neighborhood. Mother was an amazing cook. She would often cook foreign and exotic meals. One time she took us to china town and dove around the area. As we did this, she told us about the culture and history of the Chinese people. When we returned home, mom started the record player and played beautiful sounds from the orient. She decorated the living room with Chinese lanterns. That evening she dressed in a kimono and served an exotic yet delicious Chinese meal.She always kept the house filled with pets; cats, dogs, aquariums filled with exotic fish, and a gopher tortoise named Thor. I remember him the best because I named him after my favorite comic book hero. Boy those were the good days. While school was out, what did you do? During the spring time, mothe r made me mow lawns. I would go out and mow lawns all day for a quota mother had set. If I didn’t meet the quota, I would get brutally beaten. Sometimes I would have to ask for money to meet my quota. One Christmas, she bought me skates. They were not for pleasure but for torture.Mother would make me skate outside in the freezing cold for hours with no coat on. It was horrible. Even though people saw me, no one did anything or asked questions. Was there a time where you stopped believing in god or that faith was nonexistent? Yes there was. When my father left, I stopped believing. He was my hero. My father was my only main choice of escaping that misery home. When he left, I had no more hope. All faith of leaving was gone. When he left, I started to do my chores nonchalantly. I decided that if there was nothing to live for why try to be perfect? What was something you were extremely proud of during your childhood?One day I entered a competition to name the school newspaper. I had one the competition and Mr. Ziegler; my teacher had given me an award to take home to my mother. I was hoping that she would be proud of me but boy was I wrong. Mother jabbed her finger and my face and hisses â€Å"Get one thing straight you little son of a b****! There is nothing you can do to impress me! Understand me? You are a nobody! An It. You are nonexistent! You are a bastard child! I hate you and I wish you were dead! Dead! Do you hear me? Dead! † After mother tore the letter to pieces mother returned to her TV show.I stood motionless gazing at the letter which lay like snowflakes at my feet. Even though I heard those words over and over again, the word â€Å"it† stunned me like never before. She had stripped me of my very existence. What would you do to steal food? Sometimes I would steal from the grocery store during recess. I would run to the grocery store, steal food, and run out the store with my prize. One of my favorites was to go through lunch box es of other kids and steal some of their food. But teachers found out about that. On my way to school, I would knock on peoples doors saying† I lost my lunch, can you make me one? One day I knocked on the wrong door. It was a friend of mothers. She made me a lunch but she called mother. I prayed all day that she didn’t call mother. When I got home I paid for what I did. Do you have any advice for people who get abused? Of course. Keep the faith. Always know there is a higher power helping you through the situation. Keep your head up. In time everything will get better. It did for me. I stopped believing but that only got me more torture. Just always know things will get better. Things always turn out in the best. Always remember that.

Running of Multinational Internet Firm

Running of Multinational Internet Firm Introduction Running a multinational internet firm necessitates a clear understanding of increased existence of values within the diverse cultures involved in the online business. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Running of Multinational Internet Firm specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The subsystems of the firm have to adjust to an effective organizational structure in order to facilitate different values in the organization. Effective integration of values can be achieved by increasing knowledge in leadership, as this helps in highlighting the changes that are taking place in a given segment. This goes along with creating competent staff as well as evaluating the structure used in relation to the organizational culture. But what type of structure best suits multinational internet retailer? How can someone build a diverse culture that creates room for creativity amongst the technical staff? And how would someone eval uate the success of organizational structure and culture? Type of Structure That Would Best Suit Multinational Internet Retailer In the recent past, it has come to the attention of multinational internet retailers that a number of cultural practices affect their business operations, namely, language used, religion, laws and politics, the level of education, social organizations, and technology, among others (Weitz, 2002). And in this regard, a vast majority of the multinational internet retailers has taken the initiative of evaluating organizational structure that would best suit multinational organizations. The fact that understanding customers’ needs enhances productivity and better management of a given firm makes regionalized organizational structure best suited to a multinational internet retailer. This emanates from the fact that a regionalized organizational structure creates an avenue for corporate culture, thus facilitating decision-making process for each segment. More so, a regionalized organizational structure is in a position of recognizing synergies, and this makes it easier to reform them. It works under the platform of midway between the centralization and decentralization, thus facilitating local operations that are based on a global framework.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, a regionalized organizational structure suits a multinational internet retailer because, despite the fact that it would want to operate under a centralized structure in a bid to retain the company’s values and standards, it is extremely hard to achieve organizational goals due to differences in culture and economic status between diverse countries across the globe (Weitz, 2002). Hence, a multinational internet retailer can only acquire speed and comprehensive information of diverse cultural practices and economic capabiliti es of different regions by strategically placing several regional headquarters, especially in areas characterized by diversity. How Would You Recommend Building a Culture That is Inclusive of Diverse Cultures and Accommodates Highly Creative Technical Staff? In order for an organization to achieve long-term benefits and survival, it must learn how to build a culture that accommodates diverse cultures and highly creative technical staff. However, even though diversity is characterized by innovation, it does not mean that any organization characterized by diversity has creative technical staff (Mead, 2005). Therefore, it is of utmost importance for multinational companies to not only entertain diversity but also acquire knowledge on how diversity can lead to creativity. This knowledge should involve two major factors: accommodating core beliefs of workers and formulating global goals. In accommodating core beliefs of workers, the management should highlight workers beliefs with regar d to performance achievement, enhance their faith in education by revealing perseverance, exhibit equal value for each worker, and encourage collaboration through promoting inquiry and teamwork that facilitates implementation of new practices (Mead, 2005). global goals, on the other hand, can be achieved by enhancing an effective leadership program that promotes diversity in workplace, increasing the level of engaging employees in the decision making process, increasing the level of challenges in the multinational firm, offering bonus for challenging jobs, and enhancing technology in the operations of the multinational organization (Mead, 2005). How Would You Measure The Success Of Your Organizational Design In Structure And Culture? It is of utmost importance for the management of multinational firms to note that even though cultural diversity is closely associated with performance improvement, it is also faced with a number of challenges. With this is mind, the measurement of suc cess of an organizational structure and culture should emanate from assessing the impact of culture on the organizational structure adapted, assessing the impact of culture while adapting to a new organizational structure, and assessing the impact of culture on performance of the organization (Mead, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Running of Multinational Internet Firm specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is a fact that multinational organizations are greatly influenced by the culture of people within a given locality. For instance, developed countries are more inclined to coming up with products that take due diligence in environmental conservation than the developing countries. Therefore, the structure adapted by a multinational organization can be termed as successful if it takes consideration of people’s culture living in a particular locality. The impact of culture while adapting to a new organiza tional structure should also be measured since cultural diversity without innovativeness does not amount to profitability (Mead, 2005). The multinational organizations are normally characterized by changes, and therefore they change their vision and mission overtime. In this regard, the structure adapted by a multinational organization can be termed as successful if the workers are ready to approve the innovative ways of carrying out business operations. Culture plays a crucial role on performance of an organization, and this necessitates coming up with an organizational structure that shares a common organizational culture. This emanates from the fact that organizations that lack a discernable culture are characterized by unpredictable performance (Mead, 2005). Therefore, the structure adapted by a multinational organization can be termed as successful if workers from diverse cultures are able to resolve their differences to a level where they can achieve a common ground. Referen ces Mead, R. (2005). International management: Cross-cultural dimensions. Malden, Mass: Blackwell.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Weitz, B. A., Wensley, R. (2002). Handbook of marketing. London: SAGE.

So I can make it clear why Seabiscuit is about perseverance I wrote a short review of the film Essay Example

So I can make it clear why Seabiscuit is about perseverance I wrote a short review of the film Essay Example So I can make it clear why Seabiscuit is about perseverance I wrote a short review of the film Essay So I can make it clear why Seabiscuit is about perseverance I wrote a short review of the film Essay This analytical folio is based on the health issue developing life skills, more to the point, perseverance. I chose the movie Seabiscuit to analyse as it is a movie based on perseverance, and this is portrayed by all the characters. I believe perseverance is an important part of everyday life, for everybody, in every task. If we didnt persevere, many tasks would remain uncompleted. The movie, based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand, is a true story, and was released in 2003. There were four producers for this particular movie, Kathleen Kennedy; Frank Marshall; Gary Ross and; Jane Sindell. Gary Ross was also the director. So I can make it clear why Seabiscuit is about perseverance I wrote a short review of the film. Seabiscuit is set in the early 90s during the Depression. In my opinion the central theme of this film is that there have been people from past times who have been brave and courageous enough to accept that their social standings are as underdogs, and have fought to overcome all odds to achieve their goals. The story of Seabiscuit is the tale of four unlikely heroes, Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), is a wealthy salesman, who suffers both personal and financial losses during the depression. In the shape of his sons tragic death, his divorce and his business going under, he regains hope through a horse and his jockey. Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), is a disciplined, ageing trainer, Johnny Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), is a quick tempered jockey with various disabilities against him. These include being blind in his right eye, searching for where he belongs as he was given up by his parents as a young child, and later in the movie, coping a shattered leg. The last but not least of these four is Seabiscuit, an undersized horse, who has been mistreated all his life, and also suffers a leg injury during the film. It is the depression and no one escapes the harshness of the times. It is during these bleak days that horse racing quickly gathers momentum, and it is under these circumstances that the four main characters stories entwine. Howard seeks a new business venture in horse racing and hires Pollard as his Jockey and Smith as his trainer. Smith happens along Seabiscuit, a broken horse and narrowly saves him from a bullet, then insists that Howard lets him train the ill tempered horse for racing. Seabiscuit soon becomes the underdog who could, and wins many races. But despite his popularity, Seabiscuit is seen as a cheap novelty by the elite of the East Coast Horse Racing, headed by Samuel Riddle, owner of the triple crown winner War Admiral. Howard gains public favour in order to force Riddle to put his money where his mouth is, and this rapidly grows into a media frenzy. Seabiscuit, the representative of the underdog hopes and dreams and War Admiral, the beneficiary of champion breeding and training, finally race in 1938 at a race course named Pimlico. Before this time, Pollard shatters his leg, and is unable to ride in this race; in fact he is told that he will never ride again. After the race, at Pimlico, Seabiscuit also injures his leg, and Howard is informed that he will never race again. Despite the odds stacked against them, Seabiscuit and Pollard refused to give up. Both Seabiscuit and Pollard slowly rehabilitate each other, and race together again, despite the protests that Howard and Smith voice. The last race in this movie is spectacular, and shows the greatest perseverance that could have been achieved by these characters. Just when it looked like Seabiscuit was beaten in the home stretch, he ducked in between the horses in front and came away with a victory. This film shows how these men and beast overcome incredible odds to achieve their goals. I think that if everybody showed the perseverance that the characters portray, life would be much simpler. They never let anything get them down, and I dare to say that more people than what you would have at any World Series or football grand final today would have attended, and possibly nobody left the track feeling disappointed, but instead full of hope. In our daily lives, we encounter many times when we persevere, even if we dont realise this. When things go wrong, we generally try to find a way to remedy the situation, this is perseverance. Going to work, school or an activity that we attend regularly, even if we dont enjoy it, this is commitment, which shows perseverance. Believing in your dreams, just as the characters in Seabiscuit did is perseverance. Perseverance is a commitment, a dedication to yourself and following through with your actions. Perseverance enables an individual to endeavour in spite of adversity. Perseverance is setting goals and sticking with them, making adjustments if needed, until completed. Just like in the movie, when Seabiscuit and Pollard were told they couldnt go on, they adjusted their goals and finished what they had set out to accomplish. Also the fact that Pollard and Seabiscuit were supporting each other is part of persevering as well. Without support or encouragement, I dont think persevering would be easy. Believing in ones self and your goals, achieving what you set out to do, having courage to achieve what you want to achieve and having encouragement along the way, all play a role in perseverance. The characters in this movie persevered through all kinds of problems by keeping focused on their goals. Everyday, whether it is getting out of bed for work, school or something else, completing tasks that you need to do / want to do, or even just cooking a meal. Having goals and completing the goals, as small as they may seem, is persevering. This movie shows characters persevering through all sorts of hard issues, but not all things we persevere at are hard. Every day, I get out of bed and have breakfast with my son, and then I will sit down with my son to watch a program with him. I then do some homework, maybe start some clothes washing or baking and then it is lunch time. Just in a few hours I have persevered four maybe five times without even knowing. Perseverance doesnt always need to be acknowledged, but if you look close enough at your own life you will probably see a fair amount of persevering. If you look in the mirror, the person you see staring back at you is probably a person who has persevered at some stage. On reflection of the issue of perseverance which is shown in this movie, I have gained the knowledge that in even the simplest task, anybody can persevere. I had never realised that just believing in ones self and your goals is perseverance. I took for granted the tasks which I completed everyday as just mundane tasks, but did not realise that by completing these tasks was persevering. I believe that this movie is based wholly on the health issue of perseverance, as all the characters portrayed persevered through the hard times. I would recommend this move to absolutely anybody as it made me realise, as I am sure others will find, that persevering is a part of everyday life. I believe that this movie was about the relationships people have with each other, and the situations we find ourselves in because of these relationships. I will take with me the knowledge that I am persevering everyday, whether or not I realise it, and that puts a smile on my face.

12 Steps to Writing a Research Proposal

12 Steps to Writing a Research Proposal A guideline on writing a research proposal. Follow 12 steps described in the article below to write a research proposal effectively. There is a number of useful tips that can be used for writing an effective thesis proposal. First, remember that a thesis proposal is generally written in a present or future tense. When you write your actual master’s thesis, you will need to use past tense. Below you will find the main steps that will show you how to write a research proposal. Want to know more about what a research proposal is? Below is the article explaining what a research proposal is: WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROPOSAL? A Guideline on Writing a Research Proposal Step 1: Make a great introduction.  The part that is designed to capture your reader’s attention is the introduction to your master thesis proposal. It is a good idea to write it last, that way it is more likely to become interesting and you will sound like you know what to do. This recommendation might seem strange at first; however, it’s perfectly logical because once everything has been researched, written and checked, you will have a good picture of what the end product is like. With this picture in mind, it’s best to work on the introductory part of your paper last. Step 2: State the problem.  Voice your research question. You might want to restate it in the form of the sentence so that your reader understands it better. Step 3: Provide background.  Explain how the problem emerged. Give some background information on the issue you are going to research to substantiate the need for the problem resolution. Step 4: Declare the purpose.  You should necessarily mention the purpose of your dissertation in the thesis proposal. Step 5: State significance.  Mentioning the significance of the problem will add value to your research project. Step 6:  Explain methods.  Your reader should be aware of the methods your research project is going to utilize. Step 7: Review literature.  A master’s research proposal is unthinkable without reviewing literature that is relevant to the topic of research. A thorough analysis of the literature sources should be conducted and clearly explained in the proposal. Do not forget to mention any alternative viewpoints on the topic; they might be useful in researching your question. Step 8: Formulate a clear hypothesis.  Hypothesis section sets the goal for the thesis. If it is clear and understandable, the entire research project will become clear and easy to carry out. Step 9: Define your terms.  Your proposal will be read by people who might not fully understand your dissertation and the terms it uses. You will need to provide a definition for every term you are using in your master’s thesis. Step 10: Tell your reader about your research assumptions.  The research proposal for your master’s thesis should contain the basic assumptions you are making while working on the essay. Step 11: Define scope and limitations.  Any research has its scope and limitations; you just can’t cover everything with just one research project. Clearly, state the limitations and scope for your study and outline possibility for subsequent research. Step 12: Explain the procedure.  Your reader should be aware of the procedure you are going to follow in the writing process. You will need to explain what and how will be done within the framework of your research. These simple steps will allow you to come up with a research proposal that will high chances of getting approved either by your advisor or the board of advisors. Once the research proposal is completed and approved, we can move on to reviewing the basic thesis structure. Here is a great list of research proposal topics: 50 RESEARCH PROPOSAL TOPICS FOR MASTERS DISSERTATION In case you want our writers to create a custom-written research proposal for you, let us know. All the outlined steps have proven their efficiency for getting the research proposal approved. We are also open to revising your research proposal outline and format until it becomes truly effective. Our writers can also review, revise and proofread your essay in case you have completed it yourself and want to have it reviewed by a professional writer. Whatever the case please visit the order page and we will start working on your research proposal.

Changing Criminal Behaviour Case Study Bert Essay

Changing Criminal Behaviour Case Study Bert - Essay Example In order to fulfil the study's first aim, recall and recognition will be tested in 100 to 150 adult participants. Eyewitness identification accuracy will be observed during this process. Participants will be required to watch a brief video, following this video participants will be required to answer a series of questions pertaining to that video. Another data collection will involve participants completing an online questionnaire which assesses accuracy of recognition and recall. The experiment aims at identifying the misidentification rates of adults and how recognition and recall can lead to false eyewitness testimony and subsequent false identification. In order to fulfil the study's second aim, the literature on the factors which promote and those which inhibit eyewitness accuracy will be reviewed. A list of inhibitors and promotors will be generated and subsequently employed to inform a set of recommendations for the enhancement of eyewitness accuracy. The researcher will organise and maintain a web based questionnaire and online video through Surveymonkey. The researcher will send the website a participants' inclusion and exclusion criteria and specify that all respondents are to be from Australia. A 100-150 participant figure will be requested. Surveymonkey will then inform its relevant participant database of the survey. 3.2. Research plan 3.2.1 Describe the theoretical, empirical and/or conceptual basis, and background evidence, for the research proposal, eg. previous studies, anecdotal evidence, review of literature, prior observation, laboratory or animal studies. NS 1.13 The goal of the proposed research is to examine conditions that may influence eyewitness memory. Wells and Loftus (2003) used a 'memory as trace' (p. 149) metaphor to compare physical evidence and memory. That is, memory for an event can leave a trace in the brain just like physical evidence (e.g., fingerprints, blood, and semen) can in the outside world. As will be discussed at length later, eyewitness identification procedures can be employed to minimize any bias or suggestion that can contaminate a witness memory. In the present studies the effects of certain estimator variables on eyewitness identification will be examined. More specifically, the issue of whether knowledge that one is viewing a crime suspect, compared to learning that one had seen a suspect after-the-fact, and the seriousness of the crime for which the suspect is wanted, will be investigated for their influence on identification accuracy in line-ups in which the suspect is either absent or present. An additional question is whether crime severity enhances memory for an individual, or whether attention needs to be directed towards the individual to influence memory. There is equivocal evidence that crimes of a more serious nature increase motivation to attend to the criminal scenario (Leippe, Wells, & Ostrom, 1978), while others do not support this finding. As eyewitness investigation is relevant to psychologists, the legal system, witnesses, the accused, and society at large, it is

Sontag believes movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sontag believes movies - Essay Example Typically, since movies are created to depict a dynamic narrative of life under a rare perspective with striking parallels to the circumstances of reality, the watcher becomes gradually kidnapped by such an essence that occurs to fulfill the movie’s objective of getting the viewer seek profound relevance. As the movie serves a vehicle that takes one to reflect with vivid imagination and pertinent emotion at depth, the act of kidnapping, as Sontag puts it to be the principal role assumed by the film, is sustained. On the other hand, Norma’s observation that movies lost art during the arrival of the talkies in the late 1920s tends to signify reference to the aesthetic value of a motion picture. At a time, people sought inspiration from the fast-paced scenes with basic tale-like themes and muted dialogues that captivated illusions so that movie, as an art piece, seemed at that period governed by an ideal rather than real or factual principle of transporting the audience in a journey of pure heroic sentiments. Losing art though does not appear to wholly pertain to depriving the film of the essence of beauty found in its fictitious elements of presentation during transition to a decade in which the incorporation of sound would add prominence to the acts in virtual display. Both Desmond and Sontag necessitated making such judgment to indicate a change toward revolution and the loss of traditional craft is just a single aspect that needed occurrence to permit innovation or a new concept and approach.

State Sovereighty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

State Sovereighty - Essay Example However, the more powerful territorial states repeatedly violated the national jurisdiction of the weaker ones and were legally free to â€Å"make war, violate human rights, neglect the welfare of citizens, and damage the ecology†. (Weiss, 2007, p. xiv) This classical definition of sovereignty eventually came to an end as effected by the two Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907. The result of the conference was the foundation of three conventions and three declarations which stipulated the laws that would govern international attitude towards land warfare, sea warfare, and peaceful settlement of disputes. Sovereignty in the classical sense was challenged by economic globalization and the development of alliances, regional coalitions, and shared currency. It was imposed upon by victors and the emerging community of nations clamoring for a secure and peaceful co-existence. Furthermore, it was realized that respect for human rights were equally important as territorial integrity and that states have a dual responsibility; internal respect for the well being of its people and external respect for the sovereignty of other states. Bodin first introduced the modern meaning of sovereignty during the sixteenth century. Through him, we are able to identify the modern definition of a sovereign state as a group of people living in a community, organized under a sovereign government which exercises the power of making and enforcing laws within the community, and is not itself subject to any superior government. The modern meaning of sovereignty is anchored on a people’s ability to adopt its own basic law, and to propose and adopt amendments to the basic law by directly deciding on all issues, instead of delegating decisions to national legislatures, and a duty to protect human rights. According to Daniel Philpott (2001), sovereignty has come closer to enjoying universal explicit assent than any other principle of political organization. (p. 3) The United Nations

The impact of postnatal depression on women Essay

The impact of postnatal depression on women - Essay Example There are different types of postnatal depression and with different symptoms. The first type is Melancholic depression, which is uncommon but very severe; it is associated with genetic and biological basis. Its symptoms include lack of concentration and psychomotor disturbance. This depression can be treated best under medication. The other type of depression is Non-melancholic depression, which is the most common, and it is linked to psychosocial other than genetic and biological. 2This type of depression responds well under psychological approaches done by a psychiatrist (Southwick & Meevan, 2005). Motherhood is every woman’s wish but sometimes it can be hectic to the extent of affecting both the mother and the baby. This majorly can be caused by postnatal depression on mothers. The depression affects the relation between married couple when most of the time mothers tend to care only for the child and forgets the husband leading to a divorce. 3These women also develop episodes of depression and anxiety (Coopper & Lynnne, 1995). This can be serious especially with women with history of mental disorder. With the disorder, issues of finance, family, work, and even personal become difficult for most of women to solve making them face the risk of

Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategy Tool to Increase Research Paper

Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategy Tool to Increase Shareholder Value - Research Paper Example The CSR is defined as actions that corporations engage in to further some social good, and which are beyond the firms’ interest and are legally required. It is also viewed as achieving commercial success through means that honor ethical values and people, communities, as well as the natural environment. In broader terms, the CSR denotes a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and practices that are integrated into the business strategies and decision-making processes and include issues related to governance, human rights, environmental concerns, community investment, business ethics, the marketplace, and the workplace.  This concept receives different views from its supporters and detractors. Broadly, those against it, use the classical economic arguments as put by Milton Friedman; that the management should serve to maximize the shareholder's profits. This is different from the CSR practices that serve many stakeholders. The second objection is that business managers are not meant to handle social activities as they lack social skills and should handle financial and operational matters. The third objection is that the engagement in social activities dilutes the business’s primary purpose. On the other hand, the proponents of CSR argue that CSR practices are useful for a business that would want to function in the future since it makes it create a healthy climate. The next support for CSR is that government regulation is reduced, and the companies have the necessary and adequate resources to fulfill society’s expectations of it. Another argument for CSR is that being proactive is better than being reactive because being proactive helps an organization to plan and is less costly than reacting to social problems after they have occurred.

Health and Safety at work course work Coursework

Health and Safety at work course work - Coursework Example Thus Planning-I consists of five separate entities that are deeply interlinked. VISION OF PLANNING 1:- Keeping house in efficient and productive order, set timelines for every project, pursue relentlessly, while onus of every project is with a specific person. To be a success story, Planning – I Wing will work on the motto of ‘Reach out to all, net and tune well domestically within ERRA and beyond in the sister Organizations, Institutions and Ministries for the collective well being of the Earthquake (EQ) affected people and good reputation of ERRA’. Achievements have no limits, efforts have no bounds. Field is vast open. Let everyone see and judge, who runs the fastest and for how long. CHANNELS FOR COMMUNICATION: - The channels that are used in the wing are mainly the documentation accompanied by the verbal communication. The following are the modes of communications. 1) DOCUMENTATION AND APPROVALS: - Any new project to be implemented or any alteration or advanc ements in the projects conducted by the ERRA are documented properly. And the approvals for all the activities are approved by bottom approach. 2) STAFF AND EMPLOYEE MEETINGS: - All the staff meetings and employee meetings are being conducted in a regular manner depending upon the sensitivity of the projects. These meetings are conducted in the same departments or rather with collaborative department of choice as per the requirements. 3) INTERNET AND EMAIL NOTIFICATION:- Most of the notifications are given to the department via email notifications and phone calls directly. So there is a strictness to check the emails notifications daily so that every person must be updated with the current situation regularly. 4) FAX: - If there is a meeting or any negotiations or problems that need the communication with other department, then there is a three way communication procedure that includes fax along with telephone and email notification. 5) VERBAL: - Also there is a way communication by the direct boss to the employee verbally if he or she has to notify something or there is any important issue that needs discussion. HASAWA IMPLEMENTATION:- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 promotes the safety and health at workplace and it is very effective in promoting the good health. It involves the duties imposed on employers, employees, contractors, suppliers of goods and substances for use at work, persons that are in control of work premises, and those who has a charge to manage and maintain them, and persons in general. So the duties of the HASAWA are applied on all of the employees and all other important persons that can contribute even a pinch towards promoting good health or violating health regulations. BEST CHANNEL TO PROMOTE HASAWA IN THE DEPARTMENT:- The best way to aware people and to implement HASAWA is through telecommunication and workshops. The reason for this channel is due to the reason that in Pakistan, there is shortage of electricity and there is m uch obvious that the electricity is not a reliable source for notification for any activity or information. So emails could be unreliable in this case which could be a big problem. And also the telecommunication is not much expensive in Pakistan and here there is lot of networks giving many cost effective packages. As

Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategy Tool to Increase Research Paper

Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategy Tool to Increase Shareholder Value - Research Paper Example The CSR is defined as actions that corporations engage in to further some social good, and which are beyond the firms’ interest and are legally required. It is also viewed as achieving commercial success through means that honor ethical values and people, communities, as well as the natural environment. In broader terms, the CSR denotes a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and practices that are integrated into the business strategies and decision-making processes and include issues related to governance, human rights, environmental concerns, community investment, business ethics, the marketplace, and the workplace.  This concept receives different views from its supporters and detractors. Broadly, those against it, use the classical economic arguments as put by Milton Friedman; that the management should serve to maximize the shareholder's profits. This is different from the CSR practices that serve many stakeholders. The second objection is that business managers are not meant to handle social activities as they lack social skills and should handle financial and operational matters. The third objection is that the engagement in social activities dilutes the business’s primary purpose. On the other hand, the proponents of CSR argue that CSR practices are useful for a business that would want to function in the future since it makes it create a healthy climate. The next support for CSR is that government regulation is reduced, and the companies have the necessary and adequate resources to fulfill society’s expectations of it. Another argument for CSR is that being proactive is better than being reactive because being proactive helps an organization to plan and is less costly than reacting to social problems after they have occurred.

Teachers Day Essay Example for Free

Teachers Day Essay In our country and culture a teacher is still held in great honor and respect. He is considered as a foundation of all knowledge and source of great ideals. He is the torch bearer to the society. Students look up to him with faith and hope to seek his guidance. Teacher can guide the whole generation through his versatile personality. Dr. Radhakrishnan and Ravindranath Tagore are modern examples of great teachers who influenced this country with their philosophy. If good ideas and values are to be perpetuated and inculcated in the younger generation, they must come from the mouth of teachers in their classes at all the levels of education. Like a unit of money which circulates and has multiple effects in economy, teacher also multiplies his influence among students who come in his contact year in and year out with a few hundred students every year, he will have a life long impact on thousands of them during the period of his service before retires. Only a lamp that burns can light another lamp The teachers plays in a society is that is of a visionary architect whose mission evokes universal respect. It is not that brick and mortar do not make a school efficient and useful, nor are books in the library or appliances in the laboratory so essential. Teachers make the school or mar it. Teachers reveal the direction and the goal, where as students lay the road and journey into the future. So teachers play a significant role in moulding the future of the country.

Designing and Planning High Voltage Laboratories

Designing and Planning High Voltage Laboratories 1. Introduction The demand of energy which has to be delivered over long distances is increasing in todays world due to industrial and economic development. Transportation of such a large amount of power needs extra high voltage transmission lines. High voltage laboratories are an essential requirement for making acceptance tests for the equipment that go into operation in the extra high voltage transmission systems. In addition, they are also used in the development work on equipment for conducting research, and for planning to ensure economical and reliable extra high voltage transmission systems. 2. Transmission System Equipment in High Voltage Laboratories A high voltage laboratory is expected to carry out withstand tests at high voltages on the following transmission system equipment: (i) Transformers (ii) Capacitors (iii) Cables (iv) Lightning arresters (v) Isolators and circuit breakers (vi) Line hardware and accessories (vii) Other equipment like reactors, etc. 3. Activities and Studies in High Voltage Laboratories On equipment, professors use high voltage laboratories for study and improvement work and conducting tests on equipment. At voltage, more dominant than the test voltage needed, this contains decision making of the security factor for dielectrics and trusty works under varied atmospheric conditions for example rain, fogà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Occasionally, it is needed to work problems related test lines and another equipment under pollution and atmospheric conditions. It cannot be done enclosed spaces. Research activities generally contain the following: 1) Breakdown case in insulating media for example solids, liquids, gases or composite systems 2) Insist on voltage on large gaps, requisites used in power systems and surface flashover works on equipment specific reference to the equipment. 3) Electrical interference works because of the discharges from equipment working at high voltages. 4) Works on insulation regulation on high voltage power systems. 5) High current case for example plasma physics, electric arcs. Generally, high voltage laboratories equipped with an expensive tool and that increasing their build cost. As a result, planning and order have to be with caution done in order that with the test rig chosen, the enterprise isnt high and maximum beneficences of the laboratory is done. 4. Classification of High Voltage Laboratories High voltage laboratories can be classified into three types, depending on the purpose for which they are goal and the available finances. (i) Small laboratories (ii) Medium laboratories (iii) Large (general) laboratories 4.1 Small Laboratories Small Laboratories A small laboratory is one that contains d.c. or power frequency testequipment of less  than 10 kW/10 WA rating and impulse equipment of energy rating of about lOKJor  less. Voltage ratings can be about 300 kV for a.c., single unit or 500 to 600 kV a.c. for cascade units,  ±200 to 400 kV d.c. and less than 1OO kV impulse voltage. Normally  the equipment is meant for housing in a room or hall of size 15m x 10 m x 8 m. Sometimes the equipment ratings are limited such that they can be accommodated in  a room of height 5 m to 6 m only. Such laboratories are meant for Engineering  Colleges and Universities who decide to build such a facility with small resources for  doing high voltage tests or research or for imparting training. In such a case, it is  preferable that the Engineering college or University associate with a local industry  or R D organization. It is important to decide and define the responsibilities of the  parties concerned as to how the test facilities and time can be shared. Another idea is  to have the university to decide to own the laboratory fully but throw open the  facilities of regular technical training and high voltage testing for the clients. Here it  may be mentioned that many high voltage problems can be solved by tests at moderate  voltage levels. Such laboratories can be built with an investment of 2 to 10 million  rupees (at 1991 prices).

Aristotle and Heidegger Allowing Personal Accountability Essay

Aristotle and Heidegger Allowing Personal Accountability A disquieting article recently appeared in The New York Times. The article chronicles the story of Larry W. Peterman, resident of Provo, Utah, owner of a successful adult video store, and defendant in a case in which he was charged with selling obscene material. During Peterman’s trial, the following information came to the fore, "As it turned out, people in Utah County, a place that often boasts of being the most conservative area in the nation, were disproportionately large consumers of the very videos that prosecutors had labeled obscene and illegal. And far more Utah County residents were getting their adult movies from the sky or cable than they were from the stores owned by Larry Peterman."11 Mr. Spencer, a public defender who described himself as a devout Mormon said, "The fact is that an awful lot of people here in [Provo] are paying to look at porn. What that says to me is that we're normal."22 Provo’s "normal" residents buy twice as much pornography as the occupants of other comparably sized American cities.33 Ostensibly most, if not all, of Provo’s predominantly Mormon inhabitants have heard their church leaders constantly, unequivocally decry pornography.44 Yet despite constant warnings, not only are Provoans incontinent, they are statistically twice as incontinent as their other small-town counterparts. What could explain this weakness? Moreover, what is it in us that seems to make us prone, or whereby we make ourselves prone, to incontinence? Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics and Martin Heidegger in Being and Time both offer models of human action that account for human weakness, which Heidegger calls inauthenticity and Aristotle names akrasi... ...iversity Press, 1993) John Haugland, "Heidegger on Being a Person," in Nous 16, no. 1 (1982) Martin Heidegger, Being and Time, trans. John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson (New York: Harper and Row, 1962) Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling: Dialectical Lyric, trans. Howard V. and Edna H. Hong (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1983) Daniel N. Robinson, "Psychology as a Human Science: Rationality, Volition, and the Moral Point of View," in Aristotle's Psychology (New York: Columbia University Press, 1989) Amelie Okensberg Rorty, "The Place of Contemplation in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics," Mind 87, no. 347 (Jul 1978) M.T. Thornton, "Aristotelian Practical Reason," Mind 91, no. 361 (Jan 1982) C. Terry Warner, "The Aristotelian Strategy," in "The Possibility of Self-Deception" (Department of Philosophy, Brigham Young University, photocopy)

Witchcraft of the Past Essay -- Essays Papers

Witchcraft of the Past What images does the word "witch" create in a person’s mind? Most people would tend to think of an old woman wearing a black, cone-shaped hat, with a large mole on her face, and perhaps flying on her broom. This is the stereotype of witches, and although some witches of the past may have fit into this category, one must remember witchcraft is a religion with a variety of followers. On the Covenant of the Goddess website, the basic philosophy of witchcraft is stated in one simple sentence: "Our religion is not a series of precepts or beliefs, rather we believe that we each have within ourselves the capacity to reach out and experience the mystery – that feeling of ineffable oneness with all Life." 1 This website is devoted to finding the origins of witchcraft, specifically faith and reason, and how it has affected society over the past 700 years. In the thirteenth century, witches, then called cunning folk, "played a positive role in helping people cope with calamity."2 They provided hope to townspeople that through magical means, natural disasters might some how be avoided. The cunning folk provided this important service that kept village life moving ahead. Possession of these so-called magical powers made one an important member of village society. People in need of "security and influence, namely, the old and the impoverished, especially single or widowed women" most often made these claims.3 In the late thirteenth century, the Christian church "declared that only its priests possessed legitimate magical powers," and "those who practices magic outside the church evidently derived their power from the Devil."4 The church wanted to rid society of the witches’ influence, and thus witch-hunts began. .. ...tion." 8. "The Burning Times." 9. Kagan, 491. 10. Witches in the Bible and in the Talmud, http://popeye.cc.biu.ac.il/~barilm/witches.html (8 March 1999). 11. Witches in the Bible and in the Talmud. Bibliography "About the Covenant of the Goddess." Covenant of the Goddess. http://www.cog.org/general/iabout.html (8 March 1999). "Beliefs & Superstitions." The Library of Witchcraft. http://witchcraft.simplenet.com/belief.html (9 March 1999) "The Burning Times." The Library of Witchcraft. http://witchcraft.simplenet.com/burningtimes1.html (9 March 1999). Kagan, Donald, Steve Ozment and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage Volume II: Since 1648. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1998. Witches in the Bible and in the Talmud. http://popeye.cc.biu.ac.il/~barilm/witches.html (8 March 1999).