Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Memory in films Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Memory in films - Assignment Example Also, it is very possible that the amygdala had something to do with the isolated memories. It has been proven that certain memories can be erased in laboratory rodents. However, actually targeting memories to be erased by a company is still fictional in nature. There is a type of amnesia called lacunar amnesia in which there are gaps in memory. This is still a factual possibility. Obviously, both films deal with memory loss, although Memento deals somewhat more with a different type of amnesia. Also, there are more island memories in Memento (a bunch of island memories strung together), while there is more episodic memory present in Eternal Sunshine. Memory loss is characterized as being traumatic in both movies. Self-knowledge and understanding are considered to be key elements that memory provides, and that is why memory loss is so traumatic. Eternal Sunshine deals more with the act of remembering â€Å"island memories†in an episodic fashion, because it seems like an easier movie to which one can relate. Shelby in Memento, moving around and remembering snippets is not so easy to follow or understand. Random memories and little vignettes in Eternal Sunshine are more realistic representations of how most peoples’ memories work, and is a better movie as such. Eternal Sunshine’s storyline is not as hard to follow as Memento’s, in point of
Monday, October 28, 2019
Law and Free
Law and Freedom Essay The concept of freedom has been a highly debated topic since the creation of the constitution in the 1700s. Freedom can be defined in many different ways. In each definition, one commonality is apparent. Everyone is seeking freedom although has it ever actually been obtained? Is it possible to reach a state of being completely free? Of course not. Being free means having no limits or restrictions. In our world today freedom is only an idea, an unreachable concept that is constantly being chased. Freedom is not a distinct idea. Its meaning to one person may be completely different to another. The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint., and Exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc. are two definitions that are given for freedom at Dictionary.com. To me, freedom is the capability to express oneself. To be able to make choices on where you live, what books to read, what music to listen to, and which religion to believe in. Freedom can also be referred to as free hand and opportunity. Free hand is the freedom to act and make decisions. That statement helped me define my concept of freedom. With the absence of the ability to make decisions and act in favor of your beliefs, freedom would not exist. Opportunity is a synonym for freedom, and without it freedom would be inexistent. When someone is restricted from living their own life, fulfilling their own dreams, and making their own decisions, they are not free. The components of freedom are democracy, constitution, and citizens. A democracy must be put into place so the opinion of the citizens is considered, as well as maintaining a peaceful state. Having a democracy will also assure that the majority will rule and the minority will be heard. The United States has had many proposed bills shut down because they have violated the rights guaranteed to the people by the constitution. This is why I believe that a constitution is one of the main components to freedom; one of its main purposes is protecting it. Without a constitution, citizens of our country would have such a frightening lack of rights. The final component necessary for freedom are the citizens. Without the citizens, there would not be a point of having a constitution because there wouldn’t be anyone to establish or fight for freedom. These components help me live my everyday life. The constitution sets out guidelines for the government and for the citizens. The constitution gives the citizens a right to be free and express themselves without any kind of judgment or consequence. These three parts of freedom allow society to express ideas, beliefs, values, and be happy. Freedom is not the inability to express personal beliefs and nor is it easy to obtain. Freedom does not exist in communist societies were a person has to watch what they say about the government. Many people feel differently about the meaning of freedom. Some may believe that they are in fact free. Others feel that complete freedom is inevitable. In my opinion, a free state would only cause chaos and possibly destruction. The free citizen has the ability to make opinions and act according to his or her own free will to achieve happiness. It is impossible to allow every citizen of a country to be free because they would eventually infringe on the freedoms of others. Freedom is a concept, an idea, it is not tangible, nor is it a reality.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Killer Whales - The Orcas Essay -- Research Essays Papers
Killer Whales - The Orcas Killer whales are one of the most fascinating displays of ocean life. The killer whale has characteristics that are important to its survival in the ocean. It is interesting to know that killer whales have a plentiful diet. It is astounding to see how killer whales behave in the ocean. I plan to tell you about the killer whale, its characteristics, its diet, and its behavior in the ocean as well as the predation of the orca. Orcinus orca is the scientific name for the massive marine mammal. Orcas are not rare, but have declining numbers in some areas (Martin.) Orcas are found from the Artic Ocean to the Antartic Ocean. (Britannica) They belong to the Delphinidae, or dolphin family, which is the largest of their species. Female orcas grow to be at the most 15 feet, and weigh up to 4 tons, but the males can grow as large as 20-30 feet, and weight up to 8 tons. (Martin) The color of the orca is white in some spots, black on the majority of the body, and gray just behind the dorsal fin. It is white on the chin, belly and the eye. The white patch above the eye is usually mistaken for the eye, and may confuse their prey, but acts as a camouflage for the eye. The name â€Å"killer whale†makes people tend to believe that this is a viscious man-eating mammal, yet it is one of the most shrewd, docile and playful species of the marine mammals. The orca is sexually mature at 10-15 years of age, much like humans, which is 12-13 years of age. They tend to mate year round, and is able to have a calf every two years. It is interesting to know that lactation of the mother lasts 12 or more months (Wynne.) The life expectancy of orcas is 45-50 years of age. The orca has some distinctive features. The do... ...own to circle its dead for hours until dying itself. It puts its own life on the line when the others in its group is in trouble. The diverse diet also makes it an interesting marine mammal to know about because different types of marine life have a food staple consisting of two or three species. The orcas distinctive white spot above the eye make for good diversion and the conical teeth make for excellent hunting. And although they range in size depending on sex, the fascination with this fair sized marine mammal is immeasurable in size. Bibliography Martin, Richard Mark Mammals of the Ocean. G.P. Putnam’s Son New York, 1977 Britannica Online Dictionary. Britanica.com. June. 2001 . Haley, Delphine Marine Mammals. Pacific Search Press Pub. Date: unknown Wynne, Kate Marine Mammals of Alaska University of Alaska Fairbanks. Pub Date: Unknown
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Evaluation of corporate performance Essay
Evaluation of corporate performance Introduction Hershey Company History            Hershey chocolate company was founded in the United States by Milton Hershey in 1909. The Hershey Company is a leading manufacturer of quality non-chocolate and chocolate and other chocolate-related grocery products in North America. The company has in excess of 80 brands around the globe and its annual revenues are about $ 7.1 billion. Some of the famous brands of Hershey Company include Jolly Rancher, Reese’s, Hershey’s, Ice Breakers and Hershey’s kisses (Bozich, 2009).            Hershey Company has been focusing on improving its presence in main international markets as well as making sure that they have a competitive edge in North America. In addition, Hershey Company has great plans of expanding its portfolio into other brands other than confectionery, where they will find out new ways of bringing goodness to individuals everywhere. For over 120 years, the company has been committed in carrying out good business through operating sustainably, ethically and fairly thus making a positive influence on the society. In this regard they been contributing towards a better life for its consumers, communities, employees, and eventually making sure that those children who are in need have a bright future (Stansberry, 2012). Strengths and weaknesses of Hershey Strengths            Hershey Company has grown from to a $ 4 billion having various quality chocolates. The company also has a strong brand name which gives the company a strong image. The company has many strengths since they have been in business for a long period of time. The company has got a very good reputation among the shareholders since it pays the dividends always in time to all their shareholders. This has also led to many consumers being loyal to them and to have trust on the company. The company is popular due to their strong customer relations. Another strength of Hershey is that their pricing reasonable thus making them to be affordable to everyone. The Hershey Company enables their customers to make lifestyle choices which are balanced at work, school and also in the community. The company has more than fifty brands in their portfolio and has acquired very many corporations in America (â€Å"The Hershey Company,†2012).            Hershey has a huge share of the market in North America and the sales keeps increasing almost each year. Hershey brands are produced for the health conscious customers to make sure that Hershey chocolates are healthier alternatives. Hershey Company assures their consumers with health issues for instance diabetics that the chocolates they sell to them are safe and healthier alternatives. The key strategy has been reinventing the image of the chocolates from being the way they are deemed as a source of excessive calories and sugar thus making individuals to be obese and/or diabetic, to a more appealing image where the chocolates are regarded to be a significant aid for protecting the customers from the heart disease and also enhancing the metabolism rate through using the flavonoids in their products (Kash, 2012). Weaknesses            Hershey company has however some weaknesses where they are supposed to improve in some areas so as to be more effective and profitable. The company is supposed to try gaining more experience in international market. Also around the world, the company has got very few multinational distributors. The company also has focused their business operations more in United States, where they make more money in United States more than countries around the globe. The company has high borrowing level in order to finance their business operations (Bozich, 2009). Financial analysis of Hershey Company            Hershey earns very high returns on the invested capital than most businesses because of its leading brands and huge market share. Dividing the after-tax operating profit of the company by its average invested capital reveals that Hershey earns a return on invested capital in excess of 15 percent on the average. This shows that for every dollar that the company invests in maintaining or expanding its business, Hershey earns in excess of $ 0.15 in the after-tax profits every year. Therefore, Hershey earns approximately 15 percent of the after-tax return on their stock portfolio every year thus making it a very profitable business (Freedland, 2010).            In addition, the company compounds the effect through lowering its share count continually. Although since the financial crisis Hershey Company has been unable to repurchase a huge number of the shares, the continuing trend reveals that the company is committed towards reducing its share account over time. The Hershey’s combination of shareholder-friendly management and high returns on the invested capital has enriched the shareholders of Hershey Company over the last 20 years (Bozich, 2009).            Hershey Company has a leading and growing share of the United States chocolate market; its brand’s portfolio is more popular among the Americans compared to other brands of the other companies. This enables the company to charge prices which are higher than those of its competitors, thus enabling it to earn very high returns on the invested capital. Hershey will continue earning super profits as long as the Americans focus more regarding the brand which they are buying compared to the price of sugar-and-cocoa combination (Bozich, 2009).            In 2010, the net revenues of the company were 5.67 billion dollar with a net income of 510 million dollars. There was an increase of about 7% from 2009. Financial analysis shows that Hershey has been doing well financially. Hershey Company has for many years remained stable and profitable. The revenues of the Hershey company have been increasing every year. Despite the high revenues the company was highly affected by recession in 2007; however the company was able to recover the recession at a pace which is fairly quick. The net income of the Hershey company in 2007 decreased from 559 million dollars to 214 million dollars (Freedland, 2010). The net income of the company since 2007 has risen and in 2010 was listed at 510 million dollars. The revenues of the Hershey Company from 2006 were as follows: 2006: $4.94 billion2007: $4.95 billion2008: $5.13 billion2009: $5.30 billion2010: $5.70 billion            The EPS and profit margin of Hershey Company from 2006 goes along in the same trend. Hershey’s profit margin went to 4.3% in 2007 from 11.3% in 2006. The profit margin has been increasing steadily and recently was backed up to 8.9 percent. Similarly, the earnings per share of Hershey in 2007 went to $0.93 from $2.34 in 2006. After a constant increase, recently the earnings per share was listed at $ 2.21. The sales of Hershey Company rose by 2.4 percent year- over – year in first quarter of 2014 (â€Å"The Hershey Company,†2012).            Shares in Hershey Company have increased by over 25 percent in past one year, and now they are trading at 100.38 dollars. Earnings per share for the recent financial year were $ 3.61and in the current financial year Hershey expects the earnings per share (EPS) to be in a range of between $ 4.02 and $ 4.11. This means Hershey Company is currently trading at 27.8 times compared to the earnings of last year and between 24.4 times and 25.0 times anticipated earnings for 2014. However, even if the EPS for 2014 is expected to be $ 4.11, the anticipated EPS growth for 2014 is 13.85 percent. This growth rate in EPS is a bit lower compared to the recent years. The EPS growth from 2008 to 2013 were as follows; 46.24% in 2008, 39.71 in 2009, 16.32 in 2010, 23.98 in 2011, 5.84 in 2012 and 24.48% in 2013 (Bozich, 2009). Despite a growth rate which is lower than usual, Hershey Company is trading a price to earnings ratio which is higher than usual. Shar eholders who invested in the company paid 23.5 times on average of the EPS of the previous year between 2008 and 2013. This level is a bit lower compared to the 27.8 times of the last year’s earnings that Hershey Company is valued at currently. Hershey is currently valued 3.1 times of the last year’s revenues. The financial analysts anticipate that the revenues of the company will be 7.63 billion dollars in the current financial year thus giving Hershey Company a ratio of price to sales of 2.9.This is relatively high ratio compared to that of the last six years (Stansberry, 2012). The Hershey Company pays $ 0.485 as the quarterly dividend. The increase experienced in the price per share made the dividend yield to go down to 1.92 percent. Nevertheless, Hershey’s dividend has been increasing at an increased rate in the recent the recent years. Due to the anticipated growth of EPS of 13.85 percent, the dividend is expected to rise to 0.55 dollars per quarter. This would lead to an increase the dividend yield to about 2.19 percent while the payout ratio will be between a range of between 50% and 55% (â€Å"The Hershey Company,†2012). Hershey Company has a balance sheet which is excellent with quick ratio of 1.30 and current ratio of 1.77. In addition, Hershey Company has 1.12 billion dollars or 5 dollars per share in regards to cash and cash equivalents. Hershey Company is a great company ideal for investment for those investors who focuses on long-term income growth. Although, the company has high growth in the recent years, at the current valuations the Hershey’s stock seems to be overvalued (â€Å"Why Hershey Is Overvalued,†2012).            ROE (Return on equity) assesses the rate of return realized on the money invested by the shareholders and retained earnings of a given company emanating from the previous profitable years. This shows the ability of the company in generating profits from the equity of the shareholders (â€Å"Financial management,†2011).ROE (DuPont formula) = (Net profit / Revenue) X (Revenue / Total assets) X (Total assets / Equity) = Net profit margin X Asset Turnover X Financial leverage X Net Income = $497.170731707million Net profit margin= (Net Income / Revenue) = (497.170731707 / 4666.22320769) = 10.65 %Asset turn over = (Revenue / Total Assets) = (4666.22320769 / 3881.64976454) = 1.2021Financial leverage = (Total assets / Equity) = (3881.64976454 / 1152.32256262) = 3.3685The Hershey Company’s annualized ROE for the quarter ended in Jun. 2014: =10.65 X 1.2021 X 3.3685 ROE (Dupoint system) = 43.15 %            ROE (Return on equity) shows how efficiently a company is using investment funds in generation of earnings growth. ROEs that are between 15 percent and 20 percent are deemed desirable.Economic Value Added measures the financial performance of the company on basis of the residual wealth. EVA is calculated through deducting the cost of the capital from the company’s operating profit (â€Å"Financial management,†2011).            Economic Value Added = Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT) – (Capital x Cost of Capital).            Hershey Company focuses on continuous improvement and thus the Company has adopted Economic Value Added concepts in order to help in measuring their performance. The Economic Value Added (EVA) of Hershey Company for a period of 5 years between 1997 and 2002 was 0.87. In 1997, the employees of Hershey realized that these processes and concepts were being adopted so as to get the required information which is needed in utilizing EVA. In 1988, EVA was being implemented fully, and it was part of hershey’s compensation program for the management, as well as free cash flow and earning per share measurements. Hershey also started recognizing the significant contribution by all the employees of Hershey towards the company’s market growth. Hershey’s Board of directors made an approval which oversees their employees increasing their stake in Hershey Company or providing those employees with a chance of becoming owners of the com pany for the first time. The opportunity was a great incentive to the employees in achieving goals of the company and in maintaining and enhancing the leadership position, increasing the company’s profitability and adding value in everything that the company does (Freedland, 2010).            Hershey’s stock during the past quarter has outperformed the market benchmark thus increasing the investors’ interest in the company. The Hershey company has been using a dividend payout ratio of 63%.The company pays 3 percent solid dividend they have been able to increase the dividend regularly over the past 5 years. Recently, the earnings are reasonably strong, and Hershey has a solid balance sheet and growing free cash flow. Hershey Company has an excellent combination of manageable financial leverage and free cash flow generation which is strong. The cash flow margin in coming years is expected to be 11.6% on average. The return on invested capital of Hershey is expected to expand from 37.9 percent to 41.7% in the next two years (Freedland, 2010).            Although, Hershey stock seems to be overvalued it is still worth buying which I can recommend to the investors. This is because the Hershey company is incredibly capital efficient. Also, the dividend payout ratio has been increasing every year since 1974. The company in actual fact pays out an extremely huge amount out of the profits produced by the company. For instance, in 2008, Hershey realized profits of about 500 million dollars from its operations but it spent approximately 300 million dollars on share buybacks and dividends (Stansberry, 2012). Hershey has the ability of returning so much capital to the shareholders since it necessitates little capital to grow. The company’s cash profits have increased nearly to 1 billion dollars while the company’s growth is approximately 200%. The company has got a very brand name among the investors since it pays the dividends always in time to all their shareholders. Due to all thes e outstanding factors, I would recommend the purchase of Hershey stock as a good investment decision since it is a no-risk investment. References Bozich, S. L. (2009). Hershey. New York, NY: Channel Lake. Financial management (3rd ed.). (2011). London: BPP Learning Media. Freedland, R. (n.d.). Is Hershey a Sweet Investment?. – The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY). Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://seekingalpha.com/article/196560-is-hershey-a-sweet-investment Kash, R. (n.d.). The Hershey Company: Aligning inside to win on the outside – Ivey Business Journal. Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved April 5, 2012, from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/strategy/the-hershey-company-aligning-inside-to-win-on-the-outside-2#.VC0wNVcpfIU Stansberry, P (n.d.). One of the Greatest Investments of My Career. Why Hershey (HSY) is a Great No-Risk Opportunity. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://www.dailywealth.com/1990/hershey-great-no-risk-opportunity Why Hershey Is Overvalued. (n.d.). – The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY). Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://seekingalpha.com/article/741961-why-hershey-is-overvalued Source document
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Red Bull
Could It position the product in other ways? The product of red bull was set-up to market within energy drinks, the notions of market segmentation, targeting and positioning are key to the success of firms' marketing efforts has concentrated on building relationship based on partnerships with sporting events and Iconic athletes . The target customers are around athletes , teenagers, students, drivers, clubbers, young business people and farmers.The marketing strategies can position the red bull in other ways, it was sponsored extreme sports events before, such as traditional television marketing program, radio r pop stars advertising, event marketing in sports and competition, organized public lecture, sent the sample to the sports company with free cases of its energy drink and encouraged them to throw a party. We also have lots of promotion to popularize; this can be changed values and needs of each target consumer.The lovely packages can be attracted the female customers. Besides, it can be promoted some limited edition of packages for different cities. Such as, it can be found celebrity endorsement and designed the packages with the photos of celebrities which can increase the sales. Red Bull can be created a new line which has extra caffeine. The new products can provide people more powerful than the original version and the cans can be increased the capacity from mall to mall with the same price. This new version of extra caffeine can be promoted to the long-time workers.Red Bull improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain, increases concentration and improves reaction speed and stimulates metabolism. Also, Red Bull can be created a new flavor which is cocktail favor and can be used as a very nice mixer with alcohol. It is very convenient for the people who love going to party or clubbing. Red Bull can be created a new product which not only for energy drinks. It could be a food like a power bar or candy. They can use a â⠂¬Å"Word of mouth†strategy. Red Bull Q1. How will you characterize Red Bull's overall global marketing strategy? Red Bull has built an image as a trendy energy drink, catering to young adults and young professionals between the age groups of (16-29) years. It also targets young club-goers and private parties in order to spread its picture as a stylish drink. It also believes that it is not just selling a beverage, but instead it is selling a ‘way of life’. Red Bull also uses a catchy slogan as ‘Red Bull gives you wings’. These non –traditional marketing strategies of Red Bull are not unique to any market. The term ‘Glocal’ means to market globally, yet tailor the ‘message’ to appeal to local tastes. Red Bull does not follow a Glocal Marketing Strategy, as it does not alter the marketing techniques to any particular country. In all the markets, they cater to the same crowd and use the same pricing, distribution and advertising methods. Red Bull only offers its product in one size (250ml) cans, and design all over the world. Businesses that use global marketing embark on the same product, same marketing techniques and even the same brand names and packaging in all markets. Red Bull believes in marketing its product with one brand image all over the world. Hence, I can characterize Red Bull’s overall marketing strategy as ‘Global’. In addition, Red Bull does not use local marketing strategies as they do not conform to local considerations. Example Red Bull offers only two varieties in all the countries irrespective of the local demand or taste for a new variant. It also uses the same marketing campaigns of ‘buzz marketing' or word-of-mouth in all the countries, irrespective of the nature of market in a particular country. Q.2 Argue for the most relevant segmentation criteria to be used in the International Marketing Selection process. The International Market Selection Process is a very complex process of foreign market screening that considers many factors. For a product like Red Bull, the size and per capita income of its target market is the most important criteria used in International Market Selection. Red Bull’s target market is young adults and young professional (aged 16-22). If the number of people in this age – group form a small fragment of the country’s overall population, then entering such a market would be risky and not profitable enough. Red Bull has built a brand image of a youthful energy drink and hence it can be successful only in markets that have a large number of young people. Red bull has dominated the energy market for a decade now. Its popularity and stylish design has allowed it to be charged at a premium price. Red Bull is a stylish and vibrant energy drink that is priced at least five times higher than the ordinary soft drink. Red Bull strongly believes that it offers its consumers something more than a beverage; it believes that it offers them a ‘way of life.’ It provides its consumers with energy and related brainpower to make the most of their time. Due to all of the above reasons, Red Bull can afford to price itself at such a high price. Therefore, it is important that Red Bull chooses those markets where the people have the financial capacity to purchase their product Q3. Which changes would you suggest for Red Bull's future global marketing mix, in order to meet the future challenges? After seeing the success that Red Bull has got in the energy drinks market, new brands are entering this market. Hence, it is essential for Red Bull to make certain changes in its marketing, production and distribution strategies. Red Bull offers only one product with two flavor varieties. The new age consumers want variety hence; Red Bull should launch a new flavor depending on local taste. Also, Red Bull currently offers only one packaging size, it can introduce 1 litre Red Bull bottles that will be beneficial for the Clubs owners in terms of Raw Material costs and Red Bull in terms of Manufacturing costs. Red Bull’s pricing strategy has been beneficial to the company however, they should lower their prices a little in order to gain more consumers in certain markets. The marketing strategies of Red Bull are highly global. They do not alter their strategies according to local considerations. In order to gain an edge in this competitive global market it is essential for Red Bull to start taking local demands and tastes into consideration. Red Bull’s distribution strategy targets small retailers and distributors that spread the brand name through word of mouth to local consumers. They also use college students to help distribute the product. One thing that they can do in order to improve their product placement is start Red Bull kiosks. This can also act as a marketing tool. Red Bull uses non- traditional and out of the promotion techniques. They spend 30% of their revenue on marketing and promotion. I believe that their unique marketing techniques have worked for them and they should continue with them even in the future. Q.4 Red Bull is available in large cities in India across super markets, restaurants and bars. Evaluate the opportunities for market expansion in India. Red Bull has already targeted the right market in India i.e. young adults and professionals. Hence, in order to expand in India Red Bull needs to find new ways of attracting this crowd. Red Bull is priced at a high rate, youngsters get a fixed budget every month and cannot afford to spend so much regularly on an energy drink. Hence, Red Bull should be made available in college cafeterias at subsidized rates. In addition, Red Bull should be made available at call centers and night offices as a more energetic substitute to coffee. Red Bull contains less amount of caffeine than the amount of caffeine in a coffee cup. This information can be used to promote Red Bull over coffee. India has a large number of cheaper substitutes of energy drinks, therefore in order to tap the huge market share of India it is advisable that Red Bull reduce its prices for the Indian Market. Another strategy that Red Bull can use to expand in the Indian Market is to carter to the larger number of truck drivers that India has. Red Bull originally cartered to provide energy to truck drivers. It can start following the same strategy in order to increase its consumer base in India. It can start by making Red Bull available at highway dhabbas, and shops. However, in order to carter to the truck drivers Red Bull would need to slash its prices, until that is done this strategy will not work. Thus by following the above mentioned ways Red Bull can build a stronger and larger consumer base in India. Red Bull Could It position the product in other ways? The product of red bull was set-up to market within energy drinks, the notions of market segmentation, targeting and positioning are key to the success of firms' marketing efforts has concentrated on building relationship based on partnerships with sporting events and Iconic athletes . The target customers are around athletes , teenagers, students, drivers, clubbers, young business people and farmers.The marketing strategies can position the red bull in other ways, it was sponsored extreme sports events before, such as traditional television marketing program, radio r pop stars advertising, event marketing in sports and competition, organized public lecture, sent the sample to the sports company with free cases of its energy drink and encouraged them to throw a party. We also have lots of promotion to popularize; this can be changed values and needs of each target consumer.The lovely packages can be attracted the female customers. Besides, it can be promoted some limited edition of packages for different cities. Such as, it can be found celebrity endorsement and designed the packages with the photos of celebrities which can increase the sales. Red Bull can be created a new line which has extra caffeine. The new products can provide people more powerful than the original version and the cans can be increased the capacity from mall to mall with the same price. This new version of extra caffeine can be promoted to the long-time workers.Red Bull improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain, increases concentration and improves reaction speed and stimulates metabolism. Also, Red Bull can be created a new flavor which is cocktail favor and can be used as a very nice mixer with alcohol. It is very convenient for the people who love going to party or clubbing. Red Bull can be created a new product which not only for energy drinks. It could be a food like a power bar or candy. They can use a â⠂¬Å"Word of mouth†strategy. Red Bull Q1. How will you characterize Red Bull's overall global marketing strategy? Red Bull has built an image as a trendy energy drink, catering to young adults and young professionals between the age groups of (16-29) years. It also targets young club-goers and private parties in order to spread its picture as a stylish drink. It also believes that it is not just selling a beverage, but instead it is selling a ‘way of life’. Red Bull also uses a catchy slogan as ‘Red Bull gives you wings’. These non –traditional marketing strategies of Red Bull are not unique to any market. The term ‘Glocal’ means to market globally, yet tailor the ‘message’ to appeal to local tastes. Red Bull does not follow a Glocal Marketing Strategy, as it does not alter the marketing techniques to any particular country. In all the markets, they cater to the same crowd and use the same pricing, distribution and advertising methods. Red Bull only offers its product in one size (250ml) cans, and design all over the world. Businesses that use global marketing embark on the same product, same marketing techniques and even the same brand names and packaging in all markets. Red Bull believes in marketing its product with one brand image all over the world. Hence, I can characterize Red Bull’s overall marketing strategy as ‘Global’. In addition, Red Bull does not use local marketing strategies as they do not conform to local considerations. Example Red Bull offers only two varieties in all the countries irrespective of the local demand or taste for a new variant. It also uses the same marketing campaigns of ‘buzz marketing' or word-of-mouth in all the countries, irrespective of the nature of market in a particular country. Q.2 Argue for the most relevant segmentation criteria to be used in the International Marketing Selection process. The International Market Selection Process is a very complex process of foreign market screening that considers many factors. For a product like Red Bull, the size and per capita income of its target market is the most important criteria used in International Market Selection. Red Bull’s target market is young adults and young professional (aged 16-22). If the number of people in this age – group form a small fragment of the country’s overall population, then entering such a market would be risky and not profitable enough. Red Bull has built a brand image of a youthful energy drink and hence it can be successful only in markets that have a large number of young people. Red bull has dominated the energy market for a decade now. Its popularity and stylish design has allowed it to be charged at a premium price. Red Bull is a stylish and vibrant energy drink that is priced at least five times higher than the ordinary soft drink. Red Bull strongly believes that it offers its consumers something more than a beverage; it believes that it offers them a ‘way of life.’ It provides its consumers with energy and related brainpower to make the most of their time. Due to all of the above reasons, Red Bull can afford to price itself at such a high price. Therefore, it is important that Red Bull chooses those markets where the people have the financial capacity to purchase their product Q3. Which changes would you suggest for Red Bull's future global marketing mix, in order to meet the future challenges? After seeing the success that Red Bull has got in the energy drinks market, new brands are entering this market. Hence, it is essential for Red Bull to make certain changes in its marketing, production and distribution strategies. Red Bull offers only one product with two flavor varieties. The new age consumers want variety hence; Red Bull should launch a new flavor depending on local taste. Also, Red Bull currently offers only one packaging size, it can introduce 1 litre Red Bull bottles that will be beneficial for the Clubs owners in terms of Raw Material costs and Red Bull in terms of Manufacturing costs. Red Bull’s pricing strategy has been beneficial to the company however, they should lower their prices a little in order to gain more consumers in certain markets. The marketing strategies of Red Bull are highly global. They do not alter their strategies according to local considerations. In order to gain an edge in this competitive global market it is essential for Red Bull to start taking local demands and tastes into consideration. Red Bull’s distribution strategy targets small retailers and distributors that spread the brand name through word of mouth to local consumers. They also use college students to help distribute the product. One thing that they can do in order to improve their product placement is start Red Bull kiosks. This can also act as a marketing tool. Red Bull uses non- traditional and out of the promotion techniques. They spend 30% of their revenue on marketing and promotion. I believe that their unique marketing techniques have worked for them and they should continue with them even in the future. Q.4 Red Bull is available in large cities in India across super markets, restaurants and bars. Evaluate the opportunities for market expansion in India. Red Bull has already targeted the right market in India i.e. young adults and professionals. Hence, in order to expand in India Red Bull needs to find new ways of attracting this crowd. Red Bull is priced at a high rate, youngsters get a fixed budget every month and cannot afford to spend so much regularly on an energy drink. Hence, Red Bull should be made available in college cafeterias at subsidized rates. In addition, Red Bull should be made available at call centers and night offices as a more energetic substitute to coffee. Red Bull contains less amount of caffeine than the amount of caffeine in a coffee cup. This information can be used to promote Red Bull over coffee. India has a large number of cheaper substitutes of energy drinks, therefore in order to tap the huge market share of India it is advisable that Red Bull reduce its prices for the Indian Market. Another strategy that Red Bull can use to expand in the Indian Market is to carter to the larger number of truck drivers that India has. Red Bull originally cartered to provide energy to truck drivers. It can start following the same strategy in order to increase its consumer base in India. It can start by making Red Bull available at highway dhabbas, and shops. However, in order to carter to the truck drivers Red Bull would need to slash its prices, until that is done this strategy will not work. Thus by following the above mentioned ways Red Bull can build a stronger and larger consumer base in India. Red Bull Target market Red Bull was one of the first Energy Drink. It gave energy to people who want to be physically and mentally fit from 1982. As the company reported, in 2011 red bull had sold 4. 631 billion cans over the world with 11. 4 per cent increase of 2011. In selling, profits and productivity the data illustrated were the highest one of the company. (www. redbull. com) Moreover, as figure1 illustrated, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink brand all over the world from 2006 to 2012. Clearly target market is one of the most significant reasons for the Red Bull’s success.As the company’s slogan says, â€Å"Red Bull gives you wings†. Red Bull gave wings from the beginning and spread its wings quickly over the world. Until 2011, Red Bull was available in 164 countries. (www. redbull. com) Therefore, it is not necessary for Red Bull to set segmentations by geographic or geodemograhic. Besides, Red Bull is improved for people to create a clearly mind, dynamic p erformance and an active lifestyle. In other words, Red Bull helps people to be active physically and psychologically and have a zest life.Therefore it is also not useful for Red Bull to set segmentation by profile or psychographic. Red Bull is a drink to supply energy and increase endurance which could struggle for the physical or mental tired. It helps people to meet the challenges of everyday life such as work, drive, study and sports. (www. redbull. com) According to the text book, the definition of behavioural segmentation is the segmentation which slices consumers on the basis of how they act towards, feel about or use a product. Solomon, et al,2009) Consequently, the best way for Red Bull to set the target market is behavioral segmentation. Red Bull becomes increasingly important in people’s lives when they are working, studying, doing sports and driving. Workers and students are the most significant parts of Red Bull’s target market. Red Bull can make students and workers’ mind clearly. For students all over the world the Red Bull is as important as the pencils and paper. It makes students concentrate and perform well. And it provides students enough energy to the leisure time as well.It is essential for someone who works hard and pursues better performance. Sport is Red Bull’s main point. Red Bull supports about 500 professional athletes over the world. It makes sportsman physically and mentally fit. Red Bull provides the athletes a convenient way to improve their endurance, concentration and speed. (www. redbull. com) Drivers are the other large parts of the target market. According to the research from psychopharmacologist Dr. Joris Verster and his colleagues of Utrecht University, Red Bull can reduce driver sleepiness and improve driving performance. Joris Verster, 2010) | Red Bull enhances concentration, reaction speed and vigilance. Red Bull also focuses on the customer who plays video games, goes out day and night. In short, the target market of Red Bull is the customer who needs more energy physically and mentally. Figure1: Top Selling Energy Drink Brands 2006-2012 (Bevnet, 2012) Reference: Bevnet, 2012, Top Selling Energy Drink Brands 2006-2012, http://www. energyfiend. com/the-15-top-energy-drink-brands marketing management†¦. Red Bull, , www. redbull. com Joris Verster, SAFE DRIVING STUDY, access at Springerlink. com. Red Bull Could It position the product in other ways? The product of red bull was set-up to market within energy drinks, the notions of market segmentation, targeting and positioning are key to the success of firms' marketing efforts has concentrated on building relationship based on partnerships with sporting events and Iconic athletes . The target customers are around athletes , teenagers, students, drivers, clubbers, young business people and farmers.The marketing strategies can position the red bull in other ways, it was sponsored extreme sports events before, such as traditional television marketing program, radio r pop stars advertising, event marketing in sports and competition, organized public lecture, sent the sample to the sports company with free cases of its energy drink and encouraged them to throw a party. We also have lots of promotion to popularize; this can be changed values and needs of each target consumer.The lovely packages can be attracted the female customers. Besides, it can be promoted some limited edition of packages for different cities. Such as, it can be found celebrity endorsement and designed the packages with the photos of celebrities which can increase the sales. Red Bull can be created a new line which has extra caffeine. The new products can provide people more powerful than the original version and the cans can be increased the capacity from mall to mall with the same price. This new version of extra caffeine can be promoted to the long-time workers.Red Bull improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain, increases concentration and improves reaction speed and stimulates metabolism. Also, Red Bull can be created a new flavor which is cocktail favor and can be used as a very nice mixer with alcohol. It is very convenient for the people who love going to party or clubbing. Red Bull can be created a new product which not only for energy drinks. It could be a food like a power bar or candy. They can use a â⠂¬Å"Word of mouth†strategy.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
This Be The Essay Essays - Literature, Poetry, Poetic Form
This Be The Essay Essays - Literature, Poetry, Poetic Form This Be The Essay This Be The Verse is a rollercoaster of different tones. The general idea behind this poem seems to be to amuse the reader with its simple and obscene language, making it easy to quote the poem. I, however, believe there's a deeper meaning behind the many changes of tone. Therefore, I will show how Philip Larkin constantly changes the tone of This Be The Verse to illustrate the stages of growing up. By going through the three stanzas and its tones I will explain how the tones are connected to life stages. The poem starts off in a harsh tone: They fuck you up, your mum and dad'. With the use of such strong language the reader's attention is instantly grabbed. The sentence is constructed in a simple manner, with only one-syllable words. This and the choice of words let the reader know that the poem they are about to read will be anything but boring. The angry tone of this first stanza represent the teen phase of life, a phase in which many young people find themselves angry very quickly. This is also a time where the typical adolescent will be wanting to break away from the family. This is also a time where the typical adolescent will be wanting to break away from the family. Then the tone changes from harsh to understanding in the second stanza. But they were fucked up in their turn' signals that Larkin no longer blames the parents, but instead the grandparents. What is said is that parents were also damaged by their own parents who spent their time either drunk (soppy-stern') or quarrelling with one another (and half at one another's throats'). This represents a never-ending cycle of kids copying bad behaviors from their parents and passing on their faults in their turn. The understanding tone of this stanza represents going into adulthood, a time where a lot of anger is replaced with understanding. People in midlife often think about the deeper meaning of their lives so they can move on with new understanding. Finally, the last stanza ends in a bitter tone. Man hands on misery to man' is no longer referring to anyone in particular but instead the entire human race. With It deepens like a coastal shelf' Larkin implies that this misery is a problem that will only get worse with the time. The author uses a simile with a coastal shelf': he compares the growing negative influence on younger generations with how a coastal shelf grows deeper in the sea. His ambiguous advice in the next sentence to Get out as early as you can' leaves the reader wondering if they are meant to either cut ties with their parents or get out' by killing themselves. This last stanza and its bitter tone represent the last stage of someone's life and the bitterness that often comes with it. So, the different tones of the three stanzas of this poem are in fact connected to the different stages in one's life. It also aligns up with the messages of each stanza, like the bitterness one would feel at the end of their life in the last stanza.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Analysis and Assessment of Baumgartner Jones Agendas and Instability in American Politics essays
Analysis and Assessment of Baumgartner Jones Agendas and Instability in American Politics essays I find a certain amount of difficulty when I attempt to offer an assessment of Baumgartner and Jones work, Agendas and Instability in American Politics. The reason for this is because the book is written in such a manner that it is enormously difficult to offer a conflicting argument to the model they use to describe how issues become part of agenda, the power of interest groups, policy monopolies, how power shifts, and other issues related to the aforementioned. For this reason, I must say that I find their model to be on solid ground. The previous reading assignments in this course which where mostly based on the writings of C. Wright Mills and his protg Robert Dahl read like the thoughts of writers who were desperately trying to convince the reader that they are right. To the contrary, Baumgartner and Jones made no real attempts to sell their research and rather presented their findings and beliefs in a way that seems to say to the reader that this is the way things are. Examples of legislative activity that seem to conform to their model offered to the readers of Baumgartner and Jones are presented in a way that basically shows the reader how their model translates into real life as opposed to an offering of evidence to bolster the correctness of their assertions. The notion of policy monopolies I find to be a very believable concept when describing the formulation, definition and promotion of issues in the American political agenda. Making an issue a taboo or untouchable or dangerous to national security, thus ensuring its longevity, perhaps even immortality. This phenomenon is most visible in the issues of Medicare and Social Security. Both programs are in deep financial trouble, but anyone who advocates even the slightest bit of change in either program is immediately labeled an extremist who lacks compassion for our nations senior cit...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Find Out If You Should Wear a Brace with Tendinitis
Find Out If You Should Wear a Brace with Tendinitis Tendinitis is a condition where the tissue connecting the muscle to the bone becomes inflamed. This usually occurs when someone overuses or injures a tendon during a sport. The parts of the body most commonly affected include the elbow, wrist, finger, and thigh. How People Often Get Tendinitis Common types of tendinitis (also known as tendonitis) includes tennis or golfers elbow, De Quervains tenosynovitis, and swimmers shoulder. Tendinitis is most associated with older people, due to elasticity and weakness in age, as well as with adults who are active in sports. Tendinosis is similar to tendinitis but has chronic, long-term, and degenerative effects. Everyday activities that can cause tendinitis to come about may include household tasks like cleaning, gardening, painting, scrubbing, and shoveling. There are also more stagnant issues, like poor posture or stretching before activities, which can increase risk factors. Avoid Wearing a Brace for Tendinitis When dealing with tendinitis, limiting the repetitive stress is good but immobilizing the joint is bad. The worst is when you wear a brace and continue to use the joint thats suffering from tendinitis, as the injury needs rest. A brace is often used as a crutch, and much like walking on a sprained ankle, you will continue to injure the tendon. You should not use a brace or splint unless under the direction of a medical professional who is proficient in repetitive stress treatments. If you are treating your tendinitis yourself, however, follow the guidelines below. Support Your Tendinitis in an Alternative Way Use a brace only at times of rest, when you wont be tempted to overuse the injured joint. At other times, allow pain to be your guide: if it hurts, dont do it. Remember that the goal is to heal the injury, not continue to work, further injuring the body. If you need to use the joint, consider using a flexible support item, such as a sports wrap bandage. This can keep the area warm and supported while limiting the range of motion. Youll have less chance of causing further injury to the affected area or to overstress a new area (which can thereby injure that, a common side effect of using a brace). Get Help for the Pain Tendinitis pain can be helped in several ways, including with rest, slowing down exercises, applying ice and cold packs to the affected area, and using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen. Tendinitis tends to fade in four to six weeks when properly healing. Getting enough sleep is also important and will help with overall health and fitness. Its equally as important to keep exercising, but any activity that will stress the affected area is to be avoided at all costs, even if the pain has stopped. Avoiding any motion that caused pain in the first place is recommended. Applying a range of motion exercises, like gently moving the joint through its full range of motion, also helps to prevent stiffness and strengthen the muscle around it.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
PR FINAL PROJECT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
PR FINAL PROJECT - Research Paper Example The industry further requires PR executives to work for long hours, including weekends, and even standing in the rain or snow to check in invitees while earning diminutive salaries that are not convenient (Brown 1). Given the intertwined nature of the entertainment industry and other industries, PR executives must be updated on what is taking place in the world generally. Intrinsically, it requires one to have passion for such a job to endure the shortcomings thereof and not just being interested in the glamour (Walker 1). PR Agencies hire staff to execute their various obligations to their clients, depending on the area of interest. One can be hired as an account representative in either a movie theatre, a film production company or by an entertainer as publicists. Publicists are engaged in managing and representing entertainer’s image before the eyes of the public. This is done by ensuring that Web sites, TV shows, newspapers, and magazines contain good press about the entertainer (Kennedy 1). An account manager for a film production company is responsible for the exploration and lurching of novel film coverage opportunities, the establishment and maintenance of a potent relationship with the media, and the creation of exciting campaigns that are integrated digitally (SAR 1). Movie theatre’s account representatives establish and uphold membership schemes and formulate initiatives that will urge people to visit the movie theatre habitually (The National Advisory Public Body for Theatres 1). PR departments for an entertainment company that does not outsource its public relations tasks may hire a candidate, who fulfills the criteria set out, to help answer journalists when they inquire about the company, represent the company in public appearances and interviews (Media 1). Having garnered sufficient experience in the field of PR, it is a lucrative job
Friday, October 18, 2019
Essay Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14
Questions - Essay Example The resultant turnovers are as a result of lack of low income growth that is contemporaneous and is not found in government change propensity that is also contemporaneously increasing. (Russett, Starr and Kinsella) Economic growth results to a middle class that is educated and entrepreneurial which soon or later strives for control over the country’s fate. This ends in the acceptance and giving in by the repressive government in place. The progression in most of the countries that are democratic is not pegged to economic growth after their democratization. Among democracies that are already existing and established, a high growth rate is as a result of stability as a result of liberal democracy. Greater prosperity alone doesn’t result to political freedom of a greater degree. However, the benefits of economic development are reaped through invasion of pressure to political control relaxation. The connection between liberal democracy that is emerging and economic growth lies in sophistication growth of authoritarian governments. Democracy has a minimal impact on economical success to countries that practice it. All the successes in economy are propagated under the political regime that is undemocratic. Many of them developed as a result of state capitalism and centralization which is different from economic liberalization. This is as a result of policy which directly achieves rapid growth in third world countries. This is done through the creation of protective tariffs around the country’s nascent ship-building and automotive industries. Economies succeed through economic liberation adoption, this process usually occurs under political system that is authoritarian. This type of system always associates to military coup in democratic overthrow of elected government. Democratic states that are developing are usually undermined by economic liberation. This is because of the
Use of iPads in schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Use of iPads in schools - Research Paper Example This document sets out to explore the major opposing views of implementing the iPad technology into academic learning. Most schools across the country are still finding or rather struggling to find just how new technological developments might educate students in a better way. Recent research shows that in thirty one US states, approximately 275,000 K-12 students were taking online classes (Valstad, 2011). Administrators of different schools are handing out iPads and encouraging students and teachers to find new and better ways in which they can use these gadgets to learn. Whereas the issuance of individual iPads to students and teachers is highly present in high-income earning students, those on the other end have a disadvantage in terms of access and use of the gadget. As much as many may be saying the technology-driven learning eases the whole learning process, making it more streamlined and efficient; a close attention needs to be paid with respect to the negative impacts associated with the use of this education-driven technology in school. One Matt Burns believes that iPads should not be in classrooms due to the fear of them turning into another prop for current scholars just in the same way calculators have made sure that children or rather students actually no longer need to know how to do mathematics (Henderson and Yeow, 2012). According to Valstad (2011), kids in the temporary classes are now taught to pass tests. Knowledge is externalized, stored on some server or gadget up to when they are needed. Despite the learning process being prevale nt in schools, the storage of thoughts and facts is not. iPads and their digital textbooks will only serve to further this problem as all it takes is a click on a word to get its meaning and or definition. In addition, Henderson and Yeow (2012) mention that students in classrooms are likely to suffer from potential distraction where
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Henry and his Wives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Henry and his Wives - Essay Example This volume intends to present the conditions and the confines in which Henry’s wives and other women lived in detail as presented by the author. The author has shown Henry as a very notorious character where he marries six wives. This distinct Henry in the records of history where he is seen to achieve almost anything through his destructive influence and power. At first, Henry Marries Catherine of Aragon, however, their marriage is ended by an infant death and a sensational political revolt. His second wife also meets and unfortunate end, where by charges that were most likely false she is executed. Jane Seymour the third wife who bore Henry a son died in childbirth. Soon after the death of Jane Henry remarried a German woman who came to be a disappointment later as according to Henry was not as beautiful as he had hoped. Consequently, they divorced after six months. Henry’s fifth wife was Katherine Howard; unfortunately, just like his first wife she was set for execution through cunning means. Finally, the author concludes the story by the live events of the last wife of Henry, Katherine Parr who was well mannered and served her husband with great respect and devotion until his death. The author at this point reflects the life of the women of this time and the place they were kept by the society. He further brings out a variety of themes such as egoism and others through the life and deeds of the king. Henry serves the role of the medieval society and how influential individuals and people in power positions related with
Strategy and strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Strategy and strategic management - Essay Example After developing plans, they provide resources that facilitate the implementation of policies and after a specified time, they evaluate whether the goals have been accomplished. Mission statements help managers to set the company direction. Various theories have been put forward by scholars regarding what strategic management entails. The most common is the ten schools of thought developed by Mintzberg. He classifies strategy into three categories namely; prescriptive, descriptive and configuration (Mintzberg, 1990). This theory helps to interpret the process of strategic planning and be able to plan even when there is change in environment as a result of internal or external factors. This paper is a critique of the concept of strategy, the strategy process and how it can be drawn upon and used by contemporary built environment organizations within current climate. Strategy is a plan of action directed towards achieving an organization’s goals and objectives. Managers set the organizational strategies and goals and also device ways of achieving them. Different managers use different approaches to strategize and Mintzberg categorizes them into ten schools for better understanding and thereafter classifies them into three broad categories depending on their purpose. They include; prescriptive, descriptive and configurative (Whittington, 2000). These involve designing, analysis and positioning for the future. The design school of thought is concerned with ways of developing strategies. The manager evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the organization against the opportunities and threats which are external. Based on the result, the manager is able to formulate a strategy which addresses the shortcomings and tries to maintain a balance between the two. The organizational strategy does not have to be complicated and can be understood and implemented by all staff members while on the other hand, it is static and hence not suitable since
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Henry and his Wives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Henry and his Wives - Essay Example This volume intends to present the conditions and the confines in which Henry’s wives and other women lived in detail as presented by the author. The author has shown Henry as a very notorious character where he marries six wives. This distinct Henry in the records of history where he is seen to achieve almost anything through his destructive influence and power. At first, Henry Marries Catherine of Aragon, however, their marriage is ended by an infant death and a sensational political revolt. His second wife also meets and unfortunate end, where by charges that were most likely false she is executed. Jane Seymour the third wife who bore Henry a son died in childbirth. Soon after the death of Jane Henry remarried a German woman who came to be a disappointment later as according to Henry was not as beautiful as he had hoped. Consequently, they divorced after six months. Henry’s fifth wife was Katherine Howard; unfortunately, just like his first wife she was set for execution through cunning means. Finally, the author concludes the story by the live events of the last wife of Henry, Katherine Parr who was well mannered and served her husband with great respect and devotion until his death. The author at this point reflects the life of the women of this time and the place they were kept by the society. He further brings out a variety of themes such as egoism and others through the life and deeds of the king. Henry serves the role of the medieval society and how influential individuals and people in power positions related with
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5
Art - Essay Example It is true that media artists today consider both aesthetics and ethics in their work. In the current investigation, my point of view is that the most important thing in a work of art is its ethical qualities, because no matter how hard one tries, one cannot get away from ethics. To me, concentrating wholly on form and ignoring ethics is basically blinding oneself to a critical aspect of artistic creation and (especially) consumption. Television, movies, and other media arts are judged in terms of morality and ethical qualities as a foremost consideration; to ignore this aspect borders on folly. Media arts are made for public consumption, and part of this public consumption is the ethical judgment of the genre and the product. Television must pass censorship standards, and movies must pass ratings standards. When people watch a movie, especially a mass-market production, they are often watching an ethical polarization of good and evil (good guys vs. bad guys). And if there is ambiguity between who is the bad guy and the good guy, this is also a moral or ethical question. â€Å"From our casual conversations about the moral status of cinematic villains and heroines, through debates about the effects of the portrayal of violence by Hollywood International, to arguments about the portrayal of sex and sexuality, film talk is intimately tied up with ethical concerns and evaluations†(Meskin, 2009). The same can be said of talk about other media arts, especially television, which seeks to appeal to a mass market kind of morality or ethics. To say that media arts is only for malism is all well in good in a very limited art-house context, but to consider the real situation, one must accept the mass-media perspective. In this perspective, ethics and morality are explicitly involved in the consumption of media arts. One cannot subtract ethics from this consideration; to do so would be to lose a large piece of the puzzle in terms of how human beings react
Monday, October 14, 2019
Inc Narrative Report Essay Example for Free
Inc Narrative Report Essay For our group, the INCredibles, we are assigned to organize an event which has something to do with a group and its cooperation. The two most important thing when we say â€Å"LEADERSHIP†. As described, â€Å"LEADERSHIP†is the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to achieve a specific goal. Leader steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. Unlike management, leadership cannot be taught, although it may be learned and enhanced through coaching or mentoring. Through this as a student, we are after a good and responsible leader that could really lead us for the best. Through teambuilding activities, different strategies and different leadership is being standout. Teambuilding is defined as the ability to identify and motivate individual employees to form a team that stays together, works together, and achieves together. For our event, entitled â€Å"Many Paths, One Spirit, A legacy of Leadership†we are after for a good leader and especially this event is after for a true and a strong bond. Our event took place at Ouans worth farm, Kanlurang Mayao, Lucena City. The call time of the organizers is at 7:00 in the morning. And for our participants which are the DSC Officers, their call time is at 9:00 in the morning at Manuel S. Enverga CTHRM Study Area. When we got at the venue, everyone is busy designating and planning the last minute petty things to be solved. Then after that, we started putting thing into place. We started cutting papers for the souvenirs and started blowing up the balloons, while other members of the group is still at Zharina’s House and busy preparing the food for our event. We also decorated and started arranging the tables at the conference room and putting some finishing touches. Then after that everyone is settled and other members already know their designated stations for the Amazing Race, and we are only waiting for the arrival of our participants but the DSC Chairman arrived as early as 8:00 in the morning. Then our participants arrived at 10:00 in the morning and it also started the registration, the assigned for the registration is Lindsey Hidalgo, Vera Javier and Karen Tagon. After the participants finished the registration, the program officially begins. The event started with a prayer hoping the event would be successful and also at the same time to attain our main goal that is to have unity, cooperation and a strong bond among the DSC Officers. As the participants log their names at our registration forms, they were at the same time given their IDs and they are also to choose a balloon that indicates which group they would belong. After that Czarina Miranda the emcee of that day’s event, she welcomes whole heartedly the participants and calls on immpediately Nadine Almozara for her to start the day with a prayer. After the Opening Prayer, the Opening Remarks was given by Nina Lumenario. Then the emcee immediately instructed the participants on how the Amazing Race would work and what are the rules. The stations includes the following: Calamansi relay, bilangan ng monggo, spell me DSC, kadena, obstacle, pulot ng basura, harina, and eat all you can (includes ampalaya, banana, calamansi and tomsto). Then after that, the emcee instructed the participants that its time for them to know their respective groups. The first group includes Alexis, Meco and Nino. The second group includes Crio, Hazel, Tyrone, and Chesca. And the last group includes Paul, Alvin and Janica. After that the groups where formed and they need to make a name for their group and to present a yell. Paul’s group is named as the â€Å"TAMARights†inspired by the FEU Tamaraws, they performed their yell first. Alexis’ group is named as â€Å"Orange and Lemons†inspired by a Filipino Local Band. And the last group, Crio’s group is named as â€Å"BLUEtooth†inspired by a cellphone specs. Crio, Paul and Meco added spice whenever they throw jokes to each opther that makes also the event fun. And its now time for the groups to start the Amazing Race. The process is that they where given a clue that would took them to their destination and in that way they would be starting in dif ferent stations. In every stations that they’ll be accomplishing the Station Manager would give them a letter that is a key for a keyword â€Å"CTHRM DSC†and the first to complete this letters, they are the winner. So the game started it’s a thrill. We could really see the cooperation and the hardworks of our participants and we are really thankful because they really supported our event. The first group to arrived at the conference room and completed the letters is Paul’s Group and the are the TAMARights. Second who arrived is Alexis’ Group, the Orange and Lemons. And last is Crio’s Group, the BLUEtooth. So because Crio’s group finish last Meco started throwing jokes at Crio. And once4 again everyone laugh and enjoyed. Then after the picture taking. We started distributing lunch for our participants, our lunch is extraordinary because it’s in a banana leaf and we need to eat together but its really fun. We enjoyed eating like it’s all back to basic. After we finish our lunch, the second game begins and it is to solve a jigsaw puzzle. Alexis’ Group won the challenge, next is Crio’s group and lastly it’s Paul’s group. The next activity is to make their flags that would be symbolizing their group and everyone really made a good job. The event was tiring but it was really worth it, it’s fun and it really bonded the relationships of the participants and also the organizers. Alvin, the DSC Chairman, gave some message that really made us realize and also touches us. Immediately after that Donna, our Event Manager gave a Closing Remarks and after the program everyone was having a free time to sit and jam with the participants and to distribute their snacks and at the same time Paul gave us some intermission number and he does some impersonations. That ends our event and we really think that our event achieves our goals. And as we finish this event we are hoping that this would give our participants a more clearer and more deeper understanding about leadership.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Development of Emulsion Property
Development of Emulsion Property Student’s name: Yang Jiang Abstract In recent years, emulsion has taken an important port in our life, such as cosmetic and some other cosmetic industries. The property of the emulsion has a direct impact on our daily life. This paper chose the process of produce bath gel to provide what makes the property change, how to control it and how to make it better. In technically, chose different viscosity, speed rate and concentrate to get different product. Aim to find the best one. Introduction An emulsion is formed when two more insoluble phases are blended together with one of them is in the form of liquid drop. Emulsions belong to a two-phase system ofmatter which is calledcolloids. The emulsion is generally non-transparent and inherently unstable. The diameter of drop is between 100nm to 10mm, and the size of it could be observed by an optical microscope. However in this work, an emulsion consisting of two liquids is the objective many companies and institutions tend to take advantages of. To sum up, two types of this emulsion can be formed by mixture. The one which shapes into a water-in-oil system is called W/O emulsion and another is oil-in-water system which is called O/W emulsion. Emulsion is widely used in manufacturing as a common form of formulated products, and whose properties have been studied in agriculture, medicine, cosmetics and food. Some kinds of emulsion are necessities in daily life, such as: milk, ice cream, vinaigrettes, rubber, latex, crude oil emulsions and even some cutting fluids formetal working. However, an emulsion cannot be obtained easily because emulsions cannot be formed spontaneously. Energy is needed to form an emulsion through shaking, stirring, homogenizing or exposure to power ultrasound. And in this proposal, the emulsion is formed by stirring. Some mixing devices will be adopted to blend Silicon oil and water together. So it is apparent that some parameters can be fixed as constant and the others are what we are interested in to investigate. A number of the physicochemical properties of emulsions can only be understood with reference to their dynamic nature. Many properties depend on the volume fraction of both phases and the type of emulsifier present. Because of the low solubility of oil in water it is usually assumed that the oil in an emulsion droplet is isolated from that in neighboring droplets. Emulsion stability refers to as the ability of resisting change in its properties over time. Coalescence happens when droplets crash into each other and combine to form a larger droplet, so the mean droplet size increases over time. Emulsions can also undergocreaming, in which the droplets rise to the top of the emulsion. In order to keep the emulsion stability, an appropriate surface active agent should be decided to add into the system to increase the kinetic stability of an emulsion so that the size of the droplets keep unchangeable significantly with time. The emulsions produced by dispersion of a liquid into another insoluble liquid is an aspect of great benefits in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries. Present industrial methods applied in emulsification processes have been fully developed and studied. For example, rotor stator devices, and static mixers techniques are well-accepted as important ways of producing small droplets but with another side effects on the liquids, bringing potential hazards to the properties of compounds. It has been proved by plenty of researchers that droplet size is one factor of the most difficult ones to control because some instability phases will be produced among this during the controlling process. Rotor-stator mixers are usually used for processing of disperse/break solid particles and aggregates and also to colloidal liquid-liquid systems. Such as cosmetic, food, pharmaceutical, health care products and many other industries. As the drop size affects the processing and the properties of the products in the emulsification. The mechanisms that break the drops is the key for design process. Rotor and stator are the two main mechanisms which can break drops in rotor-stator devices. For emulsification, the industrial processing and some of the product properties are influenced by the drop size. In a two-phase process, the mass transfer rate is proportional to the interfacial area between the two phases. The drop size distribution is varied with the conditions inside the vessel and the length of mixing time and thus the interfacial area is changed with it. Hence successful processing steps are designed by establishing deep understanding of the mechanism of drop breakup. In general, two competing theories have been proved on drop breakup mechanisms to give a good explanation to this phenomenon. So one theory shows that droplet breakup is produced by turbulent eddies (energy dissipation rate) and another is due to the agitator shear rate. Another widely used mixing device: static mixers, which are also called motionless mixers, have become standard equipment in the process industries. Their application in continuous processes is a good choice to traditional agitation because generally better performance can be obtained with this device at lower cost. There are also some other kinds of mixing devices such as CSTR and batch reactor. But according to the cost, property of the emulsion, the conditions in the lab and many other factors I chose rotor-stator mixer as the agitator. The working principle of rotor-stator mixture is shown as below in Figure 1. Figure 1: Basic principle of rotor – stator mixture when running In this essay, comparing different emulsion got from different conditions of the mixing due to different conditions of mixing have a direct result that the droplet size changed. The property of the emulsion is influenced by the droplet size. The viscosity and storage modulus of W/O and O/W fine concentrated emulsions were increased by the reduction of droplet size. And the shear-thinning effects got stronger in the fine emulsions As silicon oil is the resource which is manly used in cosmetics. How bath gel be different by the different size of droplet is the main purpose. As the rheology of emulsion is influenced by the droplet size, various of bath gel might be produced with different property. Background 3.1Theory 3.2. Literature review There have been a large amount of methods of producing polymer emulsions in industrial manufacturing. One of the mainly way of them is emulsion polymerization. Emulsion polymerization has large polymer relative molecular mass, fast reaction rate, low pollution and the equipment and technology with which to produce the emulsion products is easy to get and operated in generation. Recently, more and more scientists have focused on this area. Many factors have an important influence on both yield and quality of the polymerization product in the process of emulsion polymerization, such as the type and concentration of emulsifier, the sorts and concentration of initiator, the intensity of stirring, reaction temperature, the category and concentration of electrolyte and some other technological parameters. Emulsion polymerization system is a multiphase system, the effect of stirring turn the monomer into droplet separately, which is good for heat transfer and mass transfer. And keep the system mixing, constant temperature, avoid from local overheating. The yield and quality of the emulsion polymer are controlled by stir directly. Many scholars carried out extensive research on the influence of the mixing of emulsion polymerization. Such as Shunmukhan et al, Omi et al, Nomura et al who had studied the effects of mixing on low solid content of the emulsion. Vanderhoff, M. Zubitor, S. Oprea et al, Matejicek et al who has studied the effects of mixing on high solid content emulsion polymerization (> 50%).This paper elaborated how the mixing effects on the quality of products. Influence of the style of agitator on polymerization The production capacity of reactor, the quality of product and the accident caused by cooling or heating are all related to the type of agitator. Shearing action, circulating mode and the mixed-ability which were generated by mixing are given by the specific style of agitator. And so does the state of macro-flow. 3 factors should be considered when selecting the style of agitator: 1. High heat transfer coefficient should be ensure from the reactor wall or Immersion coil to the reactants; 2. An obvious effect should be provided in the stirring; 3. Low consumption of energy in the stirring. Therefore, in the process of emulsion polymerization, especially for the industrialized production, we should find out the most appropriate style of agitator by strengthen the research about the relation between mixer and emulsion polymerization. Influence of mixing intensity on the emulsion polymerization 2.1 The influence of mixing intensity on latex particle size In the process of emulsion polymerization, mixing intensity has a direct impact on the latex particle size. With the revolution of mixing higher, monomer was divided into smaller beads, the surface area of monomer droplet was larger per cubic centimeter of water, the amount of emulgator adsorbed on the surface was increased, the numbers of micelle were reduced per cubic centimeter of water, the rate of nucleation decreased in phase 1, so does the emulsion grains generated, if the initial monomer amount is fixed, the particle size of latex increases. With the increase of stirring intensity, latex particle size also increases in the process of semi-continuous emulsion polymerization are analyzed and verified by M. Zubitur et al, S. Opera. And they further points out that the stirring intensity also affect the nucleation mechanism: under the low intensity, the micellar nucleation and monomer droplet nucleation were presented. And the distribution of particle size is unimodal features. T herefore, in the emulsion polymerization, the diameter of latex particle is related to the number of latex particle, with the increase of stirring intensity, the number of latex particle decreased, the diameter of latex particle increased, vice versa. 2.2 The influence of mixing intensity on the stability of emulsion Emulsion stability is one of the most valuable properties in researches involving emulsions concerned by numerous scientists. The influence of stirring intensity on the emulsion stability is mainly manifested in polymerization stability. During the process of emulsion polymerization, droplet condensation may happen raised by coalescence of latex particles within the emulsion, as a result of the loss of polymer emulsion stability. In other cases, during the emulsion polymerization, the condensate may deposit on the reactor components which are accumulated in a thick layer. This is one kind of phenomenon of gel. These phenomena may make the color of emulsion fade away, delicate feeling disappear, affecting the quality of the product seriously. Stability of high solid content emulsion has two important areas which should be concentrated on to investigate further. On one hand, with an increase in stirring intensity and collision frequency, the emulsion stability which plays an important role in manufacturing products will be decreased. On the other hand, due to the solid content increased inside the emulsion, and the high emulsion viscosity, the emulsion stability in the heat transfer process impact much on the quality of emulsion products. Especially when the mixing intensity is too high, the material internal shearing action is too frequent; the stability of the emulsion polymerization is easy to destroy so finding some methods to keep its stability should be paid special attention to control the mixing intensity. In pharmaceutics, hairstyling, personal hygiene, and cosmetics, emulsions are frequently used. These are usually oil and water emulsions but dispersed, and which is continuous depends in many cases on the pharmaceutical formulation. These emulsions may be called creams, ointments, liniments (balms), pastes, films, or liquids, depending mostly on their oil-to-water ratios, other additives, and their intended route of administration.[10][11]The first 5 are topical dosage forms, and may be used on the surface of the skin, transdermally, ophthalmically, rectally, or vaginally. A highly liquid emulsion may also be used orally, or may be injected in some cases.[10]Popular medications occurring in emulsion form include calamine lotion, cod liver oil,Polysporin,cortisolcream,Canesten, andFleet. Microemulsions are used to deliver vaccinesand kill microbes.[12]Typical emulsions used in these techniques are nanoemulsions of soybean oil, with particles that are 400-600nm in diameter.[13]The process is not chemical, as with other types of antimicrobial treatments, but mechanical. The smaller the droplet the greater the surface tension and thus the greater the force required to merge with other lipids. The oil is emulsified with detergents using a high-shear mixer to stabilize the emulsion so, when they encounter the lipids in the cell membrane or envelope of bacteria or viruses, they force the lipids to merge with themselves. On a mass scale, in effect this disintegrates the membrane and kills the pathogen. The soybean oil emulsion does not harm normal human cells, or the cells of most other higher organisms, with the exceptions of sperm cells and blood cells, which are vulnerable to nanoemulsions due to the peculiarities of their membrane structures. For this reason, these nanoemulsions are not currently used intravenously (IV). The most effective application of this type of nanoemulsion is for the disinfection of surfaces. Some types of nanoemulsions have been shown to effectively destroy HIV-1 and tuberculosis pathogens on non-porous surfaces. Objectives 3.3.1 In this experiment, the first objective is to find the relationship of drop size and stirring intensity. In most cases, an increase in stirring intensity will cause an decrease in the size of every droplet inside of the oil-in-water emulsion. In order to keep the stability of the system, a fixed concentration of surfactant (SLES) will be added in each experiment to keep a balance between the forces in both directions. Furthermore, the quantity of SLES used in every system should be kept the same. Besides, the time for this kind of experiments is not enough to carry out all, so only one type of the agitator will be investigated. Therefore, the parameters which can be changed are the speed of the agitator, the oil viscosity and different time intervals. The second objective is to link droplet size to the viscosity of oil. Different concentration and viscosity of oil may render the emulsion system unstable with respect to time, because different oil viscosity means different Reynolds number showing different flow regime that the emulsion is. And thus the other important properties of the emulsion should be affected by the mean viscosity of the oil phase and water phase. The third objective is to investigate the effect of concentration of aqueous phase have on the droplet size. At the same time, the mixing time can influence the size of the oil droplet and its distribution. So that is another meaningful point to investigate. Methodology Viscosity of the oil is: 10, 1000,12500and 30000 cSt. The agitator rotor can run from 10000 to 20000 RPMs for a rotor stator system. Resources requirements Laboratory Safety The author has attended an introduction about health and safety and will obey all rules in the lab. While working with lots of harmful chemicals, I have read the instruction of chemical use which provides some vital information in case of emergency. All the cutters using by stirring operations must be assessed before use. Lab coat, safety glasses and nitrile rubber gloves should be dressed in case of potential danger. I have been working safety in the lab for about half a year in my college and I claim that I have known what I should do for emergent situation and decrease the degree of danger to the least. Work plan Beneficiaries References
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Anabolic Steroids and the High School Athlete Essay -- Drugs Athletics
Anabolic Steroids and the High School Athlete Anabolic steroid abuse has become a national concern among high school athletes. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of athletes using these performance enhancing drugs in high school almost double the number using since the 1980's. These athletes feel that steroids gives them the competitive edge that they think they need to boost themselves past the competition. Steroids have been used in bodybuilding and other sports since the 1950's. Nowadays, athletes from all walks of life use them. It's not uncommon for athletes such as bodybuilders, football players, boxers, sprinters, and especially powerlifters to use them on a year round basis. Some professional bodybuilders admit to using over 10 times the normal effective dosage for testosterone. Steroids and sports go hand in hand in many ways. They were legal until 1990 when they joined other banned substances such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines as being illegal. Many athletes including Arnold Schwarzenegger and football great Lyle Alzado have admitted to using them to help them become better athletes. Because they are illegal without a prescription in almost every country in the world they are only available to the recreational user on the "black market". The black market consists of all steroidal substances, counterfeits, and other illegal drugs that are purchased from a source other than directly from a pharmacy or a physician. As everyone knows, when a product is available only on the black market the demand of it goes up while the supply goes down. This means that a very high percentage of all athletes that use them are doing so illegally. This is a major reason why steroids have become so popular among high school athletes, there so easy to obtain. Once viewed as a problem only associated with professional athletes, recent reports estimate that 5 to 12 percent of male high school students and 1 percent of female students have used anabolic steroids by the time they were seniors. The athletes using these drugs don?t belong to one particular sport, these users play sports ranging from girls tennis all the way to boys swimming all of which have the same goal in common, to gain the upper hand. They are usually used during training to build muscles and contrary to popular belief are not usually used when the athlete is competing... ...An ongoing series of studies has shown that this team-centered approach reduces new steroid abuse by 50 percent. A program designed for adolescent girls on sports teams, patterned after the program designed for boys, is currently being tested. Some medications that have been used for treating steroid withdrawal, restore the hormonal system after its disruption by steroid abuse. Other medications target specific withdrawal symptoms, for example, antidepressants to treat depression, and analgesics for head aches and muscle and joint pains ( May pg 65). Some patients require assistance beyond simple treatment of withdrawal symptoms and are treated with behavioral therapies. Compared to student athletes who were not exposed to the program, ATLAS participants had increased understanding of the effects of steroids, greater belief in personal vulnerability to the consequences of steroid use, improved drug-refusal skills, less belief in steroid-promoting media messages, increased belief in the team as an information source, improved perception of athletic abilities and strength training self-efficacy, improved nutrition and exercise behaviors and reduced intentions to use steroids.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Dramatic Changes in the U.S. Intelligence Community Essay
Intelligence services of any country play a vital role in its security as well as in support of its national interests. The U. S. Intelligence Community (IC) today is a federation of about 16 separate governmental agencies (United States Intelligence Community, 2009) that monitor information worldwide and domestically in pursuance of America’s national interests. The IC has undergone fundamental changes since WWII, the 1970s and in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 attacks and the Iraq war 2003. Each of these fundamental changes in policy, organization and practice has had a profound impact in the workings of the IC. This essay examines the effects of the successive reforms carried out within the IC focusing on the above mentioned three periods of dramatic changes. The precursor to the Intelligence Community was the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which was formed during the Second World War to coordinate the intelligence gathering and espionage activities of the single service intelligence services. After the Second World War, the U. S. government sought to change the predominant army orientation of the OSS. The National Security Act of 1947 established the Central Intelligence Agency that took over the functions of the OSS and charged it with collection of national security intelligence but no â€Å"police, subpoena, law enforcement powers or internal security function (Theoharis & Immerman, 2006, p. 156). †The aim here was to curtail the inflated powers that the OSS had gathered during the war time years. However, the reality of the Cold War forced the US government to promulgate â€Å"the NSC 4A of December 14, 1947, and NSC 10/2 of June 18, 1948 (Theoharis & Immerman, 2006, p. 158)†giving the CIA mandate to conduct covert operations. Thereon, the mandate of the CIA was increased to include sabotage, support of indigenous anti-communist elements and kill and depose leaders from Cuba to Chile (Kinzer, 2008, p. 210). The 1949 Central Intelligence Agency Act authorized the agency fiscal independence outside the domain of public scrutiny and administrative controls. The organization was also exempted from having to make public the roll call of its employees or where they were being employed. So the powers of the agency were vastly increased and congressional oversight reduced. Through the sixties into the early 70s, the CIA was at the forefront of covert war across the globe, undermining the Soviets and in the process becoming a law unto them self. Thus when Dr Muhammed Mossadeq of Iran nationalized British Petroleum, it was the CIA which helped the British to overthrow his government to establish Reza Pehalavi as their puppet (Paul, 2003, p. 14). In Iraq too, US intelligence services recruited in 1959, Saddam Hussein to take part in assassination of Iraqi Prime minister Qasim who was poised to hurt American oil interests in Iraq. Within the United States, the CIA was involved in hunting out communist supporters under McCarthyism that led to the arrests and incarceration of hundreds of Americans under trumped up charges. These internal actions of the IC made the community most unpopular with politicians across the spectrum. Nixon initially distrusted the agencies but soon saw their utility leading to a series of successful covert operations that helped in winding down the Vietnam War, Coup de etat in Chile, engagement with China and containment actions across the globe against Soviet expansion. Nixon later misused the CIA in getting the agency to obstruct FBI investigations into the Watergate scandal (1972). In Africa, the CIA carried out covert operations to oust Soviet influence. In the period right up to the early 70s, the IC was involved predominantly in conduct of a secret foreign policy and the administration then started having misgivings about the efficiency of the organization with its excessive focus on clandestine operations (Louis, 1987, p. 103). Therefore, in 1973, the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), James Schlesinger decided to reform the agency to make it more accountable and efficient. â€Å"He fired two thousand officers (Louis, p. 103)†and compiled a report on the (mis)doings of the agency in conducting political assassinations worldwide, and indulging in illegal surveillance of thousands of US citizens who had opposed America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Though this report was supposed to be secret, it was leaked to the media that led to a series of investigations into the workings of the CIA by the senate (Church Committee), the House of Representatives (Pike Committee) and the administration of Gerald Ford (Rockefeller Commission) in 1975, which in turn led to the distancing of the CIA from its linkages with domestic politics. This also led to a formation of the Presidential Oversight Board at the White House and the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in 1977 to maintain oversight on the workings of the IC. President Ford â€Å"banned assassination plots against foreign leaders and tightened CIA and NSC approval procedures for the use of covert actions (Jeffreys-Jones & Andrew, 1997, p. 182)†. President Carter further tightened the accountability of the IC. The technicalization of the IC under the stewardship of Admiral Turner vastly increased the agencies ability to remotely eavesdrop on the global community but downplayed HUMINT leading to glaring weaknesses in intelligence collection in the field that led to the bombings of American embassies in Kenya, Uganda and the 9/11 attacks. The Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980 brought in more accountability in the workings of the IC, which included advance intimation to the Congress in case the IC was to be tasked for covert operations. In the Reagan years, the IC was actively involved in ousting the Soviets from Afghanistan. The IC played a pivotal role in supplying the Mujahidin arms and ammunition to defeat the Soviets. The Reagan administration, on many occasions willfully bypassed the Oversight Act as Vice Admiral Poindexter; Reagan’s NSA stated that â€Å"he had bypassed the intelligence committees in the Iran-Contra Affair to avoid outside interference (Jeffreys-Jones & Andrew, p. 189)†. This led to the 1991 Intelligence Oversight Act which required the President to give a written order for any covert operation. The various measures to instill accountability, and reduce the scope of its power hobbled the agencies which became too ‘gun-shy’ (Coll, 2004, p. 424) and failed spectacularly in detecting the 9/11 attack plan launched by the Al Qaeda. The 9/11 report clearly indicted the intelligence services for their failure to detect the formation of a coherent group like the Al Qaeda and its intent to attack symbols of American power within America (Kean & Hamilton, 2004, p. 341). The report pointed out to the deficiencies in strategic analysis against Al Qaeda, lack of imaginative thinking and the lack of coordination between the various intelligence agencies. The 9/11 report recommended sweeping changes to restructure the IC starting right at the top by replacing the position of Director of Central Intelligence with National Intelligence Director (Kean & Hamilton, 2004, p. 411) to oversee national intelligence centers and have the power to approve and submit nominations of individuals who would head CIA, DIA, FBI intelligence office and so on (Kean & Hamilton, 2004, p. 412). Since 9/11, the role of the IC in covert operations had increased vastly especially under the Republican watch, where greater leeway was given to the IC to carry out targeted killings using predator drones across Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The embarrassment of the false Iraqi WMD dossier, regret for which was proffered by then Secretary of State, Colin Powell (Shulman, 2008, p. 107) dented the IC’s image and there have been renewed calls for strengthening congressional oversight over the workings of the IC. The Obama administration has shown greater sensitivity towards adhering to the democratic tenets of oversight and following the rules set by the National Security Act in that the new CIA Director Leon Panetta, on first information, shut down a secret CIA mission to kill Al Qaeda leaders which was being executed without congressional approval (Hess, 2009). In conclusion it can be reiterated that the US IC has been undergoing dramatic changes since the Second World War mostly as a reaction to the changing circumstances. The reforms after Second World War were initiated to bring about better coordination, accountability and oversight by the government into the workings of the IC. The reforms in the seventies were a direct reaction to the excesses committed by the IC and to check their indiscretion and bring greater control over their objectionable operations. 9/11 gave a severe jolt to the American administration and the reforms that were then initiated came as response to the event as also a genuine feeling for the need to better harness the skills of the IC. Post Iraq War 2003, the clamor for oversight has increased as it was being felt that the agencies had deliberately misled the government by giving faulty intelligence that led to the Iraq war. On the whole, the drive to initiate reforms in the IC has been more reactive in nature rather than being proactive for dealing with future threats. Works Cited Coll, S. (2004). Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden. NY: Penguin. Hess, P. (2009, July 15). House Lays Groundwork for CIA Probe. Retrieved July 21, 2009, from Washington Post: http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/14/AR2009071401648. html Jeffreys-Jones, R. , & Andrew, C. M. (1997). Eternal Vigilance? : 50 Years of the CIA. NY: Routledge. Kean, T. H. , & Hamilton, L. (2004). The 9/11 Commission Report. Washington D. C. : Supt. of Docs. GPO. Kinzer, S. (2008). All the Shah’s Men. NY: Wiley. Louis, G. (1987). The New American State: Bureaucracies and Policies Since Worl War II. Baltimore: JHU Press. Paul, J. A. (2003, November). Oil Companies in Iraq. Retrieved July 6, 2009, from Global Policy Forum: http;//www. globalpolicy. org/component/content/article/185/40586. html Shulman, S. (2008). Undermining Science: Suppression and Distortion in the Bush Administration. Berkeley: University of California Press. Theoharis, A. G. , & Immerman, R. H. (2006). The Central Intelligence Agency Under Scrutiny. Westport: Greenwood Publishing. United States Intelligence Community. (2009). Members of the Intelligence Community. Retrieved July 21, 2009, from http://www. intelligence. gov/1-members. shtml
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