Case Brief: Mercan Systems,

Background and Problem Definition Mercan Systems, Inc. founded in 1980 their first product being a desalinator which was used to remove salts from brackish well water supplied it to mobile home park residents in Florida. The product was very successful in the market and it quickly expanded to nearby hospitals and bottlers of water for sale to consumer. By 2000, they made vast improvement in their product by including particle filters, ozonators, ion exchange resins, and purifiers. It had kept its price higher than its competitors.They launched a new product and wanted to formulate an entry strategy for the market entry of Delight water purifier in India. Market and Industry Analysis There were approximately 44 million households who took precautions and all the safety measures for their family. About 50% of the target market used traditional boiling water method, 20% used candle filters and another 20% used water purifiers. The major competitor for Mercan was Eureka Forbes who mainly had two products namely Aqua guard and Pure sip. The unit prices for Aqua guard and pure sip were approx. Rs. 5500 and Rs. 2000.Apart from this there were other companies like Ion Exchange, Singer, and Delta Brand. On more careful observation Chatterjee found out that maximum Sales were from urban areas where the existing manufacturers were reaching only 10-15% of the entire Indian population. Evaluation of Alternative course of Action 1. Direct Acquisition/Joint Venture Looking at the estimated sales figure from Exhibit 3 we find that the Sales were approximately 430000 units. Analyzing it further we see that in case we adopt the skimming price strategy and sell products through Dealer channel we can estimate a sales of 279. million INR in comparison to 129 million INR in case Penetration strategy. We observe the same thing for Direct Sales we can see that in case of skimming strategy the estimated sales were 215 million INR and in case of penetration strategy it was 86 million IN R. (Exhibit 1 for the analysis). The pros and cons for adopting the strategy will be: – Pros: There is a huge opportunity to gain market share with new technology. Cons: Initial investment is Rs. 30 Million is pretty high. Moreover Joint Ventures may turn out to be complicated as it will involve people with different mindset and working style. 2. LicenseeConsidering the total cost incurred for licensee 35000 USD (Exhibit 2) and estimated sales contribution as 129 Million INR (Exhibit 3) Pros: It has minimal cost and is of less risk. It can receive royalty from licensee. National staff can be hired with minimum salary Cons: No control over licensee’s operation Conclusion My recommendation will be they must go with option 1 which is to enter India’s market using joint venture/ acquisition mode of entry. Exhibit 1 Estimated Sales in units = 430000 units Contribution per unitCalculationsEstimated Sales Skimming Price through Dealer Channel650=650*430000279. Million INR Penetration Price through Dealer channel300 =300*430000129 Million INR Skimming Price through Direct Sales force500 =500*430000215 Million INR Penetration Price through Direct Sales force200 =200*43000086 Million INR Exhibit 2 capital for production facilities and equipment30000 USD office facilities and equipment. 5000 USD Total investment35000 USD Exhibit 3 Contribution per unit (Average royalty per unit)300 INR Total no. of units sold (estimated) i. e. , National market potential430000 units Estimated Sales contribution300*430000=129 Million INR

Deja Vu Informative Paper Essay

The mind is a wonderful thing – there is so much, which remains a mystery to this day. Science is able to describe strange phenomena, but cannot account for their origins. We all have some experience of familiar feelings, which comes to us occasionally, about what we say and do, what we know and see, what we listen and hear. When you walk into the house of a new friend, you realise something strange. The place looks familiar though you have not been there and the people look familiar though you have not seen them. You have been there before, but not exactly in person. A serious recollection makes you realise that it was in a dream, a dream that perfectly portrayed with every small detail the exact room you’re now standing in. Sounds familiar? This is an experience that is not as rare as most people think. For many, these arbitrary feelings of extreme familiarity, known as dà ©jà   vu, come through dreams that some say predict the future. These dà ©jà   vu feelings are all of the dreams that we have each night that we cannot remember. You feel as though you have already been there because you have, in your dreams. The things that dreams show may not be significant, just a random moment proposed to happen somewhere in the near or far future. There have also been accounts where the dreamer claims they saw a catastrophic event occur before the incident actually happened. The study conducted by Colorado State University psychologist; Anne M. shows that this unnatural phenomenon has become more and more popular with time. Multiple cases of this have come forward, all of them experiencing the same distinct feeling that dà ©jà   vu brings. Natalia from Brazil stated- â€Å"I was fast asleep and I was having a dream. A dream where all my neighboring huts were burning down, it was wild; everyone was screaming for help and running around deranged. I was choking in my dream, I was struggling to breathe, I felt like it was happening for real but I couldn’t find myself waking up from the horrible dream and then suddenly in my dream my son had died. I woke up trembling, shivering, sobbing at the middle of the night, the entire dream felt like it was happening, but then I reassured myself that it was just a dream and went back to sleep. Two days after early in the morning I smelt something burning and woke up instantly to find out that my dream had come true†¦.. All the huts were burning down, I instantly went looking for my son, but it was too late†¦ my son was already dead. I wish I would have known before.†- Brazil, favelas. What is your theory on why we experience Dà ©jà   vu? â€Å"The electrical signals that allow us to store memories in our brains can take a number of different routes to arrive at their final destination. If a ‘memory’ in the form of an electrical signal takes a couple of different routes at the same time, it is possible that if one route is longer than the other, it arrives in the memory part of your brain only to find that the same memory has already arrived by a shorter route. This would make you think that you had already experienced the event on a previous occasion. It is a bit like hearing an echo when a sound wave has been reflected via different paths. That’s my theory, and I’m happy with it. – Says Philip Carter, Researcher and Sociologist in UK. â€Å"I think that at some point in our dreams we have dreamt about a face, place or situation and at some point when we are awake we could be doing something similar to our dream that triggers the brain into thinking that we have done this before.†- Says Dean Ferdje, Head psychologist in Stanford Research Institute. â€Å"It is a 7th sense. Some people are psychic; they have full control of retaining information of what they see in the future, and however most of us do not have such abilities. At one point we catch a brief glimpse into the future, usually an insignificant event. That glimpse is stored somewhere in the deep recesses of our mind. When that event actually happens, dà ©jà   vu occurs, it triggers the memory of that momentary glimpse, because of its brevity and depth it is stored in our mind we do not remember having it in the first place. It is familiar, but not recognizable†. – Dennis Ladwe, psych pharmacologist in Australia SMU Psychology Professor Alan Brown identified these facts about dà ©jà   vu by studying different kinds of people, people with different jobs, different age, different personalities and different life styles: * A majority of people experience dà ©jà   vu, roughly two-thirds of the population. * The frequency of dà ©jà   vu decreases with age and is most common among people from 15 to 25 years old. * High income and well educated people have more dà ©jà   vu experiences. * Dà ©jà   vu appears to be associated with stress and fatigue. * Those who travel have more dà ©jà   vu experiences. * Some people report that dà ©jà   vu experiences appear to repeat prior dreams. Even you reading this article can be a dà ©jà   vu.

Benefits of Ecosystem-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignmenthelp

1.Discuss both existing and emerging risks threatening the value of these ecosystem Service? 2.Is there a trade off between the provision of these ecosystem services above and other benefits derived from marine ecosystems? 1.The benefits which we obtain from the ecosystem is known as ecosystem services. The wellbeing of humans depends upon the smooth and sustainable flow of these ecosystem services. The increasing population with changes in climatic condition has degraded the ecosystem. Among other countries, the Australian ecosystem is most vulnerable to changing climate. Global change: Due to overuse and exploitation of the ecosystem services, the effect of climatic or global change is rising with each passing day. The increasing population, their demands, burning of coal, production of electricity, use of daily electric appliances etc are some of the main causes of global warming. Also, burning of gasoline for transportation, burning of forest for wood, land etc are the main contributors in methane, carbon dioxide emissions. These increases risk for global warming which has several effects like increase in temperature of earth, melting of ice at earth poles, rise in level of sea, higher temperatures, decline of many species, rise in precipitation etc. these changes in climatic condition will increase the risk of natural disasters like floods, landslide droughts, storms etc. These further give rise to more epidemic and pandemic diseases. Biodiversity: The global or climate change further effects the life of species and plants. The transformation of habitats or environmental area not only affects the vegetation but the animal life associated to them. The species of particular region is forcefully brought to artificial environment causes imbalance in ecosystem. Increasing population, pollution and overexploitation of resources like fishing, hunting, harvesting etc. can lead to the extinction of many more species of biodiversity.   The threats to biodiversity does not seem to decrease with increasing industrialization, urbanization of the world. Natural areas and the environment of both the species and plants are being affected with all these activities which causes imbalances in the ecosystem  (Bellard, 2014). The change in ecosystem affects all the factors of the human well being which includes living a healthier life, maintaining social relation, security and freedom to make their own decisions  (Mooney, 2010). As human are directly or indirectly dependent upon the ecosystem services for their needs and the impact on the ecosystem affects the well-being of human. Due to deterioration of climatic conditions, environment the human health gets affected as well. The effects on human physical and mental health has led to decrease in human life expectancy, phycological disorders etc. 2.There cannot be a trade off between the ecosystem services with the marine ecosystem. This is because all the needs of human cannot be fulfilled from marine or terrestrial ecosystem alone. The marine ecosystem is one of the most abundant ecosystem existing on earth which is home to wide array of species  (Harris, 2017). The marine ecosystem is also of the major source of providing oxygen to the environment. Both the ecosystem should co-exist so that there is a balance in the ecosystem. The destruction in marine ecosystem will adversely affect the specifies & plants, decrease in oxygen content in the water, reduction in food, rapid land conversion rate, loss in revenues etc. these all factors will increase the dependence over other ecosystem which will further lead to depletion of natural resources  (Hattam & Atkins, 2015). Hence, this will lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem affecting all living organisms Bellard, 2014. Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity. NCBI, pp. 365-377. Harris, A., 2017. Marine Ecosystem Classification. [Online] Available at: https://sciencing /marine-ecosystem-classification-38170.html [Accessed 27 March 2018]. Hattam, C. & Atkins, J., 2015. Marine ecosystem services: Linking indicators to their classification. Ecological Indicators, pp. 61-75. Mooney, 2010. The ecosystem-service chain and the biological diversity crisis. NCBI, Volume 365(1537), p. 331 With a decade's experience in providing essay help,

Business Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Business Information System - Essay Example Particularly they are required to help each resident attain or uphold the highest possible mental, psychosocial and physical well being. Care and treatment provided must improve o r maintain health subject to resident’s right to select and decline services. The standards of care in nursing homes are government prospect however quality is not assured. Geriatrics has various needs that aids in its day to day operations. First of all accommodation need. A resident has the right to obtain services and reside with reasonable accommodation of personal desires and needs. The institutions should acclimatize things like room arrangements, schedules, call systems and staff assignments to contain residents’ exclusive needs, desires and preferences. If there is existence of communication barrier between the staff and residents, the nursing g home is required to ensure adequate communication through use of interpreters or other measures that will facilitate communication. Secondly adequate nursing and other employees are required in the nursing homes to meet the needs of each resident in the geriatric at all times. The nursing homes are also required to establish an all-inclusive and individualized care plan for each resident that states care needs and how they will be met. This ensures proper and up to standards services are adhered to by the staff employed, considering the number and personal attention each resident requires or is entitled to. One of the most widespread reasons why people seek nursing home care is due to urinary incontinence and uncontrollable bladder. Incontinence and lack of toileting aid results too many serious problems for example isolation, pressure sores and psychological harm. Each resident bowel control complications must be thoroughly assessed and given care and treatments that can improve the condition. Many geriatric occupants are not incontinent but require

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Geography - Essay Example Early days lay down a foundation for a future and I think I have laid down a foundation to pursue a career in the field of geography. A geographical analyst can review the conditions of this world and evaluate as to if they are deteriorating over time or not. This can help to enlighten the world about the problems that may be unknown to them previously. I believe that I can bring a change into the world by founding a career in this field and researching on the geographical patterns that occur all around the world. The different calamities that are happening all over the world are invariably due to some changes in the geographical patterns of this world. I can thus use the power of knowledge to find out the real reasons behind the changes in the geography of this world (Sopher, 2015). Similarly during this vocation, I have gained an understanding of the deeper aspects of the subject. I believe that these deeper aspects would help me to understand geography more in the future. It can help me to build a community that is aware of the problems which might affect them as a whole. Moreover, I can use this knowledge at my workplace in the larger benefit of the whole organization. In order to succeed in life, I believe that one should be dedicated to the vocation that he is pursuing in life and I think that I have this dedication to the field of geography. I can help my family understand the deeper meanings of geography and can encourage them to create awareness about the minor things such as the use of deodorants which can get trapped in the outer layer of this earth and cause green house gases to accumulate. The reason behind choosing my vocation revolves around the betterment of this world as a whole and a success that would bring about a change in the whole world (S opher, 2015). It can be said that one needs to be focused on any vocation that he has chosen so that he can be successful in life. I believe that I have enough focus on the vocation that I

Is art In The 21st Century still influenced by modernism Essay

Is art In The 21st Century still influenced by modernism - Essay Example Post minimalism on the other hand, is a term that is used to mean a range of styles that are related, yet which often have very, even opposing interests. Arising almost immediately after minimalism, it also refers to tendencies such as Body art, Process art, Performance, Site-Specific art, and aspects of Conceptual art. New developments in art and design came fast in the 1960s no sooner had minimalism started evolving. Unlike minimalism, the art often combines unusual, soft and often is used in more exploited and open structures. The first picture represents a sculpture that was modeled during the modern times while the second is that of the ancient contemporary art. While the ancient sculpture is characterized by simplicity and less expression, that of modern art has a range of styles ranging from a blend of colors to complexity in structure, symbolism and full of expression. It portrays a bolder meaning of sentiment and still maintains its traditional form. The intent behind the modern sculpture is obviously to make a more objective, expressive, and non-referential work of art. The background of the two sculptures bring out a more distinct look as the in the modern one the artist has invested a lot into his art. Characterized by structural tendencies of the body and process art, the artist makes an even smoother and shinier finish in the modern sculpture as compared to that of the ancient sculpture where only the visual content is appealing. Unlike the ancient sculpture that is characterized by simplicity, the modern sculpture is more definitive, descriptive and even more appealing. Johannesson, Kerstin, and Carl Andre. "INVITED REVIEW: Life on the margin: genetic isolation and diversity loss in a peripheral marine ecosystem, the Baltic Sea." Molecular Ecology 15, no. 8 (2006): 2013-2029 Knutsen, H., P. E. Jorde, Carl Andrà ©, and N. C. H. R. Stenseth. "Fine†scaled geographical

Marketing and business operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing and business operations - Essay Example It will offer the best prepared coffee on train as passengers enjoy while they await arrival to their various destinations. We will be of great help to our customers by providing them with a relief after a great day of work through great ambience, friendly to use services, convenient locations and providing constant high quality of coffee. Costa cafà © will invest back their profits to maximize customer satisfaction and also providing steady returns to share holders. The Costa cafà © will operate in almost all the trains leaving and coming into town. They will be placed in a reachable distance from where passengers are sited on the train. The project has the sum of $140,000 as a start up funds. It will be designed to attract visually the customers and designed for efficient, fast and smooth operations. There will be employee training to ensure that there are good services techniques to the customers. The project has long term strategies to ensure that they build a solid base and maintain customer loyalty. The Coffee machines will be place at the rare end of each compartment in the train where there is plenty of space. The machine will be designed to fit and occupy a smaller portion of the train. Engineers will be hired to draw up the structure and find the necessary equipment to have the machine operational. There will be on train managers for the cafà ©; they will be responsible for quality in the train. They will also provide assistance to the customers where need be. After some rounds of the train on the way there will be workers who will be responsible for the maintenance of these machines, it will be done on a regular basis. According to (Ahire, 1997), quality and management has developed into an established definition and conceptual foundation. The same way Costa Cafà © is aiming at improving the quality of services rendered to the clients. Increasingly, most of the organizations are recognizing the need for quality

Marketing on the internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing on the internet - Essay Example Amazon.com hit off as an online bookstore. However they soon diversified their portfolio and ventured into selling DVDS, CDs, and MP3 downloads software’s, games, electronics, food, toys, furniture and apparel. They started spreading out from United States and established bases in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan and China. Amazon’s target audience: Amazon has segmented its target market on the basis of various variables. Their target market is segmented on the basis of demographic, geographic, and psychographic variables. Demographically talking, Amazon attracts customers who have constant access to the internet. In a recent survey conducted by Cyber Atlas, 55% men and 49% women amongst the internet using population admitted that Amazon.com is their favourite site for shopping. (CyberAtlas ; 2001)Geographically speaking, Amazon.com is most widely used in the United States and everywhere else in the world where there is Internet access. At the moment 2 9 million people in 160 countries are using the site. Amazon provides its customers with an engaging and a satisfying experience on their site. This ensures that the customers return to their site. It works on building customer loyalty by enabling features like personal customization of the web page for each of its customers. Amazon’s business strategies: Amazon built its competitive edge on three core strategies. These were: 1. Cost Leadership 2. Customer differentiation 3. Focus Under its cost leadership strategy Amazon has stood out by offering rock-bottom prices. It provides good quality products at low prices. Its prices can’t be matched by its competitors. This makes it an obvious choice for customers. Under the second strategy, Amazon offers current and prospective customers differentiation via convenience. It is one of the largest e-stores at the moment. Its product assortment is huge. It capitalizes on its huge product assortment, fast and efficient delivery a nd efficient services. It has focused on 4 primary areas for its focus strategy. These include the 1. Product focus. 2. Customer focus 3. Technology focus 4. Distribution focus As mentioned before, Amazon has a huge product assortment. Its product assortment has always attracted customers. Technology has always been central to Amazon’s business. It is an e-commerce business, a virtual market place, where every transaction is done online. Amazon’s E-marketing Strategy: Goal and Objectives: In 2008 Amazon’s vision was defined and re-phrased to mark complete focus on customer experience. It said â€Å"relently focus on customer experience by offering our customers low prices, convenience and a wide selection of merchandise.† The vision was to offer the Earth’s biggest consortium of products and to be the most customer centric company. This was Amazon’s core marketing message and it communicated its online value proposition both onsite and offsi te. (Chaffey) Amazon ensured that it offered lowest prices for most of the popular products that it was offering. However it also included less popular products that commanded high prices in the market. As a result it was able to squeeze margins for itself. Amazon’s primary objective was to be customer friendly and offer convenience to its customer. This was why it started offering free-shipping services soon. Another core objective at Amazon has been the fulfillment of promises and ensuring that customers are well-communicated and well-informed. Amazon did

Starting a Business Online, Part 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starting a Business Online, Part 1 - Assignment Example It is composed of data exchange in order to facilitate the payment and financing aspects of business transactions (Robinson, 2010). My local clothing store will obviously fetch me advantages when I turn it into an e-commerce. However, am likely to experience some limitations as well. The invention of powerful online tools and fast and quick internet connectivity has brought about new arena of commerce. This is what my clothing line is turning to when I take it online. From a SWOT analysis I carried out, I will gain various advantages including: Easy to begin and manage the business Easy access of the products as well as faster selling and buying procedures Selling and buying is done twenty four hours No costs of company set ups are incurred Better quality products and services as well as low costs of operation There are no geographical limitations Product or service selection is easily done without physically moving around to providers The visibility of search engine makes it easy to get more customers Cost effective marketing and advertising through social media Virtual store visits by customers eliminating travel cost and time Facilitates comparable shopping by customers Provide for coupons, bargains, deals and group buying Provision for abundant product and service information Targeted communication is created between stores and customers enhancing customer service Niche products can easily be located by the customers Economical in terms of infrastructure and insurance investment Creation of knowledge markets (Olsen, 2010). On the other hand, I am likely to experience specific limitations associated with e-commerce. As a clothing line, I suspect the following disadvantages: Customers have had bad experience with fraudulent site and may not be willing to buy products online. Customers fear lack of guarantee of the quality of the products E-commerce is prone to attack by hackers There may be poor customer loyalty due to minimum company to customer direct inter action Total business processes may be negatively affected by mechanical failures Lack of personal touch with customers and other businesses Delays in products delivery to customers and may result into customers demoralization Customers do not get to experience goods before delivery after purchase Financial security concerns are likely to be experienced by customers paying via credit cards Computer viruses may cause delays, storage problems, and file backups leading to customer inconveniences Stiff competition with the large scale businesses that have brand loyalty may lead to constant losses There may be need for electronic malls as intermediaries to guarantee the legitimacy of transactions since the business will be new online. Poor customer relations leading to poor customer loyalty Corporate vulnerability due to the availability of details and catalogs as well as information regarding the business to the competitors (Olsen, 2010) Electronic commerce faces various issues as it is considered an international commerce regardless of size. Issues to do with trust, language, culture, infrastructure, and government are likely to be faced by my clothing line. I will build trust with my customers through offering quality products to them and discounts on sale. I will also provide genuine websites with http to assure trustworthiness.

Analysis Of A Health Care Organization Research Paper

Analysis Of A Health Care Organization - Research Paper Example This subsequently helps them in enhancing social, mental, spiritual and physical well-being. Following are the organization’s core values (Mission Statement and Guiding Values, 2014): †¢ Showing love and compassion. †¢ Recognizing the dignity and value of every individual as per the religious commandments. †¢ Enabling people to spend a healthy life in terms of soul, mind, and body. †¢ Serving people belonging to every ethnicity, religion, culture, socioeconomic status and gender within the community. †¢ Connecting community with individuals in order to increase the reach of organizational services. †¢ Valuing resources that God has given such as time, financial resources, talent, and humans. The organization has a very distinct philosophy of care which compels it to extend its services to other communities as well. They believe in the protection of fundamental human rights while recognizing that spiritual health requires as much care as the physical health. In order to implement this philosophy, they have established equitable, accessible and ethical health care facilities for patients coming to them. Apart from this, Adventist Whole Health Network’s goal is to meet faith related issues of the community members while also advocating and training them towards a better lifestyle (Faith Community Nursing, 2014). The organizational structure initiates with the board of directors whereas all the community projects are completed with the collaborative efforts of staff members including doctors and nurses.

Access Database Essay Example for Free

Access Database Essay Problem: Create a computerised relational database using Microsoft Access for a library close by because the library has too many papers and lose many of them, so they want a database that solves all their problems. Users: The Librarian will be going to use the database, and the assistance will also use it, the assistance might not be an expert so the assistance must take classes on how to use the database because it has to be used carefully. I will also make it user friendly Objectives: * Must have more than one table (entity) to create relationships * Each table has a primary key to uniquely identify each record * Each table is linked through primary/foreign keys * The database will be normalised so each table has its appropriate data * Create Forms to gather data/reduce mistakes * Create Queries to search for data * Create Reports to show the output from your queries * Make database user friendly so it can be used * To show the stock of the videos in the library * Age group of videos Alternative solutions: I could have used a flat file database or Microsoft Excel but I used a Computerised relational database because if I use flat file database there will be lots of paper, too much space will be used unnecessarily and too much to carry. And I couldnt use Microsoft Excel because the librarian doesnt have that software so I used Microsoft Access. Software: The database managing system is Microsoft Access and the desktop publishing is Microsoft Word in this very project. Hardware: In this project, I will use a Windows Based PC because all computers in School support them, I will also use a Printer to print out all evidence and paper work. I will also use a memory stick as a backup for my project so if it is lost I always have my memory stick. Security: For security I will save my work regularly so this would reduce the risk of it not being saved. I will also save it in several places for example: school computer, computer at home and USB. This will make sure I wont lose my work. I will also regularly print out pages of the project, this will assure the examiner I have done the project, and this will come very handy if all my work is lost. Input method: I will input data in design view using Microsoft Access to create tables, fields. And when my system will be complete, when I hand it over to my customers they will input data via the forms (in fields) Output method: The output is when you run a Query on a PC, its result or output will come onto a report, that is that is the output method. Process: When query runs it searches fro a database that is an example of a process. Verify: Verification is the process of checking that input data is correct. It is normally carried out by a human who visually compares the data with the source document. To site check, is an example of verification. For example, to check that the fields work. Validate: Verification is the process of checking that input data is correct. It is normally carried out by a human who visually compares the data with the source document. Input masks, is an example of validation. Questionnaire 1. What do you think I could improve in my hand drawn plans? 2. What do you think is good in my hand drawn plans? 3. Do you think my database looks user-friendly, if not why? 4. What do you think of the layout of my hand drawn plans? 5. Is the colour combination used good, is the style of the page good? 6. Overall, what do you think of the hand drawn plans, should I redo do them, or keep it as it is? 7. Out of a rating of 5 being the highest, what do you rate this database? Test Plan OBJECTIVES TEST * Must have more than one table (entity) to create relationships I will check that the relationships work because if they work that means I have more than one table * Each table has a primary key to uniquely identify each record I will check that the primary key is working in Microsoft Access * Each table is linked through primary/foreign keys I will check that I connect the Invoice table with Customer and Video table and check it in E-R diagram * The database will be normalised so each table has its appropriate data I will check that each table has its own headings so that it is user friendly and will check it in design view * Create Forms to gather data/reduce mistakes I will open the forms and check if they work properly in Microsoft Access * Create Queries to search for data I will open the queries and check if they work properly in Microsoft Access * Create Reports to show the output from your queries I will open the reports and check if they work properly in Microsoft Access * Make database user friendly so it can be used I will ask people about my database by giving them a questionnaire, if they think it user friendly * To show the stock of the videos in the library I will check in my forms that there is a field for the stock of the videos * Age group of videos I will check in my forms that there is a field for age group of videos Objectives What should happen? What actually happened? 1. Must have more than one table (entity) to create relationships The tables should have relationships + must work They worked as I expected them to 2. Each table has a primary key to uniquely identify each record The table has a primary key, the main one The tables didnt work because it had no primary key 3. Each table is linked through primary/foreign keys The tables should be linked through primary keys They worked as I expected them to 4. The database will be normalised so each table has its appropriate data The tables should have its appropriate fields according to their table They all had the appropriate fields 5. Create Forms to gather data/reduce mistakes When I open the forms they should work and look like the ones as I designed them to be They did work but did not like the ones I designed 6. Create Queries to search for data When I open the queries they should work and look like the ones as I designed them to be They worked as I expected 7. Create Reports to show the output from your queries When I open the reports they should work and look like the ones as I designed them to be They did work but did not like the ones I designed 8. Make database user friendly so it can be used From user feedback they should tell me its user friendly From user feedback I got told that my database is user friendly 9. To show the stock of the videos in the library When I open the library, there should be a field called Stock of Videos There was not the field, which I wanted 10. Age group of videos There should be a field called Age group of videos in video form There was the field, which I wanted Testing Table 11. To have a customized When I open up database A switch board did Switch board customized switch board not open up should open up Evaluation of objectives * Must have more than one table (entity) to create relationships I kept more than one table, in order to input more data. With more tables, there could be more forms. More different subjects, and so the database can be made. The main reason was so I can create relationships. The reason for the relationships are so I can relate or link the tables with each other. This is very helpful. For example: I can add the field name Customer_ID from the Customer form, and the field name Video_ID from the Video form to the Invoice from. In the end, I managed to achieve the objective. * Each table has a primary key to uniquely identify each record Each table has to have a primary key to uniquely identify each record because without it the table would not work, they are also needed for relationships, if you want to create relationships between several tables. At first it did not work but later after many attempts I achieved the objective. * Each table is linked through primary/foreign keys All the tables are supposed to be linked through the primary/foreign keys or else they will not work. I did this on the E-R diagram and also did it on the database and I achieved the objective. * The database will be normalised so each table has its appropriate data I normalised the data, for each table. I did 3 normalisations. In the first one, I just kept any field names I thought would be useful in my database. In the second one, I put them in tables and in third normalisation I took out the extra field names that were not relevant. Most of it was good; except one field name was wrong, I edited it and achieved the objective. * Create Forms to gather data/reduce mistakes I created forms for the database so I can input data. Then I created them at first they did not work, but later I fixed them and achieved the objective. * Create Queries to search for data I created queries for the database so I can search for data and they worked the first time I tried. I achieved the objective. * Create Reports to show the output from your queries I created reports to show the output and it can be very helpful to the customer or librarian. At first when I created the reports, they were not same as my hand drawn plans, but then in edited them again and I achieved the objective. * Make database user friendly so it can be used I made the database user friendly so it is easy to navigate. And I achieved the objective. * To show the stock of the videos in the library I made the field name of stock of videos in the library, at first the field was missing but then I added the field name and achieved the objective. * Age group of videos To show the field name of age group of videos and I achieved the objective. To have a customized switchboard At start it did not open up, but then I achieved the objective. Data Collection In this project data will be collected in different kinds of forms. The invoice form, the customer form and the video form. The librarian will give the customer the customer form for him or her to fill in. For the invoice form and video form the librarian will be expected to fill in the data for those forms. There will also be reports and queries made for some the data. Designs Explained I have kept my forms very user friendly so it easy for the librarian, the assistant and for the customer to use. For the forms I have kept a simple colour combination. In the forms, in the fields the background colour is yellow and the handwriting colour is blue because yellow and blue go well with each other, the colours are also bright and easy to read. For filling in the data, in those blocks the background colour will be red and the handwriting colour will be black because red and black are a good colour combination and will be easy to read. I have kept the handwriting size fairly big so it is easy for the customer and librarian to read or fill in. I have decided to use the font Arial because it is very clear and big. Also for the field names I have decided to keep them bold because they are very important. My reports are also very user friendly and attractive. User feedback From the user feedback I have decided to keep my hand drawn plans as my final designs because of the feedback I got. They have said everything in my hand drawn plans is good. They also said it is very user friendly, clear and the colour combination used goes very well together. However, one person said to add buttons and maybe an image. So I decided to add a video cover image and buttons to all my hand drawn plans.

Finance 3301 questions Essay Example for Free

Finance 3301 questions Essay Broussard Skateboard’s sales are expected to increase by 15% from $8 million in 2012 to $9. 2 million in 2013. Its assets totaled $5 million at the end of 2012. Broussard is already at full capacity, so its assets must grow at the same rate as projected sales. At the end of 2012, current liabilities were $1. 4 million, consisting of $450,000 of accounts payable, $500,000 of notes payable, and $450,000 of accruals. The after-tax profit margin is forecasted to be 6%, and the forecasted payout ratio is 40%. Use the AFN equation to forecast Brous- sard’s additional funds needed for the coming year. Required increase in assets – Increase in spontaneous liabilities – Increase in retained earnings = AFN AFN=($5/$8)*$1. 2 – ($1. 4/$8)*$1. 2-$9. 2*6%*(1-40%)=0. 75 0. 21 – 0. 33=21% Chapter 10 Tony Company’s balance sheet shows $300 million in debt, $50 million in preferred stock, and $250 million in total common equity. Tony Company`s tax rate is 40%, rd =6%,rPS =5%,andrs =10%. If Tony Company get capital structure of 30% debt, 5% preferred stock, and 65% common stock, what is its WACC? Wd=30% ; Wps=5%; Ws=65% WACC=Wd*rd*(1-T)+Wps*rps+ws*rs=30%*6%(1-40%)+5%*5%+65%*10%=0. 0108+0. 000125+0. 065=7. 59% What kinds of the T-bonds is the best proxy for the risk-free rate is the yield on? Answer: A A, long-term B, short-term C, No one Chapter 11 A company creates value when the spread between EROIC and WACC is positive—that is, when Answer: B A, EROIC ? WACC = 0 B, EROIC ? WACC 0; C, EROIC ? WACC

The Deming Theory Of Management Information Technology Essay

The Deming Theory Of Management Information Technology Essay Quality became an important business issue due to the increase in competitiveness in world markets. The total quality management approach introduced by W. Edwards Deming used by several organizations in the world to improve their operations and the processes used in all functional areas of their organizations. The basis of TQM is to reduce the errors produced during the manufacturing or service process, increase customer satisfaction and improve product/service quality, productivity, and competitiveness by improving communications with stakeholders (customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and society). The application of TQM can vary from business to business, even across the same industry. William Edwards Deming (1900 1993) was an American statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and consultant. He was widely credited with improving production in the United States during the Cold War, although he was well known for his work in Japan. Deming made a significant contribution to Japans later reputation for innovative high-quality products and its economic power. He was regarded for his impact on Japanese manufacturing and business. Despite he was being considered as a hero in Japan, he got a widespread recognition in the U.S. at the time of his death. During Demings work in Japan in 1940s, his message to Japans chief executives was improving quality will reduce expenses while increasing productivity and market share. A number of Japanese manufacturers adopted his techniques widely and experienced an increased level of quality and productivity. After some time quality prize was introduced under Demings name, which is given to companies have experienced a major influence directly and indirectly on the development of quality control and quality management in Japan. Dr. W. Edwards Deming taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations can increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs by reducing waste, rework, staff wasted time and increase customer loyalty. The key is to practice continence improvement and think of manufacturing as a system, not as bits and pieces. The Deming Theory of Management is a management philosophy based on four principles: Appreciation for systems. Knowledge of variation. Theory of knowledge. Psychology. Deming was well known for his model introduced for problem solving based on the Japanese approach of quality. The model was called as Deming cycle or PDCA (plan, do, check, action). He also introduced 14 points used to reach TQM in organizations as follows: Create constancy of purpose to improve product and service. Adopt new philosophy for new economic age by management learning responsibilities and taking leadership for change. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality by building quality into the product. End awarding business on price; instead, minimize total cost. Improve constantly the system of production and service to improve quality and productivity and to decrease costs. Institute training on the job. Institute leadership to help do a better job. Drive out fear so that all may work effectively for the organization. Break down barriers between departments; research, design and sales; therefore all teams should work together to resolve problems in production and use. Eliminate slogans, exhortations and numerical targets for the workforce. Eliminate quotas or work standards, and management by objectives or substitute leadership. Remove barriers that rob people of their right to pride of workmanship; hourly workers, management and engineering; eliminate annual or merit ratings and management by objectives. Institute a vigorous education and self-improvement program. Put everyone in the organization to work to accomplish the transformation. (Ahmed and Zairi, 2006) Characteristics of Successful TQM Companies based on Deming theory are common to companies that successfully implement TQM in their daily operations are as follows: Strive for owner/customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. Strive for accident free work places. Recognize the need for measurement and fact based decision making. Arrange for employees to become involved in helping the company improve. Train extensively. Work hard at improving communication inside and outside the company. Use teams of employees to improve processes. Place a strong emphasis on the right kind of leadership. Involve subcontractors and suppliers in continuous improvement. Strive for continuous improvement. (http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/5034-314271-total-quality-management-tqm-entertainment-ppt-powerpoint/, 2010) Joseph Moses Juran (1904 2008) was a 20th century management consultant who was mainly remembered as a caller for quality and quality management, writing several influential books on those subjects. During his 1966 visit to Japan, Juran learned about the Japanese concept of Quality Circles which he actively used in the West. Juran also acted as a matchmaker between U.S. and Japanese companies looking for introductions to each other. Juran was widely credited for adding the human dimension to quality management as he pushed for the education and training of managers. He was also credited for illuminating the core problem in reforming business quality. For Juran, human relations problems were the main issue in most of the organizations. Resistance to change was identified by Juran as the root cause of quality issues. He developed the Jurans trilogy, an approach to cross-functional management that is composed of three managerial processes: Quality planning. Identify who are the customers. Determine the needs of those customers. Translate those needs into our language. Develop a product that can respond to those needs. Optimize the product features so as to meet our needs and customer needs. Quality control. Develop a process which is able to produce the product. Optimize the process. Quality improvement. Prove that the process can produce the product under operating conditions with minimal inspection. Transfer the process to Operations. http://www.70620.com/tag/joseph-m-juran-philosophy-characteristics Malcolm Baldrige (1922 1987) was working as United States Secretary of Commerce and then confirmed by the United States Senate in 1981. During his life journey he played a major role in developing and carrying out Administration trade policy. Baldrige was a supporter of quality management as a key to U.S. wealth and long term strength. He took an initiative in developing the legislation that became the Quality Improvement Act of 1987 and helped draft one of the early versions. In recognition of his contributions, the congress named the annual quality award under his name Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award contributed to long-term improvement in economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in government. There are seven Criteria Categories that cover that was set by Baldrige in every management system: 1. Leadership 2. Strategic Planning 3. Customer Focus 4. Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 5. Workforce Focus 6. Process Management 7. Results He also divided the way of how the apply the above criteria based on the work segment: one for education, one for healthcare, and one for business, nonprofits, and government organizations. The Baldrige Criteria are built on 11 interrelated core values and concepts: Visionary leadership Customer-driven excellence Organizational and personal learning Valuing workforce members and partners Agility Focus on the future Managing for innovation Management by fact Societal responsibility Focus on results and creating value Systems perspective These core values and concepts are embedded in high-performing organizations. They are the foundation for integrating key performance and operational requirements within a framework. (http://www.baldrige.com/criteria/baldrige-core-values , 2010) Deming, Juran and Baldridge difference in their quest for Quality: Each one of the above quality gurus is looking into quality from different aspect. They all are working to improve the USA organizations to get better output of products and services. Deming was focusing on the use of statistical quality control. Juran was focusing on managing for quality and started Quality Management courses concentrating on top and middle management of organizations. Baldridge was focusing his on management system to reach performance excellence. He was working on developing the legislation that became the Quality Improvement Act. This was the key to introduce the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award that recognizes U.S. businesses that excel in quality achievement and quality management. If we compare Baldrige with other types of standards we will find that the Baldrige Criteria serve as a comprehensive framework for performance excellence. They focus on business results as well as organizational improvement and innovation systems. Lean and Six Sigma methodologies drive waste and inefficiencies out of processes, and ISO 9000 is a series of standards for an efficient quality conformance system. Overall, ISO 9000 registration covers less than 10 percent of the Baldrige Criteria (http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/improve.cfm , 2010). Quality model in practice: In my opinion Malcolm Baldrige quality model is the one that it is in practice due to different reasons: Baldrige developed the legislation that became the Quality Improvement Act since 1987. Introduction of Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award that became a method to motivate U.S. organizations to develop their quality based on a set of standards. It focuses on management system to reach performance excellence. It focuses on business results, organizational improvement and innovation systems. Quality Awards: One of the well known quality awards is the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award. It recognizes U.S. businesses that excel in quality achievement and quality management. There are different purposes for the award are: To promote recognition of the importance of quality. To recognize quality related achievements of U.S. organizations. To publicize strategies that improves quality. This award is providing a detailed feedback for additional step the organizations has to take care of in case they would like to meet todays quality standards. The candidates, selected are going through three stages review process are: Evaluation of written examinations submitted by candidate. Site visits to companies with high scores on the written examination. Final overall evaluation. (http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000218317 , 2010) They are assed based on seven Criteria Categories that was set by Baldrige are: 1. Leadership 2. Strategic Planning 3. Customer Focus 4. Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 5. Workforce Focus 6. Process Management 7. Results The above criteria will asses every single detail of the organization in order to check their quality excellence. Even if the organizations do not want to go for the process of the award, they can go through the award documents, use the awards assessment criteria to check their status and then adapt the applicable quality model on their process in order to reach the quality standard. Conclusion: Quality has become an important approach that organizations are taking care of while developing their process of work and managing their resources. Quality gurus have introduced several types of management improvement tools to reach quality excellence. Moreover, awards were introduced to check organizations process and motivate them towards quality excellence. REFERANCE Abdel Ahmed and Mohamed Zairi and Ali Asseri, 2006. TQM Fundamentals: Chapter 1 The Quality Planning Process. Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University. Baldrige core values. Retrieved on April 18.2010 from http://www.baldrige.com/criteria/baldrige-core-values/ Joseph M. Juran. (2010, March 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:29, April 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_M._Juranoldid=348984076 KC 1.5.3 Quality Pioneers Joseph M. Juran. Retrieved on April 14, 2010 from http://www.70620.com/tag/joseph-m-juran-philosophy-characteristics Malcolm Baldrige, Jr.. (2010, April 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:33, April 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Malcolm_Baldrige,_Jr.oldid=354335958 PDCA. (2010, April 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:46, April 14, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=PDCAoldid=355860177 Total quality management. (2010, April 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:41, April 16, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Total_quality_managementoldid=355765150 Total Quality Management a continuous improvement process, 2010. Retrieved on April 14, 2010 from http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/5034-314271-total-quality-management-tqm-entertainment-ppt-powerpoint/ What is Baldrige? Retrieved on April 18, 2010 from http://www.baldrige.com/baldrige-process/what-is-baldrige/ Y.K. Shetty, The quest for quality excellence: lessons from the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award. Retrieved on April 20, 2010 from http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000218317

The Effects of Bilingualism on Language Development Essay -- Language

The effects of bilingualism on language development in children are examined. Theories suggest that bilingual children are able to learn a second language after the first is mastered. One of the reasons behind this is that the child has already developed the nonverbal concept of the word (because the child is already using it in the primary language), so only the verbal concept must be constructed. It has been shown that balanced bilinguals are more cognitively and linguistically flexible. However, unbalanced bilinguals generally show mixed results. Introduction Impact of Bilingualism In California, bilingualism is a big issue. Most people in California are not bilingual, but there is a large minority that does speak a second language. Of those second languages, Spanish is by far the most widely spoken, mainly because of California's close proximity to Mexico. Bilingualism is a hot topic in California's political arena as well. The move to halt bilingual education is a prime example of this. Although a large portion of the population speaks a second language, such as Spanish, there are those who trumpet the benefits of monolingualism in schools. They cite the opinion that children will be confused in school and will not be able to differentiate between the two languages. Theories of Adolescent Bilingualism Cognitive Importance The purpose of this paper is to explain the different effects that bilingualism affects cognitive processes, specifically language development. When talking about how bilingualism affects language development, we are speaking of cognitive implications. Bialystock and Hakuta (as cited in Seifert, Hoffnung, & Hoffnung, 1997) found that when children learn two languages equally well, ... ...f print. Developmental psychology. 33 (3). 429-440. Bialystock, E., & Hakuta, K. (1994). The science and psychology of second language acquisition. In K. Seifert, R.J. Hoffnung, & M. Hoffnung, Lifespan development. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Genesee, F., Nicoladis, E., & Paradis, J. (1995). Language development in early bilingual development. Journal of child language. 22. 611-631. Gonzalez, V. (1995). A model of cognitive, cultural, and linguistic variables affecting bilingual Hispanic children's development of concepts and language. Hispanic journal of behavioral sciences. 16. (4). 396-421. Pease-Alvarez, L. (1993). Moving in and out of bilingualism: Investigating native language maintenance and shift in Mexican-descent children. In K. Seifert, R.J. Hoffnung, & M. Hoffnung, Lifespan development. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. The Effects of Bilingualism on Language Development Essay -- Language The effects of bilingualism on language development in children are examined. Theories suggest that bilingual children are able to learn a second language after the first is mastered. One of the reasons behind this is that the child has already developed the nonverbal concept of the word (because the child is already using it in the primary language), so only the verbal concept must be constructed. It has been shown that balanced bilinguals are more cognitively and linguistically flexible. However, unbalanced bilinguals generally show mixed results. Introduction Impact of Bilingualism In California, bilingualism is a big issue. Most people in California are not bilingual, but there is a large minority that does speak a second language. Of those second languages, Spanish is by far the most widely spoken, mainly because of California's close proximity to Mexico. Bilingualism is a hot topic in California's political arena as well. The move to halt bilingual education is a prime example of this. Although a large portion of the population speaks a second language, such as Spanish, there are those who trumpet the benefits of monolingualism in schools. They cite the opinion that children will be confused in school and will not be able to differentiate between the two languages. Theories of Adolescent Bilingualism Cognitive Importance The purpose of this paper is to explain the different effects that bilingualism affects cognitive processes, specifically language development. When talking about how bilingualism affects language development, we are speaking of cognitive implications. Bialystock and Hakuta (as cited in Seifert, Hoffnung, & Hoffnung, 1997) found that when children learn two languages equally well, ... ...f print. Developmental psychology. 33 (3). 429-440. Bialystock, E., & Hakuta, K. (1994). The science and psychology of second language acquisition. In K. Seifert, R.J. Hoffnung, & M. Hoffnung, Lifespan development. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Genesee, F., Nicoladis, E., & Paradis, J. (1995). Language development in early bilingual development. Journal of child language. 22. 611-631. Gonzalez, V. (1995). A model of cognitive, cultural, and linguistic variables affecting bilingual Hispanic children's development of concepts and language. Hispanic journal of behavioral sciences. 16. (4). 396-421. Pease-Alvarez, L. (1993). Moving in and out of bilingualism: Investigating native language maintenance and shift in Mexican-descent children. In K. Seifert, R.J. Hoffnung, & M. Hoffnung, Lifespan development. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Religion Accroding to Class Structure :: Islam Religion Religious Class Essays

Religion Accroding to Class Structure In The Arab World: Society, Culture and State, Halim Barakat discusses the effect religion has on society within the Arab world. â€Å"Religion is the most significant force shaping Middle Eastern societies,† For Barakat (119). This is because religion is both revolutionary and pacifying. The Middle East is divided into rigid social and economic structures, which creates tension between upper and lowers classes. One tries to perpetuate a system of inequality, which forces the other to cope with poverty. Religion is used to serve the needs of both classes, â€Å"to repress and to resist repression,† in this way (130). The duality of religion can help explain the way modern societies in the Middle East function. Over the course of time, â€Å"Islamic conquests resulted in the accumulation of a great deal of money in the hands of Muslims, so they lost the purity of the prophet† (133). This divided society into classes: the rich were content with their status but the poor were not. Religion was used to,perpetuate the rich’s existence as a class. The economic hardship the poor faced was justified through religion and the possibility of a better afterlife. Egypt’s twenty four districts, for example, were divided between the king, the military and the princes, leaving no land for the people. To justify his class’ status, the king told the people they did have land: â€Å"It was the twenty fifth district, and its place is in the kingdom of heaven† (134). In this instance the king used religion as a â€Å"coercive and repressive force,† to serve his intentions (129). Rationalizing the poor’s poverty and the rich’s power through religion wa s a way Muslim rulers â€Å"legitimize(d) and maintain(ed) the prevailing order† (129). The way classes in the middle east practice religion is highly illustrative of class difference. Barakat makes a distinction between what he labels â€Å"official religion,† and â€Å"popular religion†: the former is practiced in rich, urban areas, and the latter in less affluent, rural ones (126). He says official religion stresses the value of strict interpretations of religious texts, monotheism, an absence of intermediaries between believers and God, and a close connection between religion and the ruling class. Popular religion, on the other hand, values interpretations of religious texts, personified sacred forces, spiritual inner selves, and does seek intermediaries between believers and God. Religion Accroding to Class Structure :: Islam Religion Religious Class Essays Religion Accroding to Class Structure In The Arab World: Society, Culture and State, Halim Barakat discusses the effect religion has on society within the Arab world. â€Å"Religion is the most significant force shaping Middle Eastern societies,† For Barakat (119). This is because religion is both revolutionary and pacifying. The Middle East is divided into rigid social and economic structures, which creates tension between upper and lowers classes. One tries to perpetuate a system of inequality, which forces the other to cope with poverty. Religion is used to serve the needs of both classes, â€Å"to repress and to resist repression,† in this way (130). The duality of religion can help explain the way modern societies in the Middle East function. Over the course of time, â€Å"Islamic conquests resulted in the accumulation of a great deal of money in the hands of Muslims, so they lost the purity of the prophet† (133). This divided society into classes: the rich were content with their status but the poor were not. Religion was used to,perpetuate the rich’s existence as a class. The economic hardship the poor faced was justified through religion and the possibility of a better afterlife. Egypt’s twenty four districts, for example, were divided between the king, the military and the princes, leaving no land for the people. To justify his class’ status, the king told the people they did have land: â€Å"It was the twenty fifth district, and its place is in the kingdom of heaven† (134). In this instance the king used religion as a â€Å"coercive and repressive force,† to serve his intentions (129). Rationalizing the poor’s poverty and the rich’s power through religion wa s a way Muslim rulers â€Å"legitimize(d) and maintain(ed) the prevailing order† (129). The way classes in the middle east practice religion is highly illustrative of class difference. Barakat makes a distinction between what he labels â€Å"official religion,† and â€Å"popular religion†: the former is practiced in rich, urban areas, and the latter in less affluent, rural ones (126). He says official religion stresses the value of strict interpretations of religious texts, monotheism, an absence of intermediaries between believers and God, and a close connection between religion and the ruling class. Popular religion, on the other hand, values interpretations of religious texts, personified sacred forces, spiritual inner selves, and does seek intermediaries between believers and God.

Eating Disorders: How the Media Have Influenced Their Development In Adolescent Girls :: Free Essays Online

Eating Disorders: How the Media Have Influenced Their Development In Adolescent Girls The words "eat" and "boring" are usually never found in the same sentence, but leave it to a supermodel to accomplish this task. Bodies reminiscent of the Holocaust clad only in a bathing suit, underwear, or a skimpy tank top flood popular fashion magazines today. How many times have you flipped through the pages of your favorite magazine and spotted an article about how women should have a good perception of themselves and how they should "celebrate those curves," and then turned the page to find a centerfold makeover section complete with before and after pictures? Mass media serve as a type of "normative influence" to teens, and those who are high in susceptibility to the media’s influence are much less skeptical of advertisements (Mangleburg & Bristol 30). Therefore, it is much more difficult for them to realize that attaining a body like those of the women in the above advertisements is impossible without developing severely disordered eating habits. In the United States, the "conservative estimates" indicate that after puberty, 5-10% of girls and women are struggling with eating disorders. That translates to 5-10 million girls and women! Out of that 5-10 million, at least 50,000 will die, and that’s not including the number of cases not reported due to the shame and secretiveness associated with the disease (EDAP Handout- Basic Facts). Sufferers of eating disorders have admitted that images of skinny models enflamed their condition. In an article titled, "War on Waifs," they agreed that they "would like to see the fashion industry present a range of sizes in magazines just like you see in the stores" (Jedeikin, sec. Responses). Susie Orbach, the therapist who treated the late Princess Diana for her bulimia, has similar thoughts on the controversy: Eating problems are now at epidemic proportions. There is so much anguish felt by so many women and girls of all ages, even in childhood†¦ We need to target the diet industry. If diets worked, we wouldn’t need so many of them†¦ I will also suggest that it is in the fashion industry’s interest to glamourise girls and women in all sizes and shapes, as that is how we really are. I’d like to see model agencies and designers setting aside profits for fashion students to promote gorgeous clothes in all sizes" (Jedeikin, sec. Responses). Until the industry can shift from encouraging people to be a shape which nature never intended them to be, however, the media will continue to form young people’s view of the world, a world that is apparently populated by only thin girls.

CVS stops selling tobacco products Essay

Reason, declared Kant, is the source and ultimate basis for morality. Morality wholly rests in pure, innate reason and not in intuition, conscience, law, or utility. The standard of morality, therefore, is inherent in the human mind; it is definable only in terms of the mind; and it is derived from one’s innerself by direct perception (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2013). According to Kant, in order to be moral, one has to be rational. â€Å"The right use of reason is directed to moral ends† (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2009). A person has to think rationally, he or she does not have think only about self-interest. As a result of that, there is no place for such thing as Ethical Egoism. People should be treated with dignity and respect. Kant presumes that human beings are rational and can utilize reason (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2009). Kant called the supreme ethical principles the Categorical Imperative. This principle is necessary element of human reason and foundation upon which rest all moral judgments (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2013). Kant’s method has three parts of testing, which are used for identification whether or not an action is moral. No matter in what kind of situation a person can be, a rational individual performs an action because he or she has a moral obligation and duty. Application of Kantian Ethical Analysis The categorical Imperative is not a principle of action itself; instead, it ethically lays down the form a moral maxim must take. Thus, said Kant, reason indicates that a moral action must have a certain form. The ethics â€Å"test† is a formal test (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2013). Literally, a person has to indicate whether his/her actions would be successful or would be considered as a self-destruction. In this case, the test will determine that situation with the company such CVS will be most likely successful. One of the main reasons that the company is doing this, is to show the public and competitors that it really cares about the health and well-being of its customers and the nation. By taking out all tobacco products from all CVS stores in the United States, the administration of the company who have main input in the way how the firm works, would really benefit. In general public might be surprised that CVS are going to aim on people’s health. In this kind of situatio n many things will change and increase in the business, things as trust and confidence would be maintained. So, action passes the  first test. The second test states that every person should be treated with dignity, respect and as a valuable and worthwhile entity (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2009).This test involves by itself shareholders, employee, employer, consumers, and society as well. In this case some people have different point of view, some of them firmly believe that they have the right to buy any products they like or to do whatever they chose to do. There is an argument, which explains that it might be unethical for the company like CVS to make people uncomfortable for purchasing tobacco products. CVS does not show any respect for smokers. They feel themselves not welcomed. According to Kantian theory CVS should need to make sure that their clients feel comfortable and welcome in the drugstores, no matter what kind of products are sold. CVS has to analyze and think about customers themselves, not only about profits, even though that basically, the idea of having business is for income purpose. To conform with the Kantian views, the company like CVS which is one of the largest drugstore chains in the United States, should pay more attention for its prosperity, rather than a little aspect of the firm to have some profits. Kant assumes that people cannot take advantage of another person. Additionally, it also explains that people cannot act and do anything without full comprehension and permission of the person. An individual needs someone’s logical, intellectual, complete agreement for this to happen. In this situation, people can think differently. Some of them can support CVS for the idea of removing tobacco products from pharmacy place, because it is ethical and some of them firmly argue with this statement. Even though that the people deeply understand that the products they were purchasing have the risks for their health and very harmful for their organisms. According to this information, the second test will definitely fail. The third test is the agent-receiver test which asks whether a rational person would accept the action or rule regardless of whether he or she was the agent or the receiver of the action (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2009). So, the main cost of this change would be a major loss in income. But people can lose their jobs, the managers and executives will feel decrease in salaries. Many employees may be in danger of losing a job. Moreover, the prices of shares of stocks will decrease, then shareholders  could be in danger of losing earnings. These are all the possible ways of banning all packs of cigarettes from CVS stores. Nevertheless, analytics of the company predicts that the benefits that CVS would get of trust and confidence would be worth the danger of losing profit. By stop selling tobacco products and removing all sweets from the drugstores as well, the firm would have to reassess how and in what kind of ways it can have its income. It will be very difficult to survive for the company, especially in the beginning of this change. It has a worse outcome than just minor loss in sales. The company would have a very negative effect from this and many people would not have a benefit as well. In this case, customers and employees would lose. Because of CVS stops selling cigarettes, as we mentioned above, many people will lose their potential jobs, therefore , the third test certainly will not pass. Only if the company will help their employees by giving them recommendation letters and providing with rà ©sumà ©/interview training, the third test might be considered as passed. But as long as, the action of CVS is going to be presented in October of this year. We still do not know whether they will help their employer or not. So, at this moment of time, this action is considered as not passed. Moral Conclusion Pursuant to Kantian Ethical Model An action is morally right if it has a certain form, and morally wrong if it does not have that form. The Form, the Categorical Imperative, is the first, supreme, fundamental principle in ethics. It is the form a moral action must have; it provides the ultimate standard by which one test can test action, rules, beliefs, and standards to determine if they are moral (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2013). Based on Kant’s ethics, the action of CVS pharmacy about removing tobacco products from the stores can be considered moral, only if it passes the Categorical Imperative tests. Some type of questions must be considered such as, is this action only benefiting the company or others as well? How would CVS feel if others performed this action? If the firm rationalized its actions, they would be moral. First of all, if everyone takes the same action that took CVS, the world will become healthy. We will not see any more death as a result of tobacco products. CVS has always functioned very well with good ratings in customers service and with high earnings. Even with a ban of tobacco in October, the company is still  one of the leading pharmacies in the country. Nevertheless, this new plan may not make everyone in society happy. Some people, most likely smokers think that this ban is unfair and unethical, but managers and executives thought that it was the right step for the healthy future and for the business. As a result of this decision, the company will gain trust from its consumers, which will result in a more successful firm. In other words, smokers will not be treated equally with other people with respect and dignity, therefore the second test will fail. Overall, if CVS will take care of people who probably will lose their jobs, the third test can be considered as passed. Despite the problems with Kantian ethics, Kant’s very important accomplishment was to underscore, and to appreciate, people as free, rational, moral beings, with individuals rights and self-im posed duties to respect others (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2013). In conclusion, CVS’s incredible decision involves long term perspective and sacrifices. The administration of the company has a solid strategy of how to operate the company and all of the stores. With a great plan on operations, they are able to have a successful business. As long as, it is such a large company, these changes will be beneficial, even with some people against the stores, unless there is another major change to products in the near future.

Give a Boy a Gun

The Characters Gary Searle – one of the shooters main character * Brendan Lawlor – the other shooter Ryan Clancy – a friend of both Gary’s and Brendan’s Allison Findley – Gary’s on-and-off girlfriend and Brendan's friend at Middletown High School Terminx – Brendan’s screen-name * Blkchokr – Allison’s screen-name Rebooto – Ryan’s screen-name Cynthia Searle – Gary’s mother Emily Kirsch – a former friend of Brendan’s Brett Betzig – a friend of Brendan’s from Springfield Julie Shore – a friend of Brendan’s from Springfield Beth Bender – Middletown High School counselorPaul Burns – a football player at Middletown High School Sam Flach – a football player at Middletown High School Deidre Bunson – a ‘popular’ girl at Middletown High School Ruth Hollington – Gary’s fourth-grade teacher at Midd letown Elementary School Stuart McEvoy – Gary’s sixth-grade teacher at Middletown Middle School Katherine Sullivan – Brendan’s sixth-grade teacher at Springfield Middle School Kit Conner – a neighbor of the Lawlors’ in Springfield Dick Flanagan – Brendan’s ninth-grade English teacher at Middletown High School F.Douglas Ellin – a biology teacher at Middletown High School Allen Curry – principal of Middletown High School Jack Phillips – a neighbor of Brendan’s Chelsea Baker – a transfer student to Middletown High School Denise Shipley – Gary’s older stepsister Chelsea Baker – new student on the Middletown high schoolCitation: It’s like, are you in the popular crowd or not? Beth Bender – teacher on the Middletown high school. Brendan was called in her office one day.He says just about â€Å"yes, ma’amed† and â€Å"no, ma’amed†. Yes ma ’am, everything is fine. No ma’am, I don’t have a problem with anyone. But you could see the pain and anger in his eyes. Citation: What Brendan and Gary did was terribly, horribly, inexcusably wrong. I have no interest in defending them. But deep in my heart there is a little piece of me that at least understands what might have driven them to such a horrendous, evil undertaking. But what those boys id was equally inexcusable and evil. Brett Betzig – Brendan’s friend in Springfield. Citation: One thing about Brendan: He hated injustice (Page 22)Deidre Bunson – student on the Middletown high schoolPaul Burns – Football player. Citation: One day in class we were talking about morality, and Brendan said there was no God. He didn’t say that he didn’t believe in God. He just said there was no God. (Because of the injustice in the world, he thinks that a God can’t exist) (Page 56)Brandan Lowlor:He is a sporty, skinny gu y with glasses. His parents are very friendly and they can? t understand their son’s behavior. Brandan is highly intelligent, a litte bit excited (aufgeregt? Man kann in einer bestimmten Situation aufgeregt sein, aber fur eine Charaktereigenschaft brauchst du hier einen anderen Begriff. Was genau meinst du? ) and distrustful. He loves sports and videogames like â€Å"Doom†. He doesn’t want to move to Middletown, that’s the reason why he has problems at school.

Art is life Essay

Art is life, it is beauty, it is emotion, it is you, it is me, it is everything. Art defines all that we are, and all that we could become. Art is of the past and of the future, of the influences of our daily lives, of our pasts combined with who we are today. Art is an indescribable joy, an expansion of the mind, body and soul. We are art, every last individual of the human race. Art comes in the form of music, dance, theater, painting, drawing, blowing, throwing, and even in the math equations or scientific experiments of the right brained population. Art is feeling, seeing, smelling, tasting and hearing. Art is here to titillate our senses, to create emotional and physical reactions to the viewer. Art is healing. Art is loving. Art is†¦ everything. The Value of Art After a distinctly self-contemplative night, I began to wonder what it is that attracts people to art. Certainly I consider myself an artist of sorts†¦ but what is it that makes me an artist? Why do I practice art? Why does anyone immerse themselves in abstract activities that, for the most part, do not add to financial security or other measurable values? We know that art has been around before written language. Ancient carvings and cave-wall paintings attest to an early drive to participate in artistic endeavors. I would say that our skills as artists have improved since the first cave paintings†¦ but I think there must be the same seed of creativity that connects long forgotten ancestors and modern artists. I think that the most obvious similarity is that dedicated artists tend to create art that reflects important aspects of their lives. When it comes to ancient man, what could have been more important than food and reproduction? Ancient art is ripe with images of hunting and pregnant women. As human society evolved into more stable communities, the art changed. Over time the focus on survival was supplanted with self-emulation. In ancient Egypt, for example, the art turned to worshipping the value of great kings and all-powerful gods. The same happened in most cultures. I doubt that common slaves of Egypt felt that preserving kingly honor for eternity was a motivating factor; slaves probably would have produced an entirely different art than what we  find in tombs had they the resources to create art. What is telling is that the art that survived from ancient times reflects directly the values of the people producing and preserving it: in terms of Egypt†¦ it was of the Pharaohs. European Medieval art reflects a mixture of pagan and Christian ideals. We can deduce that local kings whose roots were largely pagan mixed with the influence of Rome. The artistic work commissioned throughout this time is a constant reminder of those influences. Take this on up to our own time. An important note to take is that as the traditional religious values of historic importance in the west have been challenged in intellectual circles, the focus of art has strayed. Prehistoric art was focused on life and death†¦ ancient art turned to the afterlife and mysticism; modern art has no focus. I am confident that mass media and the internet have a large role in the change†¦ perhaps we are still too early in the new era to be able to define the motivating factor behind the art that will last; but I feel that the reality is that art has no focus in our age because it is not the secluded craft of the gifted and appointed.

Ogre to Slay, Outsource It to Chinese Essay

David Barbosas brilliantly engages his audience with a catchy title that urges the reader to complete the piece to understand what it is that he is discussing. â€Å"Ogre to Slay? Outsource It to Chinese† is eye-catching and its content and is very thought-provoking and well researched. His preparation for the article includes him finding sources in China, who are engaged in illegal outsourcing of computer game players and contributing to what the Chinese government are attempting to halt, what they call â€Å"internet addiction†. Not only does Barbosas find these valuable sources for information and quote them, he also cites workers in these gaming factories. The effort of his research and concise conclusions to an interesting technological issue makes this piece very well put together and easily readable and understandable to a diverse audience. Barbosas says that this is an issue that spans from â€Å"Seoul to San Francisco† and he is very eloquent in his comparison between the affluent gamers, who are willing to pay Chinese workers to complete initial rounds of computer games and the gamers, themselves, who work 12 hour days, 7 days a week for a mere $250 a month. He does well, also, in showing the change of contrast from what has in history been a clear line between fantasy and reality to illustrate how these lines have blurred. He makes the point of outlining the beginning of the changes in the virtual world of gaming, when gamers began playing others worldwide a few years ago and then when they began becoming so enmeshed with their avatars (or characters that they create), that they pay others to essentially baby-sit them, as the Chinese do or use virtual currency to buy components, such as weapons to help their avatars. Barbosas does well in explaining the complex and intricate world of virtual gaming to even readers, who have no familiarity of the subject. He simultaneously delves into explaining this strange new world while vividly describing the Chinese workers behind the scenes or, more accurately, behind the screens. He paints an interesting picture of what he refers to as, â€Å"virtual sweatshops†. There gamers are playing in dark basements, surrounding by posters of the games they play. These Chinese farmers make up an estimated 40-50% of the gamers involved worldwide in these popular games and it is believed that 1 in 4 internet users in China use their online connection for gaming. In addition to the other staggering statistics Barbosas integrates into his commentary, he integrates what those involved in gaming have to say and what experts share on this issue. One conclusion by an American professor is that this illustrates how the time of Americans is valued more over the time of persons in countries, such as China. In contrast, one owner of a â€Å"sweatshop† believes that if these gamers were not working for him that they would be going back to hard farm work with smaller wages or on the streets. In conclusion, Barbosas shows his journalistic talent in this piece. His research, illustrated by interview citations and statistics, demonstrate his expertise in this strange, technological world. He presents many trends in the world of gaming, in reality versus fantasy, and in the currency involved in these questionable online enterprises. His work is easily readable by a wide audience and his lead-in to the article with it’s catchy title definitely lives up to the interest that title holds.

Yourba Art . Formal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Yourba Art . Formal Analysis - Essay Example As a point of departure, the Olumeye statue is long reputable among the artists of the Yoruba people. Majority of the Olumeye statutes are woodcarvings that depicts a woman kneeling holding a chicken (Sculpture, and I, 7). In these statutes, the basket shaped bowl substitutes for the chicken. It is realizable that, when the Olumeye is used during a welcome ritual, the carved woman brings reputation by attending to her guests by satisfying their hunger through kola nuts. The use of kola nuts in the image is a manifestation of the food provided to the visitors during special visits. The woman’s youthful body, the posture of her offering and stylization of her hair indicates her beauty, however, something with her fertility was in a mess but now it is solved. The kneeling is an indication of a relationship with a higher force, most probably a god of fertility. The divination of the kola nut bowl is in the shape of a chicken that is offered to the gods as a sign of appreciation. The chicken symbolizes the mother’s new state (Sculpture, and I, 15). According to the Yoruba, the carrying of babies indicated the mother’s long period of sexual abstinence and repressed menstruation, which suggest spotlessness and cleanliness, a satisfying female aspect. The image indicates the culture, origin and beliefs of the Yoruba people, who believe that they originated from the city of life, which is the present Nigeria. The Yoruba believes that Nigeria is the site of the Yoruba’s creation story. The manifestation of the kola nut in the image is a depiction that, the Yoruba community are farmers (Sculpture, and I, 8). On equal measure, the art itself indicate that the Yoruba people are fine artists and traders. The female forms in the Olumeye image manifest the ideal feminine beauty of the Yoruba. For instance, the image represents a nude woman with extravagant headdress and long graceful features, which depict the beauty, enclosed in the Yoruba women.

Consumer behaviors case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer behaviors case - Essay Example It seems that people are not ready for a change and that is the hardest part of the project. These are some of the facts that have contributed to the slow implementation of green marketing However, there are consumers who are loyal to the green products, believe in them, and know the benefits associated with green products. For this reason, companies should come up with strategies to incorporate green marketing. Companies ought to match the green products with the consumer’s traditional non-green products’ attributes, such as convenience, availability, price, quality, and performance. The green products should be available in nearby locations in such a way that the customers will not have to travel for long to look for the products. The green products should be available in shops that the non-green products used to be found. The price should be fair. That means that they green products should not be much expensive as compared to the non green products. Green products are more productive and of a higher quality than the non-green products. That information should be passed to the customers so that they can be attracted to the new products. The managers sh ould educated customers on the associated with the use of the green products and that will increase the sales of the green products. This will enable the consumer to relate with the products, as not much will have changed from their original package. The marketing strategies that the company adopts should also be right, with knowledge that different strategies work differently under different markets and competitive conditions. Managers should also understand the strategies and the reasons behind the strategies. Green marketing has not fulfilled its initial promise, but companies can take a more effective approach if they realize that a one-size-fits-all strategy does not exist. (JILL and PAUL 3) The company

Cessna 421 Cockpit Modernisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cessna 421 Cockpit Modernisation - Essay Example It uses geared Continental GTSIO-520-D engines. The gearing is such that the drive shaft drives through a set of reducing gears instead of being directly connected to the propeller. The 421 series was first produced in May 1967 followed by the 421A in 1968 which was redesigned in 1970 and sold as the 421B. The 421C came into service in 1975 replacing the earlier versions 421A and the 421B. The aircraft had wet wings, the absence of wing tip fuel tanks and landing gear which was changed from straight leg to a trailing-link design which was produced from 1981 onwards. Its production came to halt in 1985 after 1901 aircrafts had been delivered. The 421C is a light passenger transport aircraft which was approved on October 28, 1975. The aircraft is powered by two Continental GTSIO-520-Ls or Continental GTSIO-520-Ns which are turbocharged, fuel injected and geared six-cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled piston engine that produce 375hp each. Some general characteristics of this aircr aft include a crew of one or two, a capacity of six passengers, and length of 11.09, wingspan of 12.53m, wing area of 19.97m2, empty weight of 4501 lb, height of 3.49m and a maximum takeoff weight of 3379kg. It has a maximum speed of 256 knots with a cruise speed of 240 knots and a range of 2755km. the service ceiling is 9,205 m and a rate of climb of 1940 ft/min. (Cessna 421 Golden Eagle: Cessna model 421C information manual. 1979) Aim The main objective here is to upgrade the existing avionics panel of the Cessna 421C to the Garmin G600 display in order to reap the benefits of this modern design. Some of these include improved situational awareness, pilot safety and workload reduction. The other objective is to introduce modern avionics to the display panel for the venerable Eagle to make it more modern and efficient. To achieve this, we will employ the G600 together with some other retrofits to come up with a cockpit that is not only modern but also perfect in operation. Addition ally, further improvement of the passenger In Flight Entertainment System is also conducted to bring it to modern levels of service. The upgraded panel offers much more capability and comfort to the pilot. With the space so created from the reduced clutter, the interior design is refurbished. It is fitted with new light gray lather seats, writing tables, refreshment center and a belted potty. Discussion Cessna 421C Cockpit Diagrams are shown here bellow. Before retrofitting Fig 1: Cessna 421 Cockpit before upgrade Source: http://sarasotaavionics.com/panel-gallery/cessna-421/ After retrofitting Source: http://sarasotaavionics.com/panel-gallery/cessna-421/ The cockpit of the Cessna 421 in figure 1 above has several instruments cluttered across the main display panel making it rather tedious to the pilot to work. Most instruments here are mechanical and thus time consuming to read and interpret. Some of these instruments include: a Comm. Dual King KTR 905, Nav Dual King KNR 630, MFD Av idyne EX500, King KLN- 90B Approach GPS, ADF Dual King KDM-805, and Transponder Dual King KXP-755. It also includes autopilot King KFC 250 with Flight Director and yaw. Other important features are the dampener, the HIS Dual Cessna 1000 and a fuel management system. For instance, the altimeter which measures the aircrafts barometric settings, the attitude indicator, the horizontal situation indicator, the gyroscopes, all engine and emergency equipment are all mounted in the basic T fashion. It is therefore my desire to retrofit this window to a modern digital panel by using the Garmin G600 display. With this upgrade, we expect a safer, easy to operate

Public Health Law reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Health Law reform - Essay Example The proposed public laws are crafted to link various three aspects, duty, restraints and power, this are fundamentally missing in the current statutes necessitating the need for the revised form (Novick, Morrow, & Mays, 2008). On duty, the envisaged law compels the government to give priority to the well being of the citizens in promoting dissemination of health services in a non-discriminatory. Interestingly, the state government does not have any affirmative action in the implementation of the policies and this transcends to the judicial systems that lacks clear guidelines on how to apprehend violators of these statutes. These are some of the issues addressed in the new model of the laws. The government should also be given the powers to set the required standards of health and enforce these laws to avoid defaulters getting away with such offences. The regulations in this case rotate on issues like clean water, air and work places to mitigate on the spread of infectious diseases ( Novick, Morrow, & Mays, 2008). The new proposals also endeavor to check on the government involvement in the assessment of these acts such that possible unfair intrusions can be regulated. Even with the drafting of the new reforms, there has been no unanimous public agreement with the reforms and contentious issues are yet to be sort for its implementation (Novick, Morrow, & Mays,

Visionary Idealism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Visionary Idealism - Essay Example For him, the process of artistic creation holds the potential of transcending the limitations of the mind and more fully expressing the divine spirit. He also believes that art can induce within the viewer an elevated state wherein spiritual states of being are attained (Grey). In this essay, I am going to cover a brief history of his life, the progression of his art and performances, where his art is displayed and has been used, and some positive and negative reviews of his works. My purpose is to critically critique Alex Grey's artistic style and vision. Alex Grey was born in Columbus, Ohio on November 29, 1953. Being the middle child of a middle-class couple, he strove to please his father by excelling in drawing. It was his father, who was a graphic designer, who saw in him his exceptional talent and encouraged his drawing ability. As a young child he would collect insects and dead animals from around the neighborhood and bury them in the back yard. From his earliest drawings to his performances, paintings and sculptures, the themes of death and transcendence have been woven throughout (Grey). During his teenage years he lived a solitary life in a world of his own imagination that could not be easily understood by others and did not give much concern to right or wrong. His art during that time shows how confused he was about himself, and about life and spirituality. It led him to express the tearing apart, the confusion, and the duality within his being. He attended the Columbus College of Art and Design for two years (1971-73), then dropped out and painted billboards in Ohio for a year (73-74) (Grey). He then attended the Boston Museum School for one year to study with the conceptual artist Jay Jaroslav (Grey). This is also where he met his wife Allyson, the artist. During this period he had a series of entheogenically induced mystical experiences that transformed his agnostic existentialism to a radical transcendentalism (Grey). He then spent five years at Harvard Medical School working in the Anatomy department studying the human body (Grey). As expected, the earlier works of Alex Grey (both drawing and painting) are simpler and more of self portrayal. His later works have shown maturity and complexity, moving out of self but still focusing on the human anatomy. What stuck out most about his early works is how talented and detailed his lines and features are, and how almost perfectly he has recreated himself in his visual arts. His later portrayal of himself reveals his own self realization and self actualization, revealing the inner struggles and duality of his inner being. He is able to show his audience what transpires within himself and the difficulties he has been going through as he is initiated into the growing complexity of his inner and outer world. In addition, his focus on the human eye in many of his works reveals an all-knowing existence of somebody, be it himself or God or any other important person in his life, which truly affects him and all of his life. One example is the "Vision Mission." The eye is placed above, which is believed as the vision, while the hand with the pointing finger below may stand for the mission. This drawing may have a spiritual implication and may have a much deeper meaning from what is actually shown. Moreover, his