Income Inequality

Currently there are many problems and flaws with the way the Canadian government’s policies deal with healthcare, income inequality and poverty. Time to time changes in policies have been made, perhaps to improve these issues, however, the gap between rich and poor keeps increasing and there is very little improvement in healthcare and the economy. In fact, healthcare keeps on becoming costly. Major issues like income inequality and poverty are not being taken care of by the government. According to Dr. Raphael (2002) poverty is caused by several reasons such as inequality in people’s income, weak social services and lack of other social supports (p. VI). He states, â€Å"Poverty directly harms the health of those with low incomes while income inequality affects the health of all Canadians through the weakening of social infrastructure and the destruction of social cohesion. †(Raphael, 2002, p. VI) Income inequality and poverty are interrelated with the way government structures policy decisions in its social and economic sphere (Raphael, 2002, p. VI). Dr. Raphael (2002) also claims that the health effects of poverty is strongly related to income inequality and poverty because societies that has high levels of poverty is bound to be economically unequal (p. 4). Canada’s government policies are inefficient in preventing income inequality and poverty. We do not get to see the whole picture as to how the Canadian government ignores and/or fails to provide services in all parts of Canada who requires improvement of healthcare, prevent income inequality and poverty. People who are living in urban areas are extensively lacking access to healthcare. The population in rural areas of Canada are lower than the population in urban areas. As a result, the government provides less healthcare in rural, northern and remote areas (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. III). I believe government is able to do this because people in cities knows less and/or cares less about people living in rural and remote areas. And perhaps government purposely ignores these people in rural areas. For decades aboriginal people living in these areas has been deprived of their rights whether it was healthcare, social assistance, jobs and access to daily needs and services. These aboriginal people often face issues such as poverty and occupational hazards (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. III). The reason these problems occur is because government policies are not implemented properly in these areas and the health care professionals in these areas are also not trained properly and there are less staff members workings at these rural areas (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). There are shortages of doctors and nurses. There is less community health services in these areas. Also these areas are purposely given less funding by government and private organizations (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). The reports are not being prepared accurately for these areas and government does not make enough efforts to evaluate these reports properly (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). Some of the major healthcare services are lacking, such as major trauma, mental health services, palliative care, aged care, dental health services and children with special needs. I n most areas these services are not offered and sometimes culturally and linguistically they are not available (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. V). This means that in many cases a patient has to travel a great distance in order to get these services and this means spending a great deal of money from their own pocket and if they do not have it, they have no choice but to receive no services or care (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 25). Also women's healthcare is a significant issue in rural areas. They have difficulties with giving births as there are not enough medically trained doctors for deliveries in rural areas (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 25). They often rely on family physicians and physicians trained in anaesthesiology to have deliveries done. Also there has been many closers of hospitals in these rural areas. As a result, now women too have to travel a great distance to have their deliveries done by a professional. Some women have to reach cities 1 month prior to their delivery and pay all their own expenses (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 25) Because of all these hospital closures and reduced services now there are problems with surgical procedures and pharmacists. Most of the doctors and pharmacists does not stay long in these areas. They leave the community and return to cities (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 26) Also these rural areas do not receive much care for alcohol problems and HIV/AIDS. These services are poorly served. Aboriginals are also not given proper education in how to prevent these diseases (Hay, Varga-Toth, Hines, 2006, p. 26). These are some major issues that government fails to address or as it seems they choose purposely to ignore because these issues has been going on for decades. The government should be a bit responsible with making better policies and taking expert advices constantly to improve the policies. That is why we pay high taxes and high price for goods and services, so that the government should be always on their toe and working hard to make sure we get better and efficient policies. Policies that would help reduce inequalities and poverty in Canada. There are problems in cities too regarding healthcare access. Access such as emergency services, diagnostic equipment and medical specialist are problematic (Soroka, 2007, p. 15). Wait times get longer and longer each year (Soroka, 2007, p. 5). For example, a 50 year old women would have to wait 6 months for her biopsy, a 65 year old man who needs hip replacement has to wait 6-12 months for the surgery (Soroka, 2007, p. 15). There are also delays and lack of service for home care for senior citizens and elderly mentally challenged people. According to author Soroka (2007) 87 percent Canadians claim t hat there is a great amount of lacking in the number of doctors and nurses (p. 16). This happens because government is failing to provide more money to hire more doctors and nurses (Soroka, 2007, p. 16). Yet, the government brings in many immigrant doctors and nurses based on their education who still can not find a job in Canada. So it seems that even when there is qualified doctors and nurses available, they government is failing or not investing enough amount of money to hire them. According to Green and Milligan (2007) the gap between Canada’s rich and poor has increased significantly from year 1980 to 2000 (p. 3). The study shows that rich and poor are heading in different directions at an extreme level where the top 1% earners and CEOs only getting richer while middle and the poor only gets poorer (Green & Milligan, 2007, P. ). As an example Green and Milligan (2007) shows that during 1980 to 2000 top 5% Canadian earners earned about $121,260 disposable income where as the bottom 5% families had only $3,104 as disposable income (p. 3). This means that the top earners had 39 times higher income bottom 5% earners (Green & Milligan, 2007, p. 3). The study suggests that the Canadian government’s used income tax policies in order to widen this gap of inequality between rich and poor (Green & Milligan, 2007, p. 4). Green and Milligan (2007) states, â€Å"In 2000, the top 10% of income earners had a disposable income of approximately $97,000. That’s 16 times more than the average of $5,900 earned by the bottom 10% of income earners. †(P. 7) While top earners income rose, the bottom earners income remained the same (Green & Milligan, 2007, p. 7). Also in a Globe & Mail newspaper article author Tavia Grant (2008) points out that an average earner in the year 2005 earned about $41,401 which is almost the same as an average earner 1980 who earned $41,348 (p. 2). Therefore, it is evident that the poor and less advantaged are being kept at the same level of income and resources, while expenses and prices of goods and services has always gone up. As a result, it is the middle and the poor class who suffers by paying the price unfairly, because their income never increase and also their income stayed at the same level for 20 years. According to Grant (2008) 11. 4 percent lives below low income which is considered a poverty line (p. 3). Also immigrants in Canada earn way less then a Canadian born worker. Statistics show that immigrant men earned 63 cents for each dollar a Canadian-born worker earns (Grant, 2008, p. 3). In general, women earn about 85 cents for every dollar men earn (Grant, 2008, p. 3). Lower income deprives basic needs of human life, it leads to depression and it also leads to poverty sometimes. According to Mikkonen & Raphael (2010) Canada’s richest neighbourhood’s residents on average, live four years more than the poorest neighbourhood (p. 12). Their study finds that the most deprived Canadians had 28% higher death rates than the least deprived Canadians. Also health issues are a major concern because the poor has far more health issues like heart attacks and diabetes (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010, p. 12). They lack resource and information. The poorest neighbourhoods also have a much higher suicide rate (Mikkonen & Raphael, 2010, p. 12). Therefore, in Canada it is evident that income inequality is not being addressed by government policies, it is depriving and affecting the poor and the immigrants, and it is also making them vulnerable where it becomes really difficult to climb out of their situation. Sweden’s government has a different policy for income inequality and poverty. As author Palme (2006) indicates that Sweden’s government is doing well in promoting reduction in poverty and inequality (P. 16). Swedish government has a universal model of social protection. This social protection plan reaches out to venerable people in both rural and urban areas. This plan protects women’s labour force, aging population, all kinds of workers and salary based employees (Palme, 2006, p. 16). The plan also combines both public and private sector where improvement is necessary. There are three basic parts o this program. First, family support and old-age pension program which comes under citizenship benefits. Secondly, for different sectors of society there is a universal scheme which is the social earning insurance. Finally, there is housing benefits and social assistance in which income is verified and tested for families with elders and children (Palme, 2006, p. 16). By using these tactics the Swedish government has been successful in reducing overall inequalities to some extent (Palme, 2006, p. 16). Our government has somewhat similar policies for social services and assistance. However, Sweden pushes the boundaries in making the policies better and providing better services to its citizen. Perhaps Canadian government should also look to other countries and/or advices, it does not have to be Sweden, but they should at least try and find different policies that works better for Canadians. One of the major crisis that the Canadian middle and the working class is facing today is coming out of the 2008 world wide recession. Minimum wage is still very low compared to the rising prices of goods and expenses. During the recession people lost jobs, hours were cut and a lot of people were laid off. In order to survive and pay their bills, a lot of low income Canadians had no choice but to borrow and acquire huge amounts of debts. However, most of the top earners and CEOs kept the same paycheques that they were earning before the recession, while the working class took and are still taking most of the financial blow (CBC News, 2011). This makes their lives even more difficult. Therefore, much of countries capital money is circulating at the top, the vast middle and working class does not have the purchasing power to keep the economy flowing. For a short term goal I would like to propose ‘tax reforms’. Tax reforms that is going to reduce taxes for middle and the working class. Also provide a wage support. Increase marginal income tax on the top earners and limit their earnings. There are a lot of elites and CEOs in Canada who are fortunate and skilled enough to earn a very high income. For example, if someone is earning $500, 000 or $5 million a year then they should pay much higher income tax than what they are paying now. Their tax money should be used not only to evenly distribute, but they should be used to better health services, education, social services and transportation. This way it will not only circulate the money back to middle and working class but it will also help families and individual advance in their life. This helps society as a whole. There are several reasons why government should accept my policy rather than accepting others policies. It is common sense that first and the most important basic need for human is being stable mentally and physically. To maintain this stability you need food, shelter, health, clothing and most importantly education. When people are deprived of these basic needs because of poverty or less income, then the outcome might only be negative consequences and there also might be a social crisis. A society cannot function and/or improve without meeting these basic needs. A society also cannot improve without better education, better healthcare and better social assistances. Therefore, government of Canada should look to invest in poor and hard working people with low income, by providing their basic needs and by educating them in different areas of the policies we have and how to get help from different social assistance programs. Perhaps the government should also take public opinions, discussions and ideas into consideration while making major decisions and policies because it’s the people’s problems that they need to address and the only way to address them is to find out first hand what the real problems are, and what are the best means by which the government can provide efficient and helpful service to the public. The government should also improve income distribution and tax policies. I believe there is no better investment than investing in every person in society and government should focus on improving human capital. In the long run, investing in improvement of human capital improves society and mankind as a whole.

Bharti Enterprises Essay

Ensuring that the look and feel of the store is as per guidelines/standards Ensuring/ reporting Inventory and Stock availability as per the norms to prevent stock-outs Provide suggestions /feedback to improve store productivity People Development / Team Management: Acting as a mentor and trainer for store staff To ensure daily roistering & briefing to inbound & outbound store staff Customer Experience: Manage staff allocation based on demand at point in time Personally step in to handle demanding customers Provide suggestions for improvements in CE 4. A. On Diversity and Cultural spread in Africa, As Africa consists of 53 countries, to operate successfully it is important to understand the dynamics of each country, including differences in culture, language and especially regulations. Bharti would do well to put in place as few expatriates as possible and have most of its top management from Africa. b. On Infrastructure sharing and cost / capital issues, The biggest driver of network sharing will be the shift in approach of the biggest operators, who had been unwilling to share network to sustain competitive advantage. There is visible network sharing in the markets of Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, and that this is likely to pick up in other markets. c. On Bharti Airtel’s Minute Factor Model, Network sharing and IT outsourcing would help operators bring down costs. While costs could trend down, however they will be higher than in India because of some of the structural costs caused by power shortage and poor infrastructure. 5. Bharti Airtel has a history of making first moves and emerging as the winner just because of that. This is what built the company’s success in India, where it remains the top MNO and second-largest fixed-line operator. In fact, thanks to the massive market it serves at home, at the time it acquired the Zain portfolio in March 2010 Airtel was reckoned to be the fifth largest mobile operator in the world on a proportional subscriber basis, putting it behind the likes of China Mobile, Vodafone Group, American Movil and Telefonica, but ahead of China Unicom. As has been widely covered for over a year now, Airtel has been looking at Africa as a new growth market. While it has a deal with Vodafone for the Channel Islands, Africa is the only other territory outside the Indian subcontinent (including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) that the company has entered. The commonalities are compelling: similar markets, needs and infrastructure. The realities on the ground are somewhat more challenging: logistics, legislative compliance and serious local competition being foremost. The logistics of infrastructure in Africa are an equal challenge for all MNOs. That is a given. Where Airtel might have been overly optimistic is in hoping its Africa model would run similarly to its success in India, based on a first-to-market approach and having some leverage to overcome legislative obstacles. Unfortunately, while Airtel has a 30-year history of being first in India (with pushbutton phones, cordless phones and then mobile), they were not first in Africa. There were major EU, Middle East and South African players there ahead of them. In fact, Airtel’s African expansion is largely thanks to its takeover of Kuwait’s Zain mobile operations in 15 countries. This was a beachhead, not a conquest. Zain only held dominant market share in a few countries. Going up against market leaders such as MTN of South Africa, Airtel applied a strategy of extensive cost cutting. This followed on what it achieved in India, cutting a deal with Ericsson for per-minute fees (rather than upfront payment) that enabled very low-cost call rates from the outset. Airtel has an all-Africa, five-year deal in place with Ericsson for network management that offers similar advantages. Elsewhere, Airtel is engaged with Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei, not keeping all its eggs in one basket, of course. As a Plan B, possibly following on the indecisive outcome of Airtel’s low-cost invasion, the company has previously been negotiating a takeover of or (maybe) a joint venture with MTN itself. How this putative deal is described depends on which company is talking. This has been going on for some four years without a definitive ending. Even if it never happens, it is a signpost of just what Airtel would consider to get its Africa operations truly established.

Scientific Inventions

ASSEMBLY LINE: Primitive assembly line production was first used in 1901 by Ran some Eli Olds (1864-1950), an early car-maker (he manufactured the Oldsmobile, the first commercially successful American car). Henry Ford (1863-1947) used the first conveyor belt-based assembly-line in his car factory in 1913-14 in Ford's Highland Park, Michigan plant. This type of production greatly reduced the amount of time taken to put each car together (93 minutes for a Model T) from its parts, reducing production costs. Assembly lines are now used in most manufacturing processes. BAEKELAND, L. H. : Leo Hendrik Baekeland (November 14, 1863 – February 23, 1944) was a Belgian-born American chemist who invented Velox photographic paper (1893) and Bakelite (1907), an inexpensive, nonflammable, versatile, and very popular plastic. BAKELITE: Bakelite (also called catalin) is a plastic, a dense synthetic polymer (a phenolic resin) that was used to make jewelry, game pieces, engine parts, radio boxes, switches, and many, many other objects. Bakelite was the first industrial thermoset plastic (a material that does not change its shape after being mixed and heated). Bakelite plastic is made from carbolic acid (phenol) and formaldehyde, which are mixed, heated, and then either molded or extruded into the desired shape. Bakelite was patented in 1907 by the Belgian-born American chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland (November 14, 1863 – February 23, 1944). The Nobel Prize winning German chemist Adolf von Baeyer had experimented with this material in 1872, but did not complete its development or see its potential. Baekeland operated the General Bakelite Company from 1911 to 1939 (in Perth Amboy, N. J. , USA), and produced up to about 200,000 tons of Bakelite annually. Bakelite replaced the very flammable celluloid plastic that had been so popular. The bracelet above is made of â€Å"butterscotch† Bakelite. BAROMETER: A barometer is a device that measures air (barometric) pressure. It measures the weight of the column of air that extends from the instrument to the top of the atmosphere. There are two types of barometers commonly used today, mercury and aneroid (meaning â€Å"fluid less†). Earlier water barometers (also known as â€Å"storm glasses†) date from the 17th century. The mercury barometer was invented by the Italian physicist Evangelista Torricelli (1608 – 1647), a pupil of Galileo, in 1643. Torricelli inverted a glass tube filled with mercury into another container of mercury; the mercury in the tube â€Å"weighs† the air in the atmosphere above the tube. The aneroid barometer (using a spring balance instead of a liquid) was invented by the French scientist Lucien Vidie in 1843. BATTERY: A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Each battery has two electrodes, an anode (the positive end) and a cathode (the negative end). An electrical circuit runs between these two electrodes, going through a chemical called an electrolyte (which can be either liquid or solid). This unit consisting of two electrodes is called a cell (often called a voltaic cell or pile). Batteries are used to power many devices and make the spark that starts a gasoline engine. Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist invented the first chemical battery in 1800. Storage batteries : are lead-based batteries that can be recharged. In 1859, the French physicist Gaston Plante (1834-1889) invented a battery made from two lead plates joined by a wire and immersed in a sulfuric acid electrolyte; this was the first storage battery. BUNSEN BURNER: The laboratory Bunsen burner was invented by Robert Wilhelm Bunsen in 1855. Bunsen (1811-1899) was a German chemist and teacher. He invented the Bunsen burner for his research in isolating chemical substances – it has a high-intensity, non-luminous flame that does not interfere with the colored flame emitted by chemicals being tested. CASSEGRAIN TELESCOPE: A Cassegrain telescope is a wide-angle reflecting telescope with a concave mirror that receives light and focuses an image. A second mirror reflects the light through a gap in the primary mirror, allowing the eyepiece or camera to be mounted at the back end of the tube. The Cassegrain reflecting telescope was developed in 1672 by the French sculptor Sieur Guillaume Cassegrain. A correcting plate (a lens) was added in 1930 by the Estonian astronomer and lens-maker Bernard Schmidt (1879-1935), creating the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope which minimized the spherical aberration of the Cassegrain telescope. CELLOPHANE: Cellophane is a thin, transparent, waterproof, protective film that is used in many types of packaging. It was invented in 1908 by Jacques Edwin Brandenberger, a Swiss chemist. He had originally intended cellophane to be bonded onto fabric to make a waterproof textile, but the new cloth was brittle and not useful. Cellophane proved very useful all alone as a packaging material. Chemists at the Dupont Company (who later bought the rights to cellophane) made cellophane waterproof in 1927. CELSIUS, ANDERS: Anders Celsius (1701-1744) was a Swedish professor of astronomy who devised the Celsius thermometer. He also ventured to the far north of Sweden with an expedition in order to measure the length of a degree along a meridian, close to the pole, later comparing it with similar measurements made in the Southern Hemisphere. This confirmed that that the shape of the earth is an ellipsoid which is flattened at the poles. He also cataloged 300 stars. With his assistant Olof Hiorter, Celsius discovered the magnetic basis for auroras. COMPOUND MICROSCOPE: Zacharias Janssen was a Dutch lens-maker who invented the first compound microscope in 1595 (a compound microscope is one which has more than one lens). His microscope consisted of two tudes that slid within one another, and had a lens at each end. The microscope was focused by sliding the tubes. The lens in the eyepiece was bi-convex (bulging outwards on both sides), and the lens of the far end (the objective lens) was Plano-convex (flat on one side and bulging outwards on the other side). This advanced microscope had a 3 to 9 times power of magnification. Zacharias Janssen's father Hans may have helped him build the microscope. DA VINCI, LEONARDO: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian inventor, artist, architect, and scientist. Da Vinci had an interest in engineering and made detailed sketches of the airplane, the helicopter (and other flying machines), the parachute, the submarine, the armored car, the ballista (a giant crossbow), rapid-fire guns, the centrifugal pump (designed to drain wet areas, like marshes), ball bearings, the worm gear (a set of gears in which many teeth make contact at once, reducing the strain on the teeth, allowing more pressure to be put on the mechanism), and many other incredible ideas that were centuries ahead of da Vinci's time. DAVY, HUMPHRY: Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) was an English scientist who invented the first electric light in 1800. He experimented with electricity and invented an electric battery. When he connected wires from his battery to two pieces of carbon, electricity arced between the carbon pieces, producing an intense, hot, and short-lived light. This is called an electric arc. Davy also invented a miner's safety helmet and a process to desalinate sea water. Davy discovered the elements boron, sodium, aluminum (whose name he later changed to aluminum), and potassium. EDISON, THOMAS ALVA: Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was an American inventor (also known as the Wizard of Menlo Park) whose many inventions revolutionized the world. His work includes improving the incandescent electric light bulb and inventing the phonograph, the phonograph record, the carbon telephone transmitter, and the motion-picture projector. Edison’s first job was as a telegraph operator, and in the course of his duties, he redesigned the stock-ticker machine. The Edison Universal Stock Printer gave him the capital ($40,000) to set up a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, to invent full-time (with many employees). Edison experimented with thousands of different light bulb filaments to find just the right materials to glow well, be long-lasting, and be inexpensive. In 1879, Edison discovered that a carbon filament in an oxygen-free bulb glowed but did not burn up for quite a while. This incandescent bulb revolutionized the world. ELION, GERTRUDE: Gertrude Belle Elion (January 23, 1918 – February 21, 1999) was a Nobel Prize winning biochemist who invented many life-saving drugs, including 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol) and 6-thioguanine (which fight leukemia), Imuran, Zovirax, and many others. Elion worked at Burroughs- Glaxo Wellcome for decades (beginning in 1944) with George Hitchings and Sir James Black, with whom she shared the Nobel Prize. She is named on 45 patents for drugs and her work has saved the lives of thousands of people. ENIAC: ENIAC stands for â€Å"Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. † It was one of the first all-purpose, all-electronic digital computers. This room-sized computer was built by the physicist John William Mauchly (Aug. 30, 1907 – Jan. 8, 1980) and the electrical engineer John Presper Eckert, Jr. (April 9, 1919 – June 3, 1995) at the University of Pennsylvania. They completed the machine in November, 1945. FARNSWORTH, PHILO T. : Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906-1971) was an American inventor. Farnsworth invented many major major components of the television, including power, focusing systems, synchronizing the signal, contrast, controls, and scanning. He also invented the radar systems, cold cathode ray tube, the first baby incubator and the first electronic microscope. Farnsworth held over 300 patents. FOUCAULT, JEAN: Jean Bernard Leon Foucault (1819-1868) was a French physicist who invented the gyroscope (1852) and the Foucault pendulum (1851). A gyroscope is essentially a spinning wheel set in a movable frame. When the wheel spins, it retains its spatial orientation, and it resists external forces applied to it. Gyroscopes are used in navigation instruments (for ships, planes, and rockets). Foucault was the first person to demonstrate how a pendulum could track the rotation of the Earth (the Foucault pendulum) in 1851. He also showed that light travels more slowly in water than in air (1850) and improved the mirrors of reflecting telescopes (1858). FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN: Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706-April 17, 1790) was an American statesman, writer, printer, and inventor. Franklin experimented extensively with electricity. In 1752, his experiments with a kite in a thunderstorm (never do this, many people have died trying it! ) led to the development of the lightning rod. Franklin started the first circulating library in the colonies in 1731. He also invented bifocal glasses and the Franklin stove. The idea of daylight savings time was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784. GALILEI, GALILEO: Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. Galileo found that the speed at which bodies fall does not depend on their weight and did extensive experimentation with pendulums. In 1593 Galileo invented the thermometer. In 1609, Galileo was the first person to use a telescope to observe the skies (after hearing about Hans Lippershey's newly-invented telescope). Galileo discovered the rings of Saturn (1610), was the first person to see the four major moons of Jupiter (1610), observed the phases of Venus, studied sunspots, and discovered many other important phenomena.

Rhetorical Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rhetorical Communication - Essay Example It is quite unusual to compare these forms of expression because they differ in purpose, appeal, argumentation, language usage, and eventually in literary devices presence. The most obvious difference concerns the aim of creation these two literary genres. Rhetoric always has a purpose, and its purpose is to persuade listeners in something. That is why despite the fact that Lincoln`s speech seems not to have obvious persuasion motive it is still aimed to influence the public in a certain way and provoke certain reaction. Lincoln is going to become a President for the second time and in his speech he needs to sum up his previous work. Nevertheless, he still needs to look in future that is why in his rhetoric he aims to combine his experience at president`s post with his expectations regarding future. The main topic of his speech is Civil War, and unfortunately the discussion of this topic is painful and unpleasant for the nation but the President needs to do it. In the very first paragraph Lincoln touches the topic of Civil War and outlines vague mood of the nation regarding this issue: â€Å"The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.† Further Lincoln briefly explains the situation, the reasons, and the negative consequences of the Civil War. Emily Dickenson as a poetess explores emotional side of the event and tries to demonstrate the War from her perspective of an ordinary citizen by examining the concepts of victory and defeat: Dickenson does not need to persuade someone in something, the aim of her poetry is self- discovery, deeper reflection, and expression of opinion on the topic. However, it is possible to suggest that the purpose of the poetry is elusive as the purpose of art in general as it mostly

Human Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Excellence - Essay Example Introduction In this paper, I will argue for a model of human excellence according to Aristotle but all the while making comparisons with other philosophers. These theories work to specify the character virtues or traits which lead to human flourishing (Karl, 1996). Such virtues include compassion, justice, courage, tolerance, intelligence, patience, imagination, persistence and creativity. Virtue in the regard is synonymous with goodness and human excellence. Human excellence materializes in our modern-day society in many kinds of forms and studies have revealed that the most significant way to realize excellent performance in fields such as music, sport, scholarship and professions is to practice. The attainment of excellence in such fields generally needs more or less 10 years of loyalty, embracing about 10,000 hours of effort (Karl, 1996). The Ancient Greeks had a perception of arete which meant an exceptional fitness for intention. This takes place in the works of Aristotle and Homer. An additional related notion was eudaimonia which was the happiness which resulted from a life fulfilled and well-lived, and being prosperous (David, 2006). The comparable theory in Muslim philosophy is called ihsan. According to Aristotle, the best good or "the god" is that which is desired for its own sake and for the sake which we wish for all other goods or ends. For the human beings, happiness or eudaimonia is the motion of the soul in harmony with arete which in Greek means excellence, what something is good for or virtue (Rosalind,1999). Eudaemonia is characterized by living well and doing well in the affairs of the world. Moral virtue is not the end of life since it can go with misery, inactivity, and unhappiness (Kelvin, 2007). But happiness, and the end of life, to which all things aim, is activity in accord with reason of the arete or peculiar excellence of any person. At the same time, happiness is an activity that involves both the moral and the intellectual aret e but some external goods are essential to exercise that activity. However, happiness can never be identified with wealth, pleasure, or honor even though nearly everyone tends to think so. On the other hand, excellence is the quality of being excellent or the circumstances of having good qualities in an prominent degree; illustrious merit; supremacy in virtue but a title of honor or respect is termed as his or her Excellency (Rosalind, 1999). Important questions How do we know what human excellence is? How does the definition compare among other moral theories? Can there be more a number of definitions? What does it feel to fulfill our human beings and how does this compare to virtuousness? How should we live our lives? What does the human excellence imply about the purpose of our existence? Views proposed Aristotle argued that every human being has a function or goal in life and that the goal of human existence is to do the things that are distinctly human and that they must do it well so as to be a good human being. Ethics as a subject begins with the works of Aristotle. In its original form, this subject is concerned with the question of virtue (Greek arete) of character (ethos), or having excellent and well-chosen habits (Aristotle, 1999). The attainment of an excellent character is in turn meant to be the highest goal of living well in eudaimonia, a Greek word regularly translated as well-being or

Factors influencing consumers buying behaviour of Thai people in Essay - 2

Factors influencing consumers buying behaviour of Thai people in choosing luxury brands - Essay Example This paper presents the strategy to be used during the research. This paper will begin with the positivism and interpretivism. Positivism is a scientific approach whose methods are organized and measurable basing on the behaviors of the communities.   The positivism principles rely on quantifiable facts that help the researcher make a statistical analysis. Since the researcher seeks to identify human experience on luxury products, positivism design will help the researcher find their consumption patterns and their interests. Since this research aims at determining purchasing patterns of luxury products among the women, social status is a paramount consideration for the consumption of luxury products. Therefore, this approach is essential for this study. On the other hand, interpretive approach inclines towards the qualitative collection of data. Whereas positivism design seeks to identify the causes of buying behavior patterns, the interpretivist methodology is more qualitative and seeks for commonness in consumption patterns. For the purpose of this study, the research inclines mainly to quantitative and not qualitative data collection. The researcher will base researcher understanding on â€Å"positive† verification of visible experience as opposed to intuition or introspection. This makes this approach applicable to the study. There are two main methods that researcher often uses to collect the data which are a quantitative and qualitative method.

Instructions Memo Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Instructions Memo - Coursework Example The images that were shown were the actual graphic tablets to be used in digital painting and diagrams that were shown were the actual image of photoshop. The vocabularies were also audience friendly because it explained the jargons in the instruction such as what the definition of Pan. The online instruction however is not consistent of showing what to do in the navigation drill portion. It only showed the drill but it fell short of showing the instruction as well as the illustration just like what it did in the previous portions. It is recommended that the online instruction should also include the illustration as well as the instruction just like in the first two sections. Giving a navigation drill without instruction and illustration is pointless because the audience would not know what to do. To change your color to blue, and draw a rectangle in the lower right quadrant, click on the color palette located on the tools bar. Choose the color blue or any color of your preference and draw the rectangle. Change your color to green and draw a squiggle connecting the two shapes. Repeat the same process of clicking the color palette this time however choose green and draw an image of squiggle between the two

Scientific Misconduct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Scientific Misconduct - Essay Example Research precedes publication and accordingly, lapses happen. This threat put weight on specialists who pick to maltreat guidelines relating to research. Researchers submit to different violations extending from written falsification, information distortion, and information duplicating, and inclined surveys for some reasons including business purposes. The crucial purposes behind these exercises are bending data and formed to oneself alteration. Copyright encroachment is the work of other person arrangements, approaches, or words without giving legitimate credit. Apparently, this is the most broadly distinguished kind of wrongdoing. From time to time, it is troublesome to figure whether inventors intentionally disregarded a particularly noteworthy allude to or required taking in of the prior work. Discovering credit can furthermore be coincidentally reassigned from the first discoverer to a better-known expert (Rivlin). Inclination reviews of papers or recommendations are interchanged because some research conclusions may be unpleasant to the redirections of the researcher or his/her sponsor(s). Uncovered explanations are an ordinary sensation in coherent research that incorporates making without a doubt unverified cases. This violation is seen as a kind of investigation appalling conduct disregarding the way that there is no affirmation that occurrence of this structure have never provoked an offense (university). A related issue concerns the purposeful covering, disillusionment to appropriate or particular landing of the findings of exploratory studies. Studies may be covered or remain unpublished in light of the way that the disclosures are seen to undermine the business, political or distinctive distractions of the supporting agent or in light of the way that they disregard to support the ideological targets of the authority (Hrabowski). Changing of assembled data happens when an investigator fails to accomplish

Double Jeopardy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Double Jeopardy - Essay Example One of her fellow inmates offers her a piece of legal advice concerning the 5th amendment of the US constitution called the double jeopardy clause (Rudstein 14). Due to the double jeopardy clause provided by the constitution, Elizabeth will not get convicted again for shooting and killing his husband in the film. The double jeopardy clause will provide that she does not become re-prosecuted for the same crime that she committed and got convicted of (Rudstein 14). Elizabeth had served a 6 year sentence for the wrongful conviction of killing her husband by the time she got paroled. When she gets out of prison and rightfully tracks down her husband for framing her, she is within her constitutional right to kill him. The constitutional amendment provided in the double jeopardy clause would ensure that Libby does not get convicted of the same crime of killing her husband twice. This means that she will avoid another stint in

The Business of Pure General Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Business of Pure General Insurance - Essay Example For each item down the left-hand side of the page, certain specific questions are identified that are intended to be asked in order to achieve the interview goals or objectives. These are considered to perform the data reduction techniques as they are developed over long periods of trials and errors (O’Connor, Bronner, & Delaney, 2007). The data reduction method by using â€Å"large sheet of paper† techniques is demonstrated below:    In the interview process, certain questions are asked of the participants relating to the topic of their interests. As the participants’ response with certain answers, those certain answers can be written on cards or on a large sheet of paper. The importance of implementing â€Å"large sheet of paper† method in the interview process is mainly for the purpose of data reduction as well as for the arrangement of the interview process in a proper sequence so that the process is accurately and comprehensively portrayed (Web app, n.d.).    Basically, the economic health of the motor insurance businesses of a particular company affects both in its attractiveness towards the investors and the likelihood of investment in road safety activities. As the case study is mainly concerned with the motor insurance sector, it is advisable that the Pure General Insurance (PGI) should focus upon conducting road shows or seminars among others in order to promote their products to the customers (Thomas, 2002).

Conservation areas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Conservation areas - Essay Example Then the stakeholders in the Denham Conservation Area will be identified. Criteria for determining the effectiveness and impact of the regulations governing the area will then be considered. Subsequently, using the criteria defined the success, or lack thereof, of the regulations governing the Denham Conservation Area will be evaluated. Finally, the analysis will conclude with recommendations for how the instrument or its implementation might be improved, and identification of what more information is needed to provide a full evaluation. The instrument under consideration is the South Bucks District Council, Denham Conservation Area Character Appraisal as it impacts on residents and property owners within the Conservation area. The Conservation Area was designated under the authority granted to local councils under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (c. 9). (a)shall from time to time determine which parts of their area are areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, and The research involved consultation with historic maps and parish records as well as surveys of the natural and build features of the area under consideration, examination of individual structures, and consideration of sight lines and other factors. Appendix I illustrates one of the historic maps that was used in the research process and Appendix II illustrates the boundaries of the conservation area and listed buildings within it. The South Bucks District Council publication, Conservation Areas: Guidance for Residents details the constraints imposed by the regulations that are applicable within the conservation area. â€Å"Conservation Area Consent is required for: Demolition of unlisted buildings with a volume of 115 cu. M. or more [and] demolition of boundary walls over a certain height.† (South Bucks District Council, 2009, n.p.) Additionally,

Visual Basic Programming Language Essay Example for Free

Visual Basic Programming Language Essay A computer program is the set of instructions a computer follows to execute a specific operation that includes to input, process, output and store data to meet unique information needs. Professors John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz of Dartmouth College as a tool to train students in computer programming created the original basic programming language in the 1960s. (Voon Kiong, 2008) The word basic stands for Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. The latest advancement of basic; visual basic programming language has incorporated a graphic interface and event-driven programming. Features of current system It includes several components; first a graphic user interface which provides a fully integrated development environment for easy access to all visual basic development tools. Secondly it incorporates a set of objects such as labels and buttons that can respond to a wide variety of user-initiated events. Thirdly it consists of a vocabulary of statements, methods, and a set of rules for the construction of program codes. Lastly it has the ability to compile stand-alone executable Windows programs. (Mabbutt, 2008) Benefits and uses This programming begins with a form on which the programmer draws all the objects necessary to support the needs of the application and user for example data can be displayed on the in labels that are placed in the form and keyboard input is typically entered via text boxes where command buttons provide access to activities such as printing or exiting the applications. All these are controls which contain both a purpose and a set of predefined events to which they can respond. The programmer writes modules of code called procedures associated with an event of a command button. This approach to programming is a departure from traditional programming that required execution in a top-down manner sequence, which had to be pre-defined. An event-driven program gives the user control over the order in which actions occur. Work cited: Dr. Liew Voon Kiong (2008, 5th November) visual basic tutorial. Retrieved 9th May 2008 Accessed from: http://www. vbtutor. net/ Dan Mabbutt (2008, 7th May). Guide to visual basic. Retrieved 9th May 2008 Accessed from: http://visualbasic. about. com

Colgate Palmolive Industry Position

Colgate Palmolive Industry Position Colgate-Palmolive is recognized as the worlds leader in personal care sales which included oral hygiene products like toothbrushes and toothpastes. In 1991, its sales topped at $6 billion and profits at $2.76 billion as it cornered 43% of the worlds toothpaste market and 16% of the worlds toothbrush market. In the United States, the worlds largest market, Colgate-Palmolive holds the number one spot in toothbrush sales with a market share of 23%. From these statistics, one of Colgate-Palmolives main strengths is being the market leader in oral care products. Colgate-Palmolives extensive overseas reach is another main strength. Based on the data in the case study, Colgate-Palmolive introduced 275 new products worldwide and setup manufacturing facilities in China and Eastern Europe breaching the emerging economies of the 21st century. On top of that, international sales accounted for 64% of total sales and 67% of the total profits for Colgate-Palmolive. Colgate-Palmolive has an extensive Research and Development department boasting 170 employees worldwide. Though having a large RD department does not directly contribute to increased profits, Colgate-Palmolives history of innovation  [1]  in the toothbrush market is linked to its current position as the market leader in the toothbrush industry. Therefore Colgate-Palmolives strong commitment to innovation through investment in RD is a prominent strength. With an energetic and visionary leader like Reuben Mark at the helm of Colgate-Palmolive, the company has transformed itself into a lean and profitable machine, leading to increased profit margins and volume growth.  [2]  Clearly, having a visionary CEO is a strength. Colgate-Palmolives positioning strategy for its toothbrush line in food stores has aided in capturing their current dominant market share. Its in-store displays, combining toothbrushes with toothpaste packs and locating the Colgate-Palmolive line of toothbrushes in the middle of the stores shelves have contributed to this dominance. This strategy has been successful, as sales through food stores, drug stores and mass merchandising channels have produced the greatest volume and dollar sales historically.  [3]   Colgate-Palmolive has a large number of stock keeping units for their toothbrush line.  [4]  Multitudes of SKUs indicate that Colgate-Palmolive is targeting a broad spectrum of market segments in the toothbrush market, which spreads the risk inherent to carrying any product. Diversification of product types within the toothbrush market is another strength factor Colgate-Palmolive holds. Colgate-Palmolives secret weapon in the war for supremacy in the super-premium market, Colgate Precision, is proven to be very effective in removing plaque 35% more effective than existing brands and in preventing gum disease. This advantage can be attributed to the innovative design, high-tech research using CAD and infrared scanning, consumer research and extensive product testing. Although this technology is a strong argument for positioning Precision in the super-premium category, Colgate-Palmolive could also use its design aspects to improve Colgate-Palmolives existing professional and value toothbrush lines to increase their respective market shares. Colgate-Palmolives patented  [5]  innovation for Precision also stands as a strength upon which Colgate-Palmolive can lean for other market differentiating advancements. Colgate-Palmolives recent infusion of new capital into its manufacturing facilities will bode well as it prepares to battle for market share in the new super-premium market segment. Colgate-Palmolive will be able to leverage its existing relationship with its manufacturing partner, Anchor toothbrush, to quickly and cost-effectively product its newest product. Weaknesses The impending release of Colgate-Palmolives new toothbrush, Precision, may affect sales of its existing toothbrush lines. This may lead to a cannibalization of the Colgate Plus and Colgate Classic market of up to 60%.  [6]  Since the existing toothbrush lines are the cash cows  [7]  of the companys oral care division, a dismal performance by the new Colgate-Palmolive Precision might drain the cash cows of their resources altogether. Colgate-Palmolives media expenditure layout is very small compared to its rivals.  [8]  It has spent only $7 million dollars on its Colgate-Palmolive Plus marketing efforts and has only 19% of the share voice. Since media exposure fuels consumer demand  [9]  for a new product, this is one area where Colgate-Palmolive needs to have its expenditures equivalent to that of its rivals. Another marketing weakness that Colgate-Palmolive faces is its lack of professional dental endorsements, with less than half that in market share and dollar sales than that of their largest competitor, Oral-B. Similar to Colgate-Palmolives lack of professional endorsement, the Precision toothbrush does not have the fullest endorsement from the American Dental Associations (ADA). Although the ADA issued its seal to the product, the seal alone stands for little more than recognition that the toothbrush works. In fact, only when the ADA issues its seal and an official quote stating that a product is superior to similar product types, does a product receive the fullest support possible. Not having the full backing of the ADA is a weakness which Colgate-Palmolive may have to overcome to gain the professional endorsement they seek.  [10]   Opportunities Macroeconomic The emergence of the niche super-premium category presents a golden opportunity for Colgate-Palmolive to increase market share for several reasons. First, although its competitors, i.e. Oral-B, Johnson Johnson and Procter Gamble, have gained a foot-hold in this niche market already, Colgate-Palmolive can still make a dent with its new Precision toothbrush, thus enabling them to enter a new and potentially highly profitable market segment. Since the super-premium category accounts for 35% of the volume and 46% of the dollar sales of toothbrushes  [11]  this niche category may in turn result in a substantial profit margin. Secondly, with the baby boomers and younger generations becoming more concerned with the health of their gums, they will be willing to pay the above mentioned premium for a toothbrush  [12]  which is optimized for better gum care. Colgate-Palmolive can capitalize upon this demographic segment to ensure a successful release of their super-premium Precision toothbrush. Finally, since 82% of toothbrush purchases are unplanned and many consumers are unaware of the technological and cost variation among toothbrush brands,  [13]  Colgate-Palmolive could establish a media blitz with educational ads depicting Precision toothbrushes as technologically superior to its rivals at an equivalent cost. The ads can also serve to educate consumers about proper toothbrush replacement schedules to ensure effective plaque removal and gum disease prevention. Ultimately, Colgate-Palmolive could leverage their advertising campaign to boost sales and revenues. Microeconomic One of Colgate-Palmolives competitors, Johnson Johnson,  [14]  ranked third in toothbrush sales, was phasing out one of its toothbrush lines at the time of the Precision introduction. As the toothbrush market remains rather constant, courting customer from other brands, particularly ones being phased out, is a tremendous opportunity to gain market share.  [15]  Another competitor, Smithkline Beecham, was predicting an operating loss in its toothbrush business.  [16]  If the losses are sustained, it might cause Smithkline Beecham to move out of the toothbrush business all together, yet again opening the door for further gain of market share. Colgate-Palmolives constant innovation also provides an opportunity to convert consumers away from less advanced toothbrushes, such as those offered by Lever. Threats Threat of intense segment rivalry The super-premium toothbrush market is highly competitive, hosting many brands and private label toothbrushes. If any of these rivals creates a toothbrush which tops or even equals the technology of Precision, specifically if done at a lower production cost, Colgate-Palmolive may lose market share. Threat of new entrants Along with intense rivalry from existing competitors, Colgate-Palmolive has to deal with new competitors. In 1991, the toothbrush market exploded with a dramatic increase in new entrants. Proctor and Gamble introduced Crest Complete, their first toothbrush  [17]  . Smithkline Beecham entered the market with Aquafresh Flex and a 9% market share volume for 1991. Levre, Pfizer and Sunstar all entered the market in 1991 and earned a total 11% market share. These numbers reinforce the seriousness of the threat of new entrants that Colgate-Palmolive will have to contend with when they launch Colgate Precision. Threat of substitute products Similar to many industries, oral care technology has advanced tremendously since its inception in approximately 3000 B.C. The introduction of the nylon bristled toothbrush in 1938  [18]  represents one of the latest quantum improvements for the industry, however it was not the last. The introduction of electronic toothbrushes and water picks are threatening to usurp traditional oral care products market share. This is a threat which Colgate-Palmolive needs to heed, despite its confidence in the technology of Precision. Threat of suppliers growing bargaining power Colgate-Palmolive depends on Anchor toothbrush for its outsourced manufacturing. Hence, Anchor toothbrush has a decided supplier advantage in the relationship with Colgate-Palmolive. If Anchor toothbrush were to increase its supply cost, it would affect Colgate-Palmolives production costs which in turn would impact Precisions market share by potentially pricing it above even the super-premium segment. Colgate-Palmolive needs to maintain a healthy relationship with Anchor toothbrush to reduce the risk of a costly supplier switching process. Threat of buyers growing bargaining power One of the factors which can cause buyers bargaining power to grow is when the switching costs for buyers are low. Even if Colgate-Palmolive were to position Precision as the most expensive toothbrush on the market, it is still a relatively inexpensive product, compared to many daily purchases (i.e. lunch in NYC or a cup of coffee at Starbucks). Therefore, buyers can easily switch between toothbrush brands without giving the decision much thought. To combat this threat, Colgate-Palmolive could position Precision as a superior toothbrush that customers can not afford to be without. PROBLEM STATEMENT In 1992, after evaluating the current market condition and completing its research and development, Colgate-Palmolive was ready to begin marketing its newest toothbrush, Colgate Precision. Of major concern to Colgate-Palmolive was how to position, brand and communicate this new product to the general population. Colgate-Palmolive also had to develop budget constraints and generate a marketing mix that would maximize the sales and revenues of the new product. Colgate-Palmolive was faced with the decision of whether to promote the new product as a high quality niche product marketed mainly towards individuals concerned about gum disease, or as a mainstream toothbrush that would be marketed as the best toothbrush available. If marketed as a niche product, Colgate-Palmolive would target a smaller market segment without as many competitors vying for market share. A niche market segment would also be willing to pay a premium for the new toothbrush. If, however, the toothbrush were marketed as a high quality mainstream toothbrush, Colgate-Palmolive would realize revenues from larger volumes of sales despite a lower price and more competition. To reach its verdict, Colgate-Palmolive analyzed forecasted data with regard to potential sales volumes and prices, advertising, packaging, and manufacturing costs, among other factors. A summary of this analysis, and a marketing strategy recommendation follows. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES In August 1992, Colgate-Palmolive had two options regarding the positioning strategy for their new toothbrush titled Colgate Precision. Their choice was to position the product as a mainstream offering or target the Precision toothbrush to a niche market. The positioning of the product would have little to do with any modifications to the actual design of this toothbrush, but would effect the perception of the toothbrush within the market. Mainstream or mass marketing refers to the mass production, distribution and promotion of a single product to all potential buyers.  [19]  Contrarily, niche marketing is a form of micro-marketing. It refers to a specifically defined group of consumers with a need that is not currently well served. A niche is created from a subdivision of a market segment.  [20]  Due to the diversity of these two market types, the decision to market the Precision toothbrush as a mass-market product or as a niche product involves analysis of the advantages and disadvantages for each. Mainstream Marketing Advantages The primary reasons to use a mainstream marketing approach is that the product is made accessible to a larger market. Marketing to a more diverse audience would enable Colgate-Palmolive to construct a more simple and direct campaign that would address the common concerns of all toothbrush buyers. Consequently, the use of television and radio would be more cost effective as it would reach this larger audience. The obvious goal of such a position would be to capture a greater return on the investment Colgate-Palmolive made on this products research and development effort. It is estimated that within twelve months this product could secure 10% of the market and a volume share of 14.7% by its second year. This would equate to 27 million retail unit sales in year one and 44 million in the second year, if positioned as a mainstream product.  [21]   Disadvantages There are also many problems with marketing Precision to the masses. In the mainstream market a higher price makes a product less attractive to the average consumer. This means that Colgate will have to price their product within reasonable alignment of other similar products in order to be a serious competitor inside this market, ultimately diminishing their potential profit margin and return on investment. There is a variance amongst consumers in relation to oral hygiene. They are classified into three groups: Involved oral health consumers Therapeutic brushers Involved oral health consumers Cosmetic brushers Uninvolved oral health consumers These segments are divided into relative percentages of adult toothbrush users. They are 46%, 21% and 33% respectively.  [22]  This illustrates that one third of the toothbrush using adult population has only little interest in oral hygiene and are probably not a worthwhile audience to which to pitch the Precision toothbrush. The expense of including these consumers in the target market would not be advisable. In the design and testing phase of the Precision toothbrush, Colgate-Palmolive accrued significant clinical data concerning the product. This information would not be relevant to the mainstream market that most likely would view it as too scientific. The Precision toothbrush was originally conceived to be a top-of the-range, super-premium product  [23]  indicating that production schedules had been developed in line with a niche marketing strategy. Mainstream marketing would require a greater volume production of the toothbrush with an estimated ten month lead time to achieve sufficient quantities of the product. This could result in an inadequate supply of the product at the outset.  [24]   The objective of the research and development group working on the product was to develop a superior, technical, plaque-removing device.  [25]  It was produced to be the best toothbrush possible and become the top-of the-range, super-premium product.  [26]  All of these phrases are heavily skewed towards niche merchandising. A mainstream product should aim to serve all of the people, all the time. This product clearly was created with niche-oriented goals. The greatest issue facing Colgate-Palmolive if they were to promote this product in the mainstream market is that it would be distributed through the same channels as an existing Colgate-Palmolive toothbrush called Colgate Plus.  [27]  Colgate Classic was the companys original entry in the toothbrush sector and was positioned as a value segment. The Colgate Plus came later and was placed in the professional segment as a higher quality product.  [28]  Including Precision as a high-end, mainstream product could potentially cannibalize Colgate Plus sales. Finally, Susan Steinberg, the product manager of Precision, felt that incorporating the new product into the mass market would require the company to delete one or more of the seven existing SKUs (stock keeping units) that Colgate-Palmolive produced.  [29]  This strategy could result in a loss of market share in the value or high-end segments. Niche Marketing Advantages Advertising companies have access to audience profiles through a wide variety of media products, such as television, radio and print media. This is the fundamental basis for successful niche marketing. A great advantage of offering any eligible product to a niche market is that it allows for a concentrated, specific advertising campaign, targeted to a specific demographic, psychographic, behavioral or geographic segment through whichever medium is most effective at reaching the specific population.  [30]  This allows efficient use of advertising budgets. Precision falls within the class of goods that could tender itself as a niche product. Developed to be the best toothbrush possible and placed in the super-premium category, this toothbrush is inherently a niche product. Members of the public most interested in this toothbrush would be those in the Involved oral health consumers groups; therapeutic and cosmetic brushers. Therapeutic brushers are interested in functionally effective products and differentiate between brands.  [31]  Both segments of customers would appreciate the scientific data Colgate-Palmolive has complied on this toothbrush. The facts that the initial clinical trials removed an average of 35% more plaque over that of Reach and Oral-B, and that it assists in the reduction of the likelihood of gum disease, would be effective information for this group.  [32]  Unlike the mass market, these are issues which a niche market segment would comprehend and about which they would care. Niche market participants are also more likely to pay a premium for this product due to the fact that Precision caters to a distinct set of needs they have. With this type of positioning, a 15% increase in price above Oral-B regular would be anticipated, bringing the cost to consumers to $2.13 per unit (more aligned with Oral-B Indicator). A mainstream market could only be anticipated to pay $1.85, in accordance with the Oral-B regular line.  [33]   As Precision was conceived more as a niche-type product, initial production was set for the lower demands of the smaller market segment. As discussed previously, to change the natural emphasis of the toothbrush to mainstream distribution would require a major overhaul of projected production schedule and costs due to the increase number of units required. Additionally, to keep Precision as a specialized product means that the new product is less likely to invade the market share of other Colgate-Palmolive products, like the Colgate Plus. This would also preserve the number of SKU that Colgate-Palmolive currently produces in the toothbrush sector. Niche markets historically attract fewer competitors.  [34]  This gives time and room for a new product such as Precision to establish itself and build up a market share before it may have to fight against a new contender. Disadvantages Marketing the Precision product to a niche market would generate less revenue for Colgate-Palmolive than a mainstream approach. Working with the estimated figures for the first two years of release generates the following table. Niche marketing Mainstream marketing Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 2 No. units sold 8MM 15MM 27MM 44MM Factory list price $2.13 $1.85 Total revenue generated $17,040,000 $31,950,000 $49,950,000 $81,400,000 Obviously, the niche market revenue is significantly less than the mainstream market revenue, despite the 13% higher price. Conclusion Developing and communicating a positioning strategy for a product is necessary and critical. Differentiating a product, and the degree to which that product is differentiated, can be guided by quantifying the following criteria: Importance Distinctiveness Superiority Preemptiveness Affordability Profitability Using these parameters, a company can provide the public with a reason to buy their product.  [35]   Another tool used in solving the marketing mix problem companies face when launching a new product is a perceptual map.  [36]  This is a graphic representation of two or more features against which similar products can be ranked. When graphed, the resulting map displays areas to which the product types cater, revealing both areas of over population and areas of potential opportunity. Clusters of products exist when similar products appeal to the same consumer market participants. In these areas, competition is intense, therefore, they are not as attractive when positioning a new product. An optimal plan is to create a space within the product market that is relatively free of rivals and can enable a new product to develop and dominate. A perceptual map for Precision was created from the following data: Toothbrush Price Benefits Class Colgate Precision 0.8 0.9 Super Premium Oral-B Indicator 0.8 0.8 Super Premium Oral-B Regular 0.7 0.6 Super Premium Crest Complete 0.5 0.6 Super Premium Reach Advanced 0.6 0.5 Super Premium Aquafresh Flex 0.7 0.7 Super Premium Colgate Plus 0.4 0.4 Professional Reach Regular 0.3 0.4 Professional Pepsodent Professional 0.2 0.4 Professional Colgate Classic -0.4 -0.1 Value Pepsodent Regular -0.3 -0.1 Value Butter GUM Microtip 0.3 -0.1 Value Butter GUM Supertip 0.4 0.1 Value Menedent Pro-Core 0.7 0.7 Professional Oral-B cross action 1 0.8 Super Premium Generic Eckerd Interdental -0.5 -0.2 Value Generic Eckerd Angle -0.7 -0.2 Value Crest Advantage 1 0.8 Super Premium Recommendation Using these evaluative criteria in relation to the advantages and disadvantages of niche and mainstream marketing, we believe that Colgate-Palmolive should position the Precision toothbrush as a niche product. This would establish Precision as the leading toothbrush on the market at a competitive price. It would be a superior and distinctive oral care product. However, we believe this product would also work in the mainstream market and we envision it moving towards the mass market in the future. Once the toothbrush has established itself as a high quality product with specialty features, we believe that Colgate-Palmolive could transition the product to a wider audience. This will also allow time for Colgate to reconcile the position that the Colgate Plus product will hold relative to the Precision line. Further, we anticipate no significantly negative issues will be encountered by initially marketing Precision as a niche product and then moving it into the mainstream market. We do not believe the opposite would be true, as a niche market will most likely not accept a product that has been offered to the masses as the best value, and then marketed as a specialty item. The anticipated cyclical nature of the product on the market is well illustrated by the Boston Consulting Groups Growth-Share matrix.  [37]  The Precision toothbrush will begin as a question mark. This means the company will spend money developing and establishing the product in anticipation of increasing its market share. Subsequently, the hope would be for Precision to become a star, meaning it has been successful by obtaining a high market share and growth rate. If the product evolves into a mainstream offering by this time, the company will reap higher rewards. Going even further into the future, the toothbrush will most likely decrease its market growth rate while maintaining its high market share. At this phase the product will be a cash cow. Revenues produced from Precision at this phase can be used to establish other question marks and/or subsidize other stars if required. The final phase in this products life cycle will be a decline into dog status. This refers to the product when it has weak market share and low growth. At that point, Precision would need to be removed from the companys product line, allowed to decline further or all together repositioned in the market. At this point, the research and development phase for Precision has been completed, a thorough analysis has been performed on the current market situation, and a marketing strategy has been recommended. The final aspects of launching a new product must now be investigated product, price, place and promotion. PRODUCT Colgate-Palmolive has many important decisions to make regarding the new toothbrush before it becomes available on store shelves for customers to purchase, including the positioning strategy for the new toothbrush. To reach a conclusion, the new toothbrush must be analyzed on three product levels the core product, the actual product, and the augmented product so that customers needs are fully understood and the Precision toothbrush is correctly marketed to meet those needs. Since we are recommending that Colgate-Palmolive choose a niche market for Precision, the core benefit that the toothbrush will deliver to its users is plaque removal. Less plaque in turn leads to the added benefit of a reduction of the lik

Adverse Event Management in Chemotherapy Cancer Patients

Adverse Event Management in Chemotherapy Cancer Patients Results RESULTS In this prospective interventional study conducted at the KMCH hospital during a period of December 2013 to July 2014, a total of 63 cancer patients who received chemotherapy from the comprehensive cancer center of the hospital were included in the study. ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS The demographic details among the subjects revealed that most of the cancer cases fall in the age group of 40-59, having 52.38% patients in this age group followed by 34.92% patients in the age group of ≠¥ 60 years old [Table 2 Figure 1]. Out of this, the majority of patients receiving chemotherapy were females, 55.55% whereas males were only 44.44%. [Table 3 Figure 2] Evaluation of the subjects based on their education level revealed that out of the total population 66.66% falls in the category of educated while 33.33% were uneducated. [Table 4 Figure 3] On analysing the subjects based on their diagnosis, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (33.33%) were found to be the most common diagnosis followed by breast cancer (17.46%). [Table 5 Figure 4] Assessment of comorbidities revealed hypertension (22.22%) as the most common comorbidity seen amongst our subjects, closely followed by diabetes mellitus (19.04%). [Table 6 Figure 5] Among the different types of adverse effects documented the predominant types consisted of fatigue (84.12%) and insomnia (68.25%). [Table 7 Figure 6] ASSESSMENT OF IMPROVEMENT IN PATIENT’S QoL Study population: 63 Analysis: Friedman’s Test This analysis was carried out for evaluating the change in QoL of the patients as part of the adverse event management given from pre-intervention assessment to first and second review of the patients. We found that adverse event management had a significant effect on the QoL of the patients with regard to global health status, functional scales, symptom scales and symptom and limitation scales (P Global Health Status/QoL: The global health status showed a significant change with improvement from 1.02 in the pre-intervention assessment to 2.04 and 2.94 in the first and second reviews respectively. This change was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0001. Functional Scales: The assessment of functional scales showed that the physical functioning of the cancer patients improved with time. During the pre-intervention assessment, the mean rank was 1.24 which then increased to 2.29 2.48 over the next 2 reviews respectively. The improvement was significant with the P-value of 0.0003. The scale of role functioning also varied clearly with time, it improved from 1.34 during the initial assessment to 2.16 and 2.50 at follow-up visits. This change was statistically significant with the P-value of .0001. The emotional functioning scale increased from an initial value of 1.54 in the initial assessment to 2.07 and 2.39 at the subsequent visits respectively. This improvement was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0002. Also, the social functioning showed a significant improvement in the score from an initial value of 1.41 at the initial assessment to 2.17 and 2.42 over the follow up period of first and second review respectively. This change was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0001. Symptom Scales: On assessing the symptom scales, symptom in the form of fatigue decreased over the study period from an initial value of 2.86 at the initial assessment to 1.78 and 1.37 in the subsequent reviews. This change was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0001. The symptom scale of nausea and vomiting also showed a significant improvement from 2.60 at pre-intervention assessment to 1.95 and 1.45 in the follow up period which was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0003. The pain symptomatology decreased from a value of 2.52 in the initial assessment to 1.87 and 1.61 during the follow up period. This was a statistically significant improvement with a P-value of 0.0003. The symptom scale of dyspnoea also decreased from the initial value of 2.37 to 1.93 in the first review and 1.71 during the second review, which was a statistically significant change with a P-value of 0.0001. As far as symptomatology in the form of insomnia is concerned, it decreased from the initial value of 2.67 in the pre-intervention assessment to 1.83 and 1.49 in the subsequent reviews with a statistically significant change which gives a P-value of 0.0002. When symptom in the form of appetite loss was assessed, it showed a marked decrease from a mean rank of 2.52 at the initial assessment to 1.85 and 1.63 during the first and second reviews respectively. This improvement was statistically significant with the P-value 0.0001. The symptom scale of constipation improved over the study period from an initial mean of 2.37 to 1.88 and 1.75 in the subsequent follow ups of first and second review which was a statistically significant change with a P-value of 0.0001 while diarrhoea also decreased from a mean rank of 2.22 at initial assessment to 1.93 in the first review and 1.85 during the second review. This change was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0002. Symptom and Limitation Scales: Limited normal eating or drinking habits of the patients also decreased from a mean rank of 2.72 in the pre-intervention assessment to a value of 1.94 and 1.33 in the successive assessments. This improvement was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0003. The symptom in the form of sore mouth improved over the study period from an initial value of 2.17 to 1.95 and 1.87 in the next 2 consecutive reviews which was a statistically significant change with a P-value of 0.0004. Limitation in the activities due to adverse effects also showed a significant improvement from an initial value of 2.60 to 1.97 and 1.44 in the following 2 reviews respectively. This progress was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.0003. Knowledge about infection and its prevention showed a noteworthy improvement in the study period. The value decreased from 2.98 in the initial assessment to 1.72 and 1.30 in the subsequent reviews which was a statistically significant change with a P-value of 0.0002. Difficulty in managing symptoms also showed a drastic improvement from an initial value of 2.96 in the pre-intervention assessment to 1.73 and 1.31 in the next 2 reviews with a statistically significant change at a P-value of 0.0001. ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT’S QoL AGAINST AGE Study Population: 63 Analysis: One-way ANOVA The patient’s QoL against age was assessed in order to determine whether age has any influence on the adverse event management and we found that age has significant role in global health status, functional scales as well as on symptom scale and symptom and limitation scales (P Global Health Status: In our study, the global health status was found to have a significant improvement among the age group of 18-39 during reviews 1 (P=0.035) and 2 (P=0.003). Functional Scales: Physical functioning was at its higher side in the age group of 18-39 from the initial assessment (P=0.043) and the functioning was significantly improved and maintained during the successive reviews (P= 0.0001). Role functioning was found to be higher in the age group of 40-59 from the pre-intervention assessment (P=0.004) which was found to have improved during the first review (P=0.0001) and this improvement was sustained over the second review (P=0.0001) as well. At the same time, emotional functioning showed a significant improvement during the first review (P=0.0003) among this age group which was further maintained in the subsequent review. Social functioning also showed a significant change among the population above 59 years by the second review (P=0.0002). Symptom Scales: Symptom in the form of nausea and vomiting was seen mostly in the age group of 40-59 years. It showed a significant reduction from the initial assessment (P=0.023) to first review (P=0.011) and the improvement was upheld in the second review. The normal eating or drinking habits were also significantly reduced (P=0.018) highly among this group of patients which was considered to be secondary to the high level of nausea and vomiting experienced. The symptom was further improved during the subsequent follow ups but the change was not statistically significant. Fatigue was most commonly seen among the ≠¥ 60 age group and it showed a significant reduction from the initial assessment (P=0.026) to first review (P=0.039) and second review (P=0.0002). Symptom and Limitation Scales: Limitation in the activities due to adverse effects showed a significantly high reduction in the patients of 18-39 age group during their second review (P=0.026). And, in the knowledge regarding infection, its prevention and management, patients among the 40-59 age group also showed a statistically significant improvement during their second review (P=0.022). In addition, management of symptoms based on the instructions given had also shown a significant improvement among this group of patients from review 1 (P=0.047) to review 2 (P=0.004). ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT’S QoL AGAINST COMORBIDITIES Study Population: 63 Analysis: Independent t-test Among our study population, 25 patients presented with comorbidities. The purpose of this analysis was to check whether comorbidity plays any role in adherence management and we found that it only has a significant effect on the normal eating or drinking habits as well as on awareness about infection and management of symptoms (P Patients with comorbidities showed a significantly normal eating or drinking habits during the baseline assessment (P=0.002) and was improved further during the study period. In the knowledge regarding infection, its prevention and management, the patients without comorbidities showed a significant improvement during review 1 (P=0.009) which was sustained in review 2 (P=0.014) as well. Also, this category of patients showed a significant ability to manage the symptoms with the instructions given which was found to be improved during their first review (0.007). ASSESSMENT OF PATIENT’S QoL AGAINST EDUCATION Study Population: 63 Analysis: Independent t-test This analysis was performed to determine whether education has a role in the adverse event management and we found that patients with education shows significant improvement in physical functioning, role functioning, fatigue, appetite loss, limitation of activities and awareness about infection (P In educated patients, physical functioning was higher from the baseline assessment (P=0.015) which was further maintained throughout the first review (P=0.030) and second review. Role functioning was also higher and maintained among this group from the initial assessment (P=0.008). The symptom fatigue also shown a remarkable improvement by second review (P=0.006) alongside knowledge about infection (P=0.039). Appetite loss shown a reduction during first review (P=0.010) which was further improved and maintained throughout the follow up period while limitation in activities were considerably low from the baseline assessment (0.032) which was sustained throughout the study period. [Table 11] EVALUATION OF THE ADVERSE EVENT MANAGEMENT The evaluation is done using results of quality of life assessment as well as through patient interviews during their reviews. The patients were asked about the usefulness of the adverse event management and tools provided and they were also asked to report the tips they had used. Among our subjects, the symptom of nausea was found among 39 patients [Table 12] and vomiting was seen among 32 patients [Table 13]. They had shown a considerable improvement throughout the study period and most of them were able to report at least one tip they had used. The tip that had been reported by most patients were â€Å"If the smell of food bothers you, let the food cool down before you eat it† and also the patients started taking the anti-emetics prescribed even on days they were experiencing less severe nausea or vomiting. Out of the study population 48 were found to experience fatigue and the symptom was improved and the improvement was sustained throughout the study period. â€Å"Listen to your body, rest when you tired† and â€Å"do activities that are most important† were the tips used by most of the patients [Table 14]. Appetite loss was another symptom experienced by 32 of the subjects which further improved during the study period. â€Å"Drink soups that are easy to swallow† was the tip mostly reported, closely followed by â€Å"watch television while you eat†. [Table 15] About 24 of the patients experienced constipation [Table 16] while 15 had diarrhoea [Table 17]. The symptoms were improved during the follow up period and the patients were able to report the tips they had used and found beneficial. Most of the patients tried including more fruits and vegetables into the diet and also as instructed when the symptom was severe they consulted the physician and taken the medication. Among the study population 12 had mouth sores which improved over time and most of them had tried the mouth wash recipe and drinking through straw as per the tips provided to them [Table 18]. As far as the identification, prevention and management of infection was concerned, most of the study population was found to be lacking any knowledge in these, which then increased considerably during the study period with the information provided regarding the infection [Table 19].

The Bitter Sweet Symphony of Life :: Music Capsule Bitter Sweet Essays

The Bitter Sweet Symphony of Life Time capsules are a trendy way of preserving the past for a period of time, in hopes of capturing physical proof of the advances in our society. Therefore, I am not surprised that many educational institutions have embraced the concept of a time capsule. However, this creates a problem: How can singular items be chosen to represent multitudes of ideas, creations, and people? The only logical conclusion to this dilemma is to allow those being represented to choose an example that they feel best represents the majority, which in this case would be the entire class. Therefore, as a fellow classmate, I feel that The Verveà ­s à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphony would be an excellent choice for the time capsule because all aspects of the song have the ability to symbolize our class. Music is composed of many different parts: the melody, bass, and accompaniment. In the bass line of à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphony there is a reoccuring music strain that is heard throughout the entire piece. This is an example of a recording process known as sampling, in which a small portion of an already existing song is reproduced and inserted into a new song. In this case, The Verve was able to utilize the Rolling Stoness The Last Time in collaboration with their own music to invent a new sound. Just as The Verve took a sound from the past, students are taking the experiences and knowledge of the past as they embark on the new millenium. We are not repeating our past failures, but instead are molding them into something that can be adapted into a new concept and a new way of thinking. Mistakes of the past can lead to the triumphs in our futures. As lyricist, lead singer, Richard Ashcroft states, just take [what is given to you] and use your imagination (Bittersweet Trium ph). The use of sampling also symbolizes how our past and our heritage will always surround us and be our base. Together we are able to create a melody that will stand out and be something more beautiful and unique than before. The sample of The Last Time is heard throughout the entire song, just as our different cultures are always present in our lives.

Object Oriented Development :: essays research papers

BSA400 – Week 3 Individual Paper University of Phoenix, Online Object Oriented Development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I first started learning how to write code, I had never heard the term â€Å"Object Oriented Development†, or even â€Å"Object Oriented Modeling.† I’m sure that some form of both of these existed, but they might not have been referred to in exactly those words. Fifteen years of coding later, I was finally indoctrinated in the ways of object oriented development.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first language that I learned to use was BASIC, which was very simple and easy to learn. There were no objects per se, and the code was pretty much written from the top down. Now that I understand the mechanics of object oriented development, I can see that there were parts of the language that could be considered objects, especially from a design point of view. Even though most of my programs were written from the top down and were executed from the top down, a lot of them incorporated logic that was reused multiple times. Blocks of code that contained that logic could usually be segregated from the rest of the code. Instead of appearing multiple times, these blocks would be written only once, but â€Å"called† multiple times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After BASIC, the next language that I learned was Pascal, named after the seventeenth century French mathematician. Compared to BASIC, Pascal was a much more organized language, with the code separated into actual blocks demarcated with â€Å"BEGIN† and â€Å"END† statements. Against my instructor’s wishes, as well as popular programming practice, I still coded from the top down. I suppose this would have been an issue if I was entering code on punch cards. Luckily, though, these programs were all on monitors, so I could go back and forth through the document, correcting errors and changing the code where necessary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Pascal, I learned a few more languages, slowly realizing that maybe it wasn’t a great idea to always code from the top down. Another bad habit that I was slowly trying to rid myself of was writing code without a design document. A design document can be written in either plain English or pseudo code. With plain English, I would just write out what each part of the program should do, and then translate those concepts into code. Pseudo code is a cross between plain English and full code, using elements of both. Even though it might not be easily readable by someone without a working knowledge of that particular language, a lot of the time it could be figured out fairly quickly.

Sight and Blindness in Shakespeares King Lear - Lack of Vision Essay

Sight and Blindness in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play.    These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to "see" the clearest. While Lear's "blindness" is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lear's plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lear's metaphorical blindness with Gloucester's physical loss of vision.    When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted:    Bevington, David, "Introduction to King Lear."   The Complete Works of William   Shakespeare.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1992.    Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods.   San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1966.    Halio, Jay.   " King Lear's Blinding." Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999):   221-3.      Hoover, Claudette.   "Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear."   Women's Studies 16 (1989):   349-59.    Jackson, Ken. "Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002): 10.1-5 Available: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>.    Leggattt, Alexander.   King Lear.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.    Shakespeare, William.   King Lear.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Bevington.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1999    Sight and Blindness in Shakespeare's King Lear - Lack of Vision Essay Sight and Blindness in King Lear      Ã‚  Ã‚   In King Lear, the recurring images of sight and blindness associated with the characters of Lear and Gloucester illustrate the theme of self-knowledge and consciousness that exist in the play.    These classic tropes are inverted in King Lear, producing a situation in which those with healthy eyes are ignorant of what is going on around them, and those without vision appear to "see" the clearest. While Lear's "blindness" is one which is metaphorical, the blindness of Gloucester, who carries the parallel plot of the play, is literal. Nevertheless, both characters suffer from an inability to see the true nature of their children, an ability only gained once the two patriarchs have plummeted to the utter depths of depravity. Through a close reading of the text, I will argue that Shakespeare employs the plot of Gloucester to explicate Lear's plot, and, in effect, contextualizes Lear's metaphorical blindness with Gloucester's physical loss of vision.    When the audience is first introduced to Lear, he is portrayed as a raging, vain old man who can not see the purity of his daughter Cordelia's love for him from the insincerity of her sisters Goneril and Regan. In his fiery rage after disowning Cordelia, Lear commands to Kent, "Out of my sight!" (1.1.156). Kent fittingly implores the aging king to "See better, Lear; and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye" (1.1.157-8). Kent recognizes love in its most noble form in the person of Cordelia, and is able to see through the hypocrisy of Lear's other two daughters. In beseeching Lear to "[s]ee better," Kent is, in effect, asking Lear to look beyond his vanity and inward pride to see the honesty of Cordelia, who refuses... ... Consulted:    Bevington, David, "Introduction to King Lear."   The Complete Works of William   Shakespeare.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1992.    Elton, William R. King Lear and the Gods.   San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1966.    Halio, Jay.   " King Lear's Blinding." Shakespeare Quarterly 67 (1999):   221-3.      Hoover, Claudette.   "Women, Centaurs, and Devils in King Lear."   Women's Studies 16 (1989):   349-59.    Jackson, Ken. "Review of Judy Kronenfeld, King Lear and the Naked Truth." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.2 (September, 2002): 10.1-5 Available: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-2/jackrev.htm>.    Leggattt, Alexander.   King Lear.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.    Shakespeare, William.   King Lear.   The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David   Bevington.   New York:   HarperCollins, 1999   

Is Economics a Science?

The word â€Å"Economics† is derived from the Greeks word â€Å"Oikonomos† which means to manage the house. So it means the management of a household especially in those matters, which are relating to the income and expenses of the family. After sometime, the term economy was adopted. Economics is regarded as a Social SCIENCE and not a PURE science like Physics or Chemistry because it uses scientific methods to build theories that can help explain the behaviour of individuals, groups and organisations and does not deal directly with experiments with matter. Economics attempts to explain economic behaviour, which arises when scarce resources are used to fulfil unlimited human needs. 1. It is a science because economists can experiment:- In terms of methodology, economists, employ different methods, based primarily on observation and deduction and the construction of abstract models to make experiments with numbers and data. As the social sciences have evolved there are now many different strands of investigation including micro and macro economics, pure and applied economics, and industrial ,social ,environmental and financial economics. . Economics is a science because it can make predictions Economists use scientific observation and deduction in their investigations using index numbers, base year and current year figures and past data. Economists frequently use versions of the demand and supply model to help explain events such as realty prices trends and movements. Economic models usually employ graphical and mathematical analysis to help explain and illustrate such economic processes. 3. It is both a Positive and normative science. As a social science, economics attempts to use the principles and methods of science to explain economic behaviour. This involves making positive statements about the economic world. Positive statements are those that can be verified, and are factual, such as: ‘.. House prices have fallen by 15% over the last year†¦ ’ In contrast, normative statements are based on opinion and value judgement. Statements suggesting that something ‘ought to’ happen, or that something is ‘unfair’, are normative because they are matters of opinion. For example, ‘.. the recent fall in house prices is unfair to the rich.. ’. This statement cannot be tested because it not based on anything testable. If there is an agreed definition of fairness, and it can be measured, then it might be possible to test the effect of the change in house prices on the degree of fairness experienced by a certain identifiable group of people defined as rich. Therefore, this statement is normative, impossible to verify, and based on opinion rather than fact. 4. Economics is a social science because it follows the â€Å" ceteris paribus† rule( all other things remaining the same) just like in an experiment In the real world, economic variables such as price and income, are constantly changing, and this creates a problem in demonstrating the relationship between variables. For example, a fall in price is likely to lead to a rise in consumer demand if we assume nothing else changes. Of course, for independent reasons, income could also fall and demand does not rise. The fall in price could have been counteracted by a fall in income. The ceteris paribus rule, that all other things remain the same, is used whenever attempting to demonstrate the link between economic variables. 5. Economic theories are based on facts and can be proven by deductions and mathematical precision. 6. Economics is a systematic and standardised process of studying human behaviour in the context of the unlimited need, limited resources and their allocation and hence it is a science. Conclusion- Just like all other sciences economics too is logical, rational and provable through experiments and factual data and hence we conclude that economics is a science. b) ECONOMICS AND RELEVANCE TO LAW- 5 points Economics is the branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption, and transfer of wealth. It is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Now the Question is whether Economics is a science or not? Law, as a social science, is closely related to many cognate disciplines in the social and natural sciences. And law does not operate in a vacuum, law works in the society and economics is an important part of the society. Its relevance must relate to the overall values of society. Economics, it is said, is the science of rational choices in a world of limited resources. And the term ‘resources’ here does not relate only to money but can be of any type. Both are related to each other such that: 1. Law and economics is the application of economic methods for the analysis of law. Economic concepts are used to explain the effects of laws, to assess which legal rules are economically efficient, and to predict which legal rules will be promulgated. For eg- Law about taxation , laws on custom duties etc,. In other words â€Å"Law and economics,† also known as the economic analysis of law, differs from other forms of legal analysis in two main ways. 1. First, the theoretical economic analysis focuses on Efficiency or economic benefit. 2. The second characteristic of law and economics is its emphasis on incentives and people’s responses to these laws/incentives. 2. As used by lawyers and legal scholars, the phrase â€Å"law and economics† refers to the application of the methods of economics to legal problems. Using the best resource available, prioritizing etc 3. Both Law and economics stresses that markets are more efficient than courts. When possible, the legal system, according to the positive theory, will force a transaction into the market. When this is impossible, the legal system attempts to â€Å"mimic a market† and guess at what the parties would have desired if markets had been feasible. 4. Law and economics are related because they both share the same assumption with other branches of economics that individuals are rational and logical in decision making and respond to incentives and punishments. When penalties for an action increase, people will undertake less of that action. For eg- Huge penalties for economic offences deters the future offenders. 5. Law and economics is more likely than other branches of legal analysis to use empirical or statistical methods to measure these responses to incentives. Lawyers have to quote figures and data and statistics to argue their cases. Hence both economics and law rely on empirical data. In the United States, economic analysis of law has been extremely influential. Judicial opinions utilize economic analysis and the theories of law and economics with regularity. The influence of law and economics has also been felt in legal education. Many law schools in North America, Europe, and Asia have faculty members with a degree in economics. Conclusion : Law and economics scholars also apply the tools of economics, such as game theory, to purely legal questions, such as various parties’ litigation strategies. These aspects of law and economics, are of more interest to legal scholars than to students of the economy.