Steve Jobs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Steve Jobs - Term Paper Example Background - experience, past and present - impact on the current organization Born in the year 1955, Steve Jobs was in Homestead school, in California. He often visited companies like Hewlett-Packard, after his lectures. Jobs first assignment was at Atari, as a technician where he created a circuit board for a game. Finally Wayne, Wozniak and Jobs founded Apple computers and used to sell it in the garage of Jobs’ parents in the year 1971. As a company Apple started its existence in 1976 with much of funding from investors. (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study) Apple was expanded over the years until it became huge. It was Jobs who observed the commercial potentials from mouse driven GUI belonging to Xerox PARC and this inspired the creation of Apple Lisa. Based on this a year later, Macintosh was invented in 1984. Due to some incidents of dispute Jobs retired from Apple in 1985, and in that year only formed NeXT Inc. (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study). NeXT Inc was later was abs orbed by Apple in 1996 bringing back Jobs. It was in 1997, when he once again became the CEO of Apple. Under Jobs’ supervision, the invention of i-Pod, i- Mac, i-Tunes, and subsequently i-Pad ensued. Fighting with cancer since 2003 he finally resigned from his duties as a CEO in August 2011. Finally he was elected as a chairman in Apple (Lomas). Jobs never limited himself to Apple or NeXT only. He bought Pixar, and merged with Disney, produced innumerable computer animated pictures such as â€Å"Toy Story†, â€Å"A Bug’s Life† and others (Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple) Six leadership characteristics Jobs exhibited Few traits of quality leadership that Steve jobs possessed are enumerated and analyzed below- â€Å"Look-ahead† mindset He set precise goals and had a clear and concise vision of the future. He ensured that the vision got inculcated in the minds of everyone throughout the organization. Effective leaders like him have always envisione d exactly what they want and how they are going to achieve their goals in order to get what they want. (Lomas) Jobs always focused on what Apple should do next in the future. He always invited employee’s suggestions about the future actions. His each and every week started with having a three or four hour discussion regarding the scenario they would foresee in the world in the coming days. In a statement he commented, "We are inventing the future... Come down here and make a dent in the universe" (Jobs). His unfathomable and unparalleled obsession with brightening the future with technological advancements paved the way for Apple to be the first name uttered amongst many, when it comes to everyday gadgets, be it mobiles or digital music players or PCs or even OSs. (Hyatt) Persistence - Steve Jobs epitomizes the virtue persistence and it was most exemplified through his exit from Apple. He refused to give up, and in fact, went on to start NeXT computers which would eventually be acquired by Apple Computers Inc. It would have been obvious for a common person to give up at this point and regret the loss. As a leader, one has to be prepared to encounter and conquer hindrance. It is all the more important to show this character, especially if one would like to form a

What are the ways in which the Early Years Foundation Stage supports Essay

What are the ways in which the Early Years Foundation Stage supports practitioners in thier planning for young children's learning - Essay Example Many theorists have presented their own views on children. Behaviorists led by the prominent B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson, Edward Thondike, etc., see children as organisms that learn by reinforcement. The Maturationists, led by Jean-Jacques Rosseau, Maria Montessori, Friedrich Froebel, etc. see the child as like a seed that contains all the elements to produce a fruit if given the proper amounts of nutrients from the soil and water along with sunshine and an ideal climate (Brewer, 2001). The Constructivists, founded on the works of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, believe that children are not passive recipients of knowledge, rather, they actively work at organizing their experience into constructing their own learning. In many ways, children have proven that they indeed are capable of many things originally unexpected of them. Constructivists are consistent in their belief that children’s capabilities in terms of learning can even match that of adult’s. Because of their clarity of thinking, unobstructed by pressures put on by society, they may even surpass the learning abilities of adults. â€Å"Children are seen as active and competent in their own learning, fully participatory in co-constructing their learning through social interactions, as opposed to this somehow being shaped by more knowledgeable others.† (Mitchell & Wild, 2004, p. 734) In an effort to meet children’s developmental needs, the education of teachers is now putting emphasis on child-centered approaches. The growing awareness that children are indeed capable of becoming contributing members of society has prompted the UK government to consult children themselves, of things that matter to them most in order to be the basis of proposals for change. These key outcomes—being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and economic well-being are detailed in the Every Child Matters report

Events Surrounding The Resignation Of Margaret Thatcher Sociology Essay

Events Surrounding The Resignation Of Margaret Thatcher Sociology Essay Margaret Thatchers legacy towers over modern day British Politics and History. She earned her place in the history books as the longest serving PM of the 20th century with three back to back election wins under her belt and since, emerging politicians have been said to have been creations of the Thatcher era with both William Hague and Tony Blaire being hailed as sons of Thatcherism by journalist Andrew Rawnsley. 1.1.2 Aims This report investigates and concludes as to how the Iron Ladies resignation and downfall was reported in the UK and Welsh newspapers, and pays particular attention and focus as to how this shaped the nations views at the time and now, looking back retrospectively. This report researches as to why Margaret Thatcher was a Marmite politician who evoked such strong responses, in both past and present throughout society and also looks into how the events of the past and media reaction has shaped her legacy left in Britain today. 1.1.3 Method Through both primary and secondary research, this report acts as a historical study into the events surrounding the resignation of Margaret Thatcher and the public response to it by examining how her resignation was reported in the Newspapers and other media resources at the time. 1.1.4 Results Conclusions Conclusions have also been obtained through oral interviews with people who were alive at the time and remember the events to obtain first hand public opinion and to analyse the impact of the transition from Thatcher to the Blaire era on people at the time. In addition to this I collected and collated public opinion about the popularity of Margaret Thatcher throughout her time as Prime Minister resulting in a conclusion as to what her legacy is in Britain today. 2. Introduction 2.1.1 Background and Context for the Study Many people remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard that Margaret Thatcher had stepped down as Prime Minister and what their reaction and feeling toward the news was. Margaret Thatcher always sparks a diverse, sometimes controversial opinion whether it is an expression of fondness or one of extreme aversion which is why her legacy is highly disputed. Media interest on the 10th anniversary of her demise from power was high, so much so that many newspapers ran opinion polls and features allowing people to comment about their reaction to her fall from power and resignation, and such polls were concrete evidence as to Mrs Thatchers ability to continue to evoke strong opinions even a decade after she had ceased to be Prime Minister. These polls are examined later on in the report and help to draw a conclusion of the legacy that she has left on Britain today. This report analyses the Origins of Thatchers departure from number 10 and gauges public opinion on what has now become widely known as the Thatcher era and as a result of it Thatcherism. 2.2.1 Outline of aims and methodology This study explores and discuss the reasons that led to the seismic political moment when Margaret Thatchers resigned as Prime Minister on 22nd November, 1990. This historical report looks into both the medias and public opinion, which has been examined through interviews and media archive footage, both at the time and reflective articles and discussions that have been recorded to date. 2.3.1 Primary research undertaken I have conducted the research through both primary and secondary resources including interviews with people who were alive and remember the resignation first hand, newspaper articles, podcasts, opinion polls and internet sites. Through formulating central questions relating to key topics I have conducted oral interviews with people who were both alive and have strong memories and opinions regarding Thatchers demise. I conducted the interviews this way and asked specific questions to enable me to systematically collate opinions of living peoples testimony about their own experiences. 3.1.1 Literature Review When studying the events of November 1990, it is clear that there is no one origin to the fall of Thatcher from power. In Kevin Jeffries book, Finest and darkest Hours, he says that For the Historian, the events of November 1990 present something of a mystery. A PM with a strong parliamentary majority and in good health, enjoying the considerable advantages of patronage and access to the media, was virtually impregnable. (Jeffries, Atlantic Books, 2002) To her supporters, she was a ground-breaking Prime Minister who positively re-shaped Britains economy and tamed the trade unions. In alliance with US presidents Reagan and Bush, she helped bring about the end of the Cold War. But her 11-year stint in office was also a time tainted by social unrest, industrial trouble and rising unemployment and her critics claim British society is still feeling the effect of her divisive economic policies and the culture of greed and selfishness they allegedly promoted. Existing accounts have noted that there was no single, overriding cause of Thatchers downfall and that various factors played their part in Novembers events. 3.1.1 Key Themes Seeing as there is no one clear reason to her downfall and resignation, there are several key themes and topics which must be addressed when discussing Margaret Thatcher. I have investigated these within both historical and narrative fictional texts in which I have then cross referenced with my own research to enable me to come up with a balanced and well supported conclusion. Below, I have highlighted key themes that are explored in recognized academic discussion of the resignation of Margaret Thatcher by leading authors and commentators of the field. 3.1.2 Divisions over Europe Iconic of the Thatcher years, was the ever running saga as to whether Britain should join the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM). Mrs Thatcher relentlessly rejected any steps toward stronger political links which she believed would lead to an identikit European personality, and weaken nationality and tradition of member states. *** Therefore it is fair to say that Europe, ultimately, played a part in ending the Thatcher premiership. 3.1.3 Poll Tax Margaret Thatcher had always been a long standing critic of the British Taxation system which is proven in her memoirs, where shy says that she always disliked rates intensely (Jefferys, Atlantic Books, 2002). The conservative government, under Thatcher then bought in the community charge to replace the long standing tax system that dated back nearly 100 years -Rates which resulted in every adult paying a flat rate charge. The introduction of the Community Charge was met with great unrest and discontent for Thatcherism and opposition groups formed. One Journalist, quoted in the Economist dubbed the system as a A fatheaded, boneheaded, dunderheaded, blunderheaded, muttonheaded, knuckleheaded, chuckleheaded, puddingheaded, jobernowled wash- out of a cock-up. (The Economist, 3 Dec 1994) which could be seen as a representation of the peoples views at the time of its introduction due to the March and Riot of 1990 in opposition to the new system. The riot was a fatal blow for not only the poll tax but also the Margaret Thatcher and before the new year, Thatcher had stepped down as Britains Prime Minister. 3.1.4 Thatcherite Economics Thatchers market-led policies saw the sale of 20 state-owned companies including British Telecom. She did haul the country out of the economic doldrums where the UK was known as the sick man of Europe but at what cost? Her deregulation of the banking industry ultimately led to this current recession via the credit crunch Monetarism came to be used to describe what people thought of as Thatcherism. In simple terms, it is the recognition of the importance of money and money supply in an economy. The belief in free markets and individual wealth creation undermined the fabric of society encouraging selfishness and an increase in inequality. Thatcherite beliefs include a support for a form of trickle down economics the idea if the rich get richer everyone benefits. 3.1.5 Trade Unions Strikes were a regular occurrence and crippled the country. The three-day week was introduced under Edward Heath. And Callaghans Labour government in 1978 oversaw the strikes of the Winter of Discontent. On election, Thatcher used the situation as an excuse to crush the unions. She simply refused to listen to the workers representatives. Her economic policies helped weaken the unions. Methodology The reason in which I conducted research through The methodology section should provide a rationale for the method of research employed and for choice of sources used, together with an explanation of any tools (e.g. questionnaires; SPSS) involved and the respective criteria of evaluation applied to these. Samples of such tools (in blank form or with consolidated data) will probably need to be included in an appendix. It is not necessary to include a narrative description of the research process, although case studies (e.g. observation sessions) need to be well documented. Results As predicted, my results show the expected diversity of opinion. The results and conclusions sections should describe, explain and discuss what the research undertaken has revealed and why it is significant. This is best achieved by comparison with the ideas of opinion leaders previously presented. These ideas will be variously supported, illustrated, qualified and challenged by what you have discovered. Discussion/Conclusions With public opinion turning decisively against her, she was forced to resign from office in November 1990 after a struggle for leadership within the Conservative Party Many United Kingdom citizens remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard that Margaret Thatcher had resigned and what their reaction was. She brings out strong responses in people. Some people credit her with rescuing the British economy from the stagnation of the 1970s and admire her committed radicalism on social issues; others see her as authoritarian, egotistical and responsible for the dismantling of the Welfare State. Britain was widely seen as the sick man of Europe in the 1970s, and some argued that it would be the first developed nation to return to the status of a developing country. In the 1990s, Britain emerged with a comparatively healthy economy, at least by previous standards. A clear illustration of the divisions of opinion over Thatchers leadership can be found in recent television polls: Thatcher appears at Number 16 in the 2002 List of 100 Greatest Britons (sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public), she also appears at Number 3 in the 2003 List of 100 Worst Britons (sponsored by Channel Four and also voted for by the public), narrowly missing out on the top spot, which went to Tony Blair. Recommendations It might be appropriate to end with recommendations, suggesting how the present study could be extended or repeated in a different format, or how related fields might be explored from a similar standpoint. This section, though, cannot be used to excuse failings in the study which should have been avoided. Transcripts or summaries of interviews, copies of original documents, tables of statistics, maps, etc. should be included in separate appendices at the end. The reader can be referred to these in the text, which may also include extracts from the same (e.g. an exchange from an interview) Bibliography References Evans, EJ (2004). Thatcher and Thatcherism (Making of the Contemporary World) . London: Routledge Holmes, M (1989). Thatcherism: Scope and Limits: Palgrave Macmillan. 1-182 Jefferys, K (2002). Finest and Darkest Hours: The Decisive Events in British Politics, from Churchill to Blair. London: Atlantic Books. p233-258 Marwick, A (2003). British Society Since 1945: The Penguin Social History of Britain : Penguin Morgan, K (2002). Britain since 1945: The Peoples Peace. UK: Oxford University Press. BBC.. 1990: Thatcher quits as prime minister. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/22/newsid_2549000/2549189.stm. Last accessed 21 April 2010. BBC. 1990: Tearful farewell from Iron Lady. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/28/newsid_2527000/2527953.stm. Last accessed 21 April 2010. Essential Margaret Thatcher. Available: http://www.margaretthatcher.org/essential/default.asp. Last accessed 16 April 2010 BBC News. (1990). BBC News: Thatcher resigns as Prime Minister. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTDS23DY670. Last accessed 18 March 2010.

The Word Processor :: Technology Writing Essays

The Word Processor The purpose of this assignment is to explore the many ways in which â€Å"cyberculture† has changed the way we think of writing and writers. It stems from a unit that is focused on the many ways that writing technology as well as reading technology has been altered with the addition of cyberculture to our previously basic ways of life concerning reading and composition. Using readings from Tribble and Trubek’s Writing Material, several articles were used to investigate this topic. Another issue of importance before I begin is the term â€Å"cyberculture† itself. For issues concerning this assignment, I refer to cyberculture as being things such as internet phenomenon’s such as the World Wide Web, Blogs, newsgroups, e-mail, chat rooms, and instant messaging. Cyberculture is indeed changing the way we think of writers, the act of writing and the act of reading. This change is easily apparent when considering the adjustments made in our habits of reading and writing. Along with these adjustments come the benefits that result. The reader should also keep in mind that while these new habits are growing and expanding, some old habits are still present and hard to replace. When describing the many adjustments made in our habits of reading and writing, the example of the word processor helps bring this point to a clearer understanding. Reading online texts found in the form of word processors is one of the most popular habits that we gain from cyberculture. The differences between reading text found onscreen compared to reading a physical text from paper gives many examples of some of the adjustments we currently make in our habits of reading. The fact that this form of reading is becoming more popular is mentioned by James Sosnoski in his essay Hyper-Readers and Their Reading Engines. â€Å"Reading electronic texts on screens is likely to be the predominant mode of reading in the very near future† (Sosnoski 400). He also adds that this habit will eventually â€Å"dominate our practices† (Sosnoski 400). With the word processor, people everywhere are able to make formal documents, letters, tables, etc. quickly and easily. In most cases, it is true that the speed of typing could also be faster than the speed of writing by hand which saves time for those who want to produce material in a shorter amount of time than writing by hand.

Impact of Cuban Trade Embargo

The Impact of the Cuban Trade Embargo By: Natalie Bell 2/25/09 [pic] International Business Law BLAW 4320 [pic] Cuba, the largest island nation in the Caribbean just ninety miles off the coast of Florida, experienced many difficult struggles through its extensive history. It was the last major Spanish colony to gain independence, following a lengthy struggle that was begun in 1868. It was in 1898 when the U. S. intervened during the Spanish-American War that it finally overthrew Spanish rule. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. The United States and Cuba concluded a Treaty of Relations in 1934, which, among other things, continued the 1903 agreements that leased the Guantanamo Bay naval base to the United States (CIA World Factbook). In the time before 1959, the United States had maintained strong ties with Cuba. Many Americans had many various business investments there, and the country was a special place for tourists from around the world. Since the fall of the U. S. -supported dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, it was Fidel Castro who has mainly led Cuba throughout the years. It was in Febuary 19, 2008 when Fidel Castro finally ceded power to his brother Raul Castro. Since the majority of Cubans were born after the 1959 revolution, most of the Cuban people have known no other leader. President Fidel Castro outlasted no fewer than nine American presidents since he took power in 1959 (Castro:Profile). Relations between the United States and Cuba deteriorated rapidly as Fidel Castro and the Cuban regime moved toward the acceptance of the one-party communist system. Cuba seized the assets of American citizens and U. S. irms including farms, factories, hotels, bank accounts, and real estate without compensation. It was finally on April 16, 1961 when Fidel Castro declared Cuba a socialist state. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was brought to other countries throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Castro maintained close relations with the Soviet Union and worked jointly with the goals of Soviet communism by fund ing and provoking violent rebellious activities, as well as using military intervention in other countries, until the fall of the U. S. S. R. in 1991 (Castro: Profile). In response, the United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in October 1960, and, broke diplomatic relations on January 3, 1961. This began the over forty-year period of tension between the U. S. and Cuba, beginning with President Kennedy’s failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1963 and the Cuban Missile Crises (CIA World Factbook). Since 1961, Cuba portrayed many difficulties as the result of the U. S. embargo and the embargo had a great effect on both nations. It was in 1963 that the United States passed the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, under the authority of the Trading with the Enemy Act. The Act was enacted in 1917 to restrict trade with countries that are hostile to the United States. The law gives the President the power to oversee or restrict any or all trade between the U. S. and its enemies in times of war. The purpose of the law was to isolate Cuba economically and politically. It banned all trade and financial transactions between Cuba and the U. S. , and froze all U. S. held assets of the Cuban government and of private Cuban citizens. It also prohibited almost all travel to Cuba by researchers, student groups, journalists, athletes, and those traveling to see immediate family members (Schaffer 268). After the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s, the U. S. Congress wanted to pressure Cuba for democratic change. First in 1992, the U. S. Congress approved the Cuban Democracy Act, restricting Americans from vis iting the island, banning family remittances, and prohibiting foreign subsidiaries of U. S. ompanies from doing business with Cuba. Following a few years later, on March 12, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, also called the Helms-Burton Act. After this law was signed, it further toughened the Cuban sanctions. It imposed penalties on foreign companies doing business in Cuba, it permitted U. S. citizens to file lawsuits against foreign investors who made use of the American-owned property that was seized after 1959 by the Cuban government, and it denied an entry visa into the U. S. to such foreign investors. It was a very controversial because this included many Mexican, Canadian, and European businessmen who did business in Cuba (268). The passage of the Helm-Burton Act caused a worldwide protest, primarily in Mexico, Canada, and the European Union, who argued that the Helm-Burton Act violated international law. A protest was filed with the World Trade Organization by the European Union, but was suspended when the Clinton Administration reassured that the law for visa restrictions under Title III of the Helm-Burton Act would not be enforced against citizens in third world countries. The Act calls for the trade sanctions between the U. S. and Cuba to end as soon as Cuba agrees to have a democratically elected government, abide by human rights conventions, opens its prisons to international inspection, returns Cuban citizenship to Cuban exiles living in the U. S. , and makes progress in returning expropriated property to its rightful owners (268). Today, there are many laws, rules, and regulations that derived from the U. S. sanctions against Cuba. Presently, most commercial imports from Cuba are illegal by law but remain listed under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA). Under the Act, the sale of certain items, including medicine and medical supplies, and agricultural commodities have been approved for export by specific regulations. According to the Act, â€Å"The Department of the Treasury is responsible in issuing licenses that are used to export these goods on a case-by-case scenario and authorizing Cuban travel-related transactions that are only relating to marketing, sales negotiation, accompanied delivery, and servicing of exports and re-exports that also must appear in line with the licensing policy of the Department of Commerce† (U. S. Treasury Department). The only sectors in which U. S. citizens may sell and service products to Cuba include agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. The Treasury Department will is also be able to consider requests for specific licenses for humanitarian travel, educational exchanges (that are at least 10 weeks in length), and religious activities by individuals or groups that are associated with a religious organization. However, any U. S. citizen or corporation that is subject to U. S. law and engages in any travel-related transaction in Cuba violates the regulations. The Act specifically states that, â€Å"The Cuban Assets Control Regulations affects all U. S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are located, all people and organizations physically in the United States, and all branches and subsidiaries of U. S. organizations throughout the world† (U. S. Treasury Department). If the regulations are not followed, then it may result in both civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States (U. S. Treasury Department). Today, traveling to Cuba also has many rules and laws that make traveling to the Cuba very complex. In 2004, President Bush’s Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba placed a further reduction on the restrictions on family visits to Cuba. Visits by Cuban Americans to family in Cuba are permitted only once every 3 years instead of once every year. No humanitarian exceptions are given if there is any of a family illness or crisis going on in Cuba. Visits are restricted to two weeks and strictly limited to immediate family as defined by the U. S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which eliminates the right to visit cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, or more distant relatives (LAWG). Only if a traveler receives a license, then a valid passport will be required for entry into Cuba. The Cuban government requires that travelers obtain their visas before they arrive to the country. If there are attempts to enter or exit Cuba illegally, or there is in any kind of aid in helping Cuban nationals or others escape Cuba then punishment is served by stiff jail terms. Entering Cuban territory, territorial waters or airspace, which include being within 12 miles of the Cuban coast, without any prior permission from the Cuban government may result in arrest or other enforcement actions by Cuban authorities. According to the U. S. Department of State, most immigration violators are subject to prison terms that range from four years for illegal entry or exit to as many as 30 years for certain cases of assisting Cuban migrants to attempt to leave Cuba illegally (U. S. Department of State). Family remittances or money sent to Cuba also have specific rules and regulations that must be followed by the people residing under U. S. law. According to the U. S. Department of State, â€Å"U. S. ersons aged 18 or older may send money to members of the remitter’s immediate family in Cuba of up to $300 per household in any consecutive three-month period, regardless of the number of members of the remitter’s immediate family residing in that household. † The law also states that no member of the household can be a prohibited official of the Government of Cuba or a prohibited member of the Cuban Communist Party (U. S. Department of State). Other laws that are also a part of the on g oing U. S. embargo with the Cuban government involves the use of money in Cuba that U. S. travelers are limited to spend during their stay in Cuba. U. S. people traveling to Cuba to visit their family or traveling for other purposes can spend no more than $50 per day on non-transportation-related expense in Cuba, and up to an additional $50 per trip to pay for transportation-related expenses in Cuba. However, professionals such as journalists, photographers, or any other kind of licensed travelers may spend additional money for their professions that are directly related to what they need in order to fulfill their work (U. S. Department of State). It is also interesting to know that U. S. citizens and permanent resident aliens are not allowed from using their credit cards, personal checks, or travelers’ checks that are drawn from U. S. banks in Cuba. U. S. credit card companies do not accept any kind of vouchers from Cuba, and, at the same time, Cuban shops, hotels and other places of business do not accept any types of U. S. credit cards (U. S. Department of State). Today, the U. S. Cuban embargo has become one of the most controversial issues upon many countries throughout the world. There have been many advocating for a change of the current policies towards Cuba for some time now. The sanction has continuously been condemned and voted against by almost all nations throughout the world. For the 16th consecutive year, the U. N. General Assembly recommended that the U. S. ended the embargo. In 2006, a total of 183 member nations of the U. N called on the U. S. to end the sanctions with Cuba (Sierra). In 2007, the 192-member General Assembly passed the measure by 184 votes to four, with one abstention (U. S. Urged). According to Remy Herrera, â€Å"The normative content of this embargo and its rules, which the U. S. intends to inflict on the international community with its unilateral sanctions is a violation of the spirit and letter of the United Nations Charter and of the Organization of American States, and of the very fundamentals of international law† (Herrera). This excessive extension of the territorial jurisdiction of the U. S. , Herrera adds, â€Å"Is contrary to the principle of national sovereignty and to that of non-intervention in the internal choices of a foreign state, s recognized in the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice† (Herrera). According to Richard Schaffer, even the Vatican protested Helms-Burton, claiming that it increased economic suffering of the Cuban People. Many trade groups have also argued against the law because they believed that economic engagement actually would promote freedom in totalitarian countries. The U. S. firms that are h oping to engage in the business activities in Cuba also seek an ending to the U. S. trade sanctions (Schaffer 269). According to U. S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, many feel that the lifting of the travel restrictions to Cuba, family remittances, and trade exchange are necessary and are some of the most important issues in the policy changing process that the U. S. needs to undergo in order to have better relations with Cuba (Pelosi). Ironically, surveys of the American public opinion show that the vast majority of Americans favor ending sanctions as well, and recognizing the government of Cuba (Schaffer 269). According to a recent poll from USA Today that took place between February 21- 24, 2008, 61% of 2,021 adults nationwide favored re-establishing U. S. diplomatic relations with Cuba, 29% opposed, and 10% of the people were unsure (PollingReport). Over Forty-five years of communism have left the island nation an economic ruin and the U. S. embargo had many diverse effects on Cuba. According to a BusinessWeek article by Geri Smith, â€Å"The Cuban government has always referred to the embargo as a ‘blockade,’ a word that has a more sinister tone than ‘embargo’† (Smith). Cuba went through many difficulties as the result of the U. S. embargo since 1961 and suffered much more since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The country faced a severe economic downturn, which really caused the Cubans' living standards to significantly fall. The disappearance of Soviet aid following the collapse of the USSR forced the government to introduce tight rationing of energy, food, and consumer goods, as well as the withdrawal of the former Soviet annual subsidies that were worth $4 billion to $6 billion (Country Profile: Cuba). Since then, it has taken action with limited reforms in order to increase enterprise efficiency and improve some of their economic problems which included their serious shortages of food and goods. Due to the economic problems and domestic inefficiencies that Cuba faced during the 1990’s, President Castro allowed a few steps towards a more market-oriented system. In 1993, the U. S. dollar was accepted by Cuba and allowed to circulate throughout the nation. Because of their lack of basic necessities and few consumer goods, Cuba’s economy persisted with the help of Canadian, European and Latin American investments. Essentially for Cuba, the nation also developed closer relations with China and Venezuela. China invested in Cuba’s nickel industry and provided Cuba support in the form of trade credit, technology, and investment capital while Venezuela provided supply to cheap fuel (Smith). Since late 2000, Venezuela has been supplying about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for this oil with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela, including 20,000 medical professionals (CIA WorldFactbook). After market factors improved, in 2004 the U. S. dollar transactions in Cuba were banned and a 10% tax was imposed on the dollar-peso conversions. According to the CIA World Factbook, Cuban exports total $3. 31 billion and their major exports include Sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, and coffee partners. The countries that Cuba mainly exports to include the Netherlands (21. 8%), Canada (21. 6%), China (18. 7%), Spain (5. 9%) (CIA WorldFactbook). On the other hand, Cuban imports have totaled $10. 86 billion and consist mainly of petro leum, food, machinery and equipment, and chemicals. The countries that Cuba mainly imports from include Venezuela (26. 6%), China (15. 6%), Spain (9. 8%), Germany (6. 4%), Canada (5. 6%), Italy (4. 4%,) the U. S. (4. 3%), and Brazil (4. %) (CIA WorldFactobook) Today, Cuba has two currencies in circulation, which include the Cuban peso (CUP) and the convertible peso (CUC). The Cuban peso (CUP) is specifically for the Cubans, while the convertible peso (CUC) is strictly for tourists and foreign businessmen. According to a BBC News article by Michael Voss, â€Å"The average Cuban salary of 400 pesos a month is worth about $16, yet almost everything available in the shops has to be paid for in the convertible pesos (CUC's)† (Voss). â€Å"Why has the economy moved to convertible pesos when workers are paid in the national currency? † declared one of the students in the article. You need to work for two days just to buy a toothbrush† (Voss). The problem with the dual c urrency is one of the biggest challenges that negatively influences the Cuban economy. Cuba faces many hardships because of the economic problems throughout the country. Many of the effects have caused an increase in prostitution, corruption, black marketeering and desperate efforts to escape in search of a better life (Country Profile: Cuba). Many Cubans had enough with the hardships and risk their lives to escape from the country. Thousands have tried to escape through the sea in a waterborne exodus to Florida, but many have drowned. Castro: Profile) According to the BBC News article, Castro: Profile of the Great Survivor, â€Å"Even his own daughter Alina Fernandez prefers a life of exile as a dissident in Miami to rule under her ‘despotic’ father† (Castro: Profile). According to the CIA World Fact Book, illicit migration to the U. S. , using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or air flights, is still a continuing problem. The U. S. Coast Guard seized 2,864 peop le trying to cross the Straits of Florida in the year 2006 (CIA WorldFactbook). Cuba has also been fraudulent with the UN's top human rights forum, over specific rights abuses. The UN has insisted that Cuba allows for freedom of expression and to release imprisoned protesters who have protested against the government (Country Profile: Cuba). The U. S. has caused Cuba many economic damages because of the U. S. embargo. According to U. S. congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, â€Å"The over-45-year US economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba has translated into over 89 billion dollar losses for the U. S. † (Pelosi). According to the article, The Effects of the U. S. Embargo Against Cuba, the direct economic losses for Cuba by the U. S. embargo would exceed 70 billion dollars. The damages were estimated by calculating amounts of Cuba’s potential earnings and unnecessary losses since the institution of the U. S. embargo in 1961. The embargo negatively affected all of the sectors in Cuba, which also directly imposed on the major driving forces of the Cuban economy, which included tourism, foreign direct investments (FDI) and currency transfers (Herrera). Cuba became very limited in having access to technologies and various resources because of the obstacles that were forced by the Unites States. According to a Business Week article, â€Å"Trade and investment open up economies to new ideas. Cell phones, the Internet, and other high-tech communication technologies are detrimental to closed-minded bureaucracies† (Farrel). Since December, 2001, when food and agricultural products were allowed to be exported to Cuba, over $2 billion dollars worth of goods were earned by U. S. firms and shippers (LAWG). According to the article, The Travel Industry’s Push to Unlock Cuba, loosening the restrictions could boost the U. S. economy in the long term by as much as $1. 6 billion annually and create as many as 23,000 new jobs (Unlock Cuba). In this way, Cuba has the potential for economic growth if the U. S. nds or even loosens their trade sanctions. This can also further ease the hardships and economic issues of poverty in Cuba. Relations between the United States and Cuba are hoping to improve in the future, especially because Fidel Castro retired his control over Cuba. Many hope that Cuba will be open for business and that there may be signs of new beginnings of chang e on the economic front under Raul Castro (Smith). Some, however, are more skeptical of the idea. According to a recent poll from USA Today that took place between February 21- 24 of 2008, only 37% of 2,021 people felt that the situation for people in Cuba would get better. A majority of 51% felt that the situation for people in Cuba would stay the same, 6% felt that it would get worse, and 6% felt they were unsure (PollingReport). Fortunately, Raul Castro has introduced a series of reforms since taking over as president from his brother Fidel in February and has already taken steps on improving certain services for the Cuban public. The new leader started focusing on some of the most-mentioned problems, such as spotty public transportation and the low wages paid by the government to private farmers (Smith). According to the article, Cuban Leaders Plan More Reforms, these reforms have also included the removal of some restrictions on the purchase of electrical goods such as mobile phones, microwave ovens and DVD players. According to the article, Cubans have been reported to take out 7,400 new mobile phone contracts in the 10 days since the restrictions were eased. The country has also lifted a ban on its people staying in hotels previously reserved for foreigners (Cuban Leaders). It will be interesting to see if more market-oriented steps will take place with the Raul Castro’s new regime. Another major issue that will be crucial for many U. S. businesses as soon as the embargo ends in the future is the growing interest in the tourism sector of Cuba. According to an article by Sucharita Mulpuru, Americans represent only a small part of the nearly 1. 2 million visitors who come to Cuba every year, mainly from Canada, Spain, France, Germany, and Britain (Mulpuru). Tourism continues to inspire high hopes among many investors. In the article, Enzo Alberto, the Canadian-Italian CEO of ICC, a major investor in the island's Internet infrastructure states, â€Å"I believe that Cuba could be to America like Hong Kong is to Asia,† (Mulpuru). Many countries pour nearly $2 billion into the economy, outstripping revenues from sugar and other core crops such as tobacco (Mulpuru). According to the article, A Warmer Climate for Trade with Cuba, the industry argues that the island nation is a potential source of needed revenues that would be able to boost both the travel business and the U. S. economy while opening to tourism and foreign investment in Cuba. As a result, this will also boost the economy as well as the currency reserves of Cuba. Unfortunately, all of this potential to help both economies and many people in both nations will not end until the U. S. rade embargo ends and the Cuban government loosens its stranglehold on the economy. It will be interesting to see how the U. S. embargo will be affected by the policies of the future elected president of the U. S. Of the three leading Presidential candidates, only Democratic contender Senator Barack Obama has stated that he would be willing to sit down and talk with Rau l Castro's government, as long as human rights are on the agenda. On the other hand, Senator Hillary Clinton stated said she would not do so until Cuba started to implement economic and political reforms, while Senator John McCain has kept President George W. Bush’s policy and states that â€Å"talks are off† until Cuba begins a â€Å"transition to a free and open society† and releases all political prisoners (Smith). According to the Associated Press, the presidential candidates are expected to lightly discuss the question of lifting the embargo during their campaign. According to their article, Five-decade U. S. Trade Embargo with Cuba Expected to Outlast Fidel Castro, there is a great deal of sensitivity on the issue, especially in states with high populations of Cuban immigrants such as Florida (Associated Press). The entrepreneurs of the U. S. ave seen their foreign competitors take advantage of opportunities in Cuba. U. S. businesspersons can only hope that the trade and travel restrictions will be lifted eventually, so that they can tap the potential markets in Cuba especially in the tourism and agricultural sectors. This is very unlikely to happen soon because of the ongoing disputes between many in regards to the Cuban embargo. The impact of the Cuban embargo caused many diverse effects for both nations, but with new policies and politicians that are developing for the future, this story can be the end of an old era. Works Cited ACN Cuban News Agency. 2007, May 2). â€Å"Nancy Pelosi Says U. S. Blockade of Cuba Should be Lifted. † Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://www. cubanews. ain. cu/2008/0425nancypelosi. htm Alomso, Cynthia C. â€Å"The Travel Industry's Push to Unlock Cuba. † BusinessWeek. 27 August 2003 Associated Press. Five-decade U. S. Trade Embargo with Cuba Expected to Outlast Fidel Castro. 20 February 2008. Retrieved on April 24, 2008 from http://www1. whdh. com/news/articles/national/BO73631 BBC News. (2008, February 19). â€Å"Castro: Profile of the Great Survivor†. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://news. bbc. co. k/2/hi/americas/244974. stm BBC News. (2008, April 12). â€Å"Cuban Leaders Plan More Reforms†. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/7343883. stm BBC News. (2008, February 26). â€Å"Country Profile: Cuba†. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1203299. stm BBC News. (2008, April 24). â€Å"Cubans Snapping Up Mobile Phones†. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/7364791. stm BBC News. (2007, October 30). â€Å"U. S. Urged to End Cuba Embargo†. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://www. bbc. co. k/caribbean/news/story/2007/10/071030_cubaun. shtml CIA World Factbook. Cuba. (nd). Retrieved on April 22, 2008 from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu. html Farrell, Christopher. â€Å"The Case Against Embargoes† BusinessWeek. 25 April 2005 Herrera, Remy. The Effects of the U. S. ‘Embargo’ Against Cuba. 7 October 2003. Retrieved on April 22, 2008 from http://www. alternatives. ca/article876. html Latin America Working Group (LAWG ). Top Ten Reasons For Changing U. S. Policy Toward Cuba. (nd) Retrieved on April 22, 2008 from http://www. lawg. org/docs/new_member_packet. df Magnusson, Paul. â€Å"A Warmer Climate For Trade in Cuba. † BusinessWeek. 16 June 2000 Mulpuru, Sucharita. â€Å"In Cuba, History’s Joy—and Curse. † BusinessWeek. 3 Feb 2003. Pew Hispanic Center. Cubans in the Unite States: A Profile. 25 August 2006. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic. org/files/factsheets/23. pdf Polling Report. Cuba. Retrieved on April 22, 2008 from http://www. pollingreport. com/cuba. htm Plummer, Robert. â€Å"How Cubans Heal Their Economic Ills† BBC News. 3 January 2007. Schaffer R. , Earle B. , & Agusti F. (2005). International Business Law and Its Environment. Ohio: Thomson-Southwestern West. (6e). Sierra, J. A. Economic Embargo Timeline. (nd). Retrieved on April 22, 2008 from http://www. historyofcuba. com/history/funfacts/embargo. htm Smith, Geri. â€Å"Cuba Under the Other Castro? † BusinessWeek. 24 February 2008 Smith, Geri. â€Å"When Will Cuba Be Open for Business? † BusinessWeek. 29 February 2008 U. S. Department of the State. (http://www. state. gov). Retrieved on April 22, 2008. U. S. Department of the Treasury. â€Å"Cuba: What You Need To Know About The U. S. Embargo†. Retrieved April 22, 2008 from http://www. treas. gov/ofac Voss, Michael. â€Å"Stepping Into Big Brother's Shoes? † BBC News. 24 February 2008

Rice Seeds

Table 1 Shoot and root length of a dicot and a monocot seedling Shoot Length (cm)| Root length (cm)| | 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| Average| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| Average| Day 1| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| Day 2| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 1. 1| 1. 0| 1. 2| 1. 0| 0| 0. 86| Day 3| 1| 0. 5| 1| 1| 1| 0. 9| 2| 2| 2| 2| 2. 1| 2. 02| Day 4| 1. 2| 1| 1| 1. 1| 1| 1. 6| 2. 5| 2. 5| 3| 3| 2. 5| 2. 7| Day 5| 2. 1| 2| 1. 3| 2| 1. 3| 1. 74| 3| 3. 1| 3. 2| 3. 2| 3| 3. 1| Day 6| 2. 1| 2. 1| 2. 1| 2. 1| 2. 1| 2. 1| 5| 3. 5| 4| 3| 5| 4. 1| Day 7| 2. 5| 2. 5| 2. 2| 2. 5| 2. 5| 2. 44| 5. 5| 4. 5| 5| 5| 5| 5|Table 2 Breaking dormancy of Leucaena leucophala seeds Treatment| % Germination| | R E P L I C A T I O N| | 1| 2| Average| Rubbing on sandpaper| 0%| 0%| 0%| Clipping| 0%| 1%| 0. 5%| Soaking in hot water (50 degrees Celcius)| 0%| 0%| 0%| Control| 6%| 0%| 3| The experiment has shown that by clipping the seeds perhaps germination of the seed can be attain. Rubbing the seed with sandpaper can break the dormancy as well as i t can also break and kill the seed. Soaking the seeds in hot water can also break the hardness of the coat of the seed thus can also kill the developing parts of the seeds of the plant.Clipping can be considered as an effective way of breaking the dormancy of the seed thus in some unexpected ways or inaccurate work, the seeds may be damaged and may not germinate. Table 3. 1 Effect of initial moisture content on the storability of rice seeds I. Effect of initial moisture content on the storability of rice seeds Treatment| % Germination| | R E P L I C A T I O N| | 1| 2| Average| | After 3 days| After 7 days| After 3 days| After 7 days| | 11% moisture content| 12%| | 12%| | 16%| 20% moisture content| 0%| 16%| 0%| 12%| 14%|The results have shown that the rice seed treated with 11% moisture content have higher percent of germination as compared with the rice seed treated with 20% moisture content. Rice seeds are known to be an orthodox type of seeds. Orthodox type of seeds are seeds whic h are needed to be stored with low moisture content under conditions at low temperature and low humidity. This means that in order to attain and make the seeds germinate these seeds must be maintained at low moisture content. Table 3. 2 Storability of recalcitrant seeds Treatment| % Germination after one week| Freshly extracted| 80%|Stored for one week| 0%| The results have shown that the cacao seeds which are freshly extracted have higher percent of germination as compared with the cacao seeds stored for one week. Cacao seeds are known to be recalcitrant type of seeds. This means that this type of seeds should have been planted after they are extracted. These seeds should not be stored long to attain a high percent of germination. Since the seeds are stored for seven days or one week the seeds will no longer germinate because it has already dried up and this type of seed must be stored without reduction in their moisture.

Free Essays on Early Colonies

There were various reasons why the American Colonies were established. The three most important themes of English colonization of America were religion, economics, and government. The most important reasons for colonization were to seek refuge, religious freedom, and economic opportunity. To a lesser degree, the colonists sought to establish a stable and progressive government. Many colonies were founded for religious purposes. While religion was involved with all of the colonies, Massachusetts, New Haven, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were established exclusively for religious purposes. Massachusetts's inhabitants were Puritans who believed in predestination and the ideal that God is perfect. Many Puritans in England were persecuted for their nihilist beliefs in England because they felt that the Church of England, led by the Kind, did not enforce a literal enough interpretation of the Bible. Persecution punishment included jail and even execution. To seek refuge, they separated to go to Holland because of its proximity, lower cost, and safer passage. However, their lives in Holland were much different than that of England. The Separatists did not rebel against but rather preferred the English culture. They did not want their children to be raised Dutch. Also, they felt that Holland was too liberal. Although they enjoyed the freedom of religion, they decided to leave for America. Pilgrims, or sojourners, left for America on The Mayflower and landed in Cape Cod in 1626. They had missed their destination, Jamestown. Although the climate was extremely rocky, they did n ot want to move south because of their Puritan beliefs. William Burns from class gives a good analogy of how it was back in the Puritans day... Free Essays on Early Colonies Free Essays on Early Colonies There were various reasons why the American Colonies were established. The three most important themes of English colonization of America were religion, economics, and government. The most important reasons for colonization were to seek refuge, religious freedom, and economic opportunity. To a lesser degree, the colonists sought to establish a stable and progressive government. Many colonies were founded for religious purposes. While religion was involved with all of the colonies, Massachusetts, New Haven, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were established exclusively for religious purposes. Massachusetts's inhabitants were Puritans who believed in predestination and the ideal that God is perfect. Many Puritans in England were persecuted for their nihilist beliefs in England because they felt that the Church of England, led by the Kind, did not enforce a literal enough interpretation of the Bible. Persecution punishment included jail and even execution. To seek refuge, they separated to go to Holland because of its proximity, lower cost, and safer passage. However, their lives in Holland were much different than that of England. The Separatists did not rebel against but rather preferred the English culture. They did not want their children to be raised Dutch. Also, they felt that Holland was too liberal. Although they enjoyed the freedom of religion, they decided to leave for America. Pilgrims, or sojourners, left for America on The Mayflower and landed in Cape Cod in 1626. They had missed their destination, Jamestown. Although the climate was extremely rocky, they did n ot want to move south because of their Puritan beliefs. William Burns from class gives a good analogy of how it was back in the Puritans day...

Verificar estatus de caso migratorio con el USCIS

Verificar estatus de caso migratorio con el USCIS Verificar el estatus del caso de inmigracià ³n en Estados Unidos es un derecho de todas las personas con un caso ante el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). En ocasiones la demora puede ser tan grande que uno acaba preguntndose si es que algo va mal o comienza a tener nervios imaginando lo peor y que su caso no va a ser aprobado. Lo cierto es que casi siempre lo que sucede es que las demoras son muy grandes, particularmente para cierto tipo de trmites. Por ello, en este artà ­culo se explica cà ³mo se puede conocer quà © est pasando con la solicitud migratoria por medio de Internet, por telà ©fono o en persona. Adems, hacia el final del artà ­culo hay un enlace para averiguar los tiempos promedio que se estn tardando para tramitar peticiones de familia, naturalizaciones, casos en corte e incluso peticiones de visas no inmigrantes.   Opciones para verificar estatus migratorio con USCIS Internet: Por medio de la pgina oficial USICS https:egov.uscis.gov/casestatus. Se necesita el nà ºmero de identificacià ³n del caso, el cual consta de 13 caracteres (3 letras seguidas por 10 nà ºmeros).Por telà ©fono: 1-800-375-5283. Las personas con problemas de audicià ³n pueden marcar al 1-800-767-1833.En persona: Puede presentarse en cualquier oficina migratoria (solo migrantes con estatus legal). Utilice el sistema InfoPass para concertar una cita previamente.  ¿Cà ³mo verificar el estatus del caso con el USCIS? La pgina de Internet del Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) ofrece un servicio en inglà ©s y en espaà ±ol para revisar cà ³mo se va procesando el caso migratorio de cada inmigrante. Debe introducirse en la casilla apropiada el nà ºmero de recibo del caso que se quiere verificar y est compuesto por 13 caracteres. Esto es, tres letras seguido por diez nà ºmeros. Las letras pueden ser cualquiera de las siguientes: EAC, WAC, LIN, SRC. Es muy importante que al introducir no se escriba ningà ºn sà ­mbolo de guion (-). Sin embargo, si el nà ºmero incluye otros sà ­mbolos, como por ejemplo asteriscos (*), sà ­ deben incluirse. El nà ºmero que pide la pgina del USCIS es el que corresponde a un determinado caso migratorio. Se encuentra en el recibo de confirmacià ³n que envà ­a a cada inmigrante que realiza una peticià ³n o solicitud antes las autoridades migratorias. En el caso de peticiones de tarjeta de residencia para un familiar o de visa de prometido (novio o fiancà ©), ese nà ºmero est en el documento conocido como NOA1. Despuà ©s de introducir el nà ºmero de recibo, presionar la tecla de verifique estatus. Se abrir una pantalla en la que se pueden comprobar los pasos por los que ya ha pasado la solicitud del inmigrante y cules estn todavà ­a pendientes.  ¿Cà ³mo recibir actualizaciones de estatus de caso electrà ³nico? Cada inmigrante que tiene un caso pendiente con el USCIS puede solicitar que se le mantenga al dà ­a sobre cà ³mo se va procesando su solicitud mediante correo electrà ³nico. Para este caso es preciso crear previamente una cuenta en la pgina del Servicio de Inmigracià ³n presionando en inscribirse como cliente solicitante. A continuacià ³n, debe aceptar los tà ©rminos y condiciones de uso de este servicio y ya se puede darse de alta en este servicio. Informacià ³n electrà ³nica para planillas N-400 e I-90 Solo para los casos de los formularios N-400, para solicitar la ciudadanà ­a estadounidense por naturalizacià ³n, o I-90, la solicitud para reemplazar la tarjeta de residente permanente o green card, es posible verificar el estatus del caso mediante el denominado e-request. Para poder utilizar este servicio es necesario que ya haya transcurrido el tiempo normal de procesamiento de estos documentos y no se tenga respuesta. Por ejemplo, en la actualidad para el N-400 est entre 12 y 20 meses, variando enormemente segà ºn la oficina encargada para su procesamiento. Por otro lado, para el I-90, de 4 meses a 10 meses y medio. Si pasado este tiempo no tiene noticias, puede plantear su pregunta. Si sigue sin obtener respuesta, debe dejar pasar 30 dà ­as antes de volver a pedir una explicacià ³n. Solicitud de informacià ³n sobre el estatus del caso en persona Los inmigrantes con estatus migratorio legal pueden verificar el estatus del caso presentndose en las oficinas del USCIS y, tras esperar en fila a que llegue su turno, preguntar por su caso. O tambià ©n es posible concertar una cita para un dà ­a y una hora en concreto mediante el servicio InfoPass. Es muy importante que los migrantes indocumentados no se presenten voluntariamente en persona en las oficinas del USCIS ya que pueden ser detenidos. Sin embargo, en los casos en los que han sido previamente citados sà ­ deben presentarse, pero es altamente recomendable que vayan acompaà ±ados de abogados migratorios. Solicitud por telà ©fono de informacià ³n sobre estatus de caso Los migrantes tambià ©n pueden comunicarse con el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n por telà ©fono, marcando al 1-800-375-5283 o al 1-800-767-1833, si se sufre de algà ºn problema de audicià ³n. Se brinda servicio en inglà ©s y en espaà ±ol. Se puede llamar a cualquier otra para recibir informacià ³n automatizada, es decir, ofrecida por una computadora. Para hablar con una persona es preciso realizar la llamada en horas de oficina (8am a 6 pm) de lunes a viernes, si el inmigrante se encuentra en cualquiera de los estados de EUA excepto Hawaii (8am-4pm) o Alaska (8am-5pm). Recuerde tener a mano toda la informacià ³n necesaria, como el nà ºmero de caso, el Alien Registration Number, si se tiene, el pasaporte o cualquier otro documento que contenga informacià ³n importante sobre su situacià ³n de inmigracià ³n en USA. Verificar estatus de caso con el CENTRO NACIONAL DE VISAS Despuà ©s de que el USCIS apruebe una peticià ³n de visa no inmigrante, si la tramitacià ³n debe seguir un procesamiento consular (cuando la persona pedida est fuera de EEUU o, si est aquà ­, no puede ajustar su estatus) la solicitud pasa al Centro Nacional de Visas (NVC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Y aquà ­ se va a recibir un nuevo nà ºmero de caso, que es el que se debe utilizar para comunicarse con el NVC. Es muy importante entender, adems, que en los siguientes casos la tramitacià ³n va a quedar dormida por un tiempo: peticià ³n de ciudadano de green card para hijos casados, hijos solteros mayores de 21 aà ±os y hermanospeticià ³n de residentes para cà ³nyuges e hijos solteros (menores y mayores de 21 aà ±os)peticiones de green card patrocinadas por empleador Esto se debe a que es necesario que haya tarjetas de residencia disponibles para la categorà ­a por la que se aplica. Asà ­, es posible obtener la aprobacià ³n en unos meses pero tener que esperar incluso aà ±os por la green card. Una vez que hay nà ºmero de visa disponible, comienza la fase final de la tramitacià ³n. La disponibilidad de tarjetas de residencia o determinadas categorà ­as de visas se puede verificar en el à ºltimo boletà ­n de visas  del Departamento de Estado, para ello hay que tener a mano la fecha de prioridad que aparece en la carta que se conoce como NOA2, y que envià ³ el USCIS. Por el contrario, las peticiones de ciudadano para cà ³nyuge, hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os y padres no tienen que esperar, por lo que una vez que lleguen al NVC se proceder a su tramitacià ³n sin demora. Tiempos de demora en tramitacià ³n y quà © hacer con retrasos. Es posible informarse de cunto aproximadamente se estn demorando los casos similares ante el USCIS dependiendo de la oficina de tramitacià ³n, visas no inmigrantes, migrantes, NVC e incluso en  Corte etc. Adems, en casos de demoras ms all de lo habitual para el mismo tipo de casos, se puede demandar mediante lo que se conoce como un writ of mandamus. Para ellos, consultar antes con un abogado. De interà ©s para obtener confiable informacià ³n para resolver inquietudes Para obtener ms informacià ³n sobre telà ©fonos o pginas webs en los que acudir para encontrar informacià ³n oficial, denunciar fraudes migratorios o encontrar asesorà ­a legal a buen precio y reputada se puede consultar esta lista importante de recursos para migrantes. Este es un artà ­culo meramente informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

5 Appositive Phrases with Punctuation Problems

5 Appositive Phrases with Punctuation Problems 5 Appositive Phrases with Punctuation Problems 5 Appositive Phrases with Punctuation Problems By Mark Nichol An appositive is a noun or a noun phrase that appears in proximity to another noun or noun phrase to define or modify it. When writers employ nonrestrictive appositions, which consist of optional additional information, they sometimes fail to punctuate the sentence correctly to indicate that the phrase is parenthetical, leading to confusion. Here are five sentences in which insertion of a single comma repairs the damage. 1. â€Å"John Smith, Jones’s rival and number four on the FBI’s most-wanted list is caught.† If this sentence began with â€Å"Jones’s rival . . .,† it would be correctly punctuated. But â€Å"John Smith† is the subject, â€Å"is caught† is the object, and the phrase beginning â€Å"Jones’s rival† and ending â€Å"most-wanted list† is an appositive, and must be punctuated as a parenthetical phrase: â€Å"John Smith, Jones’s rival and number four on the FBI’s most-wanted list, is caught.† 2. â€Å"John Doe, who once led the company was indicted on eighty-five counts in a huge federal case.† The basic facts are that John Doe was indicted; the phrase â€Å"who once led the company† is an appositive parenthetical and must, like the descriptive phrase in the preceding example, be framed by commas: â€Å"John Doe, who once led the company, was indicted on eighty-five counts in a huge federal case.† 3. â€Å"Life has been rough for Jane Roe, the governor’s chief of staff ever since her controversial remark went public.† â€Å"The governor’s chief of staff† is the appositive here; without a comma following the phrase to complement the preceding comma, the statement implies that she gained her position when she made the remark: â€Å"Life has been rough for Jane Roe, the governor’s chief of staff, ever since her controversial remark went public.† 4. General Martin Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who just wrapped up a visit to Afghanistan, was asked whether he foresees North Korea taking military action soon. By combining the general’s title with the reference to his recent visit to Afghanistan, the sentence implies that more than one Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman exists; Dempsey is the one who had just returned from Afghanistan. The phrase â€Å"the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman† must be bracketed by a pair of commas to show that it is the first of two parenthetical phrases dividing the subject from the object: â€Å"General Martin Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, who just wrapped up a visit to Afghanistan, was asked whether he foresees North Korea taking military action soon.† (Sometimes, one of two consecutive appositives that follow another noun or noun phrase can be separated by relocating one before the noun or noun phrase it refers to, but here, Dempsey’s title would compete with his military rank; however, the reference to the Afghanistan visit could be moved to a subsequent sentence, or even deleted because it is irrelevant to the sentence.) 5. â€Å"The next antiwar demonstration scheduled to take place on April 7 may take aim at companies outside San Francisco.† This sentence’s lack of internal punctuation will likely lead readers to assume that more than one demonstration is scheduled to take place on April 7, which is a distracting error. The reference to the date is in apposition, identifying the date of the event (it is appositive because, as a truncated version of â€Å"the one scheduled to take place on April 7,† it is another way of referring to â€Å"the next antiwar demonstration†), and could be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence: â€Å"The next antiwar demonstration, scheduled to take place on April 7, may take aim at companies outside San Francisco.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" Connotations of 35 Words for Funny PeopleOppose and Opposed To

Performance Review Takes a Page from Facebook Research Paper - 1

Performance Review Takes a Page from Facebook - Research Paper Example It is true that social media has found massive inroads in the lives of many but delegating such an important task to informal social media conversation is not only time consuming but might also be ineffective. Formal performance evaluation not only tells people where they stand but also provides guidance as to how to increase performance in future. There are other important elements of performance feedback and evaluation as well like anonymity which might not be fulfilled through regular conversation. It is therefore safe to disagree with the statement that regular conversation eliminates the need for formal performance evaluations. Regular conversation is important in today’s society and people should have a forum where they can voice their concerns and can get help. There is no doubt in the efficacy of making regular conversations with employees but the purpose of formalized performance evaluation is to informs employees about their performance for a time period. Regular conversations might not fulfill this purpose because performance evaluation should be spaced accurately so that employees have a chance to show improvements. Performance evaluations cannot be taken every month and week, and this is why formal performance evaluation and feedback is important. In different age groups performance feedback effectiveness through social networks will be very different from each other. For example for veterans such a method might not work at all because they are not very technology friendly (Jeffries, 2007). They might be more comfortable with face to face performance evaluation or paper based evaluations. Baby boomers might also not as comfortable with technology as other younger age groups (Perez, 2009), and therefore they might also not prefer such system of performance evaluations. Other age groups like Generation X and generation Y might be more comfortable with performance evaluations done through social media. This is because of their

New York State report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New York State report - Essay Example (Cuomo, 2012) Using the $10 billion dollar waiver awarded, the state plans on transforming the health care system of its people through the MRT plan. Some of the key issues outlined in the waiver include: expansion of high quality primary health care, grants to increase health homes for patients in need of extensive health care and facilities, strategies to increase Medicaid savings in the long-term and evaluation of ongoing and new MRT initiatives to ensure that public funds are not embezzled. The plans will ensure that health insurance becomes affordable through reduction of insurance premiums, pulling of resources together to reduce individual costs like coinsurance, copayments and deductibles and providing credits to ease the purchase of the insurance cover for low income earners. The benefits of these reforms are numerous. First, it reduces the high cost of Medicare due to the spread of costs among many people. Pooling of risks and costs among many people will result to lower premium rates and therefore, all costly health care would be affordable to all people. Secondly, a good health system will result in higher productivity since the labor force is healthy. Lastly, people under the insurance cover seek medical attention regularly; this reduces the chances of illnesses occurring and the general cost of the health care. Health insurance exchanges refer to marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can compare and buy health insurance. The exchanges will be accessible through physical offices, phone lines and websites. There are four categories of coverage offered by insurers: platinum, gold, silver and bronze with platinum being the most costly while bronze being the cheapest. The following grants were awarded to the state of New York to develop the Exchange program: Exchange Planning Grant, Early Innovator Grant and Exchange Establishment Grant. (Slavik & Webb, n.d.) The law requires

Interpreting Financial Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interpreting Financial Statements - Essay Example The number of days in inventory for Pepsico is 40 days whereas it is 64 days for Coca – Cola. It is evident that Pepsico is more effective in converting its inventory into sale and hence has a better liquidity position in terms of the revenue generated. Both the companies have almost equally geared in terms of debt. The debt to total assets ratio is an indication of the company’s long term growth capacity and its ability to generate more capital through debts. Both Coca – Cola and Pepsico have significant interest coverage, as the earnings are almost 33 times the interest expenses. Hence it is evident that the companies will not face any issues in covering the interest expenses. The cash debt coverage is a measure of the ability of the company to cover its debts with the liquid cash in hand generated from the operations. Though both the firms have a significant value, Pepsico is able to generate higher cash from its operations and hence can manage about 57% of its debts with the cash from operations. The free cash flow, as the name indicates, is measured in million USD and is found that in 2004, Coca – Cola has a free cash of $ 5,213 million whereas Pepsico has about $ 3,667 million. It is evident that Coca – Cola has significantly higher free cash compared to that of Pepsico. It is clear from the values that Coca – Cola is able to convert 22% of its revenue as earnings or profit, whereas Pepsico converts only 14% of its revenue into income. Hence the profitability of Coca – Cola is comparatively much higher than that of Pepsico. This is the percentage of revenue after all the expenses, interests and taxes that is available to the shareholders and to the company. The Asset Turnover rate determines the ability of the company to effectively utilize its assets to generate revenue. It is important to note that a company generating high revenues may not actually be effective if its utilizing much

KaiFu Lee Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

KaiFu Lee Case - Essay Example In an attempt to mitigate the damages a company incurs by the loss of a valuable employee-one who also holds a great deal of its trade secrets, companies such as Microsoft often include a non-compete clause in their employee contracts. In the case of Kai-Fu Lee, Mr. Lee was prohibited from working with the competitors of Microsoft for a period of one year after the termination of his employment. In July, 2005 Mr. Lee left the employ of Microsoft and went to work for its competitor, Google. As a direct result a law suit was initiated. This research paper examines all the relevant factors in the case of Kai-Fu Lee as well as its implications with regards to the hiring practices of many other companies. The Kai-Fu Lee case represents the culmination of Microsoft's efforts to put an end to what many consider to be a long-standing and unethical practice of Google. This practice involves the attraction and retention of the most qualified employees irrespective of their contractual obligations to its competitors or any other companies. This practice is one that represented an overall strategic plan on the part of Google. An integral part of its strategy was to establish offices in close proximity to Microsoft's headquarters. In so doing, Google was in a position to offer the employees a better overall financial package while ensuring that there is minimal interruption in the personal lives of the employees. In fact, in November of 2004 Google hired Mark Lucovsky who was at the time one of Microsoft's top engineers (Elgin, 2005). Kai-Fu Lee as a Valuable Employee In order to examine the case of Kai-Fu Lee and the suit incited by his engagement by Google it is prudent that we look into the background of Kai-Fu Lee and how and why he was recruited by Google. This coupled with Microsoft's efforts aimed at preventing him from being employed by its competitors will serve to establish the rationale behind the entire case. First and foremost, Mr. Lee was a Chinese immigrant who migrated to the United States in 1973. He graduated from Columbia University in 1983 at the top of his class and went on to Carnie Mellon University where he earned a Ph.D. in computer science in 1988. While at Carnie Mellon he established himself as one of the up-and-coming leaders in the field by pioneering the development of an artificial intelligence based system for playing the famous board game Othello. His development won him the top award at the U.S. National tournament of computer players in 1989. During the course of his academic career he made many significant acco mplishments which were responsible for launching his career as a faculty member of Carnegie Mellon and subsequently as a research and development executive for Apple Computer. While at Apple he was spearheaded the team of developers responsible for developing PlainTalk, Apple Newton and QuickTime. He then left Apple Computer for Silicone Graphics where he served as the president of their Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) division. After working for Silicone Graphics for only a bit over a year, he was recruited by Microsoft and founded the Microsoft Research Division in Beijing China in 1998 where he worked until 2000 when he returned to the United States and served as the Vice President of Interactive Services for Microsoft (Microsoft,

Amendment Impact Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Amendment Impact - Assignment Example Despite this extent of unreliability, the supreme courts in most states still insist on the evidence from show up identification. This majority rule approach employs malleable and outdated facts; as a result the show up type of evidence is routinely used against innocent defendants during criminal trials. In some states however, defendants are offered meaning protection under the constitution. Such reforms come in form of evolution of the approach that is used by the majority. Here, much more relevant facts and circumstances are added in the analysis. The next one is a revolution that goes against the majority approach. In this instance, the evidence from show up identification is prohibited unless it is at the time of show up. It is applicable in cases where existing circumstances avert the use of photo array or line up process; or lack of probable cause for arresting the suspect, and there is no cause for illegally arresting him long enough while awaiting line up or photo array results. The best thing about the revolutionary show up approach is that it provides innocent defendants protection against any form of false identification and wrong convictions. Most bodies especially those concerning the human rights have persistently urged the supreme courts to adopt the revolutionary methods. Despite all these compulsions, the courts are still very adamant in their trials. Most trial courts will thwart the minority rule by distortion of the two exemptions thus exposing defendants to wrongful trials. When there is false eyewitness identification and wrong convictions, truth is always uncovered by the use of post conviction DNA tests. However, in many major criminal cases, normally criminal evidence is either destroyed or even considered nonexistent. This results into significant problems for the defendant whom in most cases is

Personal narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal narrative - Essay Example He wanted to study English to help with his university coursework. My motivation was more casual. I was simply interested in learning a little spoken Thai and a little about Thai culture. I wasn't interested in learning to read or to write Thai. This narrative will concentrate on the application of Cambourne's prerequisites of learning to my language exchange experience. These prerequisites, or conditions of learning, are immersion, demonstration, expectation, responsibility, approximation, employment, response and engagement. As noted by Cambourne, these conditions of learning do not exist in isolation. Rather, these conditions are intertwined. A learner's ability to approximate the target behavior, for instance, may be difficult or impossible absent immersion or demonstration. That said, the eight conditions set forth a clear analytical framework for assessing my Thai-English language exchange. Immersion refers to the depth and the comprehensiveness of the learning or literacy experience. It refers to the extent to which the learner is saturated by the learning experience. It also involves, in important ways, questions of authenticity. In my case, immersion was gravely lacking. As a result, it was difficult to approximate the modeled behavior, the spoken Thai, and my expectations were consequently diminished. My instructor was a native-speaker of Thai. He was well-educated and well-prepared for our lessons. From the point of view of immersion, however, he was my sole authentic connection to the Thai language. In the background, during our lessons at the coffee shop, there was English music playing on the radio. Everything, from menus to posters on the wall to the conversations at adjoining tables, was in English. Trying to focus on my Thai lessons was at times a distraction. It seemed external to the physical and cultural environment. In short, the lack of the immersion element affected in a significant way my total learning experience. The lack of authenticity and the lack of a broader learning exposure to the learning goals left me feeling a bit hopeless about learning to speak Thai. Demonstration: Creating Realistic and Practical Situations The second condition of learning, the demonstration prerequisite, concerns the modeling of the target behavior. This modeling may be formal or informal. My Thai instructor was rather creative in this respect. He brought magazines to our meetings and used them as teaching aids. I recall one lesson where we studied shopping and prices. He brought a clothing catalogue, a Thai silk catalogue, and a Thai cooking book as teaching aids. He handed me a worksheet in which he had typed English inquiries such as, "How much is a coke", with the Thai equivalent written alongside in English script. He modeled the correct pronunciation, made relevant grammatical distinctions, and created a salesperson-customer role-play for the clothing and silk catalogues and a waiter-customer role-play for the Thai cooking book. We took turns playing each of the roles. This was one of the most beneficial aspects of my learning experience. I was able to demonstrate what I had learned in a fairly realistic way. The context in which I was able to demonstrate my knowledge, based upon my instructor's models, was also quite practical. My instructor downplayed the theory in his presentation and modeling. As we were

Amendment Impact Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Amendment Impact - Assignment Example Despite this extent of unreliability, the supreme courts in most states still insist on the evidence from show up identification. This majority rule approach employs malleable and outdated facts; as a result the show up type of evidence is routinely used against innocent defendants during criminal trials. In some states however, defendants are offered meaning protection under the constitution. Such reforms come in form of evolution of the approach that is used by the majority. Here, much more relevant facts and circumstances are added in the analysis. The next one is a revolution that goes against the majority approach. In this instance, the evidence from show up identification is prohibited unless it is at the time of show up. It is applicable in cases where existing circumstances avert the use of photo array or line up process; or lack of probable cause for arresting the suspect, and there is no cause for illegally arresting him long enough while awaiting line up or photo array results. The best thing about the revolutionary show up approach is that it provides innocent defendants protection against any form of false identification and wrong convictions. Most bodies especially those concerning the human rights have persistently urged the supreme courts to adopt the revolutionary methods. Despite all these compulsions, the courts are still very adamant in their trials. Most trial courts will thwart the minority rule by distortion of the two exemptions thus exposing defendants to wrongful trials. When there is false eyewitness identification and wrong convictions, truth is always uncovered by the use of post conviction DNA tests. However, in many major criminal cases, normally criminal evidence is either destroyed or even considered nonexistent. This results into significant problems for the defendant whom in most cases is

How are people presented in Vultures Essay Example for Free

How are people presented in Vultures Essay Both Vultures and Two Scavengers in a truck, two beautiful people in a Mercedes are presented using people. They both represent people in some way and both include the people in different forms. The poem Vultures presents the people using the vultures. These vultures represent people of a certain kind. In real life vultures are real birds of prey, but in the poem they are trying to represent the types of people. The poem, Two Scavengers in a truck, two beautiful people in a Mercedes, people are presented through the division in society. Vultures are shown that humans arent so different to animals; it is shown that both animals and humans are shown through their actions. It is shown that vultures are bad in real life because of what they do, but behind all the disgusting habits there is care shown. They appear to have care for each other and therefore this shows us that even though people do bad things, they still have some good factors about them. Both animals and humans are shown through their actions and imagery to show that they are caring even though they have evil within them. For example, it starts off with how the two vultures are picking the eyes of a swollen corpse and how they eat the contents of the bowel. This shows that they are grotesque and very evil. But straight after this, the vultures are shown to be nestling together affectionately and lovingly. In spite of the nasty diet, the vultures appear to care for each other. From this the author goes on to show that even the worst of human beings shoe some touches of humanity. Then he compares the vultures to a commander n Belson. He goes on to consider the love a concentration camp commander shows to his family having spent his day burning human corpses, he buys them sweets on the way home The poet remarks on the strangeness of love, existing in places people would not have thought possible. This is the same way that the vultures are presented which links it in comparison to people; the vultures are compared with the Nazi Commandant who preyed greedily and ruthlessly on people who were supposedly weaker than him, but could still show compassion towards people that he loved, such as his family. This is the same way that the vultures are presented which links it in comparison to people and the vultures are compared with the Nazi Commandant who preyed greedily on people who were supposed to be weaker than him, but could still show compassion towards people that he loved, such as his family. In Two Scavengers in a truck, two beautiful people in a Mercedes, people are presented from two different sides of the society. It shows two garbage men and contrasts them with an elegant, rich couple in a Mercedes. Its about two pairs of people meeting for a moment in a busy city at nine oclock in the morning. They are strangers and never speak to each other. They are only near each other because they are waiting for the traffic lights to change. The first pair of people are two dustmen. They are finishing their working day and going back to the depot. They are hanging off the back of the dustbin lorry and looking down at a couple in a Mercedes sports car. These people in the Mercedes seem the very opposite of the dustbin men. They are starting their day and seem rich, successful and fashionable. The poem makes lots of contrasts between the two pair and it seems to criticise the society which makes the differences between people so large. When the poets describing the dustbin men, it is often negative, dirty and cheap. For instance, their jackets are plastic, they are grungy, and he calls them scavengers. We usually think of scavengers as animals that live off whatever others leave behind, like vultures. And in a way thats what they are they are paid to take away what others dont want, but they do an important job and we couldnt live without them. The poet describes the couple in the Mercedes in a very positive way. He wears a suit and her hair is nicely done, and their car shows just how rich they must be, but at the same time the poet also seems to criticise this couple. He says its like watching an odourless TV advert, so they dont look like real people and they sound too good to be true. The poet then shows us how two of the men are similar. They are the same age, wear sunglasses and have long hair. And of course they live in the same city they should be equal. This idea is made very clear at the end. The four people are next to each other, but there is a gulf between them they are living in different worlds. The language in Vultures is very negative towards the people, and also has a strong influence on how the people are presented. There are a lot of pessimistic adjectives used to describe the opening lines of the poem, and also to present the vultures throughout the poem. For example in the first couple of lines in the poem greyness is used, which create the idea that it is a dull scene, but the contrast with the words sunbreak give a more positive effect. The poem uses a similar technique to present the vultures, for every positive point about them; there is a different negative point presented. The metaphor, bashed in head, a pebble on a stem rooted in a dump of gross feathers creates a negative image of the vultures. Various words are use to create disgusting images of the birds. It says they picked the eyes of a swollen corpse. This is presented as an inhumane thing to do. The vultures are picking at the body of either a dead animal. After this the poet presents the juxtaposing idea of how the birds love each other. People are presented in comparison to the vultures using the example of the brutal Nazi Commandant at the Belsen concentration camp. The poem states how the commandant goes home with the fumes of human roast clinging rebelliously to his hairy nostrils. This emphasises the more negative side. The word hairy compares the commandant to the vultures as it is a description which also applies to the vultures feathers. The poem also says how the commandant stops at the sweet shop to buy a chocolate for his child. The poet uses the phrase tender offspring to refer to the child; the word tender suggests that there is a close, caring and loving relationship between the commandant and his child. Therefore this shows the more positive side to the poem. The use of the word offspring, which usually refers to the child of an animal, links people to the vultures in the poem. So the poem presents humans negatively, with an evil side, but also shows how these kinds of people also have a more tender side to them, just like the vultures. It compares people with animals such as vultures. Overall the words used are both negative and then follow a positive point. Two Scavengers in a Truck, two Beautiful People in a Mercedes uses linguistic features to present people. In the first couple of lines, the colours yellow and red are used to describe the garbage men. These colours are bright and suggest brightness into their lives. The adjective used to describe the people in the Mercedes is elegant and this is repeated, which suggests the couple are boring as there are no other adjectives to describe them. This also emphasises on the word and shows that they are very posh and therefore quite snobby. This is ironic as you would expect the couple to have a better life whereas the garbage men are expected to have a boring and dull life. The way that the couple are dressed and appear is described using various phrase and adjective; hip, three-piece linen suit, shoulder length blond hair sunglasses, young blond woman and casually coifed. All of the previous suggest that the couple are superior to the garbage men. This is because they are modern and are living what can be described as The American Dream. The garbage men are described more negatively, the first one id referred to as having grey iron hair, hunched back and gargoyle Quasimodo. The word grey contrasts with the earlier colours but also suggests that he is quite dirty, the phrase gargoyle Quasimodo implies that he is ugly and compares him to the Hunchback of Notre Dame, who was very caring and loving despite his appearance. The second of the garbage men is described the same as the Mercedes driver, however you know that they are nothing alike from other references and also because the two men are collectively described as scavengers and grungy. The use of the word scavengers suggest the two men are poor and the fact that they are garbage men emphasises this further. Overall it is shown that the garbage men are dirtier but have a more interesting life, whereas the elegant couple are shown to have the more boring life. One of the unusual things about the poem is that it doesnt have clear sentences, full stops or commas. Even the lines dont all start in the same place some lines start on the left, some on the right and some in the middle. This is done on purpose. The four people are together for a few seconds and the poet quickly notes down some differences. It also means that when you read it, you stop at different places, and this might make you think about different ideas in the poem, and what you think of modern life. The two poems present people in different way using different adjectives and linguistic features. They also show that people are not in anyway perfect in their actions and appearances. Therefore by these two poems we are shown that people can be both evil and kind and also you cannot judge a book by its cover. The two garbage men are referred to as scavengers with a low status, whilst the young people are described as elegant. The poem is set in what can be described as a snapshot in time, which is when they are waiting at the traffic lights. Although the two groups of people are presented completely differently in terms of status they sill exist in the same place at the same time which is what brings them together.

Home care division at unilever

Home care division at unilever This report tries to analyse a very important situation the Home Care Division at Unilever found itself during the late 1990s in Brazil. Unilever, with an 81% market share is the market leader in the detergent powder business. This report is based on the findings of project Everyman a market research carried out in Brazil in order to understand the regional divide in terms of the income, culture, consumption pattern or usage of detergent powder between the consumers of North East and the South East areas of the country. The research also takes into account the competitors of Unilever in Brazil and also its sales and performance in the detergent market. And finally a recommendation is made on what would be the best marketing strategy which the company should adopt to penetrate into the largely unexplored low-income consumer segment in the Fabric wash business thereby expanding its market share and also increasing the profitability for the company. The economic recovery of 1995-1996 was beneficial for the low-income consumers, which meant that the purchasing power of the poorest 10% of the population grew by 27% per year during the period. Our main focus remains on the two main regions of Brazil, the Northeast and the Southwest, especially the lower income consumers of Northeast of Brazil. Consumer behaviour is the process individuals or groups go through to select, purchase, use and dispose of goods, services, ideas or experience to satisfy their needs and desires. (Solomon, Marshall, Stuart, Barnes, Mitchell, 2009). The Decision to buy the detergent for a consumer in both the regions NE and SE is Habitual and hence lacks complexity. It is seen that the level of involvement of the consumer in the decision making process is very low. Also, the consumer is well aware of various brands of detergent or laundry soap which are on offer in the market. Moreover, considering the fact that the risk associated with the purchase of the detergent or laundry soap is minimal, the consumer spends lesser time in evaluating or deciding the brand of purchase. There are various influences which affect the ultimate choice of a consumer. In this case, the various categories of influences which are affecting the consumers choice while buying the detergent powder or laundry soap are shown in Figure 1: There are various different ways in which a consumer tends to internalise any available information to make an informed decision. The key internal influences which are affecting the decision making of the consumers are: Perception: It can be defined as the process of selection, organising and interpreting any information in form of sensation. The consumers perceive Omo as an ideal detergent having all the qualities required to fulfil their washing needs. According to the consumers as given in Exhibit 5, an ideal detergent should demonstrate the following qualities or aspects: Power of the detergent (its ability to clean and whiten the clothes with small quantity of product). Smell/Fragrance (Strong, pleasant smell associated with softening power and gentleness to fabric and hands). Ability to remove stains without laundry soap or bleach The ease with which the powder dissolves and absence of residue (consistency and granularity of the powder). Interestingly, the perception regarding the usage of bleach also differs between the women of the Recife Northeast, where majority of the women prefers using bleach after washing clothes to remove tough stains, whereas only 18% of the women in Sao Paulo Southeast prefer doing so. Learning: It can be defined as the change in buyer behaviour caused due to available information or experience. The consumers in general are well aware of the various brands of washing detergents and soaps available in the market. From the data given regarding Brand Knowledge, market penetration and Top of the mind awareness in Exhibit 8 it is evident that the consumer across regions in Brazil have either the knowledge or have seen or used one or all washing products at some point in time. Lifestyle: Reflects the value, tastes and preferences of people depending on their pattern of living which is determined by how they choose to spend their money, time and energy. The way the clothes are washed differs in both regions since the women in NE attach great value and take pride in keeping themselves and their families spotlessly clean whereas the women in SE consider it as daily chores, less important for self-esteem and social status. Another factor influencing the choice of detergent or soap is the number of households which owns washing machine 28% in Northeast and 73% in Southeast. Social Class: The rank or the status of the people or group in the society can be defined as a Social Class. People are considered to be in the same class who either work in same occupations, having similar level of incomes, or share similar tastes. Exhibit 2 highlights the social class composition in the Southeast and the Northeast of Brazil. The divide is evident with more than 45% of the population in Southeast forming the top 3 Tiers (A, B, C) as compared to the Northeast where more than 53% of the total population form the bottom 2 Tiers (E+ E-). This is one of the major reasons for the difference in the consumption pattern of the detergent powder and laundry soaps in both the regions, although the penetration of both detergent powder and the laundry soap is almost the same. Majority of the population in the north-eastern region use a lot more soap and less detergent as compared to their counterparts in the southeast. Another very interesting fact to note is the frequency at which the clothes are being washed in both the regions. The washing of clothes in the Northeast happens more frequently as compared to the Southeast since the low income group of Northeast have fewer clothes to wear. In the year 1996, the detergent powder and the washing soap market in the Northeast of Brazil was worth a whopping $208 million and growing. As shown in Figure 2 there are 3 key players in the fabric wash market in Brazil with Unilever, the market leader with an 81% market share, close behind is PG with a 15% share in the market and the remaining 4% of the market is captured by local Brazilian companies. The market can be broadly classified based on the type of washing products offered. The detergent powder industry which sells around 42,000 tons of washing powder in the Northeast is growing at an exceptional rate of 17% per annum. And the dominance of major multinationals like Unilever and PG has been because of the capital intensive nature of the of the manufacturing process requiring massive manufacturing and RD costs. Following are some of the key players in the market. Unilever: Unilever has been a dominant force in the detergent powder market in the Northeast with a 75% market share. With a 52 % market share Omo is the most popular and the most dominant brand of detergent powder in the Unilever stable. Minerva is the only brand offered by Unilever in both the detergent powder and the laundry soap with a market share of 17% and 19.1% respectively. And finally Campeiro holds 6% of the total detergent powder market. PG: Although PG entered the Brazilian market in 1988, it has come a long way in becoming the second most successful manufacturer with a 15% share in the detergent powder market. The primary reason for this success can be given to the large amount spend on making manufacturing improvements in the businesses acquired by PG to develop better products for the Brazilian market and the RD and marketing expertise is a direct threat to Unilever. Ace is its the flagship brand which has 11% market share, a direct competitor of Omo with features like superior whiteness, dirt removing capability and fabric protection is priced at 2.35/Kg. Followed by the other brands offered by PG viz. Bold competing against Minerva and with focus on softness sells at 2.50/Kg and Pop is an alternative for Campeiro selling at 1.70/Kg together occupies 6% of the detergent powder market. Others: Invicto owned by local Brazilian company ASA with 5% share of the market which competes against Campeiro is sold at 1.70/Kg. The remaining 3 % of the detergent powder market is currently being held by local Brazilian companies. The Laundry soap market in the Northeast of Brazil is equally big as compared to the detergent powder industry with revenues of $ 102 million, selling around 8,125 tons per year; however its growth rate at just 6% is far slower than its rival. Unlike the detergent powder market where Unilever and PG were the dominant forces, this market is being dominated by brands manufactured by local Brazilian companies; surprisingly PG offers no products in this segment. As shown in Exhibit 7 the local companies hold a major chunk 69.6% of the market share (including others and Flora). Bem-te-vi is extremely popular and is positioned with emphasis on traditional and regional values targeting the low income consumers of Northeast holding 11.3% of the market. Minerva which is the only Unilever brand is considered to be one of the best laundry soaps with an impressive total share of 19.1%. Marketing Mix Strategies help in identifying how a companys marketing would accomplish the objectives by using the following factors; It is a strategic planning method used in evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a business. The details of the SWOT analysis for Unilever are evident in Figure 4. 5.1 Growth Strategy Unilever fabric wash products enjoy immense respect and recognition across different regions of Brazil due to its diverse range of products, dependable in-house marketing capabilities and excellent advertising campaigns. However, the ignorance and indecisiveness in adopting a strategy to tap in the huge potential of the low income group of Northeast has been an area of concern for the company. The Product-market Growth Matrix in Figure 5 helps us analyse various growth strategies and identify the most suitable strategy the company should follow to expand their current market. New Products Existing Products Product Emphasis New Markets Existing Markets MKT Emphasis Extension of the current entry level brand Campeiro is the most ideal strategy and hence we need to adopt the Product development strategy model. The new product would be rightly called Campeiro Dazzle. We will further analyse and discuss the targeting, segmentation and positioning strategy which Unilever should follow to achieve its goals. The STP strategy in Northeast for Campeiro Dazzle would be influenced by the following variables: Segmentation: Demographic: More than 53% of the population, approximately 26 million in the Northeast lives on less than two minimum wages. Illiteracy rate at 40% is very high. Psychographic: Bleach is very important to remove fat stains. Washing clothes has a symbolic value for the women and they take pride in keeping their family clean. Considered to be one of the pleasurable activities of the week, hence washing in public laundry, river or pond is considered to be an opportunity to meet and chat with friends. Behavioural: Clothes are washed frequently (5 times a week in Recife). Target marketing strategy: Since Omo and Minerva is already targeted towards the High and middle income group respectively, the new Campeiro Dazzle will be focusing on the low income consumer segment in the Northeast using Differentiated targeting strategy. Positioning: Success of Target marketing strategy is contingent on the identification and selection of most appropriate market segment. Keeping the current positioning of the 3 detergents (Omo, Minerva and Campeiro) unchanged; our primary focus would be to strategically position the new Campeiro Dazzle. The ideal positioning of Camperio Dazzle should be such that it falls between Minerva and Campeiro which fits it in the top left quadrant above the perceived Quality and Price index 100. Unilever can establish Campeiro Dazzle as one of its most sought after and affordable BRAND of CHOICE for the low income consumers by developing a Marketing Mix as mentioned below; The most important concern internally at Unilever Brazil is the issue of cannibalisation of existing premium brands like Omo or Minerva due to shift in strategy following the introduction of the new brand extension Campeiro Dazzle. The concern I believe is a legitimate one and if things do go wrong as feared by many, the results could be devastating for Unilever and could tarnish its image as being the best and most dependable, inviting competitors like PG to take maximum advantage of the situation and eat into Unilevers market share across regions in Brazil. The level of income, however, is the key factor which would avoid any such adverse situation since our new brand is targeted at the low income consumers of the northeast and is not positioned to compete against Omo and Minerva which is targeted at the high income and middle income consumers respectively. Extension of the entry level brand Campeiro is justifiable considering the time and cost constraints faced by Unilever. The process of creating and introducing a new brand involves immense RD, marketing advertising and distribution costs and will also take a long time to develop and Unilever cannot afford at this point in time since its main rival PG has the potential and the expertise to capture the massive detergent low income consumer market by either extending or repositioning one of its own existing products. Based on the Segmentation, target marketing, positioning and marketing mix strategies discussed earlier, it is strongly recommended that Unilever follows a quick growth strategy (3 year) to capture maximum market share of the low income consumers in the northeast by getting them to use Campeiro Dazzle. The Bottom-up budgeting technique would be most helpful since the new strategy requires Unilever to spend more on the promotion of Campeiro Dazzle Push strategy in the first 3 years of its introduction. This would be gradually reduced in the fourth and fifth year once the product eats into the market share of the competitors and demand for product increases Pull Strategy. Æ’Â   Push strategy: Unilever can follow the same 70/30 ratio for ATL BTL communication which it does currently. Emphasis should be more on ATL because of its high reach and low cost-per-contact especially TV advertisements hoardings (Knowledge about the availability of the new product). On the other hand BTL techniques like in-store promotions and improved visibility of the product in the small stores. The biggest factor that can contribute to an instant success of Campeiro Dazzle is if Unilever builds confidence in its secondary, small local wholesalers and specialized distributors by running a high incentive/commission through sales programme. This is one primary reason why 0.50 cents/k.g has been earmarked towards promotional cost. Resulting in our products reaching 75,000 small outlets where most of the low income consumers shop. Æ’Å ¸ Pull Strategy: Promotion is one of the most important and inseparable part of the marketing mix. However for Unilever, assuming the success and the overwhelming acceptance of Campeiro Dazzle over the first three years by the low income consumers the promotion strategy would then have to shift to improve the profit margin. This would be a challenge considering the fact that reversal of the distribution channels is difficult. However, increasing demand for Campeiro Dazzle amongst low income consumers due to effectiveness, high brand value and recognition (thanks to a new TV promotion/advertisement by a well known celebrity or a popular music band which would act as a stimulant) will force the retailers to respond to this demand by stocking more Campeiro Dazzle in their stores. Conclusion: The aforementioned analysis clearly indicates that the existing detergent products and the strategy adopted by Unilever to capture the market share and satisfy the needs of the low income consumers hasnt been very successful. Project Everyman, however, has come as a ray of hope for the company helping it understand the enormous potential of this group of consumers. The implementation of the new strategies mentioned in this report would certainly help Unilever to expand its market share and profitability and most importantly help them implement this business model to gain success in other developing economies of the world and immense respect in the industry.