High-Tech Government Contracting Essay

FedBizOpps, or FBO, is the Federal government’s web site that posts all Federal procurement opportunities over opportunities with a value over $25,000. It can be thought of as the U. S. Government’s proposal central, or better yet, a request for proposal (RFP) central (â€Å"TurboGSA/What is a FedBizOpps/What is FedBizOpps? ,† n. d. , para. 1). Top Three Reasons Why I believe FedBizOpps Will Enhance Opportunities for Minorities The top three reasons why I believe FedBizOpps will enhance opportunities for minorities is FedBizOpps gov (pronounced fed biz opps) provides a sophisticated search engine for finding more than 40,000 immediate RFP opportunities, as well as archived records. It also lists possible future federal contract opportunities. All GSA Schedule solicitations are also listed on FedBizOps which will assist in bidding for current and future contracts. Several training programs are available at the site to teach you the mechanics of using the FBO system (â€Å"TurboGSA/What is a FedBizOpps/What is FedBizOpps? ,† n. d. , para. 1). The Factors the Government Used to Design and Build This Website The factors the government used to design and build this website are global accessibility, ease of usage, and availability. Due to the need for the government to ensure that the world or every person accesses information in this website, the government made the opportunity accessible in the world wide website (instead of intranet). Through this effort by the government, it is possible for all people all over the world to catch up on what the federal government is doing in terms of procurement opportunities. In addition, the government wanted to ensure that the website is easy to use. Because the government had in mind that all people (minority and majority groups) will be using this website, the website was designed with the information posting page as the homepage to make it easy for people to use the website. The website itself is also a search engine for federal business opportunities with a search boxes at the top of the homepage to ensure that people can reach their destination WebPages with ease. The third factor put in mind when designing this website is availability. The website is hosted on secure and reliable servers. This ensures that chances of being offline are minimal, something that makes this website available and reliable at all times (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. . ). Three Improvements I Predict That Could Be Applied to the FedBizOpps Website There are three improvements I predict that could be applied to the FedBizOpps website in the future. First, the website needs to be highly optimized in search engines. This will enhance easy access by people who are searching for information regarding federal procurement opportunities even if they have no idea about the FedBizOpps website. This is, in fact, a way of marketing that is cost-effective. Secondly, the website should have an application to display the most recent federal business opportunities at the top of the website. These may be designed to be â€Å"mobile† through the use of â€Å"marquee† HTML tags to ensure they catch the eye of the reader, thus ensuring that people who visit the website get information about the most recent opportunities at first sight. Thirdly, a summary of the information about the website should be included in the homepage. This will enhance visitors get a glimpse of the function of the website. For instance, when one accesses the homepage, it is hard to understand the function of the website before viewing a number of WebPages. This may discourage new visitors who do not understand what the website is all about (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. d. ). Three Services Offered By the FedBizOpps Website through the Website Three services offered by the FedBizOpps web site through the website are: government users can post and manage, as well as, award procurement opportunities. This information posted is available for mass readership. On the website, a tab to view opportunities is placed close to the login form making. In addition, information regarding the possibility to view the opportunities without logging in is displayed near the link to motivate visitors to view opportunities. This logged in ensures that the information is easily accessible. However, this may not translate to many views of the opportunities. This may be improved through placing many â€Å"view opportunities† tabs with various classifications such as states, days, type of opportunities and so on. This is a sure way that visitors will be motivated to view only those opportunities that they interested in. In addition, the website offers a platform for vendor and citizens to search, follow-up and retrieve opportunities. Here, one does not need to be logged in to find opportunities making the information available to all. In contrast, the fact that one needs to log in to retrieve opportunities makes it hard for people who cannot register or remember passwords to access this service. Furthermore, the website services as a marketing platform for government approved business opportunities. In this regard, when a business opportunity is posted on this website, it is easy for people to trust it. However, the failure inability of the federal government to allow posting of classifieds makes this service a limited one (â€Å"FedBizOpps: the shortened form of the federal business opportunities,† n. d. ).

Run Lola Run

Tom Tykwer has visually represented distinctive ideas in the film, Run Lola Run. Discuss how visual language is used to illustrate these distinctive ideas in Run Lola Run and one related text of your own choosing. Visual language is consistently used to illustrate the visually distinctive ideas in both the films Run Lola Run directed by Tom Tykwer and The Butterfly Effect directed by Eric Bress. Both these films explore how perceptions of relationships with others and the world are shaped through the use of various techniques. The two main concepts explored in these movies is the strong them of love and life being a game. The theme of love is strongly displayed in both Run Lola Run and The Butterfly Effect which is shown through the use of many visual techniques. In Run Lola Run, Tykwer is able to explore Lola and Manni’s love through capturing their passion and love with the use of the red camera tinge. The ominous red becomes a repeating motif throughout the film for Lola and Manni’s relationship. The red tinge is in contrast with the dull city making Lola’s love and passion a main feature of the love story. Tykwer is also able to use the medium POV shot, showing Lola and Manni in each other’s arms possibly just after a moment of romance, this shot also suggests that love lends purpose and strength within our lives. Further uses of techniques to emphasise the importance of love throughout the film are shown through the scattered use of close up’s on both Lola and Manni’s face, provides the insight as to how they bring both comfort and a sense of security to each other. But at the same time the thought of losing one another strikes fear and hurt within the character’s eyes. Similarly to Run Lola Run, Eric Bress film The Butterfly Effect also strongly display through the use of visual techniques the theme of love and the assumption that love remains central to our existence. It is Evan’s love for Kayley which becomes the catalyst for his attempts to travel through time to alter his past and in a similar way it is Lola’s love for Manni and the importance for preservation of his life that drives Lola through time to save Manni’s life. Like Tom Tykwer, Eric Bress uses similar techniques to express the importance of love in one’s life. Bress uses the similar camera angle of the medium side shot, again showing the comfort and security both characters bring to one another as well as giving the scene context through the use of the bed and no clothes, also implying a moment of romance. The scene also uses the scattered close up shots of both the characters face, just like the scene in Run Lola Run, suggesting the focus on their individual feelings and reactions to the situation. The theme of life as a game is consistently shown throughout Run Lola Run; Tykwer is able to make the audience feel as if the movie is a game developing this as a central theme. The concept of the film being a game is done through the film structure, as when Lola fails/ looses, she is able to restart and try again, as one would do in a game. She is then able to change the result to one that better suits her and Manni. It is in the scene in which Lola is in the casino which develops the best sense of life being a game as it is possibly both Lola and Manni’s life being determined on the result of the casino game. The great importance of the outcome in the casino is portrayed to the audience through the close up of Lola's face, highlighting her facial expression, engaging the audience through the importance of the situation to Lola. Also by using the casino scene it shows to the audience that Lola's choices were won through a game of chance, and it was this chance that payed off and enabled her to win this game. It is at the start of this scene, where Lola stops and thinks about her previous mistakes, and assesses the situation, allowing her to finally ‘beat this level'. This is shown through the camera angle of first the 360, expressing Lola's thoughts becoming out of control, and then the close up of Lola's stare at the casino, where Lola has discovered her answer. It is in this third scenario where Lola is seen to have grown as a person and has not only won the casino game, but won the other games going on in her own life. This idea can be considered as a metaphor for our own lives, about gaining the skills to master the games within our everyday lives. The concept of life being a game and most importantly the concept of manipulation of time is also shown in The Butterfly Effect where Evan has the ability to travel back in time through his blackouts to his old self and change his past to effectively change his present self and life, this makes the audience question his ability to manipulate time. Likewise Lola discovers she is also able to manipulate time and travel backwards and fix the mistakes she previously made in order to save her lovers life. Just like Evan, Lola plays with time and uses it to her ability. Both Bress and Tykwer use editing to generate this feeling of control of time, using tools such as slow and fast motion to alter the true timing of the situations and gather the character’s control of the situation, mixed with 360 moving camera to create that sense of being out of control, which is very similar to the use of spirals that Tykwer uses in Run Lola Run.

Care at the end of life Essay

It is a fact that humans are born to die. What was once considered a natural part of life has changed to an experience that may be more painful for the patient, family, and caregivers due to the advances in medical care. New procedures have allowed life to be extended longer than ever before. The question is: has the dying experience improved? This paper will include a review of death and dying from the perspectives of the patient and caregivers. An unfortunate case will be discussed, and the organizational structure, culture, and governance that led to this situation will be reviewed. Recommendations for the changes necessary to prevent such cases in the future will be included. Ms. Smith was a 66 -year -old female with breast cancer that had metastasized to her lungs and liver. She had two adult daughters who lived in her home town and one of them had a young child. Mr. Smith was a 70- year-old retired factory worker. Ms. Smith had gone through lengthy chemotherapy and radiation treatments that had left her weak and debilitated. She developed pneumonia and experienced a respiratory arrest. She was placed on a ventilator and was weaned off the ventilator after two weeks. She remained in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Her family stayed with her as much as the ICU visiting hours allowed, but she was often alone and told her family that she was in pain and wanted to die. The nurses were  concerned about her pain needs, but were also worried that too much medication could cause another respiratory arrest. Ms. Smith languished in the ICU for two months until she did have another respiratory arrest and died without her family at her side. She and her family had agreed that she would not go back on the ventilator, and the physicians had written a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. They had planned to move her from the ICU, but they hesitated to place her on a regular floor. Everyone involved in the case believed that it was not handled well, and a team was assembled to determine how to improve the care of the dying. A review of the literature found that this institution was not alone with their concerns that the care of the dying needed to improve. Autonomy is one of the core bioethical principles that focuses on the right of every individual to make choices regarding health care decisions. Providers and caregivers spend a great deal of time instructing and coaxing patients to take control of their own health. But these providers are often surprised and upset when patients with life-limiting illnesses express a desire to control the timing and circumstances of their end-of-life experience (Volker, Kahn, & Penticuff, 2004). In their study, they found that people with advanced cancer expressed a wide variety of preferences for personal control and comfort, and that many wanted to remain as involved as possible in their daily lives for as long as possible. Organizations can play a key role in policy changes to support the needs of these individuals. Providers are trained to see death as the enemy, and sometimes forget that death is a natural part of the human experience. Joe Cantlupe’s story in Health Leaders stated that â€Å"we don’t always deal with the issues of death and dying very well in our culture† (p. 14, 2013). The Institute of Medicine published a report that concluded that many patients die in pain, are not referred to hospice in a timely manner, and the improvements in care have not led to improvements in care at the end of life. Fortunately, there have been efforts to study the patient’s perspective of death and dying as well as the perspectives of nurses and physicians. These studies are leading to a better understanding of the experience and the methods needed to improve the quality of end of life care (Cantlupe, 2013). It may seem strange to consider quality about end of life care, but it is recognized as an ethical obligation of health care providers and organizations. Singer, Martin, and Kelner studied 126 patients on dialysis, diagnosed with AIDS, or residents of long-term care facilities, to determine their views on end-of-life issues. Their results identified five domains of quality care at the end-of-life. These were â€Å"adequate pain and symptom management, avoiding inappropriate prolongation of dying, achieving a sense of control, relieving burden, and strengthening relationships with loved ones† (p. 163, 1999). The participants expressed fear of lingering or kept alive when they could no longer enjoy their lives. Many stated that they would not wish to go on life support if they were not going to improve or have a chance to live a normal life again. Several mentioned that being placed on life support was the same as being a guinea pig. There were conflicting reports on the choice of dying at home or in a hospital. Some wanted to be at home, but others felt that was a burden on the family (Singer, Martin, & Kelner, 1999). Another study by Gourdji, McVey, & Purden in 2009 interviewed palliative care patients about the meaning of quality of life at this stage of their illness, and the factors that would improve their quality of life. They found that several factors, including their approach to life, their approach to their illness, and their ideal of quality of life shaped their end-of-life experiences. These patients stressed that they most wanted to continue what they had been doing for most of their lives for as long as possible. They also wanted to help others when possible and live in a caring environment. They often mentioned the use of humor and a positive attitude in the environment. When they discussed their illnesses, they expressed frustration with their physical limitations, and hopelessness when the disease reoccurred. As providers began to understand the gap between their traditional training and the needs of patients, researchers began to evaluate the skills needed to provide a better quality of end-of-life care. Nursing had long considered the choices made about artificial nutrition or hydration, palliative treatment, or symptom control to be in the medical domain, and the nursing role was often unclear. Nursing is involved in the end-of-life care. They are with the inpatient on a 24-hour basis, they use a  patient-centered approach to care, and they have experience and expertise in caring for dying patients and their families. Case studies have found that the nurses’ involvement in end-of-life care is not only about the technical decisions in the care process, but also that the daily interactions that nurses have with patient’s vulnerabilities make them ethically sensitive to the needs of the patient and family (Gastman, 2012). The International Council of Nurses (ICN) developed a code of ethics that stated that nurses are responsible to alleviate suffering as well as promoting health and preventing illness. By expanding the scope of end-of-life care beyond the narrow medical definitions, and aligning the code of ethics with a broader definition of end-of-life care to expand beyond the hospital setting, nursing can become more involved in end-of-life care (Shigeko, Nague, Sakuai, & Imamura, 2012). The role of the primary care provider in end-of-life care has also been studied, and these studies have found that despite the continuity and comprehensiveness of primary care, few Americans die under the care of their familiar provider. Many patients have reported feeling abandoned by their primary care provider at the time of death. Care at home by primary care providers benefits many patients and the health care system overburdened by hospitalization cost (Silveira, & Forman, 2012). On the other side of the care spectrum, the role of the intensive care provider also can be improved. White and Curtis (2005) studied the need and the impact of shared decision- making on critically ill ICU patients. They found that while involving families in end-of-life decisions is a complex task that requires excellent communication skills, the more time spent with families discussing and explain the issues, the higher the family satisfaction. The hospital where Ms. Smith died was the average institution with an organizational structure that included a Chief Medical Officer and Medical Directors of each specialty area. There was a Chief Nursing Officer as well as Nursing Administrators responsible for the care of patients. They had been very focused on treating illness, and considered themselves successful. The review by the improvement team helped them to see that they needed to change their perspective and consider less paternalistic alternatives to caring for patients at the e nd-of-life. These alternatives usually save cost as well as providing better care at end-of-life. The reimbursement for palliative care programs has been slow, and this has  prompted many hospitals to team up with local hospice programs or nursing facilities to decrease cost. Palliative care has been shown to extend the life of patients, reduce cost, and be more satisfying to the patient and family. Multidisciplinary teams that include physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and spiritual counselors, work together to relieve the suffering, pain, depression, and stress that is often a part of chronic illness. These teams may also include nutritionists and therapist when needed by the individual patient. These programs listen to even the simple requests of patients and families. They work with the patient to get them to the best environment for them and to allow them dignity and control at the end of life. These teams are also moving to the outpatient area to prevent or decrease hospi tal admission and improve quality of life (Cantlupe, 2013). Conclusion Ms. Smith’s hospital should implement a multidisciplinary palliative care team. They should also add education to the program so that the patients and families are better informed about the results of care decisions such as ventilation, hydration, and nutrition. The hospital personnel need to be trained about palliative care and shift their paternalistic approach to a patient-centered approach. It is doubtful that Ms. Smith would have remained in the ICU for two months if there had been a palliative care program in place. She may have been able to transfer to an inpatient hospice center where her family could stay with her, and she would not have died alone and in pain. References Cantlupe, J. (2013, September). A fresh look at end-of-life care. Health Leaders, 12-22. Gastman, C. (2012, September). Nursing ethics perspective on end-of-life care. Nursing Ethics, 19(5), 603-604. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1041054841 Gourdji, Iris. McVey, L., & Purden, M. (2009, Spring). A quality end of life from a palliative care patient’s perspective. Journal of Palliative Care, 25(1), 40-50. Izumi, S., Nagae, H., Sakurai, C., & Imamura, E. (2012, September). Defining end-of-life care from perspectives of nursing ethics. Nursing Ethics, 19(5), 608-616.

Oil Industry Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Oil Industry Master - Essay Example This hike in price of oil comes with several causes as well as consequences. There are many factors that lead to a significant rise in oil price when the cost of producing it remains constant. Also, a rise in price brings with it several challenges to the economies of net importing countries and opportunities for exporting countries. The factors affecting the oil price in an international scenario tend to be on the demand as well on the supply side in both short and long run. The effects of oil price happen to be on the business side, consumer side and pure macroeconomic side. This paper investigates into the major factors that bring about a change in the price of oil, in particular, in the recent scenario of oil price hikes. It emphasises what actually has led to such unexpected oil price shocks in the recent years. The paper also sheds light on the effects of changes in oil price on businesses and economies around the world by way of affecting production, consumption, investment and major macroeconomic indicators. The recent dramatic rise in oil price has led the scholars to investigate into the factors affecting the price of oil in short and long term. ... The major demand-side factors that affect the price of oil are economic growth and increased consumption etc. On the other hand, the major supply-side factors playing a role in increasing oil prices are incapability of OPEC to produce more, inability to gauge future demand and political factors etc. Other important factors influencing the price of oil are speculation and futures trading. The point that is important here is that both the demand and supply related factors as well as some apparently uncontrollable factors combine to cause such unexpected hike in international oil price as witnessed in the last few years. In the beginning of last century when oil was considered to be sufficient for world consumption, the economic growth was limited to a few countries. Most of the oil was imported to the highly developed countries of that time to fuel their industries and transportation etc and the consumption of oil was also limited as compared to present times. As the time passed, major changes in the world economy began to mark their presence. More and more countries entered the race of economic growth with certain prominent countries like the United States, Britain, and other European countries accelerated their economic growth. Barrell and Pomerantz also propound that "changes in oil prices have been associated with major developments in the world economy" (2004, p152) This economic growth came about through obviously a thorough industrialisation process in these countries enhancing the demand for more and more oil. Thus, a rapid economic progression of already developed countries has led to ever rising consumption of oil, causing a deterioration of world

Uncooperative Witness & Collection of Evidence Assignment

Uncooperative Witness & Collection of Evidence - Assignment Example Given such circumstances the investigator has to find ways and means of convincing that witness to agree or find another way to collect the required evidence. Introduction The process of collecting evidence to be used in the prosecution of an offender usually involves collecting evidence from witnesses. Witness accounts are usually by far the best type of evidence in criminal cases as a god truthful witness can be most convincing at a trial. However, when witnesses choose to be uncooperative due to fear or any other type of misgivings, it may make it hard for a prosecution to be successful and may even result in the acquittal of a guilty person or the throwing out of the case on a technicality. It is the investigators’ work to ensure that they get the most reliable and believable witnesses but it is also important that the witness be willing and able to testify in a court of law when called upon to do so. It is therefore the work of the investigator and the prosecution in prep aring witnesses for court and also ensuring that their testimony is availed to the judge and jury in the most efficient manner. 1. The investigator’s work is to ensure that all the evidence is presented to a court of law in a way that makes it possible for the correct finding to be made based on facts and evidence presented. One of the prime duties in accomplishing this is the finding, interviewing and preparing of witnesses that will be able to give useful evidence at trial (Shirreff, 2011). This process can be hampered when a witness is reluctant or uncooperative because of what they may perceive as negative impacts of their testifying at a particular trial. The investigator therefore needs to be very careful in their handling of the witnesses by clearly explaining to them the reasons why their evidence is required. The evidence that the witnesses give needs to be handled in a manner that ensures that it is not contaminated either by being influenced by that of other witnes ses in the same trial (Bertino, 2011). It is important that the investigator familiarizes himself or herself with the situation of the witness and that all the circumstances in which they have to testify. This needs to be clarified ducting the interview process and be recorded as such to ensure that the witness knows that the investigator is fully aware of what the witness thinks will be the impact of their testimony on himself and others. Such collection of evidence in an orderly and calm composed manner also ensures that the witness feels safe and secure in the trial. It is important the investigator also makes the witness aware of any danger that they may be placing themselves in by testifying and also, more importantly, the remedies that are available in law to mitigate this. One of the paramount duties of the investigator is to protect the integrity of all their evidence including the evidence that is given by the witnesses and in this case it means protecting the witness thems elves (Bertino, 2011). 2. There are some ways in which an investigator can ensure that an important witness co-operates with the investigation. One of the most important ways is to reassure the witness that the impact of their evidence is to get the right person imprisoned and also where

The Birds and Psycho Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Birds and Psycho - Essay Example Considering that these two movies are horror movies, the sound and the music tracks involved plays a great role in developing the suspense and tension, which are the major reactions elicited by the movies. While moving from one scene to the other, the sound track keeps changing and advancing in their menacing nature, making the audience feel as if the next scene is happening right there with them. This sound technique has been extensively applied in the movie† the Bird.† At the scene where seagulls set themselves on children during Cathy’s party, the soundtrack that precedes the scene is definitely warning. Additionally, when Melanie goes to check on Cathy at school, out of fear that she might be harmed on her way from school, there is sinister sound track that plays, as the crows are amassing themselves in the school’s play ground ready to attack children, raising tension and creating suspense on the audience as they wait to see what happens next (Raubicheck and Walter, 28). The same ominous application of sound can be identified in the movie â€Å"Psycho†. The sound track that is applied in the scene where Marion enters a bathroom to shower is terrifying. The sound track precedes the coming of a shadowed-figure of a woman, who stabs her to death. The sounds playing before the scene where the detective is attacked by the shadowed woman figure , creates great tension and suspension, which makes the audience anticipate, without any doubt that something terrible is going to happen. And sure enough, the suspense and tension is confirmed by the sudden stabbing of the detective to death (Raubicheck and Walter, 56). Strange and undisclosed character use is yet another comparison between the movies, "The Birds" and â€Å"Psycho". In both movies, it is not clear what causes the attacks and deaths that occur. Alfred Hitchcock uses strange characters in both movies, where in â€Å"the Bird†,

The economic effects of intellectual property laws Research Paper

The economic effects of intellectual property laws - Research Paper Example It is worth mentioning that property rights can be owned by a person under the US Intellectual Property Law in three major forms in terms of Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks. Patents are defined as the exclusive rights which are granted for a specific period of time to a particular invention in any kind of technology related fields having the potential of industrial application. In case the technology based inventions have been conducted under the supervision and with the funds of a corporate entity, the patent for such inventions is to be entitled to the corporate entity/entities engaged with the invention process through a contract or agreement where the breach of agreement to sell the patent with the consent of other parties (when there are more than one entity engaged) shall also be termed as infringement of the rights (VoiceFill v. West Interactive Corporation et. al.). Similarly, copyrights are also a kind of exclusive rights which are issued to authorships related to the fi elds of art or literature for a specific period of time. Trademarks deal with the exclusive rights for any kind of specific sign or a particular combination of multiple signs which can distinguish the identity of one good and/or service from the other such as in the case of company logo. Unlike other exclusive IP rights, the trademarks are not effective for only a specified time period, but can be held by the creator(s) (i.e. mostly a corporate entity) until they wish to sell the property right to someone else (Valmont Industries, Inc. v. Lindsay Corporation et. al.). It is in this context that the infringement of either of these rights in order to use the properties without permission is called piracy which is strictly prohibited under the US Intellectual... This paper critically evaluates the American government policy in the sphere of protection of the intellectual property, which directly influence not only the growth of domestic economy, but the economic state of most developing economies, as well. Intellectual property (IP) is often defined as the personalized ideas, inventions, as well as gathered information by an entity that can either be a corporate, a person or even a group of people. These intellectual properties are considered to possess significant commercial value in the local, national as well as global market. It can be stated that the enforcement of intellectual property laws have a considerable impact on the economic structure of a country. For instance, by restricting the unwanted and unpermitted use of the IPs, the law tends to raise the value of the patents, trademarks and encourage innovation. On the contrary, enforcing Intellectual Property Laws can also result in decreased employment, especially in the developing economies where a considerable proportion of the entire labor population is engaged in manufacturing and selling the ideas without permission It is worth mentioning that FDIs and international trade relationships are considered to be quite vital , as major drivers of growth and development along with innovation. It is necessary to identify what implications Intellectual Property Rights have on the international trade relations and the generation of FDIs so as to have a better insight to the economic growth and development

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

Journal - Essay Example Additionally, the title of the article depicts that the story given by Roosi has not yet been validated. This is because of the use of the phrase â€Å"woman says† (Watkins & Almasy 1). On the other hand, the contents of the article are well detailed and include quotations from Roosi and Richard Quest and statements from the Malaysian Airlines. The article has an embedded video with a slide show of the pictures taken by Roosi and her friend at the cockpit in 2011 with Hamid. The article employs a relatively formal language. It quotes the words â€Å"A Current Affair† and â€Å"Piers Morgan Live† to imply that the reader will categorize them as referring to television programs. The tone of the article is apathetic as there is little concern over the matter raised on the conduct of the Malaysian Airlines pilots and the article does not offer recommendations that may assist in averting such an incident in the future. Watkins, Tom, and Steve Almasy. "Jonti Roos says she flew in cockpit with missing pilot." CNN. CNN, 12  Feb.  2014. Web. 12  Mar.  2014.

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms Essay

Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms - Essay Example With input, the focus should be on the student and the extent to which he understands (Gass et al 1994). Researchers admit that nonuse takes place when the information contained in the input is included into a learner's grammar. However, the fact that the information is already included into a grammar does not necessarily exclude it from being utilized--although it may be used in a different way from what one normally thinks of. When the information contained in the input is already a part of one's knowledge base, the additional input might be used for rule strengthening or hypothesis reconfirmation. Part of becoming a fluent speaker of a second language involves the automatic retrieval of information from one's knowledge base. The knowledge base is developed through practice or repeated exposure to exemplars. Thus, information that may appear redundant may be serving an important purpose in terms of the access the learner has to that information (Jonassen and Hannum 1998). 2. Feedback is important technique in learning because it helps a student to understand his mistakes and correct them at once. Feedback should be supported by events such as motivating students, communicating the learning objectives, directing students' attention, activating related knowledge, providing guidance, promoting transfer (generalization), eliciting performance, and providing feedback. The teachers' statements, which are spontaneous and oral, are more difficult to categorize than the written statements of the authors. The content and grammar of the teachers' statements were less structured and precise than those of the authors. On-going, specific and immediate feedback helps teachers to save time and direct learning process. Feedback encourages students to uimprove. Several analogies constructed for the same concept can help the students view the target concept from different perspectives. The analogies function like conceptual lenses, with each one bringing different feat ures of the concept into sharper focus (Kitajima and Polson 1997). Teachers also are encouraged to use the model to construct additional analogies to complement an author's analogy. Several analogies constructed for the same concept can help the students view the target concept from different perspectives. The analogies function like conceptual lenses, with each one bringing different features of the concept into sharper focus. During normal or stable times, scientific activities turn to the refinement of established knowledge claims. But the review of historical documents and actual practice of scientists revealed that there are also times when members of a scientific community are in disagreement about what are the appropriate background knowledge and critical problems that should guide the design of investigations and the evaluation of evidence and knowledge claims (Gass et al 1994). 3. Taken together, instructional steps are a direct outcome of teacher assessment decisions that begin to alter the dynamics of the classroom learning environment. The public expression of what matters and what is valued begins to change. As students learn the criteria, they not only learn the rules of the game in the classroom, they also learn what is valued in the scientific discipline (Manouchehri 2001). Other models include having students work in pairs or small groups to come to a consensus view through

Measuring Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Measuring Performance - Essay Example This report is fundamentally structured in two parts such that first part of the report highlights financial analysis of FDP with the help of ratio analysis. Last part of the report evaluates the non-financial indicators through Balanced Scorecard. Conclusion is provided at the end of this report which summarizes the performance of FDP. Background Information Cut throat competition, shrinkage in profits and increasing redundancies turned out to be the prime factors that lead FDP to change its business strategy. The company’s streamline business used to have both non-urgent and urgent delivery system of the parcel from both mail order companies as well as from internet retailers. The normal non-urgent parcel delivery system used to take around 5 to 7 working days but due to excessively increasing and tightening situation of competition especially with the entrance of international players, it has become extremely difficult for FDP now to survive in such closed competitive envir onment of the non-urgent parcel delivery system. The board of directors of the company has realized all the situations and considered different options in order to boost the revenues of FDP. The final strategy that has been selected by the board is the discontinuance of the non-urgent parcel delivery system by replacing a fast urgent delivery system which would ensure that every parcel is delivered to its recipient within 2 hours of the order booking. Such adoption of the strategy requires significant amount of investment in the existing operations of the business as the company requires more infrastructure and advancements in its communication and information technology based machines. It is intended to provide the parcel delivery personnel a notebook computer along with a parcel scanner such that they are linked with the central database system of FDP. Through all this communication devices, the tracking, collection and delivery of parcels would be delivered with much more conveni ence as well as ensuring their delivery less than 2 hours. The board has also decided to charge the premium price in respect of the urgent delivery system from the customers. Impact of Implementation of New Strategy upon the Financial Performance of FDP This strategy would be implemented from 1 December, 2011. Therefore, the impact of the change in strategy would definitely change company’s financial performance for the upcoming year. The performance of the company in respect of its profitability, leverage, efficiency, liquidity and financing has been discussed as under: Profitability Profitability is the most highly concerned area of financial performance as it is the basis upon which every business decision is taken whether it is small as per company’s perspective or large. Whatever the decision the company takes, everyone is interested to know as what would be the impact of that decision upon the profitability position of the company. Generally there are few profita bility ratios that actually highlight the profitability in terms of various different perspectives. Some of those ratios are discussed as under: Net Profit Margin The company was struggling to maintain a steady growth rate in terms of its Net profit Margin in the past two years but with the implementation of the new strategy, the company can stabilize the growth rate of net profit margin

Reflection Paper final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection Paper final - Assignment Example I believe another issue that makes the writing appealing to me is the candid manner in which Bugbee voices his doubts and uncertainties which I believe is instrumental in describing his wondrous journey of the mind and the heart while not only making him a participant in his own philosophy, but also a witness of his own processes and productions. For purposes of this reflection, I will reflect upon driving to Mexico which I find most interesting and the one that I can best identify with. The first thing that makes me identify with driving to Mexico is that while also driving I tend to let my mind wonder about things I find most pressing and more often than not, I end up agreeing that actually faithful reflection on the experience of things must resist the attenuation of experienced reality which I also believe arises from ignoring concrete realization. As a matter of fact, I can relate my life’s journey with the driving to Mexico as reading the part brings back the sobering experience of the extraordinary difficulty of coming to grips with my own beliefs while also reinforcing my belief that one should not say something that does not arise from what he believes in his heart. When criticizing what he seemed to be doing while driving from Massachusetts down deep to Mexico which made him clarify the basis of his objections, it downed on me that before clarifying the truth behind by doubts and thoughts, it is important that I take my time and deeply reflect upon the issues which would make the reflective concern to which should keep recurring. Greenwood Bugbee in the text makes a profound statement against philosophical certainty and the quest for nothing but the absolute truth. I tend to agree with the author that while it is true that confusion is not necessarily a bad thing, it is actually a natural part of human experience. I agree and believe that indeed the only aspect of life that provokes anxiety is the false notion that there exists a single path for

Case Study on Launch of Water Park Essay Example for Free

Case Study on Launch of Water Park Essay The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) announced Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) 2014 will take place at the China National Convention Center (CNCC) in Beijing 17-20 June 2014. Since 1997, Asian Attractions Expo has been the premier international trade show and conference for the multibillion-dollar leisure and attractions industry in Asia. â€Å"IAAPA is looking forward to bringing Asian Attractions Expo to China,† IAAPA Vice President, Asia Pacific Operations Andrew Lee said. â€Å"The attractions industry within China is growing at a rapid pace with several attractions recently completed and a number of other major amusement parks in development, making its capital city, Beijing, a logical choice to host AAE 2014. † â€Å"Beijing’s experience as host to the 2008 Olympic Games, its area tourist attractions, and its history and diverse culture make it a perfect backdrop for Asian Attractions Expo, the attractions industry’s fastest growing trade show and conference in the region,† said IAAPA President and CEO Paul Noland. Owners, operators, manufacturers, and suppliers will conduct business, learn, and network More than 5,000 attractions industry professionals from more than 60 nations are expected to participate in the event. The trade show floor will showcase products from more than 250 companies from around the world in more than 100 categories, including amusement and theme park rides; architectural and design services; and coin-operated games, skill games, and redemption prizes. The trade show floor is the place for CEOs, directors, general managers and senior managers of amusement and theme parks, water parks, zoos, aquariums, museums, family entertainment centers, casinos and resorts to experience what’s new in the attractions industry and purchase attractions and services to enhance the guest experience and increase revenue at their facilities. The event will include education sessions related to safety, operations, and management presented by worldwide industry leaders in each discipline. Session discussions will center on industry trends and best practices, and throughout the week participants will network with colleagues to strengthen longtime business relationships and establish new partnerships. WWA offers webinar on Affordable Care Act BY AMUSEMENT TODAY | FEBRUARY 25, 2013 The World Waterpark Association will broadcast a live webinar on March 6, 2013, at 2 p. m. ET with a session on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, brought to you by the WWA’s Government Relations Committee and the WWA Insurance Program and its partner agency, Haas Wilkerson Insurance. The Affordable Care Act: What It Means For Waterpark Operators Healthcare expert Dennis Maggart will deliver a presentation on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that was signed into law in 2010. Many of the major changes are scheduled to be enacted on January 1 of 2014. Maggart will speak to World Waterpark Association members on how these new laws may affect your company. The seasonal nature of the waterpark business and the amount of part-time and temporary labor the industry hires makes compliance with many of these new requirements very challenging. This webinar will be very useful in helping you with your compliance and in developing a strategy to deal with these new rules and regulations. Dennis Maggert is President of McInnes Maggart Consulting Group, located in Fairway, Kan. , McInnes Maggart Consulting Group is a strategic partner of Haas Wilkerson Insurance. There is no cost to attend this webinar. However, space is limited for the live event and turnout is expected to be strong, so register today and sign-in at least 5 minutes before the event begins. To register visit the webinar registraton web page.

Cell-cell Interaction in Embryo Development

Cell-cell Interaction in Embryo Development The formation of vulva depends upon a second round of cell-cell interaction. The anchor cell (located in the gonad) and six precursor cells (located in the skin adjacent to the gonad) are involved in this interaction. The precursor cells are collectively called Pn.p cells, which contains cells named as P3.p to P8.p. The fate of these cells is determined by its position relative to the anchor cell. The developmental pathways of these cells are presented in Fig.11.8. During third larval stage, the lin-3 gene is activated in the anchor cell, and produces the signal protein LIN-3, which is related to vertebrate epidermal growth factor (EGF). The precursor cells express a receptor encoded by let-23 gene, which is homologous to the vertebrate EGF receptor. The binding of LIN-3 protein and LET-23 receptor, trigger a series of intracellular events that determines whether the precursor cells will form the primary vulval precursor cell or secondary vulval cells. Mutant let-23 gene sends no signal and thus Pn.p cells cannot act, and vulva is not formed. Usually, P6.p cell, the closest cell to the anchor cell, receives the strongest signal initiated by LIN-3 binding to LET-23. Expression of the Vulvaless (Vul) gene (a mutant phenotype) in P6.p is activated by this signal, and then divides three times to produce vulva cells. The P5.p and P7.p, the two neighbouring cells, receives lower amount of signal, and divide asymmetrically to form additional vulva cells. Thereafter, a third level of cell-cell interaction occurs, in which the primary vulval cell P6.p sends a signal that activates lin-12 gene in P5.p and P7.p cells. This signal prevents these cells from adopting the division pattern of the primary cell. Thus, cells in which both Vul and lin-12 are active cannot become primary vulva cells. On the other hand, P3.p, P4.p, and P8.p cells do not receive any signal from the anchor cell, but the Multivulva (Muv) gene is expressed. Muv gene product represses the expression of Vul gene and they develop as skin cells. Thus three levels of cell-cell interactions are involved in the developmental pathway leading to vulva formation in the nematode C. elegans. CELL-CELL INTERACTION IN DEVELOPMENT Cell-cell interaction is an important phenomenon in the development of the embryo in eukaryotic organisms. Animals use a number of signalling pathway to regulate development after organogenesis. Signal networks establish anterior-posterior polarity and body axis, coordinate pattern formation, and direct the differentiation of tissues and organs. One of the widely studied cell-cell interaction is Notch signalling pathway, named after the Drosophila mutants that were used to identify components of this pathway. The Notch gene encodes a transmembrane signal receptor (Fig.11.9). The signal itself is a transmembrane protein called â€Å"Delta†, and encoded by the gene Delta. The Notch signal system works only between adjacent cells. First the â€Å"Delta† protein binds to the Notch receptor, which triggers cleaving of the cytoplasmic tail of the Notch protein and then moves to the nucleus where it binds to a protein encoded by the Su(H) (suppressor of Hairless) gene. Following this a set of genes becomes activated that controls a specific developmental pathway directing cell fate. One of the roles of the Notch signal system is to specify the fate of equivalent cells in a population. Thus action of Notch signalling system may send signal to two neighbouring cells that are developmentally equivalent, towards different developmental pathways. Four members of the Notch family (Notch 1 to Notch 4) have been identified in humans. Several human developmental disorders have been related to mutations in these genes. These include: alagille syndrome (AGS), spondylocostal dysostosis (SD), and lymphoblastic leukemia. STEM CELLS AND DEVELOPMENT Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are capable to differentiate into different types of specialized cells. Stem cells are normally found in two main sources: in embryos which are at blastocyst stage of embryological development (embryonic stem cells), and in adult tissues (adult stem cells). These cells are generally characterized by their potential to differentiate into different cell types, for example muscle, blood, skin, bone etc. Human embryo that is in the blastocyst phase of development (4-5 days old) is the excellent source of embryonic stem cells. Formation of single cell zygote through fusion of male sperm with female’s egg is the beginning of sexual reproduction process. This is followed by a series of mitotic divisions in a single cell zygote which leads to the formation of a cell mass containing approximately 12-16 cells. This is known as blastocyst before it is implanted in uterus (4-6 days old). Blastocyst can be differentiated into an inner cell mass (embryoblast) and an outer cell mass (trophoblast). Trophoblast becomes the part of placenta and cells of embryoblast differentiate into all the structures of an adult organism. This embryoblast is the source of embryonic stem cells which are totipotent. During normal pregnancy, the blastocyst stage of embryo continues by the end of the tenth week of gestation. When embryonic stem cells are extracted from the blastocyst stage and placed onto a culture medium (a nutrient-rich broth) contained in culture vessels, they divide and replicate, but fail to differentiate. This happens, as necessary stimulation to differentiate (in the in vivo conditions) is lacking in the in-vitro conditions. However, they maintain their ability to differentiate into different type of cells in human body. Adult or somatic stem cells present throughout the body inside different type of tissues even after embryonic development. Tissues like, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels, brain, skeleton muscle, skin and the liver are good source of adult stem cells. These cells remain in resting state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury. Adult stem cells have property of division and self renewal which enables them to regenerate entire organ. Earlier it was believed that adult stem cells have the potential to differentiate only to the cell type of their originating tissue or organ, but according to some recent evidence they can differentiate to other cell types as well. Embryonic stem cells are easier to grow under in-vitro conditions as compared to adult stem cells. For culturing of stem cells, they are extracted from either adult cells or from dividing zygotes. Once isolated, they can be cultured in culture dishes containing culture broth under controlled conditions. The nutrient broth allows them to divide and replicate, but prohibits them from further specializing or differentiating. Once proliferation of stem cells starts successfully, they are subcultured on fresh medium in order to enhance the growth rate. The collection of healthy, dividing, and undifferentiated stem cells, after first subculture, is called as stem cell line. Once under control, these stem cell lines can be stimulated to differentiate into specialized cells, a process known as directed differentiation. Based on their potential to differentiate into other types of cells, stem cells are classified into the following categories. Totipotent: those cells which are able to differentiate into all possible cell types. Example, few cells which are obtained through initial divisions of the zygote. Pluripotent: those cells which are able differentiate into almost all cell types. Example, embryonic stem cells which are derived from the endodermal, mesodermal, and ectodermal layers of blastocyst. Multipotent: those cells which are able to differentiate into closely related family of cells. Example, hematopoietic stem cells that has the potential to form red/white blood cells and platelets. Oligopotent: those cells which are able to differentiate into a few cells. Example, lymphoid and myeloid stem cells. Unipotent: those cells which are able to produce cells of their own type, but have the property of self-renewal. Example, adult mouse stem cell. For identification of stem cells, it is important to note that they are undifferentiated and capable of self-renewal. These two parameters are normally checked through laboratory tests for identification of stem cells. Bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are tested by transplanting these cells to an individual from which HSCs are removed. The production of new blood and immune cells in that individual indicates the self renewal potency of stem cells. Colonogenic assay (a laboratory procedure) is also used to test the potency of stem cells. Routine examination of chromosomal can also be done to check whether the cells are healthy and undifferentiated. Sometime spontaneous or induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells under cell culture conditions indicates their pluripotent nature. Other tests include administration of stem cells into an immunosupressed mouse and observe it for the formation of a teratoma, which is a benign tumour containing a mixture of differentiated cells. Applications of Stem Cells It is important to note that every cell and tissue in the body of an individual is develop and differentiate from initial few stem cells which form during early stages of embryological development. Therefore, embryonic stem cell can be induced to differentiate into any other type of cells. Due to this regeneration potential, stem cells have been used by researchers to regenerate damaged tissues and organs under the right conditions. Usually damaged organs are replaced by healthy organs donated by someone. But the demand far exceeds the supply of organs. Particular type of tissue or organ could potentially be developed from stem cells, if directed to differentiate in a certain way. For example, stem cells that present just beneath the skin tissue have been used to regenerate new skin tissue and then grafted on to burn victims successfully. Another potential application is replacement of cells and tissue for treatment of brain disease like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. If the damaged tissue can be replenished by specialized tissue derived from stem cells such diseases can be treated for recovery. In the near future it may be possible to transplant healthy heart cells developed in a laboratory from stem cells into the patients with heart disease, thereby repopulating the heart with healthy tissue. Similarly it may be possible to replace damaged pancreatic cells by insulin producing cells derived from stem cell, to treat type l diabetic patients. For the treatment of diseases like leukemia, sickle cell anemia and other immunodeficiencies, adult hematopoietic stem cells found in bone marrow and blood have been used. All type of blood cells (erythrocytes as well as leukocytes) can be developed from HSC. However it is difficult to isolate hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow. Alternatively, hematopoietic cells are also found in the umbilical cord and placenta, from which they can be isolated easily. Realizing its potential use, umbilical cord blood banks have been established to store these powerful cells for their future use. Therapeutic cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique involves replacement of genetic material from a somatic cell (say from skin cell) into an unfertilized egg cell in order to develop patient specific stem cells. In this procedure, since sperms are not involved fertilization does not occur. Foetus is also not involved because the groups of cells from which the stem cells are obtained are not implanted in the uterus. Stem cells which are developed through SCNT technique have more potential for therapeutic applications. The chances of rejection by patient’s body are less because their genetic makeup is identical to patient’s genetic makeup. Through SCNT, disease specific cell lines can be developed which are used for in-vitro studies to understand the mechanism of disease development and mode of action of certain drugs which may be used to treat these diseases. Stem cell research is also useful for understanding development of human after formation of fertilized zygote. Undifferentiated stem cells eventually differentiate partly because of turning on or off of particular gene(s). Thus research on stem cell may help to clarify the role of specific genes that play in determining how specialized cells and tissues are formed. Stem cell research is also being pursued to develop new drugs. Healthy human tissues which are developed through stem cells can be used to evaluate the effect of new drug rather than using human volunteers. Table.11.1. Segmentation gene loci in Drosophila â€Å"Gap† genes â€Å"Pair-role† genes â€Å"Segment polarity† genes Giant Ever skipped Armadillo Huckebein Fushi tarazu Cubitis interruptus Hunchback Hairy Disheveled Kruppel Odd paired Engrailed Knirps Odd skipped Fused Tailless Runt Gooseberry Sloppy paired Hedgehog Naked Paired Patched Wingless Figure Captions Fig. 11.1. Early stages of embryonic development in Drosophila. A cascade of gene activation sets up theDrosophilabody plan. Thematernal-effect genes, named as bicoid and nanos, are active during oogenesis. The products of these genes are found in the egg at the time of fertilization, and form morphogen gradients. These proteins function as transcription factors that regulate the expression of gap genes. The gap genes are responsible for the differentiation of anterior-posterior axis on embryo along its length. Proteins which are encoded by gap genes also function as transcription factors and regulate the expression of the pair-rule genes. Thepair-rule genesare responsible for differentiation of pairs of segments on embryo. Transcription factors which are encoded by pair-rule genes regulate the expression of thesegment polarity genes. The expression of segment polarity genes leads the development of anterior/posterior axis of each segment. The gap genes, pair-rule genes, and segment polarity genes are collectively involved in segment patterning hence they are known as segmentation genes. Fig. 11.2. The hierarchy of genes involved in establishing the segmented body plan in Drosophila. Gene products from the maternal genes regulate the expression of the first three groups of zygotic genes (gap, pair-rule, and segment polarity, collectively called the segmentation genes), which in turn control the expression of the homeotic genes. Fig. 11.3. Progressive restriction of cell fate during development in Drosophila. Fig. 11.4. Overlapping of regions containing two different gene products can generate new patterns of gene expression. Transcription factors A and B are present in overlapping region 3, of expression. If both the transcription factors must bind to the promoter of a target gene to trigger expression, the gene will be active only in cells containing both factors (most likely in the zone of overlap). There shall be no transcription in individually in the region 1 and 2. Fig. 11.5. Cell arrangement in the floral meristem. (a) The four concentric rings, or whorls, labeled 1-4, influenced by genes A, B, and C in the manner shown, give rise to the sepals, petals, stamens and carpels, respectively, (b) The arrangement of these organs in the mature flower. Fig. 11.6. A truncated cell lineage chart for C. elegans, showing early divisions and the tissues and organs that eventually result. Each vertical line represents a cell division, and horizontal lines connect the two cells produced. Fig. 11.7. An adult Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite. Fig. 11.8. Cell lineage determination in C. elegans vulva formation. Fig. 11.9. Components of the Notch signalling pathway in Drosophila.

External Environment Macro Analysis Pest Analysis Marketing Essay

External Environment Macro Analysis Pest Analysis Marketing Essay Political -. European Union and world trade union had contributed massively in the globalisation that had promoted globalisation but due to recession especially in US and European market the governments of the countries have started pursuing protectionism policies. In UK and USA the government is promoting the policy of giving job opportunities to their citizens first then the outsiders. Such policies would bring a big change in strategy formulation of many companies. Economic the GDP growth of the developed countries have been falling in the last five years. Moreover the year 2009 would experience more big fall in GDP whereas the BRIC countries have shown good growth of more than 7% in last five years but due to recession in the world market there will be fall in their growth also due to global impact Social- due to globalization in last two decades a convergence approach has been observed the world over of accepting global brand irrespective of their culture. Purchasing power in developing countries have increased which had made them spending more on luxuries products. Similarly women and children segment has also become an active segment in the last one decade. Technological -globalization had given rise to tough competition among the MNC, they are investing huge amount on research and development to bring new improved products to attract customers. Providing differentiated products from the competitors is generally the aim of giant companies. external environment o t internal environment sW SWOT ANALYSIS BAT is engaged in the manufacture, marketing and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. The groups brand portfolio includes over 300 global and regional brands. Strong brands provide the group with the flexibility to frequently launch new products as brand extensions. strong brands provide a competitive advantage to the group in the market place. However, increasing advertisement restrictions may negatively impact the group sales, as advertising is important in driving tobacco sales. Strengths Strong brand portfolio The groups brand portfolio includes over 300 global and regional brands. The groups Global Drive Brands (GDB) including Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall, account for more than 26% of the group global volumes. Strong brands provide the group with the flexibility to frequently launch new products as brand extensions. More importantly, strong brands provide a competitive advantage to the group in the market place. Diversified revenue streams BAT has a wide geographic presence. It operates in 180 markets in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the American Pacific region through a large number of subsidiaries and associate companies. Continuous orientation towards research and development The group has been continuously strengthening its research and development (RD) activities in recent past. The group devotes significant resources and attention to product development, process technology and consumer insight research to develop consumer-preferred products with innovative and distinctive features. This is evident from the fact that the group incurred  £105.1 million in the RD activities in FY2008. The RD provides support for the groups current range of products . It also provides guidance on the use of ingredients in products to help to improve the quality and standard of the products as well as comply with national legislative requirements. RD initiative helps BAT to innovate and introduce new products in line with changing consumer preferences. Weaknesses Low employee productivity BATs revenue per employee is lower than that of its closest competitor.The group recorded revenues of  £12,122 million in FY2008, with a total number of 56,170 employees. The groups revenue per employee stood at $400,365.0 in FY2008, significantly lower than that of its closest competitor, Imperial Tobacco. In FY2008, the revenue per employee of Imperial Tobacco stood at $952,078.4, Lack of scale The group lacks scale when compared to its competitors in the market. Many of its competitors, such as Philip Morris International and Imperial Tobacco are much larger in size and in terms of revenues. Philip Morris $63,640.0, Imperial Tobacco  £20,528 BAT,  £12,122 million in FY2008. The groups small scale of operations could turn out to be a disadvantage in the fiercely competitive market. Lack of scale also reduces the bargaining power of the group. Opportunities Acquisitions to strengthen the market position The group has entered into some strategic acquisitions in the recent past. As a result of these acquisitions, the company now has a much stronger market position in Turkey, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Poland and both acquisitions have performed in line with expectations, while contributing positively to earnings. These strategic acquisitions would continue to benefit the group in future as well. Growing global tobacco industry The global tobacco industry is forecasted to witness growth through 2013. Volume declines are evident in developed markets. However, some developing markets in Eastern Europe and East Asia are recording growth. The performance of the industry is forecast to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 4.1% for the five-year period 2008-13, . This would give a positive boost to the revenues of groups overall business. Declining oil prices The oil prices have been declining in the international markets. declining oil prices is likely to positively affect the groups operations. Declining oil prices would reduce its cost, thus enabling it to increase its operating margins. Threats Increasing advertising restrictions Advertising, promotion and brand building, which are critical to the tobacco industry, are facing increasing regulatory obstacles across the globe. Growing illicit trade Illicit trade in the form of counterfeit products, smuggled genuine products and locally manufactured products on which applicable taxes are evaded, represents a significant and growing threat to the legitimate tobacco industry. The illicit trade constitutes a larger portion of the total tobacco industry across the world. Economic slowdown in Euro zone BAT derives major portion of its revenues from the European market Representing 39.1% of the total revenue. A weak economic outlook for the Euro zone is likely to depress the demand for the groups products, impacting the revenues of the group in the immediate future. external environment FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Buyer Power The main retail outlets for the US tobacco market include independent retailers, service stations, and supermarkets/hypermarkets. The concentration of retail outlets selling tobacco products is relatively low here, as there are number of outlets where the products can be sold. In the US, independent retailers are the most predominant distribution channel, with 27.6% share of total distribution Furthermore, tobacco products are not the only products sold by most retailers and in most cases retailers are not reliant upon tobacco sales thus boosting buyer power. Customers are likely to be susceptible to brands, so potential pull-through of end-consumer demand on retailers exists, weakening buyer power somewhat. Overall, buyer power is moderate. Supplier Power Tobacco is an agricultural product and therefore key suppliers to the tobacco market include tobacco leaf farmers. These farmers lack power in the supply chain due to their smaller size, with many farms being family run businesses, particularly those in developing countries. Further inputs to the market include processing aids, humectants (which keep the tobacco moist and pliable), preservatives and brandspecific flavors. Other key inputs include packaging materials, such as paper/card, plastic, and foil to protect and preserve the products of this market. More specifically, packaging manufacturers supply the market with in-line rotogravure printed hinge-lid blanks and soft packs, RYO (Roll Your Own) tobacco booklet covers, as well as printed OPP film (Oriented Polypropylene film), bundle wraps and tobacco pouches. Due to the relative size of such suppliers, their respective influence over the market is increased. There are limited alternative raw materials in this market, so players are unlikely to switch between suppliers boosting their power somewhat. Overall, supplier power is moderate. New Entrants The dominance of existing brands is notable within the US tobacco market, with leading players such as Altria Group or Reynolds American benefiting from scale economies. Legislation and Government regulation with regards to smoking also continues to get more and more stringent within this market, i.e. a complete ban for smoking in public places has been implemented in a number of states. Current tobacco control strategies seek primarily to decrease the demand for cigarettes through measures that encourage individuals to adopt healthier behaviors, raising entry barriers. Such regulations could effectively deter the threat of new entrants. Furthermore, shelf-space in retail outlets is finite and retailers may be unwilling to substitute other established brands in order to stock those of an entirely new, unproved brand. Overall, there is a moderate from new entrants to the US tobacco market. Substitutes Tobacco products are non-durable goods, and substitutes for tobacco products may include various other non-durable consumer goods, for example nicotine gum, nicotine patches, and herbal cigarettes. However, there are inter-segmental substitutes apparent within this market, alternatives to cigarettes and fine cut tobacco products include: smokeless tobaccos, cigars and pipe tobacco. Players and consumers alike may substitute one tobacco product for another, with players who specialize in the manufacture of cigarettes diversifying into cigars as an example. However, inter-segmental substitution still involves essentially the same product. The benefits of substituting tobacco products for alternate non-durable consumer goods are especially notable in concern to consumer health, largely due to the health risks associated with smoking (e.g. increased risk of lung cancer, heart disease etc.). These alternative products fulfill consumers need for nicotine, without the harmful effects of inhaling smoke. Unlike tobacco products that face restrictions on advertising in many markets, nicotine replacement products are highly promoted through a variety of media. Overall, there is a strong threat from substitutes to the US tobacco market. Rivalry The US tobacco market is concentrated, with Altria Group and Reynolds American collectively holding over 76% share of the markets value. Product differentiation is essentially limited between the core tobacco products, which include: chewing tobacco, cigars and cigarillos, cigarettes and loose tobacco, which increases rivalry. Illicit tobacco supplies have a negative impact upon players revenues and it is estimated that over 10% of tobacco consumption (around 600 billion cigarettes) a year, globally, is supplied by smuggled or counterfeit trade, which will serve to boost rivalry. Overall, there is a moderate degree of rivalry in the US market. Company analysis MARKET SEGMENTATION I Cigarette sales constitute the largest share of the US tobacco market, accounting for 93% of the total revenues. In comparison, sales of chewing tobacco generate 3.3% of the markets value. MARKET SEGMENTATION II The United States accounts for 21.8% of the global tobacco markets value. In comparison, Europe generates 41.2% of the markets revenues. Company analysis COMPANY VIEW A statement by Jan du Plessis, Chairman at BAT is given below. company strategy: growth, productivity, responsibility and building a winning organization. Growth company continued focus on our 4 Global Drive Brands (GDBs) has played a major role in these achievements. Last year, our 4 GDBs grew by 16 per cent, with about a quarter of the increase attributable to successful brand migrations. Kent rose by 18 per cent and Pall Mall by 22 per cent Lucky Strike increased by 9 per cent and Dunhill by 7 per cent. GDB volume now represents over 26 per cent of our total volume, providing us with a significant opportunity to add scale to our key competitive innovations. Productivity We have also made further progress with our productivity savings and we are very much on track towards our target of reducing our costs by  £800 million by 2012, Responsibility In 2008, for the seventh year running, we were included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and we published our first Sustainability Report. Winning organization Employee opinion at British American Tobacco compared favorably with other FMCG companies in the comparator group. Earnings, dividends and share buy-back Adjusted diluted earnings per share grew by 19 per cent to 128.8p. the benefit from the share buy-back programme were partially offset by higher net finance costs, a higher tax rate and an increase in minority interests. Liquidity Arguably the most satisfying feature of our results last year was the high level of cash generation. Free cash flow rose 52 per cent. they continue to maintain investment grade credit ratings. Outlook We remain alert to the possibility of down trading. However, our well balanced portfolio of brands covers all major price points, while our geographic diversity further mitigates the risks for shareholders. We are very much aware of the potential challenges but the inherent strength of our businesses, our brands and our people should make us more resilient than most. Current strategy ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS It is one the most popular strategies which are being used by the modern corporate for the purpose of diversification. In this most of the tobacco industry it is becoming increasingly popular strategies for the purpose of acquiring market leadership In this BAT are tried to acquire many companies globly for its core competencies, market shares, brands well known R and D and their special technologies The main reasons for acquisition and mergers are the following: It is the strategy by which the BAT is trying to get market leadership and as an edge over its rivals especially in the tobacco industry . BAT is operating in the tobacco industry is attempting mergers and acquisitions as strategy for expanding operations in the world. By using the strategy the corporate are trying to increase their geographical coverage which is a most crucial strategy or technique by which it is a able to target its final consumers thus it is an effective strategy by which the customers are being targeted in a short span for its main benefit is the integration which helps the firms to increase their outlets. Acquisitions and mergers helps in expanding of the output that leads to achievement of economies of scope which in turn increases the earning capacity or the profit margins of the firms using such a strategy. This helps in the using of the brand name of BAT by the acquiring firm which helps in providing benefits to BAT, by using strong brand name for increasing their customer force. ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS PROBLEMS Problems of integration- if the subsidiary organization is not able effectively integrate with the parent organizations operation then the whole exercise of acquisitions and mergers can be into a big problem. In case of BAT has always maintained its independence and culture. Problems concerning the human resources-If the resources especially its human resources are not being utilized properly in accordance then in such cases the usage of such strategies for the purpose of acquiring company can be futile Problems concerning the conversion of the subsidiary company into the parent companies culture- The acquiring company has to ensure that the subsidiary company should not have much problem in converting in accordance to the BAT framework. Future entry strategy There are many ways to enter the foreign market as explained in the diagram above Acquisitions Probably the most important reason for this method of market expansion is that associated with the particular assets of the company: brands, market share, core competencies and special technologies may all represent reasons for purchase Mergers. Mergers are similar to acquisitions in the sense of two companies combining. However, mergers usually arise because neither company has the scale to acquire the other on its own. Joint ventures and alliances-A joint venture is the formation of a company whose shares are owned jointly by two parent companies. It usually shares some of the assets and skills of both parents. Cereal Partners Inc. is a 50/50 joint venture between Nestle and General Mills (US) whose purpose is to attack Kelloggs breakfast cereals Franchise-A franchise is a form of licensing agreement in which the contractor provides the licensee with a pre-formed package of activity. It may include a brand name, technical service expertise and some advertising assistance. Payment is usually a percentage of turnover. McDonalds Restaurants are among the best-known franchises. theory The main advantages and disadvantages of the various methods of market expansion are summarised Methods of expansion: advantages and disadvantages- Advantages Disadvantages Acquisition à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can be relatively fast à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Premium paid: expensive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ May reduce competition from a rival, although such a move usually has to be sanctioned by government competition authorities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High risk if wrong company targeted à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Best targets may have already been acquired à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cost savings from economies of scale or savings in shared overheads à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Not always easy to dispose of unwanted parts of company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintenance of company exclusivity in technical expertise à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Human relations problems that can arise after the acquisition: probably the cause of more failures than any other à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extend to new geographical area à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Problems of clash of national cultures, particularly where target foreign à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Buy market size and share à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Financial reasons associated with purchase of undervalued assets that may then be resold Joint venture à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Builds scale quickly Control lost to some extent à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Obtains special expertise quickly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Works best where both parties contribute something different to the mix à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cheaper than acquisition à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can be difficult to manage because of need to share and because parent companies may interfere à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can be used where outright acquisition not feasible à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Share profits with partner Control lost to some extent à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can be used where similar product available Alliance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Can build close contacts with partner à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Slow and plodding approach à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Uses joint expertise and commitment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Needs constant work to keep relationship sound à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allows potential partners to learn about à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Partners may only have a limited joint commitment to make alliance a success each other à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Unlikely to build economies of scale à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Locks out other competitors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Slow and plodding approach Franchise à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lower investment than outright purchase à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Depends on quality of franchise à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some of basic testing of business proposition undertaken by franchise holder: lower risk à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Part of profits paid over to franchise holder à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exclusive territory usually granted à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risk that business built and franchise withdrawn à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lower investment than outright purchase à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Some of basic testing of business proposition Future entry strategy Three main criteria for deciding how to invest or enter new market are Risk of losing proprietary information in case of direct investment and exporting the risk is very low, whereas in case of licensing and joint venture risk is medium) Resources if company has less resources it should go for licensing and exporting, if it has medium resources it should go for joint venture and if has high resources then direct investment Control if company wants to have full control it should go for direct investment or export with own staff, if medium control then joint venture and licensing and low control then exporting with middlemen in case of BAT the firm should go for acquisition merger because it would give the company full control on the brands of the acquired company. thus freedom to take their own decisions. Secondly the risk of losing proprietory information would be very less as acquired company would not copy such information Thirdly the company has enough resources to go for such move Current strategy or company analysis Marketing mix strategy While entering in different countries BAT has to take decision or formulate strategy relating to four factors of marketing mix -product -promotion price place BAT would be mainly has to decide about the Problem relating to standardization or adaption-Standardising or adapting the international marketing mix Product as BAT has to enter in the new market they have to take decision relating to product positioning and formulation. The company has to analyse the culture of the country and then take appropriate decision whether to use same brand names or to lanch changed brands or products in the market. the changes if required might be done in many areas like design, service offering, brand name, pack design Promotion- BAT has to decide whether advertising proposition, creative presentation, sales promotion, personal selling style needs changes or not. Generally if the products are changed that definitely requires changes in promotion strategy according to the culture Price especially in case of developing countries prices pay major role on the decision of the customers purchase. Therefore appropriate decision have to be taken by BAT for price, discount structure, credit terms distribution channels- distribution channels have to used which are more famous in the new market to reach the products to customers in time. Therefore the company need to make changes in such direction. Future strategy Ansoff matrix In market penetration, a firm seeks to expand the sales of its present products in its present markets through more intensive distribution, aggressive promotion, and competitive pricing. In market development, a firm seeks greater sales of present products from new markets or new product uses. It can enter new markets, appeal to segments it is not yet satisfying, reposition products, and use new distribution methods. In product development, a firm develops new or modified products to appeal to present markets. It emphasizes new models, better quality, and other minor innovations and markets them to loyal consumers. In diversification, a firm becomes involved with new products aimed at new markets. The products may be new to the industry or to the company. Distribution and promotion orientations are different from those traditionally used by the firm. BAT would be using market development strategy to avoid many problems like illegal trading of their products in the market where they havent entered. The main reasons for choosing this strategy are BAT has good experience in entering successfully in new market, at present they are already in 113 countries. BAT has to aggressively pursue this strategy to increase its sales where the market is showing high growth Through this strategy the company can avoid illegal trading of their products in the market where they have not entered. Current strategy generic strategies We begin our exploration of environment-based options by considering the generic Definition strategies first outlined by Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School. Generic strategies are the three basic strategies of cost leadership, differentiation and focus (sometimes called niche) open to any business. The Porter generic strategy model identifies two key planning concepts and the alternatives available for each: i) Competitive scope (broad or narrow target). It is possible to target the organisations products as a broad target covering most of the market place or to pick a narrow target and focus on a niche within the market. ii) Competitive advantage (lower cost or differentiation). There are fundamentally only two sources of competitive advantage. These are differentiation of products from competitors and low costs. The following three basic strategies are identified (see Figure): Cost leadership-broad market and low cost position. Differentiation-large market and unique strategy. Focus-narrow target segment and either low cost position or a unique strategy. Cost leader ship and differentiation strategies are alternatives for large firms; a focus strategy isavailable to smaller firms. Porter modified the concept to split the niche sector into: niche differentiation niche low-cost leadership. Cost Leadership strategy: this generic strategy calls for being the low cost producer in an industry for a given level of quality. The firm sells its products either at average industry prices to earn a profit higher than that of rivals or below the average industry prices to gain market share. The cost leadership strategy usually targets a broad market ii. Differentiation Strategy : This strategy calls for the development of a product or service that offers a unique attributes that are valued by the customers and customers perceive to be better than or different from the products of the competition. The value added by the uniqueness of the product may allow the firm to charge a premium price for it. The firm hopes that the higher price will more than cover the extra costs incurred in offering the unique product. Firms that succeed in differntiation strategy often have the following internal strengths: Access to leading scientific research. Highly skilled and creative product development team. Strong sales team with the ability to successfully communicate the perceives strengths of the iii. Focus Strategy : this strategy focus on narrow segment and within that segment attempts to achieve either a cost advantage or differentiation. The premise is that the needs of the group can be better serviced by focussing entirely on it. A firm using a focus strategy often enjoys a high degree of customer loyalty and this entrenched loyalty discourages other firms from competing directly differentiation focus super premium ice cream segment; cost focus economy ice cream segment. In the global car market, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari are clearly niche players they have only a minute percentage of the market worldwide. Their niche is premium product and premium price. BAT should pursue cost leadership strategy because -as the company is using its financial resources in acquiring other companies therefore the company should pursue strategy in which they can earn more profit by spending less or by reducing the cost of production. This strategy would enable the company to earn more profit. Company current analysis BCG Model- product portfolio The BCG Matrix, named after the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), is perhaps the most famous 22 matrix. The matrix measures a companys relative market share on the horizontal axis and its growth rate on the vertical axis. market growth rate for each product, the market growth rate of the product category. Market growth rate is important because markets that are growing rapidly offer more opportunities for sales than lower growth markets. THE GROWTH SHARE MATRIX- the market growth rate on the vertical axis indicates the annual growth rate of the market in which the business operates. It ranges from 0 to 20 percent. A market growth rate above 10 percent is considered high. Relative market share, which is measured on the horizontal axis, refers to the SBUs market share relative to that of its largest competitor in the segment. The growth share matrix is divided into four cells, each indicating a different type of business: stars cash flow question mark dogs high growth high share low growth high share high growth low share low growth low share in this case the business is likely to generate enough cash to be self sustaining Firm can further promote Expand more in the service and product. Invest in R and D Stars are high-growth, high-share businesses. Very often, they need heavy investment for financing their rapid growth. Eventually, their growth slows down and they turn into cash cows. in this case business can be used to support the other business unit -due to high share these units are generating cash to support other sbu They may generate enough surplus to maintain themselves. due to low share the business unit is not able to maintain market share Question marks, are low-share business units, in a high-growth market. -They require a lot of cash, for maintaining the market share. -Any business has to think between building a question mark into stars or whether they have to be phased out. in this case the business is a cash trap as both are low -limited future short term focus and avoid risky projects. Dogs are low-growth and low-share businesses. Current situation BCG matrix Many of the brand of BAT are in star position in certain countries and some are in cash cow position in certain countries, some are in question mark and certain are in dogs position. Benson and hedges, dunhill, lucky 7 and john player are in star position in many countries. These brands are having good market share and good market growth therefore the company should keep investing in such brands. In case of 555 and Viceroy they are in cash cow position in certain developed countries where the market growth has decreased but

Death of a Salesman Essays -- essays research papers

The Dysfunctional Family In Arthur Miller’s drama, â€Å"Death of a Salesman† the protagonist is a sixty-year-old salesperson by the name of Willy Loman. Willy suffers from self-delusion and is obsessed with the desire to succeed. Willy’s actions strongly influence his family, which contributes to their self-delusions. Willy’s wife Linda is an enabler and is codependent upon him. Linda encourages and participates in Willy’s delusions. She is unselfish and her life revolves around Willy and their two boys Biff and Happy. The Lomans are definitely a dysfunctional family due to their lack of communication, respect, and morals. The basis for any healthy relationship is communication. Communication is something the Lomans do not practice often, and when they do, it usually ends in a shouting match. Willy has extremely poor listening skills, which is an important part of communication. When Willy goes to speak with Howard about getting a job in New York, Willy would talk over Howard whenever he would say anything that Willy did not want to hear. Howard leaves Willy in the office alone to greet people outside. Willy then notices this himself saying, "Pull myself together! What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I!† (Miller 1350; all page references are to the class text, The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, 5 th ed.). Willy however, is not the only member of the Loman family with ... Death of a Salesman Essays -- essays research papers The Dysfunctional Family In Arthur Miller’s drama, â€Å"Death of a Salesman† the protagonist is a sixty-year-old salesperson by the name of Willy Loman. Willy suffers from self-delusion and is obsessed with the desire to succeed. Willy’s actions strongly influence his family, which contributes to their self-delusions. Willy’s wife Linda is an enabler and is codependent upon him. Linda encourages and participates in Willy’s delusions. She is unselfish and her life revolves around Willy and their two boys Biff and Happy. The Lomans are definitely a dysfunctional family due to their lack of communication, respect, and morals. The basis for any healthy relationship is communication. Communication is something the Lomans do not practice often, and when they do, it usually ends in a shouting match. Willy has extremely poor listening skills, which is an important part of communication. When Willy goes to speak with Howard about getting a job in New York, Willy would talk over Howard whenever he would say anything that Willy did not want to hear. Howard leaves Willy in the office alone to greet people outside. Willy then notices this himself saying, "Pull myself together! What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I!† (Miller 1350; all page references are to the class text, The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, 5 th ed.). Willy however, is not the only member of the Loman family with ...

The Unalterable Human Condition Exposed in Shirley Jacksons The Lotter

The Unalterable Human Condition Exposed in Shirley Jackson's The Lottery The short story, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, managed to capture various human tendencies stemming from the very heart of the unalterable human condition. The willingness to follow tradition blindly, the inherent cruelty of humans, and the unwillingness to change were the primary negative behaviors depicted in the story. The unalterable human condition is one of the truths of human existence. Throughout the course of history, humans tend to act in the same ways, repeat the same mistakes, and end up little better than they were a century before. Although technology has changed, increasing the quality of life, behavior patterns have not changed, decreasing both the sanctity and quality of life. One may begin to wonder if the human race will ever change its behavior in any more ways than rhetoric. The short story, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, managed to capture various human tendencies stemming from the very heart of the unalterable human condition. The willingness to follow tradition blindly, the inherent cruelty of humans, and the unwillingness to change were the primary negative behaviors depicted in the story. People enter into society with certain traditions having long since been established. People are terrified of changing those traditions because of the fact that those traditions have been in existence for decades, even centuries. If they have survived that long, people consciously or unconsciously reason, they must be correct. However, that is not necessarily the case. In The Lottery, the tradition must have been at least a century old, as the black box used to choose the lucky winner "had been put into use even before Old Man Wa... ...s existed for thousands of years, human beings are still making the same mistakes as they were when the first humans walked the earth. People live and die, empires rise and fall, while human behavior remains the same the entire time. People ought to learn from the mistakes of the past, not forgetting the things that have gone wrong. The great authors of the world have taken advantage of the unalterable human condition, using it to point out the grave errors that the natural behaviors of human beings can lead to. But before humans begin to dwell to such errors, they should remember that the mistakes they have made are not as important as the lessons humans draw from them . . . Works Cited: Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. 5th ed. Ed. Laurence Perrine. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Publishers 1998. 180-186