Print vs. Digital Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Print vs. Digital Media - Research Paper Example During that time, there were fewer publishing firms and most of the times, a lot of works ended up not being published. As a result they still remain unnoticed to this date. Through the ages, the significance of print media has slightly reduced; however, its importance still remains the same as back in the ancient times. The popularity of certain print journals and/ or books in the past such as the â€Å"Excursion to Scotland, 1832† clearly shows that despite digital media being the most preferred form of media in the 21st century, print media still has its sound roots in 21st century media culture. The journal was written in a bid to recount an excursion that started out in London to Scotland and back again in 1832. To date the author of the journal is anonymous probably because there was no proper channels of recording print information as well its storage. Despite that, this journal is currently preserved in the Internet archive as one of the most indulging novels of the 18 th century. Another form of ancient print media was the book â€Å"The Book Hunter in Paris† by Octave Uzanne. It was written just a year after the â€Å"Excursion to Scotland, 1832†. Due to its significance, the book is currently preserved as a digital copy to ensure that it will still be available in a number of years to come. The 20th century saw the optimal boom in the use of digital forms of mass media such as the Internet media as well as broadcast internet media. A good example of internet media is the use of online travel blogs which can be accessed by anybody anywhere in the world. Literature review According to Chitra and Neelamalar (2013), print media can be termed as the â€Å"mother† of communication due to the fact... This essay approves that the digital media with its immense advantages has overtaken the utilities of print media in this present day context. It has been viewed that in Europe, people reading newspaper is very less in comparison with the one using the internet. The digital media is more interactive and effective as compared to print media. If an example is to be taken into concern in this regard, then it can be stated that the promotional campaign of a certain product of a specific company carried with the assistance of digitalized media helps to communicate directly with the customers and solve their problems on spot. However, print media does not promote such facility. In a general sense, one of the differences between print media and digital media can be represented as that print media contains writing on the bound books paper and digital media comprise writing on computer screen. This report makes a conlusion that the above study was conducted with an intention to attain knowledge of print media and digital media in the context of mass communication. The print media is the foundation of printing technique in the world, which later developed to digitalized form. The digital media came into popularity when there was a greater need of printing in bulk quantities and within the stipulated time period. Both the forms of media have contributed a lot to mass communication. In this case, it can be affirmed that none of the aspects i.e. print media and digital media cannot be replaced as such books in the form of print media cannot be substituted by the television or neither the internet access as digital media can be replaced by reading newspaper.

Market Development Strategy Implementation For MS

Market Development Strategy Implementation For MS Marks Spencer is the UKs top retailer and is listed in the FTSE 100 of London Stock Exchange. The company has expanded its business in many different global markets. The organization has its products and services in the food, clothing, hosing, and financial service businesses. The assignment is based on the business strategies used by the firm to grow its business in the current global and domestic market. The assignment is based on how the author analyzes individual product line (Strategic Business Units) and their overall business by using business tools like Stakeholder Analysis, Porters 5 Forces Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, BCG Matrix and Ansoff Matrix. After collecting the necessary date from the respective business tools the date is processed and used to draw new Business Strategies for MSs businesses. Once the business strategies are drawn then the author can make plans on how to apply them in MSs businesses. The new business strategies will help MS to improve their busine ss processes and help them to expand their businesses in new markets. Marks Spencers has many strategic intends to achieve its Vision. They are the number one retailers in UK so the management has adopted new milestones on how to conduct business by causing less damage to the environment. They have started their project Plan A in which the firm will try to minimize the damage to the environment as less as possible by their business processes. One of the most important milestones is to maintain existing customers and gain new customers for their products, for which they have special offers and schemes in form of membership cards, free shipping charges in domestic market and discounts during special occasions for their loyal and new customers. They have started conducting their business online with help of new ICT systems which has helped them increase their sales and serve their customers more effectively and efficiently. They also have many quality controls and strategies to improve their business processes and maintain their position in domestic and international markets. Marks Spencer has six main objectives which are Profit Maximization, Increase Sales, Market Leadership, Offering High Quality Services, Growth and Reward Shareholders. Profit Maximization is the most important objective of MS. The management has made plans to maximize their profits by increasing their revenues from all different business ventures and by cutting their cost by avoiding wastage of resources (raw material, labor, etc). Marks Spencers profit in last two years was in 2009 it was 506.8 Â £m and in 2010 it was 523.0 Â £m. Increasing Sales is also one of the most important business objective of MS. In order to increase sales they have expanded their business ventures globally by entering new markets and by upgrading their products with quality controls and tests they are able to satisfy their existing customers and attract new customers for their different business ventures. MS is able to increase its turnover from 8,164.3 Â £m in the year 2009 to 8,567.9 Â £m in the ye ar 2010. Market Leadership is one of the business objectives of MS, MS is the largest retailer in UK and so one of its business objectives is to maintain market leadership by constant reviewing of their previous performance and of their competitors. They have drawn plans on how to become the leaders of international markets by diversifying and improving their products according to the taste of the local customers. MS has made constant efforts to compete with the local competitors in international markets and their international turnover has increased from 897.8 Â £m in the year 2009 to 968.7 Â £m in the year 2010. High Quality Services is one the business objectives of MS, they have always maintained a high standards in quality of goods and services which has kept them on top of the UK retailers for many decades. The management is making new plans on how to evaluate and improve their services and goods to maintain their high standards to which other companies can compare and impro ve their performances. Growth is one the important business objectives of MS as the management understands the importance of growth that is if the firm doesnt grow it will not survive in todays competitive markets. Marks Spencer has made maximum expansions from the year 2001 after a new board was setup. MS has expanded its business by giving franchise to local people in different countries and has successfully expanded its business in more than 35 countries globally. Reward Shareholders is also an important business objective since its a listed public company in London Stock Exchange. It is in FTSE 100 list and like all the other companies MS has declare dividends every year based on their profits in order to keep a healthy relationship with their shareholders. The shareholders are the backbone as they have invested huge amount of liquid wealth through IPOs in MS to allow the firm to carry out its business with calculated risks. The Threat of Entry is one of the key areas in which the firm requires unique strategies on how to stop the new firms from entering their market segment. The firm either has slash down their prices to an extend that new firms cannot enter their market or have such a strong brand value that the customers stay loyal to their products. MS is able to maintain its brand loyalty and maintain itself as UKs number one retailer giant. MS has planned a long term strategy for growth which hinders new firms to enter in its market segment. The firm is thus successfully in this area of business. The Power of Buyers is the area of business that deals with how the firm satisfies its customers with products which are of better quality and are at lower price range. The customers have the bargaining power as there are large retail giants like Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda (Wal-Mart), etc to cater their needs. The quality and price range of MSs goods and services is still better than the rest retail giants so they are able to keep customers loyal to their products. The Power of Suppliers is the area in which the firm deals with its suppliers for its raw material. MS has supplies only from local suppliers and since they are few in number MS has less negotiation power. The suppliers of MS enjoy the power of controlling price of the raw materials. This is one area where the firm can really improve its business process by shifting their manufacturing units to places where the number of suppliers is more and they can have a better chance of bargaining with their suppliers. The Threat of Substitute is area of business that deals in planning on how to avoid customers from switching into new products. MSs management and RD department are responsible in upgrading their products so that the customers remain satisfied and not switch over to an alternative product made by its rivals. The RD department is so efficient in its work that not only they are able to satisfy their existing customers but als o attract new customers to their product line. Competitive Rivalry is the area of business in which the firm keeps a close check on its rival firms and plans on how to compete with them in a competitive market in a profitable manner. MS is able to maintain high standards of goods and services which allowed them to stay as the largest retail giant till date in UK. MS has used the BCG matrix from time to time and have used the data wisely. The matrix has helped them to penetrate in new and old markets with various new products and services. The products of MS are able to capture huge markets in high growing industries. MS has a diverse range of products and services so they have allocated their resources in the star products. They have opened many new outlets in prime areas for retail and helped their question mark products in becoming star products. MS has expanded their business globally so their star products are able to capture new markets easily. MS management has minimized their dog SBUs and has diversified those funds towards star products. This has helped the firm to be at the top of the retailers in UK and a major competitor in other international markets. Currently MS has only cash cow and star SBUs in market. The cash cows are not giving much return due to the recession and slow growth of global market but the star products are doing exceptional well because of their high reputation. The BCG matrix helps the firm understand their products life cycle and allocation of resources in the SBUs. BCG matrix has been one of the most important business tool for MS in analyzing their performance from time to time http://www.scribd.com/doc/24329524/Introduction 3.2 Ansoff Matrix Igor Ansoff had invented the Ansoff Matrix in 1941 and was first published in 1957 in Harvard business review. The Ansoff Matrix is a strategic marketing tool that links a firms marketing strategy with its general strategy and outlines the options open to the firm if they wish to grow, improve profitability and revenue. These options indicate to how to manage the development of the product range. It mainly presents four alternative growth strategies in a table (matrix) which are market penetration, market development, product development and diversification. Market Penetration is a growth strategy for existing products in existing market. The company tries to increase its market share by increasing the sale of its existing product in its current market by using new marketing strategies. Market Development is a growth strategy for developing new markets for existing products. The main objective is to find new markets domestic or international for the firms existing product. Product Development is a growth strategy for new product in existing markets. The firm has to develop new products and launch them in their current market to capture market share. Diversification is a growth strategy for new products for new markets. The firm has to launch new products for new markets in order to expand their business in different markets. This is one of the most important growth strategy as the company has to study the taste of new customers and design their products in order to capture market share of a new market. Marks Spencer uses Ansoff Matrix to analyze their overall business portfolio. Since MS is one of the largest retailers in global market they use all the four growth strategies of Ansoff Matrix in their business. Market Penetration is used by MS to attract customers and make them loyal to their brand by offering good quality and services. They have special offers and customer loyalty programs during special occasion which helps them to attract new customers. The firm has opened many outlets in their captured markets in order to increase sales of their existing products. Product Development is one of the main growth strategies used by MS, the firm develops it new products according to the change in fashion. This has helped the firm to grow rapidly over the years. Market Development is also a growth strategy practiced by MS as they are expanding their business globally. The firm has opened many new outlets in many other countries over the world. Their products have such high demand tha t they are able to expand their business in many countries. MS is a cash rich company therefore it can easily capture new emerging markets by opening new outlets at prime areas in different counties. Diversification as a growth strategy is also used by MS as they develop new products for new customers to cater their needs. The RD department of MS is highly efficient in developing new products for new targeted markets of the firm. MS when enters new market they modify or make their products according to the taste of their new customers. MS uses both Ansoff BCG Matrix to analyze their business processes and to draw up business strategies for growth in existing and new markets. The analyzed data is used effectively by the management and MS is growing its business over the years successfully. Develop evaluate possible alternative strategies for the organisation you have chosen. 4. Alternative Strategies Growth Growth strategies are adopted by companies when they try to win large market share, even at the expense of short-term earnings. The growth strategies can be classified into four types and they are market penetration, product development, diversification and market development. Marks Spencer also has to use alternative strategies to grow their business in this competitive world market. The management has to use all of their resources to plan new strategies on how to utilize their current products, current markets, new products and new markets, in order to ensure there is maximum business growth. 4.1 Alternative Strategies used by Marks Spencer Marks Spencer uses a mixture of many strategies to draw up plans for growth. MS having a diverse business can use many strategies to expand their business in domestic and in international markets. The strategies used are market development strategies, market penetration strategies, product development strategies, and diversification strategies. 4.1.1 Market Development Strategies Marks Spencers management can grow their business by using market development strategies in which they can expand their business in new countries. The products of MS are of high quality therefore their reputation can help the firm easily grow into new markets. The brand value of MS can even help the firm to venture into new market segment and attract new customers as the products are of good quality and are placed at competitive prices. The food, clothing and house ware businesses of MS can use this strategy to grow and reap huge benefits for the company. 4.1.2 Product Development Strategies MS uses Product Development Strategy for its house ware, food and clothing business. In food business MS has changed the packaging to cater the needs of customers who buy in bulk and in small quantity. In clothing line they introduce a new collection according to the change in fashion to attract customers to their clothing business. House ware being the largest business the firm is launching new products frequently to remain at the top of other retailer in UK. 4.1.3 Market Penetration Strategies MS uses Market Penetration strategies for all of existing businesses. This strategy has helped MS to remain at the top of all the retailers in UK. The clothing and food business use strategies like customer loyalty and value improvement strategies whereas the hose ware and financial service businesses use market share growth strategies to grow business. 4.1.4 Unrelated Related Diversification Strategies Relative diversification is the development of a new product line for the new market. Related diversification is of two types horizontal and vertical. Horizontal diversification is development of a product which is an alternative to your current product and Vertical diversification is when the company becomes its own supplier or distributor. Unrelated diversification is the development of a new product which has no relation to the market or the industry in which the firm conducts its current business. MS uses relative diversification strategies for its food and clothing business. For both businesses it uses horizontal diversification strategy by which it develops new food and clothing products as per the change in taste and trend of the people. Recently MS has started its business in Financial Service area this is a complete new business therefore the growth of these services are planned by unrelated diversification strategies. Therefore the firm has used many strategies to diversify and expand its business in order to sustain in the competitive market. The selection of strategies by the management has helped the firm to reap exceptional benefits and has helped the firm to maintain its position at the top of all the retailer giants in UK. The strategies used in global markets have also been successful and the growth rate of the firm is tremendous in foreign markets. The products and services are of high net worth therefore the firm can easily use the planned strategies to grow their business in local and international markets. Outline an implementation plan for the chosen strategies in question 4. 5. Growth Strategies Implementation for Marks Spencer Many of the plans for the strategic growth discussed before are already implemented by the firm. New plan for expansion in new markets (market development) is to be drawn and implemented to ensure strategic growth for clothing business. 5.1 Market Development Strategy Implementation for MS MS has to develop and implement strategic plans for capturing markets in different countries. MS has already expanded its business in many countries and their products are capturing huge market shares. Seeing tremendous international growth MS should capture new markets as their products are of good quality. The new markets will help the clothes business grow internationally and MS brand image will further appreciate. The steps for planning market development strategies are planning, organization structure, human resources, annual business plan, monitoring and control and linkage. Planning is the first step for developing a market developing strategies. The firm has to first decide which new market they should capture and what product line they should launch for their new market segment. A detailed research on the taste of their new customers needs to be conducted and then accordingly the firm needs to launch their existing or new product line. Organizational Structure needs to be decided by the firm before they layout their business foundation in the new market. Usually the firm gives franchise to the local people to open new store in new countries, this step helps in minimizing risk and the management is in the hands of the franchise holder. The firm still has control over the layout of the store and pricing of the products. Human Resources of every new store is taken care by the franchise holder but MS organizes workshops to train and help the workers to develop new skills. This helps MS to have employees which can cater the need of their customers effectiv ely. Annual Business Plan helps the firm to estimate or forecast their sales in the new market. The firm and the franchise holder have to allocate resources according to the annual business plan in order to ensure business growth. Monitoring Control is a crucial step in making the new business successful. MS has to monitor how the employees are trained to serve their new customers. The firm has to check if the products are properly displayed in their new stores. They have to carry out regular surveys to check the preference of the people and develop new products based on the analysis of the data collected. The firm has to give franchise to the people who will conduct business ethical or else their brand value will decline in that market segment. Linkage is when the firm keeps a close check on all the activities and makes sure that all the processes are conducted in the decided sequence regularly to ensure business growth. Linkage MS can use this growth strategy to develop a new market and by implementing this strategy it can grow its business in many part of the world. One of the business objective of MS is to grow therefore growing in international market is really profitable as MS has made constant efforts to compete with the local competitors in international markets and their international turnover has increased from 897.8 Â £m in the year 2009 to 968.7 Â £m in the year 2010. The international market of MS has shown a tremendous growth and so MS should make full use of this plan and grow its business in new markets. This plan also gives the firm the advantage of developing new products for their new market segments. The brand image has helped the firm to grow in many new markets therefore MS should utilize this growth strategy to develop new markets. Conclusion Quinn (1980, pg. 3) defines Business Strategy as the pattern that integrates an organizations major goal, policies and action sequences into a cohesive whole. A well formulated strategy helps to marshal and allocate an organizations resources into unique and viable posture based on its relative internal competencies and shortcomings, anticipated changes in the environment and contingent moves by intelligent opponents. The author has used many business measuring tools (BCG Matrix, Ansoff Matrix, Porters 5 Forces Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, Stake holder analysis, etc) appropriately to collect relevant data on each of the SBUs and on overall business. The data was processed and used to form new alternative growth strategies for MS. The growth strategy if used by the firm can help them expand their business and also to develop new product lines for new markets. Therefore the business strategies suggested by the author in the assignment are relevant for the firm if they want to grow their business in current global market and retain their position at the top of UKs retailer list. Reference List Books Referred Mooij, M, 2009. Global Marketing and Advertising, 3rd Edition. SAGE John, R, Gillies, G, 1996. Global Business Strategy. Cengage Learning EMEA. Johnson, 2008. Exploring Corporate Strategy. Pearson Education India. Johnson, G, Scholes, K, Whittington, R, 2006. Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition. Financial Times. Websites Referred History Introduction of MS taken (online), Available at: http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/company_overview (Accessed 15th April, 2011) Mission Vision taken (online), Available at: http://www2.marksandspencer.com/thecompany/our_stores/world.shtml (Accessed 15th April, 2011) Definition of Strategic Intent taken (online), Available at: http://dilipnaidu.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/strategic-intent/ (Accessed 15th April, 2011) Objectives of MS taken (online), Available at: http://bizcovering.com/major-companies/a-case-study-on-marks-and-spencer/2/ (Accessed 15th April, 2011) MS 5 Years Records taken (online), Available at: http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/investors/fin_highlights/five_year_record (Accessed 16th April, 2011) Stakeholder Analysis taken (online), Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/stakeholder.html (Accessed 16th April, 2011) Porters 5 Forces Analysis (online), Available at: http://www.1stessays.com/samples/businessanalysis.pdf (Accessed 16th April, 2011) BCGs Matrix taken (online), Available at: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/bcg-matrix.htm http://www.scribd.com/doc/24329524/Introduction (Accessed 17th April, 2011) Ansoff Matrix taken (online), Available at: http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/ansoff_matrix-2.pdf http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/Ansoff-matrix.html (Accessed 17th April, 2011) Alternative Growth Strategies taken (online), Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/growth-strategy.html http://paulcurtis.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/growthstrategymatrix.jpg?w=500h=446 (Accessed 17th April, 2011)

The Dark Side of Social Networking Essay -- facebook, twitter, sexting

There are many social networks that have created broad connections between people in the past years. Since the creation of Social Media, countless numbers of people have begun joining them due to their rising popularity and free cost of a download. These networks help create a virtual realm for users to be themselves or whoever they want to be at their discretion. Escaping all the troubles and heartaches that the real world has in store for you is only temporary until the next time you log on. The most common issue that is up for debate that you must continually ask yourself is â€Å"Is Social Networking a good or bad thing?† I think social networking is a negative influence on people. . I believe taking caution is necessary for people using social networks due to the negative ramifications that follow after long term usage of them. You can access Twitter, Facebook, and other social Medias at the touch of a finger. There are some positive influences that social networking has to offer; people can develop â€Å"life-long relationships† as well as becoming more cyber social which could possibly break the fear barrier for introverted individuals (Taylor). For others, it seems we have made social networking have higher importance in our everyday lives. We wake up in the morning and the first thing we do is check our Twitter or Facebook. Relying on these social networks to keep our lives balanced has become more of a nuisance than a solution to our social problems. The more we use these social media every day, the more we continue to render ourselves helpless to facing the harsh reality of the real world that we live in. Favored networks such as Facebook, allow you to build an easy web of friends and acquaintances, and share with them your pho... ...en-suicides-cyberbullying-102212/>. Capeless , David F. "Sexting." Berkshire District Attorney. N.p., 1 16 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Borreli, Lizette. "Why Couples Engage In Unwanted Sexting: Half Of Men And Women 'Requisext' Because Of Abandonment Anxiety." Medical Daily. N.p., 1 2 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Ngak, Chenda. "Facebook may cause stress, study says." CBS News. N.p., 11 27 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Smith, Aaron. "Social Networks and Depression." Chicago Tribune. N.p., n. d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .

Metabical Case

Table Of Contents 1. 0 2. 0 3. 0 Introduction Executive Summary Situation Analysis 3. 1 Identification Of The Problem 3. 2 Market Analysis 3. 3 SWOT Analysis 3. 4 Target Market Marketing Communication Strategy 4. 1 Marketing Communication Plan/Objectives 4. 2 Marketing Budget 4. 3 Schedule for Key Marketing Communication Activities 4. 4 Promotional Strategies 4. 4. 1 Advertising Strategies 4. 4. 2 Promotion and Public Relations 4. 4. 3 Sales Force 4. 4. 4 Comprehensive Support Program 4. 5 Product Strategies 4. 6 Distribution Strategies 4. 7 Pricing Strategies 4. 7. 1 Potential Customer 4. 7. 2 Sales Forecast 4. . 3 Return on Investment (ROI) Conclusion 4. 0 5. 0 1 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Cambridge Science Pharmaceuticals (CSP) was an International health care company with a focus on developing, manufacturing, and marketing products that treat metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, immune deficiencies, as well as other chronic and acute medical conditions. The company captured ove r $25 billion in sales in 2007. Barbara Printup is the senior director of marketing of CSP who is responsible for the most successful product by CSP, Zimistat. CSP had assigned Printup to be in-charged of the upcoming U.S product launch of CSP ¶s newest prescription drug, Metabical. Barbara Printup, Senior Director of marketing for Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals (CSP) will be the person who is responsible in the product launch of Metabical which scheduled for January 2009. It was now February 2008, and Printup ¶s first order of business was to develop a viable positioning strategy and associated marketing communications plan for Metabical. 2. 0 Executive Summary Cambridge Science Pharmaceuticals (CSP) came out with the first prescription drug approved by the FDA specifically for overweight individuals called Metabical.The majority of Metabical trials participants reached their weight-loss goals by week 12. Although pricing had not been finalized, CSP estimated the retail pri ce for the drug would be approximately $3 to $5 per day, with the average course treatment lasting 12 weeks. In this report, we will conduct an analysis for CSP ¶s product, Metabical starting from the analysis of the industry. We will then elaborate the issues regarding overweight and obesity in the United States and analyse the market survey done by the company regarding overweight issues in order for us to decide which is the best market segmentation that we should target.The second focus in this report would be the positioning strategy which we will state the point of parity and point of differences of Metabical and come out with the positioning strategy and target market. The third focus will be the the SWOT analysis of the product which we will state the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Metabical which lead us in deciding which marketing communication strategy need to be taken next. Finally, we will discuss on marketing communication strategy which best su it with the product so that CSP able to communicate well with the target consumer.To decide the best positioning strategy and marketing communication plan, CSP had spent so much time and money in R&D and on FDA trials for Metabical. Printup was well aware that in order to recoup this massive investment, the drug need not only a successful launch, but also long term, steady demand. If Metabical were not successful with initial consumers, credibility of the drug would be in question and FDA approval would mean little. Printup still needed to flesh out the optimal segmentation, targeting and positioning of the drug, Then she could move on to assessing her current marketing 2 ommunications strategy and developing a timeline for the key activities. The case study had led us in analysing and deciding who was the ideal target consumer? How should each participant in the decision-making process to be addressed? How could these participant best be reached? What was the appropriate message to convey to one of them? What was the role of the support program? What was the optimal rollout schedule for the key marketing communications activities? In this report, Printup will provide all recommendations for the successfull marketing communication strategy and to ensure the long-term steady demand for Metabical. . 1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM OVERVIEW OF OVERWEIGHT ISSUES IN THE UNITED STATE Excess weight is considered a public health crisis in the U. S, with approximately 65% of the entire adult population categorized as overweight, obese, or severely obese. Being overweight is related to a number of serious health complications, and according to the American Obesity Association in 2005, ? the second leading cause of preventable death in U. S. In addition to health risks, overweight individuals endure a significant social stigma as well as outright discrimination.Laziness and self indulgence are common stereotypes associated with this group. Many overweight people feel lik e social outcasts. The professional life of an overweight individual could also be negatively affected, as excess weight has been found to adversely influence, hiring decisions, wages, and promotions. Researchers and health care professionals measure excess weight using the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale. The BMI scale, which calculates the relationship between weight and height associated with body fat and health risk, is appropriate for both men and women.It has three BMI categories of excess weight for adults:overweight (25 to 30); obese (30 to 40); and severely, or morbidly obese (over 40). According to CDC National Centre for Health Statistics in 2002, 65% adults age 20-74 are overweight. Overweight can give negative impact to the people ¶s life such as coronary heart disease, endometrial, breast and colon cancer, gynecological problem, stroke, liver disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, hyper tension and many other diseases. People are getting fatter almost everywhere in the world. In 2005, 1. 6 billion adults in the world are overweight while 400 million are obese.The World Health Organization predicts there will be 2. 3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese. MARKET ANALYSIS Marketing survey An extensive market survey had been conducted in 2007 which included 1,000 men and 1,000 women age ranging from 18 to 70 with BMIs of 25 to 29. 9 from various socioeconomics levels. The objective of the market survey is for CSP to understand the consumer ¶s behaviour and what they actually want. 3. 2 3 At first 70% of respondents surveyed were not satisfied with their current weight. 5% 0f them said were actively trying to lose weight but just 15% of them mentioned that were comfortable using drugs to help their weight-loss goals. When we described the benefits of Metabical to participants, 12 % of them immediately ask us to make an appointment with health care providers and request a prescription. I n terms of satisfaction with their current weight in each gender, 75% of women and 65% of men mentioned were dissatisfied with their current weight and appearance, whereas 50% of women and just 30% of men visited a health care provider for annual physical test.Base on survey which respondents mentioned 55% of women and 40% of men wanted to change their behavior to live a healthy lifestyle. While 60% of women and 30% of men said tried and failed to lose weight in past five years. The survey results reveal 65% and 35% of respondents were dissatisfied with current weight-loss options on the market for women and men respectively. In our data pool educational level of respondents as they mentioned was that 75% hold a college degree and 45% hold high school diploma and they were aware of the health risks associated with being moderately overweight.Based on respondents ¶ report, 65% of 18 to 35 years old respondents said that they wish to lose weight to look better and the rest (35%) of the same age group respondents said that they wish to lose weight to improve their overall health. While respondents with 35 years old and above have percentages 40% answers for good looks and 60% for better health. According to survey results 5%, 11% and 20% of respondents who have income level less than $40000, between $40,000 and more than$80,000 respectively mention that they would be willing to pay ? ut of pocket ? for a prescription weight-loss drug. Therefore according to the survey there is a need for a better weight loss drug which is proven and safe to lead a health lifestyle. Market Research Based on statistic on adult population in United States between 1976 and 2000 obviously we can see the percentage of obese and overweight steadily increasing. The percentage of overweight population who had BMI between 25 and 30 which categorized in overweight group was 34% in year 2000. while in the same year 25. % of U. S. populations categorized as obese and 4. 7% into severely obe se. Also the percentage of obesity were rise steadily with age in both gender with the highest occurrence among men age 65 to 74 and women age of 55 to 64 and with overall more prevalence in men rather than women. As we can see the percentage of obese had inversely related with education level and income level. The highest obesity percentages were in less than $25,000 with 32. 5% and level of education less than high school with 27. 4%.Through this experience and strong need to cater the moderately overweight people, health care providers saw their potential customers in them who want to lose unhealthy pounds. Health care providers went ahead to produce the drug and recommend them to use it besides getting help from diet and 4 exercise schedules. Based on reports which were obtained from health care providers one of their major concerns about weight-loss drug was that patients would get back weight when they stopped taking pills. We try to achieve psychographic segmentation of overw eight.According to research which was done on females, they have verity of aims to lose weight. In age 18 to 30 with high school education and under $40000 income have low self-esteem and unrealistic expectation to look like a movie star. And in age group between 25 to 40 with college education and income level $50,000$80,000 said willing to alter current behavior to get back to their old physic. While age 35 to 65 with college education plus and more than $80,000 income mentioned ready to make change to be healthier. In age group 45 to 65 with some college education and income $40,000 to $60,000 want to lose weight but if it is easy.In age group 40 to 65 with some college education and income $30,000-$50,000 they accepted their overweight and they don ¶t want to change the lifestyle. Printup also commissioned a study to analyse psychographic segmentation of overweight individuals. The study revealed that women demonstrated the most distinct segmentation. Out of five psychographic profiles, we feel that CSP should focus into two of it segmentation which is as follows: SEGMENT ? I want to be healthier? DESCRIPTION Want to lose weight to feel better and live longer.Knowledgeable about the importance of nutrition and exercise. Ready to make a change. Focused on gold of reclaiming former weight. Motivated and willing to alter current behaviour. TYPICAL DEMORGRAGPHIC PROFILE Age 35 to 65, college education plus, household income $80,000+ ?I want to wear my skinny jeans? Age 25 to 40, college education, household income $50,000 – $60,000 To support the above findings, in February 2008 focus group study revealed their dissatisfaction with current weight-loss options and the desire for a proven and safe way to drop excess weight.This focus group participants also expressed the desire for a prescription ±strength drug with FDA approval and clinical result to back up weight-loss claim. 5 3. 3 SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT Analysis is a Strategic Planning method that is used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a business. It involves monitoring the internal and external marketing environment. Table 1 : SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. FDA approval Safe and effective in achieving significant weight loss. Less harmful compared to other products.One pill per day Average course treatment lasting12 weeks Combination of Calosera and meditanan created dramatic effect for weight loss. Strong and Comprehensive marketing strategy Experience marketing and R&D team Allocate substantial amount of money in marketing budget i. ii. WEAKNESSES Negative side effect-gastrointestinal discomfort. Not effective for individual with BMI>30 OPPORTUNITIES i. ii. iii. iv. Comprehensive support program Health care plans to include Metabical in their prescription drug program 65% of adult population categorized as over weight, obese or severely obese.No prescription  ± drug options for overweight segment (BMI 25-30 ) available in 2008 except drug Alli approved by FDA Market research indicated of high indication of people wanting to loss weight. i. ii. iii. THREATS FDA imposed stringent regulation due to negative side-effect cases. Increasing herbal / dietary supplements Deceptive marketing claims. v. 3. 3. 1 STRENGTH CSP believed that its prescription drug, Metabical, is far more superior than any weight-loss solution on the market because Metabical would be the first prescription drug approved by the FDA specifically for overweight individuals (i. . , those with BMI of 25 to 30). The combination of calosera and meditonan produced dramatic weight loss for overweight individuals and it is find to be less harmful as compared to other weight loss drugs. It worked in a low dose formulation, thereby reducing stress on heart or liver function than other weight loss drugs tended to produce. Metabical also contained a controlled release feature that required only one pill to be taken per day with aver age course of treatment lasting 12 weeks. It also helps in changing people behavior to a healthier eating habits.CSP is an international company with a strong and experienced marketing and R&D team. CSP has developed a comprehensive marketing strategies and have allocated substantial amount of money in marketing budget. 6 3. 3. 2 WEAKNESSES Despite of its strength, Metabical has few negative side effects associated with excess fat and calories in the diet. It occurs when users consumed high level of fat and calories. These side effects were similar to the gastrointestinal discomfort caused by Alli, only less severe.Metabical ¶s formulation however is not very effective in helping individuals with BMIs of 30 or greater and was, therefore, not recommended for this group. 3. 3. 3 OPPORTUNIES Excess weight is considered a public health crisis in the U. S and approximately 65% of the entire adult population categorized as overweight, obese or severely obese. With these large population , it creates an even bigger market share for Metabical. In addition, no prescription drug option specifically for the overweight segment (BMI of 25 to 30) were available in 2008 except for drug Alli had been approved by the FDA for weight loss used.Meaning there will be no strong competitor for Metabical for the time being. From the market survey and market research conducted by CSP, it showed high indication of people actively wanting to lose weight and live a healthy life style with comprehensive support program will enable individuals to achieve better results than they would from the pill alone. In addition, the support program would teach lifestyle skills for healthy weight maintenance after the initial weight loss was achieved. 3. 3. 4 THREATThe drug industry faced several safety concerns with regard to weight-loss drugs and had been accused of deceptive marketing claims that dempened enthusiasm for the products. This deceptive marketing claim had damaged the industry credibil ity and to regain consumer ¶s confidence would be another big challenge to the drug industries. The rising in the numbers of dietary supplements and herbal products had worsened the situation due to its unregulated condition by the FDA and the products negative side effect such as sudden cardiac death and other serous health risks had reduse people confidence in weight loss drugs. . 4 TARGET MARKET In developing a viable positioning strategy in order to determine the right target market, CSP had conducted an extensive market survey of overweight individuals in the year 2007. Under the market analysis, Barbara Printup also carried out a study to analyze psychographic segmentation of the overweight individuals and they found out that women demonstrated the most distinct segmentation. Based on these findings from the market survey, market research and the psychographic segmentation, we suggest that the target market for Metabical are as the following: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 4. 0 Specifica lly for overweight individuals with BMI of 25 to 30. Women with age ranging from 25-65 Women with household income between $50,000 – $80,000 Women with college education and above Concern with health issues caused by overweight and actively trying to lose weight Willing to change current behavior and to live healthy lifestyle MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY The communication strategy of a prescription weight loss drug such as Metabical had to address all participants in the decision making process.Therefore, the communication strategy must focus on two main targets firstly, the Healthcare Providers and secondly direct to consumers who would be prescribing the medication. The marketing communication strategy should also address the concern of the healthcare providers which is  µthe patient would regain weight after they stop taking the pills ¶ and to include in the communication process by providing solution through Metabical and its continuous support program.As far the end consumers the communication process must address their concern which is  µwant to lose weight to feel better and live longer ¶. The initial Metabical launch budget is as per Table 2 below: Table 2 : Marketing Budget YEAR 1 ADVERTISING Push (Prescriber) Pull (Direct To Customer) Total Advertising $ 1,000,000 $ 12,000,000 ——————-$ 13,000,000 $ 200,000 $ 600,000 $ 2,000,000 $ 500,000 $ 200,000 ——————-$ 3,500,000 $ 3,500,000 $ 800,000 ——————-$ 4,300,000 $ 600,000 $ 1,491,000 $ 255,000 $ 23,146,000 PROMOTIONDevelopment of Support Program Lunch & Learn Seminars / Other Promo Production of Support Program Training / Promotion Materials Direct Mailing To Health Care Providers Total Promotion PUBLIC RELATIONS Medical Education Meeting and Event Press Release / Materials Total Public Relations Market Research Sales Force Allocation Product Management Allocation TOTAL BUDGET It is also very important for the marketing communication strategy to have the timeline for the key marketing activities and we proposed the optimal roll out schedule for key marketing communications activities to be as follows: 8Table 3 : Schedule of Marketing Communication Activities TIME LINE Sales Force Road show On Clinical Information by sales Pharmacies Team Advertising To Create Brand Awarenes & Knowledge Advertising Branding Image Promotion & Public Relation Product Launch Continues Support Program YEAR 1 YEAR 2 FEB 2008 JAN 2009 4. 4. 1 ADVERTISING A sum of $13. 0 million had been allocated for these push and pull advertising. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is a new phenomenon in the drug industry due to the introduction of guidelines by the FDA in 1997 that opened up the flood gates to the drug advertisements.The first year, CSP should aggressively spend on the advertising activities to DTC in order to create product knowledge and brand awareness which include television, online (website), radio advertisements and press conference during the product launch in January 2009. In order to meet its objective we propose that the advertisement strategy must go with the tagline ? Losing weight is tough, You don ¶t have to do it alone. Let Metabical and your healthcare provider start you on the road to a healthy weight and better lifestyle?.The Senior Executive of CSP did not agree with the idea of celebrity endorser but we strongly believe that this celebrity spokesperson idea is a great idea and able to attract more customers to buy Metabical. As we know that celebrities have become the trend setter and very influential in terms of their style of dressing, hairstyle, cosmetic that they are wearing, their car model and even what they eat. Thus, a celebrity like Oprah Winfrey can be very influential in attracting more customers especially when she endorse Metabical in her talk show program.Metabical ¶s advertising strategy should also target the professional medical community which is the healthcare provider. For example, they could create a campaign by print ads in leading medical publications and interactive ads online related to health issues in order to raise awareness about the drug and its benefits. 9 This advertising concepts which aimed to healthcare provider must go along with the tagline ? Empower your patients to lose excess weight. Change their unhealthy eating habits and achieve long term success.Introducing Metabical short-term drug therapy and comprehensive support program for overweight patients. It gets results? 4. 4. 2 PROMOTION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS The promotion and public relations budget also included campaign aimed at both healthcare providers and the end consumers. The total budget allocated for this campaign is $4. 3 mil with $1. 3 mil was allocated for promotional campaign in the first year. Before the Metabical launch, pamphlets and reply card for sample of support program should be mai led to 100,000 health care providers as a direct mail campaign.These pamphlets contain information about Metabical. The next best campaign that the marketing communication strategy should focus heavily on is the viral marketing campaign in order to reach the market globally. This viral marketing involves internet sales, social network such as facebook, twitter and blogs in order to create buzz for Metabical. Infact, CSP should set up a team on this viral marketing campaign in order to reach customers faster and cheaper globally.The plan to launch an online contest during Metabical launching day is a good idea whereby Metabical users would have the chance to compete who could reduce their BMI ¶s by the highest percentage. Normally in the weight loss industry, people want to see results and testimonial on the drugs. ` We consider the Public Relations efforts to include pre-launch and atlaunch press release is a good more because it can act as a teaser ad and to inform the public at large that Metabical is the newly safe weight loss drug in the market.The roundtable discussion involving prominent leaders member of media and medical professional in the medical community and medical research symposium to members of media and medical professional, is an important strategy because in order for the weight loss products to be successful, an endorsement by expert is very likely to increase the confidence level of the customers. In addition, the coverage of these high profile events in the leading news organization shall enhance the marketing communication strategy of Metabical.A series of breakout sessions focusing on health issues for overweight patients shall further strengthening the communication strategy in product effectiveness and awareness. 10 4. 4. 3 SALES FORCE The Metabical sales team consisted of 32 sales representatives who service approximately 3,200 medical offices. These sales team had been instructed to give product detail of Metabical to the healthca re providers.In order for the sales team to be effective in meeting objective of creating product knowledge and its benefits, they providing clinical information and to arrange for a visit to at least four medical offices per day in order to finish up the 3,200 medical offices which are already in their data base. CSP also need to increase the number of their sales force team in order to cover the other 100,000 healthcare providers which are still untapped by them. This additional sales force team need to attend all the inquiries that they might receive after the mailing of pamphlets and sample to the said 100,000 healthcare providers. . 4. 4 COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT PROGRAM The most common problem among the weight loss drug company is that people will start regaining weight once they stop taking the pill and in some cases, these people will gain even more weight then their initial weight. Realising this issue, CSP planned to create a comprehensive support program to complement the Met abical pill. Its goal is to enable individuals to achieve better results than they would from the pill alone. In addition, the support program would teach lifestyle skills for healthy weight maintenance after the initial weight loss was achieved. 200,000 will be spent on the development of the support program and the cost in Year 1 associated with producing the program is approximately $2 million. It is recommended that CSP to add this comprehensive support program in their packaging in the form of a CD in each pack so as to enhance the ability of Metabical users to reach and maintain their weight-loss goals. They can also put it in their website and to other form of social network. The sales force team also need to include this support program in their presentation in order to convey its benefits to the healthcare providers.It must also be well stated in the pamphlets and flyers which they are distributing. 4. 5 PRODUCT STRATEGY Metabical is the first prescription drug approved by FDA specifically for overweight individual with BMI of 25 to 30. Clinical trials proved Metabical to be safe and effective in achieving significant weight loss for overweight individuals. The majority of trial participants reached their weight-loss goals by week 12. Thus, CSP need to decide on the best form of packaging by considering what is the number of pills that would be included in each pack. 11Packing the whole twelve week supply in one package will cause higher pricing and it will effect the number of potential customers. Even though the twelve-week supply will enable the customers to complete the twelve-week cycle in 3 months in a row but it will limit the potential customers only to those who can afford the entire medication program with one-time pay. Therefore, it is advisable to pack Metabical with one pack for four week supply which can make it affordable for everyone. However, there is risk to this one-month packaging whereby there will be no guarantee that the consume rs will complete the entire treatment.As such, it is also suggested to have another packaging with 3 pack for 12 weeks supply and as value added, a CD contain comprehensive support program is attached to it. By attaching the comprehensive support program to the 3 pack of twelve week supply it can definitely attract more customers especially those with higher income bracket of more than $80,000. 4. 6 DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY Being a prescribed weight loss drugs definitely the distribution channels are limited to places such as Drug store, healthcare Providers, Specialty Store uch as Watson, Pharmacy such as Guardian and the latest trend is the Internet Sales. 4. 7 PRICING STRATEGY Pricing is another important factor in determining the success of Metabical. In order to determine the price for Metabical, first we compare with its closest competitor which is Alli ¶s pricing model. We have to also come up with several other assumptions such as by assuming that consumers will be ready to p ay more for a prescription drug and generally people trust prescribed drug rather than the non-prescribed drugs.So, to set higher price for Metabical would not be a problem and would be acceptable by the consumers. Therefore, we come-up with price simulation as per Table 4 below: Table 4: Pricing Simulation METABICAL ALLI Estimated Retail Price Dosage Treatment $3 to $5 Per pill 1 Pill Per Day 12 Weeks (90 Days) $120 Per Pack / $2. 40 Per Pill 1 Pill Per Day 50 Days $2 Per Pill Revenue Per Month Revenue Per Year   ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE $3 Per Pill $4 Per Pill $5 Per Pill $6 Per Pill $60 $720 $90 $1,080 $120 $1,440 $150 $1,800 $180 $2,160 To sell at $90 per month is to low because Metabical is a prescription drug. To capture a larger group the price should not as high as $150 per month. $120 per month would be the right price for a four weeks supply. Based on Table 4 above, we set Metabical price at $120 per month which we assume would be the right price for a four week supply. 1 2 Pricing strategy is also directly ties with the demand forecast and sales forecast. Thus, based on Market Survey and Market research finding we come up with demand forecast as per Table 4 below: 4. . 1 POTENTIAL CUSTOMER Table 5 : Potential Customer POPULATION OVERWEIGHT POTENTIAL USER (Million) (25 < BMI < 30) (MILLION) 2000 209 34% 71. 06 2008 230 39% 89. 70 FROM MARKET SURVEY 12% – Respondents Immediately Make an Appointment With Their Health Care Provider and Request a Prescription YEAR 2000 YEAR 2008 71. 06 Mill X 12% = 8. 53 Mill 89. 70 Mill X 12% = 10. 76 Mill Say Only 10% Consumers Can Be Reached In The First Year 8. 53 Mill X 10% = 0. 85 Mill 10. 76 Mill X 10% = 1. 08 Mill YEARFrom the above demand forecast, we then come up with the sales forecast as per Table 6: 4. 7. 2 SALES FORECAST Table 6 : Sales Forecast ESTIMATED TOTAL NUMBER OF PACK TO BE SOLD From : 2. 55 Mill Packs (0. 85 Mill X 3 Packs) To : 3. 24 Mill Packs (1. 08 Mill X 3 Packs) Consider Price @ $120 P er Pack CSP WOULD EARN BETWEEN $306 Mill to $389 Mill 4. 7. 3 RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) Table 7 : Return on Investment (ROI) INITIAL YEAR SALES TURNOVER ($ Mill) ACUMULATIVE CASHFLOW ($ Mill) RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) ( % ) (423. 5) (423. 15) YEAR 1 347. 40 (75. 75) -19% : : : YEAR 2 383. 88 308. 13 77% YEAR 3 424. 18 732. 31 183% 515% $2,623. 65 MILL 1. 27 YEARS YEAR 4 468. 72 1,201. 03 300% YEAR 5 517. 94 1,718. 97 429% INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN (IRR) NET PRESENT VALUE (NPV) PAYBACK PERIOD y ASSUMTIONS Product Price : $120 Per Pack (For 1 Month Treatment  ± 30 pills) Estimated Product Sold in Year 1 : From 2. 55 Mill  ± 3. 24 Mill (Say On Average 2. 90 Mill Packs). Turnover Increase by 10% Every Year. Investment Cost $423. 15 Mill. 13 5. 0CONCLUSION Print-up had come up with a strong and comprehensive marketing communication strategy which focus on the brand awareness and Metabical benefits to the targeted group. Based on the extensive market survey and market research as well as the focus group findings, the marketing communication strategy of Metabical will be successfully creating demand for Metabical. Furthermore, being known as the only prescription drug with FDA approval and clinical results to back up weight-loss claims will definitely attract a lot more customers and steady demand in the future. 14

Succubus Shadows Chapter 14

I was never entirely sure how much of that dream was true and how much was a lie. That it was a mix, I felt certain. I couldn't think of any reason the Oneroi would show me Kayla noticing my absence when no one else did. That had to be true. Yet, I also couldn't imagine Seth and Maddie slandering me so much. I especially couldn't imagine him breaking a confidence. Surely that was a lie†¦right? And as for the rest of the dream†¦well, it didn't matter. The Oneroi offered no answers. And as more and more dreams came to me, the fate they'd foretold began to come true: I could no longer tell what was real and what wasn't. Often, I tried to tell myself that it was all a lie. That was easier than living with the doubt. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn't shake the feel of truth that some had. So, I was always questioning everything, and it grew maddening after a while. It was made worse by the fact that the Oneroi were always feeding off of those dreams, which consequently sucked up my energy. A succubus needed that energy to function. It gave me the ability to move in the world, to think clearly, to shape-shift. Draining me of it wouldn't kill me – I was still immortal, after all – but it made me useless. Not that it mattered in my prison. I still had the sensation of being crammed inside a box in the dark, and what little awareness of my body I had left was simply showing me pain and weakness. Had I been relea sed, I would have had trouble walking. I would also likely be in my true shape. Since I was mostly suspended consciousness now, the physical aspects became irrelevant. My mind became the true liability, as both the lack of energy and torture from the dreams began to rip me apart. I was more coherent and analytical during the dreams themselves, but when they ended and the emotions hit me, my rational thought began fracturing. My banter with the Oneroi became primal insults and screams. Most of the time I couldn't think at all. I was just pain and despair. And rage. It seemed impossible, yet underneath the agony that smothered me, a small spark of anger just barely managed to stay alive, fueled every time I saw the Oneroi. I think holding on to that fury was the only thing that kept my shattered mind from completely giving in to insanity. I lost all sense of time, but that had more to do with the strange nature of dreams and not so much my brain. I actually think little time passed in the real world because every time the Oneroi showed me a glimpse of it, no progress seemed to have been made in finding me – something I believed the Oneroi hoped would break me further. â€Å"Why do you keep asking us?† The question came from Cody. I was now watching him, Peter, and Hugh being interrogated by Jerome. Carter sat in a far corner, smoking in spite of Peter's no-cigarettes-in-the-apartment rule. Roman was there too, invisible in body and aura. That meant I shouldn't have been able to see him, yet something – maybe because he was my target in this dream – allowed me to know he was there, despite what my senses told me. My friends knew about him. He had no need to hide his physical appearance, unless Jerome feared there might be demonic eyes watching Seattle – which wasn't that unreasonable. My disappearance had probably made him extra suspicious. Cody's question had been directed toward Jerome, and I had never in my life seen such fury on the young vampire's face. He was the mildest of us all, newest to Seattle's immortal circle. He still jumped when Jerome said jump and spent more time watching and learning than taking an active role. Seeing him like this was a shock. â€Å"We don't know anything!† Cody continued. â€Å"Our powers are limited. You're the one who's supposed to be almighty and powerful. Doesn't Hell control half the universe?† â€Å"‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,'† quoted Carter solemnly. â€Å"Shut up, both of you,† snapped Jerome. He glared at the angel. â€Å"I've already heard you use that one before.† Carter shrugged. â€Å"You've heard me use all of them before. Many, many times.† Jerome turned back to my three friends. â€Å"Nothing. You're absolutely certain you noticed nothing about her before this happened?† â€Å"She was down,† said Peter. â€Å"She's always down,† said Hugh. â€Å"She didn't tell any of us about this thing she kept feeling,† growled Cody. â€Å"She only told Roman. Why aren't you questioning him?† â€Å"I have,† said Jerome. He took a step near the young vampire and leaned his face in close. â€Å"And watch your tone. You're lucky I'm feeling kindly right now.† â€Å"What's Mei doing?† asked Peter. His tone was proper and polite as he cast an uneasy glance at Cody. Half of Peter's question was probably a ploy to save his prot? ¦g? ¦ from being smote then and there. Jerome sighed and stepped back. â€Å"Questioning others. Finding any trace – any at all – of another of our immortals who might have felt something.† Hugh, who was sitting on the couch and keeping his distance from our angry boss, cleared his throat nervously. â€Å"I don't want to bring this up†¦but, you're already kind of on probation after the, um, summoning.† Jerome's smoldering gaze fell on the imp, who flinched. â€Å"Don't you think I know that? Why is everyone here giving me useless information?† â€Å"All I'm saying,† said Hugh, â€Å"is that if someone wanted to take advantage of the situation, making you lose one of your immortals would be a good way. Someone who, say, maybe wanted a job promotion.† â€Å"Mei couldn't do this,† said Jerome, catching on. He'd already had one lieutenant demoness turn, so Hugh's hypothesis wasn't that bad. â€Å"She couldn't hide Georgina like this†¦even if she was working with someone who could, she'd find a better way to get to me.† There was almost a proud note in his voice. â€Å"What about Simone?† demanded Cody. â€Å"She's out there impersonating Georgina, you know.† Both Peter and Hugh stared in astonishment. â€Å"She's what?† exclaimed the imp. The attention from his friends seemed to fluster Cody more than Jerome's wrath. â€Å"Yeah, I was, um, visiting Gabrielle at the bookstore, and I saw Simone. She had Georgina's shape, but I could feel it was her.† â€Å"You saw Gabrielle?† asked Carter with interest, like my disappearance from the universe had now lessened in comparison to Cody's romance. Cody flushed. â€Å"We†¦had a date. But I canceled it when I heard about Georgina. It's no big deal.† No big deal? My kidnapping was now ruining Cody's chances with the woman of his dreams. â€Å"This is more useless information,† growled Jerome. â€Å"And, yes, I know about Simone.† â€Å"Maybe you should be talking to her,† said Cody. â€Å"She didn't do it,† said Jerome. The way he spoke implied that it was a closed case. Peter was still treading cautiously around Jerome. â€Å"If you say she didn't†¦then she didn't. But why is she impersonating Georgina if she's innocent in all this?† â€Å"She has her reasons,† said Jerome vaguely. Cody was outraged. â€Å"And you're just going to let her do it! How can you?† â€Å"Because I don't care!† roared Jerome. A wave of power flared out from him like a shock wave. Everyone except Carter was blown back by it. The china in Peter's cabinet rattled. â€Å"I don't care what that other succubus does. I don't care about Georgina's human friends or what they think. If anything, you should be grateful. Simone's act is keeping the others from noticing what happened.† None of my friends had anything to say to that. With an exasperated snarl, Jerome turned toward the door. â€Å"I've had enough of this. I need real answers.† He stormed out into the hall, leaving the door open. Presumably, he did it as an act of angry defiance, but I knew it was so Roman could follow him. Normally, the demon would have simply teleported out, but for whatever reason, father and son were investigating together today. Once alone on the stairwell, Jerome muttered, â€Å"Hold on.† Roman must have because Jerome disappeared. He reappeared – and me along with him – in a new setting: Erik's store. It was evening, and Erik had shut down for the night. The fountains were off. The music had stopped playing. Yet, near the back of the store, a few notes of humming could be heard. They cut off almost immediately, and footsteps sounded as someone approached. Jerome stayed where he was, not deigning to move. He knew his presence would have been promptly felt. He knew Erik would come to him. And sure enough, gait still unsteady from being sick recently, Erik made his way to the store's front. He radiated wariness as he moved. For me, he always had a kindly smile and cup of tea. Even Carter, the most powerful immortal in Seattle, would earn a respectful smile. But Erik was on his guard now – which really wasn't that weird, considering who stood in his store. Erik came to a stop a few feet from Jerome and straightened himself up as well as he could to his full height. He gave Jerome the smallest nod of greeting. â€Å"Mr. Hanan'el,† said Erik. â€Å"An unexpected visit.† Jerome had just taken a cigarette out of his coat, and it fell from his fingers. The look he gave Erik was a hundred times more terrifying than anything I'd ever seen. I expected another flare-up of power, one that would blow the entire building apart. â€Å"Do not,† said Jerome, â€Å"ever let that name cross your lips again, or I will rip them off.† His voice was low and even, simmering with the rage and power he was holding back. Had I been there, I would have gasped. Jerome's true name. Erik knew Jerome's true name. I used fake names to blend in and forget my identity. But for angels and demons, names were power. In the right hands, a name could be used to summon or control a greater immortal. In fact, for Dante to have summoned Jerome in the spring, Grace must have revealed that name. Erik didn't flinch at Jerome being in smite mode. â€Å"I assume,† said Erik, â€Å"you are seeking something.† â€Å"Yes,† said Jerome, slightly mimicking Erik's tone. â€Å"I am ‘seeking' my succubus.† Erik's eyebrows rose slightly. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† â€Å"Of course! Who else?† Jerome did technically have another succubus, Tawny. But maybe he wouldn't have gone hunting for her if she disappeared. He took out another cigarette and lit it without a lighter. â€Å"Do you know where she is? And don't lie to me. If you're keeping her from me, I will rip you apart, leaving your tongue for last.† â€Å"Ripping body parts appears to be a theme tonight,† replied Erik, clasping his hands behind his back. â€Å"But no, I don't know where Miss Kincaid is. I didn't know she was missing.† Jerome took a step forward, eyes narrowed. â€Å"I told you, do not lie to me.† â€Å"I have no reason to lie. I like Miss Kincaid. I would never wish her harm. If I can help her, I will.† Erik's wording was careful. It was me he was offering to help – not Jerome. â€Å"She spoke to you about some force – some ‘siren song' that kept coming to her,† said Jerome. He gave a curt report of what Roman had observed when I disappeared. â€Å"What do you know about this thing? What kind of creature was it? It was feeding off her depression.† From the moment this dream had started, Jerome had displayed nothing but rage and terror. Yet†¦as he shot off questions, it was almost like he was rambling. There was desperation under all that anger. Desperation and frustration because he was in a situation with no answers and felt powerless. Demons, as a general rule, do not like feeling powerless. Resorting to human help – a human who knew his name, no less – must have been excruciatingly painful for my boss. Erik, classy as always, remained calm and formal. â€Å"There are creatures who do that, yes, but I don't believe it was one of those. I believe it chose those times because she was weakest. It was simply a lure – probably not the creature or culprit itself.† â€Å"Then what creature is it?† Erik spread his hands wide. â€Å"It could be any number of things.† â€Å"God-fucking-damn-it,† said Jerome, dropping his cigarette onto Erik's floor and stomping on it hard. â€Å"You're no longer connected to her?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"You have no awareness of her – one of your kind isn't masking her?† â€Å"Correct.† â€Å"And you know she's not dead?† â€Å"Correct.† Erik's brown eyes were thoughtful. â€Å"Then the creature is likely one outside of your scope.† â€Å"Why,† asked Jerome wearily, â€Å"does everyone keep telling me things I already know?† The question could have been directed to Erik, Roman, or the air. The demon took out another cigarette. â€Å"You need to figure out who would take her and why. She has enemies. Nyx was not pleased with the resolution of her last visit.† â€Å"Nyx is locked up.† Jerome spoke as though he had stated that a hundred times. I was pretty sure he'd been asked all those questions about me a hundred times too. â€Å"Your summoner, Mr. Moriarty, was not overly pleased with her either.† Although Erik remained professional, his lips twisted ever so slightly, like he'd tasted something bitter. Regardless of his feelings for the demon, both Erik and Jerome shared a mutual hatred of Dante. This gave Jerome pause. â€Å"I doubt this was human magic, though I suppose he could have had help – he's sought allies before. I'll look into it.† He dropped this new cigarette and stepped on it too. â€Å"Regardless, I still can't believe I'd have no sense of her in the world.† â€Å"Maybe she's not in this world.† Erik's words hung between them for several seconds. â€Å"No,† said Jerome at last. â€Å"Many have interest in her – but none who would do that.† I saw in Erik's face that the words â€Å"Many have interest in her† had caught his notice. He stayed silent, however, and waited for Jerome's next profound statement. Which wasn't that profound. â€Å"Time to go,† said the demon, probably so Roman could grab hold again. Jerome teleported, off to wherever it was he had to go. And me? I returned to my prison.

P.T. Barnum Biography

P.T. Barnum Biography P.T. Barnum, often called The Greatest Showman on Earth, built a collection of curiosities into one of the worlds most successful traveling shows. However, his exhibits were often exploitative, and had a darker side. P.T. Barnum Fast Facts Full Name: Phineas Taylor BarnumBorn: July 5, 1810 in Bethel, ConnecticutDied: April 7, 1891 in Bridgeport, ConnecticutParents: Philo Barnum and Irene TaylorSpouses: Charity Hallett (m. 1829-1873) and Nancy Fish (m. 1874-1891)Children: Frances Irena, Caroline Cornelia, Helen Maria, and Pauline Taylor.Known For: Created the modern concept of the traveling circus as grand spectacle, promoted a number of hoaxes to entertain the public, and is credited with saying Theres a sucker born every minute. Early Years Born in Bethel, Connecticut, to Philo Barnum, an innkeeper, farmer, and shop owner, and his wife Irene Taylor, young Phineas Taylor Barnum was raised in a household that embraced the rigid conservative values of the Congregational church. The sixth of ten children, Barnum greatly admired his maternal grandfather, who was not only his namesake, but also a bit of a practical joker in a community that had only a few socially permissible forms of entertainment. Academically, Barnum excelled in school subjects like math, but hated the physical labor that was demanded of him on his fathers farm. He helped Philo out by working in the shop, but when his father died in 1825, teenage Barnum liquidated the family business, and went to work for a general store in a neighboring town. A few years later, at 19, Barnum married Charity Hallett, with whom he would eventually have four children. Around the same time, he began dabbling in investments in unusual speculation schemes, and was particularly interested promoting entertainment for the masses. Barnum believed that if he could only find one truly amazing thing to exhibit, he could be a success- as long as the crowd believed theyd gotten their moneys worth. Somewhere around 1835, a man walked into Barnums general store, knowing of Barnums interest in the odd and fantastic, and offered to sell him a curiosity. According to Gregg Mangan of Connecticut History, Joice Heth, an African American woman alleged to be 161 years old and former nurse to founding father George Washington, drew crowds of curious onlookers willing to pay for the chance to hear her speak and even sing. Barnum jumped at the opportunity to market her performances. P.T. Barnum got his start as a showman by purchasing a blind, nearly paralyzed, elderly African American woman for $1,000 and then working her for ten hours a day. He marketed her as the oldest woman alive, and she died less than a year later. Barnum charged spectators to view her autopsy, at which it was announced that she was no more than 80 years old. The Greatest Showman on Earth After exploiting Heth and marketing her as a curiosity, Barnum learned in 1841 that Scudder’s American Museum was for sale. Scudders, located on Broadway in New York City, housed a collection of some $50,000 worth of relics and rare curiosities, so Barnum pounced on the opportunity. He rebranded Scudders as Barnums American Museum, filled it with the oddest things he could find, and blasted the American public with his extravagant showmanship. Although he is credited with saying Theres a sucker born every minute, theres no evidence that these words came from Barnum; what he did say was the American people liked to be humbugged.† Barnums particular brand of humbuggery included marketing exotic, imported animals displayed alongside fakes. There was the so-called Feejee Mermaid, which was a monkeys head sewn onto the body of a large fish, and a giant, working replica of Niagara Falls. In addition, he created his traveling freak show, using real people as exhibits, and often creating elaborate, false backstories to make them seem more exciting to the crowds. In 1842, he met Charles Stratton, a four-year-old boy from Bridgeport, who was unusually small at just 25 tall. Barnum marketed the child to audiences as General Tom Thumb, an eleven-year-old entertainer from England. Barnums traveling spectacle gained momentum with the addition of Stratton, who was drinking wine and smoking cigars by the age of five, as well as Native American dancers, Salvadoran children who were marketed as Aztecs, and a number of people of African descent whose exhibits were rooted in racial prejudices of the time. Barnum took his show to Europe, where they played to Queen Victoria and other members of royalty. Barnum with Charles Stratton, who used the stage name Tom Thumb. Bettmann   / Getty Images In 1850, Barnum managed to convince Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale to come perform in New York. Lind, who was devout and a philanthropist, demanded her $150,000 fee in advance so she could use it to fund education programs in Sweden. Barnum went heavily into debt to pay Linds fees, but made the money back fairly early into her successful tour. Barnums promotion and marketing was so overwhelming that Lind eventually opted out of her contract, the two parted ways amicably, and both made a lot of money. The Darker Side of the Show Although Barnum is often portrayed as a delightful showman, much of his success was rooted in the exploitation of others. In addition to Stratton and Heth, Barnum profited from exhibiting a number of other individuals as human curiosities. William Henry Johnson was introduced to Barnums audiences as the man-monkey, found in the wilds of Africa. Johnson, an African American who suffered from microcephaly, was born to poor parents who were former slaves, and who allowed a local circus to display Johnson and his unusually small cranium for money. When his agent got him a role with Barnum, his fame skyrocketed. Barnum dressed him in furs and renamed him Zip the Pinhead, and billed him as the What is It? Barnum claimed Johnson as a missing link between civilized people and a naked race of men, traveling about by climbing on tree branches. A woman holds conjoined twins who were part of Barnums exhibit. Hulton Collection / Deutsch / Getty Images Annie Jones, the Bearded Lady, was another of Barnums most popular sideshows. Barnell had facial hair from the time she was an infant, and as a toddler, her parents sold her to Barnum as the Infant Esau, a reference to the Biblical figure known for an impressive beard. Jones ended up staying with Barnum for most of her life, and became one of the most successful bearded lady performers of all time. Isaac Sprague, the human skeleton, had an unusual condition in which his muscles atrophied, worked for Barnum several times through his adult life. Chang and Eng Bunker, well-known today as conjoined twins, had been circus performers earlier in their lives, and came out of retirement in North Carolina to join Barnum as a special exhibit. Prince Randian, the living torso, was brought to the U.S. by Barnum at age 18, and demonstrated amazing feats for audiences who wanted to see a man with no limbs do things like roll a cigarette or shave his own face. In addition to these types of acts, Barnum hired giants, dwarves, conjoined infants, people with extra and missing limbs, and several physically and mentally disabled individuals as exhibits for his audiences. He also regularly produced and promoted blackface minstrel shows. Legacy P.T. Barnum Monument, Bridgeport, Connecticut, circa 1962. Archive Photos / Getty Images Although Barnum built his success on promoting the freak show, which was rooted in the fears and prejudices of nineteenth century audiences, it appears that later in life he had a slight change of perspective. In the years prior to the Civil War, Barnum campaigned for public office and ran on an anti-slavery platform. He admitted to having engaged in the purchase and sale of slaves, and to having physically abused his slaves, and expressed regret for his actions. Later, he became a philanthropist, and donated a large sum of money to Tufts University for the establishment of a biology and natural history museum. Barnum died in 1891. The show hed founded had merged with James Baileys traveling circus ten years prior, forming Barnum Baileys Circus, and was eventually sold to Ringling Brothers, nearly two decades after his death. The city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, honored Barnum with a statue in his memory, and held a six-week Barnum Festival every year. Today, the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport houses over 1,200 of the curiosities that traveled around the country with Barnums show. Sources â€Å"About P.T. Barnum.†Ã‚  The Barnum Museum, barnum-museum.org/about/about-p-t-barnum/.Barnum, P. T./ Mihm, Stephen (EDT).  The Life of P. T. Barnum, Written by Himself: With Related Documents. Macmillan Higher Education, 2017.Cunningham, Sean, and Sean Cunningham. â€Å"P.T. Barnums Most Famous Freaks.†Ã‚  InsideHook, 21 Dec. 2017, www.insidehook.com/article/history/p-t-barnums-famous-freaks.Flatley, Helen. â€Å"The Darker Side of How P.T. Barnum Became ‘The Greatest Showman.’†Ã‚  The Vintage News, 6 Jan. 2019, www.thevintagenews.com/2019/01/06/greatest-showman/.Mansky, Jackie. â€Å"P.T. Barnum Isnt the Hero the ‘Greatest Showman’ Wants You to Think.†Ã‚  Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 22 Dec. 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-pt-barnum-greatest-humbug-them-all-180967634/.

Free English Classes at USA Learns

Free English Classes at USA Learns USA Learns is an online program for Spanish-speaking adults interested in learning to read, speak, and write in English.   It was created by the U.S. Department of Education in cooperation with the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) and the Project IDEAL Support Center at the University of Michigans Institute for Social Research. How Does USALearns Work? USAlearns uses many multimedia tools that allow learners to read, watch, listen, interact, and even practice conversation online. The program includes modules on each of the following topics: SpeakingVocabularyGrammarPronunciationListeningReadingWritingLife Skills in English In each module, you will watch videos, practice listening, and record your own voice speaking English. You will also be able to: Listen to the correct pronunciation of wordsListen to sentences and check your understandingRecord your voice to be sure you are speaking correctly Youll also be able to actually practice conversations with a video-based person in real-world situations. For example, youll be able to practice answering questions, asking for help, and making conversation. There is no limit to the number of times you can practice the same conversation. What You Need to Know About Using USALearns You must register to use USALearns. Once you register, the program will keep track of your work. When you log on, the program will know where you left off and where you should start. The program is free, but it does require access to a computer. If you want to use the talk-back and practice features of the program, you will also need a microphone and a quiet place in which to practice. When you complete a section of the program, you will have to take a test. The test will tell you how well you did. If you feel you could do better, you can go back, review the content, and take the test again. Pros and Cons of USALearns Why USALearns is worth trying: Its absolutely free!It uses well-regarded teaching tools that are used in school settingsIt allows you to learn in different ways by listening, reading, watching, and practicingThere is no one watching, so if you make a mistake you will not be embarrassedIf you need to repeat something, you can do so as often as you likeThe program allows you to practice real-world vocabulary and situations Drawbacks to USALearns: Like all web-based programs, it can only teach you what it is programmed to teach. If you want to learn skills or language not included in the program, you will have to go elsewhere.The program does not include new or unexpected situations.There are advantage to working with real people who can help you with particular challenges you may face Should You Try USALearns? Because it is free, there is no risk to trying the program. You will certainly learn something from it, even if you still need to take additional ESL classes from live teachers. Learn ESL Through MovementHow to Learn a New Language on the InternetLearning New Languages with Cartoons

The Discovery of Otzi the Iceman and Its Significance

The Discovery of Otzi the Iceman and Its Significance On September 19, 1991, two German tourists were hiking in the Otzal Alps near the Italian-Austrian border when they discovered Europes oldest known mummy sticking out of the ice. Otzi, as the iceman is now known, had been naturally mummified by the ice and kept in amazing condition for approximately 5,300 years. Research on Otzis preserved body and the various artifacts found with it continues to reveal much about the life of Copper Age Europeans. The Discovery Around 1:30 p.m. on September 19, 1991, Erika and Helmut Simon from Nuremberg, Germany were descending from the Finail peak in the Tisenjoch area of the Otzal Alps when they decided to take a shortcut off the beaten path. When they did so, they noticed something brown sticking out of the ice. Upon further inspection, the Simons discovered that it was a human corpse. Although they could see the back of the head, arms, and back, the bottom of the torso was still embedded in the ice. The Simons took a picture and then reported their discovery at the Similaun Refuge. At the time, however, the Simons and the authorities all thought the body belonged to a modern man who had recently suffered a deadly accident. Removing Otzis Body Removing a frozen body thats stuck in the ice at 10,530 feet (3,210 meters) above sea level is never easy. Adding bad weather and a lack of proper excavation equipment made the job even more difficult. After four days of trying, Otzis body was finally removed from the ice on September 23, 1991. Sealed up in a body bag, Otzi was flown via helicopter to the town of Vent, where his body was transferred to a wooden coffin and taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Innsbruck. At Innsbruck, archaeologist Konrad Spindler determined that the body found in the ice was definitely not a modern man; instead, he was at least 4,000 years old. It was then that they realized that Otzi the Iceman was one of the most amazing archaeological finds of the century. Once it was realized that Otzi was an extremely important discovery, two teams of archaeologists went back to the discovery site to see if they could find more artifacts. The first team stayed only three days, October 3-5, 1991, because the winter weather was too harsh to work in. The second archaeology team waited until the following summer, surveying from July 20 to August 25 1992. This team found numerous artifacts, including string, muscle fibers, a piece of a longbow, and a bearskin hat. Who Was Otzi the Iceman? Otzi was a man who lived sometime between 3350 and 3100 BCE in what is called the Chalcolithic or Copper Age. He stood approximately five feet and three inches high and at the end of his life suffered from arthritis, gallstones, and whipworm. He died at about the age of 46. At first, it was believed that Otzi had died from exposure, but in 2001 an X-ray revealed that there was a stone arrowhead embedded in his left shoulder. A CT scan in 2005 discovered that the arrowhead had severed one of the Otzis arteries, most likely causing his death. A large wound on Otzis hand was another indicator that Otzi had been in close combat with someone shortly before his death. Scientists have recently discovered that Otzis last meal consisted of a few slices of fatty, cured goat meat, similar to modern-day bacon. But many questions remain regarding Otzi the Iceman. Why did Otzi have over 50 tattoos on his body? Were the tattoos part of an ancient form of acupuncture? Who killed him? Why was the blood of four people found on his clothes and weapons? Perhaps more research will help answer these and other questions about Otzi the Iceman.   Otzi on Display After seven years of study at Innsbruck University, Otzi the Iceman was transported to South Tyrol, Italy, where he was to be both further studied and put on display. At the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, Otzi was encased within a specially made chamber, which is kept dark and refrigerated to help preserve Otzis body. Visitors to the museum can glimpse Otzi through a small window. To remember the place where Otzi had remained for 5,300 years, a stone marker was placed at the discovery site.

Illegal Immigrants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Illegal Immigrants - Essay Example For over 175 years when immigration to the United States exponentially rose, the issue and controversy of multinational entry has never ceased popularity. Voluntary arrivals of different nationalities sparked generous concerns of political sovereignty over a nation mightier than the oldest empire on earth. When Theodore Roosevelt and Israel Zangwill jointly adhered to the "Melting Pot" drama back in the 1900's calling for the assimilation and abandoning of ethnic identities among new settlers, support for the influx of immigrants created allegiance to the United States. Mary Antin, a Jewish immigrant from Poland wrote "The Promise Land" as an illustration of her adoption of America as her home and America's adoption of her as an American. A few years later when the economic depression plagued the country a renewed sense of foreboding considered the new settlers as threats to jobs and other minorities who lived in the slums and failed to adapt the language and culture. While the European immigrants faced discrimination, they were able to come to the United States in huge numbers until the 1920's. The Asian immigrants who were excluded much earlier took the quotas of less desirable immigrants. Ethnic pluralism suggested a common denominator just before the incidence of both world wars and climbed higher after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The settlement of racial disputes and embracing the principles set forth in the Constitution of the United States later idealized kinship by blood or culture in a foreign land as part of the new and distinct civilization of the United States. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 raised alarm bells among the American populace with profound question of susceptibility to such attacks that claimed the lives of thousands. Threats to national security and the lax border regulations renewed the question of what to do with the numerous legal immigrants and how to drive away the illegal immigrants back to where they came from. To date, the 20th century catered to the highest influx of immigrants which accounted for the massive population expansion. Census studies recorded the 1999 population to over 270 million, making it the world's third largest country in terms of population. Every year, the population grows to half a million with higher life expectancies and low infant mortality rates. In terms of population distribution in cities, New York became the record breaker followed by Los Angeles and Chicago. Population growth in Las Vegas topped among states spurred by unprecedented hotel-casino construction. The rising numbers showed lately reflected a still growing population which is 1/4th of what it used to be over a century ago with immigration at one-third playing the lead role. Latest records showed 28,234,231 illegal aliens in the US with Los Angeles as the main hub. Today, there are two powerful forces at work in the country acting on the issue of immigration. Separatists' movement advocating breaking loose cultural groups and driving them away at any cost and Reformists adhering to peaceful legislature of laws for national reform consists of these powers. Both movements set against the backdrop of democratic politics hold justifiable reasons with a common goal of easing the country from the confines of a booming population

Zero Tolerance Policy in the K-12 United States Education System Research Paper

Zero Tolerance Policy in the K-12 United States Education System - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the Gun Free Schools Act (GFSA) enacted in 1994, inter alia, empowers the educational institutions â€Å"to expel from school for a period of not less than one year a student who is determined to have brought a weapon to a school†.   In view of the changing environment in the social spectrum and the unprecedented technological developments not even predicted by sociologist and futurist, Alvin Toffler in his Future Shock, it is attempted to seek an answer to the question: Is there is a need to revisit such provisions of this act and the other related acts such as Goals 2000: Educate America Act on account of the inhibiting factors and ominous consequences to the students and their families involved in enforcement of these laws in relation to zero tolerance policy.   At the instance of Pennsylvania Parent Teachers Association (PTA), a proposal in relation to zero tolerance policy is being submitted to the Senator Arlen Specter .   We expect that his compassion for the students makes him as an advocate in addressing the needs of students.   His clout as a senior Senator with wide experience and respectability would be helpful in carrying out the necessary amendments to the act(s). This paper has been prepared after careful study and analysis of the various alternatives, factors involved and the existing policy environment with the recommendations in this respect.

Week 6 post class 6340 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 6 post class 6340 - Assignment Example This is so because there are many volunteers in many health care departments but not many really carry out the roles of teaching like a nurse who is a service learner that is really noble of you (Groh, Stallwood and Daniels, 2011). I had really not thought about the role technology plays in higher education and especially having more people take up nursing degrees because higher education learning will be easier than it is currently and more than it was in the past. Thank you for such insight and I totally agree with it and especially if nursing shortage is to have a permanent solution (Zarate and Burciaga, 2010). Your current work position of being a director of education is the best position to advocate for specialty certification for nurses because you have not only the capability but also power to motivate, challenge and teach about the professionalism that accompanies having a certificate and it will also open up future job opportunities and trust from prospective employers (National League for Nursing, 2009). American Association of College Nurses, (2013). Defining Scholarship for the Discipline of Nursing. Retrieved on February 10, 2013 from:

MGT 305-ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MGT 305-ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR - Essay Example The widespread issue among all of them is that they are accountable for supporting, motivating, guiding, organizing, teaching, instructing, inspiring a group of people. In general these individuals are referred to as or considered as leaders inside their specific area of functioning. The phrase leadership merely implies the means of persuading a group of people & directing them on the way to the achievement of a universal purpose. The organization where I used to work had a business of Herbal Products. The firm largely dealt with balm for muscle aches & joint pains, tonics for immunity building, lotions & body-oil for supple & soft skin & many such goods for the day-to-day application by the customers. The business followed a unified arrangement of centralized & decentralized framework. The different unit worked on a decentralized style where there was no specialty & everybody knew the job of the other individual. Job Rotation was being experienced as a standard rule. Significance of Organization Structure The contribution to the efficient functioning of organization by its organization structure can be explained as: - Clear-cut Authority Relationships: The responsibility and authority is allocated by the Organization structure. The members of an organization are helped to know their role and relate it to other roles by organizational structure. - Pattern of Communication: the patterns of coordination and communication are provided by the Organization structure. Communication between people is facilitated by Organization structure through grouping of people and activities. - Location of Decision Centre: the locations of centers for decision making in the organization are determined by Organization structure. - Proper Balancing: the emphasizing on group activities’ coordination and creation of the proper balance between them is done by the organizational structure. Higher priority is given to more critical aspect for the success of the enterprise in the o rganization. - Encouraging Growth: Flexible framework is proved to the organization for creating growth opportunities and meeting the challenges by the structure of the organization. - Making use of Technological Improvements: the organizational structure is capable of modification in the existing pattern of responsibilities of the authorities. The on the whole operation of the organization was dependent on the structure of situational leadership style. This approach is based on the outlook of people towards the job entrusted to them & their reaction towards the performance of a leader (greeks.cofc.edu. n.d.). The idea of situational leadership is reliant on the key rudiments of task behavior & relationship behavior. The relationship behavior implies the quantity of social & emotional hold provided by the leader. It point toward the flow of communication involving the followers & leader. Task behavior implies the guidance & direction offered by the leader. It is extremely work- focu sed & puts emphasis on the proficient achievement of the goals. In the situational leadership style, 4 essential situations have been recognized by the leadership professionals that are dependent on relationship behavior on one axis & task behavior on the other axis of the grid. The following diagram reveals the illustration of a situational leadership structure- These styles stand for the management approach that completely depends on the condition faced by the firm. In case of the company