Biography of Christina, Unconventional Queen of Sweden

Biography of Christina, Unconventional Queen of Sweden Queen Christina of Sweden (December 18, 1626–April 19, 1689) reigned for nearly 22 years, from Nov. 6, 1632, to June 5, 1654. Shes remembered for her abdication and her conversion from Lutheranism to Roman Catholicism. She also was known for being an unusually well-educated woman for her time, a patron of the arts, and, according to rumors, a lesbian and an intersexual.  She was formally crowned in 1650. Fast Facts: Queen Christina of Sweden Known For: Independent-minded queen of SwedenAlso Known As:  Christina Vasa, Kristina Wasa, Maria Christina Alexandra, Count Dohna,  Minerva  of the North, Protectress of the Jews at RomeBorn: December 18, 1626 in Stockholm, SwedenParents: King Gustavus Adolphus Vasa, Maria EleonoraDied: April 19, 1689 in Rome, Italy Early Life Christina was born Dec. 18, 1626, to King Gustavus Adolphus Vasa of Sweden and Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, now a state in Germany. She was her fathers only surviving legitimate child, and thus his only heir.  Her mother was a German princess, daughter of John Sigismund, elector of Brandenburg, and granddaughter of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia.  She married Gustavus Adolphus against the will of her brother George William, who had by that time succeeded to the office of elector of Brandenberg. Her childhood came during a long European cold spell called the Little Ice Age  and the Thirty Years War (1618–1648),  when Sweden sided with other Protestant nations against the Habsburg Empire, a Catholic power centered in Austria. Her fathers role in the Thirty Years War may have turned the tide from the Catholics to the Protestants. He was considered a master of military tactics and instituted political reforms, including expanding education and the rights of the peasantry. After his death in 1632, he was designated the Great (Magnus) by the Swedish Estates of the Realm. Her mother, disappointed to have had a girl, showed little affection for her. Her father was frequently away at war, and Maria Eleonoras mental state was made worse by those absences.  As a baby, Christina was subjected to several suspicious accidents. Christinas father ordered that she be educated as a boy. She became known for her education and for her patronage of learning and the arts. She was referred to as the Minerva of the North, referring to the Roman goddess of the arts, and the Swedish capital Stockholm became known as Athens of the North.   Queen When her father was killed in battle in 1632, the 6-year-old girl became Queen Christina. Her mother, who was described as being hysterical in her grief, was excluded from being part of the regency. Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna ruled Sweden as regent until Queen Christina was of age. Oxenstierna had been an adviser to Christinas father and continued in that role after Christina was crowned. Christinas mothers parental rights were terminated in 1636, though Maria Eleonora continued to attempt to visit Christina. The government tried to settle Maria Eleonora first in Denmark and then back in her home in Germany, but her homeland would not accept her until Christina secured an allowance for her support. Reigning Even during the regency, Christina followed her own mind. Against Oxenstiernas advice, she initiated the end of the Thirty Years War, culminating with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. She launched a Court of Learning by virtue of her patronage of art, theater, and music. Her efforts attracted French philosopher Rene Descartes, who came to Stockholm and stayed for two years. His plans to establish an academy in Stockholm collapsed when he suddenly became ill with pneumonia and died in 1650. Her coronation finally came in 1650 in a ceremony attended by her mother. Relationships Queen Christina appointed her cousin Carl Gustav (Karl Charles Gustavus) as her successor. Some historians believe that she was romantically linked to him earlier, but they never married. Instead, her relationship with lady-in-waiting Countess Ebbe Belle Sparre launched rumors of lesbianism. Surviving letters from Christina to the countess are easily described as love letters, though it is difficult to apply modern classifications such as lesbian to people in a time when such categorizations were not known. They shared a bed at times, but this practice did not necessarily imply a sexual relationship. The countess married and left the court before Christinas abdication, but they continued to exchange passionate letters. Abdication Difficulties with issues of taxation and governance and problematic relations with Poland plagued Christinas last years as queen, and in 1651 she first proposed that she abdicate. Her council convinced her to stay, but she had some sort of breakdown and spent much time confined to her rooms. She finally abdicated officially in 1654. Supposed reasons were that she didnt want to marry or that  she wanted to convert the state religion from Lutheranism to Roman Catholicism, but the real motive is still argued by historians. Her mother opposed her abdication, but Christina provided that her mothers allowance would be secure even without her daughter ruling Sweden. Rome Christina, now calling herself Maria Christina Alexandra, left Sweden a few days after her official abdication, traveling disguised as a man. When her mother died in 1655, Christina was living in Brussels. She made her way to Rome, where she lived in a palazzo filled with art and books that became a lively center of culture as a salon. She had converted to Roman Catholicism by the time she arrived in Rome. The former queen became a favorite of the Vatican in the religious battle for the hearts and minds of 17th century Europe. She was aligned with a free-thinking branch of Roman Catholicism. Christina also embroiled herself in political and religious intrigue, first between the French and Spanish factions in Rome. Failed Schemes In 1656, Christina launched an attempt to become queen of Naples. A member of Christinas household, the marquis of Monaldesco, betrayed plans of Christina and the French to the Spanish viceroy of Naples. Christina retaliated by having Monaldesco executed in her presence. For this act, she was for some time marginalized in Roman society, though she eventually became involved again in church politics. In another failed scheme, Christina attempted to have herself made queen of Poland. Her confidant and adviser, Cardinal Decio Azzolino, was rumored to be her lover, and in one scheme Christina attempted to win the papacy for Azzolino. Christina died on April 19, 1689, at age 62, having named Cardinal Azzolino as her sole heir. She was buried in St. Peters Basilica, an unusual honor for a woman. Legacy Queen Christinas abnormal interest (for her era) in pursuits normally reserved for males, occasional dressing in male attire, and persistent stories about her relationships have led to disagreements among historians as to the nature of her sexuality. In 1965, her body was exhumed for testing to see if she had signs of hermaphroditism or intersexuality. The results were inconclusive, though they indicated that her skeleton was typically female in structure. Her life spanned Renaissance Sweden to Baroque Rome and left a record of a woman who, through privilege and strength of character, challenged what it meant to be a woman in her era. She also left behind her thoughts in letters, maxims, an unfinished autobiography, and notes in the margins of her books. Sources Buckley, Veronica.  Christina, Queen of Sweden: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric. Harper Perennial, 2005.Mattern, Joanne.  Queen Christina of Sweden.  Capstone Press, 2009.Landy, Marcia and Villarejo, Amy.  Queen Christina.   British Film Institute,1995.Christina of Sweden.5 Facts About Queen Christina of Sweden.

Chrysalids Chapters 11-16 essays

Chrysalids Chapters 11-16 essays Part @ The events start off hear when I distress call is heard from Petra. She connects to the others through the thought shapes and the gang rushes over to help her. She is found lying down and her pony dead and being eaten by a creature. They shoot and kill it. Suspicion among the town is created on how they all heard her form so far away. Petra is taught about the thought shapes. Time moves on and they find out Katherine and Sally have been taken prisoner and they must flee at once. The protagonist David, and Petra and Rosalind set off away from town. Eventually trouble comes with the antagonist. They come face to face with a horseman that was after them and are forced to kill him. This all leads to people of Waknuk to chase them becoming the antagonists. Petras thought shapes from Sealand continue as they learn more about them. They pursue their quest to the fringes, being updated by Michael on the Waknuks search parties whereabouts. As they get into the Fringes they are captured . We find out the spider-man is Davids uncle and another antagonist of the novel. He takes Rosalind and Petra prisoner and kicks David out. David finds Sophie and stays with her. Sophie pulls off a mission and rescues Rosalind and Petra. Part B: I am enjoying the novel very much so far. Right now it is cause of all the action that is going on. The excitement of them being in the fringes, enemy territory holds the suspense of what might happen to them. Anything could happen there and it draws me to read more. Part C: A character that Ive taken a liking to is Michael. He is being very brave and very helpful to his friends. Hes brave that he joins the party who is actually hunting people of his kind to get info on what they are doing so he can pass it on to them. Hes showing that he cares for the others and will be of great help. Part D: A message that is being put across in this section is the idea of being a tea ...

CEO Project---Pepsico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

CEO Project---Pepsico - Research Paper Example Additionally, the implementation process must consider the structure of the company in order to curb the prevalence of conflicts in the company’s management. The company carries out extensive environmental conservation projects. Such are effective social responsive management techniques that position the company favorably in the market. Social responsive investment is a marketing strategy in which the company appreciates that it exists and is part of the society. This way, the company must institute changes that influence the preference of the society thus positioning its projects and products strategically in the market. The policies of the company portray an extensive culture as the company strives to develop the culture of ownership. Culture refers to the manner in which a company operates and meets its objectives. The policy asserts that the company strives to develop a culture of ownership. Ownership is an effective introductory strategy and an approach that the company uses successfully to implement its numerous conservation projects. The conservation of the environment is a responsibility of every individual who draws respective b enefits from the environment. By installing the culture of ownership, the company ensures both its stakeholders and members of the society appreciate its numerous conservation policies a feature that expedites the implementation process. The culture of ownership encourages responsive and interactions with the environment. The management and other employees of the company will begin maintaining dignified interaction with the environment as they strive to conserve the environment. This way, the society readily adopts the company’s environmental conservation initiatives thus expediting the roll out of the company’s projects. However, the development of a culture especially in such a large multinational corporation requires effective planning in order to

Video and visual media in classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Video and visual media in classroom - Essay Example Because most visual media are temporal and active, rather than static, they can be used to show change and dynamic qualities. It is very much useful in teaching the sciences, technology and even performing arts. With the new technological advancements they are now more accessible, cheaper and flexible to use. Most important, the new generation students have grown up watching television and are highly oriented to visual learning. Slides, overhead transparencies, filmstrips, and movies are important aid to their learning. The Edgar Dale Cone of Experience summarizes how learners retain information. A person remembers 10% of what they read, 20% of what they heard, 30% of what they seen and 50% of what is seen and heard. Learning experiences at the bottom of the 'Dale's Cone of Experience' tend to hold student attention longer and involve active student participation. Media at the top of the cone are said to be more passive but are suitable for transmitting large amounts of information q uickly. The first visual media for learning was the blackboard itself and has become inseparable part of any classroom. Besides the overhead projector, VCR had the biggest impact on the pedagogical practices as the "introduction to film course" became common in most American universities (Lovell, 1987). Slightly newer technology was the interactive videodisc (IVD).

Indias Soft Drinks Industry Essay Example for Free

Indias Soft Drinks Industry Essay 1. 1. 1 INDIA’S PHYSICAL RESOURCES India is a country rich of raw materials, resources and land. For this report, we will focus on those physical resources that are essential for the soft drinks industry – water, sugar, aluminium, power sources. With a land space of over 2. 9 million square kilometres (sq km) and a population of 1. 22 billion people, India has only 314,070 sq km of water (CIA World Fact book, 2012). Even though the Indian government has done many things do improved the situation by building water plants and water piping in the urban and rural areas, there are still about 18. 5% of the population (226 million) that lack access to clean, drinkable water (CESS INDIA, 2004) With a sophisticated water purification installed in our soft drinks plantation, A. G. Barr are able to process the unclean water into safe, drinkable water and use it for the basis of the final products. Hence, A. G. Barr will be able to offer an alternative drinking source for the citizens with our soft drinks products. Next, with a total arable territory of about 1. 2 million sq km, agriculture is the biggest industry and plays a major role in the socioeconomic growth of India (Maps of India, 2012). According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2012) and the Maps of India (2012), India is the 2nd biggest world producers of sugarcane (sugar) with about 453 sugar mills located all over India. INCLUDEPICTURE http://faostat. fao. org/DesktopModules/Faostat/Images/T20/ChartPic_3nemzw945otecriq01oo. png? 3f2841b2-add0-4841-9dc7-5707a2a011f0 \* MERGEFORMATINET Table 1: Top Production – Sugar cane 2010 Source: FAO Thirdly, for aluminium, India is the fifth biggest producer in the world after Australia, Guinea, Brazil and Jamaica (Maps of India, 2012). Finally, to obtain vast economic growth and a flourishing industrial sector, the Indian government has invested and given top precedence to the power sector of the nation and as of the 21st century, India is able to generate about 90% of its own energy through (Maps of India, 2012): Thermal/Coal Power Hydro Power Renewable Resources Power Nuclear Power With most of the raw materials and resources readily available in India, the price for these materials will be relatively standard and low. Hence, this will lower the cost of production. This is a key factor in venturing into the India market as A. G. Barr require a huge amount of clean water and sugar to produce the soft drink products. 1. 2 THREATS 1. 2. 1 INFRASTRUCTURE The infrastructure in India is one of the most problematic and unreliable in the world. As stated previously, even though India is able to generate 90% of its power, due to the poor financial position of many power supply companies, the power supplies are always inconsistent and frequently being cut-off (India: Risk overview, 2011). Hence, companies, offices and industrial plants need to have their own back-up power facilities to ensure no interruption to the production processes (India: Risk overview, 2011). The road and railway system in India is still undependable and many traffic congestions are resulted due to the inadequacy. Pan (Asiamoney, 2010) notes that while the Indian government are investing US$1 trillion in infrastructure from 2012 to 2017, political bureaucracy and lack of good projects are hindering the developments of infrastructure. At the same time, Roy (Euromoney, 2010) reports that while Mr. Rajiv Lall, chief executive of state-run lender Infrastructure Development Finance Company believes India infrastructure has been slowly improving, the dependable relationship between the public sector and the private sectors in infrastructure will lead to corruption and thus may hinder the progression of big infrastructure projects. Therefore, any company that wish to venture into India soft drinks market will need to spend a sizeable amount on power generator and water purification facilities. This huge expenditure will put a dent on the initial capital investment and A. G. Barr need to take this into account and plan on how much of the expenditure to be transferred over to the final consumers through the products. 1. 2. 2 EDUCATION AND LABOUR According to several organizations; CIA (2012), US Department of State (2011) and WEF (2011), India’s literacy rate is only at 61%. The education level in India is low as many of the population live in poverty or the slump and unable to afford going school. Moreover, the Indian government lacks of provision of education is hindering its people to learn and receive knowledge. This result in a low skilled workforce and the unemployment rate for youth age 15 to 24 in India is high at 10. 5% (CIA World Fact Book, 2012). While a soft drink company with high technology facilities and processes requires employees with minimal skills, it is still essential for these workers have a basic understanding and motor skills to operate the high-tech, expensive machineries. Another end of the spectrum is those highly educated Indians where the information technology (IT) sector is booming. These IT personnel and engineers are viable to our company as they able to manage, supervise and suitable of the higher ranking jobs. Hence, to ensure the workers hired have the essential skills, A. G. Barr will need to frequently conduct training programs, skills development workshops and have simple instructions which are easy to follow. 2. DEMAND CONDITIONS With the relaxation of the Indian government policy on FDIs and foreign companies, the soft drinks industry had change tremendously. As the US and EU markets are highly saturated, companies are looking into the Asian markets to expand and gain more revenues. Apart from China, Japan and South Korea, India is the 4th leading Asian soft drinks market and the market is still growing and has yet to reach its saturation point. In 2010, there is a substantial demand for soft drinks as the market has grown by 10. 4% (Datamonitor, 2011). Datamonitor (2011) even predicts that by 2015, the Indian market will grow to a value of $5. 8 million. Table 2 shows the growth of India soft drink market from 2006 to 2010. Table 2: India soft drinks market volume: million liters, 2006–10(e) Datamonitor (2011) also reports that as of 2010, the soft drinks industry has generated total revenues of $3. 8 billion and with 50% of the total revenues, carbonates sale is the most profitable category. Table 3: India soft drinks market segmentation: % share, by value, 2010(e) It is essential to note that currently there is a growing trend of â€Å"vitamin water† or â€Å"nutrient water† in the world as many people are becoming more health conscious. The Times (London) (2012) reports that even India is not spared from the trend as PepsiCo, together with Tata Global Beverages, intend to market the â€Å"nutrient water† to India’s urban, middle-class consumers where a bottle of such product will cost slightly higher than a standard bottled water. Hence, this could greatly affect the retail sales of carbonates. A. G. Barr has already altered its products to regular variants to low calorie and no added sugar variants in accordance to the gradual shift towards healthly living in the UK (A. G. Barr, 2012). For example, its popular porduct, IRN-BRU now comes in a sugar free variation, the ‘IRN-BRU sugar free’. Thus, the â€Å"nutrient water† market is another sector A. G. Barr could develop into not only in UK but also in India. 3. India has huge supporting industries for the soft drinks market and the availablity of the main components for a soft drinks company in India is high. There are 453 sugar mills in India and the top 6 growing states are located in the Northern, Southern and Western regions of India (Maps of India, 2012). Noteably, the Indian government has been extentsively investing in the agriculture sector to ensure that the process of the sector from raw materials to warehousing and merchandising flow smoothly. And as for the aluminium industry, India has a sizeable number of aluminium plants located mainly in Northern and Southern regions. 3. 2 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS As inputs are readily available, suppliers are unable to provide their services or sell their products at a higher price than their competitors as it is of no loss to the soft drinks company since the company is able to get the same or better services and products from other suppliers. A. G. Barr is able to obtain the primary inputs for its products through several sources in the region or state. Thus, the bargaining power of suppliers such as the packaging producers and raw materials and soft drinks ingredients producers are relatively low (Datamonitor, 2011). 3. 3 BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS The power of the retailers and distributors in this market is weak as most soft drinks manufactures work closely with the local bottling companies to distribute the ready for sale products to buyers within a certain region or sector (Datamonitor, 2011). Datamonitor (2011) also reports that with 46. 3% of the total market volume, the independent retailers such as the small family mart shops are the main distribution channels for soft drinks but this could change with the introduction of super and hypermarkets. Thus, consumers will have a wider range of soft drinks brands to choose from. In order to gain relatively significant market share, A. G. Barr needs to do plenty of advertising and promotion. One of the strategies A. G. Barr could adopt is to set their soft drinks at a lower price than the main competitors, TCCC and PepsiCo in the rural areas while maintaining the same price in the urban areas where most of the middle-income and high-income classes have high consumer purchasing power. 4. FIRM STRATEGY, STRUCTURE AND RIVALRY 4. 1 CULTURAL IMPACT ON FIRM STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE A. G. Barr core strategic focus is based on the following 7 platforms (A. G.Barr, 2012): Core Brands and Markets Portfolio development Route to market Partnerships Efficient Operations People Development Sustainability To ensure these strategies and structure is maintain in other country, A. G. Barr has to train its overseas employees, make them understand and cultivate the A. G. Barr working culture. However, this will be a tough challenge in India due to the poor education and different socio-culture. Thus, A. G. Barr needs to accommodate its Western working culture with India working culture, however without losing its main mission and strategy. To ensure this is excuted properly, A. G. Barr needs to obtain a specialist in the Indian market and culture. 4. 2 RIVALRY AMONG EXISTING COMPETITORS In India, the soft drink market is dominated by three main players The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), PepsiCo and Parle Bisleri Ltd – securing 74. 1% of the total market volume (Datamonitor, 2011). Table 4: India soft drinks market share: % share, by volume, 2010(e) BBC News (2011) reports that TCCC planned to invest $2 billion in India to boost its market share and expected India to be in its top five markets by 2020. Meanwhile, PepsiCo intend to launch a new product, â€Å"nutrient water† with Tata Water targeting at the young urban consumers to gain more market shares (Pagnamenta, 2012). This shows how competitive the rivalry in the India soft drinks industry where the two major market shares are actively investing and developing new products to gain more shares. 4. 3 THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS The big players of the India soft drinks industry are actively improving themselves and distinguishing their products through various methods. Furthermore, TCCC and PepsiCo are renowned world soft drinks brands which have been existing in the India market for many years. Though new companies in the industry may have difficulty competing with the existing players, it may accomplish small success by using different production method or focusing on the lesser ventured catergories of the soft drinks markets such as health drinks and energy drinks (Datamonitor, 2011). This could be a major break through for A. G. Barr as its most popular products; the IRN-BRU; is low in sugar and contains additional benefits of an energy drink. In addition, the Rockstar series which are designed to target those who lead active lifestyles may be able to attract the young, urban consumers. With several advertising accolades, A. G. Barr has the knowledge and is able use the power of media to attract potential consumers and gain more market shares. 4. 4 THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES The main substitutes for soft drinks markets are traditonal tea and coffee, homemade juices and fresh water from the water plants or piping system. As A. G. Barr and other leading soft drinks companies have diverse products to cater to the different needs of the consumers – carbonates, bottled water, juices etc – this will narrow down the threat of substitutes. However, the threat is still relatively moderate as retailers and distributors may give more shelf space for traditional tea and coffee products as they may be stored at room temperatures (Datamonitor, 2011). 5. GOVERNMENT BBC News (2011) reports that India is ranked 95th out of 183 nations in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions (TICP) list. Due to the high corruption scandals among its government officials, low or invisible legislative work, red tape and bureaucracy, India has dropped from 87th in 2010 to 95th (BBC News, 2011). Despite its numerous intervention, corruption in India is an issue which is very difficult to get rid off since most of the political members and officals have their own agendas and are resistant to change (India: Risk overview, 2011). Hence, foreign companies will faced many setbacks when they venture into the India sectors. 6. ROLE OF CHANCE The role of chance plays a small part in factoring the soft drinks industry as most of the technology are at it most advanced state. The only main issue currently is the Iran oil crisis. As India still refuses to cut Iranian oil imports, this may lead to a huge setback if USA decides to attack Iran and ignore India’s relation with Iran (CBS News, 2012, Kennedy, 2012). With a potential strain relationship with USA, this could lead to severe freeze in the trade and foreign direct investments. Furthermore, the other two traid nations, EU and Japan, may follow suit USA’s decision to cut ties with India for refusing to withdraw the purchasing of Iranian oil. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the soft drinks market in India is huge though it is predominately hold by 3 major key players. To venture into this territory, a new company need to set itself apart from the majpr players through unique advertising, differentiated production method and diverse product offerings. New companies may set an initial low price of its products to attract consumers however; this should not be a long term strategy. Companies need to have a huge capital investment to counter the corruption, trade policies and poor infrastructure. Thus, expenditures and initial start-up cost will be high and companies will have to redistribute part of the cost to its final consumers in order to gain profits. PART B: CRITICAL EVALUATION OF PORTERS NATIONAL DIAMOND MODEL Michael E. Porter is a well renowned economic strategist whom has writen 18 books and over125 articles (HBS, 2008). With a core field in competitive strategy, Porter has written and developed a number of strategic frameworks such as the Porter’s National Diamond model and Porter’s 5 Forces analysis. Since the model was based on eight developed countries and two industrialized countries, an analysis on developing, growing countries such as India is flawed. This is because these developing countries are not on the same economic level as the 10 countries. Thus, though the Porter’s National Diamond (PND) model analysis almost every aspect of India’s profile, it still lacks in-depth analysis and companies should not base their analytical evaluation on the PND model alone. As supported by Van Den Bosch, and Van Proojien (1992), both authors believed that PND model provide limited analysis on the control of national culture on the competitive advantage of nations. Similar to the EU countries, India too has a diverse set of culture which plays significant role in the management of the country’s economy, laws, trade policies and governance. There are limited sources on India and the soft drinks market due to the lack of legistative work from the government officals. Furthermore, some of the reports or statistics may not be entirely accurate due to the high corruption level. For example, reports may state that India is able to generate 90% of its power but the power plants are inconsistent and supplies are frequently distrupted. Also, to what extend is the literacy rate of India is correct? The literacy rates may be higher than stated as with 1. 22 billion people, India officials may have a tough job collecting the accurate datas. Moreover, with high poverty and low income, most of Indian citizens have the ‘thrifty mindset’ whereby they prefer things which are basically free even though it maybe harmful such as drinking untreated water. These are the pros of the PND model for India: Analysis different aspect of the country profile Takes into account the role of Government which is the most essential for India These are the cons of the PND model for India: Limited credible sources for analysis Little depth as India is a huge country with various swinging factors. Limited analysis on the cultural effect on a country’s competitive advantage Ways to improve the PND model for India: Supporting the model with other analysis model such as PEST, SWOT, Porter’s 5 Forces and Fons Trompenaars’ Seven Cultural Dimensions. Intentsive research on the market and the growth of the market. REFERENCES A. G. Barr (2012) About Us. Available at: http://www. agbarr. co. uk/agbarr/newsite/ces_general. nsf/wpg/about_us-our_strategy (Accessed: 22 March 2012). BBC News (2011) Coke plans $2bn India investment in bid to boost growth. Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-15731884 (Accessed: 20 February 2012). BBC News (2011) India Transparency International corruption index blow. Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-asia-india-15979646 (Accessed: 01 March 2012). CBS News (2012) U. K. : Attack on Iran has enormous downsides. Available at: http://www. cbsnews. com/8301-202_162-57380838/u.k. -attack-on-iran-has-enormous-downsides/? tag=mncol;lst;1 (Accessed: 20 February 2012). India. CESS (2004) Right to Drinking Water in India. Available at: http://www. cess. ac. in/cesshome/wp%5CWater. pdf (Accessed: 22 March 2012). CIA (2012) South Asia, India. Available at: https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in. html (Accessed: 20 February 2012). FAO (2012) Faostat. Available at: http://faostat. fao. org/site/339/default. aspx (Accessed: 01 March 2012). HBS (2008) Harvard Business School Faculty Research. Available at: http://drfd. hbs. edu/fit/public/facultyInfo. do? facInfo=biofacEmId=mporter (Accessed: 10 April 2012). India: Risk overview’ (2011) Business Asia, 43, 14, pp. 10-11, Business Source Premier, EBSCO [Online]. Available at http://searchebscohost. com (Accessed: 22 March 2012). Kennedy (2012) US Pleas for Asia to Cut Iranian Oil Imports Fall on Deaf Ears, Oilprice. Available at: http://oilprice. com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/US-Pleas-for-Asia-to-Cut-Iranian-Oil-Imports-Fall-on-Deaf-Ears. html (Accessed: 20 February 2012). Maps of India (2012) India Agriculture.

A Comparison of McDonalds and Foxs Diner :: comparison compare contrast essays

McDonald's and Fox's Diner       McDonald's and Fox's Diner are two of the restaurants in Lake City, Tennessee. But even though they both sell hamburgers in the same town, they don't have anything else in common. They cater to different types of customers, there is a noticeable difference in service speed, and every facet of doing business is handled differently. Even the atmosphere of these two places is in contrast.    These two restaurants do not compete for the same customers. McDonald's is located just off the interstate, so many of their patrons are not local residents. Another reason is that they are universally known. Fox's is further away from the interstate. Aside from the over-the-road truck drivers who know the area, most of the Diner's customers are local residents. As well as targeting different customers from Fox's Diner, McDonald's also places more emphasis on speed. McDonald's makes job specialization an integral part of their operation. They crank meals out on an assembly line. They use computers to take orders, automatic timers to assist in cooking, and radio headsets to communicate. Even the color scheme used by McDonald's promotes speed. Studies show that loud colors like red and yellow increase customer turnover. With the exception of handling money, tasks are shared by the staff at the diner and there isn't anything high-tech about the operation.    Fox's Diner is a world away from the bland, impersonal McDonald's just a few miles north. It sits on the right side of a two-lane highway leading into town. The Diner serves both as a truck stop and as the restaurant for a small motel next door. The parking lot looks vacant until about five in the morning because it is large enough to accommodate a dozen tractor trailers. Years of use have left potholes and a patchwork of asphalt that resembles a moth-eaten quilt.    The diner itself is a doublewide   trailer set high on a five foot, cinderblock foundation. An aluminum awning extends outward about six feet along the front of the building. Underneath the awning, yellow fluorescent lights, which theoretically do not attract bugs, glow at night. They are mounted over a row of metal framed, screened-in windows.

Achebe, C. (1994). Things Fall Apart. New York: Doubleday & Co., Inc. Essay

Achebe’s (1994) novel, Things Fall Apart, is a chronicle of societal change in the face of a colonial invasion. It describes the life of Okonkwo, a distinguished leader of a village in Nigeria. The rich, powerful, brave and intelligent man has worked hard to achieve his high status in his village. The village elders thus chose him to be the guardian of a boy named Ikemefuna, who has been made prisoner by Achebe’s tribe. Okonkwo must keep the boy with him until the Oracle decides otherwise. When the village elders decide that Ikemefuna must be killed, Okonkwo goes against the advice of the oldest man of the village by killing the boy himself. Subsequently, things start to fall apart for Okonkwo. He accidentally kills another individual at a funeral ceremony. For this act he must be sent into exile with his family for a period of seven years. After all, he has offended his gods by committing the murder. After Okonkwo and his family have been sent into exile, things start to fall apart for his people back home. White men begin to enter his village, amiably introducing their religion to the native people. As the number of people embracing the new faith increases, the white entrants grow in power. Ultimately, a new government is formed in the village – that of white people. When Okonkwo returns to his village, it is a different place altogether. The presence of white men is a change he had not expected. Unhappy with the change, he tries to work with other tribal leaders to reclaim the old government. They do this by destroying a Christian church that they believe has mocked their gods. The white government retaliates by taking Okonkwo and the other tribal leaders as prisoners, holding them for ransom, and humiliating the native leaders further. A great uprising ensues, as the native people of the village gather to oppose the white government. When the white government tries to stop their meeting by sending some of its messengers, Okonkwo is the only one who kills one of the messengers. His fellow native people allow the remaining messengers to escape, however. Okonkwo is made to understand thus that the villagers are too weak to fight for themselves and/or protect their rights. He therefore begins to believe in the end of his society, reinforcing its disintegration in the following words: â€Å"Now [the white man] has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.† Okonkwo kills himself soon after. The white government sends one of its local leaders to take the great man of the village to court. At this point, Okonkwo is found to have hanged himself. The great man’s death is a sign of the total demise of his people’s old ways of life. After all, it was Okonkwo alone who was strong enough to kill one of the white men in an attempt to eradicate their government. None of his fellow native people were as determined as he. Still, Okonkwo’s story is a powerful reminder that nothing can withstand forces of change at times. Even the heroes may turn to despair if the forces of change are too powerful to fight. Such forces may change people and their cultures for ever. Even so, the memories of the heroes remain, as in Things Fall Apart.

By the end of the novel Maestro the reader feels that both Keller and Paul are egotists and equally unattractive characters Essay

By the end of the novel the reader feels that both Keller and Paul are egotists and equally unattractive characters. While I agree with the first part of this statement I disagree with the second. In this essay I will be discussing the characters egotism, is relation to each other. I will explain the reasoning behind the characters reasoning’s and because of this why I believe that Paul is the more unlikable character of the two. The reader learns very on in the book that each of these characters has unattractive qualities. Goldsworthy creates these characters equally undesirable in their own right. Paul’s superficial view on emotion and his quick judgement especially when it comes to Keller contribute to the portrayal of Paul as a fairly unlikable character. Paul makes the transition in this book growing up and this in its self is very much a contributing factor as we see him grow into his egotism where as Keller is explained and somewhat redeemed. Despite Keller being describes as a ‘virtuoso’ he is viewed by Paul -and there for the reader -as arrogant and patronising. â€Å" The boy is given to much self satisfaction† he observes of Paul, which is a fair description as Paul is often critical and patronising of Keller’s teaching techniques, which may well stem from his superior view of himself, â€Å" of course he sounded better, he had a better piano.† Paul from very early on is self centred, believing he is the best. He takes things at face value, especially when it comes to judging Keller and his teaching style. He does not take the time to watch and learn before making assumptions. When he says â€Å"He’s a Nazi† he could not have been more wrong. This statement become more apparent towards the end of the novel when we learn about Keller’s association with the NAZIs and the consequences it had not only on his life but also those of this family, his wife and son. Keller’s anti-social behaviour tends to bring a distance between himself and the other people in Darwin but also from himself as a character and the reader. But this is not a negative influence, in fact it makes the reader empathise with him or at least intrigue the reader enough to be on his side. This could be seen as one of Keller redeeming factors. When Keller chooses to move to Adelaide, Paul realised that his exile was self imposed â€Å" His exile was chosen, not forced upon him†, Keller’s arrogance and naivety during the War are why he chooses to stay in Vienna and ultimately causes the deaths of his wife and son. Keller believes that he had been betrayed, that by being close to Hitler his family would be saved. This assumption was naive, he says himself â€Å"I knew these people, these murderers. I had signed their concert programs. His self imposed isolation in Darwin as a result of this evokes empathy and sympathy in the reader and this could again be seen as a redeeming quality. As the reader learns that Keller has reason for his egotism, Paul- because of his youth is viewed negatively because he comes off as an ignorant child. When he moves to Adelaide we realise however that he has somewhat been groomed into this arrogance. Learning from Keller, Paul learns a lot but he also gets handed all of Keller’s arrogance as well. Learning the techniques from Keller but not how to play the music with passion, Paul starts to believe that technique is the only important thing. Keller as we learn has reason to focus on the technique, simply because he cannot stand the pain of actually feeling the music, evident in his missing finger. Paul’s arrogance grows throughout the book. As he progresses through the lessons with Keller and also as his love life grows with Rosie, he grows more self assured. Paul is very self driven and thinking he is the best he makes decisions that show his arrogance to the fullest. The choice to move to Adelaide right on the cusp of getting to finally know everything about his teacher shows that not only is he arrogant he is an egotist. He wants the fame and glory of being an amazing piano player. While Paul appears narcissistic, he is often aware of his flaws. Despite being pretentious, Paul is fundamentally shy. His refuge in the music room parallels Keller’s self-imposed solitude at the Swan. Paul is unsure of himself, as his ‘self-perception lagged timidly behind [his] growth spurt’. His arrogance protects him from his loneliness and his inability to attain greatness. Although Paul’s delusions of grandeur mark him as a weak character. At the end of the novel Paul admits that he â€Å"is able to dupe my audience at the odd concert†¦but never†¦myself†, referring to his musical ability. Paul comes to the realisation that he will never be the piano player he desires and this admission evokes some empathy from the Maestro readers. Paul’s egotisms is much more prominent than Keller’s, and the tragedy of Keller’s life in a way prevents the reader from having negative feelings towards him. Paul and Keller are represented as egotistical characters but whereas Pauls is viewed as negative with small redeeming factors, Keller’s is understood and earned and explained from his passed.

Free Essays on Teenage Years

Teenage Years Susan Minot once said, â€Å"Teenage years. You know just what you’re doing and don’t see the things that start to get in the way.† In the stories, â€Å"A&P† by John Updike, and â€Å"Lust† by Susan Minot, the main characters are experiencing conflicted but transitional periods in their lives. Sammy, the main character in â€Å"A&P,† has a happy, analytical and self-assured personality that will eventually help him quit his job. In contrast, the narrator in â€Å"Lust,† also the main character, has a clashing personality of insecure, depressed, and illogical traits. Both characters are portrayed as adolescents who are growing up in our everyday world. For both characters, changes in their lives will derive by choices they make and decide to follow. Updike’s character, Sammy, who is a happy teenager, currently works at the check out slot of a supermarket. He is completely enlightened with the sight of three girls walking into the store wearing very little clothing. Sammy can’t contain himself; his focus has shifted from ringing up a frustrated old woman to a young boys number one reason of losing focus. He was so fascinated by the girls that he couldn’t remember what he had rung up for the old pester. â€Å"I stood there with my hand on a box of HiHo crackers trying to remember if I rang it up or not† (Updike 1343). It is not an uncommon experience for guys to lose their concentration when the sight of flesh illuminates off a women’s body, which causes any exposed skin to distract their testosterone driven minds. In contrast with Sammy’s content personality, the narrator from â€Å"Lust† differs in that she is almost an extreme opposite. It is understood that happiness at boarding schools can be quite difficult to acquire, usually drastic measures are taken to deter problems and blank them out from student’s repressed freedom. In the case of the narrator, she doesn’t turn to odorless, smoke... Free Essays on Teenage Years Free Essays on Teenage Years Teenage Years Susan Minot once said, â€Å"Teenage years. You know just what you’re doing and don’t see the things that start to get in the way.† In the stories, â€Å"A&P† by John Updike, and â€Å"Lust† by Susan Minot, the main characters are experiencing conflicted but transitional periods in their lives. Sammy, the main character in â€Å"A&P,† has a happy, analytical and self-assured personality that will eventually help him quit his job. In contrast, the narrator in â€Å"Lust,† also the main character, has a clashing personality of insecure, depressed, and illogical traits. Both characters are portrayed as adolescents who are growing up in our everyday world. For both characters, changes in their lives will derive by choices they make and decide to follow. Updike’s character, Sammy, who is a happy teenager, currently works at the check out slot of a supermarket. He is completely enlightened with the sight of three girls walking into the store wearing very little clothing. Sammy can’t contain himself; his focus has shifted from ringing up a frustrated old woman to a young boys number one reason of losing focus. He was so fascinated by the girls that he couldn’t remember what he had rung up for the old pester. â€Å"I stood there with my hand on a box of HiHo crackers trying to remember if I rang it up or not† (Updike 1343). It is not an uncommon experience for guys to lose their concentration when the sight of flesh illuminates off a women’s body, which causes any exposed skin to distract their testosterone driven minds. In contrast with Sammy’s content personality, the narrator from â€Å"Lust† differs in that she is almost an extreme opposite. It is understood that happiness at boarding schools can be quite difficult to acquire, usually drastic measures are taken to deter problems and blank them out from student’s repressed freedom. In the case of the narrator, she doesn’t turn to odorless, smoke...

The Optimal Bar Top Height

The Optimal Bar Top Height The most common height for a bar top, whether it is a kitchen breakfast bar, a basement wet bar, or a commercial bar down at the corner pub is 42-inches. Construction Conventions Standard conventions support the 42-inch bar height. Most pre-made backsplashes are four to six inches tall. When that height is added to the standard countertop height, the backsplash can slip underneath the overhang of the finished bar top for a smooth transition. Comfort The optimal and most ergonomic height for a top that services both the seated and standing user is 42 inches. With a bar stool of the proper height, it is comfortable to sit at a 42-inch bar. This is also a comfortable height for most people to lean against. Additionally, the bar top at this height is in easy reach of a standing person, so they can set their food and drink down without leaning over. A bar top is typically too high to serve as a good seated work surface and is mainly useful for leisure activities. The Multiple Benefits of Bars The main benefits for a bar top come from one person working standing up on one side and another sitting on the other. The bartender has a comfortable height to prepare drinks on his feet and the customer has a comfortable height to drink them while on a seat or standing. The standing bartender is also at a comfortable height to engage the seated customer, whether for the simple business transaction or for the age-old tradition of chatty banter or deep heart-to-hearts that often happen in this setting. The other benefit of a bar top is its aesthetic appeal. In another common context for bars: A kitchen bar top can divide the space up nicely by serving as a transition area, between the cooking area and the eating area.

First Year Teacher with Leadership Challenge Assignment

First Year Teacher with Leadership Challenge - Assignment Example This is a sure way of ensuring that the learning needs of all students are equally met. The goal of implementing this class management plan is to therefore, ensure that students have a balanced performance in their learning, including good performance in written work as well as tests. This is a problem facing the learning process presently due to the adoption of the whole language program, which this classroom management plan seeks to solve. The drop in students’ scores in tests has worried most parents, who have launched their complaints to the institution. To address this effectively, the parents need to be convinced that this will change, and that they will no longer use their money on extra tutorship. A conference between teachers, parents and students will be necessary to discuss the factors that resulted in the situation, as well as the steps in place to be undertaken to change this situation. Teachers have a role to play in handling parents’ complaints. First, th ey should receive the complaints positively. After all, they influenced the predicament in one way or another. Admitting to the complaints and assuring parents that steps are underway to address the situation, is the best way the teachers can handle the complaints. Teachers will therefore, need to adopt good planning and teaching practices and objectives in order to ensure balanced results of the learners. Most importantly, learners should be taught to understand concepts, but not to memorize them, as this has an adverse effect on their test performance (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). Need for Changes Beyond doubt, the learning process will need a couple of changes. Although the previous learning approach embraced was new, it led to an imbalance in the performance of students. Therefore, the whole language approach will have to be altered and not fully relied on to bring a positive effect on the learning process. The altering of the approach is meant to make it better and effective in ensuring t hat students have a good and balanced performance in both their written work and tests. The fact that the newly introduced learning approach did not deliver wholly is a reason enough to initiate changes. Before deciding on the new changes to be adopted, it is crucial that different information be used to help in the decision-making about the most appropriate changes that could be adopted. First, it is important to learn from mistakes, therefore, the teachers have to re-examine their teaching plans, and how they approached the new program. They should do this with the aim of identifying loopholes in their teaching strategies, which could have possibly contributed to the poor scores. Identification of these loopholes will form a basis for the new changes that need to be implemented. In addition, it is beneficial to research about some institutions that have in the past adopted a similar approach, and learn how they went about it, and if it proved effective for them or not. By doing th is, a few points may be borrowed from institutions that used the program successfully, to be integrated into the institution’s program (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). In order to decide on the needed changes, different parties have to participate in the process of decision-making, since a single party cannot make decisions. Teachers are the greatest players in this kind of decision-making as they have a big influence on the learning process. On the other hand, the parents will also be involved in decision-making a

Positioning and Differentiation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Positioning and Differentiation Paper - Essay Example In order to provide those customers with a branding strategy, they tailored it to the actual market. Throughout the country, where they needed to build a strong brand, such as in the United States, the goal was to provide that of a campaign dedicated to customer service. Customers like community activity, partly because comments from other users are more relevant and credible to them than comments from you. They expect you to speak highly of your own products and services, but it will really impress them if others also do. Communities also serve the valuable function of bringing users back to the site over and over, making it possible to alert them to new promotions and offers. With rapid developments in the technology available to people, customers will become accustomed to the idea of: production and marketing systems that can tailor products, communications and services to meet their expectations, increased choices for delivery and payment and contacting the marketer easily and under their own initiative. To stay and hold the position in the present competitive market companies like Fmc Naperville Dialysis Center and DaVita has planned to expand its business throughout the US. DaVita is encouraging other companies to advertise their product on their website. A study has shown that DaVita would make more profit in diversifying than expanding. Both companies used TOWS (Threats-Opportunities-Weaknesses-Strengths) matrix to develop feasible alternative strategies. The matrix consists of four quadrants. They are (1) using strengths to overcome weaknesses, (2) Using strengths to overcome threats, (3) overcoming weaknesses to take advantage of opportunities and (4) overcoming weaknesses to address threats. First quadrant concentrates on possible strength-opportunity strategies. Important factors are to hire highly skilled workers, wide brand recognition, customer satisfaction, effectively and efficiently raising capital resources, etc. Second quadrant concentrates on possible strength-threat strategies. Important threats that have to overcome are changing government regulations, seasonal shopping, and competition from each other and other possible competitors, protect business and customer information, currency exchange, etc. Third and Fourth quadrants concentrates on Possible Weakness-Opportunity Strategies and Possible Weakness-Threat Strategy. Third quadrant looks at reviewing product, develop standards up to the customer satisfaction, etc. Fourth quadrant looks at implementing backup systems, implementing policies to protect and avoid security risks. A qualitative and quantitative research is must in developing an Information system. Qualitative research is more of collecting data, conducting interviews, using documents and to understand and explain social phenomenon. DaVita relies more on this approach, they give importance more on the practical out put of the research. Quantitative research involves is of development of natural sciences to study natural phenomenon. Survey methods, formal methods, econometrics, etc., are some of the examples of quantitative research. Fmc Naperville Dialysis Center follows this approach and takes things as they come. Qualitative research methods are more often used as it involves observation of data that helps in finding