Apocolypse Now essays

Apocolypse Now essays Many film critics and movie goers alike say that Apocalypse Now is one of the best movies ever made due to its originality and trend-setting approach to cinema. The viewer, in the very first scene of this Francis Ford Coppola sensation, can see this. As most movies begin, the viewer is generally introduced to the cast and the production team that was involved in the film by way of credits or a title screen of some form. In Apocalypse Now however, The title of the film appears as graffiti toward the end of the film in the complex presided over by Kurtz. Instead of an orthodox opening scene, Ford Coppola provides a lyrical, slow moving opening sequence that is a combination of cinematography, music and hallucinatory images from the brutal war in Vietnam. As the movie begins, the scene fades in from black to a darkened daylight or dusk period in a green-canopied jungle of palm trees that are swaying in the wind tranquil wind. There is a sound bridge, which starts as the screen is black and continues through the fading transition to place the impending helicopter sounds now in the middle of this Vietnam jungle. The (chuk-chuk-chuk) sounds of the helicopter are the only diegetic sounds that the viewer encounters in this scene however the most prominent sound is in fact non-diegetic and comes in the form of The Doors song The End. The first cymbal of this song is played as soon as a darkly painted helicopter flies low to the ground from the left hand side of the screen to the right and in between the viewer and the jungle. This creates the effect that a long shot is happening during the time the helicopter is passing. The passing of the helicopter signals the playing of the song and a yellowish haze is cast around the area, presumably napalm that had just been dropped. Ford Coppola begins his movie with this apocalyptic song, only to make the viewer wonder if what is in store lies after the end as the song sugg...

The Convict and Magwitch in Great Expectations essays

The Convict and Magwitch in Great Expectations essays In the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the characters are carefully described in order to convey a certain idea about each one. The major characters are well developed and are given realistic tendencies of which the audience can vividly envision. The first convict, in particular, is one of the complexly developed characters in the novel. The negative characterization in Great Expectations of the convict- uneducated, dirty, terrifying, is imperative to the development of the deception on the audience of the convicts personality and actions. We are introduced to the convict in the early pages of the novel. Pip the narrator describes him as a person everyone generally tends to stay away from. He characterizes the convict as unpleasant, grouchy, menacing, dirty, fearful, and a criminal. The convict embodies the things people fear in life- crime, guilt, death, and being tied down. It is supposed the convict was in his fortys and that he has escaped from the prison ships. He limps when he walks because the massive iron is still attached to his leg. His grey clothes are battered and dirty. He shudders constantly from the cold and hugs himself for warmth. His shoes are broken and he has no hat, only an old rag tied to his head. He threatens to kill Pip the boy if he does not bring him a file and food, and Pip, as well as the audience, is terrified. His language is that of the uneducated, pronouncing words incorrectly. For example, instead of pronouncing the word particular he says partickler. He uses slang terms like aint an d hant. In chapter 39, however, the convict is described considerably differently. He is now sixty years old, but muscular and strong on his legs. He is substantially dressed, still a little on the rough side, though. He has iron grey hair growing from the sides of his head, and the top is bald. His skin is tan which leads to the as...

Techniques in Financial Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Techniques in Financial Analysis - Essay Example Naked DSL was named the product of the year by the Australian PC Magazine. IIN has grown both organically through innovative product development and inorganically by merging with many smaller ISPs. (b) The company has experienced strong growth through the launch of telephony products and deployment of DSLAM infrastructure. With a range of telephony services that include add-on voice and broadband services, IIN offers their own telephone service resulting in a lower line rental price for its customers. In 2006, IIN introduced its DSLAM infrastructure into telephone exchanges across Australia. DSLAM allowed a speed of over 1.5 Mbit/s with a maximum download of 24 Mbit/s. The potential risk with the product development strategy is the possibility of changes in product line and pricing owing to close competition from other major players such as the regulatory conflict with Telstra. Another medium term growth strategy is the inorganic route of acquisitions. In the early 2000s, IIN expande d nationwide by acquiring RuralNet Tas Access, Granite Internet and so on. In 2003, the biggest acquisition of ihug Ltd. followed. Residential ISP business and trademarks of rival OzEmail followed in 2005. After a hiatus, IIN recommenced its acquisition strategy to acquire Perth-based ISPs, Up’n’away and Westnet. Potential risks for acquisition include synergy and funding risks. When IIN acquired OzEmail, the business side remained with its US-parent, MCI but the retail business was neglected. OzEmail moved very late into ADSL and by 2006, IIN had abandoned the OzEmail brand. Fund-raising for acquisitions is a major concern. In 2006, IIN requested a share trading halt after its share value slid by 50%. There was uncertainty from IIN’s bankers as the company had capital raising issues and thus, unable to honour the bank’s covenants. As the third largest ISP, IIN has utilised its brand for strategic purposes. To increase its market share in metros and regio nal Australia, the company has invested in the â€Å"Hallelujah† and the â€Å"Humanology† brand campaigns. A new hi-tech wireless home gateway, ‘BoB’, is featured in its â€Å"Hallelujah† campaign. The increased brand investment has led to increased sales across its businesses. The company has launched its next phase in brand expansion. A potential risk to the brand strategy of IIN is the existing competition in the ISP segment. There are over 600 ISPs in Australia with Telstra leading the market with 43% market share. The second largest player, Optus holds 11% market share. IIN with its 8% share will need to increase its footprint in Australia to compete with the large players and aid its brand recall with customers. Question 2: Liquidity (136/150 words) (a) 2009 Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities ($’000) = 46,939/81,763 = 0.6 2008 Current Ratio = 34,494/77,511 = 0.4 2009 Acid Test Ratio = Current Assets–Inventories-P repayments/Current ($’000) Liabilities-Bank Overdraft = 46,939–1,078-13,981/81,763-501 = 0.4 2008 Acid Test Ratio = 34,494-1,073-8,922/77,511-2,846 = 0.3 (b) IIN’s availability of cash and other current assets to cover accounts payable, short-term debt and other liabilities stands at 0.6 in 2009. The current ratio has improved from 0.4 in 2008 to 0.6 There is an increase in the acid-test ratio from 0.3 in 2008 to 0.4 in 2009. The acid test ratio is a more stringent test, incorporating only those assets that can be converted to cash quickly. Current and

REFLECTIVE REPORT OF PRESENTATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

REFLECTIVE REPORT OF PRESENTATION - Essay Example I came to learn quite a number of things through my own presentation as well as those of my colleagues. The presentation was scheduled for the 28th of February 2014, an aspect that happened. Both the students and the assessors were seated in the year one classroom ready for the presentations at 11:00 a.m. Due the number of students that had presentations the time, some time was spent which led to the culmination of the presentations at 16:30 pm. The timing allowed scheduling of the presentations into two sessions; the morning and afternoon sessions. Personally, I was scheduled to present in the afternoon session, which kicked off at around 14:30 pm, immediately after the lunch break. I specifically took the stand at around 15:45 pm and did the presentation within the ten minutes that were set by the assessors. The team of assessors included; Bernadine, Dr. Paige, Florence and Dr. Tukasi. The feedback from the assessors provided a challenge for me to improve on my presentation skills. The preparation for the presentation was a daunting task for me. I understood that I needed to give my best especially based on the poor performance in last year’s presentation. my determination was evident; I made quite a number of consultations with friends and educators. In addition, I visited the British library where I visited a number of books and journals that expanded my understanding on the inspirations of the Bible and how they affect the life of a Christian. Some of the materials visited included; All these sources among others that were not directly quoted provided meaningful insight while laid a good platform for understanding of the topic. In addition, some other books as well as the internet provided some guidelines on public presentation. During my research and preparation phase, I came across a lot of literature. There was so much information that was available in the books as well as the internet sources. However, the internet sources lacked

The Churchs Teaching On Euthanasia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Churchs Teaching On Euthanasia - Assignment Example A person suffering from severe pain may not deserve to experience it from a humanitarian point of view. Thus, euthanasia or an act of mercy killing has become one of the most debatable issues in contemporary time because for some it might be the right answer but for others, it is the wrong way around.For instance, Catholic Church strongly opposes euthanasia. It is evident that the church strongly believes that it is a crime before God. Catholic Church believes that it is only God who has the right to take back our lives since He creates them. Thus, He alone has the right to destroy what He has created. Euthanasia, as defined to be mercy killing, is just a way to eliminate the pain from the point of view of those who supported it. However, the Catholic Church strongly opposes it due to its strong stand that it is not actually eliminating the pain but actually the patient. This stand can be clearly elaborated based on how the Catholic Church defined the value of life (Vatican, 1980). I n this point of view of the church, euthanasia is considered a way just like of a murder in which the patient is denied his or her right to live. This is due to the point of the church that with euthanasia it is life by itself which has to be eliminated from the person. The Catholic Church strongly opposes euthanasia because based on its stand, the very act of eliminating life of an individual even though it may help him from not experiencing too much adverse pain should not be initiated by human hands.

Low MicroRNA-21 Expression in HPV-Induced Carcinogenesis

Low MicroRNA-21 Expression in HPV-Induced Carcinogenesis Low microRNA-21 expression in the development of a favorable microenvironment for HPV-induced carcinogenesis Introduction Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the most common sexually transmitted agents. High risk types of Human Papillomavirus, as HPV16, are the causative agents of virtually all cases of cervical cancer and a significant proportion of other anogenital cancers, as well as some head and neck cancers [1-3]. The K14-HPV16 transgenic mice model is specially used to study the HPV-associated squamous cells cancers. In this model, the expression of early region genes (E2-E8) of HPV-16 is driven by the keratin 14 promoter/enhancer [4]. The K14-HPV16 transgenic mice develop epidermal hyperplastic lesions that progress to dysplastic lesions and ultimately to invasive cancer. The expression of HPV oncogenes E6 and E7 induces epithelial carcinogenesis through well-defined premalignant stages before de novo carcinoma development [5]. The basal cells are mitotically active and thus may develop further mutations in response to a proliferative stimulus, and the expression of K14 has been shown to persist in well-differentiated squamous carcinomas [6]. This model of multistep epithelial neoplasia will facilitate the study of both the epigenetic and the genetic factors that regulate neoplastic progression and coordinate malignant conversion. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression by base pairing with mRNAs, leading to the inhibition of mRNA translation or its degradation. In normal cells, miRNAs control numerous processes including proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis [7]. Furthermore, these molecules are described as key regulators in many diseases including, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, viral infections and cancer. Some miRNAs are lost during tumorigenesis whereas other miRNAs are upregulated. Previous data indicates that miRNAs are important to distinguish subtypes of cancers, where the histological diagnosis is complex and difficult. Furthermore, it also may be a useful tool to diagnose cancers of unknown origin and to study cancer predisposition [8]. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) has been implicated in various aspects of carcinogenesis. In most solid tumors, miR-21 is overexpressed and thus influences cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis [9-11]. However, the interplay between miRNAs, human papillomavirus (HPV) genes and how these interactions contribute to HPV-associated cancers remain elusive and not well understood. The tumor microenvironment associated to miRNAs plays an increasingly appreciated role in cancer (ref whiteside) however, the microenvironment prior to tumorigenesis can influence the carcinogenesis process. In this study we investigated the expression profile of microRNA-21 in K14-HPV16 transgenic mice, using ear and chest skin samples. Thus, we evaluate the importance of the microenvironment associated with the miR-21 expression and predisposition to HPV-induced carcinogenesis. Material and methods Transgenic mice K14-HPV16 mice on a FVB/N background were generously donated by Drs. Jeffrey Arbeit and Douglas Hanahan, from the University of California, through the USA National Cancer Institute Mouse Repository. Generation of K14-HPV mice has been previously reported [12]. After one week quarantine, the animals were kept as breeder pairs in accordance with National (Portaria 1005/92 dated October the 23rd) and European (EU Directive 2010/63/EU) legislation, under controlled conditions of temperature (23 ±2 ºC), light-dark cycle (12h light/12h dark) and relative humidity (50 ±10%), using hardwood bedding. A standard diet (Global Diet 2014, Harlan, Barcelona) and water were provided ad libitum. Health checks were performed daily. Genotyping of HPV-E6 and E2 (referencias genotipagem Hugo?) 15 offspring females from consecutive litters were genotyped at weaning, using tail tip samples. To genotyping were used tail tips of mice of the strain FVB, wild-type or hemizygous. Tissue lysis was performed using MAGNAPure DNA Tissue Lysis Buffer and Proteinase K for 17 h at 65  °C. Nucleic acids were extracted by the High Pure Viral Nucleic Acid Kit following the manufacturers instructions. To test the efficacy of the method of DNA extraction was investigated the presence of mouse-ÃŽ ²-globin gene. The presence of integrated HPV was assessed by amplification of HPV-E6 and HPV-E2 genes by polymerase chain reaction methodology (PCR) in-house. The resulting genotypes were confirmed to the respective phenotypes. After genotype determination, all animals were sacrificed at 22 to 26 weeks-old and completely necropsied. Ear and chest skin samples were collected into TRIzol (Invitrogen) for miRNA analysis and matched samples were collected into 10% neutral buffered formalin for histological processing. For these procedures, 13 skin samples (ear and chest) of 8 hemizygous females (+ / -) were collected. As control were used 14 skin samples of 7 wild-type females (- / -). Histology Skin samples were fixated in 10% neutral buffered formalin for 48 hours, routinely processed and paraffin-embedded. Histological sections (2 µm-thick) were obtained and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE) for examination on light microscopy. Samples and their lesions were classified as normal skin, epidermal hyperplasia and epidermal in situ carcinoma by two independent, blind researchers (CL and RGC). miRNA expression analysis To study miRNA-21 expression, the skin samples were macerated with the TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen) for RNA preservation. The extraction of total RNA was performed using aHigh Pure RNA Isolation Kit(Roche Applied Science), according to manufacturer’s instructions. RNA quality was assessed by measuring the absorbance at 260 nm and its purity was evaluated by the ratio of absorbance at 260/280 nm. cDNA synthesis The conversion of miRNA to cDNA was performed using TaqMan ® MicroRNA Reverse Transcription Kit ( PN 4366596 , Applied Biosystems ®, Foster CA, USA ), using sequence-specific stem-loop primers from each miRNA (miR-21 and snoRNA-202). The amplification conditions were as follows: 30 min at 15 °C, 52 min at 42 ºC and finally 10 min at 85 °C. miRNA-21 relative quantification We used qPCR technique to measure the relative expression of miR-21 (StepOne Real-time PCR Systems; final volume: 20 uL, with1Ãâ€" TaqMan ® Universal Master Mix II Applied Biosystems, Foster City, California USA; 1x MicroRNA Assay (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, California USA) and 2 uL cDNA. As endogenous control, we used snoRNA-202. Statistical Analysis Data analysis was performed by the computer software IBM ®SPSS  ®Statistics for Windows (Version 20.0). The 2ΔΔCt method, along with Student’s t-test was used in order to evaluate any statistical differences in the normalized expression of the miR-21. To analyze the normalized relative expression (-ΔCt) of the different groups, we considered the results corresponding to 99% representation of the population ( ±2).      Results Genotyping and histological analysis We observed the presence of integrated HPV DNA (E6 and E2 ORF) in 53% of mice. All cases with HPV-E6 expression also presented HPV-E2 expression. All mice with integrated HPV DNA demonstrated, phenotypically, various degrees of persistent epidermal and squamous mucosal hyperplasia, characteristic lesions associated to HPV infection, previously described in Arbeit et al. study [12]. After histologic evaluation we observed that, in all cases with integrated HPV DNA, the ear tissues presented epidermal in situ carcinomas while the chest tissues showed epidermal hyperplasia. In wild-type mice we observed normal histology. MiRNA-21 expression profile in tissue of transgenic versus wild-type mice To investigate a possible direct influence of HPV16 on the miR-21 expression profile, we analyzed the relative expression between the all tissues (ear and chest) of transgenic mice and the tissues of the control group. We did not found statistical difference in expression levels between both groups (p=0,615). When we compare the miRNA-21 expression in ear and chest samples, singly, we also did not found statistical difference in expression levels between transgenic and wild type mice (Fig.2). MiRNA-21 expression profile in normal tissue To study the miR-21 normal expression profile in tissues, we quantified the expression of miR-21 in the ear and chest skin samples of the control group. We observed that the ear tissues have lower expression levels when compared to chest tissue (p = 0.036) (Fig.3 a)). Mir-21 expression profile in tissues of transgenic mice To compare the relation between miR-21 expression and lesion type, we analyzed the histology of ear and chest samples from transgenic mice and we quantified the expression of miR-21 in the same. We detected that lower expression levels of miR-21 are associated with cancerous lesions as in situ carcinomas (ear) compared with hyperplastic lesions (chest) (p=0,043) (Fig.3 b)). Discussion Recent studies have associated miR-21 to the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer. (ref) MiR-21 overexpression is observed in the majority of carcinomas and hematological malignancies. However, understanding of the potential role of miRNA-21 in previous microenvironment to the development of HPV-associated lesions remains elusive. In cervical cancer, it is accepted that HPV infection is the most important factor for transition from normal cervical epithelium to cervical pre-neoplastic intraepithelial neoplasia and subsequently to invasive cervical cancer. However, the influence of others factors including the microenvironment are poorly investigated. Microenvironment associated to miR-21 may be key factor to the predisposition of cancer. We studied that the expression of miR-21 in normal tissues could be important in development of HPV-associated tumors. Our results demonstrate that, in transgenic mice, all ear tissues presented epidermal in situ carcinomas and chest tissues showed epidermal hyperplasia. Thus, we hypothesize that these interesting facts could be related to different miR-21 profile expression of both tissues. Our results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference between the miR-21 expression in HPV-positive samples and controls, concluding therefore that the presence of HPV does not directly influence the expression of this microRNA. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that differences in the miR-21 expression existing in the normal tissue microenvironment are an important determinant of the HPV-induced carcinogenesis process. Several studies have expanded the concept that inflammation is a critical component of tumour progression. Many cancers arise from sites of infection, chronic irritation and inflammation [13]. Thomas X. Lu et al., identified an IL-12/IFN-g–dependent pathway as the most prominent upregulated pathway in the lungs of OVAchallenged miR-21-/- mice compared with wild-type littermate controls, providing substantial evidence that this is the major pathway dysregulated in the miR-21–deficient mice [14]. As IL-12 is a major cytokine that regulates Th1 versus Th2 decisions primarily by inducing T cells to produce the Th1 cytokine IFN-ÃŽ ³ [15], may be related to inflammation responsible for tumor progression. These facts that relate the miR-21 downregulation with increased inflammation may explain our findings that tissues with lower miR-21 expression are more likely to develop a carcinogenic pathway. Pten has been verified as a miR-21 target in pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular cancer and squamous cell carcinoma [16, 17]. (†¦) References 1.Walboomers, J.M., et al., Human papillomavirus is a necessary cause of invasive cervical cancer worldwide. J Pathol, 1999. 189(1): p. 12-9. 2.Watson, M., et al., Using population-based cancer registry data to assess the burden of human papillomavirus-associated cancers in the United States: overview of methods. Cancer, 2008. 113(10 Suppl): p. 2841-54. 3.Major, T., et al., The characteristics of human papillomavirus DNA in head and neck cancers and papillomas. J Clin Pathol, 2005. 58(1): p. 51-5. 4.Coussens, L.M., D. Hanahan, and J.M. Arbeit, Genetic predisposition and parameters of malignant progression in K14-HPV16 transgenic mice. Am J Pathol, 1996. 149(6): p. 1899-917. 5.Masset, A., et al., Unimpeded skin carcinogenesis in K14-HPV16 transgenic mice deficient for plasminogen activator inhibitor. Int J Cancer, 2011. 128(2): p. 283-93. 6.Stoler, A., et al., Use of monospecific antisera and cRNA probes to localize the major changes in keratin expression during normal and abnormal epidermal differentiation. J Cell Biol, 1988. 107(2): p. 427-46. 7.Chen, C.Z., MicroRNAs as oncogenes and tumor suppressors. N Engl J Med, 2005. 353(17): p. 1768-71. 8.Paranjape, T., F.J. Slack, and J.B. Weidhaas, MicroRNAs: tools for cancer diagnostics. Gut, 2009. 58(11): p. 1546-54. 9.Chan, J.A., A.M. Krichevsky, and K.S. Kosik, MicroRNA-21 is an antiapoptotic factor in human glioblastoma cells. Cancer Res, 2005. 65(14): p. 6029-33. 10.Iyevleva, A.G., et al., High level of miR-21, miR-10b, and miR-31 expression in bilateral vs. unilateral breast carcinomas. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2012. 131(3): p. 1049-59. 11.Kulda, V., et al., Relevance of miR-21 and miR-143 expression in tissue samples of colorectal carcinoma and its liver metastases. Cancer Genet Cytogenet, 2010. 200(2): p. 154-60. 12.Arbeit, J.M., et al., Progressive squamous epithelial neoplasia in K14-human papillomavirus type 16 transgenic mice. J Virol, 1994. 68(7): p. 4358-68. 13.Coussens, L.M. and Z. Werb, Inflammation and cancer. Nature, 2002. 420(6917): p. 860-7. 14.Lu, T.X., et al., MicroRNA-21 limits in vivo immune response-mediated activation of the IL-12/IFN-gamma pathway, Th1 polarization, and the severity of delayed-type hypersensitivity. J Immunol, 2011. 187(6): p. 3362-73. 15.Gately, M.K., et al., The interleukin-12/interleukin-12-receptor system: role in normal and pathologic immune responses. Annu Rev Immunol, 1998. 16: p. 495-521. 16.Darido, C., et al., Targeting of the tumor suppressor GRHL3 by a miR-21-dependent proto-oncogenic network results in PTEN loss and tumorigenesis. Cancer Cell, 2011. 20(5): p. 635-48. 17.Meng, F., et al., MicroRNA-21 regulates expression of the PTEN tumor suppressor gene in human hepatocellular cancer. Gastroenterology, 2007. 133(2): p. 647-58. Fig. 1 Mice genotyping. The presence of integrated HPV was assessed by amplification of HPV-E2 (b) and HPV-E6 (c) genes by polymerase chain reaction methodology (PCR) in-house. Mouse-ÃŽ ²-globin gene was used as endogenous control (a). Fig. 2 Normalized relative expression of miR-21 in transgenic mice (HPV+) and wild-type mice (HPV-), in ear (a) and chest tissue (b). 1

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company :: Business Marketing

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company Introduction The Vermont Teddy Bear Company (VTBC) was founded in 1981 by John Sorinto. Unfortunately, for John, the company became too big for him to oversee since he was an entrepreneur. However, he gracefully stepped down in 1995 and supported the hiring of a new CEO that would lead the company into its future success (Vincelette, p. 27-3). One thing that has remained is the companies focus. The Vermont Teddy Bear's "...focus has been to design, manufacture, and direct market the best teddy bears made in America using quality American materials and labor." (p. 27-1) In fact, "American made with American materials" is the basis of the company's mission statement. Planning for the future of Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Inc it is important that we consider conditions/trends in the internal environment of the company that may impact the future success of the company. These factors (conditions/trends) involve financial resources, human resources, the quality of products and services provided the efficiency of internal processes, student and stakeholder satisfaction, and the company culture. Specification of these factors will allow us to: 1) identify their potential impact on the market; 2) assess the probability that they will continue; 3) categorize them as strengths or challenges; 4) rank them in terms of how well the company is doing in each category. The internal strengths and weakness analysis examines the recent performance of the Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Inc in terms of marketing, finance, operations and logistics, research and development, human resource management and information systems. The purpose of this analysis is to provide the data for the gap analysis -- the current performance of Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Inc and the desired (vision) performance required to successfully increase market share and customer satisfaction. Since strengths and weaknesses involve the study of the internal structure, or come from within the organization. This process is extremely important because Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Inc may want to develop new goals that should allow them to maximize its position relative to each functional area. 1 Opportunities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Larger manufacturing facility   Ã‚  Retail stores   Ã‚  Ã‚  Made in America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Production and Service, Customer perspective Threats   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competitors (chocolates, flowers, and greeting cards)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disney /Patents, Trademarks, and licenses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bear Grams   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2 .20 .07 .18 .15. .20 .10 .10   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3 4.6 4.2 5.0 4.2 3.6 2.8 2.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4 0.92 0.29 0.90 0.63 0.72 0.28 0.25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The small village, the Teddy Bear Common More retail stores are willing sell Attracts more Americans. The company provided unique and original customized products to everyone, from ages 1-100. advantage of national and international distribution opportunities The customers became confused and allowed Disney to enter the personalized teddy bear gift market.

Evolution of Technology Essay

â€Å"Men are only so good as their technical developments allows them to be† (Orwell 56). When the technology boom occurred in the 1990s and beyond, a typical student’s backpack would consist of a boondoggle, leather-bound planner, pager, cassette player, 3. 5 inch floppy disk, and a hardcover textbook. Time advanced, and eventually made its way into the 2000s, when then a backpack would hold a keychain game, CD player, soft cover textbook with a CD-ROM, and a box-shaped cell phone. Technology continued to grow into the next decade with backpacks full of smart phones, laptops, graphic calculators, receipts for online textbook purchases, MP3 players, a backup charger, and a 4GB flash drive attached to the bag’s zipper. Evolution of technology has come into major play, and has begun to conquer today’s society with one discovery at a time. For example, as assembly lines become familiar to many, technology advancements closely follow. While hundreds of employees used to manually run a factory, the majority of the hard work is now done by machines, also known as artificial labor. This change has affected business owners positively, thus allowing for new positions to help run the technology and to ensure all is running well. After such advancements were formed in our society, hundreds to thousands of new companies and manufacturing plants have been built, resulting in a major increase of available jobs to the middle class, which currently, the majority of United States citizens currently occupy. Recently, IBM teamed up with Corporate Service Corps (CSC) in order to send 30 volunteers out into different countries to work on technology-related assistance, such as distance learning programs, and upgraded laser eye treatments. The fact that advanced technology can help to save millions of lives has been one of the biggest reasons for such a large demand. IBM plan to take on several projects in different countries such as India, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ghana, and more. A total of 12 teams will go into each of those countries and successfully complete the projects for better technology-based education and eye treatments, which will cost approximately $250,000 each, all paid for by IBM. The overall project has not only opened up new opportunities for those willing to add this adventurous project to their resume, but it’s also reaching out to communities in dire need, something that the latest technology has allowed to be done. Furthermore, technology has been able to expedite the process of sending aid to places I need more quickly and efficiently with the release of new features to currently existing pieces of technology, as well as software applications. Renowned author Sarah Murray explains, â€Å"When a huge earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, the addition of Haitian Creole – spoken by 8m people in that country – to Microsoft’s online translation engine, which was achieved in just five days, helped humanitarian workers who needed to be able to translate quickly. Something as simple as an online translation system, a piece of virtual technology, was able to help save thousands to millions of lives in Haiti. One of the biggest issues in aid relief is the language and unfamiliar surrounding barrier, which Microsoft has been able to defeat with the use of several applications. The company has been closely working with skilled programmers to create certain software which allow for a variety of functions, such as Twisted Pair Wave software, which allows humanitarian professionals to keep in contact with one another from any device by keeping connected to one specific network. Relief workers can then locate others in the area by sending a ping signal to the network, which helps when in an entirely new environment and unsure of the native language. Technology continues to save the lives of many, by creating jobs that allow people to continue and support their family, as well as being able to provide support for those in a life-or-death situation when it comes down to the essentials such as food, water, and housing. Some fortunate people fail to realize how difficult it really is to obtain such aid. While technology has helped to eradicate useless jobs and help to decrease labor costs, it has resulted in the creation new useful jobs, such as manufacturing the actual technology to be used in a computer, and a computer specialist field that help to put the newly-made computers to use. Thus, if a job is able to be taken over by a machine that is incapable of independent thought, the job may be less suitable for a human being. While ATMs have replaced bank-tellers, we now have newly found jobs which focus on repairing, and manufacturing the ATM machines; it works like a two-edged sword.

Evaluating the Internet Essays

Evaluating the Internet Essays Evaluating the Internet Essay Evaluating the Internet Essay Internet is one of the most influential tools in the world today. This technology advancement has caused changes on how people study, communicate, and shop. With its capacity to spread information at a faster phase, the Internet provides various links to different websites to locate more easily research materials and resources (Johnson). The Internet also links people who are separated by distance via communication advancement (Comer 4). On-line shopping also benefits professionals who cannot find time to go to the mall (Comer 198). Thus, there is no doubt that the Internet can be evaluated by discussing its impact on communication, education and shopping. Douglas Johnson’s online article mentions how technology is really effective in processing and producing necessary information (Johnson). As a result, education is made easier by the Internet via online university programs. Nowadays, students are more exposed to â€Å"word processors, databases, spreadsheets, presentation programs, multimedia authoring tools, e-mail, video production equipment, digital reference materials, electronic indexes, and network search engines† (Johnson). The Internet is indeed helpful in getting students to do their homework easily (Johnson). Moreover, productivity is increased because more time is saved in doing online researches compared to library researches (Johnson). Aside form the benefits of the Internet to students and education, communication is also enhanced by the Internet by changing the stereotypical way of people’s connection. The Internet makes communication more convenient, reliable, and faster (Comer 167). Paper mails are changed into e-mails or electronic mails, while long distance calls are changed into instant messaging and on-line voice calls (Comer 158). Since easy access is achieved by people in communicating with their loved ones abroad, they feel more connected and will be less mindful of the distance between them. Consequently, the Internet has brought people closer, supporting families, organizations, and communities in the process. Work can also be done at home using the Internet and company websites (Comer 198). It also allows people to meet and greet new people on-line using forums and websites like MySpace and many more (Comer 207). Web camera connection is also one good feature of the Internet since it provides a seemingly face to face interaction between two people who are far from each other. Hence, the Internet does not only pave the way for communication development but for socialization as well. Many shoppers now do their shopping on line because they find it hard going to malls and buy things for themselves. Working professionals can shop for things online, pay using credit cards, and just wait until it is shipped to their houses. The Internet also allows people to access online auctions like eBay where almost every needs and wants are posted and put on sale (Comer 243). The Internet has also led to new sources of revenue. Advertisements are posted in the Internet for a fee since more and more people are using this technology everyday (Comer 255). Meanwhile, networking makes it possible for people to earn even at home by just clicking their mouse and interacting with others (Comer 260). Internet is revolutionizing people’s lives by making enormous changes in governments, businesses, schools, and homes worldwide (Comer 4). Internet technology has worked so well in resulting in sudden success in the fields of communication, education, and business. It is an invention that has capabilities beyond human capacity. It stores more than what humans can memorize, it sends out messages faster than what is expected, and it gives more profit for businesses by reaching out international clients. The Internet has grown so much, and its growth has really involved and impacted much of the world. Comer, Douglas E. The Internet Book. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. Johnson, Doug. â€Å"Evaluating the Impact of Technology: The Less Simple Answer.† From Now on: The Educational Technology Journal 5 (January/February 1996). 23 June 2008 http://fno.org/jan96/reply.html

6 Top College Interview Tips How to Prepare Effectively

6 Top College Interview Tips How to Prepare Effectively SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many of the top colleges either recommend or require interviews. To give yourself the best opportunity to make a good impression in your interviews, and to improve your chances of getting accepted to these schools, you should absolutely prepare for your interviews. In this article, I'll explain exactly how prepare for a collegeinterview, and I'll give you detailed college interview tipsthat should make you more comfortable and confident during the interview process. Introduction toCollege Interviews An interview provides the college with an opportunity to give you more information about the school and answer any of your questions about the school and the application process. Additionally, the interview gives the school an opportunity to learn more about you, your interests, and how you’ll be able to contribute to the school. Only a small percentage of colleges recommend or require an interview. Most large public universities don’t offer interviews because theysimply havetoo many applicants. Typically, the colleges that offer interviews are very selective private colleges. Check a college's website or contact the admission office to determine if interviews are offered and how to schedule one. Interviews can be on-campus, usually with an admissions representative, or off-campus near where you live, usually with a graduate of the college. Also, they can be evaluative, meaning that your interview impacts admission decisions, or they can be informational, meaning that they’re just designed to provide you with more information about the school or one of its programs. Two schools thatoffer evaluative interviews are Harvard and Princeton while Cornell and Vassar have informational interviews. Which Colleges Require Interviews? Check outthe complete list of colleges that require interviews to learn about all of the schools that recommend or require interviews. All of the Ivy League schools outside of Cornell either recommend or require interviews. Other colleges that recommend or require interviews include Duke, Emory, Bowdoin, University of Chicago, MIT, and Georgetown. Some colleges that offer optional interviews include Stanford, Tufts, Vanderbilt, and Vassar. Duke recommends interviews, and it has updated the look of its mascot. (Duke University Archives/Flickr) How to Set Up a College Interview Once you decide which schools you’re applying to, find out if they offer interviews. Also, you need to make a note of how and when to set up interviews. For schools that give interviews, you’ll often be contacted after you submit your application with information about setting up an interview. Generally, interviews are conducted in the fall if you're applying early, and they're conducted in the winter if you apply under regular decision.If you're given the option of having an interview, you should interview. Interviewing shows the school that you're genuinely interested in attending, and demonstrating interest can help your chances of gaining admission. Also, the interview gives the school an opportunity to learn more about you outside of what's in your application, and you get to learn more about the school. Why Do You Need to Prepare For an Interview? Most colleges stress that interviews are opportunities for the school to get to know more about you and for you to get to know more about the school. You may assume that because you know about yourself, there’s no real need to prepare. You may think that all you have to do is honestly answer the questions you’re asked. While it's true that you primarily just have to candidly answer questions about yourself, preparation can help youappear more confident and givemore thoughtful answers. Also, if you prepare, you'll be able to ask questions that demonstrate your interest in the school and show that you've done substantial research. Some additional preparation can help separate you from the thousands of students who are interviewing for these selective schools. If you prepare, you can be as confident as this guy. How to Prepare for a CollegeInterview Your preparation for your interviews consists ofthree major components: research, practicing answers to questions, and preparing questions to ask the interviewer. I’ll explain how to do all three and how they’ll benefit you during your interview. Step 1: Research the School Well before your interview, you should research as much about the school as possible. Focus your research on why the school would be a good fit for you and your needs. Because you should have done extensive research before you decided to apply, this should be mostly review and shouldn’t be too time-consuming. Consider how the school will be able to meet your needs and what you're looking for in a college. You can research anything of interest to you, whether it's related to academics, campus life, extracurriculars, study abroad programs, or athletics. If you want to pursue a specific major, you can learn about its course requirements, professors, and any special programs for students in that major. Use the school's website, college finders, search websites, and guidebooks to help you learn about the school. Your research will help you prepare for questions you may be asked, and it will help you come up with questions for your interviewer. Step 2: Prepare for Your InterviewAnswer Check out this article for a specific guide on the questions you should prepare for. Some common ones include: Why are you interested in this college? What are your academic strengths? What do you plan to be doing ten years from now? The questions you'll be asked pertain to your personality, character, goals, and why you think the school would be a good fit for you. To prepare, you should jot down some notes and practice your responses to the most common interview questions. Remember that the school wants to learn about what makes you unique. So, if you're asked about your greatest strength, don't just say that you're hardworking. That's a response that could be given by thousands of students. If you think you're especially diligent, you can reveal an anecdote that demonstrates your exceptional work ethic. Being able to give specific examples will make your answers much stronger and more believable. While it's not a bad idea to practice answering common questions, you don't want to try to memorize your answers or write them out word for word. You should appear conversational in the interview, and you don't want to have to stress about remembering the exact words of your prepared answers. Incorporate information from your research into your answer about why the school would be a good fit for you. Try to include information that's not too superficial or obvious. Don't just say you want to be a doctor and the school has a good pre-med program. Go into more depth. What about the pre-med program makes it a good program for you? What resources or classes that the school offers appeal to you? You can do a mock interview with a teacher, counselor, parent, or friend. Have somebody ask you common interview questions and practice responding as if you were in the interview. Step 3: Prepare Questions for Your Interviewer Remember that the interview is not only an opportunity for the interviewer to learn about you; it’s also an opportunity for you to learn more about the school. Asking questions shows you’re engaged and that you’re taking the college selection process seriously. Refer to this post for good questions to ask in an interview. I recommend preparing at least 2-3 questions. Here are a couple of examples of good questions: What advice would you have for me as an incoming freshman? I heard about (insert name of on-campus event). Have you participated? What's it like? Your questions should either be related to your research about the school, personal questions for the interviewer (but not inappropriately personal), or related to something the interviewer said or revealed during the interview. When you prepare questions, don't come up with questions that can be easily answered through basic research. Don't ask where the school is located or if it has a certain major. You should know the answers to those questions before the interview. Just like your answers to interview questions, your questions for the interviewer should be deeper and demonstrate thought. 3 College Interview Tips for the Day Of By the day of your collegeinterview, you should be extremely knowledgeable about the school, prepared to answer common interview questions, and have a few questions prepared for your interviewer. Here are some college interview tips to follow the day you interview. By this point, your hard work is mostly done, and now you get a chance to learn more about the school and show what a superstar you are. Tip 1: Dress Well When it comes to college interview attire, it’s better to err on the side of looking too formal than too casual. You want to appear like you’re taking the interview seriously, and you want to present yourself in a professional manner. Tip 2: Be Punctual I assume this goes without saying, but make sure you’re on time. Nothing gives a worse first impression than showing up late to a meeting. If something out of your control happens and you’re running late, contact the interviewer to let him/her know. Tip 3: Relax If you’ve made basic preparations and you’re polite to your interviewer, most likely, your interview will only be able to help your chances of admission. Also, so you don't stress too much, remember that the interview is only a minor factor in determining whether or not you're accepted to a school. Try your best to just be yourself. These colleges want to learn about you, so don't be overly worried about giving the "right" answers to questions. Give genuine answers and feel free to show your personality. What's Next? As you continue to research colleges and the college application process, make sure you know the complete application timeline and how many colleges to apply to. If you're striving to get into the most prestigious colleges, learn helpful tips from a Harvard graduate. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Communiction Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Communiction Theories - Essay Example Production of communication is on different levels with different kinds of individuals. When strangers meet for the first time, they do not know a lot about each other, they converse so that they can know each other better (Littlejohn & Foss 246). The individuals go through definite steps as well as checkpoints so that uncertainty can be diminished about one other and shape a thought of whether one individual likes or detests the other. Whatever one of the individuals says cannot ultimately be true and may leave the other individual with uncertainty. As individuals communicate they make plans to achieve their goals. These plans may include passive strategies by observing the individual, active strategies by asking other individuals about the personality or looking up information, and interactive strategies by making inquiries and self-disclosure. At extremely uncertain time’s individuals become more cautious and depend more on data presented in diverse circumstances, which they find truthful. When individuals do not have a lot of certainty they lose self-assurance, in their individual plans and put together contingency plans (Littlejohn & Foss 287). Elevated heights of uncertainty builds distance among individuals and non-verbal self-expression have a propensity to assist in the trim down of this uncertainty. Berger generates theorems by combining axioms to capitulate a predictable conclusion. For instance, if connection reduces uncertainty and diminished uncertainty elevates liking, then it is obvious that connection and liking are optimistically interconnected. This can be proved because this correlation exists in extensively reputable findings in studies on interpersonal

REPUBLIC of ANGOLA Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

REPUBLIC of ANGOLA - Research Proposal Example We will begin with an introduction which will provide an overview of this country, discuss key facts and situate Angola within the present context. Following this brief overview, we will discuss Angola today with relation to the history of this country and situate present-day Angola within a historical context. Aiming to provide as much explanatory power as possible, this historical overview will be comprehensive, exploratory and in-depth. Following this, we will focus on the major industries and services within Angola and discuss the economic engines of the Angolan economy. We will then discuss the present Angola situation in light of struggle for independence and a 27 year civil war. This research paper will then conclude with an overview of key economic facts and a summation of the present economic situation in Angola today. Angola, officially called the Republic of Angola, is a Portuguese-speaking Presidential Republic which gained independence from Portugal just over thirty three years ago in 1975. As a Portuguese-speaking country in Africa, Angola is just one of a handful of former Portuguese colonies on the continent which has kept the tongue and made it an official language (Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sà £o Tomà © and Prà ­ncipe, and Equatorial Guinea are the other majority Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa). In order to understand Angola today it is essential that we understand her history and as the largest country in the African empire of Portugal, Angola was heavily influenced by the colonial tradition. Because it is so important, the history of Portuguese influence in Angola will be discussed in-depth below. We now turn to a concise overview of Angola today. As the largest and most populous country in Luso-Africa, Angola has an estimated population of nearly 13 million people. As mentioned above, Portuguese is the official language of the country but other languages are spoken amongst the