Social Media and Technology in Learning Research Paper

Social Media and Technology in Learning - Research Paper Example It has been argued that instead of removing the social media from the learning process, it should be merged with technological tools to enhance the learning experience of the learners who are already enthusiastic about the use of social media (Blankenship 39). On the other hand, opponents of the use of social media in the classroom have argued that it would be distractive to the leaning process (Ahn 147). Nonetheless, it has been revealed that combination of technology and social media and effective use of these technologies will enhance the learning experience of students and promote their creative thinking, participation, collaboration and sharing of ideas (Hsiu-Ting and Yuen 712). In the light of these arguments, this research paper gives a critical analysis and discussion of the combination of technology and social media in education. The view of the research paper is to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve an effective combination of these technologies to promote the learn ing processes and achievement of learning outcomes by students in the most effective and efficient manner. Enhanced Communication in Education Processes Research findings have revealed that over 80% of learners in tertiary education are active users of social media networks (Markauskaite 80). More importantly, it has been demonstrated that more than half of the social networking site users use these sites as tools which promote communication during learning process (Tay and Matthew 156). Because technology and education applications including online information resources are used within the education system and supported by the curriculum, it is thus arguable that technology should be combined with social networking for more enhanced learning processes. The communications which have been registered among students who use social networking sites include posts on Facebook walls on educational activities among learners (Wankel 254). Additionally, social blogs have been created where st udents post questions and thus seek for assistance from other students which eventually promotes the learning process (Ahn 148). Such application demonstrates the combination of technological tools such as the internet and social networking for effective communication of educational material. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been used by learners to post links to group websites, wikis and blogs in which educational material is shared and information of studies exchanged effectively (Markauskaite 79). The communication which social media reveals among peers with the same educational interests thus reveal that information and communication technology can be combined with social media to enhance a more efficient and effective communication process. It has been further found that within higher learning institutions, learners connect with each other through social media with a view of tracking the education activities such as classes, projects, lab work, assignme nt and seminars (Blankenship 40). Furthermore, student representatives within a class have been said to be active communicators of education activities and programs to learners via posts on Facebook and Twits (Markauskaite 78). Nonetheless, it has been argued that the communication which is demonstrated within social media is less education and more social and as a result it cannot warrant its application within the educat

Domestic Violence And Its Effects Essay Example for Free

Domestic Violence And Its Effects Essay Domestic Violence And Its Effects Introduction            This essay the main women characters in ‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell and ‘Sweat’ by Zora Neale Thurston to explore domestic violence. The two plays form an ideal pair which explores domestic violence and its effects in the society. The essay considers how this issue is dramatized differently by Glaspell and Zora. By examining the two novels together, in the limelight of domestic violence and its impacts, the essayist will better discern, in relief, of the two plays achieve success and continues to fascinate the readers. Both novelists explore the relation between the legal narrative, official and illegitimate, suppressed stories, in which the females and the male’s version of conflict ascend over one another and the fate of women, determine their trials. In Trifles, the law is bent and the context of the women replaces the context of men in the court.            Domestic violence or emotional abuse is a behaviour used by one spouse to take control of the other. Forms of domestic abuse include sexual abuse, emotional, physical and economical, and can range from coercive, subtle forms of misuse to brutal physical abuse that may result to death or .disfigurement. Domestic violence affects those involved together with their substantial families, co-workers, friends and community at large. This crime affects children brought up in such families seriously. It subjects them to numerous physical and social problems. This creates a significant chance of increasing the risks of such children becoming the society’s next victims and abusers. The Trifle and the Sweat will give us a great opportunity of exploring some forms of domestic violence and their effects to the victims.            Susan Glaspell and Zora Neale Hurston lived during the early 1900s (Wagner-Martin, pp. 33). During this period, the role of the women in the society was being submissive to men as well as taking care of the domestic duties and responsibilities. This took place in all rural areas. Women hardly worked in order to support their families financially (Lupton, pp. 46). Their principal duties were to take care of children and attend other household duties. As a result, females were placed in the second class status where they were not considered as intelligent as men and were subjected to abuse. The two plays capture the struggles faced by women during this time. Males regard women in the plays with all the formulaic trappings in the setting of the rural American. Nevertheless, Glaspell and Hurston show women rarely fit the stereotype and should never be underestimated at all.            The society during this time had great influence on the way people lived, and could either liberate or oppress based on their standards of living. The society believed in the male superiority and women were oppressed and discontented with their lives. The women in the ‘Sweat’ and the ‘Trifles’ are alienated from their spouses as a result of traditional beliefs that dictate that women should be submissive, the males should dominate marriages, and the need of possessions to facilitate a happy marriage (Lupton, pp. 48).            The Sweat tells the story of a hero Delia Jones, who washes clothes for the whites in Florida town. She used to use the money she got to support her family (Hurston, pp.77). Nevertheless, Delia is married to an unkind man, Sykes. He is abusive to Delia, both physically and mentally. He has an affair with another lady and he uses the money earned by Delia to comfort his mistress. One day, he brings a rattle snake to his house in order to abuse Delia. Ironically, the snake kills him. As the play ends up the author makes the reader under that Delia does no effort to save the life of her abusive husband as he lay dying of bites inflicted by the snake.            Married women are unequally treated. They are required to do all domestic works and be submissive to their spouses. They are required to do things in order to please their husbands. Delia is abused by Sykes who physically beats her from time to time. As a result, domestic violence washes out the love between them. This is evident from the passive response of Delia when her husband suffers from the pains inflicted into his body by the rattle snake which he had brought into the house to abuse Delia. The narrator makes the theme clear by the reaction of Delia. Where there is abuse in marriage, suppressed parties will always want to revenge to the evil did by their husbands. Delia reacts with less concern about the pain her husband is going through as a way of revenging the abuse she has been going through the married life.            Domestic violence causes unfair treatment to the passive party. In the very beginning of the story, the writer makes the reader witness how women are used to attending all domestic chores. At this time, there were no employment opportunities for women more so the blacks. Nevertheless, Sykes is very unsympathetic to the needs of Delia who works for very little money in the laundry. He refuses to work and leaves his wife with all financial responsibilities. When Sykes tries to beat his wife, she says, Looka heah, Sykes, you done gone too far. Ah, been married to you fur fifteen years and Ah been takin in washing for fifteen years. Sweat sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat! (Hurston, pp.89). This clearly shows that in families dominated by domestic families, the life is so unfulfilling to the spouse affected and there is no love for each other.            Marriages dominated by violence are subject to threats to each other. Sykes keeps on beating his wife and repeatedly uses threats such as â€Å"Don’t give me no lip neither, else Ah’ll throw em out and put ma fist upside yo head to boot. (Hurston, pp. 91). Ironically, the society knows what happening between the two spouses but they believe that what happens in marriages is too personal to question.            Domestic violence leads to unfaithfulness and hatred in marriages. The novel reveals that Sykes carries publicly affairs with another woman. To make the matters worse, he uses the hardly earned money by his wife to comfort the mistress. Sykes keeps on telling Delia that she is too thin and that his other partner is fatter, just to make Delia inferior to his mistress. One day as Delia comes from work she sees the two in a general store. Sykes publicly embarrasses her and says he has no problem with spending her wife’s hard earned money with his mistress. That very night she confronts her husband and the two confess hatred to one another. The author makes the reader understand that domestic violence is accompanied by hatred and misuse of one another. In the end, Delia revenges back in order to get the inner peace. When Delia is hiding in the hangar from the rattlesnake, Hurston writes, â€Å"A period of introspection, a space of retrospection, and then a mixt ure of both. Out of this an unpleasant calm. (Hurston, pp. 78) Possibly this is all Delia will ever find to pacify her soul.            Domestic violence is characterised by conflicts as seen in the case of Sykes and her wife. The conflict between the two starts when Delia brings her work in the house. Sykes is angered when he comes home and finds his wife sorting the cloths of her bosses. He verbally abuses her and tells her that he does not want the laundry in their home. He also attacks his wife on religious conviction. He wants her to respect the Sabbath day and keep it holy by not working. Delia tells him that her work caters for their home and wins them their daily bread. As a result, the author makes the reader understand that domestic violence makes parties not appreciate the roles of their spouses. They are always at the blame of each other and the marriage is dominated by criticism as evident in the marriage between Delia and Sykes.            Domestic violence leads to murderous deeds in marriages. As a result of the hatred, adulterous behaviours and abuse of one another the feeling of killing the abusive party enters into the other party. For instance, as Trifles opens, Henderson asks Mr. Hale to explain to him what happened. Mr. Hales responds by narrating a series of events which led to his discovery on murder, more so his conversation with Mrs. Wright, whom he found in the kitchenette with the body of his husband laying carelessly. He says, I was surprised; she did not ask me to come up to the stove, or to set down, but just sat there, not even looking at me, so I said, I want to see John. And then she-laughed (Glaspell, pp.37). The narrator makes it clear that Mrs. Wright never minds about the death of her husband as laughed at him when he demanded to see her husband. Glaspell presents Mrs. Wright as a woman who had no feminine hysteria behaviour.            Domestic violence leads to neglect of the spouses: Neglect can be said to be ignorance, or lack of giving proper attention to one another. Neglect is a major form of domestic abuse faced by many females today’s society. This form of abuse is rarely reported to the concerned authorities as women make mere excuses in regard to those behaviours. Mrs. Wright of Trifle though she is a fiction character suffers the neglect as many women of today. Before the marriage, she was known for her pretty dress which she used to attend to choir with. This personality depicted the confidence and respect she had for herself. After marriage, her life makes significant changes. She had no children and used to stay alone in the house that she occupied together with her husband. She used to stay at home alone for many hours attending family duties.            Domestic violence leads to suppression of the spouses: Where violence exists there is always suppression of another. This argument is supported by the two novels. In trifles, Mr. Wright suppresses and dominates his wife. The suppression makes her be unable to take part in society as she wished to. John Wring does not mind about how her wife thought or wished. The same suppression and the indifferences between the two can be seen as the possible drive for accusations made against Mrs. Wright for murdering her husband while in his sleep. References Ben-Zvi, Linda. ‘Murder, she wrote’: The genesis of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. Theatre Journal 44.2 (1992): 141-162. Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Plays by Susan Glaspell. (1991). Hilton, Leon. Trifles, by Susan Glaspell. Women Performance: a journal of feminist theory 21.1 (2011): 147-149. Hurston, Zora Neale. Sweat. Rutgers University Press, 1997.Lupton, Mary Jane. Zora Neale Hurston and the Survival of the Female. The Southern Literary Journal (1982): 45-54. Wagner-Martin, Linda, and Cathy N. Davidson, Eds. The Oxford book of womens writing in the United States. Oxford University Press, 1999. Source document

Essays --

Medicare was designed as a universal healthcare program for individuals 65 years old and older. This program is funded by Medicare taxes and general federal funding withholding taxes. Medicare is a partnership between federal and state with the goal to provide medical insurance to the elderly that is poor and disabled. Generally all people who are 65 years or older and qualify for social security will automatically qualify for Medicare. There are four components to the Medicare program, part A, B, C and D. Part A of Medicare covers in patient hospital services; patients have a financial responsibility to cover a deductible that is equivalent to 1 day of hospitalization, thereafter cost is covered at 100 percent for a maximum of 60 days. This also includes nursing facilities, home and hospice care. Part B covers outpatient surgery and physician office visits. This is an elective component of Medicare in that there is a premium associated with this plan that is paid for directly through social security payments. Part C is know as Medicare Advantage and is a supplemental policy that is purchased directly from employers; one may be denied for health reasons depending one when the plan is acquired. Part D is prescription drug coverage that is eligible to all individuals that qualify for Medicare. Beneficiaries of the Medicare choose which prescription plan they want and pay a corresponding monthly premium. The increasing number of enrollees, new prescription drug benefit, Part B utilization and availability of enhanced technology has led to a rise in Medicare cost. Out of all the contributing factors of the rise in cost in Medicare, Part B utilizations have been a major cost driver. Thus far the affordable care act (ACA) has made... ...ple less than or equal to 133% of the FPL, starting 2014 eligibility will be expanded to people that are 138% or les of the FPL. Also the expansion will cover more parents and expand to adults who are childless. Fore states that choose to accept the expansion this means that they will have to cover more individuals in their Medicaid programs. The government will provide 100% funding for the first 3 years of the Medicaid expansion; thereafter the states will have to figure out how they will fund the program with the absence of federal funding. The stipulation with expanding Medicaid that after the three years are up the state cannot modify the program to not cover the expanding individuals. States that in financial ruins before the ACA, now with the expansion they will need to find alternative ways that will serve the same purpose as Medicaid in order to lower cost.

Cjs 200 Week 8 Violent Behavior Response

Violent Behavior Response Casie Thibeault CJS 200 November 23, 2012 University of Phoenix Violent Behavior Response In today’s society the behavior of inmates continues to get worse. Many inmates in prisons have violent behavior because they feel they have nothing to live for anymore especially when they get life in prison without parole. To many inmates they feel like it does not matter what they do because they are never going to leave prison anyway. Many prisons have gangs and when one first gets to prison they are told of all the rules that other inmates have made.The price for breaking these rules can be anywhere from having to beat up the biggest bad guy in jail to show ones dominance to having things taken from them. Many inmates will give up their food, money and even personal items just to be accepted or to not get hurt. Violent behavior among inmates and the prison staff is also a problem. Inmates tend to have attitude towards the staff because the staff holds them r esponsible for their crimes and expects them to follow the prison rules.Some inmates end up having relationships with the guards and the guards may let them do what they want as long as they get a cut of whatever the inmate may be doing illegally. Usually as long as an inmate gets their way then they will be friendly with the staff members. Many staff members treat the inmates with respect and the respect is returned. I believe if the staff treats the inmates with respect and not like scum because of their crime this also helps stop violent behavior.Some of the strategies for responding to violent behavior are to put one who has violent behavior in solitary confinement, adding more time to their sentence that they have, or even loosing privileges such as going outside to receiving mail from friends and family. Most people who are incarcerated don’t want to be there any longer than they have to and they just want to serve out their sentence without having any problems. The mor e violent ones behavior is will determine how much longer their sentence will last.If a prisoner has violent behavior all the time they are more likely to be incarcerated longer than they need to be. If the inmates had things to do, and could take classes and earn a degree or do something with their life while they are in jail it would give them hope for when they are free. I truly believe that it is all based on respect. If the inmates can learn to respect one another and respect the staff that is only doing their jobs, the prison system would have less violent behavior going on.

The CPD Certification Service

2.8.1 AnalysisThis cycle implies that CPD should arise from a need analysis which could be taken care of during the need identification. Analysis is the process of identifying priorities in the way by assessing what has been done effectively and what we went to improve for the coming in our institution with cooperative participation of stakeholders. Similarly we can identify individual needs with assessment of our strengths and weakness prioritizing them in the order high achievement performed in short period of time comes first. When we identify the school need questioner is distributed for stakeholders and gathered the response of questioners. This activity includes self assessment, peer review, annual appraisal, and selection of school CPD priorities by the school based CPD stake holders: the principals, CPD facilitators, teachers, department heads, head teachers and Woreda or zone experts (MoE, 2009 ). Thus, any CPD plan should be based on certain evidence than proposing it based on common sense or on no ground.2.8.2. PlanningPlanning is part of the school based CPD cycle, which is developed annually by the CPD stakeholders of every educational institution preceded by prioritizing the issue identified by the analysis process. Once the development need has been identified, a programme, specifically designed to meet that need, can be prepared (Dejenie Nigussie 2013). The CPD plan can be prepared individually or institutionally with details of events and timings set up in the CPD module (MoE, 2009). Individual CPD plan is developed annually based on the priorities of the individual teacher and institution. After individual annual CPD action plan is approved by principals it will kept in the teacher's professional portfolio and used as a guide for the type of information and evidence collected during the year (Desalegn, 2010). Each institution should develop an annual CPD plan on the bases of the issues identified by the need analysis process.2.8.3 DoingDoing is one part of the stapes of CPD cycle. Once we have already plan what, when and how to be do in the planning process, applying what we have already written in the plan become the next activity. Effective implementation of the planned activities highly determines the achievement of CPD goal. Some of the â€Å"Do† cycle activities include: curriculum meetings, demonstration lessons, planning lessons together, peer observation, observation of lessons and feedback, observation of students in lessons, talking to students, assessment of students work before and after the CPD activity, marking of students work, giving feedback and advice for development, and investigating a teacher action research, professional reading and research, visiting schools and teachers to see examples of good practices, sharing showing good practices within a school, maintaining

Napoleon I essays

Napoleon I essays Napoleon was born August 15, 1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica. This small, yet gallant figure was initially a fiercely independent Corsican, not a Frenchman as most would believe him to be. His areas of achievement were government, politics, and military. He was a strong leader during the French Revolution. He was very eager and determined to fight battles and win them. Sometimes, he was extremely stubborn. One of his most prestigious actions was when Napoleon crowned himself not the pope. Napoleon was the second of eight children of Charles Bonaparte and Letizia Ramolino Bonaparte, both of the Corsican-Italian gentry. Not one member of the family was a professional soldier. Napoleon was always a little boy and man. When he was young, he often had little play fights with the other Corsican boys and he would often lead his troops to victory. Napoleon was educated at Brienne and the Ecole Militaire, (French for military school) in Paris. Napoleon graduated in 1785, at the age of sixteen. Then he joined the artillery as a 2nd lieutenant. His initial goal was to help Corsica, not France. In 1796, Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. He defeated four Austrian generals and forced Austria and its allies to make peace. During his tenure in northern Italy, he founded the Cisalpine Republic and strengthened his position in France by sending millions of francs worth of treasure to the government. It was a morale boost to a nation cast in anarchy. Napoleon led an expedition to Egypt, ruled by the Turks, to cripple at British trade with the East. Despite his success in the Middle East, British Admiral Horatio Nelson destroyed his fleet, which left he and his army stranded. Napoleon took the chance to enhance his political skills by reforming the Egyptian government, abolishing serfdom, and feudalism. He also guaranteed basic rights for the citizens. Culturally, Napoleon brought Fr...

Developing a Social Media Strategy

Developing a Social Media Strategy Introduction Coca-Cola Company is a manufacturer of soft drinks and has several lines of products with its own sub brands. This company operates globally and currently occupies more than 70% of the soft drinks market share in America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and other continents (Treadaway, 2010). The brand ‘Coca-Cola’ was recently ranked the strongest brand in the world.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Developing a Social Media Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is a household name when it comes to refreshments. Coca-Cola, an American firm, has managed to maintain its market lead ahead of its main rival, Pepsi-cola even in the face of the worst economic conditions. Through its many product lines, the main brand has continued to experience a market growth even in countries that had regarded it a symbol of America’s dominance over the world (Kotler, 2003). Social media has increasingly become popular in the world. Technology is moving very fast and with it are several changes in the communication sector. This super brand requires a massive awareness creation not just to its new sub-brands like Dasani, but also the older ones like Fanta. Conventional forms of mass media like newspapers, radios and television are still very vital forms of creating this awareness. However, with emergence of social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, communication is getting a new definition. A brand like Coca-cola cannot afford the consequences of assuming such new dynamics. The youths form a substantial portion of the target market for this brand. Statistics has it that well over 85% of youths in America and Europe are using these social Medias, either through their personal computers or through mobile phones. In Asia, 70% are on social media while Africa has 65% on it (Falkow, 2010). The middle-aged group is not left behind. Having realized the importance of social media, C oca-cola has embarked on a massive investment in it (Armstrong, Harker, Kotler Brannan, 2009). On 10 January 2010, the company rolled out an ambitious plan on social media strategy and policy. This policy was to ensure that it reaches out to as many of its customers currently on social media as it possibly could. This policy also saw it reduce its annual expenditure on other mass media by up to 6.6% by March 2010 in order to increase its investment in the social media (Times Business, 2010). All this is aimed at restructuring the company’s marketing strategy to enable the brand stay conspicuous in the market.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Competitor Analysis Coca-cola brand has remained strong even in the face of stiff market competition. There are several brands offering similar products as it does across the world, but one brand has managed to caus e Coca-cola a scare in the American and overseas markets. This brand is Pepsi-cola. Started over a century ago, this North American brand has grown to become a darling company to many in the U.S. and other markets overseas. Its sub-brands like Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Naked Juice, and Aquafina among others are very strong in the market. Its iced tea, which is ready to drink, is one of the best selling products in North America’s beverage industry. This brand has realized the potential in the emerging social media and has taken well-calculated steps to tap from it. Pepsi Cola Company can easily be accessed through various social Medias. On Facebook, it can be accessed through https://www.facebook.com/pepsi, in Twitter through @pepsi, while on YouTube the link is  https://www.youtube.com/user/Pepsi/Pepsi (Andreasen, 2001). Time Business (2010) reported on Pepsi’s unusual withdrawal from the popular Super Bowl. Over the years, this sport has acted as a form of mass me dia advertisement to many corporations, Pepsi included. However, last year this brand withdrew from it in order to put more focus on social media, arguing that it is long gone, those days when mass media was regarded as the sole form of reaching customers. This company has decided to reach its customers through these social media and this has seen it penetrate some markets that it previously considered too hostile. This approach has worked for it. The presence of Pepsi brand in both the American and overseas markets are currently heavy enough to make it offer its main rival- Coca-cola, a proper challenge (Falkow, 2010). The youth can access the company’s site and get any information they may require about the brands market offerings. In as much as Pepsi has gone to great length in application of social media, there have been some instances when some of its strategies have been considered ineffective. Its departure from the mass media is so sudden, and the approach it gives so cial media is near unrealistic (Evance, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Developing a Social Media Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More An initially Brick, Moter, and Moter company like Pepsi cannot apply internet marketing as a near pure marketing strategy for its products. It therefore should reconsider its attitude towards mass marketing. Social Media Objectives Coca Cola’s entry into the social media is motivated by the fact that majority of their target market currently access the internet almost on a daily basis. The interactivity of these social medias also make them the best sites for the customers to get information about the firm, other than the fixed form of communication offered by mass media. This brand had objectives it wanted achieved by this entry as discussed below. Coca-cola wanted to create a large community of evangelists. These individuals have used the brand’s prod uct; and were thrilled by it. By creating accessibility through mass media, these individuals can easily share their experience with others. These evangelists can easily direct others who had not used the product before to the brands site. From this site, others can access their informational needs about the products offered by the brand. The company also wanted to involve customers in their product creation. The social media offers the best way through which the company and the customers can interact in an effort to creating products, which are to the expectations of the market. Another objective was to increase brand awareness. These social sites offer the best opportunity for a company to create awareness to its new sub-brands. Customers access these sites almost on a daily basis. By reaching out for them through these sites, the brand is able to conquer larger markets at a faster pace. Dasani, a relatively new sub-brand, can gain awareness in the market by use of social media li ke You Tube whose membership runs to millions. Lastly, this brand was motivated by the desire to increase its sales volume. Through the social media, the brands sales volume could be increased by maintaining a positive image with its customers. The company can ensure that the customer is constantly informed about the brand and any misconceptions are ironed out immediately they arise.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main objective of coca-cola company is to be the preferred market provider of soft drinks in the American and overseas markets. The above-mentioned brand objectives in developing social media strategy align well with this objective as they try to assert the brands presence in the market. Platforms Coca-cola brand is already known in the market. It therefore requires a platform that is efficient and effective. The platform should also be relevant. One platform that will be appropriate in this case will be Facebook. This platform offers a large community through which, this brand can reach the customers. Currently Facebook hosts over 4 million users across the world (Treadaway, 2010). By introducing this brand as a community member, we are able to conquer the market that is already consuming this social media. Most of those accessing this site do it to communicate with friends for pleasure. Coca Cola’s brand should therefore be positioned as a product for pleasure so that i t fits in this context. With the company’s profile in this community, we can send and receive custom-made communications from Coca Cola’s ‘friends’ across the world. This strategy enables the customers to be in position to deliver to us a personalized communication about Coca Cola’s brand. The approach creates the sense of belonging among customers. It develops an attachment, as the customer will feel that they are part of the firm, and the brand is their property that should be developed. This strategy also enables the firm to send direct communications to the members of the community about new developments in the products without their message being regarded as spam. In this platform, the firm would create a forum where individuals from across the world are free to discuss with the firm about their feelings over the company’s brand offering. They can tell the firm of the adjustments they feel should be made in the products or even the prici ng strategy. Another platform is twitter. Created in March 2006, this social network currently serves over 200 million users. As compared to Facebook, Twitter has received a lesser attention from many of firms seeking social media marketing. This means that it has a vast potential that is untapped. With the growth projected to be double its current size by the end of 2013, Coca Cola’s brand can make an early entry so that it secures its place and experience growth as it expands. Like Facebook, Twitter has gained acceptance from across the world. With its features that enable users to send and receive messages via their mobile phones or through twitter websites, twitter has gained fame at a pace that even the technology author, Steven Johnson had not predicted. It is currently ranked third most visited social media. The brand can develop a niche in this market and position itself as the brand that understands the requirement of its customers. Unlike Twitter, that has majority of its users as youths, older society members’ access twitter. This brings up an opportunity for the brand to reach out to the market segment that was left out by Facebook. Moreover, the communication in this media can be custom made to attract the aged. We can bring out the refreshing aspect of black current sub-brand, or the healthy mineral water- Dasani. The other platform that could work for Coca-Cola is the You Tube. This social media is rated second most visited, only after Facebook. Engagement Plan The main aim of developing this strategy is to develop sustainability for Coca Cola’s brand. The customer is the focus and increased sales the company’s main target. For this reason therefore, customers must be actively engaged in order to achieve the most out of this strategy. The main advantage of social media over the conventional mass media is that it facilitates interactivity. By joining a community like twitter, this brand is open to criticism from custom ers that will enable it adjust its products appropriately. They can also respond to some criticism that may be misguided by providing the right information to the market. By engaging search engines like Flikr or Google, the firm allows customers to access information about the brand in real time. This will require that the company provide such engines with as much information as may be necessary so that customers will access them. Coca Cola seeks to create a forum where all stakeholders can easily interact with one another with the aim of fostering interactive community. Members in this community can only work properly if they are able to communicate freely with each other. Consumers make a very important part of a company. The Coca-cola brand needs to know the requirements in the market in order to fine-tune its products (Jarboe, 2009). When management assumes this approach, there will be a direct positive relation in the sales volume. According to Klein (2009), customers must be i nvolved in the implementation of key strategies so that the outcome will be acceptable in the market. He argues that customers’ opinion is should be taken care of in order to create harmony in the market. Challenges and Considerations The strategy to give marketing an approach from social media was timely and well calculated. The brand has managed to double its market share in countries such as Israel and Comoros Island, regions where sales were not very attractive. However, this has not been without challenges. Some of the major challenges faced in the implementation of this strategy are as follows. Freedom found in the social media: This factor is a double aged sword. On one end, it helps the brand get first hand information about their feeling towards our product without any editing. On the other end, it allows individuals say anything about the brand, some of which may hurt our sales. A competitor can therefore take advantage of this and spread negative communication abou t us. This message will spread so fast that by the time we are able to respond, it would be a little too late. This freedom to communicate to us about their feeling on our brand positioning can also be abused. Coca Cola relies on this communication in order to come up with a marketing strategy that is acceptable in the market. If this information is misleading- which may be the case- then the company’s actions in the market may be counterproductive. The company’s team must therefore screen the information and eliminate any issues that may mislead the applied marketing team (Andreasen, 2001). Social media is not all-inclusive: A market segment that is left out which comprises the elderly. This group is not enthusiastic about the wonders brought by technology. Another group not covered by the social media is the rural dwellers, especially in the rural set-up. They make a substantial portion of the market and for the prosperity of our brand; we cannot afford to assume the m. This calls for application of other means like the mass media, which comes at an extra cost (Kurtz, 2008). Another serious challenge we face by application of this strategy is the fact that many people still regard social media as a preserve for youths who are lazy and use these sites to pass time the easy way. They do not appreciate the potential posed by the social media and therefore any communication made through them draws not, their attention. They believe that such communication is targeted at such youths and they will therefore assume them. For them, a company like Coca-cola should consider other ‘serious’ means in order to communicate with them. This sends us back to mass media where this market segment can be accessed. Another challenge with the social media the firm integrated into the marketing strategy was content limitation. These social media have character limitation. Twitter can only accommodate 144 characters, and this means that our messages will b e limited to that. The graphics that are very important in marketing may also be applied as easily as it would be in mass media. This limitation forces the marketing department to look for alternative means so that the right message reaches the market. Hackers pose another serious challenge. They can access our wall in these social media and post information that damages our public image. The technical team must therefore keep an eye on such possible threats (Thomases, 2010). Timeline This strategy is expected to take a period of three months. Within this time, the strategy should be up and running as part of Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy. The first one and a half month should see the introduction into and successful operation in the Facebook. Being the largest social media and our first choice, the firm will give it the longest period. Within this period, the firm will create our profile, develop our wall in Facebook, and test the responsiveness of the market. Through this, the firm will be able to adjust as may be necessary. The second platform, twitter will take three weeks and will follow the steps that were used in the first platform, and lastly you tube will come in the last three weeks. Within this timeline, the firm hopes to achieve an effective social media strategy. Conclusion Social media has developed over the past few years and this growth is expected to continue for several years to come. With this new development, marketers around the world must redefine their marketing strategy and give a new approach to the manner in which they reach their target market. This calls for a development of a Social Media Strategy that would enable brands like Coca-cola to tap from the massive potential offered in the social media. Coca-cola has realized this and developed the strategy discussed in this paper so that it can successfully reach its customers. This strategy allows the marketing department interacts actively with the market so that its approach is customer based. Through this, the marketing department is able to advice both the production and the quality control departments of what is expected of them so that their products are to the expectations of the market. This way, the brand will experience growth in its market share not just in the American markets but also markets abroad. Social media offers this brand opportunity to remain conspicuous in the market. References Andreasen, A. (2001). Ethics in social marketing. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Armstrong, G., Harker, M., Kotler, P. Brannan, R. (2009). Marketing: An introduction. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall. Evance, D. (2010). Social media marketing: An hour a day. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc. Falkow, S. (2010). Social media strategy. New York, NY: Expansion Plus Inc. Jarboe, G. (2009). YouTube and video marketing: An hour a day. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishers Inc. Klein, H. (2009). Customer engagement strategies: The three k eys to engaging C-suite executives. New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing insights from A-Z: 80 concepts for every manager. New Jersey, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Kurtz, D. (2008). Contemporary marketing: Designing customer oriented marketing strategy. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Thomases, H. (2010). Twitter marketing: An hour a day. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc. Time Business. (2010). Behind Pepsis choice to skip this years super bowl. Web. Treadaway, C. (2010). Facebook marketing: An hour a day. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishers, Inc.

How to Make Homemade Slime (Classic Recipe)

How to Make Homemade Slime (Classic Recipe) There are lots of recipes for slime. Which one you choose depends on the ingredients you have and the type of slime you want. This is a simple, reliable recipe that produces classic slime. Tip Store your slime in a zip-lock bag in the fridge to prevent it from developing mold! What You Need to Make Slime Borax powderWater4 ounce (120 ml) glue (e.g., Elmers white glue)TeaspoonBowlJar or measuring cupFood coloring (optional)Measuring cup How to Make Slime Pour the glue into the jar. If you have a big bottle of glue, you want 4 oz or 1/2 cup of glue.Fill the empty glue bottle with water and stir it into the glue (or add 1/2 cup of water).If desired, add food coloring. Otherwise, the slime will be an opaque white.In a separate, mix one cup (240 ml) of water into the bowl and add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of borax powder.Slowly stir the glue mixture into the bowl of borax solution.Place the slime that forms into your hands and knead until it feels dry. Dont worry about the excess water remaining in the bowl.The more the slime is played with, the firmer and less sticky it will become.Have fun! Playing with homemade slime. Welcome to buy my photos/Getty Images How Slime Works Slime is a type of non-Newtonian fluid. In a Newtonian fluid, viscosity (ability to flow) is only affected by temperature. Typically, if you cool a fluid down, it flows more slowly. In a non-Newtonian fluid, other factors besides temperature affect viscosity. Slime viscosity changes according to pressure and shear stress. So, if you squeeze or stir slime, it will flow differently than if you let it slide through your fingers. Slime is an example of a polymer. The white glue used in the classic slime recipe is also a polymer. The long polyvinyl acetate molecules in glue allow it to flow from the bottle. When polyvinyl acetate reacts with the sodium tetraborate decahydrate in borax, protein molecules in the glue and borate ions form cross-links. The polyvinyl acetate molecules cant slip past each other so readily, forming the goo we know as slime. Tips for Slime Success Use white glue, such as Elmers brand. You may also make slime using the clear or translucent school glue. If you use white glue, you get opaque slime. If you use a translucent glue, you get translucent slime.If you cant find borax, you can substitute contact lens solution for the borax and water solution. Contact lens solution is buffered with sodium borate, so its basically a pre-made mixture of the key slime ingredients. Dont believe internet tales that contact solution slime is borax-free slime! Its not. If borax is a problem, consider making slime using a truly borax-free recipe.Dont eat the slime. Although it isnt especially toxic, it is not good for you either! Similarly, dont let your pets eat the slime. While boron in borax isnt considered an essential nutrient for humans, it actually is an important element for plants. Dont feel bad if a bit of slime falls into the garden.Slime cleans up easily. Remove dried slime after soaking with water. If you used food coloring, you may need bleach to remove the color. Feel free to jazz up the basic slime recipe. The cross-linking that holds the polymer together also helps slime hold mix-ins. Add tiny polystyrene beads to make the slime more like floam. Add pigment powder to add color or to make the slime glow under black light or in the dark. Stir in a bit of glitter. Mix in a few drops of fragrance oil to make the slime smell good. You can add a bit of color theory by dividing the slime into two or more chunks, coloring them differently, and watching how they mix. You can even make magnetic slime by adding some iron oxide powder as an ingredient. (Avoid magnetic slime for very young children, because it contains iron and theres a risk they might eat it.)Ive got  a YouTube video of the slime showing what you will get if you use glue gel rather than white glue. Either type of glue works well.

Question and Answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Question and Answer - Essay Example d by the pictures in the book and they can be able to predict the next writings and the next picture thus making use of their memory and the beginning knowledge. Children try to build their vocabulary on the basis of what they have heard and they can easily remember. Children try to complete what they hear or see to get satisfaction or disruption if not well predicted. The playfulness and the general activities done by the child depend on the content the child has been fed with. Rhythm from a musical language that is used in a picture book once it has got into the child, it travels through the kid’s legs and arms making the child make movements that go in line with the rhythm of the book. The young learners tend read very loud the few sentences that accompany the pictures in the picture book. This is necessitated by the fact that the language used in the sentences has capturing rhythms and stresses in their structures in addition to the captivating pictures. Children concentrate most to pages in the picture books that contain pictures and the few words that are expressive enough. Pages that that are not expressive enough, make children to lack concentration and subsequent distracted eyes, whispering to each other and even restless legs that can end up disturbing even the few who are concentrating Musicality is a key component in a picture book because musical attributes like imagery and rhythm are used to enhance musicality in a picture book thus appealing to the child.†Whistling wind, rolling thunder, screeching cats, creaking floorboards, turning doorknobs-sounds from afar and sounds getting closer; the stuff of spooky stories, ghosts and haunted houses in the night† (Cheng 2012 pg. 1-2). The use of –ing at the end of the words brings the regular rhyme scheme that is best suited for musicality. This musicality is what that makes the picture book enjoyable to children. Both music and picture books are used for the development of the child especially

Common Agricultural Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Common Agricultural Policy - Essay Example Since then, the CAP has now changed dramatically after three successive reforms, the last one taking place in 2003 and being progressively implemented. According to the Common Agricultural Policy, with regard to developing countries the EU is committed to the principle of special and differential treatment. It appeals to all developed and the wealthiest developing countries to provide significant trade preferences to developing countries and it pleads for making these trade preferences more stable and more predictable. On domestic support, the EU is prepared to accommodate concerns of developing countries on food security, rural development and rural poverty by adjusting the "green box"(Harrison et al, 1995). In this paper, we would be discussing the effect of Common Agricultural Policy on developing countries to arrive at a conclusion whether CAP helps or harms the developing countries. When the EU was formed in 1958, two important conditions already existed. Firstly, all the countries that established the EU or joined it before 2004 had already been protecting their farmers. Secondly, these countries had signed the GATT that asked to combine agricultural protection with supply management (Polaski, 2006). The EU simply harmonized and integrated the existing farm policies of its member countries, so that one common policy was created instead of a patchwork of national policies. In doing so, it adopted a number of guiding principles. The first one was that of a unified market. Within the EU, the borders were opened. Farm products could freely move from one country to another. It was only at the outer border that import tariffs were imposed to protect EU farmers against cheap imports from the world market. The second principle was that of communitarian preference. This closely resembles the principle of food sovereignty that ECOWAS farmers and policy makers are discussing today. It meant that farm products that were consumed in the EU and that could reasonably efficiently be produced in the EU itself should come from the EU rather than from the world market. The external tariffs should be sufficiently high to ensure this. The third principle was that of parity and productivity. Parity meant that farm incomes should be equal to those in other sectors. This should partly be achieved by price support, but prices should not be too high, for affordable food prices for consumers were also important. Therefore, the produ ctivity of agriculture should be stimulated so that farmers would be able to produce at lower cost. The fourth principle was that of financial solidarity. All costs of the common agricultural policy were financed out of a communal treasury, which in turn was filled with funds originating from import tariffs and some other government revenues. From a developing country point of view, the impact of the reformed CAP on agricultural markets has become more complex. Even though the "new CAP" still has some unwanted effects, they are less direct and more difficult to assess (Herok & Lotze, 2000). The traditional image of a "fortress Europe" that is closed to developing countries' exports, while the EU dumps considerable

AD campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AD campaign - Essay Example These reports are majorly based and founded typically on psychological insights. A real campaign regularly assists brands in avoid commoditization the pressure of competing with the only the only price. Goodwill and loyalty are increased and encouraging buying of across more items within the umbrella brand. Finding of the relevant secret message behind the brand is not easy to be found broadly, and its productions will be done well. The database used in the report is the document-oriented and public domain. The validity found in the assessment of the presented reports revealed that in the campaign, there is a production of the metrics needed by the end user so that the campaign will be well understood (Belch, 2004). In document-oriented database format, the campaigns in most circumstances, store and retrieve their information on the computer. Compared to a relational database, text-oriented has a bigger difference. The encoding of some information that is readable to the user through the sense of English is a central concept of this database. In the other perspective, public domain uses a principal that the information available can be used by anyone in any form and for the user’s desired purpose (Belch, 2004). Complying with relevant rules is a requirement for the proper attribution of the author. Along these reports, there are some disadvantages. The operation of sending out the unidirectional message to the entire audience at the same time through general advertising and sustainability advertising is created. Ability to connect with a consumer and the changes for the response incurred is somehow limited. From this connection inability, generation of feedback relationships and cooperation to the consumers is also disadvantaged. Another challenge faced in these reports is the complexity of the risk message that needs

English annotation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English annotation - Essay Example e a human being and used to walk on two’s as he is told by those who knew him, â€Å"the people who survive the horrible chemical fog and poisoning of the water suffer from terrible diseases† (Sinha 1). People’s livers begin to rote as a result of the incidence of the ingestion of the chemicals in the industry. Khaufpur is a small poor town, it does not have doctors who can treat the disease that the people are suffering from. An American doctor, Elli Barber, is sent to Khaufpur to run a clinic without payment. The author describes that Elli Barber encounters a lot of problems than her earlier believe the activity will go on smoothly. The people of Khaufpur are very suspicious of the behavior of Elli and they believe that Elli is contacted to the thing they hate most, the Kampani. There is evidence that people do not have hope for the change. The narrator says that many people had written about the town, but it had not brought justice to the town (3). The subsequent paragraphs give the summary of what happens. A man named Zafar is a professional activist who champions for the rights of the people of Khaufpur. Zafar has a group of individuals that helps him to carry out his work of activism. The group consists of many people, who include; Farouq, Zafars right-hand man, Someraji, who was once a professional singer that has been an activist for about a decade, and Nisha, Zafars girlfriend, Somerajis daughter and the hope and girlfriend of Animals life. Animal is also ingested in Zafars group. He is used as a spy. Animal is sent into the clinic to watch over and inform on Elli and ends up befriending her. Zafar is seen as their god, respected for his kindness, respect and whatever he says no one can object. When Zafar suspects that Elli Barber is in league with the man they hate most Kampani, he cautions and convinces all the people to boycott and avoid the free medication (303). Animal believes that Elli will help him to achieve his dream. More than anything

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

Corporate Psychopathy - Essay Example This study outlines that the corporate governance is in dire need of regulation if the rights of the citizenry, as well as the integrity of the state are to be maintained. This is particularly important due to the fact that psychopaths have a tendency to taint nearly all the circles that they come into when establishing a contact. This implies that psychopaths can taint the state too, which is charged with the responsibility of establishing the extent of ethical and legal limits of the corporate behavior. This contamination of the state may occur in myriad ways. The intense corporate lobbying, in addition to the financial donations that corporates tend to extend to the state among other spheres of social influence, they may sometimes influence those in charge of making and overseeing the implementation of the law. To fully understand the link that likens corporate governance to a psychopath, Ullman provides diagnostic criteria for the same. To begin with, he points out that just like a psychopath; corporates tend to fail to conform to the set social norms and regulations that pertain to the practicing lawful behavior. This is commonly indicated by their repeated acts that pose clear grounds of arrest. This is mainly manifested through the ability of corrupt corporations to find their ways into powerful and key areas of the state using ways that go beyond the social norms. Some of these ways include seeking loopholes in the law to establish their claims, stock shares manipulation and offer favours to influential politicians, in addition to practicing illegal accounting practices to endear themselves to more shareholders. Even amidst these malpractices, when caught by the law, the shareholders and the junior employees, usually become the main victims of the corporations’ acts since they lose their shares and jobs respectively when the corporations are deemed bankrupt and inoperable. This paper highlights that subsequently, Ullman further elaborates that co rporations also resemble psychopaths through the nature of their deceit in quenching their personal pleasures and perceived profits. This may be indicated by their repeated pure lie and the use of aliases when advertising themselves to new audiences. Based on the set societal norms, lying, whether deliberately or inadvertently, may be regarded as an instrument that psychopaths use to establish a foothold with their victims. In most cases, the lies are usually decorated with cunny words and wit, with most corrupt corporations capable of maneuvering government or other third party agencies in the pursuit of their goals. Similarly, psychopathic tendencies in the corporate world may be manifested through the corporates’ lack of remorse, normally manifested by rationalising their acts that might have hurt another party.  

Opportunity assessment for 'YPlan' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Opportunity assessment for 'YPlan' - Essay Example There is a business opportunity in the last minute seat business as the theatre industry has an annual balance of 30% unsold seats, the cinema industry has 80% unsold seats while the live music industry has a balance of 40% unsold seats. The company YPlan is a young app company founded in 2012 by Rytis Vitkauskas and Viktoras Jucikas. YPlan specializes in last minute event discovery which involves alerting users of available tickets for live events happening within the next 24 hours. The events it sells include wine tasting sessions, music gigs, theatre or silent discos with all featured events handpicked by the company’s editors. The YPlan is based in London, UK, and serves the iPhone market in the city. The company was initially based in East London’s TechHub starting with two employees but grew quickly recruiting 17 employees in the process and shifted its base to King’s Cross. The company plans to expand internationally to other markets where the iPhone penet ration is huge like the US and Japan. YPlan seeks to exploit a gap in the entertainment market by being the first app company to provide an efficient means of purchasing last minute nights out tickets. The founders have experience in the software industry and have a long history of entrepreneurship. Rytis, for example, has previously worked at Summit Partners where he was responsible for software and technology investments. He contributed to the sourcing, execution and management of summit investments in Acturis and Avast software (Baron 2012). Challenges in the app business The company’s services were only available in London as of Jan 2013, but it looks to expand its business to American cities. The app market is crowded and competitive; it is hard for most entrepreneurs to break through. The popularity of apps changes quite often; therefore, entrepreneurs have to be conversant with the latest trends in the industry (Chell 2004). To launch a successful app entrepreneurs hav e to acquire the relevant technology appropriate to a particular platform. If the entrepreneur intends to launch the app on different platforms, then he/she needs to purchase a platform specific developer license for each platform. Platforms are in general mutually incompatible, with each having unique technical detailing and coding. The coding and testing stage requires the services of experienced app developers and software engineers. The app developer also needs sound designers, graphic designers and content developers, in addition to, an effective marketing and PR team. The company does not offer a filtering system to sort between different types of events like music gigs and theatre.   Some competitors like Hotel tonight appeal to customers with discounted rates for their services while Yplan offers discounts for only some of the events (Chell 2004). Other competitors like Groupon use coupons to advertise various products including sales of tickets to a wide range of events a t highly discounted rates. This could impact on Yplan’s bottom-line as its services are restricted to subscriber-only app based marketing. Groupon’s customers need not own a smart phone in order to buy its products. Groupon has also negotiated lucrative deals with various American companies and this could be a hurdle to Yplan’s strategy of entering the American market. For instance, Groupon have partnered with the MLB to sell tickets to its games. Opportunities and product differentiation

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

Corporate Psychopathy - Essay Example This study outlines that the corporate governance is in dire need of regulation if the rights of the citizenry, as well as the integrity of the state are to be maintained. This is particularly important due to the fact that psychopaths have a tendency to taint nearly all the circles that they come into when establishing a contact. This implies that psychopaths can taint the state too, which is charged with the responsibility of establishing the extent of ethical and legal limits of the corporate behavior. This contamination of the state may occur in myriad ways. The intense corporate lobbying, in addition to the financial donations that corporates tend to extend to the state among other spheres of social influence, they may sometimes influence those in charge of making and overseeing the implementation of the law. To fully understand the link that likens corporate governance to a psychopath, Ullman provides diagnostic criteria for the same. To begin with, he points out that just like a psychopath; corporates tend to fail to conform to the set social norms and regulations that pertain to the practicing lawful behavior. This is commonly indicated by their repeated acts that pose clear grounds of arrest. This is mainly manifested through the ability of corrupt corporations to find their ways into powerful and key areas of the state using ways that go beyond the social norms. Some of these ways include seeking loopholes in the law to establish their claims, stock shares manipulation and offer favours to influential politicians, in addition to practicing illegal accounting practices to endear themselves to more shareholders. Even amidst these malpractices, when caught by the law, the shareholders and the junior employees, usually become the main victims of the corporations’ acts since they lose their shares and jobs respectively when the corporations are deemed bankrupt and inoperable. This paper highlights that subsequently, Ullman further elaborates that co rporations also resemble psychopaths through the nature of their deceit in quenching their personal pleasures and perceived profits. This may be indicated by their repeated pure lie and the use of aliases when advertising themselves to new audiences. Based on the set societal norms, lying, whether deliberately or inadvertently, may be regarded as an instrument that psychopaths use to establish a foothold with their victims. In most cases, the lies are usually decorated with cunny words and wit, with most corrupt corporations capable of maneuvering government or other third party agencies in the pursuit of their goals. Similarly, psychopathic tendencies in the corporate world may be manifested through the corporates’ lack of remorse, normally manifested by rationalising their acts that might have hurt another party.  

Social Problems Caused by Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Problems Caused by Abortion - Essay Example For the conclusion, the summary of the researcher's learning outcomes will be enumerated. There is a huge difference between the number of Baby Boomers population (born between 1945 - 1964) with 76 million as compared to the Generation X's (born between 1965 - 1980) with 46 million. (Francis-Smith, 2004; Allen, 2004; Raines, 2002) Basically, the signficant differences on the number of population between the two generations contribute a lot to the increase of social problems related to the future pension plan for the Baby Boomers. Since the population of Generation X is significantly much lesser than the population of Baby Boomers, the amount of taxes that can be collected from Generation X would become insufficient to sustain the large sum of money needed to support the pension pay of each individuals belonging to the Baby In line with this matter, Senator Zell Miller stated that "killing: of unborn children has caused a number of social problems in the United States including limiting the number of people who could be productive workers and contribute to social security." (Ertelt, 2007) Also, given that millions of American fetus were legally aborted either intentionally or against the free-will of the pregnant American woman, the United States need to accept more highly literated foreigners to immigate into the country. Based on medical tests, women who has undergone the process of abortion may result to a long list of negative physical, emotional and psychological adverse effects. (Coleman, Rue, & Spence, 2007) As part of the negative psychological effects of abortion on young girls and women, more than 25% of them are seeking the professional help of a psychiatrist. (Badgley, 1977: 313 - 321) Some women who could not tolerate the emotion and psychological disturbances caused by abortion may also have difficulty in getting some sleep or experience nervous disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which may require them to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. (Barnard, 1990; Ashton, 1980) Some of these women may also have an increased risk to minor and major infections, the symptoms of excessive bleeding, chronic abdominal pain due to the tearing of the uterus, cervical injuries and gastro-intestinal disturbances. (Reardon, 1987) In case these physiological symptoms are not properly taken cared of, the woman may end up losing their own lives. (Frank et al., 1987; Reardon, 1987) Since women who has gone through abortion may be at risk of mental, psychological and physical problems, each of these women would not be effective enough in fulfilling their role in the society as a wife and a mother. Society's Contribution in the Development of these Social Problems The society has a

Types of Colonies Essay Example for Free

Types of Colonies Essay English colonies were one of three types of colonies. The first being a joint-stock colony. In this type of colony the king of England would grant a charter to a joint-stock company that would ensure settlers the same rights as Englishmen. Joint-stock colonies were only meant to last a few years. After which, stockholders hoped to earn a profit. Many people were attracted with the promise of gold. The second type was a royal colony. This type of colony was directly controlled by the king. The king appointed a governor and a council which served as an advisory body to the governor. The council had an the upper house of the colonial legislature and the highest court in the colony. The lower house was a bicameral legislature and was elected by property holders who met voting qualifications. Laws passed by the legislature had to be approved by the king. Finally, was the proprietary colony. A Proprietary Colony is a colony in which the king gave land to people called proprietors. Most of these colonies are run under a charter agreement. Private land owners picked governors to rule the colonies. Governors then chose a council and colonist elected representatives to an assembly. This type of colony resembled feudalism. The plantation colonies included Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. They were financed by the English crown and made proprietary colonies except for Virginia which was financed through the Virginia Company and was a joint-stock colony. The colonies were founded for different reasons. Virginia was founded in search of gold. North and South Carolina was founded to grow foodstuffs and to export non-English products. Maryland was founded for religious freedom. Georgia was founded to be a buffer against Spanish expansion from Florida and to be a haven for people in debt and prisoners of England. The plantation colonies exported agricultural products such as the cash crops indigo, tobacco, and rice. These colonies were dependent on the labor of indentured servants at first but by the seventeenth century black slaves became the source of labor. The enormous plantations were owned by few and they had an aristocratic attitude. They did have a form of democratic self-government however the rich plantation owners controlled the government because they were the only people who could afford to pay for all their own expenses. The plantation colonies did allow for some religious toleration. There wasnt much opportunity for social and political mobility. Education was much sparser in the plantation colonies than the others colonies. New England colonies included New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. These colonies were financed by joint-stock companies although Rhode Island had started out as a squatter colony. All of the New England colonies were founded mainly for religious freedom. Because of limited farm land, new englanders had to find a different source of income. New Englands colonies offered fish, furs, and ships to England. A mercantile network made them a part of the triangle trade. Trade became the cornerstone of colony’s economy. New England had a provincial government. In this government freeman (adult males who belonged to the puritan congregations) were the only people allowed to vote in provincial elections. This was about two-fifths of the adult male population. However all male property holders were allowed to discuss and vote on town government issues. New England was the less ethnically mixed than the southern colonies because of its stony soil. However, the clean water and cool temperatures lessened the spread of germs and added ten years to the life span of settlers migrating from the old world. This contributed to family stability and in turn gave new englanders a strong, tranquil social structure. Opportunity for social and political mobility was available to most men willing to work for it. Education was extremely important in New England, towns with more than fifty families were required to provide elementary education. A majority of adults knew how to read and write and only eight years after founding Massachusetts, Puritans established Harvard College. The middle colonies included New York, Pennsylvania , New Jersey, and Delaware . New York, New Jersey, and Delaware were all originally founded by the Dutch to make a quick profit in the fur trade and were financed by the Dutch West India Company until 1644 when England took over. Pennsylvania however, was founded by William Penn, a Quaker. His reason for founding Pennsylvania was to be a haven for religious liberties and other Quakers . He secured a charter from the king in lieu of the debt still owed to his father. The middle colonies werent as aristocratic as New England nd the plantation colonies because land holdings were intermediate in size, with the exception of New York. The middle colonies were more ethnically diverse than the other colonies and the most religiously tolerant. Very few class distinctions existed because of the large middle class. The middle colonies government was a combination of the New England and south government. They had modified both the county govern ment and the town-meeting government into one. People had much democratic control and men could vote if they owned property. Social and political mobility was greater in the middle colonies because desirable land was more easily acquired. Their soil was very fertile and they became known as the bread colonies for exports of grain. However, the middle colonies did not limit themselves to just farming as an income and also traded. Their three main rivers ,the Susquehanna , the Delaware , and the Hudson, all allowed them access to the fur trade. They also had some industry , such as ship building thanks to their excellent harbors and rivers. Colonial leaders agreed that education was important but did not provide it like New England. The decision to educate children was left to the families until 1683, when a Pennsylvania law was passed, requiring that all children be taught to read and write and be trained in a useful trade. In conclusion, all three colonies had many similarities and differences. All of the colonies were almost entirely English and had British freedoms. All were under a mercantile economy until the revolution. To some degree all had religious toleration and a self-government. All of them also gave new settlers the opportunity to make money and climb the social ladder, although it was harder in some colonies than others. All of the colonies eventually were made into royal colonies with the exception of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Almost every colony utilized a two-house legislative body. Although very alike the colonies also had many differences. Plantation colonies were very spread out and depended on slavery for income. They were the most aristocratic, had a scattered population and only some religious toleration. Social and political mobility was much harder in the plantation colonies and government was controlled by wealthy land owners. The New England colonist were mostly puritan and werent as religiously tolerant as the other colonies. They also had more industry instead of farming because of less available farm land. They were mainly known for their ship building and fishing. New England stressed education and held town meetings often to vote on local issues. The middle colonies were the most ethnically diverse, religiously tolerant, and democratic of the colonies except for aristocratic New York. They were a mix of the plantation colonies and New England in almost everything. There was little class distinctions and a large middle class. Money could be made not only in farming but in industry too.

Maintain Ethical And Professional Standards

Maintain Ethical And Professional Standards This secondary research task will consider the corporate governance that JSE listed companies uphold. This research task will determine the extent to which these companies maintain ethical and professional standards. Two companies will be chosen and their corporate governance will be collected and closely looked at, there will be a discussion of the information collected for each of the two companies. A conclusion will be made as to which company is better governed based on the information which has been collected for the research. Introduction Corporate governance is a companys operating principles in terms of their ethics, corporate social responsibility, professionalism and the control which stakeholders have over the company to ensure the above principles are followed. Two companies which have been chosen will be looked at closely in terms of their corporate governance. The aim of the research is to determine which of the two companies is better governed, and which of the two companies maintain ethical and professional standards. Methodology I have mainly used the internet as it is difficult to get brochures with the relevant information about the corporation. I have looked at various sites about the corporation. I have tried to email the corporation for specific information which I was unable to retrieve on the internet. I have chosen the two companies as I enjoy eating at many of the restaurants which are franchises of the corporation and for the choice of the other corporation; it is because my family shops with them. Choice of companies Both Shoprite Holdings Ltd and Spur Corporation are public companies which are listed on the JSE. These public companies have a Corporate Social Index which determines the amount of involvement they have in the community. Each of these two companies follows a similar business structure (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006) (Anonymous, Investor care, unknown), but each one has an individual contribution to the community, socio-economic issues and the environment. Each company follows a different code of ethics, but each company aims to not only to make profit but to also give back to the community and to provide for their consumers. I have chosen these two companies as they have great involvement in the community as well as provide excellent service for their customers. Shoprite Holdings Ltd provides for people who are well to do as well as those who are less advantaged. Shoprite gives back to the community in vast amounts and this is the reason why they are supported by the community . My family shops at Shoprite as well as eats at Spur which is another reason why I chose these two companies, to look at in closer detail. Food is our passion. Welcoming you, our pleasure Introduction into Spur Corporation micro environment Our vision is to be the best family sit-down restaurant in the market in which we trade (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Our mission is to be dedicated at all times to our customers and staff- to provide a taste for life for our customers and to be a great place to work for our staff (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Allen Ambor Executive chairman Spur Corporation follows the line and staff organisation structure which has a board of directors who over look the entire organisation. Below the directors are the managers in each of the different fields for example advertising and finances. Below the managers are the staff which interact directly with the customers (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Spur corporation is well aware of the service which they need to provide their customers with. Ronel van Dijk Financial director Pierre van Tonder Managing director Mark Fellery Deputy managing director Muzi Kuzwayo Independent non-executive director Dean Hyde non-executive director Keith Getz non-executive director Keith Madders non-executive director MBE (deputy chairman) Phillip Joffe Executive director Kevin Robertson Executive director Financial manager Public relations manager Floor manager Human resource manager Marketing manager General manager Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Corporate social responsibility and sustainability Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of the organization to give back to their community. The aim of the king II report is to improve corporate governance throughout the whole structure of the business. All public companies which are listed on the JSE are obligated to give back to their community. The king III report is similar in context with regards to king II, but with the exception that businesses need to follow the triple bottom line reporting which is People Planet and Profit. This then means that businesses should not only focus on gaining a profit but also giving back to their community. Spur Corporation mainly focuses on providing for the underprivileged children (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). By raising these funds and being a part of these projects Spur aims to gain awareness as good citizens for the group of staff who are involved (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). The projects are mainly aimed at sporting activities which they believe develop people especially the young South Africans (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Spur Corporation is involved in the following community projects: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Spur Soccer Masidlale(lets play)- this project focuses on developing children from ages of 8 12. There are children who come from many different communities and children who have experienced different things in life (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). This project aims to teach these children life skills as well as help them gain self- confidence and teaches them many life skills which will help them in their future (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). This project will mainly focus on children who are underprivileged (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Spur Corporation is involved in charity golf tour. In this project there are many other organisations and competitors which donate money towards the charity programme and therefore compete in the golf tour (Anonymous, Spur chairty golf day, 2006). The money which is raised in thousands is given to a charity. Spur aims to increase the donations every year (Anonymous, Spur chairty golf day, 2006). Spur Corporation believes there should be a balance between making a profit and also looking and the long term needs of South Africa, the environment and their employees. There are specific people who are allocated the role to ensuring there is a way in which Spur Corporation can reduce the impact they have on the environment. This team looks at the sustainability of their strategy. Spur Corporation is involved in projects which are short term. The Spur Corporation is not involved in many corporate social responsibility projects. The projects which they are involved in are ones from which South African children can learn life skills and gain personal growth. Therefore Spur Corporation needs to look at projects which are long term and ones which can help communities or children for long periods of time and not have a hit and run approach. Once Spur Corporation gets involved in such projects to help communities or certain children, they begin to rely on the funds. Long term projects are most beneficial. Socio-Economic issues and strategies used Spur Corporation is involved in HIV/AIDS management project. The group: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Is supportive towards the issue and are non-discriminatory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢provides educational workshops about the issue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢provides free access to condoms and educational videos This project is aimed at educating the employees of Spur Corporation so they are aware of the virus and have the knowledge to prevent contracting the disease Spur Corporation is not involved in addressing many socio-economic issues. There are many socio-economic issues which South Africa is facing such as poverty. Spur Corporation could focus on addressing projects which are sustainable and which can improve an issue which South Africa is facing. Poverty is one of the biggest issues in the world not only South Africa therefore Spur Corporation could get sponsors as well as raise their own funds to give toward a fund specifically for poverty stricken communities within South Africa or around the world. Natural disasters have affected the world and many peoples lives. Spur Corporation could also help with donations or fund raising to uplift these communities. There are many other socio-economic issues which Spur Corporation could address. Donations can be put into their budget as they are an organisation which is making high turnovers (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Code of ethics Spur Corporation has a code of ethics which expects all employees to have the highest moral and ethical standards internally and externally (with the stakeholders and shareholders). (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006). The code of ethics contains principles such as integrity; honesty and good transparency, impartiality; transparency and openness; and accountablility and responsibility which all staff should adhere to (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006). The Spur Corporation has a high standard to which they keep up to and therefore this is what helps the business grow. Their code of ethics guides staff on how to behave with their customers and shareholders. The code of ethics will also help shareholders to deal with any unehical behaviour (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006) Introduction into Shoprite Holdings limited micro environment Our mission of the Shoprite Group of Companies is to be the consumers preferred shopping destination, by retailing food and non-food products at the lowest prices from conveniently located outlets in an environment that is conducive to shopping. (Anonymous, Customer care, 2008). Shoprite follows the line and staff organisation structure. The line and staff organisation structure is the board of directors over looking the entire organisation. Below the directors are the managers of each specific aspect of the business such as the human resource manager. Below the managers are the staff which work directly with the customers. Corporate social responsibility and sustainability Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of the organisation to give back to their community. The aim of the king II report is to improve corporate governance throughout the whole structure of the business. All public companies which are listed on the JSE are obligated to give back to their community. The king III report is similar in context with regards to king II, but with the exception that businesses need to follow the triple bottom line reportingwhich is People Planet and Profit. This then means that businesses should not only focus on gaining a profit but also giving back to their community. Shoprite Holdings is involved in many different community projects. Many of the projects are ones which are sustainable as they take place every year and raise funds for a specific time period. Other projects are ones which Shoprite Holdings is directly involved in such as donating food to the underprivileged communities. Shoprite aims to help improve and make the world a better place for the present and future in terms of sustaining the environment, society and the economy. Some of the projects which they are involved in are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Shoprite community network- Shoprite aims to uplift underprivileged communities. This project is broadcast every month on many different radio stations and each area chooses a community which they believe needs Shoprites aid the most (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). The community which is chosen for the month as most deserving receives R10  000 from Shoprite (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mobile soup kitchens- Shoprite aims to help communities which are poverty stricken and those which have been affected by natural disasters in South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Shoprite sends out trucks every month to those communities they are aware of which need the food (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Shoprite feeds many communities widely spread across South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Book collection- Many schools and libraries in South Africa do not have sufficient funds to provide their pupils with books (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). Therefore Shoprite aims to fill the libraries and schools with as many books of all genres. Shoprite allows for the public to drop books off at collection points at any Shoprite, Checkers or Checkers hyper stores throughout the country (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Strokes of genius- Is an art project which allows for many artists and crafters to be recognised (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). This project aims to inspire and give children who are less advantaged the opportunity to show the equivalence of their talent to that of children who are privileged (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). Shoprite is helped by The Department of arts and culture, Department of economic development and Department of basic information (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Golden trolley and disaster management- This project aims to also help the underprivileged and those who have been affected by natural disasters (Anonymous, Community projects : Golden trolley, 2008). Shoprite and Checkers have collection points at which public can donate things which will be donated to the communities (Anonymous, Community projects : Golden trolley, 2008). Shoprite also donates blankets and food to people who have been affected by natural disasters (Anonymous, Community projects : Disaster management, 2008). Shoprite has emergency plans which will help those in need. Shoprite is always ready to help those who are in need (Anonymous, Community projects : Disaster management, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Cuppa for Cansa- Shoprite Checkers are the main sponsors of this project and they are involved as the aim to gain awareness about CANSA and raise funds to fight cancer (Anonymous, Community projects : Cuppa for Cansa, 2008). Cuppa for Cansa also aims to encourage people to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as eat healthily (Anonymous, Community projects : Cuppa for Cansa, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Casual day- is another project which Shoprite is a main sponsor of. Socio-Economic issues and strategies used à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Poverty Shoprite Corporation is in involved in helping communities which suffer from poverty (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). There are many communities in South Africa which have been faced with natural disasters and many people of those communities are unemployed (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Therefore Shoprite reaches out to those communities and gives back in the form of food and blankets, to help uplift the communities. As poverty is a worldwide issue it is considered a socio-economic issue. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Education- Shoprite runs project with deal with aspects of education as many South Africans are not provided with an education at all or some are but not one which is good enough for them to be the future leaders of South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Shoprite Holdings addresses the issue of HIV/Aids in South Africa (Anonymous, Organisational integrity, 2008). As HIV/Aids has been on the increase. Shoprite has a campaign which aims to educate staff on the illness as well as teach those with the illness how to manage it. The staff are educated fully and are provided with a counsel. The campaign helps employees by giving them a better understanding of the illness as well as all precautions which can be taken. Code of ethics A code of ethics for Shoprite Holdings is not available to the public. This is a negative aspect of the business as the public need to have access to their code of ethics as they are a public company which is listed on the JSE. The code of ethics gives public and other companies a better idea in which they are able to judge the business according to their morals and ethics of how the employees are meant behave with each other and with the customers. Analysis of information, comparison and opinion Both businesses follow the line and staff organisational structure. This is a structure which is a good choice as there is only one level of authority in the business; this avoids conflict and confusion between employees and authority. There are various levels in the structure which allows for managers at each level which guide the business as well as the employees in the right direction. Both businesses are greatly involved in corporate social responsibility, one more than the other. Spur Corporation is involved a fair amount in CSR, but Shoprite Holdings Ltd has great involvement in helping the community to become a better place. Shoprite mainly looks at helping the youth and elderly too, but more the youth in rural areas that do not have much as they are the future of our country. Shoprite Holdings and Spur Corporation both aim to be involved in projects which are more long term than once off as the community needs their input at all times. South Africa faces many socio-economic issues which can be resolved by the input of the people of the country. Spur Corporation is only involved in helping with HIV/AIDS whereas Shoprite Holdings is involved in much more such as HIV/AIDS, education, poverty and natural disasters which are faced in many of the communities. Shoprite seems to be more aware of the issues which are faced by the country, and they are determined to take action and help the community to be improved and not worsened. Spur Corporation has a code of ethics which aims to maintain a high business standard which they are aware will help their business to grow. The code of ethics is in place to ensure employees maintain this high standard in their work ethic as well as in dealing with customers. Shoprite Holdings does not have a code of ethics which is available to the public but as they are a public company which is listed on the JSE they will have a code of ethics which the company follows. This is negative factor for Shoprite as the code of ethics of the company gives the public a better idea of the business itself as well as the standards of the business and its employees. Shoprite Holdings Ltd only lacks a code of ethics available to the public, but otherwise the business maintains high standards and aims to be the best. It is clear that Shoprite is aware of the community and cares to improve the community is every aspect. Spur Corporation is also a public company but does not fully address the issues at hand such as CSR. Discussion and conclusion I believe Shoprite Holdings Ltd does uphold corporate governance as well as maintain ethical and professional standards thoroughly. Spur Corporation does not maintain these standards fully. Corporate governance is one of the main aspects of the business and Shoprite Holdings maintains high standards in terms of their ethics, corporate social responsibility and professionalism. Shoprite Holdings is fully involved in corporate social responsibility and addressing socio-economic issues. Shoprite Holdings believes greatly in helping the community as it is clear in the research done that they are thoroughly involved in all aspects of the community such as education, poverty, HIV/AIDS and natural disasters. Shoprite Holdings has the correct approach in which they address issues in the community as they are aware they should be more involved in long term projects rather than only helping once and thereafter forgetting about the community. Shoprite Holdings is a better governed business and all the above proves this. Spur Corporation is a business which is a luxury for many people and many people who are underprivileged do not gain from this. This is a reason why Spur should be more involved in CSR and addressing socio-economic issues. But Spur Corporation is hardly involved. Shoprite Holdings should be commended as they are a company who provide for rich and poor but are still involved fully in the community. This is another reason why Shoprite Holdings is a better governed company.

Changing Impressions: A Sydney Carton Character Analysis Essays

They say a first impression is everything. However, I’ve found that these aren’t reliable. Some people cover their true feelings, trying to be tough. You never know what’s going on in people’s lives when you first meet them that causes them to act differently. And sometimes, we just make inaccurate assumptions. This is also true of things in literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Charles Dickens’s novel â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities,† and in all his novels, he wants to confuse people to keep them reading. He creates complex characters who change over time, or rather just gives us more information influence our decisions our opinions. One of these complex characters who Dickens brings out in different light later is Sydney Carton. In the beginning of the story, when he is first introduced to us at Charles Darnays’ trial, we only see his outward actions, and none of his feelings. All we see of the man is that he appears to be a sloppy drunk, and quite the good-for-nothing loser. He spends the entire period during the trial staring at the ceiling with his eyes glazed over, never speaking once because he’s too drunk to do so. We later see that him after the trial, at a restaurant with Darnay. He does nothing other than drink. He orders glass after glass of wine, getting as drunk as possible. One wonders if he ever does anything else. He is rather mean to Darnay after the man thanks him profusely, and continues to drink. We see that not only is he a drunk, he’s a mean drunk. And then after Darnay leaves, Carton covers his head, lays down on the table, and tells the waitress to wake him at ten P.M. as he passes out. It almost implies he has nowhere else to go, but mostly just tells a reader that he has nothing better to do. We also see him at his law partner Stryver’s house, working late night hours as he drinks still more. It would seem that Stryver pulls Carton’s dead weight around to help him for some reason, and a reader wonder why Stryver does this. Stryver speaks of ambition and drive, and we can clearly see by comparison that Sydney has none. IT seems has no will to live, but rather stays alive only for his next drink. We later see him wondering around town like a vagrant, stumbling back to his house in the early morning hours. We arrives there, Dickens poetically that he cries himself to sleep. This is where one’s opinion of him first begins to chang... ...ding to this interpretation, the bright prophecies of better times ahead are basically Dickens' way of copping out, of pleasing his audience with a hopeful ending. If Sydney Carton's motives seem complicated to you, try stepping back and viewing him as a man, rather than an influence on the story. He's a complex, realistic character. We see him so clearly, working early morning hours on Stryver's business, padding between table and punch bowl in his headdress of sopping towels, that we're able to feel for him. Have you ever known someone who's thrown away his talent or potential, yet retains a spark of achievement, as well as people's sympathy? That's one way of looking at Sydney Carton. However you view him, though, is how Dickens meant it. He meant for his stories to be controversial and confusing; he loved it when his characters were complex and hard to understand. He felt he himself was this way, and made his characters modeled after him. But I know that after reading this book, I will check my first impressions and not really form too much of one before I see what’s really going on. And the next time I meet someone, I’ll remember that first impressions aren’t everything.