Grocery Gateway: Customer Delivery Operations Essay

Grocery Gateway was founded in 1997, by Bill Ni Nardo. In 2001, Grocery Gateway was Canada’s largest direct online grocer, providing a selection of 6,500 items from the GroceryGateway.com website. Nature of the Business: Grocery Gateway offers food products with a delivery service competing in the grocery industry. The service is offered to residents in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which is the largest urban area in Canada. Current Market Strategy: Grocery Gateways offers a 90-minute delivery window from 6:30am to 10:30 pm. The service provides a doorstep delivery service for maximum convenience, with the customer in mind. Statement from Claude Germain chief operating officer: â€Å"We Focus on low cost, high service logistics execution in one market. Some people focus on technology, others on merchandising, but right from the get go we focused on logistics execution. We wanted to get it right and have the lowest cost capability with the best service we could provide. â€Å"(pg.2,Johnson). Problem Statement: The present problem is that Dominique Van Voorhis, Vice President of industrial engineering and operation for Grocery Gateway needs to develop recommendations aimed at improving delivery operations at the weekly meeting in seven days. Sub-Problems: * Grocery Gateways has only been able to achieve 2.7 stops per hour. Falling shy of their aimed 4 stops per hour. Organization Objectives: With the stated problem in delivery time, Dominque Van Voorhis needs to increase driver stops within the hour. Grocery Gateway also wants to decrease the delivery windows from 90minutes to 30minutes. They want to initiate a 10 minutes of contact time with the customer and a 5 minute drive between customers, taking in consideration of residential speed laws. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: * Customer time saver- The efficient service saves time for the customer. Typically the average GTA resident consumes a lot of time just to get to work for their 9 to 5 job. This will allows most resident s to have time for other activities. * Product Selection- Grocery Gateway offers up to 6,500 products including dry goods, health and beauty products, meat fresh produce, frozen foods, wine and beer. * Convenience delivery times- Currently the delivery service is offered from 6:30am to 10:30pm. The offered times have a 90 minute window and customers can change orders up to 14 hours before the delivery. * Competitive prices- The cost of delivery is only 8 dollars on top of the customers grocery bill. All products offered are priced competitively. * Website- An website to advertise sales and available products. Also can order products through the website. Weaknesses: * Costumer Choice- Costumers have little to no say about which item to grab off the shelf. This may be a problem in situations when customers produce selections vary. This can cause delay in delivery and lost of time. * Customer absence- Customers may not be home and can cause large problems in time. * Unpredictable Conditions- Canadian weather can vary causes in delays in highways, roads, ect. Also, accidents can cause delays. Opportunities: * Delivery Price: Currently the cost of delivery is only 8 dollars on top of the grocery charge. 8 dollars is a small amount when the average amount of deliveries cost 135 dollars. Grocery Gateway has the ability to raise the delivery charge easily. * Expand Market- Currently Grocery Gate way deal with the Greater Toronto area and surrounding areas around it. The ability to increase the radius of delivery is there. Threats: * Competition- There are few direct competition, but many indirect competition. Many individuals may take it upon themselves to go to the grocery store. * Trust- Customers may not trust other judgment in selecting food and may want to do it themselves. Implications: Analyzing the situational factors it seems that the time factor is the main weakness that Grocery Gateway could encounter. With this evident they should work on delivery execution. Competitor Analysis: Direct: Mr. Case: Was developed in 1984, when a university student started to charge friends for picking up groceries for them. Today has become a lot larger and has a well designed website. The operation process of Mr.case is to order groceries before 11:30am and the groceries will be delivered in one business day of a day of choice after one business day. The charge is $3 for the deliveries is $3 for orders over $75 and $6 dollars for orders under $75. MR. case only delivers in the inner sections of the GTA and will put the groceries past your front door to any room in the customers house. They offer their deliveries Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am to 5pm. They accept online payment, by accepting VISA, Mastercard, American Express, cheques or PayPal. Front Door Organics: Was developed in 1997, trying to cater to the organic consuming community. They encompass a website that has organic box options. Customers can choose between a basic box that has various organic foods in it or they can choose to customize their own box. They offer 450 organic groceries and deliver between the hours of noon to 10pm. They allocate different days of the week to different areas of Toronto for deliveries. They accept cash, cheque, Visa or Mastercard as payment. Indirect: Grocery Stores: Grocery stores contain all the same products that Grocery Gateway does. This means there is another option for customers to pick up groceries instead of paying the charge for delivery. Restaurants: Restaurants offer food and most offer a delivery service for their food. This is mainly a short-term solution for customers, but it can solve their hunger instead of getting groceries.

Landscape Architecture

BUILD ENVIRONMENT The term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply, or energy networks. The built environment is a material, spatial and cultural product of human labor that combines physical elements and energy in forms for living, working and playing. It has been defined as â€Å"the human-made space in which people live, work, and recreate on a day-to-day basis†.The â€Å"built environment encompasses places and spaces created or modified by people including buildings, parks, and transportation systems†. In recent years, public health research has expanded the definition of â€Å"built environment† to include healthy food access, community gardens, â€Å"walkabilty†, and â€Å"bikability†. Early concepts of built environments w ere introduced thousands of years ago. Hippodamus of Miletos, known as the â€Å"father of urban planning†, developed Greek cities from 498 BC to 408 BC that created order by using grid plans that mapped the city.These early city plans eventually gave way to the City Beautiful movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s, inspired by Daniel Hudson Burnham, a reformist for the Progressivism movement who actively promoted â€Å"a reform of the landscape in tandem with political change†. The effort was in partnership with others who believed that beautifying American cities would improve the moral compass of the cities and encourage the upper class to spend their money in cities. This beautification process included parks and architectural design. Modern built environmentCurrently built environments are typically used to describe the interdisciplinary field that addresses the design, construction, management, and use of these man-made surroundings as an interrelated whole a s well as their relationship to human activities over time (rather than a particular element in isolation or at a single moment in time). The field is generally not regarded as a traditional profession or academic discipline in its own right, instead drawing upon areas such as economics, law, public policy, public health, management, geography, design, technology, and environmental sustainability.Within the field of public health, built environments are referred to as building or renovating areas in an effort to improve the community’s well-being through construction of â€Å"aesthetically, health improved, and environmentally improved landscapes and living structures†. Urban planning The term â€Å"urban planning† indicates that much of the environment we inhabit is man-made and that these artificial surroundings are so extensive and cohesive that with regards to the consumption of resources, waste disposal, and productive enterprise, they are similar to organi sms.Public health In public health, built environments refer to physical environments that are designed with health and wellness as integral parts of the communities. Research has indicated that how neighborhoods are created can affect both the physical activity and mental health of the communities’ residents. Studies have shown that built environments that were expressly designed to improve physical activity are linked to higher rates of physical activity, which in turn, positively affects health.Neighborhoods with more walkability had lower rates of obesity as well as increased physical activity among its residents. They also had lower rates of depression, higher social capital, and less alcohol abuse. Walkability features in these neighborhoods include safety, sidewalk construction, as well as destinations in which to walk. In addition, the perception of a walkable neighborhood, one that is perceived to have good sidewalks and connectivity, is correlated with higher rates of physical activity. Assessments of walkability have been completed through the use of GIS programs.One such program, Street Smart Walk Score, is a walkability assessment tool which determines distances to grocery stores and other amenities, as well as connectivity and intersection frequency using specific addresses. Assessments such as Street Smart Walk Score can be utilized by city and county planning departments to improve existing walkability of communities. Public health also addresses additional components of built environments including â€Å"bikeability† and healthy food access such as proximity to grocery stores and community gardens.Bikeability refers to the access that an area has granted to safe biking through multiple bike paths and bike lanes. Both walkability and bikeability have been cited as determinants of physical activity. Access to healthy food is also an important component to the built environment. A higher density of convenience stores has been associ ated with obesity in children. In contrast, improved access to community supermarkets and farmer’s markets is correlated with lower overweight status. Specifically in low income neighborhoods, the presence of a local grocery store is correlated with lower BMI/overweight risk.Community gardens are also considered a part of the built environment, and have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable intake among gardeners. Scholars say that community gardens have also been shown to have positive social and psychological impacts that lead to lower levels of stress, hypertension, and an improved sense of wellness, affecting the overall health of the individual and the community. The intersection of public health with other disciplines is evident in the design process of built environments which includes environmental planning, policy development and land-use planning.Research suggests that people are more active in mixed-use communities or those that incorporate retail and resident ial and densely populated areas as well as those with good street connectivity. Those who preferred to walk and live in walkable environments often have lower obesity rates and drive less over those who preferred living in auto-dependent environments. The strength of the evidence for reducing obesity through environment has been highlighted by the Center for Disease Control in its Common Community Measures for Obesity Prevention Project, which includes measures of healthy food access and physical activity environments.Landscape architecture In landscape architecture, the built environment is understood to mean a human-made landscape, as distinguished from the natural environment; for example, a city park is a built environment. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally[->0] on Earth[->1] or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species. The concept of the natural env ironment can be distinguished by components: Complete ecological[->2] units that function as natural[->3] systems without massive human[->4] intervention, including all vegetation[->5], microorganisms[->6], soil[->7], rocks[->8], atmosphere[->9], and natural phenomena[->10] that occur within their boundaries.  §Universal natural resources[->11] and physical phenomena[->12] that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as air[->13], water[->14], and climate[->15], as well as energy[->16], radiation[->17], electric charge[->18], and magnetism[->19], not originating from human activity.The natural environment is contrasted with the built environment[->20], which comprises the areas and components that are strongly influenced by humans. A geographical area is regarded as a natural environment. It is difficult to find absolutely natural environments, and it is common that the naturalness varies in a continuum, from ideally 100% natural in one extreme to 0% natural in the other. More precisely, we can consider the different aspects or components of an environment, and see that their degree of naturalness is not uniform.If, for instance, we take an agricultural field, and consider the mineralogic composition[->21] and the structure[->22] of its soil, we will find that whereas the first is quite similar to that of an undisturbed forest soil, the structure is quite different. Natural environment is often used as a synonym for habitat[->23]. For instance, when we say that the natural environment of giraffes is the savanna[->24]. PLANT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS The â€Å"Typical† Plant Body The Root System (Usually underground)  §Anchor the plant in the soil  §Absorb water and nutrients  §Conduct water and nutrients Food Storage The Shoot System (Usually above grounds)  §Elevates the plant above the soil  §Many functions including:  §photosynthesis  §reproduction & dispersal  §food and water conduction TYPE OF PLANTS Cacti (Cactus) Cactus plants are well ad apted to hot and dry weather by storing water in their succulent stems. They are also known for their spines, for which they are famous. Flowers Flowers are the reproductive part of angiosperms, also known as flowering plants. Herbs Herbs are used for culinary, medicinal and spiritual uses. In cuisine, the leaves of the herb are normally the only part used.All parts of herbs are used in various medical or spiritual practices. Shrubs and Bushes Usually under 6 m tall, shrubs and bushes are categorized as woody plants. Shrubs have multiple stems and many are covered with flowers of all shapes and sizes. Trees Trees are everywhere in the world. Trees are tall, large and some are very old. Trees are important in fighting soil erosion and responsible for the clean oxygen we breathe. Vegetables The term ‘vegetable' is not actually a scientific classification of a plant, but rather strictly a culinary term.Vegetables are parts of plants (flower buds, seeds, stems, fruits, etc) that a re edible and used in culinary dishes. PLANT Plants, also called green plants (Viridiplantae in Latin), are living organisms of the kingdom Plantae including such multicellular groups as flowering plants, conifers, ferns and mosses, as well as, depending on definition, the green algae, but not red or brown seaweeds like kelp, nor fungi or bacteria. Green plants have cell walls with cellulose and characteristically obtain most of their energy from sunlight via photosynthesis using chlorophyll contained in chloroplasts, which gives them their green color.Some plants are parasitic and may not produce normal amounts of chlorophyll or photosynthesize. Plants are also characterized by sexual reproduction, modular and indeterminate growth, and an alteration of generations, although asexual reproduction is common, and some plants bloom only once while others bear only one bloom. Precise numbers are difficult to determine, but as of 2010, there are thought to be 300–315 thousand speci es of plants, of which the great majority, some 260–290 thousand, are seed plants.Green plants provide most of the world's free oxygen and are the basis of most of the earth's ecologies, especially on land. Plants described as grains, fruits and vegetables form mankind's basic foodstuffs, and have been domesticated for millennia. Plants enrich our lives as flowers and ornaments. Until recently and in great variety they have served as the source of most of our medicines and drugs. Their scientific study is known as botany. [-;0] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nature [-;1] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Earth [-;2] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ecological -;3] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nature [-;4] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Human [-;5] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vegetation [-;6] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Microorganisms [-;7] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Soil [-;8] – http://en. w ikipedia. org/wiki/Rock_(geology) [-;9] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Atmosphere [-;10] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Natural_phenomenon [-;11] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Natural_resource [-;12] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Physical_phenomena [-;13] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Air -;14] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Water [-;15] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Climate [-;16] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Energy [-;17] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Radiation [-;18] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Electric_charge [-;19] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Magnetism [-;20] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Built_environment [-;21] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Mineralogy [-;22] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Soil_structure [-;23] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Habitat [-;24] – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Savanna

The Tuwalakuwla Islands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Tuwalakuwla Islands - Essay Example I, Andrew, was a patient with disease different from the rest, called the SOS. It disrupted my physical activities if I over exerted. My mother was a scientist and she was not afraid of experimenting on her only son, ten years of age. I was excited as well. The leader of the crew James was taking rounds to make sure everyone was in their cabin assigned for each family. There were around fifty families on board the shuttle. Everyone seemed scared and tensed because it was something man was experimenting for the very first time. The shuttle doors automatically started to slowly slide shut as each cabin door closed. My mother, Anne has assigned a tutor for me who was a retired scientist with extra sensory perception. He was going to teach me about earth while we were away and read stories from the holy book. We had a super market cabin for shopping and a cafe cabin for leisure. I often heard serious conversation coming from the conference cabin where all the senior staff members were de signing strategies to keep the fifty families in comfort. Doctors were seen examining patients before the take-off. With the final announcement, everybody went to their assigned cabin and we heard a loud roaring sound of the engine before it took off in space. There was complete silence for some time. Then I don’t remember anything after that. We all had probably died. The next thing I remember was being in bed with mom sitting next to me talking to my tutor-cum-god father about my health. I asked mom what time it was and she announced slowly that according to the earth it was twelve in noon but the this time was showing in everybody’s watch for the past twenty years! My heart stopped for a split second and then before I could question this ambiguous fact uttered by mom, the tutor, John, told me that we were all injected a special drug that was designed to wake us when we reached near an island. â€Å"Come I’ll show from the windowpane,† he said and lifte d me from the bed and placed me in the wheel chair. â€Å"But why were we injected that drug? Wouldn’t growing up on the shuttle have been fun?† I began to argue and just when my mother tried to change the topic John said to her, â€Å"I’ll handle from here.† I knew that John and I would be best friends. He told me that the drugged saved a lot of resources that we would have exhausted in twenty years. He slyly added â€Å"Plus, aren’t you glad we all look the same even after so many years? Bet you know how a thirty year old feels like?† He laughed as the expressions on my face changed into that of recently discovering something new! We returned to the cabin where he placed me back in the bed and told me to wait for him. No sooner than he left there was a loud crashing sound heard from the outer walls of the shuttle. I heard everyone screaming and shouting for help. John and Anne returned to the cabin in a state of frenzy. An urgent announcem ent was heard beckoning people to return to their cabins and clear the corridors. The shuttle was shaking very badly. It was like death approaching us in slow motion. I thought this time it would be real. We all will die and the News strip back on earth would run the breaking new â€Å"The experimental shuttle crashed in space, thousands die.† While I cynically thought of our end, we heard another

Marketing Communications of Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Communications of Facebook - Essay Example However, in many cases marketing initiatives fail in achieving the goals set. The reasons are many; failures in planning and monitoring the relevant processes have been found to negatively influence marketing plans worldwide. On the other hand, when a firm operates in a highly competitive industry, the challenges for marketers are increased. Firms that are already well known in the market are more capable of preparing effective marketing schemes. Such case is Facebook. The particular social networking site has become quite popular within a short period of time. In this case it was not only the fact that the site was the first of such kind that entered the global market. Indeed, through the years other sites, with similar features appeared; still, Facebook remained the key competitor of its sector. Its marketing practices had a key role in this success. The marketing communications of Facebook are analyzed below using appropriate theoretical models and theories. Table of contents Intr oduction 4 1. Consumer Buying Process for Facebook 1a. What is the Facebook customer experience throughout the 6 stages of the Consumer Buying Process. 4 1b. What 4 internal and 4 external factors can influence Facebook customers during this process 5 1c. The 3 roles that customer can play throughout this process 6 2. Promotional Mix Tools for Facebook 2.1 Conduct a report to critically evaluate the characteristics, features and effectiveness of any 3 marketing communications tools 2.1.1 Advertising 6 2.1.2 Public relations 7 2.1.3 Direct marketing 7 3. Facebook Communications Process 3.1 How all the 9 elements of Communication Process specifically apply to global social networks such as Facebook. 7 3.2 What 4 limitations, and 3 Barriers Facebook marketing department should be aware of before planning their global marketing campaign. 8 4. Market Research prior Facebook Campaign 4.1 Comparison of the characteristics and benefits of Qualitative and Quantitative research methods 9 4.2 Why Facebook marketing department can still benefit from both research methods 9 4.3 Diagram of the Continuum of Research Techniques 10 5. AIDA at Facebook 5.1 How the AIDA model can still be utilised by Facebook to organise the Promotional Mix message into 4 phases 10 References Introduction The development of effective marketing strategies can be a challenging task, especially when referring to highly competitive industries. Social networking is a rather recent activity, compared to other market sectors. The services of firms operating in this industry could be effectively promoted using traditional marketing methods, which are appropriately customized for meeting current market trends. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative research techniques can be employed for identifying the changing customers’ preferences in regard to this sector’s activities and features. Facebook has become the key competitor in the specific industry. The effective use of marketing for promot ing the site’s features can be considered as the key advantage of Facebook compared to its rivals, in the context discussed below. 1. Consumer Buying Process for Facebook 1a. What is the Facebook customer experience throughout the 6 stages of the Consumer Buying Process. The 6 stages of the Consumer Buying Process can be described as follows: a) Problem recognition; at this phase, the needs of the customer in regard to a product/ service are identified; in terms of Facebook, the customer realizes that he needs to communicate with other people and share his experiences/ knowledge, b) Internal and External research; after identifying his needs, a customer proceeds to the research required

Who do you think you are Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Who do you think you are - Assignment Example Today he is presenting a lunch time programme at 91.8 Hayes FM. He is one of the most passionate reporters on the stories based on the local national stories. He was born on 17th August 1986. Craig Doyle a TV and radio broadcaster was born in 1970. He first studied sociology and history at St. Patrick College. He pursued his post graduate studies at London College of printing. He was awarded with diploma in Broadcast journalism. He was employed by BBC radio as a news and sports presenter. He did present Disney club magazine show together with Disney and other guest. The show was filmed in different places within a week. While at BBC he presented the programme called tomorrow world as an interviewer. This was one of the most watched science programmes at BBC. By the year 2000, he had been known for presenting sport more so appearing as guest presenter on football focus. During this time he doubled as a presenter at radio 5 live and the BBC music live. These he did until 2004 when he started doing his own show called Craig Doyle Show which was a travel celebrity programme in Ireland. He did appear on BBC2 on Sunday Grand stand. Craig did also present world worst weather. He doubled as both a presenter and a reporter on rugby, golf and triathlon. His style of presentation made him move from BBC to ITV sport. These he did together with event covering like in Tennis and Motor racing. I, a student of graphic and media design at London College of communication in my first year of study. I happened to book an appointment with journalist Jayson Mansaray and Craig Doyle a TV and radio broadcaster during the annual alumni conference held at famous 81/2th floor of London College of Communication. Jayson: well, yes and no. When I was growing up I loved watching news and camera shooting. I admired news reporting. The most difficult part was identifying the best college for journalism. I developed interest in

Describing the Formal Elements of Line, Light, Form, and Space Before Essay

Describing the Formal Elements of Line, Light, Form, and Space Before you begin - Essay Example Hasegawa Tohaku dominantly used lines in his painting particularly vertical, contour and diagonal lines. Although lines are dominant in this painting, the artist produced a three-dimensional illusion in his painting. The lines are more of the romantic or expressive than analytic because the lines are not precisely straight but are soft and more of an impression. The use of vertical lines in the painting can visibly be seen as tree trunks and the expressive nature of the lines used helped in giving an impression of the texture and form of the trunk of pine trees which are not actually precise straight lines. The diagonal lines in the painting are perceptible in some of the tree trunks and the branches of the trees. These lines give an impression of movement among the branches and helps in providing a spatial illusion between the trees and the branches. In producing the three-dimensional effect in Hasegawa Tohaku’s painting, aside from lines the artist also employed the element of light. Since the medium used on the painting Pine Trees is ink, the artist skilfully produced a feeling of space, distance and the scene that depicts the trees as though under the moonlight or probably at dawn because of the impression of fog among the trees.

Understanding developments 2- international relation Essay

Understanding developments 2- international relation - Essay Example This means that these countries are poor countries which need either the microfinance or the social protection policies to better their lives. This paper is going to compare, with evidence, ways in which microfinance and social protection policies have achieved poverty alleviation and secured more livelihoods. Furthermore, this paper is going to aptly decide which of the two methods is efficient in its attempt at poverty alleviation and creation of secured livelihoods. Microfinance has done a lot to reduce poverty in the global south since it has reached even the poorest of them all. This is because microfinance, unlike streamline banks do not see peasants as not worthy for credit and has put rules that do not favor the poor thus microfinance comes in. an example is in Bangladesh where poverty was rife until one of their own called Muhammad yunus developed the classical grameen model, what is today called the microfinance in the 1970. He decided to give small loans to a group of five people and it grew and become a significant poverty reduction tool in the world. As per now south and east Asia have the most striking poverty reductions in the world (Wood, Malik, & Sagheer, 2006, 14). Secondly, microfinance has enabled the global south population to become self employed since jobs are scarce. By doing this they in turn create employment for other people and this better eradicates poverty. An example is India whose about 70% of its population is poor and depend on farming. These farmers have all along been excluded from loans that would help them involved in large scale farming. Now with the help of microfinance, India has seen a striking reduction rate in poverty since peasant farmers can now access loans, better manage themselves and build assets. Thirdly, in the global south women have a lower percentage of education and are thus not empowered especially in the Middle East. In fact according to World Bank, Middle East as a

Decreasing Car Accidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decreasing Car Accidents - Essay Example (WHO 2009) Several campaigns have been conducted across the world promoting the safety of road transport. ‘Make Roads Safe’ campaign is one such organization which is trying to spread the importance of knowing the safety measures of car driving and the implications of car accidents across the world. (Make Roads Safe, 2011) The predicted statistics estimate that accident deaths could go up to 1.9 million in the next years if no proper action is taken. These organizations clearly state that car accidents are a major problem and there is a need for an immediate intervention. There is an urgent need for the governments across the world to enforce the rules strictly and enable severe punishments for those breaking these rules. In addition, public needs to be made aware of the importance of road safety and with the technological advancements happening across the world, publicizing such safety measure and the impacts of car accidents would be the best way to progress forward in decreasing car accidents. The solution introduced above has two parts. The first part deals with the role of the government in enforcing the rules strictly and making the punishments severe. It is important for all the nations to work together in decreasing the number of car accidents. They could either restrict the numbers of cars used by people and make them travel by a common public transport or they could enforce strict rules. Enforcing strict rules does not mean that they have to reduce the speed limits and check each and every drunken driving case. With the growing population, it would be practically impossible to reduce accidents by these rules alone. Instead, other options would be to enforce rules on the commercial side where hotels, bars can be forced to check on their customers’ status and make sure that they are not allowed to drive if they are

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah - Assignment Example He narrates his ordeal passionately, giving all the finer details that leave your mouth agape and wondering in awe. Ishmael wrote this book to highlight the plight of child soldiers and the kind of trials and tribulations that they undergo. This was a protest letter of some sort to the various authorities, particularly in countries where there are rampant cases of very young boys being forced into the army to fight enemies. In the book, Ishmael covered death as a theme and indeed it stands out because people are being killed; Ishmael only survives by a freak of chance. Ishmael, together with the other child soldiers, experiences nothing but brutality; he faces problems which almost necessitate his death. For instance, if not for the timely intervention of UNICEF to rescue Ishmael and youths alike after three years of fighting in the army against fierce rebels, he would have been nothing but dead meat. With further assistance of Laura Simms, Ishmael travels to the United States of Ame rica, to New York City, where he proceeded to finish high school and graduate from college. Ishmael becomes an advocate and gets involved in a number of international organizations that deal with aiding children who are forced to be soldiers in their respective countries. He wrote this book to show the whole world how him and the other young boys, while in Sierra Leone, lead extremely brutal lives full of adversity. This is clearly brought out when at some point, as they see a fascinating beauty of the ocean, they are forced to get through a torture of walking on hot sand that burns their feet, a scene that reminds one of the simple truth – pain is sometimes so close to pleasure. They initially are taken care of by a Good Samaritan, a fisherman, and make a day of it. But it doesn’t take long before they get captured by some fierce villagers who are so scared of them that, in fact, threaten to kill them. Fortunately, they get saved by cassette tapes. Ishmael really want ed to show people how dangerously a child soldier lives and how seeing tomorrow to such children happens normally by sheer luck; he demonstrates that point when he recounts the incident when he was so scared of death every time that eventually it makes him wonder out loud: â€Å"how many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?† (Beah, 2008). At some point, the story becomes sad when Ishmael can’t get sleep, there are constant noises around, dogs are howling and running from one place to the other and all he can think about is how something bad is going to happen. The noises wake up one of his comrades, Alhaji, he suspects that something is wrong but ignores that feeling and goes back to sleep. When morning comes, Ishmael and Alhaji start to wake up the other friends. Unfortunately, Saidu doesn’t respond when they talk to him. They try to check if there’s something wrong with him and realize that he is dead. The two prepare his body ready for burial because in that village, it’s an abomination to let a dead body to stay unburied overnight. Another important theme that Ishmael intended to cover and successfully managed to do was enmity. He wanted to bring to the fore the fact that as a child soldier, one is exposed to real and even at

Background to the drama Essay Example for Free

Background to the drama Essay A View from a Bridge is a play inspired by Millers own background, in terms of plot and context. Miller grew up in America and was the son of two immigrants. In the late 1940s he became interested in the work and lives of the communities and Longshoremen of New Yorks Brooklyn Harbour, a place where he had in fact previously worked. Many of the workers were exploited by their bosses, underpaid and had only recently immigrated to the United States. It was during this time that a young lawyer friend of Millers mentioned a story hed recently heard of a longshoreman who had ratted to the Immigration Bureau on two brothers, his own relatives, who were living illegally in his very own home, in order to break up an engagement between one of them and his niece. Miller took this story combined with his upbringing and experiences on a recent trip to Sicily and provided the background to the drama A View from a Bridge. The play takes place in Brooklyn around 1950s. Catherine is an orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle, Beatrice and Eddie Carbone. Eddie agrees to Beatrices two relatives, Marco and Rodolpho, both of whom are illegal immigrants. Eddie, the plays protagonist, has a very particular view of the qualities of a man. When other characters dont conform to these masculine expectations it leads to hostility and aggression resulting in death. Our first impression of Eddie is that of a simple, average man. He comes across as a hardworking, friendly, kind and generous husband and uncle: especially as he is prepared to accept and welcome his wife Beatrices illegal immigrant cousins into his own home. However Eddie has a very strong point of view of the qualities of manliness, believing that a real man should be strong, tough and mean. The appearance of a man should be with dark features and big size. He thinks that a real man should be like him, the breadwinner who works hard, doing work that uses muscle and not much brain: I worked like a dog. He perhaps also thinks that a man would always look at a pretty woman in a sexual way rather than just another person; this is shown when he says there are bad men at Catherines workplace. Another quality which Eddie considers to manly is power. Eddies views on manliness are also based around the ideas of protecting your family and loved ones, providing for your family and keeping your pride and dignity. Eddie tries his very best to keep to these things as he feels very strongly of being a man. He shows this by showing concern when Catherine buys a new skirt. He says, Where you going all dressed up? and, Its too short aint it? He is concerned because he doesnt want her attracting too much attention from other men, like when he says, I dont like the looks theyre giving you in the candy store. This overprotectiveness leads to conflict on a small scale between him and Catherine as she says Eddie, I wish there was one guy you couldnt tell me things about! This dialogue shows that Eddie has been overprotective before and Catherine has realized it. She does not say it seriously but rather, a joke; however she is actually trying to express that hes being too overprotective. This power that Eddie considers to be manly also creates many other incidents on small scales and Eddie starts to show open hostility towards the other characters. Firstly when Rodolfo, Marco and Eddie are talking about oranges and lemons Eddie becomes very hostile when Rodolfo corrects him, Lemons are green. Eddie lashes out at Rodolfo when he corrects him about the colour of the lemon and becomes slightly aggressive I know lemons are green for Christs sake. Eddie becomes hostile and aggressive because he believes knowledge and being right, amongst other things, is where the power lies. Miller uses this to show how something as insignificant as a lemon can create hostility and aggression all because of a manly characteristic of wanting power and respect. Another example of Eddies pettiness is during a conversation about Marcos family back home in Italy. Eddie tries to suggest an affair with Marcos wife but Rodolfo again corrects him saying its more strict in our town We are able to see how Eddie is becoming aggressive through Millers stage directions. Eddie goes from being hostile and sarcastic (laughing) to aggressive (rises, pacing up and down) as a direct reaction to the immigrants differing culture. The stage directions often say a lot more about the characters then the actual script itself and also greatly contribute to the heightening of tension throughout. Not only do they describe the positions of the characters on set; they help the audience to identify with their feelings. Miller begins a scene with a simple conversation about a recent trip to Africa which Marco and Rodolfo had undergone through work. However, tension is still created, regardless of the triviality of the conversational subject, by Eddie, who, from a simple glance at Catherine, appears to be sceptical about whether the trip took place They went to Africa once. On a fishing boat. (Eddie glances at her. ) Its true, Eddie. Eddie then retreats to his rocker, a prop which Miller makes significant throughout the play as it acts as Eddies position of authority, as his throne when in his rocker, he feels very much at the helm of the household and Miller uses this in order to show how Eddie feels he has power yet a rocker is slightly unsuitable as it does not assume a fixed position The conversation then continues further, though it is clear from Millers use of stage directions that Eddie is disregarding anything Rodolfo says to him, and talking to Marco exclusively, creating an uneasy atmosphere and increasing the tension further.

Impact of STD and STI on Pregnancy

Impact of STD and STI on Pregnancy Shaian Vandenburg Monroe College This research paper dissects the problems and consequences of some Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) such as The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Genital Herpes, Hepatitis B Virus and the Cytomegalovirus, and how it impacts all facets of pregnancy. Additionally, this paper will further discuss the Signs and Symptoms, Treatment, and preventative methods that can be used for these complications. Sexually Transmitted Diseases can complicate pregnancy and have serious effects on both the mother and the developing baby. Some of these problems may be seen at birth; others may not be discovered until months or years later. HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In the United States, the number of women with AIDS is on the rise (Johnstone, 1992). There have been many concerns of the effects that HIV/AIDS can have on pregnancy. In most cases, immune-compromised women reduces the CD Lymphocyte count below is normal threshold. Studies have proven that the outcome of Aids in pregnancy can be fatal. In the United States, the first 6 cases of Aids related pregnancies of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were fatal (Johnstone, 1992). Similarly, other studies have reported cases of pre-term labor, syphilis, and low birth weight. In the first controlled study of women who were infected with HIV/AIDS, results proved that there were correlations of pre-term labor, intrauterine growth retardation, and low birth weight. This infection can be transmitted to the baby through breastfeeding or at delivery. Other factors such as placental damage can also be related to an increased rate of transmission of the disease from the mother and the baby (Johnstone, 1992). Other retroviruses, such as Moloney murine leukaemia virus126 or HTLV I in the human are also transmitted to the baby by breast feeding. HIV-1 occurs in breast milk and there is no doubt that infection has been transmitted to the baby postnatally. Syphilis This is a bacterial infection that is caused by sexual contact which usually starts off as a painless sore on common sites such as your genitals, rectum or mouth. It is caused by spiral shaped bacteria called Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is transmitted from the mother to the fetus if the disease is left untreated. This can often lead to death of the baby (WHO, 2017). According to World Health Organization, the transmission of this disease from the mother to child resulted in approximately 143,000 early fatal deaths or stillbirths, 62,000 neonatal deaths and 44,000 babies were born either prematurely or with low birth weight (WHO, 2017). Syphilis is treated with antibiotics. Benzathine penicillin is usually injected into the arm or buttocks of the infected patient, this form of treatment is known as the most effective treatment for this disease. However, like any other sexually transmitted disease, the best prevention from this disease is by abstaining or sexual contact with one partner who has been tested negatively for this disease. Chlamydia Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that can be easily cured. This disease affects both men and women and can cause permanent damages to a womans reproductive system, making it difficult for her to get pregnant. This infection is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Like gonorrhea, it is spread by unprotected vaginal or anal sex with an infected person. Chlamydia is easily spread because most men and women have no signs and are unaware of the disease. However, the signs in women are vaginal discharge, bleeding between periods or after sex, burning or pain when urinating, pain the abdominal or pelvic area and pain during sex. In rare cases, people with chlamydia have Arthritis or sore joints and inflammation of the eye (CDC, 2016). Men are rarely linked to health problems that are associated with chlamydia. Infections sometimes spread to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles, which causes pain and fever. Rarely, chlamydia can prevent a man from being able to have children (CDC, 2016). This can have some effect on the baby if transmitted. Similarly, like Gonorrhea, Chlamydia can cause PID, which can cause Ectopic pregnancies. It can spread to newborn babies during delivery which can cause pneumonia and eye infections. In addition, pregnant women who are infected, have an increased risk of having a premature baby (CDC, 2016). Generally, this disease is treated with antibiotics. It is usually advised to avoid sexual contact until the treatment has been completed. Some ways to prevent contracting Chlamydia are by protecting yourself with the use of condoms, and also by being in a monogamous relationship with someone who has been tested negatively for this disease. Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) that is transferred from one person to another by unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex. The infection is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Keifer and Sarachik, 2016). This disease usually affects warm and moist areas of the body such as the eyes, throat, vagina, anus, urethra and the female reproductive tract. In females, these infections can appear like a common bacterial or yeast infection (Keifer, 2016). Some of the symptoms are discharge from the vagina which can appear watery, creamy or slightly green, pain or burning sensation while urinating, the need to urinate more frequently, heavier periods or spotting, sore throat, pain while engaging in sexual intercourse, sharp pain in the lower abdomen and also fever. According to the American Congress Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2016), miscarriage rates increases in women with this disease. Gonorrhea affects approximately 13,000 pregnant women each year in the United States (CDC). It poses a risk for an unborn child during pregnancy and also during delivery. Often times, women with this disease develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID),which can increase the chances of an ectopic pregnancy (Perkins, 2015). An ectopic pregnancy is a condition where the fetus implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Since this tube is too small to accommodate the fetus, tubal rupture and serious bleeding can result if the tube is not removed. Babies that are delivered vaginally have a higher chance of contracting this disease from secretions in the vaginal tract. These symptoms can be very detrimental to the babys health. The signs are often discovered by skin infections, respiratory infections, blindness, meningitis, arthritis of the joints and lastly, systematic blood infections which can be life threatening to the baby. The best protection against this disease is abstinence, monogamy, and the proper use of condoms. Some lifestyle practices such as drugs and alcohol abuse can also increase the chances of contracting this disease (Sarachik, 2016). Hepatitis B Virus The term Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver that can be caused by many viruses or other infections. In addition to Hepatitis B, there are also Hepatitis A and C. However, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis B is a viral infection, that attacks the liver and can cause acute and chronic disease. This virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other fluids of the body of an infected person. It is also spread by exposure to infected blood and various body fluids such as saliva, menstrual, vaginal and seminal fluids. Sexual Transmission of this virus particularly occurs in unvaccinated men who participate in sexual activities with partners with this disease This virus can survive outside of the body for at least 7 days. During this time, it is still possible to cause an infection if it enters the body of someone who is unvaccinated. The incubation period of the Hepatitis B virus is approximately 75 days, but it can vary from 30 to 180 days. (Nettleman, 2016). Like any other disease, Hepatitis B, has many effects on the baby. Some of which includes, low birth weight and prematurity, neonatal jaundice and congenital anomalies or perinatal mortality. However, the effects of chronic Hepatitis B Virus infection on pregnancy outcomes have not been clearly defined (Nettleman, 2016). Genital Herpes Genital Herpes is caused by the Herpes Simplex virus (HSV). Having this disease during pregnancy can cause significant health risks resulting in neonatal diseases (Aga, 2009). This virus causes herpes by entering the body via mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. Like every other STD, Genital Herpes is spred by unprotected vaginal, anal and oral sex. There are two types of HSV, Herpes Simplex 1, which causes cold sores and Herpes Simplex 2, which causes Genital Herpes. Some signs and symptoms are fever flu-like symptoms, nausea, muscle aches, painful urination, tingling or burning sensation in the area where blisters will appear. It is possible to get the infection in the mouth, tongue, lips and other parts of the body. If a woman has contracted the genital herpes virus in the birth canal during delivery, herpes simplex virus can be spread to the infant causing neonatal herpes, which can sometimes be fatal. Neonatal herpes can complications that cause overwhelming infections to the central nervous system, mental retardation or even death. Babies are most at risk for neonatal herpes if the mother contracts genital herpes in the later stages of the pregnancy. Additionally, the virus can be spread to the baby in the first week of birth if he or she is kissed by someone with an active cold sore, also known as oral herpes. In rare conditions, herpes can be spread by touch, if someone touches an active sore and then immediately touches the baby. Therefore, it is advised that an infected person avoids contact with the baby. Usually after birth, the baby is observed closely for approximately three weeks. Symptoms of neonatal herpes may include a skin rash, fever, crankiness, or lack or appetite. While these can be symptoms of other illnesses, it is advised that each symptom be observed carefully. Subsequently, The baby should be taken to his or her pediatrician and the parent should notify the doctor that he or she has the disease (ASHA, 2017). There is no cure for Herpes. But, there are medications that can prevent or shorten the outbreaks of the disease. Treatment is generally given to pregnant women at the end of their pregnancy. Based on small studies, when acyclovir is taken in the last month of the pregnancy, it prevent the disease from reoccurring but it also poses as a risk to the unborn baby. References   Ã‚   CDC. (2016, May 19) Chlamydia- CDC fact sheet, Retrieved March 1, 2017, from Center for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia.stdfactchalydia.htm. Johnson, F, MD (1992). HIV and Pregnancy. Retrieved March 20, 2017 from International Journal of STD and Aids. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/09564624920030020. Aga, I. (2009). Managing Genetal Herpes Infections and Pregnancies. Retrieved March 20, 2017, from Sage Journals. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.2217/17455057.5.2.165 WHO. (2017, Januray). Hepatitis B (HBV.Hep B). Retrieved March 1, 2017, From World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs400/en/. WHO.(2017). Syphilis. Retrieved March 20,2017, from World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/antibiotics-sexual-infections/en/

Response to Speech Titled An American Success Story -- Nakasian

Dear Mr. Nakasian, Your speech has been capable of showing people your thoughts and ideas on â€Å"An American Success story†. In â€Å"An American Success storyâ€Å", you tell your audience that forty years ago you entered America through a U.S. District Court in New York. I believe that the U.S. District Court is in the same area as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. You spoke of applying and receiving your American Citizenship, then going through an honored ceremony. Also you spoke of the meanings and feelings that this Certificate has expressed on you, which showed your public viewers. Well as much as your viewers see this speech, personally I do not agree with you on some levels of your speech being a well rounded and believable description of â€Å"An American Success Story†. You state only your experiences not knowing what anyone else went through nor giving any examples of anyone else’s experiences. Mr. Nakasian, my opinion of you is constructed of an idealistic person who wants to believe everything that comes out of your mouth. In your speech of an â€Å"American Success Story†, you speak about cherishing your certificate for forty years. You announced your meaning of this certificate as a very special item to you because no other country offers as much as this certificate guarantees. Also you spoke of escaping discrimination by coming to America and having the guarantee of religious beliefs and personal freedom. You set down experiences about yourself, how you went through a poor life and then becoming orphaned shortly after arriving in the United States. In your speech, you discussed your dream of becoming a lawyer and making progress: educationally, professionally and economically. Also an interesting point you have made to y... ...sion as shows, movies, commercials and so on. Also it is harder for immigrants to find a job, especially if they have accents. For example, even immigrants with an education who have an accent have closed doors to job opportunities because they are not of the same kind and an accent make’s it harder to identify someone. Think about it people will not always be nice to you in this world, maybe you were just hit with a simple bit of luck. Many things in American society is not as always great as people might seem to think they are, which gives people a different vibe about America such as you Mr. Nakasian. Although people know there is no country that provides each person with better opportunities than America. I just do not completely agree with your presentation, as the United States being an ideal country because people don’t give us enough information.

daddy :: essays research papers

Personal Essay It was a Sunday evening around 6 o'clock or so, one of the many Sunday evenings where I would cruise around with my father in the car. Though this wasn't just any ordinary Sunday sightseeing excursion with dad. We stopped at a red light, and without much enthusiasm observed the pedestrians. A woman, as she walked, fixed the white lacey gossamer slip of her dress. It dragged out of her skirt, obviously making her feel self-conscious. A short, stubby man with an overbearing gut was nonchalantly picking his nose as he ogle the lady adjusting her slip. He stared at her, as though undressing her with his eyes. I looked at my father, who was looking right back at me. We both laughed. Being only 8 years old, I was at an age where I found everything hilarious. The very fact that my father and I were looking at the same scene and probably both thinking how perverted the man seemed made me laugh hysterically. My dad continued to drive. I kept gazing at the scenery of the city, as the sun started to set and the darkness took over. Our little sightseeing trip was over, or so I thought. I was so used to the same path we went through, that when my father made an unaccustomed turn, it made me suspicious. I refrained myself from asking him where we were going because his usual reply would be, "Don't worry about it, don't ask where you're going, its where I take you okay". I had to admit it was an unfamiliar, but enchanting view. I had my window all the way down, with the reflection of the side mirror in my face. The wind blew, as the luminous setting sun mirrored back rays of light. With each reflection, I narrowly squinted my eyes and continued to marvel at this picturesque interaction of color and beauty. Being in the month of October, one can imagine the colorful setting that was before me. Beautiful, vibrantly colored decayed autumn leaves sprang from the limbs of the trees. The aroma of crispy, dried up leaves embraced my nose. These exuberant, withered leaves captivated my vision and olfactory senses, as though I had nothing else to admire. Beauties of nature that so often people, including myself, tend to ignore. Suddenly, my father stopped the car. In front of a deteriorated, run-down house, indicating abandonment. daddy :: essays research papers Personal Essay It was a Sunday evening around 6 o'clock or so, one of the many Sunday evenings where I would cruise around with my father in the car. Though this wasn't just any ordinary Sunday sightseeing excursion with dad. We stopped at a red light, and without much enthusiasm observed the pedestrians. A woman, as she walked, fixed the white lacey gossamer slip of her dress. It dragged out of her skirt, obviously making her feel self-conscious. A short, stubby man with an overbearing gut was nonchalantly picking his nose as he ogle the lady adjusting her slip. He stared at her, as though undressing her with his eyes. I looked at my father, who was looking right back at me. We both laughed. Being only 8 years old, I was at an age where I found everything hilarious. The very fact that my father and I were looking at the same scene and probably both thinking how perverted the man seemed made me laugh hysterically. My dad continued to drive. I kept gazing at the scenery of the city, as the sun started to set and the darkness took over. Our little sightseeing trip was over, or so I thought. I was so used to the same path we went through, that when my father made an unaccustomed turn, it made me suspicious. I refrained myself from asking him where we were going because his usual reply would be, "Don't worry about it, don't ask where you're going, its where I take you okay". I had to admit it was an unfamiliar, but enchanting view. I had my window all the way down, with the reflection of the side mirror in my face. The wind blew, as the luminous setting sun mirrored back rays of light. With each reflection, I narrowly squinted my eyes and continued to marvel at this picturesque interaction of color and beauty. Being in the month of October, one can imagine the colorful setting that was before me. Beautiful, vibrantly colored decayed autumn leaves sprang from the limbs of the trees. The aroma of crispy, dried up leaves embraced my nose. These exuberant, withered leaves captivated my vision and olfactory senses, as though I had nothing else to admire. Beauties of nature that so often people, including myself, tend to ignore. Suddenly, my father stopped the car. In front of a deteriorated, run-down house, indicating abandonment.

Robert Frosts After Apple-Picking Essay -- Robert Frost Apple Picki

Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" In the poem â€Å"After Apple-Picking†, Robert Frost has cleverly disguised many symbols and allusions to enhance the meaning of the poem. One must understand the parallel to understand the central theme of the poem. The apple mentioned in the poem could be connected to the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. It essentially is the beginning of everything earthly and heavenly, therefore repelling death. To understand the complete meaning of Frost’s poem one needs to be aware that for something to be dead, it must have once had life. Life and death are common themes in poetry, but this poem focuses on what is in between, life’s missed experiences and the regret that the speaker is left with. Regret is defined as â€Å"a feeling of disappointment or distress about something that one wishes could be different† (www.dictionary.com). While there is no doubt that the speaker in this poem has had a very productive and worthwhile life, one gets the impression that there is still an empty feeling in his life, of which he can do nothing about. In lines 3-6, he reflectively states, â€Å"And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill beside it, and there may be two or three apples I didn’t pick upon some bough†. Here, it is necessary to expand that idea the idea of the apples as a metaphor for life, and say that they also represent missed life experiences. As the speaker looks back on his life, he sees unfinished tasks, and thus he feels regret. It is important to note though, that he accepts the fact that he can do nothing about these unfinished tasks, and he is ready to move to a new and final stage in his life as he acknowledges that he â€Å"is don e with apple-picking now† (6). The reason for the reflection is evident when the speaker says, â€Å"I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough and held against the world of hoary grass† (9-10). From this it seems as though the speaker has caught a glimpse of his reflection in the drinking trough and has noticed that the reflection was or gray with age. It appears as though the speaker does not merely see himself in the water’s reflection though; he also visualizes past visions and memories from his life. Further on in the poem, the speaker says, â€Å"There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, Cherish in han... ... or perhaps even to the â€Å"cellar† (a metaphor for Hell). By the end of the poem, both the speaker and the reader have come to a general acceptance regarding the speaker’s looming death. It therefore comes as a bit of a shock when the speaker says, â€Å"Were he not gone, the woodchuck could say whether it’s like his long sleep, as I describe its coming on, or just some human sleep†. The metaphorical meaning of sleep in this poem has been previously established, however, a new definition surfaces as a result of this statement. Frost has just written of two different types of sleep—is it possible that he is talking about two different states of death? In searching for the significance of this statement, it is necessary to return to the apple and its representation of both life and death. The reader, as well as the speaker, is not sure if he is really dying or whether he has simply ceased feeling and experiencing life, thus causing the feelings of regret. It is interesting, though purely speculative, to note that i n the year that Frost wrote this poem, he would be turning forty years old. One must wonder whether Frost was looking back on his own life thus far with some sort of regret. Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" Essay -- Robert Frost Apple Picki Robert Frost's "After Apple-Picking" In the poem â€Å"After Apple-Picking†, Robert Frost has cleverly disguised many symbols and allusions to enhance the meaning of the poem. One must understand the parallel to understand the central theme of the poem. The apple mentioned in the poem could be connected to the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. It essentially is the beginning of everything earthly and heavenly, therefore repelling death. To understand the complete meaning of Frost’s poem one needs to be aware that for something to be dead, it must have once had life. Life and death are common themes in poetry, but this poem focuses on what is in between, life’s missed experiences and the regret that the speaker is left with. Regret is defined as â€Å"a feeling of disappointment or distress about something that one wishes could be different† (www.dictionary.com). While there is no doubt that the speaker in this poem has had a very productive and worthwhile life, one gets the impression that there is still an empty feeling in his life, of which he can do nothing about. In lines 3-6, he reflectively states, â€Å"And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill beside it, and there may be two or three apples I didn’t pick upon some bough†. Here, it is necessary to expand that idea the idea of the apples as a metaphor for life, and say that they also represent missed life experiences. As the speaker looks back on his life, he sees unfinished tasks, and thus he feels regret. It is important to note though, that he accepts the fact that he can do nothing about these unfinished tasks, and he is ready to move to a new and final stage in his life as he acknowledges that he â€Å"is don e with apple-picking now† (6). The reason for the reflection is evident when the speaker says, â€Å"I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough and held against the world of hoary grass† (9-10). From this it seems as though the speaker has caught a glimpse of his reflection in the drinking trough and has noticed that the reflection was or gray with age. It appears as though the speaker does not merely see himself in the water’s reflection though; he also visualizes past visions and memories from his life. Further on in the poem, the speaker says, â€Å"There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, Cherish in han... ... or perhaps even to the â€Å"cellar† (a metaphor for Hell). By the end of the poem, both the speaker and the reader have come to a general acceptance regarding the speaker’s looming death. It therefore comes as a bit of a shock when the speaker says, â€Å"Were he not gone, the woodchuck could say whether it’s like his long sleep, as I describe its coming on, or just some human sleep†. The metaphorical meaning of sleep in this poem has been previously established, however, a new definition surfaces as a result of this statement. Frost has just written of two different types of sleep—is it possible that he is talking about two different states of death? In searching for the significance of this statement, it is necessary to return to the apple and its representation of both life and death. The reader, as well as the speaker, is not sure if he is really dying or whether he has simply ceased feeling and experiencing life, thus causing the feelings of regret. It is interesting, though purely speculative, to note that i n the year that Frost wrote this poem, he would be turning forty years old. One must wonder whether Frost was looking back on his own life thus far with some sort of regret.

Deutche Bank

9-205-059 REV: APRIL 26, 2005 GEORGE CHACKO PETER HECHT VINCENT DESSAIN ANDERS SJOMAN Deutsche Bank: Finding Relative-Value Trades It was the third week of August 2003, and Jamil Baz, head of Deutsche Bank’s Fixed Income Research Group, gathered his research group for a morning meeting. â€Å"So, what are the markets telling us today? † he asked the group. â€Å"Are there any trends or news for new trade ideas? † The Fixed Income Research Group that Baz led was Deutsche Bank’s internal research and development (R&D) department for fixed income instruments.Their mandate was to look for untapped value across bond markets and interest rate derivatives. Long-term-oriented research findings were presented to clients, whereas immediate opportunities were suggested as trades to internal traders as well as clients. The success of the group was in part measured by how many of their trade suggestions actually turned into successful trades. So far, they had achieved an impressive 75% success rate. A natural place to start looking for new trades was the latest prices on various U.S. Treasury bonds (see Exhibit 1 for data from August 15, 2003). The group’s members consistently went through that data set, looking for possible trades to recommend. Typically relative-value trades took both long and short positions across different parts of the yield curve. Baz’s standard weekly question just emphasized what they all knew: that it was time to scour through the numbers one more time to see if any such positions were available. The Deutsche Bank Fixed Income Research GroupHeadquartered in Deutsche Bank’s London office, the company’s Fixed Income Research Group consisted of about 50 analysts and strategists. (An additional 10 were located in the bank’s New York offices. ) Global head of Fixed Income Research and in charge of the group was Baz, a managing director with Deutsche Bank since 2001. Previously at Lehman Brot hers in London, Baz also held an M. S. in management from MIT and a Ph. D. in business economics from Harvard University. As a part of a large financial institution, the research group was under constant pressure to monetize the ideas that they generated.The group presented its findings both internally to the ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Professors George Chacko and Peter Hecht, Executive Director of the HBS Europe Research Center Vincent Dessain, and Research Associate Anders Sjoman prepared this case. This case deals with trade-specific advice activities of a research department and draws heavily from â€Å"Deutsche Bank: Discussing the Equity Risk Premium,â€Å" HBS Case No. 205-040, by the same authors. Case No. 205-040 deals with macro-level advice from the same research department.Some names and data have been disguised for confidentiality. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for clas s discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. This case is not intended as financial advice, and it should not be used as the basis for any investment decision, in whole or in part. Copyright  © 2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www. bsp. harvard. edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. 205-059 Deutsche Bank: Finding Relative-Value Trades Deutsche Bank traders, as well as externally to Deutsche Bank clients at the CEO, CFO, and Treasury level. Baz explained how the ideas were pitched: The final goal is to create a franchise with fixed income clients.So, for clients on the asset side, such as mutual funds, hedge funds, insurance companies, and pension plans, we help them generate high returns on their assets. We give specific ideas to be executed by the clients—hopefully with us, although that is never certain. However, even if we don’t get a trade out of our recommendation, it is important enough that we maintain Deutsche Bank’s presence at the client. Sometimes we also do bespoke—or customized—work, where we analyze their balance sheet and asset-liability mismatches for them, almost like technical financial consulting.In general, research alone will not give us clients, but research combined with pricing are the keys to building long-lasting relationships with external clients. Overall, we strive to push the frontiers of analytical finance when it comes to modeling interest rates, volatilities, and spreads. Owing to data avail ability and an intimate exposure to institutional market realities, we are often pushed to reach results ahead of academic finance journals. On a group level, Deutsche Bank organized its fixed income activities in the global markets around three main pillars: investor coverage, issuer coverage, and research.The trading desks dealing in these areas were in turn divided into two groups: credit (with credit trading/credit derivatives, new issue syndicate, asset securitization, and emerging markets) and rates (with foreign exchange, money markets, fixed income, and interest rate derivatives). The research efforts of the group were set up to match these organizational divisions. The Fixed Income Research Group was one of several research groups (as shown in Exhibit 2). All these groups were run under the banner of Global Markets Research.Research as a whole was headed by David Folkerts-Landau. Demand for direct meetings with Deutsche Bank’s research groups had grown over the past few years, taken internally as a sign of increased respect for the bank’s research output. In the last year, Baz’s group alone had logged over 1,500 client meetings. All clients had access to the Deutsche Bank research in papers and newsletters that were available online. Internal traders also benefited from the research, which was a major influence behind much of the bank’s proprietary—or â€Å"prop†Ã¢â‚¬â€trading.Most members of the research group shared their time between external clients and traders, with more senior staff members working more with external clients and less with the trading floor. In the end, measuring the research group’s value to the organization was still difficult. Said Baz: Putting a value on the work we do, and the effect we have on the bank, is very hard. In fact, if you were to really measure it by attributing sales and trades back to us, the trading floor would be more reluctant to work with us. Instead, we are mostly evaluated by top management on three other factors.Firstly, overall market direction, which is how much of rate and spread moves did we catch in our advice. Secondly, the relative-value trades we originated. Thirdly, any customized business we have brought in from our client meetings. Compensation to the members of the group was tied to the evaluation of the group as a whole. Individual bonuses were then given at the discretion of Baz as the group’s manager, based on his qualitative impression of each member’s contribution. 2 Deutsche Bank: Finding Relative-Value Trades 205-059 Strategic Advice and Relative-Value ActivitiesThe group’s activities were normally broken down into strategic advice on macro trends and relative value. The strategic advice activities built on long-term discussions with clients, where the group presented Deutsche Bank’s view on macroeconomic trends to external clients. In these discussions, George Cooper, the group’ s global fixed income strategist, typically did not expect a quick monetary return. Cooper, a Ph. D. graduate in engineering at Durham University with experience from both Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, explained: This type of activity does not generate a lot of money from a trade perspective.It generates brand value, though, and is especially appealing to insurance companies or asset-liability people, who appreciate the long-term view. We believe it serves more of an educational purpose. It gets the fund managers thinking. They are not looking for prescriptive research, where we tell them to â€Å"do this trade,† but they look for interesting ideas. Of course, they then weigh our ideas against whatever Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley are saying. Our role is to come up with hopefully insightful but also informative new ways to look at things.By contrast, the relative-value activities looked for more immediate opportunities by comparing different instruments and then recommendin g various trading strategies to clients and internal traders. Head of Relative Value Research for Europe was Jean Dumas, an engineer from ESME SUDRIA in France with a specialization in finance, who had worked with Relative Value Research for Deutsche Bank in Paris, Frankfurt, and Sydney before moving to London. Dumas explained his work: We come up with different types of trades all the time.The trade opportunities may be there for a week or two, sometimes longer. I look at different spreadsheets, listen to what traders are saying, watch the news, study different models. . . . Then I try to put everything together—and suddenly there is a trade opportunity. Our job is really grabbing things that don’t seem to be related at first and see if there is a trade to be done. The trade opportunities that the research group identified were published weekly in the newsletter â€Å"Deutsche Bank Fixed Income Weekly,† which was distributed to Deutsche Bank traders as well as to clients.A frequent contributor to the newsletter was Dr. Nikan B. Firoozye, head of Global Quantitative Strategies and a Ph. D. graduate in mathematics from Courant Institute at New York University with experience from Alliance Capital, Sanford C. Bernstein, and Lehman Brothers. Firoozye explained: I write a piece on Euroland strategy every week where we suggest trades. Some of these are big trades that we don’t change very often, such as curve-steepening trades. We can have the same trade off and on for a full year. We also summarize economic data as it impacts the bond markets.For instance, how structured trades could be influenced by the move in dollar versus yen, and how you should position for that. In his role as head of Euroland Strategy, Firoozye also oversaw all strategic investments in Euroland bond markets. He was also involved in all modeling issues and wrote stand-alone papers on quantitative strategy. Looking for a Relative-Value Trade For the research group, one way to find relative-value trades was to compare the prices of traded securities against the prices that the group thought the securities should trade at. This subjective view 205-059 Deutsche Bank: Finding Relative-Value Trades was based on a proprietary model developed at Deutsche Bank. (Most banks used proprietary models as a base from which to evaluate the prices of traded securities. ) The models were built on the fact that the returns offered by fixed income instruments could be characterized by the yields that they offered. The yield was roughly seen as compensation for the risk borne by the holder of that security. There were many sources of risk in fixed income securities, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, and prepayment risk.Also, the yield of an instrument could be broken down into components. The components could be thought of as compensation for the different sources of risk. So, for example, the yield on a corporate bond could be thought of as being compose d of a risk-free yield plus a credit spread. The risk-free yield represented compensation for interest rate risk in the bond, while the credit spread represented compensation for default risk in the bond. 1 To understand the compensation for the interest rate risk alone, banks typically constructed â€Å"yield-curve models. These were models for the yields on zero-coupon Treasury securities, since Treasury instruments typically contained only interest rate risk. Models for the yield curve could be then used to compare the current and expected prices of U. S. Treasury instruments. 2 The research group at Deutsche Bank had developed their own proprietary yield-curve model, a so-called three-factor affine model (see Exhibit 3 for a conceptual description of the model). Firoozye explained the fundaments of the model: We have three factors driving the yield curve that we see as analogous to the economy.In an economy, there is inflation, output gaps, and short rates. So first among our f actors is a long rate, which is analogous to inflation. It is the slowest mean reverting of our three factors. In the fifties inflation was low, in the seventies it was extremely high, and now it is back down again. It takes 20 years to go through its cycle. It is very slow, very persistent, whereas the business cycle is much, much faster. You go through a business cycle in about seven years. So slope, our second factor, is then the measure of output gap. Slope mean reverts much more quickly than inflation.The third factor is the short rate, which mean reverts the fastest. After estimating the variables of the three-factor model, the team calibrated the model to price the one-month, two-year, and 10-year zero-coupon bond. After Baz’s request at the weekly meeting, the analysts now used the latest numbers on various U. S. Treasury bonds to update and calibrate the model (see Exhibit 4 for the resulting output from Deutsche Bank’s model). The idea was to then compare the actual zero-coupon yield curve against the predicted ones coming out of the model and see if any trade ideas presented themselves.In fact, several trades seemed to come out of that comparison. Baz and the team now had to pick the trades with the highest profit potential. 1 It should be noted that the notion of compensation here is approximate. The yield on a zero-coupon corporate bond is not the expected return of that bond. It is simply the promised return of that bond, or the return an investor would get if the bond did not default. Starting with this promised return and then factoring in the probability of default and a default risk premium leads to the expected return for that bond. More generally, yield-curve models could be used to price any interest rate-sensitive security. For example, the pricing of interest rate options starts with a yield-curve model. 4 Deutsche Bank: Finding Relative-Value Trades 205-059 Exhibit 1 Prices and Coupon Rates of Various U. S. Treasury Bonds on August 15, 2003 Coupon Rate (%) 3 2. 125 1. 5 6. 5 5. 625 2. 375 6. 25 3. 25 3 3. 25 5. 5 6 6. 5 5. 75 5 5 4. 875 4. 375 3. 875 4. 25 13. 25 12. 5 11. 25 10. 625 9. 25 7. 5 8. 75 8. 875 9. 125 9 8. 875 8. 125 8. 5 8. 75 7. 875 8. 25 8 7. 25 7. 125 6. 25 7. 5 7. 5 7. 625 6. 875 6 6. 75 6. 625 6. 375 6. 125 5. 5 5. 25 6. 125 Maturity Date 2/15/2004 8/15/2004 2/15/2005 8/15/2005 2/15/2006 8/15/2006 2/15/2007 8/15/2007 2/15/2008 8/15/2008 2/15/2009 8/15/2009 2/15/2010 8/15/2010 2/15/2011 8/15/2011 2/15/2012 8/15/2012 2/15/2013 8/15/2013 2/15/2014 8/15/2014 2/15/2015 8/15/2015 2/15/2016 8/15/2016 2/15/2017 8/15/2017 2/15/2018 8/15/2018 2/15/2019 8/15/2019 2/15/2020 8/15/2020 2/15/2021 8/15/2021 2/15/2022 8/15/2022 2/15/2023 8/15/2023 2/15/2024 8/15/2024 2/15/2025 /15/2025 2/15/2026 8/15/2026 2/15/2027 8/15/2027 2/15/2028 8/15/2028 2/15/2029 8/15/2029 Current Price 101. 0544 100. 9254 99. 8942 109. 0934 108. 438 99. 7848 111. 7184 101. 0841 99. 1692 99. 271 109. 7707 112. 145 114. 9084 110. 3894 105. 2934 104. 7607 103. 4391 99. 2806 95. 0288 97. 7693 174. 3251 168. 9389 157. 0552 152. 4222 140. 0135 123. 3044 136. 0598 137. 504 140. 792 139. 9079 138. 7431 130. 7162 135. 2938 138. 3466 128. 4995 131. 7341 130. 4736 121. 58 120. 1744 109. 4538 125. 46 125. 4466 127. 1477 117. 5509 106. 3626 116. 1986 114. 7086 111. 036 108. 0391 99. 633 96. 2876 108. 4062 Source: Adapted by casewriter from Datastream. 5 205-059 Deutsche Bank: Finding Relative-Value Trades Exhibit 2 Deutsche Bank Global Markets Research Organization Global Head COO and Co-Head Global Economics Global Strategist Foreign Exchange Securitization Index Development Regional Heads – Asia/ Pacific – Germany Strategy – Fixed Income/ Relative Value Research – Emerging Markets – Credit Credit (High Grade Credit Research) Economics – Global – US – Europe – Emerging Markets Source: Deutsche Bank. Exhibit 3 †¢ †¢ †¢Deutsche Bank†™s Zero-Coupon Yield Model Key variables: Short rate, slope, and long rate (or short rate, output gap, and inflation) Model specified by a system of equations (in Q measure) Long rate mean reverts slowly (possibly to nonzero mean) dX t= (  µ X ? k X X t) dt + ? X dWt X †¢ Slope mean reverts faster (to zero) dYt = ? kY Yt dt + ? Y dWt Y †¢ X t + Yt ? rt = 0 †¢ In equilibrium short rate, rt, follows the target Xt+Yt (an analogue of the Taylor rule) Short rate mean reverts fast in order to restore the equilibrium drt = k r ( X t + Yt ? rt ) dt + ? r dWt rSource: Adapted by casewriter from â€Å"Quantitative Models for Fixed Income,† Deutsche Bank presentation, October 2003. 6 Deutsche Bank: Finding Relative-Value Trades 205-059 Exhibit 4 Output from Deutsche Bank’s Zero-Coupon Yield Model Model Prediction (BEY) 1. 2443% 1. 8727% 2. 4110% 2. 9665% 3. 4454% 3. 8557% 4. 1996% 4. 4677% 4. 6528% 4. 7107% 5. 7160% 5. 9517% 5. 9315% Maturity (years) 1y 2y 3y 4 y 5y 6y 7y 8y 9y 10y 15y 20y 25y Source: Note: Adapted by casewriters from Deutsche Bank information. The yields in this table are bond equivalent yields (BEY), that is, the semiannual yield multiplied by two. 7

A brief description of the arts

â€Å"What is art?† Different people can come up with different answers to this question, and they can all be correct.This reflects the dilemma that has hounded the concept of art from the first time man attempted to define it. As society evolves art does, too; as such, to attempt to place boundaries around art is as futile an exercise as to define the former, since both share the characteristic of perpetual change.With this fact in mind, I have decided to limit the references used in this paper to sources that are not only up-to-date but likewise education-related.   Solely for the purposes of coherence and clarity, I have chosen to adopt the standards set by the revised North Carolina Arts Education Standard Course of Study (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/curriculum/artsed/scos/artsed.pdf) and the Arts Education Mandate of the Washington OSPI [Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction] which provided a chart of the elements and principles of organization of the s ubjects to be discussed.It is my belief that an exposition of the subjects of painting, dance, theater, and music done along the lines of education is more relevant than any discussion done in another perspective.I will begin my discussion with the subject of painting. Painting is a branch of the visual arts – this alone sets it apart from the other three subjects, which are all branches of the performing arts. The Encarta encyclopedic entry (2005 edition) for painting defines it as an art wherein â€Å"color, derived from any of numerous organic or synthetic substances, is applied to various surfaces to create a representational or abstract picture or design†.There are quite a number of techniques in painting that correspond to the medium used by the artist, the most popular of which are as follows: oil, fresco, tempera, enamel, encaustic, gouache, grisaille, watercolor, and acrylic.There is another way of classifying painting styles, and that is through the subject ( what is depicted) of the work. Mural paintings, still life paintings, icon paintings, and miniature paintings are some of the categories under which a work may be classified. In this discussion it is important to cover drawing – another branch or form of visual art – briefly, since painting employs the basic principles in drawing.To quote the entry for â€Å"drawing† in the Encarta encyclopedia: â€Å"In drawing from any object or model, the first step is to observe and sketch in the dominant structural lines, contours, and masses. The more important details are added and corrected, and the minor details are left to the last.† This approach is likewise often used by painters.As for the elements in painting, I have taken the liberty of taking on the elements prescribed by the Arts Education Mandate of the Washington OSPI, which are as follows: (1) color, (2) form, (3) line, (4) shape, (5) space, (6) texture, and (7) value/shading. These elements – w ith the exception of space – are unique to the art of painting as far as the other subjects of this paper are concerned because simplistically speaking, the said elements are applicable only to the visual, and not the performing arts.Music concerns the arrangement of sounds artistically over a period of time. As in painting, the field of techniques (or means of expression) for this particular art form is vast. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the world is divided into musical cultures, with each culture carrying a distinct sound and a distinct method of producing music.Aside from that, with the steady progress of technology came the intermarriage of cultures, which in turn paved the way for an expansion in the methods by which a person can express himself musically.I found more than twenty types of musical compositions, but for the sake of brevity let me just mention a few: aria, ballad, chant, hymn, sonata, symphony, and the tone poem.   Although there is an overwhelmi ng number of techniques of execution in music, all these share the same elements: (1) beat / rhythm, (2) expression [dynamics, style, tempo, phrasing], (3) form, (4) harmony, (5) melody, (6) notation, (7) pitch, (8) texture, (9) timbre / tone color.

Consumer Culture Is Central to Understanding Contemporary Identities Essay

As the title suggests, this essay is going to discuss, to what extent does consumer culture affect contemporary identities. In today’s society consumer culture is everywhere and we would probably not be able to survive without it. It became such an important part of our lives that some people even build their carrier around it. Most businesses in modern societies, all around the world work as successfully as they do, simply because people became consumers and they buy their products. This essay is first going to look at why this change of attitude occurred and how exactly it brought about consumer culture. This will lead us onto how exactly consumer culture works and how it affects consumers. To answer the question fully, we will also look at the two view points on this matter. First we are going to discuss arguments which support the view that consumer culture creates modern identities. Secondly, arguments supporting the view that consumer culture is far less important than in the development of one’s identity. Before the question itself is addressed, some background needs to be drawn about this issue. To be objective about this matter, it should be pointed out straight away that consumer culture is not the key aspect affecting contemporary identities. There is one very simple explanation to why this is true. Humans have been around for a much longer period of time than consumer culture and were successfully developing their identities even before consumer culture came about. Therefore it is definitely true that in the past, there were other things creating our identities sufficiently enough. The definition of identity which Jodi Davis finds the most fitting is â€Å"My identity is determined by a complex mix of thingsâ€Å". The question however concentrates on contemporary identities. So is it possible that consumer culture managed to take over the power of all the other aspects of the creation of identity in the past 200 years? Some believe that the answer to that question is yes. In fact, Bauman argues that â€Å"The roads to self-identity, to a place in society, to a life in a form recognisable as that of meaningful living, all require daily visits to the market place†. Similarly, Featherstone states that â€Å"criteria for the good life revolve around the desire to enlarge one’s self, the quests for new tastes, and sensations, to explore more and more possibilities†. (Featherstone, pg 67) Therefore many people would be happy to say that in today’s society, consumer culture has an enormous effect on our identities. To some extent, this is true. Jagger even believes that â€Å"we become what we consume†. (Jagger, pg 45) To explain why this is true, the term â€Å"floating signifiers† needs to be explained. It refers to the fact that these days, all products and brands have a certain meaning/story behind them. People buy them because of these images they carry with them, rather than the actual use of the product. This leads us to the use vs. exchange value question. It could be argued that this was one of the main changes which caused consumerism to expand so much. Basically Use vs. Exchange conflict refers to the fact that at a certain point, people stopped buying goods for their use value and started buying them for their exchange value. Material goods are used as communicators, not utilities. (Featherstone, pg 84) Today, consumerism has reached such level of success, that people no longer buy things because they need them, but because they like this image that products give them. â€Å"Consumption, then, must not be understood as the consumption of use-values, a material utility but primarily as consumption of signs. †(Featherstone, pg 85) This way, the things we buy, create our identity, because people judge us based on what the products we use say about us. In today’s society of strangers, it is the only way to judge a person at the first sight. So for example if someone was to drive a Ferrari, people would think of him as a successful individual. This assumption would be based on the fact that to be able to afford this kind of car, the individual must be very rich. Also the brand itself gives him the image of a young successful man. This shows that automatically, without even speaking to people or getting to know them, they already judge us based on our appearance. Obviously we all want to be liked and accepted by others so we try to fulfil their expectations of us. We attempt to â€Å"live up to (but not above) the standards attached to the ‘social category’ into which we were born†. (Bauman, pg 27) These standards are also however determined by the media. Beauty ideals are set by TV, commercials and celebrities. They determine what’s â€Å"cool† and what isn’t. For example celebrities often act as beauty idols, so many women strive to look like them. This inner need to ulfil society’s expectation forces them to buy products which promise to make them look like a celebrity. Whoever does not at least attempt to fit in within these standards, or even worse, tries to do the opposite, might be stigmatised for it. For example over the past 80 years, it became very popular for women to shave their legs. It became so popular that nowadays, women who don’t do it are usually highly stigmatised. This all roots in consumerism, because the initial reason why it became popular was to force people to spend money on razors- which were until then unnecessary. Trying to fulfil these expectations creates our identity in a way. In most cases consumption of goods only affects our external identity but in some extreme cases it may even start to affect one’s internal identity. For example certain brands portray certain groups of people. So if one was to shop at Gucci or Chanel, one is expected to act a certain way. These brands carry the image of a very traditional, well behaved and upper class individual. So anyone wearing Gucci or Chanel strives to live up to the standards of these brands. That way one is already is changing his behaviour as well as his appearance, which is affecting not only his/hers external, but also internal identity. So really, when we think about it, the identity other people think we have, judging by our appearance, is very artificial and fake. This is because it is only created by the products we use, not by us ourselves. But then again, we choose which products to buy and it is us who decides how to look for other people so whatever we wear or look like, it is a bit personalized by our taste and other choices we make. Campbell brings up an interesting point in his book. He says that consumer culture develops our identity because since there is now such an enormous choice of products, it gives consumers opportunity to define their taste. They are able to decide what they like and what not. Also, since shopping malls are so anonymous, customers can try on anything they like, just to see how that â€Å"role† would fit them. This also helps them to find the image of themselves which they want to portray to other people. (Campbell, pg 159) However others believe that consumer culture is far less important than other factors in the development of one’s identity. Jodi Davis divides identity into external and internal. External is â€Å"cultural classifications (nationality, race, religion and gender) as well as societal characterizations (family, career, and position or title)†. Whereas internal is â€Å"natural gifts, strengths, capabilities; the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual characteristics that comprise our uniqueness and innate talents and abilities; our basic orientation toward the world around us, our learning styles, how we process and organize information, and other predisposed tendencies and characteristicsâ€Å". Davis, pg 7) As we can see, there are a lot of things which define a person’s identity. And we were to look at them individually; we would notice that we were actually already born with most of the crucial aspects of our identity and therefore are not able to change them. Our appearance is one of the very few aspects of our identity, which one can alternate. Therefore if a person is not happy with his overall identity, one of the few ways in which he can change it is through consumerism. In fact consumerism and advertising often aim to make the customer feel like this. As the ads intimidated that anything natural about the customer was worthless or deplorable, and tried to make him schizophrenically self conscious of that notion, they offered weapons by which people could eclipse themselves†. (Ewen, pg 48) If a person dresses a certain way and uses certain products, he may be able to convince some people that he fits the standards set by media. As mentioned before, this is thanks to the fact that every product we buy tells people something about us. The image the product portrays might not be true, but just the fact that a person uses that product makes people believe it. Even though the second part of this essay attempts to support the idea that there are other factors affecting contemporary identities more than consumer culture, we should not forget its importance. The fact that consumer culture helps us to change the only changeable part of our identity makes it, in my opinion, even more crucial. Consumer culture is actually very significant when it comes to understanding contemporary identities. It is its products, which create the image we try to portray to other people and that way fit into society.