The Subprime Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Subprime Crisis - Essay Example Starting in February with the biggest bank in Europe HSBC reporting a loss of $880 million through its US subprime unit Decision One Mortgage, the list extends to US subprime lender New Century Financial Corp, Citigroup, Wachovia Corp, Merrill Lynch, and Countrywide in the U.S., the German Banks IKB and the state bank Sachsen L B, the French bank BNP Paribas, the Dutch Bank NIBC, the British mortgage lender Northern Rock, and the largest Japanese bank Mitsubishi UFH Financial Group, INC. The strong Swiss Banking sector was also hit through Credit Suisse and UBS (FACT BOX: Subprime crisis affects banks worldwide). The breaching of the dependable string defenses of the Swiss Financial sector, by the subprime market crisis, causing a downswing in 2007 in the fortunes of what could otherwise be considered as a successful year for the Swiss economy, is an indicator that the Swiss economy will not be spared from the worldwide impact of the subprime market crisis in 2008. However, the Swiss economy can be expected to weather the storm of the subprime market crisis and restrict the consequences. (Allen, 2008). The reasons for this optimism stems from the strengthening of the Swiss franc in the third quarter of 2007, against the U.S. dollar by as much as 6.7 percent. In addition the forecast for the GDP growth of 2.5 percent for 2007 is suggestive that the Swiss economy continues to remain robust. This was the result of the reaction of the Swiss National Bank to immediately inject liquidity, when a liquidity pinch was felt in August 2007 as a result of the subprime market crisis (Swiss Franc Outlook: Will Weakness Continue). These moves of the Swiss National Bank saw the watch making and luxury goods manufacturing sectors performing well supported by the pharmaceutical and food product. Another factor weighing in is the domestic consumer strength of Switzerland. The Swiss economy can be expected to grow in 2008, but at slower rate due to the impact of the subprime market

Evaluate the importance of regular exercise Essay Example for Free

Evaluate the importance of regular exercise Essay In recent years, the awareness of the importance of public health has increased significantly and maintaining a healthy body and mind is undoubtedly everyone’s daily wishes. Doing exercise is one of the ways to help people to fulfill their dreams as it can strengthen our body and improve our mind. The effectiveness of the aids from the state to help achieving the goal efficiently has also been put on the public’s discussion table. In this essay, will first examine the importance of exercise, following by analyzing how both Hong Kong and British government plays their role in ensuring its citizens exercise regularly and suggesting some follow-up actions. To begin with, doing exercise can help to improve our health condition and makes us stronger. Exercise can be divided into four categories: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility which will give us benefits if we can finish them all. (Go4Life n.d.) Researches. (Mayo clinic 2014) has shown that working out will on one hand lower stress and on the other hand in reduce body fat which will makes us look fitter and healthier. Once body fat is reduced, it can also lower the blood pressure and maintain a smooth circular blood flow. Threats posed to our body due to high blood pressure can be ceased for example strokes. Moreover, exercise shows a negative relationship with depressions. Endorphin is a hormone released when doing exercise which has a positive impact on our mood by making us happier and reducing rates of depression. This shows that the more we work out, the higher the level of happiness we can gain. Endorphins will diminish the perception of pain in brain will leads to positive feelings. (WebMD 2014) Social circle can also be widened when doing exercise as some of them require team work and players will have to co-operate with each other which increases their cohesions and boost their relationships. Take playing basketball as an example, team players will  have to communicate and trust each other and pass the ball to one another so as to gain goals. Strong social support which resulted can reduce the chance of depression as ones attention has been increased. By contrast, without any work out may lead to suicide in some extreme cases. Studies done by Dhaval and Inas shows that there i s a direct relationship between overweight status, depressive disorders, and suicidal behaviors. Overweight adolescents will have a low self-esteem as they are labeled as â€Å"fat boy† which makes them having a weak self-confidence and body dissatisfaction. (Dhaval Inas 2009) As exercising can relate to life and death issues, it proves that it is of high importance that regular exercises are needed to maintain our body health. Next, the government should also play an important role in dealing with healthcare issue of citizens. According to recent reports, (Ko 2010; Chapman 2014) both Hong Kong and Britain are facing a problem of increased death rates due to obesity. This is mainly due to the increasing personal populous and changing in lifestyle characteristics with reduced in physical activity but increase in food intake which results in chronic diseases. With reference to the Hong Kong government’s official website, it has made a step forward to tackle this problem by introducing the National Fitness Day on 8th August annually (GovHK 2010). This offers its local citizens in free of charge sporting experience in appointed sports center in 18 districts of Hong Kong for example dancing play-in, fitness corner and some fitness and health talk and workshops. Parent-child activities are also available which can promote their relationships. Through this event, it can surely arouse the publics’ att ention in doing sports and even increases their own interest in developing certain type of sports. However, British government only did limited actions in developing citizens’ sportsmanship with the exception of London Olympics 2012 (Olympic.org 2013) which reveals more Britain are dead due to overweight and obese kept increasing and the figure is even 50 percent more when comparing to France as Chapman said. It is believed the British government should take Hong Kong as a reference to ensure its citizens involve in sports more often. By introducing reward system can increase their attention in doing sports and they will be more willing to do so. Also, public sports centers with low membership fees can  also be established so as to help low income families to enjoy this entertainment in low cost. Promotions and advertisements are needed so more people will know about it and raise their awareness of it. Due to the high authority of the government, it will hopefully help to promote exercise in Britain more effectively and testify to the success of Hong Kong in promoting spo rts to its residences. In addition, citizens maintaining good health will also benefit the state. With a poor health condition, worker will result in absentee from work and will decrease the productivity of the firm. (Krol at el., 2012) During the absent period, it may be difficult for the company to find a perfectly suitable substitute as the productivity loss will be unpredictable as workers are not assigned to the right jobs. Profits will be lost and reduces the economic growth of the nation (Wei at el., 2011). Also, as mentioned earlier, suicide incidents of workers can also affect the company. Foxconn, the production factory of Apple products is one of the place where often heard of workers there committed suicide due to poor working conditions and loneness ( BBC 2010). This will in no doubt damage the reputation of the firm and affect sales. However, if there can be enough work out for the labor, they will feel less stressed and more happy to work. Unwanted accidents can be avoided. One of the main responsibilities of citizens is to contribute to the society that we should produce to the profit maximizing output to help maintaining the labor force of our place to maintain efficiency. With good health, workers are able to work more efficiently as they can perform well and show their own talents. Productivity will then increase as a result of stimulating economic growth which will benefits the society. With better economic conditions, people are able to afford their own lives and have a higher standard of living. In order to avoid ceasing production process and reducing efficiency of firms, the government to a high extent should be responsible to regulate rules to help its citizens in public health issues. However, some may argue that it is our own responsibility to stay healthy which means we should not rely on the state. Health is a long-term investment which can be determinates by ourselves and we are personally  responsible daily. Some may also say that (Sherman 2012) good health will be attained if effort is given and we prioritize it well. Long-term effort is needed so as to balance our body, mind and effort. Exercise is a personal activity which depends on the individual willingness. If the government force them to work out, they may feel discontented and conflicts between the two parties will exist. Costs will be involved in dealing with the disputes which exploits interests of them. Furthermore, people may think that they will have their own practice to maintain health for example controlling their diet such as following the food pyramid (GovHK 2012). Parents also play vital role in dealing with the health conditions of their children. Healthy lifestyle practices should be n urtured since small so they will pay more intention to that even when they grow up. In addition, supports from schools should also be given to students for example setting up more physical education classes and also extra-circular activities related to sports so as to increase their amount of physical exercise. It is undouble that teaching from parents to their children is the most effective way to convey the idea of health to them as most children tend to listen to their parents more than anyone else. Therefore some believe that it is not the state’s responsibility and it should not intervene with people’s daily routines. To conclude, although some people may be dissatisfied if the government meddle with their exercise pattern, it is of paramount importance which the state should be responsible to deal with the health issues of its citizens as this is one of its responsibilities. If the state help to preserve the public’s exercising rhythm, it can reduce the disease-related problems and it is much easier for the state to intervene due to its high authority. At the same time, it will also bring positive impacts like increasing productivity which benefits the society. As a result, to a large extent the state should help in ensuring its citizens exercise regularly in order to maintain a good health. Reference List 1. Blanch, B, 2010. Foxconn suicides: Workers feel quite lonely. BBC online, [online] 28 May 2010. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10182824 [16 May 2014]. 2. Chapman, J, 2014. Britains obesity death rate. [online] Available at: [Accessed 04 May 2014] 3. Dhaval, D and Inas, R., 2009. Overweight status, self-perception, and suicidal behaviors among adolescents. Social Science Medicine, [e-journal]. 68(9) Available through: Lancaster University Library website [Accessed 15 February 2014]. 4. Go4Life n.d., 4 Types of Exercise. [online] Available at: [Accessed 12 May 2014] 5. GovHK, 2010. Sport For All Day on August 8 promotes benefits of regular exercise. [online] Available at: [Accessed 10 6. GovHK, 2012. The Food Pyramid -A Guide to a Balanced Diet. [online] Available at: http://www.cheu.gov.hk/eng/info/exercise_07.htm [Accessed 10 May 2014] 7. Krol, M ; Brouwer, W ; Severens, J ; Kaper, J ; Evers, S., 2002. Productivity cost calculations in health economic evaluations: Correcting for compensation mechanisms and multiplier effects. Social Science Medicine, [e-journal] Abstract only. Available through: Lancaster University Library website http://onesearch.lancs.ac.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?frbrVersion=5tabs=detailsTabct=displayfn=searchdoc=TN_sciversesciencedirect_elsevierS0277-9536(12)00553-9indx=3recIds=TN_sciversesciencedirect_elsevierS0277-9536(12)00553-9recIdxs=2elementId=2renderMode=poppedOutdisplayMode=fullfrbrVersion=5dscnt=1scp.scps=scope%3A%2844LAN_ALMA_DS%29%2Cscope%3A%2844LAN_ML_DS%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fefrbg=tab=quicksearchdstmp=1400453092549srt=rankmode=Basicdum=truetb=tvl(freeText0)=absenteeism%20productivityvid=LUL_VU1 [Accessed12 May 2014]. 8. Ko, G, 2010. Obesity in Hong Kong Risk and Burden. [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 May 2014] 9. MAYO Clinic, 2014. Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. [online] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389 [ Accessed 10 May 2014] 10. Olympic.org, 2013. London 2012. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 May 2014] 11. Sherman, S, 2012. Healing, Health and Self-responsibility. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2014] 12. WebMD, 2014. Exercise and Depression. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 February 2014]. 13. Zhang, W ; Bansback, N and Aslam H.A.,2011. Measuring and valuing productivity loss due to poor health: A critical review. Social Science Medicine, [e-journal] 72(2), 185-192. Available through Lancaster University Library website [15 May 2014]

Factors affecting visual acuity

Factors affecting visual acuity Factors affecting Visual Acuity Visual acuity is measured in various different ways and that is dependent on the acuity task used. However factors affecting the visual acuity have to be taken into account. Visual acuity is affected by a number of ways such as diffraction, aberrations and photoreceptor density in the eye. There are a number of other factors too, which will be discussed more in depth in this article. Other factors that affect visual acuity include: Refractive error Size of the pupil Illumination Time exposure of target Area of retina stimulated State of adaptation of the eye Eye movements These factors will be discussed in detail below. Refractive Error Refractive error is one of the important factors that affect visual acuity. Refractive error affects visual acuity depending on the correction, either Hypermetropic or Myopic or an Emmetropic eye. Visual acuity is affected depending if it causes a defocus at the retina, in the case of a Hypermetropic or myopic eye this is the case. Defocus is when fine details, sharp edges and contrast detail is blurred out. In a Hypermetropic eye, the eye is too strong so the image is focused in front of the retina causing a defocus hence affecting visual acuity. The reverse occurs with a myopic eye, as the eye is too weak, the image is focused in front of the retina therefore again causing a defocus hence affecting visual acuity. On the other hand to obtain a perfect image, image should be focused sharply on the retina. This is the case in an emmetropic eye; no defocus hence no visual acuity problem due to refractive error. Having astigmatism also affects visual acuity. A phenomenon called the oblique effect states that oblique lines are seen less accurately, meaning that visual acuity is greater when lines are orientated horizontally or vertically. This is still the case even after a perfect correction of refractive error and astigmatism. Size of Pupil Eye takes time to see things. The nerve signals take a limited amount of time to travel along the optic nerve and instigate visual awareness. Therefore the size of pupil can determine how quickly or slow a signal can be stimulated thus determining how much visual acuity is affected. Large pupils let more light pass through into the eye so stimulating the retina more. However this does have a disadvantage; it affects resolution due to the aberrations that increase in the eye due to an increase in light. Small pupils reduce optical aberrations due to less light passing through into the eye however resolutions are diffraction limited. Therefore for good visual acuity a mid size pupil of approximately 3mm to 5mm is optimal as this is a compromise between the diffraction and aberration limits. Visual acuity also decreases with age due to decrease in pupil size, so a higher level of illumination is needed in older people to improve visual acuity. Illumination For recognition tasks, visual acuity increases with illumination. However at very high illumination levels, acuity may decrease because of loss of contrast between object and its background, or reflections on the surface of the object decreasing the contrast between the background and object. Higher the contrast between the object and the background the greater the acuity is. When contrast is reduced, it becomes more difficult to read it against a darker background therefore the text need to be made larger in order for the illumination levels to be correct for good visual acuity. Illumination levels greatly affect the older generation due to many people having cataracts. The cataract becomes a source of veiling glare within the eye therefore visual acuity decreases. Time Exposure of the Target To detect a small bright spot, detection is greatly dependent on the quantity of light rather than the exposure time. However to detect a line, the acuity is proportional to the exposure time. There is no simple acuity-exposure time relationship for the resolution of the target. Area of the Retina Stimulated Visual acuity is greatest at the centre of fixation, which in this case is at the fovea. Fovea has the greatest visual acuity due to the densely packed cones, so once the image is moved away from the centre of fixation visual acuity is affected. At a distance of 5 minutes of arc from the centre of fixation, there is a loss in visual acuity. At approximately 10 minutes of arc from fixation there is about 25% visual acuity loss. This shows that our vision is most accurate at the fovea and acuity falls rapidly as we move towards the peripheral retina. Therefore in order to achieve best visual acuity we must scan our visual field to place the fovea on the area of interest and to achieve this we must have excellent oculo-motor co-ordination. State of Adaptation of the Eye Highest level of acuity is achieved if the eye is tailored to the equivalent level as the test luminance of 34cd/m2 to 34,000cd/m2. Test luminance less than 34cd/m2 will achieve to some extent, better acuity. Under photopic conditions, the high density of cones at the fovea is accountable for the high levels of acuity. Under scotopic conditions it is a little altered, due to the Aii Amacrine cells appearing to limit resolution. Maximum scotopic acuity occurs at 5-15 degrees eccentricity which is corresponding to the cell density, while peak rod density occurs at about 15-20 degrees. Eye Movements In steady eye fixation, the eyes are in constant motion; therefore moving objects are more difficult to see than stationary objects thus affecting visual acuity. Visual acuity will be greater when point of interest is constant or little movement however visual acuity will be at a great loss when object is in constant movement. Conclusion: Dynamic visual acuity is lower than Static visual acuity. Conclusion Visual acuity is measured in a number of different procedures however it is dependant on many factors. Visual acuity cannot just be taken as a figure without considering all the factors that affect it. Such as the refractive error, size of pupil, illumination, area of retina stimulated, adaptation of the eye, eye movements and time exposure of the target. Therefore without an understanding of this visual acuity cannot be taken accurately. References Atchison D. A., Smith G., and Efron N. (1979) The effect of pupil size on visual acuity in uncorrected and corrected myopia. Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 56:315-32 http://employment.alberta.ca/documents/WHS/WHS-PUBeyeinjl.pdf http://webvision.med.utah.edu/KallSpatial.html W,Karwowski. Encyclopaedia of ergonomics and human factors. Volume 1.

Disability Case Study :: essays research papers

Disability Issues in the Public Workplace Eloise, a supervisor at the Federal Administration Agency (FAA), was faced with trying to ensure productivity when one of her workers became ill, and was not maintaining her level of work. Brenda, who had been a computer programmer for the Management Information Systems Support Division of the FAA for nine years, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January of 1991. She left work immediately to have an operation and to start treatments. Brenda was supposed to return to work after the medical procedure so Eloise reached out to her in February. Brenda stated that she did not feel up to it, that she would continue to use her sick leave and would return in March. Seeing that Brenda would not be back in the near future, Eloise asked the other workers in the office to â€Å"pitch in† and help pick up the slack in work due to her absence. To entice one employee to pitch in, she upgraded his work status from a GS7 to a GS9 (which is what Brenda’s status was) until Brenda returne d. In March, Brenda could not return to work on her scheduled date and had her medical leave extended until she became better accustomed to the chemotherapy treatments. Brenda returned to work on April 1st. She was apparently not up to speed and could not handle the work that was assigned to her. In addition, she stated that she needed some accommodations in order to stay at work. These accommodations included rest hours during the workday and the need to leave work early on certain days. Eloise allowed these accommodations. When Brenda started taking breaks and putting her feet up on her desk to relax, the other workers didn’t seem to mind, and they would even try to be quiet around her. Brenda felt like the other workers had changed their attitude towards her and â€Å"freeze up when she came into the room.† Eloise tried to explain that it would be natural for the others to feel uncomfortable around her and recommended that Brenda speak to Employee Counseling. Brenda refused and soon thereafter started to call in sick again. Even with Brenda’s return, the other workers still had to continue doing her work. The worker that Eloi se upgraded to a GS9 was returned to GS7 upon Brenda’s return. He refused to do Brenda’s work unless he was reinstated to GS9 status.

Changes in Technology Essay

The many changes in technology over the years greatly impacted the development of early human societies. Agriculture, religion, and competition between groups are just a few of the many things that were greatly impacted by the changes in technology. New inventions and ways of thinking of things made a huge difference in the world. There have been many changes in technology through out the years and in the development of early human societies. There were many changes during and after the classical age when it comes to agriculture. The invention of crop rotation and irrigation helped a lot in agriculture. They made farming much quicker and easier. Jethro Tull’s inventions of the seed drill and horseshoe also helped speed up the farming process. The seed drill made planting easier by planting seeds deep in the ground so they aren’t washed away. Horseshoes allowed horses to plow much quicker than before, which increased productivity. The increase of farming also made life a lot easier by allowing for less nomadic living due to the crops being so close to home. These inventions, as well as having more food from farming, are the reason for agriculture being as technologically advanced as it is today. Like agriculture, religion was also hugely impacted. Religion has always been very important in human societies. In the early years, religions such as Christianity and Buddhism introduced the idea of mutual intolerance. Mutual intolerance was the acceptance of disagreeing with another religion. Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity are just a few examples of the religions in this time. Things such as improvements in tools and weapons changed competition between groups. As time went on, there were more and more developments when it came to agriculture, engineering, and tools. The tools becoming more advanced led to the ideas of better weapons. Because weapons and tools kept improving, they began to be used to obtain power more regularly. In turn, groups like the Aztecs, Toltec, Mayans, and Oaxaca began fighting with these weapons in competition between groups. These examples of change in agriculture, religion, and competition between groups show that technology greatly impacted the development of early human societies. Whether it was because of inventions or different perspectives on things, these societies were obviously greatly impacted. With this information, it is clear that there have been many changes in technology through out the years and in the development of early human societies.

Free Essays on Heart Of Darkness Symbolism

Expressions of symbolism throughout Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness have a significant impact on the depth and insight of the novel. Conrad’s use of contrast between images of light and darkness, and his use of characters and inanimate objects as symbols of European imperialism give the story a greater and deeper meaning than first observed by the reader. The use of characters such as Mr. Kurtz and the manager, to the many symbols of the novel help express the dark side of European imperialism and the innocence of the people of the Congo. Using Marlow’s narration, the novel begins with the Nellie floating down the River Thames with Marlow and company on board. As Marlow’s story travels to the Congo images of darkness throughout his dialogue become more evident and abundant. The Congo, Mr. Kurtz, and the ignorance of the Europeans towards another cultural group are all symbolized by images of darkness. However, opposing the darkness theme, images of light symbolize London, civilization, and the innocence of the people of the Congo. Marlow, interestingly, describes the white Europeans as having black souls, suggesting an evil nature within, while the â€Å"black† natives are described as having white souls, making them appear the more pure and innocent of the two cultures. One example of symbolism using the imagery of light and darkness occurs when Marlow notices a young native boy with a rope of white cotton around his neck. The rope symbolizes the strangling effect caused by the Europeanâ€⠄¢s attempting to control and then gain advantage over the innocent people of the Congo, the child representing their innocence. Upon his arrival to the Inner Station, Marlow meets the manager. A self-centered and arrogant man, the manager is the epitome of the negative effects of imperialism. He operates a disorganized and dire station, interested only in obtaining vast amounts of ivory for his own economic advantage rather than colon... Free Essays on Heart Of Darkness Symbolism Free Essays on Heart Of Darkness Symbolism Expressions of symbolism throughout Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness have a significant impact on the depth and insight of the novel. Conrad’s use of contrast between images of light and darkness, and his use of characters and inanimate objects as symbols of European imperialism give the story a greater and deeper meaning than first observed by the reader. The use of characters such as Mr. Kurtz and the manager, to the many symbols of the novel help express the dark side of European imperialism and the innocence of the people of the Congo. Using Marlow’s narration, the novel begins with the Nellie floating down the River Thames with Marlow and company on board. As Marlow’s story travels to the Congo images of darkness throughout his dialogue become more evident and abundant. The Congo, Mr. Kurtz, and the ignorance of the Europeans towards another cultural group are all symbolized by images of darkness. However, opposing the darkness theme, images of light symbolize London, civilization, and the innocence of the people of the Congo. Marlow, interestingly, describes the white Europeans as having black souls, suggesting an evil nature within, while the â€Å"black† natives are described as having white souls, making them appear the more pure and innocent of the two cultures. One example of symbolism using the imagery of light and darkness occurs when Marlow notices a young native boy with a rope of white cotton around his neck. The rope symbolizes the strangling effect caused by the Europeanâ€⠄¢s attempting to control and then gain advantage over the innocent people of the Congo, the child representing their innocence. Upon his arrival to the Inner Station, Marlow meets the manager. A self-centered and arrogant man, the manager is the epitome of the negative effects of imperialism. He operates a disorganized and dire station, interested only in obtaining vast amounts of ivory for his own economic advantage rather than colon...

Free Essays on The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas

like a city in a fairy tale, long ago and far away, once upon a time.† In one hand she is guiding us with vivid images, but on the other she allows us to participate as she mentions, â€Å"perhaps it would be best if you imagined it as your own ... Free Essays on The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas Free Essays on The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas â€Å"The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas† is an interesting story, since the author Ursula K. LeGuin focuses on the way the city is developed By playing attention of the way the habitants lives are, we can find the positives and negatives aspects of the town. The way she describes the people of Omelas, by saying that â€Å"they were mature, intelligent, [and] passionate adults,† gives the impression that Omelas is a dreamy and irreal city. The place that LeGuin describes here is nowhere in particular. It can be any town in the world, which means that the story that develops can be symbolic of any town or city. The emphasis on the ideality of this city is what gives rise to the irony of the story, because happiness of Omelas’ inhabitants is based on the suffering of a child. The way LeGuin describes the town of Omelas, puts us in a difficult place, since we are forced to accept the story as it is told to us. Even though, at the beginning of this passage, she does not seem sure of how to describe this town. She mentions, â€Å"how can I tell you about the people of Omelas?† It seems as if she is trying to find the perfect words â€Å"I wish I could describe it better† to describe how the inhabitants of Omelas are. Therefore, we are forced to accept the credibility of the story. However, one interesting thing about LeGuin’s style is that, even though she gives us numerous descriptions to make her story believable, we are still given a tool to create a setting as she says, â€Å"it would best if you imagined it†. LeGuin’s method is perfectly seen here. She uses rich images of the city to lure the reader into imagining what a perfect society will be like, â€Å"Omelas sounds in my words like a city in a fairy tale, long ago and far away, once upon a time.† In one hand she is guiding us with vivid images, but on the other she allows us to participate as she mentions, â€Å"perhaps it would be best if you imagined it as your own ...

Isaac Asimov Essays - Futurians, Isaac Asimov, Free Essays

Isaac Asimov Essays - Futurians, Isaac Asimov, Free Essays Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov was born on January 2, 1920 in Petrouchi, Russia. His parents were Judah and Anna Asimov. Isaac also has a sister Veronica and a brother Stanley. In 1923 his family immigrated to the United States. He and his family grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In Brooklyn his family ran a small candy and magazine store. This is one of the places where Asimov began to learn about printing. Also it was here that Asimov learned good business and self-discipline skills (Bloom, 251). Asimov attended school and was a very bright student. He went to college at Columbia University. He graduated from there with his masters degree in Chemistry in 1941. His career was cut short though because in 1942 he moved to Philadelphia Naval Yard to work for the war. In 1945 he entered the army. In July of 1946 he was discharged from the army and he moved around for a few years till settling in West Newton, Massachusetts with Gertrude. It is there that he raised his family (Seiler,8). Asimov married Gertrude Blugerman on July 26th, 1942. They met on a blind date on Valentines Day. In 1955 their first son was born they named him David. Four years later their daughter Robyn Joan was born. Asimov met another woman Janet Jepson at a mystery writers banquet. The two of them were immediately attracted to one another. In 1970 when Gertrude and Asimov separated he moved in with Janet. His divorce to Gertrude was officialized on November 16th, 1973. On November 30th, 1973 an official of the Ethical Culture Society married Asimov and Janet in her home. They did not have any children (7). Asimov worked for many years of his life before become just a writer. His first job was in 1929. When Asimovs mother became ill and could no longer work at the family business. This is where Asimov first learned his skills he would carry for the rest of his life. He was a hardworking diligent man. After the war and everything Asimov became an instructor at the Boston University of medicine. He was promoted to assistant professor in December of 1951. On July 1st, 1958 he gave up his teaching job and became a writer. Finally in 1979 he was promoted to professor (9). Being a very diligent writer Asimov wrote more than eight hours a day, seven days a week. Although he was also preoccupied with writing he made time to get out and do things. In 1971 he joined the Dutch Treat Club. They were a group who met every Tuesday at a hotel for lunch. Another group, which Asimov was a part of, was the Baker Street Irregulars. This was a group of Sherlock Holmes fans. And although Asimov admitted to not liking Holmes that much he did love to make toasts and speeches at banquets. One of his favorite things to do was sing and he belonged to 2 other groups the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. There were two additional societies, which Asimov belonged to that influenced some of his stories (10). At the young age of eleven years old Asimov began writing. With his first attempt at writing he began The Greenville Chums at College. This was a story based on the lives of 3 young boys living in a small town. At first Asimov gave up writing, for he did not think he knew what he was doing. However, his whole attitude changed when at school one day he told the story he had written. His friend was impressed with it and wanted to borrow the book when Asimov finished it. This gave Asimov the confidence he needed to begin a writing career that would last a lifetime. Asimovs first published writing was in his high schools newspaper column. He wrote a humorous story called Little Brothers.(12) Asimovs first published story was in 1939 it was entitled Marooned Off Vesta. This story was featured in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction. The astounding publisher of this magazine was John W. Campbell Jr. He and Asimov had a close relationship and it was this that gave Asimov his beginning of a prosperous career. Asimov wrote mainly science fiction stories about robots. His

Final essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Final - Essay Example , the discussion on recollection and death cannot avoid the aspect of immortality, materiality and invisibility, which is discussed in the dialogue of Socrates and his friends. This paper will therefore seek to examine the viability of the claim that all learning is a process of recollection in relation to the other claims made by Socrates that support the notion. The soul must have been in existence long before one is born and therefore before birth the soul has all knowledge, which it had acquired in its previous life. At the time of birth, the soul is forced to take a new body, which is then supposed to be in control of since the body is mortal but the soul is immortal. The body thus relies on the soul, which plays the divine role and acts as a source of authority for guidance in all its endeavors. As a person grows, the soul may start to forget some of the knowledge acquired as the person encounters different situations, which erode some of the information. However, it is worth noting that the information is not fully lost since when a person acquires knowledge either through sight or through other senses the impression of what is being learned will already be in the mind and the soul will reignite the impression. Therefore, a person can only remember that which he already has an impression on.1 The aspect of abstract equality reinforces the idea that all forms of learning are just a mere process of recollection. When human beings acquire any new form of knowledge they usually have to relate it with what they perceive in their minds to be the absolute truth. But where does absolute truth come from since right from the time that a person starts acquiring knowledge he already possess a definition of this absolute. It therefore emerges that a person is born with this knowledge on abstract equality, which implies that the soul must have existed before and thus acquired all such knowledge. The present reasoning thus only refers to the absolute good, justice,

Global Economic Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Economic Crisis - Essay Example In the fiscal dominion, the reserves would diminish taxes and enhance communal expenditure at the possibility of finances deficits, not merely to enlarge the disposable revenues of the community subsequently that they will expend extra, but moreover to force-prime the economy from side to side increased government expenses that would engage inthe private segment drooping. A suitable foreign exchange rate strategy underneath such conditions would be to choose for a feeble currency, intended first and foremost at external requirement, as this would provide exports spirited and deflect domestic requirement missing from imports to local alternatives. Where monetary along with fiscal procedures do not work sound, the foreign exchange ratio instrument can assist, but there were no restrictions resting on exchange rate modification. Thus, an exchange rate depreciation or reduction would raise demand for a nation's products together at house and overseas by bringing about exports despicable and imports valuable. By means of all three chief policy mechanisms, specifically monetary, fiscal in addition to exchange rate, spinning under serious sedation, the probability of a rapid upturn are fairly thin. The inscriptions on the mass thus recommend that the disaster will affix around for as a minimum two years, if not elongated. Though, a number of of the very distinctiveness of fiscal policy scorned through its critics in fact raise its expediency in the source of expansion. In actual fact, specifically for the reason that fiscal policy is intensely political, improved fiscal policy be able to add to democratic strengthen (moreover vice versa). The functioning of a country's fiscal structure gives a picture of the social convention that associates its government as well as its general public. Widely offered goods with services of realistic quantity along with quality intended for the one part, and crystal clear and developmental tax scheme intended for the other, are symbols of a healthy social development. These two elements walk off hand in hand: if community goods for example fitness, education and transportation are in short supply near to the ground-quality or unevenly provided, the societal contract is destabilized. Citizens' awareness that taxes and expenditures are reasonable and well-organized-call it fiscal authenticity-are intimately associated to the authenticity of democratic system itself. Monetary policy remains a significant policy switch. The predictions integrate a considerable lessening in policy rates, even though the efficiency of interest proportion decline to sustain activity is probable to be controlled provided that financial circumstances remain dislocate. By means of interest rates looming zero in numerous foremost countries, central banks are discovering substitute policy methods that depend on applying their balance sheets to alleviate monetary environment further. The spotlight should be on disengaging key (towering-spread, stumpy -liquidity) credit marketplaces. World development is predictable to go down to percent in 2009, its deprived rate ever since World War II. Despite extensive- variety policy proceedings, financial strains continue acute, pulling downward the actual economy. A persistent

Structure of an Organization of Bank of Canada Essay - 1

Structure of an Organization of Bank of Canada - Essay Example This paper illustrates that most of the organizations’ structure tends to be quite flexible and easy to manage for the day to day business. However, large organizations in majority of times become bureaucratic and tend not to be flexible enough in order to deal with the challenges of the contemporary day business. The most significant point to consider is that the structure of the organization needs to permit it to fulfill its objectives and also needs to ensure that the structure fits with the business environment in which it works. The range of organizational structures are the ‘entrepreneurial structures’, the ‘product-based structures’, the ‘function-based structures’, the ‘divisional structures’, the ‘matrix structures’, and the ‘holding company structures’. The bank is observed to present the financial services that are generally diversified in nature. The various business segments of the compa ny are wealth management, international banking, capital markets, Canadian banking and insurance. The chart presented below is the three-level organizational chart of Royal Bank of Canada. It can be stated that the board of RBC has an independent chairman. There are 16 directors who are associated with the organization independently and there are two executive directors. The term departmentalization can be understood as the process whereby the tasks are grouped into departments. Five basic methods of grouping the activities are followed; they are ‘departmentalization by-product, departmentalization by the process, departmentalization by customers, departmentalization by geographical regions and departmentalization by function’. In the organizational structure, it is the jobs that are the most significant factors. The primary managerial decision is job design in the organizing function. Those jobs are generally assigned to the individuals that consist of the objectives a s well as the specialized task of the organization. It is worth mentioning that the overall task of the organization cannot be assigned to a single person. For instance, the bank may consist of numerous individuals. However, it is not possible for the single individual to take the responsibility of the entire task. A few may take the responsibility of taking deposits while others may be assigned the task of the granting loans.

Training and Development proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Development - Research Proposal Example It is thus appropriate to review some of the strategies taken when training some of these employees in the human resource department in order for them to work effectively and consequently live quality lives and for the industry to continue performing effectively (Gold and Thorpe, 2010, 56). In the study, I plan to incorporate the Kirkpatrick’s model. The model is quite critical and has the ability to work effectively to show the various training aspects. One of the aspects from the model that I plan to incorporate is the Learning. I am bound to show the learning procedure that I am bound to incorporate to the trainees (Gold and Thorpe, 2010, 43). Understanding the learning process has the advantage of having the trainees understanding the various concepts taught in the petroleum industry even further. The second aspect that I ought to incorporate is the reaction. Reaction is critical for it will assist an employer or rather potential employers understand the best manner through which to treat some of the employees (Garry, 2007, 650). Different employees have different reactions to different tasks given to them (Jeffrey, 2014, 17). Some reactions from the employers are quite negative, this is poor, and depending on the employer, they have the ability or rather po ssibility of gaining employment. There are also some employees with positive attitudes and I am bound to express the advantages that these employees have in the training process. In the paper, I am bound to reveal the results of the training process. This section will express the employees that managed to pass the training process and offer a discussion that will reveal why they passed the interview (Botha, 2009, 32). There are also employees that did not quite pass the interview and I will sure reveal the reasons why they did not pass and discuss the reasons for their failure. This is critical for it will assist people in understanding the characteristics that

Structure of an Organization of Bank of Canada Essay - 1

Structure of an Organization of Bank of Canada - Essay Example This paper illustrates that most of the organizations’ structure tends to be quite flexible and easy to manage for the day to day business. However, large organizations in majority of times become bureaucratic and tend not to be flexible enough in order to deal with the challenges of the contemporary day business. The most significant point to consider is that the structure of the organization needs to permit it to fulfill its objectives and also needs to ensure that the structure fits with the business environment in which it works. The range of organizational structures are the ‘entrepreneurial structures’, the ‘product-based structures’, the ‘function-based structures’, the ‘divisional structures’, the ‘matrix structures’, and the ‘holding company structures’. The bank is observed to present the financial services that are generally diversified in nature. The various business segments of the compa ny are wealth management, international banking, capital markets, Canadian banking and insurance. The chart presented below is the three-level organizational chart of Royal Bank of Canada. It can be stated that the board of RBC has an independent chairman. There are 16 directors who are associated with the organization independently and there are two executive directors. The term departmentalization can be understood as the process whereby the tasks are grouped into departments. Five basic methods of grouping the activities are followed; they are ‘departmentalization by-product, departmentalization by the process, departmentalization by customers, departmentalization by geographical regions and departmentalization by function’. In the organizational structure, it is the jobs that are the most significant factors. The primary managerial decision is job design in the organizing function. Those jobs are generally assigned to the individuals that consist of the objectives a s well as the specialized task of the organization. It is worth mentioning that the overall task of the organization cannot be assigned to a single person. For instance, the bank may consist of numerous individuals. However, it is not possible for the single individual to take the responsibility of the entire task. A few may take the responsibility of taking deposits while others may be assigned the task of the granting loans.

Perception of mathematics of first year students Literature review

Perception of mathematics of first year students - Literature review Example Most first year students will perceive mathematics as a difficult subject and preserved for the bright and interested students. These negative perceptions make most first year students, in most cases girls approach the subject with a negative attitude, and this undermines their performance. The study of mathematics in schools has not been distinctively defined, and it is not a culture or value free field (Ernest, 2000). This means that mathematics in schools is not viewed as being the same as mathematics in other academic fields or research areas. Appreciating mathematics among first year students is usually expressed in their ability of comprehending the major branches and notions of mathematics. It is also viewed as the ability of students to establish the interconnections or interdependencies that exist in the field. The study of mathematics usually compels its communal applications in the fields of governance, commerce, education along with industry. Traditionally, mathematics wa s viewed as compulsory for all students who had ambitions of venturing into various academic fields (Ernest, 2000). However, this has changed with most students in the modern times not viewing it as vital for every member of their population. This is because of the revolution going on across many academic fields (Ducksworth, 2008). Students across many schools perceive mathematics as a study reserved for a few people who are left in charge of controlling the major systems in their economies (Ernest, 2000). This is because they view it is a hard subject and this negative perception undermines performance. Success achieved in the field of mathematics is not perceived by the students to be the main determinant of economic success within a country (Clements, Sarama & DiBiase, 2004). The students perceive mathematics as not being the most important element of the revolution of information. They view the other subjects taught in the school curriculums and skills acquired through every day practice as being the most vital determinants of the revolution in information (Ernest, 2000). Students in their first year of school perceive the study of mathematics as a study of doing things (Marshall, 2007). Very few students are involved in reading mathematical textbooks and are instead involved in the act of solving problems through doing actual things (Clements, Sarama & DiBiase, 2004). The language that is used in studying mathematics in schools is composed of imperatives that command students to perform certain tasks in specific ways. This implies that the capabilities of studying mathematics are perceived by students as being dominant and covering their overall studies in different fields (Ducksworth, 2008). Additionally, students perceive mathematics as a field that requires their understanding and abilities to work out problems (Marshall, 2007). This looks like a task for many students, and they will approach mathematics with a bad attitude, which challenges their perf ormance. Many first year students also believe that one cannot develop an appreciation for the field of mathematics without him or her having the capability of working out solutions (Ernest, 2000). According to Popham (2005), some of the students fail to achieve a high performance in schools due to the overvaluing or undervaluing of the field’

Training and Development proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Development - Research Proposal Example It is thus appropriate to review some of the strategies taken when training some of these employees in the human resource department in order for them to work effectively and consequently live quality lives and for the industry to continue performing effectively (Gold and Thorpe, 2010, 56). In the study, I plan to incorporate the Kirkpatrick’s model. The model is quite critical and has the ability to work effectively to show the various training aspects. One of the aspects from the model that I plan to incorporate is the Learning. I am bound to show the learning procedure that I am bound to incorporate to the trainees (Gold and Thorpe, 2010, 43). Understanding the learning process has the advantage of having the trainees understanding the various concepts taught in the petroleum industry even further. The second aspect that I ought to incorporate is the reaction. Reaction is critical for it will assist an employer or rather potential employers understand the best manner through which to treat some of the employees (Garry, 2007, 650). Different employees have different reactions to different tasks given to them (Jeffrey, 2014, 17). Some reactions from the employers are quite negative, this is poor, and depending on the employer, they have the ability or rather po ssibility of gaining employment. There are also some employees with positive attitudes and I am bound to express the advantages that these employees have in the training process. In the paper, I am bound to reveal the results of the training process. This section will express the employees that managed to pass the training process and offer a discussion that will reveal why they passed the interview (Botha, 2009, 32). There are also employees that did not quite pass the interview and I will sure reveal the reasons why they did not pass and discuss the reasons for their failure. This is critical for it will assist people in understanding the characteristics that

Perception of mathematics of first year students Literature review

Perception of mathematics of first year students - Literature review Example Most first year students will perceive mathematics as a difficult subject and preserved for the bright and interested students. These negative perceptions make most first year students, in most cases girls approach the subject with a negative attitude, and this undermines their performance. The study of mathematics in schools has not been distinctively defined, and it is not a culture or value free field (Ernest, 2000). This means that mathematics in schools is not viewed as being the same as mathematics in other academic fields or research areas. Appreciating mathematics among first year students is usually expressed in their ability of comprehending the major branches and notions of mathematics. It is also viewed as the ability of students to establish the interconnections or interdependencies that exist in the field. The study of mathematics usually compels its communal applications in the fields of governance, commerce, education along with industry. Traditionally, mathematics wa s viewed as compulsory for all students who had ambitions of venturing into various academic fields (Ernest, 2000). However, this has changed with most students in the modern times not viewing it as vital for every member of their population. This is because of the revolution going on across many academic fields (Ducksworth, 2008). Students across many schools perceive mathematics as a study reserved for a few people who are left in charge of controlling the major systems in their economies (Ernest, 2000). This is because they view it is a hard subject and this negative perception undermines performance. Success achieved in the field of mathematics is not perceived by the students to be the main determinant of economic success within a country (Clements, Sarama & DiBiase, 2004). The students perceive mathematics as not being the most important element of the revolution of information. They view the other subjects taught in the school curriculums and skills acquired through every day practice as being the most vital determinants of the revolution in information (Ernest, 2000). Students in their first year of school perceive the study of mathematics as a study of doing things (Marshall, 2007). Very few students are involved in reading mathematical textbooks and are instead involved in the act of solving problems through doing actual things (Clements, Sarama & DiBiase, 2004). The language that is used in studying mathematics in schools is composed of imperatives that command students to perform certain tasks in specific ways. This implies that the capabilities of studying mathematics are perceived by students as being dominant and covering their overall studies in different fields (Ducksworth, 2008). Additionally, students perceive mathematics as a field that requires their understanding and abilities to work out problems (Marshall, 2007). This looks like a task for many students, and they will approach mathematics with a bad attitude, which challenges their perf ormance. Many first year students also believe that one cannot develop an appreciation for the field of mathematics without him or her having the capability of working out solutions (Ernest, 2000). According to Popham (2005), some of the students fail to achieve a high performance in schools due to the overvaluing or undervaluing of the field’

How Businesses in Puerto Rico Are Using Social Networks Essay Example for Free

How Businesses in Puerto Rico Are Using Social Networks Essay Social Media Gives Industrial Companies Competitive Advantage, Says Thomas Industrial Network Report March 29, 2012 New York, NY Industrial companies that hesitate to embrace social media, believing that competitors are not using these platforms, are in danger of losing business opportunities, according to recent research from Thomas Industrial Network. In fact, seven out of 10 small and midsize suppliers (68 percent) are already engaging with prospects through these channels, gaining a competitive advantage over those who have yet to start. More than 3,000 respondents to Thomas surveys say that they routinely use social media to market their products and services, generate leads, answer questions, conduct research, and gain new business. Thomas studied the behaviors of suppliers (i.e., manufacturers and distributors) through its Industrial Marketer survey, and buyers through its Industrial Purchasing Barometer (IPB). The research focused on their use of platforms such as LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, industry forums, and blogs. The responses paint a picture of an industrial sector that has made social networking a mainstream business practice. Buyers regularly rely on social media to conduct research on companies, and to seek others opinions on particular suppliers. Indeed, 56 percent of buyers now recommend that all suppliers establish a social media presence if they want to do business with them. In response, suppliers are jumping onto the social media bandwagon to provide information on their offerings (41 percent), find new prospects (27 percent), and learn what customers have to say about their companies (20 percent). The industrial sector is awakening to the fact that social media isn t just a passing consumer fancy, but an essential part of any branding and marketing program, said Susan Orr, Senior Director, Strategic Marketing, Thomas Industrial Network. Savvy suppliers also understand that the most effective social media programs need constant care and feeding. To influence prospective buyers, suppliers need to continually update their social media content, and to be actively engaging in and initiating conversations. But for many industrial suppliers, dedicating the resources and having the in-house expertise to manage social media is a challenge. In response, Thomas Industrial Network recently launched a new, cost effective program to help them take advantage of this important new channel. The Social Media Program helps suppliers reach prospects who are seeking information and advice for their businesses through channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, Facebook and Google+. Thomas takes the work off their hands, handling everything from strategy sessions and goal setting, to writing and posting unique content for each company. We re thrilled to offer a turn-key and affordable program that leverages Thomas 115 years of experience bringing buyers and suppliers of industrial products and services together, said Phil Paranicas, Director of Digital Media, Thomas Industrial Network. We have made it easy for any supplier to participate in social networking, and to begin reaching and influencing those prospects who regularly use these platforms. For more information on Thomas Social Media Program, please contact Mr. Paranicas at 212- 629-2134 or [emailprotected] Thomas has also just published a new, free white paper, Why industrial businesses need to have a social media presence and how to get started, which includes additional results of its surveys, and provides social media best practices. To download a complimentary copy, please visit: http://promoteyourbusiness.thomasnet.com/white-papers/. About Thomas Industrial Network ® Thomas Industrial Network is an innovative information and technology company that helps industrial businesses to connect, collaborate and grow. We help companies to develop a complete web strategy, enabling them to share product data through all of their sales channels. As a result, we help industrial companies to increase sales, improve customer relationships and expand into new markets. One of our key offerings is ThomasNet.com, the premier website for product sourcing and supplier discovery and selection. We also provide strategic website development, tools and technology for industrial businesses to manage and share product and service data internally and externally. They include WebCAD publishing, and syndication of detailed product data to channel partners. Custom SPEC was designed for the unique needs of custom manufacturers. Additionally, we offer social media programs and search engine optimization services to help these businesses build brand awareness and generate leads. Our Navigator Platform is the hub through which we help our customers to manage their information. Our focus on the industrial sector for more than a century gives Thomas Industrial Network a unique perspective to anticipate and deliver new solutions that help industrial businesses grow. Visit us today to learn more. Home Supplier Search Product Search Product News CAD Drawings About Us SiteMaps Categories Featured Companies Featured Categories Featured Products Community Log In to MyThomas Sign Up for MyThomas Contact ThomasNet Provide Feedback Forums Careers Additional Resources Guides | White Papers Resources Press Room Testimonials FAQs Tools Gadgets Job Board Deal of the Day Promote Your Business Free Listing Advertising Services Log In to Client Center  © 2013 Thomas Publishing Company. All rights reserved. See Terms and Conditions or Privacy Statement. Website Last Modified January 31, 2013. Thomas Register ® and Thomas Regional ® are part of ThomasNet.com. ThomasNet Is A Registered Trademark Of Thomas Publishing Company. http://www.thomasnet.com/print/pressroom/news/social-media-gives-industrial-companies 1/31/2013

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Fall of the Berlin Wall The Fall of the Berlin Wall The history books, the political polemics, and economic and the geopolitical analyses of the fall of communism and the break-up of the Soviet Union fill shelves with cruel crimes committed for the party and proletariat under the dreaded regimes of Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev. The end of the empire, however, was humiliatingly public, glowing on millions of television screens as sledgehammers tore chunks out of the Berlin Wall. The end of the end began in 1985 with the ascendancy of Mikhail Gorbachev and a new generation of Soviet leaders born after Stalin and his paranoid terrors had died. Ironically, the penultimate cause of the collapse was the Soviet Unions invasion of Afghanistan, where it fought a hopeless war for nearly a decade, which that almost crushed its economy to a halt and, like the Vietnam war, called into question national leadership and purpose. The presidency passed from a rather incompetent Jimmy Carter to Ronald Regan, who had no appetite for further appeasement with the Kremlin. Historian Paul Johnson argues that the tremendous losses in Afghanistan left the Soviet Union incapable of facing President Reagans Strategic Defense Initiative, and the new leadership in Moscow realized that their imperial ventures had caused the Soviet economy to rust (History of the American People 928-29). â€Å"For our internal progress, Gorbachev said in 1987, we need normal international relations. The Soviets had to catch up to the rising prosperity and technological advances of Europe and North America. The Soviet Union had to concentrate on domestic development and promote international peace whenever possible. However, it could only accomplish such a goal by giving up any global ambitions. Therefore, as Paul Johnson and other historians point out, Gorbachev abandoned the traditional Soviet anti-western orientation. He wanted to integrate the Soviet Union into the main currents of modern life and that meant democracy, free enterprise and a market economy. He gave the Soviet Union and the World two slogans:perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness). Perestroika held out the promise of reorganizing the state and society. For example, individual initiative would be revived and there would be emphasis on technology and a higher standard of living. Glasnost was the corrective held up to Stalinist excesses. Openness would permit the open discussion of the nations problems and it would rid public thinking of propaganda and lies. Soviet pseudo-history, pilloried in George Orwells dystopian novel, 1984, tapered off. New histories published archival material on the Stalinist purges and the Great Terror. In Gorbachevs way of thinking, the Russian Communist Party was to serve as the vanguard of perestroika and stimulate civic activity and responsibility. In 1990, the Supreme Soviet elected Gorbachev as the countrys president for a term of five years. At the time, Gorbachev was still the leader of the increasingly unpopular Communist Party. Economic changes accompanied these political reforms. Industrial enterprise was encouraged which in turn would foster private initiative and loosed the stranglehold of decades of central planning. By 1990, Gorbachev was cautiously promoting a market economy including the individuals right to possess private property. Religious freedoms were restored and in 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated its 1000th anniversary. Meanwhile, contacts with the outside world, especially the west, began to intensify. However, all this seemingly good stuff especially from the western perspective had its downside as well. For instance, glasnost released decad es of bitterness which had accumulated over the fifty years of Stalinist repression and terror. Perestroika and glasnost also revealed the widespread ecological damage the Soviets had caused on the environment. Gorbachevs reforms also polarized opinion in ways that even Gorbachev and his stalwart supporters could never have foreseen. In an effort to preserve unity by compromise, Gorbachev entered a bitter quarrel with his more radical rival, Boris Yeltsin. The weakening of traditional Soviet authority and the release of history brought about by the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev, in the end, brought disunity. Meanwhile, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians all demanded independence which in turn set off similar demands among Ukrainians, Georgians, Byelorussians, Armenians and the various peoples of central Asia. By the late 1980s, inter-ethnic violence had escalated. And in 1990, the Russian Republic, the largest republic of the Soviet Union, declared its limited independence under Yeltsin, and an Anti-Reform Russian Communist Party broke off from the reformist party faction led by Gorbachev. Meanwhile, the transition to a market economy was too complex for ready and easy solutions. The production and distribution of consumer goods collapsed. Local governments hoarded essential commodities and the black market flourished as did the Russian Mafia. As journalist David Remnick has written: the Communist Party apparatus was the most gigantic Mafia the world has ever known. It guarded its monopoly on power with a sham consensus and constitution and backed it up with the force of the KGB and the Interior Ministry police. (Kreis, History Guide) In October 1990, Gorbachev remarked, unfortunately, our society is not ready for the procedures of a law-based state. Oppressed generations lose high expectations and the Communist elite, hypothetically similar to the Guardians in Platos utopia had lost perspective. Grenville twists an old maxim that explains the myopia: â€Å"Absolute power not only corrupts, it blinds† (894). Gorbachevs own hammer blow for Eastern Europe, Harold Evans observes, was â€Å"to renounce Brezhnevs imperial doctrine by which the Soviet Union had claimed the right to intervene in defense of its ideology in any Communist country† (American Century 655). Outside the Soviet Union, perestroika and glasnost spread among people who were resentful of Soviet domination and worried about economic collapse. In 1989 and 1990, these people showed their dislike of communist leadership and demanded democratic reforms. Poland took the lead. Here the population was traditionally anti-Russian. The Poles had long protested their countrys economic decline. Soviet assurance to assist and massive loans from western Europe brought no relief. The slightest relaxation of Soviet control only encouraged Polish nationalism, which had always been expressed with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. With the selection of Pope John Paul II in 1978, Polish nationalism surged ahead. In 1980, workers under the leadership of a electrician, Lech Walesa, succeeded in forming an independent labor union called Solidarity. Pressured by a series of strikes, the Polish government recognized Solidarity, despite threats of Soviet intervention. J.A.S. Grenville hits the truth squarely: â€Å"Masses lost their fear of the state† (894) Significantly, the Christian Cross opposed the Soviet hammer and sickle. As nearly all observers assumed, Walesa enjoyed the hefty support of the Roman Catholic Church and from Polish Catholics in the United States that warrants amplification. Scholars and historians will debate for years to come the precise causes and historical forces that produced the sudden collapse of communism at the end of the 1980s. One matter not in dispute, however, will be the earth-shattering role played in the process by Pope John Paul II, the Polish pope. Jack Kemp stresses the spiritual strength and personal prestige the Pope put behind the Solidarity, or freedom movement. From the day of Cardinal Karol Wojtylas election to the papacy in October 1978, Kemp observes, the Pope â€Å"began to shake the very foundations of communism† (Human Events). With a Polish Pope in Rome, the Polish church increased its resistance against communism. Pope John Paul II encouraged his fellow countryman, Lech Walesa, as Kemp reports, and Walesa eventually became president of Poland post-communism (Human Events). After the crumbing of totalitarian communism, Pope John Paul II released a papal encyclical titled Centesimus Annus (1991), which explained within a Christian framework why communism had failed and from that failure drew lessons about social, political and economic organization. The papal encyclical urged people not to establish an ideological heaven on Earth but to maintain human dignity and social conditions conducive to each individuals opportunity to achieve salvation of his soul. In short, the Pontiff placed individual freedom deeply within the core of Christian theology. In January 1989, Solidarity was legalized and the Communist Party retired. In May 1989, Hungary abolished the communist bureaucracy. By years end there were more than fifty political parties. In East Germany, the upheaval in 1989 was even more momentous. East Germany had always been indispensable to Soviet Russia. Its industry was nationalized, its agriculture collectivized and its people regimented by the Communist Party. In June 1953, the workers of East Berlin staged an uprising. What followed as a steady exodus of skilled workers into West Germany. Three million people escaped before the East German government erected the infamous Berlin Wall in August 1961. The East Germans braved their lives to escape: they â€Å"voted with their feet.† Bulgaria, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary soon followed suit and East and West Germany united in 1990. In the long and bitter Cold War, capitalism and freedom triumphed over communism and tyranny. Gorbachev and Yeltsin came along at the right time and faced the hidden facts of a long ruined system. American military and economic power made the Cold War too costly for the Soviet Union to press without smashing up. Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Walesa, and the Pope helped cause the fall of communism, but none compared with the late President Ronald Regan and his â€Å"innocent audacity† (Evans 656) who called the Soviet Union an empire of Evil and threatened to bankrupt it with a â€Å"star wars† defense. The national and international causes of the fall of communism were rooted in economic, military, political, trade balances, and imperial illusions, but few can deny that the United States, for decade after decade, carried the brunt of containing a predatory system. Future historians may revive tentative conclusions, but one that seems to do justice to the fall comes from Harold Evans at the end of his The American Century: History will go on unraveling the knot of circumstance, stratagem, chance, and personality. In the end, it is unlikely that no single brow will be able to claim the wreath of victory over a dangerous and depressing totalitarianism. But there can be no doubt that it was the American example, in its spiritual as well as its material beneficence, that in the long dark years was the torch of freedom all the world could see. (656) Works Cited Boyer, Paul S., ed. The Oxford Companion to United States History. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. Evans, Harold. The American Century. New York: Knopf, 1998. â€Å"Fall of Communism.† U.S Department of State. December 8, 2005. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/dr/17672.htm Grenville, J.A. S. A History of the World in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1994. Johnson, Paul. A History of the American People. New York: Harper, 1997. Kemp, Jack. â€Å"How the Pope Helped Bring about the Fall of Communism.† Human Events. Posted Apr 5, 2005. http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=7064 Kreis, Steven. The History Guide. 1989: â€Å"The Walls Came Tumbling Down.† http://www.historyguide.org/europe/lecture16.html Accessed Dec. 8, 2005.

The world is too much with us Essay -- Literary Analysis, Wordsworth

During the industrial revolution of England, humans engaged in monotonous work and lost harmonious unity with nature. In the nineteenth century, when the poet William Wordsworth wrote his sonnet â€Å"The world is too much with us,† the aspects of industrialized society had changed a factory worker’s life, leaving no time or the desire to enjoy and take part in nature. In his Petrarchan sonnet, Wordsworth criticizes humans for losing their hearts to materialism and longs for a world where nature is divine. In the first four lines, Wordsworth angrily addresses the theme of the sonnet, which is that the modern industrialized age has lost connection with nature. He states that humans are doing too much to the world. In the past and recently, humans have been using their powers of choice to choose to destroy nature. They have also been engaging in monotonous activities such as â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The parallel structure â€Å"late and soon† (1) and â€Å"getting and spending† (2) is an example of how mankind’s actions are progressively worsening over time. The suffix –ing adds a monotonous tone to the activities of â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The caesura in line 1 after the word â€Å"us† (1) gives the reader a chance to feel and reflect upon the weight of the world that is resting on humanity’s shoulders. â€Å"Too† (1) and â€Å"soon† (1) have a long â€Å"oo† sound, which suggests that the expl oitation of nature had been occurring for a long time before Wordsworth wrote this sonnet. Humanity’s â€Å"powers† (2) have gone to â€Å"waste† (2), which in this context means that they have been destroyed. However, another connotation for the word â€Å"waste† (2) is a barren, uninhabited wilderness, so the power that humans have to destroy nature reduces lush forests to barre... ...e cannot be destroyed, unlike Wordsworth, who has lost all hope in reviving nature. Hopkins also believes that the Christian God is great, whereas Wordsworth scorns the Christian God and wishes that society would believe in pagan gods instead. These beliefs are drastically different due to Hopkins’ optimism for the future of humanity and Wordsworth’s pessimism. While Wordsworth is â€Å"forlorn† (12), Hopkins believes that â€Å"nature is never spent† (9). Even though man has â€Å"trod† (5) all over nature and exploited it for man’s own economic gain, Hopkins believes that there is always â€Å"freshness† (10) within everything that will burst to life once more with â€Å"bright wings† (14). The only way to truly be in harmony with nature is to accept it for what it is and to try not to have an optimistic or pessimistic view about it – instead, one should view the results in due course. The world is too much with us Essay -- Literary Analysis, Wordsworth During the industrial revolution of England, humans engaged in monotonous work and lost harmonious unity with nature. In the nineteenth century, when the poet William Wordsworth wrote his sonnet â€Å"The world is too much with us,† the aspects of industrialized society had changed a factory worker’s life, leaving no time or the desire to enjoy and take part in nature. In his Petrarchan sonnet, Wordsworth criticizes humans for losing their hearts to materialism and longs for a world where nature is divine. In the first four lines, Wordsworth angrily addresses the theme of the sonnet, which is that the modern industrialized age has lost connection with nature. He states that humans are doing too much to the world. In the past and recently, humans have been using their powers of choice to choose to destroy nature. They have also been engaging in monotonous activities such as â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The parallel structure â€Å"late and soon† (1) and â€Å"getting and spending† (2) is an example of how mankind’s actions are progressively worsening over time. The suffix –ing adds a monotonous tone to the activities of â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The caesura in line 1 after the word â€Å"us† (1) gives the reader a chance to feel and reflect upon the weight of the world that is resting on humanity’s shoulders. â€Å"Too† (1) and â€Å"soon† (1) have a long â€Å"oo† sound, which suggests that the expl oitation of nature had been occurring for a long time before Wordsworth wrote this sonnet. Humanity’s â€Å"powers† (2) have gone to â€Å"waste† (2), which in this context means that they have been destroyed. However, another connotation for the word â€Å"waste† (2) is a barren, uninhabited wilderness, so the power that humans have to destroy nature reduces lush forests to barre... ...e cannot be destroyed, unlike Wordsworth, who has lost all hope in reviving nature. Hopkins also believes that the Christian God is great, whereas Wordsworth scorns the Christian God and wishes that society would believe in pagan gods instead. These beliefs are drastically different due to Hopkins’ optimism for the future of humanity and Wordsworth’s pessimism. While Wordsworth is â€Å"forlorn† (12), Hopkins believes that â€Å"nature is never spent† (9). Even though man has â€Å"trod† (5) all over nature and exploited it for man’s own economic gain, Hopkins believes that there is always â€Å"freshness† (10) within everything that will burst to life once more with â€Å"bright wings† (14). The only way to truly be in harmony with nature is to accept it for what it is and to try not to have an optimistic or pessimistic view about it – instead, one should view the results in due course.

My Passion for Business Essay -- Admissions Essay, College Application

There are many dreams revolving around us, some that seem impossible to reach and other that are easily grasped. The diversity of this world is great, and not one person has the same story to tell as another; including me. Ever since I can remember I have been finding ways to be independent; my own women, or in this case, â€Å"little lady.† I would always try to do things my own way. There is a huge list of examples that I could give, but I have decided to discuss what I believe to be the one that would bring out a bit of awe and an understanding of what type of person I have been since a child. When I was younger, around the age of four, I would gather all of my toys that I possibly could. After a great amount accumulated, I would place them on blankets in the playground of our apartment. Then I would lay out papers by each toy with a price that I thought was fair but that would also bring in some, â€Å"mullah† for me. At the end of the day all of my toys were sold to the children that gathered in the playground; and I was able to buy new better toys with the earnings I had made. I ...

Eharmony Case Analysis Essay

* eHarmony founded by Dr. Clark Warren and his son-in-law, Greg Forgatch, in 1998 * Officially launched in 2000 * First radio commercial in 2002 * First TV commercial in 2003 * They target serious relationship and marriage-minded individuals, offering a unique match-making product * They offer a tightly integrated system that encompasses a Personality Profile, which feeds into a patented matching algorithm, which then leads to a Guided Communication system * In 2007 Match.com launched Chemistry to directly compete against eHarmony * Direct competition: Match/Chemistry, Yahoo! Personals * Indirect competition: paid do-it-yourself sites, free do-it-yourself sites, niche sites, online social networks Decision Dilemma: * With the advance from direct competition and increased popularity of free personal sites and online social networks would eHarmony eventually fold amongst all of the recent competitor actions or would they be able to choose a marketing strategy that will help them innovate and prosper? Analysis: Contradictions: * On page 13 it says that in 2004 a Yahoo! Personals Premier subscription costs $34.95 a month which is $15 more than Yahoo!’s regular service making it $19.95. However, when looking at Exhibit 10 it has Yahoo! Personals listed with a $29.99 cost per month which contradicts what page 13 says. Exhibit 9 even has a higher cost listed, $23.91 per month, than the stated page 13 price of $19.95. * Why does exhibit 9, 10, and 11 have prices in 2008 dollars when the case was set in October 2007? Missing Facts or Details: * 2004 eHarmony had 3 million registration * .40 = 1.2 million active users * No info for 2007 to compare to the competitors * eHarmony was able to convert these 1.2 million active users into paying customers 3 times more effectively than the industry standard * No info on what the industry standard is to find out the total number of paying members to compare to the competitors * 2004 Technology Crossover Ventures and Sequoia Capital invested in the company * No info on how much or what eHarmony planned to do with the money * 94 million U.S. singles * .05 = 4,700,000 paying members of online personal sites * 2005 Match revenue = $250 million on 1.2 million paying members * 2007 projected revenue = $349 million * Chemistry demographics missing * 2007 Yahoo! revenue = $6.9 billion * .025 = $172.5 million revenue for Personals * No information in Exhibit 10 for Yahoo! Personals Premier even though the case brings it up * No current data for Exhibit 1 or 2. (Exhibit 1 only goes to 2001 while Exhibit 2 goes to 2000) * No international data for web users. (Exhibits 6 and 7 only show American statistics) * No breakdown to show how many users have 1, 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions for each site * No mention of eHarmony’s revenue or yearly budget * Size of eHarmony’s market share compared to their competition? Personal Insight: * I feel that a significant rate of success is due to eHarmony’s branding and the use of an advertising campaign that appealed to a broad audience. They went from 300,000 registered members in 2002 to 3 million users in 2004 because of this. To me, this shows the mass appeal eHarmony has. Their successful campaign, which featured happy couples that found love by using their services, gave people a hope that this could happen to them as well. I think this hope of falling in love and getting marriage is a large priority of women. Accordingly, they account for eHarmony’s largest users at 60% and generate 2/3 of visits to the website. Kotler Text Teachings: * Core Competency: Refers to areas of special technical and production expertise. * eHarmony targets serious relationship and marriage-minded individuals, offering a unique match-making product * They use this to differentiate their brand image and services from their competition. * Value Proposition: A set of benefits that the company offers to customers to satisfy their needs. * eHarmony offers a tightly integrated system that encompasses a Personality Profile, which feeds into a patented matching algorithm, which then leads to a Guided Communication system * eHarmony needs to keep this evolving in order to keep growing and maintaining profitability. * Industry: A group of firms that offer a product or class of products that are close substitutes for one another. * eHarmony’s success has brought competition into this industry creating a surge in market growth. * Niche Market: A customer group seeking a distinctive mix of benefits. * eHarmony’s niche is targeting serious relationship and marriage-minded individuals along with faith communities (with an emphasis in women) * Porter’s Threat of Substitute Products: A segment is unattractive when there are actual or potential substitutes for a product. * eHarmony needs to be wary of this. Especially now that Match has introduced its new dating site, Chemistry. * Porter’s Differentiation Strategy: The business concentrates on uniquely achieving superior performance in an important customer benefit area value by a large  part of the market. * eHarmony achieves this by doing in-house R&D, using a unique matching algorithm, and other processes mentioned in the facts * Competitive Advantage: A company’s ability to perform in one or more ways that the competitors cannot or will not match. * eHarmony acquired this by heavy use of off-line advertising and by leveraging Dr. Warren’s 35 years of professional counseling experience, focus groups, and in-house R&D, Something their competition has tried to emulate but has been unsuccessful. * Sustainability: The business must be sufficiently committed and willing to devote enough resources to create an enduring positioning. * This is where the importance of eHarmony’s commitment to one of the decision options becomes a factor. They could look at a lower-level brand extension to bring in revenue from users who are unwilling to pay the premium fee. They could also look at using their strong brand equity to venture into untapped markets, i.e. international and gay. Another possibility is expand internationally which has a potential to expand globally adding long-term success. Decision Options: 1. Defend eHarmony’s leading position in the online matchmaker market by reducing barriers and promoting Fast Track Pros| Cons| Increase in paying customers| Time consuming match-making process| Increase in revenue| Losing out on other niche markets| Decrease Chemistry from being successful| Higher subscription prices| Keep core competency| Lacking continuous innovation| Keep competitive advantage| Possible backlash from members| 2. Enter into the medium-term relationship market to increase paying members (casual daters) Pros| Cons| Increased customer base| Increased competition| Increased revenue| Reduce core competency| Keep differentiation with proprietary algorithm| Lower fees due to less serious relationship %| Increase market share| No medium-term relationship experience| 3. Growing a new business based off of internal R&D focusing on key life stages, and building a network of free eHarmony-branded websites; revenue mostly coming from advertising. Pros| Cons| Increased advertising revenue| Increase costs to build a network websites| Strengthen brand image| Unpredictable revenue since sites are free| Reduce short-term competitive threats| No market research conducted on key life stages subject matter| Potential for brand extensions | Possible brand dilution| Increase in brand awareness| | Potential for diversification growth| | 4. Rapid geographic expansion Pros| Cons| Strong European market | Have to act quickly| Untapped market segments| Competition already internationally active| Potential for higher profit | No global brand equity yet| Reduce single market dependency| No international relationship market research conducted| Strengthen brand image| Might not understand foreign preferences| My Decision: * My decision is to go with option #3: Growing a new business based off of internal R&D focusing on key life stages, and building a network of free eHarmony-branded websites; revenue mostly coming from advertising. Reasons: * Long-term success can be accomplished by eHarmony extending its brand by using these innovative websites focusing on key life stages and differentiating itself from its competition, i.e. Chemistry. * This will allow eHarmony to capture the market and reduce the chances of Chemistry becoming successful. * eHarmony has a strong brand equity that will keep their members loyal to them as they transition through these  key life stages. * There is also a great chance that other brands will want to pair up with eHarmony increasing their brand portfolio. * Example: Gerber Baby Food for couples going through the parenting stage. * With revenue gained from these sites, eHarmony can re-invest it back into them. Funds can then be used to improve its core competency strengthening their brand image. * This will also strengthen their brand portfolio, increase advertising, and support more R&D. * Additional R&D can be used to study the niche market for gays and lesbians. * With sufficient research eHarmony could then use its brand equity to start a new website targeting this niche demographic. * As eHarmony continues to develop their cores services and grow in market share it is unlikely that their direct competition, Match/Chemistry and Yahoo! Personals, will be able to compete.

Ra One- the Extra-Ordinary Sales Promotion by Srk

RA ONE- The extra-ordinary sales promotion by SRK I've often heard people say, film-making is nothing short of a gamble. And as any gambler will tell you, you've got to gamble huge to triumph huge. Going by this logic, Shah Rukh Khan is The Supreme Gambler of the year. What's at stake, beside the big money invested in RA. ONE of course, is a dream, a vision, an aspiration to make a film which appeals to kids and kids at heart. In short, attempt a film that appeals to the universal audience. At the same time, it ought to raise the bar for Hindi films. Also at stake is SRK's once-unchallenged supremacy as the reigning idol of Bollywood and that elusive thing called reputation. When you invest your repute in your dream project and stick your neck out, you expect nothing short of a mega-success. â€Å"I had a very clear of how we’ll market it. The first clarity was that we won’t have too many images of the film. I didn’t want it to be cluttered. I didn’t want it to be a hero and a heroine and their son. This is a superhero film and we had to introduce that. Whether people like it or not, my marketing thought is if you keep something in front of people for too long, they get used to it. So there was this big fear — when my costume comes out and me with blue eyes, will it be liked? Small considerations like this which you don’t think about while making the film, but when it comes out, people say, â€Å"you know what, your dadhee (beard) isn†t working at all†. SRK The daily promotional strategy of the media savvy Shah Rukh Khan seems to be working when it comes to publicizing his film ‘Ra. One’. He has pushed the film in every way possible – through multiple co-branding deals, in-film plans, promotional tie ups, marketing strategies, gaming and merchandising and much more. The ‘Ra. One’ous appetite of King Khan seems to be insatiable and everyone is being a part of it, whether they understand it or not. The film is thus ending up as the most promoted film till date â€Å"SRK’s strategy is similar to several Hollywood biggies where promotions start several months before release. Typically, big star cast movies and mega-budget releases such as Bodyguard, Singham etc start their marketing around eight weeks before release. But SRK has taken marketing to a whole new level for a Bollywood movie,† says Pritie Jadhav, chief operating officer, P9 Integrated – a division of Percept. The makers of Ra. One are on a marketing blitzkrieg Eros International and Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment have brand tie-ups for Ra. One to the tune of Rs. 52 crore of which Rs 12-15 crore has been earmarked for online promotion, an advertising executive involved with the promotion of the movie said on condition of anonymity. Brand tie-ups that the marketing spends of the film have been considerably subsidised. Some of the brands with whom tie-ups have been effected are Sony PlayStation, YouTube, Nerolac, McDonald’s, Western Union Money Transfer, UTV Indiagames, Videocon, Nokia, Coke, ESPN Star Sports and Cinthol. Eros and Red Chillies have recovered part of their huge investment in the film through in-film branding, media endorsements, pre-licensing of cable TV and satellite rights, music and other rights Promotion of the film officially began as early as December 2010 when the first poster was published in all leading news papers across the country. The film's first look was later unveiled by Khan on his Twitter page on January 1, 2011. Several months later, director Anubhav Sinha announced that he would be launching two teaser trailers of the film during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, a prior nine months before the film's actual release date. Ra. One is not a Bollywood film that [the audiences] have seen before. The kind of size and magnitude that the film has requires it to be slowly introduced to the audience and that is the very purpose why we are starting the whole communication so early. â€Å"says Anubhav Sinha The film's first theatrical trailer was released three months later to the p ublic. As a way to promote the theatrical trailer, Khan was accompanied by the director on a five city tour, which included such places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Indore and Ahmedabad. During the same event, a 3600  ft long fan mail collecting audience wishes and messages for the film was also launched. Strategies which have caught the imagination of a population of over a billion Indians * Online Promotions: Approx INR 52crore is the estimated total budget shelled out for Ra. One’s marketing, in which INR 15 crore is for online promotions. Usually Bollywood film promotions only starts eight weeks before release but SRK took it in the Hollywood way, from January of this year with his first appearance in Twitter. Later it was the Facebook Fan page that started off its promotion from March SRK and Google – YouTube announced a partnership deal on mutual benefits basis. An exclusive video was created by Red Chillies (Khan’s production company) and was integrated into the YouTube Channel (Ra. One Youtube Channel). The company launched the official customized Ra. One channel of the film on YouTube(a first for an Indian film) where several song and theatrical promos were released to the public, along with videos of the film's making, events and uncut footage. The channel also hosts games, including the first social game from India, and contests where participants can create promos from clips, music and dialogues of the film. * Merchandise: As a way to promote the film and increase its franchising business, Shahrukh Khan tied up with Seventymm to market a variety of merchandises related to the film. Products included original G. One tee shirts, coffee mugs, wrist bands, watches, mobile pouches, video cameras, as well as many other things. Similar products were also available for purchase on the official G. One online store, which was launched alongside the film's official website. [90% of the 400. 000 stationery items and toys were sold in 15 days and 100. 000 more have been ordered. The makers spent 1. 5 crore on the mold for the G. One action figure. In addition to this, a jewelery line inspired by the symbol of â€Å"Ra. One†,as well as a series of HCL laptops with customized integrated Ra. One skin[59]were also made available to the public. These products are designed in-house by Red Chillies, and have been manufactured in China. By October, 50 products will be sold in more than 3,500 stores and e-commerce sites. Comics: Red Chillies Entertainment collaborated with UTV Indiagames to develop digital comics based on the film's characters. Written by Khan, the comic featured weekly episodes and served as a prequel to the events happening in the movie * Video games: RA. ONE continues to surprise the Indian audience with new innovations on a continued basis. Red Chillies Entertai nment had declared a tie-up with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) to build a full cycle game on PlayStation platform. The video game version of the movie will be called ‘RA. ONE–The Game‘ and will be available on PS2 and PS3 (through PSN download). This is a newer direction for Bollywood to create a win-win strategy of both promoting the film as well as create a brand extension strategy for RA. ONE. The film, with its super hero touches, is appropriate to seamlessly use the PlayStation platform and connect with the In youth. * Print adds and billboards: Print ads have been booked in all leading publications while 1,700 billboards will show the superstar in his superhero gear. This by far the largest collaboration in terms of in terms of billboards for any movie . Somthing or the other we read about the movie everday . * â€Å"Bharat Bhraman† Tour: Shahrukh Khan is places for Ra. One. The King Khan has started his bharat bhraman and caught with his fans from Kolkata to Delhi. Shahrukh covered cities like Vadodara, Gujarat; earlier he was in Chennai for ‘Ra. One’ audio launch in Tamil; and he was in the cities Bangalore , Jaipur and Bhopal Vadodara. SRK did a 36-city tour, which will include several foreign destinations, and one of the highlights of these events will be a 3,600-feet-long fan mail collecting audience wishes and messages. Mobile Engagements and application: iPhone / iPad app for the fans, in collaboration with UTV’s Indiagames. To talk about the app – Ra. One is an arcade first-person shooter game where you can play as G. One to shoot bad guys down with their team leader Ra. One. The game comprises of three terrains – Trainyard, London Bridge and Wasteland with a total of 89 levels (called Waves in the game), starting with Wave 1 and unlocking as you complete each level. Movie themes ,songs , games , wallpapers all of which form a part of mobile engagments are easily accessible over the net * Television promotions: Appearances in three major shows (Just Dance , SA RE GA MA PA Lil Champs. Indias Got Talent)in 3 entertainment channels to participating in ‘kaun bangea corerpati’. Interviews and teasers are a constasnt attraction nowdays for the viewers . Televison promotion is playing a big role in promoting the film * Selling movie rights: Even before its release, Ra. One managed to earn a revenue of Rs132 crore simply by giving away the rights of the movie. The brand equity of film star Shahrukh Khan is unparalleled and his presence in the movie gives a huge boost to distributors and companies to get associated with the brand. Star India got the rights for Ra. One at around Rs40 crore. Apart from this, the music rights were bought for Rs15 crore by T-Series. The producers got a whopping Rs77 crore from Eros Entertainment to own the distribution rights of the movie * Release and Premiere: The movie would be released at over 3000 screens in India and over 1000 screens overseas. Apart from this, premieres at international destinations like Dubai, Toronto and London, which have a high popularity for Indian films are on cards. Due to various new marketing strategies adopted by the producers of the movie, Ra. One managed to generate a lot of positive word of mouth. If not for its success, this movie would definitely prove to be a landmark in the Indian film industry for its advertising and marketing strategies. Will promotional overdrive harm ‘RA. One'? They need to remain prepared to face the severe criticism if they fail to live up to the expectation by even a bit, and it will be difficult to match the hype because they have unveiled almost everything about ‘RA. One'. Audience expectations build up with such a high intensity campaign and the risk is that even a small disconnect can boomerang. That’s not the climax the producers would look forward to. The expections are have increased so much that if the film does not fair according to the standards set by the movie then the audience will feel cheated . Nevertheless the first reactions have come in from the trade analyst and they are optimistic about the film. â€Å"Wow! Brilliant! Mesmerising! Leaves u dumbfounded! Blockbuster! Indian cinema bar raisd! Saw portions of RA. . SRK surpasses himself. †- komal Nahata Watched more than an hour of #RaOne. Left me amazed. Technological breakthrough. At par with intl films. A superhero film that’s super! † – Taran Adarsh These reaction about the movie is only going to create a good word of mouth about the film and this will lead to audience booking there tickets Conclusion All said and done u like the promotions or not but u simply cant ignore the movie. Shahrukh Khan along with his team has made us think about the differentiated strategy implemented across the country . The strategy is here to stay . It has layed down a path that will make other filmmakers to think . As far as the box office collection goes it’s a sure short blockbuster. References * Saxena, Manjari (2011-10-24). â€Å"Ra. One: Shah Rukh Khan has another winner†. Gulf News. Retrieved 2011-10-24. * â€Å"SRK concentrates on Ra. One†. Filmfare. 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-08-22. * Press Trust of India (2011-10-21). â€Å"SRK turns salesman to sell ‘RA. One' merchandise†. CNN-IBN. Global Broadcast News. Retrieved 2011-10-21. * Ra. One: Exclusive & Authentic Movie Merchandise†. Seventymm. Retrieved 2011-10-20. * Adarsh, Taran (2011-10-21). â€Å"SRK, Eros take ‘Ra. One' to next level†. Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 2011-10-21. * Bhat, Varada (2011-09-19). â€Å"Bollywoods longest promotion†. Business Standard. Retrieved 2011-09-19. * â€Å"Shah Rukh meets fans on Google Plus Hangout for RA. One chat†. CNN-IBN. Global Broadcast News. Retrieved 2011-10-20. * Shinde, Shivani (2011-08-30). â€Å"India's first social game for Ra. One†. Business Standard. Retrieved 2011-08-29. * Baksi, Dibyojyoti (2011-10-14). â€Å"SRK's discovery speaks up about RA. One†. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2011-10-15. * Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (2011-10-13). â€Å"A Minute With: Shah Rukh Khan†. Reuters. Retrieved 2011-10-13. * RA. One's rampage. Prannoy Roy Publications. 2011-10-14. Retrieved 2011-10-20. * Joshi, Tushar (2011-10-18). â€Å"RA. One gets an addition†. The Times of India. Retrieved 2011-10-18 * NDTV Correspondent (2011-10-13). â€Å"I am SRK†. NDTV. Prannoy Roy Publications. Retrieved 2011-10-13. * Press Trust of India (2011-10-14). â€Å"Ra. One gets Rs 52-cr promotional push†. CNN-IBN. Global Broadcast News. Retrieved 2011-10-14.