A report on a piece of qualitative research - The Impact of Price Essay

A report on a piece of qualitative research - The Impact of Price Changes on the Brand Equity of Toyota in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The focus groups participated in a price simulation exercise followed by interviews. The price simulation exercise exposed the participants to price changes to their preferred vehicle and observed how they responded to those changes. The follow-up interviews were calculated to determine why the participants responded as they did to the price changes in the price simulation exercise. Research findings indicate that most customers will at the very least consider an alternative brand when confronted with a price change. However, the more affluent and loyal customers will not change brands when price changes are insignificant and are reasonable. These results are analyzed by reference to a conceptual framework drawn from the work of Villargeo-Ramos and Sanchez (2005) and Yoo, Donthu, and Lee (2000) who established a link between marketing communications and brand equity including brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty and perceived brand quality. The results of this study conf irm that price changes as a marketing communication strategy is received and interpreted in the context of the different dimensions of brand equity. This is a qualitative case study that investigates the responses of consumers in Saudi Arabia when experiencing sudden price adjustments to the leading models in automobile categories of small sedans, medium sedans, and small SUVs in Saudi Arabia. In particular this qualitative case study seeks to determine from the perspective of Saudi Arabian consumers the extent that price influences their purchasing behavior; the impact of price changes on the brand equity of Toyota in the context of brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty, and perceived quality; and whether or not effective price management would improve or maintain Toyota’s competitive edge in Saudi Arabia’s market. This chapter will explain the research methodology used for achieving the goals of this research study and the justifications for the methodology

A summer in Canada Essay Example for Free

A summer in Canada Essay All my life I have chosen to experience as much as possible to enrich myself, but the most memorable experience in my childhood was the summer following seventh grade in school. I went to a summer camp in Vancouver, Canada where I spent half the day immersed in cultural studies and the other half involved in outside activities. Then I went to my aunt’s house in Toronto for two weeks. That was the first time I had traveled abroad. I was very excited about this trip and learned a lot from it, including the benefits of teachers directly interacting with students, the rewards of trying new things, and having the time to appreciate nature’s beauty and urban life. I noticed several ways the culture of Canada differed from Chinese culture. First, unlike in China, Western people place heavy emphasis on interacting. For example, when I had a class in Canada, the teachers were more likely to communicate with the students instead of just teaching. We were not just listeners. I really admire this kind of education because it helped me better become involved in my studies. Second, the teachers often pushed students to go outside to do research. For instance, I went to the market to make a statistical comparison of the price for every kind of product. It forced me to communicate with the staff in the market. As a matter of fact, I improved my English. In addition, people in Western countries liked to try new things. In China, I spent most of my time indoors studying; I didn’t know the wisdom to be found in engaging nature and its environment. For instance, I went camping on a big mountain and spent a night there. I came across many new experiences such as making a fire or erecting the tent and conquering them both. After I experienced these activities, I not only captured the Canadian culture, but also learned many skills from it. Furthermore, as I was living in a homestay the first two weeks, I became more independent. I was forced to deal with my living conditions by myself. I learned to wash my own clothes, cook some simple dishes, clean my room, and do some housework. This helped me a lot on my future life. Apart from having some new ideas when I traveled in Canada, I saw many amazing views both in nature and in the city. I went to a place called Butchart Garden, which is near Vancouver with beautiful scenery. I took many pictures of flowers and trees. It was the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. What is more, I was attracted by the atmosphere on a street in the downtown of Toronto. When I was sitting in a chair near the street, I saw many people in the cafà © enjoying the moment. They were just drinking and talking. That suddenly reminded me that I should never stop looking around to what is happening right now. When I was in China, I was always concentrated with taking one exam after another exam, and never stopped to reflect on what was around me. Having time to think about myself and my needs now seemed to be necessary in my life. In conclusion, this experience in Canada taught me how to live a more balanced life and how to communicate more effectively with others. This trip changed me and made my childhood more meaningful as well as improving my abilities in both studying and living.

Is There a Real Difference Between a Neurosis and a Psychosis Essay

Is There a Real Difference Between a Neurosis and a Psychosis A major part of clinical psychology is the diagnoses and treatment of mental disorders. This can often be difficult and controversial due to the fact that many of the disorders can be confused with others; there aren’t always clear guidelines in which to follow. An example of this confusion can be seen in the disorders Neurosis and Psychosis. Neither neurosis nor psychoses appear as major categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). The main reason for this is that both categories were fairly broad and included a number of mental disorders with quite dissimilar symptoms. Consequently, mental health professionals did not always agree on the diagnosis for a particular patient. Neurosis is a functional (Psychogenic) disorder consisting of a symptom or symptoms caused, though usually unknown to the patient, by a mental disorder. The four commonest are Anxiety State, Reactive Depression, Hysteria and Obsessive-Compulsive Neurosis. We all know what it is to feel anxious. Anxiety becomes abnormal when it is out of all proportion to the cause, or when it continues long after the cause has been removed. Patients with other mental illnesses often feel anxious from time to time, but the term anxiety neurosis is used to describe the illness in which anxiety is the main feature and the patient feels anxious all the time. Reactive Depression is a form of depression where the cause is known i.e. marriage break-up or bereavement. Reactive depression can be classed as a neurosis as it is an exaggeration of the normal expected response to such situations. In medical language the word Hysteria is used to mean that a symptom is beyond the patients control. If I have to take an examination tomorrow and to get out of it I ring up and say that I cannot attend because I am going to the dentist, I am malingering. I am quite deliberately telling a lie to get out of taking the examination. But if, on the morning of the examination, I wake up with a raging toothache although there is nothing wrong with my tooth, this is hysteria. There is nothing wrong, but the pain is genuine. I am quite truly incapable of sitting the examination. The symptom is out of my conscious control and has become hysterical. Hysterical symptoms always serve to get us out of som... ...ers, neurosis and psychosis, may appear small but they can help in the diagnoses and treatment of patients. It can be very difficult to treat a patient when the cause of their illness is unknown or when the illness itself is difficult to understand. It is for this reason that mental health professionals need to categorise mental disorders as clearly and concisely as possible. The DSM-III dropped the entries of neurosis and psychosis and split them down into subdivisions to try to enable better diagnosis but there is still confusion as to the differences between neurosis and psychosis. There is not only a difference between the two but also a difference in each individual case. Different things effect people in different ways and many people although share the same illness have completely different symptoms. Every case should be looked at individually and treated as such. Instead of looking for the best treatment for neurosis, it would be better to look for the best treatment for an individual. References Introduction to psychology - Atkinson - Hilgard - 1983 The science of mind and behaviour - Gross - 1999 The oxford companion to the mind - Gregory - 1987

Do You Advocate Or Oppose Social Media? Essay

Advocates of the Social Media say that these communities facilitate social and political change; offer teachers, librarians, and students valuable access to educational support and materials; promote increased interaction with friends and family and broadcast useful information rapidly. Opponents say that these sites alter children’s brains and behavior; waste time on frivolous activity; prevent face-to-face communication; expose users to predators like pedophiles and burglars and spread false and potentially dangerous information. In this paper I will give a brief history of the Social Media and will also enumerate in an unbiased way some pros and cons of the Social Media. History of the Social Media SixDegrees.com, which existed from 1997-2001, is considered the first social networking site because it allowed users to create personal spaces and connect to friends online. Friendster, created in 2002, popularized social networking in the United States but was quickly outpaced by other social networking sites like: MySpace (2003), Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006), Pinterest (2009), and Google+ (2012). Facebook reported one billion monthly users worldwide on October 4, 2012, making it the most popular social networking site with one in seven people on the planet using the site. Every day, Facebook manages 2.7 billion â€Å"Likes,† 300 million photo uploads, and 2.5 billion status updates and check-ins. Twitter, the second largest social networking site, had an estimated 107.7 million users in the United States (as of Jan. 31, 2012) and 500 million worldwide users (as of Sep. 28, 2012). Pinterest is the third largest social network with 23 million unique visitors in July 2012, followed by LinkedIn, Tagged, Google+, and MySpace. 59% of all Internet users use at least one social networking site and 56% of social networking users are female. Social Media Pros Social networking sites spread information faster than any other media. Over 50% of people learn about breaking news on social media. 65% of traditional media reporters and editors use sites like Facebook and LinkedIn for story research, and 52% use Twitter. Social networking sites are the top news source for 27.8% of Americans, ranking close to newspapers (28.8%) and above radio (18.8%) and other print publications (6%). Twitter and YouTube users reported the July 20, 2012 Aurora, CO theater shooting before news crews could arrive on the scene, and the Red Cross urged witnesses to tell family members they were safe via social media outlets. (Hughes & Pesce, 2012). Law enforcement uses social networking sites to catch and prosecute criminals. 67% of federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals surveyed think â€Å"social media helps solve crimes more quickly.† In 2011 the NYPD added a Twitter tracking unit and has used social networking to arrest criminals who have bragged of their crimes online. When the Vancouver Canucks lost the 2011 Stanley Cup in Vancouver, the city erupted into riots. Social media was used to catch vandals and rioters as social networking site users tagged the people they knew in over 2,000 photos posted to the sites. (Global Post, 2012). Social networking sites help students do better at school. 59% of students with access to the Internet report that they use social networking sites to discuss educational topics and 50% use the sites to talk about school assignments. After George Middle School in Portland, OR introduced a social media program to engage students grades went up by 50%, chronic absenteeism went down by 33%, and 20% of students school-wide voluntarily completed extra-credit assignments. (Delmatoff, 2010). Social networking sites allow people to improve their relationships and make new friends. 70% of adult social networking users visit the sites to connect with friends and family, and increased online communication strengthens relationships. 52% of teens using social media report that using the sites has helped their relationships with friends, 88% report that social media helps them stay in touch with friends they cannot see regularly, 69% report getting to know students at their school better, and 57% make new friends. (Common Sense Media, 2012). Social media helps empower business women. Being able to connect on social networking sites gives business women a support group not readily found offline where female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are outnumbered by male CEOs 15 to 485. Many social media sites are dominated by women: 72% of Pinterest users are women, 58% of Facebook users, 62% of MySpace users, 60% of Yelp users, and 53% of Instagram users. Business women useTwitter chats to support each other, give and receive peer knowledge, and have guest â€Å"speakers† share expert knowledge. One.org helps African women entrepreneurs connect on social media to grow their businesses. (One.org, 2012). Social media sites help employers find employees and job-seekers find work. 64% of companies are on two or more social networks for recruiting because of the wider pool of applicants, more efficient searches, and no need for an outside recruiter. 89% of employers have hired employees through LinkedIn, 26% through Facebook, and 15% through Twitter. One in six job-seekers credit social media for helping find their current job. 52% of job-seekers use Facebook for the job search, 38% use LinkedIn, and 34% use Twitter. (Jobvite, 2012). Social Media Cons Social media enables the spread of unreliable and false information. 49.1% of people have heard false news via social media. On Sep. 5, 2012 false rumors of fires, shootouts, and caravans of gunmen in a Mexico City suburb spread via Twitter and Facebook caused panic, flooded the local police department with over 3,000 phone calls, and temporarily closed schools. Shashank Tripathi, tweeting as @ComfortablySmug, spread false information in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy by posting on Twitter that the New York Stock Exchange was flooding and that the power company would cut off electricity to all of Manhattan; the bogus information was picked up by national news outlets including CNN and the Weather Channel. (Laird, 2012). Social networking sites lack privacy and expose users to government and corporate intrusions. 13 million users said they had not set or did not know about Facebook’s privacy settings and 28% shared all or nearly all of their posts publicly. The US Justice Department intercepted 1,661 pieces of information from social networking sites and e-mails in 2011. The 2009 IRS training manual teaches agents to scan Facebook pages for information that might â€Å"assist in resolving a taxpayer case.† 4.7 million Facebook users have â€Å"liked† a health condition or medical treatment page, information that is sometimes used by insurance companies to raise rates. (Nance-Nash, 2011). Students who are heavy social media users tend to have lower grades. Students who use social media had an average GPA of 3.06 while non-users had an average GPA of 3.82 and students who used social networking sites while studying scored 20% lower on tests. College students’ grades dropped 0.12 points for every 93 minutes above the average 106 minutes spent on Facebook per day. Two-thirds of teachers believe that social media does more to distract students than to help academically. (Lanir, 2012). Social networking sites can lead to stress and offline relationship problems. A University of Edinburgh Business School study found the more Facebook friends a person has, the more stressful the person finds Facebook to use. According to a Feb. 9, 2012 Pew Internet report, 15% of adult social network users had an experience on a social networking site that caused a friendship to end, 12% of adult users had an experience online that resulted in a face-to-face argument, and 3% of adults reported a physical confrontation as the result of an experience on a social networking site. (Rainie, Lenhart & Smith, 2012). Social networking sites entice people to waste time. 40% of 8 to 18 year olds spend 54 minutes a day on social media sites. 36% of people surveyed listed social networking as the â€Å"biggest waste of time,† above fantasy sports (25%), watching TV (23%), and shopping (9%). When alerted to a new social networking site activity, like a new tweet or Facebook message, users take 20 to 25 minutes on average to return to the original task. In 30% of cases, it took two hours to fully return attention to the original task. 42% of American Internet users play games like Farmville or Mafia Wars on social networking sites. (Willis, 2012). Using social media can harm job stability and employment prospects. Job recruiters reported negative reactions to finding profanity (61%), poor spelling or grammar (54%), illegal drugs (78%), sexual content (66%), pictures of or with alcohol (47%), and religious content (26%) on potential employees’ social media pages. Anthony Weiner, former US Representative, was forced to resign after a Twitter sexting scandal in 2011. Several athletes were banned from the 2012 Olympics because of their racist social media posts. (Recuero, 2012). Conclusion After reviewing this information, do you see yourself as an advocate or opponent of the Social Media? Do you believe that the Social Media facilitates social and political change, is valuable to education, promotes relationships and broadcasts useful information rapidly? Do you believe the Social Media alters children’s behavior, is a waste of time, prevents personal communication, is a useful tool for predators and burglars and spreads false information? I see myself as neutral in regards to either advocating or opposing the Social Media. I do see positive things coming from the Social Media, but also see negative things. I believe is a matter of doing research and not taking all information the Social Media bombards us with as factual information. It’s a personal choice, either we advocate the Social Media or oppose it. The decision is up to you. References Bosker, B. (2012) Fortune 500 List Boasts More Female CEOs Than Ever Before. Retrieved January 6, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/fortune-500-female-ceos_n_1495734.html. Common Sense Media. (2012). Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives. Retrieved January 6, 2013 from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/social-media-social-life. Dalke, R. (2011). Social Media Case Study: The Stanley Cup Hockey Riots. Retrieved January 6, 2013 from http://www.freshnetworks.com/blog/2011/06/social-media-case-study-the-stanley-cup-hockey-riots/. Delmatoff, E. (2010). How Social Media Transformed Our

Spirit Bound Chapter Six

â€Å"YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED?† I was sitting between Eddie and Lissa, on our flight from Seattle to Fairbanks. As the shortest–marginally–and the mastermind, I'd gotten stuck with the middle seat. â€Å"A new plan?† asked Lissa. â€Å"A miracle?† asked Eddie. I paused and glared at them both before responding. Since when had they become the comedians here? â€Å"No. Stuff. We need cool gadgets if we're going to pull this off.† I tapped the prison blueprint that had been on my lap for almost every part of our trip so far. Mikhail had dropped us off at a small airport an hour away from the Court. We'd caught a commuter flight from there to Philadelphia, and from there to Seattle and now Fairbanks. It reminded me a little of the crazy flights I'd had to take from Siberia back to the U.S. That journey had also gone via Seattle. I was starting to believe that city was a gateway to obscure places. â€Å"I thought the only tools we needed were our wits,† mused Eddie. He might be serious about his guardian work most of the time, but he could also turn on his dry humor when relaxed. Not that he was totally at ease with our mission here, now that he knew more of (but not all) the details. I knew he'd snap back into readiness once we landed. He'd been understandably shocked when I'd revealed we were freeing Victor Dashkov. I hadn't told Eddie anything about Dimitri or spirit, only that getting Victor out played a larger role in the greater good. Eddie's trust in me was so implicit that he'd taken me at my word and pursued the issue no further. I wondered how he'd react when he learned the truth. â€Å"At the very least, we're going to need a GPS,† I said. â€Å"There's only latitude and longitude on this thing. No real directions.† â€Å"Shouldn't be hard,† said Lissa, turning a bracelet over and over in her hands. She'd opened her tray and spread out Tasha's jewelry across it. â€Å"I'm sure even Alaska has modern technology.† She'd also turned on a droll attitude, even with anxiety radiating through the bond. Eddie's good mood faded a little. â€Å"I hope you aren't thinking of guns or anything like that.† â€Å"No. Absolutely not. If this works how we want, no one will even know we're there.† A physical confrontation was likely, but I hoped to minimize serious injury. Lissa sighed and handed me the bracelet. She was worried because a lot of my plan depended on her charms–literally and figuratively. â€Å"I don't know if this'll work, but maybe it'll give you more resistance.† I took the bracelet and slipped it on my wrist. I felt nothing, but I only rarely did with charmed objects. I'd left Adrian a note saying that Lissa and I had wanted to escape for a â€Å"girls' getaway† before my assignment and her college visit. I knew he'd be hurt. The girl angle would carry a lot of weight, but he'd feel injured at not being invited along on a daring vacation–if he even believed we were on one. He probably knew me well enough by now to guess most of my actions had ulterior motives. My hope was that he'd spread the story to Court officials when our disappearance was noticed. We'd still get in trouble, but a wild weekend was better than a prison break. And honestly, how could things get worse for me? The one flaw here was that Adrian could visit my dreams and grill me on what was really going on. It was one of the more interesting–and occasionally annoying–spirit abilities. Lissa hadn't learned to walk dreams, but she had a crude underst anding of the principle. Between that and compulsion, she'd tried to charm the bracelet in a way that would block Adrian when I slept later. The plane began its descent into Fairbanks, and I gazed out the window at tall pines and stretches of green land. In Lissa's thoughts, I read how she'd been half-expecting glaciers and snowbanks, despite knowing it was full summer here. After Siberia, I'd learned to keep an open mind about regional stereotypes. My biggest concern was the sun. It had been full daylight when we'd left the Court, and as our travels took us west, the time zone change meant that the sun stayed with us. Now, though it was almost nine in the evening, we had a full, sunny blue sky, thanks to our northern latitude. It was like a giant safety blanket. I hadn't mentioned this to Lissa or Eddie, but it seemed likely Dimitri would have spies everywhere. I was untouchable at St. Vladimir's and the Court, but his letters had clearly stated he'd be waiting for me to leave those boundaries. I didn't know the extent of his logistics, but humans watching the Court in daylight wouldn't have surprised me. And even though I'd left hidden in a trunk, there was a strong possibility that Dimitri was already in pursuit. But the same light that guarded the prisoners would keep us safe too. We'd barely have a few hours of night to guard against, and if we pulled this off quickly, we'd be out of Alaska in hardly any time at all. Of course, that might not be such a good thing. We'd lose the sun. Our first complication came after we landed and tried to rent a car. Eddie and I were eighteen, but none of the car companies would rent to anyone so young. After the third refusal, my anger began to grow. Who would have thought we'd be delayed by something so idiotic? Finally, at a fourth counter, the woman hesitantly told us that there was a guy about a mile from the airport who would likely rent us a car if we had a credit card and a big enough deposit. We made the walk in pleasant weather, but I could tell the sun was starting to bother Lissa by the time we reached our destination. Bud–of Bud's Rental Cars–didn't seem quite as sleazy as expected and did indeed rent us a car when we produced enough money. From there, we got a room at a modest motel and went over our plans again. All our information indicated that the prison ran on a vampire schedule, which meant this was their active time of the day. Our plan was to stay in the hotel until the following day, when the Moroi â€Å"night† came, and catch some sleep beforehand. It gave Lissa more time to work on her charms. Our room was easily defendable. My sleep was Adrian-free, for which I was grateful, meaning he'd either accepted the girl trip or couldn't break through Lissa's bracelet. In the morning, we rustled up some doughnuts for breakfast and ate a little bleary-eyed. Running against our vampire schedule was throwing us all off a little. The sugar helped kick-start us, though, and Eddie and I left Lissa around ten to go do some scouting. We bought my coveted GPS and a few other things at a sporting goods store along the way and used it to navigate remote country roads that seemed to lead nowhere. When the GPS claimed we were a mile from the prison, we pulled off to the side of a small dirt road and set off on foot across a field of tall grass that stretched endlessly before us. â€Å"I thought Alaska was tundra,† said Eddie, crunching through the tall stalks. The sky was blue and clear again, with only a few clouds that did nothing to keep the sun away. I'd started out in a light jacket but now had it tied around my waist as I sweated. Occasionally a welcome gust of wind would roll through, flattening the grass and whipping my hair around. â€Å"I guess not all parts. Or maybe we have to go further north. Oh, hey. This looks promising.† We came to a stop before a high, barbwire fence with an enormous PRIVATE PROPERTY–NO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ALLOWED sign on it. The lettering was red, apparently to emphasize how serious they were. Personally, I would have added a skull and crossbones to really drive the message home. Eddie and I studied the fence for a few moments, then gave each other resigned glances. â€Å"Lissa will heal up anything we get,† I said hopefully. Climbing barbed wire isn't impossible, but it's not fun. Tossing my jacket on the wires I had to grip went a long way to protect me, but I still ended up with some scratches and snagged clothing. Once I was at the top, I jumped down, preferring the jolting landing to another climb down. Eddie did the same, grimacing at the hard impact. We walked a little farther, and then the dark line of a building came into sight. We both came to a halt as one and knelt down, seeking what coverage we could in the grass. The prison file had indicated that they had cameras on the outside, which meant we risked detection if we got too close. I'd bought high-power binoculars along with the GPS and took them out now, studying the building's exterior. The binoculars were good–really good–as well they should have been for the price. The level of detail was amazing. Like so many Moroi creations, the building was a mixture of the old and the new. The walls were made of sinister gray stone blocks and almost entirely obscured the actual prison, whose roof just barely peeped above. A couple of figures paced along the top of the walls, living eyes to go with the cameras. The place looked like a fortress, impenetrable and inescapable. It deserved to be on a rocky cliff, with a sinister black sky behind it. The field and sun seemed out of place. I handed the binoculars to Eddie. He made his own assessment and then gestured to the left. â€Å"There.† Squinting, I just barely made out a truck or SUV driving up toward the prison. It went around the back and vanished from sight. â€Å"Our only way in,† I murmured, recalling the blueprint. We knew we had no shot of scaling the walls or even getting close enough on foot without being spotted. We needed to literally walk through the front door, and that's where the plan got a little sketchy. Eddie lowered the binoculars and glanced over at me, brow furrowed. â€Å"I meant what I said before, you know. I trust you. Whatever reason you're doing this, I know it's a good one. But before things start moving, are you sure this is what you want?† I gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Want? No. But it's what we need to do.† He nodded. â€Å"Good enough.† We watched the prison a while longer, moving around to get different angles while still keeping a wide perimeter. The scenario was about what we'd expected, but having a 3-D visual was still helpful. After about a half hour, we returned to the hotel. Lissa sat cross-legged on one of the beds, still working on the charms. The feelings coming through her were warm and content. Spirit always made her feel good–even if it had side effects later–and she thought she was making progress. â€Å"Adrian called my cell phone twice,† she told me when we entered. â€Å"But you didn't answer?† â€Å"Nope. Poor guy.† I shrugged. â€Å"It's better this way.† We gave her a rundown of what we'd seen, and her happy mood began to plummet. Our visit made what we were going to do later today more and more real, and working with so much spirit had already put her on edge. A few moments later, I sensed her swallowing her fear. She became resolved. She'd told me she would do this and she intended to stand by her word, even though she dreaded each second that brought her closer to Victor Dashkov. Lunch followed, and then a few hours later, it was time to put the plan into motion. It was early evening for humans, which meant the vampiric night would be drawing to an end soon. It was now or never. Lissa nervously distributed the charms she'd made for us, worried they wouldn't work. Eddie dressed up in his newly bestowed black-and-white guardian formalwear while Lissa and I stayed in our street clothes–with a couple alterations. Lissa's hair was a mousy brown, the result of some wash-in temporary hair color. My hair was tightly bound up underneath a curly red wig that reminded me uncomfortably of my mother. We sat in the backseat of the car while Eddie drove us chauffeur style back along the remote road we'd followed earlier. Unlike before, we didn't pull over. We stayed on the road, driving right up to the prison–or, well, to its gatehouse. No one spoke as we drove, but the tension and anxiety within us all grew and grew. Before we could even get near the outer wall, there was a checkpoint manned by a guardian. Eddie brought the car to a stop, and I tried to look calm. He lowered the window, and the guardian on duty walked over and knelt so that they were at eye level. â€Å"What's your business here?† Eddie handed over a piece of paper, his attitude confident and unconcerned, as though this were perfectly normal. â€Å"Dropping off new feeders.† The file had contained all sorts of forms and papers for prison business, including status reports and order forms for supplies–like feeders. We'd made a copy of one of the feeder requisition forms and filled it out. â€Å"I wasn't notified of a delivery,† the guardian said, not suspicious so much as puzzled. He peered at the paperwork. â€Å"This is an old form.† Eddie shrugged. â€Å"It's just what they gave me. I'm kind of new at this.† The man grinned. â€Å"Yeah, you barely look old enough to be out of school.† He glanced toward Lissa and me, and despite my practiced control, I tensed. The guardian frowned as he studied us. Lissa had given me a necklace, and she'd taken a ring, both charmed with a slight compulsion spell to make others think we were human. It would have been much easier to make her victim wear a charm and force them to think they were seeing humans, but that wasn't possible. The magic was harder this way. He squinted, almost like he was looking at us through a haze. If the charms had worked perfectly, he wouldn't have given us a second glance. The charms were a little flawed. They were changing our appearances but not quite as clearly as we'd hoped. That was why we'd gone to the trouble of altering our hair: if the human-illusion failed, we'd still have some identity protection. Lissa readied herself to work direct compulsion, though we'd hoped it wouldn't come to that with every person we met. A few moments later, the guardian turned from us, apparently deciding we were human after all. I exhaled and unclenched my fists. I hadn't even realized I'd been holding them. â€Å"Hang on a minute, and I'll call this in,† he told Eddie. The guardian stepped away and picked up a phone inside his booth. Eddie glanced back at us. â€Å"So far so good?† â€Å"Aside from the old form,† I grumbled. â€Å"No way to know if my charm's working?† asked Eddie. Lissa had given him one of Tasha's rings, charmed to make him appear tan-skinned and black-haired. Since she wasn't altering his race, the magic only needed to blur his features. Like our human charms, I suspected it wasn't projecting the exact image she'd hoped for, but it should have altered his appearance enough that no one would identify Eddie later. With our resistance to compulsion–and knowing there was a charm in place, which negated its effects on us–Lissa and I couldn't say for certain what he looked like to others. â€Å"I'm sure it's fine,† said Lissa reassuringly. The guardian returned. â€Å"They say go on in, and they'll sort it out there.† â€Å"Thanks,† said Eddie, taking the form back. The guard's attitude implied that he assumed this was a clerical error. He was still diligent, but the idea of someone sneaking feeders into a prison was hardly the kind of thing one would expect–or view as a security risk. Poor guy. Two guardians greeted us when we arrived at the door in the prison's wall. The three of us got out and were led into the grounds between the wall and the prison itself. Whereas St. Vladimir's and the Court's grounds had been lush and filled with plants and trees, the land here was stark and lonely. Not even grass, just hard-packed earth. Was this what served as the prisoners' â€Å"exercise area†? Were they even allowed outside at all? I was surprised there wasn't a moat of some sort out here. The inside of the building was as grim as its exterior. The holding cells at Court were sterile and cold, all metal and blank walls. I'd expected something similar. But whoever had designed Tarasov had foregone the modern look and instead emulated the kind of prison one might have found back in Romania in medieval days. The harsh stone walls continued down the hall, gray and foreboding, and the air was chill and damp. It had to make for unpleasant working conditions for the guardians assigned here. Presumably they wanted to ensure the intimidating facade extended everywhere, even for prisoners first entering the gates. According to our blueprint, there was a little section of dorms where employees lived. Hopefully those were nicer. Dark Ages decor or not, we passed the occasional camera as we walked down the hallway. This place's security was in no way primitive. Occasionally we heard the heavy slamming of a door, but overall, there was a perfect, eerie silence that was almost creepier than shouts and screams. We were taken to the warden's office, a room that still had the same gloomy architecture yet was filled with the usual administrative accessories: desk, computer, etc. It looked efficient, nothing more. Our escorts explained that we were going to see the assistant warden, since the senior one was still in bed. It figured. The subordinate would have gotten stuck with the night shift. I hoped that meant he was tired and unobservant. Probably not. That rarely happened to guardians, no matter their assignments. â€Å"Theo Marx,† said the assistant warden, shaking Eddie's hand. He was a dhampir not much older than us, and I wondered if he'd only been freshly assigned here. â€Å"Larry Brown,† replied Eddie. We'd come up with a boring name for him, one that wouldn't stand out, and had used it in the paperwork. Theo didn't speak to Lissa and me, but he did give us that same puzzled glance the first guy had as the charm's glamour attempted its illusion. Another delay followed, but once more, we slipped through. Theo returned his attention to Eddie and took the requisition form. â€Å"This is different from the usual one,† he said. â€Å"I have no clue,† said Eddie apologetically. â€Å"This is my first time.† Theo sighed and glanced at the clock. â€Å"The warden'll be on duty in another couple hours. I think we're just going to have to wait until he's here to figure out what's going on. Sommerfield's usually got their act together.† There were a few Moroi facilities in the country that gathered feeders–those on the fringes of human society who were content to spend their lives high on vampire endorphins–and then distributed them. Sommerfield was the name of one such facility, located in Kansas City. â€Å"I'm not the only new person they just received,† Eddie said. â€Å"Maybe someone got confused.† â€Å"Typical,† snorted Theo. â€Å"Well, you might as well have a seat and wait. I can get coffee if you want.† â€Å"When are we getting a feeding?† I suddenly asked, using the whiniest, dreamiest voice I could. â€Å"It's been so long.† Lissa followed my lead. â€Å"They said we could when we got here.† Eddie rolled his eyes at what was typical feeder behavior. â€Å"They've been like this the whole time.† â€Å"I can imagine,† said Theo. â€Å"Humph. Feeders.† The door to his office was partially ajar and he called out of it. â€Å"Hey, Wes? Can you come here?† One of the escort guardians stuck his head inside. â€Å"Yeah?† Theo gave us a dismissive wave. â€Å"Take these two down to the feeding area so they don't drive us crazy. If someone's up, they can use them.† Wes nodded and beckoned us out. Eddie and I made the briefest of eye contact. His face betrayed nothing, but I knew he was nervous. Getting Victor out was our job now, and Eddie didn't like sending us to the dragon's lair. Wes led us through more doors and security checkpoints as we went deeper into the prison. I realized that for every layer of security I crossed to get in, I was going to have to cross it again to escape. According to the blueprint, the feeding area was situated on the opposite side of the prison. I'd assumed we'd take some route along the periphery, but instead we cut right through the building's center–where the prisoners were kept. Studying had given me a sense of the layout, but Lissa didn't realize where we were headed until a sign alerted us: WARNING–NOW ENTERING PRISONER AREA (CRIMINAL). I thought that was an odd wording. Wasn't everyone in here a criminal? Heavy double doors blocked this section off, and Wes used both an electronic code and a physical key to cross through. Lissa's pace didn't change, but I felt her anxiety increase as we entered a long corridor lined with bar-covered cells. I didn't feel any better about it myself, but Wes–while still alert–didn't display any sign of fear. He entered this area all the time, I realized. He knew its security. The prisoners might be dangerous, but passing by them was a routine activity for him. Still, peeking inside the cells nearly made my heart stop. The little compartments were as dark and gloomy as anything, containing only bare-bones furnishings. Most of the prisoners were asleep, thankfully. A few, however, watched as we walked by. None of them said anything, but the silence was almost scarier. Some of the Moroi held there looked like ordinary people you'd pass on the street, and I wondered what they could have possibly done to end up here. Their faces were sad, devoid of all hope. I did a double take and realized that some of the prisoners weren't Moroi; they were dhampirs. It made sense but still caught me off guard. My own kind would have criminals that needed to be dealt with, too. But not all of the prisoners appeared benign. Others looked like they definitely belonged in Tarasov. There was a malevolence about them, a sinister feel as their eyes locked onto us and didn't let go. They scrutinized our every detail, though for what reason, I couldn't say. Were they seeking out anything that might offer escape? Could they see through our facades? Were they simply hungry? I didn't know but felt grateful for the silent guardians posted throughout the hall. I was also grateful that I didn't see Victor and assumed he lived in a different hall. We couldn't risk being recognized yet. We finally exited the prisoners' corridor through another set of double doors and at last reached the feeding area. It too felt like a medieval dungeon, but images had to be kept up for the sake of the prisoners. Decor aside, the feeding room's layout was similar to what St. Vladimir's had, except it was smaller. A few cubicles offered moderate privacy, and a bored-looking Moroi guy was reading a book at a desk but looked ready to fall asleep. There was only one feeder in the room, a scraggly-looking, middle-aged human who sat in a chair with a dopey smile on his face, staring at nothing. The Moroi flinched when we entered, his eyes going wide. Clearly, we were the most exciting thing to happen to him all night. He didn't have that moment of disorientation when he glanced at us; he apparently had low compulsion resistance, which was good to know. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Two new ones just came in,† said Wes. â€Å"But we're not due,† said the Moroi. â€Å"And we never get ones this young. They always give us the old, used-up ones.† â€Å"Don't ask me,† said Wes, moving toward the door once he'd indicated seats for Lissa and me. It was clear he found escorting feeders beneath him. â€Å"Marx wants them here until Sullivan gets up. My guess is it's going to turn out to be a mistake, but they were complaining about needing a fix.† â€Å"Wonderful,† groaned the Moroi. â€Å"Well, our next meal's due in fifteen minutes, so I can give Bradley over there a break. He's so gone, I doubt he'd notice if someone else gave blood instead of him.† Wes nodded. â€Å"We'll call down when we've got this straight.† The guardian left, and the Moroi picked up a clipboard with a sigh. I had the feeling everyone here was kind of tired of their jobs. I could understand why. This had to be a miserable place to work. Give me the wider world anytime. â€Å"Who's due to feed in fifteen minutes?† I asked. The Moroi's head jerked up in astonishment. It wasn't the kind of question a feeder asked. â€Å"What did you say?† Lissa stood up and got him in her gaze. â€Å"Answer her question.† The man's face went slack. He was easy to compel. â€Å"Rudolf Kaiser.† No one either of us recognized. He could have been in here for mass murder or embezzlement for all I knew. â€Å"When's Victor Dashkov due?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Two hours.† â€Å"Alter the schedule. Tell his guards there's been a readjustment and he has to come now instead of Rudolf.† The Moroi's blank eyes–now as dazed looking as Bradley the feeder's, really–seemed to take a moment to process this. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"This is something that might happen normally. It won't raise suspicion.† â€Å"It won't raise suspicion,† he repeated in a monotone. â€Å"Do it,† she ordered, voice hard. â€Å"Call them, set it up, and do not take your eyes off of me.† The Moroi complied. While speaking on the phone, he identified himself as Northwood. When he disconnected, the arrangements had been made. We had nothing to do but wait now. My entire body was tightly wound with tension. Theo had said we had over an hour until the warden was on duty. No one would ask questions until then. Eddie simply had to kill time with Theo and not raise suspicions behind a paperwork error. Calm down, Rose. You can do this. While we waited, Lissa compelled Bradley the feeder into a heavy sleep. I didn't want any witnesses, even not drugged ones. Likewise, I turned the room's camera ever so slightly, so it no longer could see the bulk of the room. Naturally, we'd have to deal with the prison's entire surveillance system before we left, but for now, we needed no watching security personnel to catch sight of what was about to happen. I had just settled into one of the cubicles when the door opened. Lissa had stayed in her chair near Northwood's desk, so that she could keep her compulsion on him. We'd instructed him that I would be the feeder. I was enclosed, but through Lissa's sight, I saw the group enter: two guardians†¦ and Victor Dashkov. The same distress she'd felt when seeing him at her trial shot up within her. Her heart rate increased. Her hands shook. The only thing that had finally calmed her back at the trial was the resolution of it all, knowing Victor would be locked away forever and unable to hurt her again. And now we were about to change all that. Forcibly, Lissa shoved her fear out of her mind so that she could keep her hold on Northwood. The guardians beside Victor were stern and ready for action, though they didn't really need to be. The sickness that had plagued him for years–the one Lissa had temporarily healed him of–was starting to rear its head again. Lack of exercise and fresh air appeared to have taken a toll too, as had the limited blood prisoners were supposedly given. The guards had him clad in shackles as an extra precaution, and the heavy weight dragged him down, almost making him shuffle. â€Å"Over there,† said Northwood, pointing at me. â€Å"That one.† The guardians led Victor past Lissa, and he barely gave her a second glance. She was working double compulsion: keeping Northwood under her control and using a quick burst to make herself insignificant to Victor when he walked by. The guardians settled him into a chair beside me and then stepped back, still keeping him in sight. One of them struck up conversation with Northwood, noting our newness and youth. If I ever did this again, I'd have Lissa charm us into looking older. Sitting beside me, Victor leaned toward me and opened his mouth. Feedings were so second nature, the motions always the same, that he hardly had to think about what he did. It was like he didn't even see me. Except, then†¦ he did. He froze, his eyes going wide. Certain characteristics marked the royal Moroi families, and light, jade-green eyes ran amongst both the Dashkovs and the Dragomirs. The weary, resigned look in his disappeared, and the cunning sharpness that so characterized him–the shrewd intellect I knew well–snapped into place. It reminded me eerily of some of the prisoners we'd passed earlier. But he was confused. Like the other people we'd encountered, my charm was muddling his thoughts. His senses told him I was a human†¦ yet the illusion wasn't perfect. There was also the fact that Victor, as a strong non-spirit compulsion wielder, was relatively resistant to it. And just as Eddie, Lissa, and I had been immune to one another's charms because we knew our true identities, Victor experienced the same effect. His mind might insist that I was human, but his eyes told him I was Rose Hathaway, even with my wig. And once that knowledge was solidified, the human illusion disappeared for him. A slow, intrigued smile spread over his face, blatantly displaying his fangs. â€Å"Oh my. This might be the best meal I've ever had.† His voice was barely audible, covered by the conversation of the others. â€Å"Put your teeth anywhere near me and it'll be your last meal,† I murmured, voice just as quiet. â€Å"But if you want any chance of getting out of here and seeing the world again, you'll do exactly what I say.† He gave me a questioning look. I took a deep breath, dreading what I had to say next. â€Å"Attack me.†

Hershey Company

Hershey Company Introduction Hershey Company is a US food company which was incorporated in 1894 and based in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company specializes in production, distribution, sale and marketing of various confectionaries including chocolate, snacks, beverage enhancers, and other refreshments (Bilbrey, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hershey Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company enjoys a good market share in the United States and internationally. Its distribution channels include food brokers, sales representatives, wholesalers, and grocery stores, vending companies, departmental stores and convenient stores. The initial company’s strategy was production and sale of cheap, high quality products. This has been the company’s reputation for decades and has been its distinguishing factor. The founders of the company believed in quality products as a sales strategy instead of advertising. Her shey Company has grown to become a global market leader in confectionaries. Unlike many of its competitors, who have diversified to other products, Hershey Company has decided to concentrate and specialize in chocolate. This has enabled the company to create a specific strategy; focus on the significance of flow of materials for their products and generation of high profits. Many of Hershey competitors, like Cadbury and ConAgra, concentrate on wide product portfolios. The companies have diversified their production but have a weak return on assets. On the contrary, Hershey Company has a strong return on assets; this implies that its assets have a better potential and produces higher revenues than its competitors (Alfonso, 2011). Hershey has appreciated the significance of downstream material process flow as an international supply chain. The initial location of its factories was close to local ports. This made it convenient for the company to buy and transport raw materials from ove rseas farmers and distributors (Bilbrey, 2011). Goods, services, and operations management Hershey ensures that it has products on-hand to ensure that it meets the demand of its clients. The company ensures that the volume of sales is high because the profit margin for its products is low. In order to cope with these requirements, the company continues to develop its supply chain management.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company also continues to develop its flow of materials to realize high profits. The integral part of the new supply chain design is 111,480M2 distribution centre, near the organizations head office. This centre was predicted to handle over 713 million kilos of products annually (Bilbrey, 2011). Hershey’s product distribution network includes the sales and marketing department that helps the company to maintain high sales throughout th e year. The product distribution network provides superior services to the customers. The distribution network works closely with customers to ensure deliveries are timely and reasonable. The network is coupled with an effective transport from the production lines to distribution centers. Common carriers are used to deliver products from distribution centers to customer’s locations (Reiman, 2006). Hershey changes the quantity weights and subsequent prices of goods as necessary to accommodate the changes in market. The company changes the prices to sustain its competitive environment and its profitability. Change in prices and quantities maintain the consumer values. The company increases the prices to counterbalance the input costs, changes in raw materials, and increase in fuel prices. Other factors include changes in the price of raw materials, transport, employee benefits and other utilities. The company deigns a time lag between the change of price and the effective date of the changed prices (Alfonso, 2011). Forecasting and demand planning style Hershey has a tactical forecasting and demand and planning style. The data that is used for planning is accurate and timely. The accountability for managing forecasting and demand planning is left to employees in close contact with customers. The company’s style is advanced; Hershey has made the process to be integrated and comprises of a wide range of information. The forecast is made timely and in short and timely schedules (Reiman, 2006). The process is strategic; the company has brought together sales forecasting and demand forecasting. The company focuses on accuracy of the information. The style is innovative; Hershey has a two-way sales forecasting and demand planning procedure. The employees involved are well equipped to plan and manage the process.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hershey Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Accurate focusing of demand allows Hershey to reduce the requirements for emergency plans and associated costs. Hershey experiences efficient operations, improved customer connections and decreased money tied in inventories (Hockley Ali, 2008). Hershey has a monthly plan for balancing supply and demand by ensuring there is a cross-functional relationship of operations. The company has set the platform for sales and operations planning. The company aligns its expectations across the entire operations in the organization. Hershey settles its operation plans with financial plans to ensure it satisfies the demands of the company in a financially feasible manner. The company’s marketing strategy is a strong brand, superior quality and product innovation. Hershey devotes significant resources to development and marketing of new products. The company has initiated several advertising promotional strategies for clients. The company’s sales are particularly high in the las t three months of the year; this is the holiday season. Value chains management Hershey noticed the need for a more manageable design in value chains. In the current chain, products are obtained from producers and shifted to a more central place where customer purchases are managed and satisfied. The first step to restructuring movement of materials was to carefully evaluate the client demands information obtained. Hershey started with their biggest clients like Target and Wal-Mart. The organization checked out carefully the historical information and objectives in areas such as distribution time, quantity, and how the items should be distributed. This procedure also included a more fully developed incorporation into client personalized software. Since chocolate has a periodic need based on vacations, huge purchase amounts during the year had to be included and expected. This data was essential to understand what the client required and then how best to create their new distribution structure (Bilbrey, 2011). To achieve the anticipated profits, the company determines the true costs of products. By applying good analysis, the company is able to evaluate the costs associated with business; this maintains the company’s competitive advantage and profit margins. Hershey concentrates on pricing its products and evaluating the costs associated with raw materials and labor (Bilbrey, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hershey’s ability to generate high profitability compared to its competitors is directly associated with supply chains and performance in production of its products. Margin gains counterbalance the high costs of labor and raw materials. Hershey’s inventory and accounts payable continue to decrease and therefore, the net trading capital continues to reduce. Hershey expects to continue maintaining low inventories. Hershey’s business model is based on seasons; pre-holiday and holiday seasons are accompanied by huge volumes of orders. Measurement of performance in operations Hershey Company introduced an improved performance management system in 2009. This system is used by the company to measure its annual operations performance. Hershey measures the performance of all its employees. The system is designed to support engagement and accountability of employees. Employees are appreciated and rewarded for their maintaining the corporate vales of the company (Bilbrey, 2011). Hershey Company collects data periodically and prepares reports regarding individual, departmental and organizational performance. Information used to measure performance includes production process data, organizational strategies, and employees’ performance. The collected information is analyzed against the set standards and corporate strategies. The capability of Hershey to prevail is determined by its performance. The investments and operation parameters are analyzed to determine if they reach the desired targets. Hershey applies a statistical model to measure the performance of its operations. Employees are assessed on their ability to meet the company’s goals. Performance assessments are carried out and the employees are rewarded for their individual contributions to success of the company. Individual development plans are included in the performance management plans to enable workers to identify their professional and individual goals. Surveys are conducte d occasionally to assess the performance of the employees, individually and professionally. From the beginning, Hershey has appreciated the significance of downstream material process flow as an international supply chain. The initial location of its factories was close to local ports. This made it convenient for the company to buy and transport raw materials from overseas farmers and distributors. Raw materials imported from outside the US included cocoa beans and sugar. However, milk was supplied by local farmers and distributors (Bilbrey, 2011). Operation strategy Hershey’s operation strategy is having a profound understanding of the needs of the company’s customers and stakeholders. The company ensures that the stakeholders develop a desire to work with the company and understand all the operations. Good understanding between the company and the stakeholders creates a good environment for business. Good understanding between the company and the consumers makes it e asier to understand the consumer’s needs and change in preferences. Hershey’s efforts to understand and improve the social and environmental performance of operations are in line with the company’s corporate strategy; the company’s consideration of stakeholder’s interests ensures its long term profitability (Bilbrey, 2011). The major operational strategies for Hershey Company include creating a sustainable and a competitive business model. The company continues to emphasize on cost profile management to avail margin structure and resources for business investment. The company drives inexorable emphasis on conventional and profitable development in the US by ongoing investment in Hershey’s brands and capabilities. The company delivers consumer driven and economically feasible innovations. Product innovations are created in consultation with stakeholders and consumer’s preferences. This improves the company’s position in the majo r development areas in confectionary industry. The key growth areas emphasized by the company include a strong and competitive global position in sugar confections, and production of healthy products. The company aims at improving its market presence in Mexico, Canada, China and other available international markets. The company seeks to have a more aggressive approach to acquisition and mergers in the US and globally. The company continues to provide a superior value propositions to its employees; the company focuses on training, talent retention and motivations (Alfonso, 2011). Inventories management Hershey Company has a department of inventory management where finished products inventories are managed and controlled. Inventories are managed in relation to marketing of products across all stock keeping. The department analyzes the sudden alteration in available inventory in an appropriate manner. The bases of changes are found and appropriate actions are taken. The department ide ntifies the items to sustain the surge strategy and provides its feedback to all stakeholders (Bilbrey, 2011). Inventory management monitors the changing items to ensure a proficient physical and systematic flow of products and in the system. The inventory management ensures its accessibility and supportability issues are availed to all suitable areas. The inventory management accommodates periodic builds properly by using system settings and disengages settings when the period is over. The company has overcome the challenge of rising prices of raw materials including milk, sugar and cocoa. Hershey’s global supply chain transformation program which commenced in 2007 has helped the company to increase in productivity and to improve in performance. The objective of the program was to extensively augment production capacity utilization. This was achieved by reducing the total number of production lines (Hockley Ali, 2008). A flexible production operation was constructed in Mexi co; the facility is improving production. Hershey has closed some of its facilities and is focusing on the few improving the supply chain efficiency. The company has invested in inventory optimization tools; this has enabled Hersey to achieve inventory reduction in procurement and product distribution. Closing of some facilities has enabled the company to concentrate on the existing facilities; this has enabled the company to perform well in productivity within the supply chain. References Alfonso, H. (2011, February 18). The Hershey Company. Retrieved from United Sates Securities and Exchange Commission: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/47111/000119312511039789/d10k.htm Bilbrey, J. (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility Progress Report. Retrieved from The Hershey Company: https://www.thehersheycompany.com/en_us/home.html Hockley, H., Ali, A. (2008, April 28). Hershey Foods: Sweet Results with SAP Demand Planning. Web. Reiman, J. (2006, April 20). Sales and Operations Plann ing at The Hershey Company. Retrieved from Logistics Quarterly Magazine: http://logisticsquarterly.com/index.php

The Beast Within Professor Ramos Blog

The Beast Within Throughout human history, there have been a many of stories and tales that has told of fearsome monsters. Some of these monsters fictional in nature, some of them lurking in the darkest corners of the world, where only the brave travel. The monster Im speaking of in this case is neither of previous mentioned. Its something that for many of us, is very close to home and and even closer to the hearts of the American people along with its history. The monster Ill be reviewing here is one that human kind is coined for inventing. The gun is one of our modern monster that our society has, in more recent years, has red flagged. This wasnt always the case though. Most people typically credit the Chinese with the first invention of the gun in the 10th century. They were made out of bamboo or steel tubes that shot flames and shrapnel at its targets. After the invention of what they called a fire lance, the technology spread across hemispheres. It eventually reached the west, where we took the baton and ran far; and I mean really far. What has changed since the invention of guns? Besides the obvious notion that the landscape of gun technology has vastly evolved, the world around guns has also vastly changed. The culture of nations of all have worked to adapt to the changing environment. This goes along with why people themselves continue to live in their daily lives. On the outside looking in, the world can seem like a lot less stressful of a place to live. Stress is not a new thing for humans but it does come in varying ways. Every individual is different and has a certain way to do things. The world has transformed into a mecca for production and industrialization, and with that comes a tremendous amount of labor. When its a struggle to live in a world thats moving so quick, it can difficult to acquire some of the basic necessities. For example, according to an article posted by enterprise community.com, â€Å"This â€Å"housing wage† of $22.10 is nearly $15.00 higher than the federal minimum wage of $7 .25 per hour. According to the annual report, a renter earning the federal minimum wage would need to work 99 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom rental home priced at the national average Fair Market Rent (FMR) and 122 hours per week – that is, three full-time jobs – to afford a two-bedroom.† By no means are these statistic trying to completely justify the rate of gun violence in America, or anywhere for that matter! This is to only to give a slight glimpse into the eyes of a someone who has snapped under the pressures of life. Stress in this case could be viewed as the precipitating cause. In this way we can also correlate this to the monster being a cultural body. The monster being guns of course. The perception of guns has changed drastically in the last century or solely due to media and current events that people tend to directly to guns. Changing views on guns has arisen due to peoples moral codes changing with the times at hand. Reacting to the the emotional uproars of the media and politicians who love to use media to push personal agendas. This has inadvertently turned a once hero to the now demonized and taboo ownership of guns. Who is to blame, guns or the person holding the gun. The gun is only as powerful as the intentions laid onto it by its wielder. As weve gone over numerous times in class, there are tons of scary humans that have spent time here with us on earth, particularly serial killers. Some of the most dangerous individuals to live on earth did not even use guns to kill or harm their victims. Ted Bundy, one of Americas most famous and dangerous serial killers never once used on gun on his victims. Many other serial killers will show you the same truth; if someone wants to cause harm to someone else, they definitely dont need a gun to do the dirty work. As the Joker from the movie The Dark Knight once said, â€Å"Do you want to know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You cant savor all the little emotions. In you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are.† Though our history, guns have always been used for protection, a means for hunting and even as a means to show off technological dominance. Nowadays for many people, its is a symbol of destruction, death and disorder. Most of these preconceptions of guns comes for their use by street gangs or mass shootings here in America. In this paper I aught to provide information and reasoning on why people currently see guns as on of our modern monsters. If death is ultimately what people are afraid of dont look at the gun in hand or you might miss whos pulling the trigger. If you take away guns to try solving the violence in America, or again anywhere else for that matter, the real monster will always escape. That is to say, the beast within. Annotated Bibliography â€Å"Gun Timeline.† PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/gun-timeline/. Harder, Jeff. â€Å"Who Invented the First Gun?† HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 28 June 2018, science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/inventions/who-invented-the-first-gun.htm. Hoffman, Gene. â€Å"Guns Defend Good People From Bad People.† U.S. News World Report, U.S. News World Report, 2012, www.usnews.com/debate-club/does-the-colorado-shooting-prove-the-need-for-more-gun-control-laws/guns-defend-good-people-from-bad-people. â€Å"NLIHC Report Documents the Gap between Wages and the Cost of Rental Housing† Enterprise Community Partners, 2018,https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/blog/2018/06/nlihc-report-documents-the-gap-between-wages-and-the-cost-of-rental-housing Devon Thorsby. â€Å"What to Expect From the Housing Market in 2019† U.S. News. 2019 https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/what-to-expect-from-the-housing-market Professor Ramos. â€Å"102 Monster Culture (Seven Theses)Notes. . 2018. https://professorramos.blog/2018/03/20/102-monster-culture-seven-theses-notes/ James F. Zangrilli â€Å"If Only† Chicago Tribune. 1989 https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-02-18-8903060454-story.html

3 Types of Recommendation Letters

3 Types of Recommendation Letters A recommendation letter is a written reference that offers information about your character. Recommendation letters may include details about your personality, work ethic, community involvement, and/or academic achievements. Recommendation letters are used by many people for many different occasions. There are three basic categories or recommendation letters: academic recommendations, employment recommendations, and character recommendations. Here is an overview of each type of recommendation letter along with information on who uses them and why. Academic Recommendation Letters Academic letters of recommendation are typically used by students during the admissions process. During admissions, most schools- undergraduate and graduate alike- expect to see at least one, preferably two or three, recommendation letters for each applicant. Recommendation letters provide admission committees with information that may or may not be found in a college application, including academic and work achievements, character references, and personal details. Students might request recommendations from former teachers, principals, deans, coaches, and other education professionals who are familiar with the students academic experience or extracurricular achievements. Other recommenders may include employers, community leaders, or mentors. Employment Recommendations Letters of recommendation for employment and career references are a major tool of individuals who are trying to get a new job. Recommendations can be put on a website, sent in with a resume, supplied when an application is filled out, used as part of a portfolio, or handed out during employment interviews. Most employers ask job candidates for at least three career references. Therefore, its a good idea for job seekers to have at least three recommendation letters on hand. Generally, employment recommendation letters include information about employment history, job performance, work ethic, and personal accomplishments. The letters are usually written by former (or current employers) or a direct supervisor. Coworkers are also acceptable, but not as desirable as employers or supervisors. Job applicants who do not have enough formal work experience to secure recommendations from an employer or supervisor should seek recommendations from community or volunteer organizations. Academic mentors are also an option. Character References Character recommendations or character references are often used for housing accommodations, legal situations, child adoption, and other similar situations where understanding a persons character is important. Almost everyone needs this type of recommendation letter at some point in their life. These recommendation letters are often written by former employers, landlords, business associates, neighbors, doctors, acquaintances, etc. The most appropriate person varies depending on what the letter of recommendation will be used for. Asking For a Recommendation Letter You should never wait until the last minute to get a recommendation letter. It is important to give your letter writers time to craft a useful letter that will make the right impression. Start seeking academic recommendations at least two months before you need them. Employment recommendations can be collected throughout your work life. Before you leave a job, ask your employer or supervisor for a recommendation. You should try to get a recommendation from every supervisor you have worked for. You should also get recommendation letters from landlords, people you pay money to, and people you do business with so that you have character references on hand should you ever need them.

Marketing Portfolio Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Portfolio Project - Essay Example The company has been first in terms of innovation, quality as well as customer satisfaction in around 50 countries. The key to success for the company is its commitment towards the company-wide values (International EZUP, 2012). Mission Statement and Goals The main objective of the company is to focus towards honesty, people, customers as well as innovation. It also places greater emphasis at offering the customers with quality products and services with the objective to satisfy them and thus maintaining long-term relationship with them. Focus The main focus of the company has been upon the domestic market. However, in order to attain growth and to beat the competition it is quite imperative for International E-Z UP to shift its focus to international markets as well with advanced products thereby meeting the needs and the demands of the global marketplace. It will also focus upon providing the customers with quality products in order to ensure sustainability in the long run. In orde r to attain this objective the company can implement Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques such as Kaizen. Marketing Objective Short-Term Objectives of the Company The marketing objective of International E-Z UP for the upcoming year shall focus upon enhancement of the market share and increase of the desired levels of sales of the product. The company shall also try to enhance the customer loyalty. In order to attain this objective, it shall generate 20% of repeat business in the first year. The other marketing objective of the company shall be to escalate the brand awareness among various market segments from 10% to 30% in year one. The company shall also aim to gain at least 20 new customers by the end of the year one. It shall aim at increasing the market share in the United States market by 10% at the end of year one. Furthermore, one of the most significant marketing objectives of most of the companies is to minimize the marketing cost by substantial amount. In lieu of thi s fact, it can be mentioned that International E-Z UP shall intend to reduce the marketing cost by nearly 5% during the initial six months period. Long-Term Objectives of the Company The long-term objective of the company shall be to maintain their position as the leading name in selling instant shelters throughout the world in next five years. It shall also aim at acquiring nearly 20% of the customers of the competitors over next five years period. It shall also intend to increase the profit margin by 10% in the coming five years of operations. Attaining partnership and building collaborative relationship with numerous suppliers for smooth flow of the raw materials shall also be one of the objectives of the company. It can be stated that for the purpose of attaining the above mentioned short-term and long- term objectives, it is quite imperative for the company to prepare an adequate marketing plan. The sections below comprise pertinent analyses of the customers, the competitors, t he external environment, the marketing mix and the human resources of the company. Based upon the analyses, the paper shall intend to devise a creative marketing plan for the purpose of promoting and creating awareness about the products and the services of International

Dell Corpation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dell Corpation - Case Study Example (Gitman, 2007, 21) Dell alo introduce the latet relevant technology much more quickly than companie with low-moving, indirect ditribution channel, turning over inventory every three day on average. In 1985 the company tarted aembling it own PC brand. Ever ince, Dell had achieved phenomenal growth and by 2000 had topped $25 billion in ale and over $2 billion in net income. In late 2000, however, (erwer, 2005, 63) the PC indutry' average 30-year growth rate crahed to a negative 10% due to low economy. Dell Corp. had to make difficult deciion on how to utain it profitability in light of it broad product portfolio--PC, worktation, and erver on torage product for a broad cro-ection of cutomer in the United tate and worldwide. Dell' high return to hareholder ha been the reult of a focued effort over time to balance growth with profitability and liquidity. Dell ha conitently led it larget competitor in each of thoe categorie. The future for Dell and the ret of the computer indutry i haping up to be a fairly difficult one mainly due to the weak economy. But, Dell' economic problem are normal and hared by all companie in any indutry. What' not normal with Dell however, i it dilemma of how to maintain it leading poition over it competition and achieving ambitiou growth rate in an environment with which the economy i haped up to be wort than anticipated, due to it flat buine tructure, which make conumer kittih and pending down. Therefore, (Gitman, 2007, 21) in light of the above ituation, we believe that Dell could be facing a predicament of whether they hould maintain their trategic coure or fundamentally change it in order to achieve the targeted growth rate Dell' fortune do look better than it rival, though. Dell Computer' trategy wa built around a number of core element: build-to-order manufacturing, ma cutomization, partnerhip with fewer upplier, jut-in-time component inventorie, direct ale, market egmentation, cutomer ervice, market ening, early integration of the Internet, low operating cot, and extenive data and information haring with both upply partner and cutomer. Through thi trategy, the company hoped to achieve what Michael Dell called "virtual integration"--a titching together of Dell' buine with it upply partner and cutomer in real time uch that all three appeared to be part of the ame organizational team. (erwer, 2005, 63) upply Chain Efficiency: e-Buine i jut like any buine in at leat one repect: you have to maintain your edge. Whether reponding to a flood of new cutomer and product, or reducing cot while maintaining cutomer loyalty during period of economic decline, Dell believed that a more efficient upply chain would contribute ignificantly to it long-term ucce. By extending it build-to-order model all the way from material and component upplier to the cutomer, Dell could maximize both operational efficiency and cutomer atifaction while reponding immediately to change in the marketplace. The company' goal wa to integrate the upply and demand ide of the buine with the help of thi falt buine tructure in order to eliminate the guework that lead to inventory hortage and overage. Concluion Dell hould have a tranformational model intead of it traditional model which would penetrate aggreively the High-end erver market, Joint venture with

Corporate Social Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Social Reporting - Essay Example Companies that embrace corporate social responsibility have received long-term positive benefits. These include better working conditions, which in turn increases productivity and innovation, increased trust and enhanced reputation with stakeholders and greater customer loyalty. Businesses also receive better publicity through media reports. Indeed, staff turnover in companies such as Starbucks and Bettys and Taylors is low. In the latter, its philanthropic ways extend all the way to the employees, who have seen improvements in working relations and strong ties are developed with suppliers that not only certify quality in their produce, but also ensure these produce are grown in a socially responsible manner (10). On the contrary, pressure groups are making their presence known. In 1995, Royal Dutch/Shell suffered negative publicity as well as heavy losses when European boycotted them in their bid to dispose an oil platform at sea (3). Evidently, the business practice of being social ly responsible is highly preferred. In a study on the power and size of firms, there are loopholes present in smaller organizations that, for instance, violate legal rights of workers in cleaning subcontractors. Although this issue is not uncommon with the larger firms, it is found that they exercise greater care as their business is reliant on the state (9). However, in another study, it is found that both small and large firms are likely to participate in corporate social responsibility moves based on their visibility, resource access and scale of operations (4). The two studies are rather conflicting evidence of how corporate social responsibility is adopted by firms of different sizes. Perhaps, a small business operating locally is not as likely to be subject to public scrutiny compared to a larger one operating globally. Larger organizations are embracing this practice far more, which gives them a competitive advantage as the stakeholders they affect are wider. Furthermore, they are able to attract younger talents who yearns more than fat remuneration packages (8). Small businesses, on the other hand, are driven to embrace this practice because differentiation is their key reliance. With this strategic foresight, they are able to find opportunities in a growing market (2). However, these all boils down to management decision on whether to embrace this philosophy or not. 2.3 The profitability strength of businesses that uses CSR As mentioned earlier, companies that adopt corporate social responsibility receive better recognition than those who do not. Customer loyalty and consumer trust are key points in sustaining a business as evident in the Body Shop. Smaller firms practising CSR are a great target for acquisition even though there have been no drastic change in their combined earnings or improvements in the way they carry out their business in terms of being socially responsible. Although consumers are looking for healthier options when buying products, it is found that only a handful will actually pay a premium for such

Business Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Business Law - Case Study Example Terms in the competition also granted Nutritional Sciences ownership and usage of contestants’ photographs in its promotions. Englert entered the promotion’s contest and was later informed, in June 2002, of her award as runners up. She was to mail back some paper work within 48 hours in order to claim her award. However, the offered award was cash of $ 250 and the organization’s products worth similar amount, while the original offer identified a cash price of $ 1500 and the organization’s products worth $ 500. Englert did not reply and in July 2005 sued the company for â€Å"breach of contract, fraud, unauthorized use of likeness, invasion of privacy, and violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act† (The Supreme Court of Ohio 3). Both parties argued for summary judgment and the County Court ruled in favor of Nutritional Science. Englert appealed citing error in law in the County Court’s holding that appellees are not liable for breach of contract, unauthorized use of likeness and invasion of privacy, fraud, and violation of the state act. Englert also cited error in the previous holding that the company reserved the right to change terms, and was not liable damages. In ruling against appellant on error over breach of contract, change of terms of contract and award of damages for breach of contract, the appeal court argued that even though a contract existed from offer and acceptance, explicit terms of the contract were supreme. Nutritional Sciences based on a clause in the contract reserved rights over cancellation of the contract, and modification of terms of the competition. Consequently, there was no breach of contract in the offered reward, and changes were legal, and no liability for breach of contract. In addition, the appeal court held that fraud claims could not be held on promises or statements for future actions. Englert

Prostate cancer among African American men Essay

Prostate cancer among African American men - Essay Example In essay "Prostate cancer among African American men" author describes the connection between genetics, social status, health and cancer occurrence among Afro-American in the USA. Despite an intensive campaign that is directed to men in order for them to undergo regular medical screening, the majority of them are still reluctant resulting to increased cases of deaths caused by prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is a major type of cancer that affects the reproductive system of males especially those above the age of 45 years. However, there are cases of insistent prostate cancer that results in major complications on the reproductive system. This paper seeks to discuss medical compliance treatment of prostate cancer among African American men. As mentioned earlier, African-American men are at high risk of prostate cancer development. According to the 2003-2007 US medical report, for every 100,000 African American men, 234.6 cases of prostate cancer were reported in the US as compared to 150.4 cases per 100,000 white men. Due to the high number of cases of prostate cancer among the African American men, their mortality rate is more than double as compared to the white men. For example, between 2003 and 2007, 54.2 cases of mortality rates were reported for every 100,000 African-American while only 22.3 cases of mortality rates occurred among the white men. In 2001, more than 31,500 deaths due to prostate cancer were reported. Since 2001, at least 221,000 cases of prostate cancer are reported per year (Chronic Disease Indicators, 2012). One of the major obstacles that are affecting the efforts of the medical personnel is lack of early detection guidelines. In the same way, men are hesitant to screening thus making it difficult to curb the diseases during its early stages. In its endeavor to address the challenges faced by the African American men as far as control of prostate cancer is concerned, American Cancer Society, advocates for adoption of two major strategies . First, it recommends that men at the age of 45 years should emulate digital rectal examination (DRE). Secondly, the society recommends for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test for men who are between the ages of 45 and 50 years. Even though a task force that is concerned with prevention services depicts that there is insufficient evidence on the implications of DRE and PSA on the prevention and control of prostate cancer, the task force argues that a strong relationship between doctors and patients should be maintained to ensure that men are interested in undertaking regular screening. Additionally, the task force maintains that PSA is a better strategy of early detection. However, it is still unclear of how early detection

Business Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Business Law - Case Study Example Terms in the competition also granted Nutritional Sciences ownership and usage of contestants’ photographs in its promotions. Englert entered the promotion’s contest and was later informed, in June 2002, of her award as runners up. She was to mail back some paper work within 48 hours in order to claim her award. However, the offered award was cash of $ 250 and the organization’s products worth similar amount, while the original offer identified a cash price of $ 1500 and the organization’s products worth $ 500. Englert did not reply and in July 2005 sued the company for â€Å"breach of contract, fraud, unauthorized use of likeness, invasion of privacy, and violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act† (The Supreme Court of Ohio 3). Both parties argued for summary judgment and the County Court ruled in favor of Nutritional Science. Englert appealed citing error in law in the County Court’s holding that appellees are not liable for breach of contract, unauthorized use of likeness and invasion of privacy, fraud, and violation of the state act. Englert also cited error in the previous holding that the company reserved the right to change terms, and was not liable damages. In ruling against appellant on error over breach of contract, change of terms of contract and award of damages for breach of contract, the appeal court argued that even though a contract existed from offer and acceptance, explicit terms of the contract were supreme. Nutritional Sciences based on a clause in the contract reserved rights over cancellation of the contract, and modification of terms of the competition. Consequently, there was no breach of contract in the offered reward, and changes were legal, and no liability for breach of contract. In addition, the appeal court held that fraud claims could not be held on promises or statements for future actions. Englert

Intro to build environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Intro to build environment - Essay Example As early as May 1999, even before the actual construction had begun the cost estimates had been revised with additional money required for Site acquisition, demolition and archaeology; Fees, VAT and contingencies; and fit-out, loose furniture, IT, etc, and a figure of 90m for the projected costs of the project was produced. This was immediately revised to 109m as being the estimated cost of the project, including construction cost of 62m (SPCB 1999). The main reasons cited for cost increase were: a) increase in floor area to accommodate additional staff and offices; b) an increase in the amount of circulation space required; and c) changes to the specification for a formal entrance. The time for completion, including all internal fit-outs, was projected as the autumn of 2001. The project was finally completed in 2004 at a cost of 375.8m! There had been major changes to the project specification since the first cost estimate was produced for the project. These included an increase, between December 1997 and February 2000, of 11,240m2 (a 56% increase) in the total gross area (from 20,070m2 to 31,310m2). If one excludes the additional car parking provision, there was, over the same period, an increase of 13,109m2 (an 80% increase) in the gross area (from 16,470m2 to 29,579m2) (all numbers from Spice Briefing, ibid). In relation to the costs, the letter of 10 June 2003 r... In relation to the completion date, the letter of 10 June 2003 stated that the target completion date was still November 2003 but that more detailed information was being sought on this matter. The Auditor General of Scotland, Mr. Black, investigated the reasons for the gross cost overrun and delay in execution of the project. His report looked at questions of cost, how resources had been used and managed, and the overall conduct of procurement. Construction projects often run into problems and fail to meet the desired objective. The objective, in the eyes of the client, can be summarized by stating that it is 'value for money' which implies that, even if the building is not the cheapest, the entire combination of whole-life costs and quality costs is optimal. Uncertainty is an essential element of all projects especially those related to construction. These can be categorised under four broad categories: 1. The scope of the work may change, 2. The quality specifications of the work to be done can change, 3. The costs might escalate, and 4. The time scheduled for completion may not be correct Increased integration between financial and real sectors of the economy, and major capital commitments in the building, means that the poor quality of risk management in construction has perhaps a greater significance at present than at any other time since the 1970s (Flanagan & Norman, 1993). In this report we address the problem of the cost and time over-run that resulted from a faulty procurement system adopted in the construction planning and execution process for the new parliamentary building in Holyrood; in light of the report of the Auditor General of

Folk Traditions of Trinidad and Tobago Essay Example for Free

Folk Traditions of Trinidad and Tobago Essay This research paper compiles primary and secondary data from interviews with violinists who work or have worked specifically in folk music in the Trinidad and Tobago. It seeks to investigate and document the reasons for and the importance of the violin in Caribbean music culture. The paper will also seek to notarise some elements of folk violin pedagogy. The report will form the basis of an electronic blog and will consist of a proposal, typed interviews, and a general list of interview questions, pictures, audio recordings and music scores. Project Rationale: 1. Cultural information transmitted through written word and musical scores can lose much of their meaning and intent when read, because of the nuisances of both language and melody. For instance, when most ethnic musical styles are notated using the standard begun outside of their context, they are usually played without their correct ‘swing’ or ‘feel’. 2. In November 2011, St. Lucian folk violinist Joseph Ives Simeon died at 87, taking a rich violin pedagogy with him. The player has many recordings, but much of his style died with him. This project is the beginning of this researcher’s (and classical string player from the Caribbean) attempt to preserve the pedagogical information inherent only in the different styles of Caribbean string folk playing, for use by Caribbean players. Objectives: 1. To audio record the sounds and actions of violin playing in the Caribbean folk context. 2. To document the musical views and ideas of current exponents of Caribbean folk violin playing. 3. To define the role of the violin in varying Trinbagonian folk traditions 4. To chart the evolution of the roles of the instrument in Trinbagonian culture General Interview Questionnaire: * How did you learn to play the violin? (How did you learn to play the violin in folk music?) * What types of events do you play for? And what is the significance of your instrument in that setting? * Do you have any stories about your experience of folk violin playing as a spectator? (now and in the past)? * What were the most important lessons your teacher taught you? * Can you describe your holds for the violin and bow? * Can you describe your bowing style? * Please describe your fingering style. * Do you admire any other players (now and in the past)? * Have you ever played classically? How do you feel this style differs in the way it feels OR Is it comfortable to play in this way for long periods of time, or was it ever more difficult to play for longer periods of time? * What are the different types of music that you play? Can you play an example of each? What are the differences among them? The Violin and the Musical Folk Traditions of Trinidad and Tobago. Introduction 2012 marks the Centennial Anniversary of the first ever recording of Calypso music. Engrained in wax (a new technology in 1912), this first recording was ‘Mango Vert’, an instrumental composition by George R.L. ‘Lovey’ Baille (a melody known today as the folk tune Mangoes, with added lyrics by Olive Walke). The stylish, well structured, yet heavily improvised piece was recorded by Lovey’s String Band, a group lead by violins. This paper hopes to explore the violin’s role in Trinbagonian culture in a holistic sense. Apart from the String Bands of yesteryear, we will look at the instrument’s role in Tobago’s Tamb’rin music and the Christmas season staple of Parang. At present, in all three areas, it must be said, the use of the instrument is almost non-existent. My interviews with modern violinists who have worked in and experienced our folk traditions for at least 50 years, highlighted similarities; between very different folk traditions; and to earlier scenarios that were previously thought to have been lost. The violin is an unfretted bowed string instrument with four metal strings tuned in fifths. It is â€Å"capable of great flexibility in range, tone, and dynamics†. The Violin in Calypso The instrumentation used in Calypso is usually the last thing to be discussed, if at all. This tends to be because calypso music is usually seen to be about the lyrics, the story within the song. This is the case with much of Trinidad and Tobago’s music. However, the story of the instrumentation used in Calypso, is a story of a search for a collective identity in our music. The 1912 recordings of Lovey’s String band are the first time that the violin’s importance to our music was archived. Lovey’s String Band was a typical example of Calypso bands of the time. The ensemble, led by him on the violin, consisted of another violin, flute, clarinet, tiple, piano, two guitars, two cuatros, an upright bass (although the Figure 1 picture of the group shows a cello) and a braga. With the exclusion and inclusion of a few instruments (e.g. trumpet, saxophone, oboe), this was the general instrumentation of a String Band. These groups were so called because stringed instruments were in the majority, with acoustic plucked stringed instruments forming the core of the sound (guitars, cuatros, tiples, bragas, bandols etc.). There were many other String Bands around at the time, including Belasco’s Band – founded by the renowned Lionel Belasco; Cyril Monrose String Orchestra; and Gerald Clarke and his night owls. These groups recorded and performed both as standalone instrumental groups and backing accompaniment for Calypsonians. In fact, the sound of early Calypso and what we now call folk music relied heavily on them. Listening to the recordings causes you to realise that these bands had been honing their sound long before they were ever recorded. Lovey’s String Band followed Mango Vert a week later, with recordings of songs like Trinidad Paseo, Mari-Juana, Sarah and Manuelito (See Figure 2), staples of the Trinidadian dance scene at the time. This recording of Manuelito is the only example of foreign-based music archived by the United States National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress, into that country’s National Recording Registry 2002. Figure 1: Loveys Trinidad Calypso String Band Lovey (George R.L. Baille leader, violin), L. Betancourt (2nd violin), P. Branche (flute), W. Edwards (Clarinet), Louis Schnieder (Tiple), E.P. Butcher (Piano), Donald Black, L. Demile (guitars). F.A. Harte, C. Eugen Bernier (cuatros), Patrick Johnson (bass), Cleto Chacha (braga) (http://calypsoforum.wetpaint.com/page/First+Recordings) Figure 2: Loveys Trinidad String Band (Musical group) Colonial-era Calypso? Undeniably, all of the recordings from this instrumental era display a high level of musicianship and excellent tonal quality, which particularly for violins, is a sign of classical training. This initial instrumentation is also obviously similar to classical ensemble styles where violins, clarinets (and oboes) regularly duet. Figure 1 also shows Lovey’s band in military-style or marching band style uniforms solidifying the notion that the string bands were heavily ingrained in the activities of Trinidad’s colonial past. Apart from Calypso, the bands also played a variety of European influenced dance styles of music The style and level of improvisation in the music also highlight the obvious influence of American small band New Orleans style Ragtime and blues. As found in those two American jazz artforms, Calypso String Band instruments have similarly set roles. * Guitars and other plucked string and low frequency bowed string instruments held the background rhythmic elements and chords and provided the foundation for all other instruments. * Violins and reed instruments, depending on the preference of the band leader layered on the melody or improvisational ornamentation and musical interludes (all layers always being present) * When vocalists were also involved, the violins tend to be used more often than reed instruments to support the melody line, with the reeds (and later trumpets) providing the musical interludes. The recordings below (Figures 3,4 5) demonstrate these different uses of the instrumentation with earlier recordings (1912 – 1930) displaying the preferential use of the violin, clarinet or vocal team. Later recordings show tendencies toward more structured instrument interlude lines and trumpet leads and reed instrument leads. They also display the introduction of the saxophone to the lead line-up (See Figures 6). Figure 3: Recording of Lovey’s String Band, ‘Mango Vert’, 1912 (double-click the icon below to hear the recording) Figure 4: Recording of ‘Yaraba Shango’ by (Calypsonian) Tiger and Gerald Clarke and his Orchestra, 1936 (double-click the icon below to hear the recording) This recording is still a few years before WWI. Here, the lead improvising instruments were obviously the clarinet and oboe, with the violin playing a secondary lead role playing mainly the same musical line as the main vocal sings and also supports the guitars. Both of these particular secondary roles are common to all of the recordings where the violin is present. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qA87Wl3dmAfeature=related) Figure 5: Recording of the Congo Bara performed by the Kiskedee Trio (written by Attila the Hun), 1935 (double-click the icon below to hear the recording) This version of Atilla the Hun’s (Raymond Quevedo) French patois/English tune relies heavily on the vocal trio to carry the melody. So much so, that the violin’s support of the voices, an octave above is almost missed. At this point, the addition of the marac and piano supplement the more sparse core instrumentation (possibly one or two guitars). A muted trumpet is used to provide the main musical interludes, supported again by the violin. Interestingly however, the trumpet is not used throughout the piece like the violin (and in previous recordings the reed instruments). This reveals the need for balance in the overall band sound in these live, one-track recordings and supports the authenticity of these recordings when compared to live performances. It also helps to clarify the use of the violin and the more dynamically-varied reed instruments in early calypso. The violin was prized in this setting for its ability to mimic the flexibility of the voice. The modern Calypso As unmuted brass instruments became more common because of their sharper, louder and more penetrating sounds, the musical lines in calypso became more structured and simpler. * Guitars continued to be used as core instruments, though fewer (possibly one or two) and usually exclusive of other plucked string instruments * Core instruments accompanied the vocals with simpler chord progressions followed by musical interludes in which the brass instruments would play, to the continued guitar accompaniment. * Clarinets and violins ceased to be used, except in Calypsos written in the style of early calypso * Vocal Calypsoes became the standard form, with instrumentals of the calypsonians compositions done by other instrumental groups, particularly steelpan. Figure 6: Recording of ‘Royal Tour’ by Roaring Lion (1978) (double-click the icon below to hear the recording) As such, the music is very different to the â€Å"jazzy† sounds of earlier calypso. It is in this era (1944) that my calypso-based violinist Stanley Roach was born. Roach was the violinist for Kaiso 2: Happy Days, with Phil Dobson’s band and for the recording for which he is best known, Calypsonian Shadow’s ‘De Hardest Hard’. However, Mr Roach has and always will prefer classical music and so is dedicating the rest of his days to that form, with the hope to produce an album of some challenging works. Roach was classically trained to ABRSM grade 8 (for which he received a Merit) by his father. He continued on to win the televised talent competition Scouting for Talent, in its second year of existence with challenging Romanian dances. His proudest moment however, was being called to play for the prestigious opening concert of the Music Festival many years ago. He has always valued his father’s style of teaching and his opinions. Roach notes that his father â€Å"taught a philosophy behind the music, to do with your mind and spirit†. In building sound technique, his father advised him to â€Å"take it one note at a time (step at a time) and put your mind and your soul and your heart into it†. In this area, he has much in common with the original string band players. With regard to calypso, for Shadow’s â€Å"De hardest hard† he notes that he used a technique of improvising that he calls â€Å"cross-phrasing†, where you improvise from the latter half of the initial phrase to another halfway through the next phrase. This allowed the music to breathe, something that was rare to the New Orleans-style filled sound of early Calypsoes. Roach admits readily that like his father before him, he disliked the way that classical instruments were used in Calypso. However, he was a fan and admirer of the work of Trinidadian parang fiddler Saltero Gomez of the Papa Goon Parang group. Apart from Gomez, his influences are jazz violinist Stephane Grappeli and classical violinist Menuen. Although, like Roach my second interviewee was also taught the violin classically, Lawrence ‘Wax’ Crooks has a genuine love of folk music and always intended to use his skill to play Tamb’rin Music. The Violin and Tamb’rin Music. The violin is the preferred melody line instrument in Tamb’rin music. This traditional folk music from Tobago, also has its roots in our colonial times. The handheld goat skin frame drums, called the cutter, roller and boum, are accompanied typically by the triangle and violin / the mouth organ (See Figure 7). Frame drums were used because they could be easily hidden from colonial masters who had a great fear of the drums. However, similar frame drums can be found in Martinique, the Dominican Republic, Mauritius, Morocco, Brazil and even among the Native Indian population of North America. Additionally, the spiritual dance styles that Tamb’rin music accompanies were derived from a mocking of the dances of the colonial masters during slavery and as such, the types of songs and the dances accompanying them are the reel, jig, pasea etc. Figure 7: Picture of Mt. Saint George Tambrin Band (1995) 56 year old Lawrence ‘Wax’ Crooks, is the violinist and leader of the Royal Sweet Fingers Tamb’rin band. He surprised me by first saying that he was taught to play classically by a classical teacher 7 years ago and joined the band immediately. Wax was a part of a 3-month workshop teaching Tobagonians to play the violin. It was the only formal training he ever received. He notes that it has made him a more precise player than his predecessors, and he has been noted by articles to have a classical bowing technique. However, he relied on his childhood memories to play tamb’rin. With this in mind, he plays with the instrument against his upper arm, so that it is easier to talk while playing in the relaxed settings of the events Tamb’rin music is usually played at. He also noted that it is more comfortable to play in this way and so playing can be done for the many hours of the traditional dances, weddings, christening (now replaced by djs), birth nights, illness (reel dance between 12-12:30 would help, as it would definitely cause a manifestation of the spirit to take place). At more formal events though, he admits to moving the instrument up to the classical position with his chin placed in the chin rest. Wax notes that violin was always the preferred instrument in Tamb’rin music, because: * The long hours of traditional ceremonies would lead to vocalists tiring * Mouth organs were limited in the notes they could play. They could not play the fully correct melody. The more modern push-key mouth organs have greater flexibility and with less need for training, they are starting to become more common than violins. * The violin has flexible notation. Many traditional ceremonies are long because when the spirit manifests itself in the person (Ride), the music must continue until they regain consciousness. â€Å"If you stop playing, you will leave them in another world†. The spirits also dictate the other aspects of of the culture of playing in Tamb’rin. Alcohol is liberally dispensed, as this â€Å"quiets the spirits†. Wax sprinkles rum on the back of his violin for the same reason. Also, tambrin is always played by a group of musicians, as the spirits can overpower one. Wax has seen instances of violin strings bursting and entire drums being lost when conditions are right. Even the music must be appropriate to the situation, or again instruments are scarred or lost. â€Å"When everything is right, the atmosphere is coolsoothing†. Figure 8: Scored Example of a reel â€Å"Call me Mama† Conclusion Interviews and archived material have confirmed that the violin as a solo instrument or in small numbers is a versatile member of a band that was perfectly suited for more traditional, acoustic arrangements. However, owing to changes in culture due to historical experiments with louder instruments (brass and saxophones), they are no longer common in at least two traditional artforms, parang and calypso. With the reinvention of the mouth organ and the lack of another generation interested in traditional forms, the violin is also slowly disappearing from Tamb’rin music. Its use in our music is a result of both classical training and the ingenuity and good ears of of Trinbagonian musicians. For this reason, although there are fewer exponents of each traditional form, there is a wealth of violin students and recordings of the music to spur another generation on. This project has enabled me to find many recordings and has started my interaction with older musicians who have a wealt h of anecdotal information on traditional music forms. It is my hope at this point that I will be able to solidify information on traditional violin pedagogy to pass on to future generations. References What is parang? Nalis Library archives. Last accessed 16 April. http://www2.nalis.gov.tt/Research/SubjectGuide/Music/Parang/tabid/233/Default.aspx?PageContentMode=1 The Stringed Instrument Database. http://stringedinstrumentdatabase.110mb.com/t.htm The National Recording Registry 2002, National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2002reg.html History of Trinidad and Tobago. 2012. Wikipedia. 16 April 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago ANDREAS MEYER. â€Å"THE OLDER FOLKS USED TO FIDDLE AROUND THE NOTES.† PLAYING THE VIOLIN FOR TAMBRIN BANDS IN TOBAGO (WEST INDIES), 2006, http://www.llti.lt/failai/05%20MEYERIO.pdf Frame Drums and Tambourines in Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 2: Performance and Production. Edited by John Shepherd, David Horn, Dave Laing, Paul Oliver, and Peter Wicke. New York: Continuum, 2003, 349-350, 362-372]. http://www.nscottrobinson.com/framedrums.php Discography Calypso Best of Trinidad 1912-1952. http://www.rhyners.com/proddetail.php?prod=0508 Calypso Pioneers 1912 – 1937. http://www.amazon.com/Calypso-Pioneers-1912-1937-Various/dp/B0000002QV/ref=sr_1_1?s=musicie=UTF8qid=1334700896sr=1-1 Calypso Carnival 1936 – 1941 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000002SC?tag=ubriacowinerevielink_code=as3creativeASIN=B0000002SCcreative=373489camp=211189 Victor Discography: Lionel Belasco Orchestra, http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/16409/Lionel_Belasco_Orchestra_Musical_group; Victor Discography: Lovey’s String Band, http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/44453/