Thursday, December 26, 2019

Example Sentences of the Verb Cut

You can cut your steak or you can cut through paper, but can you correctly use the irregular verb cut for each tense? This page provides example sentences of the verb cut in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms. Test your understanding with the quiz at the end! All Tenses of Cut Base Form cut / Past Simple cut / Past Participle cut / Gerund cutting Present Simple I cut paper with those scissors. Present Simple Passive Paper is cut by John. Present Continuous He is cutting the figures out now. Present Continuous Passive The figures are being cut out now. Present Perfect Jack has cut out fifteen figures. Present Perfect Passive Fifteen figures have been cut out by John. Present Perfect Continuous I have been cutting out figures for the past twenty minutes. Past Simple He cut out twenty figures yesterday. Past Simple Passive Twenty figures were cut out yesterday. Past Continuous He was cutting the paper when she came into the room. Past Continuous Passive The paper was being cut when she came into the room. Past Perfect Jane had cut out the figures before they began the work on pasting. Past Perfect Passive The figures had been cut out before they began the work on pasting. Past Perfect Continuous They had been cutting out figures for two hours before they began the difficult work. Future (will) She will cut those out. Dont worry. Future (will) passive Those figures will be cut out by Jack. Future (going to) Jack is going to cut those figures out. Future (going to) passive Those figures are going to be cut out by Jack. Future Continuous We will be cutting figures out at two tomorrow afternoon. Future Perfect Jack will have cut out all the figures by the time we begin. Future Possibility Jennifer might cut class tomorrow. Real Conditional If she cuts class, the teacher will be angry. Unreal Conditional If she cut class, the teacher would be angry. Past Unreal Conditional If she had cut class, the teacher would have been angry. Present Modal You must cut these out before you begin. Past Modal Jack might have cut out those figures. Quiz: Conjugate With Cut Use the verb to cut to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. Fifteen figures _____ out by John.I _____ paper with those scissors.Jane _____ out the figures before they began the work on pasting.She ____ those out. Dont worry.He ____ out twenty figures yesterday.Jack will _____ out all the figures by the time we begin.If she _____ class, the teacher will be angry.The figures _____ out before they began the work on pasting.Paper _____ by John in our company.Jennifer _____ class tomorrow. You never know. Quiz Answers have been cutcuthad cutwill cutcuthave cutcutshad been cutis cutmight cut

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Figurative Language Essays - 1135 Words

Figurative Language and Imagery ENG 340 Creative Writing Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using figurative language. Figurative language is the use of language to describe something by comparing it to something else. It serves many linguistic purposes. It allows people to express abstract thoughts. It creates tone and communicates emotional content. The ability to use figurative language in writing can make a poem or story more enjoyable for the reader. Figurative language is taking words beyond their literal meaning and can come in many different forms, all to create a vivid picture of the written word. There are many ways to incorporate figurative language into writing, some of which†¦show more content†¦In the line â€Å"Loose girdle of soft rain†, from â€Å"My Grandmother’s Love Letters†, the rain is compared to a loose belt, which is a clear example of Personification and much easier to understand. Creating imagery for the reader helps to entertain, provoke thought or help the reader escape to another reality. Sometimes it can even be silly such as the repetition of the same initial letter, sound, or group of sounds in a series of words. This usage of figurative language is called Alliteration and includes tongue twisters such as â€Å"She sells seashells by the seashore†. Many writers will use words that describe or imitate a natural sound or the sound made by an object to create imagery within the writing. This is called Onomatopoeia, and although it is a big word that is hard to pronounce, it is the use of small words such as snap, crackle, pop, buzz and creaked that help bring a story or poem to life. Another form of imagery that is used quite often is Hyperbole. This is the use of statements that are so dramatic and exaggerated that a person would not believe the statement is true. â€Å"I was so hungry that not only did I eat my dinner, I ate the plate and silverware too.† A synecdoche is a form of imagery th at substitutes a whole object with one aspect of that object. It may also be used toShow MoreRelatedFigurative Language And The Language1305 Words   |  6 Pagesphenomena, one of which is figurative language. It is a person’s way to saturate the mind with profound thoughts centered around its meaning. It has an interesting background, covers a wide array of literary devices, is applied within different types of writing, and people employ these devices within their daily language. Figurative language is a constructive way to communicate ideas using expressions, unlike its opposite idea which is literal interpretations. â€Å"Figurative language, in comparison, usesRead MoreFigurative Language Versus Literal Language1545 Words   |  7 PagesEnglish language is known as being one of the most difficult languages to learn. There are many reasons for this, a major factor being the use of figurative language. Since the English language is packed with figures of speech is can be very confusing to truly comprehend what someone is trying to get across. This doesn’t just go for the new comers to the English language but also to native English speakers. Throughout this paper I will define and give examples for ten different types of figurative languageRead MoreFigurative Language854 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Figurative Language Introduction Figurative language is used to create a special effect or feeling. It is characterized by figures of speech, language that compares, exaggerates, or means something other than what it first appears to mean. A figure of speech is a literary device used to create a special effect or feeling by making some type of interesting or creative comparison. This paper will define and give examples of ten types of figurative language. Types of Figurative Language AnRead More Use of Figurative Language in Daddy by Sylvia Plath Essay1203 Words   |  5 PagesThe figurative language in the poem â€Å"Daddy† by Sylvia Plath can be used to discover a deeper significant of the poem. By using figurative language throughout the poem such as symbolism, imagery, and wordplay, Plath reveals hidden messages about her relationship with her father. Plath uses symbols of Nazis, vampires, size, and communication to help reveal a message about her dad. In Plath’s poem she frequently uses figurative language about Nazis and the Holocaust. Plath depicts herself asRead MoreFigurative and Literal Language1866 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Figurative Literal Language Literal language is important because there are instances where its precision and clarity are necessary to understanding a person or a situation. Figurative language additionally has its place as literal language may not do the situation justice in the magnitude or impact of the expression. Especially in times where people from different backgrounds are conversing, figurative language may serve as a common ground for understanding, but at the same time figurativeRead MoreThe Abstract Of Figurative Language Essay1674 Words   |  7 Pagesgeneralizations of poetry, and not all poems are pragmatic nonsense so I must clarify. When I speak of poetry and art, I am speaking specifically about the figurative language used within them--language that disallows its readers to create internal representations. Going by representational theory, and a modernist approach, figurative language in poetry would fail to be perceived and would not present its â€Å"unique truth,† and thus be â€Å"bad art.† The representational theory states that for every uniqueRead MoreHangman Figurative Language907 Words   |  4 Pagesare present at the event, but choose to not take part in it. They often feel remorse for the sufferer, yet would not lend a hand in fear of becoming one. In â€Å"The Hangman†, a narrative poem by Maurice Ogden, and Eve Bunting’s â€Å"Terrible Things†,figurative language is used to emphasize the significance of bystanders. These literary devices help develop several cruel yet irrefutable themes. In summary, Maurice Ogden’s poem tells the tale of a Hangman who methodically terminates an entire town withoutRead MoreBraveheart Figurative Language1522 Words   |  7 Pages Wu 1 Raymond Wu Instructor: Ian Patrick Cresswell English 100 – 03 22 March 2016 MLA Braveheart Speech: In-depth Analysis Regarding Figurative Language Braveheart is a historical drama epic film from 1995. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five. The film is non-fictional and depicts the events of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the Scots during the First War of Scottish Independence against England. However, despite the historical inaccuracies cited by criticsRead MoreFigurative Language In Literary Texts997 Words   |  4 Pagesparticular, poetry, can evade translation through their culture-specific and figurative language, as well as language origin. It will also explain how other texts, particularly non-fiction, lend themselves more easily to translation due to the literalness they contain, enabling the original to be brought over to a new language more or less word-for-word. This essay will argue that, whilst the use of figurative language in literary texts is more resistant to translation, the use of a suitable translatorRead MoreFigurative Language in Romeo and Juliet1470 Words   |  6 PagesM arder----------------- Language corresponds to countless appellations, as the expresser of thought and ultimate origin of philosophy, influencing the world of knowledge with its astonishing qualities. The very essence of cooperation and communication relies eternally on the inspired art of language, without which any possible human development could occur. Furthermore, the perception of verbal communication splits between two realms, reality and literature, constituting two linguistic variations, figurative and literal

Monday, December 9, 2019

Band Of Angels Essay Research Paper Band free essay sample

Band Of Angels Essay, Research Paper Band of Angels As the rubric of this fresh races through my head I image a beautiful immature miss populating a peaceable life. As the narrative line unfolds the reader is trapped in a universe of incredulity and choler. The chief character, Amantha Starr, shows the reader that life is non ever what it seems to be. On a plantation near Danville, Kentucky, Amantha grew up cognizing merely the love of her male parent, Aaron Pendleton Starr. Turning up as a motherless kid many would believe that she was lost to the universe, but her male parent and Aunt Sukie made certain that she ever had whatever her bosom desired. Amantha, besides called Manty, remembered a scene from her childhood where her male parent sold a slave. The slave was a beloved friend to Manty, and it was hard for the miss to understand why the slave was sold. Her male parent doesn T like to speak about it and so the kid grows up non cognizing why. In August of 1852 Amantha s father decides it was clip for her to travel to school. On the trip they stopped in Cincinnati where Manty run into Miss Idell, her male parent s crack at the clip. Miss Idell took Manty shopping for new school apparels and such. Manty enjoyed every minute with the lovely adult female. Subsequently that hebdomad Manty is sent to Oberlin, Ohio where she is to go to school. She stayed with an n older lady called Mrs. Turpin. On the first twenty-four hours of categories Mrs. Turpin, being the godly adult female that she was, cut the beautiful frills from Manty frock stating that to be beautiful was to be vain. Over the class of several old ages Manty excessively came to believe this. On a trip place Manty tried to convice her male parent to liberate the slave at Starrwood, the household plantation. He would non make so, stating that even if he did they would hold no where to travel and he would still hold to feed them. Manty experiencing injury returned to sc hool. Some hebdomads subsequently a missive came stating that Amantha s male parent had died. She rushed to her male parent s graveside. At Amantha s weakest clip her universe falls to the land. A adult male comes to her male parent s graveside inquiring many inquiries about her and her household. Knowing nil of her female parent the Manty turns to a household friend to assist her. The adult male told her that her female parent had been a slave to Aaron Starr. During childbearing the adult female died go forthing the babe behind. Aaron took the kid and raised it cognizing that the kid was of his blood. Never thought of the miss as a slave Aaron rise her in his place. The adult male stopped speaking as the alien asked for Amantha s documents. Not cognizing what to make she inquire Aunt Sukie if there were any documents. At the clip of his decease Amantha s male parent had neer given her the proper documents of freedom. At Amantha s clip of hurting for her male parent s decease she was taken unknowly into the barbarous universe of bondage. The alien took Amantha to a adult male that was traveling to transport her to New Orleans to be sold. Manty was sold to a adult male named Hamish Bond, a affluent landholder. Knowing nil of her past the adult male took her to his place where she lived many old ages. Amantha was neer forced into working the evidences because she was far excessively reasonably. Alternatively Amantha lived a peaceable life inside the house where nil was asked of her. She became good friends with many of the other slaves and shortly became a friend to Hamish Bond himself. Over the class of many old ages they became lovers of a kind. Manty neer quiet understood this adult male. Did he love her or was he merely utilizing her? That inquiry was answered when Manty throws a fit about him selling her because she could non stand his kindness any longer. Hamish attempts to direct her off but in the terminal he moves her to another plantation of his. Amantha and Hamish live at that place for several old ages. Dur ing that clip the war breaks out. As the soldiers draw closer to them Hamish sets Amantha free. With her new found freedom Manty lives in a little flat type place in town. There she meets Seth, an old friend from school, who has joined the ground forces. She besides meets Captain Tobias Sears who is besides a friend of Seth s. After many long months of wooing Amantha and Tobias get married. They live a happy and peaceable life together for many old ages. Tobias was still in the ground forces and still had to go forth her quiet frequently for concern trips. Over the old ages Manty and Tobias fell apart from each other. Not cognizing what had gone incorrectly. Amantha being who she was fall ining the black side of the war. Not wishing what she saw she shortly returned place. I guess she merely wanted to cognize what it felt like to be in that sort of state of affairs. Upon her return she learned that Tobias was sick and rushed to be by his side. For many old ages to come Amantha and Tobias fight to maintain their lives together, but in the terminal they find each other and travel on with their lives. Amantha had a large alteration in her life. She did non allow her difficult times cover the good times that she remembered. Having eventually found herself though the aid of her one true love, Tobias, Amantha lived out the remainder of her life knowing that even though one might hold difficult times come their manner ; the goods times will ever demo through.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Metamorphous, Relating To A Personal Incident Essays -

Metamorphous, Relating To A Personal Incident Twenty minutes had past since I was set on to the table to dry. I did not want to dwell upon my fears which were inevitable to occur, so I could do nothing but observe all the minute details that were once so trivial and overlooked but now seemed to be of such great importance. The first thing to catch my eye was the lighting in the room, I was not sure if the lights were set to be dim or if it was from all the clouds of exhaled smoke which also left a distinct smell of the burnt herb. To my left I saw the many burnt out roaches in the ash tray, which at this point could hold nothing more. To the far right I saw a sandwich bag which was now packed with nothing but broken branches and seeds. It was obvious what used to be inside. I looked toward the door and saw the towel that plugged it so no smoke would get out in the hall. On the dresser I saw what I think they called a steam roller. The most horrid device that I had ever used. I looked at the cylindrical tube, that once used to be a transparent red but now had become a solid maroon from all the smoke which stained the plastic, and noticed its simplicity. It looks like nothing more than a plastic pipe that was only about one and a half inches in diameter and only about six inches long. The bowl which rested on top could have been easily assembled at a hardware store. It amazes me how something could be so simple but still so destructive. One of the people in the room slowly approached me as the effects of his artificial happiness wore away. His trembling hands somehow managed to embrace me by my head and lay me to rest upon his lower lip. Before his upper lip came to rest upon the top of my head I opened my eyes and peered into his mouth using what little light I had. In all my like I had never thought I would again see what I had saw for those few seconds. His tongue was stained black. It was not totally black as if it was coated with tar but it had a slight tint on both the sides, almost purple. Just as I started to realize what I was seeing and what was going on I felt his top lip seal my freedom away. I started to feel a strong burning sensation at my bottom where my toes once were. When I heard the sound of buds start to crack I knew what was occurring, the beginning of my end. As I laded there helplessly I began to feel large amounts of smoke pulse quickly up my shaft of a body till finally ejaculated in his mouth like a penis reaching climax. Next the vacuum began. I started to become faint as he forced more and more smoke out my upper opening. And I knew the more smoke that ran through me meant the more I was decreasing in size. Then the young boy could hold no more smoke in his lungs he pulled me away from his lips and held me tight with his thumb underneath my head and his forefinger and middle-finger embracing my top. Then he tilted his head back and instead of forcing the smoke out he just let it flow by itself. It amazed me to see such beautiful shapes form from something that would bring the end to this poor souls existence. He then brought me back to his mouth and began to take my sweat poison deep into his exhausted lungs at this point I was almost all gone. I had become a small roach with a long tail of ash. I had one last long drag left in me. As he tool me in I knew it was the end of both of us... As Cas and I rode up the elevator I could see that he had been anticipating to come up here all week. Every weekend it was

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Geography of the Northern Hemisphere

Geography of the Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the northern half of the Earth. It begins at 0Â ° or the equator and continues north until it reaches 90Â °N latitude or the North Pole. The word hemisphere itself specifically means half of a sphere, and since the earth is considered an oblate sphere, a hemisphere is half. Geography and Climate Like the Southern Hemisphere, the Northern Hemisphere has a varied topography and climate. However, there is more land in the Northern Hemisphere so it is even more varied and this plays a role in the weather patterns and climate there. The land in the Northern Hemisphere consists of all of Europe, North America and Asia, a portion of South America, two-thirds of the African continent and a very small portion of the Australian continent with islands in New Guinea. Winter in the Northern Hemisphere lasts from around December 21 (the winter solstice) to the vernal equinox around March 20. Summer lasts from the summer solstice around June 21 to the autumnal equinox around September 21. These dates are due to the Earths axial tilt. From the period of December 21 to March 20, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, and during the June 21 to September 21 interval, it is tilted toward the sun. To aid in studying its climate, the Northern Hemisphere is divided into several different climatic regions. The Arctic is the area that is north of the Arctic Circle at 66.5Â °N. It has a climate with very cold winters and cool summers. In the winter, it is in complete darkness for 24 hours per day and in the summer it receives 24 hours of sunlight. South of the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of Cancer is the Northern Temperate Zone. This climatic area features mild summers and winters, but specific areas within the zone can have very different climatic patterns. For example, the southwestern United States features an arid desert climate with very hot summers, while the state of Florida in the southeastern U.S. features a humid subtropical climate with a rainy season and mild winters. The Northern Hemisphere also encompasses a portion of the Tropics between the Tropic of Cancer and the equator. This area is usually hot all year and has a rainy summer season. The Coriolis Effect An important component of the Northern Hemispheres physical geography is the Coriolis Effect and the specific direction that objects are deflected in the northern half of the Earth. In the northern hemisphere, any object moving over the Earths surface deflects to the right. Because of this, any large patterns in air or water turn clockwise north of the equator. For example, there are many large ocean gyres in the North Atlantic and North Pacific- all of which turn clockwise. In the Southern Hemisphere, these directions are reversed because objects are deflected to the left. In addition, the right deflection of objects impacts the flows of air over the Earth and air pressure systems. A high-pressure system, for example, is an area where the atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the surrounding area. In the Northern Hemisphere, these move clockwise because of the Coriolis Effect. By contrast, low-pressure systems or areas where atmospheric pressure is less than that of the surrounding area move counterclockwise because of the Coriolis Effect in the Northern Hemisphere. Population Because the Northern Hemisphere has more land area than the Southern Hemisphere it should also be noted that the majority of Earths population and its largest cities are also in its northern half. Some estimates say that the Northern Hemisphere is approximately 39.3% land, while the Southern half is only 19.1% land. Reference Wikipedia. (13 June 2010). Northern Hemisphere - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hemisphere

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Why Dickens Wrote A Christmas Carol

Why Dickens Wrote A Christmas Carol A  Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of the most beloved works of 19th century literature, and the storys enormous popularity helped make Christmas a major holiday in Victorian Britain. When Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in late 1843, he had ambitious purposes in mind, yet he could never have imagined the profound impact his story would have. Dickens had already achieved great fame, yet his most recent novel wasnt selling well and he feared his success had peaked. Indeed, he faced some serious financial problems as Christmas 1843 approached. Beyond his own worries, Dickens was keenly attuned to the profound misery of the working poor in England. A visit to the grimy industrial city of Manchester motivated him to tell the story of a greedy businessman, Ebenezer Scrooge, who would be transformed by the Christmas spirit. Dickens rushed A Christmas Carol into print by Christmas 1843, and it became a phenomenon. The Impact of 'A Christmas Carol' The book was immediately popular with the public, becoming perhaps the most famous literary work associated with Christmas. It elevated the popularity of Christmas, which wasnt the major holiday we know, and established the idea of Christmas charity toward those less fortunate.Dickens intended the story as a strong condemnation of greed, and the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge provided a popular optimistic message.Scrooge became one of the most famous characters in literature.Dickens himself became associated with Christmas in the public mind.A Christmas Carol was transformed into stage plays and later films and television productions. Career Crisis Dickens had achieved popularity with his first novel, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, which was serialized from mid-1836 to late 1837. Known today as The Pickwick Papers, the novel was filled with comic characters the British public found charming. In the following years Dickens wrote more novels: 1838: Oliver Twist1839: Nicholas Nickleby1841: The Old Curiosity Shop1841: Barnaby Rudge Dickens reached literary superstar status with The Old Curiosity Shop, as readers on both sides of the Atlantic became obsessed with Little Nell. An enduring legend is that New Yorkers eager for the next installment would stand on the dock and yell out to passengers on incoming British packet liners, asking if Little Nell was still alive. Preceded by his fame, Dickens visited America for several months in 1842. He didnt much enjoy his visit, and he put his negative observations into a book, American Notes, which alienated many American fans. Dickens was offended by American manners (or lack thereof), and he restricted his visit to the North, as he was so offended by slavery that he wouldnt venture into the South beyond a foray into Virginia. He paid attention to working conditions, visiting mills and factories. In New York, New York, he exhibited his keen interest in the poorer classes by visiting Five Points, a notorious slum neighborhood. Back in England, he began writing a new novel, Martin Chuzzlewit. Despite his earlier success, Dickens found himself owing money to his publisher, and his new novel was not selling well as a serial. Fearful that his career was declining, Dickens desperately wanted to write something that would be very popular with the public. A Form of Protest Beyond his personal reasons for writing A Christmas Carol, Dickens felt a strong need to comment on the enormous gap between the rich and poor in Victorian Britain. On the night of Oct. 5, 1843, Dickens gave a speech in Manchester, England, at a benefit for the Manchester Athenaeum, an organization that brought education and culture to the working masses. Dickens, who was 31 at the time, shared the stage with Benjamin Disraeli, a novelist who would later become Britains prime minister. Addressing the working-class residents of Manchester affected Dickens deeply. Following his speech he took a long walk, and while thinking of the plight of exploited child workers he conceived the idea for A Christmas Carol. Returning to London, Dickens took more walks late at night, working out the story in his head. The miser Ebenezer Scrooge would be visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Marley, and also the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Finally seeing the error of his greedy ways, Scrooge would celebrate Christmas and give a raise to the employee he had been exploiting, Bob Cratchit. Dickens wanted the book to be available by Christmas. He wrote it with astonishing speed, finishing it in six weeks while also continuing to write installments of Martin Chuzzlewit. Countless Readers Touched When the book appeared, just before Christmas, it was immediately popular with the reading public as well as with critics. British author William Makepeace Thackeray, who later rivaled Dickens as a writer of Victorian novels, wrote that A Christmas Carol was a national benefit, and to every man or woman who reads it, a personal kindness. The story of Scrooges redemption touched readers deeply, and the message Dickens wanted to convey of concern for those less fortunate struck a deep chord. The Christmas holiday began to be seen as a time for family celebrations and charitable giving. There is little doubt that Dickens story and its widespread popularity helped Christmas become established as a major holiday in Victorian Britain. Popularity Has Lasted A Christmas Carol has never gone out of print. Before the decade ended, it was adapted for the stage, and Dickens performed public readings from it. On Dec. 10, 1867, The New York Times published a glowing review of a reading of A Christmas Carol Dickens had delivered at Steinway Hall in New York City: When he came to the introduction of characters and to dialogue, the reading changed to acting, and Mr. Dickens here showed a remarkable and peculiar power. Old Scrooge seemed present; every muscle of his face, and every tone of his harsh and domineering voice revealed his character. Dickens died in 1870, but  A Christmas Carol lived on. Stage plays based on it were produced for decades, and eventually films and television productions kept the story of Scrooge alive. Scrooge, described as a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone at the beginning of the tale, famously snapped Bah! Humbug! at a nephew who wished him a merry Christmas. Near the end of the story, Dickens wrote of Scrooge: It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Two sides on branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Two sides on branding - Essay Example Naomi Klein's book,as it title implies is a criticism to the proliferation of branding strategies launched by business organisations in order to capture customers.The selection lifted from her book outlined the evolution of branding-from its earliest beginning, downfall, recovery, and recent expansion.The concept of branding, according to Klein, began with the company's recognition that production is not the main core of their operations but marketing. The earliest proponents of marketing like Nike and Microsoft stated that manufacturing is only an "incidental" part of their operations and that they are not selling "products" but "images of their brands." This early beginnings started a new age of branding previously homogenous, mass-produced commodities replacing the old shopkeeper who traditionally scoops out generic products like sugar, flour, and cereal in barrels. The popularity of Dr. Brown, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Old Grand Dad became synonymous with the ascent of branded generic commodities.However, the death of branding came one Marlboro Friday as Phillip Morris is threatened by the intense competition from lower priced unbranded competitors. With this happening, a dramatic shift in customers' buying behavior was illustrated-from prestige to price consciousness.The article concluded with the "rebirth" and expansion of branding. This phenomenon was lead by established companies like Body Shop and Starbucks which were able to safeguard and even expand their market share by investing in their brand images. These, together with other successful companies like Nike, began the more rapid proliferation of branded products which does not only market the attributes of the product by created a "concept" to establish an "emotional connection" with its clients. Naomi Klein concluded that with this age of branding, customers are easily manipulated by branding tactics as marketers can establish a good brand even with the lowliest products. She argued that instead of focusing on production and improving products, companies are embarking and spending time, effort, and money in creating a good brand for which they ask customers for a premium. The Economist-Who's Wearing the Trousers The article lifted from the Economist, hold an antagonistic position on Naomi Klein's book. Though it also recognizes the good arguments raced by Klein, the Economist offer a very different view on what the first author referred to as "brand bullies." Basically, the article presented in the Economist can be summed up into two points-the first one being the exaggeration of Naomi Klein's argument on the power of brands, and the second one on the manipulation of the customers by the branding strategies of the large corporations. The Economist recognizes the importance of brands in selling a company's products. However, it claims that Klien's article exaggerated the role of branding in the strategies of the large business organizations. The article proved this by citing the case of the companies who spent bulk of financial resources in creating a good brand only to fail. As the company treats a "brand" as one of its primary assets, a brand can also be regarded as liability as it makes a company highly responsible in the damages which it can give to customers. Customer loyalty is not only rooted on their perception on brand. This is evidenced by the recent research which shows that customers of all ages shift from brand to brand. This also strengthens the claim of the Economist claim that customers are not highly manipulated by company's branding tactics. It is also irrefutable that companies' are spending a lot of money to retain their customers and develop their products to safeguard their brand. Between the Two Articles Naomi Klein and the Economist hold two seemingly different arguments about branding, company's performance, and customers. The two articles summarized above show some same

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

British Welfare State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

British Welfare State - Essay Example This essay discusses that for those in power, it had the benefits of gaining socialist support. Not only liberal politicians but both Lloyd George and Churchill encouraged social policy as a means of avoiding socialism and when labor came into power they were criticised for, ‘failing to introduce a distinctively socialist policy in the field of education.’The government response to poverty in the 1940s is the culmination of different attempts to overcome and replace the Poor Law since the 1820s. The legislation before the 1940s is similar in character to the legislation in the 1940s. It is so similar that most historians and even those bringing about the new laws have commented on the welfare state being just a socially acceptable version of the Poor Law. In addition, the Acts passed can be shown to be a result of the political maneuverings and practical responses to the events of that decade. However, there are some revolutionary aspects that lie behind the governmentâ €™s response. These are the fundamental changes in the perception and understanding of the nature of mankind, the state and the relationship between them. The state took on a responsibility for welfare that involved a greater involvement in its citizen’s lives. Furthermore, the general definition of poverty expanded to include everyone in need, not just those who could not subsist. Beveridge’s report is revolutionary as being the first completely planned social document which envisages Disease, Idleness, Want, Squalor and Ignorance as being the state’s responsibility.... All the features of liberal social policy were actually already covered by the older law yet the reorganisation made using the services socially acceptable. 'A person who was sick, hungry, unemployed or old could in fact turn to the Poor Law for help, and almost all the categories of social need for which the Liberals were now catering for were already being dealt with by the Poor Law Guardians.' (Fraser, 162) Significantly Beveridge himself formulated his proposals around, 'the pre-war system of contributory insurance No other system was seriously considered on the ground that it would be a 'departure from existing practice''. (Lowe, The Welfare State in Britain since 1945, 122) Chronological development before the Welfare State Moreover, the policy developments in the 1940s look like the result of the increasing intervention of the state in issues of welfare alongside the increasing awareness of poverty that had been taking place since the 1830s. The search for a replacement for the Poor Law began as early as the 1820s. In 1834 a report on the law was published investigating and suggesting solutions for the escalating problems of the Poor Law. Moreover in the 1840s a society of doctors envisaged a system of free health care. Movement later in that century began to provide assistance, outwith the Poor Law, for the sick and temporarily unemployed. This was through the Medical Relief Act (1885) and Chamberlain's Circular (1886). Here were the beginnings of assistance from a source outside of the Poor Law. This is the drift which could still be recognised in 1940s policy. More legislation was passed at the beginning of the twentieth century including more and more people in

Sunday, November 17, 2019

History Comparison Betwen Mexican and African Americans Essay Example for Free

History Comparison Betwen Mexican and African Americans Essay The history of Mexican Americans is comparable to that of African Americans: filled with stories of conquest, racism, and discriminatory acts posed by society. The past has triggered Chicanos to fight back against injustices, in hopes of reforming immoral treatment, and emerging as an equal part of America’s society. The Chicano movement yielded some successes in this aspect. However, mass media and stereotypes confirm the notion that Mexican Americans are still viewed as a â€Å"lesser† people. This stems from the long-established concept of racial stratification. In this case, it indicates that Anglo-Americans have hierarchy over Mexican Americans. Consequently, discrimination towards Chicanos is still prevalent, despite ongoing efforts by activists for change. This nation was socially molded based on the idea that there is a hierarchy of races, and as long as that idea exists, Mexican Americans will continue to suffer inequality. In â€Å"Sexual Violence in the Politics of Conquest’, Castaneda explores the sexual crimes against Amerindian women during the Spanish conquest of Alta California. The soldiers accompanying the missionaries on the settlement raped and violated the native women openly. There were many incidents before rules were set to govern the matter, but even after the rapes continued to occur. One court case recorded in 1773 indicates that there was no intention to grant justice to the victims. The natives took matters into their own hands and formed forces to seek their own justice (similar to Chicano activist groups that seek reform for discrimination), but to no avail. Castaneda goes on to explain that the actions of the soldiers were not farfetched from practices of Western civilization (27-28). Because these dark crimes were normal for the dominant culture, they were automatically imposed on the natives, who were supposed to accept this without resistance. This is similar to Mexican Americans during the Chicano movement, who were not given equal opportunities for education and employment because they were not in the central group. In both situations, the majority emasculates the men and oppresses the women of the minority. The idea of hierarchy is apparent in this passage; Catholic missionaries try to strip the natives of their culture and convert them to value Western practices because they consider themselves the ‘prominent’ people. The history of the Chicano Movement can date back to the Manifest Destiny. In the 1840s, the United States planned to expand its territory and take Mexico, which had become independent from Spain. In reporting these events, Leo Cervantes notes the attitude of superiority that the Americans displayed in their imperialist plan. He notes one adherent’s thoughts, who asked â€Å"why resign this beautiful country to the custody of the ignorant cowards who have ruled for the last 25 years? † (13). Cervantes also quotes Thomas Jefferson, who has similar views of the matter, and promoted â€Å"policies of non-miscegenation† during the expansion (14). Even before Anglo-Americans were acquainted with Mexicans, they held predisposed opinions of contempt for them. As I suggested, Arturo Rosales agrees, â€Å"An underlying cause for the hostility Anglo-Americans felt for Mexicans was a preexisting ideology of racism† (5). These preconceived notions of Mexican Americans were the beginning of negative stereotypes attached to them. Today Chicanos are often represented in the media as uneducated thugs, loose women, or undocumented workers. Even whites who claim they are not racist may practice aversive racism by absorbing the images portrayed in media. It is this ideology of racism has contributed to discrimination over the years and inversely, the building of the Chicano Movement. The movement flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, feeding off other civil rights movements, particularly the African American movement. Both African American civil rights activists and Chicano activist protested the unlawful repression of minorities in America. They protested the terrible education system, police brutality, and denial of economic opportunities. Arturo Rosales compares Chicano activist, Cesar Chavez to Martin Luther King. It is expected that on this path to address the plight and repression of their people, Chicanos were met with resistance from White Americans. Rosales notes that police officers and other uniformed officials â€Å"were employed to suppress manifestations of discontent and did so using violence† (xv). It can be suggested that Anglo-Americans considered Chicanos a threat to the racial hierarchy, so they took action. Cervantes supports this theory, quoting Brooks Adams who said, â€Å"When a highly centralized society disintegrates, under the pressure of economics condition, it is because the energy of the race has been exhausted (18). This point illustrates the pressure Anglo-Americans felt to keep superiority over Mexicans. The American achievement ideology suggests four points: Anyone can make it. American society is fair and open. Success is based on merit. Moreover, inequality is the result of differences in ability and ambition. This ideology contradicts the apparent effects of a racial hierarchy. Stratification of races has formed structural discrimination among minorities, specifically, Mexican and African Americans. The poor education, poor neighborhoods, and badly equipped jobs that these minorities are subjected to prevent them from achieving upward mobility. However, white America still neglects to acknowledge these factors. Historian, Oscar Lewis, believed that people living in poverty are to blame for their own situation, yet minorities’ history in America consists of repression and treatment as inferior beings. There is no questioning it; racial classes have been socially constructed and this has directly affected minorities. The Chicano Movement has led to some advances for Mexican American such as the growing numbers of Latinos attending school, and raise concerns about unequal treatment to Chicanos. However, because underlying values of America are products of a deep-rooted, corrupt social structure, issue of prejudice will continue to exist.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Utopian Society in Shakespeares The Tempest :: essays research papers

The study of Shakespeare’s The Tempest raises many questions as to its interpretation. Many believe that this play shows Shakespeare’s views on the colonization of the new world whereas others believe that this is a play about the ever elusive â€Å"Utopian Society†. I believe that this is a play about the European views of society and savagery at that time. I also believe that, if this is true, the play doesn’t portray a â€Å"conventional† view of native peoples. Shakespeare shows this by having Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan and Usurping ruler of the island, call Caliban, â€Å"A devil, a born devil on whose nature nurture can never stick† but then having Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, say â€Å"I pitied thee, took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour one thing or another.† Prospero is saying that Caliban is a â€Å"savage† who can not be educated, yet we hear that Miranda has taught him to speak, amongst other things. This gives a conflicting view over the character of Caliban. Is he an â€Å"uncivilised savage† or is he a â€Å"normal† human being? The treatment of Caliban could be seen as a representation of the colonisation of the new world, (The Americas) and the treatment of the native Americans. However, the critic Meradith Anne Skura believes the opposite, â€Å"We have no external evidence that seventeenth century audiences thought the play referred to the new world.† This interpretation of the play places more emphasis upon the character of the spirit Ariel, who could also be considered as a native of the island. Prospero frees Ariel from a tree and then enslaves the spirit to do his bidding under the promise of total freedom. Caliban’s main speech (1.2.331-344) reveals the nature of his enslavement and treatment, â€Å"Here you sty me in this hard rock, whiles you do keep me from the rest o’th’island.† Though it is not clear, it seems to me as though Prospero has imprisoned Caliban in a cave and is keeping him from the rest of the island. The reason for this treatment is much clearer , as Prospero tells us, â€Å"I have used thee, filth as thou art, with human care, and lodged thee in mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate the honour of my child.† This tells us that Caliban has tried to rape Miranda at some point and that Prospero treated Caliban much better before the attempted rape occurred.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Jew in a Christian society Essay

Miss Daisy is a 72 year old widow living alone. She is a woman of strong will and values her independence. After having an accident backing out of her garage, her son, Boolie, insists on hiring a driver for her. Daisy resists this wish as she wants to be in control of her own life. Boolie is 40 years old and has taken over his father’s printing company. Boolie takes good care of his mother, but sometimes neglects to take into account her feelings. When he disagrees with her, he will generally override her opinion without thinking about what she wants or why she wants it. Boolie hires Hoke Coleburn to be Miss Daisy’s driver. Hoke is a 60 year old, African American. He is extremely patient with Miss Daisy despite her prejudice and stubborn behavior. Hoke is willing to stand up for himself when he feels his dignity is at stake. Both, Daisy and Hoke have preconceived notions about race. They are both very stubborn but have different ways of expressing it. Daisy verbally protests, as she did when Boolie hired Hoke. Hoke doesn’t verbalize his protests, but will take firm action. Daisy makes demands and Hoke ignores them and continues on his chosen path. The relationships that exist between Daisy and Hoke is that of employer/employee. In the position of employer, Miss Daisy maintains power over Hoke and controls his environment. She is also white, which provides an even greater sense of power, particularly in the south in the 1940s and 1950s. Miss Daisy doesn’t trust Hoke or any blacks for that matter. Miss Daisy has deep seated prejudice but does not acknowledge it, as it is simply part of her society. As an independent, educated, white Jewish woman in the south, Daisy is a formidable force. Hoke is a black, uneducated, unemployed man in the south. Daisy’s life is changing however. She has become physically vulnerable due to age. Socially she is a Jew in a predominantly Christian society. When Boolie hires Hoke as her driver, Miss Daisy loses her independence and she is dependent on Hoke for transportation. In this moment, Boolie demonstrates that he has become a decision maker for Daisy. Although he cares for his mother, by not listening to her or taking her feelings into account, he is losing her trust. Daisy finds herself thrust into a position where she must be cared for by people she doesn’t trust (Hoke). She is no longer making her own decisions. Being placed in a position of vulnerability, and not being able to trust those who care for you, Daisy struggles with her position. When Daisy first meets Hoke, she dislikes him, both because he is African American and because she resents his presence in her home. However, Miss Daisy and Hoke do form a relationship and do in fact become friends. They share something in common. They are both aging and both have some vulnerability in the environment in which they coexist, Daisy as a Jew and Hoke as an African American. Though their relationship is strained at the beginning, they do take steps that promote closeness and trust. They share crucial similarities, yet their differences allow them the opportunity to learn from each other and enrich their lives. Hoke and Daisy are dependent on each other. Daisy needs to be able to get around and Hoke needs employment. It takes Daisy some time to succumb to the pressure of Boolie and allow Hoke to drive her somewhere, but she finally gives in. Daisy tries to maintain the upper hand on this drive, telling Hoke where to drive, where to turn, even when she has simply forgotten or age has challenged her memory. Hoke, rather than challenging her, does what he needs to do and allows her to believe she is right. Hoke does â€Å"listen† to Daisy, and understands her needs. He is honest with her when needed, but always in a quiet and respectful manner. He is loyal to her. He is there for her when her son, Boolie, is not. Hoke demonstrates his loyalty and friendship when he drives to her home on the night of an ice storm, when the road were slick, because he knows she is alone. Daisy allows Hoke to share intimate moments of her life, a sign of trust. When Hoke drives her to the cemetery, Daisy realizes that Hoke cannot read. Daisy teaches him to read and provides to Hoke a new status in the world, while Hoke teaches the her about human rights and wrongs. Their trip to Mobile, they both open up and share intimate stories with each other, the kind you only share with a friend. On this trip, Hoke also realizes how much Daisy needs him and is afraid to be without him. This â€Å"otherness† helped Daisy and Hoke to form a meaningful, lasting friendship that is mutually beneficial. Daisy strengthens Hoke’s inner world, giving him access to the world that she has known and the one that will bring greater self-respect, such as a steady income, a car, and the ability to read. Hoke strengthens Daisy’s outer world, helping her to become a better person, one who can move beyond her proscribed point of view and embrace concepts, such as civil rights, that will bring positive change to others. Boolie, though a competent business man, is challenged in his own right. Concerned by the racial inequalities in the business world and the perception of him by others, remains vulnerable. He has exerted power over his mother, making decisions for her, but maintains a great deal of responsibility for the family business that he has been entrusted with. Boolie is stressed, trying to maintain a business that his father had created and trying to care for his mother. Great relationships were established through the story of â€Å"Driving Miss Daisy. † The underlying issue of trust, on Miss Daisy’s part, had an impact on their relationship. She didn’t want to trust Hoke. It wasn’t natural for her to do so. Her continual questioning of the value of Hoke’s life and others like him (blacks), served as a reminder to him that he was subservient. Hoke persevered, and won her heart, despite the color of his skin and the lack of education. Hoke became her best friend. He was there when no one else was. He listened to her. Through his actions, Hoke became a leader, teaching Daisy the value of their relationship and the value of people, no matter their color of skin. He did this by being honest, respectful, and responding to her needs. He was her best friend. Boolie, though a responsible and caring man, could have furthered his relationship with his mother. He could have and should have listened to her concerns and worked with her to find answers that were meaningful for her. Daisy could have empowered Boolie and Hoke to make better decisions by communicating in a way that acknowledged their concerns and demonstrated her needs as well. Boolie’s focus was on his business and the business community. Daisy could have acknowledged that it must be difficult to take over your father’s business, particularly as a Jew in a Christian society. The discrimination that occurred among all of them, black or Jew, was a common element that could have strengthened their relationships and their ties with the world around them. The relationships they shared were hampered by their lack of belief and trust in the other and their lack of communication. Daisy was failing and prejudiced against the blacks. Hoke was uneducated and prejudiced, although in a positive way, against the Jews. Boolie had his mind made up about what was right and good for his mother, despite her wishes. Given the situation and the time that this story occurred in, each of the characters has equally believable parts and an equally believable resolution. Each of them could have seen benefits from further trust and communication.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Love Cycle Essay

The rain starts pouring that particular early evening. Other students run towards buildings for shelter, but I do not notice the cold. How I feel is more overpowering than the disgust I would have felt for me getting soaked at any other time. My feet automatically stop right next to the bench where I have first seen her. That was what, more than a year ago, and I have not seen her for six months now. My beautiful, sweet Angie. Nothing could have prepared me for that one, fateful night when I passed by the same spot on my way home and, against the darkness of the park, I noticed a girl with her head bowed, her arms propped against the bench, and her hair covering her face. It was raining then, too, and that forlorn figure got me worried in spite of myself. So I had approached where she sat, and carefully asked, â€Å"Uhm, miss? † She did not look up. Maybe she was a stone sculpture, until I heard a hiccup. â€Å"Miss, are you OK? It’s raining and, uh, it’s kind of dark here. † The girl slowly sat upright until she was looking at me directly. I swear I heard angels singing when she trained those eyes on me. But they were sad, tear-stained eyes. I could not help thinking what possibly made such beautiful girl cry. Yes, she was beautiful even with the dark stains in her cheeks. Despite the situation, the guy in me just could not stop checking her out. She looked tall and slender. Her hair was long, almost reaching her elbow. She had these thin eyebrows, the kind I usually looked at in women. They made her eyes look bigger and God, didn’t she have the longest eyelashes. What guy wouldn’t fall for a woman who looks like her? My scrutiny halted when she muttered, almost inaudibly, â€Å"I’m OK. † Her voice sounded sweet to my ears. I have never been a picky person, except when it comes to women. I can eat anything, anyone can be my friend, but I can never just pick out one woman from the crowd and pursue her ‘til she say that sweet ‘Yes. ’ I guess maybe that’s the reason why I fell hopelessly in love with Angie. She just appeared into my life without warning, and she never sent any signal to my direction that she likes me, too. A week after that incident, I was forced to do some researching at the main library. By any choice, I would have chosen to play hoops with the guys, but my grade was on the line. Little did I know that I’d see her for the second time, in the library. The funny thing was we were obviously looking for the same thing because we reached for an old book at the same time. When we looked at each other, I found out it was her. She must have recognized me because she tentatively smiled. â€Å"Uh, go ahead,† I said, ever the gentleman. She took the book and said, â€Å"I guess there’s only this copy here. By the way, I’m Angie. You were that guy. † It made me smile because she did remember. â€Å"Yeah! I’m Skip. † When she looked puzzled, I added, â€Å"Actually it’s Steven, but I’m usually called Skip. † It was a year ago now, but I can still remember the way she smiled when we studied that book, or the way her face lit up whenever she talked. Eventually we became friends as we found out we had the same teacher but a different schedule on a subject. That friendship entitled me to see her everyday and talk with her. As days and months passed, I became more attached to Angie. Sometimes I would decline my mates’ invitation for one basketball game just so I could accompany Angie to wherever she wanted to go. I found out that I immensely enjoyed her company because we have so many things in common. We both grew up in a broken family; she lived with her father, while I grew up with my mother. The comfort we found in each other after talking about a similar experience drew us ever closer. It dawned on me one day that I have fallen in love with Angie. Every time she’s away, it creates a hollow feeling that only she can fill. Even my friends noticed the change in me. I was too afraid to let her know. The last time I pursued a girl, she turned me down even before I could ask her. I felt that it might happen the second time around with Angie. That would surely crush my heart, or any chances of her and me ending up together. More days passed. I got the shock of my life when one night, while I was at the apartment studying with my friends, she came barging into the room wearing the biggest, most beautiful smile. I was imagining her telling me, â€Å"Skip, I just found out that I could not live without you! † Instead, she told me and everyone else, â€Å"Skip! My goodness, you wouldn’t believe this! Will finally asked me! † I frowned upon hearing that name. I only met Will once or twice, and it didn’t dawn on me that he was pursuing my Angie, too. I didn’t even know if the two dated. After Angie told me about him, I felt like the world was crushing me. Would she have worn the same, big, beautiful smile if I asked her? Probably not. I died when she next announced, â€Å"Skip, he asked me. How could I not say yes? We dated a few times but we always see each other during Math II and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I no longer heard the rest of it because I stood up and, without saying anything, locked myself in my room. I didn’t hear her knocking, nor her voice pleading me to come out and tell her what’s wrong. The erratic beating of my barely functioning heart was too loud for me to hear anything. What Angie said, it was like a dagger. After all this time, I’ve been building my courage to finally tell her how I feel. But she beat me to it, with a very cruel message. Anger, regret, and resentment rolled up until I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted to shout, to hurt myself. But how could I rewind the time, back to the days when I was on the verge of professing to her? I never felt so bad in my life, not even the way I feel about my last unfortunate episode with a girl can compare. I have loved Angie, so much in fact that I can give up anything. I nurtured this feeling until it blossomed into full-blown love that is far from what any man can comprehend. I wanted her back. I wanted back my Angie. It was so unfair. I know I haven’t indicated that I feel something special for her, but how could she not notice? It was like telling me, in my face, that she doesn’t think I’m good enough for her. It was too much that I found myself crying into the night like I never did before. The tears just wouldn’t stop even if I reminded myself it was not a macho thing. But who cares? The woman I’ve secretly loved for so long, just fluttered away. I found out it was hard. Since that night I avoided her, ignored her calls, her messages. I was hurting so much that I didn’t want to see her. Eventually the calls and messages stopped. I barely saw her in the months that followed. If I did, she was in the company of that guy who could have been me had I dared to tell her. I tried to move on because I can see that she’s happy. I was just unsure if it would be a great idea right now to be friends with her again. So the days and months that followed, I immersed myself into studying, hanging out with my friends and signing up for other activities to help me forget. I knew there was no other way but to forget, and forget I did. So in that early evening, I sit where she sat more than one year ago. The rain was accommodating, falling endlessly and washing the tears from my eyes. I was not crying because of regret, but because of the fact that I really did move on after all. I prop my hands over the edge of the cold bench and watch as droplets of rain create ripples in the puddle of water on my feet. Suddenly, rain stops falling in the puddle but it does not stop entirely. A pair of shoes appeared just next to the bench, and I noticed that a shadow stretches over the lawn in front of me. A female voice carefully asked, â€Å"Excuse me. Are you alright? † Yeah, it’s time for me to let go. Time can heal all wounds, and rain can wash away tears. I couldn’t help smiling at the turn of two similar events: one more than a year ago, and the other, right now. With a smile I looked up into the worried face of a girl holding an umbrella towards me and I said, â€Å"Yes, I’m OK. †

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Fate vs. Freewill Essays

Fate vs. Freewill Essays Fate vs. Freewill Paper Fate vs. Freewill Paper Numerous people use fate as a cover-up in order to take less responsibility over their life. Many people believe that fate controls their every move and decision, and that even the choices they make are not really their own. Man’s Search for Meaning is a memoir written by Viktor Frankl in which fate vs. freewill plays a large part of Frankl’s story. Frankl is imprisoned in a concentration camp during the Second World War. He struggles to find inner peace as his journey progresses and his life unfolds. In The Bell Jar, a novel written by Sylvia Plath, Esther Greenwood is a girl searching to find her place in the world. As she falls into depression, she loses her power of freewill and slowly recedes into herself. Her mind becomes her prison as her will to live disintegrates. In both stories, the characters face indecision and inner struggles. They seesaw between the right to choose through freewill and letting fate take its course. In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl holds fate as his master. With nothing left to lose and nothing within his reach, he has no other choice but to let fate run its race. He says, â€Å"Fate was one’s master, and that one must not try to influence it in any way but instead let it take its own course. (Frankl 77) By this he’s saying that there was nothing you could do to change your future and that you shouldn’t try to, either. By letting fate guide him, his life is ultimately saved. This happens when he is deported to another concentration camp where he is predicted to be gassed. He could’ve stayed if he tried hard enough, but in stead he relied on his intuition and inner guiding force. As it turns out, the camp was not a crematorium. However, he finds out that after he left the previous camp, cannibalism had sparked into existence. He says, â€Å"Cannibalism had broken out and I had left just in time. (Frankl 76) If he had stayed in the other work camp, he might have been influenced by this immoral act or injured. The Bell Jar holds a story based more on free will. Esther Greenwood is trapped in the painful and challenging coming-of-age period. She has every opportunity in the world to follow her dreams and go far. However, she falls into the throws of depression, and the mental illness complicates her passage through this period even more. She says, â€Å"I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked†¦. : I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet. † (Plath 62-63) Esther’s indecision holds her captive, and she begins to lose the desire to choose altogether. Her depression begins to blanket her completely, until neither fate nor freewill can save her. Indecision acts like a vice holding one’s head in a constricting grip. The inability to choose where to go next can be painful and is often confusing. In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl is not a slave to vacillation. In trudging through life, he acts on his first instinct, his inner guiding force: fate. However, at times, a life changing decision is not made easily. When deciding whether or not to try and attempt an escape from the concentration camp, Frankl is thrown into a battle of fate vs. freewill. He does not know what will happen if he stays in the camp and let’s fate take its course; but if he runs away, he knows he can hope for freedom. In a desperate act of freewill, he decides on the latter. He doesn’t get very far in his attempt, but his actions show his confusion within the battle of fate vs. freewill. Esther Greenwood in The Bell Jar also shows a deep misunderstanding of her life. She wishes for all that she cannot have, and it drives her mad. She says, If neurotic is wanting two mutually exclusive things at one and the same time, then Im neurotic as hell. Ill be flying back and forth between one mutually exclusive thing and another for the rest of my days. (Plath 76) In this quote she’s saying that it is impossible for her to set her mind on just one thing. This shows how her actions are guided by freewill and not fate, as she cannot follow any instincts or premonitions. There are those who say that one creates his fate, and others who say that it is fate that creates us. As for the truth; it lies buried in the struggles of the mind, in indecision, and in the ability to firmly say yes or no. Both Man’s Search for Meaning and The Bell Jar show the struggle of the will of man against instinct and a higher guiding power. It is generally the first instinct that guides people onward in their lives. But how many times does one regret making a decision they should not have? How many times does one regret not making a decision they should have? If instinct ties directly to fate, then it is safe to say that fate is not an indestructible guiding force. Relying solely on fate alone will bind the mind, and limit the spirit. A person will make mistakes no matter what they believe, and it is important to understand the value of choice and consequence.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Legend of the Double Happiness Symbol

The Legend of the Double Happiness Symbol You may  have heard of the term Double Happiness but know little about what this symbol means, let alone how it came about. With this profile of the Chinese good luck character, get better acquainted with its history and discover if it can be applied to the circumstances in your life. What Is Double Happiness? Double Happiness is a large Chinese character  featured  on red paper. The characters that signify happiness are spelled  xi or hsi in Mandarin  and  pronounced shuang-xi. It is exclusively used in Mandarin  to celebrate weddings. The Story of the Symbol The symbol dates back to  the ancient Tang Dynasty. According to legend,  there was a student on the way to the capital to take the national final examination in which the top learners would be selected as ministers of the court. Unfortunately, the student fell ill halfway when he passed through a mountain village, but an  herbalist and his daughter took the  student to their house and expertly treated him. The student recovered quickly due to their good care. When  the time came for him to leave, he found it hard to say goodbye to the pretty herbalists daughter, and so did she. They had fallen in love with each other. As a result, the girl wrote down half of a  couplet for the student: Green trees against the sky in the spring rain while the sky set off the spring trees in the obscuration. The student replied,  Well, I can make it, though it is not easy. But youll have to wait until I have finished the examination.  The young girl nodded. The young man ended up winning first place in the competition. The emperor recognized his prowess and asked him to finish part of a couplet. The emperor wrote: Red flowers dot the land in the breezes chase while the land colored up in red after the kiss. The young man realized immediately that the girls half  couplet was the perfect fit to the emperors couplet, so he used her words to answer. The emperor was delighted with this turn of events and appointed the young man as a minister of the court. But before the student began his new position, the emperor allowed him to pay a visit to his hometown. He ran into the young woman who gave  him the couplet and repeated the emperors words to her. The half couplets complemented each other, and they soon wed. During the ceremony, they doubled the Chinese character happy  on a red piece of paper and placed it on the wall to express their pleasure with the two events. Wrapping Up Ever since the couples wedding, the double happiness symbol has become a Chinese social custom.  It  can be found  all over  during Chinese weddings. It is also used for wedding invitations. In both contexts, it simply means that the new couple will now be united.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Reading Response # 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading Response # 3 - Assignment Example The loss of a few thousand innocent lives was something which radically changed the way Americans think about Muslims and their religion. In order to argue whether there is really a clash of civilization as suggested by Huntington or the reaction is just Muslim or Arab Phobia, it is important to understand the roots of this conflict and how this difference emerged. The theory of clash of civilization is basically based upon the notion of clash of cultures and civilizations with each other. Underlying this theory is the belief that future conflicts between people will be based upon culture of people and that democracy or free markets is not the only ideology of the world. This notion therefore suggests that the primary axis of conflict will be religion as well as the culture of the people. Considering this position, the post 9/11 scenario may not seem as a clash of civilizations but rather Muslim or Arab phobia. The obvious reasons for the attack of 9/11 were based upon the belief that US has supported or illegally occupied and plundered the resources belonging to the Muslim world. This conflict was however by few groups against the State rather than a Muslim State against America. The videos suggested that there is a general Arab and Muslim Phobia because in the War against terror many Muslim countries actually supported the US in its war against Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. In a way, the Muslim world on the whole, except for a few countries, was officially supporting the US and its war against Islamic extremist groups. There is therefore a general fear regarding Muslims and how may they create a threat for Americans within America. People generally believe that Muslims may harm them and therefore in order to avoid being harmed, Muslims should be labeled and wear bands so that they can be identified. There is a

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Women's Kingdom - Mosuo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

The Women's Kingdom - Mosuo - Essay Example tradition are highly controversial, including the ‘walking marriage’ or Axia marriage, the matriarchal family structure, the religion, and the interaction of the minority group with the outside world (PR China). This article seeks to address the controversial issues concerning the minority group, with verification of the facts from five interviewees from the community (appendix 1). A typical Mosuo family consists of ten family members, though the size varies and some may consist of between 20 and 30 members. Nonetheless, a female leads each family. In essence, the family head is the most proficient female in the house and all other members of the family respect her. She has important responsibilities and honorary status because all other members of the family depend on her decisions on family matters. Lugu Lake is the home for the Mosou community, which has about 35,000 to 50,000 members. The community enjoys plenty of space and building material for building, thus each family poses its own courtyard, with the number of rooms in each courtyard dependent on the size of the family. However, one room stands out: the grandmother’s quarters. The Mosuo family uses this room to offer sacrifices to ancestors, receptions, dining, and discuss family matters. However, the room has a dark atmosphere and low ceiling, creating a sense of intimacy with the only source of light coming from the flames in the coal-stove chambers. Here rests a stone representing the entire ancestry of the family (Vogt). Mosuo tradition holds that the stone carries the souls of the past generations, and thus the fire must remain lit throughout the year to keep the ancestor warm. In some families, the grandmother’s room may contain a big chink of meat that symbolizes the wealth of the family. The Mosou preserve the meat of slaughtered animals using salt and ash, then stitch up the skin and keep it dry in a shady and clean place. Such preserved meat usually lasts for over three years before

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Demand and Stores Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Demand and Stores - Coursework Example Therefore, the average daily demand during lead time is equal to L ? AVG. The safety stock is determined scientifically and is applied with the average daily demand during lead time to ensure that there is an adequate supply of inventory is in stores to prevent a loss of sale due to stock-out. The safety stock, which is the minimum level to which stock is expected to fall, is represented by the formula: z ? STD ? vL It is expected that inventory will fall to this minimum level just before the order for Q is received. Immediately after the order for Q units is received the inventory will return to its maximum level but will be depleted over time based on the average daily demand (AVG). The reorder level depends on AVG which is reviewed continuously. When Q units are added to the safety stock the maximum inventory level is achieved. This inventory is depleted over time. Therefore, it is expected that the expected level of inventory before receiving the order is: z ? STD ? vL While the expected level of inventory immediately after receiving the order is: Q + z ? STD ? vL Solution to Question 2 The periodic review inventory replenishment policy requires that inventory be reviewed periodically at regular intervals and that an appropriate quantity is ordered so as to achieve the base stock level after each review. This level of inventory should be sufficient to cover demand during the review period (r) and the lead time (L), in order to prevent stock out before the next order arrives. This implies that the base-stock level includes the average demand during the combined interval of r + L which is: (r + L) ? AVG as well as the safety stock which is calculated as: z ? STD ? v(r+ L) According to Simchi-Levi et al (2008), the maximum inventory level is reached immediately after receiving an order while the minimum level of inventory is reached just before receiving the order. It is therefore very clear that the expected level of inventory after receiving an order is equa l to: r ? AVG + z ? STD ? v(r+ L) while, the level of inventory immediately before order arrives is: z ? STD ? v(r+ L) which is the safety stock. Solution to Question 3 The target service level defines the percentage of orders received that must be filled. A good criterion that can be used is price. The five products that I sell in my department store are: shoes, clothes, appliances, furniture, and food items. In order of target service level from lowest to highest they will be listed as follows: Furniture – more expensive than all other items, profit margin is low, volume is relatively low, demand variability and lead time is high. Appliances – less expensive than furniture but tend to be more expensive than all other items, profit margin is high compared to furniture, volume medium range, while both demand variability and lead time is relatively high Foot-wear – the profit margin is high, volume relatively high, demand variability is not as low as with clothes , and lead time is not as low as with clothes Clothes – the profit margin is high, volume relatively high, demand variability is also relatively low while lead time may not be as low as with food items. Food items – they are cheaper than all other items; the profit margin tend to be low but turnover rate and volume is high, both demand variability and lead time is generally low. According to Simchi-Levi (2008) the service level is generally higher for products with high profit margin, high volume, low variability

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Hyundai Motors: An Evaluation

Hyundai Motors: An Evaluation Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007. The numbers were increasing rapidly, especially in China. In 2008, with rapidly rising oil prices, however, industries such as the automotive industry are experiencing a combination of pricing pressure from raw material costs and changes in consumer buying habits. The industry is also facing increasing external competition from the public transport sector, as consumers re-evaluate their private vehicle usage. We have discussed how Hyundai Motor would expand business in global automotive environment which has been changed and exceeded demands. Company overview Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is the worlds largest automaker by profit, the worlds fourth largest automaker by units sold and the worlds fastest growing automaker. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Hyundai operates the worlds largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1.6 million units annually. Chung Ju-Yung founded the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company in 1947. Hyundai Motor Company was later established in 1967. The companys first model, the Cortina, was released in cooperation with Ford Motor Company in 1968. In 1975, the Pony, the first Korean car, was released, with styling by Giorgio Giugiaro of ItalDesign and powertrain technology provided by Japans Mitsubishi Motors. Exports began in the following year to Ecuador and soon thereafter to the Benelux countries. In 1991, the company succeeded in developing its first proprietary gasoline engine, the four-cylinder Alpha, and transmission, thus paving the way for technological independence. In 1983, Hyundai exported the Pony to Canada, but not to the United States because the Pony didnt pass emissions standards there. Canadian sales greatly exceeded expectations, and it was at one point the top-selling car on the Canadian market. The Pony afforded a much higher degree of quality and refinement in the lowest pric e auto segment than the Eastern-bloc imports of the period then available. In 1986, Hyundai began to sell cars in the United States, and the Excel was nominated as Best Product #10 by Fortune magazine, largely because of its affordability. The company began to produce models with its own technology in 1988, beginning with the midsize Sonata. In 1996, Hyundai Motors India Limited was established with a production plant in Irrungattukotai near Chennai, India. In 1998, Hyundai began to overhaul its image in an attempt to establish itself as a world-class brand. Chung Ju Yung transferred leadership of Hyundai Motor to his son, Chung Mong Koo, in 1999. Hyundais parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, invested heavily in the quality, design, manufacturing, and long-term research of its vehicles. It added a 10-year or 100,000-mile (160,000 km) warranty to cars sold in the United States and launched an aggressive marketing campaign. In 2004, Hyundai was ranked second in initial quality in a su rvey/study by J.D. Power and Associates. Hyundai is now one of the top 100 most valuable brands worldwide. Since 2002, Hyundai has also been one of the worldwide official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup. In 2006, the South Korean government initiated an investigation of Chung Mong Koos practices as head of Hyundai, suspecting him of corruption. On April 28, 2006, Chung was arrested, and charged for embezzlement of 100 billion South Korean won (US$106 million). As a result, Hyundai Vice Chairman and CEO, Kim Dong-jin, replaced him as head of the company. After a shake-up in the Korean auto industry caused by overambitious expansion and the Asian financial crisis, Hyundai acquired rival Kia Motors In 1998. In 2000, the company established a strategic alliance with DaimlerChrysler and severed its partnership with the Hyundai Group. In 2001, the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation was formed. In 2004, however, DaimlerChrysler divested its interest in the company by selling its 10.5% stake for $900 million. Hyundai Motor has been expanding globally, starting with its plant in Turkey in 1997, India in 1998, China in 2002, and in 2005, it built a plant in the U.S., the worlds biggest auto market. In 2007, a decade after it began building plants overseas, Hyundai Motor began construction for plants in the Czech Republic and Russia, creating a strategic network of production facilities spanning over six countries. With its 12 CKD plants, Hyundai Motor is boosting sales every year and cementing its position as a global automaker. The company pl ans to raise the ratio of overseas production to 50 percent by 2010, to produce 3 million units outside Korea. Hyundai Motor is present in 196 countries and has 6,000 dealerships all over the world. It is maintaining a strong position in developed regions such as the U.S. and Europe. Furthermore, it has been successfully winning orders for taxis and government vehicles in emerging markets such as Central Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, boosting sales and the companys brand image. After reaching the 2 million unit sales mark in 2006, Hyundai Motor sold 2.6 million units worldwide in 2009. Through its strategy of local production and sales, the company is contributing to the local economies.(Exhibit1) [Exhibit1] Annual Unit Sales 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Sales in unit 1,611,991 1,668,745 1,700,297 1,611,062 1,700,843 Domestic 701,469 570,116 624,227 580,288 569,721 Export excluding CDK 910,522 1,098,629 1,076,070 1,030,774 1,131,122 Hyundai Motor Companys brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and Business Week survey. brand value estimated at $4.5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. The Company produces and markets passenger cars under the brand names of Equus, Genesis, Genesis Coupe, Azera, Sonata, Elantra, Accent, Getz, i30, i30cw, i20 and i10; recreational vehicles under the brand names of Veracruz, Santa Fe, Tucson, Matrix and H-1, and commercial vehicles, which include medium and heavy duty trucks, and buses. Analysis of Global Automobile Market Environment Current Automotive industry Market In 2007, a total of 79.9 million new automobiles were sold worldwide: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific, 19.4 million in USA and Canada, 4.4 million in Latin America, 2.4 million in the Middle East and 1.4 million in Africa. The markets in North America and Japan were stagnant, while those in South America and other parts of Asia grew strongly. Of the major markets, China, Russia, Brazil and India saw the most rapid growth, and China became both the largest automobile producer and market in the world after experiencing massive growth in 2009. In the first 4 months of 2010, the total sales of automobile were 6.17 millions in China (3.52 millions in US), and the total sales were expected to be around 17 millions (13.65 millions in 2009) for the year of 2010, nearly twice as much as USA. [Exhibit 2] International Car Sales by Global Auto Report The automotive industry crisis of 2008-2010 was a part of a global financial downturn. The crisis affected European and Asian automobile manufacturers, but it was primarily felt in the American automobile manufacturing industry. The automotive industry was weakened by a substantial increase in the prices of automotive fuels linked to the 2003-2008 energy crisis which discouraged purchases of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks which have low fuel economy. The popularity and relatively high profit margins of these vehicles had encouraged the American Big Three automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler to make them their primary focus. With fewer fuel-efficient models to offer to consumers, sales began to slide. By 2008, the situation had turned critical as the credit crunch placed pressure on the prices of raw materials. Car companies from Asia, Europe, North America, and elsewhere have implemented creative marketing strategies to entice reluctant consumers as most experienced double-digit percentage declines in sales. Major manufacturers, including the Big Three and Toyota offered substantial discounts across their lineups. The Big Three faced criticism for their lineups, which were seen to be irresponsible in light of rising fuel prices. North American consumers turned to higher-quality and more fuel-efficient product of Japanese and European automakers. However, many of the vehicles perceived to be foreign were actually transplants, foreign cars manufactured or assembled in the United States, at lower cost than true imports. [Exhibit 3] Major global automotive company analysis Competitors Globalization Strategy Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation, commonly known simply as Toyota, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan. At its peak, Toyota employed approximately 320,000 people worldwide. It is the worlds largest automobile maker by sales. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spinoff from his fathers company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. Three years earlier, in 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product, the Type A engine, and, in 1936, its first passenger car, the Toyota AA. Toyota also owns and operates Lexus and Scion brands and has a majority shareholding stake in Daihatsu and Hino Motors, and minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries, Isuzu Motors, Yamaha Motors, and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. The company includes 522 subsidiaries. Toyota is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi and in Tokyo. In addition to manufacturing automobiles, Toyota provides financial services through its Toyota Financial Services division and also builds robots. Toyota Motor Corporation (including Toyota Financial Services) and Toyota Industries form the bulk of the Toyota Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Toyotas marketing efforts have focused on emphasizing the positive experiences of ownership and vehicle quality. The ownership experience has been targeted in slogans such as Oh, what a feeling! (1978-1985, in the U.S.), Who could ask for anything more (1986-1989), I love what you do for me, Toyota! (1990-1997), Everyday (1997-2000), Get the feeling! (2001-2004), and Moving Forward (2004-present). Toyota introduced a new worldwide logo in 1989 in conjunction with and to differentiate it from the newly released luxury Lexus brand. There are three ovals in the new logo that combine to for the letter T, which stands for Toyota. The overlapping of the two perpendicular ovals inside the larger oval represent the mutually beneficial relationship and trust that is placed between the customer and the company while the larger oval that surrounds both of these inner ovals represent the global expansion of Toyotas technology and unlimited potential for the future.[30] Toyota has factories in most parts of the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets. Toyota has manufacturing or assembly plants in Japan, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, Colombia, the United Kingdom, the United States, UAE, France, Brazil, Portugal, and more recently, Argentina, Czech Republic, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Egypt, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Russia. Recently, Toyota announced it was recalling up to 1.8 million cars across Europe, including about 220,000 in the UK, following problems with defective accelerator pedals. Many Toyota models were involved, covering the 2007-2010 model years. Toyota subsequently recalled the Prius model for reprogramming of its ABS system. The U.S. Sales Chief, James Lentz, was questioned by the United States Congress committees on Oversight and Investigations on February 23, 2010, as a result of recent recalls. On 26 March Toyota said it would halt production in France and Britain for 12 days because of poor sales following the recalls. On 6 April 2010, The US government sought a record penalty of US$16.375 million from Toyota for its delayed response in notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the defective accelerator pedals, and on 19 April Toyota said that it would pay the fine. The company said the recalls could cost the company up to US$2 billion (GBÂ £1.25 billion ) in lost output and sales. General Motors General Motors Company, also known as GM, is a United States-based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM manufactures cars and a truck in 34 countries, recently employed 244,500 people around the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. By sales, GM ranked as the largest US automaker and the worlds second largest for 2008, having the third highest 2008 global revenues among automakers on the Fortune Global 500. On June 1, 2009, General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, which were completed on July 10 of the same year, and it was thereafter reorganized once a new entity acquired the most valuable assets. GM is now temporarily majority owned by the United States Treasury and, to a smaller extent, the Canada Development Investment Corporation a Canadian Crown corporation and the Ontario government, with the US government investing a total of US$57.6 billion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. On April 21, 2010, GM CEO Ed Whitacre Jr. announced that the company had paid back the entire amount of the US and Canadian government loans, with interest, a total of $8.1 billion. The company expects to repurchase a sizable portion of the remaining equity stake with funds earned via a public stock offering. While no GM shares are currently available to the public, the companys plans as of 2009 were to initiate an initial public stock offering (IPO) in 2010. GM plans to focus its business on its four core North American brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. In Europe, following a period of negotiation to sell a majority stake in its Opel and Vauxhall brands, the company decided to retain full ownership of these operations. However, on February 23, 2010, GM sold Saab Automobile to Spyker Cars NV and is winding down its Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn brands, the latter two remaining under the old GM, now known as Motors Liquidation Company In 2009, General Motors employs approximately 244,500 people around the world. The Renaissance Center located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, is the global headquarters of General Motors. In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally. GM is the majority shareholder in GM Daewoo Auto Technology Co. of South Korea and has collaborations with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China, AvtoVAZ of Russia, and most recently, UzAvtoSanoat of Uzbekistan. GM has had collaborations with various automakers including Fiat and Ford Motor Company.GM retains various stakes in different automakers. General Motors best success internationally has unquestionably been its performance in China, GM sales rose 66.9% in 2009, selling 1,830,000 vehicles and accounting for 13.4% of the market. Volkswagen Group Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturing group; and according to figures published by economic research firm Global Insight in November 2009, is the largest automobile maker in the world by vehicle production.[7] Its parent company Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, develops vehicles and components for all marques of the whole Group, and also manufactures complete vehicles for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles marques. Volkswagen Group is divided into two primary divisions: the Automotive Division, and the Financial Services Division. The Group consists of 342 Group companies, which are involved in either vehicle production or other related automotive services. Although it operates worldwide, Volkswagen Groups core market is primarily Europe. Of its automobile brands, Volkswagen Passenger Cars is its mainstream marque, and the Groups major subsidiaries also include well-known car marques like SEAT, Ã…Â  koda, and the prestige marques of Audi, Lam borghini, Bentley, and Bugatti. The Group also has operations in commercial vehicles, owning Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, along with a controlling stake in Swedish truck and diesel engine maker Scania AB, and a 29.9% stake in MAN SE. Volkswagens second-largest market is China, where its subsidiary, Volkswagen Group China, is the largest joint venture automaker, selling more than one million vehicles in 2008. The Volkswagen Golf is the third bestselling automobile in the world, selling over 26 million units through 2008. In 2009, Volkswagen Group sold 6.31 million vehicles, claiming over 11% of the world passenger car market. Volkswagen AG is heavily involved in sports sponsorship, with investments having included the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games, as well as the David Beckham Academy. The company also wholly owns the Bundesliga football side VfL Wolfsburg. The company is also the shirt sponsor of Major League Soccer club, D.C. United. In August 2009, Porsche SE and Volkswagen Group reached an agreement that Volkswagen AG and Porsche AG would merge in 2011. Ford Motor Company The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars in Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK. Fords former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008. Ford has agreed to sell Volvo to Geely Automobile in a deal expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010. Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Fords methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914. Ford is currently the second largest automaker in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world based on number of vehicles sold annually, directly behind Volkswagen. In 2007, Ford fell from second to third in US annual vehicle sales for the first time in 56 years, behind only General Motors and Toyota. However, Ford occasionally outsells Toyota in shorter periods (most recently, during the summer months of 2009). By the end of 2009, Ford was the third largest automaker in Europe (behind Volkswagen and PSA). Ford is the seventh-ranked overall American-based company in the 2008 Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues in 2008 of $146.3 billion. In 2008, Ford produced 5.532 million automobiles and employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. Starting in 2007, Ford received more initial quality survey awards from J. D. Power and Associates than any other automaker. Five of Fords vehicles ranked at the top of their categories and fourteen vehicles ranke d in the top three. During the mid to late 1990s, Ford sold large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American economy with soaring stock market and low fuel prices. With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher fuel prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining sales, and sliding profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came from financing consumer automobile loans through Ford Motor Credit Company. In the face of demand for higher fuel efficiency and falling sales of minivans, Ford moved to introduce a range of new vehicles, including Crossover SUVs built on unibody car platforms, rather than more body-on-frame chassis. In developing the hybrid electric power train technologies for the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, Ford licensed similar Toyota hybrid technologies to avoid patent infringements. Ford announced that it will team up with electricity supply company Southern California Edison to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utilitys electrical grid. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated in typical customer settings, according to Ford. In 2006, the company raised its borrowing capacity to about $25 billion, placing substantially all corporate assets as collateral to secure the line of credit. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that bankruptcy is not an option. In order to control its skyrocketing labor costs (the most expensive in the world), the company and the United Auto Workers, representing approximately 46,000 hourly workers in North America, agreed to a historic contract settlement in November 2007 giving the company a substantial break in terms of its ongoing retiree health care costs and other economic issues. The agreement includes the establishment of a company-funded, independently-run Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (more commonly known as a VEBA) trust to shift the burden of retiree health care from the companys books, thereby improving its balance sheet. This arrangement took effect on January 1, 2010. As a sign of its currently strong cash position, Ford contributed its entire current liabilit y (estimated at approximately USD$5.5 Billion as of December 31, 2009) to the VEBA in cash, and also pre-paid USD$500 Million of its future liabilities to the fund. The agreement also gives hourly workers the job security they were seeking by having the company commits to substantial investments in most of its factories. During November 2008, Ford, together with Chrysler and General Motors, sought financial aid at Congressional hearings in Washington D.C. in the face of worsening conditions caused by the automotive industry crisis. The three companies presented action plans for the sustainability of the industry. The Detroit based automakers were unsuccessful at obtaining assistance through Congressional legislation. GM and Chrysler later received assistance through the Executive Branch from the T.A.R.P. funding provisions. On December 19, the cost of credit default swaps to insure the debt of Ford was 68 percent the sum insured for five years in addition to annual payments of 5 percent. That means it costs $6.8 million paid upfront to insure $10 million in debt, in addition to payments of $500,000 per year. In January 2009, Ford announced a $14.6 billion loss in the preceding year, making 2008 its worst year in history. Still, the company claimed to have sufficient liquidity to fund its business pla ns and thus, did not ask for government aid. Through April 2009, Fords strategy of debt for equity exchanges, erased $9.9 B in liabilities (28% of its total), in order to leverage its cash position. These actions yielded Ford a $2.7 billion profit in fiscal year 2009, the companys first full-year profit in four years. Honda Honda Motor Company, Ltd., Honda Technology Research Institute Company, Limiteds a Japanese multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda is the worlds largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the worlds largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer. As of August 2008[update], Honda surpassed Chrysler as the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. Honda is the sixth largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura in 1986. Aside from their core automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators, amongst others. Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their ASIMO robot in 2000. They have also ventured into aerospace with the establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, scheduled to be released in 2011. Honda spends about 5% of its revenues into RD. Nissan Motor Nissan Motor Company, Ltd., shortened to Nissan, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was formerly a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn (CEO). It formerly marketed vehicles under the Datsun brand name and is one of the largest car manufacturers. As of August 2009, the companys global headquarters are located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama. In 1999, Nissan entered a two way alliance with Renault S.A. of France, which owns 44.4% of Nissan while Nissan holds 15% of Renault shares, as of 2008. Nissan is among the top three Asian (also known as the Japanese Big 3 Automakers) rivals of the Big Three in the U.S. Currently it is the third largest Japanese car manufacturer. It also manufactures the Infiniti luxury brand. The Nissan VQ engines, of V6 configuration, have featured among Wards 10 Best Engines for 14 straight years, since the awards inception. III. Analysis of Hyundai Motors Hyundai Motors Globalization Strategy Process of Growth Since the companys foundation in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company became the first automaker producing manufacture facilities itself. The first model Pony, manufactured and started to export, was very favorable not only into Korean market but also into global market, which elevating Hyundai Motor into one of the global automobile companies. In 1976, Hyundai had started the first export business with Africa, North America and middle Asia and expanded into European market. In overseas market, especially in North America, Hyundai achieved the big success and had an opportunity to become into the global automaker in worldwide. Possessing 10 manufacturing plants, 11 research centers, and more than 6,000 sales networks throughout the world, Hyundai Motor also helps to keep sales growth across the world and maintain to the top leading global company. Furthermore, Now, Hyundai as Global corporate citizen makes every effort to fulfill its economic responsibility, most principal in corporate activities throughout the world. (http://www.hyundai.com) The Hyundai Motors Global Business Strategy In the process of globalization, the major global strategy for Hyundai Motor can be focusing on exporting in the global market which was very successful. From the inception of the foundation, the Hyundai management team always recognized the importance of exporting to overseas which the key factor to growth global business and manufactured most exports from single Ulsan plants. In other words, Hyundai has been involved in independent management strategy. In addition, striving to face with country specific regulation and rapid market changes, Hyundai has been implemented transnational strategy like the joint-venture strategy in China, Turkey and Malaysia in order to expand global market share. Hyundai Motor Company further strengthened its presence as a global automaker by promoting sustainable development worldwide, accelerating global management initiatives and creating the second construction of manufacturing plants in China and India, thereby increasing its production capacity all the more. At the same time, it also achieved qualitative growth by successfully generating sales of its strategic model targeting the European market. In 2007, a decade after it began building plants overseas, Hyundai Motor began construction for plants in the Czech Republic and USA, creating a strategic network of production facilities spanning over six countries. (http://www.hyundai.com) [Exhibit 4] Hyundai Motor Companys International Entry Mode (sourced by http://www.hyundai.com) Country Partner Hyundais Share Start Yr To produce Entry Mode India HMI 100 98. 9 Ownership USA HMMA 100 05. 5 Ownership Czech HMMC 100 06. 7 Ownership China BHMC 50 02. 1 Joint Venture WuHan Qi Che 21 96. 7 Joint Venture Turkey HAOS 85 97. 7 Joint Venture Malaysia INOCOM 15 99. 9 Joint Venture The organizational structure of international business for Hyundai Motor Company is International Division Structure which is like many Korean companies fit well with Korean culture and lean toward centralization. That is, it has risk of demotivating local manager in host countries. By that, the Hyundai Motor Company has struggled to recruit local manager who can manage, coordinate and control worldwide regional operations underutilized allowing diversity as strategic task. US subsidiaries show [Exhibit 5] Example of International Division Structure The Hyundai Motors Global Business Efforts International Site Selection The Site Selection implies that the company does spell out all possible locations to decide which site/market to be targeted and determined by content and goal with its limited human resource, technology, and capital. (Sourced by Professor Lee, JR, Shin, MS / International Business) Market Size and infrastructure: consider for purchasing power and production Market attractiveness: competitors and market structure Important to consider potential international market expansion which cover all countries/regions in the world for the further The major variable factor for site selection is market attractiveness, competitors, and the strategic goal for a company. The good example for International Site Selection in Hyundai Motor Company can be expanding the global business to Canada region. With the success of exporting Excel, Hyundai Motor Company had made decision to expand the international business into Canada as below factors as detour entrance strategy to USA. Of course, Hyundai Motor Company cannot overlook the competitors such as Toyota, Honda. etc. Market accessibility: to avoid Trade barrier by NAFTA, Market proximity , Cost Reduction and Price competiveness by Local Manufacture Government Aid: tax, financing support by construction of manufacture plant Regional Advantage : close to locate associated company Political Risk Avoid: to avoid lack of exports by Korean labor strike in 1988 Likewise, the variable factors to expand the Hyundais global business to other countries can be considered as reduction of transportation cost risk, avoid currency exchange risk, cost reduction by hiring local resources, government aid and etc, International Entry Mode Prior to change into the globalization, the process of growt