Think free essay sample

It is atop the shingles above my garage, next to my bedroom window, under my twin oak tree where I frequent a perch, content on my roof. A place to think, to relax, to read, to escape: my roof is steady. Facing east, I can watch the sun rise over the city skyline; facing west, I witness the sun drop into the trees, taking with it, the colors of the sky. During the day I watch the trees sway to the rhythm of the wind. My eyes follow the squirrels as they jump from tree to tree, always leaving a trail of rustling leaves. I listen to the birds’ morning songs, and I listen to the crickets’ nightly melodies. I count the stars and trace the paths of planes. Come evening with the windows open, I listen to the sizzle of my mother cooking dinner simultaneously mingle with my father’s modulated tuning of the guitar. We will write a custom essay sample on Think or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Looking up into the sky I feel small as I take in the expansive universe above me. Yet I feel content up high knowing I am a little closer the breathtaking world overhead. On this roof my thoughts are extensive, wide-ranging and sweeping as the sky. I become an observer and absorb everything around me. Watching the cars roll by, oblivious, blind to their surroundings, I pity them. Then reality catches up, and I remember society and life and responsibility take precedence, and I accept the sad fact. At the same time however, I find it consequential to take the time every once in a while to stop. To absorb the world, appreciating its quirks and wonders. I can think about everything at once and yet nothing at all on the roof. I can listen to everything and nothing. I can play Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and Daughter’s Youth, or I can resort to nature’s sweet songs. I think about the idea of thinking, and I think about space and life and the immense size of everything. I self reflect and think about the different sides of myself. My contrasting moods and my various friends pass through my head, everything intermingling and linking in odd connections left from right, yet at the same time typifying the randomness of the world. Lately, I have been thinking about my future and its endless possibilities along with my seemingly incapability to make any decisions. At 17 years old I do not know how I am supposed to select a place to spend my next four years and prepare myself for a career I am supposed to have for the rest of my life. I wonder how to choose between my love for both the city’s commotion and chaos and my love for the natural world and its silent beauty. In the end it comes down to diligence and hard work to create opportunities and possibilities. I need to carve my path and hope for happiness; I hope for the serene content I experience on the roof and make sure I stay true to my passions, as soon as I discover what such passions are. I will continue thinking and challenging my ideas and thoughts and keep improving myself. I find that alone time on my roof where I can think is just as vital to my growth as the priceless moments and memories I create with my dearest friends and family. Thinking, breathing, living and being. This could happen anywhere, I suppose. It just so happens my roof is the perfect niche in the space I need.

The Virgin Blue Company

The Virgin Blue Company Introduction Managing the marketing process is an issue that companies have to contend with in the new dynamic and competitive environment. Performance of most businesses in contemporary environment is gradually shifting to the need of superior marketing strategies that are able to respond to the market needs in the most appropriate way.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Virgin Blue Company-Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, this research intends to look at how management of marketing process can be enhanced in the increasing competitive business environment. The research will be a case study on Virgin Blue Company, which is an airline company based in Australia. Manage the Marketing Process Virgin Blue Company sees itself as possessing a humble background and beginning especially for being the first type of company to initiate the first and unique sustainable low far airline in Australian s kies (Virgin Blue Company n.d). The company, through steady progress, has evolved and grown to become a recognized company in the world as innovator and leader in the global aviation industry. Blue Virgin Company started its operations in on 31 August 2000, with initial two aircrafts to start with (Virgin Blue Company n.d). It operated one route and had 200 team members who collectively shared a clear and concise goal of changing in the most drastic way the air travel in Australia (Virgin Blue Company n.d). As a way of revolutionalizing aviation industry with regard to way of doing business, the company reduced the airfares by almost 50 per cent while at the same time introducing genuine Guest service to the flying public, coupled with a strong commitment to being the best in the business (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Company’ mission indicates what the company is trying to achieve, what is the purpose of the company, and why it exists, hence, mission statement constitutes a sho rt statement that says what a company stand for and it outlines a company’s strategy that becomes a key referential tool by company’s members in making key decisions (Griffins and Goffar n.d). Virgin Blue Company’s culture has been created based on the company’s core values. For instance, the company expresses that â€Å"the big secret to Virgin culture is simple there is no secret, where creation and maintenance of an enviable culture has been the top secret of the company and this has been done by infusing the company’s core values into everything the company does where we get that right and the Virgin culture just follow† (Virgin Blue Company n.d, par.3).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company’s values have been infused with everything that the company takes part in. For instance, the company works hard and participates in everything necessary to provide work environment characterized by the â€Å"right policies, processes, systems, communications, facilities, benefits, interesting work, fair pay, and reward and recognition to support our people and our business operations† (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Virgin Blue Company has code of conduct and practice that it has established and acts as guide to business conduct in the organization (Virgin Blue 2010). One of the director in the company summarizes â€Å"all personnel are required to support the quality of Virgin Blue and to take an active role in identifying and facilitating opportunities for improvement where the ultimate commercial success of the company is intrinsically linked to both perception and reality that the company operate safely, surpassing both the competitors and the required regulation and legislation† (Virgin Blue 2010, p.1). Code of ethics at Virgin Blue outlines key responsibilities members have to demonstrate and these responsibilities have been categorized into groups of: underlying values for the company, business integrity, which stress virtues of honesty, integrity, and fairness with regard to reporting, political involvement, and competition (Virgin Blue 2010). Brett Godfrey, CEO of Virgin Blue Company observes that the company has greatly moved away from organizational structures, instead the company work more brilliantly to establish a lesser organizational hierarchical in the workplace (Brett n.d). Instead of an organizational structure and hierarchical, Virgin has instead embraced structure that is kind of pie chart and not the traditional and usual triangle structure. The CEO of Virgin goes on to state that, as a leader he lacks confidence and is non-believer in organizational charts and instead advises that all leaders in the company should view themselves to be equal to each other. The company has an established marketing department headed by marketing manager an d a dedicated team that is responsible to all aspects with regard to brand, product, and retail media advertising in television, radio, and related online campaigns (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Marketing objectives at Virgin Blue are built on the principles of SMART, which stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely objectives. First, Virgin Blue has pursued its marketing objectives through strategic alliances with other companies (O’Sullivan 2011). Strategic alliances have been favored by the company mainly to create extensive marketing channels and networks in region the company cannot afford to go it alone (O’Sullivan 2011).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Virgin Blue Company-Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time, Virgin Blue, upon its establishment, rested on the philosophy of endeavoring to be low cost, but offer reasonable services. In addition, the initial marketing strategy of the company based on these objectives was motivated by prevalence of market domination by airlines like Qantas; hence, Virgin Blue adopted an aggressive marketing expansion based on low costs which in actual were about 30 to 40 per cent less that that of Qantas (Bamber 2006). As part of implementing market plan, there is need to carry out monitoring, controls and adjusts process, which can be undertaken using different tools such as â€Å"developing a financial forecast of revenue using statistical models, past sales data, executive judgment and surveys of consumer trends† (Cooper and Argyris 1998). After this has been done, there is need to carry out estimation of â€Å"costs such as market research costs, promotion costs, product development costs and distribution costs† (Cooper and Argyris 1998). At Virgin Blue Company, the management and overall organizational culture encourages working together of departments hence sharing of inf ormation is key to the success of the company. The company further encourages ‘cross pollination’ of ideas and communication, which in turn leads to working and implementation of strategies at the company more easy (Brett n.d). On large scale ‘silo mentality’ has been discouraged, which has opened up communication channels to be more easy and frequent. Evaluate International Marketing Opportunities Virgin Blue currently controls about 33 per cent of the airlines market in Australia where the company global marketing strategy has been simple perceived to largely involve offering of easy-to-understand, low priced carrier and at same time use of low-cost business model that generate high profit margins (Virgin Blue Company n.d). Virgin Blue brand stand exceptionally in a situation that has numerous opportunities only when appropriate environmental scanning had taken place. Situation analysis according to Michael E. Allen in the book titled ‘How to promot e and advertise’ observes that it involves describing what is happening in the markets in which the company operates and competes and also the company’s products and distribution trends (Allen 2006). Situation analysis for Virgin Blue Company can be grouped into macro-environment situation; market situation; competitive situation; target buyer or end user situation; product/service situation; and lastly, distribution situation (Allen 2006). In order to carry out this situation analysis more effectively Virgin Blue may employ two critical situation analysis tools: SWOT analysis and PEST analysis. SWOT Analysis Virgin Blue can be assessed with regard to Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) as follows. The strengths of the company include: the company has relatively low cost structure; the company has out-won its competitors given its low fare offering policy; further the company as compared to the competitors boost of having a management team that posses s significant and beneficial airline experience that continue to be utilized in the company (Asian Travel Tips, 2003).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, other related strengths of the company include presence and possession of strong brand in the market as compared to some of its competitors; presence of unique culture and the overall enthusiasm of the organization that has endeavored it to customers; and lastly commitment and general productivity of its workforce (Asian Travel Tips 2003). With regard to weakness, first Virgin Blue Company is not an Australian owned company an aspect that sometimes has affected the company’s operations especially with regard to legal and political policies in the country. Second, the overall Virgin Group financial structure has continued to change and remain fluid translating into impacts in other Group’s units like Virgin Blue Company (Grant 2004). For instance the company’s structure of ‘stand-alone’ financing of each company has executed a lot of pressure on individual companies resulting into accumulation huge debts (Grant 2004). This situation has lef t Virgin Group vulnerable to bad debts in one part of the group that in turn swiftly infect the rest of the companies (Grant 2004). Being part of the Virgin Group, Virgin Blue has not been immune to these debts. With regard to opportunities, Virgin Blue Company has some opportunities in its way. For instance, the fact that international security has become an issue especially after the 2001 terrorist attack in USA, international tourism declined and this particular situation translated into the number of domestic travels increasing (Isik-Vanelli 2003). At the same time, the collapse of Ansett Company has provided unexploited opportunities which with adequate and appropriate strategies Virgin Blue can create a contingency for success. Moreover, all indications point to the possibilities that the route network and service frequencies are destined to expand, an opportunity Virgin Blue can exploit to expand in the Australian market (Isik-Vanelli 2003). Lastly, the increasing market orie ntation towards leisure travelers still has few players who can adequately exploit hence Virgin Blue Company is presented with an opportunity to venture in the area. At the same time, threats that face Virgin Blue Company largely originate from the increasing competition in the airlines market. The main fierce competitor for Virgin Blue Company in the Australian Market is the Qantas which has eclipsed Virgin Blue Company (Virgin Blue Holdings Limited n.d). Qantas airlines given its expansive network and huge financial base has continued to offer much lower fares as compared to Virgin a situation that has immensely executed pressure on Virgin Blue (Virgin Blue Holdings Limited n.d). Other threats facing Virgin Blue company has to do with the government initiatives to liberalize airlines in Australia, a situation that is going to see increased entrance of low-fare companies thus increasing the competition environment. PEST Analysis PEST is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social an d Technological factors which are used to assess the market for a business or any organizational unit (Chapman 2006). Assessing the Virgin Blue Company with regard to PEST, the following information is generated. With regard to Political-Legal effects affecting the company, it can be deduced that Australian overall liberal policy has created an environment that favor and motivate new entrants to enter the Australian market (Slide Share In. 2009). At the same time, Australian international aviation policy is seen to be ‘multiple designations’ where at the same time the deregulation that has been taking place since 1990 has led to more controlled form of competition between the two rival competitors Qantas and Virgin Blue (Slide Share In. 2009). With regard to economic factors, it can be deduced that since the events of September 11 2001 in USA, international tourism has continued to suffer as more customers hold back due to security concerns. Further, other economic issu es such as increasing fuel costs has continued to pose challenge to Virgin’s policy of low-cost fare whereby the increased fuel costs has in turn affected the basic costs of flights which in turn affects the likeability of customers to book a flight (Slide Share In. 2009). Socio-Cultural factors on the other hand that impact Virgin Blue has to do with the current situation of tightening of labor market specifically with regard to skilled fields that forces the company to increase its employee motivation. At the same time it is predicted that the demand for personnel in other and distant countries will lead to the need to initiate foreign-language training (Slide Share In. 2009). Lastly, the technological impact in the increasing information world requires Virgin Blue to institute appropriate technologies for its services. For instance, online booking is a technological aspect the company will need to explore. On overall, the growth of information industries is creating knowle dge-dependent global society and information is gradually becoming the primary commodity for the success of industries (Slide Share In. 2009). Manage International Marketing Programs SWOT Analysis and PEST Analysis forms the two critical assessment and evaluation tools Virgin Blue Company can use to identify opportunities and threats which in turn can lead to formulation of appropriate marketing objectives especially with regard to international markets. SWOT Analysis in nature concentrate on international assessment of the company, in other words, it largely dwells on micro-environment analysis of the company. On the other hand, PEST Analysis makes assessment of the external environment of business where the emphasis shifts from micro-environment to macro-environment evaluation. Therefore, the results generated from the two assessments become critical in postulating the company’s marketing and overall strategies especially with regard to corporate strategy of the company. Vi rgin Blue after successful assessment of SWOT and PEST, the following international marketing objectives of the company can be pursued. According to Richard Branson, the Virgin Group founder asserts that â€Å"Virgin Blue has already proven its ability to operate successfully in a competitive market and the directors are confident that this will continue in the future† (Asian Travel Tips, 2003, p.1). Given this observation it can be deduced that Virgin Blue company need to create and develop business travel market that has focus on fulfilling the needs of leisure travel market (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). At the same time, with increasing entrance of new competitors Virgin Blue can create new and unique ultraslow cost carriers so that it can be in position to challenge its competitors offering low fare services such as Qantas and JetStar (Asian Travel Tips 2003). Another marketing objective that can be formulated in the future involves instituting a new carrier such as Virgin L ight Blue that has potential and capability of serving regional airports that in the current state are not served and this should also include secondary metropolitan airports. Furthermore, Virgin Blue need to formulate marketing objectives that reflect desire to provide domestic air services in all parts of Australia and also international services to countries like New Zealand, Vanuatu, any many more (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). Lastly, the marketing objective Virgin Blue should concentrate on involve online marketing and this should involve implementing a better IT system that enables customers to book ticket and holiday much easier through the web (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). In order to manage risks which in large part are presentable in threats the company face. Managing risks will need the company to increase the quality of its services and products in order to out-perform the competitors. At the same time, offering low fares should be within the economies of financial position of the company. The Asian market appear promising and prospective with forecasting indicating that any venture in the market has the potential to realize about 20 per cent increase. But how well can Virgin Blue exploit these opportunities given its current position? One possible and viable international marketing operation structure the company can adopt involve joint venture with an Asian countries airline. Virgin Blue needs to bring on board new airline partners to penetrate and exploit the Asian market. This aspect is necessary given that all indications point to the fact that international cooperation that in turn will results into growth of the market size (Asian Travel Tips, 2003). In order to successful succeed in international market; Virgin Blue Company needs to develop an international marketing communication strategy that will be critical in the promotion of the company and its products and services. The main aspects that the communication strategy should have include: asse ssment of marketing communication opportunities, analysis of marketing communication resources, setting marketing communication objectives, developing and evaluating alternative strategies, and lastly, assigning specific marketing communications tasks (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2007). Conclusion Increasing competition in the Australian airline market has resulted into companies adopting various marketing strategies that are intended to position their businesses at an advantageous level in winning customers. Virgin Blue Company has adopted cost leadership strategy, which in turn has been rewarding for the company. In summary what the company need to know is that, airline market is becoming more competitive, dynamic and price elastic while at the same time not compromising quality of the products and services offered. Therefore the company needs to device other marketing strategies based on the market situation, customer needs, company objectives, consumer needs, and overall business en vironmental situation. International marketing is challenging but again the company needs to create and implement an international marketing communication strategy that is able to incorporate the corporate strategy of the company together with external environment the company face. Reference List Allen, M. E., 2006. How to Promote and Advertise. Lotus Press. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=MElRZd39LNACpg=PA36dq=international+marketing+trends+and+situation+analysishl=enei=bFdUTeXABsjcsgaGjMmECQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDsQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=international%20marketing%20trends%20and%20situation%20analysisf=false . Asian Travel Tips. 2003. Virgin Blue lodges prospectus for IPO. Web. Available from: asiatraveltips.com/travelnews03/1011VirginBlue.shtml . Bamber, G. J., 2006. Marketing Strategies and Labor-Market Behavior of Full-Service and Low-Cost Airlines: An Australian Study. Sydney: Griffith University. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com /viewer?a=vq=cache:tNlRMwAT4ycJ:www.ctw-congress.de/ifsam/download/track_20/pap00767.pdf+Marketing+strategies+used+by+Virgin+Blue+airlinehl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESh7c0nhru6vO6Xud42DXtk4HSitx5Yz4-5CuwhdGV40Hi4CtW9oIU7gs0sfRmOWlI85qvAVCLsMX5A7bFTzS5OjfKePcJWes7gn2JcV6rnIcBuXtjE1NzeOMLYDEY5HgNpyoMeYsig=AHIEtbSZU5DFb3LpXdUsNIhyINum3lTRrw . Brett, G., N.d. Culture and Measurement: Passion and Performance. CEO Forum Group, Sydney. Web. Available from: ceoforum.com.au/article-detail.cfm?cid=6269t=/Brett-Godfrey-Virgin-Blue/Passion-and-performance . Chapman, R. J., 2006. Simple tools and techniques of enterprise risk management. MA: John Wiley and Sons. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=2XWcqAhqlDgCpg=PA116dq=PEST+Analysishl=enei=wAdVTY3EG9COswbQ6u3bDAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=PEST%20Analysisf=false . Cooper, C. L. and Argyris, C., 1998. The concise Blackwell encyclopedia of management. MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Web. Available from: http s://books.google.com/books?id=5KQleK86BS4Cpg=PA405dq=how+a+company+monitors+and+reviews+its+marketing+mixhl=enei=c4JMTeDkGMeRswbdw5DHDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false . Czinkota, M. R. and Ronkainen, I. A., 2007. International marketing. OH: Cengage Learning. Web. Available from: https://books.google.com/books?id=YreJ42YFjb0Cpg=PA392dq=international+marketing+communication+strategyhl=enei=KSVVTaOSIMzysgahjfXdDAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=international%20marketing%20communication%20strategyf=false . Grant, R. M., 2004. Richard Branson and Virgin Group of Companies. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:vrgGBWyq62IJ:www.blackwellpublishing.com/grant/docs/15Virgin.pdf+Market+weakness+of+Virgin+Blue+Companyhl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESgHl4Gjx538gkOZIGx2pbCfVkSVuXA7HYmO0KVxjhfTnxorcRGN3xe2sGgqzrB1iydudrV8Oe7TVga54n93btTUsAx8UXBuANtMYiSZOIY1DWjZ3xeAoJt_eoLGnhyjV19ncxNQsig=AHIEtbSkowzA08zuBfi5tGG wFAg-bucy5A . Griffins, G. and Goffar, A., N.d. Commercial Organizations. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:IaIJlt9tjwkJ:www.accaglobal.com/documents/introduction.pdf+Virgin+Blue+company+mission+statementhl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESh2CE_PFMYc8PzYaTTGT2E9zBBA5-dJrKG1sDQmiG3h9lFcUKP_SGDYxKjGIXUrU89KtsViLePo0ciNWnFf2RGafYQUn0GjADPCf72dlNuQe-mC9RDKEszgrqlmDvlFXAIz30E0sig=AHIEtbQBS6c2xYBkG6BhN12ZazaZjm4Zdw . Isik-Vanelli, H., 2003. Marketing Plan for Virgin Blue. MBA Paper, Bond University, Australia. Web. Available from: grin.com/e-book/26496/marketing-plan-for-virgin-blue-1 . O’Sullivan, M., 2011. Virgin Blue hooks up with regional Skywest. Sydney Morning Herald. Web. Available from: investsmart.com.au/news/news.asp?function=printDocID=SMH110111EA787396S69Action=Display . Slide Share In. 2009. A Comparative Analysis and Strategic Response to: The Australian Airline Industry. Web. Available from: slidesh are.net/lovebaby193/competitve-analysis-presentation . Virgin Blue. 2010. Guide to Business Conduct. Web. Available from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:4xM1Uo6bRIoJ:www.virginblue.com.au/cms/groups/e-commerce/documents/internetcontent/p_012408.pdf+Code+of+Conduct+and+Practice+at+Virgin+Bluehl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEEShOaoBWECuOFkx05bSIyRlvAVVKOJbf9IJDbK_1T2GJmdRxJwmqSoQ3vgdSGE5DYkzWQMC0QZfQIqUBVkNfrc7EaV5Fs22_sFAOeKR-uo3F1NQNUgMG1TI8tOOeK8M8aADNJcl8sig=AHIEtbQ3D97lo7XaGj8py7B7W4q01CyVTw . Virgin Blue Company. N.d. The Virgin Blue History. Web. Available from: virginblue.com.au/AboutUs/Virginbluecorporateinformation/TheVirginBluehistory/index.htm . Virgin Blue Company. N.d. Culture and Values. Web. Available from: virginblue.com.au/AboutUs/Careers/Cultureandvalues/ . Virgin Blue Holdings Limited. N.d. Top Competitors of Virgin Blue. Web. Available from: hoovers.com/virgin-blue/ID__103709/freeuk-co-factsheet.xhtml .

Happiness can be achieved by anyone through improvement of character, Essay

Happiness can be achieved by anyone through improvement of character, meditation, and increasing generosity and kindness - Essay Example True happiness is beyond meaning and description. In his article â€Å"Happy Like God,† Critchley emphasizes the idea of happiness as something that even the French philosopher Rousseau could hardly define. This is because the beauty of the moment of happiness is something that is only likened to â€Å"a state where the soul can find a resting-place secure enough to establish itself and concentrate its entire being there† (Critchley 449). This is actually a time where â€Å"the present runs on indefinitely† and where the past and the future do not matter yet it is something that no one can define as just the present (449). It is therefore true that â€Å"happiness is not quantitative or measurable and it is not the object of any science, old or new† (450). This means that, for Critchley, happiness is something that can never be gauged for not only does happiness depend on the person who is feeling it but also it depends on the value of the present moment a nd how each person defines that moment for him. The experience and the feeling one has naturally cannot be quantified and cannot even be expressed in words. Nevertheless, it is closest to the term â€Å"feeling of existence,† or the time when someone feels the moment that he exists and he experiences such happiness (450). Moreover, although unquantifiable, this moment of happiness is very much sufficient. In fact, Rousseau defines such a state of happiness as a God-like state: â€Å"as long as this state lasts we are self sufficient like God† (450). This is therefore the highest state of things, or the state where one does not want anything else but to be in such a feeling or such a state. Nevertheless, happiness in any form defies measurement. Happiness is also an experience of appreciation and reflection of things and people in one’s life. While Critchley and Rousseau would equate this appreciation and reflection with being alone in the experience of stillness , there were once people like the Greek philosopher Epictetus, who thought that happiness is also one’s experience of stillness but this stillness is wisdom, and such wisdom is not about being alone but being aware of how to deal with others. For Epictetus, the lack of wisdom and reason makes one either a sheep or a wild beast, which is what most people are. A sheep will naturally simply â€Å"act gluttonously†¦lewdly†¦rashly, filthily [and] inconsiderately,† while a wild beast would normally act â€Å"harmfully, passionately [and] violently† (Epictetus). The wisdom that Epictetus means must be similar to the wisdom that Rousseau realized when he thought of a God-like state of existence, only that Epictetus’ wisdom is directed towards one’s fellowman. Moreover, according to Epictetus, if people lack wisdom, they tend to worry about and change things that are beyond their control, such as â€Å"What would others think?† or â€Å"Wh at would others say if I did this?† and they then cease being happy. They do not anymore experience that blissful God-like state that Rousseau described earlier. The point of Epictetus is that no matter how intelligent or good someone is, if he does not possess wisdom, he will always be swayed by other people’s influence as well as by his opinions of the things over which he has no control. Therefore, if one lacks wisdom, one lacks contentment and happiness, and

Genetics exam question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetics exam question - Essay Example y through the increased potential for arrest and conviction of criminal elements, critics contend that the system opens the door for a big brother type of abuse. Though the system may result in an increase in the conviction rate, the personal nature of DNA information should be subject to the same standards as medical history and should not be warehoused in a central government location. There is little public disagreement as to the value of DNA when prosecuting a criminal who may be responsible for a child abduction or rape. According to the government, "The national DNA database is a key police intelligence tool that helps to quickly identify offenders, make earlier arrests, secure more convictions, and provide critical investigative leads for police investigations" (The national DNA database 2007). However, as more people are entered into the database cross contamination of samples could make the information acquired unmanageable. In the case of property crimes, anyone who had been minimally in contact with the crime scene in the recent past could be considered a suspect (Linacre 2003, p.1841). This could potentially involve all of a stores recent customers if there was a break in or a robbery. While it may help to place the perpetrator on a list of suspects, it would also incriminate a large number of innocent bystanders. Though the current requirements for collecting samples is restricted to those people that have been implicated in a crime, the protections are being compromised by law enforcement practices. During a recent investigation into a sexual assault in South London, the police department wrote a letter to the local population requesting voluntary DNA samples. However, the voluntary aspect was framed in a coercive effort. The letter said in part, "Consider that the suspect is likely to refuse to provide a voluntary sample; catching him will be far easier if he is the only one" (cited in Lettice 2005). Innocent citizens may feel pressured into

Farm Bureau Federation Essay Example for Free

Farm Bureau Federation Essay The following year, the group put an end to its secrecy and opened it to all workers. The Knights of Labor advocated for several changes, some of which were earlier campaigned by NLU: creation of cooperatives, abolition of convict-labor competition, greenbacks, et al (Tindall and Shi, 19991, p. 914). However, the Knights of Labor was one step ahead of its time, accepting women and even black laborers. They also allowed membership to all workers, regardless of skills, which made the group extremely popular. While Stephens served as the fist leader, he gave way to Terence Powderly in 1879 (p. 542). He detested the use of strikes to fight for the labor and this led to some members backing out of the group. But the success of the Knights of Labor was still visible. In 1885, they led a victory against Jay Gould, a speculator. Gould had lessened the wages in his railroads. When the Knights of Labor intervened, Gould reinstated the wage cuts (p. 915). Victories such as these increased the popularity and membership of the knights of Labor. The group reached its peak in 1886 (p. 915). However, like all union groups at that time, the Knights of Labor fell down and ceased existence a few years later. Like NLU, the Knights of Labor attained marked achievements during its existence. For one, it was during its time when the Bureau of Labor Statistics was created (p. 916). Additionally, the Foran Act of 1885 was enacted, which castigated employers who would import contract labor (p. 916). Likewise, the Knights of Labor was responsible to instilling the value of unionism. The group fostered the sense of solidarity, uniting skilled and unskilled workers, regardless of sex, creed of color. At the same time of the Knights of Labor, another group had started to emerge. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was created in 1886 to unite national craft unions (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson and Williams, 1991, p. 543). Founded by Samuel Gompers, the group became the most important, emerging union by the 1890s. Gompers believed that majority of the workers would be workers all their lives, thus his goal was to uplift the lives of the workers. By the turn of the century, the group had around 500,000 members, surpassing the Knights of Labor (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 919). However, unlike the Knights of Labor, the AFL excluded unskilled workers, along with women, blacks and immigrants (Brinkley, 2003. P. 496). This led women to form their own groups, such as the Women’s Trade Union League (p. 496). The presence of different labor unions, ironically, hindered the progress of American labor. Racial and ethnic discrepancies made it impossible to unite laborers. Additionally, the surge of immigrants made it unfeasible to organize well especially since workers, even the natives, were prone to move around to look for higher-paying jobs. But one major force that kept American labor to rise was actually America itself. Corporate organizations wanted nothing more than to cream efforts of workers to seek higher wages, less working hours and safe working conditions. The government also was unable to help the laborers, perhaps for fear that that these corporate giants would pull out, thus affecting the national economy. Workers did not share in the profits raked in by these corporate giants during the industrial age. As America began to take shape as an urban nation,, the idea of socialism, which was then popular in Europe, had started to shore up. While socialism did not really fly high in the country, there were attempts to restore industrial unionism (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 924). The creation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) served as a stepping stone (p. 924). The IWW was rooted in â€Å"class struggle† and its existence was based on the idea that there should be â€Å"harmony† between the capitalist and the working class (p. 924). However, as will all groups, tensions among and between members were widespread. In the end, IWW went kaput during World War I. As the twentieth century was ushered in, American labor was still unrest. In 1902, the Farmers’ Union was founded, followed soon by the American Farm Bureau Federation (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 1214). Organized labor saw a few setbacks, especially with the occurrence of the Red Scare which gave a bad image to the unions. It also did that help that a world war broke, putting many people in a depression. Some people stood out during this time, such as Henry Ford who pioneered higher pay rates, shortened work weeks and started paid vacations (Brinkley, 2003, p. 651). Workers, for the first time in their lives, soon became eligible for pensions (p. 652). Welfare capitalism helped laborers gain economic benefits but still was not enough; there was still discrimination among blacks and other immigrants. In 1921, business groups in Chicago initiated the American plan, which gave the employee the right to hire anyone (p. 1215). It worked well in theory but in reality, it signaled discrimination against union members. Additionally, there was what they call â€Å"yellow-dog’ contracts which obliged workers not to enter any unions (p. 1215). Some employees even started churning schemes such as profit-sharing, pensions, helath-programs and other benefits to keep employees away from unions. Such propaganda eventually led to a decrease in union memberships. By 1935, Congress enacted the Wagner Act, which initiated collective bargaining agreement between employees and employers (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 684). Additionally, the government established the National Labor Relations Board which was tasked to investigate labor-related cases (p. 684). AFL, which had survived, was having problems. Some AFL members founded the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO) and in 1955 the two groups were merged (p. 685). President Roosevelt’s New Deal Reform had included the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 which reduced working hours and secured sufficient payment standards (p. 688). As the years passed on, American labor had managed to survive and progress. A changing environment for workers had started to shape, with both the government and corporations starting to see the plight of the laborers. References Brinkley, A. (2003). American history a survey 11th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill. Divine, R. , Breen, T. H. , Fredrickson, G. , and Williams, R. H. (1991). America the people and the dream. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Jordan, W. and Litwack, L. (1991). The united states combined ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Tindall, G. and Shi, D. (1999). America: a narrative history vol. 2 USA: W. W. Norton and Company.

Little Victories Build Writers :: Writing Authors Literature Essays

Little Victories Build Writers In Chapter 12 of Creating Writers, Spandel beautifully comments on page 364 that â€Å"little victories build writers,† (Spandel 2001). This statement, as short and simple as it may sound, was the underlying theme from this week’s readings, whether it entails mini-lessons on fiction, constant feedback and revision, or offering positive praise on students’ writing. It is the little corrections, little care, and the little ‘point in the right direction’ that helps students reach their potential as writers. There were so many anecdotes and examples Spandel offered her audience to demonstrate how important the quality and attitude comments are. I agree that feedback has been a booster and deterrent in my writing and I bet more than half our LLED class could concur. I especially loved the examples of negative feedback or â€Å"unconstructive feedback† that’s too general. â€Å"Be more concise, more specific, and needs work,† have been seen all too well. As educators, we must stop this! I refuse to become a teacher that students hate writing for. We must praise writers when they do well to increase their motivations and aspirations to become successful writers. I also greatly benefited from her suggestions to promote revision and student writing. Looking at a conference as a short â€Å"chat,† looking at the conference as a means to show the student you care about their writing, and using the conference for bouncing ideas off each other (one on one), are some great ideas. Peer review and peer edit are two other meaningful methods of writing assessment. I must admit, I didn’t think there was a definable difference between the two methods. I enjoyed her explanations of assigning letter grades to numeric- 6 trait grading. I was under the misconception that a 5=A, 4=B, 3=C and so on. Spandel clarified that well for me. However, I find her opinion of grading unrealistic. I feel students need competition and a goal. Sometimes it helps students if extrinsic goals compliment or spark the students’ intrinsic goals. Especially in an era of raising and testing for standards, grades are necessary and inevitable.

American Lives

Family is defined as the group of people united by kinship and is the primary component of society. The family is assigned to reproduce a society; parents from their point of view are expected to rear their children socializing them, educating them, religious, economic and political roles. Biologically, parents play an important role in enculturation and the same thing also goes for America. The American concept of an ideal family, like many most country includes the family as the basis and pioneer for the development of the cultural aspect and perspective of an individual.It can also be said that their views regarding families have shifted from giving emphasis on rural agrarian life to emphasis on urban and industrialized way. Looking at a historical point of view, it can be said that this change or shifting in the family image and representation and the family structure itself had occurred during the time of American Revolution where the family is considered to be a productive unit and work space are included within a family house. Work and home had only been separated during the middle of the nineteenth century.By this time, the family had been viewed as a form of defense of an individual against the material world. The family is then said to protect its members especially the young ones against the disturbance brought by the material world. Also during this time, family values together with those causes and effects of the problems and crises that the family faced are being studied. The role and value of money and as well employment had also been a great influence in the features of family lives.Cultural and ethnic diversities in the family life together with the family’s classification whether upper, middle or lower classes are also being looked at. The relationships and effects of the family and its relation and relevance to today’s students are also examined. This is because the family is considered in the United States as an institution tha t is deeply rooted for its effects on an individual plays a very significant role in the formation of his or her personal identity, beliefs and personality.Every individual members of the family seeks to find and meet his or her personal needs inside the family that he or she belongs. Although the family is treasured and considered as a group and should remain as a group, the individuality of each member is not completely submerged in the family. An individual’s personality and characteristics are developed through their interplay among the members of the family.When an individual reaches the 7th grade, he or she experiences several changes that can be considered as a part of his or her growth that includes almost every aspect of his or her life such as his or her psychological, physical and as well as mental growth. By this time, the family answers several important questions of an individual especially when it comes to their personality and belongingness, although the famil y may not answer these questions directly. Students are able to understand better their personality, who they are as viewed by the community by looking at their own families.The role and position of the adolescents in the family also plays an important part in for all the members of the family. How the parents with their children are also an important factor for the students to be able to understand that conflicts within the family is a usual and normal situation. Conflicts can be considered as a natural part and instance that happens within family members. Through the used of several activities, students will be able to have a clear view about themselves and as well as their families.Through various activities, students are able to understand and see and realized the distinction and are able to decide for themselves what are facts and myths regarding American families. By this time, the students are also able to formulate a kind of life that they want to live and as well as the kin d of family that they would like to have in their future. Family truly plays an important role in the development of an individual and their personality. Works Cited Richardson, L. â€Å"Images of the American Family†. 2007. 04 December 2007