Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Hispanis Americans and the United States Research Paper

Hispanis Americans and the United States - Research Paper Example However, apart from that parameter they share considerable differences among themselves to be identified as separate groups with regards to the different countries to which they belong to. Political Issues of the Hispanic Groups Mexicans The Mexican Americans distinguish themselves from the larger American race owing to separate immigration and labor policies held in America. Further, the implementation of treaties like North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement also makes their positions easily distinguishable. Moreover, the constitutional rights of the Mexican Americans are also infringed through the construction of separate schools for Mexican children which are mostly poorly funded. Mexican Americans are increasingly taking resort to political activities to gather voice for protesting on social issues though on temporal basis (Schaefer, 2006, pp.242, 246, 265). Cubans The Cuban population in United States of America reflects a much better position than other Hispanic groups. These group s of people turn out to be the fortunate ones to be able to complete their education till the college level. These immigrants unlike other Hispanics like Mexicans have formed their own political party to raise their voices against America’s policy in bettering relations with Cuba. However, Cubans like Mexicans adore the Spanish language which relates them to the Hispanic groups (Schaefer, 2006, p.250). ... Moreover these Hispanic groups unlike Hispanic races like Mexicans gained the opportunity for making mass scale immigration to United States. Common to the Mexican population is the high level of illegal immigrants occupied the American region (Schaefer, 2006, p.251-252). Puerto Ricans Puerto Ricans unlike other Hispanic groups have self political identities where they can elect their own governors and constitute a separate homeland distinct from the United States. Henceforth, this Hispanic group enjoys the power of citizenship in America. The Puerto Rico immigrants are highly scrutinized on matters of other Hispanics entering as Puerto Ricans to enjoy constitutional rights. Puerto Ricans share a commonality with other Hispanic groups in using Spanish language as their own distinct language in America (Schaefer, 2006.pp.268-270). Action of Political Parties on increase Hispanic presence The growth of Hispanic population in the United States has led to their increased political presen ce. Moreover, the policies of the American government have also supported the growth of the Hispanic voters. The ballot system has been made bilingual to help the Hispanic population cast their votes. However, the above activities failed to have a considerable impact on the voting rights of the Hispanic groups for a maximum of them were found ineligible for being non-citizens. The Democrats in United States are taking a fresher look to draw in more Hispanic votes in their constituencies (Schaefer, 2006, p. 245; Marger, 2008). Social and Economic Issues of the Hispanic Groups Mexicans The Mexican Americans in United Kingdom have varied economic positions. Some have access to potential land resources while a majority turned out to become poor farmers who are regarded by Americans as

Monday, October 28, 2019

Honor Thy Children Essay Example for Free

Honor Thy Children Essay Overall the book Honor Thy Children by Molly Fumia was great. There were points in this book that just tugged at my heart. For example when the Nakatani’s found out that their middle son Greg was shot and killed. There were also points in this book that I felt if I had been in their position, I would be in a great deal of pain and misery and would not know how to work through all that had happened. I thought that Al and Jane were brave parents to endure the deaths of their three sons. This book by far was the most interesting non-fiction book I have read. This book would move the heart of any person that read it. The best thing about this book by far is how the parents have persevered throughout all these events that has happened to their family. From the running away of Glen, the murder of their son Greg, the finding out that their sons Glen and Guy were gay and their contraction of HIV, and also the death of them. They had to have heavy hearts after all of this happened, and yet they still go through all the HIV campaigning to show us how dangerous this disease is. A thing I did not like about this book is that there were very little happy things that happened to this family. I also thought that it was hard to keep track of the Nakatanis children because all of their names were so similar. If I were to grade this book, I would give it an A++ because this is a very good book and shows that humans have the will to push through any obstacle. Even though they have gone through all of that God did not give them a break and show them mercy. Despite their hard troubles, they pushed through all the sadness and despair and turned it around to help other people not make the same mistakes as them. This would definitely be a book I would recommend to people because there are very good life lessons in it. For instance, there is a limit to strict parenting, choosing your words correctly (Greg), and when faced with the worst of situations there is always something you can do about it. It also demonstrates that when a child is is pain and dying, parents always want to try and help to do what’s best for them, even at the expense of their own self. I think this book would be for ages 15 and up because there are things that would be hard to understand for someone of a young age. Also I feel that the person reading it should have some respect for gays, lesbians, etc. otherwise reading this book would be pointless. The book and movie were great to say the least. It taught me to accept who you are and that death is not the end. Memories can carry on and teach others how to deal with the loss of your loved ones. This book allowed me to take a glimpse into the Nakatani’s life and how they dealt with the loss and the grief that followed. Honor Thy Children taught me that no matter what life throws at you there are always ways to overcome these challenges. The thing I thought was most interesting was Guy will to go out to speak even while confined to a wheelchair. He had the courage to go out in the state he was in and speak. The person I identify most with in this story would be Greg. I identify with Greg the most because he was the middle son, a macho, speak his mind kind of person. The person I would identify least with would be Guy. I identify least with him because if I had gotten HIV and knew I was dying I would probably hate the world and seclude myself and not really try to do anything. This book did not really impact my life because even though it was a great book, it did not really apply that much to my life. I think that, because I have not had something similar happen to me, I have no gay or lesbian friends and I also do not know anyone with a serious disease. I think that the only things that would apply to me would be the Asian/Hawaiian culture, the dealing with the death of a loved one, and parenting. Their culture is exactly like mine because I am Japanese and I was born and raised in Hawaii. In our culture we are taught to respect your elders and listen to them. I also felt that the Nakatani’s dealt with the death of their sons better than I would have. When my brother and grandparents died I had a hard time and at some points I went through a period of depression that lasted a month in which I did not attend. It made me feel that I should have been a better grandchild and brother because I caused them a lot of trouble. The parenting part got to me because I was lucky that my parents, who were somewhat strict, were not as strict as the Nakatani’s. This helped me learn to appreciate my parents more.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

OMD GEESE :: essays research papers

Running Head Lessons about teamwork can be learned from geese. As each goose flaps its wings it creates"uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. When a goose falls out of formation, it immediately feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position. While flying in formation, geese honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. When a goose gets sick or wounded, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. They launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock (Lessons on Teamwork from Geese, 1999). Bluefield College has a unique flock of geese that meet every Thursday night in the Science building on the second floor in room # 222. These particular geese "honk" in every class and are attempting to become a team. OMD #97 members are a prime example of how group intervention can be transformed into a team. Team building creates a culture that enables communication, trust and commitment. Critical skills for team success are factors such as communication and appreciating differences. Communication and appreciating differences When a group of people becomes truly effective and perform to their potential, each one should possess a built-in confidence for each other. Understanding how goals can be served by a group effort is important. During transition from a group to a team, communication skills need to be developed. Talking and listening are crucial forms of communication. The weakness in our group is not talking. Our geese "honk" about homework, papers and tests. They fall out of formation when they do not listen or try to understand what is occurring and become upset when questioned about their presentations. The group is affected when particular members: engage in distractions (writing, reading, leafing through books, slamming book covers, zipping and unzipping notebooks); verbally attack personalities; do not participate in team decisions; do not take the process seriously; and offer putdowns at every opportunity. These actions weaken the team.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fiction and Literary Works Essay

With that said, it is important to remember that all literary works cannot always be easily classified into a single genre. Moreover, literary works which might be classified as belonging to one genre might possess many qualities more typical of other genres. For example, Shakespeare’s Macbeth is classified as drama, but in many respects takes the form of poetry. In other words, sometimes the differences between categories like drama, poetry, and the short story are not so easily defined. Often a short story might contain poetic or dramatic qualities, or a poem might include narrative and dramatic features. In your post, summarize the major similarities and differences between the forms of drama, poetry, and the short story. Demonstrate your ideas with textual examples from the course readings. In your response, include at least one example of each literary form. If you wish, you may also point to examples which indicate the blurring of literary genres (e. g. , the poetic qualities of Macbeth or the dramatic elements of Gift of the Magi). There are so much to say when it comes to similarities with drama, poetry and a short story. Personally I see that all three have some subliminal message for the audience whether it is lessons learn or an experience personal to the writer. In literary perspectives, like mentioned above, sometimes a poem or short story can merge with another genre such as drama. An example of a short story that can be drama is perhaps â€Å"The Necklace† because the story is about a lady who borrows and loses something her friend lent her and went through so much trouble to replace it instead of coming clean with the friend. A drama is meant to have characters that perform and we see this is a short story known as â€Å"I’m Going† where we see the characters clearly speaking and also we get narrative information to help the audience understand the plot and setting. Poetry is written in different formats or rhythms but can also tell a story but does not always have a plot. All have some sort of tone to set the seriousness or relax humor of the literary work. â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† is a poem which tells a story of a father and son yet there are also dramatic features as the story is told.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

English Essay †Speeches Essay

Question: there are as many different ways of interpreting and valuing texts, as there are readers. Of the countless speeches recorded throughout time a select few have transcended their original contexts and political battles to retain relevance today. We have viewed their progress over time as their outspoken ideas and reception withstanding relevance within our changing society regardless of altering values. Aung San Suu Kyi, Emma Goldman and Dr. Martin Luther King’s empowering speeches have spanned across decades, united in their aim to draw attention to a lack of freedom, justice and democratic rights and are unique in urging others to support their fight for disadvantaged social groups. In Aung San Suu Kyi’s â€Å"Keynote address at the Beijing World Conference on Women† in China 1995, she speaks with deep conviction regarding the lack of freedom that women suffer. So too does Emma Goldman when in 1917 she delivered â€Å"The political criminal of today must needs be the saint of the new age† to a jury consisting entirely of men. The discrimination that these two women discuss exemplifies women across the world, continuously being persecuted for their gender. Suu Kyi did not make use of rhetoric in her speech but instead chose to develop a sense of intimacy and appealed to her audience’s intellect through a close up video recording. Her tone and stoical approach invites her listeners to adopt new perspectives and to include women in the political process as â€Å"no war was ever started by women†. Her campaign continues with an age-old proverb of her culture that â€Å"the dawn rises only when the rooster crows† metaphorically depicting how women are subserviently treated today by the â€Å"rooster†. The proverb needs to change as it is because the dawn appears that the rooster crows. Goldman too addresses the issue of discrimination by analysing the way women are treated by power wielding men, more specifically in the legal and political system. During her defence against claims of conspiracy she defends her anarchist position and utilises sarcasm and truncated sentences to ridicule the jury when she repeatedly declares that she is facing â€Å"Gentlemen of the jury† and  only gentlemen. The anaphora illustrates her contempt that there are no females present in the jury, that these men are supposed to be honest gentlemen, an oxymoron in her eyes, and so should treat her the same way they would treat others in the same position. A personal interpretation examines men’s hold on power in society but times have changed and society must reject traditions that no longer reflect the truth. Suu Kyi’s speech comes at a time when China is stepping out of the shadows and recognising women as their own entities when it once saw them as 2nd class. Its reception today would not have altered since she spoke but there are more people supporting her cause and helping to fight for the freedom of women. There is global understanding that throughout history we are met with the same boundaries and are eternally urged to fight for equality and justice. These boundaries were met when Dr Martin Luther King challenged the widespread attitudes of society by calling on his fellow American’s by offering â€Å"a new leaf† and justice to all, no matter what race or colour. Culture in the southern states was heavily segregated in 1963 and racial division was enshrined in southern custom and law. King delivered his speech when it was needed most, however Emma Goldman delivered â€Å"The political criminal of today†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ahead of her time as the mere idea of freedom of speech was considered scandalous. With two separate causes represented by great speakers; Negro’s and free speech, both composers attempted to win their audiences support for their cause. King delivered â€Å"I have a dream† to a crowd of 250,000 followers and millions watching on television and used rhetoric gained from his preaching days coupled with the use of many anaphora’s to effectively to inflict fear upon his audience. His appeal to their emotions instilled that â€Å"it would be fatal†¦to overlook†¦the movement† and unless something is done about racial injustice, life is worthless. Emma Goldman’s clever use of rhetoric defies tradition and unlike King’s use of emotion she alienated her audience by stirring negative opinions and called upon her intellect to win her battle. In 1917 when Goldman plead to the jury she sought justice in her defence against claims of conspiracy. Urging the court to form an unbiased opinion and recognise her fight for freedom of speech she alludes to her fellow so called anarchists â€Å"Jesus, Socrates, Galileo, Bruno, John Brown† to prove she is not wrong and that nothing willà ‚  make her change her position. King was greeted with an euphoric and peaceful reception as he was seen as a freedom fighter and today in our contemporary world the significance of his speech remains evident. By appealing to both audiences’ intellect regarding injustice, King and Goldman aimed to persuade their respective audiences of the right path to choose. When King bellows out that â€Å"the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination†, his metaphoric emotive language heightens his passion for freedom for his people from more than slavery. Similarly to King, Goldman fights for justice and through a series of rhetorical questions she asks the jury a final time to â€Å"please forget that I am an Anarchist†¦Have we been engaged in a conspiracy? Have these overt acts been proven?† She asks for a fair trial and to not be disadvantaged because of society’s values – she only wishes for justice to prevail. Sadly the jury found her guilty but her works reception reaches a higher extent today as we can appreciate her effort in changing society’s perception of free speech. While injustice was inflicted upon three social groups, Aung San Suu Kyi, Emma Goldman and Dr. Martin Luther King stood up and were three speakers who managed to defy old-fashioned social and political beliefs of their time to be recognised in our contemporary society. When delivering their speeches they gained the attention and support of a crowd through their stage presence, use of rhetoric and particularly political contextual values that aim to achieve this. In order to be recognised they needed to give their audience a purpose and through earnest ideas of freedom, justice and democratic rights their reception has not altered from when they were delivered to now as we are continually fighting for such causes.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

These 6 part-time jobs come with benefits

These 6 part-time jobs come with benefits People want part-time jobs for a number of reasons- schedule flexibility, side hustle, and the chance to gain experience in a new field are just a few. But while part-time work is increasingly common, these jobs don’t always have the same features as their full-time counterparts, like benefits in addition to your salary or hourly wage. However don’t despair: if you’re seeking a part-time job with benefits (like health insurance, dental insurance, paid time off, etc.), it’s not necessarily like searching for a unicorn. Here are six part-time gigs (30 hours or fewer per week) that come with some of the perks normally reserved for full-timers.1. Registered NurseThis one may not seem like a part-time job on first glance, but it’s a career path that can be made flexible by taking reduced shifts or overnight hours. Nurses typically receive benefits through their employer, whether on a part-time or full-time basis. Becoming a nurse requires a minimum degre e in nursing (typically a bachelor’s), plus certification, so it’s important to make sure you have those credentials before you consider it for your part-time career.2. Bank TellerIf you have strong math skills and availability during traditional daytime â€Å"banker’s hours,† then you might want to consider becoming a bank teller. Some banks offer a full range of benefits to part-time employees including health insurance, retirement programs, and tuition reimbursement.3. Retail AssociateYou might have heard that retail companies are notorious for not having employee benefits, right? Not so fast. While unfortunately many retail companies do not provide benefits for their employees, there are large companies that famously offer benefits to part-time employees who work a certain number of hours per week, including the following:CostcoLand’s EndBarnes NobleLowe’sStaplesNikeWhole FoodsIt pays to do a little extra research on companies before yo u apply so you can see if these kinds of benefits that are available to non-full-time workers.4. BaristaSimilarly, some food service companies go out of their way to provide benefits to part-time employees, like Starbucks. Starbucks prides itself on offering healthcare coverage, a 401(k) retirement program, and educational reimbursement programs even to its part-time employees.5. Pharmacy TechnicianLike nursing, pharmacy technicians are health professionals who can set hours to turn a full-time job into a part-time one. These professionals work with pharmacists to dispense medication according to prescriptions and strict standards and work with customers to understand their prescriptions. Because many pharmacies are part of retail stores, the hours can be flexible.6. Logistics and Shipping AssociateCompanies like U-Haul and UPS offer a range of benefits to their part-time employees including insurance, a 401(k) retirement program, stock ownership, and educational reimbursement progr ams.So if you’re looking for part-time work, you don’t necessarily need to give up on the idea of having (at least some of) the benefits you’d enjoy as a full-time employee. You can have your flexibility and your perks at the same time. It may take some extra searching, but the research you do now will definitely pay off later.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Public Vs. Private Colleges Where Should You Go

Public Vs. Private Colleges Where Should You Go SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While you may end up deciding to apply to a mixture of public and private colleges, you should be aware that each type has its own general set of characteristics that may be more or less aligned with your preferences.Which type of school is cheaper? Which colleges are bigger, and what opportunities exist in private vs public universities? In this article, I’ll discuss the differences between public and private colleges that you should consider in your search. What Are Public and Private Colleges? Before we get to the main differences, let’s take a second to define public and private colleges.Public colleges are higher educational institutions that areset up and funded by state governments.Well-known public colleges include the University of California, Ohio State University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Texas. Private colleges are higher educational institutions that areset up and funded by individuals outside of the government.Private colleges may be either â€Å"non-profit† or â€Å"for-profit†. Non-profit private colleges are solely focused on providing a quality education for students and helping them to achieve academic and career goals.They answer to a financially disinterested board of trustees, not an owner and shareholders. For-profit private colleges exist as businesses at the mercy of shareholders. Their goal is to turn a profit first and foremost.Though they strive to provide a quality education, if a program isn’t making them money, they will cut it even if that's not in the best interests of their students. Most reputable colleges are non-profit. This includes big names like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. For-profit schools like University of Phoenix, Devry, and ITT Tech generally have poor reputations for helping their students and delivering a quality education. For the purposes of this guide, when we refer to private colleges we'll be talking about non-profit colleges only. What Are the Main Differences Between Public and Private Colleges? Funding and Tuition Costs Public colleges are mostly funded by state governments.The government pays for the operating costs of public colleges and universities and oversees the operation of public colleges through boards and trustees.This influx of government money means that students do not pay the real cost of attendance - they pay the cost after significant subsidies from the government.For this reason, public universities can afford to offer lower tuition prices on average.Average tuition at public colleges for the 2014-15 school year was $9,139 for in-state students and $22,958 for out of state students. Private colleges, on the other hand, are not funded by the government in any way.They rely on alumni contributors and tuition to pay for their programs.This usually forces students to carry the full cost of their education, leading to higher tuition prices.Average tuition at private colleges for the 2014-15 school year was $31,231. Class Size and Demographics Public colleges tend to have larger class sizes, especially at the introductory level.This may result in less direct access to professors and fewer class discussions.Many students come from in-state because of the lower tuition prices and higher admissions rate, so there may be less geographical diversity in the student body. Private colleges have smaller class sizes on average.This means closer relationships between students and professors and more class discussion opportunities.There will also be more geographical diversity in the student body since in-state and out of state students are not given different tuition prices. Class discussion at a small college Degree and Program Offerings Public colleges tend to have a larger student body and offer a wider variety of degrees and programs.The largest universities in the US are public, and some host undergraduate populations of over 40,000 students.At a public college, you'll be able to find pretty much any type of major program you want. However, you'll usually have to be more of a self-starter because there is less direct guidance from advisors. Private colleges don't have the same large range of major choices as public colleges, and they tend to have smaller student bodies overall.There are some private colleges that have less than 500 students total.Private colleges make up for their lack of scope with more specific curriculum requirements or a specialized focus in liberal arts or engineering.They are also more likely to have excellent advisory systems and allow students to design their own courses of study. Research Opportunities Public universities, due to their abundance of government funding, often have cutting edge research facilities and virtually endless resources.Even with all of these possibilities, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd and get the support of professors for your research efforts. But if you’re willing to put yourself out there, public universities have some of the best opportunities in the country for intense academic research, especially in the hard sciences. Private colleges may have less resources and facilities overall, but they make up for it with easy access to professors and individual encouragement of student research efforts.Many private colleges institute specialized research programs and opportunities for students.With small class sizes, you’ll have more of a chance to get close to your professors and potentially work with them on projects. The Science Learning Center at the University of Texas, Dallas. Campus Life Public colleges usually have vibrant communities with a wide variety of extracurricular opportunities and a thriving party scene.There’s something for everyone within the social scene, and you’ll find many people who share your interests no matter how obscure they are.At public colleges, there's always something going on. Private colleges may still have very diverse communities and lots of extracurricular opportunities, but everything typically exists on a smaller scale. Those are just some basic differences between private and public colleges. Remember, they're generalizations.Some private colleges are very large and may have more of a public college atmosphere.It’s up to you to research specific schools and learn more about their characteristics. Which Type of College Is a Better Fit for You? You may be more suited for private or public colleges depending on your academic goals and social preferences.Many students apply to both types of schools, so don’t assume that you have to choose one or the other yet. Here are a couple of questions you can ask yourself to decide whether private or public colleges will be a better fit: Do You Enjoy Meeting Lots of New People? If you’re an outgoing person, you may be happier in the social environment of a large public college.At these types of colleges, you'll constanly meet new people and be presented with opportunities to try different activities.You can expect a wide variety of social experiences with lots of on-campus events and parties. At most private colleges, the student body is smaller, so the social scene may offer fewer options and feel more claustrophobic.However, this can also result in familial feeling amongst students and a more comfortable, friendly atmosphere.If you’re less outgoing and enjoy seeing people you know around all the time, the private college scene may be more your speed.Keep in mind that some private colleges are on the larger side and some public colleges are on the smaller side, so it’s important to consider each school’s characteristics on an individual basis. Are You Interested in a Specific Program? If you have a particular course of study in mind, make sure the colleges where you apply have the appropriate programs and resources. As outlined in the previous section, public colleges may have more advanced research facilities that will be useful if you plan on going into the hard sciences. If you think you're more interested in the humanities, it may not make a difference whether you go to a public or private college. Even if public colleges have more extensive libraries, private colleges usually have the wherewithal to request materials for students from other off-site libraries. Since private colleges offer more flexibility in their programs, you might think about attending a private college if your interests are diverse and might not fit neatly into one premade major track. Are You an Independent Learner? In general, if you're more of a self-starter, you will thrive at a public college. Even though public colleges have many resources, it's hard to know where to begin if you want to take full advantage of these opportunities. If you're naturally a resourceful person who's willing to go after what you want rather than waiting for it to come to you, a public college could be great for you. On the other hand, if you think you'll need more guidance to navigate your college experience, a private college could be a better fit for your personality. In a less overwhelming atmosphere with more direct supervision from professors and academic advisors, you'll have a better chance of realizing your full potential. Do you celebrate every day of your life with an extravagant fireworks display? You might be independent! Get it? Independence Day? Sorry I know I'm reaching here. Public vs. Private Colleges: Doing Your Research Now it’s time to actually research some schools based on your preferences.You canstart with College Navigator, which is a search tool that allows you to look for schools based on location, program type, and, of course, public or private status.If you’re looking for private schools, I would recommend checking the box for non-profit schools. You’ll get results that show all the public or private schools in the area of the country that you’ve specified.You can look at the statistics for these schools and add them to your favorites if any of them strike your fancy.You can also compare them side by side to see what the best options are. After searching on College Navigator, you might consider creating a profile on Cappex, where you can find more colleges and get statistics about campus life alongside student reviews.This is also a great place to create a list of colleges that interest you and compare them.If you complete your profile on Cappex, you’ll also get more recommendations for colleges that match up with your preferences.Remember, many students apply to both public and private colleges, so if your list includes a few of each type that’s totally fine! Conclusion Public and private colleges differ in the ways they are funded: public colleges are funded by state governments, while private colleges are funded by private individuals and organizations.Public and private colleges also have many characteristics that set them apart including tuition, enrollment size, social scene, and program offerings. You may decide to go to either a public or private school based on how well your personality and academic goals align with the general characteristics of each type of college.Make sure that you do your research and get the specific facts on each school before judging just based on whether it's public or private.You may end up applying to both private and public schools because there are so many great options in each category! What's Next? You'll have to make a lot of other decisions in the college admissions process besides whether you want to go to a public or private school. Check out my articles about whether you should go to college close to home and whether you should go to a large or small college. If you think you might be interested in going to a small college, take a look at my list of the best small colleges in the US.If you're interested, you should also check out these articles on the biggest and smallest colleges in the country. For a complete overview of the college search process, read my comprehensive guide on how to choose a college. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The History of Early and Modern Screws and Screwdrivers

The History of Early and Modern Screws and Screwdrivers A screw is any shaft with a corkscrew-shaped groove formed on its surface. Screws are used to fasten two objects together. A screwdriver is a tool for driving (turning) screws; screwdrivers have a tip that fits into the head of a screw. Early Screws Around the first century CE, screw shaped tools became common, however, historians do not know who invented the first. Early screws were made from wood and were used in wine presses, olive oil presses, and for pressing clothes. Metal screws and nuts used to fasten two objects together first appeared in the fifteenth century. Mass Production of Screws In 1770, English instrument maker, Jesse Ramsden (1735–1800) invented the first satisfactory screw-cutting lathe. Ramsden inspired other inventors. In 1797, Englishmen, Henry Maudslay (1771–1831) invented a large screw-cutting lathe that made it possible to mass-produce accurately sized screws. In 1798, American David Wilkinson also invented machinery for the mass production of threaded metal screws. Robertson Screw In 1908, square-drive screws were invented by Canadian P. L. Robertson. Twenty-eight years before Henry Phillips patented his Phillips head screws, which are also square-drive screws. The Robertson screw is considered the first recess-drive type fastener practical for production usage. The design became a North American standard, as published in the sixth edition of Industrial Fasteners Institute Metric and Inch Standards. A square-drive head on a screw can be better than a slot head because the screwdriver will not slip out of the screws head during installation. The Model T car made by the Ford Motor Company (one of Robertsons first customers) used over seven hundred Robertson screws. Phillips Head Screw In the early 1930s, the Phillips head screw was invented by Henry Phillips. Automobile manufacturers now used car assembly lines. They needed screws that could take greater torque and could provide tighter fastenings. The Phillips head screw was compatible with the automated screwdrivers used in an assembly line. Allen Key A hexagonal or hex screw head has a hexagonal hole turned by an Allen key. An Allen key is a hexagonally shaped wrench. Screwdriver In 1744, the flat-bladed bit for the carpenters brace was invented, the precursor to the first simple screwdriver. Handheld screwdrivers first appeared after 1800. Types of Screws Cap screw has a convex head, usually hexagonal, designed to be driven by a spanner or wrench.The wood  screw has a tapered shaft allowing it to penetrate the undrilled  wood.Machine screw has a cylindrical shaft and fits into a nut or a tapped hole, a small bolt.The self-tapping  screw has a cylindrical shaft and a sharp thread that cuts its own hole, often used in sheet metal or plastic.Drywall screw is a specialized self-tapping screw with a cylindrical shaft that has proved to have uses far beyond its original application.The set screw has no head and is designed to be inserted flush with or below the surface of the workpiece.The double-ended  screw is a wood-screw with two pointed ends and no head. It is used for making hidden joints between two pieces of wood. Shapes of Screw Head Pan head: disc with a chamfered outer edgeCheesehead: disc with a cylindrical  outer edgeCountersunk: conical, with flat outer face and tapering inner face allowing it to sink into the material, very common for wood screwsButton or dome head: flat inner face and hemispherical outer faceMirror screw head: countersunk head with a tapped hole to receive a separate screw-in chrome-plated cover; used for attaching mirrors Types of Screw Drive A variety of tools  exists  to drive screws into the material to be fixed. The hand tools used to drive slot-headed and cross-headed screws  are  called screwdrivers. A power tool that does the same job is a power screwdriver. The hand-tool for driving cap screws and other types is called a spanner (U.K. usage) or wrench (U.S. usage). Slot head is driven by a flat-bladed screwdriver.Cross-head or Phillips screw has an X-shaped slot and is driven by a cross-head screwdriver, designed originally in the 1930s for use with mechanical screwing machines, intentionally made so the driver will ride out, or cam out, under strain to prevent over-tightening.Pozidriv is patented, similar to cross-head but with better resistance to slipping, or cam-out.Hexagonal or hex screw head has a hexagonal hole and is driven by a hexagonal wrench, sometimes called an Allen  key or a power tool with a hexagonal bit.Robertson drive head has a square hole and is driven by a special power-tool bit or screwdriver (this is a low-cost version of the hex head for domestic use).Torx head has a splined socket and receives a driver with a splined shaft.Tamper-proof  Torxs drive socket has a projection to prevent a standard  Torx  driver being inserted.Tri-Wing screws were used by Nintendo on its  Gameboys. This discouraged even minor home repairs to the units. Nuts Nuts are square, round, or hexagonal metal blocks with a screw thread on the inside. Nuts help fasten objects together and are used with screws or bolts.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Gynocentric Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gynocentric Feminism - Essay Example In the past years, women were excluded from important activities in the society and, therefore, were denied the ownership of certain rights such as the right to expression, participation, and education among others. Although women had the power to change the situation, they did not have the courage to exercise this power. Every woman has an erotic resource lying deep within them and the spiritual plane. This resource is rooted in the power of their unrecognized or unexpressed feeling. However, in order to perpetuate the resource, various male models of power that bring oppression must be distorted. This is because oppression suppresses the erotic resource of the women making them powerless in the society (Allen 166). Men have made women to believe that it is only the suppression of the women’s erotic resource, within their lives, that can truly make them strong. However, that belief is illusory because it is framed by the male models of power which only aims at taking the advantage of female existence. However, through gynocentric feminism approach, women have come to distrust the male models of power. They have discovered the potentials and possibilities that lie within themselves. Their erotic resource offers a provocative and replenishing force to a woman (Ptacek 12). It is a source of information and power that can help them to explore the world. It is also a measure between the beginning of a woman’s sense of self and the pandemonium of their strongest feelings. In addition, it is â€Å"an internal sense of satisfaction† where once a woman has experienced it, she gets to aspire. Furthermore, this measure can be well understood by observing the current public housekeepin g of the modern cities in America. The city departments, controlled by men, have snatched women, their responsibility as housekeepers. This has affected their sense of self and they no longer aspire to carry out their responsibilities as housekeepers.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Consensus Between Violence And Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consensus Between Violence And Argument - Essay Example Eristic dialogue covers argumentation, a social debate where victory over an antagonist is the primary goal. This art of right argument protects their self-interest incoherent dialogue and in the process of dialogue. The art of argumentation is used in law, in trials when preparing arguments for court presentation and in the testing legitimacy of evidence.Right argument comprises identifying premises where conclusions are derived, the establishment of â€Å"burden of proof† to determine the person who made an initial claim and identifying goals of contributors in dialogue. At the end of an argument, a valid conclusion must be given with good reason explaining the same. A good argument must be built with two premises and one concluding remark. Argumentation is good in a situation where evidence does not exist especially in handling scientific, epistemic, nature, and moral where science cannot apply. Violence is good in handling dispute like border disputes, insurgency, and host ility.In politics, some kinds of argumentation are morally wrong, and some kinds of violence are morally right. Argumentation is never a solution in many nations since it only works when there is peace in the nation, and no other nation wants to attack the nation in question. Argumentation is morally upright only if the nations under conflict also handle disputes through argumentation. If the nations under disagreement handle the dispute in different angles, then violence is morally right for a nation to defend itself from intrusion.

E-businese system about Chinese supermarket in UK Assignment

E-businese system about Chinese supermarket in UK - Assignment Example Part A 1. Introduction of the E-Business System and Organisation The Chinese grocer chin, Huaxing Chinese Supermarket uses on e-commerce and e-marketing work system that makes to successfully make significant contributions to achieving the organization’s goals and objectives. The company implements the e-commerce business system. Under the system, the company uses an online website, http://www.huaxing.co.uk/, to increase revenues generated from the company’s physical store revenues. In the e-commerce and e-marketing business system, the current and future customers visit the company’s online website (Daft, 2011). The company’s fixed office phone is 01316629892. The company sells the usual supermarket products. Further, the company’s website informs the current and future customers that some of the Huaxing products are imported from different countries. One of the grocery chain food supply group is the Japan-based grocery chain suppliers group. Anoth er food supplier group includes all companies located in Korea. Another grocery chain food supply group is the China -based grocery chain suppliers group. Another food supplier group includes all companies located in South Korea. The other suppliers of the Chinese store fall under the Thailand supplier group (Shajahan, 2007). Furthermore, the company, Huaxing Chinese Supermarket in the United Kingdom, also advertises the many benefits of taking advantage of the company’s e-commerce and e-marketing business online shopping environment (Ferrell, 2010). The company can advertise the friendly personality of all online store and physical store sales personnel. One of the attractions of the company’s online website is permitting the customers to order the delivery of the grocery and other supermarket items to the buyers’ preferred addresses (Gupta, 2011). The customers can save time ordering their supermarket goods online compared to visiting the Huaxing Chinese Super market in the United Kingdom physical store. Moreover, the Huaxing Chinese Supermarket in the United Kingdom website work system includes offering the customer several choices. The website contains pictures of the company’s top selling items. With the work system’s online website pictures, the current and future customers can vividly pick out which products to check out online. With the pictures, the e-commerce and e-marketing customers can seemingly have the same feeling as the person who personally drops by the Huaxing Chinese Supermarket in the United Kingdom to see how each fruit or vegetable classification or name looks like (Bagad, 2009). Work System Snapshot of Huaxing Supermarket (U.K.) *www.huaxing .com.uk offers online supermarket shopping (e-commerce and e-marketing) Customers of Huaxing Supermarket (U.K.) *People who buy supermarket products *Wholesalers and retailers of supermarket products Products *Grocery Items *Other supermarket products Business Proce ss * Current and future customers log on to http://www.huaxing.co.uk/ *Customers pick out their preferred supermarket product choices from the available website picture choices. *Customer enters the order and pays using credit cards. * Huaxing finds the supermarket products ordered by the customers. *Huaxing delivery department delivers food choices to the e-commerce & e-marketing customers. *If the products are not in the warehouse, the delivery departme

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Employment Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Employment Law - Assignment Example She has all the rights to take legal action against the operation manager. These are the issues that are hurting the operation manager as well as the organization. In the first issue, UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995 can be implemented. Enid came to know that some organizational members and staffs are making fun of her problem. It can also be considered as a disability discrimination case in which she has not done any kind of mistake. According to this act, an individual within an organization cannot discriminate others based on disability issues. Therefore, in this case Enid has all the rights to take legal actions against the staffs, who are involved in wrongdoings. The legal case of Rolls Royce Ltd v Walpole 1980 can be referred as related to this case. In this particular employee was dismissed from work due to short-term absences in workplace due to disability issues and the employee was terminated (Walpole v Rolls Royce Ltd 1980). Then, the employee filed a legal complaint under the act against the organization. This issue is very much similar to the issue of Enid. She was discriminated in workplace due to her disability issues. In this case, the staffs and other engaged employees should be warned or should take apology to Enid. In the Second Issue, Sexual Discrimination Act 1975 can be considered as Barbara was sexually harassed by some male employees at the workplace. It is highly important Barbara to take legal actions against them as it is a serious concern for the organizational workplace environment. The legal case of Noeleen McAleenon v Autism Initiatives can be referred to the case in which the female employee was sexually harassed by a male co-worker and she went on to make a legal case against the organization (Noeleen McAleenon v Autism Initiatives 2013). Finally she was legally awarded with a compensation for this workplace harassment. The issue of Barbara is quite similar to the

In Fighting Obesity, are Calories, Carbohydrates or Fat Grams the Research Paper

In Fighting Obesity, are Calories, Carbohydrates or Fat Grams the Enemy - Research Paper Example population (Dietz, 2009). Research studies reveal that obesity is found to be associated with numerous chronic health states counting diabetes, stroke, heart diseases, high blood pressure (Glied, 2003). The number is increasing constantly and thereby obesity does not come alone but in association with other chronic conditions, radically enhancing the cost of healthcare. In order to afford the essential therapeutic concern and management, it requires to deal with comorbid states, resulting in the financial burden on the nation as well as deficit in upcoming healthcare endowment. Besides, an augmenting demands of health care facilities is observed, hence a complicated situation is portrayed. A more wide-ranging interdisciplinary research is required to have an insight to understand the situation (Glied, 2003). As obesity has emerged as an issue that is engulfing the well-being of individuals of the present epoch and is rising as an epidemic in the United States of America. The incidenc e of obesity amongst adults has become two fold in past couple of decades intensifying the health concern and related issues of the inhabitants (Flegal, 2010). Obesity condenses eminence of life, enhances the probability of untimely death, augments the jeopardy for numerous persistent diseases, related to heart such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, other related disorders like high cholesterol levels, sleep apnea, overweight resulting in orthopaedic problems, early signs of puberty in case of obese kids, reduced life expectancy, stroke, obesity enhances the possibilities of witnessing Type 2 diabetes, elevated BMI, cancer, arthritis, metabolic disorders and other related anomalies (US Department of Health and Human Services: The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Obesity). Obesity not only brings concern about health, but it adds to the financial burden too. Obesity augments the health care costs. Estimates reveal that obesity accounts for approx imately 10% of yearly medical expenses, increasing the obesity-associated medical costs to $147 billion in 2008 (Finkelstein. 2009). Obesity has reached an alarming position in USA, and two well distinguished categories have been demonstrated namely obese and extreme obese. Findings disclose that over one-third adults of United States are found to be obese during the year 2007–2008 (Flegal, 2010). According to The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the incidence of obesity in the United States could be estimated by means of data for height to weight ratio. The prevalence rate of obesity displays that there was a steady increase in obesity equally in both the sexes belonging to all ages from 1976 -1980 to 1988-1994. On the other hand, the trend in obesity augmentation between 1988-1994 and 1999-2000 was significant in other ages except for the males belonging to the age between 40 to 59 years. While data analysis from 2001-2002 to 2003-2004 recommended escalating trends since 1999-2000 in males and not in females (Ogden, 2006).? Obesity trends also varies between the ethnic and racial communal groups which is displayed by means of BMI, a helpful tool to measure obesity for the examination and comparison of the obesity and to procure data in a standard format across the world as BMI indicates the percentage of body fat (Bouchard, 2008). Causes of Obesity As described by Glied,

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Employment Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Employment Law - Assignment Example She has all the rights to take legal action against the operation manager. These are the issues that are hurting the operation manager as well as the organization. In the first issue, UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995 can be implemented. Enid came to know that some organizational members and staffs are making fun of her problem. It can also be considered as a disability discrimination case in which she has not done any kind of mistake. According to this act, an individual within an organization cannot discriminate others based on disability issues. Therefore, in this case Enid has all the rights to take legal actions against the staffs, who are involved in wrongdoings. The legal case of Rolls Royce Ltd v Walpole 1980 can be referred as related to this case. In this particular employee was dismissed from work due to short-term absences in workplace due to disability issues and the employee was terminated (Walpole v Rolls Royce Ltd 1980). Then, the employee filed a legal complaint under the act against the organization. This issue is very much similar to the issue of Enid. She was discriminated in workplace due to her disability issues. In this case, the staffs and other engaged employees should be warned or should take apology to Enid. In the Second Issue, Sexual Discrimination Act 1975 can be considered as Barbara was sexually harassed by some male employees at the workplace. It is highly important Barbara to take legal actions against them as it is a serious concern for the organizational workplace environment. The legal case of Noeleen McAleenon v Autism Initiatives can be referred to the case in which the female employee was sexually harassed by a male co-worker and she went on to make a legal case against the organization (Noeleen McAleenon v Autism Initiatives 2013). Finally she was legally awarded with a compensation for this workplace harassment. The issue of Barbara is quite similar to the

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

CHANGE MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CHANGE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example The necessity for the change management process has been recognised because of the three main issues. One of the prime concerning issues is that the department was not being able to reach around 30% of the population targeted by them. It has also been noted that the department was not being capable to reach the own targets set by themselves with regards to performance, customer service and finance. Thus, the government’s target population was not being able to receive the services that were offered by the department. At last, the local authorities decided that the department should consist of youth who will be responsible for delivering services to all the children within the age group of 0-19 years. The department also has planned to provide support to children at the earliest stage who have been identified with additional needs (Education and Families Department, n.d.). The discussion in the paper will include the major processes that took place in the department’s ch ange management initiative. ... The Implemented Change Process in the Department The existing department comprises The Extended Service Team which was formed to be a part of the Children’s Partnership Service along with the Integrated Services Team and Young People’s Sexual Health Team. The department achieved their objectives by working in collaboration among the teams that were associated with the department. The teams had to provide services spread over 12 establishments which were costing the local authority very significantly. Thus, the future plans within the change process include setting up of 16 establishments which will increase the budget for the local authorities if the same model or management was followed (Education and Families Department, n.d.). However, the economic downturn made the competent authorities to focus on bringing certain changes in the management structure and processes that could lead them to deliver effective services through efficient planning. Children centres being r elatively newer concept, the department decided to establish a forum for governors and local management board members of all children centres. The issues for dissolving the earlier board were blocking the pace for development which made the department to work in partnerships with different boards and government bodies. The Education and Families Department planned to provide excellent services to the families with children under statutory school age. The transformation of the management decided to develop a streamlined governance structure which will be efficient and provide strong support to all the centres across each locality (Education and Families Department, n.d.). The department’s proposed structure included the decision to merge

Monday, October 14, 2019

Retail Book Industry in Nz Essay Example for Free

Retail Book Industry in Nz Essay The aim of this report is to analyse and outline the business perspectives for opening a new independent book store in the Auckland region. The report analyses the current book retail industry and specifically discusses a new book shop’s viability highlighting the internal and external risks and opportunities as well as strengths and shortcomings. To assess the book retail competitive environment elements of SWOT and Porters’ Five Forces analysis tools were utilised (Needle, 2000). The major strengths of a new book shop which could be turned into a competitive advantage are the independency and local governance, relationship with publishers and closeness to customers. The major threats to and weaknesses of the new venture are attributable to low bargaining power with publishers (Needle, 2000), to lack of resources, and high market competition. The report’s conclusion is that anyone intending to enter the book retail market by opening a new store is advised to be mindful of the industry’s risks and challenges in order to mitigate those on the one hand, and to fully capitalise on the opportunities offered by the industry by turning its strengths to a competitive advantage, on the other hand. Table of Contents Executive Summary2 Table of Contents3 1. Introduction4 2. Discussion5 2. 1 Competitive Environment5 2. 1. 1 Whitcoulls Group5 2. 1. 2 Paper Plus6 2. 1. 3 Dymocks8 2. 1. 4 Independent Booksellers9 2. 2 Risk Assessment11 2. 2. 1 Low Bargaining Power with Publishers11 2. 2. 2 Lack of Resources12 2. 2. 3 Market Competition13 2. 3 Opportunities14 2. 3. 1 Independency and local governance14 2. 3. 2 Closeness to Publishers and Customers15 3. Conclusion17 References18 1. Introduction The given report is commissioned by Susan and Michael Clarke to be completed by 27 August 2009. The report’s main objective is to provide an independent analysis of the book retail industry including potential risks and opportunities of opening a new independent book store in the Auckland area. In order to assess the current business environment, the market competitiveness in which a new proposed book store would be operating is analysed including such main industry players as Whitcoulls, Dymocks and Paper Plus on the one hand, and a number of independent book stores on the other hand. Elements of the Porter’s Five Forces’ (Needle, 2000) were incorporated to analyse the competitive environment of the book retail industry. The findings from the analysis of the competitive environment were then utilised to identify and analyse strengths and weaknesses of as well as opportunities and threats for the proposed new independent book store (Samson Daft, 2005). 2. Discussion Bookselling is a big industry in New Zealand. According to (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008), starting from 2007 the annual books spending in New Zealand has not gone below $1 billion. Books have always been perceived as a lucrative retail business due to high margins[1] and book value that has not changed much over time (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). 2. 1 Competitive Environment There are two main groups operating in the New Zealand book retail market being chain retailers and independent stores. Historically, the book retail market has always been dominated by a few book retail chains occupying almost 90% of the book retail market, leaving the local independent book stores with no more than 10% of market share (â€Å"Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding†, 2007). The main book retail chains operating in New Zealand are Whitcoulls, Paper Plus and Dymocks. 2. 1. 1 Whitcoulls Group The AR Whitcoulls Group (Whitcoulls Group) is the largest retail chain in New Zealand presented by the Whitcoulls, Borders and Bennetts Tertiary stores (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007). The group is also internationally operating in Australia and Singapore with more than 130 Angus Robertson and Borders stores (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). After acquiring the Australasian and New Zealand businesses of the second-largest United States bookstore chain Borders[2] (â€Å"Whitcoulls Borders bid cleared†, 2009) in 2008 the Whitcoulls Group obtained access to a high demographic serious books market niche (â€Å"Whitcoulls widens†, 2008). As a result, the Whitcoulls Group operates 90 stores across New Zealand (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007) accounting for up to 45% of the book  retail market (â€Å"Whitcoulls widens†, 2008). Further to the existing dominance in all the CBD areas, Whitcoulls is planning to expand into small-town areas starting from Te Awamutu, Richmond and Ashburton (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). The recent recession prompted the group to seek cost cuts by merging its Australasian retail operations’ support offices into one division located in Australia (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The group is also looking into opening the online selling operations in August (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). 2. 1. 2 Paper Plus The Paper Plus chain being fully New Zealand-owned is the second-largest book retailer in New Zealand (â€Å"New look†, 2008). The company operates as a franchise system and has been around for more than 25 years (â€Å"New look†, 2008). Historically Paper Plus has been a strong player in a stationary business[3] whereas its role in bookselling was not taken seriously by the industry[4]. This is one of the reasons why Paper Plus is currently outperformed by Whitcoulls when it comes to bookselling (â€Å"New look†, 2008). However, Paper Plus has recently become an aggressive player in the book retail market announcing an ambitious goal to become number one book retailer in New Zealand[5]. Paper Plus has recently refitted all their 105 stores as booklovers destinations (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009) aimed at improving store layout and putting more emphasis on books (â€Å"New look†, 2008). In the meantime, the television and radio celebrity Kerre Woodham was signed up as a frontwoman to do book reviews by hosting the â€Å"books and bubbles† events (â€Å"New look†, 2008). The company’s marketing position is further strengthened by participating in the Fly Buys programme and the agreement with New Zealand Post to host Post Shop and Kiwibank services in Paper Plus stores (â€Å"New look†, 2008). As a result, the company manages to gain a competitive edge by not only targeting the niche of traditional booklovers but also those people who do not have a clear intention to buy books but visit the shops for Post Shop or Kiwibank services. On the management side, Paper Plus has promoted a strong support policy to its franchise stores including effective training by the local support office[6]. In the meantime, Paper Plus has been focusing on the relationship with local publishers as well as has considerably increased spending on advertising raising customer awareness about its products[7]. This all has enabled the company to enter the recession with a very strong financial and marketing position. 2. 1. 3 Dymocks Dymocks is Australian-owned and has been around for over 130 years opening its first store in Auckland in 1994 (www. dymocks. co. nz). Dymocks operates as a franchise system running more than 80 stores in Oceania including six New Zealand stores located in the North Island (www. dymocks. co. nz). Dymocks has been operating with the â€Å"love of books† concept having a reputation as a serious bookseller only without expending their product range to stationary, music and movies (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The company offers their customers more of a contemporary bookbuying experience through the â€Å"Booklover† Rewards Programme (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The company focuses on the New Zealand books being historically in the top 10 sellers. Dymocks have been experiencing a sustainable growth opening four new stores over two last years with further plans to expand into the South Island (www. dymocks. co. nz). However, the recession has almost reversed this growth as Dymocks had to close three stores in two months: two in Auckland and one in Wellington[8]. The main causes for these closures were very high rents, bad locations, no street frontage or through traffic and high competition from Borders (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). In addition to this Dymocks had to resort to centralise administration in Australia by closing its New Zealand support office. As such, out of the three main book retail chains, Dymocks has been weakened by the recession the most and is more concerned with a struggle to retain its existing six stores. 2. 1. 4 Independent Booksellers In contrast to the recession-linked problems faced by the book chains the independent booksellers[9] do not seem to suffer any recession at all (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). Despite some loss of customers choosing to go to library instead of buying books, the recent recession helped books products gain a momentum in the gift market[10]. The books’ popularity and affordability merits attribute to the people’s preference of a good book or dictionary gift over a $300 vase or duvet blanket (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). According to an industry expert[11] it is because the book chains have not been putting sufficient effort and resources into the customer relationship side, while independent stores have managed to develop a very loyal customer base by their excellent customer service, professionalism and personal approach (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). As such, the independent book stores see the recession times as a good opportunity to pull new customers from the book chains which due to their large size and lack of knowledgeable staff cannot compete with independent stores on the professional advice, recommendation and customer service sides (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). The competitiveness of the book retail market is further strained by online booksellers, which have experienced a considerable growth over the last few years in some cases almost doubling their sales each year[12]. Taking into consideration the competitive environment analysis above, the book retail market can be defined as highly competitive. Whitcoulls, Paper Plus and Dymocks were found to be the main competitors due to their market dominance on the one hand, and high bargaining power with book publishers on the other hand (Needle, 2000). 2. 2 Risk Assessment Taking into consideration the above analysis of the book retail industry’s competitive environment the following could be identified as risks and threats for a new independent book store. 2. 2. 1 Low Bargaining Power with Publishers Upstream of the value chain (Samson Daft, 2005) a new independent shop would have a challenge to sign book publishers and authors in to obtain the rights to sell their books. The authors and publishers would likely be inclined to work with big retail chains or strong independent stores as being representative of better channels for promoting and distributing the books. Bookshops would usually compete over the right to sell quality books in order to win the customers’ preference and loyalty. The industry experience shows that it is not the large stock but rather a good book range and quality that enable a shop to be preferred by customers over its competitors (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). Therefore, bearing in mind the tight economic conditions and high market competitiveness, a new independent shop would have a risk of not being able to obtain a competitive book range due to insufficient bargaining power with publishers (Needle, 2000). 2. 2. 2 Lack of Resources Opening a new store would require significant spending starting from hiring or buying the store to paying professional staff competitive wages. The Dymocks example with closing two Auckland stores (one of which after only a few months after opening) showed how much a store location mistake can cost to a shop regardless of its reputation, product range and popularity (Refer 2. 1). Thus, a company wishing to enter a book market would face not only the challenge of funding to open a new store but also to be able match the location trade advantages with costs. The downstream of the value chain (Samson Daft, 2005) such as advertising and promotion as well as customer relations would also require significant funding. The Paper Plus and independent book stores examples show that investing in advertising and building customer relationships are one of the most effective and powerful means to sustain and further gain market share in the current competitive environment (Refer 2. 1). The independent stores’ achievement of being able to build loyal customer base is due to having professional sales people on floor capable of providing good service along with knowledgeable advice to the customers (Refer 2. 1). Therefore, the lack of resources both material and human would be a weakness of a new shop when entering the book retail market populated with rich chain retailers and professional independent stores. 2. 2. 3 Market Competition New Zealand has a very high number of book shops per capita in comparison to other countries (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). Thus, a new book store would be entering the market which according to some industry experts is already overpopulated[13] with such strong players as Whitcoulls, Paper Plus, Dymocks not mentioning about independent stores and online sellers experiencing a significant growth in recession (Refer 2.1). Whitcoulls has considerably improved its marketing position through acquiring the Borders operations whereas Paper Plus, being strengthened by combining its services with Post Office and Kiwi Bank, has put a comprehensive action plan in place to fight for number one bookseller in New Zealand. In the meantime, the independent shops are gaining a recession momentum to strengthen their current position by capitalising on the inability of big chains to provide competitive books range, on the one hand, and appropriate level of customer service and support, on the other hand. Taking into consideration the above facts, the book market could be classified as mature where there is no unoccupied market niche (Samson Daft, 2005) left for a new book store to capitalise on. As a result, for a new store to become successful it will literally mean fighting for other shops’ customers. The implication for a new book store is that it will be very hard to compete with the current industry players that have a very high customer loyalty and market reputation for providing exceptional customer service on the one hand and significant resources, aggressive advertising and market dominance, on the other hand. 2. 3 Opportunities This section discusses the main strengths of and opportunities for a new book store in the current business environment. 2. 3. 1 Independency and local governance The centralisation of the stores support and governance is a common move for many in pursuit of cutting costs. However, experience shows that under the current level of competition store problems are timelier and more effectively resolved if there is local governance in place (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). The main competitors of the proposed book store are strategically and operationally managed from overseas[14] making these shops quite inflexible and not quick enough to react to market changes as someone in Australia decides how many copies of a particular New Zealand book the stores should stock. In the meantime, the independent book stores have not felt the recession and are thereby able to respond quicker and serve customers’ needs better by preferring to have better books range over larger stock of out of date books (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). Therefore, the independency of a new shop would put the company in a better position in regards to timely reacting to industry changes and thereby avoiding unnecessary losses usually resulted from poor decisions made. 2. 3. 2 Closeness to Publishers and Customers Independent governance makes a proposed new book store closer to local publishers and customers. The New Zealand Book Publishers Association consisting of 95 local publishers is not satisfied with the current â€Å"super market† store running model used by the chains[15]. The main disadvantages are: the decreased books range printed as bulk purchases are made at cost of the books diversity[16], the chains often abuse their bargaining power with publishers[17] and the central display system with ineffective books categorisation[18] (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). As such, the New Zealand publishers are naturally more inclined to work with small independent stores who will have less bargaining power but more flexibility of buying and distributing books. On the other side of the value chain, a new store would have an opportunity to capitalise on the chains’ clumsiness and lack of personal touch when dealing with customers. The main lesson learnt from chains’ struggle in the current recession is that customer satisfaction and loyalty could on its own determine the book retailer’s commercial future. Independent stores, in turn, have put a particular emphasis in implementing effective customer loyalty programs and achieving loyal customer base. Therefore, despite the high market competition, there is a good opportunity for a new book store to win the book chains’ customers by offering better books range, more professional service and personal approach. 3. Conclusion Taking into account the above analysis, the opening of a new independent book store can be classified as a â€Å"Question† according to the BCG strategic tool (Samson Daft, 2005). On the one hand, the independence, local governance, good relationships with publishers and closeness to customers could enable a  new book store to become a successful venture, thereby shifting to the â€Å"Star† BCG section distinguished by quick growth and expansion. On the other hand, if the new venture has not managed to establish a strong market presence by providing sufficient funding, professional staff and developing effective strategic relationships with publishers, entering the current highly competitive book retail market could result in a commercial failure. The book retail market can be classified as very mature and highly competitive. As such, it would be quite challenging for a new independent book store with limited resources, on the one hand, and the low bargaining power with the publishers, on the other hand, to compete with the book retail chains as well as with a number of other well established independent bookshops and online booksellers in the Auckland region. In the meantime, the fact that a new book store is going to be independent and locally run provides a competitive advantage of knowing its publishers and customers better and, thereby reacting to industry changes quicker and more effectively. The final success of the new proposed book store would be mostly dependent on its ability to cope with high market competitiveness and mitigating its weaknesses on the one hand and capitalising on its strengths and opportunities currently present in the book industry. References Needle, D. (2000). Business in context: An introduction to business and its environment (3ed. ). London: Thomson Learning. Samson, D and Daft, R. (2005). Management, 2nd Pacific rim edition. Australia: Thomson Learning. Big boys books. (2009, January 1), The Press, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/150420/Big-boys-books#share Booksellers ready to write new chapter. (2008, July 14), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz/business/news/article. cfm? c_id=3objectid=10521367 Boutique booksellers boom. (2009, August 13), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/dominion-post/wellington/2743304/ Dymocks’ official website. www. dymocks. co. nz. How the book trade is turning a page. (2009, June 13), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz. ezproxy. auckland. ac. nz/business/news/article. cfm?cid=3objectid=10578175pnum=2 New look for friendly book chain. (2008, June 21), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/497996 Whitcoulls Borders bid cleared. (2009, January 1), NZPA, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/130168 Whitcoulls finally picks up NZ Borders stores. (2007, June 07). The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. nzherald. co. nz/business/news/article. cfm? c_id=3objectid=10514932 Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding by the book in Borders buy-out. (2007, November 22), The New Zealand Herald, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www.nzherald. co. nz/shopping/news/article. cfm? c_id=318objectid=10477609 Whitcoulls widens its Borders in $137m deal. (2008, July 7), The Dominion Post, Retrieved August 15, 2009 from www. stuff. co. nz/business/477324 [1] According to industry experts books margins vary from 40% to 50% out of total price (â€Å"Whitcoulls, Paper Plus proceeding†, 2007). [2]The group AR Whitcoulls group acquired 30 Borders stores as well as exclusive rights to the Borders trademark in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore worth $NZD137 million (â€Å"Whitcoulls finally picks†, 2007). The New Zealand Borders operation acquired included five stores: three in Auckland and one in each Christchurch and Wellington (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [3] The recent achievement of Paper Plus is being recognised as the top seller of greeting cards (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [4] Historically only six out of 105 Paper Plus stores were positioned as serious booksellers (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [5] The company’s growth strategy is supported by the strong financial position improved from the loss of $401,000 in 2007 to profit of $748,000 in 2008 (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [6] Paper Plus has purchased a new 500 square metre store in Aucklands Sylvia Park to be used for training the franchisees how to implement an effective store layout and design to boost books sales (â€Å"New look†, 2008). [7] Whitcoulls admitted in the past that their loss of market share was directly caused by Paper Plus increasing its advertising spending (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [8] The Auckland Smales Farm franchise store and the company-owned Queen Street store went into liquidation in May and June 2009 and Wellington Lambton Quay shop closed in May 2009 (â€Å"How the book trade†, 20). [9] The most popular independent book stores include Unity Books (Auckland and Wellington), Scorpio (Christchurch) in Christchurch, Vic Books (Wellington), Dear Reader (Auckland), The Booklover (Auckland) and of Cambridges Wrights Bookshop (Auckland) (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [10] According to the owners of ‘The Childrens Bookshop’, a book shop in Kilbirnie, last year the store has experienced a 12% increase in revenue mainly driven by the parents preferring books for gift for their children (â€Å"Boutique booksellers†, 2009). [11] Tom Beran owning independent stores in Grey Lynn (Dear Reader) and Takapuna (The Booklover) (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). [12] For example, the New Zealand online seller www. fishpond. co. nz starting in 2004 expanded to Australia in 2006 and in 2007 was recognised in the Deloitte/Unlimited Fast 50 list noting the fastest-growing companies (â€Å"How the book trade†, 2009). [13] According to Dymocks CEO, Don Grover the New Zealand bookselling market is already over-supplied (â€Å"Booksellers ready†, 2008). [14] Among the book retail chains occupying 90% of the market only Paper Plus is locally supported, whereas Whitcoulls and Dymocks are both owned and governed by Australian companies (â€Å"Big boys’ books†, 2009). [15] That was evidently expressed in the open opposition from the Book Publishers Association of Whitcoulls’ bid to purchase Borders’ stores as they know that it will result in a decrease of the books range bought by the chain (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [16] For example, a book offered by a small publisher could be of a particular interest to smaller towns’ readers. However, a local chain store is unable to make a purchasing decision instead having to sell the books decided in the support office across the Tasman (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [17] For example, Whitcoulls is viewed by the industry as a tough negotiator with inflexible buying policies demanding from publishers at least 50% discount (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009). [18] Compared to chain stores that cannot add or change the central display system, the independent stores have much more flexibility in deciding how their stock should be grouped and displayed on the floor (â€Å"Big boys books†, 2009).

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Analysis of Learning Styles and Theories

Analysis of Learning Styles and Theories Section A Part 1: Who I am as a learner? What is learning style? According to Honey and Mumfords learning style questionnaire (1992) learning is seen as a continuous cycle in which a person has a learning experience, reviews the experience, concludes from that experience and plans the next step. A persons preferences for one or more of the stages of the learning cycle translate into strengths and weaknesses of learning style. In experiential learning theory, the model of style is based on a theory of learning. The theory defines four phases in the process of learning from experience: concrete experience; reflective observation; abstract conceptualization; and active experimentation. Individual learning styles are defined by a persons reliance on these four learning modes. (Boyatzis and Kolb, 1995) Gagne (1984) says these strategies enable learners to choose at appropriate times the intellectual skills and declarative knowledge they will bring to bear on learning, remembering, and problem solving. 1. VARK Introduction of VARK: The VARK stands for Visual (V), Aural (A), Read/Write (R), and Kinesthetic (K). It is a tool for learner to analyze their learning style. According to the Fleming (2009) VARK is a questionnaire that provides users with a profile of their learning preferences. It is about a learners preferences for taking in and giving out information in a learning context. The purpose of VARK is to help learner to think about their learning style in multiple ways. It suggests some ideas for learner to know which learning methods are suitable for them and how they can learn effectively. However, the limitation of VARK is that questionnaire does not show anything about motivation. It only contributes to improve learning. Learners only can change their study methods based on their VARK results (Fleming, 2009). My learning style result of VARK is as follows: According to my VARK result, I have got nine marks in Aural. Visual, Read/ Write as well as Kinesthetic are all in seven marks. It shows that I am a multimodal learning style. I can learn from different learning styles and it implies that I have strong in Aural area. Aural learner learns by listening who likes to be provided with aural instructions. In fact, my result of the VARK is closes match to my own learning style as I often use different learning methods under different situations. For example, I prefer attend group discussions, lecture and tutorial. At school, I like to attend the lecture to lectern the teacher to explanation. In the final year project, I enjoy discuss with my group members and explain new idea to others. Also I follow my group leader instructions to find some useful data from the internet for our project. On the other hand, I also as a Visual style learner. Visual learner prefers demonstrations in their learning and can learn through descriptions. In my working experience, I work in Wellcome supermarket, my supervisor demonstrated that how to placed the goods on the shelves and told me all products in which area. I can easily get the meaning and memorize it because of leaving a strong impression in my mind. For the kinesthetic learner, I prefer experiencing things rather than only read the notes during the learning process. For example, I need to trials on my own when buying a new mobile phone, rather than reading the leaflet of the products. Finally, VARK result can indicate my learning styles. Sometimes I like practice actively, sometimes I prefer listening only. Thats why I have multimodal preferences. In fact, I have to pay more attention in different learning styles. VARK is very useful for helping me to know more about my learning preferences. 2. MBTI Introduction OF MBTI: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was developed by Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myer. It based on the theories of psychologist Carl Jung (Morgan and Barbour, 2008). Hutchinson (1997) shows how personality indicators such as the MBTI can he used in a practical way to understand differences in how people behave and to assist in team building and communication in a business environment. The MBTI scales measure a preference for four dimensions: (Saggino, Cooper and Kline, 2001) Extraversion-Introversion Which represents the orienting toward the outer world of people and things or the inner world of concepts and ideas. Sensing-Intuition Which reflects the individuals preference for factual realistic or global possibilities perception. Thinking-Feeling Which represents arriving at judgments by impersonal and logical processes or by subjective processes. Judging-Perception The process of coming to a conclusion about something or becoming aware of something. In combination, the MBTI is a sixteen-type personality profile instrument. (Goby and Lewis, 2000) However, according to Coe (1992), he said that the MBTI has several limitations. First, it does not show any indication about peoples values and motivations. Second, the MBTI does not measure pathology. Third, the MBTI does not measure how well the preferred functions are performed. My MBTI result for my Personality: According to my MBTI results, the above result shows that my preferred style of MBTI is ESFJ and ESFP which are 72% and 66 % respectively. It shows the most dominant function is extrovert, sensing, as well as feeling. For the ESFJ, the most important preferences are Extraverted Feeling. This means I focus on building harmony in the working environment. I like to build rapport with people and create a positive atmosphere. I look after peoples welfare. Also I like to keep everybody happy and have a good relationship with others. I value other peoples contributions, seek to develop the role that others play, and invest a lot of effort in building positive relationships. I try to overcome differences of opinion and find ways in which people can agree. For the ESFP, the most important preferences are Extraverted Sensing. I bring things to fruition by getting things done, and getting them done now. I am very action-oriented, dealing with whatever tasks the current situation presents. I often spur others into action as well. I make use of your experience and utilize tools or processes of which I already have knowledge. I try to have an immediate impact on things, injecting a sense of urgency, and aiming to achieve clear goals and tangible results. Base on the result, MBTI helps me to understand the personality. I agree that I am an extravert person. As I have worked as Wellcome Supermarket, I found that building the positive atmosphere can improve the relationship within the company. I also like to build a good relationship with customers that I enjoy work into a happiness environment. Also I am a vice-president of my secondary schools alumni association. I like to share my study path with others. Besides that I also concern on what group members feeling rather than my feel and invest a lot of effort in building positive relationships. So I am a feeling person. As a sensing person, when I am doing assignments, I want to focus on the facts which help my working process. Also, I like to ask my classmates who had experienced those situations previously in order to make a better decision. Those two personality types (ESFJ and ESFP) are differing in Judging and Perception. This preference is about the process of coming to a conclusion about something or becoming aware of something. I also think the judging is my personality. I like to make a plan and follow the guideline to work within a time limit. When I am doing final year project, I hope myself and my team members follow our plan and to meet the requirement. 3. BELBIN Introduction of BELBIN The Belbin team-role inventory is a well-known and established measure for identification of individual team roles (Senior and Swailes, 1998). Belbins particular focus on the establishment of roles within a team, where the assumptions of duties and responsibilities depends on a measure of self-discovery combined with a perception of the needs of the team as a whole. Belbin identify 9 team roles in relation to different needs of a group including plant, resource investigator, co-coordinator, shaper, monitor evaluator, team worker, implementer, complete finisher and specialist. My BELBIN result for my Team Role: According to my Belbin report, the most preferred roles that I suited are team worker and specialists in which I scored about 80 and 100 respectively. Specialist means people who have the specific knowledge and skills to do their tasks. This type of people is enthusiastic in providing special knowledge and skills to accomplish the team goals. They will only contribute on only a limited front and dwell on specialized personal interest. They only consider their own specific area to come out a solution, so they cannot provide a wider perspective. For example, I am interested in computer. I prefer to do something about data analysis and search information from the internet. In final year project, I use my knowledge to analyze the research data and give the conclusion on that part. Also I provide technical support in the presentation. Team worker represents the people who are co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic. They prefer to work with others and usually listen, builds and avert the friction within the team. They are indecisive in crunch situations. For example, I often listen to others instructions in my work. Also I need to cooperate with my colleagues to complete the works. 4. Summary To summarize, I believe these tests are quite reliable. According to the test results, I know and understand myself more. I am an extravert person who likes to talk with others and learn from different learning styles. I can cooperate with others and also concern their feeling. I provide my computer knowledge for people and give some advice for them. Therefore, these tests help me identify myself and let me know how to improve myself. It makes me think more and consider which job is suitable and interesting to me. If I want to be a leader, I need to learn more different styles and improve my weaknesses. It will be a great benefit to my future career. References Boyatzis, R. Kolb, D. (1995) From learning styles to learning skills: the executive skills profile, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 10(5), pp. 3-17 Boyle, G (1995) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Some Psychometric Limitations, Humanities Social Sciences papers, Bond University Briggs, K. and Myers, I. (2009) Free Personality Test: MMDI website, Available at: http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mmdi-re/mmdi-re.htm (Accessed 19th November 2009) Coe, C.K., (1992) The MBTI: potential uses and misuses in personnel administration, Available at: http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/343006-1.html (Accessed: 19th November 2009) Fleming, N. (2009), FAQ of VARK official website, Available at: http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=faq (Accessed: 19th November 2009) Goby, V. Lewis, J. (2000) Using Experiential Learning Theory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in Teaching Business Communication, Business Communication Quarterly, 63(3), pp. 39-48. Jackson, C. Lawty-Jones, M. (1996) Explaining the overlap between personality and learning styles, Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 20, pp. 293-300. Lessem, R. Baruch, Y. (2000) Testing the SMT and Belbin Inventory in Top Management Teams, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 21(1/2), pp.75-83 Morgan, A. Barbour, K. (2008) An initial study into the personality types of undergraduate business students. Proceedings of the Academy of Educational Leadership, 13(1), pp.33-38 Saggino, A. Cooper, C. Kline, P. (2001) A confirmatory factor analysis of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Personality and Individual Differences, 30(1), pp. 3-9.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Cocaine :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For many centuries people have used different drugs for various reasons. Depending on which decade you are in there are particular drugs of preference and abundant usage. Cocaine is most commonly used among 18-25 year olds rather then other age groups. I chose cocaine because it is what effects people my age most commonly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cocaine was first used in the late 1800’s as a local anesthetic during surgeries. Cocaine is considered the most potent stimulant of natural origin. Cocaine can be used in many different ways. Snorting cocaine is the quickest way to use the drug. The drug is snorted through the nose and absorbed by the nasal tissues and spread through the blood stream. The quickest way to feel the impact of the drug is through injection. The drug is directly injected into the bloodstream causing immediate effects. The last way is inhalation. Cocaine can also be smoked by which it is inhaled into the lungs then into the bloodstream. Inhalation can be as rapid as injection. Another form of cocaine is known as crack. Crack is processed with ammonia or baking soda and water; it is then heated to a smoke able consistency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in 2002 there were an estimated 1,059,000 new cocaine users in the United States. The average age of those who first used cocaine during the year was 20.3 years. Sadly in 2003-2004 approximately 34.9 million Americans over age 12 had tried cocaine at least once. The numbers are sad and shocking but amazingly continue to increase throughout the years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many health factors and risks arise with the use of cocaine. Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant. Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, dilated pupils, increased energy and increased blood pressure. Cocaine use in its early stages is often hard to detect. Some of the signs of possible cocaine use are, nosebleeds, lose of appetite, stealing from loved ones for money, and lying. A cocaine user, once dependant, will experience stomach cramps, increased heart rate and random cold sweats. Some other long-term effects of the use of cocaine are paranoia, irritability, restlessness, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances and many others. Users may also experience feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety (NIDA). Many people who inhale the drug may suffer from acute respiratory problems including coughing, shortness of breath, and severe chest pains with lung trauma and bleeding.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Case Study – Ben and Jerry

The state of Vermont has been no stranger to paving the path for social justice in America. It is the first state to introduce civil unions and now holds the title as the first state to legalize same-sex marriage by enacting it through a bill rather than in response to a required court decision. (Wikipedia) In April of 2009, Vermont became the fourth state to legalize gay and lesbian marriage. With the bill set to take effect on September 1, 2009, Ben & Jerry's created a campaign to coincide with the bill's introduction in its home state. (PRSA)Ben & Jerry's is a premium, American ice cream company created by lifelong friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. It was founded in Burlington, Vermont in 1978 where it is currently headquartered today. Cohen, a college dropout, and Greenfield, a recent college grad, decided to open an ice cream shop because they felt they needed to do something with themselves. After splitting the cost of a correspondence course on ice cream-making from Penn State University, they leased an old gas station building and opened the first Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop.The rest is history. Since opening its first Scoop Shop in 1978, Ben & Jerry's has expanded into a widely successful brand and leader in ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet manufacturing. Their ice cream can be found in all corners of the world, 26 different countries to be exact. Its products are distributed in grocery stores, restaurants, franchise Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops and other venues worldwide. Besides achieving great economical success, the company makes significant product donations to community groups and nonprofits across the nation.The purpose of Ben & Jerry's philanthropy is to support the founding values of the company, economic and social justice, environmental restoration and peace through understanding. (Ben & Jerry) In 1990, eight million Ben & Jerry ice cream cartons carried a â€Å"Support Farm Aid† message as part of a grassroots effort to support fa mily farmers. In 1991, the company introduced a bus that used solar panels to power onboard electronics in support of solar energy use.The national issues concerning gay rights and marriage equality are also included in the company's dedication to social justice. Ben & Jerry's official website states this commitment is grounded in our Company's core values, which include a deep respect for people inside and outside our company and an unshakable belief that all people deserve full and equal civil rights. In 1989, they extended full benefits to unmarried partners of its employees, including same-sex partners. And in 2000, they advocated publicly in Vermont for the creation of civil unions.It should come as no surprise that Ben & Jerry's chose to commemorate its home state's historic moment, â€Å"while reinforcing the company's longstanding commitment to social justice and equality for all people despite race, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference. † The result was â€Å"Hu bby Hubby†, a traditional and social media campaign surrounding the symbolic renaming of Ben & Jerry's popular ice cream flavor â€Å"Chubby Hubby† to â€Å"Hubby Hubby. † The campaign was planned to coincide with the bill's enactment on September 1, 2009 and last through the month of September.Ben & Jerry's partnered with Freedom To Marry, an organization that campaigns for the right of same-sex couples to marry in the United States. Together they aimed to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and, to show its support, would serve â€Å"Hubby Hubby† ice cream in Vermont Scoop Shops throughout the month of September. Goals of the â€Å"Hubby Hubby† campaign included encouraging other states to follow the trails of Vermont and other states legalizing gay marriage, promote the national conversation about why marriage equality matters, how to take action by driving consumers to freedomtomarry.org. Ben & Jerry’s has a long histor y of commitment to social justice, including gay rights.Its partnership with Freedom to Marry, a national leader in the movement for marriage equality, aims to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and to encourage other states to follow the blazing trails of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Maine. Freedom to Marry promotes the national conversation about why marriage equality matters and brings together partner organizations into a larger whole – a shared civil rights campaign.