Purpose essays

Purpose essays In Aaron Copland ¡s essay How We Listen to Music, he examines the three ways people listen to music. He calls the ways we listen to music  ¡planes ¡. The three planes he examines are the Sensuous Plane, Expressive Plane, and Sheerly Musical Plane (400). He uses examples of each plane and how people use it. The Sensuous Plane is used just for the pleasure of musical sound. People turn it on just to have something fill the air with sound. He says people use music to escape the everyday boring events of their lives.  ¡They use music as a consolation or an escape, ¡ (401). People use it to take themselves into a dream world. The Expressive Plane is used when people try to relate the music to something in their life. The more it reminds them of something, the more expressive it appears to them. Not all people agree with one another ¡s view of what the music means.  ¡Composers have a way of shying away from any discussion of music ¡s expressive side, ¡ (401). He goes on to state that they do this because music ¡s meaning differs from person to person. The Sheerly Musical Plane concerns the notes, words, harmonies, rhythms, tones, melodies, etc. Professional musicians focus on these things only when writing music. They use the music as a way to express themselves and tell how they feel about things. This also happens to be what the composer/song writer is usually criticized for, i.e. Marilyn Manson and Eminem. At the end of his essay Copland says that people don ¡t listen to one plane or another, rather we listen to all three at the same time.  ¡Actually, we never listen on one or the other of these planes. What we do is to correlate them o listening in all three ways at the same time, ¡ (404). ...

15 Military Terms Used in Civilian Contexts

15 Military Terms Used in Civilian Contexts 15 Military Terms Used in Civilian Contexts 15 Military Terms Used in Civilian Contexts By Mark Nichol The English language includes some words that, originating in the vocabulary of warfare, have been applied to competitive contexts such as sports and business, while others that did not originate in that realm are associated with both the military and other endeavors. Here’s a list of terms pertaining to military units and formations that also have other, sometimes derivative, senses. 1. army: from medieval Latin armata (â€Å"army†)- also the source of the Spanish term armada, meaning â€Å"war fleet†- referring to a nation’s entire body of land forces or to one major unit of that body 2. brigade: from Italian briga (â€Å"quarrel†), a word for a unit consisting of thousands of soldiers or, by extension, to any large group of people organized according to common belief or toward achievement of a common goal; brigadier is a military rank for someone in command of a brigade, and related words are brigand (originally meaning â€Å"soldier† but later denoting a bandit) and brig and brigantine for types of warships during the Age of Sail (the use of the former as prison ships led to brig being applied to military prisons) 3. corps: from Latin corpus (â€Å"body†), a set unit of tens of thousands of soldiers; by extension, also a more or less numerous group of people involved in the same activity, such as the press corps or a corps de ballet, or ballet company 4. detail: from Old French detaillier (â€Å"cut into pieces†), originally only a reference to a part or facet of something, but it also came to apply to a small group of military personnel assigned a specific task, as well as to the task itself or the action of selecting the group 5. division: from Latin dividere (â€Å"divide†), a word with numerous senses, including referring to a unit consisting of tens of thousands of soldiers or a unit of aircraft or ships 6. echelon: from Late Latin scala (â€Å"ladder†) by way of French eschelon (originally â€Å"rung of a ladder† but later â€Å"grade,† â€Å"level,† or step†), adopted into English to refer to a military formation in which units are offset so that from above, they resemble a stairway in profile; the word then came to denote grades or levels of an organization or the people at one of those grades or levels 7. fleet: from Old English fleotan (â€Å"float†), a set unit of military naval vessels or the entirety of such vessels belonging to a navy or to a company; by extension, now also applied to collections of vehicles, such as a group of cars owned by a company or a government agency and available for employees’ use 8. flotilla: from Spanish (â€Å"little fleet†), a set unit of small warships; by extension, a large number of like things 9. host: from Latin hostis (â€Å"enemy† or â€Å"stranger†), which is also the source of hostile, with multiple meanings, including a large army or a multitude of indeterminate size 10. legion: from Latin legere (â€Å"gather†), originally a Roman military unit equivalent to a modern brigade; now, vaguely describes a multitude 11. phalanx: from Greek (â€Å"log†), originally referring to a closely arrayed military formation but now denoting a mass of people, animals, or things; also refers to bones of a hand or foot 12. platoon: from French pelaton (â€Å"little ball†), originally referring only to a set unit of about several dozen soldiers and by extension coming to mean a squad of athletes with a common function (such as offensive and defensive teams in football) or any group of people with a common characteristic or goal 13. regiment: ultimately from Latin regere (â€Å"lead straight† or â€Å"rule†), regimen was adopted into English to refer primarily to a fitness or health plan, but its cognate regiment refers to a military unit of about a thousand or more soldiers; to regiment is to control strictly 14. squad: ultimately from Vulgar Latin exquadrare (â€Å"make square†) by way of Middle French esquade, initially denoting a set unit of about a dozen soldiers but later also referring in general to a small group engaged in an activity (see also squadron) 15. squadron: from Italian squadrone (â€Å"squad†), cognate with squad, refers to any one of several types of military units depending on the branch of service (it can apply to soldiers, aircraft, or ships), and by extension a large group of people or things involved in a particular endeavor Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should Know225 Foreign Phrases to Inspire YouMankind vs. Humankind

Hotel Revenue Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hotel Revenue Management - Research Paper Example To this effect, a quick PEST analysis has been done below. PEST Analysis According to Competitive Intelligence (2011), â€Å"Political factors include parts such as employment laws, environmental regulations, tax policy, trade restrictions and tariffs and political constancy.† This means that political factors have to do with factors that are influenced by government. In this case study, tax charged on rooms, trade restrictions and travel policies would be factored in the political analysis whereby a relatively low tax system and free flow of people would enhance the patronage of hotels. Economic factors for the revenue management are exceptionally important for international trade and patronage. This is because according to Marketing Teacher Limited (2000), economic factors cover issues such as â€Å"Interest rates, the level of inflation Employment level per capita and long-term prospects for the economy Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita†, which are all very imp ortant in determining internal revenue management models. ... This point is buttressed further by the Quick MBA Network that mentions issues under social factors to include â€Å"health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety.† Technological factors will eventually play a central part of the revenue management in the sense that it is going to be the single most important interactive medium by which potential customers are going to be contacted. Customers are also expected to be abreast with innovations and programs of the hotel by accessing data and information on the hotel through the use of the internet. Most commonly, it is expected that online reservations and group bookings will be made via the internet. The Net MBA (2011) mentions other forms of technological issues such as â€Å"Recent technological developments, Technology's impact on product offering, Impact on cost structure, Impact on value chain structure, Rate of technological diffusion.† Revenue Management Mode l In today’s competitive economic era, revenue management has been identified as an extremely important means for hotels to make up for their apportioned resources and income. Revenue xls (2007) has it that â€Å"revenue management models are intended to optimize the pricing of hotel rooms, airline seats, and other â€Å"perishable† commodities for a given duration by taking into account demand variability over time and capacity constraints.† The major model to be adopted would be the stochastic model, which was first used on the airline industry by De Boer et al. (2002) for the airline industry. A qualitative rather than a quantitative form of the model shall however be used. Under the model, the following areas will be considered. The

Concept Paper Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12500 words

Concept Paper - Dissertation Example By interviewing 25 past and present entrepreneurs the information gleaned within this research may improve future business ventures and provide much needed information to the business world about the steps that ultimately lead to success and those actions to avoid. The literature review of this research study has offered a variety of opinions on entrepreneur mentors, successful tips, and planning guidelines. It is hoped that the lived experiences of the participants will bring to light new information that can create a paradigm shift in the business world of today’s global economy. Background It has been a tradition in many cultures and thus past precedence that the trade of a father would be passed on to the son or other person interested in learning that skill. The ancestors of the United States were all apprentices at some point; learning the skills necessary to run a cotton plantation, become a blacksmith, a carpenter, a cobbler, or even a milliner (Levinison, 2011). Some families even bartered for their sons to be placed with the best tradesman in the community when the child was very young. Some children were place into indentured servitude, which in the end taught them a trade in exchange for their room and board and a few coins being offered to the parents. With the introduction of the Industrial Revolution, many of the old trades were forgotten as more people when to work in factories and on assemble lines. The factory jobs and assembly line work did not teach the trade as a holistic venture, but only a small portion to one person and another portion to someone else further down the line. It was easier for business men to accumulate vast wealth if they had many people doing various jobs that would create mass production of a product rather than one person completing the production of a single item from start to finish. Machines were invented that replaced the worker and the production rate continued to increase in larger quantities than any huma n could have accomplished. Those individuals who were interested in the repair of the machines found work alongside the very thing that had excluded them from the workforce. Those who did not fancy the maintenance aspect of the industry were required to seek employment elsewhere. Going back to the basics of owning a business seemed to be the answer for some, but the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful venture were lacking, as the trade had not been passed down from the previous generation. Wacker (1998) discussed how this phenomenon provide the necessary parameters for the study of entrepreneurships in the existing world. By looking at the variables, the relationships within the business, and the underlying factors, the foundation for entrepreneurial ventures was recognized. Careful analysis of the business world uncovered the basis for further study and opened the channels for scientific theory to be considered in future studies (Henderikus, 2007; Henderikus, 2010). The Small Business Administration Report in 2007 claimed that 2/3 of every new business venture failed within the first two years. Half are reported to fail within the first four years and over 58% fail within the first five to ten years. The reasons behind the failure of these business ventures encompass a variety of factors that change with each entrepreneur. Finding a way to combat this excessive failure rate could open the door for

From the Concert of Europe to the Cause of the First World War Essay Example for Free

From the Concert of Europe to the Cause of the First World War Essay After the fall of Napoleon there was a need to create a balance of power that would preserve the peace between European monarchies. Also to redraw the map of Europe and to restore the countries in crisis after their defeat of Napoleon. The main goal of the Concert was to contain France and prevent another ascend of authority such as Napoleon Bonaparte. The origins of The Concert of Europe begin from the international conference called by the victorious allied nations in Vienna – The Congress of Vienna. It took place in September 1814 to June 1815 and is mostly considered as the precursor to today’s United Nations. The Congress was highly successful in achieving its goal, as there were no wars between European countries for almost 40 years. One could say that the Concert of Europe is still continuous, but with different players, goals and name. Thus The Concert of Vienna was first of its kind and in addition Europe had not seen such cooperation between major powers before, it nonetheless made numerous decisions that shaped Europe to its historic course. For instance France was deprived from lands Napoleon had conquered. Britain got several strategic colonial territories, also gaining control of the seas. France and Spain were restored under rightful bloodlines. However the numerous decisions and outcomes were pompous, concentrating on the needs and wants of four main powers Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain. The Concerts main accomplishment was the securing of independence for Greece (ironic) by sending fleets to fight against invading Ottoman-Egyptian armies. Thanks to three great powers, Russia, The United Kingdom and France, Greece was finally recognized as an independent nation that it is today. In Belgian revolution the Great Powers recognized Belgium as an independent state. After that the signs of collapse of the alliance started to appear. The goal of the Concert of Europe was to keep a balance of power between leading countries in Europe, but if the balance starts to change to someone’s favour then the conflicts begin to arise. The sudden development of Egypt and their successful war against Ottomans brought about fear in European powers. A collapse of Ottoman Empire could have had a destabilizing effect to every country especially to the United Kingdom. England was not only worried for loosing economic benefits and militarily strong state in Mediterranean, but also about Egypt’s close ties to France. Britain preferred a weakened but intact Ottoman Empire that would give it the strategic and commercial advantages it needed to maintain its influence in the region. This all lead to what was called the Oriental Crisis of 1840 where United Kingdom, Austrian Empire, The Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire backed Ottoman Empire against Egypt. France did not accept with the terms The Concert of Europe offered to Egypt, not siding with any of the rivals, but stayed ‘neutral’. Eventually after numerous military conflicts Egypt accepted the terms and Ottoman Empire got back all its lost fleets and territories. The significant downfall of The Concert of Europe was Crimean War in 1853 when Russian Empire started its expansion, which was against the main idea of the Congress of Vienna. It was all powered by the weakening Ottoman Empire and religious disputes till Russia made its move on Constantinople which was owned by the Turks. Afterwards European powers joined in to prevent Russia from growing too powerful. Followed three years of hostilities on five theatres till Russian Empire was eventually stopped. Being the first major armed conflict in Europe after the settlement at the Congress of Vienna, Crimean War signified the downfall of the Concert of Europe. At the Treaty of Paris, signed on March 30, 1856, the real looser was Austria. Having chosen to defy the Russians in the Balkans, Austria lost main ally, and over the next few years it appeared that Britain and France were not interesting in cooperation. Moreover, the Crimean War was the collapse of the Vienna Settlement, the system that had enabled Austria, Britain, France, Prussia and Russia to cooperate and maintain peace for three decades. The Crimean War placed the basis for two powerful new nation states Italy and Germany. The new six-power European system demonstrated to be less stable than its forefather, while the expectation that political and diplomatic aims could be satisfied by war led these states to adopt ever closer alliances. The Crimean War was a turning point in European history, marking the end of the Vienna settlement, and the beginning of a new system. In spite of all, the Great Powers finally returned to war in 1914, almost hundred years after the Congress of Vienna. Alliances and common pacts all end in the course of time, lead by human needs and personal gains, sooner or later. (And the outcome is war ofc) The First World War begun with a simple murder of Austrian-Hungarian royalty, at least that is the simplified reason. In reality it only triggered the war; the actual roots of the war are much deeper and more complicated than a simple bullet in the Archdukes neck. Rise of nationalism and its movements in Europe created such secret societies that used terrorist methods to promote their views. Slavic people in Bosnia and Herzegovina wanted no longer to be a part of Austria-Hungary, but instead be to be a part of Serbia. Viewing it in this way, it could be said that nationalism led Slavic people to rebel against their occupiers that ended with the First World War Increased military and naval rivalry led not only to the belief that war was close and increase in military control of the civilian government also there was an increased cooperation between allied countries. For example United Kingdom, France and Russia held secret military talks. The British and the French naval authorities agreed that the French navy should be concentrated in the Mediterranean and the British in the North Sea. Germany and Austria also had military agreements. When the First World War began, it was to be fought by all powers because they were locked into the conflict from the beginning by contracts and alliances. European powers had formed themselves into two rival groups called the Triple Entente versus the Triple Alliance and the interests of these groups clashed in many parts of the world before 1914. Whenever a clash arose, the two groups seemed to be on the edge of war. Believably, on some level, it eventually led to hatred of each other. Contributing fact was that after 1870, the European nations began to acquire colonies in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Their imperialistic activities led to another clash of interests. It could be said that the underlying causes for war are the same as for everything else in life. One decision affects the other to ad nauseam. It was possible that politicians knew that war was at their doorstep, but I am sure they did not know that over 15 million people will have to pay for it with their lives. Could the First World War be avoided is doubtful, because of the tense relations, rivalry and complicated alliance systems. It was a small scale war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia that transformed into world war. The same could easily happen today when China or USA supports North or South Korea over the conflict. History repeats itself and we need to learn from it. Poking your nose into other people’s business is not the smartest plan when both sides have powerful ‘’brothers’’ positioned farther back.

Apocalypse Now Review Essay -- essays research papers

Vietnam was a war fought by the unwillingly, for the ungrateful, led by the unqualified. Apocalypse Now is Coppola’s film based on Heart of Darkness, but set in the Vietnam jungle. The major theme in the novel is the examination of America’s involvement, militarily, in Vietnam. However, like Conrad’s novel, it also shows the potential inherent darkness in all human hearts. Coppola retains the basic structure of Conrad’s novel for his film. As Marlow, in Heart of Darkness, travels up the Congo eventually to find Kurtz, similarly, Captain Willard the protagonist in Coppola’s film travels up the Nung River to meet his Kurtz. Both the Company and the Army want their Kurtzes dead. Kurtz exposes his superior’s real motives and methods and the Army does not want the truth to be known. Willard becomes more perceptive to the moral darkness around him: this causes him to question his real purpose, or goal in what he is doing. Eventually, after killing Kurtz, Willard realizes the Darkness that can be brought out in any man, examined through Kurtz, if society allows amoral values to thrive. The message in Apocalypse Now is the same message in Heart of Darkness, which is that any man can succumb to his savage desires, he just needs the right environment to allow his temptations to be nurtured and bloom. Apocalypse Now was based on events that had deep meaning and significance for its director. Coppola had just witnessed his generation and the still younger generation fight this bloody conflict nobody wanted to be apart of. He must have seen the wounded and maimed war vets their physical scars obvious, who came to represent the lost generation. Politics at the time forced the Vietnam War upon the American people: men like Kennedy, LBJ, and Nixon were all guilty of this unimaginable crime. The Cold War was in full force and the American government felt it needed to stem the tide of spreading Communism in South East Asia. So, troops were sent to the Democratic Republic of South Vietnam to fight off their northern, Communist enemy. The war was lost before it even started. Am erican politicians were concerned with body counts, kill ratios, and land occupation. Vietnam was about none of these aspects. The Americans dropped napalm, and Agent Orange, they sent B-52 bombers with ten thousand-pound bombs and dropped these on the dense jungles. They deforested entire regions of la... ...ught. The drugs were used as a medicine to ward off this encroaching disease of human savagery. The GIs felt if their mind could be blocked from this approaching horror maybe it would pass and not stay with them. The prime example of this being untrue is Kurtz. He realized his whole being was savage; however, he also was prepared to use the last ounce of humanity he had left to cut away and kill this savagery, represented through the Willard’s clear vision. Apocalyse Now brought to life all the real horrors the Vietnam vets faced, but more importantly it gave them an explanation as to why so many of them faced psychological sickness, upon returning to America. Coppola showed the darkness that came out of this war, expressed through the men who fought it. The movie did a fine job at critiquing the way in which the war was run, with no real objective or purpose being apparent. I think the chose of Coppola to base his outline structure on Conrad’s book, is ingenious. The darkness that was relevant in the 19th century, is still relevant today. Coppola shows this through Kurtz and the Vietnam vets who suffered so many mental problems and the darkness that came out of them in Vietnam.

Ready to Eat Cereal Case Study Essay

The value chain, Appendix B, in the RTE cereal industry consists of branded manufactures and private labels that receive their raw materials from suppliers and then distribute their product to food stores, drug stores, and mass merchandisers where the end consumer can eventually purchase the cereal product. Private labels rely on wholesalers and third-party distributors to get their product on the store shelves where the end consumer can purchase these items. In the RTE cereal industry, there were three large manufacturers, General Mills, Kellogg and Philip Morris that had a strong presence in the market. They were extremely profitable with pricing power and dominated the whole market with great market share; all this made it unattractive for potential new companies entering the RTE cereal industry. According to Appendix 2, Kellogg was one of the Big Three companies in the RTE cereal industry with an average market share of 40.25 from 1950 to 1993 in the whole industry. The industry was concentrated and the market structure for the industry was an oligopoly. The production of RTE cereal requires dough as the raw materials. Due to the fact that dough is a very common material, the power of the suppliers is low. Buyer’s switching costs were low because customers can freely choose different brands and products. Companies, in order to increase their customer’s brand loyalty to certain products, are offering coupons and promotions, which subsequently increase the buyers’ switching cost and weaken buyer’s bargaining power. There is high competition existing among RTE cereal companies; the Big Three companies had strong position and market share in the industry and are continuously introducing new brands and products causing increased competition in the industry. The high entry barrier in the RTE cereal industry was another factor that contributed to its high profitability and made the industry even more concentrated over time. The cost to manufacture RTE cereal was high to achieve a minimum efficient scale. The high cost for building a cereal plant and labor requirement made the capital requirements enormous for a new entry, contributing to our argument that the entry barriers are high. Existing Big Three companies were believed to restrain competition and new entry among themselves. They owned strong distribution channels and focused on the proper stocking, display, and promotion with supermarket chains and food stores, leaving little room for new companies to enter the industry. They emphasized the prime shelf space location in supermarket chains and food stores because the wide brand selection for customers can decrease their companies’ competitive advantage with no name brands. By guaranteeing their products maintain at the most valued center-aisle positions, providing discounts and cash payments to retailers, major companies made new entry to the industry unprofitable. In addition, existing major companies promoted coupons and in-pack premiums such as free toys and gifts to increase product sales and build brand loyalty. They also offered discounts to retailers for special treatment and promotions. This combined effort increased major companies’ dominance in the market share and the whole industry. Existing major companies also introduced a majority of new products and brands, making potential companies unable to enter the industry. At this point it looks as if the Big Three’s dominance over the RTE Cereal Industry will be everlasting; however it is hard to guarantee that a company will have sustainable competitive advantage over the industry. The industry crisis began when consumers started buying natural cereals. The Big Three did not prepare for this consumer demand, allowing other competitors to gain part of the market share. The threat of a substitute product, natural cereals, was increasing rivalry among competing firms in the RTE Cereal Industry. Although it was hard to imitate the Big Three, competitors found a way around this and found substitutes that consumers were interested in. Once private label competitors entered the market they were able to be successful in the industry by averaging only $1.90 per pound, which is significantly less expensive than the Big Three, who were charging $3.20 per pound. Private labels also had a better relationship with the grocers because of the better margins they offered to them. This was a bargaining tool Private Labels used to their advantage. Now their product was being placed in more strategically placed locations throughout the grocery store, which increased their sales and decreased the Big Three’s sales. In addition to allowing competitors into the industry, the Big Three hurt themselves by spending millions of dollars on coupons and advertising. There was little to no results that proved these methods were effective in gaining market share. For example, the RTE cereal industry spent $800 million in advertisements and trade promotions, but did not see much reward other than non-loyal consumers switching their products based on current trade promotions. Another factor of the industry crisis was due to the fact that the Big Three stopped their united front of raising prices together. The Big Three no longer made strategic moves together and in return made it easier for others to enter the industry. At the start of the RTE Cereal Industry the Big Three offered value to their customers, however over time their capabilities were possessed by many competitors, not making their organizations rare. This hurt their competitive advantage among the market. In the end the Big Three were not able to compete on cost and the willingness to pay from the consumer was declining as more substitutes came into play. Private labels faced relatively few entry barriers to become a potential threat to the branded manufacturers within the industry. The lack of product differentiation between the products of branded cereal manufacturers and private labels and the ability of private labels to offer their product at a cheaper price contributed to much of their success, Private labels success can also be attributed to the declining brand loyalty of popular branded manufacturers. Branded manufacturers relied heavily upon the distribution of promotional coupons to their consumer base, but as a result this tactic forced many customers to become price switching and brand switching sensitive that ultimately worked to the private labels favor. Furthermore, private labels success really was impacted by the higher margins their products offered to retailers, which were higher by 3% in comparison to branded manufacturers. The cost structures of private labels and branded cereal manufacturers have distinct differences, which has given private labels a strong competitive advantage in the industry. Private labels’ advertising and R&D expenses were less than branded manufacturers, which allowed the private labels to offer their product at a cheaper price. A typical cost breakdown per pound of cereal product for the Big Three cereal firms shows that 23.43% of the retail price accounted towards their advertising expenses which is about 40% less than what private labels contributed towards advertising expenditures. Ralston’s advertising expenses, the firm that dominated the private label cereal market, totaled to $0.15 per pound which about half of what other is branded cereal manufacturers contributed towards advertising. Private labels also relied on third-party distributors to deliver their product to stores. This assisted in cutting expenses by not requiring capital to create an independent distribution channel. Many private labels reduced packaging costs by packaging their cereal product in large plastic bags that proved to be a more cost-effected solution than using cardboard boxes. There are a number of things that General Mills may have been trying to accomplish when they decided to reduce prices and trade promotions in 1994, with the main reason being to improve the overall profit performance of their cereal division, Big G. Big G was the most profitable division of General Mills representing 30% of the company’s total profit. By cutting $175 million out of trade promotions and reducing the prices of their biggest brands by an average of 11%, General Mills hoped to become a more efficient firm. General Mill’s president Stephan Sanger backed up his plan for trade promotions by claiming â€Å"the 50 cents that the consumer saves by clipping a coupon can cost manufacturers as much as 75 cents.† When General Mills announced this plan to cut pricing and promotion, they believed they would be the industry leader with all other firms following suit. However, Kellogg decided to stick with their price up and spend back line. The industry was split between the two marketing strategies and bound to follow whichever approach generated more profit. By cutting $175 million from their promotion and couponing budget and reducing the prices of their biggest brands by 11%, General Mills was taking incredible risk. Cutting the promotion and couponing budget is the greatest source of the risk. The most obvious aspect of that is the loss of visibility. Customers find out about products through promotions or coupons and if those promotions and coupons are not as readily available as those of the competitor, it is hard for General Mills’ product to be as visible. Competition within breakfast cereal brands is high. Several people, often times referred to as â€Å"savers†, shop primarily based on coupons available. If coupons for General Mills’ brands are no available, these people will purchase cereal brands where coupons are available. The benefit of this decision, however, is that coupons in this industry are actually costing the company money. That being said, it is also difficult to put a price on the visibility that the coupon provides. General Mills’ decision to reduce the price of their major brands comes at a risk as well. This could be perceived by competitors as price-cutting and could start a price battle, which would end up poor for both General Mills and their competitors. As a competitor of General Mills, our expectation would be for them to have an almost wait and see strategy. We would not rush into any decision. Instead, we would see how this works for General Mills and then make a decision. By cutting promotions and coupons, General Mills is losing visibility but by cutting their prices, they are more attractive to the consumer who is already in the store. It is difficult to judge the benefit of that trade off so waiting to see what happens with General Mills is the strategy that is most appropriate for competitors. On the other hand, as General Mills, this decision has been made and they should stick to it. It boils down to the tradeoff discussed above. This seems to be a risky business decision for several reasons however this strategy should be monitored closely and reevaluated after a several months to determine the effectiveness and a plan to move forward from there.

John Locke vs Thomas Hobbes

Locke vs Hobbes John Locke’s belief in natural rights are correct in terms of natural rights because he believes in freedom, in every sense of the word, equality and is a firm supporter in Democracy. Locke and Hobbes conflicting views are at their most basic form, to believe man or not. Locke believes that men will, with given freedom be perpetually good. Hobbes believes otherwise, saying that men, in the state of nature will fight all of the time.Corny as it sounds, their conflicting viewpoints remind me of the age old struggle between good and evil. John Locke with his new enlightened sense of thinking in Democracy and Hobbes with his belief in more of an Autocracy, or an absolute monarchy, stuck in the thinking of the dark ages. That is why Locke's views on all men being equal, everyone being born into freedom, democracy at its most basic form and the general goodness in human beings are inherently, right.Reading excerpts from John Locke's book, you will find lots of his ar guments on equality and freedom of mans basic rights, are eerily similar to the foundation of which American government was formed, in the declaration of Independence. If some of the greatest men in our countries history believed so much in Locke's points on equality and liberty that they decided to copy these ideas into the document from which they would create one of the most successful countries in the history of the world, then shouldn't it bear in ones mind that these ideas are important?That they are too a certain degree right? These are just examples of the power Locke's book has on those who truly read it. He proves, again and again that with the belief in the genuine good in men, there will be little conflict as long as everyone is equal. I personally believe that is one hundred percent correct. As much as there are plenty of bad people on this earth, the petty crimes and small infractions of the law, with full equality and freedom to all rights, the good of men would overc ome these small difficulties, and be better for it.

Long Run or Short Run

Long Run or Short Run I read a Facebook post this week where people were bragging about the largest daily word count theyd ever written. Some were slinging numbers like 10,000, 13,000, even 16,500. Most admitted that wasnt a sustainable number to maintain, yet they interpreted numbers like that as the means to writing a book in two weeks or less. And many of them are then publishing those books. In this day and time, with the crazy array of self-publishing tools available to writers, we can sense a pressure to publish a book a month. Yes, Im not exaggerating. Out of curiosity, Ive read them. I can see the rush in the sentences, read the overzealousness in the syntax, miss the depth of plot. No, you cannot write deep and publish in a month. But there is a market for some of this type of work. Some readers like light reading. Some authors are making five figures from slinging out a large number of books. And therein lies the crossroad. Downstream, when you are more gifted, wiser, and more astute, are you wanting those books forever on Amazon? Are you wanting to publish your quick writing for the public? Or do you prefer to write fast and hold onto it in an effort to write it deeper? Or consider those pieces practice to learn from for your next, more intense work? We are under such acute influence to write now, write fast, and write a lot. Funny, but as I was writing this, I noticed Seth Godins latest blog post. He echoed what I said, only better. https://seths.blog/ First, fast and correct All three would be great. First†¦ you invent, design, develop and bring to life things that haven’t been done before. Fast†¦ you get the work done quickly and efficiently. Correct†¦ and it’s right the first time, without preventable errors. Being first takes guts. Being fast takes training. And being correct takes care. All three at once is rare. Two would be great. And just one (any one) is required if you want to be a professional. Alas, too often, in our confusion about priorities and our fear of shipping, we end up doing none and settling for average instead. Amen, Mr. Godin. Amen indeed.

WALL Surname Meaning and Origin

WALL Surname Meaning and Origin The Wall surname has several possible meanings: a topographical surname often originally bestowed on someone who dwelled at or near a stone wall, from the Old English weall, and Latin vallum meaning wall or rampart. Often this was a wall built to fortify a town or a sea wall.  The Wall surname was also sometimes an occupational name given to a special kind of mason; a wall was one who specialized in building wall structures. This same meaning also has origins in Germany, from the middle high German wal.A topographical surname for someone who lived by a spring, from the northern Middle English walle, and Old English wà ¦lla, meaning well.In Germany the surname could indicate someone who lived near a wall, from the middle high German wal, or be a variant of the last name Wahl, meaning election or choice.In Ireland, Wall may have originally been de Valle (Gaelic  de Bhl),  meaning of the valley.Wall could also have Swedish origins, from  vall, meaning pasture or grazing ground. Surname Origin: English, Scottish, Swedish, German, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings: WALLS, WALE, WALES, WAHL, WALLENBERG, WAHLBERG  See also WALLER. Where in the World Is the WALL Surname Found? The Wall surname is found most commonly in Ireland, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the East and South East regions. It is also fairly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England, as well as Sweden, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.  Forebears  has the Wall last name as almost evenly common in both Ireland and Sweden. The Wall surname is fairly evenly distributed across the United States, but is especially common in North Carolina where it ranks #159. Famous People with the Last Name WALL Max Wall - English comedian and actorGarret D. Wall - New Jersey military officer and politicianWilliam Guy Wall - American painter of Irish birthArt Wall - PGA golf champion of the 1950sLucille Wall  - American actressJohn Wall  -  English Catholic Franciscan friar; martyr Genealogy Resources for the Surname WALL Wall/Walls DNA ProjectJoin over 220 researchers with the Wall surname or its variants interested in working together to combine Y-DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to sort out Wall ancestors around the world. 10 Top Databases for British GenealogyMillions of records from England, Scotland and Wales are available online in the form of digital images or transcriptions. These ten websites are a great starting point for anyone researching British ancestry. Wall Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Wall family crest or coat of arms for the Wall surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Wall Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Wall surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Wall query. FamilySearch - WALL GenealogyExplore over 3.2 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Wall surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WALL Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts a free mailing list for researchers of the Wall surname around the world. DistantCousin.com - WALL Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Wall. The Wall Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Wall last name from the website of Genealogy Today. -References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Current Events and the U.S Diplomacy Assignment - 3

Current Events and the U.S Diplomacy - Assignment Example An emphasis on United States foreign policy after it discovered that there was Oil in the Persian Gulf, but other threats such as the Soviet Union using their troops were attempting to secure the region. As such, the doctrine stipulates that the United States had already declared its interest in the region (Carlsnaes, Risse-Kappen & Simmons 2013). According to Barfield (2010), the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan dates back to the 18th century although it was officially sealed in 1921 when a treaty was signed to confirm the diplomatic relations that had begun gaining ground. However, the relations between these two countries became much stronger during the Cold War, after the then President Turman declared that the diplomatic relations that had already started growing were going to be strengthened by the fact that senior diplomats from Afghanistan would be placed in each capital in the United States. Between 1948 and 1953, the two countries exchanged numerous diplomatic visits which greatly improved their relations. As a result, the United States began giving Afghanistan economic support in order to build infrastructure especially in major cities since the country had been rated as one of the poorest among the third world countries. Once the economic aspect had begun improving, the United States gave further support on the technical aspect, which was meant to develop skills that would later lead to a modern economy. Nevertheless, the United States declined to give Afghanistan any defense cooperation at the time. In a general sense, the end of the cold war relation between the two countries was characterized by the invasion of educated people from the United States who took over the hospitals, schools and other economic related aspects (Bacevich, 2002). Interestingly, the current relationship between the U.S and Afghanistan is quite complicated especially after the United States was boomed in 2001 by Osama Bin Laden.