Beautiful Mind Essay

Based on what I have watched from the movie of â€Å"A Beautiful Mind†, which is a biography based on the true life story of a math prodigy, John Forbes Nash Jr., is an incomparable math genius student from Princeton University who definitely amazed the minds of people he meets. For me, he is an extraordinary person having a broad and an odd imagination as well. Unfortunately, he suffers from a mental illness called schizophrenia which he doesn’t even know himself. His friends find him weird or likely a nerd, but still they try to make friends with him. Nash tried to communicate and interact with them but in the end, it’s like there’s something that bothers him, some kind of paranoia that leads him to stay away and find himself alone and unconsciously creating things that aren’t really there (hallucination) and believing things that aren’t really true (delusion). Like for example, an imaginary friend which is known to be Charles (his room mat e) and Charles’ niece. It’s odd but I strongly believe that all the things kept from his subconscious mind releases through Charles and other delusions his mind creates. I believe more than anything else, this movie focuses on perceptions of life. Perception of what is reality and what is imaginary, not only his perception but also people’s perception of him, and of the situation. Yet he was a brilliant man, although at times to people he seemed a bit unorthodox he was eventually accepted. Ironically enough I believe that it was his problems of not liking people, but wanting to be accepted and acknowledge that aided his mental state, however by the time he had become accepted his imaginary world was out of control. As years passes without knowing that he has such mental illness, Nash have invented some kind of Mathematical formula (equilibrium) which become popular and it startled me. He graduated and become a professor in Mathematics and romantically involved with his hard working student named Alicia and they even got married. But his illness turned out to be worse than I thought; his delusions become rigorous and more uncontrollable by his mind. He even believed that he’s been hired to work to the government to break codes. His other delusional product named Parcher, keeps on haunting him to work and to work which have caused him so much stress that made the symptoms worse. He keeps on believing that there’s a conspiracy, a mission by the government that will lead him to honor, but all of these are only in his mind. Nash continued his medication and deal with his delusional state. And it made me wonder, because according to my belief, â€Å"real mentally abnormal person doesn’t even know that he/she is not normal†. But in Nash’s case, how come he realized that he’s suffering from this illness and he can even stay away from his delusions? I don’t know but all I know are risks that may happen if you pay no attention to this illness. Without medication and therapy, they are unable to function in the real world. If they fall victim to severe hallucinations and delusions, they can be a danger to themselves and those around them. Schizophrenia usually develops gradually, although onset can be sudden. These were the symptoms that Nash have: Confusion, Inability to make decisions, Hallucinations, doesn’t eat regularly and lack of sleep, Delusions, Nervousness, Indifference to the opinions of others, A tendency to argue A conviction that he is better than others, or that people are out to get him. Fortunately, he was able to cop with his Paranoia and lived a simple life, he even got the Nobel Prize he ever wanted because of his genuine mind.

Graded Assignment: Characterization in Romeo and Juliet Essay

Now answer the seven questions below to demonstrate your understanding of Juliet’s character and some of the most important aspects of the play to this point. Be sure to answer each question fully and to the best of your ability, not only because this assignment will be graded, but also because detailed responses will be more helpful to you when you use this sheet to help you study for the upcoming Unit Test. Describe how Juliet’s mother behaves when she comes to inform Juliet about the arrangement her father made to have her marry Paris. How does Juliet’s mother’s behavior when Capulet gets angry at Juliet influence the way in which readers view Lady Capulet? Answer: She encourages Juliet to become aquatinted with Paris. When Lord Capulet became angry with Juliet for not wanting to marry, Lady Capulet won’t help her. When I read this, I wasn’t that surprised, because in the beginning she was not very close to her daughter. But it made me view Lady Capulet as a mean person. In what way is the Nurse different after the announcement of the marriage arranged between Juliet and Paris? How does the change in the Nurse affect Juliet? How does the change in the Nurse affect the way readers view her? Answer: The nurse now, does not believe in Juliet’s â€Å"love at first sight†. She now believes that she should forget about Romeo for her own benefit. The Nurse is now viewed as an antagonist. As Act III ends, Juliet heads off to Friar Laurence’s cell. What does the fact that she will not give in to what everyone wants her to do tell you about her character? Answer: She is very strong headed and kind of stubborn, and she will always still love Romeo. How does Juliet’s refusal to bow to the pressures exerted by her parents and the Nurse reinforce the idea that tragedy is the only outcome that can be expected from these circumstances? Answer: Because there is such a strict social â€Å"norm†, we know that Juliet’s rebellion was viewed as strong headedness, and that is not a desirable trait for a lady. When others turn from her, she will become desperate because she is so used to being catered to, and may act rash or dramatically. Describe the character of Mercutio and the impact that he has on the play, both in life and in death. Answer: Mercutio is smart, and well liked by most. He sets a good example for Romeo and Benvolio, he knows when it is time to fool around, and when life should be taken seriously. He is also calm and displays a confidence in his role, that gives people pause before they act harshly. Without Mercutio there to help his friends, the thoughts and actions they have become more rash. It is Tybalt’s slaying of Mercutio, and Romeo’s retaliation that leads to Romeo’s death. Describe the language that Shakespeare uses when Romeo and Juliet speak to one another, particularly when they first meet and in the Balcony Scene. How does their language help readers understand the depth of their love? Answer: The language they use is very decorative,he uses nature as descriptions of the love Romeo and Juliet share. There is also a polished or elegant almost quality to it, and you can tell that they have a deep commitment to each other. They use rhyme and metaphor, literary devices that make connections between ideas, emotions, and objects, that tells readers that they feel for each other deeply. Tybalt is portrayed as a villain in the play, and yet his death is not a positive event. Why is Tybalt’s death bad for Romeo and Juliet? Answer: Tybalt is killed by Romeo, to take revenge for the death of Mercutio. Romeo is sentenced to death, making it impossible for Romeo and Juliet’s to continue their relationship, and makes Juliet’s marriage to Paris almost certain.

Rich and Unhappy or Poor and Happy

* Choosing a career that pays well, but makes a person unhappy, and choosing a career that   makes a person   happy,but does not pay well. What is the purpose of life? What is the one thing that truly matters in order to experience a meaningful, gratifying existence? Some people might say that love and happiness are all one needs in order to live a fulfilling life, where no amount of materialistic wealth will amount to the same level of contentment as a life where one’s career is something that one strongly believes in and has passion for.Others, however, might argue that the only path to an enjoyable life is when one is able to live luxuriously. To have the finest, rarest, most expensive items or clothing is to have value and importance in society, which in turn, makes life worth living. In order to reach this stage, necessary steps need to be taken even if it causes unhappiness doing so.Choosing a career that ensures a generous paycheck will guarantee a life filled with materialistic commodities, but it doesn’t guarantee the benefits of a career that entices them, such as the drive or desire to work and the gratification one feels that might affect their emotional well being for the better. Yet, Choosing a career that sparks interest and passion guarantees a feeling of fulfillment but may not guarantee a substantial enough pay to enjoy some of society’s luxuries, such as the ability to travel or not having to worry about putting food on the table which otherwise might lead to stress that is harmful to one’s health.In a perfect world, everyone would be able to choose a career that houses both aspects, but alas, that is not the way the world works. Should one choose a career that pays well, but makes one unhappy? Or should one choose a career that makes one happy, but barely pays the rent. A life filled with the luxuries that our society provides can be seen by many to be a much-desired way to live. For them, the end result overc omes the means to get there, such as a stressful, unrewarding career who’s only redeeming aspect is a substantial paycheck.The ability to purchase the materialistic objects of ones desires, such as a fancy car, or a big house, is enough for some people to put themselves through school in a programme that doesn’t stimulate them emotionally, or intellectually. Nevertheless, with the disposable income, one would be able to take part in activities outside of work that is enjoyable and stimulating, like traveling or going to various cultural events that are out of reach for those with lower incomes.However, while one may be enjoying life outside of work, the harsh reality is that one spends the majority of the week at ones job, so in reality, a huge portion of one’s life is spent in apathy and indifference if the work doesn’t invoke any sort of enjoyment. As this continues over the years, depression is likely to follow due to the constant dread and lethargy th at goes along with the job, and the realization that it will be like that day in and day out for years to come.For those who choose this way of life, happiness equates to the number of possessions they gained with their hard earned money, regardless of the mundane work they had to go through in order to achieve it, unless of course, they realize they made a huge mistake choosing money over their actual dreams and aspirations when its already too late. Other people have a completely different view of life as the ones who value money in high regard.These people see the benefits of a life filled with things that give them satisfaction, with the choice of career being a huge component of it. When one decides to spend the rest of ones life doing something that one is passionate and excited about, the wage it garners wouldn’t be high on one’s list of concerns, especially if it means that waking up every morning wouldn’t be such a dreaded daily event. The mere thought of spending another day doing something one enjoys is enough to keep one motivated throughout the longevity of their career.There are a few instances however, that may cause certain hesitation. For example, a young aspiring artist might be satisfied with a one-bedroom that doubles as their studio while eating ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner for now, but what if down the road they decide they want to settle down and have a family before they are able to make a profit from their art, which might not never even happen in the first place? The pressure of this realization and the constant worry of having to make ends meet could be detrimental down the line.Soon, the joys that the job brings could be overshadowed by the stress produced by this situation. Fortunately, most people that choose to go down this path are able to make ends meet and are content with living in the simplest terms as long as their lives revolve around the career of their liking. The decision of choosin g which career path to take is probably one the most important, tear-inducing decisions a person has to make in their lifetime. It will dictate the way their life will go from that day forward nd the means on which they must live by. Whether it is a career that will bestow significant financial gain, or a career that will bestow significant personal gain, the decision rests on the personal opinions of the individual’s definition of a happy life. Even though this decision is entirely subjective, there is a stat that is worth mentioning; over a third of an average person’s life is spent working. Is being able to by the latest Prada really worth hating a massive part of one’s existence?

Is management accounting in the public sector different to mangement Essay

Is management accounting in the public sector different to mangement accounting for the private sector - Essay Example â€Å"In the last few years the question has arisen as to how far the business-oriented concepts of management accounting and control could be employed for non-profit organisations (especially in the field of public management). In the public sector, sparse or deficit budgets and pressing demands for effective, efficient and transparent means of achieving results provide the background for the discussion. However, due to the special characteristics of non-profit organisations, it is clear that the concepts used in private business need some modifications†. (Meyer, 2003) However, when it comes to management accounting in public sector as well as private sector, there seems to be a marked difference between the two approaches. Managerial accounting within private sector may be driven by objectives which may not be similar to the objectives which management of public sector organization may be pursuing. Thus it is possible that the management accounting in public sector may be different from the management accounting in private sector organizations. There can be different reasons for that as both the kind of organizational structures tend to have basic differences in their overall purposes. A private organization may be more interested in generating value for its shareholders thus effectively remain profit oriented with major aim of earning profit whereas public organizations may have different purposes and aims therefore the managerial accounting processes adopted in both the organizational styles and structures. This essay will discuss whether the management accounting practices in public sector organizations is different from the management accounting practices being adopted by the private sector organization. Before discussing the role of management accounting in private as well as public sector, it is very important that we must attempt to define what management accounting is. Management accounting has been defined as follows: â€Å"The

Emotional Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Emotional Intelligence - Essay Example Emotional intelligence is defined as an ability to assess and control emotions of the other people alongside with emotions of oneself. This is now considered a great skill and almost an essential trait of a successful leader. Business environment has developed greatly in the past few decades and soft management practices are playing a huge role. It is no longer possible for managers to ignore the feelings or emotions of employees. Today employees are empowered to a great extent and therefore they cannot be treated like herds. This has made the role of emotional intelligence important. Any manager would be successful if he or she is able to understand and manipulate people (not always in bad way). Understanding emotions of others is a gift that can do wonders for managers in organizations. It can help the resolve disputes and motivate employees to work harder in the interests of the organization. Emotional intelligence can help a leader make informed decisions about all aspects of organizational work. Managers can assign jobs that are coherent with the emotions of the employees. This can make a huge difference for any firm as it will lead to maximization of employee productivity. Emotional intelligence also helps managers in assessing potential of an employee. For example an employee who is going through difficult times because of domestic issues might not be a good candidate for a creative job. Similarly an employee who is emotionally aroused might not be apt for forecasting of sales as he might overestimate figures. These employees might be good at other jobs but jobs discussed above are not appropriate for them. Emotional intelligence of a manager will tell him or her that which person is the most appropriate for which job and therefore emotional intelligence is helpful in assessing performance potential. Managerial success can also be achieved through emotional intelligence. By controlling one’s own emotions managers can make rational and objective

Team Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Team Work - Research Paper Example As the discussion stresses departmental teams are also long term since they ensure proper manning of their lines of responsibilities at all times to encourage efficiency. Short term teams are self managing and handle frequent system challenges for instance addressing employee discipline issues. During this implementation time, members of the team hold formal and informal meetings where they freely interact with one another. This is the time they evaluate their performance and find out if indeed they are within the set deadlines. Teams play a pivotal role in the workplace and are lauded as the best human resource practice since it acts as learning time for employees. The members present their incomplete ideas in a discussion, and they humbly argue out the case, the strongest option is later adopted by the team as findings. These resolutions are binding upon every member, and the team is wholly accountable for them. This paper outlines that un the article, â€Å"How to Build a Teamwork Culture† by Susan Heathfield, she says that teamwork is core to organizations which value cooperation when handling office tasks. Employees trust that all issues pertaining to planning, decision making and task execution are best undertaken together, this helps in ensuring accuracy since input from different minds reduces risk factors. For instance, decision making on product diversification requires input from the marketing team who roll out campaigns to gauge market response. The finance and accounting team also computes the right prices to offer the new product in the market. These two and other relevant departments get together by holding frequent meetings where they all share their points and areas of concern.  

Please agree with him Mr. J. and write 3 pages cite sources. Cite Article

Please agree with him Mr. J. and write 3 pages cite sources. Cite sources.(Dhibba Shan) - Article Example Borrowed nursing theory is a theory which was originally designed to suite in another discipline, but later adapted also to fit in the nursing profession. However, it is worth understanding that the nursing perspective guides the reconceptualization of existing theories. Synthesis of the borrowed theory with the nursing perspective is essential; otherwise the focus of nursing will continue to remain within other disciplines. Consequently, nursing problems will either not be addressed at all or addressed haphazardly. Therefore, theories from other disciplines must be incorporated into both the nursing milieu and to the nursing image of a human being to be meaningful to nursing (McEwen and Evelyn, 2007). Nurses heavily borrow theories from physical, biological and behavioral science disciplines and adapt them to nursing situations. As a result, a nursing theory emerges though tracing its origin on the original discipline. A theory that is applicable in two or more different disciplines is referred to as shared theory. Examples of borrowed theories include the Von Bartlaffny’s general systems theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. In a case scenario, nurses can apply the Maslow’s theory to predict the needs that patients have not expressed clearly so that appropriate actions can be undertaken (Fawcett, 2005). For example, when a patient is admitted in the hospital, it is the duty of the nurses to organize a familiarization program for the patient, which helps them relieve anxiety and feel comfortable in the hospital environment. Existence of borrowed theories certainly implies that unique theories also exist. These are theories which were specifically designed to guide nurses’ decisions, goals and actions that relate to their profession. While formulating these theories, the theorists base their opinions and assertions on experiences and researches that directly relate to

Phenomena of Piracy and Copyright Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phenomena of Piracy and Copyright Laws - Essay Example The Anthill infrastructure proposes an idea in which nesting becomes a vital component. Nest implementation consists of three components which consist of document storage, ant manager, and a gateway agent. In this particular framework, five nests work together as a storage component for these networks and use algorithms. The current model of Anthill enables users engaged in the P2P system to use genetic algorithms that may simplify tasking of specifying the parameters for a query. One of the aspects that were explored with Anthill was to program it in Java since Java is portable is secured. Since Ants are generated by nests in response to requests, each and tries to fulfill the request for which needs to be generated. Anthill is special because it takes care of all low-level details such as communication, security, and scheduling. Developers wishing to experiment with new P2P protocols can concentrate on developing suitable and algorithms using the framework. Bit Torrent is a file distribution system that is heavily used by users for sharing information through bits and pieces. When a file is available using HTTP, the upload costs are atoned by the hosting machine. However, with the advent of a Bit Torrent, multiple users that are downloading a similar file can share that file with each other. This is highly effective as it reduces not only the cost but the lag time in downloading. A unique feature of Bit Torrent interface is the fact that it is very simple to use. Users can easily navigate and launch Bit Torrent using the â€Å"Save As† button. One of the key aspects regarding Bit Torrent is the issue of deployment. Users who want to initiate deployment of a specific torrent by using the extension .torrent on an ordinary web server. The whole essence of Bit Torrent is to enhance the functions of peer sharing.  

Food Safety and Biosecurity Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Food Safety and Biosecurity Policy - Essay Example The human aspect of biosecurity includes zoonotic diseases and biological food safety. Plant production provides the basis of the human food chain and it is therefore a crucial target of biosecurity. Food safety and biosecurity policy have attracted a lot of debate. Many people are against this policy and countless others are of a different opinion supporting their cause and grounds. This paper will highlight some of the arguments that have been forwarded in favor of the policy and also summarize some of the arguments against it. Many forces have heightened interest in biosecurity, including the increasing and globalized trade in food and agricultural products, expanding populations, advances in communications and technology, changing consumer patterns, rising popular awareness of sanitary and phyto-sanitary issue and greater attention to biodiversity and the environment and the impact of agriculture on these (Gullino, Fletcher and Gamliel, 2008, pg. 7). There are many arguments whic h have been forwarded in support of the food safety and biosecurity policy. Some of these include; Food safety and Biosecurity policies facilitates the necessary infrastructure that is needed to prevent, detect, diagnose, respond and recover from disease outbreaks (Falk, Wallace and Ndoen, 2011, pg. 53). The trends for increased agricultural trade among nations contribute to the goal of global food security. However, this increased trade also brings heightened pressures from natural and intentional introductions of plant pathogens that threaten agricultural systems as well as food production and distribution systems. The food safety and Biosecurity policies put in place facilitate the necessary infrastructure that is needed to prevent, detect, diagnose, respond and recover from disease outbreaks. Biosecurity policy facilitates the efficient use of limited resources through the harmonization of regulatory frameworks. Biosecurity recognizes common features among the relevant sectors, particularly in approaches to risk assessment and risk management, notification procedures, information exchange and international cooperation (Vapnek and Spreij, 2005, pg. 200). Thus it reduces burdens and facilitates the efficient use of limited resources by harmonizing the regulatory frameworks. Food production and distribution networks are susceptible to accidental on-farm contamination with human pathogens. Food safety and Biosecurity policies facilitate for the recognition of and effective preparation for, the threat of agro-terrorism, this subsequently permits government and agribusinesses to reduce the vulnerability of the agro-food system. Food safety and Biosecurity policies are very vital in the maintenance of national security in terms of assuring its citizenry an uninterrupted supply of healthy food as well as economic growth. The vulnerability of agriculture and the food chain to attack by those intending harm is based on several key features. One of these is the very importance of agriculture to national economies. Disruption of agricultural systems could have widespread and dramatic economic consequences in the food, feed and fiber sectors (Gullino, Fletcher and Gamliel, 2008, pg. 3). Affected stakeholders could include farmers and input suppliers, processors, upstream contributors such as the agrochemical industry and even the tourism and transportation sectors. Agricultural exports in most

Science and Technology Education for young child Assignment

Science and Technology Education for young child - Assignment Example From a constructivism point of view, it has been discussed that humans acquire understanding through collaborations not just in ideas but also with experiences. This view point is combined with Bloom’s taxonomy of learning which was published during the 1950s which was way outdated compared to technology that is being used in lately in academes. This theory is composed of three domains; 1) cognitive or knowledge, 2) affective or attitude, and 3) psychomotor or skills (Anderson, et al, 2011). This type of teaching has 3 major objectives. The first of which is increasing the involvement of students. Multiple ways of knowing constitute the 2nd major objective while the 3rd aim of inquiry-based teaching is sequential phase of cognition. The inquiry-based teaching is actually a form of inviting students to an active way of learning instead of just being pacified with information (Franklin). Science and technology is not an easy subject to explain in early childhood education. Teachers should be able to get the grasp first of what is need to be taught before actually structuring it to the most basic as it can get for these children to understand. The educators would be faced in a challenge in explaining a sometimes complex subject to children who have so many questions based on what have been observed or explained at their own households. Letting a child to experiment and explore things would be a better way of teaching children of this age bracket the concepts without them having doubts on the educator’s credibility. This is done by observing. As it has been prior known that children tends more to believe what have been seen, if a certain thing or scientific event has been observed by the child, it would be more believable onto them what is being explained by teachers. Though questions may still arise, there is a visible proof that the children can see and get the grasp of the concept which is being taught (Harland & Rivkin, 2004). The

Industry analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Industry analysis - Essay Example have serious impact on the profitability, competitiveness and growth as well as the satisfaction in using the product produced by a particular service provider or industry (Willett, 2010). An industry can therefore take advantage of the purchases by customers of the complementary products even if you do not offer them yourself by establishing multiple alliances with those that do not offer them. Our industry which is the cosmetic manufacturing that includes manufacture of products such as hair products, skin care, cosmetics, deodorants, perfumes, oral care and other products including baby items may benefit from complementary industry such as the hair dressing industry. Hairdressing and the cosmetic industry are closely intertwined and aligned and each has got the effect of affecting the profitability of the other in that the demand for the cosmetics will be dependent on the hairdressing and the beauty salon services. These two industries are competitive and the competition in the large number of salons in a particular area is likely to affect the uptake of the demand for these products (Willett, 2010). Further, the competition for sales of hair and beauty products increases with the increasing number of beauty parlors, beauty stores as well as salons showing that these two industries are complementary to each other. The success of our company which is dealing in the sale of cosmetic products and our competitive strategy will therefore depend on how we relate to the hair dressing service industry. This is so due to the fact that the rate and intensity of competition in an industry is dependent on the economics of the particular industry and the fact that each differs fundamentally from the other, and therefore the collective strength of the forces of competition is distinct. Therefore, as a manufacturer dealing in cosmetics products, it is important that to find a position that helps it cope best with hose providing hair dressing services and use the competitive

Is Chocolate Good for You Essay Example for Free

Is Chocolate Good for You Essay [pic]A little of what you fancy does you good especially if it’s chocolate. Instead of feeling guilty for indulging, you can now feel virtuous, as chocolate is officially beneficial for health. And that’s just as well, as we Brits consume over 80 million chocolate eggs each Easter which works out at a staggering 9kg per person. Chocolate dates back to the time of the Aztecs when cocoa beans were so prized that they were used as currency during the reign of Montezuma. The Aztecs consumed chocolate in the form of a sweetened drink, which was believed to increase wisdom, boost energy levels and have a powerful aphrodisiac action. Modern forms of chocolate combine cocoa paste with cocoa butter, sugar and cream or milk, with a variety of additional flavourings such as vanilla, nuts and liqueurs that may improve the flavour, but may reduce its health value. We take a look at some of the pros and cons of eating chocolate this Easter The Pros: Antioxidant protection The reason chocolate gets the ‘thumbs up’ from researchers is because it contains large quantities of antioxidants chemicals that help to neutralise some of the harmful chemical reactions occurring as part of our metabolism and during exposure to pollutants. In essence, antioxidants stop us going rusty inside. Scientists have found that just 40g of chocolate contains more than 300mg of polyphenols the same type of antioxidants that give red wine its heart-protecting reputation. And if you like your chocolate dark, you will obtain twice as many polyphenols, similar amounts, in fact, as are found in a cup of green tea. What’s more, the polyphenols present in chocolate are of the super-protective variety known as procyanidin flavonoids. While some of these flavonoids contain just one unit and are classed as monomers, the most protective are those containing two, three or more units, known as oligomers. Yes, you’ve guessed it, chocolate is especially rich in the larger oligomers that can prevent harmful LDL-cholesterol from becoming oxidised and taken up into artery walls. Research recently published in the British Medical Journal suggested that a daily meal of seven ingredients, which included 100g dark chocolate (along with fish, fruit, vegetables, almonds, garlic and 150ml wine) could cut the risk of coronary heart disease by a massive 76%. The scientists predicted this could increase average life expectancy by six and a half years for men and five years for women. Surprisingly, olive oil was not included, as the researchers felt there was not enough solid evidence to support it as a single ingredient rather than as part of the Mediterranean diet. In contrast, they found clear evidence that eating 100g dark chocolate per day could reduce blood pressure by an average of 5.1/1.8mmHg, which is enough to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 21%. The feel-good factor Eating chocolate makes you feel good. It increases brain levels of several chemicals, including mood-altering PEA (phenylethylamine, related to amphetamine), which produces a mild, confidence-instilling buzz. Chocolate also contains tryptophan a chemical converted to serotonin in the brain to lift mood and increase euphoria and theobromine, a stimulant that peps you up. Chocolate is also virtually unique in that it melts in the mouth at body temperature, producing a silky, luscious sensation that adds to its appeal and, according to psychologists, is one of the main reasons why chocolate proves so addictive. Contains small amounts of caffeine The amount of caffeine contained in chocolate is around 10 times less than that in the average serving of coffee, tea or cola drinks. In fact, low intakes of caffeine can be beneficial, as they improve fat metabolism, exercise endurance, increase alertness and decrease the perception of effort and fatigue. The Cons: Expense Eating chocolate every day will undoubtedly increase your shopping bill. The BMJ researchers estimated it would cost ?3 per week, but that spending more for a premium brand of dark chocolate might be rewarded by improved quality of life. Calories Sadly, chocolate packs a lot of calories. Just 100g contains: Milk chocolate 520 kcals, dark chocolate 510 kcals and white chocolate 529 kcals. It does provide useful amounts of micronutrients, however. For example, 100g dark chocolate contains: 33mg calcium (compared with 220mg for milk chocolate), 89mg magnesium, 2.3mg iron, 0.7mg copper, 4mcg selenium and 1.4mgvitamin E. Glucose swings Sweetened chocolate contains lots of sugar, producing glucose swings which, as well as encouraging you to eat more, are increasingly linked with the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is another reason why dark chocolate, which contains the least sugar, is better for you than milk and white chocolate. Low carbohydrate chocolate containing sweeteners such as maltitol, which do not affect blood glucose levels, are also becoming more widely available. Mood swings Chocolate that contains a lot of sugar can also cause swings in levels of endorphins brain chemicals that affect mood. This can, in turn, produce mood swings as well as carbohydrate cravings, one reason why women with pre-menstrual syndrome often crave chocolate before a period, when their endorphin levels are low. Unfortunately, as with addictive drugs, brain receptors eventually become desensitised to the mood-lifting effect of chocolate, so you tend to need more and more to get the same endorphin-raising effects. Acne The myth that chocolate can cause acne is not supported by the evidence, which suggests the culprit is hormonal fluctuations rather than dietary components. Tooth decay The fermentable sugar present in chocolate has the potential to trigger tooth decay. However, the antioxidants in chocolate may help to offset the acid-producing potential to a certain extent, while the calcium, phosphate and other minerals present especially in milk chocolate may also reduce the harmful effects on teeth. Including chocolate in your diet All in all, it seems that, as part of a balanced diet, we might all benefit from eating 100g chocolate per day but make sure it is dark and expensive! †¢ Eat it after a meal when you are full and less likely to over-indulge. †¢ Eating chocolate after a meal means you can clean teeth and floss soon afterwards perhaps with a chocolate flavoured toothpaste to prolong the pleasure! †¢ Buy small-sized bars, not family-sized slabs. †¢ Eat with fresh fruit the renewed craze for chocolate fondues makes this simplicity itself. †¢ Let chocolate rest in your mouth for long enough to melt and coat your taste buds and the roof of your mouth to experience the full range of flavours and textures. †¢ Learn to savour the lingering memory of each bite before immediately devouring the next.

Social Media For The Promotion Of Burberry Products

Social Media For The Promotion Of Burberry Products This report consists of a complete analysis of the marketing strategies that Burberry should use for the next 5 years to maintain its current market position. The main focus of this report is on making use of the Social media for the promotion of Burberry products. Case Solution Contents Executive Summary The key issues in this case are the deteriorating position of the brand which started of very successfully in 1856 as a retail store. Burberry then gave its licensing to other distributors and gone through acquisition later on it went global but it ruined its brand position and consistency Its distribution, branding media selection and pricing was not maintained. Again in 1990s the brand faced severe positioning issued when it moved to Asia and company hired a new CEO and new management took over the company to rejuvenate companys product line, pricing, and its standing. They made brand innovative, changed the target market and made the licensing very strong. They made the companies enjoy the boom but further decisions of line extension were still a matter of concern for the company. The actions they should take are the proper market survey and Research for the new product; they should carry out proper likeness test for the new brand. It should prudently define its distribution strat egy along with the media strategy. They should go for proper planning before launch of new perfume and other brands this brand can be proved to be very successful if they would make it according to the taste of the target customers. Introduction: The company was established in 1856 as fabric retailer it gone through extensive brand extension in two decades through licensing and globalization, it made numerous distributions channels and operated in numerous countries. Company was purchased by GUS (Shipping Corporation) in 1955, it went through global extension in 1970s and before that it went for IPO (Initial public offering) of the shares. In 1990s company got lesser control on the licensing and distribution channels and they went into extensive brand line extension decisions which had a negative impact on the companys performance , quality focused was lost and company decided to change its positioning and licensing strategy along with the management. CEO got changed and Rose Marie Bravo took charge of the company and she changed the team and hired those who were fashion oriented and who knew the latest trends, she successfully made the company as one of the premium leading brand again , She proved to be the best CEO in year 2005. And the company went into numerous strategic decisions in her era and this era was considered as the best era for the company. Now the new strategic decision by the company to go through is line extension, brand extension and market extension. Next portion of the report deals with the Marketing Mix , analysis of environmental factors and decisions of companys strategic moves to make it market leader by proper positioning strategy. Marketing Mix: This portion of the report deals with the product, pricing placement and distribution strategy of the product. Product: Product line was very narrow in the beginning they started off with a fabric retail store then they produced a fabric that was breathable fabric they moved into the fabric for uniform of army in world war and this was the basic positive strategic move of the company. They went for diversification the later years they had numerous brands and products. They followed traditions with innovations and tried to follow same patterns. Pricing: It was a premium brand and their cost and prices were high but later on with their loose licensing policy and extension there was in consistency in their prices which made companies image bad. It was perceived as an ordinary brand. Later on management worked on Premium pricing strategy to make its positing and perception better in the market. Placement and distribution: Companys distribution was entirely based on licensing and company owned stores, initially it was following Exclusive distribution strategy, then it moved to extensive distribution strategy which ruined the brand image later on they went for selective distribution strategy and made strong control on licensing and distribution. Promotion: In initial days promotion was the biggest issue company positioned itself as the premium product and advertised by using the selective media in the beginning. Later on when the company went global it faced many issues in its promotion , media selection was not proper in other companies which ruined the brand image, later with Rose Bravo and its new team more promotional activities were carried out. They hired new photographer, new agency and new media team; they launched new campaign and advertised in good magazines. They endorsed their products through several means. Celebrity endorsement was one way. They changed Company name and logo to give it a novel effect and made it innovative by changing its packaging. Environmental Analysis It is evaluation of the probable impacts of external and internal forces and conditions and their effect on the survival and growth of the company, so there are numerous factors that affected the companies positioning and branding lets discuss all of the factors in detail along with companies competitive advantage and Unique selling proposition. BCG Matrix According to the BCG matrix the product was in question mark stage in Asian countries as the market share is low because of bad economic condition, in some countries it was a Cash Cow and in UK and US this brand is proved to be Star with the high market share and high growth potential. Porters Five Forces: Porters five forces in this case can evaluate Burberrys position in the market as compared to its competitors, suppliers and customers. Suppliers Bargaining Power: It was a British based company and it was into production of its own fabric so in its case suppliers power was not the major issue. Initially it was not facing any problem and there was consistency in its suppliers and it continued in the later years as well. So we can say that in this case Suppliers power was very low. Customers Bargaining Power: Customers bargaining power was also low in this case because the product was standardized and it was a premium brand with premium quality so customer had lesser bargaining power. Substitutes: Substitutes were the basic threat for the company as there were numerous products in the market that can replace the use of Burberrys products but its breathable cloth was the best one still they had to make their products outclass to combat the threat of substitutes by positioning their product as those which simply have no comparison. Rivalry: Rivalry and competition was strong. Foreign and Local companies were striving for share. Numerous brands were there in the markets which were offering the same products. And pirated products made more problems in Asia and other countries where there are lesser laws on pirating Entrants: The barriers to entry were very low as any company can jump into the line of fabric as the initial cost is very low but competing with a brand like Burberry was the basic concern for the companies. Rivalry Intense competition (High) Competitive Advantage: Companys competitive advantage was its patterns, styles originality quality, Symbol of royalty, luxury and durability. Company was in the business for more than hundred years and it had gone through many hard times but it tried to regain its competitive advantage and its originality till the end. The companies motive was to provide functionality along with class,, it tried to meet customer expectations till the present date. PEST Analysis: Political environment Political conditions did not have any impact on company standing as the policies of trade are seemingly pro-trade and there is no single evidence of political disturbance. Economic environment: Economic Condition was not very suitable for the company as this era was the era of recession so the company faced many points to take proper strategic decisions. It went thorough public offering and was being acquired by shipping company to sustain the business. Social environment Social environment was very good because people were more convenience and fashion oriented and they wanted innovation and stylish fabric which could also serve their functional need. Technological environment Company went through numerous technological changes by devising new ways of production of fabrics and efficient plants. SWOT Analysis: Strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats we have identified from the case are given below. Strengths: Companies basic strength was it standing and its fame people used to trust the brand, it was more than 150 years old brand having extensive product line, its premium quality and trust it built up in years was its strength. Its functional fabric was its excellence. Weaknesses: The weaknesses of the brand are its perception. It was perceived as a conservative brand having old customers and no innovation, its price and distribution inconsistency made more problems . Its image was eroding. Marketing plan and positioning was up-to-the mark. Opportunities: They have heritage and strong brand association. They can invent new product lines. They have capital so they can start with new products and can cater the needs of several markets. Global dealing with proper licensing was the biggest opportunity. Threats: The biggest threat for the company was the wrong strategic move, company had to compete in the market as many brands were in the marketing offering the same products . Corporate Strategy Ownership: Company had a single retail store in the beginning, then it went through the process of licensing and to Mitsui and Sanyo in Japan, then in went to Public offerings and global stores and distributions through wholesalers and retailers in year 1970, In year 1990 it took extensive licensing which proved to be damaging and later on after the change in management they made this licensing policy very aligned to the company policy. Now the company has 3162 wholesales, 434 departmental stores, 2728 specialty stores and its planning to have market extension in coming decade as well. Target Market and Positioning Strategy: Initially they targeted all age groups who belonged to all occupation groups, then with the deterioration of the brand they left with the age group which was above 40 so company took strategic move and became fashion oriented to target the younger segment along with the old age people. Positioning strategy of the product was very good in the initially days , it was positioned as a premium brand and the brand of the adventurous people later on with its extension and weak licensing policies it went through numerous problems. It was endorsed thorough the adventurous people initially then its perception of quality and consistency went bad and later on with the change of management it was positioned as the product of sporty people. Extensive Research and Development: It is evident from the success of the brand that Burberry has had a very strong Research and Development (RD) in the past. The higher management should ensure that before the launch of a new product in the market the marketing department is fully aware of the market the brand intends to target in order to get the wanted response from the customers. It is very important to keep the image of Burberry as a luxurious brand intact. Suggestions: In order to address the problems faced by Burberry for launching new products and brand in the market, the company should use the following strategies: 1. Brand Extension Strategy: Burberry has now become a leading brand in the market. Burberry should make use of its Brand Name in order to develop an acceptance for the new and the upcoming products in the market. This would help Burberry to increase the Brand Equity. Burberry being a successful brand carries with it a very strong image with which the Burberry customers are highly associated. Benefits of using Brand Extension Strategy: There are a number of benefits attached to using the brand extension strategy which include the following: Use of Burberry as the brand name will help the new products save a lot of time that they would otherwise take to establish in the market. It would help the company to save the expenses of extensive advertising in case of new products. The customers perception of Burberry will help the new product to get easy attention from the existing customer base as well as the new customer. Risks associated in Using Brand Extension Strategy: Along with a number of benefits of using the brand extension strategy there are also a number of risks that are to be kept in mind while using this strategy. The risks include: A wrong use of the Brand Extension Strategy can affect the Image of Burberry negatively. Poor communication for the promotion of the new product or the brand can harm the Brand Equity of Burberry. 2. Stick to the Burberry Check Brand Identity: Burberry should not deviate from the check since it is the brands identity. The Burberry brand is recognized easily due to the check pattern. The customers strongly associate the check with the brand, so if the company decides not to use the check, it might end up in a gradual decrease in the customer base. The customers perception of the brand will get affected and hence it will destabilize the brand once again. Advantages: The use of Burberry check in the upcoming and new product has certain advantages which include the following: Customers association with the brand. Easy recognition of the brand will help the new products to gain popularity in lesser time. The image that Burberry has carried over the years will automatically be transferred to the new brand. Disadvantages: The target market will remain the same. 3. Use Social Media Marketing: Social media is one of the strongest platforms for marketing now days. It has now become the hottest trend. The brands with an online existence are much popular than the ones without an online standing. Burberry should make use of the social media platform for promoting its brand. This will help the brand to: Have an easy access to its target market. Since the target market of Burberry is the upper class, hence the best way to reach them is through social media. Through social media Burberry create the image that other forms of marketing strategies cant do. The social media platforms that Burberry should use include the following: Facebook: Facebook is one of the most used social media sites with over 300 million daily users from all over the world. The fastest growing age bracket of the Facebook users includes youth and the Facebook fan page should be created which should be properly monitored. The main objective of this campaign should be to get positive maximum exposure, increase fans on official fan page and ultimately make people come to the landing pages, for ensuring a sales conversion. To make this strategy successfully, Burberry should hire an agency to manage the fan page and hence keep it active through: Facebook Activities A dedicated team should be deputed to Burberry Fan Page which should be responsible of all the fan page related activities. An effort should be put to convert fans into potential leads and eventually customers. a) Fan Page Creation The company should create a Facebook fan page and bring in fans to create a community for Burberry serving as a platform to spread out the message to all the fans. b) Fan Page Promotion Burberry can have access to more than 200million fans over Facebook which can bring in maximum users and Burberry engage them through various activities. c) Status Updates A dedicated resource should be assigned to the page for the status updates on Fan Page. Statuses can be around The latest offers Social events conducted by Burberry Fan page activities like competitions etc. d) Content Dissemination Content on behalf of Burberry should be disseminated on fan page. More interesting the content is, more chances are there that a user/fan will share it on his/her own wall which then can be viewed by their friends which leaves a viral effect. e) Competitions and Polls Competitions should be run on behalf of Burberry to engage maximum traffic on Facebook and Burberry giveaways should be given based to the winners from those competitions. This technique creates a trust among all the fans and helps enable the users to interact more. f) Face Book Advertisements Ads with a potential of high CTR (Click through Rate) should be displayed on Facebook, to attract relevant audiences on the page and increase the number of fans. This will not only help in increasing fans, but will also give the brand needed exposure. Twitter Channel: Twitter is the new trend in the social media wave and gives a more personalized look to the social campaign. In this we will be creating a twitter account by the name of the designer through which: Burberry should be tweeting on Fashion happenings through Twitter Sharing Launch Dates Provide collection details Public Relation Activities Coverage Shows should also be promoted through Twitter YouTube Channel: A You tube channel integrated with face book, should be created, which should be used to launch and make the videos viral. In this Burberry should upload the videos of various events and shows. Some other high level activities in this category are as below: Videos of Fashion shows to be uploaded. This channel should be linked with both Facebook and Twitter. Launches and Exhibitions coverage should be uploaded. Conclusion: Although Burberry has a strong standing in the market but it needs to focus on the modern ways of marketing to main its position and keep its image as a luxurious brand intact. The marketing strategies that Burberry should be using to remain in the market would be the brand extension strategy and the creation of an online presence through different media that would include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. The competition nowadays have become a major hurdle in the growth of any brand so, in order to give tough time to its competitors Burberry should increase its research and development and should bring in innovation by introducing new products and extending the existing product lines

The opt-out clause of the Working Hours Directive 1998. :: Business and Management Studies

The opt-out clause of the Working Hours Directive 1998. The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) was adopted in 1993, and came into force in the UK under the Working Time Regulations 1998 as a safety measure, because of the recognised negative effects on health and safety of excessively long working hours. It also provides for statutory minimum rest-break entitlements, annual leave and working arrangements for night workers. The EWTD is also designed to help work life balance by limiting long hours, which is both stressful and harmful to health. For example, some research has shown that driving while tired provided similar results to driving after having drunk alcohol. The EWTD regulations place a legal requirement on employers, which means that if it is not implemented, national governments will be liable for payment of heavy financial penalties and potentially sanctions from the European Union (EU). There are no rights to work long hours, but there is legal protection to protect workers’ rights to reasonable working environment and conditions, and to family life. The main features of the EWTD are; no more than 48 hours work per week; 11 hours continuous rest in 24 hours; 24 hours continuous rest in seven days (or 48 hours in 14 days); a 20 minute break in work periods of over 6 hours; four weeks annual leave; and for night workers, an average of no more than 8 hours work in 24 hours over the reference period. The EWTD was considered by the UK Government as an issue of working conditions, not as a health and safety issue. As a result, in 1993, the UK negotiated an opt-out clause, which allows Member States not to apply the limit to working hours under certain conditions, such as: prior agreement of the individual, no negative fall out from refusing to opt-out, and records kept of working hours of those that have opted out. The European Commission announced on 23rd September 2004 its controversial proposal to update the 1993 Working Time Directive. This will most likely mean the UK will have to abandon its opt-out clause. If this is the case, and working hours are restricted, there will be many advantages and disadvantages for both employees and employers. The advantages and disadvantages range from health and safety issues to financial issues. The advantages for employees are; firstly, no longer shall employees be pressured into signing a contract with an opt-out clause stating if required, they must work extra time. This will also stop a lot of employers blackmailing potential and/or current employees, which can be often the case. For example, an employer may say to a potential employee, that if they do not sign the opt-out clause contract then

Imperialism Essay -- Imperialism Colonization History Essays

Imperialism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether for economic, nationalist, or humanitarian reasons, more powerful nations have often interfered with the affairs of weaker nations. These more powerful nations, including the United States, Britain, and several European countries, have in the past exploited less fortunate ones for resources, capital, and knowledge. Yet in return countries located in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia have gained the technology and capital that, over a period of time and development, improves their quality of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One point of view could be that imperialism results in oppression and abuse. While this is sometimes a temporary side effect of larger nations adopting protectorates, the long term effects often cause the weaker nation to grow stronger. Even when a country feels they must rebel against their suppressor, they gain a sense of nationalism and independence, resulting in a more distinct culture than before. Why then, should a country have to withdraw from such interference?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another argument could be that only when needed, should a country be involved with another’s affairs. Yet with this point of view most would agree that there would be too much diversity in opinion when deciding exactly when help is needed. Also, countries such as Japan would never have developed, whose primary success was to take the ideas of other nations and better them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stronger countries must interfere in the affairs of weaker nations for the gain of both nations. A more powerful nation can better its own economy by sharing the resources of other nations and weaker nations are able to obtain an improved standard of living by learning new technologies that are more advanced than their own. Third world countries can receive food from stronger nations and heathen nations can learn to be civilized from missionaries. Imperialism also follows the laws of social Darwinism, where the â€Å"fitter† and more advanced countries must prosper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An excellent example of how imperialism can benefit a weaker nation as well as a stronger, more dominant one is the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854. This treaty, forced upon the Japanese by the Americans, opened up two Japanese ports to foreign trade as well as meeting other demands of the Americans. Japan’s point of view was that by surrendering to the more powerful Americans they could a... ...nd, resources, and money. Use of this theory has resulted in the creation of Canada, the United States, and many other former European colonies. By exploiting natives, European nations (primarily Britain and France) were able to create colonies that bettered their economy. When these colonies became independent and rebelled, it created an even more powerful and nationalistic country, the United States. This knew country then created a theory using social Darwinism called Manifest Destiny where Americans believed they would soon conquer all of North America. Thus the struggle for survival of the fittest went on. These theories of Darwinism are easily be used to justify the imperialistic views of more powerful nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By learning from the past it is easy to see that nations help each other when imperialism occurs, and even when oppression of some nations does happen, a stronger, more patriotic nation is able to come to power. Through helping themselves, stronger nations are able to create economic conditions beneficial to all nations. Allowing stronger nations to intervene in the matters of weaker nations should be encouraged for the growth of both countries.

Herald :: Essays Papers

Herald The early Middle Ages were when Heraldry began. Knights needed a way to identify each other. The noble families developed different patterns and symbols that they would paint on their shields. These symbols served the purpose of representing their families and also, establishing who the enemy was and who the allies was in a battle. They termed these shields, coats of arms. Any family could have a coat of arms but for them to be considered official, they had to be recognized by The College of Arms. The College was where heralds trained to read and write and memorize the existing coats of arms. Therefore they were able to identify the enemies and the allies if needed to do so. A coat of arms, or blazon of arms, as they were sometimes called consisted of several parts. These components were the shield, the crest, the helm, the wreath and the mantle. The shield contained the symbols and their colors. The crest is what goes on top of the helmet. The helm or helmet varied in accordance with the rank of the knight, the time period, or the herald's preference. The wreath consisted of the metal and the primary color. And the design of the mantle also varied with the herald's preference. The herald's used a variety of colors like gold, silver, red, blue, green and black on the shields. But the colors were not there for decoration. They symbolized specific meanings. For example, silver stood for peace and sincerity, whereas black stood for consistency and grief. Red was considered to be the martyr's color and blue meant truth and loyalty. But along with the colors were objects or actual symbols that represented certain meanings. There were many more symbols than there were colors. There was a symbol starting with most of the letters of the alphabet. The meanings of the different symbols were even more specific than those of the colors. For example, a hawk stood for one who does not rest until he achieves his objective. Another symbol was a battle-axe, which stood for the execution of military duty. There were probably almost a hundred, if not more, of these symbols used.

Meaning of Life and Jeremy Fink Essay

A) MEANING OF LIFE – BY JEREMY FINK. B) CHARACTERS: JEREMY FINK, LIZZY MULDOON, MRS. FINK, MR. MULDOON, MR. OSWALD, SAMANTHA AND RICK, JAMES AND MR. FINK. CONFLICT: THE CONFLICT IS ABOUT JEREMY TRYING TO FIND FOUR KEY’S THAT WOULD OPEN THE BOX WHICH HIS DAD LEFT IT FOR HIM FOR HIS THIRTEEN BIRTHDAY PRESENT WHEN HE DIED AND JEREMY IS TO FIND THE KEY THAT WOULD FIT ALL FOUR SPOTS IN THE BOX BEFORE HIS THIRTEEN BIRTHDAY. SETTING: HAPPENS IN MODERN DAYS IN NEW YORK CITY. BASIC SITUATION: JEREMY AND LIZZY TRY TO FIND THE KEY BEFORE JEREMY’S THIRTEEN BIRTHDAY. C) PLOT: JEREMY SEE’S THE POSTMAN WITH A BOX ADDRESSED TO HIS MOM. JEREMY TAKES THE BOX AND OPENS IT TO SEE A BOX. WHEN HIS MOM COMES AND SEES HIM WITH THE BOX HIS MOM TELLS HIM HOW THE BOX WAS HIS PRESENT HIS DAD LEFT HIM FOR HIS THIRTEEN BIRTHDAY AND HAD TO FIND ALL FOUR OF THE KEYS THAT WOULD OPEN IT BEFORE HIS BIRTHDAY COMES. LIZZY AND JEREMY GET IN TROUBLE AND THEY HAVE TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE. THEN THEY MEET MR. OSWALD WHO TRIES TO HELP THEM. THEIR COMMUNITY SERVICE WAS TO DELIVER STAFF TWO NEW PEOPLE WHICH THEN THEY GET TO MEET NEW PEOPLE. D) CLIMAX: IS WHEN LIZZY AND JEREMY OPENED THE BOX AND DISCOVERED HIS. FATHER’S MEANING OF LIFE. E) FALLING ACTION: IS WHEN JEREMY OPENS THE BOX AND FINDS IT FULL OF STONES. JEREMY THEN REMEMBERS HIS FATHER HAD COLLECTED EACH STONE AT EACH IMPORTANT EVENT OF HIS LIFE. F) RESOLUTION: IS WHEN JEREMY FIND OUT THAT MR. OSWALD, JEREMY’S MOM, THE MAILMAN, AND LARRY FROM LARRY’S LOCKS WERE ALL IN JEREMY’S DAD’S PLAN TO GIVE JEREMY THE BOX AT THE RIGHT TIME AND SO THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK FOR ALL FOUR OF THE KEYS, ALTHOUGH MR. OSWALD HAD THEM ALL ALONG. BY HAVING THIS PLAN HIS DAD KNEW THAT JEREMY WOULD MEET NEW PEOPLE AND GET TO EXPERIENCE. DIFFERENT THINGS HE WOULD NEVER DO. G) POINT OF VIEW: FIRST PERSON BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH FEELINGS AND EMOTION IN THE BOOK. H) PERSON VS PERSON- JEREMY AND LIZZY AS THEY TRY TO FIND THE KEYS TO THE BOX. PERSON VS SOCIETY- JEREMY AND THE SOCIETY MEETING NEW PEOPLE TO TRY TO FIND THE KEY TO THE FOUR HOLES. I) THEME: A LESSON THIS STORY TEACHES ABOUT LIFE IS TO NEVER GIVE UP, AND ALWAYS BE MOTIVATED TO DO SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOU REALLY WANT TO DO. J) SIMILE- AS HARD AS IT CAN BE WITH HOPE ON THE WAY. SIMILE- LIFE IS AS EVENTFUL AS A JOURNEY. METAPHOR- NO PAIN, NO GAIN.

Political Stupidity Essay

In E . J. Dionne’s essay, â€Å"Political Stupidity, U. S. Style† he wants to address the political stupidity that the government is making. To start his argument, he raises an emotional question, â€Å"Can a nation remain a superpower if its internal politics are incorrigibly stupid? † The author is saying are we letting politics, irrational ideas on fiscal policy and an antiquated political structure undermine our power. He divides political stupidity into three parts: stupid tax policies, irrational ideas on fiscal policy and antiquated political structure. In his essay, â€Å"Political Stupidity, U.S Style,† Dionne employs ethos, connotation and an emotional appeal. In paragraph sixteen, Dionne uses ethos. He writes, â€Å"I’m a chronic optimist about America. † E. J. Dionne is confident about the future to get better but we need well intentioned republicans who care about the nation interest to realize something has gone fundamentally wrong with their party and work to help bring it back. To get rid of political stupidity, he wants to form a senate, a new conservatism that is worthy of our name, liberals willing to speak out on the threat our daft politics poses to our influence in the world, and moderates. However the readers might have complete trust of the government of the United States and so they might not like someone questioning their credibility. In paragraph number seventeen, Dionne uses connotation saying â€Å"We need moderates who do more than stick their fingers in the wind to calculate the halfway point between two political poles. † Dionne is hoping to make people aware of the political stupidity and the need to bring change in the system of politics. Sticking their fingers in the wind, means a person putting his finger in the wind is unlikely to come up with original solutions, and decisions are made without backing evidence. It says that the politicians are making blind decisions without even thinking about its consequences. It also makes them look like fools running the country. However, if some people think that the politicians were fools, the United States would not have been a super power. In paragraph seven, Dionne uses a strict emotional appeal as a mean to persuade his audience. He writes, â€Å"The simple truth is that the wealthy in the United States- the people who have made almost all the income gains in recent years- are under taxed compared with everyone else. † Consider two reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. One, issued last month, highlighted findings from the Congressional Budget Office showing that, â€Å"The gaps in after-tax income between the richest 1 percent of Americans and the middle and poorest fifths of the country more than tripled between 1979 and 2007. † The other, from February, used Internal Revenue Service data to show that the effective federal income tax rate for the 400 taxpayers with the very highest incomes declined by nearly half in just over a decade, even as their pre-tax incomes have grown five times larger. He writes this, hoping that by using the reports from the Congressional Budget Office, he would be able to prove his point that the United States is politically stupid. It seems as if he is trying to bring awareness among the people of the United States about the decisions made by politicians. Although he has demonstrated his evidence very convincingly and it seems that he would get his readers attention and they would listen to his concerns but some of his readers think that he is being blunt and through his essay he is making direct acquisitions on the politicians of the United States. The United States is falling behind and the public seems not to notice. In paragraph number fourteen, Dionne talks about the structure of our government. He talks about how the ratio between the largest and smallest state was 13 to 1. Now it’s 68 to 1. He writes,† because of the abuse of the filibuster, 41 senators representing less than 11 percent of the national population can, in principle, block action supported by 59 senators representing more than 89 percent of our population. And you wonder why it’s hard to get anything done in Washington? ’’ Dionne gives convincing evidence to support his claim which is the politics of the United States is stupid. He uses ethos and shows his concerns by saying he is a chronic optimist about America. He also uses reports to prove his point and persuade the audience. However he seems blunt and tells it like it is without any fear.

Brand Reinforcement

STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT Birmingham University Business School Msc Marketing 1205306 TA-CHENG LIU Words: 2992 Question: Brands need to be managed over time. This involves ‘Toscani’sToscani’s’. With reference to academic theory outline how brands have reinforced and revitalized themselves. You should illustrate your points with examples This paper aims to discuss that organizations how to use strategic actions to enhance brand and revitalize brand equity in strong competition. In terms of innovative marketing, amounts of organizations want to be managed as brands in order to generate benefits and profits for organizations. Kapferer, 2008) Indeed, brands are built on past marketing efforts obtained from consumers. As Kapferer (2008) documented, brands could be also seen as assets which produce benefits within long period. However, brands possibly encounter aging and decay in their lifecycle. (Keller, 1999) Furthermore, some brands may be inabilit y to compete in the strongly competitive market, because consumers may change their motivation on this category. In addition, regulations and advanced technology possibly influence brands losing their presence in the target market. Thomas & Kohli, 2009) Therefore, this paper will discuss two brands of cigarette, Mild Seven and Marlboro. They have suffered the difficulties at different moments, hence, both company had experience on brand reinforcement and brand revitalization. According to Thomas & Kohli (2009), brand enhancement aims to maintain the top-of-mind recall with consumers. Marketers actually could redesign marketing mix in order to fortify position. More importantly, brand equity will consist with brand extension. However, brand revitalization attempt to revive aging or decaying brands.When the brands are going to decay, the brand equity will decrease at the same time. Therefore, Wansink (2000) provided 7 steps include reposition and product innovation to rejuvenate brand s. Indeed, Ind (2007) argued that storytelling is another important technique which integrates past experience and future direction of brands. Companies sometimes merely think about reposition, but describing a brand story could benefit companies building stronger relationship with consumers. Overall, companies should prepare long term strategy to sustain the brand life.Moreover, I am convinced that brands need to transfer their communication channel besides traditional mass media. It benefits them extend brand image in consumers mind. According to Kaperer (2012), Brands are assets that could generate benefits to company within long time. Therefore, companies need to ceaselessly manage their brand equity over time in order to avoid lose presence in the industry. Specifically, the standard of brands life could be defined as birth, growth, maturity, decline, and death. During the brand life cycle, companies inevitably encounter dynamics of market.Consequently, their brand equity may g radually suffer the difficulties and be diminished in the future. (Lehu, 2006) Therefore, marketers need consider brand reinforcement and brand revitalization to sustain the brand. Indeed, it is the important responsibility that determine the when the brand should assess reinforcing or revitalizing for brand managers. As Keller documented (1999), brand reinforcement concentrates on avoiding brand aging and decaying. It will benefit companies fortify the brand image and brand awareness by innovating product and service in competitive market.On the other hand, brand revitalization mainly recapturing the brand equity which has been decaying and aging over time. As for maintaining the brand equity in a long period, organizations need to conduct strategy for brand enhancement. The purpose of reinforcing brand is maintaining top-of-mind recall in the competitive industry. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) Literaturely, there are two major considerations of brand reinforcement for marketers: staying at young stage and brand consistency. In order to stay at youthful stage, marketers should create younger brand image to instead chronological age of brand.Specifically, companies could regularly advance their products or services in order to adapt in dynamic environment. (Lehu, 2006) Therefore, Keller (2012) suggested that companies could enhance the product-related performance to raise the value of brands. Moreover, organizations could use either category extension or line extension to strengthen brand awareness. On the other hand, reinforcing non-product-related performance of brands is expected to pursuit emotion and belief to consumers. Furthermore, I consider that excessive updating or extending may result in negative perception of consumers.Actually, they possibly confused on overmuch products from the specific brand. Consequently, it will decrease the favorability of the brand. In addition, maintaining brand consistency is a crucial aspect of reinforcing brand. Because keepi ng loyal consumers is the most important task of the brand. Hence, marketers should protect their elements of brand equity advance. Nevertheless, brand managers could attempt to reformulate elements of brand equity under the consistency concept. I am convinced that it is important to integrate consistency and youthfulness at the same time for brands.Therefore, companies would redesign their marketing mix in order to meet the both objectives of brand enhancement. As for distribution, companies can establish online shop to contact with youngsters in the digital generation. Moreover, they should enhance their service in order to easily contact with consumers. (Lehu, 2006) In terms of communication channel, he asserts that exhibitions are a vital medium which could demonstrate and promote products with consumers. It benefits companies fortify their brand image in consumers’ mind. In addition, event and sponsorship can reach more potential consumers due to widely exposing.Subseque ntly, companies could innovate their merchandising to strengthen the brand image. (Olaito, 2010) More importantly, brand research is most important technique before aforementioned actions. As LePla, Davis & Parker documented (2003), brand research can benefit companies for understanding the need of new generation. Furthermore, brand managers need to monitor changes in consumer perceptions. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) Hence, brand managers can conduct suitable strategies to adapt the trend. In order to apply the theory above in the real world, Mild Seven is an adequate case to interpret brand reinforcement.It is the third most smoked tobacco in the industry. They dominated the domestic market and Asia market for long time because they continually maintaining brand equity. (http://www. jt. com) Moreover, their sales of global market gradually grew at the current moment. (http://global. tobaccofreekids. org) Indeed, the company concentrates on younger smokers due to the increasing need of y ounger smokers. This targeting strategy benefited Mild Seven remain the younger brand image in the industry. Initially, Mild Seven attempt to develop variable products from 10mg of tar to 1 mg of tar of cigarettes.New products were generated with milder taste and lower level of tar to meet consumers’ requirement. (http://www. tobaccoasia. com) It is expected maximize brand equity by line extension. Furthermore, Mild Seven constantly advances new filter technologies to protect its advantages. As for packaging, Mild Seven reformulate some of brand image. The company created a symbolic image to support the brand name. Furthermore they use blue and white motif of appearance for whole products in order to youthfulness. (http://www. thedesignassoc. om) Although Mild Seven changed the part of image, the brand still maintained the consistency in consumers’ mind. Moreover, Mild Seven used the recycled materials on packaging for improving negative image when selling cigarettes. (http://www. thedesignassoc. com) Subsequently, Mild Seven sponsored a team of Formula One in order to expand brand exposure worldwide. It made a significant contribution to the brand awareness. (http://www. auto123. com) Moreover, the symbol of Mild Seven has been impressive in audiences’ mind in the global market. Ultimately, Mild Seven decided to manufacture cigarettes in Switzerland for quality license.Consequently, consumers in Europe have more confidence on its products. This efficiently enhances brand equity for Mild Seven. (http://www. ciggiesworld. com) Conversely, Marlboro is another significant example. It has ever become a decaying brand in 1950s, but they now are the best-selling cigarette brand in the world. (http://www. bukisa. com/) After revitalization, the company attempt to sustain the brand equity in a long period. Marlboro encountered several difficulties few decades ago such as: advertising limit (http://www. marketingweek. co. uk) and healthy concern. M organ, 2007) Therefore, the company decided to continually fortifying their branding equity to against dynamics. Because governments prohibit advertisement of cigarette on majority of mass media in majority of countries, Marlboro cannot promote their characters and products efficiently even though Marlboro Man has already been impressive in consumers’ mind. (http://www. marketingweek. co. uk) Consequently, the company moved into sponsorship which benefited the brand being exposed on mass media. (Hemdev, 2005) Refer to Lehu (2006) mentioned, Marlboro transferred their distribution to night clubs which are admitted promotion for adult. Hemdev, 2005) It benefited the company reach target consumers directly. Simultaneously, Marlboro changed the product name with different color before the FDA limited misleading brand name. (Hemdev, 2005) It may decrease the risk of brand equity because changing brand name suddenly results in making consumers confused. But Marlboro still attempted to remain the brand consistency over time. To maximize brand equity, Marlboro developed an electronically heated cigarette for smokers who concern health issues. Moreover, it will benefit the company expanding brand association into the potential market and improving healthy concern.In addition, Marlboro authorized the brand name for clothing manufacture. (http://www. marlborooriginals. co. za) It benefits them maximizing brand awareness when implementing category extension. The cases indicate that both brands actively implement brand reinforcement in order to fortify their competition in the cigarette industry. However, both companies use similar strategies for strengthening brand equity. It possibly decreases degree of strength and uniqueness of brand associations. Hence, I concur that brands are expected to differentiate promotion because unique brand enhancement could attract consumers’ attention.As for youthfulness, brands should concentrate on Internet medium and socia l media in the digital generation because younger generations spend a lot of time on it. Consequently, brands could reach more potential consumers than before. In addition, there are less limits of advertisement of cigarette than normal mass media. Companies have more opportunities to reinforce their brand equity. On the other hand, some brands have already lost their value from consumers. Therefore, marketers need to rejuvenate the decaying brands in order to revive in the market. Thomas & Kohli, 2012) In addition, some organizations are interested in acquiring aging brands or declining brands and they attempt to reinvent the brands. It may benefit them expanding to different market. (Kaperer, 2012) In terms of revitalization process, Berry (1988) suggested that 7 steps of revitalizing strategy for companies. Initially, it needs to reposition innovative products or services with high quality. This probably gets consumers’ attention again. Secondly, the quality should be conn ected with their heritage and reputation.Thirdly, companies need to improve customer relationship in order to benefit the brands. Moreover, marketers should accelerate visible brand value to consumers. Subsequently, promoting the unique selling point is crucial to differentiate previous products and competitors. Specifically, brand manager should pursue additional value and good quality at competitive price to consumers. Moreover, companies could also provide superior functional benefits which may refresh the brand image. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) In addition, organizations should integrate rejuvenation with marketing mix.More importantly, brands need to hold an event or campaign in order to announce their revitalization. Besides 7 steps, Keller (2012) mentioned that brand manager could identify additional or innovative usage with consumers on brand revitalization; simultaneously, they sometimes identify different direction to utilize a brand. Therefore, reposition becomes a common tec hnique of revitalization, but brand managers have to carefully define a new target market when they decided to reposition the brands. (Thomas & Kohli, 2009) However, there are some risks when companies assess the reposition strategy.Firstly, it is difficult to change brand image for consumers due the stereotype. Secondly, consumers may confuse between the previous image and new brand image. Finally, it possibly loses loyal consumers. (Keller, 2012) In order to rejuvenate brand image, most organizations attempt to modify the visual identity of brand. Indeed, changing the brand name is a frequent revitalization strategy by marketers. It could improve negative image of original brand name with consumers. However, renaming the brand probably decrease the degree of loyalty, brand recall and brand association. Keller, 2012) In addition, Mininni (n. d. ) suggest that revitalization needs to transfer the logo, trademark and trade dress could refresh brand image. But it may require repackagi ng with innovative products to younger generation at the same time. Although modifying either brand name or logo is expected to promote innovative meaning of brand to consumers, companies possibly invent huge amounts of expenditure on interpreting a new identity from an old one. Indeed changing the colors and the fonts is an easier and cheaper action for modifying visual identity and moving toward the fresh image.According to Ind (2007), storytelling is another tool for brand revitalization. Consumers and companies could be engaged in the story which describes brand history. Because brands possibly become aging within long time, consumers gradually have weak association with aging brands. Hence, Storytelling is a crucial medium to awake consumers’ memory of brands. In fact, I am convinced that storytelling could efficiently benefit companies on consumer retention while companies change the elements of brand equity. Additionally, celebrity endorsement is a useful technique for brand revitalization.Because celebrities can provide additional value from celebrities’ image, they can improve brand image and attract consumers’ attention for aging brands. Moreover, celebrity endorsement could extend communication channel of brand such as TV, magazine, activities and film. Consequently, companies attempt to sign a contract with younger and fashionable in order to returning youthfulness. Furthermore, celebrity could easily build association when companies assess repositioning. However, celebrity endorsement sometime has negative impact on brand image when celebrities have negative behaviors or news.More importantly, organizations should carefully choose suitable celebrities who own the public image as same as brand. (Lehu, 2006) The Marlboro Cigarettes is a famous example to understand the revitalization steps in reality. In the early period, Marlboro Cigarettes failed on female market in the United Stated in 1902. They initially introduced the camp aign â€Å"Mild as May† in order to reach lady’s image. Furthermore, they tried to design red tips with cigarettes in order to meet female’s requirement, but it did not benefit the sales of Marlboro. (http://www. bukisa. om/) In addition, the need of cigarette annually increased in the United Stated during the World of War II, whereas, Marlboro gradually was taken off the market due to weak brand awareness. Consequently, Marlboro tried to launch the filtered cigarettes for the female markets. The new products also aimed to against a study linking smoking to lung cancer. (http://voices. yahoo. com) However, the strategy could not benefit the company getting strong presence in the market. It is evidenced that Marlboro failed on brand enhancement even though they worked hard for consumers’ perception. http://www. bukisa. com/) Therefore, Marlboro decided to completely revitalize the brand position. The company changed the target consumer from females to male s with a campaign called â€Å"tattooed man†. The character is expected significantly establishing strong image in consumers’ mind, because the stereotype of man was a worker, a captain, a marine and an adventure in the United Stated in 1900s. Specifically, Marlboro created a cowboy as the Marlboro man in advertisement. (http://adage. com) The companies also use celebrity endorsement as Marlboro Man to strengthen their personality.Since then, the cowboy has become an impressive image for both smokers and non-smokers when they thought about Marlboro. As for product innovation, Marlboro developed a longer and white color of appearance of cigarettes. Compared to competitors, it was a unique feature which appealed high quality of cigarettes to consumers. http://www. bukisa. com/ Simultaneously, Marlboro redesigned the packaging with red, white and black-lettered in order to convey the independent spirit. (Hemdev, 2005) After revitalization, Marlboro turned round in the cig arette market in the USA.Furthermore, the brand became the premium brand and market leader in the world. As a result, the theory of Berry (1988) is convinced to success on brand revitalization. Comparing to Marlboro, Mild Seven did the brand well for long time, but the company plans to revitalize brand due to moving to global market. In order to obtain more market share in the regions besides Asia, Mild Seven decided to create a new brand name, Mevius which instead of Mild Seven. (http://www. jt. com/) In fact, the new name would benefit the company adapting in FDA’s policy of brand name.Although Mevius is a new name, it still remained the meaning of brand. Furthermore, the new name is expected to evaluate to premium position for western consumers. In addition, the packaging strategy keeps the icon and color of origin with new exterior design. (White, 2012) Indeed, Mild Seven integrated brand equity of past and future; this may decrease risk of brand association with consumer s. Both brands attempt to reposition their brand equity for revitalization, but they did not efficiently connect to previous elements.Mild Seven and Marlboro have rich heritage in the industry, they could actually utilize their history conveying a story to consumers. As Ind documented (2007), storytelling can remind the consumers’ perception on brands. Moreover, it benefits brands retaining older consumers. In my opinion, the best technique of brand revitalization will retain the loyal consumers and refresh brand equity at the same time. In conclusion, brand reinforcement and brand revitalization are crucial consideration for brand managers. Both of them have similar strategy in the market, but they are implemented at different moment.Therefore, organizations tend to maintain brand consistency and protect source of brand equity in order to survive in the competitive environment. Although most of scholars assert that brand should consistently evaluate their products and consum ers’ perception, I personally consider that organizations need to innovate their communication channels in the modern society. Because of advanced media, people would obtain information widely; therefore, Strengthen communication benefit brand fortifying brand equity and easily contacting with more potential consumers.On the other hand, companies concentrate on refreshing brand image by brand revitalization; hence, they always reposition the brand to improve negative brand equity. But it is expensive to reposition brands, some brand managers would redesign logo and packaging to rejuvenate brands. It possibly diminish the degree of risk for companies. In fact, I assert that it may be dangerous to rename the brand, which may lose their heritage with consumers. Although Mild Seven was successful on the decision, most consumers can not associate it between the Mevius and Mild Seven.In my opinion, revitalized brand should convey messages in order to make younger generations realiz ing brand heritage and value. It could build stronger relationship with consumers. In addition, Remaining brand history benefit companies retaining loyal consumers. Overall, brand managers should conduct long term strategy before building brands because sustaining brand equity is a profitable contribution to companies. References: A Busy Year for Japan Tobacco (2012) Available from: http://www. tobaccoasia. com/previous-issues/95-articles-q2-12/519-a-busy-year-for-japan-tobacco. tml [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. Berry, N. C. (1988) ‘Revitalizing brands’. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 5 (3): 15-21. Burnet, L. (1999) The Marlboro Man. Available from: http://adage. com [Accessed on 2 March 2013] Hemdev, P. A. (2005) ‘Marlboro-A Mini Case Study’. The Marketing Review, 5, 73-96 Ind, N. (2007) LIVING THE BRAND (3rd edition). London: Kogan Page. Japan Tobacco Inc and Japan Tobacco International (2011) Available from: http://global. tobaccofreekids. org/files/pdfs/e n/Japan_Profile. pdf [Accessed on 9 March 2013] JT â€Å"MILD SEVEN† (n. d. Availavle from: http://www. thedesignassoc. com/en/solutions/branding/br_mildseven. html [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. JT to Expand New Mild Seven Product to Nationwide Sales (2007) Availavle from: http://www. jt. com/investors/media/press_releases/2007/01/20070122_01. html [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. Kapferer, J. N. (2008) THE NEW STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT (4th edition). London: Kogan Page. Keller, K. L. (1999) ‘Managing brands for the long run: Brand reinforcement and revitalization strategies’ California Management Review, 41 (3): 102-124 Keller, K. L. , Aperia, T. amp; Georgson, M. (2012) Strategic Brand management: A European Perspective (2nd edition). England: Pearson Education Limited Lehu, J. M. (2006) BRAND REJUVENATION: How to protect, strengthen & add value to your brand to prevent it from ageing. London: Kogan Page. LePla, J. , Davis, S. & Parker, L. (2003) BRAND DRIVEN. London : Kogan Page. Marlboro Originals : The Story. Available from: http://www. marlborooriginals. co. za/history. html [Accessed on 10 March 2013] Mild Seven: a long history of motorsport involvement (2005) Available from: http://www. uto123. com/en/racing-news/mild-seven-a-long-history-of-motorsport-involvement? artid=35432 [Accessed on 3 March 2013] Mild Seven evolves to Mevius (2012) Available from: http://www. jt. com/investors/media/press_releases/2012/pdf/20120808_02. pdf [Accessed on 9 March 2013] Minini, T. (n. d. ) Revitalizing, Rejuvenating and Reformulating a Struggling Brand. Available from: http://www. brandchannel. com/papers_review. asp? sp_id=1240 [Accessed on 9 March 2013] Morgan, M. (2007) A History in Marketing of Marlboro Brand Cigarettes. Available from: http://voices. yahoo. om/a-history-marketing-marlboro-brand-cigarettes-204451. html? cat=9 [Accessed on 2 March 2013] Olaito, Y. (2010) Brand building: how brand reinforcement helps Available from: http://yinkaolaito . com/2010/09/brand-building-how-brand-reinforcement-helps/ [Accessed on 2 March 2013] The Magic of Mild Seven (n. d. ) Available from: http://www. ciggiesworld. com/mild-seven/ [Accessed on 3 March 2013]. The History of Marlboro Cigarettes (2009) Available from: http://www. bukisa. com/articles/207783_the-history-of-marlboro-cigarettes [Accessed on 2 March 2013] Tobacco giants still sending smoke signals (2005)

Homosexuality and the American Baptist Church

Homosexuality in the Baptist Church: Homosexuality is one of the most debated issues among Christians today, regardless of the denomination of their church. Some churches view homosexuality as a sin and have no tolerance for it, while other denominations are more accepting and consider it a non-sin. Even though some denominations have taken a stand on homosexuality, there seems to much discord within the governing bodies of the churches regarding this issue. It has moved from a topic rarely discussed and considered very personal and private, to a mainstream topic of conversation.Although there has been a growing acceptance among certain Christian denominations regarding homosexuals, the American Baptist Church has remained firm in its position towards homosexuality. The American Baptist Churches descended from the Northern Baptist Convention that was founded in 1907. The church has approximately 1. 5 million members and 5800 congregations that are scattered through 34 regions of the United States. The American Baptist Church members are following the century long traditions of soul freedom, which allows the independence of individual members of the church to form their own beliefs.They also support congregational freedom, which allows each church the autonomy to develop its own policies. In order to understand the position that the American Baptist Church takes on homosexuality, it is important to examine their general religious beliefs. According to a website of the First Baptist Church in Scituate, MA , they believe that salvation and eternal life are granted to all those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They believe that both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the divinely inspired word of God. The Bible is to be interpreted responsibly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.Baptists hold the Scriptures and the Old and New Testaments as their final authority. This has become the basis for the viewpoint that the American Baptist Church ha s developed on the issue of homosexuality. The American Baptists also have some strong convictions about the type of person they are supposed to be. Again, according to the First Baptist Church website, these include a redeemed person that claims a personal relationship with God, a biblical person that seeks guidance in understanding the Scripture, and a worshipping person that shares an open and public confession of faith.American Baptists are also supposed to be a mission person that invites others to follow Christ and an inclusive person, who embraces different races, ethnicity, and genders, and also accepts that there are individual differences of conviction and theology. This inclusion also covers those who are from a variety of backgrounds and they are to find unity in diversity and diversity in unity. These convictions have become a source of division among some of the member churches within this denomination, as they are supposed to embrace and accept those with individual d ifferences, yet they are not accepting of homosexuals.According to the religious tolerance website, The American Baptist Church has been actively responding to issues pertaining to homosexuality as far back as 1987. In June of 1987, a statement of concern regarding homosexuality was defeated by church delegates at their Biennial Meeting. They decided that â€Å"Scriptures repeatedly depict homosexuality as a social and moral evil and the unrepentant homosexual has no claim to full acceptance in the Christian community. † So at that time, they decided that they just did not want to deal with the issue.Four years later, in June of 1991, the delegates of the Biennial Meeting were forced to deal with the topic of homosexuality again. They adopted a statement that rejected the homosexual lifestyle, homosexual marriage, ordination of homosexual clergy, and the establishment of gay churches and gay caucuses On the other hand, their statement also included that the church should love and minister to the homosexual, but condemn the sin of the practice of homosexuality. They were taking the stance of hate the sin, love the sinner.They also established a Commission on Human Sexuality Resources to provide clarification and guidance for a Christian understanding of God’s gift of sexuality. By June of 1992 the General Board of the American Baptist Church was being pressured by some of their member churches to accept the practice of homosexuality within their denomination. A resolution called â€Å"Homosexuality and the Church†, which identified Gods plan for the fulfillment of sexual union to be one man and one woman in heterosexual, monogamous, and lifelong marriage, was narrowly defeated.The resolution further stated that â€Å"the redeeming love of Christ† is available to practicing homosexuals as it is to all who turn to him in faith and repentance. Then a few months later, in October 1992, the General Board was again approached and was force d to vote regarding the issues of homosexuality in their church. They finally agreed to issue a one sentence standing that was called â€Å"American Baptist Resolution on Homosexuality†. The sentence briefly stated â€Å"We affirm that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. This started the ball rolling and in June of 1993 the General Board next came up with another resolution that was called â€Å"American Baptist Resolution Calling for Dialogue on Human Sexuality†. That resolution states â€Å"that there exists a variety of understandings throughout our denomination on issues of human sexuality such as homosexuality† and encourages discussions regarding those particular issues. American Baptists were also encouraged to seek unity and avoid divisiveness.This resolution might as well have stated â€Å"there exists a variety of misunderstandings† and even though it encouraged discussions, their viewpoint was already establi shed. 1995 was an important year for the American Baptist Churches and their stand on homosexuals. In June 1995, the Granville Baptist Church in Granville, Ohio was expelled from the The Columbus Baptist Association because the church supported full participation of homosexuals. Then in September, the Pacific Southwest Region of the American Baptist Churches, which represented more the 300 churches, began defecting over the issue of homosexuality.The leaders of the region cited underlying issues regarding interpretation of the Scriptures and church discipline. As a result of the defection, The General Board of the American Baptist Churches created a commission â€Å"to find ways to deal constructively with issues around which there has been considerable disagreement. † In other words, they realized that the homosexuality issue was starting to destroy their denomination and they needed to get serious about resolving the problems.After various resolutions, committees, and amend ments over the next ten years, The General Board of the American Baptist Churches finally made some decisions in 2005. At that time they voted to amend their own document â€Å"We Are American Baptists† by adding a statement to the section â€Å"A Biblical People: Who submit to the teaching of Scripture that God’s design for sexual intimacy places it within the context of marriage between one man and one woman, and acknowledge that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Biblical teaching. This represents their final stand on homosexuality, which is that they believe it is wrong and is not in line with the teachings of their church. Although every denomination believes in the Bible as their â€Å"guiding light†, they all interpret it in a different way and can put their own spin on different passages. The American Baptist Church relies on their interpretation of the Bible to support the position that they have taken on homosexuality. There are passag es in the Bible that are known as the â€Å"clobber passages†, because they are used to beat up homosexuals.Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 is a typical passage that is thought to support the anti-gay stance. It states â€Å"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination† (Leviticus 18:22). There is also an important passage in the New Testament that condemns homosexual behavior. â€Å"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their own error. † (Romans 1:24-27). However, later on there is a passa ge about judging others, so therefore you should prepare to be judged – so it is really a contradiction to think that the passage is condemning homosexuals. The arguments that support homosexuality within Christianity are widespread.They include the fact that we are all God’s children and he created us the way he wanted. So if he made some people homosexual, then that was his choice and it should be accepted. The Bible does not really give any straightforward help in guiding Christians regarding the entire problem of homosexuality. It is up to each person to develop their own opinion based upon their knowledge, experiences, and influences of their chosen religion. The ongoing problem between homosexuality and Christianity will probably be around for a long time. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. American Baptist Churches in the USA.Accessed October 14. http. //religioustoleran ce. org_abc1. htm [ 2 ]. American Baptist Beliefs. Accessed October 14. http://firstbaptistcituate. com/americanbaptistbeliefs. aspx [ 3 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 4 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 5 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 6 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. ttp://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 7 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 8 ]. Moll,, Rob. 2005. â€Å"American Baptist Exodus†. Christianity Today. November 23, 2005 [ 9 ]. American Baptist Church. Accessed October 14. http://abcusa. org/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=iRGq66AgLAU%3d&tabid=199 [ 10 ]. Hays, Richard. 1991. â€Å"Awaiting the Redemption of Our Bodies†. Sojourners. November 11. P 17-21 [ 11 ]. Hays, Richard. 1991. â€Å"Awaiting the Redemption of Our Bodies†. Sojourners. November 11. P 17-21