SWOT analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SWOT analysis - Essay Example Kathmandu Holdings Limited is an organisation committed to providing quality clothing and equipment for travel and adventure through its operated company stores. The major strength of the organisation lies in its capability to develop its brand and value which are satisfactory to the customer. This is a result of its vertically integrated business model which gives it control of its brand and products. This also allows it to achieve both a wholesale and retail margin. The major notable weakness for Kathmandu is that its success is over reliant on its reputation and branding. Unexpected issues can damage this reputation which is a weakness since there are no measures in place to counter this development should it happen. The opportunity for the company is that it has a network of company operated retail stores which makes it easy to gather information about the needs and wants of the customers. The other opportunity is that it has significantly invested in its IT systems to support its future growth plans. The other opportunity is that the organisation is strategically positioned to deliver attractive financial results to its shareholders and it allows public investors the opportunity to invest in business successfully. Its stance on brand awareness is another opportunity behind its success story in the market for outdoor travelling clothes and equipment. Likewise, this organisation does not operate in isolation from other firms. Of significant importance in this case is damage to Kathmandu’s brand as well as aggressive competition. This makes it a bit challenging for the organisation to maintain its competitive advantage as well as its dominance in the market with regards to the quality of its products that have greatly contributed to its success over the last years. The other threat is the risk associated with investing in the stock market generally where the management may not be able to

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 39

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example Formative evaluation can be used to provide feedback for learning and consequently serve as the basis for improvements (Duers and Brown, 2009) and should therefore be conducted as the project progresses. I concur that summative evaluation is conducted at the end of an instructional unit (Duers and Brown, 2009) and can thus be conducted at the end of your practicum project. McKimm and Swanwick (2009) posits that objectives outlines what the student seeks to achieve at the end of a project. In this regard, I agree with your objectives in achieving your goal. Your objectives clearly shows what you will achieve at the end of the practicum project. For instance, you assert that you will be able to present findings to the executive system board for approval at the end of your project. I also concur with the other aspects of your discussion such as your methodology and evaluation plan. Your choice to utilize PFCC as your methodology will help achieve the projected outcomes based on findings from other methodical investigations, thus I agree with your methodology. It is only through formative and summative approaches to evaluation that you will be able to get feedback from your colleagues and also at the end of your project (Duers and Brown, 2009). In this respect, I agree with your evaluation

A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller | Analysis

A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller | Analysis A View from the Bridge is a play set in Brooklyn in the 1950s and was written by Arthur Miller. He wrote this play based on different aspects in his life as he lived in Brooklyn as a child and worked in the Brooklyn shipyards like Eddie and befriended the Italians he worked with. Miller heard a story of some men coming over to work illegally and being betrayed which inspired him to write A View from a Bridge. It was originally a one act play, but he changed it into a two-act play later on. The play includes ideas from Greek tragedies, which is where the character of Eddie links into. Alfieri, another main character acts as a Greek chorus, a vital role in a Greek tragedy and he watches the action, comments on it and talks to the audience directly, like a narrator. We see him in many different roles throughout the play and each role adding to the dramatic impact of the play. The first role Alfieri takes on is as a narrator, which is at the start of the play. You wouldnt have known it, but something amusing has just happened. You see how uneasily they nod to me? Alfieri uses the word you to include the audience and to make them feel involved. Also, as the narrator he highlights the importance of certain scenes and actions, as after the scene when Marco and Rodolpho arrive, Alfieri starts to talk again saying Eddie Carbone had never expected to have a destiny implying that because Beatrices cousins have come to stay, something will change. Alfieri also mentions that we settle for half and uses repetition as in the first speech and the very last speech after Eddie has died he says that it is better to settle for half, it must be. By using the word we Alfieri is again involving the audience and making them think that they should settle for half as well as Eddie, and is therefore offering moral guidance to the audience. Furthermore by saying it must be better to settle for half, and using an imperative, Alfieri is trying to convince the audience and even himself that appreciating what youve got must be better than dying like Eddie did. When Alfieri is narrating the play, Arthur Miller uses dramatic devices for example using stage lights to focus on Alfieri, so the audience know what he is saying is very important. The title of the play A View from a Bridge has many different meanings, as it could be seen as Alfieris view from the bridge, as he is the one narrating the events and telling his view on the events that unfold. Furthermore the title is literally the play, which is set in Brooklyn Bridge and is about the community around the area and the actions that happen which Alfieri tells as a narrator. Also the bridge could be a metaphor for the differences between Alfieris view on justice and Eddies differing opinions and can also incorporate Alfieris view that we should settle for half as to do this you may need to compromise and meet in the middle, like the middle of the bridge. Another interpretation on the title is that the bridge is like a bridge between Eddies community in Brooklyn and Marco and Rodolphos community in Italy and they both have to understand each others way of life by using this bridge to help them. Another role Alfieri takes on is a character in the play as a lawyer. He gives Eddie advice on how to deal with Rodolpho and Catherine: Let her go. Thats my advice. You did your job, now its her life; wish her luck and let her go. The audience trust Alfieri, because of his character as a lawyer as more often then not they are seen to be trustworthy and reliable. As well as advising Eddie, he also warns him when he feels Eddie is going too far. Because of Alfieris narration running through the play, the audience can see that there is a theme of law and justice running through the play. He explains these themes by giving more information about the different communities telling the audience that the law has not been a friendly idea since the Greeks were beaten, implying that the Americans of Red Hook do not really believe in the law. Alfieri attempts to explain the law to Eddie and Marco, telling them that the law is nature. The law is only a word for what has a right to happen. So when Eddie chooses to find justice by his own means, Alfieri feels that he cannot get involved and he cant do anything to stop Eddie. In the first scene when Alfieri meets with Eddie as a lawyer he describes Eddies eyes like tunnels. This simile gives the impression of a dark journey ahead of Eddie and gives the audience an image that Eddie cannot escape his fate that has been predicted by Alfieri as the audience already know its going to happen. It could also suggest that Eddie was thinking deeply or that he had many dark feelings rushing around his head. In this scene Alfieri is powerless to prevent what is going to happen and this creates tension and suspense because the audience want to know what is going to happen next. I could see every step coming, step after step. Alfieri also acts as a warning sign, by preparing the audience for events that are about to happen. You wont have a friend in the world, Eddie! By using the phrase you wont Alfieri is warning Eddie that something is definitely going to happen and that he should be careful. As the weeks passed, there was a future; there was a trouble that would not go away. By using repetition, Alfieri is emphasizing the point that something is going to happen and is making the audience think through what will happen and why and therefore keeps them hooked. Arthur Miller uses dramatic irony as the audience and Alfieri know something is going to happen, however the characters in the play are oblivious to this. Alfieri informs the audience that his customers are prepared to settle for half, however in the final paragraph he tells the audience that something else is going to happen by using the phrase and yet. Alfieri uses the quote bloody course to paint an image in the audiences head of blood and violence and the images that are left in the audiences mind leaves them curious about the rest of the play which creates dramatic tension. It also shows Alfieris importance in the rest of the play, as it shows he is predicting the play and Eddies fate. In the last sentence of Alfieris first speech, he links to his past saying every few years there is still a case to tell the audience that this story will definitely be tragic. He then introduces Eddie: This ones name was Eddie Carbone, and the fact that Alfieri immediately mentions Eddie after talking about that culture of Red Hook and also speaks about him in the past tense shows that his fate has already come to an end and gives another indication that Eddie will die at the end of the play so the audience are left wondering not what will happen to him but how it will happen. The way in which this quote is presented shows that Eddie is one of many of Alfieris clients whose tragic story is like many others in Italy that die of unfair causes. The setting of Red Hook is a poor community and Alfieri creates the atmosphere of Red Hooks by describing it as the slum that faces the bay seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge. There is a lot of cultural context linked into the story as Alfieri comes from the same Italian background as Eddie; therefore he understands both American and Italian lifestyles and he helps the audience to understand the 1950s Brooklyn society in which the characters live. Alfieri also explains how the rich and the poor are divided in their community by their jobs and states that Eddie has a hard job as a longshoreman working on the docks. I often think that behind that suspicious little nod of theirs lie three thousand years of distrust. This is a quote that Alfieri says at the beginning of the play which gives the audience an insight into what Red Hook is like and suggests that there is a lot of dishonesty in the area. He mentions the characters Al Capone and Frankie Yale who were former Italians that had a history of crime and violence, In those days, Al Capone the greatest Carthaginian of all was learning his trade on these pavements, and Frankie Yale himself was cut precisely in half by a machine gun, he uses this quote to emphasise the case that he is about to handle which shows that it will be of violent nature and he also uses this quote to show that the play will end tragically. The audience sees Alfieri as a character in the play when Eddie goes to see him for advice. However Alfieri feels that he cannot help Eddie as he knows about the disaster that is going to happen at the end of the play so he feels powerless over Eddie as his friend and his lawyer and cannot prevent the decisions Eddie is choosing to make. Another role Alfieri takes on which is a very important part in the play is as a moral commentator. Alfieri gives his own views and opinions on the characters and their actions and this guides the audience rather than allowing them to make their own minds up. The audience has the same opinion of the narrator because Alfieri talks directly to them affecting their view on the situation and characters and they believe everything he says. Alfieri comments on Eddies moral character saying he was as good a man as he had to be in life that was hard and even, and he explains that Eddie is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. Alfieri only guides the audien ce influencing their opinion, but sometimes gives two differing opinions on Eddie allowing the audience to make up their own minds. In the play there are only two acts, which is unusual for a play; however there is many different things that happen in these two acts. As an audience we see that Alfieri is very important to the structure of A View From A Bridge as he is the character that opens the play and ends the play with his two dramatic speeches therefore adding to Alfieris dramatic impact to the play. Finally Alfieri acts as the Greek chorus in the play, explaining the events on stage to the audience without actually participating in them. He has to know a lot about each of the main characters and actions to be an effective chorus; however he communicates with the audience more thoroughly than with the characters, to inform them of the actions and thoughts of the characters. The idea of the narrator was developed in the Greek tragedies of the 5th century called the chorus who commented on the actions of characters in the play which is like Alfieri. A Greek Tragedy was originally a play that consisted of tragic events with a main character (like Eddie) whos fate would soon come to an end and usually die at the end. A View from a Bridge uses the conventions of a Greek Tragedy, as Arthur Miller used a final climax in the play where Eddie Carbone (one of the main characters) tragically dies, which suggests his play is based on a traditional Greek tragedy. In conclusion Alfieri helps contribute to the dramatic impact of the play in many different ways, because of his different roles but also because as an audience we know that what is going to happen as Alfieri predicted the events to come which adds tension and suspense. Throughout the play Alfieri keeps emphasizing that we should settle for half, which shows that Arthur Millar was trying to give a moral message to the audience and also society saying that they should settle for half, and always bring justice to the world as otherwise we might end up with Eddies fate. Bibliography www.bbcbitesize.co.uk www.sparknotes.co.uk

The Dehumanization Process in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Do

The Dehumanization Process in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Throughout American history, minority groups were victims of American governmental policies, and these policies made them vulnerable to barbaric and inhumane treatment at the hands of white Americans. American slavery is a telling example of a government sanctioned institution that victimized and oppressed a race of people by indoctrinating and encouraging enslavement, racism and abuse. This institution is injurious to slaves and slave holders alike because American society, especially in the south, underwent a dehumanization process in order to implement the harsh and inhumane doctrine. In the episodic autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Frederick Douglass illustrates, through personal experience, the brutality and violence of slave life. As a young boy, Douglass is sent to Baltimore, an event that gives him temporary relief from the harsh conditions on the plantation. In Baltimore, he teaches himself to read and write and begins a jou rney to mental freedom that eventually paves the way to his successful escape to the North. Despite the hardships he endures, â€Å"most amazing is the indestructible total humanity of [Douglass] whom society called a thing, a chattel to be bought and sold† (Rexroth 134). Amazingly, Douglass realizes at a young age that the institution of slavery poisons people who might otherwise act in good and decent ways. His autobiography focuses primarily on the ill effects slavery has on slaves; however, he also acknowledges the damage that enforcing the laws of slavery has on slave holders. Through the use of imagery, Douglass masterfully illustrates the dehuman... ...oppression due to the lack of liberty, education, humanity, or justice. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Vol 1. 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Company: New York, 2002. 1817-1880. Franklin, Bruce. â€Å"Animal Farm Unbound.† Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. 29-43. Houston PBS Online. Resource Book: People and Events Frederick Douglass 1818-1895. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1539.html Rexroth, Kenneth. â€Å"Frederick Douglass.† The Elastic Retort: Essays in Literature and Ideas. The Continuum, 1973: 108-11. Rpt. in Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism. Eds. Laura Lanzen Harris and Sheila Fitzgerald. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale, 1984. 133-34.

With whom does responsibility for the Holocaust ultimately lie?

The Holocaust was a shameful display of the exploitation of power to cause great pain and suffering to many. An operation of that magnitude could not have been controlled and implemented by one individual. There are many parties which were involved with Germany and need to be considered when determining where ultimate responsibility lies. Hitler did as early as 1935 make his feelings about the Jewish race clear by making his anti-Semitism public policy in the Nuremburg Race laws. But aside from in â€Å"Mein Kampf†, Hitler made little indication until the last minute that he had given approval for the extermination program, ( even Mein Kampf is not that reliable, because it was written by a young man imprisoned for his beliefs, and he was bound to exaggerate to get his message across and to raise sales profits ). He seems to have kept out of the actual planning and implementation of the killing process, leaving that in the more than capable hands of the Nazi officials, including Himmler, Frank and Heydrich. Many of the ideas such as Ghettos and mass transportation were left under their control, for them to act on their own innitiative. Although he was seen by the public as heavily involved with politics and decision making for Germany, it has since been revealed that Hitler spent a large part of his day relaxing at home, and was often happy to sign papers after only a brief glance. After the virulence shown in â€Å"Operation Barbarossa† towards the Russian Jews, Hitler in speeches tried to convince the public that a good solution had been found to ‘the jewish problem' and should be continued throughout the rest of Europe, hiding the intensity of the mass genocide going on in the country next door to them. He also reffered to the transits as ‘resettlements' for â€Å"appropriate labour duties†, which made the program seem more civilised. Amongst the Nazi leaders, talk was rarely directly about the actual business of the â€Å"final solution† agenda, reffering as Hitler did to program as of â€Å"legalised removal† and â€Å"resettlement†. But it was reported at the trial of Eichmann in 1960 that within private meetings the â€Å"talk was of killing, elimination and liquidation†. Obviously the top officials like Himmler and Heydrich didn't want to give the public the impression that they were intently malicious, but it is clear that they did not have reservations about ordering the police, Wehrmacht and S. S. to carry out there instructions. Himmler was able to directly comit the 800 000 strong S. S. to the tasks of operating the death camps, and so needed no other authority. Most of them believed that they were just doing their duty for Germany and could contently do their tasks without moral objections. Other leaders like Goebbels were passionately anti-semitic and outright about it, but Goebbels with all of his propaganda experience probably conveyed it tactfully. At the Nuremburg trials, many leaders tried to claim ignorance of the program however preposterous that may seem after looking at the evidence, but there is little actual proof of their actions, so there is not much firm indication to support the claims of their responsibility. The earlier T-4 ( euthanasia program ) had been in effect a development program for the search for efficient means of large and refined killings. Some officials such as Bouhler and Brack had been largely involved with T-4 and were able to pass on their extensive knowledge, and implement it in death camps like Treblinka and Belzec. T-4 also demonstrated that mass killings could be carried out by ordinary individuals without hesitation. Having said this, it would be eminently hard to prove that anyone involved with T-4 could have known that their methods would be used to wipeout a race, a process significantly larger and more important (to them) than what they were originally doing. The German army and police were undoubtedly involved to some extent in the program because of the logistics of the operation, but it would be unfair to try to blame them entirely for what they were doing. Some tried to keep a clear conscience by thinking of their victims as â€Å"not men but monkeys in human form†. But on the whole they were just following their orders and doing their jobs. A lot of the German people had, before Hitler came to power in 1933, been Anti-Semitic in varying degrees. Hitler only had to play on their feelings, making his policies reflect what the people wanted to hear. High ranking people, in the civil service, Army and churches, were among the Anti-Semitic thinkers. Prostestants in Germany had for a long time been Anti-Semitic since the time of Martin Luther and the Reformation in Europe. Some policies were frowned upon and met limited opposition, the Catholic church against euthanasia for example, but the actual ‘Holocaust' was affected very little by public protest. The public were often made aware of what was happening to the Jews by allied radio broadcasts, leaflet drops and stories brought home by soldiers who had been on the Russian front. But to many these were just rumours and not taken seriously. Everyone involved with the holocaust was each partly to blame. Hitler was the driving force behind most Nazi policies, but not many were his own. He was blamed by the German people, to forget their own responsibility. Himmler and Heydrich came up with and implemented many plans themselves, and were valuable to Hitler to keep his regime going. There was not enough opposition to earlier programs such as T-4 to stem the violence then, and it spiralled out of control. General public opinion, and even whole national organisations opinions, were too well established in their dislike of Jews to be changed even by mass violence. If it had been changed against Hitler's regime, there would not have been sufficient power to do what the regime achieved.

Comment on the various sorts of love shown in Romeo and Juliet Essay

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy based around a pair of young lovers. The play is set in 12th century Verona where a pair of families, the Capulet’s and the Montague’s have been feuding for many years. The play revolves around Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet falling deeply in love and the events that befall these two forbidden lovers. The play covers an array of different types of love and love related issues from brotherly love to bodily lust, Shakespeare uses the characters to portray stereotyped ideas of love and how it affects people. Before even the first scene is out, the play has already touched upon the idea of brotherly love. Benvolio, the cousin of Romeo, finds Romeo in a state of near depression and says to Romeo ‘What sadness lengthens Romeos hours’? With this line Shakespeare is showing Benvolio’s concern as a man might unto his brother. Romeo is sad because he has fallen in love with a girl, Rosaline ‘In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. ‘ However Romeo’s chosen spouse does not return the affection, as Romeo states ‘She will not stay the siege of loving terms’. Benvolio offers to Romeo the idea of looking for a different more attainable woman. He gives this advice in order that his cousin may once again be happy thus showing his affection for Romeo. Throughout the play Shakespeare writes about light when referring to love, he talks of it in the prologue before the play is even afoot ‘A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;’ It does not stop here however, on Romeo’s first encounter with Juliet he says ‘O she doth teach the torches to burn bright’ Meaning that she brings light to his dark troubled state of mind, where there was the haze of rejection her light shines through brightening his mood. Again in scene two upon meeting with Juliet his love Romeo compares her presence to light ‘But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? ‘ To Romeo meeting Juliet is like the sun rising, just as the sun lights up the world she lights up his mood and, as the sun clears the morning mist, so Juliet clears the fog of his mind leaving it clear. I think Shakespeare uses these references to light to show that in ‘dark’ times often love can show the way. Perhaps showing that in the face of a problematic social environment love can be a beacon to those who embrace it. When Romeo first visits friar Lawrence in Act two Scene three they speak of Romeo’s newfound love for Juliet and change of heart to Rosaline ‘With Rosaline, my ghostly father? no; I have forgot that name, and that names woe’ By this he is telling the friar that he has not only stopped doting on Rosaline but, has in fact undergone a total change in spirits forgetting the woes he had over Rosaline. However the Friar speaks of the doubts he had for the sincerity of Romeo’s love for Rosaline in the first place ‘Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell. ‘ This implies that Romeo, whilst sounding outwardly convincing lacked the meaning behind his words. Shakespeare is again using a characters opinion to influence that of the audience, in this case Romeo’s love for Rosaline may well have been true but due to the friars opinionated speech the audience is cast into doubt on the matter. The friar also chides Romeo about his use of elaborate metaphorical language when talking of love, telling him to ‘be plain, good son,’ For in order for Friar Lawrence to absolve Romeo he must first be able to understand him. Yet it is not just the friar who is suspicious of Romeo’s decorative words, Juliet had already commented on the way he talks in Act two Scene two ‘O swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. ‘ Romeos allegorical promises do not hold well with Juliet because in his words no definition can be found merely elaborate metaphors. However Juliet’s complaints go unheeded for later Act two Scene six Romeo is again using exotic language in order to describe his love for her ‘Unfold the imagined happiness that both Receive in either by this dear encounter. ‘ Juliet however responds by saying ‘Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Brags of his substance, not of ornament; They are but beggars that can count their worth, But my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth. ‘ What Juliet is saying here is that unlike Romeo she cannot sum up her love for him in words. Shakespeare uses strong negative imagery such as ‘beggars’ and ‘conceit’ to display Juliet’s exasperation with Romeos continuing usage of needless ornate speech. But despite Juliet’s doubts and Romeo’s misleading words there is an overwhelming love between the pair that cannot go unnoticed. Even upon their first meeting Romeo’s feelings for Juliet are obvious ‘Did my heart love till now? ‘ He directs this phrase at Juliet before the two have even met. Yet when they do at last meet Juliet shares with Romeo not one but two kisses, the second induced by Juliet ‘Then have my lips the sin that they have took’ These shows of affection in the time in which the play was written would be unheard of upon a first meeting. This shows just how the pair truly epitomise the phrase ‘Love at first sight’ for they did not let the fact that they were total strangers hinder the strength of their feelings even if the feeling was simply lust. However as of yet we cannot tell whether Romeo is sincere in his love this time rather than just lustfully infatuated as he was with Rosaline, the cousin of Juliet. However he proves himself later in the act by saying ‘Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptised; Henceforth I never will be Romeo’ By this he is offering to change his name if it would make Juliet love him and be with him. During Shakespearian times it was no small feat to denounce one’s name, there was a lot more weight placed upon names back then, especially if it was a name of high social standing as was Romeo’s. This proposal shows the true and serious nature of Romeo’s newfound love. However it is not simply Romeo who makes such a bold offer for earlier in the scene Juliet says ‘be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet’ To the audience Shakespeare was writing for this selfless act on both their parts would have convinced the audience that their love was true. Another factor that Shakespeare played upon to influence his audience into believing that Romeo and Juliet’s love was true was his use of Religious language upon their first meeting. ‘If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this, My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. ‘ Shakespeare deliberately uses this language to symbolise a number of things. Firstly that Juliet like a shrine is ‘untouched’ or virginal this theme is recurrent through the first two acts of the play. Secondly it However not all Shakespeare’s example’s of love are so romantic for instance Juliet’s mother The Lady Capulet says to Juliet considering the offer of marriage from Paris ‘So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him, making yourself no less. ‘ This shows a very materialistic side to Lady Capulet it also implies that the reason she is married to Lord Capulet might not necessarily be because they are in love. It portrays a much more dutiful love between Juliet’s parents perhaps Lady Capulet loves Lord Capulet simply because they are married rather than being married because they are in love. This type of relationship was common in Tudor times because often romanticism was overlooked in the face of bettering oneself financially. Paris’ show of affection for Juliet is not without a sense of duty he, as was proper in those days, approaches Lord Capulet for his daughters hand in marriage ‘But now, my lord, what say you to my suit? ‘ At this point Capulet believes his daughter to be too young for marriage yet he encourages young Paris to ‘woo’ her in order that she may fall in love with him down the line ‘And too soon marred are those so early made. ‘ Might be referring to the marriage of himself and lady Capulet that has now become loveless and hollow. He as a loving father does not wish this upon his own only child so through Paris’ persistence Shakespeare shows another form of love, the love of a father for his daughter. Yet not all Shakespeare’s characters believed in such an ‘honourable’ love. In his opening scene there are two servant men talking between themselves, there speech although on the topic of fighting generally is rife with sexual innuendo and pun. For example ‘Ay, the heads of maids, or their maidenheads, take it in what sense thou wilt’ This line seemingly innocent to the reader of our time has a very rude meaning in Shakespearian language where ‘maidenhead’ means virginity, in this sense the two are talking of having sex with virgins, more than a little less noble than the good Paris. They speak also of pushing women to the wall because of their weaker build; this all shows little true emotion and a very physically sexual type of ‘love ‘ if indeed it can be referred to as that at all. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was a revolutionary piece when it was written because it showed just how love can move people in an age where marriage for social or financial gain was the norm. Over nearly five hundred years Shakespeare’s language and story line has captivated the hearts and minds of generations of lovers with its unique mixture of reality and fantasy. Romeo and Juliet is one piece of Shakespeare’s work that will remain a true timeless classic.

Review of Southern Racial Issues in Jimmy Carters Memoir An Hour Before Daylight essays

Review of Southern Racial Issues in Jimmy Carter's Memoir An Hour Before Daylight essays Southerners, even racially sensitive Southerners such as Jimmy Carter, often claim that they understand the true' plight of Black Southern people. This statement, so strange on its surface given the racial intolerance that has long marked the South, is made because white Southerners frequently live at greater proximity to individuals whom identify themselves as African Americans. Even advocates of segregation in the pre-civil rights era in the South often had Black maids and Black individuals take care of their children. Whites in the North might endorse racial tolerance in the abstract, but had little contact with African Americans on a personal basis in the pre-civil rights era and even Former President Jimmy Carter, and those who advocate the point of view that Southern people of a liberal ilk have a greater understanding of the Black plight in America may thus have legitimacy in their advocacy of their greater tolerance in comparison to Northern whites. It is indeed perhaps better and more humane from a human rights standpoint to understand someone as an individual human being rather than to advocate the betterment of the race' in an abstract fashion, as Northerners who came to the South to help the cause of civil rights but had never known a Black person as a friend or associate. Carteri ¿Ã‚ ½ states thati ¿Ã‚ ½ in his Southern community, in Georgia our [white and Black family's] daily existence was almost totally Carter grew up on a farm. He knew that the peanuts harvested could not have brought economic gain to the community, without the efforts of Black families. He saw that Black Americas sweat as much as the White laborers, ate as much, and yet were paid far less. He experienced discrimination, not in the abstract, but knowing that his family and lifestyle could not have existed nor been supported without the struggle, ...

Class, Race and Gender in The Associate essays

Class, Race and Gender in The Associate essays Many issues regarding class, race, and gender in corporate America are brought to the forefront in The Associate. The issue in this movie is that Whoopi's character, Laurel is one who doesn't get treated fairly because she is not in the elite class of the top-level executives, she is black, and a woman. She has the brains and the ideas, but still can't get ahead because of the stigma behind these labels. Out of desperation of hitting the corporate glass ceiling, she creates Robert Cutty, presumably rich, white, and male the key to success in corporate America. The issue of class is an interesting one. Often class is not looked upon as an idea independent from race and/or gender. The American upper class would like to view America as a classless country affording every member of society with equal opportunity for economic gain and success. In order to perpetuate this ideal of a classless society, the poor are therefore racialized and/or femininized. Race and gender are used to diver t attention away from issues of class inequality. The members of these categories are then defined by stereotyping labels of lazy, unfit, sexually promiscuous, and uneducated which prevent their success in society. However, class exists and is an independent ideal from race and gender. Classes exist in relation to one another in ways that are often oppositional, i.e., the benefits and privileges of one class are at the expense of other classes in the same way that men and whites receive benefits that are often at the expense of women and minorities. This ideal of the privileged versus the under-privileged is evident in The Associates portrayal of corporate America. Independent of gender, Sally is a prime example of the lower class within an institution. The camera subtly depicts her less than affluent position by placing her in the background when in Franks office while Laura is con...

How to Find a Job With Public Relations Expert Ryan May

How to Find a Job With Public Relations Expert Ryan May Ryan May has 12 years of public relations experience under his belt, and it’s taught him quite a bit about finding a job, something he shares among other insights on the Minnesota Public Relations Blog. We spoke with Ryan about what PR can teach us about a job search. What can job seekers learn from public relations?Public relations or PR is a unique industry, as it touches on so many different industries. To be in PR means you have to be prepared to learn about every industry your clients need.How important is your online footprint? Can you really lose out on a job thanks to a tweet?Having a strong online footprint is very important, but ensuring that it is strategic and thoughtful is more important. Don’t post stuff to social media that is not good for your long-term reputation. Job seekers have definitely lost out on job opportunities because of their tweets or Facebook posts.What mistakes  do you see employers making when they’re looking for job candidates? Employers often overlook excellent candidates because they don’t have a high enough GPA. If a candidate has a solid B average and has been working three jobs while going to school, they should not be overlooked because they don’t have a 3.5 GPA.What are some urban legends you’ve seen floating around about hiring mistakes these days, and is there any truth to them?There are plenty of urban legends about today’s job search. My favorite is that the more resumes you send out, the better your odds of finding a job. This idea is completely wrong. Find a job you want, and then thoughtfully work on networking your way into the job.What should everyone looking for a job be doing to better promote themselves?Not everyone needs a blog, but everyone today should have a website to outline their skills.

Recent Articles analysis, macroecomonics Term Paper

Recent Articles analysis, macroecomonics - Term Paper Example This is a requirement by the constitution of the United States of America to ensure efficiency in all the government operations while being concerned about the economy of the state. As per the Anti-deficiency Act and the constitution, the federal government is permitted to start shutdown of activities related to appropriations that are not yet enacted into legislation. This process of a government shutdown has led to some operations that are usually funded by the annual appropriations being aborted causing loss of casual jobs by some citizens (Cornwell and Lawder). Some operations which receive their funds from the government by law and not annual appropriations may also be disrupted by the funding gap. These are programs that have activities which rely on annually appropriated funds for operations. A good example is the social security which may need funds from time to time to run upcoming operations in this field. When the government shuts down many federal employees lose their jobs as some have their payments delayed. The furlough has an adverse impact on the economy as the government is a major employer in the state, and this would mean increased unemployment rates (Cornwell and Lawder). Since the government shutdowns started in the United States, there have been 18 such funding gaps with President Obama’s government having only one in 2013. This was when the Congress declined to pass crucial funding bills for the ObamaCare program due to disagreement on the funding by the Senate and the White House. A recent threat of the government shutdown has been experienced in late November 2014. Part of the Senate and senior Republican officials are at loggerheads on funding of the Department of Homeland Security. Some of them are asking for a long-term funding of the Homeland Security programs while others are seeking to offer a short-term funding. This follows as President Obama has an immigration order to lift the deportation of illegal immigrants in the United

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 15

Business law - Essay Example Negligence is when anyone doesn’t take the necessary measures to avoid any mishap which any sensible person on the other hand would take and such irresponsible actions can lead to negligence lawsuit. Same has happened in the given case study i.e. Sunny Cruises plc v Yogesh. In this scenario Yogesh has every right to obtain legal services to get compensation against sunny Cruises. As Sunny Cruises invited Yogesh for a five day visit and they were obligated to give good services to him as it was their duty of care (Bussani & Palmer, 2003). Almost a similar case happened back in 1932 which were decided by the House of Lords. The facts of this care were that a customer named Mrs. Donoghue went into a cafe in Scotland with her friend and ordered a ginger-beer, while drinking she saw a snail’s body in the bear. Due to it she suffered severe gastroenteritis. She sued the beer company for this incident. Although the beer company said that they were not under any contract of sale with Mrs. Donoghue and were not liable for this incident as it was not even intentional but the House of Lords decided in favor of Mrs. Donoghue and she got the complete compensation. (Patten, 2012) The above mentioned case defines that negligence is a legal concept and one can be proven guilty for being negligent. Negligent acts are unintentional but are cause of reckless behavior. As in our case when Sunny Cruises invited Yogesh they were responsible for his well-being and not just his but also the other people who were present on the cruise as they can be used as witnesses. Negligence law suit has four main components and we can put Yogesh’s situation in those four criteria to prove that he is most likely to get the compensation for the physical and financial harm being caused by Sunny Cruise: The first one is that the defender had a duty toward the plaintiff. As mentioned in the case study that Sunny Cruise invited Yogesh then yes it was their duty to

Violence In Christianity And Islam Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Violence In Christianity And Islam - Thesis Example To a certain extent, one might point out that the religions which emerged on the latter stages of history often provided people with the tools to manage their aggression and refrain from violence. That is why one might suggest that the two notions, namely religion, and violence, are closely connected. Furthermore, the way they interact with each other is able to shed light on the peculiarities of the human nature. That is why it may be particularly significant to carefully examine an, compared how two different religions deal with violence in people. This paper will show that Christianity and Islam condemn violence, but have several provisions which are condition by history that justify it under specific and very concrete circumstances. While considering the moral framework of Christianity, one might think that there is no room for violence in it. Nevertheless, there are certain elements in this teaching which can prove quite the opposite. One of the most notable passages is taken from the Gospel of Matthew: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). As one can clearly see, these words clearly indicate that there is a part of teaching of Christ that is not peaceful. However, just like many parts of this book, the passage should be interpreted properly. Of course, it does not mean that a good Christian should follow the example of Christ and live with a sword in hand. The latter is a metaphor which urges people to direct their violence at their sins and fight them without fear (Sullender 16). However, there are some parts of the Christian doctrine that deal with real, not figurative violence.

Web technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Web technology - Essay Example Now search engines are working in this regards and comes with the solution of personalized search so as give its users search results based on the user demographic information and interests and taste. In addition, these days search history can be also maintained by search engines, which users can see on later days. Aim: The study of personalized web searching will provide an opportunity to learn how different personalized search engines works and make use of user specific information for assisting web-searching process. Implement a preliminary web searching system (prototype) based on the design and refine the searching mechanism and the system designed to further improve its effectiveness through comparison with other methods. In this section, initially a definition and benefits from the personalized search will be presented than after history and preliminary analysis of some personalized search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN) will be presented. After that, various tools and technologies that are going to be used for this project will covered in methodology section. Personalized search is the fine-tuning of search results and advertising based on an individual’s preferences, demographic information and other factors. Presumably, the better a search engine understands a user’s interests and preferences, the better able it is to target search results, advertising, sponsored links, etc. [Johnson 2005] After definition now question arises, why these days so many big giants (companies) are interested in providing personalized search. The next few paragraphs will give answer to this question. The first benefit is financial. According to Johnson (2005), personalized search drives financial benefits both in short term and long term. In the short term, advertisers increase revenue by targeting ads and promotions at the users who

Short report for a project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short report for a project - Essay Example Lack of marketing promotions 2. The need to establish its own business network to get a strong customer base Solutions In addressing the huge networking and marketing gap between his business and potential customers, our team came up with three solutions that are beneficial to the business and includes designing business cards and logos, building a Facebook company page, and building a company website as an information resource. Introduction The agency we chose to examine and help was Rob Knapik Carpentry and Associates. The Rob Knapik Carpentry and Associates is a locally owned business that deals with wood products and repairs on wooden products. Rob has the qualifications of a certified carpenter. The agency focuses on building porches, cabinets, fixing bathrooms and repairing anything built out of wood. Rob Knapik Carpentry offers significant knowledge and skills to deal with wooden products and wooden repairs in a professional manner. Nevertheless, the agency suffers from the la ck of a solid local customer base emanating from its huge networking and marketing gap that limits the agency’s success. As such, our team looked at these problems and offered relevant solutions to the problems. Background Networking and marketing are very fundamental aspects of a business in the competitive market. In fact, without these aspects, the business losses its going concern, competitive advantage, and good will thus leading to losses or closure. Notably, local businesses like Rob Knapik Carpentry suffer these challenges due to lack of human and financial resources. The main problems faced by the Rob Knapik Carpentry are: Lack of marketing promotions The need to establish its own business network to get a strong customer base Deliverables In an attempt to address the problems facing Rob Knapik Carpentry, our group has established a mechanism to eliminate the networking and marketing gaps between this business and its potential customers. Our deliverables include: De signing business cards and logos Building a company website as an information resource Building a Facebook company page Our aim was to create a detailed logo that is easier to recognize and that which will boost the company’s face value. The logo will apply in the business ads, Facebook page, business cards, and on the company’s website. We also designed professional business cards to derive a large network in the carpentry business with an aim of boosting sales. Rob Knapik Carpentry’s business cards will be standard in size and bear the company’s name, contacts, and e-mail address. This will promote business networking in Rob Knapik Carpentry. Our team equally designed the company’s website that will entail background information, contacts, qualifications, and previous customer experiences. It will also offer a god chance for the customers to view the pictures and prices of certain company’s products. Moreover, the website will enable custo mers to comment on their recent experience with the company. This helps in marketing the company thus attracting customers. Additionally, our team created a Facebook page for Rob Knapik Carpentry free of charge, which is very significant for such a small business. Notably, advertising on Facebook is relatively cheap and covers a large audience since billions of people can access this social site all over the world. However, in this context, the company’s Facebook page advertises it products to customers based in the

Write a critical commentary on the following document about the Lille Literature review

Write a critical commentary on the following document about the Lille to Paris Hunger March 18 November- 2 December 1933 - Literature review Example This study will therefore assess and help in noting down a viable commentary about The Lille to Paris Hunger March. The document seeks to expound on the problematic factors that contributed to this march. Mass unemployment pops up as the main reason contributing to the rise of the hunger march. It is also the main reason that sparked other protests in France, protests that occurred at different times in history, before and after the Lille to Paris Hunger March. This commentary is therefore posed to highlight on the pre and post-march periods, provide the main arguments and facts with evidence, and finally draw a conclusion of the important points that are pointed out in the document. The author of this document had in mind the urge to bring forth the intended message of history as regards the famous hunger march. The languages used are French and English though the former is used sparingly in the document (Perry, 2007). The document (Lille to Paris Hunger March) was written with the intention of providing information to Newcastle University students and other persons with the urge to know more about historical labour events in France and specifically, the 1933 Hunger march. The document is structured in such a way that one is able to highlight the sequence of events that took place prior to and after the famous 1933 hunger march. It is an explanatory kind of document where the causes, the actual hunger march event, and the repercussions of the march are clearly highlighted for easier understanding of what really transpired during that period in the history of France. In between the two world wars, France experienced four recessions that contributed heavily to a sharp increase in unemployment. The origins of this march lie with the success of the Saint-Nazaire to Nantes march that took place that same year (June 27-28 1933) and organized by the local CGT (Confà ©dà ©ration Gà ©nà ©rale du Travail [General Confederation of Labour]),and

Short report for a project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short report for a project - Essay Example Lack of marketing promotions 2. The need to establish its own business network to get a strong customer base Solutions In addressing the huge networking and marketing gap between his business and potential customers, our team came up with three solutions that are beneficial to the business and includes designing business cards and logos, building a Facebook company page, and building a company website as an information resource. Introduction The agency we chose to examine and help was Rob Knapik Carpentry and Associates. The Rob Knapik Carpentry and Associates is a locally owned business that deals with wood products and repairs on wooden products. Rob has the qualifications of a certified carpenter. The agency focuses on building porches, cabinets, fixing bathrooms and repairing anything built out of wood. Rob Knapik Carpentry offers significant knowledge and skills to deal with wooden products and wooden repairs in a professional manner. Nevertheless, the agency suffers from the la ck of a solid local customer base emanating from its huge networking and marketing gap that limits the agency’s success. As such, our team looked at these problems and offered relevant solutions to the problems. Background Networking and marketing are very fundamental aspects of a business in the competitive market. In fact, without these aspects, the business losses its going concern, competitive advantage, and good will thus leading to losses or closure. Notably, local businesses like Rob Knapik Carpentry suffer these challenges due to lack of human and financial resources. The main problems faced by the Rob Knapik Carpentry are: Lack of marketing promotions The need to establish its own business network to get a strong customer base Deliverables In an attempt to address the problems facing Rob Knapik Carpentry, our group has established a mechanism to eliminate the networking and marketing gaps between this business and its potential customers. Our deliverables include: De signing business cards and logos Building a company website as an information resource Building a Facebook company page Our aim was to create a detailed logo that is easier to recognize and that which will boost the company’s face value. The logo will apply in the business ads, Facebook page, business cards, and on the company’s website. We also designed professional business cards to derive a large network in the carpentry business with an aim of boosting sales. Rob Knapik Carpentry’s business cards will be standard in size and bear the company’s name, contacts, and e-mail address. This will promote business networking in Rob Knapik Carpentry. Our team equally designed the company’s website that will entail background information, contacts, qualifications, and previous customer experiences. It will also offer a god chance for the customers to view the pictures and prices of certain company’s products. Moreover, the website will enable custo mers to comment on their recent experience with the company. This helps in marketing the company thus attracting customers. Additionally, our team created a Facebook page for Rob Knapik Carpentry free of charge, which is very significant for such a small business. Notably, advertising on Facebook is relatively cheap and covers a large audience since billions of people can access this social site all over the world. However, in this context, the company’s Facebook page advertises it products to customers based in the

The Automatic Stabilizer Essay Example for Free

The Automatic Stabilizer Essay In macroeconomics an automatic stabilizer refers to any economic program or policy that automatically increases or decreases to counteract or stabilize the present economic trend without the need for governmental assistance (â€Å"Automatic Stabilizer,† 2007). Auerbach Feenberg (2000) describe automatic stabilizers as â€Å"elements of fiscal policy† that moderate fluctuations in aggregate output. From the Keynesian viewpoint, automatic stabilizers may include those constituents of the government budget that increase government spending and reduce taxes during a recession, and do exactly the opposite during a boom (Auerbach Feenberg). Automatic stabilizers are precipitated by shocks that cause the aggregate economic activity to either increase or decrease (Auerbach Feenberg). As an example, there are certain kinds of taxes, e. g. the progressive tax, that â€Å"rise more than proportionately† to offset increases in income (Automatic Stabilizers). If these taxes did not exist, the government would have to take action against increases in income so as to prevent the inflation rate from rising in the near future. But, if the government had to take action to raise taxes in that event, it would first have to determine that income has, indeed, risen, before it would pass a law and wait for the law to go into effect. This could be a rather time-consuming process. Moreover, by the time the new law is ready to have an effect on the economy, the economic trend may have reversed (Automatic Stabilizers). Automatic stabilizers tend to help the economy regardless of whether it is experiencing or bound to experience a boom or slump. When income decreases, the economy may ultimately hit a recession. However, â€Å"[u]nemployment compensation and income supplements† for the poor may come to the rescue before the government decides to take action against the drop in income (Automatic Stabilizers). As the income drops, there are more people that are eligible for â€Å"[u]nemployment compensation and income supplements (Automatic Stabilizers). Hence, the economy may be saved from experiencing a downturn through these automatic stabilizers. Auerbach Feenberg have estimated that the payroll and income taxes in the United States have the power to offset approximately eight percent of an initial shock to the Gross Domestic Product. However, the impact of these taxes was higher during late 70s and early 80s because of high inflation. Of course, tax rates have an effect on the power of these automatic stabilizers. According to the authors, however, â€Å"the effectiveness of an automatic stabilizer depends not only on how much of an increase in disposable income it produces, but also how large a private response in consumption this increase in disposable income generates (Auerbach Feenberg). † This is because the spending of households with different levels of income is expected to differ even as the automatic stabilizers are at work (Auerbach Feenberg). Undoubtedly, the effectiveness of automatic stabilizers differs among nations with different levels of income inequality. Moreover, countries differ in their tax rates and the design of their income supplements. Therefore, automatic stabilizers are expected to have differing impacts across countries. Regardless of their impacts, however, automatic stabilizers are very helpful for the economics in which they are at work (Automatic Stabilizers). Lastly, by estimating the impacts of various automatic stabilizers, governments may design programs and policies, that is, automatic stabilizers, that would counteract shocks more effectively in the future. Methods of reducing income inequality are also expected to alter the effectiveness of the automatic stabilizers.

Situation And Macro Environment: The Efteling

Situation And Macro Environment: The Efteling The Efteling stands for a world full of miracles: this is the service they are offering. The Efteling is well known as a theme park that knows how to fulfill its customers needs. The Efteling emphasizes the experience that its customers obtain from a visit. In the previous years there were no new theme parks entering the market. This does not mean that the competition also stagnates. The main theme park competitors are Walibi World (in The Netherlands and Belgium), Warner Bros Movieworld, Bobbejaanland and Disneyland Resort Paris. With this marketing plan we focused on attracting students. As a consequence the perception of The Efteling will approach those of day trips like festivals these are very popular with our main target group. The Efteling has several target groups: summarized they are groups, families and companies. The Efteling has its own fairytale series, a radio station where kids can listen to interviews with The Efteling inhabitants, music and fairytales. These are examples of The Eftelings market communication. The Efteling is also present in the business-to-business market: they offer businesses to organize an event at The Efteling. The main strategy for targeting students is giving students a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 4.00 discount on top of the Albert Heijns discount of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8.00. The advised ticket price will then be à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17.00. Consequently, students will go more often to The Efteling, will take other students with them, and experience The Efteling together. This will increase the customer base and potential customers. Our goal is to increase offerings to students: achieve that 5% of all students visit The Efteling once a year on a non-weekend day. This has to be achieved before the academic year 2012-2013. The applied strategy is based on the differentiation strategy. The sales promotion should increase with the emphasis on the fact that it is better to visit The Efteling on a non-weekend day. In this way the admissions are evenly spread throughout the week. Situation Analysis: Macro Environment Political/Legal Marketing decisions are strongly affected by developments in the political/legal environment. Especially when customers demand faster and more thrilling attractions, the legal obligations for the park are rising. Security standards for rollercoaster and similar attractions are very strict and will be inspected by independent officers. If the park would be caught, not keeping the security standards on the mandatory level, it can have some major consequences including sanctions from the government. But not only the governmental restrictions, also environmentalists are making life harsh for The Efteling. They are afraid that The Efteling will affect the forest Entenwoud and will refuse to accept this. Furthermore we have to add that our target group, students, is able to travel using public transport for free of with 40% discount throughout the academic year. This is favorable because students are able to come from a greater distance for less money. Economical Economical issues rise from the fact, that the daily routine in theme parks in general is very capital and labor intensive. This is an interesting fact, because in most industries, either the labor or the capital intensiveà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡. One the one hand, investing in new attractions, setting up new shows and keeping the already existing carousels and coaster in good conditions, is really expensive, and especially the latter one is an ongoing expense. On the other hand, many people have to be employed, to keep the visitors pleased and deliver good experiences throughout the park. As most of the labor intensive work is done behind the scenes, it may not seem to be obvious that a theme park is very labor intensive, but when you think of the security standards, which have to be met, the garbage of thousands of visitors, which have to be cleaned and so forth, it quickly becomes clear that many people have to work hard each day to ensure a smooth running of the park. On the other hand, many people have to be employed, to keep the visitors pleased and deliver good experiences throughout the park. As most of the labor intensive work is done behind the scenes, it may not seem to be obvious that a theme park is very labor intensive, but when you think of the security standards, which have to be met, the garbage of thousands of visitors, which have to be cleaned and so forth, it quickly becomes clear that many people have to work hard each day to ensure a smooth running of the park. Next to this, The Efteling had to face the recession. People saved on day-trips, which are very expensive compared to what you could have bought for the same amount of money. We could say that students do not feel that much of the recession because they do not have a fulltime job, but they do not have the financial sources to go for an expensive day out. Ecological Opening a theme park brings along some big matters of dispute. A previously untouched landsite in the middle of a forest, as it was the case for Efteling, can be severely damaged if constructing of the park is done without any precautions. The soil is being compressed, many square meters or even kilometers are bituminized, and once the park is finished the daily visitors have to get there in the first place, which is unseperately combined with increasing noise and air pollution. In addition to that, it has to be mentioned that the running of big attractions consume a lot of electricity on an ongoing basis. Technological Because of the increasing complexity of new and planned attractions in the park, building- and maintaining costs are raising proportionately. Furthermore, sophisticated new computer-controlled fun rides call for better trained personal to take care of. On the other side of the coin, in case of failure or breakdowns, the error can be detected more easily due to computer analysis of the construction. On top of that computer controlled maintenance schedules leave less rooms for unintentional human failures. The Internet is the most important marketing tool, this because the fact that the possibilities for The Efteling are very high when you look at the area of the computers. Almost everyone has a pc at home. You can order your ticket online, and just scan it at the entrance. Thats it, and you also get a discount of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,00. Another example: by e-mail or by the website, The Efteling alerts people when there are new attractions or when there are new shows. Also for kids the website is very attractiveà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ . Socio-Cultural Major cultural and social topics for The Efteling are the small, but nevertheless existing differences of its visitors from different countries. As the case of Disney-Land Paris taught us, ignoring cultural habitats and taken-for-granted attributes of a society can quickly lead to a financial disaster. Secondly the theme park faces the challenge to be attractive to every single age segment. Concentrating on just children from age 6-10 for example may seem like a distinctive strategy for a theme park, but after all, around 80% of the rest of the population and therewith potential customers are left out the focus point. Thereby customers demand more quality from its money; more for less. Customers want to experience the feeling The Efteling givesà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™. Situation Analysis: Micro Environment This section of the situation analysis will deal with different steps of discussing the market features in which The Efteling theme park is enacting, this means we will analyze the microenvironment. Size of the market The market in which The Efteling is positioned can be characterized as an international end-consumer market in the service category. Because of its close location to the borders of Germany and Belgium it gains the advantage of attracting visitors of these countries as well. However, there is also the risk of losing domestic customers to foreign theme parks which are at a reasonable travelling distance. Harsh competition is obvious in this triangle of countries. The Eftelings competitors Country Park name Germany Movie Park Germany, Phantasialand, Legoland Discovery Center; Panorama Park and Fort Fun Belgium Bobbejaanland and Walibi Belgium The Netherlands Drievliet, Duinrell and Koningin Juliana Toren * When researching for these competitors we took into account that our target group students are geographically seen relatively mobile. Because Dutch students have a special public transport card they can easily go to any theme park in The Netherlands. Eftelingà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚  Walibi Worldà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ Bobbejaanlandà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Warner Bros Movieworldà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬   Disneyland Resort Parisà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ Strengths (compared to The Efteling) Large park Own theatre Own hotel Part of int. Walibi organization Close to The Netherlands Part of Walibi organization Close to The Netherlands Strong brand image Entering new businesses easy Weaknesses long queues Especially attractive for teenagers Small park Germany-oriented possibilities for miscommunication (too) High expectations One-day Price (adult) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29,00 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬28,50 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 31,00 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬32,00 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬52,00 Opportunity to sleep Yes, own hotel Yes No Yes Yes, own accommodations When we speak of competitors, we use the following definition from our Marketing Management text book, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ competitors are the firms that satisfy the same customer need, (Kotler et al, 2009) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‹â€  Because of the large quantity of possible competitors, the market is extensive in size. Of course there are also other competitors. For a day out, consumers can also go to a festival like Lowlands, or Breda Barst. For students these festivals and days out are also very attractive. It is the task of The Efteling to keep this potential target group going to the park. This is possible by giving special discounts for students. Another possibility is that The Efteling creates its own festival with famous artists. We only focused on the main other parks because these are in the same market segment. Marketing channels The growth of the market for theme parks can be described as stagnating. In the last few years there were no new theme parks entering the market. This doesnt mean that competition also stagnated. On the contrary: Every park tries to extend their customer base by offering new attractions, more ways to reach the park and other methods to increase customer value. This is also an approach to overcome the exposure to market myopia. The Efteling has to configure its competitive market in terms of customer needs and not just competitors which deliver the same service. One of the first advertisements of The Efteling (shortly after 1952)Efteling for example has launched its own radio station, it is broadcasting television series with characters that can be seen in the theme park and has recently opened its new overnight camp Bosrijk. In this way, The Efteling tries to convince more people to visit the park, who have to travel longer distances but now have the possibility to stay for more than one day. So this is more convenient for these families and positively influences The Efteling park experience. On January 6th, Efteling announced to invest à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40,000,000 for a new restaurant, a new conference centre and a new event/performance arena. In general, the trend in the market for theme parks is moving away from just competing in the bare numbers of attractions. Customers demand to enter a world in which attractions and offerings are integrated with each other. The whole park should convey a holistic atmosphere rather than just different obstacles placed inside the boundaries of the parks. Situation Analysis: SWOT analysis In this section we will make an analysis on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and the threats concerning The Efteling. We have combined this analysis; its the SWOT analysis on The Efteling in general and in addition the SWOT analysis focused on our innovation: students segment. The strengths -The Efteling has a strong brand name. It is to a great extent known, because of great advertising expenses and the attractiveness of the park. This creates a strong, magical vision/perception in the minds of people that (may) visit the park. -The Efteling is associated with more than only being a park including creating musicals, games for on the computer, having its own radio station and television-programmes. -An additional strength is the fact that The Efteling is attractive to every visitor. For the kids there is Het Sprookjesbos, the parents are entertained by memories from their own childhood when they visited The Efteling, many things have changed but the main concept and appearance remained the same. Also, for the grandparents there are tranquil attractions and enough entertainment when the small ones are in a more turbulent ride. For the adolescents there are the big, fiery attractions like the Python, a rollercoaster with multiple looping and the Piraà ±a. -The Efteling has multiple relationships with differentiated companies, for example the Albert Heijn supermarket, sometimes they create a promotion; when you spend a certain amount of money at the Albert Heijn supermarket, you get a discount ticket for The Eftelingà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬ °. -Except for going to the park for amusement, you can also arrange meetings, parties and events there. -A lot of students are living in the neighbourhood of The Efteling, as you can see in the table belowà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â€š ¬. So the demographic position of The Efteling is perfect for students, its close to their home, the connections by train and bus are also well regulated and during the week, this public transport may be for free. The weaknesses -Compared to other amusement parks, there are only a few shops and stalls settled in The Efteling. Customers do not get tempted to buy merchandise from The Efteling because they just dont see it and dont get the opportunity to buy it. There are not too many distribution points of these products. However, when customers do want to buy something in the few shops that are available, the shop is totally stuffed with other customers. -The queue to get in the rides is relatively long. Visitors will have to wait a very long time before they can actually get in one. Because most people are visiting The Efteling for just one day, it is very infuriating because they cannot visit many rides in this way. -When The Efteling builds new attractions, there is in almost every case a delay. Visitors will come especially for that new attraction, but it is not finished yet. And there are also a lot of attractions that break down more often than others do. When this is a popular ride, this is bad for the reputation of the park. -There is more traffic than ever coming from and going to The Efteling. Although the parking area is very big, it is not working well enough to handle all the cars coming out of their places when the park closes down. Everyone wants to leave at the same time; the exits of the parking lot cannot handle this, which results in very long traffic jams. -The Efteling gets more expensive every year. Of course it is reasonable that The Efteling has to maintain their earnings to finance new projects, but in these times when we are also dealing with the recession, it may be a weakness to use such a price strategy. Visitors, who have been there once, will come back probably because they know that its worth it, but visitors who havent been there will be shocked by the high entrance price. -The prices are too high for students, for the same price; they can get a lot of beers in the city centre of Tilburg or another city in the neighbourhood or do something else, like shopping or spent that money on their room. The opportunities -Get flexible entrance prices; The Efteling has experienced with the amount of visitors so they can estimate this for future periods. When there is a quiet day, lower the prices of the tickets so that the park will be cosy but not packed, when it is usually quiet. When it is going to be a busy day, raise your entrance price so that people will get spread over the weekend and weekdays. This solves the problem of long queues and a bit of the large traffic jams. Also people who want to go to The Efteling for a lower price get that opportunity now. -Get more attractive shops and stalls in the park, so that people will buy more during their stay. Although there is a recession, people always want to have a souvenir. These extra sales may be a stimulus, i.e. way of financing lower entrance prices. -The disposable income of seniors has risen the past few years and the number of elderly people has risen tooà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â€š ¬. An opportunity for The Efteling is to focus their attention on this group by for example organizing special days for them to fresh up their memory. -Students are also a very large group at this moment. But The Efteling focuses most of the attention to kids and grandparents because they want to attract whole families. But this does not include the students who maybe want to go with a group of friends. It could be wise to get special student discounts because the average student doesnt have enough money to pay the entrance price. Also a lot of students dont have lectures during some weekdays. When you can attract them to come at these days, the park will be filled more and the cost of the discount will be incalculable. Also there are just a few attractive attractions for youngsters. They need to have some more rough roller coasters to remain positive. There are a lot of students in the neighbourhood of Tilburg, so The Efteling has a lot new potential visitors which it can attract by lowering the prices and build more new thrill rides. The threats -Most young kids prefer rough roller coasters to Dancing Shoes in het Sprookjesbos. Only very young kids will be attracted to this kind of attractions. -Besides, more and more people are getting older and there are not enough kids to fill this gap. -The recession is a big threat because parents watch their money more carefully than they did before. -Students also have other opportunities to go to, like other parks or for example a festival or museum. The Efteling really has to improve and change some attractions and its brand image for students, otherwise; students will prefer to go to something closer to their home village or students house. When students live in the north of the Netherlands, they will rather go to (for example) Walibi World because it is closer and there are more thrill rides. Strategic Options and Choices: Mission On the companys homepage the statement is put forward: The Efteling theme park is a custodian of the fairy tale (www.efteling.com). This statement is crucial for every staff member of the amusement park, as it should be communicated to every single visitor of the park. It contains more than it seems like on the first sight. Against the modern process of making everything faster and less lasting, the Efteling is trying to do the opposite. Reminding itself of traditional values it invites the visitor to enter a complete distinct world which he will have never seen before. Preserving cultural heritage could be the most important role for the theme park. Next to this, the protection of the environment is a second crucial mission of the Efteling. As an international leader in the tourism and recreation sector, the theme park acknowledged that following this statement provides the most secure formula for its success since its founding in 1952. Building a widespread reputation of a highly-professional, creative and efficient organization, the Efteling continues to concentrate on being innovative and reacting as quickly as possible to customer needs. In this way the parks pursues its basic goal of entertainment on a very familiar and customer friendly level. Goals and Strategy Product strategy The Efteling is clearly a product leader, there is no other theme park that can compete with the position of The Efteling. The Efteling is a world full of miracles, but it has to watch out that they have to continue to think of new attractions. Although The Efteling has a high position the amusement park has to be still innovative. In the minds of many customers the attraction Villa Volta and Droomvlucht are still the most exciting attractions, despite the fact these two attractions are running for a while now. The Efteling should innovate a lot more and should come up in a higher frequency with new attractions. These new attraction have to fit in the world of miracles that The Efteling represent. The new attractions have to challenge the customer. This will give the customer a higher incentive to visit The Efteling more frequent or to attract new customers. In product strategy creativity and inventiveness is necessary, this are the two concepts where The Efteling stands for. Also to stay traditional is a core concept, but with the right strategy the three concepts are good to combine. Every attraction has a legendary and traditional meaning. It is like the attractions came from the test of time. That is the experience that The Efteling wants to give to its customers and that those experiences stress the differences between The Efteling and other amusement parks. The Efteling is not just a theme park, its an experience. Price strategy The Efteling has different prices because Efteling has a different program in the evening than in daylight and The Efteling is also different in the summer than in the winter. The Efteling has this year the Summer Seven League from 19 July through 5 September when the park is open from 10.00 hours until 21.00 hours. On the Summer Evenings, every Saturday during the Seven League Summer, the park is open until midnight. This difference is shown by the price. The price of a normal ticket for an adult is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 29.00 and during the Summer Seven League the price of the entree ticket is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 31.00. For a senior citizen the price is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 27.00 during a normal period. During the Seven League Summer the price is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 29.00. On the other hand the two-day ticket has for both periods the same price namely à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 49.00. The Efteling has also tickets with reduction. For Groups of 20 or more people the ticket price will be à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 24.00 for each person. There is one major exception and that is the price for schools. If schools book before 1 April the school will pay à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 12.00 per person. If schools book on or later than 1 April than they have to pay à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 17.00 for each person. The incentive to lower the prices for groups and schools is to give the pupils and the groups an experience and a service that they want to come back. Even, if they have to pay a higher price. Efteling collaborates several times in a year with the supermarket chain Albert Heijn to give the customers of Albert Heijn a discount on tickets for The Efteling. The customer of Albert Heijn gets a savings card to collect points. The customer collects points through buying an X amount of product. If the card is full the customer gets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 8.00 discount of an Efteling ticket. The Efteling should give a higher discount to students. For example: the current price of a Efteling ticket is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29.00. With the discount of Albert Heijn it will be à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 21.00. The Efteling should give the students a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 4.00 discount on top of the à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 8.00 Albert Heijn. You could ask the question Is Albert Heijn the supermarket where students go for their groceries? Firstly, we acknowledge that Albert Heijn is not one of the cheapest supermarkets, but The Efteling has a high reputation that automatically will be linked to the supermarket. If The Efteli ng collaborates with a cheap supermarket the status of The Efteling could be damaged. The Albert Heijn has also a high status with respect to other supermarkets. So the combination of these two companies works perfectly. Secondly, it is proven through several questionnaires that a lot of students do their groceries at the Albert Heijn because it is the nearest one or because of the bonus-products that the Albert Heijn each week offers. Bonus-products are daily products that Albert Heijn offers with a discount. Market communication The Efteling has several target groups: Groups, families and companies. To communicate with these target groups The Efteling has to know their preferences to give them the service that they need. To communicate with families The Efteling has its own fairytale series. The Efteling has also a radio station where kids can listen to interviews with The Efteling inhabitants, music and fairytales. Efteling also reaches out to other companies; it offers them the opportunity to organize a certain event at The Efteling. For example: a party for all employees of a company. Efteling has a large chamber where they can realize certain events for companies. As mentioned we want to attract students as a new target group. There is a simple explanation for the reason why student do not go to The Efteling: the ticket price. If The Efteling will let the students know that they are getting a certain discount, a lot of students are then willing to go to The Efteling. The Efteling can make this possible through advertisement on universities or through cooperating with the students if the students, like our group, chose The Efteling as the company where they have to do an assignment about. If students go to The Efteling with other students and experience the event, the chance that they will go again with other students will then be higher. Then The Efteling gets a much better kind of advertisement and that is word to mouthà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ . Segmentation Market segments  ´Segmentation offers key benefits over mass marketing; it is useful to differentiate positively over our competition because it increases understanding of our customer groups ´ (Kotler et al, 2009)à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‹â€ . In this and the next section we define the targets groups mainly by age. The Efteling offers some more adventurous rides, which are aimed at a segment group of visitors aged between 12 and 25. For example the wild water rafting Piraà ±a the steel rollercoaster Python and the high speed Bobbaan, the main focus of the theme park is actually concentrated on young children and people of age over 25. Thus the majority of the rides are designed for these two targets groups, so they satisfy the perceived needs of two age segments. The whole park is built on the basic belief to construct a world, equal to a fairytale. And so are many of the rides of the park. To give some examples: The Fata Morgana in a slow river boats ride through a city taken from the fairytale 1001 nights, there is Magic forest , a haunted castle and a steam locomotive. They are all meant for one of the different age groups we defined. Demographics and Needs of the customers The Efteling is approaching to a wide base of customers. Mainly families of the middle and upper social class are targeted by the marketing efforts of the theme park. In the following, the different segments are mentioned and their needs are discussed. Children of age between 6-12: The needs of this segment is rather simple, children are confronted with advertising, mostly on TV, in which the same characters as in the series of Efteling appear. By presenting the park as a fairy-tale wonderland, the children are urged to experience it themselves. Teenagers, age between 13-19: Although not the main target group at the moment, still are important for the park, because this group represents a strong decision making unit inside the family, when it comes to vacation planning. Most of the members of this cohort are not yet able to effort to go on holidays without their parents. Their need is to have an adventurous stay at the park. They want to experience something extraordinary they can tell their friends about. Young adults 20-25: This segment is not of big interest for the park because it does not represent any major point of attraction for this group. Young parents 26-32: Couples, who have become parents not that long ago, are, in contrast to the preceding segment, of great importance for the park. This segment is typically looking for a good deal to book a short vacation or daytrip. With the relative low price for the park and its services, compared to a conventional holiday (special subscription offerings are provided), the family is buying a whole bunch of activities. In the park all needs, like entertainment for the kids, relaxation for the parents and eating out together, can be easily fulfilled, there are restaurants various attractions that are appropriate, even for small children. Adults 33-40: also strongly affected by the pull factors of the theme park, with very similar attributes of the previous group. Even though they might have older children the offerings of the park still covers those needs. Elderly 60+: In order to meet the needs of this segment, The Efteling park has thought of several convenience factors. The park is equipped with many toilets and resting areas, which allow the elderly to enjoy the park without being stressed. Many authentic, vintage rides appeal to this segment and constitute a nice contrast to faster rides. On top of that, restaurant, which offers high quality food and a relaxed atmosphere complete the offerings for this group. As The Efteling has special subscription discounts for people of age 60+ another pull factor is placed. Targeting  ´An important aspect of targeting is trying to find what target can be reached a competitive manner ´ (Kotler et al, 2009)à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‹â€ . We will focus on the target group students only. ANP (Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau) predicts the number of University students and high school students in 2012-2013 on 242.000 respectively 399.000à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ . Nowadays, students have a lot of leisure time and that is where the Efteling will respond to. This is to achieve a more equal distribution of visitors during a normal week. The weekends are very demanding in the Efteling and by offering discounts to students they can increase their turnover on the other days of the week. Positioning  ´One of the crucial pillars of the marketing strategy is positioning, it means creating awareness in the target market so that the consumer recognizes the distinctive offering and image ´ (Kotler et al, 2009)à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‹â€ . The goal of positioning is to establish the brand in the minds of consumers in order to maximize the potential benefit to the firm. The Efteling has a strong brand positioning, they try to achieve that consumers recognize the name  ´Efteling ´ and make a link with a high quality park. To achieve these consumer experiences is very important because of worth-of-mouth marketing as concluded in previous sections. When their response is positive, in this way The Efteling knows that they provide the right market offering at an acceptable price. Point-of-difference are attributes or benefits consumers strong associate with a brand, positively evaluate, and believe t

James Bond 007 Agent Under Fire :: Papers

James Bond 007 Agent Under Fire James Bond, has been represented in novels and films for over four decades and several computer games have been made from the films. Electronic Arts are creating a new Bond specifically for the console market, neither based on a film or a book. Previous Bond games have been hit and miss, GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64 is considered an all-time classic whereas Tomorrow Never Dies on the PlayStation was mediocre [IMAGE] James Bond films have several key components; girls, gadgets, guns, cars, locations and action. Agent Under Fire actually covers these aspects quite well with its multiple game types. Environments are built with lots of polygons and style. Even though you find plenty of offices and hallways, few of them are boring; arched ceilings, curved walls and picturesque window views are everywhere. all rooms are adorned with appropriate ambient objects, many of which are interactive (or at least, destructible). All of the expected touches are here; bullet holes spew plaster, potted plants shatter, and the explosions are easily some of the most legitimate you've ever seen. The main problem with 007:AUF is that most of the action is good, but very little of it is great. The arsenal of weapons is huge and impressively implemented, and enemies are positioned around every corner. One of the most commendable features of the FPS levels is the enemy artificial intelligence. They attack in packs, flush you out, hide behind boxes, bark instructions at each other, or simply just run away. While it's fun to gun them down, there are no unexpected challenges. This becomes especially apparent when you try to replay levels with less aggressive techniques. Your standard-issue P2K has an optional silencer attachment, but alas, there's little opportunity for stealth. You might be able to quietly snipe a few lookouts, but sooner or later the game will force you out of the shadows. From there you're no longer a spy, you're a gunner The sound effects are actually notable for their lack of impact.

Application for Finance Position Essay -- Entry Level Finance Cover Le

Tell us about your F&C experiences: At Citigroup, I had to develop a new model to forecast revenues from partnerships, using return on investment ratio as proxy for profitability of the partnership and at Nestlà ©, when setting price and communication strategies, I had to be fully aware and have an understanding about management accounting and the implications of the strategies for the income statement. I feel very comfortable with numbers and I enjoy the challenges associated with financial analysis, which are two of the reasons I am specializing in Corporate Finance. I am convinced that I have achieved the level of financial knowledge required for this position and, as my transcripts will show, my grades - not only, but especially in finance-related courses - are on the top of the class. During my master’s degree, I have: - Conducted several financial analysis using value creation models, NPV and profitability ratios such as ROI, ROE, ROCE and income statement ratios, which also included risk profiling through beta measurements, operational risk and financial risk; - Build financial business models, including accounting statements (Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows and Income Statement) and forecasts; - Valuated companies using DCF, transaction multiples and peer groups methods. Additionally, I have an excellent command of the Microsoft Excel program, including notions of VBA, which you might find valuable for this position. Please indicate your salary expectations (Total package yearly) My research shows me that an adequate salary for this position in Switzerland would be somewhere between CHF70,000 and CHF90,000. However, there are many things to consider: my salary would depend on the responsibilities and d... ...mance, and broadened my understanding of the food-industry sector. Commitment: I have a true desire to improve myself and to transform my ambition, determination and commitment into high performance standards and excellence to every assignment. I have worked for Nestlà © before and I am convinced that it is the perfect employer for me. What is your role will you have to get in 5 years? Most importantly, I want to contribute as much as I can to Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s operations around the world. I want to learn the necessary skills to assume more management responsibilities and new challenges, and to increase the impact I can deliver to Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s customers and projects. I am not looking for a specific future position, but I believe that this position will develop me personally, professionally and technically, allowing me to engage in strategy development and implementation.

Diesel Engines: United States and Europe

Diesel engines are routinely sold in European automobiles, with an estimated 6. 5 million vehicles on the road as of 2003 (DeGaspari 28). In both Europe and the United States, diesel engines are used in industrial and commercial applications like generators and commercial vehicles. However, the United States has historically been slow to embrace the concept of a diesel-powered personal automobile, and diesel automobile engines are only recently beginning to gain any traction in the US auto market. What are the reasons for this reluctance, and how can diesel engines gain more of a market share?The reasons for US market slowness in adopting diesel engines are varied. First, the diesel engine suffers from a perception problem which dates to the engines of the 1960s and 1970s – Americans believe that diesel engines are dirty, inefficient and noisy, making for an uncomforta-ble passenger ride, higher emissions and an insufficiently powerful engine. Second, diesel engines cost more than traditional gasoline-powered engines; with American gas prices being historically much lower than European gas prices, there has been no financial incentive in the past for the adoption of diesel engines in the United States.Third, the availability of diesel fuel is not con-sistent across the United States and it is often more expensive than gasoline. These issues are being addressed in a number of ways. The availability of biodiesel (diesel fuel produced from non-petroleum sources, including plant matter, byproducts from meat pro-cessing such as rendered fat and discarded cooking oil) has been increasing steadily, bringing down the price of diesel and offering an environmentally friendly alternative, while the price of gasoline has been increasing.Newer engine designs are quiet and clean thanks to the develop-ment of fuel injection systems, with emissions as low or lower than gasoline engines. The diesel engine offers a higher mileage per gallon and a longer range (distance tr avelled on a tank of fuel), along with a higher torque with a smaller engine, making them attractive choices for American sport utility vehicles and light trucks, as well as the compact car market, where consumers tend to be more conscious of energy efficiency. Historically, American vehicles with diesel engines were dirty and noisy (Siuru 52).The high level of emissions and uncomfortable, noisy ride made a diesel engine an unattractive pro-spect, and relegated the diesel engine to commercial vehicles and applications like generators. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, European car manufacturers began to engage in serious research aimed at improving the technical design of the diesel engine used in passenger vehicles. At that time, the market share of the diesel engine in Europe ranged from 10% in Germany up to 35% in France, significantly higher than America, where most diesel vehicles were imported by European automobile enthusiasts (Siuru 52).The first major improvement was introduction of an electronic fuel injection control system (Siuru 52). This system maintains an even fuel supply, reducing the loud banging noise associated with a diesel engine; it also reduces the fuel supply variation, eliminating the vibration and â€Å"hum† of a diesel automobile (Siuru 52). The first electronic fuel injection systems were indirect injec-tion systems (IDI), which mixed the fuel with air in a turbulence chamber before injecting it into the engine’s combustion chamber (Siuru 52). These engines were efficient and produced low emissions.However, direct injection (DI), which injects the fuel directly into the engine’s combustion chamber, bypassing the admixture with air, offered even greater fuel efficiency, albeit with high-er emissions levels (Siuru 56). The direct injection system was developed by Fiat in the mid-1990s and quickly became popular (Siuru 56), The most common implementation of the direct injection system is the common rail direct injection system (Ashley 58). This system, implement-ed by most European car manufacturers in the 1998 model year, offered a way to decrease fuel consumption and emissions by about 30% from the previous designs (Ashley 58).The common rail system uses a manifold to pre-load fuel as a buffer between the injectors and the engine, of-fering greater control of fuel usage according to driving conditions (Ashley 59). While electronic fuel injection systems improved the regularity and smoothness of the die-sel engine’s operation, particulate and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions were still a problem, and continue to be a problem as emissions controls for passenger vehicles become more and more tight.While an indirect injection engine offered lower emissions due to more efficient use of fuel, direct injection engines offered markedly better performance (Ashley 57). A further challenge is that while European emissions standards are primarily concerned with carbon monoxide and carbo n dioxide, American emissions standards are mostly concerned with nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions (Marshall 27). An engine which will be used in both American and European vehicles must control both adequately to meet emissions standards. Emissions are controlled in a variety of ways in the diesel-powered vehicle.The catalytic con-verters typically used in gasoline engines don’t work with diesel engines, due to a difference in the amount of oxygen present in the engine’s combustion chamber(DeGaspari 30 ). One approach to reducing nitrogen oxide emissions in a diesel engine is to use a chemical reaction called selec-tive catalytic reaction, which uses urea (ammonia) to remove the available oxygen (DeGaspari 30). A second method, called a lean NOx trap, causes the engine to cycle between an oxygen-lean and an oxygen rich environment on a regular basis in order to â€Å"break up† the nitrogen oxide molecules (DeGaspari, 30).These traps are often mounted to the tailpipe rather than directly in the engine (DeGaspari 30). The most common solution for particulate emissions is a filter on the tailpipe which traps particulate matter in the exhaust rather than releasing it (DeGaspari 30). The most recent advance in emissions, called homogenous charge compression ignition or HCCI, is a whole-vehicle solution to the mileage-emissions tradeoff with both gasoline and die-sel engines. HCCI, still in development, is being viewed by automobile manufacturers as a boon for the future for both gasoline and diesel engines.HCCI uses a combination of gasoline and die-sel engine design aspects for a high-efficiency, clean-burning engine which is designed to pass emissions standards testing in both the United States and Europe (Marshall 27). The HCCI en-gine premixes air and fuel before feeding it to the engine (a gasoline engine trait), but it uses compression ignition rather than spark-plug ignition (a diesel engine trait) (Marshall 27). This en-gine ha s the additional advantage of being dual-fuel – it can be used with either diesel or gaso-line, reducing the pressure of fuel availability for owners of vehicles (Marshall 28).The HCCI engine design also has the potential to be used with other forms of liquid fuel, such as hydrogen, ethanol or other forms of fatty-acid fuels like diesel and gasoline, widening the possi-bilities for alternative fuels of the future (Marshall 28). The final improvement in diesel emissions is not in the engine itself, but in the chemical makeup of the fuel. Ultra-low sulfur fuels, which were mandated by the FDA in 2006, both reduce emissions and allow for more advanced emis-sions control systems, which can be unusable with higher-sulfur fuels because the sulfur interferes with the necessary chemical reactions.(DeGaspari 30). Engine power is another significant beneficiary of European manufacturer’s research over the last 20 years. American diesel engines have had the reputation of not bein g very powerful; however, the modern diesel engine has greater torque and a greater range (number of miles trav-elled on a single tank of fuel), as well as higher mileage, in a smaller, lighter-weight engine than the equivalent gas engine (DeGaspari 28). A diesel engine in a sport utility vehicle can offer forty to fifty percent greater fuel efficiency over a gasoline engine (DeGaspari 28).The diesel version of the 2006 Jeep Liberty, which was designed with a 2. 8 liter engine, offered 27 MPG high-way/21 MPG city. Compared to its gasoline powered sibling (21 MPG highway/17 MPG city) this was a 24-30% increase in engine efficiency (DeGaspari 28). Because American cars tend to be larger than European cars, engine redesign for greater torque has been popular with American automobile manufacturers (DeGaspari 28). Diesel engines can cost significantly more than traditional gasoline engines.The engine it-self is more expensive, as it is heavier and more precisely controlled; diesel emissi ons devices are also more expensive than their gasoline counterparts. A diesel engine can add one to two thou-sand dollars to the overall consumer price of a vehicle, making it unattractive if fuel efficiency is not a concern (DeGaspari 30). This problem has been self-correcting with a persistent rise in fuel costs and operational cost of automobile ownership in the United States.In 1992, with fuel costs two to four times higher in Europe than in America, diesel engines already held a significant por-tion of the automobile market share; however, doubt was expressed that they would be accepted in America (Siuru 58). With a significant rise in fuel costs over the last 15 years, diesel has be-come more and more attractive to Americans concerned with the mileage of their vehicles. By 1997, experts acknowledged that there is an American market for diesel SUVs (Ashley 62) and currently, both European and American automobile manufacturers now offer passenger vehicles for sale in America (D eGaspari 28).The availability and continued supply of diesel fuel is a serious concern in the United States. Europe, where as much as half the vehicles on the road at any one time are powered by diesel, took the approach of producing its own biodiesel rather than relying on imported petro-diesel (Schmidt 86). Europe has a significant percentage of arable land devoted to rapeseed (can-ola) which is primarily used in the production of biodiesel (Schmidt 86).Biodiesel is diesel oil produced using plants or animal remains rather than petrochemicals; there are many common sources of biodiesel, including virgin plant material (canola, soy, wheat, barley, palm, pine trees, corn and algae have all been used to produce biodiesel), and used cook-ing oil from restaurants, known as yellow grease (Schmidt 86). Most United States biodiesel is derived from soybeans, which offer an 18-20% oil yield. The remaining mass can be used to pro-duce animal feed. Soybean based biodiesel releases about 3.2 t imes the amount of energy used to produce it, making it an extremely efficient energy source (Schmidt 87). Biodiesel is not only good as an alternate fuel source to petroleum-based diesel, it is a cleaner fuel. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), B20 biodiesel (a mixture of 20% biodiesel and 80% petrodiesel) releases l0% less carbon monoxide, particulates and total hydrocarbon, and is carbon dioxide-neutral (Schmidt 89). There are some concerns about the lev-el of nitrogen oxide emissions with biodiesel.A 2006 FDA literature review concluded that B20 biodiesel nitrogen oxide emissions are about 2% higher than the equivalent petrodiesel (Schmidt 90). However, Scott Gordon, founder of Green Technologies, points out that catalytic convert-ers can be used with ultra-low sulfur fuels in addition to traditional emissions controls, which has the potential to greatly decrease nitrogen oxide emissions (Schmidt 90). There are a number of problems with biodiesel which are being addressed by manufactur-ers.The first is that of agricultural resource allocation to biodiesel production. Currently, most United States production of biodiesel uses surplus soybean crops (Schmidt 86). Soybeans have a relatively low yield of only 18-20% oil, however, making soybean cultivation to meet expanded biodiesel requirements problematic (Schmidt 91). In order to expand biodiesel production, dif-ferent crops are required. Two alternatives are rapeseed (canola) and algae. Rapeseed is common-ly grown in Europe as a biodiesel source.It has a 40% yield of oil and is easily cultivated (Schmidt 91). Algae has a remarkably high 50% yield and a production of 8,000 gallons per acre per year, making it the most productive crop found so far. However, problems with designing a large-scale agricultural system for algae have held back use of this material so far (Schmidt 91). In order to grow algae for commercial biodiesel use, indoor systems would need to be designed to precise ly control growing conditions and species in tanks.As Schmidt notes, there is the pos-sibility of creating a large supply of algae by feeding with wastewater treatment plants. Solving the technical problems of cultivating algae is essential for the continued growth of biodiesel. It is estimated that 15,000 square miles of algae cultivation (approximately 9. 5 million acres, a frac-tion of a percent of current American land given over to agricultural usage) could be enough to replace the entire stock of petroleum used in American transportation (Schmidt 91).Unfortunate-ly, not all countries have the availability of arable land that the United States does, and environ-mental degradation can result from planting what is seen as a cash crop at the expense of sub-sistence crops or native habitat. Rain forest clearing in order to plant palm trees, a common source of imported biodiesel, has had a bad effect on Indonesian forests (Schmidt 92). A second problem with biodiesel is inconsistent low-temperature operation. All diesel fuels will gel with extreme cold, but biodiesel gels more quickly at higher temperatures.To operate a diesel engine in colder conditions, a mixture of petrodiesel and biodiesel is required (Schmidt 89). The most common blend of petrodiesel and biodiesel is called B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% petrodiesel); however, even lower blends of biodiesel, such as B2 and B5, are beginning to gain traction in the market (Schmidt 89). A third problem with biodiesel is inconsistent quality. Federal and state tax credits for bio-diesel production make it attractive to companies large and small (Schmidt 90).A biodiesel blend made from virgin vegetable oil is eligible for a 1-cent per gallon discount on federal fuel excise tax for each percent of biodiesel in the blend; a blend made from yellow grease, or recycled cooking oil, is eligible for half that (Schmidt 90). This is a powerful incentive for biodiesel pro-duction. Unfortunately, quality sometimes is lackin g in the production controls. High levels of glycerin, a byproduct of biodiesel production which can clog filters and reduce engine perfor-mance, making it difficult to start the engine when cold, were found in one third of the samples tested by NREL in 2006 (Schmidt 90).These samples came from blending facilities where the biodiesel fuels were mixed and then sent to distributers. The NREL attributes these problems to a sudden increase in demand leading to some plants starting production without quality control procedures in place (Schmidt 90). As gasoline prices continue to rise and the American public gives serious attention to the energy efficiency and mileage per gallon of their personal automobiles, diesel engines become more attractive to car buyers.With fuel efficiency 30% or more higher than gasoline engines, electronic fuel injection offering a smoother, quieter ride, as well as greater torque in a smaller engine allowing for lighter-weight and higher-mileage sport utility vehicles, and the availability of biodiesel offering an environmentally friendly, renewable fuel source, the performance prob-lems of past generations of American diesel vehicles have been largely solved.Rapid develop-ment and improvement of diesel technology to keep up with tightening emissions control re-quirements has led to extraordinarily clean vehicles. American and European automobile manu-facturers have begun to produce diesel automobiles for the American market, and have expecta-tions of solid sales. The question remains, however: will American consumers follow the lead of Europe and embrace diesel engine technology?