Aaa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Aaa - Essay Example The social media, like a program bundled with customizable options for the end users’ discretion – work the same way. End users can fully customize the function of Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and all available networks on the Web today. In that light, people choose what they want for Twitter to become – if a group of people choose to initiate a protest through Twitter – they choose to make it a form of civic revolution. In the beginning, social media was created for the purposes of connecting family members, relatives and acquaintances. But it has changed to connecting people of same interests. We have liking, recommending, tweeting and retweeting tool on these two giant networks, namely Facebook and Twitter. But I firmly believe that the decision is left by the brilliant guys behind Facebook and Twitter, and the like to the mass – the end users. The birth of the internet has given people the chance to build a network where communication and interaction is possible. Hence social media have proven to be dynamic tools to make the whole world connected – not just family members. The end users who have discretion to use these social networks to speak the truth and to enjoy freedom are responsible for promoting the civic and political protest, not the social media. Social media merely give all the tools for the end users to enjoy connectivity and exercise

Facebook Privacy Restrictions Essay Example for Free

Facebook Privacy Restrictions Essay It is alarming how fast technology is improving. Nowadays, it seems like having a Facebook account is a daily necessity or even a trend. According to a research done by TIMES magazine, more than one in four people who browse the Internet not only have a Facebook account but have returned to the site in the past thirty days. It is truly alarming how much Facebook has expanded. â€Å"Sometime in the next few weeks, Facebook will officially log its 500 millionth active citizen. † (Fletcher, 2010, TIMES, p. 6) Fletcher (2010) also stated that Facebook would be the world’s third largest country by population, which is two- thirds larger than America, if it were granted terra firma. With such a high popularity, an increasing number of Facebook users had raised the issue on privacy – limiting what others can say about you and who can say it. I believe that everyone does have the right to privacy. However, when it comes to sharing information on such a virtual yet convenient media, the Internet, can privacy restrictions really be achieved that easily and securely? In addition, will Facebook take that chance to make a major loss in its business? Devils are in the details. The Facebook’s Terms of Use may not be as fair and protective on their users’ privacy disclosure. As argued by Yoder in his website article â€Å"Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook†, Facebook not only compels its users to keep updating by threatening to terminate their accounts, it also states that it owns your data. Some may argue that these terms may only be set to defend the interests of Facebook. However, who can protect the interests of the many Facebook users? Being such a broadly used media, is it not the least reasonable to review the ethics policy and start readjusting the privacy settings? On the other hand, Facebook is not the only one to take the blame. The account users may have most likely overlooked the Terms of Use and simply jumped to click on the â€Å"I Agree† button just to start using Facebook as soon as possible. When these users found out that things are not going as they had expected, they start pointing their fingers to others and maybe neglecting their own responsibilities on the faults. Readjusting the privacy settings seems to be the only solution. However, who really has the persistence to fight for the change? How many people are really willing to give up the most widely- used socializing network just to defend a right that may take a considerable time to be protected? This shows successfulness of Facebook’s tactic – allowing a channel for emotional investments of its users and creating a cultural shift, making the public more accustomed to openness. The research done by TIMES magazine founded that over seventy percent of current Facebook users expressed negative feelings when asked how life would be like without Facebook. This may be attributed to Facebook’s development of a formula for the precise number of aha! moments a user must have before he or she is hooked, reported from an interview with the CEO (Fletcher, 2010, TIMES, p. 19). If the users leave Facebook, they might get the oh-no! moment in which they find out how much social updates they had missed. Facebook had been so successful in making itself indispensible. Who would really want to lose the connection? Some may have tried to remove their accounts. However, Yoder (2010) revealed that it is difficult to genuinely delete your account. Facebook will only deactivate your account but you will still be spammed by Facebook. Facebook is not really worried about losing its users because of the uproar on privacy control on its site. Similar protest had been demonstrated before such as the default settings of news feeds on the website which allows the action of a user to be published on the social update wall of their friends. Now, it seems silly to protest against news feeds. Though the nature of the two incidents are not at most similar, Facebook has so little to worry about as it is still operating within the restrictions set by the law. It is a frustrating matter to define the suitable extent of restriction on privacy for data disclosure on the Internet. Protection is undeniably necessary. However, when it comes to security on such a virtual ground, it seems the only one who can protect you is yourself.

The Beatles :: Essay on The Beatles

The world's number one rock group consisted of John Winston (Ono) Lennon (born 10/09/40 - died 12/08/80), whose middle name came from his parent's admiration of Winston Churchill, and which John changed to Ono in later years; James Paul McCartney (born 06/18/42); George Harold Harrison (born 02/25/43 - died 11/29/01); and Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey 07/07/40). During the Beatles recording career from 1962 to 1970, they would release twenty-two singles (45rpm) in the United Kingdom, and thirty-three in the United States. Their first UK single was Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You, released October 5, 1962, on EMI/Parlophone Records. The first USA single would be Please Please Me/Ask Me Why, which they released on February 25, 1963 on Vee Jay Records. Although the Beatles were big in England, they had not yet caught on in the United States. Following their first USA single, came From Me To You/Thank YouGirl, which was released May 27, 1963 on Vee Jay, followed by She Loves You/I'll Get You on Swan Records. Finally on December 26, 1963, Capitol Records decided to release I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There, which went to number 1 on the Billboard Charts on January 18, 1964, and stayed there for seven weeks. As luck would have it, the Beatles first US visit planned for February 1964 with their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show had been booked almost six months earlier. Only by accident did the Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand happen to be at #1 the same time as their first US visit. One could not have asked for better timing. On January 30, 1964, following the success of I Want To Hold Your Hand, Vee Jay Records re released Please Please Me, only this time with From Me To You as the B-Side. In the United Kingdom, the Beatles released twelve albums (33 rpm/LP's), however released nineteen in the USA. There were several reasons for this. One is that UK albums had fourteen songs, whereby USA had only twelve. The second, and really the most important reason is that Capitol Records decided that they wanted to create their own albums, different from the UK, using titles taken from UK singles and EP (extended play) singles. Such US albums as Meet The Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, Something New, Beatles '65, The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help!, and Yesterday and Today, were never issued in the UK in this form.

Sounds of Silence analysis Essay example -- essays research papers

In the process of conveying emotion and feeling, people take different routes in going about such a task. Some people draw, some debate, and others write. Paul Simon, a genius with words and music, wrote poems to describe his feelings on politics, love, and the ways of life. Hearing or reading a Paul Simon song gives a person a blessed experienced, they had just seen real emotion, an oddity in these days. One Simon song that stands out above the rest is also probably his most famous, â€Å"The Sounds of Silence†. Like many other Paul Simon pieces, the contradictory title is not the only confusing aspect of the song, each line conveys complex yet meaningful words.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 60's was a decade dominated by great musicians: Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. Paul Simon is another man that tackled music and took it to the level of excellence, like the other 60's music idols. In his song â€Å"The Sounds of Silence†, he puts multiple concepts of importance into one 35 line poem, successfully getting his point across. So the question is, what are the sounds of silence and what is it Paul Simon is trying to say? The Sounds of Silence that he refers to numerous times shows the lack of human communication in everyday life . Simon is saying that intelligent conversations or friendly words to one another have been overlooked in society. The poem shows that although people talk to others, they are not saying what they truly feel. I...

Cell Phone Should Never Be Used While Driving Essay

Cell phones should never be used while driving no matter what the circumstances are. There are many reasons why it should be banned. It causes the driver to think about something other than driving. It causes the driver to have to look away from the road to dial, answer, etc. It doesn’t allow the driver to hear what’s going on around him or her such as ambulances or police sirens. These reasons are a major contributor to death. Using cell phones while driving can cause the driver to think about something other than driving. When the driver gets a call or a text message, it can distract him or her by not paying attention to the road. This is a major cause for many accidents that can lead to injuries or even death. When you use your phone when driving, you are putting your life at risk by answering it and getting distracted. When using your cell phone while driving it can cause the driver to look away from the road to dial, answer, etc. Say you look down at your phone and you take your eyes off the road for just a couple seconds. For those two seconds while not looking at the road, you could run into the vehicle in front of you or swerve into other lanes. This can happen just because of getting distracted for a couple of seconds. Lastly, you should not use your cell phone while driving because it doesn’t allow the driver to hear what is going on around him or her such as ambulances or police sirens. If you answer your phone everything around you is being blocked except for the conversation with the person you are talking to. Say an ambulance is rushing a dying person to the hospital and you are on the phone or texting. You don’t pay attention to the sirens or the people in front of you pulling over to the side of the road. If a cop sees that you don’t pull over then this will result in a ticket. It can also be embarrassing for yourself because the ambulance will have to wait behind you causing the person who is dying a lesser chance at life. So you can be the reason why that person in the ambulance can die. In conclusion, you shall never use your cell phone while driving because it causes the driver to think about something other than driving. It causes the driver to have to look away from the road to dial, answer, etc. And it doesn’t allow the driver to hear what’s going on around him or her such as ambulances or police sirens. Every time you are behind the wheel, your primary focus should be on driving to your destination safely without any distractions. This is why you should never use your cell phone while driving.

Rise of Nazism essays

Rise of Nazism essays After the end of the First World War, many actions were taken which indirectly lead to the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. Many of the events include the Treaty of Versailles, problems the government of Germany came across, the stab in the back theory, and the depression. This paper will talk about these events which occurred and how they correspond to the rise of the German Nazi party. One of the agreements at the Treaty of Versailles was that the industrial heartland of Germany, the Saarland, was to be worked by the Germans for the benefit of France for 15 years (lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/versailles.html). With the Saarland gone it would prove more difficult for the Germans to supply iron it also made repayment of reparations less likely. The effective removal of the Saarland from German industry made the Weimar Republics position in Germany weaker. From the very start, the Weimar republic faced opposition from both sides of the political spectrum. There was potential for the reintroduction of a monarch, or even a communist state, and several attempted revolutions occurred. The public blamed their problems on the Treaty of Versailles, and in turn, blamed the government that signed it. The new government had inherited a difficult situation. It was inevitable that the new government would have faced difficulties from the start. The republic was beginning to overcome its difficulties during the mid 1920's as economic, political, and cultural improvements were occurring, and if it hadn't been for circumstances, mainly the Wall Street Crash, the republic may have prospered for many years. These circumstances gave the extremists, the Nazi's, an opportunity for advancement as the people searched for a more radical solution to the depressio...

The Origin of Eukaryotic Cells essays

The Origin of Eukaryotic Cells essays In the beginning of the creation of Earth volcanoes erupted all over the planet. During this period there was a time where a brief cooling period was allowed to take place. When this period took place evaporation caused a downpour of rain which flooded the ocean creating the ocean. At the time that ocean was averaged at 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Around this same time an asteroid so powerful hit the Earth knocking off a large chunk of it. This chunk became the moon which at the time was twice as close as it is today. The hitting of the planet Earth cause such a shake that many new undersea volcanoes began spewing forth molten rock and gasses. These gasses and other particles formed on the oceans surface and with the moon being so close were smashed together by strong and violent waves. Molecules were then washed ashore and exposed to heat and sunlight. Through a series of trial and error bases chemical reactions formed cells. The first ones were simple only with the new permeable membrane so it could absorb nutrients. After absorbing so many amino acids it was able to replicate itself. Bacteria now was growing off the undersea volcanoes vents living off of hydrogen sulfide. Some of these developed hard shells and others with soft membranes. Meanwhile tectonic plates during this time were shifting drastically and created mountain ranges which altered rain patterns and led to the falling of even more rain which created rivers. These rivers washed out new nutrients found in land out to the oceans. Minerals from land reacted with carbon dioxide which resulted in the production of oxygen. As temperatures cooled algae created glucose through photosynthesis and released gross amounts of oxygen into the ocean. The oxygen reacted with the metallic ions found i n the ocean and cause oxidation which caused the sea to turn a rusty red. The sea then turned back to a royal blue now rich w ...

Edgar Allan Poes Autobiographical Inspiration †Literature Essay

Edgar Allan Poes Autobiographical Inspiration – Literature Essay Free Online Research Papers Edgar Allan Poes Autobiographical Inspiration Literature Essay In several stories and poems that Edgar Allan Poe created, he left various indications that the written word is rarely disconnected from the person writing it. Through the dark, disturbing subject matter in his work, one can begin to understand the complex life and obstacles, both external and internal, that he had to cope with during every day of his life. Though Poe is widely regarded as the master of the American short story and one of the foremost horror writers in the United States’ brief history, it is easy to see the effect of such a difficult childhood in both the tragic course of events that culminated in his premature death and the mesmerizing and groundbreaking writing that he left behind. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19th, 1809 to David and Elizabeth Poe, two Baltimore-based actors. Acting was looked down upon as a profession in that time, which meant that Poe’s parents were barely able to make a living. It also did not help that the pair could not have been considered gifted by any stretch of the imagination: â€Å"The two were not notably talented; they played minor roles in third-rate theatrical companies† (Buranelli 7). Poe was the second of three children. By the time of the third child’s birth, Poe’s father, who was purported to have abused him, disappeared, abandoning his mother. She took her two youngest children (William Henry, the first, was left to his grandparents in Baltimore around the time of his birth) to Richmond, VA, but soon developed tuberculosis and died, leaving Edgar and his sister, Rosaline orphaned (9). After his mother’s death, Poe was taken into the care of John Allan, a wealthy Richmond merchant and his godfather. His wife Frances had no children of her own and wanted to adopt Poe, but Allan refused, citing that he thought the son of parents whose profession was looked at as immoral would be the wrong choice for an heir and bad for his name and the fortune he was busy amassing. After a move to London and a strict but enjoyable boarding school education, Poe returned with the Allans to the United States. The two did not get along, so Poe was excited to find out that Allan was shipping him off to the University of Virginia. However, Allan did not supply him with nearly enough money to pay his way through school, so Poe took up gambling and by the end of the year, owed over $2,500. After 11 months of college, Allan, refusing to pay the debts, pulled Poe out of school. Terrified and unbalanced, Poe started drinking heavily. Over the next couple of years, Poe was faced with a heap of bad luck. Upon arriving home, he was invited to a party of Sarah Elmira Royster’s, his high-school sweetheart; when he got there, he discovered that it was an engagement party. To make matters worse, Allan forced Poe to join the military. He signed up under the name â€Å"Edgar Allan Perry,† but was honorably discharged in 1829, with the rank of Sergeant Major. A year later, Allan, frustrated with Poe’s situation, signed him up for West Point. In less than a year, Poe was kicked out. A few years later when Frances died, Allan remarried and cut off contact with Poe. However, even without familial support, Poe soon began to write and things began to pick up. Around this time, he married his thirteen-year old first cousin, Virginia Clemm. Though she was simple-minded and kind, she was unable to keep up with his erratic genius and wild behavior. Nevertheless, Poe won a story contest in 1833 for a story called â€Å"MS. Found in a Bottle†; one of the judges, John P. Kennedy expressed an interest in his work and helped him sell a story to the Southern Literary Messenger from Richmond. Soon, Poe got a job on the editorial staff of the magazine and was quickly promoted to editor. With his new position, Poe was seen to be both a keen critic of literature and a gifted writer, and the popularity of his work for the magazine increased the recognition of both his writing and the Messenger. Unfortunately, Poe was an alcoholic and was fired and re-hired by the Messenger several times. He looked for work in several publishing houses, but the financial p anic going on at the time prevented several magazines from being able to thrive, so work was scarce. After a while, Poe was finally was able to publish a long story that recounted a sea voyage, entitled â€Å"The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.† The story was so well-written that most critics actually believed it to be a true account. After two hard years, Poe began to publish again. He got a job working for a magazine called Burton’s Gentlemen’s Magazine; his contract was to write horror stories for the magazine, which in 1840, were compiled into a collection called â€Å"Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque.† After Burton’s was sold and the name was changed to Graham’s Magazine, Poe became the editor of that version too, leading the American magazine to become possibly the most important of its time. A year after his story, â€Å"The Gold Bug,† won a $100 prize from the Philadelphia Dollar Magazine, Poe left Graham’s. Not long after, the New York Evening Mirror published his most famous poem, â€Å"The Raven.† The poem became extraordinarily popular and Poe frequently did readings of it, in eerie rooms with the lamps turned low and his voice sounding somewhat demonic. Though he reached the height of his popularity with â€Å"The Raven,† few writers can make a healthy living on writing alone; most must depend on other positions, such as editorial and publishing jobs. He was able to acquire such employment (he worked for such diverse publications as the Broadway Journal, the Evening Mirror and Grodey’s Lady’s Book) but never held them for long due to his alcoholism. At this time, Virginia also started showing symptoms of tuberculosis. Poe began to get more depressed, started drinking more and sunk into a deep melancholy. Finally, in the win ter of 1846, Virginia died, when the couple had little fuel for the cold or food. Shortly after Virginia’s death, Poe met up with his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Elmira Royster, who was newly single, and the two reconnected. Soon, they were engaged. A few days before their wedding, Poe set off on a trip to New York City from Richmond, but disappeared in Baltimore. Days later, he was found in the street. He was brought to a hospital but died shortly after on October 7th, 1949. Though the cause is still unknown, it is widely believed to have been rabies that killed Poe. A quick glance at any of Poe’s works reveals that he was a writer whose life events clearly had a strong effect on what he wrote. Though there are many aspects that can be compared and contrasted, it is his use of women, alternating as the objects of affection and substitute mother figures, and the uncanny similarities between several of his main characters and himself that are the most interesting. Vincent Buranelli said that â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe is the most complex personality in the entire gallery of American authors. No one else fuses, as he does, such discordant psychological attributes, or offers to the world an appearance so various† (19). While this is true, the â€Å"discordant psychological attributes† that Poe frequently wrote about usually referred to himself. Many of Edgar Allan Poe’s personal problems most likely stemmed from the premature death of David and Elizabeth and the resulting lack of strong parental influence in his early years. It is said by Edward H. Davidson in his Poe: A Critical Study that â€Å"one of the major themes in Poe’s whole corpus of writing is his longing for the mother, for a kind of female night-shape who is never there and who will never come† (47). In fact, several psychoanalysts have used Poe and his fixation with his mother as fertile ground for further investigation. In her analysis of Poe’s short story, â€Å"The Black Cat,† psychologist Marie Bonaparte argues that for Poe (taking the form of the narrator), the story enacts his displacement of his hatred for his mother for abandoning him (164). He obviously has cause to be angry with Pluto, the all-black cat which bites him and he kills, while the next cat enables him momentarily to forget his act of murder. However, he begins to loathe Pluto’s successor for no other reason than its involuntary reminiscence of the first cat. This, Bonaparte says, represents Poe’s innermost feelings being projected in the form of a short story, with the two cats as symbols for his several mother figures (Elizabeth, Frances Allan and Maria Clemm). Both Poe and the narrator’s feelings of detestation come from an action or event that was completely beyond control (Elizabeth’s death and the cat’s biting reflex), but the pair still hold both Poe’s mother and Pluto accountable for them. Because their first choice target for hatred is unavailable, they automatically shift their feelings towards an alternate foil. That the second cat has, according to Poe, a large, although indefinite splotch of white, covering nearly the whole region of the breast (â€Å"The Black Cat,† 212) is probably not a coincidence. This splotch, Bonaparte argues, represents milk both by its color and its position and subsequently reminds the narrator of his felicide. Nonetheless, it is quite clear that, at least â€Å"above the iceberg,† Poe felt a strong affection for his mother. Traditional Freudian theory can also be applied to the storyline and characters in another one of Poe’s short stories, â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher.† Though its implication of incest (most of which is drawn from the rather suspect behavior of Usher following his sister’s death and the quote that the two shared sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature (â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher,† 270)) seems like Poe is pandering to the lowest common denominator of reader, he is actually including a topic that was common ground for writing of that time (Wagenknecht 57). Even so, Poe’s insertion of the theme brings to light interesting parallels with his own story. While it is clear that Poe’s time with his parents was not long by any means, it is understood that due to his father’s frequent inebriation and abu sive behavior, Elizabeth had a much larger effect on the then-toddler Poe. It is then no surprise to see Poe acting out his Freudian Oedipus complex by having Usher (clearly analogous to Poe) romanticize a blood relative in concept (if not physically), even after her death (or at least what Usher perceives to be her death). In addition to being concerned with subtly lusting after his mother, Poe also devoted much of his creativity towards the primary love of his life, Virginia Clemm. Within Poe’s poem â€Å"Annabel Lee,† are several references to Virginia’s youngness and their relationship: I was a child and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea; but we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; with a love that the winged seraphs of heaven coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, in this kingdom by the sea, a wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee; so that her highborn kinsman came and bore her away from me, to shut her up in sepulcher in this kingdom by the sea†¦ for the moon never beams without bringing me dreams of the beautiful Annabel Lee; and the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes of my beautiful Annabel Lee; and so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, in the sepulcher there by the sea, in her tomb by the pounding sea (â€Å"Annabel Lee,† 12-13). The poem gives the impression that Poe and Clemm’s relationship might have been looked down upon by some, yet Poe’s refutation that they had a â€Å"love that was more than love† attempts to dispel that. It is through the poem that Poe, for once, truly lays out all of his feelings about the entire relationship with Virginia. It is also unfortunately a chronicle of his heartbreaking behavior following her death. Though Pruette says that their union was only existent because of Poe’s desire for a mother figure in Maria Clemm (who he became incredibly close with) (67), â€Å"Annabel Lee† also recreates Poe’s frequent night-time visits to Virginia’s graveside, where he would often sleep (â€Å"all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling†). Poe loved Clemm so much that towards the end of her life and following her death, he could not bear the strain of losing someone so close to him, and he began to drink heavily.  "Each time I felt the agonies of her death- and at each accession of the disorder I loved her more dearly and clung to her life with more desperate pertinacity. But I am constitutionally sensitive- nervous in a very unusual degree. During these fits of absolute unconsciously, I drank, God only knows how often or how much† (qtd. in Buranelli 38). Here, Poe makes direct mention of his bout with depression and admits to drinking every time his depressive side reared its ugly head. Though containing remarkable beauty and examples of Poe’s sheer brilliance, â€Å"Annabel Lee† also became a regrettable testament to the disarray that consumed Poe’s life following the death of his wife. Also notable in much of Poe’s writing is his resemblance to several of his main characters. In one particular case, Poe, with his own private musings, refers to a hypothetical man who he clearly is comparing to himself. Through the piece, he is responding to the speculation of his mental state: â€Å"I have sometimes amused myself by endeavoring to fancy what would be the fate of any individual gifted, or rather accursed, with an intellect very far superior to that of his race. Of course, he would be conscious of his superiority; nor could he (if otherwise constituted as man is) help manifesting his consciousness. Thus he would make himself enemies at all points. And since his opinions and speculations would widely differ from those of all mankind- that he would be considered a madman, is evident. How horribly painful such a condition! Hell could invent no greater torture than that of being charged with abnormal weakness on account of being abnormally strong† (â€Å"Ma rginalia,† 227). Poe views his psychological state as a position of power, rather than hindrance. The passage could also be viewed as a response to his critics, who might view his work (which he believes is far superior to everyone else’s) as the writing of a madman instead of focusing on the brilliance that he’s convinced it contains. In addition to Poe’s essays, he also places himself in the guise of several fictional protagonists as well. In fact, several critics agree that Poe only has one endlessly repeated main character- himself. He is pictured as appearing and reappearing as his melancholic, hallucinated, mad and half-mad creations again and again. However, out of his many popular characters, it is the character of Roderick Usher from â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† that Poe seems to represent the most. In the story, Usher is a man who is well aware of his mental instability but, who like Poe, attempts to hold on to his sanity at all costs, regardless. If there was any doubt about the pair’s similarities, Poe goes onto physically describe Usher, and in doing so, depicts himself: â€Å"A cadaverousness of complexion; an eye large, liquid, and luminous beyond comparison; lips somewhat thin and very pallid, but of a surpassingly beautiful curve; a nose of delicate Hebrew model, but with a breath of nostril unusual in similar formations; a finely molded chin, speaking, in its want of prominence, of a want of moral energy; hair of a more than weblike softness and tenuity- these features, with an inordinate expansion above the regions of the temple, made up altogether a countenance not easily to be forgotten† (â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher,† 198). Even a cursory glance at a picture of Poe will reveal that he not only shares some of these facial features; it is actually a precise depiction of his appearance. Though the resemblance of Poe to several of his characters might be obvious, one can’t help but wonder why he chose to base so many of them on himself. Based on the various vices that many of his characters fall victim to and their resemblance to him in other areas, it is almost as if Poe is vividly describing his character’s flaws as a way of showing his own. Much of the infamous â€Å"evidence† that Poe was a habitual user of opium can be traced back to a few passages from some of his works. Roderick Usher, the character most frequently compared to Poe, is described in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† to be an â€Å"irreclaimable eater of opium† (276). Furthermore, in his short story â€Å"Life in Death,† Poe’s main character goes into an in-depth homily about his drug habit and patterns of use. â€Å"I had never swallowed opium before. Laudanum and morphine I had occasionally used, and about them should have had no reason to hesitate†¦ I would take a very small dose in the first instance. I would repeat it until I should find an abatement of the fever† (â€Å"Life and Death,† 165). His authoritarian tone paints not only the character, but the author as well, as a source of expertise in the field of opium use. If one is to use this logic for proof that Poe was an opium addict or at least had inclinations towards the drug, it can also be asserted that he had a predisposition towards domestic abuse. Because his father was a notorious and abusive drunk, it is very likely that young Edgar viewed battery as a subconsciously acceptable form of resolution. Though he never explicitly confesses to beating Virginia or any women, the closest thing to an admission is his â€Å"The Black Cat† character’s account that â€Å"I married early, and was happy to find in my wife a disposition not uncongenial with my own†¦ I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence† (213). Because the story’s main figure descends slowly into madness, like Poe presumably was himself at that time, it can be assumed that Poe took out his growing confusion and frustration about his mental state on the simple-minded and devoted Virginia Clemm. However, despite that several of his stories and characters either contain themes of insanity or are insane themselves, Poe still attempts to depict some sort of dramatic arc or have his protagonists think about their own actions, sometimes coming to important conclusions. Almost without fail, â€Å"his heroes analyze their obsessions in a sane, perfectly logical way, and he presents the analysis in terms of a highly finished style (Wageknecht 57). Therefore, if one is attempting to compare Poe’s life to his work, it can be maintained that his work is less a reflection of his psychological state and more a reflection of his immersion in his own place and time (Peeples 77). Growing up without his natural parents and without the love and nurturance that most believe is necessary to mature into a well-adjusted, functioning adult, Edgar Allan Poe, most would agree, satisfied a self-fulfilling prophecy of a life of destruction, depression and mental illness. Yet, even though he faced several obstacles on his road to success, he left behind a legacy of pioneering and extraordinary work that most likely would not have been the same, had his tribulations not had a profound effect on the writing’s eventual quality. Peeples, Scott. Edgar Allan Poe Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1998. Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. New York: Coopers Square Publishers, 1969. Wagenknecht, Edward. Edgar Allan Poe: The Man Behind the Legend. New York: Oxford UP, 1963. Buranelli, Vincent. Edgar Allan Poe. G.K. Hall Co., 1977. Bloom, Harold. The Tales of Poe. New York, New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Davidson, Edward H. Poe: A Critical Study. Oxford University Press, 1969. Pruette, Lorrine. â€Å"A Psychoanalytical Study of Edgar Allan Poe.† American Journal of Psychology 31 (1920): 370-402. Bonaparte, Marie. The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe: A Psychanalytic Interpretation. Anglobooks, 1927. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"Annabel Lee.† The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. New York, New York: Walter J. Black, Inc., 1927. 12-13. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Black Cat.† The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. New York, New York: Walter J. Black, Inc., 1927. 209-216. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher.† The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. New York, New York: Walter J. Black, Inc., 1927. 273-286. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"Marginalia.† The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. New York, New York: Walter J. Black, Inc., 1927. 217-227. Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"Life and Death.† The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. New York, New York: Walter J. Black, Inc., 1927. 159-164. Research Papers on Edgar Allan Poe's Autobiographical Inspiration - Literature EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsMind TravelPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is ArtThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationEffects of Television Violence on Children19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito

The Keynesian School of Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Keynesian School of Economics - Essay Example Keynes brought out theories that form a base to understand the great depression. With the help of these theories, Keynes attempted to explain how a thing as great depression could occur and suggested actions that could help in overcoming the same. The theory also suggested a set of measures that could further avoid any such happening and could maintain a healthy equilibrium of the overall economy that could support good amount of employment along with an appropriate demand and supply. This would in turn promise that enough amount of money circulated in the market that could be used for business investments and productions to meet the demand. Individuals such as Robert Lucas, Thomas J. Sargent, and Robert Barro carried the theory forward but at the same time questioned many of its percepts. This resulted into small large modifications in the original theory and came to be know as 'The Keynesian Revolution' in which new adjustments were proposed to the original Keynesian tenets. In many aspects, the Keynesian theory departed with the classical economics that was much prevalent in those days. Keynes debated that as proposed by the classical theory, the markets would not by itself achieve a state of full employment equilibrium, but at any given point and amount of unemployment, an economy can come to a standstill and stopping any further progress. He also found the classical theory to be inadequate in providing equal financial opportunities and being unable to solve the problem of unemployment. "The outstanding faults of the economic society in which we live are its failure to provide for full employment and its arbitrary and inequitable distribution of wealth and incomes" [Keynes, 1936]. The classical theory advocated a policy of non-intervention by the state government in the economic affairs and suggested that the economy is entirely self regulating that does not require any external manipulation for it to achieve a state of balance. Whereas the Keynesian theory suggested that the economy would require appropriate manipulations to direct its growth in a desired manner and this is to be achieved by active involvement of the government by continuously managing the amount of aggregate demand. Demand is the key by which the government could exercise control over the market and the total amount of employment. " Aggregate demand shocks can cause significant changes in output and employment if agents adjust prices and wages in ways that are 'insignificantly' suboptimal from their individual standpoints" [Page 43, N. Gregory]. On this account the policies that are framed on the basis of Keynesian theories are called 'Demand Management Policies'. The Keynesian theory also does not distinguish between short-run and long-run principles as the classical theory does. Keynes suggested that the economy could stabilize at any equilibrium level of income and that it was the role of the government to verify that the given equilibrium is appropriate for the state economy. If the equilibrium does not promise total employment, the government needs to interfere by using appropriate policies to achieve the desired equilibrium. In that case the government would either have to implement reflationary policy that can boost the aggregate demand or deflationary policy that can decrease the aggregate demand in the market. The chief theories put forward by Keynes were: The Labor

Organisation behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisation behavior - Essay Example This is because an organization entails a gamut of emotions – from elation to distress, and frustration (Ashkanasy, 2003, 9-54). There is often pressure to meet deadlines leading to stress and frustration. Thus, it is only by handling such varied emotions that can help the employees in achieving their desired organizational goals, with ease. A happy mind and mood, can think better – leading to productive decision making and successful accomplishments of organizational objectives. There is a growing fascination and interest among researchers and managers alike, on the subject of Emotional Intelligence and the role it plays in enhancing job performance of employees in organizations. The claim can be substantiated with the wide amount of literature linking emotional intelligence and job performance (Barsade, Brief, Spataro, 2003) in organizational context. In the earlier times, the aspect of emotional intelligence was rarely mentioned in literature on organizational studie s (Martin, Knopoff, Beckman, 1998, 429) however, the scenario has changed drastically over the years, and "employee emotions" are now recognized and acknowledged as an integral and inseparable part of their performance, leading to valuable contributions in organizations (Ashkanasy, Zerbe and Hartel, 2005). Definitions: According to Wharam (2009, 11), Emotional Intelligence is: â€Å"The potential to be aware of and use one's own emotions in communication with oneself and others and to manage and motivate oneself and others through understanding emotions† According to According to Goleman (2006, 189) "Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and our relationships". According to Sparrow & Knight (2009, 29) emotional intelligence entails use of the following key elements: -ability to identify feelings; pay attention to others emotions; give importance to the way others feel about things; and consider ones' feelings in decision making. Analysis The development of literature focusing on the relevance and influence of emotional intelligence on job performance, has broadened the visions of managers regarding the skills and abilities which are perceived as necessary for particular job types. Emotional intelligence is a critical element, particularly in an organizational setting, since it can play an important role in various key tasks such as hiring (Murphy, 2006). It has been established through research that people with high emotional intelligence quotient fare better than those with a low EQ. This significant discovery has helped managers understand the reasons behind the failure of certain academically high achieving employees in jobs requiring inter-personal skills. Emotional intelligence is known to improve the emotional and interpersonal skills of employees, which is required in managerial jobs (Lombardo, Ruderman, & McCauley, 1988, 199-216). On the basis of various studies conducted over the years, it has been established that employee performance is directly related to their emotions, i.e. positive or negative. Negative emotions such as anger, fear or distress were observed to have a negative impact on their performance and effectiveness on the job. Such negative feelings tend to distract the employees from their tasks at hand, resulting in unproductive work (Elfenbein

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 27

English - Essay Example The author carefully creates a controversial issue in this story where it can be seen that the storm is brewing in an otherwise happy family. The author tries to evoke the feelings of the readers to sympathise with Holly who is trapped in a difficult situation which has resulted in clashes of interests. For instance, she has to answer the phone call from Owen while at the same time attending to the needs and interests of the family such as preparing dinner for them. Therefore, Holly is supposed to balance between the needs of two separate but very important groups of people in her life. She cannot ignore her brother while at the same time she should also cater for the needs of her family as the mother. The author uses imagery to make the story more authentic. In order to show that Steven is not impressed by the behaviour of Owen he says, â€Å"He can’t sleep at night. Sometimes he sleeps during the day so it’s night for day for him† (160). The author tries to show how Steven is frustrated by these incessant calls which apparently are made between six and seven every day when wholly is supposed to be concentrating on family chores such as preparing dinner for them. Through the use of the above statement, the author tries to show that Owen wants his problem to belong to everyone. In Steven’s view, such calls should be made during the day when Holly is not very busy with family chores. Oats also uses imagery when Steven says to her wife, â€Å"He is eating you up alive,† (160). The readers are forced to imagine such a situation where a person is ‘eaten’ alive. Though unimaginable, the author tries to make the story vivid so that the rea ders can be in a position to imagine the dire situation Holly is in. Holly’s love for her brother is now jeopardizing her marriage since this is now creating unprecedented problems between her and the husband. Holly’s commitment to her brother Owen

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION - Essay Example The layer absorbs the hazardous Ultra Violet radiations emitted by the sun which would, otherwise, destroy the life of both animals and plants. The others include mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere as shown in the diagram below. Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally and which concentrates into a layer in the stratosphere to form the protective stratospheric ozone layer. Siva and Reddy (2011) describe the ozone layer as the sunscreen of the earth. The layer is made up of ozone, which has molecules with three oxygen atoms (O3). The layer is located between 19km -50 km above the surface of the earth, and absorbs almost 99% of the high frequency rays of the sun. The ozone layer’s thickness varies with geographical locations and seasons. Of notable concern is the fact that there have been signs of depletion of this sensitive protective shield called the ozone layer particularly the hole discovered in Antartic Peninsula towards the end of the 19th century. The depletion of the ozone layer causes problems wheredirect UV rays from the sun poses a health risk to human beings. Over the years, this has been an issue of serious concern among different nations. As such, various measures have been proposed that are meant to address the problem. This includes legislation being passed by different countries in order to help control the situation. This paper specifically looks at how the Montreal Protocol has been designed to address the problem. The paper will also discuss various measures that have also been taken by other countries to deal with the same problem. The paper starts by explaining the problems caused by ozone layer depletion and goes on to explain in detail the extent to which this problem can be solved. The problem of ozone layer depletion was first noticed around 1978 and it has been significantly gaining attention by different countries. For instance, the ozone hole that became noticeable towards the end of the 19th century denotes a region in

Social constructions of gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Social constructions of gender - Essay Example To some extent I think the major issue bringing about all these arguments is the fact that there is no proper definition of the term gender that each of the opposing groups can use as the base for their arguments in order to come up with the middle ground in the alignment of the contentious issues underlying the whole matter. Depending on the line of argument that has been taken by any of the opposing sides, the gender matter can be defined in two distinct lines of thought which of course tend to oppose each other bringing about the two antagonistic sides in the whole argument over the subject matter. On one side, some people define gender based on their biological origins and structure thereby categorizing them as either male or female, though another category of gender has recently come into play and is rapidly claiming recognition as far as the classification of gender is concerned. This third gender is the transgender which is mainly common in America and is a fusion of the two b iological definitions. A proper classification of the third gender as far as its biological orientation is concerned has not yet been devised, but it still cut across the two main ones (Dube, 2001). On the other hand the term gender has been defined on the social basis depending on the roles carried out by the two biologically defined gender categories. It is good to note here that the social definition fuses both the biological orientation of the two gender lines with the social roles assigned to each biological gender in the society.

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION - Essay Example The layer absorbs the hazardous Ultra Violet radiations emitted by the sun which would, otherwise, destroy the life of both animals and plants. The others include mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere as shown in the diagram below. Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally and which concentrates into a layer in the stratosphere to form the protective stratospheric ozone layer. Siva and Reddy (2011) describe the ozone layer as the sunscreen of the earth. The layer is made up of ozone, which has molecules with three oxygen atoms (O3). The layer is located between 19km -50 km above the surface of the earth, and absorbs almost 99% of the high frequency rays of the sun. The ozone layer’s thickness varies with geographical locations and seasons. Of notable concern is the fact that there have been signs of depletion of this sensitive protective shield called the ozone layer particularly the hole discovered in Antartic Peninsula towards the end of the 19th century. The depletion of the ozone layer causes problems wheredirect UV rays from the sun poses a health risk to human beings. Over the years, this has been an issue of serious concern among different nations. As such, various measures have been proposed that are meant to address the problem. This includes legislation being passed by different countries in order to help control the situation. This paper specifically looks at how the Montreal Protocol has been designed to address the problem. The paper will also discuss various measures that have also been taken by other countries to deal with the same problem. The paper starts by explaining the problems caused by ozone layer depletion and goes on to explain in detail the extent to which this problem can be solved. The problem of ozone layer depletion was first noticed around 1978 and it has been significantly gaining attention by different countries. For instance, the ozone hole that became noticeable towards the end of the 19th century denotes a region in

Globalization, as the world has experienced it since the 1970s, has Assignment

Globalization, as the world has experienced it since the 1970s, has been rooted in neoliberal policy. Discuss alternative frame - Assignment Example As Jessop notes, neoliberal doctrine emerged as a dominant ideological force due to the convergence of progressive trends of economic internationalization, the apparent failure of Keynesian welfare state, East Asian developmentalism and Soviet model of central planning; and the emergence of new social forces brought about by the former developments (Jessop 105). The neoliberal theorists seem to proceed from the same assumptions that social liberals take for granted; they proclaim their commitment to a basic right of individual autonomy and assert that the basis of modern society should consist of wide variety of voluntary associations independent from the state control. Nevertheless, neoliberals take the common idea of all liberal thinkers about the necessity of expansion of market economy (Jessop 106) to its extreme limits, arguing that all social relations should be evaluated from the point of their compatibility with the freedom of market transactions. This includes an emphasis on deregulation of the financial markets both in domestic and international spheres; the ideological commitment to the curtailment of state intervention in the capitalist market economy; the introduction of the principle of market efficiency into the sphere of public welfare; and the commitment for the privatization of public enterprises and services (Jessop 107). The cities and city regions are especially affected by the neoliberal project of globalization. The dramatic restructuring of urban communities that began in the 1970s to 1980s led to the increasing marginalization of the relatively numerous swathes of the urban population caused by the drastic rise in unemployment (Swyngedouw, Moulaert, and Rodriguez

Costco Wholesale Essay Example for Free

Costco Wholesale Essay 1. Executive Summary Costco Wholesale Corporation founded in 1983 by Jim Sinegal in Seatle Washington with a vision mission â€Å"to continually provide members with quality of goods and services at the lowest possible price control inventory.† Part of their strategy include direct buying relationship that ensures an efficient strong SC management, high standard staffing plans, high quality products at lower prices and assessable to members who are considered more loyal. Efforts are made to develop strategic options in line with these strategies while focusing on the supply chain parameters that span from order placement to receipt of goods at the warehouse and made available to customers in the warehouse shop floor using the most cost effective processes in order to ensure they support the mission of the company. By assessing Costco’s external opportunities and threats as well as the internal strengths and weaknesses (using SWOT Porter’s Five Forces analysis), one can infer they are doing well within their industry. More options were generated to increase sales and awareness of the retail warehouses. The report concludes with recommendations for Costco to sustain it’s market edge and advance by expanding into the European Asian markets more as their presence is still very weak in these regions as well as add other services goods to their already existing list. 2. Introduction Costco Wholesale Corporation founded in 1983 within the retail industry is the largest warehouse club in the world based on sales volume. A major wholesale business offering three levels of membership and the largest wholesale club operator in the US with membership/warehouse locations spread across Asia, Europe, North South America with headquarters based in Washington, US. Their main competitors operating membership warehouses include Sam’s Club BJ’s wholesale club. Jim Sinegal, the founder defines the company vision as â€Å"giving the best to the customer at the best value possible†. Here best value (in quality of goods services offered) at low prices are the driving force. Costco backs up it’s products with a return policy within a time frame of average 90 days, a highly endearing attraction to it’s members. The business model focuses on low prices volume purchase in order to achieve profit at low margin with stores offering discounts on an average of 4,000 products out of which roughly a thousand are ‘treasure hunt’ referring to goods that are scarcely available for purchase always. Volume purchase from few vendors yielding further reduction in price and lowers cost in marketing. With low prices, quality goods in limited selection based on forecast lead to quick turnover in inventory. The high volume purchase and efficient network distribution yield efficiency in operations for Costco. With a stipulated membership fee, Costco warehouses are designed to help small to medium size businesses reduce purchasing costs as well as serving large families with the goods packaged in bulk ranging from alcoholic beverages, electronics, fresh food/produce, household office supplies, pharmaceuticals tires. Also available are special memberships with services like car home insurance, m ortgage and real estate services, and packages for travels. 3.Purpose and Main Areas Of the Research (Concepts Techniques) Analyzing the supply chain operations at Costco wholesales, in line with the business focus while limiting to it’s supply chain operations strategy for maintaining a competitive edge as it relates to SC operations (from sourcing to arrival on pallets and or display at their various warehouses racks), their challenges and options for improvement will be the focus of this report. The following issues will form questions that will give a frame for this report: †¢ What are the key issues facing Costco in line with (efficient) Supply Chain Operations? †¢ What would be options to compete with these issues?  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Which options best suits the business focus and would yield better growth financially? The sections thereafter will consider trying to answer the questions above by applying SWOT analysis (see appendix 1) and Porter’s five forces framework (see appendix 2). Areas needing improvement will be obvious from such, options that would generate better performance after localizing issues peculiar to Costco. These would ultimately lead to clear recommendations for Costco’s improvement. Due to inaccessibility of authentic and current data for successive years on sales, further analysis could not be carried out to compare Costco for accurate sales assessment in the last three years or compare with the other two leading club wholesalers (Sam’s BJs). Identifying, analyzing key parameters with Supply chain operations processes at Costco and suggest areas of possible improvement. Inventory Management: Since good are moved straight to the selling floor and inventory is not held by Costco but managed by vendors, inventory labor cost of handling is avoided. In their meat grocery section for instance, they focus on low-price high volume strategies hence, Costco carry very limited amounts of grocery perishables whereas Wal-Mart is known to have weakness in the area of perishables (Petrak, 2006) Partnership/Collaboration with suppliers: Costco has buying relationships with many producers of national brands and are supplied directly from suppliers routing to the warehouses of docking points that serve as distribution points. Partnership market is an attribute of Costco, for instance by partnering with American Express to create a Costco-AMEX credit card, discounts cash cards as offered to customers while Costco markets Amex cards, thereby helping them to acquire more customers. Distribution Strategies/Transportation: The redesign of product packages to fit into pallets and thereby maximize space has led to reduction of trucks used to transport goods. Cross-docking of goods by delivering directly to Costco stores while some are kept in the distribution centers saves a lot of time cost along the SC. Utilization of buzzers for truck drives at delivery points to indicate when trucks have been unloaded can save time as against the truck driver’s physical movement within the warehouse is a time saver. Their warehouses are not situated on prime locations hence cost is saved from unnecessary high property cost; again, they own over 80% of the warehouses. Green Logistics: Costco Kirkland signature has launched eco friendly cleaning products. It maximizes the use of solar power in it’s warehouses, it’s delivery trucks are better packaged to allow maximization of space so as to reduce fleets of transportation and hence environmental pollution. Energy is better conserved with timed lighting and construction of warehouses that can maximize skylight during the day. Food products are packaged in recyclable and more environmentally friendly materials. Customers are paid to recycle their old electronics at the green sight. Information Technology: This retailer prides itself in it’s connection of all warehouses to the headquarters in Washington. By using the EFIM which provides real time information, manages control systems and inventory management system. The ECR is used to achieve profitability, improvement in efficiency, logistics, procurement and overall cost control. Kumar (2008) records that approximately $6 billion in a year is lost in the USA by supermarkets due to out of stock products among 25 top retailers as a result of inefficiency in their logistics. Vertical Integration: Costco practices a partial vertical integration with it’s cross-dock distribution. By gaining control of either its inputs or its outputs or both in sourcing directly from suppliers they have more control over innovation delivery of those services. Cost is also reduced which is ultimately transferred to customers. Further optimization of operational performance through SC operations options that can sustain a competitive edge and improve customer satisfaction through service improvement and cost reduction. 4. Description Of The Separate Areas 4.1Description of The SC Operations Performance Improvement. The measurement of SC performance can be based on profit, customer service or sales maximization (Chow, 1994). While the traditional method majorly measured product costs, identification of costs related to customer service is key. Elimination of various extraneous costs like plastic shopping bags, fewer shop floor staff, limited product variety brands on shelf and also slowing down on capital expenditure like expansion, Costco has been able to focus on improving buying power for achieving greater output. Since inventory rates are quickly turned over, payments to suppliers is fast tracked hence they are able to benefit from discounted early payments. Cost is involved in sourcing products from suppliers, shipment to depots warehouses, distribution to warehouses storage in inventory. By considering the concept of avoidable cost (possibly considering packaging storage), efforts can be made to improve on SC performance by implementing better SC integration program. Partnering with more suppliers and or service providers for better flow of operations as well as building keener competition can enhance better efficiency leading to more profit in the long run. More side business services can be added at Costco like money order and cash transfers to attract more customers and make Costco a one stop store. Aside from email messages being sent to existing members on promotions, greater awareness can create a more organized means to lure more customers on the expanding array of products services such that new more revenue streams are attained. 4.2 Issues Affecting Supply Chain and Possible Solutions Analysis of SC at Costco using SWOT analysis (appendix 1) reveals Costco is doing really well. Growth opportunities exist for business by entering the European Asian markets as these have not been exploited. From present methods of operations, the high staff salary and low margins maintenance amongst other issues need to be looked into for future prospects. The aging and close exit of the CEO along with growing competition and other threats in intended foreign markets such as political and religious wars, foreign exchange bank issues are threats to consider. In dealing with these issues, it will be important to assess briefly lead time management, product handling, transportation, quality, inventory as well as possible process solutions. Where possible, promotions should be done to enhance more sales though with the low prices and already highlighted low margin high employee, this may eat into the profitability but if well planned can create more publicity for the company which can yield quick inventory turnover. Since low overhead tight operation is the practice, better savings can be passed on to customers in form of promotion or otherwise. Exploration of overseas market is still a strong force and will yield greater profit considering the existing reputation Costco has and understudying how business is executed in such regions. Development of more private labels on wider product range and increased focus on customer loyalty programs are worth considering as well. It is advisable the board of management put in place a business plan before the exit/retirement of the CEO. Porters Five Forces analysis (see appendix 2) could identify an overall attractive industry, with the following power and threat situation: The buyer power was determined to have a positive potential impact on Costco business as it portray that buyers have the requisite level of expendable incomes to provide effective demand for goods services. In a similar manner, low threat of new entrants and substitute products portray an attractive industry whereas moderate internal rivalry and supplier power have a positive impact on Costco operations as it kept the company alert and devoid of complacency. 4.3 Analyzing The Contribution Of SCOM to Competitive Business Performance To further highlight the role of SCOM in enhancing business performance and maintaining a competitive edge, a few activities like volume purchasing, efficient packaging distribution, supplier integration customer integration have contributed to give a close picture of Costco capabilities and business level performance with each activity having unique benefits and detriments. Again, constant review of SCM practices may further help management in Costco to further match demand with SC requirements like efficient, lean SC (Cook et al , 2011). Their Network design, JIT resource planning distribution, optimization of transport replenishment policies have impacted positively and should be subject to constant review for sustaining a competitive edge. 5. Conclusion Finally, it is believed that some useful contributions are being developed to improve supply chain and it’s operation in line with the objective of Costco in delivering quality at lowest cost to customers on time with the aim of sustaining a more competitive advantage. Some useful SC options have been suggested above which support these objectives. While the ultimate goal remains to sustainably increase market share by achieving more qualitative growth and at the same time expand on the earning base through exploitation of the European market and already existing markets, Mascarehas et al (2004) adds that â€Å"competitive advantage must be won again and again† in other words, giving the current ever changing business world we live in, customer tastes and priorities are changing hence the need for Costco to be better positioned in order to respond always to it’s members needs while expanding on new fronts.

Wireless Devices and Applications

Wireless Devices and Applications There are different uses of remote gadgets inside a business association. The applications, for example, M-Business and field benefit administration. The advances that are utilized by remote gadgets: Email, SMS, WAP, Wi-Fi, PDAs, Cell phone, GPS and WLAN. Remote telemedicine in which pictures of conclusion and therapeutic treatment is sent utilizing remote system inside an association is one of the WDA application. There are substantial quantities of uses in which remote gadgets are utilized inside associations, for example, document sharing, texting to staff individuals and errand planning. There are countless that are putting forth different remote applications and gadget. The different famous WDA suppliers, for example, Sprint, Verizon and ATT. Contending in the market drives them to give best administrations keeping in mind the end goal to build their profitability and incomes. The point of these merchants is to furnish better remote arrangements with greater security strategies and expanded data transmission and execution. These WDA suppliers have alternatives for moving up to their administrations, according to the client needs and market patterns. These remote suppliers goes for giving best quality administrations more components as changing business sector pattern and client necessities. These associations have adaptable plans of action which give the capacity to assemble and execute such plans that requires change according to the necessities of clients. The plans of action B2B and B2C utilized by Verizon is a standout amongst the most adaptable model in which number of modules and techniques can be added by organizations necessity which extemporizes organizations profitability by executing such models. With the developing innovation techniques the execution and administrations by WDA gadgets must be at the pinnacle so that more clients will be pulled in. Better data transfer capacity, checking frameworks and giving administrations at lower cost is a portion of the regions in which an association r ivals another. Verizon has its reliable model which has a few elements, for example, speed, connectionless, adaptability and security. Verizon has presented another model for performing distributed computing administrations for giving successful business answers for its clients. Verizon concentrates on giving more business-focused way to deal with giving cloud administrations and advancement of such framework which can meet the necessities of clients. This current Verizons cloud hosts a few elements for coordinating third get-together applications and giving information relocation offices better workload functionalities. This present Verizons cloud display goes for giving greater security to the cloud information and applications with availability to open cloud administrations. It has a few elements and apparatuses that assistance in sending of cloud applications and support operations. Sprint additionally has an adaptable plan of action in which changes should be possible as per prerequisites, for example, the new System Vision design has been presented for giving vitality proficient arrangements. The developing innovation gives the more number of business openings by setting their business inclines by giving amazing finished results with fantastic consumer loyalty. The aggressiveness of a business association relies on upon its administrations offered, for example, speed, transmission capacity, flag scope, cost, unwavering quality and execution. These different WDA gives goes for expanding efficiency, better remote arrangements and incomes. Remote suppliers have reliable models for giving superb administrations to its customers with overhaul choices to its gadgets and advancements. A plan of action that must be produced by these specialist co-ops in, for example, a way that it can be altered by changing needs and innovation patterns. On the premise of different correlations made above it has been inferred that among these three remote sellers Verizon it at the top in furnishing fantastic items with most extreme consumer loyalty. Verizon has the biggest number of endorsers eve rywhere throughout the world as in contrast with AT and T and Sprint. As a result of its remarkable plan of action and approached it turned out to be an effective and adaptable model for giving remote administrations over the globe. References Baumer. (2004). Legal Environment of Business In the Information Age. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/0697804534/ Funk, J. L. (12/2003). Mobile Disruption: The Technologies and Applications Driving the Mobile Internet, 1st Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781118118207/ Wireless, V. (2008). BUSINESS STRATEGY. Retrieved from http://team6verizon.blogspot.in/2008/07/business-strategy.html.

The Worries Of Aging :: essays research papers

T. S. Eliot's poem 'The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock'; is quite a lengthy poem for the novice poetry reader, which consists of some 130 lines. Yet, it is the poem's mass that enables the rookie to discern the theme at length. In the beginning and later towards the ending of the poem, the narrator seems to be daydreaming, using a lot of imagery to portray fun or pretty places of solitude, which makes the stanzas ambiguous. In the center of the poem the narrator describes his human feelings towards the surrounding people and objects; here is where a logical connection can be grasped. The narrator is preoccupied with the passing of time and often thinks of tranquil, imaginary places to elude his plaguing thoughts of social ostracism. The theme of this poem, suggesting from the era of time and the narrator's tone, is that age is a burden and man is deeply troubled by it. The author is stating the trouble the narrator is having dealing with middle age and the inhibition to communicate. There are several meanings in the poem that suggest this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eliot uses the words, 'And how should I begin?'; and 'How should I presume?'; repetitiously. This shows the narrator is unconfident with himself mentally and physically. Lines 41 and 44, '(They will say: 'How his hair is growing thin!';)';, and '(They will say: 'But how his arms and legs are thin!';)'; indicates he is terrified of what will happen if people see his balding head or his slim and aging body. He feels that people will think he is old and useless and that they will talk about him behind his back. Another suggestion of aging and how it anguishes the emotions is the stereotype old men have of faltering when trying to communicate ideas with people. The repetition of words the narrator uses like 'vision and revision';, illustrates his feelings of inadequacy in communicating with the people around him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moreover, his insecurity and low self-esteem obscures his love life greatly. It hinders him from doing the things he wishes to do. The woman he is in love with is younger than he is and this is emotionally painful for him. He does not believe that some younger women could possibly accept him or find him attractive. To express any kind of affection or attraction toward her is awkward and difficult for him. Lines 79-80, 'Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?

Poetry vs. Prose in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeare Hamlet

Poetry vs. Prose in Shakespeare's Hamlet In any discussion of poetry vs. prose worth it's stanzas, questions regarding such tools as meter, rhyme, and format must come into play. These are, after all, the most obvious distinguishing features of poetry, and they must certainly be key in determining the definition, and in fact nature, of poetry. Yet a term as broad as "poetry" is not so easily quantified as to simply attribute physical characteristics to it and let all writing either fall into or out of that category. Poetry is determined by the effect upon the reader. It is an individual opinion, and thus defined by the collected (individual) reactions. Queen. There is a willow grows askaunt the brook, That shows his hoary leaves on the glassy stream, Therewith fantastic garlands did she make Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples That liberal shepherds give a grosser name, But our cull-cold maids do dead men's fingers call them. There on the pendant boughs her crownet weeds Clamb'ring to hand, an envious sliver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide, And mermaid-like awhile they bore her up, Which time she chaunted snatches of old lauds, As one incapable of her own distress, Or like a creature native and indued Unto that element. But long it could not be Till that her garments heavy with their drink, Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay To muddy death. -Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV Scene VII Take, for example, the above text from Hamlet. One of the more stirring monologues of the play, it describes the death of Ophelia in specific, touching terms. Think of the audience re... ...cess. One can only hope that it is better than, "You know, to muddy death." Poetry is the feeling that comes when a person sees something that strikes a chord in their chest which reverberates in the rhythm struck. How often have you heard something other than line poetry described passionately as "poetic"? It is a common word because it is descriptive of that wonder we have when we read truly good verse. It is a common word because after we feel it once (in that poetry), we know it again in other forms. Not all of those forms rhyme. The poetry is not the line placement, it is what the line placement helps express. It is simply a more effective (and more technically difficult) thing to accomplish when placed in meter. Poetry is that song that finds its way from within when we see it in some form before us, regardless of line or verse.

Correctional Operations Essay

Many nations and cultures have come up with official laws to protect their citizens from crimes. Over the years these laws have been in force, to help keep society from becoming anarchy. Different forms of punishments have been used to detour would be criminals. However you will find citizens still tends to break the laws. These days all countries have a justice system and a prison for locking up their threats to society. Many countries do sentence someone to death for an extreme form of punishment. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (Encarta, 2007) was the first legal record found in the Middle East. However, the Western nations seem to follow laws started by Ancient Rome (Encarta, 2007). Before long each city had a court and had established their own laws, to protect the citizens. Soon after the Roman Empire established the Law of Twelve Tables, to confirm their society. But most people believe that the earliest form of law can be found in the twelve centuries which is known as the J ustinian Code (Encarta, 2007). For many centuries people have died or been punished for committing theft, rape, or unspeakable crimes. In 1532, the Holy Roman Empire created the Constitio Criminalis to punish criminals. But not every county followed that law, so these countries created their own legal system, where each county would deal with its criminals in their countries, when they needed to. For the most part, punishment was used to punish or deter these would be criminals. Life became more civilized with each passing century, as new punishments were created. Many people felt safer with laws that could protect them. Centuries later the Pennsylvania System was created by the Quakers, Pennsylvania became the center of prison reform worldwide. This happen when William Penn, Penn who had been confined in England for his Quaker beliefs abolished the Duke of York’s several criminal code which was in effect in other parts of British North America, where among other offenses, the penalty of death was applied for murder, denying â€Å"the true God† homosexual acts and kidnapping, severe physical punishments were used for what were  considered lesser crimes. The true root of the Quaker system was to create more humane treatment for criminals, they decided that criminals needed more constructive punishment and a place where they can be alone to repent and turn back to God rather than such cruel punishment. The Quakers believe that criminals could reformed and return to society as a change people. Prisoners were put to work in the prison so that their time could be used wisely. In the 1820s the Auburn System was in full swing, this system was different from the Quakers they believe in complete silence, smaller cells and any economic advantage over the Pennsylvania System. In the long run both of these prison system failed, then came along the Auburn System which modern corrections used their old method of old cells blocks and solitary confinement. Each county began hiring sheriffs and creating legal systems to deal out the punishments. Most people welcome the new laws and sense of safety, yet some refuse to follow them. Some criminals were lightly punished and some were killed, for the crimes they committed. The justice system grew into a major part of society; however, it was not perfect. . But not long many citizens felt that the criminals deserved what punishments they received. More jails were built and more criminals began challenging the new laws that had been established by the courts. Unfortunately, societies were being victimized by the criminals or gangs or criminals. So, many new sheriffs and detective agencies were established to help police the growing neighborhoods. Many people supported the role of the sheriffs and they volunteered to help as deputies. In the old times, criminals were tortured as a form of punishment, by the Roman Empire. Some criminals hang on crosses, killed by torture, and place in dungeons to die. For this reason many began to revolt against the Roman rule and they were punished as criminals too. Soon the Roman Empire fell and many separate societies began growing throughout the world. Before long, the Modern ages began and many prisons were built in the 19th century. Many countries were ruled by the King and Queen of Britain at the turn of the 19th century. Severely changes have happened to the justice system during that time. Which made life much easier for the citizens; criminals were locked away and punished for the crimes that they committed. Each criminal had to be found guilty by the court first, before they could be  punished. Many new laws were created, in order to help the citizen feel safe and keep the peace. However, some citizens still felt that capital punishment was to hash. By the 20th century, the British rule began to fade, as the revolution grew and many fled to the New World. Due to prison overcrowding, many courts systems were looking for ways to deal with criminals. Many courts began giving probation to petty thieves and criminals; besides locking them up. Soon young offenders were removed from the adult court system and dealt with in juvenile court. Then the court began looking for ways, to rehabilitate the juvenile offenders. Many schools and programs were created, in order to stop the troubled youth from becoming adult offenders. Also many adult programs began popping up; with the intentions to help rehabilitate small crime offenders. Some criminals were able to change and become productive part of society (National Archives, 2007). Alexander Maconochie came up with the concept of early release for hard work and good behavior, also parole which was created by Sir Walter Crofton and the Irish system, which we in the United State use today. Om the late 1800s reformatory system was established, some were given education classes, and early release and punishment was not the focus. However, some adults were unable to be rehabilitating by the programs, so eventually more prisons had to be built to house youth and adult offenders that were unable to be rehabilitated. After the justice system realized that punishments were not stopping criminals from committing crimes. Many scientist and doctors began studying the behavior of criminals, especially their childhood. Some scientist has found that many criminals have had troubled childhood, which may lead to their behavior. However, some criminals are raised in a good home; yet they still commit horrible crimes to date no one has come up with a magic pill that can stop these criminals from committing crimes. Many societies have tried to find a way to stop criminals, from creating a justice system to building prisons. However, no matter how history has tried to stop the criminals, they still seem to victimize helpless people. Maybe, with further study and a better understanding of why they commit crimes, future generations can stop them. But, at this point only prisons seem to help those, who have become habitual offenders. Hopefully, one day we can create  a magic pill or a way to stop criminals from hurting others. Until then, we must let the justice system work for us and our society The correction system in the United States have changed many times over the past years, many theories went from retaliation, physical punishment, reforming and back. The population of inmates in the United States and Federal prisons and jails has grown at an unprecedented rate in the past thirty years. Since 2000, the census of prisoners being detained in state and federal prisons has risen 13%. Since 1990, the census has grown 100% the census has grown a staggering 366%. The thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was passed by the senate on April 8th, 1864 and approved by the House on January 31st, 1865 and ratified on December 6th, 1865 abolish slavery as a legal institution. The thirteenth Amendment stated.† Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, nor any place subject to their jurisdiction†. Right after the 13th Amendment was passed, the Black Code was created, the Black Code were laws in the United States after the Civil War with the effect of limiting the basic human right and civil liberties of blacks. As newly freed slaves would soon learn, freedom was not as they had anticipated. White southerners were anxious to regain power over them and used the law in order to achieve that objective, the code served as a way to control and inhibit the freedom of ex-slaves. The Code controlled almost all aspect of their lives and prohibited African Americans from the freedoms that had been won. Not only did the whites wanted to control ex-slaves but they need laborers. While things could no longer be exactly the same as in slavery, the whites found a way to guarantee that blacks would serve as their laborers. The whites encompassed some of the antebellum restrictions on free blacks, northern apprenticeship laws, they took their civil and legal rights, from marriage to the right to hold and sell property. Laws were different in each state but most embodied the same kind of restrictions. Commonly, codes compelled freedman to work. But in many states if unemployed, African American faced being arrested and charged with vagrancy. Many of those that did work had their days regulated. Codes dictated their hours of labor, duties and the behavior assigned to them as agricultural workers. Almost every aspect of their lives was regulated, including the freedom to roam; blacks were not permitted to enter towns without permission. In 1866 black codes were suspended by Federal officials who noted that the codes were too harsh and bias they decided that blacks should be subjected to the same penalties and regulations as whites. Along with the black code came the convict leasing system, this was the leasing of prisoners to private companies who would pay the state a fee for the service. Prisoners would work for these companies day after day returning to their cells each night while business profit from free prisoners labors. These black prisoners would survive less than six years; the death rate among these inmates was almost 45% for those in the south. Another way to keep free blacks in slavery was Sharecropping for those man who did not want to go to prison, sharecropping was the only way former slaves could survive . But the high prices and interest rate charged by store and land owners caused these blacks to be in constant debt. Another way blacks were kept was by chain gangs, the crimes was breach of a contract, even today there are some states that still adopt chain gangs like, Florida, Alabama and Arizona. Amnesty International one of the leading humanitarian groups said that the practice of chain gangs is inhumane, to use handcuffs, and chains etc. on prisoners is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Today prisoners have another dilemma to deal with privatization of prisons; privatization of prison is not new it has been around for centuries, private corporations are once again owning and operating prisons for profit. A controversial issue which dates back to the days that followed the Emancipation Proclamation, private prisons owners and manage prisoners making thousands of millions of dollars from prisoner’s labor while the prisoners earn nothing. The 13th amendment allows a form of slavery to exist legally, when we look at people who are jailed for nonviolent crimes within the criminal justice system, like the Black Code, Sharecropping and Chain Gangs and then privatizing of prisons the 13th Amendment shape slavery through the penal system. President Lincoln abolished the cruel and unusual punishment, but if we look there is a small part which we may call a clause that states, â€Å"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crimes whereof the party  shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, nor any place subjected to their jurisdiction†. The Amendment did not specify what crimes, felony, misdemeanor or even a traffic ticket; it just said crime and all of these are crimes. Yet we see many people not convicted of crimes and they are punished, placed in prison, locked up and work for fee. The 13th Amendment has reshaped and defined slavery the moment it was placed on paper. The 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution is a guarantee of state right. The Tenth Amendment is similar to an earlier provision of the Articles of Confederation. â€Å"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled. When the 10th Amendment was introduced in congress, James Madison explained that many states were anxious to ratify this amendment, despite critics who deemed the amendment superfluous or unnecessary. The constitution designed the federal government to be a government of limited and enumerated powers. This is saying that the federal government only has power over the things that are specifically given to it in the constitution, all other powers is given to the state. The 10th Amendment noted that â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, or by the states are reserved to the states respectively or to the people†. I believe the founding fathers created this Amendment because they did not want the central government which is the federal government to become too powerful and did not want that government to tell them how they should live their lives daily. They wanted to give the local state power to control their own affairs to make laws and rules that their people can live by and not have the federal government total control of their affair. The 10th Amendment when it comes to the Florida criminal justice system and prison is this. Advocate can bring more cases under the 10th Amendment, which will have huge positive implication for freedom so long as the current constitution of the courts holds. â€Å"Federalism secures the freedom of the individual; it allows the state to respond through the enactment of posit ive law. As we see the 10th Amendment have been weakens somewhat by the by congress, you could hardly hear about the 10th Amendment in court cases in the years it was  adopted but not so today you find that a lot of cases using the 10th Amendment for their bases for filing an appeal. There were states that were protected under the 10th Amendment. Which the American Civil was noted was not workable so the 14th Amendment was created to extend the Bill of Rights and made it applicable to both state and federal government. We can see the 10th Amendment no longer holds the power that it once did, but today in Florida law makers is trying to use the 10th Amendment to privatize prisons. The 10th Amendment was written to reassure the state that they would remain largely in charge of their people; the 10th Amendment was always used to prevent federal regulation of everything including taxation. I believe the 8th should control the criminal justice system in Florida. The Amendment states that â€Å" Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted. The 8th Amendment to the Constitution established in 1791, have three provisions; The cruel and unusual punishment clause, which restrict the severity of punishments that state and federal government may impose upon someone who have been convicted of a crime. The Excessive Fine Clause limits the amount that state and federal governments may fine a person for a particular crime. Then there is the Excessive Bail Clause which restricts judicial discretion in setting bail for the release of persons accused of a criminal activity during the period following their arrest but preceding their trial. Courts are given wide latitude under the Excessive Fine Clause of the 8th Amendment, fines which is imposed by ta trial court judge or magistrate will not be overturned on appeal unless the judge or magistrate abuse his or her discretion in assessing them. But the trial court judge is given less latitude under the Excessive Bail Clause. If the defendants meets bail or is able to pay the amount set by the court, the defendant is entitled to recover the pledged amount at the conclusion of the criminal proceeding, however, if the defendant fails to appear as scheduled during the prosecution, then he or she forfeits the amount pledge and still faces further criminal penalties if convicted of the offense or offenses charged. Since most of our defendants are indigent excessive fine is handling in a calm manner I believe. To me the most critical part of the 8th Amendment is the cruel and unusual punishment. In the case Furman v. Georgia the Supreme Court found that he death penalty violated the 8th Amendment the court noted  that â€Å"These death penalties are cruel and unusual punishment† today not much state use the death penalty but in our state of Florida the death penalty is still a factor. Recently the state declared a moratorium on lethal injection and a de facto moratorium on the death penalty. Finally I believe our criminal justice has come a long way but there is still work to be done especially with defendants being arrested and being treated as the olden days when slavery was in place. We still find our slavery taking place indirectly especially for black minority’s. We need our elected government leaders to stop playing politics and start working for the people who elected them into office. Judges and lawyers need to stop taking bribes and let the justice system work for the people. We as criminal justice majors must stop looking at the money we may make when we finish school and get our degree. And see how we can put what we have learned into practice to help our fellow neighbors or our community. Our justice system needs people with heart and backbones and I believe we as the leaders of tomorrow can do that. References: http://voices.yahoo.com/roots-history-punishment-512307.html?cat=37 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/legal-punishment/#1 http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/8th+Amendment

Case: Patients like me Essay

Patients like me(PLM) is a social network which covers different diseases. Members get access to a large database of information about other people who has the same illness as them selves. They also have access to forums, which lets them communicate with other patients as well. This enables patients to get information about their disease and gain new insight, the possibility to ask for practical advice, which doctors do not know about. Other reasons for becoming a member can be to contribute to research about their disease, to help other people with the same medical problems, sharing experiences and having someone to relate to and who knows what they are going through. The site thus covers human needs for both information and emotional support when handeling complex problems in pressing situations. Does the platform work for any diseases? In the short term the platform is most useful on diseases that have a lot of daily practical aspects to it. This is because this is where other patients can best contributing with advice. In the longer term medical companies can use the information to research new drugs. 2. What are the reactions of physicians to sites like PLM? Do you agree with them? Reactions for physicians are mainly issues of misinformation and for what purpose the information is used. When it comes to misinformation this is related to people self reporting on their illness and people without a medical degree voicing their unqualified opinion about drugs, other peoples symptoms ect. The statements on these pages can have consequences that unqualified person did not intend. When it comes to misinformation I have agree with the physicians. There are limitations to the data posted by the unqualified members of sites like PLM. On the other hand I am also of the opinion that even though the information is self-reported, it can be a valuable lead and provide information that is good enough for a particular use. This large amount of self reported information could also be a way to gain new insights that were previously unknown. 3. Should PLM launch the General Platform? If yes, how does it ensure that it is as successful in engaging patients as its current platform? If no, how does PLM grow? From a business standpoint, PLM should launch the General Platform. This creates a business opportunity to start the first communities for a lot of different illnesses that does not yet have a social network. The first mover advantage is very significant in social media and should be taken advantage of. There are a number of factors that make up a digital social network with engaged users. One of them is functionality and ease of use. This is very important so that the user experience is as enjoyable as possible and thereby barriers to usage are as low. Secondly, the content that is on the site needs to be of use for the members using it. This means that there should be some sort of moderation on the site. This is important since bad/abusive/misinforming users tend to crowd out the good/contributing users. If abusive users are allowed to still be active on the site can make potential members shy away from the site. This will seriously damage the PLM brand and profitability in the long run. By being aware of this and having prepared systems to handle this kind of problem the risk of this happening is limited. 4. So far, PLM has generated revenues by providing market research to pharmaceutical companies. Should it expand its business model to insurance companies and research institutions? Does it have the potential of becoming the â€Å"Bloomberg of medical data’? PLM has opened a large amount of data about different patients that would otherwise not be avaliable to third party institutions. This makes it possible for them to become a †Bloomberg of medical data†. It is without doubt that this can be a large business opportunity for PLM and the firms in need of medical information. If insurance companies could get better insight into how the populations health is, they could write more precise policies which better descibes the risk that patients are exposed to. If the risk is overstated, this means more expensive insurrance. This can lead to a loss of marketshare for the insurrance company and higher prices for consumers. Research institutions can get access to data that they might not have been able to get or would have cost a lot of money to gather. This would be a win-win situation for both PLM, the research institutions, insurance companies and patients.