On September 11th 2001 the world was forever changed Essay Example for Free

On September 11th 2001 the world was forever changed Essay On September 11th 2001 the world was forever changed. The horrific events, which occurred at the World Trade Centers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and on Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania, have forever altered the way Americans view their safety. Every household in the U.S. tuned in to the news on TV, radio, or Internet to see how the world was being twisted in front of their eyes. These events dramatically proved that the United States, the greatest nation in the world, was no longer safe from outside threats. . The stock market crash of 1929, which led to the depression, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the terrorist attacks of September 11th were all unexpected events that no one could have predicted but had such dramatic effects that they can never be forgotten. All three events seem to be categorized together for a few simple reasons. To the average American citizen these horrendous events were unforeseen, but noted historians would beg to differ. They believe in such instances as Pearl Harbor, The stock market crash of 1929, and September 11th, that the government and many political figures were forewarned. If they had taken their admonitions more seriously and acted upon them, historians believe that they could have at least made the consequent effects minimal. There were several proceedings that should have elicited American retaliation. It is said that Bin laden himself declared war on America in 1996. In the early 90s, The World Trade Center was car bombed, and Osama Bin Laden was the primary suspect for this assault. Even after that incident no one saw Bin laden as a serious threat and didnt think his dangerous ways could jeopardize our countries well being as a whole. After the attack of September 11th it seems the unification of the American people became so strong its virtually indissoluble. Our previously fragile society became a link so strong we believe it cant be touched by the outside perils of the world. The rise in Nationalism came about in a wave of red white and blue colors. It seemed every face in America was painted with the stars and stripes of our grand old flag. Our countries banner was now the latest fashion; closets were overflowing with the celebrated colors of our patriotic nation. Every news station put American flags on their lapels, and waving red, white and blue graphics were put on most channels. Many well-known Hollywood figures and successful businesses put together charities benefiting the victims and families affected by September 11. September 11 mended our nations pride and restored our dignity. Such a strong sense of nationalism can easily be compared to that of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, when East and West Germany celebrated their reunion as one, after being isolated for so long. Subsequent to September 11, the United States faced many abrupt transformations as far as pastimes, lifestyles, and entertainment goes. There were a few noticeable differences from the changes following WWII, to those of September 11th. For example, Baseball, the great American pastime was brought to a standstill after September 11, where as Roosevelt motivated people to go to baseball games, and had baseball play a part in the healing of the country. Another difference from 9-11 was that after Pearl Harbor, and the crash of 1929, there were severe cut backs and limitations on how much of certain commodities, such as gasoline and sugar, the average American could use. The difference now is that we are currently at war with the oil capitals of the world. The gas prices are booming and dont appear to be coming down any time soon; however, this does not stop the typical egotistic American from buying a brand new fuel consuming SUV. Racism is another topic that has been significantly affected by September 11th .In WWII we knew who the enemy was, it was strictly the Japanese and Germans, however, now its a pin the tail on the donkey1 mentality. After Pearl Harbor many Japanese men were put into internment camps to be interrogated for information and kept there, that did not happen after 9-11 however, many Arabs were questioned and racial profiling became a major issue. There was also a great deal of hate crimes aimed at the Arab race and people who had the visual characteristics of the middle-eastern inhabitants. The U.S. was unsure of which persons were solely responsible for the crimes, therefore no individual has the right to go pointing their fingers at any particular group, But the stereotyping and profiling still persists. . Exactly one year after Pearl Harbor the stock market had climbed up to almost where it was before (within 10%) now we are suffering a recession because of 9-11. Another fact is that before Pearl Harbor, the country was just coming out the depression and wasnt even fully out. The war effort boosted production. 9-11 happened right when the US was at its prime in the economy and the attack destroyed industry and commercial enterprises. Also the government suspended a monopoly trial against GE so that it would not hurt the war effort. After 9-11 the government focused on companies such as Enron and WorldCom. Noticeably there are numerous features of September 11th that could be considered. However, It would be virtually impossible to cover all the aspects and phases of such an important date. September 11th, 2001 was a horribly significant date in not only American history but in world history as well. It brought back horrific memories of such instances as The Bombing of Pearl harbor and can even be compared to the hardships and struggles of The Stock Market Crash of 1929. As a result, the American people came together as one in a battle we like to call the war on terrorism 2. It is obvious this war may be infinite but it is worth the struggle, just knowing, in the future we may perhaps avoid such devastating events. As James Baldwin once wrote A country is only as strong as the people who make it up and the country turns into what the people want it to becomewe made the world were living in and we have to make it over. 3 I think we should all recollect on the events step by step of September 11th, and take into mind, the advice that Baldwin has given us. Someday our country can completely overcome all of its vulnerability and end any chances of a date like this form reoccurring. Bibliography: www.time.com/archives/911 www.encarta.com/911 www.bostonherald.com/911/media www.bostonherald.com/911/race www.american-history.com/history/september11.mgi www.alternet.org/story.html ENDNOTES: 1. Lauren mills, a noted historian currently attending B.H.S. September 15th 2002. 2. George W. Bush Jr., AlterNet: One Year Later: Unintended Consequences of 9/11 and the war on terrorism. War against Iraq pg 3 3. James Baldwin, AlterNet: Before and After Septemeber11 True courage pg. 5

The Social Expression Industry In The Uk Marketing Essay

The Social Expression Industry In The Uk Marketing Essay Carte Blanche, a renowned player in the social expression industry in the UK and worldwide, is set to introduce a new product, e-greeting card, on January 1, 2011. This report therefore covers the new product and brand development strategy and their associated activities that may ensure the success of the brand from development up to the first 3 to 4 years of its life cycle. The strategy is broken down into 3 objectives, namely: to develop a new social expression product to the selected target market; to develop new area of brand strategy toward achieving set sales target; and to position Carte Blanche through the activities above to deliver excellent growth rate. The product shall serve young people and their families and shall be distributed intensively on the internet while employing competitive pricing to ensure market penetration. Table of Contents Introduction Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd is one of the key players in the social expression industry in the UK, and globally. The social expression industry is associated with greeting cards, notes and stationery, gift wrap, and other socially expressive products (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 41). The best seller of all the products produced from the social expression market is the greeting card. It accounts for a sizeable portion of the over $4 billion worth of the social expression market, globally (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 41). The global annual growth rate of the industry is estimated to be an impressive 7 percent (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). The developed countries including the UK and other Western European countries, North America, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan account for a disproportionately high percent of the market demand (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). Carte Blanche Greetings was founded by Stephen Haines over more than twenty years ago and he still serves as its Chairman (Carte Blanche, 2010). Carte Blanche is a global player in the social expression industry with a reputable brand and product portfolio which span the different available categories of the industry (Carte Blanche, 2010). Carte Blanche currently boasts of recognized brands and a reputable product portfolio. The products are currently published in 14 languages, and distributed in more than 60 countries employing multiple channels of distribution (Carte Blanche, 2010). The social expression industry is characterized by constant change (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996) and cultural sensitivity (Keegan, 1969). This report is necessary in defining a path for ensuring the growth of Carte Blanche in the highly competitive, constantly changing, and culturally sensitive social expression industry over the next three to five years. Audit SWOT and PEST analyses will be carried-out here as models are particularly valuable in ensuring logical consistency and exploring the subtle interactions involving a limited number of variables (Porter, 1991, p. 98). SWOT analysis SWOT framework that encompasses the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a company in relation to its internal and external environment respectively, and it is a reliable process for strategy selection (Barney, 1996; Novicevic et al., 2004). The framework as applied to Carte Blanche is as below: Strength Carte Blanche boasts of recognized brands and a reputable product portfolio that the consumer is already familiar with and trust. The Carte Blanche products are currently published in 14 languages worldwide taking into cognizance the cultural sensitivity of the social expression industry. The company already has global presence as it is found in over 60 countries and ensures effective distribution through multiple distribution channels. Carte Blanche employs the use of local licensee to reap such benefits as minimal asset commitment in physical assets such as inventory and human resources (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 46). Weaknesses Limited global coverage. Lack of financial muscle. Opportunities Carte Blanche possesses good prospects for product transfer to other countries not presently covered. The prospect for product transfer is said to be greatest for nations with characteristics similar to that of the originating countries (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 42), whereas the UK, Carte Blanches home country, shares a lot with many of UKs former colonies such as India. There is great potential for further internalization of Carte Blanche products as only 60 of the many countries in the world are currently covered. Threats The industry is characterized by heavy weight competitors both in the UK and abroad with global outreach such as Hallmark, American Greetings, and Gibson Greetings (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 40). The industry is laced with cultural sensitivity and could lead to lost sales and considerable corporate embarrassment (Ricks, 1983 as cited by Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 40) for an industry player who commits a cultural blunder. PEST analysis Political Legal regulations require different methods of packaging for the social expression products in different environments (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). The government and its regulatory agencies often regulate the type of different materials that may be used in product manufacturing, and this may vary from one country to another (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). Government regulations may also place restrictions and set standards for product labeling (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). For advertising, PR, and trade promotion with their associated financial cost are often highly regulated by the government (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). Export to other countries may be restricted or hampered by inter-government relations, trade accords, and policies (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). Environmental Variations in climate and/ or weather of the Carte Blanche home country from its export countries may requires product adaptation(Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). For example, the tropics do not experience snow fall during the Christmas season. Workers or employees in the target countries for internationalization may generally possess lower expertise than in the UK and hence may require some training with its associated cost (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). To take full economic advantage of new markets, products should be developed to meet the different occasions, celebrations, and festival found there (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). Social The different social celebrations such as festivals found in different environments often necessitate the need for different customize products and may lead to increased revenue (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996).. The industry is laced with cultural sensitivity and could lead to lost sales and considerable corporate embarrassment (Ricks, 1983 as cited by Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 40) for an industry player who commits a cultural blunder. But, it is also a huge opportunity to meet need demands. Technology The industry players require relatively extensive investment in technology in improving on their efficiency, effective, and general performance (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996). Carte Blanche makes use of innovative supply chain associated technology in ensuring effective and efficient distribution of its productive for a competitive advantage (Carte Blanche, 2010). SMART objectives To give concrete direction and make the success of the new product development measurable at the end of the day, we have set the following SMART objectives. To develop a new social expression product to be launched by January 1, 2011 to the selected target market; Develop new area of brand strategy toward achieving sales target of  £500,000 by December 31, 2011; and Position Carte Blanche through the activities above to deliver excellent growth rate of 10% per annum and market share of 40% over the next 3-5 years. The objectives above contain elements of long-term strategy although they have been set for the first 12 months of the new product life cycle, but their achievement may ensure that the long-term objectives are realized. Huan et al. (2007, p. 277) citing Doyle et al. (1985), Hooley and Lynch (1985), Shaw (1995), Siu (2000), Baker and Leidecker (2001), and Siu and Liu (2005) argues that successful companies set longer term strategic objectives (i.e. short-run profits are not sought at the expense of longer run strategic objectives). New product and strategic brand development plan and implementation Considering a brand development plan for Carte Blanche is critical as many researchers such as McWilliam (1993), Tauber (1981), Economist (1990; 1991), and Ambler and Styles (1996) recognized that brand and line extensions is now a popular growth strategy, especially noticeable in saturated fast-moving consumer goods industries. However, developing brand or line extensions is one type of new product development (NPD) (Ambler and Styles, 1996, p.13). The new product development process shall follow that which was outlined by Kotler (1991). The eight point sequence that will generate the NPD plan is as discussed below: 1. Idea generation A thorough process of idea generation that involved contributions from the different stakeholders resulted in the birth of a variety of ideas concerning the new products that may be developed and how these may individual strengthen the market position and profitability of Carte Blanche. Some of these ideas include the extension of the current and different product lines, the extension of the current Carte Blanche brand(s), and the creation of a new product and brand altogether. With respect to the categories of ideas mentioned above, unique product offerings were also generated. 2. Idea screening: The generated ideas were further screened to isolate those that may most closely support the stated objectives of the new product and brand development strategy, and the overall Carte Blanche strategy (Kotler, 1991). Both line and brand extension have the advantage of reduced cost and risk as opposed to developing a totally new brand (McWilliam, 1993; Tauber, 1981; Economist, 1990; 1991). Also because the line and brand extensions have the advantage of standing on the foundation of an existing brand positioning, the risk of their failure is also minimal (Boush and Loken, 1991; Sunde and Brodie, 1993) compared to establishing a totally new brand. Hence, the strategy to be adopted is brand extension. According to Aaker and Keller (1990), brand extensions may be defined as entry into a new product category using an brand name that is already firmly established. The new product is electronic greeting cards that the customer may order for, be supplied with, and he may forward to his contact, all through the Internet. This is because consumers of social expression products are uniquely younger in many country like in the UK where record number of cards are given for 21st birthday celebrations (Berkowitz and Hill, 1996, p. 45). Furthermore, there is enormous growth potential in the internet world dominated by young people and in countries such as India and China with teeming young internet users. (ITU, 2010) This new product line may also benefit from the ubiquitous nature of the internet for easy commerce and widest distribution (ITU, 2010). 3. Concept development and testing A sample of what the online greeting card will be like and how it may be ordered for and received was developed. The concept having been tested with a randomly selected representative group of the target market gained favorable interest and commendation indicating possible product approval and adoption by the overall target market (Kotler, 1991). This way, the attitude of the target market to the new product was ascertained before embarking on any expensive and time consuming further product development (Kotler, 1991). 4. Marketing strategy development The new product(s), electronic greeting cards, is targeted at the families, especially the young people in the UK and abroad. Young people are easily accessible through various electronic media and channel, especially the Internet, and are quite savvy in its use for many activities such as for purchases and communications (Marketing Teacher, 2010). Products in the fast moving category such as social expression products like greeting cards and food if supported by appropriate and effective advertisement have been shown to be successful with this target market (McDonalds, nd). Statistically for the UK, 19% of the population is made up of age 16 and below; 14% of the population is made up of age 16 to 24. Furthermore, 63% of the UK children live with their parents; 6% of age 20 to 24 are married; and 19% cohabit or live with their parents (UK Office for National Statistics, 2007A; 2007B). These represent a huge market of Internet savvy individuals. 5. Business analysis ( ¬Ã‚ nancial) Such factors as cost and demand projections; level and impact of competition; required investment; and the profitability of the new brand have been carefully considered. Figure 1 below represents a graphical representation of how the target market of the e-greeting card brand of Carte Blanche is envisaged to position the new product/ brand. However, the graph is based principally on personal perception derived from experiences and knowledge of the social expression industry. Key: blue bar: Carte Blanche current product offering; Red bar: e-greeting card; Green bar: competitors products Figure 1 A Market Positioning Map illustrating the position of the e-greeting card brand against competitors. Cost of production is expected to be much lower than in the production of hard greeting cards as there will be no expenses associated with purchase of materials such as card board and printing. However, significant initial investment will be required in the acquisition of IT infrastructure and training of designers in their use. Demand is expected to soar as there is a huge waiting market to exploit based on the statistics of the target market offered earlier. Also, the high return on investment that is associated with e-commerce is also anticipated in this case (ITU, 2010). 6. Physical product development (includes branding decision) Product Core-product: the core product represents the benefit of the new product to the consumer. It is in the category of social expression. It feels emotional needs and provides pleasure to both the sender and receiver. Tangible product: This represents the tangible or physical product but it is in the electronic form in this case, and primarily refer to the electronic or e-greeting cards. Brand name: Brand name selection is a part of the branding strategy and exercises a crucial role in a firms overall marketing strategy (Douglas et al., 2001). Many companies that are maintaining excellent growth despite intense competitions often rely on their well established brand in maintaining this revenue and market share growth demonstrating the importance of the choice of a brand name (McWilliam, 1993; Tauber, 1981; Economist, 1990; 1991; and Ambler and Styles, 1996). Hence, two basic categories of brand names were considered for the e-greeting card. They are: Totally new names such as Mayors and Feel me that does not reflect Carte Blanche or any of its well established brands at all, and Names that are based on Carte Blanche and any of its well established brands. However, the name Carte Blanche e-Card was chosen. The choice comes with some relative advantages (Kotler and Pfoertsch, 2006) such as: 1. Rest on the good position of the Carte Blanche brand; 2. Carte Blanche offers trademark protection; 3. Ease of pronounce, remembrance, and recognition; and 4. It is attractive. Promotion A combination of both pull and push strategy will be employed here. The pull strategy will be designed to stimulate demand from the target market. Active public relations, viral marketing, personal selling, and public interviews will be used to create a visible brand and encourage the target market to seek out the new product. The push strategy will form the primary promotion strategy to be employed as the product is being introduced to the target market newly. Therefore, an initial push strategy may be effective in creating awareness and familiarity for the new product (Berthon et al., 2003). The push strategy will make use of a media-mix strategy (Ephron, 2000) using paid advert in magazines, newspaper, TV, and radio and outdoor advertising, and on the internet, for maximum impact. Pricing Penetration strategy shall be employed. This is because the product is new and its survival at the market entry stage is critical (Penn state University, 2007). The price will hence be kept as low as possible at the market entry stage but shall remain dynamic and respond to the different stages of the product life-cycle and market forces. The rationale behind this strategy is demonstrated in the Figure 2 below: Economy Premium Skimming Penetration Low Low Quality Pr ice High Figure 2 Pricing strategy matrix (Source: Marketing Teacher, 2010) High Distribution Intensive distribution of the product shall be the distribution strategy. The product shall be distributed principally over the internet using all electronic gadgets with Internet connection capability. Kotler and Pfoertsch (2006) are of the opinion that revenue generated from similar products is often a function of the intensity of the distribution, and intensive distribution is critical for market recognition and penetration, and gaining market share for a new product. 7. Market testing Before the full commercialization of the product is carried-out, it shall be offered for sale on Carte Blanche website and other well-known outlets on the internet. This will enable the monitoring of consumer reaction to it; the products performance based on the designed marketing plan; and the response of the competitors to it. 8. Commercialization The final stage of product and brand development. After testing and analysis, the firm finally introduces the product to its target market. This also involves implementing a total marketing plan and full production. Measurement of SMART Objectives The realization or not of the SMART objectives shall be evaluated using measures and metrics from Kokkinaki and Ambler (1999) and Kurtinaitiene (2005) that have been validated in literature. There are 6 categories of available metrics under this framework, however, the most relevant shall be applied to the measurement of the SMART objectives in this case. These categories are: Financial measures (as turnover, contribution margin and profit) Competitive market measures (as market share, advertising and promotional shares) Consumer behaviour measures (as consumer penetration, loyalty and customer gained) Consumer intermediate measures (as brand recognition, satisfaction and purchase intention) Direct customer measures (as distribution level, profitability of intermediaries and service quality) Innovativeness measures (as products launched and their revenue) The performance of the new product shall be evaluated against the above metrics so that effectiveness of the marketing and brand strategy can be determined. Conclusion There exist enormous potential in the e-greeting card segment of the social expression industry that the industry players may tap into. This report as shown the challenges of the social expression industry such as cultural sensitivity and constant change. However, Carte Blanche, a well known industry player in the UK with tentacles in most part of the world may ensure continuous growth over the next three to five years by tapping into the opportunity that IT and Internet offers for production and distribution of products respectively. Following the recommendations of this report may help ensure that Carte Blanche position itself and its brand(s) for the prospective steady growth.

Issues with the US Education System

Issues with the US Education System Kevin Portillo Public Policy: Deficiencies with the Education in America With new accommodations, such as the internet, smart phones and other gadgets, education has found its way across various outlets. Since the late twentieth century, public schools have adopted new ways in which a student may learn through the interaction of innovative technology. However, even with these new developments, deficiencies in America’s education still exist. Unequal access to education, poor education management, and recently failed legislation have all contributed to the weak educational system in the United States. When we learn about the Civil Rights issues America faced early in its infant years as a nation, we learn that black slaves were treated unequally because the simple difference in the color of their skin. White overseers and masters would have their way and do as they pleased over them with no remorse because they were considered property, not humans. After generations of mistreatment, disrespect and brutality, freedom finally came to all former slaves. Soon after, the United States granted their freedom with addition of the 14th amendment in 1868 which gave them the right of due process and equal protection of the law. Now that African American’s were free and protected by the law, they began to make use of their rights by sending their kids to school with the white kids. This caused an uproar in the classrooms. Children are mirror images of the one’s that raised them, and since most of the white kid’s parents were not okay with the new freedoms of African Ameri cans, hatred and disorder were day to day issues at almost every public school in America. The problem, at the time, was not only from the children in these schools; teachers, staff and faculty members were a major obstacle for African American children to receive the same level of education as the neighboring, white children.Though African American children were on the spotlight of this educational gridlock, they were not the only race to encounter road blocks in their children’s education; any minority race or ethnicity were also thrown into the mix as races that did not belong. It took up until near the end of the century, for the issue to be tried at the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v Ferguson. The court ruled that all establishments must be â€Å"separate but equal† to all private businesses. As a result of the ruling, minority races were forced to attend establishments that were specifically for them. For example, black children were not permitted to atten d the â€Å"white’s only† schools, drink from â€Å"white’s only† water fountains, eat at the â€Å"white’s only† cafe’s nor use the â€Å"white’s only† facilities and commodities. Instead they had their own places where minority groups may do the things the supreme white men, women, and children did. These separate accommodations and facilities were always found in poor condition and lacked basic maintenance. You could easily distinguish which facilities were for the white’s and which were not. The end of segregation, especially in schools, was when the Supreme Court overruled its precedent in 1886 with decision in the case of Brown v Board of Education. The integration of all races in schools and private businesses was in full effect. Though retaliation was expected, President Eisenhower was prepared with an executive order for all public schools to open their doors to all races. This ultimately marked the end of hostile tension between minority groups but did not cease the tension within the classroom. It took time for society to over overcome its ego but the day of unity in schools across America from minority and majority groups came towards the end of the century. Education is about fostering the intellectual and curious ones. Mandatory schooling ends at age 17 in Texas. When we graduate from High School, it’s up to us to decide whether we pursue greater knowledge or develop skills. However, unless our preceding educational background is positive, our interest in learning will weaken. TheOECD report notes that facilitating lifelong learning is â€Å"paramount†. Yet, instead of embracing the facts, schools across America are hampered by an excessive bureaucracy that seems to diffuse learning. Take the SAT. With its distinct multiple-choice question and its defining influence in college admissions, the SAT is both intellectually omnipotent in its shaping impact. Teachers are forced to â€Å"teach the SAT† rather than sparking interest in knowledge and ultimately diminishes the learning environment. In doing so, it fails to encourage exceptional students and it fails to support struggling students. It defers developmental cur iosity to college. In the end, the costs are clear. Those students who don’t go to college, are left behind. Those who do go to college, have to learn how to learn. Within the last decade, legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act (President Bush, 2001), was a mandate for accountability on educational standards and emphasis on test results. In theory, it will improve the quality of public education for all students. Supporters believe that the act’s initiatives will further democratize U.S. education, by setting standards and providing resources to schools, regardless of wealth, ethnicity, disabilities or language spoken. Those that oppose it allege that the act hasnt been effective in improving education in public education, especially high schools, as evidenced by mixed results in standardized tests. They also claim that standardized testing is deeply flawed and biased for many reasons, and that stricter teacher qualifications have exacerbated the nationwide teacher shortage, not provided a stronger teaching force. Some critics believe that the federal government has no constitutional authority in the educational arena, and that federal involvement erodes state and local control over education of their children. In addition to these problems, the No Child Left Behind Act hindered those students who are one level above their peers. The act made schools focus on those who are at risk of fallen behind and leave the students who stride in the shadows. Also, since their is no general definition for the â€Å"gifted† nor a standard way of implementing â€Å"gifted education, then leads those students walking into a dark room and expecting them to come out with everything they need for the rest of their lives. The No Child Left Behind Act shifted the attention of the higher level students and turned it to facilitating at risk students who only need the bare minimum to pass. At a college level, students combat themselves with a new learning environment and are forced to dropout because they can’t afford to go to college just to sit in a class and be bewildered and fail the class. In conclusion, America has been seen as one of the worldwide leaders in industry. However, it is mostly because people from other countries come to do their business here. It is time for America to confront its mediocre education mentality and begin focussing on legislation that benefits the student body of the generations to come. Teachers need to stop worrying so much about teaching how to take a test and focus more on how to answer the problems given instead. They should focus on teaching and ensuring that lessons they’ve taught will stick to them for more than the time until a test but for a lifetime instead. The U.S should ensure the future of its education by urging more legislation that will benefit the youth and anyone seeking higher education. In the long run, America will benefit from having â€Å"home-grown† entrepreneurs, engineers, doctors, lawyers, law officials and teachers. Inspiring education today will guarantee America’s stability tomorrow.

Essay on Hardships on Cold Mountain -- Cold Mountain Essays

Hardships on Cold Mountain  Ã‚  Ã‚   The events one goes through in his or her life often shapes the person he or she becomes.   The challenges faced early in life work to strengthen one’s personality and enable them to live and flourish. In the novel Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier the reader learns about the many obstacles Ruby has had to face while growing up.   These hardships added to the person that she became and made her strong enough to face the obstacles that come later in life.   In being faced with many obstacles in life Ruby was able to learn from them, become a stronger person and therefore survive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because of her lack of love and parenting, Ruby was forced to mature and learn how to survive at unimaginably young age.   Not only did Ruby grow up motherless, she practically grew up without a father.   Stobrod did not only abandon her physically he was never present her for emotionally, and often disclaim her as his own.   He told her the story of how her mother would say â€Å"he had no part in the baby and that its cause was a tall blue heron.† (Pg. 194)  Ã‚   To gr...

Egyptain Foreign Policy In Regards To Israel & The United States. Essay

The History of the conflict in the Middle East is long and well documented. To both, and to many biased observers the history of the Egyptian/Israeli conflict is very one sided, with one government, or one people causing the continued wars between the two neighboring states. But, as any social scientist of any reputation will state, all international conflicts have more than one side, and usually are the result of events surrounding, and extending over the parties involved. Thus, using this theory as a basis, we must assume that the conflict between Israel and Egypt is more complicated than a partial observer would see it. For the purpose of this paper, we are going to examine the basic factors of Egypt’s Involvement and conflict with Israel, with some emphasis on the involvement of the United State, and the Western Nation in this conflict. Also, I wish to pay particular attention to the question of who, or what brought these countries into conflict. Were they both victi ms of their situation, or did they become actively involved in promoting conflict, or perhaps a third party source, such as the US pushed them into conflict? In 1948, the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel was read by David Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv. The Egyptians, like most of the Arab states saw this as a creation of a Western State, backed by the British Empire, and thus an imperialistic entity in the Arab homeland. Considering the past 20 years of the Egyptian state, and of most of the Arab nations, was a continual conflict again imperial powers, the Egyptian were naturally weary and afraid of any new imperialistic powers developing in the Middle East. In September 1947, the League of Arab States decided to resist by force the plan for the partition of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish State, and when the Jewish state was created, the armies of the various Arab states entered into Palestine to save the country for the Arabs again "Zionist" aggression. The Arabs were defeated and the Arab Countries saved a small amount of land, the Transjordon, and the West Bank. Similarly Egypt saved strip of territo ry around Gaza. The causes of this war, and Egypt’s involved can be examined in several ways. Obviously, the creation of the State of Israel ... ... Israeli withdrawal from Sinai took place as scheduled. A multinational force of observers took up positions in Sinai to monitor the peace. Egypt was allowed to station only one army division in Sinai. Since then, Egypt has had a decent relationship with Israel and the United States, and it has been seen by many Arab Countries as the traitor in many circumstances. It is perceivable that without the influence of the United States the peace in Israel would have been different, if not sooner. The United States, in order to push the cold war policies saw Israel and Egypt as pawn in their global game of politics. Especially in the early years, neither country saw the United States as a enemy nor as a ally, and thus depended on it for little. Yet, both countries saw the possibility of gaining resources from the great western power, or at least its enemy the USSR. Under Carter, however the United States, perhaps for the first time, played a peace-making role in the Middle East. Perhaps Carter was being the peaceful President, or more likely he realized the need for peace in the middle east in order to lower the gas prices, and for the US to harness the immense resources of the region.

Unit Assessment

Human Resources Coordinator: Supports the efficient operations of the Human Resources Department by coordinating and delivering a diverse range of Human Resources Management activities with a focus on recruitment, on-boarding & induction training, Human Resources system administration, organization development and information management. Business Plans: To work closely with Government, health practitioners, researchers, cancer advocacy groups, charities and cancers sufferers to help eradicate cancer.Business Goals: To eradicate cancer by reducing smoking prevalence. Ever exposure to ultraviolet light by behavior modification, create healthy environments thus having healthier lifestyles for patients, increasing cancer survival rates by encouraging screening participation, improving earlier detection, reducing cancer outcome variations, reducing the gap between outcomes and the care patients receive by defining key areas, Improve models of service delivery, embedding health services re search In cancer care and arranging policies & procedures to support them.Policies & Procedures: Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, Annual Reports & Cancer Plans, NEWS Cancer Plan 2011-2015, Conflict of Interest, Corporate Credit Card, Corporate Governance Statement, Data Governance, Employee Code of Conduct & Ethics, Fraud & Corruption Control Strategy, Information Technology – Third Party Service Management, Public Interest Disclosures Policy, Receiving gifts & benefits, Records Management, Reporting Corrupt Conduct to IAC, Responding to Requests for Information & Advice, Smoke Free Workplace and Sponsorship. ) Goals Coordinate the on-boarding of new staff Coordinate the separation of exiting staff Coordinate Performance Development Process (PDP) cycle milestones Coordinate organization wide training initiatives Coordinate organization wide reward and recognition programs The Human Resources (HRS) Coordinator's role is to ensure the above goals are met by work ing independently as well as working closely with HRS Management. By gathering the required Information, the HRS Coordinator must take it and use It accordingly to the organizations polices and procedures.The HRS Team can only function correctly if everyone plays their part. The HRS Coordinators primary role is to coordinate – to reduce plans for the organization in order for the organization to follow them in accordance with policy and procedure. 3) KIP: On-boarding Staff – Produce letters of employment offer, develop starter kits for new staff and organize enrolment into HRS Learning Systems for new staff. KIP: Separation of Exiting Staff – Conducting exit interviews, produce separation checklists, closure of employee profiles and removal of employee from HRS Systems.KIP: PDP Cycle Milestones – Develop documentation & follow-up to ensure milestones are completed in accordance with organizational requirements and generate a rarity of performance outcome reports. KIP: Organization Wide Training Initiatives – Organize invitations to get people involved in training, keep a formal attendance record, organize qualified facilitators to train students, keep & maintain training calendar for important training dates (assessments) and book venues for training to be held.KIP: Coordinate Organization Wide Reward & Recognition Programs – Be in charge of the organizing and running of the Purple Jersey Program, distribution of movie & lunch vouchers and developing 5 year service awards by keeping track of employee attendance. The above Kepi's will be used to measure goal-related performance by how well each task is performed. Every goal that each employee completes makes up the organizations overall performance outcome. Every task has its own set of conditions and difficulties.These conditions and difficulties can vary from minimal to maximum depending on what the task is and how the task is handled. By using the urgent-important ma trix, we can eliminate the most important tasks first and work on the smaller tasks at a later time that way the sit of tasks does not seem as bad as originally planned as they are broken up into more manageable tasks. By using the matrix, it can eliminate the stresses of having so much on one's plate to do.It will make it easier to look at each task and say â€Å"It is manageable† or â€Å"l can achieve this† instead of lacking the confidence to do so. 4) Coordinate organization wide training initiatives Coordinate PDP Cycle Milestones Coordinate separation of exiting staff Coordinate organization wide reward and recognition programs The two goals that I choose to develop work plans for are: I chose these two goals as I believe they are the most important tasks to manage for the organization would be going nowhere. Putting on new staff replaces those that exit the organization.I will maintain a healthy work-life balance by finding my best two hours of the day to stron gly strive awards getting my urgent-important tasks done. I also truly believe that work stays at work and home stays within home boundaries – do not mix the two together as it can cause problems in either area. My stress levels can be managed by sticking to my work plan of doing the urgent-important tasks first to eliminate worrying about trying to do several tasks at once. I can maintain my health by taking regular breaks away from the computer screen as it is unhealthy to be sitting staring at a computer the brief walk from my desk to the staff room and back.

Newspaper vs Tv Essay

Print and television are two dominant media outlets for the news. Unlike radio, they are predominately visual, although television provides both visual and auditory information. Newspaper and television news organizations each have long-established traditions for reporting news in their respective media, which engenders distinct human behaviors that shape how people obtain news. For instance, television broadcasts present short video-based stories that are sequenced linearly and fit within a specified timeframe for on-air viewing. One’s access to and the sequence of such stories is controlled by the news organization. There are no archives of stories immediately available, unless the viewer records the broadcast. Conversely, newspapers primarily offer text content intended for in-depth reading whereby the reader selects a story of interest and reads it for however long he or she desires; thus, readers control the access to the information presented in the paper. Additionally, the printed paper can be archived for later reading. Increasingly, news organizations employ the Web as an outlet to accommodate a growing number of people who seek news online. More than fifty million Americans utilize the Internet daily to keep informed about local, national, and international events (Horrigan, 2006), a trend that will likely continue. Millions of people seek news through newspaper affiliated Websites (Jesdanun, 2009; Society for New Communications Research, 2007) and TV-oriented sites associated with television news stations, both of which pervade the Web. While the Web is another vehicle for disseminating news, it represents a highly dynamic interface characterized by a proliferation of motion and static media and interactivity that supersedes what is found in either traditional newsprint or on television. It is not yet clear how it shapes the way users attend to news information. In addition, newspaper and television news organizations often design sites to underscore their newsprint or television traditions and reporting methods, resulting in distinctive information and graphical layouts that will likely influence user behavior. For example, the homepage of The New York Times, a newspaper-oriented site, reflects a newsprint layout that engenders reading. It presents a minimalistic design with headlines and article summaries dispersed throughout the page, similar to a newspaper. CNN, a TV-oriented site, features minimal text and more concentrated listings of links, many with corresponding video camera icons indicating that video is available. Visitors spend between 25 and 35 seconds on a Website homepage before leaving (Nielsen & Loranger, 2006) and they typically read pages by scanning. Because The New York Times features headlines and story summaries distributed throughout the homepage, and high density text, one might expect a user’s visual attention to be more dispersed and browsing to be prolonged compared to a site like CNN, which presents limited text and a concentration of navigation links in the upper portion of the display. Moreover, people perceived newspaper and TV-oriented sites as different, with TV-oriented sites receiving more positive ratings in terms of screen layout, design, and overall rating (Gibbs, Bernas, & McKendrick, in press). In a survey that examined newspaper, newsweeklies, and TV-oriented sites in the Houston, Texas area, almost half of the sites that attracted 10% or more of the immediate market were TV-oriented (The Media Audit, 2005). The aforementioned factors are compounded by the fact that a convergence of newspaper and television media are occurring, dramatically increasing the complexity of the visual landscape. On American television, it is common for news programs to use visual treatments such as split-screens and animated text that are typically associated with the Web (Josephson & Holmes, 2008, p. 87). The Web has adopted elements of television. While a provider’s site may reflect its media origins, it will likely integrate characteristics not typically associated with that form of media. For instance, users can watch video on a newspaper site such as USA Today and The New York Times. In the United States, video is available on 92% of the major 100 newspaper Websites (Society for New Communications Research, 2007). Alternatively, users can read news articles on a TV-oriented site such as CNN, as well as participate in blogs about various topics (Gibbs, 2008). Better understanding of how people allocate visual attention on newspaper and TV-oriented sites is an important area of inquiry for several reasons. First, print and television media and associated reporting approaches pervade traditional media outlets and the Web. Millions of people use these sites daily. Second, major newspapers and TV providers each represent their traditional media origins online in unique ways and these representations are perceptual to users. The extent to which they support or distract user attention is not yet clear but should be examined given the pervasiveness of these sites. Third, the Web has emerged as a distribution channel for the news. Compared to newspapers and television, it affords distinct interaction modalities that shape how users access and attend to newsprint and television media. For instance, TV news broadcasts, prepared as video for the Web, can be made nonlinear and user controlled but they are often segmented to increase accessibility, which constitutes a dramatically different experience of obtaining the news compared to watching a continuous newscast on television. Text articles can be presented online without segmentation, as in a newspaper. However, users tend to scan text online so these articles may be read differently from those in newsprint. With greater understanding of where and how users allocate visual attention, developers and information architects can begin to design sites to augment information access and improve Web designs and services overall (Chi, Pirolli, Chen, & Pitkow, 2001; Heer & Chi, 2002). This is especially important for news sites where users actively seek content that changes continuously.