It210 Final

IT 210-Final Currency Conversion Program Florence Sanders IT/210 Fundamentals of Programming with Algorithms and Logic September 16, 2012 Ed Addison Application-Level Requirements List 1. User screen that prompts user 2. Display prompts main user title screen 3. Main user screen provides short description explaining use of program 4. Calculations of currency is executed with valid inputs 5. Provides option to clear input fields Input| Process| Output|Currency TypeCurrency AmountExchange Rate| Get user input| Currency Type Currency Amount| Currency Type| Foreign Exchange Currency | Currency Type| Enter currency amount| Calculate total| Currency Amount| Foreign Currency amount | Convert to US dollar| US currency amount| Currency TypeCurrency AmountExchange Rate| Display results| Conversion of foreign currency into US Dollars| Main Module Main Module Display_Resluts Module Display_Resluts Module Get_Int_Value Module Get_Int_Value Module Display_Menu Module Display_Menu Module Convert_Cu rrency Module Convert_Currency Module Control Flow Diagram—Main Control ———————————————— Begin Display Menu Quit ? Provide exit message Display Menu Yes No Convert Currency Display results End Begin Display Menu Quit ? Provide exit message Display Menu Yes No Convert Currency Display results End ————————————————- Control Flow Diagram—Display Menu Begin Selection menu Valid selection ? Error 4 : Invalid menu selection No Yes End Quit ? Yes Provide exit menu Quit Verified ? Yes Take selection from user Get_Int_Value No Conversion Verified ? No Yes No Begin Selection menu Valid selection ? Error 4 : Invalid enu selection No Yes End Quit ? Yes Provide exit menu Quit Verified ? Yes Take selection from user Get_Int_Value No Conversion Verified ? No Yes No | Control Flow Diagram—Get_Int_Value Tell user to enter number Tell user to enter number Take input from user Take input from user Error message Error message Error message Error message | Control Flow Diagram—Convert Currency French ? French ? Japanese? ? Japanese? ? Mexican? Mexican? Begin Canadian ? Rate=Canadian Rate English ? No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Rate =Mexican rate Rate=pound rate Rate=Japanese rate Rate = French Rate Rate = 0 . 0 US Value =Rate*Int_Value End Begin Canadian ? Rate=Canadian Rate English ? No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Rate =Mexican rate Rate=pound rate Rate=Japanese rate Rate = French Rate Rate = 0 . 0 US Value = Rate*Int_Value End | Control Flow Diagram—Display_Results Nation=French Currency=Francs Nation=French Currency=Francs Nation=Japanese Currency=Yen Nation=Japanese Currency=Yen Nation=English Currency=Pound Nation=English Currency=Pound Nation=Mexican Currency=Pesos Nation=Mexican Currency=Pesos Japanese ? Japanes e ? English ? ? English ? ? Mexican ? Mexican ? Canadian ? Canadian ? Invalid Selection Invalid Selection |Final Project Currency Conversion Psuedocode Main Module Declare selection as integer Declare currency Type as Integer Declare international Value as real Declare US Value as real Do while user wants to continue Display Menu Get International Value Convert Currency Display Results End Loop Print exit message End Main Module Display Menu Declare continue as Boolean Set continue = true While continue = true Display â€Å"Welcome to the international currency conversion program† Display â€Å"Please make a selection† Display â€Å"international Currency Types:† Display â€Å"1: Canadian Dollars†Display â€Å"2: Mexican Pesos† Display†3: English Pounds† Display â€Å"4: Japanese Yen† Display â€Å"5: French Francs† Display â€Å"6: Quit: Display â€Å"Enter a selection:†; Input Currency Type If Currency Type >= 1 AND currency Type 0 AND international Value

Gordon’s Health Assessment Essay

Running Head: Assessment of a Family 1 Using Gordon’s 11 Functional Health Patterns in the Assessment of a Family Se La Vie Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V Family-Centered Health Promotion 28 August 2013 Assessment of a Family 2 Health promotion continues to be at the center of healthcare today. Through the use of Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns, a foundation is formed in the gathering of information by the assessing of an individual and family in order to identify lifestyle behaviors and patterns. Through the use of these lifestyle behaviors and patterns, healthcare professionals are able to come up with various diagnoses and interventions for potential and actual problems that may interfere with one’s health and wellbeing. This paper will outline three questions for each pattern that was used to assess a specific family and help to interpret the findings through the use of Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns. The family interviewed consists of a husband and wife whom both served in the United States Armed Forces, and their three children. A summary of the findings for each health pattern will be discussed. Also, a wellness and family diagnoses will be developed and presented. When asked questions in relation to the pattern of health perception and health management, the family stated that someone who really cared about their health would take the necessary steps in order to make sure that their body was well maintained. The family admitted that though they knew the steps in order to determine their current health status, it had been a couple of years since anyone in the family had had a full physical. Further comments emphasized that their lifestyles and behavior was in line to the point of not causing them any further damage which including no drinking of any type or even smoking. The husband stated that he used to smoke and drink but quit six years ago. The wife made mention of drinking but had also quit the habit. Assessment of a Family 3 The husband is a stay-at-home dad and the mom works. The children (ages 16 and six) attend different schools at different times of the day, while their two year old stays at home. Due to work and school schedules, breakfast and lunch are not eaten at the same time. This makes it impossible to ensure that everyone is getting the necessary types of foods from all the various food groups. Due to this inconsistency, everyone is forced to eat whatever it is that may be fast and convenient in relation to the time and space available because of various schedules. No one in the family is overweight but the husband and wife expressed that they would like to lose a couple of pounds. Various weight loss regimens have been tried but to no avail due to certain ailments both suffered by the husband and wife. In the pattern of elimination, it was expressed that using the bathroom was a normal function for everyone in the family except for the wife. She states that there have been times in which she was unable to use the bathroom and sometimes requires the help of an over-the-counter medication. The only other time in which there have been problems is due to some illness that may affect the children causing them issues in their pattern of elimination. The family also stated that their diet may sometimes cause them issues in this department. The husband is lactose intolerant which the intake of any type of dairy product. He still decides to neglect this issue and still consumes various dairy products. Due to this neglect, the husband has been forced to deal with an illness (hemorrhoids) which has caused his many discomforts in the past. The pattern of activity and exercise revealed that the family did not have a hobby in which they consistently participated in. Time and schedule determined what type of activity the Assessment of a Family 4 family was able to participate in. The husband stated that he loved to work out and also had a membership at a gym. He works out at least four times a week and ensures that some type of cardiovascular exercise is a part of his regime. The wife stated that she had a membership to a gym also but was unable to attend no more than three days a week. The wife currently suffers from a disease called fibromyalgia which causes pain to radiate throughout her body. This causes her much discomfort and most of the time, rules out any attempt of physical activity that would cause an increase in heart rate. Due to both husband and wife serving in the Armed Forces, pains in their bodies have become part of their everyday life. They are both receiving treatment for their ailments but need several prescribed medications in order to either function or have a normal day of life. Their pain causes them to limit certain everyday activities and tailor what it is they can and can’t do. Their ailments range from issues with their backs, knees, and ankles, to that of migraine headaches. Recently, the wife of the house was diagnosed with arthritis in both her knees and also in her lower back. This has placed a limitation on various activities in which they are able to perform with their children. As of recent, the wife has had severe pain to the point of being unable to get out of bed and having to visit the ER (emergency room) on various occasions. Their cognitive-perceptual pattern is one that is in constant acknowledgment with nothing being able to rid of the issue being faced by both hus band and wife. The pattern of sleep and rest is one of an issue to both husband and wife. The husband was developed numerous times to combat zones and now suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He rarely gets enough sleep through the night and is easily startled by various Assessment of a Family 5 sounds/noises. The only way he can actually sleep is by taking certain prescribed medication. On the other hand, the wife has the same issue but does not get enough rest due to having pains in her body. She also has to take prescribed medications in order to be able to relax and even get some sleep. There are days when pain subsides and both husband and wife are able to get some sleep, while on other days, they try their best to either go to sleep early or try to take catnaps in between times. Everyone in this family seems to be happy with whom they are. They are a very proud family who believe that God has made them just the way he wanted them to be. When asked â€Å"if you had a chance to do everything again would they change anything?† the reply was that they would not change a thing. Their faith and trust in God shows that they were supposed to go through everything that has been experienced in life for it made them be able to come together as a couple and also appreciate each other. They see their current place in life as one of a place of growth. Though they say some parts of life have really been rough, the husband and wife believe everything led to each other to produce what the world views of them today. Husband, wife and even children are all pleased with who they are. They made mention to the fact that if they were to change, it would be because it was something God wanted them to do in order to please him and no one else. Most friends of the family originate from the church which the family attends. Though they do not always hang out with their friends, they do try to attend events or get-togethers with friends in order to break up the monotony within their relationship. The couple sees each other as their own best friend and spends most of their time together with each other. The father sees Assessment of a Family 6 himself as someone who does his best to provide for the family even though he stays at home. He does his best to ensure that everyone’s personal needs are taken care of and if unable to be taken care of, there is some type of alternative solution to the issue. Mom is the most ingenuitive in the family. She loves decorating, and coming up with various ideas to design or make things look better. The 16 year old daughter is relied on to look after her six and two year old siblings. This allows for mom and dad to get back to their role as a couple and be able to go out on dates and enj oy each other’s company. As stated earlier, the couple has three children. Husband and wife both feel sex is a very important part of their life. Though the couple they have these feelings of intercourse, intercourse had to be put aside due to the fact of the wife being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Even though this disease is causing an issue, sex is never ignored. There were some issues in the past in which intimacy was an issue due to the wife being in a former abusive relationship. Over the course of years, this issue has been worked out and the family can actually attest that their intimacy is better than ever. On pattern of coping and stress tolerance, the couple believes that stress is necessary part of life. Though they feel no one should ever be stressed out, stress allows a person to push further and provides a drive to accomplish various tasks. There are other times when some people may feel overwhelmed and cannot handle the pressures of life. During times like these, the husband states that a good support system is necessary which allows people to vent their frustration and also gain good advice in return. Times like these show the usefulness of a good church. The husband states that their belief and values allows them to stay in line and be able to Assessment of a Family 7 handle any type of obstacle in which they may ever face. They do their best never to go against their values and beliefs for they feel it keeps them in line in order to live a life acceptable to God. In everything they do in life, the couple feels that God should always come first, your spouse second, your childre n third, and then everything else should follow. Wellness Diagnosis SENSORY–PERCEPTUAL PATTERN Wellness Diagnosis Readiness for Enhanced Comfort Level COGNITIVE PATTERN Wellness Diagnosis Readiness for Enhanced Cognition SLEEP–REST PATTERN Wellness Diagnosis Readiness for Enhanced Sleep Gordon’s 11 Functional Health Patterns Questions †¢ Pattern of Health Perception and Health Management: 1. What do you think a well managed health consists of? 2. Do you drink or smoke (If so, would you like to quit?) 3. When was the last time you had a physical to determine your current health status? †¢ Nutritional – Metabolic Pattern: 1. Of what food groups does the family mainly choose? 2. Is anyone in the family overweight? 3. Has the family ever tried dieting in order to lose unwanted/unnecessary weight? †¢ Pattern of Elimination: 1. How many times do you use the bathroom in a day? 2. Does anyone in the family have any excretory problems/issues? 3. Does the food you eat affect your excretory pattern? †¢ Pattern of Activity and Exercise: 1. What are your favorite hobbies? 2. Do you exercise regularly (how many times a week)? 3. Do you participate in any outdoor activities that cause an increase in heart rate? †¢ Cognitive – Perceptual Pattern: 1. Are you currently in any pain? 2. Do you e xperience any pain while performing everyday activities? 3. Have you been diagnosed with any ailments and/or illness? †¢Pattern of Sleep and Rest: 1. How many hours of sleep do you get in a day? 2. Would like to get more sleep than you usually have? 3. Are there any other methods you use in trying to relax? †¢ Pattern of Self Perception and Self Concept: 1. Is there anything you want to improve about yourself? 2. Are you pleased with your current place in life? 3. If you could do things all over again, what would you change/leave the same? †¢ Role – Relationship Pattern: 1. Do you have friends outside your personal relationship? 2. What is your current role in the family? 3. Do you wish you had more or less responsibilities? †¢ Sexuality – Reproductive Pattern: 1. Do you have children (if not do you want children)? 2. Is sex part of your relationship? 3. Where there any traumatic times in life that may be hindering your current sex life? †¢ Pattern of Coping and Stress Tolerance: 1. Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with the things of life? 2. When things becom e overwhelming, what do you do to gain back control? 3. Do things have to be stressful in order for you to function? †¢ Pattern of Values and Beliefs: 1. Does your values and beliefs govern how you make decisions? 2. Are there ever instances where you go against your values and/or beliefs? 4. What are your spiritual beliefs?

American short story writers Essay

Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Marukami The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Marukami Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Life of Pi by Yann Martel On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom Facts about the Moon by Dorianne Laux Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann What is the What by Dave Eggers The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Milke White Oleander by Janet Fitch Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy The World Doesn’t End by Charles Simic North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez East of Eden by John Steinbeck The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Marukami Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald Jonathan Strange and Mister Norell by Suzanna Clarke. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer The History of Love by Nicole Krauss Brave New World by Aldous Huxley The Book Thief by Markus Zusak On The Road by Jack Kerouac Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut American Gods by Neil Gaiman The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins The Collector by John Fowles Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Written on the Body by Jeannette Winterson 1984 by George Orwell The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne Wildwood by Colin Meloy Florence and Giles by John Harding Three Cave Mountain, Or: Granfather and the Wolves by Per Olov Enquist 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith Sylvie and the Songman by Tim Binding From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg The Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett The Mitfords by Charlotte Mosley The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois Bird by Rita Murphy. The Man with The Dancing Eyes by Sophie Dahl The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen The Trick Is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway The Napolean of Crime by Ben MacIntyre Like You’d Understand, Anyway: Stories by Jim Shepard The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera The It-Doesn’t-Matter Suit by Sylvia Plath Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta V. by Thomas Pynchon Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon Silk by Alessandro Baricco Afternoon Tea by Frankie Magazine The Botanical Garden by Ellen Welcker The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett The Enchanted Places by Christopher Milne. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters by Jeanne Birdsall Book of Longing by Leonard Cohen The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster We, the Drowned by Cartsen Jensen I Never Knew There Was a Word for It by Adam Jacot de Boinod The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico Burning Your Boats by Angela Carter One Hundred and Forty Five Stories in a Small Box by Sarah Manguso The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn Like Bees to Honey by Caroline Smailes Waifs and Strays by Charles de Lint Two Hearts by Peter S. Beagle To See Every Bird on Earth by Dan Koeppel Jules et Jim by Henri-pierre Roche. The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald The Moviegoer by Walker Percy Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy From Old Notebooks by Evan Lavender Smith The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake by Breece D’J Pancake Grayson by Lynne Cox So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away by Richard Brautigan Dandelion Wine by Rad Bradbury Valerie and Her Week of Wonders by Vitezslav Nezval. The Engineer of Human Souls by Josef Skvorecky Generation Me by Joan M. Twenge My Booky Wook by Russell Brand  Lysistrata by Aristophanes As I Lay Dying by Faulkner Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky Siddhartha by Herman Hesse Memory & Dream by Charles de Lint Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind A Million Little Pieces by James Frey A Burnt-Out Case by Graham Greene The Tenth Man by Graham Greene Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger  White Noise by Don DeLillo Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan Dry & Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs Ham on Rye by Bukowski. I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane crosley Bossypants by Tina Fey The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler Crush by Richard Silken Flatscreen by Adam Wilson Karnak Cafe by Nagib Mahfouz A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy The Road by Cormac McCarthy The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery B is for Bad Poetry.

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur Essay

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur - Essay Example The essay "Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur" describes the concept of the 'auteur', especially in the context of post-war European cinema, from the films of the Spanish director Almodovar. The paper also focuses on the different themes that can be found in the works of Almodovar, in order to explain why the 'auteur' is now an important part of contemporary European cinema. There have been a lot of developments in European cinema since the Second World War ended. Some of the filmmakers in Europe actually experimented with new ideas and concepts on how to make films, as well as on the very technique and purpose of filmmaking in itself. Some filmmakers experimented on social realism, while some also experimented in making magical realist, existentialist, psychological, and symbolic films. However, there is one particular development on post-war filmmaking in Europe that has caught the attention of the researcher, and this is the concept of 'auteur'. In fact, many popular European filmmakers are actually categorized by scholars of film studies as an example of an auteur, and one of the most famous is the Spanish director and filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, the director of the films â€Å"Matador,† â€Å"Hable con Ella,† and â€Å"Volver†. In order to explain the importance of the concept of the â€Å"auteur† in European cinema, it is important first to define this concept, especially in the context of post-war filmmaking in Europe. The word auteur is actually a French word, this word actually means the 'author'.... According to film scholars, the concept of the auteur actually refers to the original idea of the French filmmaker Francois Truffaut (1932-1984), who in his manifesto â€Å"The Policy of Auteurs,† declared that â€Å"Cinema as an art made by a filmic artist and not by a writer,† wherein the filmic artist, or the filmmaker, is actually the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, then, the concept of the auteur actually emphasizes the role of the filmmaker (or the director in that case), in the creation of the film itself, wherein the film is actually a creative product of the auteur (the filmmaker); also, it then follows that films actually represent the filmmakers actual creative vision (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, in the treatise of Truffaut, he actually argues that despite the involvement of film in an industrial or commercial process, wherein elemen ts of the studio may heavily determine the outcome of the film; but the theory of auteur still actually holds that the creative voice (or the creative elements) of the film still actually shines out, and this come from the artistic and creative viewpoint of the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, the theory of â€Å"auteurism† actually came out from this concept, wherein films can actually be analyzed or understood according to the different characteristics and themes of the auteur, and wherein common themes of the auteur can actually be identified with his works (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In fact, the concept of the auteur actually contributed much to the development of post

Research Proposal Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research Proposal - Outline Example This will further help in reducing such activities since the core of the issue lies in the activities conducted while engaging in truant. The Wisconsin Statutes in its Section 188.16(1) (c) defines truancy as ‘any absence of part or all of a school day for which a pupil’s parent or guardian has not provided a valid excuse’ (Wisconsin, 2000). The reason for choosing this particular topic is that education has somewhere lost its importance in today’s world. There has been a remarkable increase in dropout and truancy rates which means that the education sector is failing somewhere. Students no longer consider education as their basic right. They believe in this world where retail giants and fast food franchises would hire them at good pay, they do not need education to survive. As the concept of single working parent is slowly disintegrating and parents no longer have the time to concentrate on their child’s educational development, children find it easier to play truant and get away with it. A recent study conducted on the subject of truant reveal that more than 50 percent of the parents are aware that their children are playing truant and yet they do not seem to care (Abrams, 2011). The report further revealed that the reasons for committing truant are not properly understood by the authorities. The authorities though impose punishments on the students, fail to realize the core reason behind the act. Most students said that the actions taken against truancy do not bother them and they still continue to commit truant because they have lost interest in school. Since education is the main pillar the supports the economy of every nation, the increasing number of truant activities should raise a red flag and it is time that the education sector focused on this issue also. Right now, authorities are not concerned with increasing dropout rates and they fail to acknowledge the fact that truancy subsequently leads to dropping off from school and if

New Energy Drink Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

New Energy Drink - Assignment Example g will be used to determine what should be the breakeven point in units as well as in sales so that the business can attain minimum revenue of zero profit. Using the information related to production and distribution, certain estimations will be done. This will require the use of cash budget, forecasted income statement and forecasted balance sheet will be developed. A plan is also framed to develop a consortium of small number of investors interested in developing a new energy drink, wherein a discussion related to financial issues will be carried out. Hence after conducting the required financial analysis, a properly planned ‘pitch’ of the project will be developed. It will aim to convey the required information to the potential investors in a systematic manner and convince them for investing. The intended drink is set to combine the best of a health and a soft drink. Not only will it have the replenishing quality of a soft drink but will also address the energy requirements of its consumers. This energy drink will be available in a ready-to-drink form. This drink is named ‘My Drink’ in an attempt to bring every section of the population under its fold. To keep the product eco-friendly, it will be available in tetra packs made up of bio-degradable material. Initially only 250ml tetra packs will be launched in the market but later on sizes varying from 400ml, 1000ml and 1500ml will be launched according to the demand. Though the product will now be introduced in a single continental flavour, in future the company might introduce certain flavours like orange, lemon, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mix fruit and so on. The company has decided to take the help of a distributing firm until it has gained pertinent knowledge about the market operations. This is because investing in developing personal distribution, in the initial days, is not only risky but also results in high investment cost. It has also been decided to hire a distributer who will take the

Cultural Diversity Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Diversity Paper - Essay Example Through his photographic and visual art, he tries to communicate the essence of equality among races manifested in the strengths and abilities of blacks in the society. Also, as portrayed by his sculptures, he significantly condemns injustices based on racial groups and expresses his concern on the smooth convergence among different ethnic and racial groups. Though his sculptures revolve around the apartheid regime in South Africa, they communicate significantly on behalf of the racially discriminated African Americans in the United States. For instance, Thomas sculptures the heads and arms of the black miners in South Africa. This sculpture contains the ten out of the thirteen miners, initially pictured by Ernest Cole, as they experience a humiliating medical inspection by the white doctors. Thomas captions the sculpture â€Å"Raise Up.† The imagery portrayed by the sculpture is not appealing. After undergoing through the humiliating experience, the sign later signifies the industry’s power to manipulate the worker’s body (Bmoreart.com). Then, the sculpture turns out to be a sign of insurgency that leads to exhortation and subsequent rebellion of the Black Americans against their oppressors. Rising of arms signifies surrender, but through the captioning by Thomas, it ignites and challenges the Blacks to fight again st the powers of slavery and racial discrimination Thomas’ work depends solely on the past rather than the present. The sculptures emphasize the past African experiences under the power of colonial rule, as depicted in pictures and photographs. Thomas converts a rather two-dimensional script into a tangible form reflecting the past. In his work, Thomas sculptures the captives’ poking of hands through the police truck as it drives away from the Supreme Court in South Africa (Bmoreart.com). Thomas designs a similar sculpture of a black hand clenching a fist through a wooden bar. Most

Learning-Centered Adult and Postsecondary Education Research Paper

Learning-Centered Adult and Postsecondary Education - Research Paper Example Learning from different sources enables an individual to gain understanding from various platforms, further enhancing his/her skills and abilities (University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 2014). However, in the absence of the same, in higher education level, a person will lack in terms of widespread knowledge. In the presence of wide variety of educational approaches and materials, individuals will also be able to learn in a manner that can ensure the enhancement of his/her abilities to deal with the challenges of the practical world, which is quite vital. I, as an individual, also had to face problems in the practical world owing to lack of knowledge gained from limited sources and teaching approaches (Weimer, n.d.). The approach of learning-centered education in the domain of adult and postsecondary education will ensure that students are able to learn more apart from the knowledge provided by their academic materials (Duffy & Kirkley, 2003). However, this aspect in turn, tests the mental strength of the students, which can be identified as negative aspects at large (Yurichenko,

Volunteer Turnover of a Sporting Club Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Volunteer Turnover of a Sporting Club - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that football has successfully outmaneuvered many other team sports, such as ice hockey, basketball or handball, and has been accepted as the number one sport with regard to media attention and audience reception worldwide. The non-profit organization makes arrangements for the conducting of sports in order to generate money for some charitable purposes. Since these sports events are not conducted with any profit motifs behind them, volunteers are invited to participate in them for the recreation of the public on the one hand, and for some noble social cause on the other. Consequently, players, spectators and staff members attend the sporting club as regular participants and generate huge donations for the club. Since the staff and workforce play most important part in the development of an organization, decline in the volunteer turnover is really startling for the CEO, who has to make quick action in respect of exploring the reasons behind t he decrease in volunteer turnover. For this purpose, he should conduct interviews from the volunteers in order to extract the reasons behind their leaving the voluntary organization. The first question included in the interview would be decline in their interest as volunteers. The main reason behind asking the very question is the exploration of the causes that drift the fresh graduates away from the organization. The answer could be low salary, less growth opportunities and low social status as well. It is therefore the graduates will feel proud and delighted to work at Microsoft Corporation, but will not demonstrate any enthusiasm while working at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, though both are owned by the same person. Macionis states that the non-profit organizations provide limited growth and exposure opportunities, which are not attractive and fascinating for the youth. Another important reason behind leaving the non-profit organization is this that all staff members wo rk against almost the same positions, and there are very dismal chances of promotion and salary increase. Thirdly, the voluntary clubs require very hard efforts from the staff members in order to generate money from different contacts and sectors on the on hand, and to keep the ball of struggle rolling for the social welfare purposes on the other. Somehow, in order to retain the volunteers at the sporting club, the CEO will highlight the benefits of the welfare and development of society. He will infuse new spark of hope and courage in them by stating that they are the distinguished individuals that would bring positive changes and revolutionary alterations within their social establishment by dint of their innate talent, hard work and dedication to the noble cause. The CEO will also reveal the benefits of sports and games, which keep the society healthy, vigorous and efficient. In addition, he will encourage them by stating that they are accomplishing the Herculean task by promotin g sports and recreation on charity basis, which will earn name, fame and respect for them for the future years to come.

Access to Bank Credit to Small and Medium Enterprises Essay Example for Free

Access to Bank Credit to Small and Medium Enterprises Essay Finance function is the most important of all business functions. It remains a focus of all business activities. Financing SMEs has acquired enormous importance in contemporary world of finances. This is primarily due to the national focus and priority of various countries developed and developing ones as well. In the Sri Lankan context , the government has provided impetus to the authorities to increasingly cater to the emerging financial needs of the SMEs. Bank and Institutional finance are expected to be made available on easy and flexible terms and conditions and on priority basis. Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) are hit by poor access to funds. This can be overcome if financial institutions are able to assess firm- specific and general risks and offer innovative products. This as per my personal opinion can be achieved by the formal financial institutions even when the so called sound credit principles are applied in a firm-specific manner to suit individual borrowers. In order to obtain bank credit, SME loan applicant shall prepre an effective credit proposal ,in a way, that the financial institution could consider favourably. See more: Beowulf essay essay SMEs such as restaurants, lathe-work shops, brick-kilns, grocery stores, rice mills, factories and farming etc. need finance to purchase capital goods and raw materials, procure stocks, pay wages ,meet other working capital requirements and support expansion plans. Despite the efforts of the Government and support from the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka by including SME as a priority sector and by providing refinance facilities , there continue to be a huge demand supply mismatch in SME financing. One of the major reasons for banks being unable to bridge this gap is the perceived credit risk involved in financing SMEs. This is primarily due to non-availability of proper accounting records, valid bills and working capital management etc. As at present,to mitigate such credit risks , banks typically look for enhanced collateral or equity , both of which cannot be brought in by most entrepreneurs . Further, due to small size and local presence of SMEs , the transaction costs involved in financing them are relatively very high. However, the good news is that wider credit distribution could be made to SME sector using modern secured transaction law ,introduced recently by the Secured transactions Act 2009, which recognizes utilization of movable assets of a business as collateral to obtain credit. Further the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka(CA Sri Lanka)in its capacity as the sole accounting standard setting authority in the country has introduced a simplified financial reporting standard for the benefit of the SMEs in the country. The reporting framework so far has been a general setoff accounting standards to be used by all organisations . In 2011 CA Sri Lanka published the Sri Lanka accounting standards for SMEs (SLFRS for SMEs) with effect from 1st January, 2012. By removing some accounting treatments permitted under full SLFRSs, eliminating topics and disclosure requirements that are not generally relevant to SMEs , and simplifying requirements for recognition and measurement, the SLFRS for SMEs reduces the volume of accounting treatments applicable to SMEs by more than 90% when compared with the full set of SLFRSs. SLFRS for SMEs would be applicable for the entities that do not have public accountability (listed companies) and publish general purpose financial statements for external users such as Banks and supplier creditors. This will greatly help SME entrepreneurs to access other organizations in a formal manner and enhance their businesses, once they commence practicing this accounting reporting procedure. In the face of the bank’s reluctance to lend for want of proper accounting records , these enterprises are compelled to resort to high cost, non-continuous financing from money lenders and other informal sources , or continue to operate at sub-scale. However when SMEs start practicing and using above two facilities ( provisions in the Secured Transactions Act 2009 and the simplified SME Accounting recording procedure) the problem of enjoying credit from formal institutions such as Banks will be greatly reduced. Risks faced by any business can be broadly classified as idiosyncratic or systemic. Idiosyncratic risks are specific to an enterprise , like skill of entrepreneur or location of business. Systemic risks on the other hand , are beyond the control of any enterprise Such risks make up the environment in which a business operates ,that is, the economic environment, social environment, fiscal environment etc.. Thus the systemic risk involves risks due to change in preference of customers, changes in economy and changes in tax structure etc. Therefore the key to financing any enterprise lies in the ability of the borrower submitting his credit proposal with relevant information necessary o financier to evaluate the loan applicant to manage the risks involved in the proposed business. High quality origination can help evaluate idiosyncratic risks specific to the enterprise, well. Traditional form of risk mitigation is to cushion the risks with as much as equity from the entrepreneur. A high quality local financier with geography and business specific information about such enterprises in the operational area will be able to evaluate and manage this risk well and will demand less equity to be brought in by the entrepreneurs. Systemic risks, however, are quite different from the firm-specific risks and are arising out of the changes taking place in the market characteristics. It affect the business in every aspect and as such is huge and no amount of equity is sufficient when the financier is uncertain about an enterprise selling anything at all in the environment where demand patterns and economic situations can change very quickly. Therefore particularly in financing procurement of capital goods for long periods ,the banks search for cues to establish that the business has a current and future ability to service loans, even in an uncertain business environment. Hence in financing acquisition of capital goods it takes the form of project evaluation , however small is the business. Such situations can be managed by local bank branch which is quite familiar with the market environment of the locality. Thus the turnover and the other financials can be projected by the local bank branch staff in a more realistic manner using their knowledge in customer preferences and scale of demand in the area. This helps banks to reduce the risk involved in project loan type term finance. Further more flexible and innovative evaluation techniques have to be used in considering term loans for SMEs. However, SME enterprises that have large number of cash transactions , poor record of sales, produce undifferentiated goods and lack known usual clients , assessment of systemic risk becomes very difficult. Such challenges, however, can be addressed through structures , that allow financiers to trap cash flows by imposing conditions in the loan offer letter that permit resorting to a stronger and well established sales pattern in a supply chain. Some ways of financing working capital needs of SME businesses are supply chain financing where a supplier and a buyer have maintained books of accounts properly can be financed. For example , small enterprises that manufacture and supply sauces, jam and the like to large enterprises such as supermarkets can be financed if their cash flows are reconciled with bills , or by obtaining a collateral /guarantee from the company to which it supplies. Banks also can finance similar transactions of SMEs by discounting Bills of Exchange drawn by the supplier( SME entrepreneur ) and accepted by the large enterprise to which supplies have been made. This provides part of necessary working capital needs of the enterprise enabling it to continue production at an enhanced scale.

The Digestion Of A Chicken Sandwich Biology Essay

The Digestion Of A Chicken Sandwich Biology Essay Throughout this essay the digestion of a chicken sandwich will be explained with reference to five different points; the need for digestion, physical digestion with regards to muscular and nervous involvement and chemical involvement, hormone and enzyme action, how each enzyme acts on each part of the sandwich, the tissues and lining of the digestive tract and, finally, how each part of the chicken sandwich is digested and absorbed. The third and fifth point will be combined and explained together as the essay takes a journey through the digestive system. The need for digestion is vital to the human bodys survival. When food first enters the body it is a solid form that cannot be digested, so the mouth begins the digestion process by releasing digestive juices and using teeth to chew and break down the food into a more liquid based form. As it moves down the digestive tract it is broken down even more into molecules that can be absorbed and taken to cells around the body for energy, reproduction and to strengthen them. There are many features of digestion and these are split into two categories; physical digestion and chemical digestion. In physical digestion there are two factors that contribute to the digestion of food; muscular and nervous involvement. The muscular involvement begins in the mouth, more specifically with the tongue, which assists in the chewing of food and eventually forces food down into the oesophagus. Along with the oesophagus, the other organ in the digestive tract have a muscle layer underneath them which makes their walls to move which in turn forces the food down with a wave like action. This wave like action is called peristalsis'(Potter, S. 2008. AQA Biology, Phillip Alans Updates). This forces the food won the tract and through the digestive organs by the muscles contracting which makes a narrow section, as the muscle keeps contracting it forced the food in a propelling fashion downwards towards its next destination; the stomach. When the food has almost reach the stoma ch, the ring like muscle called the gastroesophageal sphincter'(Jim Swan, 2006., The Digestive Sytsem) which opens and lets food through then closes behind it to stop too much food entering the stomach, almost like a door. Once the food has entered the stomach the stomach muscles mix the partially digested food and the juices the stomach has produced. The stomach also uses its upper muscles to store food and also helps to empty the stomach into the small intestine. Once in the small intestine the food, which is now in a small enough form, is absorbed into its walls and is taken and distributed around the body. The waste products of the food are then forced into the colon where they wait until they can be pushed out of the body as faeces. Nerves are what makes the muscles contract and force the food through the digestive tract. There are two different types; extrinsic and intrinsic. The extrinsic nerves are the outside nerves; these nerves control the muscles in the organs in the digestive tract. They are produced by the brain and spinal cord and they let out two chemicals; acetylcholine and adrenaline. The acetylcholine is the chemical that causes the muscles to contract and the adrenaline makes them relax and eventually stop the process of digestion. The intrinsic nerves are the inside nerves and these lie in the walls of the organs of the digestive tract. Their main function is to release substances that start, control the speed and stop the production of enzymes that digest food. In chemical digestion there are also two factors that contribute; hormones and enzyme action. There is a layer in the stomach and small intestine called the mucosa, in this layer are cells which produce and then release hormones which also, along with muscles and nerves, control digestion. There are five different hormones, all of which have their own unique jobs within the process of digestion; Gastrin makes the stomach produce acid for the digestion of food and for dissolving them, CCK allows the pancreas to make pancreatic juice which holds enzymes that help break down molecules, and Secretin, this is the hormone has the most tasks of all three, its first job is to make the pancreas produce a juice that is full of bicarbonate which will neutralize the stomach acid, its second job is to make the stomach produce pepsin which digests protein and finally its third job is to make the liver produce bile. The other hormones are slightly different, they stimulate and regulate appetite; Gh relin stimulates appetite and is made in the stomach and upper intestine which is regulated by the absence of food, and Peptide YY is the response produced by a meal in the system and inhibits appetite. The action of an enzyme is to break down molecules so they can be dissolved and carried through the body. Each enzyme is specifically designed for only one substrate. The enzyme and the substrate fit together, like and lock and key, and the enzyme alters the substrate into products which are then released to be absorbed into the blood stream, after this the enzyme can react again but only with the same type of substrate. When the chicken salad sandwich first enters the mouth the salivary glands produce a digestive juice called salivary amylase which begins to break down or hydrolyse the starch which is in the bread of the chicken salad sandwich. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates, more specifically the starch in the carbohydrates and changes it into maltose; this is a more acceptable form that the body can absorb. As the chicken salad sandwich continues its journey it enters the stomach where it is stored. In the stomach the acid denatures the amylase enzyme which stops it from working. Once the food has moved from the stomach to the small intestine, the pancreatic amylase, which is produced in the pancreatic juices, continues the breakdown of the starch in the bread of the sandwich to a substance called maltose. As the food is further pushed along the small intestine it produces maltase which breaks down the maltose into an even smaller molecule called glucose. The chicken in the sandwich starts to b e broken down in the mouth where it is chewed to make smaller pieces. When it reaches the stomach it begins the hydrolysis process, the stomach produces an enzyme called pepsin, and this partially breaks down the proteins into amino acid. This then travels to the small intestine where the chicken is further broken down by an enzyme called trysin which continues the breakdown of proteins to amino acids. The butter in the chicken salad sandwich is solely broken down in the small intestine into emulsified fats and fatty acids by enzymes produced in the liver and pancreas called bile and lipase. The lettuce in the chicken salad sandwich cannot be broken down as it is a fibre, so it passes through the system by being chewed into smaller parts and the water is absorbed through the intestinal walls, and ends its journey by leaving the body in the faeces, along with all the other waste products from the chicken sandwich. The end products of the chicken sandwich, sucrose, amino acids, emulsi fied fats and glycerol/fatty acids are absorbed through the intestinal wall. There is a layer of mucosa that lines the wall that consists of folds which are full of villi which are then covered with microvilli which increases the surface area dramatically. It is through this surface area that the nutrients are absorbed and because of this the amount and rate of absorption is increased. The organs of the digestive system are the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and the anus. There are three main parts of the mouth, the lips which are made out of stratified squamous keratinized epithelium, stratified squamous non keratinized epithelium, skeletal muscle, and fibroelastic connective tissue'(http://lifesci.rutgers.edu/~babiarz/digest.htm). The tongue is made out of skeletal muscle, glands, lymphatic tissue and epithelial tissue'(http://lifesci.rutgers.edu/~babiarz/digest.htm), and the teeth are made primarily out of calcified connective tissue. There are three tissues that make up the oesophagus; skeletal tissue, stratified squamous non keratinized epithelium and smooth muscle. Moving down to the stomach, it is apparent that it is also made of three types of tissue, these are smooth muscle, glands and epithelium. After the stomach comes the small and large intestine which are made up of simple columnar epithelium, which is th e tissue that makes up the villi and the micro villi, and the large intestine is made out of epithelial tissue. Finally, comes the rectum and the anus, the rectum contains simple columnar epithelium and the anus is made with stratified squamous epithelium. The digestive system is a vital part of everyday life for the human body, it breaks down food to a form that can be absorbed by the body which gives us energy and everything we need. It works in such a way that it pulls all the vital nutrients from the food, absorbs them and then transports them around their body. Enzymes like protease and amylase play a major part in the digestion of food and are the juices that hydrolyse the food we eat. There are many other factors that work alongside the enzymes that all play a significant role in the digestion of food; muscular and hormone involvement, and nerves, and they all work together so that we as human being can survive, and play this roll in such a way that it is an unconscious act that we very rarely need to think about.

Introducing a New Product

Introducing a New Product Our new product is a toothbrush which is combined with toothpaste. The toothpaste will come out of the toothbrush head when you press a button on the handle. When the toothpaste is finished, you dont have to throw the toothbrush away because it is possible to buy our toothpaste recharge and to combine it with our toothbrush handle. Recharges can easily be filled. One recharge contains 12gm toothpaste and it is for 20 or 30 brushing. We have planned to sell our product Feekul on internet (with our own website), in super- and hypermarket and also in pharmacies. Nowadays many people have a good education and this lead to a good job/career. Because of the internationalization of many businesses in the hole world, people have to contact for doing their job companies and colleagues in other countries. They have to travel a lot and have to stay for a short time in another country. The toothbrush with toothpaste in one is easy for them to bring it All these people of today having a busy lifestyle, they need to work, they need to raise kids , they need to travel, they need to study and they have a big social life. Because of this they dont have much time to take care about their selves. Its important to take care about your teeth, everybody knows this. Thats why we offer the new created product Fee-Kul. The segment growth : All the segments of the market are growing in the future. It is already very easy to travel, you can enter many countries without problems. In the future it will be more easier and cheaper to travel, this target group will definitely grow. There also will be more and more students all over the world. Because of the good welfare it I will be easier and more important for everybody to have a good education, this segment will grow as well. As last the business people, because of the great internationalization it will be more common and important for companies to have many contacts with companies in other countries. This will also grow, because of the importance of the future well-being of the company. The knowledge of people are changing. Everybody know how important the health of a human being is and they want to take care about that. It is normal to go two times in a year to the dentist and to brush your teeth twice a day. These are all common facts for people. But they want to have the best teeth and they want to take care about. Thats why people are sensitive to new products for their body which are good for your well-being. We have seen in the last years a few changes in the toothbrush business. There are many toothbrushes on the market which are good for your teeth, gums, teeth color, challenge bacterium, etc. you can buy a normal toothbrush or an electric one. You can also choose the position of the hairs of your toothbrush. There are many options to choose a toothbrush. The recent changes are a lot, but they are not very different of each other. There are also a lot of different toothpastes, you can buy them in all different using and tastes. These are all good products but not easy to take and not quick for using. Thats why we will introduce the Fee-Kul. The trend of today is to do everything you can easy and quick, customers will like this thought. Our product is a product which fits in this trend: its a good product which will be proved by dentists, its easy to bring and its quick to use. Future predictions : The Fee-Kul is product with a good value, everybody can afford it. Its a fact that everybody needs this product, everybody use it so it is a common product. these facts are important for the future, it means our product will not fail because of there is no demand. There is a demand and it is even easier and quicker in use than a common toothbrush. Drivers such as demographic changes, economic and legislative factors : Our product is not sensitive to drivers like demographic changes, economic and legislative factors. Its a common product and everybody use and will use it. There are no factors like this which will fail our product .Implications for our product : To outline our product, it is a toothbrush with toothpaste in one, named the Fee-Kul. It is an easy and quick product to use. People like travelers, students and business people, which dont have much time and are many times not at home, will be our target group. We will to aim at people which have a busy lifestyle and which are many times not at home and staying somewhere else, but we will to aim at the most at the target groups which are mentioned above. Your plans to meet future demands and changes in the market : We will introduce our product like our idea. If there will be any other demand or customers will have a demand of changing the product, we will do that. If customers are loyal to our product and they want to help us improve, then we want to improve our product for the customer. It will be more successful in the future if we meet future demands and changes in the market. 3) Profile of Competitors The main competitors and their products? : If you focus on the really same product there are none competitors. But you have of course other options in the branch of toothbrushes and toothpastes. In this branch there are many competitors, national and international. Many companies selling toothbrushes and toothpastes. The most popular and known brands all over the world are: Aquafresh Colgate Oral-b Sensodyne Zendium The most popular products are: Normal Toothbrushes (many different options). Electric toothbrushes (many different options). Toothpaste (many different options). All these brands has toothbrushes and toothpastes, but not a toothbrush and toothpaste in one. There is a lot of competition, but we are with the Fee-Kul unique. Advantages and disadvantages of the competitors offerings : ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Nobody has the toothbrush and toothpaste in one. Many different options in toothbrush and toothpaste. Easy to take with you, the others are big and not easy to take. Other brands are more known and has the confidence of the customer. Quick to brush your teeth, by the others your need more time. 4) Competitive Advantage The Fee-Kul is a unique product on the market. Fee-Kul has toothbrush and toothpaste in one, is easy to take, is quick to use, good for your teeth and its not expensive. Everybody can afford and use it. There are a few competitors in the market which have related products, but not the same product as the Fee-Kul. The Fee-Kul will be offered in shops whit a good marketing campaign and a good value for the customers of 2,95. 5) Benefits to Clients There are a few important benefits for customers when the buy the Fee-Kul: Toothbrush and toothpaste in one. Easy to take. Quick to use. Good value. This means for the customer: they will save money they will save time they will increase efficiencies. Because of the good value of the Fee-Kul, customers will save their money. Normally they need to buy a toothbrush and toothpaste, this is a lot more expensive then the Fee-Kul. When the customer use the Fee-Kul, they will notice how much time they save the use the Fee-Kul. You need a lot of time to put toothpaste on your toothbrush, this waste of time is important for busy people in the morning and the evening. The Fee-Kul is also very efficient, you can use it easy when you are doing a lot of other stuff. You can just grab it and use it, easier is impossible. It is also efficient when you are traveling, you can put the Fee-Kul everywhere. It is small and compact, so easy to take. Buying the Fee-Kul will be very efficient for the customer. As the above mentioned benefits, it will save money, time and it will increase the efficiencies. All these benefits with a great marketing campaign are very attractive for customers to buy it. IV/ MARKETING / SALES STRATEGY When you are writing a business plan, the marketing and sales strategy section is an important part of your formal business plan. This part essentially involves developing a marketing and sales strategy for your business Those who are considering lending your small business money or investing will want to know how you intend to reach your target market and attain the market share you feel you can attain, which youve already discussed in the market analysis section of your business plan. The marketing plan will help them understand that. 1) Income sources Concerning the income sources, its the first and more important step you have to focus on because it will determinate the viability or not that your company and the possible launch or not of the product! Will you earn money or go into debt? Do you have minimum resources to launch it? And material? a) Capital Before the creation of our company, we wanted to be sure to have minimum resources to launch our product its for that we work two years after studies, to have a capital of 25 000 euro (divided into 25 equal parts of 1 000 euro each for the five associates) cause of the limited liability of the company. This capital is going to serve us for taking the expenses of bringing into service of the society such as the advancement of the deposit, the payment of the 3 first month of rent.. b) Investments Other persons like our family and friends help us giving two kind of investments: Materiel Kevins and Annas family help us giving computers and printer for a value of 4 000 euro.. and a car for a value of 40 000 As well, we bought 5 desks and 5 chairs for a value of 1 250 euro. Skills/ tools All of us can speak two languages, english and the one of our country so its an important thing to work and expend our product, in a near future, outside Ireland. In addition, Anna K is polish, so it will be very easy to negotiate with polish companies to have a cheap price and a good quality, during the fabrication of the product. c) Bank account We decided to choose the bank of Ireland.. in order to have a loan of 300 000 euro. With a calculator online, we can see that if we borrow 300 000 euro over 60 months, we will have to pay after 5 years 361 000 euro. We enclose our monthly repayment in the appendix number 1. [ http://www.bankofireland.ie/html/gws/business/finance_your_business/quick_quote/ ]. 2) Marketing strategy Its very important to have a heavy marketing strategy in order to target the good customer, to give him what he wants and he need.. but something which is not too full in the actual market of toothbrush! 3) Pricing The pricing strategies will help us reach our target profit margin. We have to make sure than we have included both fixed expenses and variable expenses, and be sure that our price will allow us to reach our break even point within a reasonable amount of time having profit. It is very important to give a price which is coherent. Our target are business men who are able to travel a lot and spend more money than others for their comfort, but families and child in the middle class! Our product is the first of our range and our company is recent (no market, no image etc), so the price should be in consequence. We have to mend a price in the average to begin the activity, such as: An ordinary toothbrush: This contain one toothbrush, with two recharges (travel or an ordinary utilisation at home), and a hand bag to travel.. for 7.22euro and 6.52euro for recharge. A family pack: Complete, full and economical, this pack offer two toothbrushes (adult and child size), two recharges, a dental thread, and a plastic hand bag.. for the little price of 20. In addition, we choose a round price for the pack because it is easy to remember and it vehicle simplicity (our product is simply to use, with a round price). 4) Advertising and promotion a) Distribution To launch a product, it is very important to know where your small business will sell its products or services and how it will get those products or services to your customers in your your target market? Delivery terms and costs? If there are any shipping or labelling requirements? For the two offers, we decided to use tree main interfaces: Sales forces Costs Where? Pharmacies / Packaging In Ireland Internet Website Packaging Advertising In Europe Super and Hypermarket Members of the company Packaging Advertising Free samples oil for the car etc. In Ireland Pharmacies Pharmacies vehicle an image of specialization, security and quality so it is very important for our company to be represented in this kind of store. It is cheap cause we dont have to spend a lot of money for advertising and we give a good image of our product. Obviously, we will just choose pharmacies in Ireland in the four main towns which are Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Galway. Internet Internet is a sure and clear distributor, and people came to search some of product to sell all the time in Europe. It is a very lucrative source of income, but we have to be careful and to have a consequent budget for advertising (lots of competitors). In addition, we have to offer short delivery terms to be competitive. We will promote our product thanks to our website, where people will choose, compare and buy their products. It is a good mean to make profit, without spend a lot of money in advertising and sales force to absorb costs the first year. Hyper and Supermarket Hyper and Super is the communication mean in which we invest a lot (free samples, car, oil, packaging, flyers), but its the more lucrative. It will help us to promote our product and give the image we want, targeting a large panel of population in Ireland. b) and promotion We have a budget of 500euro each month for promotion, to dispatch in all of our interface (excluded shop online which has his own budget): Logo and catchphrases 150euro to print the logo, and 250euro to print and publish our catchphrases We are designing our logo by ourselves and manufacturers will put it on toothbrushes With Feekul, you are cool An easy catchphrases to remember and clear, to give a young and nice image of the company. Calling cards 100euro to print calling cards.. Online shop Web hosting and domain, a cost of 70 euro/ month (www.feekul.com). Our online shop will cost 1000 euro. Holidays special promotion 5) Sales strategy After understand really what the consumer wants and needs it is very important to create a heavy sales strategy, in order to do what the company needs to make profits, and sales! We decide to sell our product in 3 kind of stores: pharmacies, online with our website in internet, and in supermarket and hyper in Ireland. It seems to be a good mean to launch and promote our product to target a large panel of population. 50% of our toothbrush will be sell online, because it is cheaper for us, and it permitted to absorb our cost the first year.. selling all over Europe. 25% of our product will be sell in pharmacies (in order to have an image of quality and security) and 25% in hyper and super markets the more expensive but the best mean to make our product popular. For these reasons we will have a competition advantage, because we will be represented in lots of stores, in Ireland and in Europe. We will promote toothbrushes by our own, thanks to our formation so we dont need staff to contact hyper and super, to choose the disposition and negotiate, for the creation of flyers and we will assure the delivery with our own car (we recruit one person to drive the car) For this economical choice, we will be cheap. without make any negligence about promotion and advertising. Concerning our goals: pharmacies: 150 toothbrushes for each pharmacy/ month and 100 rechargers every month (2 000 pharmacies) supermarkets: 300 toothbrushes for each supermarkets every month and 200 rechargers every month (2 000 supermarkets) Online: First five months 5 000 in total (1 000/month) and after 2 000/month rechargers 0 the fist month,then 500 until fifth month, and 1 000 until the 12th. We have a cheap product, innovative and commercialise in 3 different stores to target a large panel of the population. V/ RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 1) Product evolution Anybody who uses a toothbrush will say you that it is not the best pleasure of the world and for a lot of people its even a nightmare experience. Consequently our company has to try to develop many projects for the toothbrush moment becomes a pleasure moment for the 6 billion potential users in the world!!! a) New product If our product is a success and it will be a big success, we will can to extend our range of product in the health and hygiene: It would be a very good idea to develop a larger range of perfumes toothpaste to satisfy everybody. We have to diversify to the basic perfumes which are bubblegum for child and fresh mint for adults. So with our product it will be very easy to propose toothpaste kit with different perfume like mango, coconut or chocolate The perfumes list dont have end but we choice, after a market research, the best perfumes for the customers. So without forgotten the most important perfume, a toothpaste plants-based or/and a bio toothpaste to follow/surf on the eco-friendly wave!! Develop new perfume its a good idea!! Develop famous new perfume it would be better idea!! Indeed we could ask to the famous food brand like Twix, Mars, Canterbury, Bounty or Kinder Physical appearance is more and more important in the new way of life and we are specialist in dental hygiene. Also a good dental hygiene dont permit having a great smile with very white teeth, so we could develop a product which permit to go white the teeth. It would a kind of pen which apply on your teeth. The Teeth White Pen It could be a great thing to do research on a toothpaste tablet. Its the next stage of our product. Indeed the news way of life bring about the increase the outdoor meal and decrease meal time. Our can answers to this new problem with Fee-KUL but a tablet toothpaste without toothbrush and water, it could be a best success in the world. b) New distribution channel If our product is a success and it will be a big success, we will develop new distribution channel to send always more Fee-Kul. You can buy sandwich, drink, pizza in a vending machine but also for any years newspapers, cigarettes, flowers or condoms but why not our toothbrush? Indeed the primary characteristic of our product is this mobility (With FEE-KUL, you can use our toothbrush everywhere and whenever). So we could ask to the hospital, hotel, bus or railway station, airport, motorway area to distribute our product in vending machine. And it would be preferable to do partnership with other hygiene, heath or beauty brand for install together new vending machine. In the same time our web site launch, we could launch a new website offer. You know, that its already possible for some years buy a lot of product on the web and certainly every products of the world. So why not Fee-Kul The theory is very simple: a toothbrush home delivery subscription package. Indeed a very simple report : on average, the European and so certainly Irish people change their toothbrush only twice a year but a good dental hygiene requires a renewal at least every two or three months. So our website will could be offer a subscription so that receive all the two or three month a new toothbrush with a package of toothpaste refill. Maybe it will be possible to do partnerships with the insurances, dentist or Mutual Insurance Company which propose our subscription website. c) Promotion If our product is a success and it will be a big success, we will develop promotion Channel to be always more famous. The health is big deal for the all countries and so also the dental hygiene; we are a big actor of the dental hygiene. On partnership with different country, we could offer free dental hygiene lesson in the schools. It would be the perfect advertising: we learn the most important hygiene-based with our toothbrush and after the children talk about our product with her parents. We do the good for the family and for our company. At the beginning, it would be a great thing to do a partnership with a big brand of toothpaste (Colgate, Aquafresh). Indeed to use a famous brand could be increase the fame of our new brand. Of course in compensation we will have to give to this famous brand a percentage of the profits or sales. But if we choose to do this partnership we wouldnt develop ours news toothpaste perfumes and just accept the offer of the famous brand. 2) Patents and trademark Patents The toothbrush with toothpaste inside already available, however its possible to get a patents license in compensation of money. To get a license is the operation which consists for the patents owner to give the exploitation rights of its patent to another people. The license is also a legal contract Register trademark Our registration trademark is absolutely necessary. Indeed we have to protect our brand against the potential competitor. This registration is not an obligation in the Irish law but that allowed being the only people who can use the name or the logo. Registering your trade mark creates an official record of your rights as owner of a particular trade mark and makes it easier to prevent others from using it. Trade mark registration grants a statutory right, subject to certain conditions, to prevent others from using the trade mark without the registered proprietors permission i.e. to prevent infringement . Registration confers an exclusive right to authorise others by means of licensing to use the trade mark for the goods and /or services for which the trade mark is registered. Ireland The initial application fee is 70.00. If the application is successful, a registration fee of 177.00 is payable. The fee for the renewal of a trade mark registration is 250 payable every ten years from the date of filing the application. As register trademark are territorial, indeed an Irish trademark is only valid in Ireland, we feel, that because are target market for our product expands beyond Ireland, it would be necessary to apply for patent protection abroad beyond the Irish jurisdiction. The following options are available to us: Europe We can register our brand like a Community Trade Mark, which will provide registration in the 27 Countries of the European Union with the OHIM (Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market ). Its quite easy because its necessary to ask just one registration for to be valid across the European Union. For the registration of a Community trade mark, there is a unique fee to be paid, 900 (online) or 1050 (paper). In a Word, as in Ireland a registered Community Trade Mark is valid for ten years and it can be renewed indefinitely for further periods of ten years. Of course, they are also tax to renewed the CTM. World We can also register a international brand with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) but its still more difficult and more difficult. In addition, contrary for a european trademark, its not possible to register our brand in the world. Before we must choose each country that we want integrate this national market. It wont be necessary to register a design because our product doesnt have a particular design. 3) Research and development To constitute Research and development department in a new company be very expensive. Indeed that includes a big rise of expenses (personnel, material, patents or license). And secondly, our product our product dont have a technology stock and dont require a high technology. However technology develop very fast and have got a research and development center will be essential in the future to stay a competitive company on the healths market. Firstly, this centre will develop product in dental hygiene like the toothpaste tablet or the teeth White Pen. But after some we could develop other products for the Hygiene, Beauty or Health market. 4) System Overview Diagram We follow the procedures below when developing a new application or solution for one of our clients. This diagram shows how M.A.S.K.A. get an idea, develop it and eventually implement it. We are always striving to improve and looking at new ways to develop. All our departments work together to come to solutions. We test the feasibility and try to integrate and eventually industrialize the product before implementing. Introduction phase Begins when a client initiates a need or an opportunity. System Concept phase Defines the scope boundary of the concept Planning phase Includes Project Management Plan and other planning documents. Requirements analyses phase Analyzer user develops user requirements. Design phase Transforms detailed requirements into complete detailed system design document. Development phase Converts a design into a complete information system. Integration and testing phase Demonstrates that the developed system conforms to the specified functional requirements document. Implementation phase Implementation of the system into a production environment, and resolution of problems indentified in the last phase Operation and maintenance phase Describes tasks to operate and maintain information systems in the production environment. VI/ STAFFING AND OPERATIONS 1) Staffing We need just an employee who is responsible printing the logo on your product. This job dont require a particularly qualification. 2) Operating plan Product description Fee-kul is a toothbrush with toothpaste inside. Head brush has snap-on cap that protect bristles and toothpaste already inside in the brush handle. To dispense the toothpaste onto the brush head only need to twist the wheel on the side of the toothbrush. Location Our companys headquarter take place in Athlone because we know very good this town and also this is the centre of Ireland and all road go to Athlone. At the beginning our office is renting. Communications facilities: Internet, fax and phone, www.feekul.com , [emailprotected] , 090-6498115. Equipment A vehicle, furniture (desks and chairs), laptops, printers, phones, lamps, video projectors, kitchen facilities, coffee machine. Costs involved: Oil, sheets and furniture, wages, tax rates, rent and charges bill, maintenance, business expenses, goods. Manufacturing To produce our product we decide to outsourcing. Goldcredit Oral Care manufacturer will produce toothbrush and toothpaste. They will also focus on packing, but everything is designed by our company. Quality Assurance Goldcredit Oral Care manufacturer as an ISO9001:2000 certified supplier they provide exquisite quality. Product Delivery Our partnership in distribution is Beatties Distribution Services Ltd. They will organise the safe and efficient movement of goods. Storage From the beginning we are invest in buying our own warehouse to get in the future profit from letting Selling We are starting with online shop and buying a domain www.feekul.ie for 69 (excluding VAT) annually. Cost of designing a web application is 500. Product delivery We have agreement with courier that in every Friday will take our packages. We can give discount to customers who will buy more than 5 toothbrushes. VII/ FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS 1) Product prices To fixe our prices we include our costs . 2) Cashflow 3) Cashflow projections : summary 4) Income statement 5) Balance sheet 6) Loan

Slavey Then And Now :: essays research papers

Slavery: Then and Now When we think about slavery many things come to our mind. There are many different ways one can describe slavery. If you were to look it up in a dictionary it would say that a slave is â€Å"one who is owned and forced into service by another,† this was the definition given in the Webster’s Dictionary. But then again if you were to look it up in the Oxford Dictionary the definition given here is of one who is an â€Å"obsessive devotee.† On the whole slavery can have different meanings to different people. The meaning of slavery has a different meaning today than it did years ago. As Alex Haley wrote, slavery was difficult to explain years ago because it was going on at the time. Today when someone says the word slavery more than half of the people would think of plantations and people being forced to work the land and being mistreated. But what do you say to a little child who comes up to you and asks you want slavery is? In today’s society we can take the word slavery and put it to the modern days. Would one say that slavery only existed years ago when plantation owners would buy people to force them to do hard labor and mistreat them, or would one mention about the slavery that goes on in today’s society? What about the people who are forced to do hard labor like many years ago? Many people do not realize it but indeed we do have modern-day slavery. What is today’s modern day slavery? There are several things that can be put into today’s slavery. This is one problem that is often over looked in today’s society. It may not have as much impact as it did years ago, but if we stop and think about it, this problem is still as harsh and crude as it was years ago. I would think that up to some extent the problem has grown now because it is in fact often overlooked. For example in Sudan, as a result of an Islamic vs. Christian civil war, women and children that are mostly black and Christian are captured in raids. They are later sold as chattel slaves in â€Å"modern day slave markets†. Now the question that I have is, â€Å" Does a human life have a price?† Well according to these people it does, and the price that they decided to put on a human life has been as low as fifteen dollars.

The Death Penalty Is Dead Wrong :: Capital Punishment

Why the Death Penalty is Dead Wrong Most people argue that the death penalty is not a form of cruel and unusual punishment. However, this is extremely inaccurate. Electric chair victims can take up to 14 minutes to die, maintaining full consciousness as their flesh begins to scorch and burn off. During lethal injection, "even a slight error in dosage or administration can leave a prisoner conscious but paralyzed with pain, serving as a witness for his own demise." The following is an eye witness account of an Arizona gas chamber execution given by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "When the fumes enveloped Don's head he took a quick breath. A few seconds later, he looked again in my direction. His face was red and contorted as if he were attempting to fight through tremendous pain. His mouth was pursed shut and his jaw was clenched tight. Don then took several more quick gulps of the fumes. His body started convulsing violently and his skin turned a deep red...the viens in his temple and neck began to bulge until I thought they might explode. After about a minute, Don's face leaned partially forward, but he was still very conscious. He was shuddering uncontrollably and his body was racked with spasms. His head continued to snap back. His fists were clenched tightly. After several more minutes, the most violent of the convulsions subsided. At this time, the muscles along Don's left arm and back began twitching in a wavelike motion under his skin. Spittle drooled from his mouth. Don Harling took exactly ten minutes and 31 seconds to die. Approximately three months later, he was found innocent." And it wasn't the first time. Amnesty International sites that "from 1900 to 1985 over 350 people sentenced to death were later found to be innocent of the crimes charged. Some excaped execution by only minutes, but 23 were actually executed. Within the last 20 years, 54 Americans under sentence of death have been released because of evidence of their innocence." Unlike a life imprisonment, death offers no second chance. If new evidence surfaces after the person has been executed, it's too late to do anything about it. The death penalty doesn't save tax payers any money, either. Many people have the misconception that criminals should not be allowed to "rot in jail" wasting tax payers money. However, a study conducted by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) concludes that tax payers pay an average of $3.2 million dollars per each death penalty case -- enough to sentence someone to 120 years in a maximum security facility. The death penalty is also not a detterent to crime.

Psychological gambling Essay

Abstract: Few studies have explored the relationship between gambling and health status. Both compulsive and pathological gambling are disorders related to obsession-compulsive disorder. The data supports the notion that gambling does affect with non-gambling health problems. The purpose of this article is to provide the information between gambling behaviors and substance use disorders, health associations, screening and treatment options for problem and pathological gambling. Pathological gambling is an addictive and stress proposing disorder. More research is needed to investigate directly the biological and health relations associated with the different types of gambling behaviors and to define the role for doctors or therapists in the prevention and treatment of problem and pathological gambling. There are many types of gambling that people indulge in today. People of all ages have been seduced by gambling. Gambling is done every day, so as it continues to grow, so does the debt of the American people. Attractions such as online casinos with jackpots equivalent to ten years salary and simple sports booking, makes it more common today than it was yesterday. Gambling is hard to resist because it offers a feeling of hope, and defines that thin line between reality and fantasy that ends with a mental payoff. The main question with this concern is; is it all about the money? It couldn’t be all about the money, unless the general public was extremely stupid. The odds of winning the lottery are lesser than the odds of someone being struck by lightning (1 in 649,739) or than someone being killed by a terrorist attack abroad (1 in 650,000). (7). It has been said, â€Å"If you bought 100 tickets a week your entire adult life, from the age of 18 to 75, you’d have a 1 percent chance of winning the lottery†. (7) Now, a number of psychological studies have been done which indicate that the desire to play the lottery has more to do with the inability or unconcern of a person to calculate the total sum of their own money over time spent of these dollar tickets. The hope and fantastic feeling they receive is worth more than the dollar they give the 7-11 clerk at that time. Casino games create a different sensation. Whether it be cards, slots, or dice games after being seated in front of it for an hour or two there will generally be a win, some kind of win. Usually that win is small. It serves the person, or the brain, with a sort of reward. The reward entices the person to want to continue their game so to get another reward (7). The basis for this affirmative award is biological. Research done at the Massachusetts General Hospital has showed similar brain activity induced by prize money to food and drug rewards. The scientists measuring this brain activity compared it with giving a cocaine addict an infusion of cocaine. (2) An experiment was set up wherein the brain activity of the subjects was measured while they gambled. â€Å"Each subject was offered one of three spinners: a ‘good spinner’ offered them a chance to earn $10, $2. 50, or nothing; an ‘intermediate spinner’ offered $2. 50, $0, or -$1. 50; and a ‘bad spinner’ let them win nothing or lose, -$1. 50 or -$6. † (3) The brain activity was measured with a high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging, otherwise known as an fMRI, while they were spinning for six seconds and after then after they had spun. The results showed that the brain activity proved to be strong, moderate, and low in accordance with the level of spinning – good, intermediate and bad. The proportions always demonstrated the expected brain activity. The scientists performing this experiment came to the conclusion that money serves as the same type of reward to humans as does drugs and food; it sets into motion a reward mechanism in the brain providing relative stimulus to the amount of reward or loss which is taking place. â€Å"The similarity suggests that a common brain circuitry is used for various types of rewards. â€Å"(3) Considering the conclusion of this experiment to be true, there still remains an unsettling question pertaining to gambling and brain circuitry. Why do some people gamble more than others? At first I searched for some demographic conclusions to support a hypothesis that some group of people gambled more than others. However, there simply isn’t much discrimination when it comes to gambling. The National Opinion Research Center, a government based study, showed that there is no gender gap in terms of gambling: the 1998 statistic showed 49% women and 51% men gamble in general. (1) The consensus showed that all different ages gamble. Some specifications were made like people between thirty and sixty tended to gamble with more money than the younger and older, but that seems natural because that range probably gains the most salary. It also specified that those under eighteen tended to play less in casino, lottery and horse races but that is because they were not allowed in. Thus, those under eighteen were showed to make more wagers outside of a gambling facility than the other age groups. Depending on the game, there seemed to be a pretty even distribution of race among gamblers. The bottom line being; the desire to gamble does not depend on any specific background or gender or age or culture. It depends on the human desire to gain monetary pleasure, to get something for little to nothing, to be rewarded via dollars rather than food or drugs. The demographic statistics and equalities listed above still do not account for why some crave gambling more than others. Distinctions have been made among gamblers. The categories are as follows: non-gambler, low-risk gambler, at-risk gambler, problem gambler and pathological gambler. (1) The desire to gamble becomes increasingly more prevalent and obsessive as the levels progress. A pathological gambler, according to the DSM-IV criteria is constantly preoccupied with gambling, increases the amounts of money spent over time on gambling so not to achieve a tolerance, cannot stop gambling, gambles as an escape, attempts to ‘break even’ after having lost money, lies constantly to friends and family about gambling, sometimes commits illegal acts to support gambling, risks significant relationships, jobs, or education for gambling, and uses the financial help of others to be ‘bailed out’ of some situation caused by gambling. (1) Why are these people so obsessed with gambling that it takes over their lives? It has been hypothesized that pathological gamblers have dysfunctional reward pathways. â€Å"When the pathways function correctly, one important result is a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can stimulate pleasurable feelings. † Pathological gamblers have been proven to have lower activity in an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters. This may create a problem for serotonin distribution. Also, researchers have identified a greater amount of certain genetic configurations in pathological gamblers, a variation which may be responsible for the deficient reward pathway. (4) The medication prescribed to some of these pathological gamblers who were tested increased their serotonin levels and seemed to have positive effects in the way of their resisting the urge to gamble. Many equate the pathological desire to gamble with a problem in the decision-making area of the brain, a constant lapse in judgment so to speak. The areas of the brain associated with the decision-making process are the middle frontal, inferior frontal and orbital gyrus. (4) While this neurological analysis may offer some understanding to why people gamble for reward purposes, it does not explain the bigger relationship between human beings and gambling. Gambling does not necessarily need to involve money; it can instead be translated to a risk. People gamble everyday whether it be the tasting of a new food or skipping an important business meeting. It seems that gambling is a part of life necessary to perpetuate the human species. Diversification, a part of natural life, involves adapting to different environments and niches. Say a bee only acquired nutrients from one specific flower, never venturing out to samples other types of pollen, what would happen? Suppose one winter that specific type of flower failed to survive, or some sort of spontaneous extinction occurred, all the bees who fed off this flower would become extinct as well. The same sort of thing may occur if a person moved to a different country, wherein the food looked completely different. In order to stay alive, that person would have to take a chance on a new type of diet. Human beings, as well as a majority of the remaining Animal Kingdom are inclined to diversify and adapt to new surroundings in order to stay strong and able to perpetuate their species. The same notion of adaptation for survival applies to drastic temperature changes and the effect it has on the body. (5) â€Å"Although shell temperature is not regulated within narrow limits the way internal body temperature is, thermoregulatory responses do strongly affect the temperature of the shell, and especially its outermost layer, the skin. † The temperature of the environment is directly related to the thickness of this shell. If the shell is needed to conserve heat, it may expand to a several centimeters underneath the skin’s surface, however, if the environment is warm, then the shell will tend to only be about one centimeter thick. This shell of warmth protects people in the case that they wish to change environmental settings, or so the same species can survive in all different locations. The complex nature of the human body responds well to their desire to gamble, to diversify, to extend their minds and risk. Whether it be monetary, behavioral or just plain desire to risk, humans are drawn towards the new and the chancy.It is the danger of loss and the thrill of life that keeps us breathing. Works Consulted: 1)Alvarez,A. The Biggest Game in Town. New York: Chronicle Books, 2002. 2)Brunson,Doyle. Doyle Brunson’s Super System. Cardoza Pub, 1979. 3)Dostoeyevsky,Fyodor. The Gambler. New York: Viking Press, 1966. 4)http://www. norc. uchicago. edu/new/gamb-fin. htm 5)http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2001/05/010524062100. htm 6)http://www. sciam. com/article. cfm? articleID=0004400A-E6F5-1C5E-B882809EC588ED9F 7)http://www. gnxp. com/MT2/archives/001309. html 8)http://www. reflection-idea. com/psychics. html.

Hephaestus, the Master Craftsman

Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire, is most revered for his master craftsmanship. In works of art he is usually depicted as a middle-aged smith working in his forge, often making a thunderbolt for Zeus. Born of Hera alone, he was cast down as a baby from Olympus by his mother for his defective ugliness and fell for a whole day before he hit the ground. Nine years after he was thrown from the heavens, he returned to Olympus and became one of the twelve Olympian Gods. With Zeus’s favor, he was able to marry Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who sadly never returned the love he gave to her.Hephaestus was loved by the mortals for his kindness and he had an important role in Athens alongside Athena. Nearly every weapon, piece of armor, or building of any importance was crafted by Hephaestus. Hephaestus, rejected by his mother for his ugliness, helped countless mortals and gods, married Aphrodite, and rose to Olympus to become the master craftsman honored by all. Hephaestus is the god of fire but only in its positive and useful aspect. This also includes everything that is accomplished by fire. Therefore, any fire that destroys or damages is not attributed to him (Berens 73).He, being a smith, is the protector of smiths, both goldsmiths and blacksmiths and jewelers. Also as a master builder he is the god of builders, masons, and carpenters (Graves 15). He is also considered to be the god of volcanoes because this is where it was believed his forges were located. Inside his forges, he uses Cyclopes as his helpers because they have a natural talent for forging (Bolton 178). Not only is Hephaestus a smith, he is also an architect, craftsman, and an artist (Bulfinch 13). In fact, he is known as the master craftsman (Hansen 185).He makes nearly everything that the gods want from their weapons and armor, to their homes, palaces and chariots (Hamilton 36). Hephaestus is an ugly god. He is often illustrated with grotesque facial features and malformed legs but with massi ve upper body strength. Usually he is shown wielding a hammer and working on a weapon or object of some kind (Berens 76). In other depictions of art, items often associated with work, such as an axe, a mule, and a pilos, otherwise known as a workman’s hat, are used to represent him (Hansen 186). Hesphaestus is also represented by the quail.This bird’s strange dance in the springtime is seen as similar to how Hephaestus hobbles when he walks (Graves 15). Several stories exist on how Hephaestus was born. While all stories agree that he was born to Hera, the goddess of marriage, they differ on when he was born and whether he had a father at all. Some say that he was born to Hera, alone, because she wanted to give birth to a child by herself after Zeus solely gave birth to Athena (Martin 88). However, this is contradicted by the story that it was Hephaestus that helped Zeus give birth to Athena by splitting Zeus’s head open to allow Athena to pop out.Therefore, Hera could not have been jealous of Athena’s single parent birth since Athena hadn’t been born yet (Berens 21). This leads to the rumor where Hera had Hephaestus long before being married to Zeus (Martin 88). But the easiest explanation is that Zeus was indeed his father, and he was born before Athena (Bulfinch 15). After Hephaestus was born, Hera realized that he was ugly and crippled, and to rid herself of such an embarrassment, she threw him off Olympus (Graves 86). He plummeted into the sea, and immediately he was saved by the sea-goddess Thetis.Thetis took him to an underground cave where she and an oceanide Eurynome took turns caring for and raising the young god (Hansen 183). For nine years he remained hidden in his secret, underground home. By the end of the nine years he was already an expert craftsman. He made elaborate items of jewelry, much to the delight of his caretakers (Martin 89). He also made useful objects like clasps, pins, and cups (Hansen 184). While Hephaestus was living with Thetis in the underwater cavern, she told him stories of his birth mother, Hera. After hearing these stories, Hephaestus desperately wanted revenge on his mother for throwing him off Olympus.He began to work non-stop in his forge, leaving only for ambrosia and nectar. Some time later he emerged with a shining black and gold throne, his first masterpiece. Displayed across the entire throne were different scenes depicting the stories of the gods. He requested that Thetis take the throne to Hera up on Mount Olympus as a gift. When the throne was placed in front of Hera, she admired it for a long time. After she sat down, she realized that she could not move. Invisible bands of force held her in place. She yelled frantically, trying to escape but with no success.The other Olympians quickly came to her aid but none of them could release her either. They soon came to the conclusion that a god had made the throne, but they did not know who could have made it (Mar tin 89). Thetis, who happened to still be there, explained to the gods who made the throne. Ares immediately volunteered to fetch Hephaestus, and set off at once for the underwater cave. When Ares arrived, however, Hephaestus fought him off using flaming brands. Ares returned to Olympus empty handed and Hera began to fear that she would spend eternity stuck in a chair. Luckily for Hera, Dionysus decided he would give it a try.He gathered an excessive amount of wine and traveled to the cave. He made no sign that he was trying to take Hephaestus to Olympus. Instead he gave Hephaestus the alcohol and soon had him so drunk that Hephaestus couldn’t even walk. Dionysus then called upon his satyrs and donkey to escort Hephaestus back to Olympus in a grand parade of flute-playing and cymbal-smashing satyrs. Once they arrived at Olympus, Dionysus declared, on behalf of the drunken Hephaestus, that Hera could go only if Hephaestus was allowed to stay on Mount Olympus. Every god favored the agreement so Hephaestus unlocked the throne, setting Hera free.From then on, Hephaestus the smith was one of the twelve Olympians (Martin 90). Many people wonder how Olympus’s ugliest god became the husband to the most beautiful goddess. There are several different explanations on how this happened. One story says that when Hephaestus first saw Aphrodite, he immediately fell in love with her and went straight to Zeus and Hera for permission to marry her. Since they both agreed, they became husband and wife (Bolton 178). Another story states that Zeus gave Aphrodite to Hephaestus in thanks for him forging his lightning bolts (Bulfinch 4).A different story explains that Zeus married them to keep Aphrodite out of trouble. He thought she needed a hardworking and disciplined husband, so he chose Hephaestus (Graves 16). Lastly, one theory says that Zeus set it up as revenge for when Aphrodite refused him as a lover (Bolton 178). No matter how they got married, one thing is alw ays agreed upon. Hephaestus loved Aphrodite, but Aphrodite never returned that love (Hansen 184). Aphrodite never loved Hephaestus because she thought it was shameful to have a crippled and hideous husband (Graves 17).So instead of being a loyal and faithful wife, Aphrodite had many affairs with gods as well as mortals. The most prominent affair was with Hephaestus’s brother, Ares, the god of war. When Hephaestus found out about her affair with Ares, he became especially angry (Hansen 184). Helios came to Hephaestus and told him of the affair between Aphrodite and Ares. Hephaestus’s immediate reaction was of rage and revenge (Hansen 184). He went to his smithy and crafted a pair of invisible and indestructible chains. He took the chains and laid them over top of his bed, checking to see if it was concealed.Hephaestus told Aphrodite that he would be leaving on vacation to Lemnos and pretended to depart. As soon as Aphrodite thought he was gone, she summoned Ares to come . They laid down in Hephaestus’s own bed and instantly became trapped (Hansen 185). Hephaestus then returned to his house and summoned all of the gods to come with him. There, he let them view the humiliated and trapped lovers in bed (Bolton 180). Hephaestus explained to the gods how Aphrodite hated him for being crippled and loved Ares for being attractive. All the male gods commented on the scene and viewed it without disgust.Several of the goddesses, however, did not enjoy themselves as much as the male gods did (Hansen 185). Everyone laughed though, and made fun of Ares and Aphrodite, but some mocked Hephaestus as well (Bolton 180). Finally, with some pleading from Poseidon, Hephaestus let the embarrassed lovers go (Hansen 185). Hephaestus may have had some problems with his wife, but he was very popular among the mortals. He taught them smithing and the art of metalworking (Berens 74). Aside from that, he was known for being very helpful. Orion once came to Hephaestusâ⠂¬â„¢s forge on Lemnos after being blinded.Hephaestus took pity on him and sent a guide to take him to Apollo. Because of his helpfulness, all the mortals honored him, and many of them worshiped him (Berens 73). He has temples on the volcanic Island of Lemnos and Mt. Maschylus (Graves 88). He also has a temple on Mount Etna and in Athens. To enter the temple on Mt. Etna, the mortals must pass fearsome hounds, who serve as guards. These hounds have the ability to smell if people are good or evil. With these special guards, only the clean and righteous souls can enter (Berens 76). His temple in Athens stands alongside the temple of Athena.In Athens he serves alongside Athena as the patron of handicrafts, specifically the guardian of the smiths (Hamilton 37). Hephaestus, being the master craftsman, made a great deal of objects for the good of mankind. Many times he helped heroes on their quests, such as Hercules, Aeneas, and Achilles. For Hercules, Hephaestus crafted several gifts. Fir st, he constructed an enormous pair of clappers that were somewhat like cymbals. Hercules used these to scare the Stymphalide birds (Berens 286). He made a golden breastplate on Hercules’ behalf (Hansen 185).Lastly, he sent Hercules a golden quiver as a gift for when he became famous among the gods (Berens 282). For Aeneas, he crafted an impressive set of armor at the request of his goddess-mother (Bulfinch 155). Aeneas used the armor to defeat Turnus in battle. Finally, to the hero Achilles, he gave a set of impenetrable armor after Thetis, Achilles’ mother, asked him to help her son. Achilles had lost his previous armor and needed a replacement to protect him in his search for Hector. When Hephaestus was visited by Thetis and heard her request, he set all other work aside to complete it (Bulfinch 121).Besides helping mortals, Hephaestus had other responsibilities. As the master craftsman, he solely designed and built the numerous palaces on Mount Olympus. These inclu ded the wondrous palace of Zeus and Hera at the peak of Olympus to the palaces of every other Olympian god to even the majestic thrones that sat in each (Berens 20). Again, being the master craftsman, he built many other things. For mighty Zeus, he made the shield, Aegis and constantly replenishes his supply of thunderbolts (Bulfinch 2). To Artemis he gave armor and arrows to help her on her hunts (Bolton 178).Some of his greatest works were built for Apollo, the god of the sun. These included the magnificent palace of the sun in the east, as well as Apollo’s own Sun chariot (Bulfinch 23). Hephaestus lived through his harsh and misfortunate creation to become a well respected god, loved for his kindness and honored by the humans and gods that he assisted in numerous ways. Ordinary man chose the common quail, whose springtime dance is like his limping walk, to represent him. When he was born, his ugliness caused Hera to cast him off Olympus to rid herself of the embarrassment. Thetis took him in, raised him, and he later returned to Olympus in revenge to Hera. Aphrodite became his wife although her loyalty was to Ares, Hephaestus’s brother, and not to her husband. Hephaestus was honored by having temples in Athens and on Mt. Etna. The most marvelous works known to gods or mortals were created by Hephaestus. Even though Hephaestus is the ugliest god on Olympus, he became one of the most popular in heaven as well as on earth by happily aiding humans and kindly assisting his fellow gods alike.