Communism East Europe Essays - Communism, Eastern Bloc,

Communism East Europe TITLE: Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe? SUBJECT: European Studies B EDUCATION: First year university GRADE: first honour AUTHOR'S COMMENTS: I liked it. Interested to hear other people's comments. TUTOR'S COMMENTS: Well done!! Extremely informative. Well researched. Good Layout. Stress Gorbachev's role more. Communism is like Prohibition - it?s a good idea but it won?t work (Will Rogers, 1927) (1) This essay will give a brief introduction to communism. It will then discuss the various factors which combined to bring about the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. It will examine each of these factors and evaluate the effect of each. Finally it will attempt to assertain whether Rogers? opinion (see above quotation) on Communism is true, that is, whether communism was truly doomed to fail from the start, or whether its collapse was a result of external influences. Communism is based on the ideas and teachings of Karl Marx as modified by Lenin. At its most basic, the ideal of communism is a system in which everyone is seen as equal and wealth is distributed equally among the people. There is no private ownership. The state owns and controls all enterprises and property. The state is run by one leading elite. The Soviet model of communism was based on these ideals. All opposition parties were banned although parties who were sympathetic to communism and who shared the communist ideals were allowed. All power was concentrated into the hands of the Communist party. Free press and civil liberties were suppressed. Censorship and propaganda were widely used. There was state ownership of the economy. No private enterprise was allowed. There was a collectivisation of agriculture. The Communist Party invaded and controlled every aspect of political, social, cultural and economic life. It was a totalitarian state with complete Communist control over all facets of life. In the early years, and up until Gorbachev?s ?new regime?, the use of force and terror as a means of maintaining control was widespread. The first factor which contributed to the failure and eventual collapse of communism was the fact that the Communist party?s domination was illegitimate from the beginning. Lenin came to power after a bloody Civil War between those who supported Lenin and those who opposed the Soviet regime. To Lenin, defeat was unthinkable and he was prepared to make any and every sacrifice to win the war and save the revolution. The forcible requisitioning of food and supplies was approved by Lenin. This could only be achieved by enforcing strict and absolute discipline at every level of society. Terror was to become the chief instrument of power and Lenin was to assume the role of dictator. This was a phenomenon which was to become a symbol of communist regimes throughout their lifetime. This trend was followed when Stalin came to power as leader of the Communist party and the Russian government in 1929. (2) He had achieved this through plotting and trickery and by shifting alliances. This had begun in 1924 when Stalin systematically began to remove all opposition to his claim to power. His main rival was Trotsky and he used a number of underhand measures to discredit him. For example Stalin lied to Trotsky about the date of Lenin?s funeral, thus ensuring that Trotsky could not attend and thereby blackening his name in the public eye. This Stalin versus Trotsky conflict led to Trotsky being eventually exiled from Russia and, ten years later in 1940, being assassinated by one of Stalin?s agents. (3) Under Stalin any opposition was swiftly and brutally crushed. In no Eastern European country did the revolution have the support of more than a minority of people, yet this minority retained absolute control. The communist take-over and subsequent regime was achieved by undemocratic methods, that is, rigged elections, terror, totalitarian state, harassment and threats. In 1932 a two-hundred page document by a fellow member of the Politburo condemning the Stalinist regime and calling for change was published. (4) In response to this Stalin wreaked a terrible revenge. In 1936 Stalin began what became known as the ?purges? whose function it was to try members of the communist party who had acted treasonously. (5) The result of

Top 5 Challenges for a Detroit Veteran

Top 5 Challenges for a Detroit Veteran Top 5 Challenges for a Detroit Veteran In Detroit,  veterans  of the U.S. military face many challenges each day. From acclimating to civilian life after lengthy deployments to  applying for and receiving disability benefits, navigating the world of veterans’ assistance programs can be complicated. What are some of the most significant challenges facing veterans in Detroit today? Let’s take a look at the top issues faced by members of the armed forces. Applying for and Receiving Disability BenefitsAccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), current veterans in Detroit and across the country are more likely to suffer from a service-related disability than in previous years. Currently, nearly 30 percent of unemployed veterans suffer from a service-related disability, compared with about 15 percent prior to 2001.In general, disability benefits may be available for any veteran in the Detroit area who was wounded or injured while he or she was on active duty. Even in certain situations, preexist ing conditions that were aggravated by your military service may render you eligible for disability benefits. If you’re unsure about whether you have a service-connected disability or whether you qualify for benefits, you should contact a Michigan disability attorney. Applying for and Receiving Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)It can be difficult to know whether your disability makes you eligible for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), which is an additional tax-free benefit to disability compensation. It’s intended to help veterans with specific disabilities, â€Å"such as loss of use of one hand or leg,† according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It requires the â€Å"need of aid and attendance by another person.† Do you qualify for this benefit? And if you think you might be eligible, how do you apply? You should contact an experienced disability benefits lawyer in Detroit as soon as possible. Seeking a Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant In general, the Veterans Benefits Administration provides grants for current service members and veterans who have certain permanent and total disabilities related to their service when they’re seeking to purchase or build an adapted home, or when they’re seeking to modify their current home to accommodate their service-related disability.Specially Adapted Housing  (SAH) grants are one way that the VA helps disabled veterans with housing options. SAH grants are intended for certain veterans who have service-connected disabilities who plan to continue living â€Å"independently in a barrier-free environment,† according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If you have questions about your eligibility for such a grant, don’t hesitate to discuss your situation with an experienced  Michigan Social Security Disability  attorney. Getting Help with Vocational RehabilitationUnemployment is a serious problem affecting thousands of veterans across the c ountry, and those in Detroit in particular. Indeed, according to the BLS, the city of Detroit often has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. As of April 2015, the unemployment rate in Detroit came in at more than 10 percent- a figure nearly four points higher than that in the neighboring metropolitan area of Chicago.When it comes to veterans dealing with unemployment, the BLS estimates that, among those serving since September 2001, the  unemployment rate for veterans  is around 10 percent across the country, with female veterans facing an unemployment rate of nearly 12 percent. Many veterans don’t know that they may be eligible to receive certain  vocational rehabilitation and employment services, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Such services can help veterans to start their own businesses, for example, or can help severely disabled veterans to find opportunities outside traditional employment. Getting Back to Work if You’r e DisabledOne of the goals of the vocational rehabilitation services offered by the VA focus on helping disabled and paralyzed veterans return to work in some capacity. Although the wounds or injuries suffered while on active duty may mean that you’re unable to return to the type of work you held previously, your disability doesn’t mean that you can’t stay active in your community. Indeed, according to  Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Paralyzed Veterans’ Vocational Rehabilitation Program helps to match veterans with severe disabilities to vacancies in the job market.Contact an Experienced Detroit Benefits LawyerMany veterans are eligible for disability compensation, which is â€Å"a tax-free monetary benefit paid to veterans with disabilities that are the result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during military service.† However, many service members and veterans aren’t certain if they qualify for these benefits, and applyin g for them or  appealing a denial  can be a confusing and complicated process.If you’ve served in the Armed Forces and suffered an injury or illness, you should discuss your case with a  disability attorney in Detroit  today.  Contact  the Disability Attorneys of Michigan, to learn more about how we can assist with your claim.

E learning Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

E learning - Thesis Example Despite these strengths and opportunities, e-learning faces several distinct barriers. These barriers will be explored in this paper. Diverse barriers to e-learning can prevent or delay the effective design or implementation of e-learning programs. This section discusses some of the widespread categories of hindrances to e-learning. Table 1 shows the various barriers to e-learning that are arranged according to publication. Inadequate technological tools, such as lack of computers, and poor or limited Internet availability can impede the adoption of e-learning. Poorly designed e-learning programs are barriers to e-learning too. The learning system for e-learning must be applied to preservice teaching, and if not, there will be problems in the design and implementation of e-learning. In India, schools do not have sufficient equipment for delivering e-learning, especially in rural areas, and bandwidth problems are also widespread concerns. The absence of a reliable ICT infrastructure shapes e-learning adoption similarly. Negative stereotypes against older learners impact the participation of older students in e-learning platforms (334). Lack of ICT knowledge and skills among older students are barriers to e-learning too. Teachers are more likely to implement e-learning, if it is aligned with public educations policies and standards. KSA must go over the possibility of mandating e-learning across public education levels to enhance its adoption. Differences in policies and implementation because of administrative dimensions can affect e-learning diffusion. Poor professional development toward e-learning can be attributed to the organization because of lack of resources and/or political will and unity. Teachers may not adopt e-learning if they do not see that the administration as supportive to the skills training and other needs of e-learning platform. Poor alignment between e-learning goals and curriculum can hinder e-learning effectiveness. Table 1 shows

Walmart case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Walmart case - Assignment Example The core strategy was to protect the services and rights of the labor members within the organization against the alleged use of authority and extra judicial powers that would further strangulate the status of the members associated. The environmental factors include the labors safety, their security, their willingness to work in different circumstances, along with other factors that entail effective human relation management process and activities. Other factors include, bringing about improved working mechanism. Introducing the concept of labor unions, and providing them with resources and facilities that would enable true representation and elimination of the feeling of sense of depravity and other associated concepts. To provide them with the right kind of tools and techniques and other friendly atmospheric variables makes up for the environmental factors that are referred to in the chapter. All these factors so mentioned have a direct impact on the performance of the organization and the overall activities undertaken (Arnesen,

Global and Corporate Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global and Corporate Strategies - Essay Example These are intended strategies which the management effects though intense, circumspect, deliberate planning, organising and executing, after considering all aspects and after giving these strategies a careful and through study. These strategies are well intentioned and management are well aware, from the initial stages itself, about the objectives these strategies would realise. However, emergent strategies are the realised strategies or the result of completed actions. While deliberate strategies are deliberate and planned, emergent strategies may be accidental and may not be really planned or deliberated. In real terms, deliberateness is the result of planned, well thought out, formulated, deigned, strategised and conceived strategies, while emergence may be in terms of innovative, accidental, spontaneous, instinctive and intuitive planning. In certain cases, management needs to take an immediate and critical decision, regarding clinching a competitive bid, or buying of a new unit. In such cases, strategic planning may not work and it would be necessary to rely on intuition, or instinctive nature of the decision maker. It may be proved correct or wrong at a later stage, or carried out "with practical and ethical difficulties." (Macrae 1998). But the fact remains that it is a spur-of -the movement decision and not one arrived after long, deliberate, and planned sessions. This is because "all corporations experience problems in implementing and using a formal planning system." (Henry 1977, p.40-45). Explanation of both strategies - deliberateness and emergence: Planning is a key aspect in deliberateness. Without planning, the question of strategising does not arise. In order to enforce deliberateness, strategies need to imbue it with time, efforts and mental thoughts. All relevant information are put into the decision theory, the options are weighed and assessed, different alternatives courses are considered, extensive analysis of the situation are considered, and then final deliberativeness are made. Therefore, it could be said that rigidity and lack of flexibility could be a main criteria in deliberateness" that might effectively narrow the gap between what-is and what-ought-to-be." (Eppel). Once strategic plans are drafted and finalised, the options for changes or modifications are minimal. Therefore, it would not be wrong to assume that bureaucratic elements are very much present in deliberateness since the laid out systems are to be maintained and followed. Thus a manager becomes restrained and restricted in his functioning, under the deliberateness strategy, since he has to follow the stipulated guidelines in totality, and flexibility, or innovative thinking may not be possible. However, emergent strategies are highly flexible and accommodating. In the case of any disruption or unthought-of threat, the deliberate strategy may be rendered ineffective, or unusable. Under such circumstances, emergent strategies seek to offer alternative solutions, in terms of unplanned, innovative perceptions that may be able to control the situation effectively and find a viable solution. This is

E-business Literature Review

E-business Literature Review Recent advances in the technology have created a surge in â€Å"technology-based self service† (Dabhokar et al. 2003). Such developments are changing the way that service firms and consumers interact and are raising a host of research and practice issues relating to the delivery of e-service. Further, Information technology (IT) made a tremendous impact on the business world. Business processes and operations that used to take days or weeks can now be done in a matter of seconds with the help of IT. This makes individuals and customers to be better served than in the past (Rodgers et al. 2002). Different people have different understanding for the purpose as in order to have a common uniform understanding author will like to define the terminology of e-business, e-service and e-commerce, the following section will discuss about definition, distinction and the differences between these three in order to have a better understanding. E-BUSINESS E-business probably began with electronic data interchange in the 1960s (Zwass, 1996; Wigang, 1997). However, it was only in the 1990s, primarily via the internet, that e-business has emerged as a core feature of many organisations (Melao, 2009). E-business has become an inescapable fact of life, nearly as essential to commerce as the telephone (Waters, 2000). With the technological advancement e-business has a huge impact on day to day operation of the businesses. Furthermore, e-business expands the connectivity of the organization to include its suppliers, employees, and the business partners. E-business is the next wave in the technological revolution created by the Internet (Biggs, 2000). E-business is defined as ‘The use of electronic networks for business (usually with web technology’ by Deloitte and Touchà © Consulting Group further IBM defined e-business as the transformation of key business through the use of Internet technologies (Chaffey and Smith, 2008). According to Turban et al. (2006), E-business refers to a broader definition of e-commerce, not just the buying and selling of goods and services, but also servicing customers, collaborating with business partners, and conducting electronic transactions within an organisation. E-business provides a global platform where individuals and organizations interact, communicate, collaborate and obtain information. Further, Currie and Parikh, (2006) stated that e-business web based systems increasingly represent a competitive advantage for companies and have undergone great organizational changes. Businesses online provide an information-rich environment by which competitors can identify, match and impro ve product innovation (singh, 2002)B2C E-business is growing at an explosive rate. As a means of growing existing market share, entering new markets, forging alliances with business partners and taking the all important customer relationship to a new and unprecedented level, e-business is an unparalleled tool (Deise et al.2000).E-business is revolutionizing the way business is conducted. Similarly it does more than e-commerce as it interconnects the whole and extended organization thus allowing for improved communication among suppliers, employees and customers. In addition to this e-business allows for the extended organization to be connected which means that all the employees, customers or clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders, regardless of the geographic region are interconnected ( Rodgers et al. 2002) . It involves attracting and retaining the right customers and business partners and it includes digital communication, e-commerce, online research and it is used by every business discipline (Strauss and Frost, 2 001, p: 6). E-business allows service providers to interact with their suppliers and customers as this improved relationship causes and potentially could lead to loyalty and then results in increased profits and competitive advantage for the firm (Follit, 2000). E-COMMERCE The immense popularity of the internet in recent years has been fuelled largely by the prospect of performing business online. With the rapid global growth in electronic commerce, businesses are attempting to gain a competitive advantage by using e-commerce to interact with customers (Lee and Lin, 2005). E-commerce refers primarily to the buying and selling activities over the Internet, which includes transactions such as placing orders, making payments, and tracking delivery of orders on the Internet (Rodgers, 2002). The e-commerce is defined as buying and selling of product service or information through computer networks mainly the internet (Wen et al., 2001) and people immediately think of consumer retail purchases from companies such as Amazon (Chaffey et al, 2006). However, e-commerce refers to both financial and informational electronically mediated transactions between an organization and any third party it deals with (Chaffey, 2006). Further, Singh (2001) supported the defin ition by referring e-commerce to an online service offered to customer to support their shopping experience over the internet. E-commerce is exponentially increasing the availability of information, giving customers access to more knowledge, of better quality and faster than before. Technological advancement led an explosive development in electronic commerce, the causes of that are the internet end the World Wide Web (WWW), which are making electronic commerce much more accessible. Internet e-commerce includes electronic trading of physical goods and of intangibles such as information. This encompasses all the trading steps such as online marketing, ordering, payment and support for delivery (Trimmers, 2000.p.4). E-commerce is used everywhere in everyday life. Now a days it is utilized for everything from credit card authorization, travel reservation over a network, wire fund transfers across the world, point of sale (POS) transactions in retailing, electronic banking. It helps in generate demand for the products and services and improves order management, payment and other support functions (Awad, 2004.p.2). Similarly, e-commerce decreases the cost of creating, processing, distributing and retrieving paper based information. Further facilitates the benefits which include improved image, improved customer service, simplified processes, compressed cycle and delivery time, eliminating paper work and increased flexibility (Turban et al, 1999, pp.15). Moreover, e-commerce is not just about buying and selling as it is also about electronically communicating, collaborating and discovering information (Turban et al, 2004). It can involve the Internet, groupware programs, public e-mail networks (Adms,1994), technologies such as electronic data interchange (EDI) and electronic funds transfer (EFT) and more recently , services associated with mobile telephones and digital television (Voss, 1999). E –commerce has become very popular because of the benefits and convenience it brings along as it is no longer an alternative, it is an imperative (Wen et al, 2001).E-commerce is generally based on monetary transaction and e-services are the part of electronic commerce. E-SERVICE E-services are important in B2C e-commerce for managing customer relations and enhancing sales. Rapidly advancement of technology such as wireless, broadband, smart cards, data warehousing, data mining and agent technologies, are contribute toward the effective accessibility and servicing of the correctly targeted customers for business while providing more choices, options and ultimately power to customers in their transactions with business (Rust and Kannan, 2003). Further e-service provides a new business paradigm for the organizations operating in the electronic environment. Below figure show a paradigm shift from traditional e-commerce to e-service. SOURCE: Rust, R, T and Kannan, P, k., 2003 There are three primary reasons for firms to develop e-services. Firstly, Shapiro and Varian (1999) argued that on margin, consumer acquisition and service costs are generally much lower in an online medium versus that in an offline medium. Secondly, e-service inexpensively and effectively delivers high-quality, timely and in-depth product information desired by consumers (Iqbal et al. 2003). E-services also provide consumers with benefits such as better price quality comparisons (Evans and Wurster, 1999) and customized search processes based on criteria of importance (Lynch and Ariely, 1999). Finally, the use of e-services enables firms to develop a deep understanding of consumer behaviour (Iqbal et al, 2003). The view of e-service is much broader than the concepts of IT services, web services or infrastructure service as it e-service includes all these services further it also encompasses the service product, service environment and service delivery that comprise any business model, whether it belongs to a goods manufacturer or a pure service provider ( Rust et al, 1996). The customer’s interaction or contact with the organization is through the information and communication technology (ICT) in e-service. This remote service encounter subsequently has developed into a self-service experience (Dabholkar, 2000; Sara, 2000). However, experience of self service and e-service are quite different. In self service operations, a customer has to go to the information and communication technology centre while, in e-service, a customer can conveniently receive the service through the internet at home or other places. In other words, self service is less flexible than e-service due to constrai nts of location (Surjadjaja et al., 2003). Similarly customer’s interaction or contact with the organization in the e-service is through the technology, such as web site. During an e-service encounter customer have to rely entirely on sight and sound while the traditional service experience can use all senses. In addition to this e-service unlike traditional service is not constrained by distance and opening hours, thus delivered delivers convenience. Linked with convenience is customer control. As customer can choose the channel through which they will acquire a product, the mode of delivery for the product, the extent of customization of the product and the extent to which they are involved in the design and delivery of the product (Rowley, 2006). Advancement of technology led the transformation of physical products to pure e-service components and has significant implications for building customer relationships. Below chart shows the e-commerce path to profitability as how the traditional path and e-service path flow increase profit of the firm. SOURCE: Rust, R, T and Kannan, P, k., 2003 Above chart shows traditional path services laid emphasis on automated service or self service operation, firms used to focus on increased efficiency and productivity of business and reduce the cost of the product or service in order to increase profit. On the other hand on e-service path firms are focus on enhanced service operations, provides greater conveniences and support services to customers. Further improved customer satisfaction and retention by providing best quality service for example grocery chains are looking to use loyalty cards and focus on one-to-one promotion and marketing efforts based on the information gathered using these cards allow the grocery chains to develop relationships with their customers. Moreover, they provide value to customers through focused information provision, reduced search time and increased convenience for the customers (Rust and Kannan, 2003). As in the electronic world the customer and the merchant do not meet face to face and the clients are more sensitive with increased options and solutions available to them online (Singh, 2002). Many companies are adopting Internet-based e-services for conducting business transactions and sharing business information with their customers and business partners (Torre and Moxon, 2001). E-service has been defined as web-based service or interactive service that is delivered on the internet (Reynolds, 2000). According to Rowley (2006) e-service is deeds, efforts or performances whose delivery is mediated by information technology that include the Web, information kiosks and mobile devices. Such e-service includes the service element of e-tailing, customer support and service and service delivery. Further, E-service is defined as the provision of service over electronic networks. This concept includes services provided by a typical service organization as well as the services provided by t he goods manufacturers where the quality of customer care plays an important role (Rust and Kannan, 2002). According to Ruyter et al. (2001, p. 186), â€Å" an e-service is an interactive, content-centred and Internet-based customer service, driven by the customer and integrated with related organizational customer support processes and technologies with the goal of strengthening the customer-service provider relationship†. Further (Sahai and Machiraju, 2001) defined e-service as it is a service available via the internet that provides information, completes tasks or conducts transactions. It can be any electrically provided services offered directly or indirectly to customers, including direct as well as after sales services (Van Riel et al.,2001; Lagrosen, 2005). In addition to this e-service can deliver high quality, timely and extensive product information to consumer inexpensively and effectively. They can provide better price and quality comparisons (Shapiro and Varian, 1999). Furthermore, a company that can respond to the needs of the customer accommodate their requests prom ptly and support their buying decisions creates value and wins customer patronage and loyalty (Singh et al.2001). E-service operation include all the customer centric activities starting from pre-transaction, transaction and post transaction interactions through the internet in delivering products or services within service level agreement ( Surjadjaja et al., 2003). Clearly, although the aforementioned author agree that providing personalized and accurate customer information with better tracking, delivery and payment details is an online service in B2C e-commerce generally appreciated by customers. Similarly e-service functions incorporated on e-commerce sites that can quickly provide online shoppers with decision-making support win e-customers and get them to make a purchase (Singh, 2002). Furthermore, e-service is becoming increasingly important not only in determining the success of failure of electronic commerce (Yang et al., 2001), but also in providing consumers with superior experience with respect to the interactive flow of information (Santos, 2003). E-service can be usefully conceptualised as an interactive information service. Such as information provided by or collected from and about the customers can be gathered and analysed by the e-service provider and used as the basis for the customization of the service that organization offe rs to the customers (Rowley, 2006). Examples of e-services are computer-related services such as personal, cultural, recreational, communication and financial services. E-service concept is not simply a combination of words electric and service. As in true e-service operation part or all the interaction between the service provider and the customer is conducted through the Internet. Thus an automatic teller machine (ATM) transaction is an example of a simple electronic plus service experience, while buying a ticket on the Net is an example of e-service experience (Surjadjaja et al., 2003). E-service may be considered to be relatively new channel of service provision as well as new way of conducting business; research on e-service is still developing (Hung and Wong, 2009). E-Service as self-service There is an important conceptual relationship is that between e-service and self-service. As most authors have described the e-service experience as a self service experience (Dabholkar, 2000; Meuter et al., 2000; Zhu et al., 2002) although Surjadaja et al, (2003) differentiate between e-service and self service. Further they argue that in self-service operation customer has to go to the technology such as ATM to receive a service, while in e-service customer can receive the service through the Internet at home or in other places. Self-service technologies are often used to enhance the overall service experience delivered to the customer by focussing human service agent intervention at the point at which intervention can make the most impact. As e-service firstly, reduce marginal consumer acquisition and service cost, due to the reduction in human intervention and ease of e-service scalability (Binter et al., 2002; Iqbal et al., 2003). Secondly, e-services deliver consumers high quality, anytime and in-depth product information, which reduce the consumer price sensitivity and finally e-services support the capture of information relating to the search, evaluation and purchasing activities of consumers (Iqbal et al., 2003). Having discussed the concept of e-business, e-commerce and e-services, it can be said that the above three has a significant influence in today’s any e-business activity. Further, in order to understand the relationship between these three terms; the following section will provide the brief discussion on relationship and similarities between each other. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN E-BUSINESS, E-CCOMMERCE and E-SERVICE E-business is a broad term used to express the conduct of business such as buying and selling, servicing customers and collaborating with partners through the internet ( whatis.com, cited in Chen, 2001), under which e-service and e-commerce can be established as its two underlying dimensions (Surjadjaja et al., 2003). The scope of e-business is much broader than that of e-commerce. Extensive e-business embraces physical products and the distribution of the goods as an integral part of the overall transaction process (Greenstein and Feinman, 2000). Similarly, e-commerce mainly focus on the buying and selling of physical goods or products that results in monetary exchange whereas e-service refers to delivery of services through the internet either paid or free (Voss, 1999), For example, in the case of free e-mail subscription s and free online newspapers.These examples are actually part of e-business called e-service (Amor, 2000). However, (Voss, 1999) made the distinction between e-co mmerce and e-service, as being two ends of a continuum, pure e-commerce is the basic buying and selling of products, where as , at the other end pure e-service is offering service either unconditionally or with a service contract. E-business and e-commerce are two separate concepts such as e-commerce uses the web to connect customers with firms whereas e-business includes the web as well as other means necessary to interconnect information systems and data streams, both internal and external further e-commerce requires human interaction for form filling during purchasing process however, e-business allows many processes to be fully automated thus improving the efficiency of business processes and removing the error of human interfaces (Chou et al, 2002). There are some similarities between the two. As e-business and e-commerce solutions include newly developed web technology into organizational and business processes. The use of web technology results in improved efficiency. Moreover, e-commerce is generally less complex than any e-business solution as firm must start with e-commerce initiatives before creating e-business tasks. Once a firm has successfully implemented its e-commerce functions, then it may beg in to work on e-business with the e-commerce infrastructure, with out e-commerce infrastructure first, it will be difficult for firms to integrate all the e-business functions. (Rodgers et al, 2002). Moreover if a firm decide to skip the e-commerce part and jump directly to e-business, the project or work would be much more costly and time consuming. Therefore, it is necessary for a firm to create an e-commerce capability before it pursues e-business solutions. E-SERVICE EXPERIENCE The previous section sought to explore the inherent or pervasive characteristics of e-business, e-commerce and e-service. The following section explores the aspect of e-service experience that defined the elements, scope and context of e-service experience. As the nature of the service experience is likely to vary depending upon the activities or task being finished through the e-service engagement. Further users may be expected to take on different roles and exhibit different competences. The extent of customer customization or co-production varies between applications; this variation could have a significant effect on how customers engage with and evaluate the service interaction (Barnes and Vidgen, 2000). In addition to this a related approach is to regard the service experience as consisting of a number of different partial performances or service components each of which can be evaluated separately by the web site visitors (Santos, 2003; Zeithaml et al; 2002). Using this approach, Bauer et al. (2005) identifies three service categories that are core services, additional services and problem solving services. Further, Chen and Chang (2003) identify three components in the online shopping experience that are interactivity (connection quality, web site design), transaction (value, convenience, assurance, entertainment and evaluation) and fulfilment (order processing, delivery, post sales service. The need to identify the scope and elements in the service experience is also acknowledged by Parasuraman et al. (2005) in their work in E-S-QUAL in which they distinguish between core service and recovery service. On the contrary a number of authors discuss the web service experience in terms of its elements, but different authors have different notions of web elements and some elements are important of factors identified elsewhere as dimensions in e-service quality models. For example, Constantinides (2004) finds that the web experience and specifically the significance of the web experience elements depend on the buying situation, type of the customer and client’s intentions in visiting a site. He identifies the following web experience elements that influence consumer behaviour such as functionally factors (usability, interactivity), psychological factors (trust) and content factors (aesthetics and marketing mix). Later Zhang and Prybutok (2005) develop an e-service model in which web site service quality is one variable; the others are individual differences, e-service convenience, risk, e-satisfaction and intention. On the basis of above statements it can be argued that the modelling and evaluation of e-service experience can undertaken at three different levels such as web site experience, online service experience and total multi-channel experience. As important contributing factor to the e-service experience is the ability of the organization to organize its supply and value chain to support the delivery of good quality goods and services (Rowley, 2006). Further, Voss (2003) reports on a study across retail banking, retailing, travel, utilities, content providers and computer hardware sectors that suggest that performance on responsiveness was substantially below customer expectation. Problem occurring in the e-service system can result in a failure of service (Zhang and Prybutok, 2005) and this may lead to the loss valuable opportunities to build loyalty (Watcher, 2002). In order to have a holistic e-service experience one has to examine specific areas of service marketing, service design and service delivery. In the following section author will discuss these specific areas. SERVICE MARKETING Services marketing deals with expected quality of services and involves matching market needs with a firm’s resources (Meredith, 1992). Since services cannot be produced without interaction with the customer, marketing activities need to manage the timing of demand rather than just build demand. As most services are experiences delivered by human performers, anything that a service organization does in relation to the customer becomes a marketing activity, for example bank teller’s smile, the waitperson’s courtesy or the physician’s bed side manner are all marketing activities (Fisk et al., 2000). Furthermore, marketing focuses on determining the marketing mix of product and service features such as price, brand image and accessibility of service (Palmer, 2001). Service marketing concepts and strategies have developed in response to the tremendous growth of services industries, resulting in their increased importance to the world economy (Wilson et al., 20 08). Service marketing evolves on the front-end operation while service design focus on the back- end support of service operation (Surjadjaja et al, 2004). SERVICE DESIGN Service design refers to the design of facilities, servers, equipment and other resources needed to produce services which includes a blue print of the service system, specifications, procedures and policies (Meredith, 1992). The design of services with a view to creating memorable and satisfying customer experiences is not new. However, the deliberate design and execution of service experiences as a distinctive management discipline with its own principles, tools, and techniques can be said to be a new approach. In easy terms service design considers services as product that need to be systematically developed with a clear focus on the customer value (Zehrer, 2009).Service design considers services as products that need to be systematically developed with a clear focus on customer value. In more precise terms Gummesson (1994) described service design as service design covers the hand-on activities to describe and detail a service, the service system and the service delivery process. Further, A major task of service design is to create, in line with service strategy, material evidence of a sensually perceivable service reality for the customer, which materializes the non-material message sent by the service provider (Zehrer, 2009). However inadequate service design will cause continuous problems with service delivery. As to avoid such inadequacy, service design must be consistent with the service orientation and overall strategic orientation of the organization (Johnston, 1999; Doyle and Broadbridge, 1999). Similarly, service-design should be consistent with transparent service strategies, however, Mager (2004) has noted that many firms lack of such a defined service strategy. If one element of the service design is inconsistent with the overall strategy and service orientation of the provider therefore it is unlikely to be successful in providing satisfaction to the customer (Zehrer, 2009). As Doyle and Broadbridge (1999) noted that the importance of design as a composite in the strategic mix is often undervalued or ignored, the holistic nature of design and its informed status can achieve a more coherent offer to the customer. In recent years, technology has plays an increasingly major role in service design to ensure memorable service experiences. Many service offerings have evolved to become multi-interface systems that create several opportunities for developing new offerings. However to take full advantage of these capabilities, the technology must be fully integrated into service design and management with an overarching customer orientation (Curran et al., 2003). As PatrÄ ±Ã‚ ´cio et al. (2008, p.319) observed that In designing modern service offerings firms have to define their service interface mix, the technologies that support front-stage customer interactions and backstage support processes, and the service clues necessary to enable a satisfying customer experience. SERVICE DELIVERY Service delivery is concerned with delivery of the core products and services to the customers (Slack et al, 2001), including digital products. In addition, for e-service experience the introduction of e-service delivery has been associated with an increase in the number of channels through which businesses interact with their customer. Further, in such a multi channel contexts it is important not only to understand how consumers experience and evaluate the e-service delivery, but also how the delivery contributes to the total service experience and its evaluation (Rowley, 2006). Moreover, Muller-Lankenau and Wehmeyer (2005) indicate that self-service and e-service is often part of a wider service delivery. There is growing number of traditional companies use the Internet to enhance, support or by-pass their traditional marketing and sales channels and adopting multi-channel strategies. Thus it will be important to consider e-service alongside other channels through which service can be delivered, which includes the ground that has attracted most attention, face- to- face but also extends to telephone, postal and other remote services (Rowley,2006). Having discussed the overview of service marketing, service design and service delivery in the following section author will look into specific factors that will influence each of them. These factors are discussed in more detail below. Trusted Service Trusted service can be defined as exact delivery of promised service. In e-business operations trusted service is considered to very important (Baker et al., 2006). Online trust concerns are especially challenging to the companies wanting to move to e-business (Luo, 2002). Lack of trust is one of the most often reasons for the consumers’ unwillingness to make online purchases as a result it hinders the formation of an online exchange relationship for many businesses and organization (Baker et al., 2006). Further, Gefen and Straub (2004) assert that trust is more important to e-commerce than traditional service since online environment offers limited opportunities to regulate rules and customs. For example, online transactions do not usually afford the same kind of tangible assurances that are present in traditional commerce. Since consumer are concerned about the level of security when surrendering personal or sensitive information online, Warrington and Caldwell (2000) sugges t that e-business find a way to offer customers cues to encourage trust in their company. As trusted service can be designed and implemented within the service delivery process. Service providers therefore seek to achieve exact delivery of promised service and thus achieve customer satisfaction. Responsiveness Responsiveness could refer to the speed of the company’s response to the customers (Zehrer, 2009). Sending timely response to e-mail requests or complaint and confirmations of orders has been recognized as an important factor when online customers evaluate a Web site (Long and McMellon, 2004; Zeithml, Parsuraman and Malhotra, 2002). To improve responsiveness a web based customer support interface requires special attention as to whether the interface is prompt, always available and provides information regarding the timeliness of service. Further many companies request customers to direct their queries to a particular person who has the best competence in answering that particular query. Electronic forms are designed to direct queries to the appropriate department.The responsiveness dimension can be defined as the willingness or readiness of customer support to provide timely service to the customer in a Web context (Park et al., 2007). Personalization Personalization involves individualized attention, personal thank you from online stores and the availability of a message area for customer questions or comments (yang, 2001). Further personalization is refer as customer perception of the degree to which an online store provides differentiated service to satisfy specific individual needs (Lee, 2005). Most companies are building personalized web pages. Such web pages provide all the products and service, along with the navigation buttons for ease of access t

Mystical Motifs in Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Essay -- Virginia Woolf Mrs.

Mystical Motifs in Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway The scholarship surrounding Woolf’s mysticism by and large focuses on a psychoanalytical approach. While this paper will somewhat attempt to move away from a psychoanalytical methodology, it is valuable to examine the existing scholarship and the departures from this approach. Within this theoretical structure, the critical discussion further breaks down into two separate, though not incompatible, groups: those who see Woolf’s use of mysticism as a feminist statement and those who see Woolf as a mystic. I contend that both perspectives are valid and are inherent in Woolf’s application of mystical motifs, particularly in Mrs. Dalloway. Val Gough in his article â€Å"With Some Irony in Her Interrogation: Woolf’s Ironic Mysticism† makes an argument for Woolf’s ironic use of mysticism in her works as a feminist statement. Through various syntactical subtleties, Gough points out areas in Woolf’s work where â€Å"the mystic quest for truth [is portrayed] in a subtly skeptical manner† (Gough 86). Gough extends her use of irony to examine how it serves â€Å"to de-naturalize the relationship between text and reader, to make it overtly complex and problematic† (88). He contends that irony, in operating between the reader and the text, serves to break down, to some extent, the â€Å"stability of the sign and of supposed ‘absolute’ truth† (88). Ultimately, he concludes that â€Å"Woolf’s ironic mysticism†¦necessarily involves a feminist challenging of rigid structures of phallic (and imperialist) power, thus making it a mysticism of subversive, politically critical, feminist irony† (89). Gough’s particular approach is interesting because it contends that an ironic mysticism is inherently politicized and specifica... ...ulie. â€Å"Varieties of Mystical Experience in the Writings of Virginia Woolf.† Twentieth Century Literature Vol 41 Iss 4 (1995): 328-349. Minow-Pinsky, Makiko. â€Å"‘How then does light return to the world after the eclipse of the sun? Miraculously, fraily†: A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Woolf’s Mysticism.† Virginia Woolf and the Arts. Pace University Press: New York 1997. Moore, Madeline. The Short Season Between Two Silences: The Mystical and the Political in the Novels of Virginia Woolf. Allen & Unwin: Winchester, Mass 1984. Rachman, Shalom. â€Å"Clarissa’s Attic: Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Reconsidered.† Twentieth Century Literature Vol 18 Issue 1 (1972): 3-18 Smith, Susan Bennett. â€Å"Reinventing Grief Work: Virginia Woolf’s Feminist Representations of Mourning in Mrs. Dalloway and To The Lighthouse.† Twentieth Century Literature Vol 41 Iss 4 (1995): 310-327

Food Habits Essay

Are you a teenager appearing for your Xth or XII class board exams? Well then, this is the time of the year when you must be busy feverishly preparing for the exams. During the couple of months or so prior to the commencement of exams, it is a common phenomenon among youngsters in this age group to neglect their meals and pursue erratic eating habits. So, you are not likely to be an exception either. Unfortunately this habit of poor eating will take a heavy toll of your health and general well being. The relationship between nervousness and lack of appetite is a vicious cycle. Out of sheer nervousness, you will shun healthy meals, which in turn will make you weak and nervous. It would be wise therefore to discard the idea of skipping meals, eating haphazardly and to get down to some sensible eating habits. * First and foremost, students need to consume substantial quantities of proteins. Recent researches reveal that there is a definite correlation between choline a substance naturally founding high protein foods, and good memory. Which is probably why the Indians in the Northern hinterland consider the fish-eating folks of all the coastal states, to have better mental faculties than themselves. * Therefore, it would be a good idea to eat a lot of proteins e. g fish, eggs, pulses, cottage cheese, Soya/Tofu/Soya derivatives, curd/yoghurt and so forth. * Experienced nutritionists suggest that growing children in their mid/ late teens ought eat a lot of dried fruits like almonds, pine nuts, dates figs etc. Being packed with energy these food items help in repairing the damage caused by stress. * It has been generally observed that around the time of examinations children tend to suffer from stress related diarrhoea. So it is absolutely essential that they are served less oily, less spicy and easy to digest foodstuffs. * Children preparing for their crucial examinations must increase their intake of liquids/fluids e: g milk, juices, and soups. However, processed/packed soups are an absolutely no-no. Despite the manufacturers’ tall claims, such soups are lacking in the essential nutrients and moreover contain synthetic preservatives, which youngsters could conveniently do without. Fresh mixed fruit/vegetable juices, especially carrot juice, garnished with suitable spices are indeed a boon for the examinees. * Tea/ coffee is a beverage that students love to consume because of their stimulating properties. However drinking coffee/tea on an empty stomach early in the morning is bound to prove disastrous. Similarly gulping down mugs of black tea /coffee in order to stay up the whole night, will do more harm than good. This habit gives rise to ailments like nausea, hypertension, insomnia among other. things. * Students normally experience hunger pangs in between meals. During such times, the parents must put their foot down and convince/persuade the children to have plenty o fresh fruits instead of junk food like burgers, pizzas, chips, samosas, bread pakoras, chhloay -bhaturay and lots more. Instead fries and snacks prepared at home would be a good substitute as the standards of hygiene and quality of materials can be ascertained. * A word of caution. Everyday ones comes across hordes of ads highlighting the near miraculous powers of several drugs/mixtures, claiming to enhance memory / retentive power, increase concentration and ameliorate overall performance in the exams. Without any offence meant to anybody, in case you plan to try these out, you will be doing so at your own risk. Unfortunately the efficacy stuffs such as these have not yet been scientifically authenticated.

Where Are The Best Places To Write

Where Are The Best Places To Write A year or so ago, Id written a blog post   on  being purposeful about where we write. In 1997, author David Shenk wrote the book Data Smog: Surviving The Information Glut. He theorized that the explosive growth of information made possible by the Internet was both helping society make forward-progress while simultaneously overwhelming us, the individual. He later revisited his original ideas, and posited that some still held true. In one section of the book, Shenk noted that with the use of computers, our geography of learning has become singular. That is, we read, learn, write, communicate, buy, and sell all from the same geographic place: in front of our computer. He was concerned about how well we would retain information, since our memory and retention of information is often tied to the place and situation in which it was learned. By limiting where and how we learn (in front of a computer, reading/watching a screen), we have the potential to lessen our ability to retain information. The same can be said for the geography of writing. Where we write has an impact on what we write. With that in mind, where do you find the best places to write? Is it possible that where you are writing has an effect on how and what you are writing for your blog? 1. Somewhere Warm Sure, the beach would work, unless youre like me and dont really care for a lot of sun. But lets remove the idea of a geographic location from this one, and think instead that warm isnt a place near the equator, but a temperature. According to a recent study, actual physical warmth makes us more likely to buy products because it effects us positively and makes us transfer positive feelings to the product we are buying. What might that same positive feeling do for your writing? Im from North Dakota. Im familiar with cold and how it can distract with numb fingers and shivering. When its cold, Im mainly interested in finding a way to be warm. This probably explains why I drink several cups of hot herbal tea whenever Im writing. Theres something about holding a warm cup and drinking the warm water. Dont ignore the physical nature that may be affecting your writing. A laptop thats too hot for your lap, an apartment thats too cold, a chair thats too hard, a couch thats too comfythese things affect how we write. We love excuses to stop writing. 2. Anywhere But Here The downfall of the freelancer isnt too much freedom, or the exhausting pursuit of work. It might not even be the tight budget. Its most often that innocuous Wednesday when he snaps because his entire life seems to happen within 30 feet of where he eats and sleeps. In other words, he never leaves his house. That kind of situation may be great for manifesto-writing, but not so great for blog writing, especially if youre an extrovert. Sometimes you need a different set of walls to look at, and different background noises, to jolt your writing into finding a different approach. Dont let your thoughts and input be too inbred. You might need to leave the house once in a while. The sheer need to get out and be around other people and not inside your house and inside your head makes the next location seem pretty tempting. 3. Coffee Shop Coffee Shop This is the big debate: do public locations help or distract when you are writing? J. K. Rowling claims to have written her first Harry Potter novel in her local cafà ©. But youll find that writing in a public place can be pretty loud and disruptive. There are probably just as many people who would tell you to avoid writing in a public place by any means possible. Writing in a public location has its moments, though its probably not the time to write a detailed 2,500 word blog post involving several A/B tests and datasets that you want to communicate clearly. Or, maybe it is. It depends on one thing: how do you handle distraction? I generally prefer silence when I write, and that means no music with words (classical is OK). But I can tune crowd noise out pretty well and sometimes welcome the feeling of having other humans around me even though Im not interacting with them. This is a good antidote for those bloggers and freelancers who work alone in the silence of their home too much. But, if people-watching and eavesdropping tend to win out, you might want to skip the coffee shop, the pub, or the morning commuter train. Dont overestimate your ability to not get distracted by activity around you. 4. The Library Writing at the library is just about unbeatable IMHO. (Unless your local library has become more of a noisy social place than a quite place of study.) A classic old-school library is quiet, but there are other people around so you get that Im with humans buzz. You have a wifi connection available, you have books and magazines for research and reference, and, if your library is hopping on the coffee shop trend, you have easy access to sustenance. When I was working towards my private pilots license, I spent hours and hours at the library, studying and working on my sectionals and FAA test questions. I discovered that it was a phenomenal place to work, with the sound of rustling papers and the smell of ink and books prodding you on to writing something great. Everything about the library seems to beckon you to become part of the great pantheon of writers. Dont ignore the library. It isnt just for kids and checking out books. Its a great place to do real work. And lets not forget: the library is free. You can just go there. You dont have to buy anything. 5. At Your Job If you blog as part of your job, youd probably better find a way to make blogging at your job something that works. This may mean you have a cubicle, an private office, or if youre like me, in an open room of desks with the rest of the team. This also means that I got a nice noise canceling headset because it can be challenging to write about content marketing when the developers are talking about code. Sometimes I take my laptop to one of two couches and do a bit of writing there as well. I like to mix things up and just moving from my standing desk to a couch changes my attitude. For one thing, I stop thinking my feet are tired of standing which has a tendency to make me want to hurry and get this post done. The nice thing about blogging at work is that, such distractions aside, youre working alongside the team that your blog is a part of, too. Their feedback, input–even just their presence–helps you work towards the same goal they are with your writing. 6. Where Twitter Has No Name Chrome extensions like Stay Focused seem a strange concoction, limiting the time we can spend on certain sites during the day. Why would we need an extension to keep us from visiting sites that distract us? Cant we just do that ourselves? The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I cant tell you how many times Ive been chugging along writing and then my phone beeps and I open a new tab to see if Ive gotten another @mention on Twitter or if theres a new email and andmy thoughts are derailed. It takes a while to get back into what I was writing and recollect where I was headed. Not only is it about wasted time, but sometimes thoughts come in faint wisps that you cant grab onto and youd better write them down before they get away but–beep! You completely forget what you were going to write. Its gone for good. Want to get your writing done? Get away from notifications on your phone and computer.Find a place to write where the Pavlovian beeps of your phone and your computer wont be a problem. Find a way to keep from stumbling into social media sites, RSS readers, and other legitimate content marketing tools you dont need to be using when it comes time to actually write. Have a research time, and collect all your research so youre not tempted to wander about the internet researching when its time to write. Considering writing with pen and paper (or typewriter, in a non-ironic way) to get the first draft done to keep yourself from the distraction of the internet.  Ive started writing with pen and paper for some writing projects just because I stay focused better. My writing output has jumped as Ive moved to starting things out on paper. Dont write where there is a TV handy, unless youre certain you wont turn it on. These are just a few tactics I use to make sure I get my writing done. We each have different distractions, and therefore, different solutions on avoiding those distractions.

The eNotes Blog Book Covers Anew!

Book Covers Anew! Were all familiar with classic books (hence we call them classic). But along with the memorable stories they tell, these books have relatively well-known cover art. Were betting that if youre asked about  the cover of  Catch 22  or a Salinger novel, youll have something in mind. For that reason, we at thought it might be fun to take a look at some landmark  titles and imagine what different, updated covers could  look like. Below are five covers imagined (and painstakingly created) by yours truly! White Fang by Jack London Inspiration for this cover came from just about where you would expect: White Fang himself. The novel focuses on  the protagonist, a dog/wolf hybrid named White Fang. Throughout the story, our canine leader is taken from place to place and home to home, becoming increasingly embittered as he goes. Eventually it seems things might  work out for him, but youll have to read the novel to know for sure. Because White Fang is mostly wolf, he is on multiple occasions ostracized from his full-dog companions, and this leads to a sense of isolation and loneliness. Therefore, Ive drawn him alone in a seemingly cold forest. Robin Hood by Unknown* Ill  direct anyone unfamiliar with the story of  Robin Hood to an iconic scene in  Shrek where an animated Robin sings with his merry men in an effort to save the princess from the dreadful ogre and his talkative donkey- this is really a good depiction, if a littlesillierthan the original telling. After all, Monsieur Hood does  steal from the rich and gives to the needy, he takes a little for himself, but hes not greedy! Inspiration for  this piece came less from the story itself and more from the time period from which it emerged.  Thus I went with a  wood-like background and medieval folksy font. The figure of Robin Hood is black and white to show his character as a two-sided figure. Dracula  by Bram Stoker Dracula has been made, remade, re-imagined, made fun of, altered, re-told, etc. more times than can possibly be iterated. The original tale as written by Stoker was based on Prince Vlad III of Wallachia, who was  posthumously awarded the title of Vlad the Impaler (this man is fascinating and creep-tastic- I recommend looking him up). The novel is about, as you would imagine, a count/vampire that terrorizes Northern Europe. He begins with an English solicitor  and moves on to  the conversion and murder of countless victims. Its a great and creepy story that makes you want to snuggle with a blanket and tea- after youve locked the doors and windows, of course. To create this image, I looked into the dramatic  representations of  Dracula made popular  by the  cinematic visualization of the 1930s. I used cartoonish drama to represent both the Count and his victim, and bright colors to bring the bloodiness to life (ignore how gross that sounds). Beowulf by Unknown* As a story,  Beowulf is old- as in written in Olde English kind of old. A story that has been around that long is sure to be full of some interesting details- in this case an overabundance of nasty monsters, a monarchy, some battles with the aforementioned monsters, a lot of gold, and dragons to protect said gold (and battle with ol Beowulf himself). Though the original writing is rather difficult to get through (it usually takes a scholar to decipher the Old English), the tale itself is really fantastic and translations are  worth the effort if you like fantastical adventures. I drew inspiration from the character Beowulf and one of his adversaries- that dragon I mentioned earlier. Color was strategically chosen to highlight characteristics I saw as  important to the story, such as the brightness of the flame, which could indicate both the bright fierceness of Beowulfs character or the fierceness that comes with fire. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe This short story by our master of goth, Mr. Poe, is one of his more famous tales. You may already know that this story features two primary characters, an elderly man with a ghostly eye and his more youthful roommate. The younger man, though friendly with his older companion, finds himself loathing  the other mans cloudy and sightless eye. Increasingly disturbed by the eyes perceived  eeriness, the younger man spies on the old man and  eventually  murders him. Later, upon inspection by police (and a fit of madness), the young man confesses to the  murder, all while imagining that he hears  the beating of the old mans heart. This cover art was inspired by all of the description above. The old mans eye is of course the most prominent feature, and its pupil is replaced by the panic-stricken heart. Because  the eye described in the story is lacking a pupil, I put the heart in its place. The black bars to the side are meant to represent the caretaker peeking through the door to watch the elderly man sleep. *We say Unknown because these texts are either so old or so commonly reproduced that the identity of the original author has, sadly, been lost.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 67

Marketing - Essay Example e prices are also a little higher than normal to compensate for the experience that the average customer gets from spending time drinking coffee it one of Beano’s cafà ©s. Beano’s Cafà © has decided to offer better quality coffee than local varieties so as to attract domestic customers. Because local tea, Kahwa, and shisha are the preferred beverage of choice among the locals, Beano’s Cafà © has to offer products that appeal to Egyptian tastes. Also, customer service is something that sets Beano’s Cafà © apart from its competitors because customers prefer to go to Beano’s Cafà © even though the quality of coffee may not be as great as its rivals. To combat international chains entering the Egyptian market, Beano’s Cafà © is offering new, modern European flavors to retain its competitive advantage over these new market entrants. Beano’s Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s primary focus is on coffee, but it also focuses on other products that are compliments of coffee, such as sandwiches, hot meals, and desserts. It is very rare for a customer just to purchase a coffee and not have anything else with it. Because the purpose is for customers to spend time in store, they will need to eat something also. Also when managers decides what product to introduce to market they need to consider (Product attributes, Branding, Product Packaging and product support) From the case describe each of the above with some examples? A manager needs to choose a product that has attributes that appeal to the target market. If the target consumer is an old person, then the product needs to appeal to those elderly people. For branding and product packaging, this needs to attract new customers, preferably young people. Product support can be done through Facebook and Twitter because most teenagers and young adults use these sites every day. One segment of the market that Beano’s Cafà © has yet to really capture is young families with children. Many of Beano’s Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitors already realize how

Cars Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Cars Safety - Essay Example That is because people today are too lazy to even put some energy in braking, and automobile companies are responding to it. The development of brakes from manual to power brakes, and from two-wheeler to four-wheeler brakes makes that obvious. The brake system of a standard car consists of disc brakes as well as drum brakes. Disc brakes comprise of a metal disc that rotates with the wheel, and two brake pads gripped in calipers facing the disc. When the break pedal is pressed, hydraulic fluid forces the pads to rub against the disc, thus stopping the disc from rotation. Drum brakes comprise of a metal cylinder that revolves with the wheel, and two brake shoes. The shoes are curved pieces of metal lined with friction material made of asbestos or some other material that can resist the heat generated by the friction. When the break pedal is pressed, the hydraulic fluid forces the shoes on the drum, and the friction helps the wheel to stop. This complex setup of brakes makes it very easy for the driver to stop the car; thus, any error in this system is a major cause of life-taking accidents. (MacVicar; Wyatt, Vol.2, 570-571, 1990) Another important safety feature in an automobile is airbags. Today, almost every saloon car has at least four airbags provided for the passengers. It saves lives yes, but some people think they are more of a headache. They are those who hit their cars quite often and the airbag pops out even on the slightest bump. It emerges out of the steering wheel or the doors whenever the car is hit hard enough to cause an injury. It was a milestone in car safety when launched properly in 1998, but had some drawbacks that appeared later. The airbag is made of nylon and is filled with nitrogen gas on collision. When the car is hit, crash sensors activate the inflator that fills the bag with nitrogen immediately deploying it. Although they are a lifesaver in major accidents, they have been known to easily injure the passenger. The speed with which it is deployed can be responsible for injury to the passenger's facial features like breakage of the nose or trauma to the eye due to spectacles. This makes the airbag a drawback in situations where it pops out on slight hits. In addition, it can be harmful to children and old people. Thus, the passengers should be seated as far away from the airbag deployment area as possible, and the river should point it towards his chest instead of the head. Moreover, the use of seatbelt is mandatory for the airbag to serve its full purpose. (Brain, 2000) Excellent car suspension is a very important feature for safe driving as it keeps the car in the driver's control. Precisely, it increases the road grip of the car thus maximizing the steering stability as well as comforts the passengers with shock absorbers. The absence of perfectly flat roads makes suspensions necessary to prevent passengers from jumping continuously inside the vehicle, and for stable driving, especially cornering at high speeds. The now vastly available power steering makes it easier to turn the wheels while shock absorbers make a mountain feel like silk. (Harris, 2005) Tires play a vital role in increasing road grip of the car as well as comforting the passengers. Tires with proper grip are mandatory for the car to run smoothly. Loss of grip can be a cause of major accidents. It can easily be