Article Review on Mental Illness

Jennifer Tozier Compentency Assignment 1, Review #2 Dr. Besthorn 09/15/2012 I chose to write my article review on the article entitled, â€Å"How clinical Diagnosis Might Exacerbate the Stigma of Mental Illness. † It is a not new concept that people are consistently drawn to a labeling others with a stigma, and this article delves into how we as social workers can (unintentionally) either encourage that stigma or hinder it based on the presentation to the client and to the public. A key point to the article talks about three kinds of potential ways stigma hurts a client.The first was being label avoidance. Many people do not want to admit to a mental illness, let alone get it treated because of how they might be perceived. Those that can admit having a mental illness and seek services may feel a certain stigma that then draws them back, and they avoid treating the problem, after they have confirmed that they, in fact, do suffer from the illness. They are afraid of being labele d in society or among their peers. The second stigma is blocked life goals. When suffering from a mental illness, everyday life can be and often is hard for the client.Without treatment, the stress of daily life can inhibit the client from seeking opportunities such as work, school, family and friends. Without these life goals being fulfilled, the mental illness takes control of the clients’ life and they are fixed from advancing in the everyday life. The third way a stigma hurts a client is the self-stigma. This is where the client begins to believe what is being said about them and their problem. It further exacerbates the problem because they not only deal with the issue of mental illness but feel judged in every encounter; this changes their behavior and creates a greater issue.This article also discusses the diagnosis of a mental illness in regards to â€Å"groupness† and the â€Å"differentness† aspects of how the public distinguishes people with mental is sues. This looks into the stereotypes and over generalizations and how it relates with mental illness and the general public. Mental illness while it may be more prevalent in some groups, it is an equal opportunity illness and can affect anyone regardless of age, race, financial status, or occupation. The article does an excellent job of describing how once a person is diagnosed with a mental llness it draws diversity in how they might be labeled and construed in society, similar to how they might be treated if they were a minority group. Research shows that this stigma â€Å"groups† individuals once they have been diagnosed with a mental illness, regardless if the client demonstrations any abnormal characteristics. The author did a terrific job of discussing the different stigmas that mental illness produces. It talked about how society or the majority labels a person with mental illness and the way a person can label themselves, both which produce disastrous results.I can s ee that this is a relevant article in the field of social work, because social workers can shape the way the client is perceived, both by the majority and the client all in the way they identify the illness. I understand that the article is talking about how the diagnosis can exacerbate the stigma, but I did not get a strong hold on ways to diagnosis it in an improved approach. The paragraph talking about diagnosis as a continuum seems like the closest point of reference for me, as an approach, but as it suggested this dimensional approach is not familiar to most clinicians.It seems once again there is only so far workers can go, with the limited knowledge we have obtained through research to date. The theory that I associated with the article is social learning theory. I came to that conclusion for several reasons mainly, because social learning theory suggests that human behavior is learned as individuals. The article talks about how people who have been diagnosed at times will no t seek treatment solely because of how they will be stigmatized.The problem behavior will not be treated and will remain a problem because a stigma will be placed on that individual if they admit the problem and get treatment. I think that using the social learning theory as a mode of treatment can be possible if the social worker can convince the client that if they get treatment and function in a â€Å"normal† way they will have a better quality of life. The article talked about how the social worker defines the mental illness and relays the information not only to the client, but also to other mental health providers is a determining factor on how it will be perceived.It is our ethical responsibility treat the client with dignity and respect, therefor when discussing the mental illness we need to be sure to use professional terms and be 100% correct before we unintentionally put a stigma on our client, they may put undue hardship in their life. When engaging with a client with mental illness it is necessary to discuss with them what they can expect, from meeting with the mental health provider all the way through treatment. Also to find out what they expect from the process.It is vital to let them know that they will have issues to deal with such as social stigma, but a road to treatment will give them a better quality of life. Mental illness affects people every day. Simply because of the stigma attached to it, people do not want to admit they have a problem. This is an implication because if more people could be honest and upfront social workers and policy makers could be given more time, resources, and attention to create policies that would benefit those struggling. The more resources and policies available the better chance that people suffering from mental illness will not have to deal with a stigma.

American Traditions Reflected In The Literature Of 1865-1912 Essay

The United States has always professed itself to be the â€Å"land of the free. † In fact, most of its traditions are rooted in its value for freedom, family and country. How often is it in public speeches that we are reminded that â€Å"all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights†¦that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. † Literary pieces produced between the years of 1865 and 1912 show a growing awareness and search for understanding of civil rights and democracy. Uniqueness and personal individuality and perspective were reflected in the writing styles and stories that appeared during this time. Nineteenth century poet Emily Dickinson’s poems in â€Å"The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson† reflect her views and awareness of the role of women in a patriarchal and free society. Indeed her writings could very well be considered ‘feminist. ‘ Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Leaves of Grass’ was representative of an America that was alive, rich and natural. He states: â€Å"The Americans of all nations at any time upon the earth have probably the fullest poetical nature. The United States is essentially the greatest poem† (Whitman, 1855) Yet while his views were generally â€Å"romantic† in nature, his demonstrates a keen awareness social issues such as the growing materialism brought about by industrialism. He called for literature that would bind the readers in a more spiritual and imaginative state as individuals in his â€Å"Democratic Vistas† (1871. ) American Literature saw the birth of awareness and definition of freedom. Freedom was then too general a concept yet the literary products in this period showed the emergence of expressions for individuality against convention, true liberty, and pride in identity. American Literature 2 2. GENDER AND ETHNIC MINORITIES IN THE ECONOMIC AND LITERARY DEVELOPMENT IN 1865-1912 Literature has been used as an expression of freedom of thought, feelings, and ideals. It has also been used as a tool of social awareness and activism that meant to inspire reform particularly in the disparity experienced by women and ethnic minorities in that era. As the industrial age prepared to take root in the United States, ethnic minorities like the Native Americans, Africans and Asians, and other ethnic groups grew more marginalized in existence. Africans became slaves who were made to work in the tobacco and cotton fields. Others were pressed into domestic servitude in the homes of the wealthy White men. Literature at in reference to women and the ethnic minorities viewed them as objects that â€Å"White men† own. This dehumanization served as a sort of â€Å"muse† for the emerging â€Å"realist† writers. If popular literature referred to them as non-entities, the realists raised their plight up as a sign for the need for social awareness and change. In her â€Å"Woman in the Nineteenth Century,† essayist and on of America’s first respected female journalists Margaret Fuller, brought up the existence of sexual discrimination and suggested steps in an effort to promote the independence of women. She was an advocate of equality gained through human freedom and dignity. Mark Twain’s â€Å"Huckleberry Finn† defied conventions and spoke out against the practice of slavery and the irrationality of â€Å"civilized† society. The friendship of his lead characters Jim and Huck went beyond the strictures of a slave-owning society and culminated in something that was happy and generous. Emancipation of women, abolishment of racism, marginalization and slavery according to the realist writers, were what should define American freedom, humanity and democracy†¦not the materialism and human ownership brought by industrialization. References â€Å"The Romantic Period, 1820-1860, Essayists and Poets†. Outline of American Literature. United States International Information Programs (2006) Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://usinfo. state. gov/products/pubs/oal/lit3. htm â€Å"The Rise of Realism: 1860-1914†. Outline of American Literature. United States International Information Programs (2006) Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://usinfo. state. gov/products/pubs/oal/lit5. htm

Contain communism Essay

Communism had always posed a threat to the interest of the U.S. and their attitudes towards the U.S.S.R. had proved they had not entertained the idea of communism much. But it was not until February 1946 did it all come out and the U.S.A began to act towards containing communism. The policy of containment meant the U.S. actively prevented the psreading of communism.There were several ways with which the U.S. tried to contain communism some of which were futile and others effective. However, for every move the U.S. made the U.S.S.R. had a retaliation. One way with which the U.S. tried to contain communism was with the use of the atomic bomb. The dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima was a method that was used to bring the war between the Japanese to a quick end with few loss of American lives. Described by Truman as † the greatest thing in history† the bomb had a very devastating effect taking up to 70 000 lives. After that another bomb was dropped in Nagasaki, this was particularly to impress Stalin and scare him if possible. However this was to blow up in Truman’s face. Stalin feeling that it was an insult that he was never informed of such a weapon by his allies was not impressed and also became more suspicious of the U.S. And the fact that he was also denied the islands in the far east since he had nothing to do with the defeating of Japan also irritated him more. Truman’s attempts did not work instead Stalin sought a production of his very own atomic bomb, and alhough it was initially predicted the Soviet Union would get the bomb within 10 years, mysteriously the bomb was in the hands of the Soviets a lot sooner than that, they had it within 4 years. So Truman had nothing against Stalin now. This was one of the unsuccessful means of containing communism because it rather increased the already existing tensions between both countries during the cold war. And because it was a suspicious thing that the U.S.S.R. got the bomb so soon and the U.S. neglected to mention the weapon to the U.S.S.R. suspicion between both countries increased and the gulf between the countries expanded further. Another way in which the U.S. tried to contain communism was through propaganda. The methods through which communism was extending its influence throughout eastern Europe was blatantly unprofessional. The method was given  the name ‘salami tactics’ where by countries in eastern Europe fell one by one into the influence of communism. For example, Czechoslovakia was the last democratic country in eastern Europe until 1948. The elections were coming up in May but because the communist were blamed for the country not receiving the Marshall aid the communist party was expected to do badly. However, before the election there was a coup d’etat where the police force took over and removed every non-communist personnel from office. In February, representatives of opposing parties were removed and Jan Masaryk the foreign minister who opposed communism personally mysteriously â€Å"fell out† of the window during the coup. The Czech communists took over with little blood shed and with no help from the Soviet Union. These was how the communist parties took over in other countries, by dissolving opposing parties and killing their leaders. This was the method that was used in east European countries such as Poland in 1947,Bulgaria also in 1947, in Romania and Albania, 8 countries in total were taken over using the ‘salami tactics’.and the only response the U.S. could give to this was verbal abuse. They simply, verbally condemned the acts which were committed and were hoping that the U.S.S.R would perhaps feel guilty and digress but unfortunately that did not work at all. This method of containment was perhaps the weakest of all mehods because the U.S.A. in no way showed any opposition to the methods used. This could be assumed as slacking in the part of the U.S. to containing communism. The most successful was the combination of policies, that is, Marshall plan and the ‘iron fist’ policy. The iron fist was a result of the long telegram of February 1946 by George Kennan,deputy chief of mission in the U.S. embassy in Moscow. The telegram though it was lenghty simply said the Soviet Union was â€Å"neurotic†. He saw them as aggressive and insecure and concluded that there should be no compromise with the Soviet Union. Another factor that added to the development of the ‘iron fist’ approach was that the U.S. were not prepared to make the same mistake that was made by the British. The Britains had a policy of appeasement with Nazi-Germany. They had negotiations with Hitler and gave him whatever he requested for as long as it was seen as â€Å"reasonable† but the appeasement only encouraged Hitler to ask for more and soon there was an outbreak of war in 1939. Truman and other  politicians agreed that they did not want the same thing to happen with the U.S.S.R. so therefore the ‘iron fist’ approach was justified where by Truman refused totally to negotiate with the U.S.S.R. The Marshall plan also was another technique used. George Marshall was the new U.S. secretary of state and he had travelled through western Europe and was disheartened by the devastation he saw and was shocked by the economic crisis of the region. When he came back, he suggested that america invest in the economy of Europe, he argued that as America was a marketing economy Europe would have been a good consumer base but if there was no way for Europe to be able to afford their goods then no profit would be made and the economy of the U.S. would suffer. Therefore investment in the European economy was the solution. Though he asked for 17 million dollars, he was granted 13 million and so this money was distributed through out western Europe. Ofcourse the U.S.S.R. reacted negatively to this and also formed the comecon which organised economic assisstance to the countries of eastern Europe. But unfortunately this was no match for the Marshall plan. Added to this, in Germany, the Yalta and Potsdam agreements had stipulated that Germany be divided into two buffer zones. The western zone was to be under the supervision of the western powers while the eastern zone was under the U.S.S.R. However, in the eastern region, the U.S.S.R. continued taking reparations from Germany because of the damages of world war 2 where as, The U.S. kept putting money into the western zone. Soon it became obvious that the western zone was flourishing compared to the eastern zone. This caused the Berlin blockade of 1948-49. The U.S.S.R.’s attempt to divide the eastern zone from the western zone. But this was where the Marshall plan and the iron fist came into play. Truman through the approach of the iron fist refused to give into these manouvres of the U.S.S.R. And with the money from the Marshall plan, the west were able to supply aid to Berliners, they flew food and supplies to them through the Berlin airlift and they were able to provide to over 2 million Berliners. The result of this was that Stalin had to give in and brought down the Berlin blockade by May 1949. A successful combination of the ‘iron fist’ approach and Marshall plan, the west were able to gain an initiative giving the situation that happened in czechoslovakia and other east European countries. Another successful means of containing communism was the Truman doctrine.In February 1947, the British warned the U.S. that they could not keep their troops in Greece any longer which they had been in since 1944. But after the second world war, the British government began to feel the effect in their economy as they owed 3000 million pounds. This scared Truman because he believed communism was taking over and so by March 1947 he issued the Truman doctrine that specified that any country that had a democratically elected government and was fighting off communism would be given militarial support. And so with this, support from America was given to Greece and the communists were defeated. Stalin, however saw this as â€Å"U.S. imperalism† although he had no retaliation for this because in the first place, he had kept an agreement with Churchill that Greece was an area of British influence. None the less, the U.S. were still able to fight off communism in Greece. These were some of the ways the U.S. had contained communism or tried to.Through militarial means, that is the Truman doctrine and financial mean such as the Marshall plan. And also through propaganda, when they tried belittle the communists because of their use of ‘salami tactics’. They also tried the use of terror which was the A-bomb but that proved unsuccessful. Like some of the techniques used and on the other hand, others were quite successful indeed.

Managing International Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Managing International Trade - Essay Example The 1960s saw the company diversify into research and manufacturing of drugs with development of the Ibuprofen painkiller. The company has diversified its development to other places and in 1968, the company acquired through purchase Timothy Whites and Taylors Ltd chain. Ion 1978, the company acquired Tamblyn Drugs chain in Canada which saw it entering the market. In 1987, the company became UK’s second largest drugs chain by acquiring Clement Clarke Ltd. and Curry and Paxton Ltd. In 1998, it ventured into dentistry and ‘well-being’ services offered to its customers. The company has seen sales and acquisitions with companies related to the field such as Optical Express but in 2006, the company developed a merger with Alliance Boots Ltd. In 2012, it was announced that Walgreens wanted to acquire a 45% stake in Boots. This is supposed to be a long term investment issue. The company mission statement is, â€Å"to become the world’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty group†. This would be done through collaboration with Walgreen where Boots would boost Walgreen in the UK market and Walgreen boost Boots in the American and Chinese markets where it has prospered. The corporate level strategies of the company are to focus on its core activities in business. This is specific in the pharmacy led health and beauty retailing as well as pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution. This is to be achieved alongside realizing international branding of the products so that a third dimension is created. The strategy therefore includes growing the core businesses in the existing markets as well as continued delivery of improved products and saving of costs. Growth opportunities are supposed to be achieved through pursuing the growth opportunities in new high growth markets. The company also seeks to launch new brands in new markets, deliver synergies through strategic partnerships with other companies. The partnerships may

Love Compare State of The Union Address with poems Essay

Love Compare State of The Union Address with poems - Essay Example A direct parallel can be made to these expressions of patriotism and the patriotic service of the armed forces with the third stanza in Bates’ (1993) America the Beautiful. The third stanza reads as follows: The parallel between Obama’s (2012) State of the Union Address and the third Stanza of America the Beautiful is more profoundly made when Obama (2012) informs Americans that the troops returning from Iraq are a â€Å"generation of heroes† that have â€Å"made the United States safer†. Thus the reference to the heroics of the armed forces and their efforts in making America safer are vastly similar to Bates’ (1993) reference to the â€Å"heroes proved in liberating strife† how much they loved the United States. Obama (2012) conveys the same message more profoundly in his State of the Union Address when he states that the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are manifestations of the armed forces’ love for the United States as they demonstrated â€Å"courage, selflessness and teamwork† and were not driven by self-serving aspirations. The emphasis on the patriotic contributions toward Americans’ liberations are questioned in Baker’s (1997) poem Patriotics and can thus be seen as a direct contradiction of the President’s (2012) State of the Union address. Baker (1997) points out that America’s freedom is celebrated on July 4th by the symbolic launching of military firepower: the launching of fireworks. Yet at the same time Americans are suffering everywhere, making these military conquests for freedom virtually inconsequential. Baker (1997) goes on to describe how despite the obvious suffering among Americans, they gather to celebrate the achievement of the military on the 4th July â€Å"our country’s perfect holiday, so direct a metaphor for war† (2nd Stanza). Obama (2012) touched on the irony only slightly, and in a way that promised hope for the

The Tragedy of the Commons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Tragedy of the Commons - Essay Example He said, â€Å"picture a pasture open to all† and argued that when a pasture is open to all, each herdsman will keep as many cattle possible on the commons (Hardin, 1968, p. 1243). In contrast, when resources are not owned in common or pasture is not open to everyone, a herdsman places just enough cattle so that benefits or utility exceeds the impact on grazing that the additional cattle would bring (Hardin, 1968, p. 1242). When resources are owned in common or are free for access, the tragedy of the commons manifests itself. This definition is implied but not directly stated in Hardin’s work. According to Hardin (1968, p. 1243), the problems associated with commons or the tragedy of the commons can be averted by private property or something similar. Hardin also said that the other solutions are â€Å"coercive laws† or â€Å"taxing devices† that make it cheaper for the polluter to treat his pollutants† (Hardin, 1968, p. 1244). As suggested earlier, commons refer to properties owned in common or in which people can have free access or freely use. When no one owns the resource and the resource is free for access like the air or the ocean, it can also be considered as part of the commons or the communally-owned resources. In the United States, one example in which the tragedy of the commons may be happening is in the Georges Bank in Northeastern United States (Hinson, 2010, p. 1).

Introduction; Vision, Mission, and Stakeholders Case Study

Introduction; Vision, Mission, and Stakeholders - Case Study Example A few years later Shultz bought the founders out and in 1992, Starbucks had grown to 150 stores across the Northwest and Midwest. Shultz took the company public raising over 25 million dollars. Starbucks' success was built on two things - the store experience (Starbucks' image) and the quality f its product. It really is a better cup f coffee the first one is so sacred that on Starbucks employees initiative the chain even prohibited smoking in its stores in Vienna, where cigarettes and coffee are inseparable, because Starbucks doesn't want anything to interfere with the seductive scent f fresh-brewed espresso. That's why top-management f Starbucks deeply believed that employees make the store that they work in. A Starbucks employee needed to be very knowledgeable, communicative, and helpful to the customers. Customers need to know the difference in the new roasted coffee Starbucks will offer. Well-educated employees will surely handle this requirement. Starbucks need to use powerful cultural motivations to drive the identification f opportunities. (Rae 2006) In Starbucks all employees are called "partners," signaling a level f responsibility maintained by few companies with sales in the billions f dollars. Anyone who has an idea uses a one-page form to pass it to the senior executive team--and gets a response. When the company pursues an idea, its author, regardless f tenure or title, is typically invited to join the launch team as a full-time member. New-style marketing organizations, by contrast, hire marketers not for jobs but for two broad kinds f roles: those f integrators and specialists. If communications are to be used effectively then there is a need to communicate aspects f the direction in which the organization intends moving and how it intends to achieve this. In other words, the business philosophy and its aims and objectives, often expressed formally through mission and vision statements, need to be communicated to particular audiences in a way that is synchronized and co-ordinated with the organization's other communication activities. In case f Starbucks mission sounds like this: "Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor f the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow". The development f the mission statement was the start f the company's marketing management initiative. Starbucks overall objective in the eye's f the leaders was defined. This mission does not want to jeopardize the quality, ambiance, or service due to expansion into a global marketplace. Besides writing a mission, Starbucks has outlined their guiding principles, which they follow in their business: 1. Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity; 2. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business; 3. Apply the highest standards f excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery f our coffee; 4. Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all f the time; 5. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment; 6. Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success. Starbucks chose the second one (Product Concept) and their success over the past 25 years has a lot to do with the quality f the product, which has attracted a loyal and growing following among consumers.

The Creativity of an Artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Creativity of an Artist - Essay Example Driving the phenomenological aspects as the main core in the creativity of music, the analysis puts into perspective philosophical and psychological elements including the nature of auditory reflection and the expressiveness of music as well. Elements that make music a creative industry and factored by James Aconley include rhythm is the primary and most essential component of musical experience. It covers among others melody, rhythm, and harmony. Reflective experience contains the enabling structure for facilitating musical rhythm. The relevance of musical hearing does not rely on specific types of focus in the auditory experience. In this context, putting much emphasis on the perceptual character of musical experience is against the basic principle that musical experience is a product of creative imagination. James Aconley is both a singer and a performer. He implores much creativity to juggle between the two related but different fields. It is not easy to copy singing because it e ntails composing and passing a specific message to the audience. To succeed, James uses a lot of information from compiled from various perspectives. He sings in many parts of the country and in many events and venues in the United Kingdom. Such venues include many theatres, restaurants and hotels, The CAA in London, parties and weddings, anniversary celebrations, as well as many other functions (Langer, 1953, 33).

Fashion promotion - Miss Dior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Fashion promotion - Miss Dior - Essay Example This fact is what makes it still available in various stores and outlets. One can clearly understand how fascinating the Miss Dior perfume brand has been over the period. Brand image of Miss Dior (Top Ten Items on My Anniversary Whishlist 2012) Brand value: Miss Dior perfume compliments the exuberance, freshness and elegance of fashion line of Dior. It is the synergy effect of perfume and haute couture at its best. The aroma of Dior perfume was created by Paul Vacher based on a method found out by Jean Carles. Brand Onion: The brand onion of the products covers three major areas: physical features consumer benefits and inherent values. These are marked either negatively or positively. The qualitative outline facilitates the recognition of not just the mindset of a consumer but also his or her emotions and feelings. (Brand Development 2007) Brand personality: The brand personality is achieved in the course of continuous and effective advertisement. The features and attributes of the b rand should be correctly communicated to the targeted clients. Brand essence: Miss Dior perfume comprises a concoction of the fragrances of jasmine, galbanum, oak moss, gardenia, bergamot, rose, narcissus, labdanum, patchouli and sandalwood. Brand in action: Miss Dior has a modern kind of fragrance that helps to capture the ageless couture spirit promoted by the brand. Ladies who use this perfume easily project an elegant grace paired with self-confidence and determination of character, which is truly an alluring combination. Brand Identity Map: Brand identify map is the overall expression of a particular brand and consists of its trademark, name, communication strategies and also the particular visual appearance, that is the brand identity. Successful brand names of the perfume build some sort of connection between the brand personality of Miss Dior as it is perceived by the target viewers, and the real product or service. Brand identity focuses on real qualities, real features tha t the brand promises and its values being sustained and offered by organizational and manufacturing characteristics. The main features and qualities highlighted by the Miss Dior company are: sophistication, femininity and emotion. The other attributes include long lasting fragrance, better quality, modernization and its brand name. 2. Consumer profile and Promotional Opportunity Analysis: Promotion opportunity analysis is the course marketers use to recognize target audiences for an organization’s goods and services and their particular communication strategies required to arrive reach out to the public. There are mainly five phases in developing an analysis of promotion opportunities and are as follows: Competitors- Dior mainly follows the pricing strategy of competitive pricing, that is, they set the cost of the product according to the cost set by their competitors.   They also adopt premium pricing strategy for their particular creation range to emphasize the productâ⠂¬â„¢s exclusiveness. The product faces main competition from Guerlain, Chanel, Prada, Cartier, Lancome, Calvin Klein, Givenchy and Angel de Thierry Mugler. The company faces a tight competition from its competitors. Chanel is  one of the most recognized organizations in France, which always proposes high quality perfumes at high prices. But the cost of Miss Dior and its opponents are almost similar. So there will not be much dissimilarity for the clients in making payment for

Hospitality Organizations for Self-Service Technology Assignment

Hospitality Organizations for Self-Service Technology - Assignment Example Notably, the population of the study included 216 employees who work in three participating hospitality organizations during April 2006 (Lema, 2009). All the participants in the population were volunteers while the participating organizations offered diverse workforce in the food, beverage, entertainment, and lodging industry (Lema, 2009). Specifically, the sample participants included employees working in three participating hospitality organizations during April 2006. The sample participants included 71 supervisors, 141 non-supervisors, 111 females, and 101 males (Lema, 2009). The original sample size included 216 employees while the final sample size included the position, gender, and ethnicity of 212 participants (Lema, 2009). Ideally, the study clearly described the sampling method by selecting the demographic variables that define the study. Indeed, the sampling method defined the position, gender, and ethnicity of participating employees in the hospitality industry. The sampling method defined the period for the study and classified the participants into supervisors and non-supervisors (Lema, 2009). It also defined the proportion for gender into 48% males and 52% females (Lema, 2009). Ultimately, it classified the sample into ethnic groups including African American, American Indian, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, and Paciï ¬ c Islander (Lema, 2009). Ideally, the sampling method was adequate for this study in that it addressed all the demographic variables that influenced the results for the study. The researches study on the factors that inï ¬â€šuence employee readiness to engage in and support self-directed processes used various instruments, which included Oddi Continuing Learning Inventory (OCLI) and Generalized Self-Efï ¬ cacy Scale (GSE) (Lema, 2009). Most specifically, the GSE instrument sought to assess self-beliefs of personal capabilities of the employee while the OCLI instrument sought to assess employees’ levels of self-directed learning

Behaviour and experience which in nearly all situation affects Essay Example for Free

Behaviour and experience which in nearly all situation affects Essay The studies carried out by Milgram, Piliavin, Haney and Gardner Gardner, have unearthed some very important as well as surprising details about human behaviour and experience which in nearly all situation affects it. This question looks at the various forms of human behaviour, which make us what we are and also looks at experience, something we all seem to rely on heavily. Firstly, in Milgrams study of obedience, it was found that under pressure or authority we sometimes do what we normally would not have done, therefore showing that others influence our behaviour, particularly those who we think are more superior to us. Carry on , one of the main prods the experimenter used on the teacher to make the teacher carry on with the shock treatment. This shows that not only the presence of some authority figure, but also what they do and say can influence human behaviour. One of the reasons, which make us think that a person is superior to us, is because we think of the experience he/she has in that particular field or area. Because of this we assume that they are superior to us and that what they tell is the only option we can follow. Of course this is not always the case. Hitler did have some men in his army who did not follow his instructions and did try and betray him, but the majority of his army did do as he commanded. The effect of an authority on human behaviour is demonstrated clearly in Milgrams study as the teachers ask the so called experimenters, who they think are an authority over them, whether or not they should continue giving shock treatment to the subjects and they also turn to them for support and advice during a very tough emotional and moral battle that they are fighting within themselves. Therefore we turn to people who we think have more experience than us and our decisions are affected by what others say and do, especially those who we see as an authority above us. Similarly, in Pilavins study, human behaviour when helping people revolves particularly around three main factors. These are: Cost Reward Analysis, Plurastic ignorance and the emotional arousal. It was discovered in the experiment that people only went to help if the situation appealed to them and if they thought it was serious enough to help. This resulted in the drunk getting less help than the cane victims. Also people used the cost reward analysis before helping. This in simplified terms means the advantages and disadvantages of helping and also the advantages and disadvantages of not helping. This shows another part of the human behavioural patterns. Another, which can be added to this, is that of plurastic ignorance, which means that people do not know what to do, and therefore look at others near them and assess the genuineness based on what they do. Therefore if most people would not help, neither would that person. Also another reasons for humans not helping during certain situation is because of the Diffusion of Responsibility which means that the more people we see around us, the less we help out as we think that someone else will do so. There is also emphasis on experience in the experiment as it can once again have effect on human behaviour. In this particular experiment if passengers on the train had themselves been a victim (i. e.  cane victim, or drunk), or even if they had helped others before, it will most probably have an effect on their behaviour. Those people, who got help from others when they themselves were victims, might help out, whereas those who got no help when in a similar situation might not help. Also if a person has helped before and had not had the best of times helping, may decide to stay away from he incident this time around. Zimbardos Prison Stimulation experiment was another experiment during which human behaviour and experience paid an important role. It was thought that prison life would have an effect on the behaviour of the prisoners as well as that of the guards. It was discovered that prisoners started to behave in degrading ways because of them being trapped in a prison environment and also because they always had to follow orders from the guards and also because of the fact that they had no choice in the matter. Similarly the guards started to behave in cruel ways once they knew that they were powerful. They then started to punish guards whenever they felt like it. Zimbardos experiment proves the fact that when we have power and are see as an authority figure by others, our behaviour changes drastically and we become on some occasion very unfair and cruel to those below us. Experience once again can affect behaviour. This is because those who have been in a prison before will feel that it is not that bad as they have been there before and know what to expect whereas those who havent been before find it as a shock. Those who have been in prison before may behave in a more civilised manner than others who havent. Finally, the experiment carried out by Gardner and Gardner did not really uncover anything about human behaviour apart from the fact that language is something we are innately programmed to do. In this experiment a chimp named Washoe was taught ASL(American Sign Language), but even after 4 years of training, only 132 signs were learnt. In comparison with that human children learn much more as they grow older, therefore showing that humans are innately programmed to do so. It also shows that we have a much more complex form of communication which animals like chimps cannot learn. Experience is again a relative feature in this experiment. The experiment shows that with adequate experience even animals can learn features of our communication, therefore if they were to continue to be taught for many hundred of years they too may be able to communicate in the complex form that we are now able to communicate in. Therefore all these various studies show a close relationship between experience and our behaviour.

Gump’s Musical Box of Chocolates Essay Example for Free

Gump’s Musical Box of Chocolates Essay Project Overview   Audience worldwide was hit by the wisdom of a mentally challenged character named Forrest Gump who lived in America throughout the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Forrest Gump lived a full life despite his mental condition. He participated and became a very special part in the many histories that shaped the nation. As important events surround the main character, he also essentially evolves into a man with his sense of American values intact, unstirred and pure.   At the least, theme of the film revolves around the circumstances found in one’s environment that eventually shapes the citizen but moreso, the movie is about how a most unlikely American citizen was able to help shape his country just by being true to himself. But more than anything else, the movie adaptation of the 1985 novel by Winston Groom sets itself apart as a film inspired by its musical scores. Forest Gump, the movie, was born during the time when Hollywood films were relentlessly doing films in order to sell its soundtracks. At most times, a movie fan would find himself realizing that all the songs used in the movie are packaged in music CDs sold in stores. The more familiar these songs were, the better a young group of audience would enjoy and remember the film, but not the movie Forrest Gump. This paper aims to discuss the history surrounding the film and how it was used to weave the story into a creative fiction that borders the documentary film genre. The paper will choose one scene and proceed with an in depth music analysis of the scene in relation to the whole theme of the movie. And finally, the discourse will point out arguments that make and unmake categorizing this film under fiction or under the documentary genre. History of work surrounding the film   Highlights in America’s history were used in throughout the film so much so that the viewer will realize this pattern a few minutes after the opening of the movie. The screenwriters was able to do this by focusing on the life of Forrest Gump from being a child with braces to becoming a millionaire who just had to send his son to school for the rest of his life. Amongst the highlights of the film worth discourse is Forrest Gump’s joining the Vietnam war without even understanding the whole issues of the war. For some critics looking just above the movie’s thesis, they would be enraged at the idea that the film espouses dumb American college graduates that join in the war are the ones who actually live and become a hero. However, the beauty of the war scenes is the ability of the movie to present the reality of the actual era using music and songs juxtaposed in those scenes. Scene Analysis   The effectiveness of film music lie in its capacity to set a scene to transform itself from the usual to the memorable. Many of the scenes in the movie elaborate on three levels of symbolisms. It’s narrative deals with the life of one man, it’s visuals elaborate on the life of a nation while the music used presented that cultural insights found by the generation as synthesized into a hallmark hit song. The scenes that relate to the interactions of Forrest and Jenny, the girl in Forrest life from childhood to adulthood are the bookmarks of the film. Each meeting is juxtaposed with a popular music very much relevant to the year being shown. The popular music are sung by musicians that topped the charts during their era due to the creativity of their songs to project the general sentiments of the prevailing American Culture. For example, in the scene when Jenny who was at the hippie stage of the flower power culture met Forrest who was at that time was just given a congressional medal by the government for being a hero during the Vietnam war where he was able to save his whole platoon except for his best friend Bubba, met at the national capital. Though they were dressed differently, the two friends had the time of their lives to exchange what happened to them while one was away. This slow movement of two friends circling the D.C. monument was surrounded with the music of The Byrds entitled â€Å"Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season†. The Byrds was considered a major band in the 1960s that helped bridge the gap between Bob Dylan’s socially conscious folk music and the Beatles’ hybrid pop creations. The Byrds was in the crossroads, much like where Forrest and Jenny were in the scene at the Washington DC monument. The band helped facilitate other rock subgenres such as the folk, space, raga, psychedelic, jangle and country rock. â€Å"Turn! Turn! Turn!† was one of the many markers of the band. The song theme revolved around change that was happening to America in the 60s. So much decision and events were happening causing many things to change including worldview, lifestyles and cultures. In the Washington DC scene, the audience is given a breather to hope for the possibility of Forrest and Jenny to finally be together since Forrest was now a medaled soldier. The music even helped suggest this because the lyrics involved the fact of life where there is a time for everything. â€Å"To everything turn, turn, turn, there is a season turn, turn, turn And a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap, a time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep† The lyrics above prove that the music chosen for this scene carried the deeper subtext of the scene. To illustrate, the Vietnam war was a monumental venue where America had the chance to ‘turn’ and change its worldviews. If it was Jenny being asked to ‘turn’ during the scenes in Washington DC, the scene ended up with Jenny boarding a bus away from Forrest Gump who have just professed his love and wanting to take care of her. Unfortunately, much like war hungry politicians, Jenny still decided not to turn and continue living the American disparate life. With this kind of music use in film format, the success of the scoring lie in its ability to stand strongly at par with the particular scene being performed. â€Å"The deeper reality of film music, the necessity which found body in its lucky accident, involves the way the film tries to evoke a sort of temporary and illusive film-subjectivity, which closely mimics our everyday subjectivity. To do this, the film must rely on tactics far beyond simply spinning a good yarn. The film experience must imitate in some way all three overlapping dimensions of subjective reality: the symbolic, the real and the imaginary. The method by which this is done involves very heavily the use of film music.† (Spande, 2006) For example, the song â€Å"Fortunate Sons† that was used in the Vietnam war scenes was actually a hit during the 60s because it exposed the discrimination of the times. On the scene, Forrest and Bubba becomes good friends despite their differences in race but the subtext of the song used reminded the audience that during that time the discrimination against sending governments officials’ sons to the war was an issue that was never discussed lengthly in the movies.   But using â€Å"Fortunate Sons† is just one of the film’s tactics using music to get the movie theme’s a little deeper into analysis. Argument of the Film’s Genre   The film is definitely a documentary film if the scholar would take the character of Forrest Gump out of every historical scene set up. Since one cannot do that, the film becomes categorized under the ‘mockumentary’ film genre that is also known as fictional documentary or also called as false documentary. When filmmakers would want to project satire and parodies in historical events or real life documentaries, they would opt to use mockumentaries. Gump’s being an artfilm type of mockumentary is done by its creative and effective choice of music that would highlight each scene. Forrest Gump is one of those films where the audience would get to realize that each song played has a purposive element attached to the movie and not merely placed just to make the soundtrack sell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Forrest Gump has elements that would tend to mock at historical events established and regarded highly by society. One example to visualize the genre in the film is the scene where Forrest Gump narrates how it just simply rained in Vietnam. Describing the rain borders on the ultimate mockery made on film against the Vietnam war where thousands of American soldiers died just to experience rain coming from all sides of a walking, sleeping or running soldier. Another example would be the juxtaposing Forrest on filmed documentaries where the President of the United States shakes hands with Forrest, not knowing the Vietnam war veteran hero and the Ping-Pong American Champion who conquered China had below average IQ. And the most ingenius mockery at real documentaries is when Forrest Gump is insinuated as part ‘creator’ of Elvis Presley famous rock and roll dance steps and John Lennon’s hit song ‘Imagine’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though the movie follows the mock documentary genre, it trail blazes the particular film genre by its crafty juxtaposition of the very effective music. The musical scores of the scenes help the mock documentary be elevated into a higher kind of mock documentary film. What may be trivial onscreen is transformed into an author’s stand on the issue by means of the theme that the particular song is playing. The scene, for scholarly viewers therefore becomes an essay. This effective soundtrack helps the film elevate itself towards being an art film. The fact that producers said that the film did not earn as much proves that Forrest Gump can sit with art films under the mockumentary category. Summary   Forrest Gump is a classic piece of modern art film where it successfully used music, history and a timeless piece of character to present the wisdom in surviving American life during the decades of the 50s throughout the early 80s. The movie did not solely focused on Gump’s being mentally challenged. The movie started with that situation but ended up triumphantly with Gump achieving so much more than a lot other people would be able to do so. And he did that by just remaining as true to himself. Just like all the music used throughout the film, these cuts all came from hit albums of the composers who have achieved leadership not only in the song charts during their time. These songs and their composers have essentially becomes historical bookmarks, elements of change, transformation agents of history in both their fields and in American society. References: Forrest Gump. DVD. 1994 Spande, Robert. 2006. Three Regimes: A Theory of Film Music [http://web.archive.org/web/20031208182300/http://www.franklinmarketplace.com/filmmusic.html]

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai Summary

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai Summary The concern of psychological reality by Anita Desai is clearly reflected in one of her masterpieces Fire on the Mountain. The novel mainly deals with the loneliness and isolation as well as the resultant anguish and agony in the deserted life of an old widow. The novel narrates the story of Nanda Kaul who live in Carignano, a desolate and haunted house in Kasauli, away from the world of bags and letters, messages and demands, she had wanted to be left to the pines and cicadas aloneWhatever else came or happened would be an unwelcomed intrusion and distraction. Nanda Kauls happy isolation is threatened by the irritating letter from Asha, her daughter announcing the arrival of Raka, the grand-daughter of Asha and Nanda Kauls great grand-daughter. The unexpected arrival of Raka comes in the way of the desire to live like a recluse, far from the society. She does not want to involve herself in any responsibilities anymore, for all she wants is to be alone, to have Carignano to herself, stillness and calm are all that she wishes to entertain. But Ashas letter has made her apprehensive and she ponders painfully: Now, to bow again, to let that noose sleep once more round her neck that she had thought was freed fully, finally, Â ¦now to converse again when it was silence she wished. The novel deals with Nanda Kauls determined detachment and non-involvement which is brought about by the unhappy conjugal ties which is seen in Desais earlier novels like Cry, the Peacock, Voices in the City, Where Shall We Go This Summer, Bye Bye Blackbird, etc,. Her fierce desire to live alone is the result of her busy but, empty live as the wife of an ex Vice Chancellor of Punjab University. She played the role a dutiful wife and almost everyone envied her. But the inner reality of her life is revealed to us when we learned that her relationship with her husband was an unhappy one. She led her life as he wanted her to live out of a sense of duty. Her life as a Vice Chancellors wife though crowded and full of social activity was meaningless and unsatisfying. Although her busy schedule lacked warmth and understanding, she carried on because of her obligations to her husband and children. Once she discharged her duties she does not want any disturbances. Discharge me, she groaned, I have discharged all my duties. Discharge. She has done away with everyone and everything and becomes a recluse. Emotional deprivation is at the root of Nanda Kauls disillusionment with human bonds. Her husband did not love her as a wife and treated her as some decorative and useful instrument needed for the efficient running of his household. She enjoyed the comforts and social status of the wife of a dignitary but deep down she felt lonely and neglected. Her husband extra marital affair with Miss David had been a source of agony throughout her life. She now believes every attachment to be the preface of a new betrayal and all socialization as fake. Her bond with her husband did not involve her self. It was full on the surface but empty at the core. The painful memory of the days when her husband went to visit Miss Davids home haunts her even in the isolation at Carignano and on such occasions she lost her composition and harmony. Feelings of anguish and distrust of humanity also re veals itself as she learns the death of Ila Das, her friend who was brutally raped and murdered. The traumatic married life of Nanda Kaul is clearly sketched in the lines nor had her husband loved and cherished her and kept her like a queen-he had only done enough to keep her quiet while he carried on a life-long affair with Miss David. And her children were all alien to her nature. In her earlier novels, the incompatibility of temperaments or psychic complexes cause dissonance in the marital ties. But in Fire on the mountain an extra marital affairs disturb the conjugal relationship of Nanda Kaul and her husband. This deeply affects her outlook on life and makes her distrust all attachments and affairs. The conflict between the need to withdraw in order to preserve ones wholeness and sanity and the need to be involved in the painful process of life is shown vividly in the novel. This wavering between attachment and detachment reflects the need for a meaningful life. Nanda Kaul meets with a measure of success until she is drawn out of herself by Rakas effortless withdrawal who seem to be totally absorbed in a world of her own and ignores Nanda Kaul completely when compared with the latters flawed experiment. Raka only wants to be left alone to pursue her own secret life amongst the rocks and pines of Kasauli. Nanda Kaul wants to penetrate Rakas secret world as if Rakas total withdrawal is a challenge to her because withdrawal does not come naturally to her. In her desire to win Rakas affection and attention she builds an imaginary world around her father but this is of no avail. This action of Nanda Kaul also shows the unsatisfying condition of her own childhood and family life. Psychological experiment of the writer in the novel can also be seen on the portrayal of Rakas character. Psychologists attach great significance to the parent-child relationship, because, according to them the patterning of emotion takes place particularly during childhood. They argue that the prevailing quality of the experience the child has with his parents particularly the mother during early childhood is of paramount importance. Childhood is the most formative period of ones personality and socialization of the child begin in the family in the company of his parents who are the first individuals with whom the child interacts. Child learns the patterns of behavior which the parents set out to teach him in order to make him an acceptable member of the society. The emotion of the child depends largely on the quality of the emotional interaction that prevails between the child and his parents. Anita Desais characters have strange childhood, and their experiences and interactions du ring this formative period when combined with their congenital hypersensitivity contribute towards their inability to establish and maintain harmonious inter-personal relationship in later life. Commenting upon her solitary and introspective characters childhood, she observes I agree that the experiences of childhood are the most vivid and lasting ones. Based on this we shall study the parent-child relationship in Fire on the mountain and show how far the childhood interaction affects and moulds them in the ability to relate themselves with others. Another aspect of the novel deals with the result of a stifling home environment upon the tender psyche of Raka, the great grandchild of Nanda Kaul and the only child character in the novel. She is not a normal child and shuns all tenderness viciously. Unlike children of her age who gets attracted to fairy tales, adventure stories, the colorful and gay aspect of the world, Raka possesses a weird imagination and is drawn to uncanny places and things. After getting to know her character, we are not surprise when the care-taker of the burnt-house rightly thinks of her as the crazy one from Carignano. She as a child loves privacy and seclusion and her rejection of Nanda Kaul is complete when she feels restless to go out for her usual roaming in the presence of the former. Without informing her great grandmother she roams around all alone in the ravine or visits the lonely burnt house on the hill. She does not care for Nanda Kaul :She ignored her so calmly, so totally that it made Nanda K aul breathless. Raka is an abnormal child in comparison to other children. She never makes demand and seems to have no need of anything. The only thing she ever wanted was to be left alone and pursue her own secret life amongst the rocks and pines of Kasauli. Solitude never disturbs her and she is therefore happy during her stay in Carignano. One day while coming back from her daily excursions, she gets late and stumbles into the club building. Out of curiosity to know what is going on inside she inquires Ram Lal, the servant of Nanda Kaul, who told her about fancy dress balls. However, what Raka sees there is like a nightmare for her and therefore is disappointing. The perverted acts of the people dressed in the most bizarre fashion remind her of her own father and his wild behavior at home: Somewhere behind them was her father, home from a party, stumbling and crashing through the curtains of night beating her mother that made Raka cover under her bed clothes and wet the mattress in fright. The b ehavior of her parents in front of her has a deep influence on her tender mind. They have no time or inclination to cater the emotional needs of their child. Her father is a drunkard who always abuses and beats his wife. The mother is in such unhappy condition that she cannot do anything for her child. Consequently, Rakas traumatic experience deprived her of a childs trust and feelings of joy in the company of others. When Nanda Kaul tries to attract the child towards herself by narrating the stories of her childhood, Raka twists restlessly in her stool, her interest lost in this talk of belonging rather than happenings. Since in her parents home Raka has not been the center of attention like other normal children, she is not interested in stories about people and relations. She is, therefore happy in Kasauli with its charred house on the ridge, with its fire-blasted hilltop where nothing sounds good, but the creaking of the pines in the wind. The chaos in the life of her parents ma kes Raka averse to belongingness. From all the evidences we can get the impression that the seeds of neurotic drives are sown during ones childhood. The quality of interactions between Raka and her parents, and the disturbing home environment combined together to exert a lasting influence on her tender psyche. Anita Desai calls her a natural recluse and compares her with Nanda Kaul who was a recluse out of vengeance for a long-life of duty and obligation. However, we cannot say that Raka is a born recluse. She is a victim of a broken home. She becomes an introvert because of the abnormal circumstances around her. She has witnessed enough of the ambiguity of life and has seen bitterness, distrust and violence. Raka is a victim of emotional deprivation. Her embarrassing loveless childhood fills her heart with distrust and suspicion. As a result, she turns her back upon human beings and their so called safe, cozy and civilized world and develops a strong fascination for the ugly, lonely, rugged and desolate aspects of nature. Anita Desai though believing that childhood impressions shape the personality and attitude of the individual, she also states that even adult life contains many traumatic experiences. In this light we can explicate the inordinate desire for seclusion and non-involvement in the case of Nanda Kaul herself. Her love for privacy is not something inherent in her. In fact, her desire for seclusion is due to the unhappy relationship she has had with her husband and children. She initially, resent Rakas arrival because it reminds her of the past memories of her selfish children and faithless husband. Her relationship with her husband was nothing beyond the obligation they have for each other. After a long life of disorder, she has reached a state of elegant perfection. The thought of having a child around her at this stage is very undesirable for her. Even when Raka reaches Carignano she tries to keep aloof as the former arrival reminds her of her past life of duties and involvement. But Nan da Kauls strong resolution to be alone in Carignano begins to crumble in the presence of Raka. She once again looks for someone to care for her. Her inner self forced her to reach out to others, to love and be loved. In reality, she is filled with tenderness for Raka. All her life she has tried to feel wanted and be loved. Her efforts have been to get positive response from her family for her devotion, but all in vain. Despite all the betrayals and disappointments she received from her husband and children, she feels irresistibly drawn towards Raka as she longs for love. Fire on the mountain is largely concerned with the problems of being related. The psychological aspect of the novel is best portrayed in the relationship of the characters. Nanda Kaul and Rakas suffer at the hands of those who are related to them. They seem to develop hatred for all human contacts and cherish to live an unattached, uninvolved existence. In Nandas case the desire for seclusion is a mask to hide her intense longing for fulfilling emotional bond. Anita Desai has added a new dimension by writing a novel like Fire on the Mountain to the Indian fiction in English probing deep into the bottomless pit of human psyche, she brings the hidden contours into much sharper focus. She always emphasizes on character delineation and for exceptional characters in exceptional circumstances aiming at final essence of subjective life and consciousness. The charm of her art lies in her characters, independent, agonized frustrated and combating with angry defense. She has procured an important place for herself in the Indo-English fiction writings by shifting the refrain of her fiction from outer reality to inner reality and by carrying the flow of the mental experience of its characters she adds a new dimension to it. In a way she has presented the potentials of the post independent writers in English. It is true that Desai has her limits but she compensates her material in intensity what she lacks in variety. Desais unquestionable existential a nd psychological concerns have distinguished her from other novelist of her generation. We can say she unravels the subconscious of her highly sensitive protagonists.

The Impact of Wal-mart Essay examples -- Business, Low Prices

Wal-Mart, the multi-billion dollar corporation and the second largest employer in the world, is the most controversial corporation in the world. Wal-Mart stands as a global powerhouse and affects countless individuals around the world. This company is constantly receiving criticism from unions, human rights groups, small towns and small businesses. There are accusations of Wal-Mart treating workers poorly and driving small businesses out of business. However these accusations are false and over exaggerated. Wal-Mart offers families and low income individuals quality products at affordable prices. Their workers are paid competitive wages and are treated with respect. Wal-Mart opens their stores in rural and under developed areas. Wal-Mart improves the lives of the folks who live rural area and improves their lifestyles. Wal-Mart provides low prices for people to afford more of these great products and to stretch their dollar more. Wal-Mart opens their stores in rural areas that are destitute. These people don’t have the ability to buy the latest and finest products around. That lifestyle of buying and getting the modern item is foreign to them. Thanks to Wal-Mart these people are able to grasp this lifestyle and experience for themselves (Coster 1). People are saving hundreds of dollars and these savings really add up. According to a study by the New England Consulting group, U.S. consumers save $100 billion annually, or $600 for the average America family (Maich 6). These savings for consumers and families are astounding. This data is not only about those who shop at Wal-Mart but this data is about all consumers. This is so because â€Å"Wal-Mart sells for less, it forces competitors to cut prices in order to compete† (Maich 6). A s... ...pplications for their jobs. Every time a new store opens, Wal-Mart receives 6 to 10 applications for each job that is available (Maich 5). If Wal-Mart was horrendous and a poor employer, there will be no applying for these jobs. This shows that Wal-Mart is a great employer and not what critic says it is. Wal-Mart is beneficial to many types of people. Wal-Mart is good for the economy and good to it workers. Wal-Mart hires many people from different walks of life and offers their workers many benefits that others retailers don’t offer. Wal-Mart with their low prices benefits consumers and help consumers to save. Wal-Mart is a positive to local economies and improves profits of local businesses. Wal-Mart is not a monster as critics’ states and all these attacks by critics are incorrect. Wal-Mart is not perfect but it is better than most of the other corporations.

Thomas Jefferson Essays -- essays research papers

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. His terms lasted from the year 1801 to the year 1809. Jefferson was an American revolutionary leader as well as an influential political philosopher. Jefferson was among a group of the most brilliant Americans that resulted from the Enlightenment in Europe. Possibly one of the best writers during his time, Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson ¡Ã‚ ¦s status as a Virginia aristocrat gave him the two most important things to become an educated man, which was a difficult thing to become during that time. Those two things, time and the resources, allowed him to educate himself in history, literature, law, architecture, science, and philosophy. He also had a great deal of influence on his ideals that came directly from the European culture and thought because he had been a diplomat and friend of French and British intellectuals. Jefferson was born on the thirteenth day of April of the year 1743 at Shadwell in Goochland (now in Albemarle) Co., Virginia, which was at the time considered a western outpost and was to remain as Jefferson ¡Ã‚ ¦s lifelong home. He was the son of Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph Jefferson. His father, Peter, was a surveyor, a cartographer, and a plantation owner and he was also largely self-educated. His mother, Jane was from the prominent Rudolph family of colonial Virginia. Jefferson ¡Ã‚ ¦s intense interest in botany, geology, cartography, North American exploration, and love of Greek and Latin are due largely from his father and his surrounding environment out in the west where he also absorbed the democratic views of his Western countrymen. For several years, Jefferson studied at the local grammar and classical schools. After that, he entered the College of William and Mary in the year 1760. During his time at the college, he had become a close friend to three prominent residents of Williamsburg: William Small, George Wythe, and Francis Fauquier who was the lieutenant governor of the colony. Small was of the college faculty who Jefferson had studied under. Small had an in depth knowledge of the Scottish Englightenment and its approach to law, history, philosophy, and science. He had also introduced him to the natural sciences and to rational methods of inquiry. Wythe was of the Virginia bar. ... ...ge. Interest payments from the final settlement finally made the total price $27,267,622. Despite the scruples that Jefferson had about the purchase being constitutional or not, his other fears that Napoleon would change his mind because of Livingston ¡Ã‚ ¦s reports and from the overwhelming public approval of the Louisiana Purchase, except for most of New England, eventually overcame him and he approved. After the United States Senate ratified the treaty in October of that same year, the flag of the United States was raised over New Orleans on the twentieth of December. Even though the United States had purchased a great deal of land, it was still unclear. The wording of the treaty was vague and the boundaries were not clearly described. Also, the fact that the United States was to also own West Florida, which was suppose to be considered part of Louisiana was not assured. Despite that the final boundaries of the territory were not settled for many years, the boundaries roughly extended form the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to British North America. The total purchase had doubled the national domain, increasing it 2,144,500 square kilometers.

Essay --

Jacob bowler Ms. Miller English 12 26 October, 2013 How the Nazi regime changed the world Hail Hitler this was the phrase of the most feared group at the time the Nazi regime. They were one of the most powerful groups in the world even after losing one war they start up another one. Fighting and for the most part concurring and ruling lots of lands. They tricked everyone with their claim of just trying to reclaim the previously lost lands. Now while the nazi party did ultimately fail in their attempt to take over control of the world, they did succeed in creating great amounts of fear making many technological advancements and destroying millions of the Jewish race. One of two greatest motivators of people is fear, or fear of something. This was a great motivator of the Nazi regime their powerful tactics and ideas did not just cause fear for the time period of theirs but also to the present we still fear many things that had happened back then. One small thing that they did that still is here today is the fear of the police, with the secret police there was great fear of them and what they could do to you. With that fear people were less likely to disobey Hitler’s laws and methods. How that method still lasts today is that lots of people still fear cops and generally distrust the police and those associated with them. That means everyone that dose any illegal activity is very afraid of cops and any form of punishment that they could deal out. Then there is the undercover cops just like the secret police, cops that could infiltrate groups doing illegal activities. This also makes the groups very distrustful of most people, just like the pe ople that helped the Jews during the holocaust. So after all the pain and destruction of th... ... They came up with most the terror tactics showing that there can be many different ways of controlling specific groups through through many different tactis. So thought this it shows that the past and what happened there can have a great effect on us that it caused us to learn from the mistakes from the past. It shows that we have done many stupid things but also a lot of great things came out of the nazi party that they created. Showing that the best of things along with the worst of things can come out of the same thing. Horrors and miericals, bad and good everything can have two sides and different effects so this is how the Nazi party while failing to be able to control the world they did succeed in generating great amounts of fear, making many technological advancements and then greatly diminishing the populations of the Jews through murderous activities .

Employee development (ED) Essay

â€Å"The purpose of ED can be defined as developing human potential to assist organizations and individuals to achieve their objectives†. (Redman &Wilkinson, 2001 p.129). Since the impact of the globalization, the new positioning and competitive competences of the company will bring the HR department new challenges of finding effective career paths for their global employees. â€Å"A study conducted by the Global Leadership Institute shows a positive relationship between the level of employee internationalization and the organization’s Return on Assets.† (Black et al, 1999, p1). That’s why according to Black â€Å"an international assignment is the single most powerful experience in shaping the perspective and capabilities of effective global leaders†¦A global assignment play important roles in succession planning and leadership development; in coordination and control; and in technology, innovation, and information exchange and dissemination.† â€Å"According to a survey by the National Foreign Trade Council, the number of Americans working overseas, jumped 30% in 1995. Of the 74 companies the NFTC polled, 71% said they expect this growth to continue.† (Hayes et al, 1996) â€Å"However, somewhere between 25and 40 per cent of foreign assignments fail in US transnationals.† (Stonehouse et al, 2000,p.210). In fact, 20% to 48% of expatriates leave their companies within the first year of returning from an international assignment In a Business Horizons survey of 135 repatriated employees, only 39% felt their firm used their newly acquired skills; a meager 29% claimed that the assignments helped their careers. (Hayes et al, 1996). Such a failure is partly due to the mismatch between the organizational goals and personal goals, which is the main purpose of ED. Other reasons are: * Lack of training, this includes language and cross culture training. A recent survey conducted by Runzheimer International, found that only 42% of the 54 multinational companies polled had any formal training program for acculturating expatriates with their host country. (Hayes et al, 1996). * Family-related problems are perhaps the most important cause of failure amongst expatriates (Harvey, 1985). Such family problems include relating to the adaptation of both spouse and children to a new cultural and social environment. (Stonehouse et al, 2000,p.210) * Inadequate compensation (Stonehouse et al, 2000,p.210) * Feeling of loss of status resulting from working at the periphery. (Stonehouse et al, 2000,p.210) * Expatriates are often staying within the circle of the emigrant community, (Hayes et al, 1996) which reduces the chances to communicate with local culture and create a barrier between local people and them. * With international assignments becoming more commonplace, few companies are implying that there is any career advancement on the horizon for taking one†¦Many of the who have been on overseas assignments come back and move right back where they were (Hayes et al, 1996) Thus, make the employees think that their career path is stopped or blurred. In order to provide the employees a smooth international career development path, as well as to create an internationalized employees pool, organizations thus have to design a more systematic ED plan. This plan will include a clear definition of the international assignment, full training of the language and culture, effective expatriate policies, etc. For those MNCs with various employees come from different backgrounds, because of the culture impact, employees will have different views of career path. For example, in achievement-oriented corporation in western countries, young, promising managers are often sent on challenging assignment to faraway countries, whereas in ascribing cultures, older people, males, highly qualified persons are sent for those independent tasks or specific functions. (Trompenaars et al, 1998) Thus, organizations have to fully understand the career meaning to all of its employees and develop different career themes. References Stonehouse, G., Hamill, J., Campell, D., and Purdie,T., (2000) Global and transnational business: strategy and management, John Wiley&Sons, Ltd., UK Black, J.S., Gregersen, H., Mendenhall, M and Stroh,.L. (1999) ‘The Strategic Role of Global Assignment’, in Globalizing People Through International Assignments. London: Addison-Wesley. Pp. 1-31 Redman, T. and Wilkinson, A., (2001) Contemporary Human Resource Management, Prentice Hall Cassandra, H. (1996) â€Å"The intrigue of international assignments † in Black Enterprise, 26(10), pg. 98, NY Harvey, M.C. (1985) the executive family: an overlooked variable in international assignments, Columbia journal of world business, Spring. Tromenaars, F. and Turner, C.H (1998) Riding the waves of culture: understanding cultural diversity in business, Nicholas Brealey Publishing Ltd.,London

Company Introduction, Market Segmentation

Market Segmentation, and Product Positioning Keenan Pierson Dry. Steven Englander Marketing October 28, 2013 A. The Company Smart Option e-cigarette Is a metal rechargeable electric cigarette brand, Glenn smokers an alternative smoking option to conventional tobacco products. Smart Option takes pride in putting an emphasis on making its e-cigarette as close as possible to the weight, size, feel, flavor and inhalation of real cigarettes. Targeting seasoned smokers, Smart Option e-cigarettes produce non-disposable smoking products.The Smart Option e-cigarette kit comes with an atomized plus a cartridge tit a flavor enhancer. Consumers enjoy the brand's option of varied flavor enhancers but is popular, more so, because Smart Option Is known for its longer- lasting batteries. Popular, trendy and well-established, the Smart Option brand desires to expand to Include the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers. Smart Option was established In 2010 and Is headquartered In Atla nta.Keenan Pierson Is the SSP of Product Development, spearheading the brand's technological advance. Smart option's strategic mission statement Is â€Å"To provide a great price for the sophisticated smoker, focusing on quality and increased accessibility. † Foreign Market Cigarette use is the largest segment of the tobacco market In Russia, accounting for 98 percent of the market's total value (Russia, 2013). E-cigarette use in Russia is a means for controlling smoking (â€Å"Popularity,† 2011), and its popularity is growing there as well.Smart Option consumers primarily are based in the United States, but Smart Option sees an opportunity to expand the brand as it prepares to launch the Smarts component. Currently, the majority of electric cigarettes enter the Russian market from China (Research and Markets, 2012). Increasing exports will help grow the brand. With Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers, the goal Is to pioneer and capture significant m arket share through a sense of necessity from consumers in the U. S. And abroad, creating brand loyalty. B. Marketing Plan smoker.It has the look of classic cigarettes with an excellent nicotine delivery system. Consumers enjoy its variety of forms, its battery life and ease of use. The Smart Option e-cigarette brand is the solution for the long-term consumer seeking a premium product. While priced slightly higher than competitors selling disposable reduces, the Smart Option e-cigarette kit is equivalent to receiving up to three packs of conventional cigarettes above the standard two. Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers will be for consumers looking for the longer investment in the e-cigarette.Smarts will provide the best and most technologically-advanced electronic cartridges and compatible chargers in the industry. All e-cigarette brands are battery operated. Presently, consumers of e-cigarettes have to be loyal to their brand because rechargeable cartridges and chargers are not versatile, meaning that chargeable cartridges are not compatible with each other. There are so many electric cigarettes available that it may be difficult – and expensive – for the consumer to determine which brand satisfies their tastes.The consumer also must find the store that sells their preferred brand. With Smart Option's Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers, consumers no longer have to commit. The product and the service component of the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers will drive sales. Smarts will be bundled with the existing Smart Option products and sold separately to attract users of competing eggs. Like most cartridges, the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges include miniature lithium batteries. Smarts is unique because its 4. -volts also contain a small universal adapter for compatibility with other brands, creating an â€Å"android† mechanism for use across all brands of e-cigarettes. A unique feature of the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges includes longer-life batteries, which has made Smart Option popular among consumers. As an enhancement, the Smarts battery will automatically go into standby mode when not in use to preserve its life. The product and the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers will be expensed through vending machines and will be widely available at gas stations and convenience stores.Consumers will see the cost savings over time, enjoying the versatility of the Smart compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers, making the overall product and its service even more attractive. A report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention finds that one-fifth of Americans – about 46 million – are still smoking (â€Å"The Electric Cigarette,† 2010). Tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States (â€Å"AS Choice,† 2010). Users of conventional cigarette make are respo nding to the rise in health risk awareness, using e-cigarettes as a healthier alternative.Currently it is estimated that 1 in 40 smokers are now using e- cigarettes as an alternative (â€Å"The Electric Cigarette,† 2010), and the trend is growing at phenomenal speed. E-cigarettes have three basic components: a battery, an atomized and a mouthpiece cartridge. E-cigarettes deliver nicotine without the harmful toxins found in tobacco smoke yet creates the same hand-to-mouth experience. Instead of lighting up, an electric cigarette has a cartridge that resembles a filter that heats nicotine into a vapor. An LED light glows at the tip during the inhale, simulating the glowing tip of a regular cigarette.It is a safer alternative to smoking, and reduces secondhand smoke exposure since they do not produce smoke. E-cigarettes are sum, e-cigarettes are a smarter smoking solution. E-cigarette users are â€Å"vamping† rather than smoking. The sale of e-cigarettes is a niche busine ss that is a growing segment of the tobacco industry, although no tobacco exists in eggs. Created in 2003 by a Chinese pharmacist, the segment is emerging, and it is estimated that about a million people used electric cigarettes (Seltzer, 2011).Word about the product is spreading as consumers are becoming educated about the dangers of tobacco use and about the availability of smoke-free alternatives. Increased accessibility and universality will help the industry continue to grow. The Smart Option e-cigarette tastes like a real cigarette and offers a variety of cigarette flavor enhancers, including a nicotine-free version. Smart Option focus groups revealed that consumers are attracted to the brand's Smart LED and the option of purchasing higher capacity batteries but expressed frustration over their inability to use e-cigarettes interchangeably.Smart Option's answer is a universal battery-operated rechargeable atomized cartridge and charger. Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridge s and chargers will offer various charging options such as car chargers. Consumers have found problems with the taste and reliability in their search for the preferred e- cigarette. Neither cartridges nor chargers are interchangeable, making it difficult – and expensive – for the consumer to determine which brand satisfies their tastes.Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers will provide consumers with a plethora of options and alternatives to enjoy the brand of their choice. No other brand or innovation currently exists to cater to e-cigarette users who want that versatility. There are different sizes of batteries in varying brands of e-cigarettes. The convenience and instant gratification of purchasing the Smart Option e-cigarette and/or purchasing the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and charger is effective to drive growth and will strengthen market share.The Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and charger will come with a universal ad apter, creating an â€Å"android† mechanism for use across all brands of e-cigarettes. Consumers also will enjoy the system's longer-life rechargeable cartridges, eliminating the hassle of purchasing several devices in search of the desired taste and nicotine strength. Getting buy-in from the skeptical consumer will be a challenge to overcome since a weakness from competitors is weaker battery performances.The widespread smoking prohibition, not to mention the increase in taxes, and growing social stigma of conventional cigarette smoke creates opportunities for the e-cigarette market. Convenience stores have seen a reduction in retail sales, resulting in lower profit margins from selling conventional cigarettes. Unlike conventional cigarettes, tobacco taxes do not exist because there is not tobacco in the product, making it an affordable alternative for consumers. Electric cigarettes offer convenience stores lower taxes and much higher profit margins.Imposing additional cigar ette-specific taxes on the sale of e-cigarette products would be a threat as it would lessen the number of consumers willing to buy the products. Smart Option e-cigarette brand is plentiful and diverse, and the goal is for the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges and chargers to be as well. Consumers experience a relaxing and licensable feeling with each Smart Option smoke that they perceive as positive and satisfying. The aim is to position the product and service as more than an e-cigarette this push will come in the form of heavy promotional spending.New technologically- savvy vending machines will be Smart Option's way to sell the product, making it a standout brand. Each vending machine will have an online hub with up-to-date e- cigarette Smart Option brand information as an example of such marketing. APS accessible from smart mobile phones will support consumers' need to get the latest reduce information, including GAPS capability to provide nearest locations. The Smart O ption e-cigarette brand has a reliable website with an easy-to-use menu for online transactions by credit or debit.This will provide the best possible option for delivery for the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridge and charger. Wide accessibility in brick-and-mortar stores such as gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores and big box retailers, will help diversify and increase sales distribution. Smart Option e-cigarette and the Smarts compatible rechargeable cartridges will be the best option for the lowest price possible. The brand and supporting devices will deliver more enriched quality and versatility to consumers.

A Dragons Egg

â€Å"Oink oink!† grunted the hungry pigs as I filled their trough with last nights leftovers. They plunged their fat heads into the soggy spaghetti bolognaise as I turned to stop myself from being sick. â€Å"Next stop the cows,† I spoke aloud. With a sigh of dread, I hopped over the gate and began milking the six feet black and white beasts. â€Å"M-u-m I'm h-o-m-e,† I shouted upstairs. No answer. â€Å"Mum†, I repeated, still no answer. My face turned red in anger and it felt like steam blew out of my nostrils. â€Å"Mum!† I screamed as loud as possible. â€Å"What†, my mum replied, finally hearing me. My tonsils throbbed so I climbed up the stairs instead of shouting and peered into my Sister Lilly's bedroom, she was lying there with a thermometer dangling from her mouth and she was plastered in red spots. â€Å"Ha, ha, ha, ha,† I couldn't stop myself from laughing. Lilly shot back a mean look and Mum gave me a lecture on how I should care for my Sister instead of hating her. â€Å"You'll have to do the Chickens today John†, ordered my Mother. My name is John and Lilly is my very, very, very annoying Sister. â€Å"But I hate Chickens,† I protested, â€Å"their scrawny crooked legs, scagged feathers and their beady eyes, not to mention their gimpy, dorky head.† My mum gave me a stern look and handed me the chicken feed. I headed out the door and the country smell of cow dung hit me like a brick wall, the sun peeped out of the clouds and blistered down on my angry face. In the distance I heard the sound that made my hair stand on end and made me shudder all over. You see when I was young five chickens chased and pecked me all the way around the cows field, the pests. Now the sound became clearer and closer, it went like this: – Buck-Buck-Buck-Buck-Buckok!, I cringed and shivered as the noise approached closer and closer and closer and closer until †¦. â€Å"Yuck, oh, Yuck!, Chicken poop eeew!† I wailed. I glanced up, a circle of chickens surrounded me, one of them squawked and the rest of them charged towards me and began pecking â€Å"AARRRGHH!† I bellowed as I impersonated Superman flying into the chicken shed. I dumped the chicken feed in a pile on the floor and darted out dodging and jumping any obstacles in my way, including those pesky chickens. I stopped to catch my breath, I panted like a thirsty dog and gave a mean stare to the chickens who had spread themselves in a line as if to guard their territory. Despicable feathery fluff-buckets they all are I thought to myself. I climbed to my hands and knees when I spotted, â€Å"WOW! Amazing, brilliant,† I cried aloud, it was a huge egg almost as big as the chickens. I stared at it in pure disbelief, I was baffled, well I thought to myself, forget double yolkers, then a sly grin spread across my face, â€Å"well its pretty solid maybe the chickens can hatch it by sitting on it,† I decided, I threw the gigantic egg directly at the centre chicken, it caused panic among the flock, they flapped their wings and squawked high pitched screeches and all I could do was laugh. Suddenly silence fell over the flock and they advanced, gradually picking up the pace. I backed off easy at first but in the end I yelled â€Å"RETREAT,† and scarpered all the way home. â€Å"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!† screeched the cockerel. â€Å"Damn cockerel waking me up at six each morning, I wish I had a shotgun, I'd blow his head off,† I muttered and I moaned about life all the way down to the kitchen until, â€Å"ummm!, Pop Tarts, where have you been all my life.† I took a bite but then my Mum burst in to spoil the moment. â€Å"No time for that those chickens need feeding,† she told me, I carried on munching until â€Å"NOW!† startled I spilt my breakfast all over the floor. My mother growled and I knew that it was time for me to depart. â€Å"Hello! chickens,† I cried. I couldn't hear the slightest of sounds and I was right next to the pen, they must be making a battle plan. I decided to poke my head through the door. Nothing, except, the super egg had hatched, weird I thought. I stepped inside and to my horror a two-foot long dragon burped and chicken feathers were dispersed from his mouth, I gulped and fainted. When I finally woke up I was greeted by the unpleasant smell of dragon's breath and slobber. I pushed him aside and he hung his head low and said â€Å"please don't hurt me, sorry about the chickens I was a bit peckish ha, ha!† Once again I collapsed in a heap on the ground, and was awakened by the same foul smell. â€Å"How-How-How- Wha-What-What,† I stuttered, â€Å"that's quite a long name you have there, my names Herbert the dragon, say I do hope I'm not intruding but do you have a cage I could possibly stay in? you see it's rather nippy out yer.† I was caught in some funny kind of trance and obeyed his every command, my eyes ablaze like a demon. As I reached my bedroom I had finally calmed down, I gripped the red scaly dragon firmly around the waist as he chatted along. I already realised he had a bad case of verbal dihorea. â€Å"Oh no,† I said sarcastically â€Å"there's not a spare cage,† both of us stared at the interesting array of different species of reptiles. Herbert began to lick his lips â€Å"which ones my supper,† questioned Herbie. â€Å"None,† I replied â€Å"You'll be sleeping in my sock drawer.† â€Å"What are you crazy, the smell will over come me, I'll suffocate, I'll †¦ SLAM! the drawer slammed shut and at last Herbie shut up. â€Å"John, John,† cried my mother awaking me â€Å"it's nine am, the dopey cockerel overslept.† â€Å"No I think you'll find Herbie ate him,† I replied. â€Å"WHAT!† she screamed. â€Å"Oh! Uh nothing,† I said hoping she wouldn't start asking questions about what I'd said. â€Å"Listen! you'll have to do your breakfast yourself and don't forget those chickens, right!† â€Å"Gulp† â€Å"uh yeah sure.† I rose from my bed and opened my drawer â€Å"burp†, â€Å"oh yuck, dragons breath,† the foul aroma filled the room, â€Å"well it's not me it's your socks.† â€Å"My socks, where are they?† I asked. â€Å"A dragons got to eat kiddo.† â€Å"Why I ought to,† I threatened, but the dragon put on those puppy eyes so I threw him on the bed and took the lid off my prize possession, my Chameleon, Bob, he was about three feet long but his cage was a massive ten-foot longer. I placed him on my bed next to Herbie and turned back round to smooth out the sawdust on the bottom of Bob's cage but then Herbie pulled the final straw, as I turned back round to see Bob's legs disappear into Herbie's open mouth, my face was so mean looking now the spots would jump off any leopard. Herbie stared up at me and said â€Å"you know, if you pull that face you might get stuck like it,† I growled and started strangling Herbie, but suddenly he became three times the size that he was before, he was now eight feet long and weighed a ton, I dropped him in the cage, he struggled for breath. I gave him one last stern look and padlocked him inside and left to do my daily chores. â€Å"ARRRGHH!† I shouted, my tonsils on fire, my heart pounding like a drum. Herbie had exploded out of his cage, gobbled up all the lizards and was now fifteen feet long. â€Å"GET OUT N-O-W!† I bellowed and cried at the red lump of lard. â€Å"But where can I go, what can I do, what can I eat?† Herbie fired the questions at me like a machine gun until he finally ceased. I offered him the garden shed. † I have no choice,† answered Herbie weeping as he waddled outside. I met Herbie five minutes later; he'd just managed to squeeze his obese figure through the door. Now he led there with a face as if he'd lost a pound and found a penny. I hadn't had the chance to talk man-to-man, well boy-to-dragon so I accepted this opportunity to do so. â€Å"Uh so Herbie where do you come from?† â€Å"China,† he replied, â€Å"and your parents are where?† â€Å"Southern Hemisphere I suppose, that's our targeted destination but I must have been dropped from my mum's pouch during the flight.† â€Å"Hey wait a minute, how do you know this if you were an egg?† â€Å"Read it in your book on top of Bob the Iguanas cage.† â€Å"Oh come on you can't believe a kiddies book, they're most probably looking for you right now.† Trying to soothe Herbies sorrows was very hard, so in the end the only solution was to invite Herbie into the guestroom. â€Å"Thank you, thank you,† Herbie danced joyfully around the garden with his red scaly tail wagging, as I led him to his room. â€Å"Now listen Herbie my Mother, Sister and I have to make a short journey to the pharmacy and Gran's so go to sleep, be good and please don't grow.† I turned out of the light and worriedly walked to the car. We returned about ten PM that night to see Herbie's head poked out to the chimney, his four legs through the downstairs windows, his tail through the back door and now he had wings that shattered either side of the roof. I glanced around to see my Mother and Sister had now fainted and were sprawled out on the floor. Suddenly a spectacular sight I was glad to see, Herbie's family had parked themselves in our back yard. The biggest one spoke first, â€Å"thanks for looking after my son,† and with that they floated up, up and away as a shower of fairy dust reformed our decapitated house. â€Å"Thanks† boomed Herbie, my pleasure I thought. I turned to my Mum and Sister who were in a daze. â€Å"Hows about some cakes and cocoa,† I suggested, then disaster, a gigantic egg landed on the doorstep.