My Diet Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Diet Analysis - Term Paper Example The analysis is in two parts, part I deals with the written diet and the motivation codes while the last, part II is where I have done diet analysis. Part I involves three steps of the written diet. Firstly, all that is eaten and drunk for the last three days successively on breakfast includes apple, peas, natural flavor, and pie spiced. For snacks, there was consumption of toaster, coffee, doughnut, glazed spaghetti, pizza, tomato and meatballs, corn flake crust, turkey cheese, fruit cocktail, and brown sugar. The foods taken during the dinner times in the three days included sandwich, chicken, pasta dish, hamburger helper, and fruit cocktail. The foods contained carbohydrates of about 48%, proteins of about 19%, and fats of 33%. The main activities engaged include running, pushups, jogging, and conditioning. All these exercises ensure that enough calories are burnt from the body and enhance the physical fitness. The average time for the exercise is about 30 minutes every day. It is noted that after consuming certain foods like carbohydrate, there was a lot of energy due to a high-calorie intake. A lot of sweating is also noted when fats are consumed. The presented food in the menu form on each day is presented in the table below. The foods have got respective codes entered ranging from A to I that gives the motivation behind consuming that particular food. It is noted that the total grams of fiber intake per day are 6.14 grams while the recommended intake per day is 45.63 grams. Due to this inefficiency of fiber, I would recommend for the realistic intake of high fiber foods like the apples with their skin, dried figs, taking in some banana and grapefruit. This would increase the fiber content in the diet. There should be an intake of both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber food, which enhances our health generally. Soluble fiber readily dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance which slows digestion.

Implications Of Plastic Elimination For The Human Essay

Implications Of Plastic Elimination For The Human - Essay Example As such various environmental issues like pollution due to the accumulation of such waste in natural habitats occur. In addition, wild and domestic animals sometimes ingest these plastics or entangle in them causing a menace. Furthermore, the leaching of chemicals present in these plastics into the soil pollutes the terrestrial, marine, and freshwater habitats, which subsequently affects plants and animals. In the economic front, many losses have been incurred because of ghost fishing, which results from discarded fishing nets in water bodies (SEPDP, 2011). Plastics can be hazardous to human health as well, especially when its chemical constituents accumulate in human bodies. This process is referred to as bioaccumulation and causes a myriad of health problems in human bodies. A good example is the component phthalate that has been shown to affect the male reproductive system after exposure (Hu et. al., 2009). This is due to the effect of phthalates on hormones. Studies have shown that phthalates either mimic or interfere with actions of natural hormones like estrogen and androgens. In males, this plasticizer is associated with testicular dysgenesis syndrome, TDS (Hu et. al., 2009). This term refers to a number of disorders and abnormalities in the male reproductive system. Exposure to phthalates causes a condition referred to as cryptorchidism, which is characterized by undescended testes. Another condition, hypospadias, indicating abnormal urethral meatus is also caused by phthalate exposure in young males. In addition to these effect s, phthalate exposure also affects adult males, causing reduced fertility and cancer cases. This could affect the future population in terms of birth defects that could lead to abnormal or malformed reproductive organs. This coupled with reduced fertility and increased cancer threatens the existence and survival of future generations.

The Express Transportation And Logistics Industry Commerce Essay

The Express Transportation And Logistics Industry Commerce Essay Using examples from FedEx Corporation and your own research on the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry, critically evaluate the: Strategic Vision and visionary Leadership behind FedEx Corporation Federal Express is a global express transportation and logistics company that offers customers a single source for global shipping, logistics, and supply chain solutions. It was founded in 1973 by Frederick W. Smith. Since its inception FedEx pioneered the express delivery industry. The company focused on the core business of express delivery and provided overnight delivery services to the customers globally. However, the transformation of businesses and customers from old economy to the new economy forced FedEx to reposition itself from overnight delivery service to a one-stop-shop for the entire logistics requirement of the business. The company became the logistics service provider of leading organizations, like, General Motors. Background: During the late 1960s, Frederick Smith (Smith) chanced upon an idea to start an airline courier company. During this period, it was common practice to send packages as cargo on commercial carriers like American, United or Delta Airlines. This practice had a number of drawbacks because passenger airlines usually operated during the daytime and were grounded at night. In addition, freight forwarders (the company responsible for carrying the packages from the airport to the destination address) usually did not offer home delivery. Smith felt the need to start an airline courier company that would address all these problems. During his college years, he recognized that the United States was becoming a service-oriented economy and needed a reliable, overnight delivery service company designed to solely transport packages and documents. He wrote a Yale term paper on this idea, and received C grade. His professor thought it would never work. Fortunately for Frederick Smith, he didnt take it to heart and ended up building that company he dreamed of.Smith found investors willing to contribute $40 million, used $8 million in family money, and received bank financing. He started Federal Express with over $80 million, making it the largest company of its time ever funded by venture capital. In the last 36 years, FedEx has expanded horizontally with its five subsidiaries to include FedEx Express (formerly Federal Express), FedEx Ground (formerly Roadway Package System), FedEx Custom Critical (formerly Roberts Express), FedEx Logistics (formerly Caliber Logistics), and Viking Freight. As a result, the FedEx family has been able to compete collectively in the express transportation and logistics industries. FedExs strategy is to corroborate on selling and synergies for all FedEx companies, but run operations separately and keep each companys strengths and markets separate. Today, services offered by FedEx include worldwide express delivery, ground small-parcel delivery, less-than-truckload freight delivery, and global logistics, supply chain management, and electronic commerce solutions. Federal Express is the worlds largest package delivery company today. FedEx began its operations with the sole focus of improving customer segmentation, pricing and quality of services for the overnight delivery market in the United States. Since then, it has grown to provide leading document and freight services for the entire North America and for over 212 countries abroad. Federal Express Corporation had the visionary leadership to become the first mover in the express transportation and logistics industry leaving FedEx with one source of differentiation: their ability to help in the control of the entire supply chain management. FedEx Firsts Company dedicated to overnight package delivery Offer next-day delivery by 10h30 Offer Saturday deliveries Offer a time definitive service for freight Money-back guarantees and free proof of performance services that now extend to its worldwide network The companys ability to use technology and create its own supply of resources has made it difficult for competitors to match the companys standards for service.FedEx has been successful mainly because of their technological advancements. Technology has allowed them to have superior customer service and quality that was unparalleled by any company. No company was able to offer overnight delivery of packages with the speed and precision that Federal Express did. FedExs modeling capability gave them a competitive advantage as they implemented new methods and technology. They currently have a SuperHub with several regional hubs and packages are managed and tracked by a system called COSMOS. COSMOS Customers, Operations and Services Master Online System, a centralized computer system to manage people, packages, vehicles and weather scenarios in real time. This system allowed customers to know where their packages are at all times and was later integrated for web use, allowing customers to track packages over the Internet. In addition, the customized delivery service of the company is unique in the market. Mission Statement The Mission Statement of FedEx is to produce superior financial returns for stockholders, by providing high value-added logistics, transportation and related information services through focused operating companies. Customer requirements will be met in the highest quality manner appropriate to each market segment served. FedEx will strive to develop mutually rewarding relationships with its employees, partners and suppliers. Safety will be the first consideration in all operations. Corporate activities will be conducted to the highest ethical and professional standards. This mission statement shows that FedEx has a clear focus. (1) The main focus is to bring returns to stockholders. (2) They will emphasize adding value above and beyond just their service of transporting an object from one place to another. (3) Their focus of operations will be logistics, transportation, and related information. This mission statement is focused enough to keep FedEx from diversifying into for example, food products; yet vague enough to allow growth in all of those areas.   Philosophy Federal Express holds a People-Service-Profit philosophy. The People goal is the continuous improvement of managements leadership. The Service standard is 100 percent customer satisfaction. The Profit goal is much like any other companys goal, and is essential to long-term viability. This philosophy governs how FedEx runs its business, and defines strategies. Federal Express Five-Point Strategy Federal Express has five strategies that govern business tactics. These are to improve service levels, lower unit costs, establish international leadership and sustain profitability, get closer to the customer, and maintain the People-Service-Profit Philosophy. The unique FedEx operating strategy works seamlessly and simultaneously on three levels. Compete collectively  by standing as one brand worldwide and speaking with one voice. Operate independently  by focusing on our independent networks to meet distinct customer needs. Manage collaboratively  by working together to sustain loyal relationships with our workforce, customers and investors. Values People: We value our people and promote diversity in our workplace and in our thinking. Service: Our absolutely, positively spirit puts our customers at the heart of everything we do. Innovation: We invent and inspire the services and technologies that improve the way we work and live. Integrity: We manage our operations, finances and services with honesty, efficiency and reliability. Responsibility: We champion safe and healthy environments for the communities in which we live and work. Loyalty: We earn the respect and confidence of our FedEx people, customers and investors every day, in everything we do Transportation and logistics infrastructure within FedEx Corporation FedEx started its operation by sending eight packages on the first night, of which 7 were trial run addresses from one employee to another. The company has since grown to handling an astonishing 9.8 million shipments per day. An overview of FedExs Infrastructure: Handling 9.8 million shipments per day More than 700 aero planes, Daily lift capacity of 12 million kilograms Servicing more than 220 countries through 375 airports Workforce of more than 140,000 permanent employees worldwide 500,000 calls are dealt with professionally With this Infrastructure and new ones being added over time , the Purple Promise of I will make every FedEx experience outstanding is achieved with the collection and delivery of each shipment. Physical goods when transported over trucks on a highway usually travel the most frequented routes. But as more vehicles start traversing that highway, and as the trips become longer, packages get delayed, go astray, arrive spoiled, or dont arrive at all. To solve this problem, faster, more attentive carriers with their own hardware and infrastructure came into being: FedEx, UPS, Airborne Express, and so on. These new carriers pay attention to speed, tracking, billing, quality of service and automation. They also devised systems that didnt travel through the middle of town, except for final delivery, and didnt change hands en route. And finally, they offered lots of optional services to make life easier for both shipper and recipient. Home delivery infrastructure: As part of Infrastructure expansion plans of its U.S. delivery network, FedEx Corp. will add another 9 distribution hubs, bringing its total number of hubs to 39. In addition, a new home-delivery facility planned for Florida will be able to process more than 10,000 packages per hour. The three hubs that are under construction are in Dallas, Cincinnati and Hagerstown, MD, the fourth hub in Memphis, TN. The hub expansion project will also expand the 30 existing hubs; this will nearly double the companys average daily hub package volume capacity by the end of its 2010 fiscal year. The expansion project will support a sharp growth in FedExs shipments to consumers on behalf of online retailers. The new Florida satellite distribution center, in Pompano Beach near Fort Lauderdale, will be three times the size of the two existing facilities combined, and will open with a workforce of approximately 356 employees and independent contractors, an increase from the current combined figure of 200 employees and independent contractors. FedEx Smart Posts best-of-breed technology ensures swift package processing and delivery. This technology provides shipment visibility throughout the delivery process of the packages while they are en route to their destinations. This enables to know always where the packages are and where theyre going next. Advanced control systems, sophisticated automated sorters, and state-of-the-art data-collection devices enable FedEx to collect detailed information about every package. And the highly proficient logistics team is fully equipped to sort hundreds of thousands of packages each day. The client tools are housed on a secure Web site, customized to meet the unique needs of each client. These tools provide timely access to package delivery information, logistics analysis, manifest detail, and billing statements, as well as the ability to create necessary reports needed in planning the package delivery strategy. As a leader in the package delivery industry, FedEx provides with data and reporting needed to examine and enhance logistics operations on an ongoing basis. Virtual information infrastructure at FedEx Corporation. Though FedEx began as an express air delivery company in the early 1970s, it has successfully transformed itself into an integrated transportation and logistics service provider. A major part of FedExs success is directly attributed to its committed use of information technology (IT). IT has not only facilitated its business processes like operations, customer service and employee training but also integrated its information network with that of its clients to provide them with seamless logistic and supply chain solutions. Dennis Jones, former Chief Information Officer (CIO) of FedEx says IT (information technology) is a function that has a strategic value because the essence of our business is taking a basic service and adding information technology services to transform into a value added product. And that is very important. Any company can move freight from point A to point B. But the way you make it a valuable product to your customer is to wrap it with intensive information technology capabilities. Leveraging Information Technology In the late 1970s, FedEx saw a great benefit in using IT to simplify its business processes. Smith had very early on understood that speed, reliability and customer service was an essential factor for success in the global transportation industry. IT in Human Resources FedEx had in place Interactive Video Instructions (IVI) that allowed employees to take advantage of slack periods to train themselves at any time of the day. The program was used for training and test preparation (Customer service employees at FedEx were tested twice a year on job knowledge). IT in Customer Service FedEx also used IT to improve upon its customer service, by monitoring various aspects of a customers transaction. The goal was to achieve 100% accuracy, quality, and customer satisfaction on all transactions. One such system that FedEx used was the Service Quality index (SQI) that quantified every part of a transaction like Was the package undamaged? Was the customer billed correctly? Using the Internet The widespread use of the Internet from the early 1990s threw open significant opportunities for FedEx. Since the company already had an EDI based system on which it had spent a lot of money, FedEx decided to use a combination of Internet and the EDI. One example was the implementation done for the purchasing of products. FedEx purchased a product from a company called Ariba. Ariba was a requisitioning system that was housed on the FedEx intranet. The system was set up so that suppliers could maintain a database of catalogs that could be accessed by any FedEx employee. The company website hosts more than 6.3 million unique visitors per month and handles on an average over 2.4 million package tracking requests daily. More than 2 million customers connected with the company electronically every day, and electronic transactions accounted for almost two-thirds of the more than five million shipments FedEx delivered daily. FedEx operates one of the worlds largest computer and telecommunications networks- more than 75,000-networked computers and thousands of hand-held computers that recorded and tracked shipments. FedExs data center processes more than 20 million information management system transactions daily, more than any other US company. The company is involved in connecting 39 hubs across the globe, operating 677 planes and 90,000 vehicles, monitoring 200,000 employees and delivering six million packages daily in 220 countries where every second was important. This is the FEDEX EDGE, for which the company is known for. FedEx transformed both customer and business transportation model with higher speed, reliability, application of information technology, improved material handling system and streamlined logistics network. The company popularized the concepts of just-in-time and build-to-order which reduced customers lead time and increased productivity. Apart from venturing into logistics solution provider the company was able to maintain its leadership position in small package and light freight market through its unique hub and spoke model. The role information technology has played in FedExs strategy is exciting. By using IT as a major part of its business, FedEx has reached an almost entirely new group of people. It has maintained its reputation and increased its business at the same time. IT has created a greater opportunity for customers in the global market. They can now request service, pay for that service, and track the package online. Customers no longer need to speak to FedEx. They are now free to order as they need, twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Because of this, FedExs strategy has changed. It is now focused on the use of the Internet and other technological advances. Because this is such a critical aspect of the strategy, the implementation of the strategy had to be almost immediate. To compete with other major businesses in the industry, FedEx had to provide a service to customers that could be accessed using technology. They also had to provide a package tracking service. As they develope d this service, their reputation and business grew. FedEx has done several things with its value chain to develop new business. First they have always recognized the need to have technology and IT work to communicate the logistics that they run. They have developed internet technologies that work simply and efficiently to enable customers and sellers to use FedEx as a go between. This has enabled many companies to integrate FedEx technology into their own web sites for customers to use. Question Two: Branding and business structure up until 19 January 2000 Using information from the case study and your own research, critically evaluate the benefits and limitations of Merger and Acquisition (MA) strategies in the Global Transportation and Logistics Industry. Discuss how FedEx Corporation managed the acquisition of Caliber Systems in 1998, and determine whether or not the acquisition of Caliber Systems was a success or failure? Mergers acquisitions in the Transportation Logistics industry The Transport and Logistics (TL) sector is characterized by a significant level of privatisation, finance-raising and merger and acquisition activity. Transactions are often complex and impacted by the regulatory environment, competition issues, or need for contracted subsidies to support operations. We have witnessed many privatizations of bus companies, ports and airports which have created successful private sector groups that have continued to grow via further acquisitions. In other segments there is ongoing global consolidation within and between operators from the courier, parcel, freight forwarding and contract logistics arenas. Postal organizations and railway companies that have historically been more nationally oriented are now seeking opportunities to expand into cross-border markets driven by a more commercial focus and liberal regulatory regime. Transportation Logistics The Transportation Logistics (TL) industry forms the backbone of global supply chains. Postal operators as well as large logistics providers play a dominant role as key stakeholders in the TL industry. In recent years some former national Posts have undergone an extensive transformation to emerge as multinational providers of complex logistics and financial services. These evolved entities face new competition in their core markets of mail delivery through the liberalization of markets and privatization. At the same time, former Posts may be able to leverage their years of experience in collecting, processing, transporting and delivering national and international mail in order to develop and provide a broader palette of logistics based services, upstream with direct mail activities and downstream with package delivery and payment services. Further, many existing logistics and express companies have expanded well beyond simple delivery services and are now managing all aspects of the supply chain. These ongoing trends have changed the face of an industry which has become increasingly focused on serving customers in all parts of the world. Mergers and Acquisitions: Three types Merger: A transaction where two firms agree to integrate their operations on a relatively coequal basis because they have resources and capabilities that together may create a stronger competitive advantage. Acquisition: A transaction where one firm buys another firm with the intent of more effectively using a core competence by making the acquired firm a subsidiary within its portfolio of businesses. Takeover: An acquisition where the target firm did not solicit the bid of the acquiring firm. Problems in Achieving Success Integration Difficulties/Cultures Inadequate evaluation of target Too much diversification Large or extraordinary debt Inability to achieve synergy Managers overly focused on acquisitions Too large Increased market power Overcome ent entry barriers Lower risk compared to developing new products Cost of new product development Increased speed to market Increased diversification Avoid excessive competition Acquisitions Reasons for Acquisitions Benefits of Acquisitions Increased Market Power: Acquisition intended to reduce the competitive balance of the industry Overcome Barriers to Entry: Acquisitions overcome costly barriers to entry which may make start-ups economically unattractive Lower Cost and Risk of New Product Development: Buying established businesses reduces risk of start-up ventures Increased Speed to Market: Closely related to Barriers to Entry, allows market entry in a more timely fashion Diversification: Quick way to move into businesses when firm currently lacks experience and depth in industry Reshaping Competitive Scope: Firms may use acquisitions to restrict its dependence on a single or a few products or markets Problems with Acquisitions Only a financial team assembled and they make the decision (should have two teams: one financial and one organizational where the organizational Team says Yes or No Integration Difficulties: Differing financial and control systems can make integration of firms difficult Inadequate Evaluation of Target: Winners Curse bid causes acquirer to overpay for firm Large or Extraordinary Debt: Costly debt can create onerous burden on cash outflows Inability to Achieve Synergy: Justifying acquisitions can increase estimate of expected benefits Overly Diversified: Acquirer doesnt have expertise required to manage unrelated businesses Managers Overly Focused on Acquisitions: Managers may fail to objectively assess the value of outcomes achieved through the firms acquisition strategy Too Large: Large bureaucracy reduces innovation and flexibility FedEx Corporation has made 31 acquisitions while taking stakes in 3 companies. FedEx Corporation has 22 divestitures during this period. FedEx-Caliber Merger: Reason for Merger: FedEx and Caliber believe that the combination of the two companies will permit their customers to take advantage of a broader portfolio of services and choices at a level of excellence unmatched by any competitor. Stockholders of both companies will become stockholders of a $15 billion powerhouse in global transportation and logistics. When FedEx announced in October 1997 that it was buying Caliber System for $2.4 billion, observers warned that the merger could disrupt FedExs already profitable express shipping business. Observers were wrong. FedEx finalized its Caliber System merger in January 1998, and by the end of that year, the new company, FDX, was posting a seven percent increase over the same quarter the year before. Domestic income grew 30 percent that period, from $168 million to $217 million. The company claimed that its tough cost controls and low fuel prices contributed to this short-term growth. FedEx subsidiaries that came from Caliber Systems also grew. RPS, the largest subsidiary besides FedEx, grew 14 percent for the period, while Viking Freight grew seven percent. In the long-run, the merger strengthened FedExs overall health. UPS largely rebounded from a crippling 15-day strike in 1997, and now the two companies compete head-to-head for the express-shipping business in most markets. While FedEx does battle, several smaller companies continue their reliable service for niche markets, such as logistics operations, business-to-business transportation, overseas shipping, and small package delivery. FedEx has ensured its long-term survival by buying several of these smaller companies. After the Caliber System merger, FedEx included six operating divisions: FedEx; RPS, the second-largest small-package shipping business; Roberts Express, the worlds largest express trucking firm; Viking Freight, a leading regional trucking company; Caliber Logistics, a logistics outsourcing firm; and Caliber Technology, an order fulfillment operation. Question Three: Events leading up to the January 2000 reorganisation Using appropriate examples from FedEx Corporation, critically evaluate FedExs financial and non-financial performance in the context of developments in the Internet market and e-tailing up to the January 2000 reorganisation. Financial Performance Analysis FedEx has an impressive performance record. In 1998 they had revenues of $15.9 billion grown 15 percent from 1997. Sales have been growing steadily for the past five years. The net income, though, isnt that impressive. It even declined in 1997, from the rising fuel costs during that year. However, in 1998 it grew from $200,000 to $500,000. That could be from reduction in operating costs, or from the acquisition of the subsidiaries which had lower operating costs compared to Federal Express. FedExs financial statements shows that its assets have not been utilized as well as other firms in their industry, but their profitability is better than other industry firms. Still they must decrease selling and administrative expenses while increasing sales. Many of their technological advancements have been financed primarily with internal cash, which decreases long-term debt. Future assets possibly and should be invested in the international market and new businesses, while still investing a decent percentage for technological advancements. Today FedEx has a competitive advantage over other firms and if they continue the practices that they have in the past, while also opening up to new ideas, FedEx will remain a powerhouse in the package delivery industry. The financial ratios for FedEx clearly show that it is the market leader in this industry, have outstanding sales, a healthy profit, and a safe amount of debt. These ratios over time show a steady increase, except for year 1997, where fuel costs hurt FedEx deeply. Company Analysis In this section we shall discuss FedExs strengths and weaknesses as a company, opportunities and threats. S.W.O.T. Analysis Company Strengths and Resource Capabilities: Globalism: Federal Express operates on a global scale in 211 countries. They provide services that appeal to most of the world, realize tremendous revenues and also achieve global economies of scale. Innovation: Federal Express took airplanes and trucks and used them differently than any other company before them. This is innovation. They have first-mover advantage in name recognition because of this innovation. This has helped them to remain the industry leader since 1973. Technology and Communication: Federal Express uses and continues to search for new technology. They allow spending of $1billion a year, 10% of total revenues, for information technology. That commitment keeps customers from switching to other providers. Federal Express also has excellent communication with their customers. They use tracking devices on all shipments, and customers can find out where their shipment is through many different avenues including a user-friendly Web site. Federal Express customers are assured that FedEx will always be on top of technology. Strategic Vision: Federal Express will always have competent top managers in charge of strategic direction. Frederick Smith built an industry leader, and kept it in that position since 1973. First-Mover Advantage: Federal Express has had first-mover advantage in several areas. (1) Being a global express transportation company. (2) Advanced technology and communication throughout the companys operations. (3) Incorporating smaller companies with similar operations under its belt to synergize and control more of the market. Strong Brand Image: In 1990, Federal Express became the first company awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the service category. In 1994, Federal Express became the first global express transportation company to obtain simultaneous system-wide ISO 9001 certification in international quality standards. Federal Express has also developed their own quality system that matches their customers standards. Company Weaknesses and Resource Deficiencies: Rising Prices: Federal Express prices are above their competitors. This can be a weakness if their customers do not perceive a difference between Federal Express and its competitors services. Labor Disputes with Pilots: Federal Express pilots have formed the Fedex Pilots Association. This organization demanded changes in the pilots salaries, retirement benefits, and the fact that Federal Express outsources some foreign flights instead of giving their own pilots the job. The pilots have a Web site where news is posted and feelings are discussed. During the busy Christmas season in 1998, the pilots threatened to strike. Federal Express and the Fedex Pilots Association have developed a tentative agreement, which is published on the pilots Web site. However, the pilots do not believe this agreement fully meets their expectations. This dispute is definitely an internal weakness for Federal Express, considering they have 3,500 pilots employed with them. Their operations would suffer if there were strikes. When UPS employees went on strike in 1997, Federal Express took the extra 800,000 shipments a day. If Federal Express employees went on strike, their competitors could gain an advantage. Running Subsidiaries Separately: FDX has deliberately chosen to keep their companies separate. In FDXs 1998 Annual Report, CEO Frederick Smith states, Simply layering the unique resource and operating requirements of a time-definite, global, express-delivery network onto a day-definite, ground small-package network would surely result in diminished service quality and increased costs. Under the FDX umbrella, we will leverage our shared strengths while operating each delivery network independently, with each focused on its respective markets. Frederick Smith is confident this will be a strength, instead of a weakness. Time will tell. Company Opportunities: Expansion Globally: Federal Express can continue to expand globally, including the other companies under FedEX. Expansion Internally: Federal Express can continue to acquire more companies, and expand into new technologies or areas in their industry. Run Subsidiaries Together: If FDX doe

History of christmas :: essays research papers

History of the Celebration of Christmas People have celebrated a mid-winter festival since pre-historic times. They marked the beginning of longer hours of daylight with fires and ritual offerings. The Roman festival of Saturnalia -- a time for feasting and gambling -- lasted for weeks in December. Germanic tribes of Northern Europe also celebrated mid-winter with feasting, drinking and religious rituals. It's thought that Jesus of Nazareth was born in springtime. A Pope, Julius I, chose December 25th for the celebration of his birth in the 4th century -- to include a Christian element in the long-established mid-winter festivals. Also in the 4th century, a bishop in Turkey who came to be called St. Nicholas was known for good deeds involving children. St. Nicholas is illustrated in medieval and renaissance paintings as a tall, dignified and severe man. His feast day on December 6 was celebrated throughout Europe until about the 16th century. Afterwards, he continued to be known in Protestant Holland. Dutch children would put shoes by the fireplace for St. Nicholas or "Sinter Klaas" and leave food out for his horse. He'd gallop on his horse between the rooftops and drop candy down the chimneys into the children's shoes. Meanwhile, his assistant, Black Peter, was the one who popped down the chimneys to leave gifts behind. Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinter Klaas to North America -- where we came to know him as Santa Claus. Clement Clarke Moore first described the â€Å"jolly old elf† with his sleigh drawn by reindeer, in the poem "The Night Before Christmas. Although it was never celebrated in biblical times, Christmas is celebrated in local churches here in Visalia, California in praise of the fact that God loved us so much; he sent his one and only son to earth. He was wholey god and wholey man. Whereas we have succumbed to the temptations of this earth, Jesus was able to overcome all temptations and live a sinless life. He was then crucified as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. One cannot understand why we celebrate the birth of Christ without seeing the other end of his life. He was crucified for our sins and resurrected. Christmas was declared a Federal Holiday in America on June 26, 1870 under the government headed by President Ulysses S.

Vietnam Pest Analysis

Depends on your company. For a more accurate PEST analysis, it's best to consider your company's structure, product, and strategy. Anyway, here's a very simple PEST analysis. Political – Vietnam is a Single Party Communist State. There is more likely to be higher government control and less autonomy for the organization wanting to enter the Vietnamese market. However, on the good side, Vietnam is more likely to have relatively greater political stability. Would be advisable to form good relations with the local government and negotiate favorable terms with them.Economy – Vietnam is a developing economy. GDP per capita is USD2,942. 00. To cater for the largest demographic, it is best to use a price leadership strategy rather than rely on product differentiation. Sell a cheaper, and more basic product or service, rather than offer a premium quality or novelty product. Socio-Cultural – For a foreign organization, there are bound to be language barriers (most obvious factor). Ensure that the labels on the packaging is in Vietnamese if you're selling a product. Vietnam is also predominantly Buddhist (85% of the population).It is better to offer a product or service that respects the local values and culture, and is compatible. Technology – Infrastructure (an important factor) in Vietnam is adequate. Road, and rail infrastructure is well-developed. Railways are linked to other countries such as China, Laos and Cambodia. There are also 17 civil airports operating in Vietnam and pipelines to transport liquids such as petroleum. There are of course, ports (Ha Long City). Not sure if this helps. It would be better if we knew more about your business.

It Is the Experiences of Childhood That Determines Who We Will Become. Discuss Essay

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner enunciates how we become products of who we are when young. Amir, to win his father’s approval allows for the rape of his friend, Hassan to occur. In the process he becomes an insomniac. However Amir is able to redeem himself by rescuing Sohrab from further abuse by the Taliban. Similarly, Baba is never able to overcome his guilt of not acknowledging Hassan as his son, and thus leads a tormented life. Assef too, being a child with treacherous views grows to be a member of the Taliban. Amir, to win his father’s approval allows for the rape of Hassan to occur and becomes an insomniac as a result. Amir, believing Hassan is the ‘price (he) (has) to pay’, allows him to be raped, causing him to carry an enormous amount of guilt and shame with him, until he seeks redemption, forcing him to become an ‘insomniac’, as he is no longer able to be at peace with himself. By moving to America, Amir believes he can ‘bury (his) memories’ and forget the traumatic events of the winter of 1975. However, the amount of guilt Amir is carrying with him for not correcting his wrongdoings is what forces him to eventually return to Kabul and seek redemption. Amir, who is a ‘coward’ when a child, remains so until he is forced to sacrifice himself for Hassan, by facing Assef in order to rescue Sohrab, and ultimately gain redemption. Baba leads a tormented life as he is never able to overcome his guilt of not acknowledging Hassan as his son. Baba, because of his childhood, is never able to bring himself to admit that Hassan is own son and as a result is a ‘tortured soul’. Throughout his childhood, Baba growing up with Ali, becomes aware of the social inequalities between them, and this affects his inability to claim Hassan as his own son. Baba grows up with a sense of superiority at being a Pashtun, which is the biggest reason holding him back from owning up to his actions. As it is a ‘shameful situation’, Baba does much charitable work in order to achieve redemption, but nothing he does is able to overcome his guilt and shame at not giving Hassan the life he deserves, as a Pashtun. Assef, who has horrific thoughts and views as a child grows to be a member of the Taliban. Throughout his childhood, Assef bullies many of the neighbourhood children, being viewed as a ‘sociopath’, controlling them through his ‘stainless steel brass knuckles’, and keeping them at a fearful distance from himself. Assef has a shocking ‘vision’ of eradicating the Hazaras, and being a member of the Taliban years later, this is put into practice, when all the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif are massacred. Assef, being a bully in childhood, obtains a sense of power through controlling those around him through a sense of fear, grows to be a member of the Taliban, who also control the country through the sense of fear they instill in their citizens of Afghanistan. Through Amir, who becomes an insomniac at his guilt and shame of not preventing a horrific crime, Baba, who is a tortured soul at not being able to admit to his actions, and Assef who grows up to be a member of the Taliban from being a bully, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner demonstrates how we will grow up to be products of who we are when we are young.

Andrei Tarkovskys Andrei Rublev

Andrei Tarkovskys Andrei Rublev Free Online Research Papers Andrei Tarkovskys Andrei Rublev Creativity is one of the most important motifs in Andrei Tarkovsky’s critically acclaimed Russian film, â€Å"Andrei Rublev.† Although Tarkovsky never comes right out and explains his views on creativity, he expresses them to us through the vehicle of three of his characters: Andrei Rublev, The Jester, and a young bell-maker. Each of these characters is a creator who struggles in some way with the creative process. Andrei Rublev is a talented and successful Russian icon painter who is known throughout Russia for the quality of his religious depictions. At one point in the movie, however, after he has done a lot of thinking about the value of his work in the modern world, he decides to give up painting forever. When he decides to do this, he is under the impression that his art is worthless, that it is no longer appreciated by the people because the people are no longer good Christian followers. After all, the value of his art lies in its ability to move its viewers, to make them feel the love of their Lord; if the majority of the people in the world have strayed from their Christian beliefs, then his art can no longer have this effect on them. They cannot feel the love of the Lord if they have forgotten him. There is one scene, in particular, in which Andrei realizes how immoral and Godless the people of his country have become. In this scene, he is captured by a group of reveling pagans and ti ed upside down to a cross, an evil symbol meant to mock the crucifixion of Jesus. Eventually, Andrei decides to start painting again. But why? Although the movie never gives you a definite answer in regard to this question, I have a theory. Because Andrei had seen what a bad state the world was in, he decided to paint again because he believed that if he could create something great enough, he might be able to reverse (or at least slow) the world’s descent into evil. It dawned on him that the Lord had given him the ability to paint for a reason – to enlighten and inspire the masses – and it would be a sin to waste that ability. The Jester is another creator in this movie. Instead of painting religious icons like Andrei, he composes songs and verses which are designed to both entertain his friends as well as ridicule and poke fun at his oppressors. At one point in the movie, he is punished for one of these songs – a comically scathing song about a tartar. His punishment shows how it is dangerous for someone to create something that criticizes the ruling powers in a country. Tarkovsky probably meant this scene to act as a mirror for the situation in his own country, where a great deal of art and creativity was censored by the Communist government. Aside from this, the Jester is also meant to symbolize how creativity can exist in any level of the social caste system. After all, the Jester was a poor and impoverished peasant. Most people during that time would have had trouble believing that someone from such a low socio-economic background could be skilled at anything beyond manual labor, but Tarkovsky is reminding everyone that they can be. In his opinion, creativity can exist anywhere. The third and final creator in â€Å"Andre Rublev† is the young boy, who is commissioned by the prince to fashion a bell for the cathedral. He is warned that if he fails at this task and the bell does not ring, he will be executed. In my opinion, this aspect of the movie is meant to symbolize the desire to create. Many artists are so passionate about their work, that failure to them is like death (just as failure to caste a working bell would be death for the boy). Research Papers on Andrei Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublev"Where Wild and West MeetHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionCapital PunishmentAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationHip-Hop is Art

Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms

such as â€Å"dark†, â€Å"brown†, â€Å"muddy†, and â€Å"gray†. The river started clear and blue, but has now become dark and muddy. This symbolizes the emotions of the people as the troops march and fight. Progressing seasons of nature symbolize the progressing sadness of the people also. As summer leaves and autumn comes mud is splashed over everything and covers the bright beauty of it all. Even the muddy capes of soldiers show how weary and bogged down they are. â€Å"Six months gone with child† is an example of metonymy used to show how weary and vulnerable the troops are. Terms such as â€Å"motor car† suggest that the time period is around the 1940’s. Mentioning of a King rules out the place being the United States. Still many questions go unanswered making the reader want to read farther (which battle?, which King?) â€Å"Winter and permanent rain† bring dreary times and cholera makes these times worse. There is a small chance of hope since only seven thousand troops died. This is ironic because seven thousand is usually thought of as a lot; however, Hemingway wants readers to understand this is small compared to the... Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms A Farewell To Arms All fiction is autobiographical, no matter how obscure from the author's experience it may be, marks of their life can be detected in any of their tales. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is based largely on Hemingway's own personal experiences. The main character of the novel, Frederic Henry, experiences many of the same situations that Hemingway lived. Some of these similarities are exact, while some are less similar, and some events have a completely different outcome. Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star after graduating from high school in 1917. During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian infantry and was wounded just before his 19th birthday. Hospitalized, Hemingway fell in love with an older nurse. Later, while working in Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star, he became involved with the expatriate literary and artistic circle surrounding Gertrude Stein. During the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway served as a correspondent on the loyalist side. He fought in World War II and then settled in Cuba in 1945. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. After his expulsion from Cuba by the Castro regime, he moved to Idaho. In his life, Hemingway married four times and wrote numerous essays, short stories and novels. The effects of Hemingway's lifelong depressions, illnesses and accidents caught up with him. In July 1961, he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho. What remains, are his works, the product of a talented author. A Farewell to Arms is the story of Frederic Henry, an American, driving an ambulance for the Italian Army during World War I. The novel takes us through Frederic's experiences in war and his love affair with Catherine Barkley, an American nurse in Italy. The novel starts in the northern mountains of Italy at the beginn... Free Essays on A Farewell to Arms Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms In Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms Fredrick Henry’s lust eventually turns to love for Catherine Barkley. Fredrick Henry is an American who is studying architecture in Rome when WWI starts. He joins the Italian army and becomes an officer in charge of overseeing the ambulances in a small town a few miles from the front. He likes to drink rather heavily with the other officers and goes with them to the local bordello. Him and his friend Rinaldi often talk about girls and the women of the bordello. â€Å"Here now we have beautiful girls. New girls never been to the front before† (11). Henry is happy with his flings and does not think much about them except that they are fun. Rinaldi meets two new women, two English nurses at the hospital and have just arrived to the town. Rinaldi takes Henry to meet the two nurses. Henry then meets Catherine Barkley and at first is only interested in her physically like he is with the other girls. When he goes the next couple of afternoons to see her he acts like he is playing a game. One visit he tries to kiss her and gets slapped for it but this only worked to his advantage. â€Å"I was angry and yet certain, seeing it all ahead like the moves in a chess game† (26). He plays it off and is able to finally get a kiss from her.... Free Essays on A Farewell to Arms A Farewell To Arms All fiction is autobiographical, no matter how obscure from the author's experience it may be, marks of their life can be detected in any of their tales. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is based largely on Hemingway's own personal experiences. The main character of the novel, Frederic Henry, experiences many of the same situations that Hemingway lived. Some of these similarities are exact, while some are less similar, and some events have a completely different outcome. Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star after graduating from high school in 1917. During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian infantry and was wounded just before his 19th birthday. Hospitalized, Hemingway fell in love with an older nurse. Later, while working in Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star, he became involved with the expatriate literary and artistic circle surrounding Gertrude Stein. During the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway served as a correspondent on the loyalist side. He fought in World War II and then settled in Cuba in 1945. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. After his expulsion from Cuba by the Castro regime, he moved to Idaho. In his life, Hemingway married four times and wrote numerous essays, short stories and novels. The effects of Hemingway's lifelong depressions, illnesses and accidents caught up with him. In July 1961, he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho. What remains, are his works, the product of a talented author. A Farewell to Arms is the story of Frederic Henry, an American, driving an ambulance for the Italian Army during World War I. The novel takes us through Frederic's experiences in war and his love affair with Catherine Barkley, an American nurse in Italy. The novel starts in the northern mountains of Italy at the beginning of World War I.... Free Essays on A Farewell To Arms The Leaf Of Life In the beginning of â€Å"A Farewell To Arms† a scene of a nice, peaceful summer is presented. Questions such as what year?, what village?, what river?, and what mountain? are drawn from the first few sentences. Imagery is further displayed with words such as â€Å"blue†, â€Å"clear†, and â€Å"swiftly† to provide a peaceful, flowing scene of nature. Simple words and sentences contribute to this mood. â€Å"The’s† and â€Å"and’s† are repeated often, except â€Å"the† was omitted from in front of leaves in the fourth sentence to provide a sense of change. Leaves fall as the soldiers walk by and all else seems to change with these events. Switching from a bright summer to a darkening season serves as a foreshadowing of the upcoming problems of war. Diction changes as the chapter progresses to words such as â€Å"dark†, â€Å"brown†, â€Å"muddy†, and â€Å"gray†. The river started clear and blue, but has now become dark and muddy. This symbolizes the emotions of the people as the troops march and fight. Progressing seasons of nature symbolize the progressing sadness of the people also. As summer leaves and autumn comes mud is splashed over everything and covers the bright beauty of it all. Even the muddy capes of soldiers show how weary and bogged down they are. â€Å"Six months gone with child† is an example of metonymy used to show how weary and vulnerable the troops are. Terms such as â€Å"motor car† suggest that the time period is around the 1940’s. Mentioning of a King rules out the place being the United States. Still many questions go unanswered making the reader want to read farther (which battle?, which King?) â€Å"Winter and permanent rain† bring dreary times and cholera makes these times worse. There is a small chance of hope since only seven thousand troops died. This is ironic because seven thousand is usually thought of as a lot; however, Hemingway wants readers to understand this is small compared to the...

50+ Words That Describe Animals (Including Humans)

50+ Words That Describe Animals (Including Humans) 50+ Words That Describe Animals (Including Humans) 50+ Words That Describe Animals (Including Humans) By Mark Nichol As much as many humans have tried to deny, or have conveniently ignored, that Homo sapiens is just another species of fauna, writers readily use animals or their (sometimes supposed) characteristics to describe people. Words like catty, dogged, foxy, and slothful all attest to the vivid imagery that easily arises when we compare people to various other species. In addition, we speak and write of somebody eating like a bird (to refer to light gustatory habits, though many birds seem downright voracious if you watch them dining), drinking like a fish, or behaving like a bull in a china shop. Some idioms, however, contradict each other, such as â€Å"Work like a dog† and â€Å"(living) a dog’s life.† Simple adjectives such as those in the first paragraph are more useful for narrative descriptions of people than the idiomatic phrases just above, but Latinate terms for animals can be even more helpful in describing people. Among the examples below, some, such as those for references to dogs (â€Å"canine loyalty†) and cats (â€Å"feline grace†), are perhaps too ubiquitous to be effective. Asinine, on the other hand, is more recognizable as a term to describe a human characteristic than in its original usage (in this case, to refer to a donkey), which might spoil it for literary allusion. Yet others, such as anguine, a word for a snake, may be too obscure to be helpful (though its synonyms serpentine and viperine are rich in descriptive force). And how about using taurine to describe a glowering bruiser, or lupine for a predatory lothario, or vulpine for a cunning schemer? You might even go out on an evolutionary limb and use pavonine to refer to a male fashion plate. (Your readers can always look it up.) Alternatively, give your humorous novel a Dickensian flair with a rapacious Mr. Selachian, a harridan named Mrs. Soricine, or a prickly or sharp-tongued person dubbed Miss Hystricine or Master Vespa. If nothing else, simply employ the terms below as inspirations for drawing, in words, your fictional characters or nonfictional subjects: acciptrine (falcon, hawk) anatine, anserine (goose) anguine, colubrine, elapine, serpentine, viperine (snake) apic, apian, apiarian (bee) aquiline (eagle) arachnine, arachnoid (spider) asinine (donkey) batrachian, ranine (frog, toad) bovine (cow, bison) cancrine (crab) canine (dog) caprine (goat) cervine (deer, elk, moose) cetacean, cetaceous (whale) corvine (crow) cygnine (swan) delphine (dolphin, porpoise) dipterous (fly) elephantine, proboscine, proboscidean (elephant) equine (horse) eusuchian (alligator) feline (cat) formic, myrmecine (ant) galline (chicken) gastropodian (snail) helminthic, vermian (worm) larine (gull) leporine, leverine (hare, rabbit) lupine (wolf) murine (mouse, rat) musteline (badger, ferret, weasel) noctillionine, pteropine (bat) ostracine (oyster) otarine, phocine (seal) ovine (sheep) passerine (bird) pavonine (peacock) pieridine, pierine (butterfly) piscine (fish) porcine (pig) sciurine (squirrel) scyphozoan (jellyfish) simian (ape, monkey) soricine (shrew) taurine (bull) testudine (tortoise) ursine (bear) vespine (wasp, hornet) vituline (calf) vulpine (fox) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should Know16 Misquoted QuotationsList of 50 Compliments and Nice Things to Say!

The Wannsee Conference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Wannsee Conference - Essay Example According to the study the plan based on the deportation of Jewish population of both French North Africa and Europe to areas occupied by Germans in the Eastern Europe. The Jews fit for labor were to be used on road building projects, in the event of which they would perish in accordance with the Wannsee protocol. Those who would still be surviving would be annihilated after projects’ completion. As the Soviet and Allied forces pushed back the German lines, many of the German Jews who occupied Europe were taken to concentration or extermination camps, or were killed in cold blood. This paper highlights that Heydrich opened the meeting with a remark of the measure taken on the anti-Jewish in Germany from the time Nazi seized power in 1933. He uttered that 530,000 Austrian and German Jews had emigrated between 1933 and 1941. He got this information from a briefing paper that was prepared for him by Eichmann who had become an expert on practicalities of finding a solution of the â€Å"Jewish question†. He had gained his experience in the organization of forceful emigration of the Viennese Jews in the year 1938. Heydrich reported to the members in the meeting that there were about eleven million Jews in the entire Europe. He then retorted that out of this number half were in countries that were not under German rule. Evacuating the Jews to the east was his provisional solution to the problem as emigration of the authorities had prohibited the evacuation European Jews. Heydrich cleared on the ultimate fate intention for the evacuees. He said that under prope r guidelines, in the line of the final solution, the Jews were to be allocated labor appropriately in the east. Jews of able-bodies separated by sex were to be taken to heavy work columns in road construction sites. It was assured that in the event of the actions, a large number would be eliminated by natural factors.  

I haven't think about it, just leave it blank Essay

I haven't think about it, just leave it blank - Essay Example Every section complements the other, and the organization of the sections makes it easy for the reader to comprehend what the young woman went through in her life. Racial and color discrimination has always been there, perturbing the minds of people belonging to all ages; and, cultural implications impose great impacts on people’s perceptions of beauty and perfection (thesis). This paper tends to shed light on this thesis statement, while presenting examples from the text to show what the young lady has to tell the world about her experiences of color prejudice. In the skin section, Cofer tells the story how she got chicken pox when she was ten. Before then, she was a pretty girl in the eyes of her mother, but the chicken pox event snatched away all her confidence as she grew into adolescence. She says: â€Å"This was when I learned to be invisible† (Cofer 434). This shows how she lost all her self-assurance when a school nurse made her realize the ugliness of her skin. This section connects with the section of color that comes automatically in the reader’s mind, who wants to know whether the color of the skin compensated for her ugly skin or not. Peurto Ricans called her â€Å"pale† and â€Å"blanco† because she was fair skinned as compared to other Peurto Ricans. Even there, she would feel that she was an outcast. But, when she moved to the United States, she again failed to fit in the society, as she was darker than other American schoolmates. The irony comes here, when Cofer (434) states: â€Å"In the human world color triggers many more complex and even deadly reactions.† Cofer has tried to express the cruelty of humans by comparing them to animals. Animals consider color to be attractive yet dangerous; while, humans of color are considered unattractive and negligible. Cultural implications of color in Peruto Rico and America made the girl suffer from color complex. Her experiences of being driven away by a superma rket man and being rejected from a date by a white school boy strengthened the idea that she did not fit in the so-called humane society. Another cultural implication comes in the account of the girl’s size section. She is taller than her school mates in Peurto Rico. But, she is not as tall as her American friends. Hence, she is a tall Hispanic girl, but is short in America. Cofer has tried to express how people’s perceptions are linked to demographical backgrounds. She fears playing with her tall school mates no matter how much she tries. She uses irony to tell that the games which the Hispanic considered as fun are taken as â€Å"fierce competitions where everyone is out to â€Å"prove† they are better than others† (Cofer 437). Due to the size issue, the girl’s teachers always picked her in the end or never at all. This made her feel unwanted and inferior. â€Å"I wanted to be wanted† (Cofer 437) depicts the despair of the young girl becau se she wants to be loved and appreciated despite her inability to physically fit with the standards of others. In the looks section, Cofer states that she had to suffer from discrimination in this regard too, while the tragedy was that the cultural implications play their role here as well. She states: â€Å"I came there from Peurto Rico, thinking myself a pretty girl, and found that the hierarchy for popularity was as follows: pretty white girl, pretty Jewish girl, pretty Peurto Rican girl, pretty black girl†

NIKE Co Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NIKE Co - Research Paper Example They gain a better work-related understanding of their own behavior and that of others hence, motivate, influence, and to succeed. Nike Company is dynamic in that it obtains raw materials from the environment and processes them into finished goods or services that are returned as outputs to the environment. From finished goods and services, Customers create a continuing demand of Nike Company products resulting to a circle known as a value chain (Nelson, Debra & James 25). How Nike Company Functions Organizational structure of Nike Company is centered in managers and their team leaders who foresee efficient running of the company. Their nature of managerial work revolves around planning, organizing, leading and controlling. They execute informational, interpersonal and decisional roles. Informational roles is whereby a manager exchanges and processes information through team leaders and also liaise with the employees in decision making for the betterment of the company. Effective man agers must integrate technical, human and conceptual skills. As well they must be sensitive to workforce dynamics while consistently adapting to their environment and understand broad applications of technology, focus on quality and customer service. In Nike Company, emphasis on managing emotions both personally and in relationships with others, is considered an important leadership competency since a manager’s emotional intelligence contributes significantly to their leadership effectiveness (Nelson et al. 30-5). Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and deal with emotions such as self-regulation, relationship management and self-awareness. Positive organizational cultures in this Company tap the talents, ideas of employees, and their potential creativity. Therefore it makes the organization a better employer and helps it to effectively compete more in the job market. Diversity programs in Nike Company includes; emphasis on recruitment, selection, and retention of potential employees who provide a basis for more effective job satisfaction and productivity. In order to accomplish the diversity management in Nike Company, all levels of management in the company must be committed across all functions of the organization in order to get the best from the company. Diversity therefore, promotes creativity and innovation, social responsibility, reduced legal noncompliance costs and appreciating differences /value of inclusion. The mission statement of Nike Company describes and helps focus on the attention on the company’s core purpose, vision and future aspiration in a way that inspires commitment, innovation, emotion, and courage (Nelson et al. 45-6). Attitudes and Job Satisfaction in Nike Company Attitudes play an important role in employees work output in Nike Company. Managers should therefore be interested in their employees’ attitudes since attitudes give warnings of potential problems and influence behavior. If managers in Nike Company can improve employee attitudes, it will likely result in heightened growth of the company’s effectiveness. The key managerial goal in Nike Company is the employee’s job satisfaction. This is assessed through managerial observation and interpretation of employee’s attitudes and behavior by use of job satisfaction interviews and administering of

Alexander Graham Bell 1847-1922 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Alexander Graham Bell 1847-1922 - Essay Example The purpose of this essay is to discuss the Graham Bell’s life and his contribution in the different fields. Alexander Graham Bell was an American scientist, who belonged to Scotland and born on 3rd March, 1847. He was the second son of Melville Bell, whose life was dedicated for the benefit of mankind. He worked as a teacher, scientist, inventor and a gentleman who is known throughout the world for his pioneering work for the invention of the telephone (Dunn, 1990). Graham Bell received his initial education at home and then took admission in the Royal High School. He got musical talent from his mother. He took early lessons from her and became a family’s pianist. He left the school at the age of 15 (Osborne, 1943). He migrated to London then, as his grandfather was living there at the time when he left the school. As his grandfather and father were the famous professors and deliver lectures on elocution. So, from his childhood, he was keen to learn about speech and sound. With encouragement of his father, he was able to construct a speaking machine that could articulate a few words. He also got the position as a â€Å"pupil-teacher† for elocution and music in a school (A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2014). During 1868-1870, Bell studied the vocal anatomy at the University of London. In 1870, he had to migrate to Canada along with his family. From Canada, Bell moved to the United States and became a teacher there. He mastered a system called Visible Speech, which was originally developed by his father himself to teach the deaf children. In 1872, he created a school in Boston. Its sole purpose was to educate the teachers who teach the deaf. Then soon, it attained the status of being a part of the Boston University. His mother was also deaf, so like some other influential people, he believed that deafness was something that should be eliminated. He was of the view that the deaf

Fundamentals of Business Law Assignment Case Study

Fundamentals of Business Law Assignment - Case Study Example This case cannot be heard in a higher court. It can best be referred to the District Magistrate's courts. And because it is a criminal wrong, Joe would likely either be imprisoned for a given number of years or fined. He can also be punished by way of corporal punishment. This is a civil case but which relates between employees and employers. The case will be heard in an industrial court which is an administrative tribunal i.e. a body given the power of an administrative nature. This case involves commission of the tort of negligence because the employer has not taken reasonable steps to guard the machines. And in the process, it has caused injury. The judge of the industrial court can appoint two assessors from a panel of assessors appointed by the concerned minister. One assessor represents the employer and the other represents the employees. But the assessors only give an opinion. The decision of the courts is final and the result of the judgement is called an award. This is a criminal offence. In fact Del has committed an economic crime by failing to pay large sums of value added tax. And since the amount of money involved is huge, the case will be heard by the High Court. If Del is of the opinion that he has not been given a fair trial, then he can appeal to the court of appeal. Del is likely to be fined i.e. pay the tax added plus penalty. Prima facie, this can appear to be a civil case. But whether the employer has perpetrated any civil wrong will depend on the agreement made between Millie and her employer. Be it as it may, she has a right to sue. This case would be heard by the industrial court. It is the industrial court that hears cases between employees and their employers. Based on the judge's opinion, she might be paid as her colleagues. Question Two Whether Cules can recover compensation from Humpty or Alec the rules of law that govern this case are whether the essential elements of negligence can be proofed in order for an action for negligence to be maintained. In order for Giles to successfully sue and recover compensation from Humpty or Alec he must prove the following. i. That they owed him a duty of care. ii. That Humpy and Alec breached legal duty. iii. That he Giles suffered injury as a result of the breach of duty. 2 Humpy and Alec owe no duty of care to Giles. Humpty was to provide a loan to Giles and had no duty over Gile's chicken business. On the other hand, Alec was only approached to give advice concerning the loan and not on whether it was appropriate to purchase the machine. In Burwill v. Young a house wife was alighting from a tramcar. A motor cyclist passing on the other side of the tram collided with a motor car, the noise pf the collision resulting in the plaintiff suffering nervous shock and subsequent miscarriage. She brought an action of negligence on the motor cyclist personal representative. The action failed and it was held that at the time of the collision, the plaintiff was not there therefore he did not owe

Motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Motivation - Assignment Example A school scenario is the best example whereby students will be forced to learn something by their teachers whether they like it or not. Another case scenario can be applied at work. Self employed individuals require no external forces to trigger them to work hard. On the other hand, casual employees must be pushed so that they can work. ICON product and marketing mix motivation must put emphasis on the fact that both elements must achieve great results. Health and product motivation should be structured to meet the consumer’s attention of various health products. Consumer motivation ensures that the ICON products are identified in the market. This can be aimed through various ideologies like the use of motivational levels and Product advertisement. Marketing mix will be achieved through the product pricing, distribution to the target market and also promotion through product campaigns like penetration scheme where a product is introduced in the market at a very low price. Health product motivation can have an effect on information owned by the people. A good example is the drug sector where customers prefer more brands than others depending on the package of each drug

Fundamentals of Business Law Assignment Case Study

Fundamentals of Business Law Assignment - Case Study Example This case cannot be heard in a higher court. It can best be referred to the District Magistrate's courts. And because it is a criminal wrong, Joe would likely either be imprisoned for a given number of years or fined. He can also be punished by way of corporal punishment. This is a civil case but which relates between employees and employers. The case will be heard in an industrial court which is an administrative tribunal i.e. a body given the power of an administrative nature. This case involves commission of the tort of negligence because the employer has not taken reasonable steps to guard the machines. And in the process, it has caused injury. The judge of the industrial court can appoint two assessors from a panel of assessors appointed by the concerned minister. One assessor represents the employer and the other represents the employees. But the assessors only give an opinion. The decision of the courts is final and the result of the judgement is called an award. This is a criminal offence. In fact Del has committed an economic crime by failing to pay large sums of value added tax. And since the amount of money involved is huge, the case will be heard by the High Court. If Del is of the opinion that he has not been given a fair trial, then he can appeal to the court of appeal. Del is likely to be fined i.e. pay the tax added plus penalty. Prima facie, this can appear to be a civil case. But whether the employer has perpetrated any civil wrong will depend on the agreement made between Millie and her employer. Be it as it may, she has a right to sue. This case would be heard by the industrial court. It is the industrial court that hears cases between employees and their employers. Based on the judge's opinion, she might be paid as her colleagues. Question Two Whether Cules can recover compensation from Humpty or Alec the rules of law that govern this case are whether the essential elements of negligence can be proofed in order for an action for negligence to be maintained. In order for Giles to successfully sue and recover compensation from Humpty or Alec he must prove the following. i. That they owed him a duty of care. ii. That Humpy and Alec breached legal duty. iii. That he Giles suffered injury as a result of the breach of duty. 2 Humpy and Alec owe no duty of care to Giles. Humpty was to provide a loan to Giles and had no duty over Gile's chicken business. On the other hand, Alec was only approached to give advice concerning the loan and not on whether it was appropriate to purchase the machine. In Burwill v. Young a house wife was alighting from a tramcar. A motor cyclist passing on the other side of the tram collided with a motor car, the noise pf the collision resulting in the plaintiff suffering nervous shock and subsequent miscarriage. She brought an action of negligence on the motor cyclist personal representative. The action failed and it was held that at the time of the collision, the plaintiff was not there therefore he did not owe

Poem and Short Story Essay Example for Free

Poem and Short Story Essay Mill of the Gods (Estrella Alfon) Among us who lived in Espeleta – that street that I love, about whose people I keep telling tales – among us, I say, there was one named Martha, and she was the daughter of Pio and Engracia. To all of us, life must seem like a road given us to travel, and it is up to Fate, that convenient blunderer, whether, that road be broad and unwinding, or whether it shall be a tortuous lane, its path a hard and twisted mat of dust and stones. And each road, whether lane or avenue, shall have its own landmarks, that only the traveller soul shall recognize and remember, and remembering, continue the journey again. To Martha, the gods gave this for a first memory: a first scar. She was a girl of twelve, and in every way she was but a child. A rather dull child, who always lagged behind the others of her age, whether in study or in play. Life had been so far a question of staying more years in a grade than the others, of being told she would have to apply herself a little harder if she didn’t want the infants catching up with her. But that was so dismal thing. She had gotten a little bit used to being always behind. To always being the biggest girl in her class. Even in play there was some part of her that never managed to take too great a part – she was so content if they always made her â€Å"it† in a game of tag, if only they would let her play. And when she had dolls, she was eager to lend them to other girls, if they would only include her in the fascinating games she could not play alone. This was she, then. Her hair hung in pigtails each side of her face, and already it irked a little to have her dresses too short. She could not help in her mother’s kitchen, and could be trusted to keep her room clean, but she was not ready for the thing her mother told her one night when she was awakened from sleep. It was a sleep untroubled by dreams, then all of a sudden there was an uproar in the house, and she could hear her mother’s frenzied sobbing, and it was not sobbing that held as much of sorrow as it did of anger. She lay still for a while, thinking perhaps she was dreaming, until she could hear her father’s grunted answers to the half – understood things her mother was mouthing at him. Then there were sounds that was clearly the sound of two bodies struggling in terrible fury with each other. She stood up, and like a child, cried into the night. Mother? She wailed the word, in her panic finding a little relief in her own wailing, Mother? And she heard her mother’s voice call her, panting out, saying, Martha, come quickly, come into this room! Martha got up and stood at the door of the room, hesitating about opening it, until her mother, the part of a terrible grasp, said Martha! So Martha pushed in the door, and found her mother and her father locked in an embrace n which both of them struggled and panted and had almost no breath left for words. Martha stood wide – eyed and frightened, not knowing what to do, just standing there, even though she had seen what it was they struggled for. A kitchen knife, blade held upwards in her mother’s hand. Her arms were pinioned to her sides by her husband, but her wild eyes, the frenzy with which she stamped her feet on his feet, and kicked him in the shins, and tried to bite him with her teeth, these were more terrible than the glint of that shining blade. It was her father who spoke to her saying urgently, Martha, reach for her knife, take it away. Yet Martha stood there and did not comprehend until her mother spoke, saying No, no; Martha, your father deserves to be killed. Then it was Martha who realized what she was to do, and slowly, hesitantly, she went near them, her fear of both of them in this terrible anger they now presented making her almost too afraid to reach up for the knife. But reach up she did, and with her child’s fingers, put her mother’s away from the weapon. And when she had it in her hands she did not know what to do with it, except look at it. It wasn’t a very sharp knife, but its blade was clean, and its hilt firm. And so she looked at it, until her father said. Throw it out of the window, Martha and without thinking, she went to a window, opened a casement and threw it away. Then her father released her mother, and once her mother had gotten her arms free, she swung back her hand, and wordlessly, slapped him; slapped him once, twice, three times, alternating with her hands, on alternate cheeks, until her father said. That’s enough, Engracia. And saying so, he took her hands in his, led her resisting to the bed, and made her sit down. And Martha was too young to wonder that her father, who was a big man, should have surrendered to the repeated slapping from her mother who was a very small frail woman. Her father said, â€Å"Aren’t you ashamed now Martha has seen? † And immediately her mother screamed to him, â€Å"Ashamed? Me, ashamed? I’ll tell Martha about you! † Her father looked at Martha still standing dumbly by the window out of which she had thrown the knife, and said, â€Å"No, Aciang, she is just a child. † And to her: â€Å"Martha, go back to bed. † But now her mother jumped up from the bed, and clutched at Martha, and brought her to bed with her. And deliberately without looking at Martha’s father, she said, Martha you are not too young to know. And so, the words falling from her lips with a terrible quiet, she told Martha. The words that were strange to her ears, Martha heard them, and listened to them, and looked from her mother to her father, and without knowing it, wetting her cheeks with her tears that fell. And then her mother stopped talking, and looking at her husband, she spat on him, and Martha saw the saliva spatter on the front of the dark shirt he wore. She watched while her father strode over them, and slowly, also deliberately, slapped her mother on the cheek. Martha watched his open palm as he did it, and felt the blow as though it had been she who had been hit. Then her father strode out of the room, saying nothing, leaving them alone. When her father had gone, Martha’s mother began to cry, saying brokenly to Martha, â€Å"It is that woman, that woman! † And making excuses to Martha for her father, saying it was never completely the man’s fault. And Martha listened bewildered, because this was so different from the venomous words her mother had told her while her father was in the room. And then her mother, still weeping, directed her to look for her father and Martha went out of the room. Her father was not in the house. The night was very dark as she peered out of the windows to see is she could find him outside, but he was nowhere. So she went back to her mother, and told her she could not find her father. Her mother cried silently, the tears coursing down her cheeks, and her sobs tearing through her throat. Martha cried with her, and caressed her mother’s back with her hands, but she had no words to offer, nothing to say. When her mother at last was able to talk again, she told Martha to go back to bed. But it wasn’t the child that entered who went out of that room. And yet the terror of that night was not so great because it was only a terror half – understood. It wasn’t until she was eighteen, that the hurt of that night was invested with its full measure. For when she was eighteen, she fell in love. She was a girl of placid appearance, in her eyes the dreaming stolid night of the unawakened. She still was slow to learn, still not prone to brilliance. And when she fell in love she chose the brightest boy of her limited acquaintance to fall in love with. He was slightly older than herself, a little too handsome, a trifle too given to laughter. Espeleta did not like him; he was too different from the other young me n on the street. But Martha loved him. You could see that in the way she looked at him, the way she listened to him. Martha’s pigtails had lengthened. She now wore her braids coiled on the top of her head like a coronet, and it went well with the placid features, the rather full figure. She was easily one of our prettier maidens. It was well that she was not too brilliant. That she did not have any too modern ideas. The air of shyness, the awkward lack of sparkling conversation suited her Madonna – like face and calm. And her seriousness with love was also part of the calm waiting nature. It did not enter her head that there are such things as play, and a game. And a man’s eagerness for sport. And so when she noticed that his attentions seemed to be wandering, even after he had admitted to a lot of people that they were engaged, she asked him, with the eager desperation of the inexperienced, about their marriage. He laughed at her. Laughed gently, teasingly, saying they could not get married for a long time yet; he must repay his parents first for all that they had done for him. He must first be sure to be able to afford the things she deserved. Well turned phrases he said his excuses with. Charming little evasions. And if she did not see through them while he spoke them, his frequent absences, where his visits had been as a habit; his excuses to stay away when once no amount of sending him off could make him stay away; these but made her see. And understand. And then the way neighbours will, they tried to be kind to her. For they could see her heart was breaking and they tried to say sweet things to her, things like her being far too good for him. And then they heard that he had married. Another girl. And they saw her grief, and thought it strange that a girl should grieve over an undeserving lover or so. She lost a little of the plumpness that was one of her charms. And into her eyes crept a hurt look to replace the dreaming. And Espeleta, with all the good people, strove to be even kinder to her. Watched her grief and pitied her. And told her that whatever mistakes she had committed to make her grieve so, to make her suffer so, they understood and forgave. And they did not blame her. But now that she had learned her lesson, she must beware. She knew her own father as much as they knew about him. And it was in the Fates that his sins must be paid for. If not by himself, then by whom but she who was begotten by him? So, didn’t she see? How careful she should be? Because you could, they said it to her gently, kindly, cruelly, because she could if she were careful, turn aside the vengeance of the implacable fates. And she believed them kind although she hated their suspicions. She believed them kind, and so she started, then, to hate her father. And that night long ago came back to her, and she wished she had not thrown that knife away. Espeleta saw Martha turn religious. More religious than Iya Andia and Iya Nesia, who were old and saw death coming close, and wanted to be assured of the easing of the gates of heaven. Espeleta approved. Because Espeleta did not know what she prayed for. Because they saw only the downcast eyes under the light veil, the coil of shining hair as it bowed over the communion rail. Yet Martha’s mother and father still lived together. They never had separated. Even after that night, when she was twelve years old and frightened, and she had called for him and looked for him and not found him. The next day he had come back, and between her mother and him there was a silence. They slept in the same bed, and spent the nights in the same room, and yet Martha and Espeleta knew he had another bed, another chamber. Espeleta praised Martha’s mother for being so patient. After Martha had fallen in love, when she began hating her father truly then also she began despising her mother. You did not know it to look at Martha. For her coil of braided hair was still there, and the shy way of speaking, and the charming awkwardness at conversation. And Martha made up her earlier lack of lustre by shining in her class now. She was eighteen and not through high school yet. But she made up for it by graduating with high honours. Espeleta clapped its hands when she graduated. Gave her flowers. Her mother and father were there, too. And they were proud. And to look at Martha, you would think she was proud too, if a little too shy still. Martha studied nursing. And started having visitors in her mother’s house again. Doctors this time. Older men, to whom her gravity of manner appealed, and the innate good sense that seemed so patient in her quiet demeanour. Espeleta was now rather proud of Martha. She seemed everything a girl should be, and they cited her as an example of what religion could do. Lift you out of the shadow of your inheritance. For look at Martha. See how different she is from what should be her father’s daughter. But what they did not know was that all of these doctors Martha had to choose someone slightly older than the rest. And where the girl of eighteen that she had been almost a child unschooled, now she was a woman wise and wary. Where the other nurses knew this doctor only as someone who did not like their dances as much as the younger ones, who did not speak as lightly, as flippantly of love as the younger ones, Martha knew why he didn’t. Between the two of them there had been, form the very start, a quick lifting of the pulse, an immediate quickening of the breath. From the very start. And where he could have concealed the secrets of life, he chose the very first time they were able to talk to each other, to tell her that he was not free. He had a wife, and whether he loved her or not, whether she was unfaithful to him or not, which she was, there had been the irrevocable ceremony to bind them, to always make his love for any other woman, if he ever fell in love again, something that must be hidden, something that might not see light. She was a woman now, Martha was. Wise and wary. But there is no wisdom, no weariness against love. Not the kind of deep love she knew she bore him. And as even she him, she found within herself the old deep – abiding secret hate. Against her father. Against the laws of man and church. Against the very fates that seemed rejoiced in making her pay for a sin she had not committed. She now learned of bitterness. Because she could not help thinking of that night, long ago, when her mother had sat on the bed, and in deliberate words told her just what kind of a father she had. It had been as though her mother had shifted on to her unwilling, unready shoulders the burden of the sorrows, the goad of the grief. Espeleta, that was so quick to censure, and to condemn; even Espeleta had taken the situation in Martha’s house as something that could not be helped. And as long as there was no open strife, Espeleta made excuses for a thing that, they said, had been designed by Fate. Martha’s father came home. Acted, on the surface, the good husband. And since he was married to Martha’s mother, so must Martha’s mother bear it, and welcome him home again. Because she would rather he came home, then went to the other one, wouldn’t she? Espeleta cited heavenly rewards. For Martha’s mother. And Martha went to church regularly, and was a good nurse. And still called her father, Father. You have heard that one of course, about the mill of the gods, how they â€Å"grind exceedingly fine, and grind exceedingly slow. † Espeleta hadn’t heard that one, nor had Martha. But Espeleta of course would have a more winded version of it. Anyhow, one day at the hospital, Martha was attendant nurse at an emergency case. A man had been shot. There were three bullets through his chest, but he was still alive. Martha laughed queerly to herself, saying I must be dreaming, I am imagining that man has my father’s face. It was the doctor she loved who was in charge. With a queer dreaming feeling, she raised her eyes to meet his, and was shocked to see him drop his gaze, and over his face steal a twist as of pain, as of pity. They were instantly their efficient selves again, cloaking themselves in the impersonal masks of physician and nurse. It was as if he who lay there beneath their instruments and their probing fingers was any man, the way it could be any man. Not her father. But all while, training and discipline unavailing. Martha said to herself, but it is my father. He died on the table. He never gained consciousness. Martha drew the sheet over his face and form. And watched as they wheeled him out of the room. She still had the instruments to put away and the room to put in order. But this did not take long and when she went out into the corridor, she found her mother weeping beside the shrouded form on the wheeled table. There was a policeman beside her awkwardly trying with gruff words to console the little woman over her loss. Beside the policeman stood also the doctor, who passed an arm around the shoulder of Martha’s mother, saying simply, we tried to save him. Martha joined them, knowing that she should be in tears, yet finding that she had none to shed. It would ease the tightness within her, would loosen the hard knot in her heart to cry. But you cannot summon tears when you feel no grief, and the pain you feel is not of sorrow but of the cruel justness of things. She could not even put her arms around her weeping mother. When the doctor told her that she would be excused from duty the rest of the day, that he would arrange it for her, she did not thank him. She did not say anything for indeed she no longer had any words, nor any emotions that required speech. Or should be given speech. For one cannot say, how right! How just! When one’s father has just died. Her mother and she took a taxi together to accompany the hearse that took her father home. There was a crowd awaiting them. Espeleta in tears. Espeleta crying condolence and opprobrium in the same breath. It was from them – their good neighbours, their kind neighbours – that Martha learned how â€Å"God’s justice had overtaken the sinner. † Colon is not as intimate as Espeleta. For it is a long street and broad street. But where the railroad crosses it, the houses group together in intimate warmth and neighbourly closeness and its families live each other’s lives almost as meddlingly as Espeleta does. And is as avid for scandals as Espeleta is. Among the people in Martha’s house were some from Colon. And it was they who supplied the grimmer details, the more lucid picture. In that other woman’s house – and Martha did not even know the other woman’s name there had existed the stalemate state of affairs that had existed in Martha’s house. Only where in Martha’s house it had been a wife who was patient, in that other woman’s house it had been the husband who had bided his time. And yet the neighbours had thought he had not cared. For indeed he had seemed like a man blind and deaf, and if he raised his voice against his wife, it was not so they could hear it. Yet today, he had come home, after he had said he was going away somewhere. And had come upon Martha’s father in the house, and had, without saying anything, taken out his revolver, and shot at him. Martha heard all these. And thought you know often life seems like an old – fashioned melodrama, guns and all. And yet the gun had not gone off. It had jammed, and Martha’s father had been able to run. And running, even as he seemed far enough from the house to be safe, the gun in the husband’s hand had come right again. The man had gone out in the street, aimed at the fleeing figure. That explained why the bullets had gone in through his back and out through his chest. They said that the street was spattered with blood and where he fell, there was a pool of gory red. The killer had surrendered himself at once. But everyone knew he would not pay with his life he had taken. For the woman was his wife and he had come upon them in his own home. Martha stayed with the kind condolers only a while. She left her mother for them to comfort as best as they could. They would have praises like â€Å"The good God knows best;† they would have words like, â€Å"Your grief is ended, let your other grief commence. † She went to look at her father lying well arranged now in his bier. Already in spite of the manner of his death, there were flowers for him. Death had left no glare in the eyes that the doctor at the hospital had mercifully closed, over the features lingered no evidence of pain. And Martha said, Death was kind to you. In Martha’s room there hung a crucifix. Upon the crossed wood was the agonized Christ, His eyes soft and deep and tender, even in his agony. But as Martha knelt, and lighted her candles, and prayed, in her eyes was no softness, and on her lips no words appealing for pity for him who had died. There was only the glitter of a justice meted out at last, and the thankfulness for a punishment fulfilled. So she gave thanks, very fervent thanks. For now, she hoped, she would cease to pay.

Eating Disorder Case Study

Eating Disorder Case Study ‘When normal eating becomes abnormal’ Eating is a crucial activity for humans, as the food we consume acts to provide us with the fuel we need to keep our bodies running, and to live our daily lives. Normal levels of eating can be characterised as consuming just enough calories (of energy) to allow us to function as we require, and not to have so much left over that is not used and subsequently stored as fat cells. Exactly what level is characterised will vary on an individual-to-individual basis, as ‘normal’ will be subject to individual differences such as activity levels, age and metabolic rate, which can all affect the rate at which energy is used or stored by the body. Abnormal eating can thus be seen to occur when we either consume too much or too little energy (food) for what we need, and forms the basis of negative eating behaviour, classed as eating disorders. There are two main eating disorders; anorexia nervosa, and bulimia. Anorexia is perhaps the most well-known of the disorders, and attracts a great deal of media coverage and celebrity profiles associated with the condition such as Victoria Beckham, Calistra Flockheart and the Olsen twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley). Characterised by deliberate and extreme weight loss through the withholding of hold often to the point of emaciation, anorexics will constantly worry about food, with such cognitions visible through behaviours such as obsessive weighing and calorie counting and abnormal levels of control in regards to food. Self-image is chronically out of touch with reality, with individuals at the later stages of the condition still seeing their body as fat, despite being seriously underweight. Through this self-inflicted starvation, the anorexic will start to experience physical symptoms and problems such as stomach pains, growth stunting, osteoporosis and reproduction problems such as the stopping of periods in women, or infertility in men. In the long term, lack of food can be serious to health, with the possibility of leading to kidney, liver and even heart damage, and thus the condition can be fatal. Bulimia is a more common disorder than anorexia and in contrast to the strict self-control of eating regulated by anorexics, bulimia can occur as a result of a lack of control over eating. Bulimics do not starve themselves, instead will binge massive amounts of food (often secretly), and with some cases reported as ingesting as much as 15,000 calories in 1 – 2 hours. After eating until they feel ill, bulimics will then use methods such as vomiting or laxatives to purge themselves of the calories that they have ingested. Physical effects of bulimia can be harder to detect as there is usually no dramatic weight loss, and in many cases is simply the maintenance of weight despite the food binges they have. Associated physical problems include sore and inflamed throat as a result of induced vomiting, which may eventually lead to a difficulty in swallowing. Stomach acid brought up along with food will also cause problems such as burning of the oesophagus and the damaging of tooth en amel. Intestine function can break down when forced repeatedly to expel food; dehydration can occur due to loss of fluids, and when to a serious enough degree can upset the balance of chemicals within the blood with minor consequences including dizziness, and the most serious being heart failure. Bulimia is a condition that is intricately linked with emotions and psychological well-being. Anxiety and unhappiness can binges which then cause guilt and further unhappiness until alleviated by purging. The sufferer is thus trapped in a vicious circle. One of the most high profile cases of bulimia is likely to be that of Princess Diana. Quoted as saying the bulimia was â€Å"a symptom of what was going on in my marriage. I was crying out for help, but giving the wrong signals,† (Panorma, BBC TV, 1995) such a comment is a prime example of the psychological nature of the condition. The difficulty in treatment of bulimia is that emotionally the action of purging is reinforcing by alleviating the guilt and unhappiness felt after a binging session, and thus makes the cycle far harder to break. Most cases of these eating disorders will start during adolescence or early adulthood, and are strongly linked in the literature and media as associated to psychological issues. Personal aspects such as perfectionism, identity and sexuality and self-esteem are strongly correlated factors, with control issues – whether in regards to excessive restraint, or in loss of control over eating, also have a predominant role. Along side these personality traits, the concept of body image, and how it is portrayed is felt to play a major contributing factor to the continued existence and rise of eating disorders. Weight is often seen as a measure of self-worth, attractiveness and sexuality, and subsequently this is modelled by the rich and famous that many adolescents look up to. Whether modelled in movies such as Demi Moore in Charlie’s Angels, or in fashion and celebrity magazines such as Vogue or Heat, young people are surrounded by visual media with images of the perfect body a nd what it means to be attractive and (subsequently associated) successful, and will unsurprisingly want to achieve this. When younger people do not feel that they match up to this notion of beauty, this can act as the psychological trigger to any of the conditions mentioned. The spread of eating disorders across the world alongside Westernisation to continents once free of such conditions, has further demonstrated the role that culture exerts over these diseases. Communication technologies such as the internet have also made the transfer of information such as tricks and tips between sufferers easier by connecting a once hidden and isolated population, the so called ‘Pro-ana (Anorexia) and Pro-mia (Bulimia)’ websites and chat rooms, which may also reinforce sufferer through the social support system such ‘societies and groups’ entail. Role of the media in the message it send out about eating disorders is thus mixed – articles in the written press ap pear to be condoning the behaviour, and yet reading behind the lines often eludes to something else A profile article on Calistra Flockhart in Hello! Magazine describes her anorexia, and yet in the same sentence tells how her ‘look’ is what landed her the role in the TV series Ally McBeal. Men’s magazines such as FHM and Loaded run annual ratings of the most attractive women, and subsequently reinforce the male attitude of thinness as attractive, and women see this as further example of how they believe they are expected to look. However there is evidence for optimism that that there is a shift in the ideology of beauty previously characterised in the 1990’s as the ‘waif supermodel look’ of Kate Moss and Jodie Kidd. Stars such as Beyonce and Jenifer Lopez are beginning to change the boundaries of attractiveness, reinventing the look of the womanly figure and curves. REFERENCES Abraham, S Llewellyn-Jones, D (1992) Eating Disorders: The Facts Oxford University Press Bryan, J (1999) Talking Points: Eating Disorders Wayland Publishers Ltd Carlson, N () Physiology of behaviour (4th Ed) Allyn Bacon Donnellan, C (2001) Confronting eating disorders Volume 24 Independence Internet References www.hellomagazine.com www.eatingdisorderresources.com