Guest speaker Presentation write-up topic related to international Essay

Guest speaker Presentation write-up topic related to international financial market - Essay Example When sole proprietors want to increases their source of capital, they can partner with other likeminded entrepreneurs to form what is referred to as partnership. A partnership can get capital from members’ contribution, and loan among many other sources. One advantage of this kind of business is that all members can have full control of the business, and partners can help each other to contribute more capital. Unlike sole proprietorship, the partners do not get 100 percent of the profits as it has to be shared among the partners. The return for individual partners is in the form of profits which are shared. A partnership can increase its capital by selling part of the ownership to the public. Consequently, the partnership becomes a limited company. In this kind of venture, the shareholders get returns in the form of dividends. They are also granted a right to vote, but they do not have direct control of the company, and they do not make day to day decisions. This role is assigned to directors, who are voted by the shareholders. One disadvantage of selling shares to the public is that the profits are reduced, as many shareholders have to be paid dividends. A company is liable to pay corporate tax, while the shareholders are taxed on their dividends. A company has several advantages, including continuity of ownership because the shares are transferable. The shareholders trust the management of the company to the directors through what is referred to as agency relationship. This structure comes with scores of problems, especially because some agents do not act in the interest of the shareholders. A company can expand its capital base by investing overseas (Spadaccini

The Schlesinger Polls and the Reasons behind the Change Essay Example for Free

The Schlesinger Polls and the Reasons behind the Change Essay Americans love to take polls. They rank everything from Hollywood scandals to insects, and they often reflect the state of mind of the American people at the time of the ranking. This propensity for opinion polls has been carried over to the equally American love of criticizing the government and the people in it, especially Presidents. One only has to turn on the television to watch spoofs about George W. Bush to get an idea of this. Presidential ranking was begun by historian Arthur Schlesinger whom in 1948 polled 55 scholars. He took a second poll in 1962 in which 34th president Dwight D. Eisenhower placed 22nd, a little over year after his second term of president. What is interesting to note that when son Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. , following in his father’s footsteps took another poll in 1996, Eisenhower placed 10th. Prior to this 1996 poll, other polls showed a similar tendency to elevate Eisenhower in the presidential rankings, with 2000 C-SPAN Poll placing him at ninth place. (Watson and Berger) This paper will provide some insights into the possible reasons for these shifts in opinions in the case of Eisenhower from a historical perspective. I. Brief background on Eisenhower Dwight David Eisenhower, popularly referred to as â€Å"Ike† was born in Texas in 1890, the 3rd of seven boys. He was brought up in Abilene Kansas and was a West Point graduate who became stationed in Texas as a second lieutenant where he met and married Mamie Geneva Doud. (â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower†) Ike was an excellent staff man, rapidly rising in the Army ranks under generals such as John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and Walter Krueger. His performance as supreme commander over the NATO forces in 1951 led to his nomination as Republic presidential candidate, with the slogan â€Å"I like Ike† leading him to the White House. (â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower†) A successful soldier and military leader, Ike nevertheless negotiated for peace whenever possible. The Cold War was escalating but he negotiated for better relations with the Soviet Union from a position of military strength, an effort undermined by the death of Stalin in 1953. In the same year, Ike signed a truce which rough armed peace in South Korea. In further efforts to conciliate with the Soviets, Ike invited Nikita Khrushchev to the Presidents Camp David retreat in Marylands Catoctin Mountains to discuss Khrushchev’s demands for Western allies to get out of Berlin. Kruschchev did agree to lift his ultimatum, which positive response was cut short in 1960 when the Russians shot down an American U-2 spy plane. (â€Å"Eisenhower: soldier of peace†) It led to public humiliation for Ike, but it emphasized his desire to maintain world peace. He developed his â€Å"atoms for peace† program which was designed to develop uranium for peaceful uses. He also urged conservative military spending, pushing for enough military strength to ensure national security while monitoring potentially dangerous military spending policies. (â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower†) It was during his second term that he issue orders to desegregate schools, a significant landmark in the civil rights movement, which was also carried out in the Armed Forces. He declared that There must be no second class citizens in this country. Ike was chronically ill, but he was a vigorous man and when he finally succumbed on March 28, 1969, he was almost 80 years old. (â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower†) His popularity was such that he could have run for a third term if he wanted two and if the 22nd Amendment prevented him from doing so. (â€Å"Eisenhower: Soldier of Peace†) II. Criticisms Despite his popularity during his two terms, Ike was constantly being criticized by political analysts for his â€Å"middle-ground† stance and was characterized as a â€Å"caretaker† president who did not really get much done. (Watson and Berger) In fact, in the 1970s Ike’s presidency characterized as the Eisenhower doll: â€Å"You wind it up and it does nothing for eight years. † With the myopia of near history, many believed that Ike concentrated on keeping the status quo in military, social and economic issues. Of particular damage was his handling of Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was condemned for his extreme anti-communist views and what is termed a â€Å"witch hunt† for Soviet spies within the government. (Ansary) â€Å"â€Å"I am convinced that the way for me to defeat Senator McCarthy is to ignore him,† Eisenhower noted in a personal memo in April 1953. † (â€Å"Eisenhower: soldier of peace†) He was seen uninvolved and ineffective in the day-to-day running of the country. He often delegated such decisions to his aides and advisors and was widely considered to spend most of his days in pleasurable pursuits such as golf, social functions and vacations. Politically, he was aloof and he made no secret of the fact that he disliked politics and politicians, and made many decisions which made him politically vulnerable. He once said that the â€Å"only thing successful politicians had in common was that they married above themselves. † (qtd. in Madonna and Young) The 1961 Time Magazine article â€Å"The Debits† enumerated some of the specific issues. Ike was said to have been unable to implement a workable farm program, resulting in an annual $9 billion cost of price supports and food storage, from the $1. 5 billion at the end of Harry Truman’s term. The tax policies were also criticized because Ike showed no interest in reforming outdated, piecemeal tax laws, preferring to concentrate on balancing the federal budget and reducing debt. His failure to promote the rule of law in his foreign policy and practical politics that would make him politically viable was also attacked. It is suggested that such criticisms stemmed from Ike’s belief that in his dual role as head of state (which unifies and symbolizes the nation) and head of government (political decision maker), the former should be prominent while the latter should be hidden, a governing style now referred to as the hidden hand presidency. (Madonna and Young) It also explained why in 1962, Ike ranked 22nd of 35 presidents despite his apparent popularity and military hero status. III. Discussion The upward revision on Ike’s poll ranking may well be due to what is referred to as â€Å"hindsight. † Many of his policies made little sense to his contemporaries and the public during his two terms. However, later events proved that Ike was a man who was more than he appeared to be, and that his policies had a sound basis. Ike was first and foremost a military man. He realized from his campaigns that military preparedness was crucial to a nation’s security, and took great pains to ensure that the state of military strength during his presidency was adequate. However, he was also a staff man, so he was aware of the potential dangers associated with unbridled military spending and took steps to ensure that there was balance between necessity and spending. His knowledge of war would also account for his efforts to avoid it breaking out as much as possible. As a soldier and campaign strategist, Ike had to deal with the casualties and collateral damages of war, and sought â€Å"peace with justice† (â€Å"The Debits†). He was unable to prevent the Cold War from escalating or the Cuban missile crisis that bore fruition in Kennedy’s term with such disastrous results, but he never stopped trying, an attitude which recent anti-war sentiment fully supports. Because he was a soldier, Ike probably loathed admitting physical weakness, but later accounts both from his personal memoirs and from other sources revealed that Ike suffered from several, severe health crises associated with gastrointestinal problems and heart disease. It was little known at the time, but Ike’s health gave him a lot of trouble, and he was said to have suffered anywhere up to 7 cardiac episodes. However, because this was not widely known at the time, his recuperative periods were misinterpreted by his critics as part and parcel of his â€Å"caretaker† governing policy. In particular, his 12-day stay in the presidential retreat in Key West from December 28, 1955 to January 8, 1956 was illustrative of how circumstances could be grossly misleading. Far from being on a repairing lease, Ike’s visitors and schedule showed how hard we worked even when he was supposed to be resting. (Madonna and Young; Watson and Berger) It was this as well as other documentary evidence that was later revealed which showed how much more deeply Ike’s â€Å"hidden hand† was in the various pies in political decision making and policy formulation, although his aim was to provide general policy guidelines than specific policies. Scholars now concede that Ike had a good grasp of most situations and made sound decisions that allowed him to keep his options open and yet enabled him to act decisively when necessary. (Madonna and Young) It is well to consider as well that of the presidents three had great military reputations in actual war prior to ascending to the presidency and subsequently consistently ranked high in the polls. These were Washington, Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt. A fourth was Eisenhower, whose 1962 below average ranking was revised in later polls. This would seem to indicate that those who were great military prowess were likely to become good presidents when they are elected into office. While their styles of governing are widely divergent, they were all practical and sensible decision makers in times of crisis. (Schlesinger) In Ike’s case, he chose to be relatively low profile in such decisions. John Dean in his 2001 article â€Å"Ranking presidents – utter nonsense or useful analysis? † points out that polls such as the ones undertaken by the Schlesingers were without any consistent basis for the criteria used by the surveyed scholars. Even with efforts to benchmark the results, the results remain largely subjective and vague, making it difficult to provide comparisons within the polls as well as between polls. The fact that it was a survey of scholars it was by no means a reflection of the general public’s opinion of Ike’s presidency. In fact, Ike was very popular when he left office and retained the admiration of the public as a man of integrity, strength and modesty. (â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower†) However, in the case of Dwight Eisenhower, existing documents and later events do seem to provide a basis for his rise in the polls. It may well be that the 1962 Schlesinger Sr. poll and the 1996 Schlesinger Jr. poll is an accurate reflection of the political and social climate of the respective time period. IV. Conclusion It has been said that one can miss the forest for the trees; in retrospect, it seems clear now that Ike’s politically unpopular â€Å"centrist† image was deliberate. It allowed him to move silently away from the limelight to make crucial policy and political decisions. Because he had projected himself as an ineffective president, he was able to put his policies forward without being targeted by his critics of being its author. Despite the criticisms, Ike retained his popularity, no doubt as a result of his war record, his subsequent pacifist attitude as president and his widely known dislike of political posturing. In retrospect, he was more effective for his â€Å"hidden hand† style of governing than was initially suspected, as evidenced by the 1996 poll undertaken by Schlesinger Jr. , considered a more accurate reflection than that of his father’s 1962 survey. Works Cited â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower. † The White House. 6 November 2007 http://www. whitehouse. gov/history/presidents/de34. html. â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower. † Findarticles. 2005. 6 November 2007 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_gx5221/is_2005/ai_n19136311/print. â€Å"Eisenhower: Soldier of Peace. † Time. 4 April 1969. 6 November 2007 http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839998-9,00. html. â€Å"Ike’s Presidential Legacy. † Eisenhower Memorial Commission. 6 November 2007 http://www. eisenhowermemorial. org/legacyreport/presidential-legacy. htm. â€Å"The Debits. † Time. com. 27 January 1961. 6 November 2007 http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,826765,00. html. Ansary, Tamin. â€Å"Who Was the Greatest President? † Encarta. MSN. com 2007. 6 November 2007 http://encarta. msn. com/encnet/features/columns/? article=greatestpresident. Dean, John â€Å"Ranking presidents Utter Nonsense or Useful Analysis? † FindLaw. 11 May 2001. 6 November 2007 http://writ. news. findlaw. com/dean/20010511. html. Madonna, G. Terry Young, Michael. â€Å"Why George Bush Should Like Ike. † Real Clear Politics. 19 October 2007. 5 November 2007 http://www. realclearpolitics. com/articles/2007/10/why_george_bush_should_like_ik. html. Murphy, Arthur. â€Å"Evaluating the Presidents of the United States. † Presidential Studies Quarterly 14 (1984): 117-126. Schlesinger, Arthur Jr. â€Å"Rating the Presidents: Washington to Clinton. † Political Science Quarterly 11. 2 (Summer 1997): 179-90. Watson, Robert Berger, Dale. â€Å"Reconsidering Ikes Health and Legacy: A Surprising Lesson in Duty at the Little White House Residential Retreat. † The Eisenhower Institute. Gettysburg College. 6 November 2007 http://www. eisenhowerinstitute. org/publications/opinions__editorials/Watson_Berger_Reconsidering. dot.

Safety Report on Pipelines

Safety Report on Pipelines This report is intended [NH3]to let readers know that pipelines are not [NH4]simply put into the ground and ignored. It will briefly describe some of the procedures and practices that are in place today to ensure that pipelines are operating safely. The medias influence often drives a negative perception about pipelines and this report will provide a more facts-based approach to educate the reader as they draw their own conclusion on pipeline safety. Background The safest and most effective way to remove[NH5] our natural petroleum [NH6]resources is by way of pipelines. Pipelines in Alberta have been around since the early 1900s(CEPA, 2016a). Over the past few years there has been a lot of controversy over pipelines. A big factor driving this controversy is the medias methods in providing information to people who are often not well-educated on pipelines or their safety systems. The reality is that media outlets will often use sensationalism to engage their audience. News stories about petroleum products getting safely to market or updates on companies practicing their emergency response plan drills are not exciting! However, a rare glimpse [NH7]at a company spilling product by way of an oil spill, paired with images of coated birds-that is what the media wants to show. That fear-driven reality is what our society believes to be common. Research for this project involved looking for facts on non-biased websites. Prior to attending college, I worked in the oil gas industry educating residents in rural areas about pipelines, the systems in place to protect the public and what to do in the unlikely event of an incident. The majority of my knowledge about pipeline safety comes from AER Directive 71: Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements for the Petroleum Industry Control Centers [NH9] Large midstream pipeline companies operate their own control centers (CEPA,2016b). These control centers are operational 24/7, 365 days a year (CEPA, 2016b). Control rooms are equipped systems that collect information from the pipeline and associated facilities along the pipeline route. Some of the data that is monitored is temperature, flow rate and pressure from sensors along the route (CEPA, 2016b). If a leak is detected, alarms are triggered to indicate a possible problem. Block Valves A block valve is defined as a mechanical valve device installed in a pipeline that can be closed to block the flow of oil or gas through the line (Pipeline Association for Public Awareness, 2013). These valves are placed at various lengths along the pipeline route. If there was a leak along a section of pipeline, the block valves at either end of the leak would be closed. This would ensure only the product between those two block valve points emptying from the pipeline. Pipelines that cross rivers or creeks are equipped with block valves at both sides of the crossing that can close quickly to stop product flow (CEPA, 2016c). These block valves may be equipped with an emergency shut down (ESD) device that can close automatically with a decrease in pressure. The closing of a block valve by ESD would send an alarm back to the control center. Cathodic Protection When a pipeline is built, laid into the ground, and covered up with soil, corrosion can happen over a period of time. Before burying the pipeline, a protective coating is applied to the pipeline. As a back up to the protective coating, another form of protection is utilized called cathodic protection (Pipeline Association for Public Awareness, 2013). Through replicating an electrolytic action, additional corrosion prevention can be achieved via electrochemical processes (Pipeline Association for Public Awareness, 2013). This safeguarding helps to ensure the pipeline does not leak underground. [NH10] Emergency Response Plans While control centers, valves and protective coatings are all important to the pipelines safety systems, incidents happen and its vital to have a plan to address issues before they occur. The Alberta Energy Regulators (AER) Directive 071: Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements for the Petroleum Industry Section 2.1 dictates that The licensee must have a corporate level ERP with preplanned procedures that will aid in effective response to an emergency. (2017, p. 12). Aerial Surveillance[NH11] A quick way to conduct a visual of a pipeline right of way is by use of aircraft. Great distances can be covered in a short amount of time. Depending on the product in the pipeline and classification of pipeline, that will depict how often aerial surveillance will have to occur[NH12]. While conducting this patrol, the pilot or spotter is looking for any visible signs of a possible leak, such as a sheen on the water or dead vegetation[NH13]. Spotters also look for encroachments to the pipeline [NH14]or any activity near or on the pipeline right of way. Training Exercises Companies operating pipelines in Alberta must[NH15] conduct annual training exercises (Alberta Energy Regulator, 2017). Oil companies must test its emergency response plans annually with a tabletop or communications exercise (Alberta Energy Regulator, 2017). Every three years a major exercise must be conducted. In this exercise, resources are usually deployed to the field in a mock incident (Alberta Energy Regulator, 2017). [NH16]Spill Response Cooperative In western Canada, a spill response cooperative was established. The name of this cooperative is Western Canadian Spill Services. The cooperative owns equipment that can be deployed to a spill. The equipment is strategically placed throughout western Canada in ready to go trailers. Some of the equipment in the trailers includes booms, skimmers, and wildlife deterrents (Western Canadian Spill Services, 2017). In addition to this equipment the cooperative also owns barges and airboats (Western Canadian Spill Services, 2017). The spill cooperative holds training exercises with its members to ensure a quick response to the spill and to stop further environmental impacts as a result of a spill. Though it is not mandatory for companies to join the spill cooperative, the AER highly recommends it (Western Canadian Spill Services, 2017). If a company wants to opt out of the cooperative, under AER Directive 071, Section 10.3.1., they will have to provide their own spill response plan to the AE R for their approval (Alberta Energy Regulator, 2017). Conclusion From my years working in the oil and gas industry, and from my research for this project, I feel pipelines are still the safest way to move petroleum products. There are approximately 3.4 million barrels [NH17]of oil moved through pipelines daily in Canada (CEPA,2016d). Between the years of 2002 and 2015, 99.999% of all product (crude and natural gas) was safely transported via pipelines (CEPA,2016d). With the safety protocols that were briefly discussed in this report, the oil and gas industry works hard to ensure that there are no pipeline leaks. These practices, coupled with the regulations, ensure pipeline spills are a rare occurrence. [NH19]Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA). (2016d). About pipelines. Retried from https://www.aboutpipelines.com/en/pipeline-101/pipeline-facts/ Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA). (2016c). Environmental protection. Retrieved from https://www.aboutpipelines.com/en/environmental-protection/water/ Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA). (2016b). Pipeline control rooms and safety. Retrieved from https://www.aboutpipelines.com/en/blog/pipeline-control-rooms-and-safety/ Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA). (2016a). Pipeline history. Retrieved from https://www.aboutpipelines.com/en/pipeline-101/pipeline-history/ Government of Alberta[NH20]. (2015). Pipeline Act; Pipeline Rules. Queens Printer. Pipeline Association for Public Awareness. (2013). Glossary of terms. Retrieved from http://www.pipelineawareness.org/residents-businesses/glossary/ Western Canadian Spill Services. (2017). The WCSS Purpose. Retrieved from http://wcss.ab.ca/index.asp [NH1]I changed your font to Calibri because I have a personal hatred for Times New Roman à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ LOLà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ you can change it back if you want. [NH2]Main headings are centered and bold. [NH3]Too passive, so I changed it [NH4]Never use the word just. Ever. [NH5]Move or remove? MOVE [NH6]Added petroleum because all I could think about was giant ass trees being fed into a pipeline for transport. [NH7]I took some liberties with your wordingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ hope thats okay! I used track changes, so just decline anything you dont like, or if I misinterpreted it. YOURE THE BEST SWEETIE [NH8]Can that part be deleted? YUP [NH9]Secondary headings are left-adjust, and bold. [NH10]Yiiiiiikes, what was all that? The rest of your paper is not quite this scientificà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ so it kind of stands out like a sore thumb, I took a stab at summarizing what those deleted sentences were saying. But thats too much detail for your paper, I think!! [NH11]You have no references for this sectionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ PIPELINE ACT [NH12]Pretty specific to leave without a citation. [NH13]These specifics need a citation. THIS WAS MY KNOWLEDGE [NH14]Again, citation required. THIS WAS MY KNOWLEDGE [NH15]This sentence indicates an obligation, thus needs a citation. Is it AER Dir 071? YES D71 14.10 [NH16]I think youre implying that the training exercises are a requirement of the Dir. 071 so I cited that. [NH17]Facts need citation. Always! https://www.aboutpipelines.com/en/pipeline-101/pipeline-facts/ [NH18]This always goes onto its own page. [NH19]Make sure none of your hyperlinks are active when you submit your page. Thats a no-no. [NH20]This doesnt show up in your paper anywhere? THE AERIAL SURVEILLANCE

Exploring the Themes of Forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest b

Exploring the Themes of Forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest by William Shakespeare Prospero is a character that seems to stand at the very centre of The Tempest. Throughout the play, he prompts most of the action, and he has the last word. The entire plot of the play is a scheme designed by Prospero to bring his rivals to a state of regret so that he can pardon them and restore the rightful order of things to his dukedom of Milan. As Prospero is seen as being all-powerful over the island, he could easily destroy or punish his enemies by any method or means. However, he chooses not to and brings the past conspirators face-to- face with the sins of their past, which causes them to be repentant. In a god-like way, Prospero forgives each of them, allowing them to live and return to Italy. In appreciation, they promise to faithfully serve Prospero. It is a picture of full reconciliation, with the exception of Antonio. This shows that the theme of this play is the ?chain of forgiveness and reconciliation?, filled with religious overtones. The religious theme in this play may be shown by how Prospero exemplifies wisdom, justice, and super-human good judgement. In relation to the other characters, this may be argued to show a Christ -like representation of Prospero to the readers or audience of the play. The time when the play was written would mean an audience composed of Christians, who would have almost certainly agreed that forgiveness was essential. Like Jesus he is betrayed by his enemies. After he is stripped of his power, Prospero is then sent to die at sea; but he is almost miraculously raised from the near-dead due to the loving care of Gonzalo, who is a God-like figure due to his age, wisdom, kindness ... ...dy. Act five presents a climax, when Prospero confronts his enemies, brings them to repentance and forgives them. Those whowere though dead were discovered alive, a lost son id resorted to a joyous parent and Those who have committed offenses repent and are forgiven. The conclusion shows how the reconciliation is brought about. What isn't clear is whether Prospero intends from the beginning to forgive his old enemies or whether his mercy is a last-minute decision. Merinda and Ferdinand are blissfully wedded a and Prospero is restored his rightful position and plans to sail home. He also generously forgives those who have wronged him, proving that ?the rarer action is in virtue rather than vengeance? because he concentrates on the re-growth instead of revenge, Prospero proves the true nobility of his character, while allowing all the characters to better themselves.

Comparison Of Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass Essay -- Compar

Comparison Of Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass America, a land with shimmering soil where golden dust flew and a days rain of money could last you through eternity. Come, You Will make it in America. That was the common theme of those who would remove to America. It is the common hymn, the classic American rags-to-riches myth, and writers such as Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass had successfully embraced it in their works.Franklin and Douglass are two writers who have quite symmetrical styles and imitative chronology of events in their life narratives. They both approached their story with a "rags-to-riches" idea. In addition, we must realize that both Franklin and Douglass are powerful writers. In that sense, I mean that Franklin was a "well-educated" man in which he filled his life with bountiful knowledge through reading and productive dialogues with peers. On the other hand, Douglass mode of writing, like ones of William Lloyd Garrison's is sentimental and contains compelling language.In The Autobiography by Franklin and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Douglass, both narrations are generally composed of series of life events and encounters with hardship that eventually brought them success. I shall put forth some parallel ideas of both the authors have in common. In Franklin's Autobiography, his chapters of life events and improvements are symbolized by his travels, especially on the boat. His first travel signifies his "new beginning" and it caused great hardship. He was "cut so a miserable fi gure" when he started out. (Franklin, 1771:196). However, Franklin was quick to gain ground. His move to another city or country signified his advancement and his prologue to his success to come are in his description of his boat travels. By this I mean that, Franklin intentionally gave the details of his boat travels to prepare the reader for the kind of successes or failure that he was going to face in the next chapter of his life. For example, he described his first travel as an unpleasant one, and nevertheless his first move to another city was a struggle. In Franklin's later travels, he spoke of being around some prominent figures such as Governor Hamilton and nonetheless, he landed with a successful job at a famous Printing House in Bartholomew. With this characteristic in mind, Douglass's narration ... ...nt of maturity. In addition, both authors think that matured readers in general are harder to persuade compared to younger readers (those at the of 16 to 18). This is why both Franklin and Douglass intentionally set their "rebellion stage" at the age of 17. This is to encourage the "less stable" teenage readers to dare do something different and to not compromise with normality. This less-stableness would enable these teenage readers to be more receptive to radical ideas. With this thought in mind and armed with Americans vulnerability in believing the rags-to-riches myth, Franklin and Douglass are able generated effective and persuasive narrations.With such effective writing prose, the authors created well-fabricate compositions which modeled upon the "rags-to-riches" chronology.These are the myths, Americans live by them and the country survives with them. Thus, it is the American Dream. Works Cited: Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (The Harper Single Volume American Literature 3rd edition) 1845:p.1017-1081 Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography. (The Harper Single Volume American Literature 3rd edition) 1776: p.282-284.

Essay on That Eye, the Sky Essay

The Novel That Eye, The Sky written by the Australian novelist Tim Winton is a novel about a little boy named Ort who has a big heart that prevails his family against hell itself. The story is about generosity, insight and originality. This novel challenges the readers on whether â€Å"families are really worth the effort or not? † The answer to this question changes with each individual’s opinion. Families are uniquely important to everyday life, everybody depends on their families differently and have their own ways of showing their love and care for each other. Alice, the mother of Ort, has always had that motherly love towards her family; even when under extreme stress she still keeps her family together. Alice shows throughout the novel that families are worth the effort, even when her children don’t show her respect. â€Å"’I hate your guts, you’re weak in the head, pathetic. You’re a hick, a burnt-out hippie from the olden days. And now you’re born-again, bashing the bible and Holy Jesus. I think you’re crap. ’ Says Tegwyn. Mum stands up, grabs her, her arms go around her hard so you can hear the air coming out of Tegwyn. Mum’s hands lock like they’ll need bolt-cutters to undo. ‘I love you,’ Mum says. ‘I love you. Love you. Love you. ’ And then Tegwyn is bawling and all saggy and smaller-looking, and they stay like that for a long time. † (pg 104) Alice tries to save her family from slowly disintegrating. By doing this, she tries to keep as much normality as possible within the Flack family. †Today, people, we’re all going on an outing. It’s Christmas day, day of rest and rejoicing, day of contemplation- not too exhaustive – and day of thanking the Lord for what is. Where to kids? Says Alice†(pg 105) All through the novel Alice proves to be the strongest character, even though she has her weak moments at times. â€Å"’I thought dad was going to be alright, Ort murmurs. ‘He will be,’ Alice whispers, snuffling. Some snot shines on her lips and her eyes are angry with tears. ‘He will be, Ort. I won’t let him not be. ’† (pg 50) She always has hope and believes that everything would be okay, and that Sam would heal over time with their family’s support and strength. â€Å"No. Healing is what you do for someone else. Survival is for yourself. You can eat people if you want to survive bad enough. Or you can die if you want to heal someone bad enough. ’† (pg 138) Ort is a twelve year old boy, who died twice due to suffering from meningitis when he was a baby. He was in a coma for two weeks and since then he has been a little slow and different to the others his age. â€Å"I was dead. Twice. Two times my head stopped and my brain stopped. ‘You had meningitis. Your head was all full of water. You screamed like you were on fire. And then you went asleep and didn’t wake up for two weeks. † (pg 12) As Ort tackles his own life obstacles, everything ends up becoming the worst after Sam; Ort’s dad becomes paralysed from a car accident. After this, the Flack family go down hill quickly from their usual life style flipping to a total different side. This is when Ort shows his true commitment towards his family and gives them the love, support and strength they need. Even though he is just a twelve year old boy and it takes him a while to understand, he finally proves himself and he starts to protect them. â€Å"’Ya sisters a slut, ya old man’s a vegetable, and ya mums a pisstank. says Fat. And that’s it. ‘Yer a fat slug! ’ I yell at him. ‘I hate yer big flubbery guts and yer pig face and yer crybaby old man who thinks he’s so funny and yer scrawny plucked-chook-piece-of-poop old lady. I hate yez! †(pg 39) Tegwyn, is Ort’s older sister who is a dark teenager that is negative on everything at this stage of her life. In the novel she doesn’t have any interest in making an effort to help her family. Since the very beginning of the novel she has hated liv ing out of the city and being stuck in the country with her family that she hates. â€Å"’Don’t you like us? ’ Ort asks. Tegwyn spits a bit of fat onto her plate. ‘I hate it here. ’ Then mum starts crying, hands over here face, elbows on the table, and Tegwyn goes into her room and I just sit there feeling useless. † (pg 50) Tegwyn does not think family is worth the time or effort and by the end she shows no consideration or respect towards her family. â€Å"I open Tegwyn’s door. The bed is empty. Even the blankets and sheets are gone. I open the cupboard. Empty. I go into the lounge room and see all of Henry Warburton’s stuff gone. Me heart is smashing around. The car is gone. Big skid marks all over the drive. † (pg 149) Family is very important to me. Looking back at the life challenges and changes my family and I have been through over the years from unfortunate deaths, to family members moving away and to sudden life risking injuries, and to see how we have overcome everything proves that families help each other out in the difficult times. If you love and care for each other enough, it will provide strength and a blanket of security. I think the most important thing is to have humour and to not take life too seriously at times. This is one of the things I found common with the Flack family and with my own. Ort using his imagination and strange opinions, definitely develop the humour the novel needs and also humour people need in everyday life. The quotes he says I find entertaining. â€Å"’You’re a singular sort. ’ Henry laughs. ‘You are one in a million, boy. How did they make you? ’ Henry asks. ‘In the bedroom†¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœsexual intercourse in the nude. ’ Ort says. (pg 137) Families play a valuable role in our lives and are definitely worth every effort. No matter how difficult life gets, you seem to always find your way in the end. If you stay positive and share humour between each other, the bad soon ends.

Strategy Palnning for a farming company LTK

LTK1 was incorporated on 16th October 1986. It is situated at Durian Tunggal District, Malacca. The principal activities of LTK are production of chicken eggs and manufacturing organic fertilizer. LTK is one of the leading eggs producers in Malaysia. The production capacity of LTK is 1 Million eggs per day. Part of the production is for local consumption while the rest of the production is mended for export. Presently, LTK is exporting to Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia. With the collaboration between LTK and MARDI2, LTK become the sole producer and distributor of Omega 3 eggs in Malaysia. The LTK Omega 3 eggs provide up to 5 times more Omega 3 and 4 times more of Vitamin E compare with ordinary eggs. The consumption of Omega 3 will reduce heart disease, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, breast cancer, colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. In additional, Omega 3 is vital for the development of brain and retina tissues3. The daily production capacity of LTK is 1,500,000. In order to maintain the quality of eggs, LTK applies TQM throughout the whole production processes. Figure 1.0 Production Flow in LTK Chapter 2.0 An analysis of the market, customers and macro conditions of LTK Chapter 2.1 Market Analysis LTK is one of the leading eggs producers in Malaysia since 16th October 1986. But, Omega eggs are still new in the market. Therefore, in the short term the demand will still be low in the market. Nevertheless if the demand of the omega eggs continues to increase, it will benefit LTK in the future. This can be seen as product development strategy. The market where LTK operates in is some sort between perfect competition and monopolistic market. This is because the market is full of egg producers who hold commodity rather than product. On the other hand, this market is full of buyers who purchase eggs for different purposes. However in term of Omega eggs, LTK has made a right move to shift egg as commodity towards branded product. Thus I assume LTK Omega egg is operating in a monopolistic market. Thus, it is the time LTK have the thorough planning and strategic marketing to satisfy customer requirements profitably and sustain competitive edge in a long run Chapter 2.2: Customer Analysis Omega eggs actually are the simple product that the consumers can consume everyday. The marketing strategist should keep track of the customers' behaviour. It is because the switching cost to buy the eggs is very low. Thus, LTK should conduct research from time to time in order to answer the following research questions and hypothesis. > Research Question: Why do consumers buy omega eggs? Hypothesis: Consumers manage to understand the explanations make by LTK through TV, newspaper, magazine and salesperson in the distribution outlets, so they buy Omega egg. > Research Question: Who participates in the buying process? Hypothesis: Most of the time, housewife, mother-in-law or husband participate in the buying process. > Research Question: Where consumers buy omega eggs? Hypothesis: Consumers buy Omega eggs based on convenient or not. Through years of experience and fieldwork research, LTK understand the consumers' behaviour very well. LTK buyers can be divided into 4 categories: the retail market, the business market, the government and non-profit organisation. The retail market refers to the normal consumers while the business market refers to confectionaries and bakery in the southern part of peninsula Malaysia. On top of that, the government market refers to the barracks or army camps in Johor and Pahang. Lastly the non-profit organisations are like school canteens, old-folk home and orphanages. Above and beyond, LTK also concluded that consumers' decision would be influenced by some external stimuli. Therefore, LTK not only provide quality eggs, but convenient pack size, reasonable price (RM0.399), ordinary eggs same size price (RM0.299) and convenient outlets. Chapter 2.3 PEST Analysis Malaysia is a potential market for international marketing because the political and legal environment is mature and stable. Furthermore, the AFTA agreement enable LTK product to flow freely throughout the whole South East Asia region without political barrier. Thus LTK involve very low or no political risk continuing the operation in Malaysia. Although the overall economic performance in the Malaysia had declined, a thorough study will explain that the decline is mainly due to the poor performance in the global economy. No matter what is said and done, LTK performance will not be badly influenced by the economy because eggs are fast moving household product. From the social perspective, LTK goods should be acceptable because the Malaysian should be aware that their current main source of protein is badly affected by the JE Disease and polluted environment. Thus the society has phobia towards consumption of pork and poultry, thus egg is the alternative source of protein and it is a very health source of protein too. Besides, the aging population is also very much concerned about their daily eating habit, so LTK product should be acceptable. Besides, I feel that the rate of product diffusion for LTK enriched egg should be faster because the literacy rate for the target market is higher. Figure2.0 Diffusion Process of LTK goods In term of technology, there isn't any disadvantage for LTK since the product doesn't require any other technological support. However, biological engineering or medical science might assist LTK to increase its production or reduce the rate of defect. Chapter 2.4 Microenvironment Analysis As mentioned above, the enriched egg is new in the Malaysia market; hence the level of intense competition is relatively low. Based on Michael Porter 5 forces analysis, there is no bargaining power for supplier because LTK is the supplier. On the other hand, the bargaining power of buyer is very strong because the retailers in Malaysia are corporate giant like Parkson, Jusco, Top, Makro, Carrefour and Fajar. The threat from substitute is small because the society is suffering beef and pork phobia. Besides, a lot of doctors advise the public to reduce the consumption of red meat and go for the white meat. The entry barrier is the solely most worrying factor for LTK as the entry barrier for such industry is very low. Therefore, it is crucial for LTK to establish strong brand equity before the competitors creep into the market. Figure 2.1 Michael Porter 5 forces Chapter 3.0 Internal Corporate and Marketing Conditions (SWOT) The SWOT analysis is one of the most useful marketing planning outfit that aids the analysis of the firm's overall situation because it provides a clear picture from complex data. LTK incorporated since 1986, one of the strengths of the company is the organization structure is very lean. Therefore, breakdown in communication rarely happened in LTK. Furthermore, the organisation is able to response effectively because the organisation is flexible. In the company, the CEO practices the product category management. Therefore, each department are doing their task efficiently. The second strength LTK possesses is the government support. LTK is the only private organisation in Malaysia that is linked with Mardi. Thus there is a lot of technological transfer and LTK manage to save lots of R&D expenditure. The third strength of LTK is that the organisation has a strong goodwill in the market and a lot of chick food suppliers support the company. On top of that, the distribution network of LTK is relatively widespread throughout Peninsula Malaysia. The fourth strength of LTK is the quality standard has been maintained very well throughout these years. The defective and crack rate is lesser that 7.94% for every period of six months. The weakness for LTK is lack of fund in conducting research and development. As we known that if the products do not get improvement sooner or later the competitor will become the leader in the market. The second weakness for LTK is that the production is inelastic within a short period of time. Even when there is a strong demand for the product, LTK is unable to double or triple the production. The opportunities in this market is nowadays consumers are more concern about their health. Omega plus can improve the brain functions; can reduce heart disease, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, breast cancer, colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, the demand will accelerate due to positive word of mouth and publicity over the press. Besides, the annual population growth in Malaysia is still rising, thus the demand will definitely rise because more mouths to be fed. There is also an opportunity when the AFTA come into the picture. The Omega egg can flow freely to neighbouring countries and increase sale for the company. The threat to LTK is the competitors enter into the same market. When most of the consumers accept the product, it is also the time more and more players come into this market. Thus, LTK must do more R&D to enhance the quality of the products. Chapter 4.0: A Portfolio Analysis of the Competitive Conditions (BCG) Relative market share Figure 4.0: BCG Matrix The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is a well-known approach to conduct portfolio analysis that provides corporate strategists with an insight of important strategic relationships between internal cash flows, market share, competitive position and growth trajectories. The characteristic of LTK omega plus eggs in BCG matrix is under STAR. First, it is because LTK is the initial player in the market of omega eggs. Thus LTK haven't tapped the total market and the percentage of share is very low. Second, omega eggs are now in a fast growing period and haven't reached the maturity stage yet. A lot of people are curios about these eggs and some people still do not believe whether the egg is so miracle and healthy as they claimed. On the other hand, the traditional egg produced by LTK is in the Cash Cow stage. This is because the market growth rate has been stagnant for very long time and the PLC is in the maturity stage. Moreover, the relative market share for LTK is very large if weight against the total market in Malaysia. The profit earned from the traditional eggs can be transferred to develop the star. Although the Omega eggs do not generate substantial profits compare to the ordinary eggs, but LTK believe that the trend is moving towards consumption of such eggs. Strategic planner must follow the trend in order to develop sound long term strategic plan. Chapter 5.0: Segmentation Strategy Segmentation is a process of subdividing broad markets into varied and differing smaller groups of buyers. They are consisting exclusive of characteristics. The benefits of segmentation are strategist able to accumulate sufficient market sector knowledge as well as sustain customer loyalty. LTK also segmented the customers into several clusters. The objective is to avoid confusion and provide strategies with the opportunity to approach available segment with the right marketing strategies. LTK should segment its market based on income level, attitudes towards health, education level and psychographics. It is because the price of omega egg is slightly higher than ordinary eggs. Thus, only certain segments of the consumers are willing to pay for it. For instances, the business market of LTK will not be interested with this new product but to prefer conventional egg to keep the production cost as low as possible. Therefore, LTK market segment should be those in the middle class and it is practical since Malaysia has a relatively big middle class society. The consumers' decision whether or not to choose Omega egg also determined by the health awareness among consumers. It is because in the market there are too many health foods. Therefore, most of the consumers will think that omega egg is just another propaganda made by the producer. Education level is also the main reason LTK should consider since it can influence consumers DMU. It is because the higher education group of consumers only understand the meaning of Omega 3 and how the eggs can provide up to 5 times more Omega 3 and 4 times more of Vitamin E compare with ordinary eggs. The consumption of Omega 3 will reduce heart disease, hypertension, LDL cholesterol, breast cancer, colon cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. In additional, Omega 3 is vital for the development of brain and retina tissues4. Psychographics also will be the factors that can influence the customers whether to buy or do not buy omega egg. As we know that nowadays majority of the customers prefer to buy the products that have a brand. Previously it is no way that consumers can accept that even egg should have a brand identity. Those days, branded goods were toys of the rich and famous. However, today people perceive branded goods as quality assurance. Thus LTK should portrait a healthy lifestyle image in the overall promotion campaign. LTK should aim those who cherish healthy lifestyle and always engage in exercise or outdoor activities. In such a way, the company not only able to enhance market share but also building up a strong brand equity. Chapter 6.0: Positioning Strategy For all these years, consumers treat all the eggs are the same. The only noticeable different is the size and the hardness of the shell. However, LTK successfully draw the differentiation line between Omega eggs and the ordinary eggs. Therefore, LTK should position omega substances as the distinctive and important element for the growing years. In such a way, general public as well as target market will draw attention on consuming more omega substances and association such need with buying LTK Omega egg. This is known as classical learning in consumer behaviour study. Chapter 7.0: Marketing Objectives Marketing objectives may divide into quantitative and qualitative. In LTK case, the quantitative objective is to enlarge the market. The CEO of LTK plans to exploit the South East Asia countries as well as western countries. LTK also wishes to increase the market share by 35% within the next 5 years. It is because LTK plans to spend 20% of the revenue in advertisement to promote the new product and healthy lifestyle. LTK also wishes to increase profitability by 7.6% in the coming year. In order to improve profitability LTK will empower and delegate more authority for the marketing department and sales force to carry out necessary tasks. The qualitative objectives set by LTK are to build up the company image and product's brand equity. Besides, the company also wishes to train more middle managers in line with the strategic expansion. In conjunction with the expansion, LTK also wish to increase the marketing department employee welfare to boost up organisation spirits and morale. Besides, LTK wishes to have stronger affiliation with large-scale retail chains. Chapter 8.0: Marketing Strategy (Strategic Direction) LTK is the market leader; a leader must be at a state of constant alertness and maintain watchfulness because other firms will attacks its weaknesses and try to offset LTK strength. The competitors also can do R&D and become more innovate than LTK. Thus, if LTK wish to sustain their positions as a leader, LTK should be more proactive. First, LTK must pursuit the strategy of expanding the total market. LTK should â€Å"welcome† new users including the low-income earner. LTK can categorise the size of the eggs. It is because now omega egg only has one size. If LTK sells the smaller size egg cheaper than the other, lower income consumers will try to buy it. Besides, LTK could develop new market such as South East Asia and EU continent. Thus, LTK not only concentrate the Malaysia market but the overseas market too. As the market leader, LTK not only must expand the market, but to protect its current market share. Pre-emptive defence is crucial to undermine the competitors before they do. Furthermore, counter-offensive defence is also necessary to cut off the challenger's operational base. Chapter 9.0 Developing the Marketing Programs for LTK In order to achieve the preset objective, LTK must balance off the attention for domestic and foreign market. Until now, the main focus for LTK should be domestic thus LTK should establish an overseas subsidiary in Asia and other state in Malaysia. However, LTK must always conduct research pertaining the consumer behaviour to segment the market. LTK must bear in mind that consumer insight will differ base on geographical differences. In addition to segmentation, LTK should aim for the most profitable target market. In my humble point of view, I will consider the segment which earning per year is above 30,000 with a family size of 2-5 members. This segment will be the single largest segment in Malaysia and Asia countries. Thus the segment is sustainable, measurable, profitable as well as accessible. This subsidiary is also responsible to gather market information in Malaysia market and distribute the company product to neighbouring countries such as Thai, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. The subsidiary is responsible to keep close contact with the retailers in these countries. After establishing the distribution network, it is more important to ensure the product is acceptable by the consumers. The marketing department must understand that the company long-term objective is to move from core value to augmented value. Therefore, the media department must develop the advertising message that suits the taste of the target audience as well as meeting the company long-term objective. Furthermore, the message must be informative, educate and entertain. In this point of time, I think the advertising theme must focus on introducing the public to the benefit of LTK Omega 3 enriched egg. The choice of media is also important when developing brand equity. It is a prudent move to place some advertisements in the health magazine in these countries. Besides, the company can place some advertisements in selected local newspapers and radios stations. If the budget allocation allows, the company can consider placing advertisement on television. Whatever said and done, I think it is more appropriate to employ local agencies to handle the advertising activities since they are more familiar as well as more efficient. Below is sample of advertisements that LTK has applied in the local context. The marketing department must monitor the performance of the advertising agencies from time to time or apply the payment based on performance scheme to motivate the agencies to put in more effort or pull up their socks. Promotion campaign is equally important to stimulate trial for this product. The trial is very important because it will enable the company to portrait the superior quality of the egg and relate it to the brand name. The planned promotion campaign that I intend to carry out is the demo session in major supermarket and hypermarket. In this demo, I will show the audience how different is the LTK Omega egg from ordinary eggs. It is totally different in term of colour and elasticity of the yolk5. You can pick up the yolk of LTK Omega egg from the albumen and the yolk will not break or burst. This demo can be recorded and broadcast in the TV as part of the advertising campaign too. On the other hand, the company can also visit school and give away free bookmark and sample to the students when they are having cooking classes. In the supermarket, the company can employ sandwich man dress up like Humpty -Dumpy. Besides during Easter day, LTK can do promotion like buy 12 eggs and get an Easter egg for free. Publicity is the most convincing tool for LTK Omega egg to persuade the consumers to purchase the product. The company should invite nutritionist to do scientific research and tell the public that whether LTK Omega eggs is really as good as the company claim. The consumer movement groups and the public watchdogs are also invited to examine the quality of the product. If their comments are positive, then LTK Omega egg will easily penetrate into the Asia market. Packaging serve two purposes for LTK Omega egg. First of all, it will protect the egg and maintain its freshness. Secondly, the packaging can reflect the augmented feeling if it is nice decorated. However the company must bear in mind that the packaging must be environmental friendly and recyclable too. The target consumers in these countries are very much concerned with environmental issues like plastic container and too much paper wrappers. On top of that, the company should establish global web site, regional web site as well as country web site to provide health concern consumers about health facts pertaining to LTK Omega eggs. Suggestion box must be prepared to keep in touch with consumers. Furthermore, the company can do on-line delivery to enlarge the distribution coverage. Lastly, LTK should enlarge the distribution channel to make this product easily available to the target market. There should be more state division wholesalers to support the distribution effort of LTK. Chapter 10 Implementation, Evaluation and Control Although all the strategic plan has been laid down in detail, the implementation is equally important to enable the plan to be carried out smoothly. All the tasks must be delegated accordingly. On top of that, there must be coordinating mechanism to facilitate decision-making process. Above and beyond, there must not be any breakdown in communication within each level and within departments as well. There should be weekly report and meeting to exchange ideas on improving the organisation activities. The Kaizen Methodology is very good in turning LTK into a learning organisation. Since there is a preset quantitative objective, it is possible to evaluate the actual performance against the preset standard. If the difference is too wide, corrective measurement must be taken. Other than comparing the actual result with the preset standard, LTK can measure the performance based on other sources such as customers' feedback, retail audit, distributors' feedback, survey and toll free calls. In conclusion, the strategic plan must be review from time to time because the business environment is always dynamic and volatile in nature. The holistic audit of various aspects will definitely benefit the company with coming out a more complete strategic plan.