Gwendolyn Brooks

Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth) Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth) From â€Å"Encyclopedia of African-American Writing† Poet—this one word describes every cell of Gwendolyn Brooks's being. It was always poetry—from her Chicago childhood to her 1950 Pulitzer Prize to her awakening social consciousness to her Illinois Poet Laureate status and through all the other honors and awards. It was always poetry—and few writers besides Brooks can speak volumes with so few words.Gwendolyn Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry, 1950 Born into a large and close-knit extended family, including memorable aunts and uncles whom Brooks later honored in her work, Brooks seems to always have been comfortable with herself. Her mother, Keziah Wims, met her father, David Anderson Brooks, in Topeka, Kansas in 1914. They soon married and relocated to Chicago. Keziah returned to family in Topeka to give birth to her first child, Gwendolyn. Keziah stayed in Topeka for several weeks befor e returning to her husband in Chicago with her infant daughter.Gwendolyn's only sibling, younger brother Raymond, was born 16 months later. Brooks's mother had been a schoolteacher in Topeka, and her father, son of a runaway slave, had attended Fisk University for one year in hopes of becoming a doctor. Economic survival became more important, however, so his desires for a medical career were dashed and he spent a doctor. Economic survival became more important, however, so his desires for a medical career were dashed and he spent much of his life as a janitor.Despite financial constraints for the young family in Chicago, Brooks remembers a loving, family atmosphere throughout her childhood. She had a more difficult time fitting in with her high-school classmates, however, attending three high schools: Hyde Park, which was mostly white; Wendell Phillips, which was all black; and Englewood High School, the integrated school from which she eventually graduated in 1934. Two years later , she graduated from Wilson Junior College (1936). Even prior to her high school years, it became apparent to Brooks that she did not really fit in with her peers.She was a nonperson at Hyde Park and socially inept at Wendell Phillips. She kept her self-esteem, however, largely due to her strong family ties. Also, since she was seven years old, her mind had been someplace else. That place was poetry, which she had started writing at that young age. Her parents contributed to her love of language and story. As a former schoolteacher, Brooks's mother encouraged her daughter's interest, and her father often told stories and sang songs about his family's history with slavery.From her parents and her extended family, Brooks learned the honor and dignity found in living everyday life with love and integrity. Her first published poem, â€Å"Eventide,† appeared in American Childhood Magazine in 1930 when Brooks was 13. At 16, with her mother's help, Brooks met two prominent African-A merican writers, James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes. Although both writers read Brooks's work and told her that she had talent and should keep reading and writing poetry, only Hughes and Brooks developed a long and enduring friendship.She later wrote a poem tribute to him, â€Å"Langston Hughes,† published in her Bean Eaters collection. She also remembered him fondly and with great respect in her autobiography, Report from Part One. In the meantime, she contributed regularly to the Chicago Defender, having 75 poems published there in two years. Brooks was also looking outside herself, joining the Youth Council of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1938. There she met her future husband and fellow writer, Henry L. Blakey III, whom she married in 1939.Marriage took Brooks from the comfort of her parent's home and into a kitchenette apartment, the setting for her first volume of poetry, A Street in Bronzeville, published in 1945. She gave birth to their first child, Henry, Jr. , in 1940, and to their daughter, Nora, in 1951. In between the births of her children, Brooks kept writing her poetry. She and her husband participated in a poetry workshop given by Inez Cunningham Stark, a reader for Poetry magazine. There, Stark and other workshop participants encouraged Brooks.In 1943, Brooks received the Midwestern Writers’ Conference Poetry Award. The Midwestern Writers’ award proved to be the first of many for Brooks: In 1945, she was named as one of Mademoiselle magazine's â€Å"Ten Young Women of the Year†; in 1946, she won the American Academy of Letters Award; in 1947 and 1948, she won Guggenheim fellowships; and in 1949, she won the Eunice Tietjens Memorial Award. Brooks published Annie Allen in 1949 and with it won the Pulitzer Prize for literature, becoming the first African American to do so.The awards and honors continued for several years: being invited to read at a Library of Congress poetry festival in 1962, at the request of then President Kennedy; named Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968 (lifelong post); nominated for the National Book Award in 1969; appointed poetry consultant to the Library of Congress in 1985 (the second African American and the first black woman in that post, which was later retitled the nation's Poet Laureate) ; inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1988; honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989 by the National Endowment for the Arts; named the 1994 Jefferson Lecturer by the National Endowment for the Humanities; presented with the National Book Foundation's lifetime achievement medal in 1994; awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1995 and the Order of Lincoln Medallion given by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois in 1997; and received about 50 honorary degrees. Brooks also devoted herself to nurturing young writers of all races: She taught poetry at various colleges and universities in the United States; sponsored writi ng contests for students; brought poetry to prisons, schools, and rehab centers; funded and gave scholarships; and offered awards of travel to Africa.She also wrote books to encourage budding authors, such as her A Capsule Course in Black Poetry Writing (1975), Young Poet's Primer (1980), and Very Young Poets (1983). Above all, however, Brooks has been a prolific writer. Her first published collection of poetry, A Street in Bronzeville (1945), garnered immediate national acclaim. The collection chronicles the life of poor urban Blacks in a segregated setting reminiscent of Chicago's South Side—essentially a series of portraits of people who fled rural poverty and hopelessness only to find themselves trapped in an urban ghetto. Realistic yet compassionate, the poems unflinchingly examine the failed dreams and small hopes of the maids, preachers, gamblers, prostitutes, and others who live in â€Å"Bronzeville. After Brooks received the Pulitzer for Annie Allen, her major works included a novel, Maude Martha, 1953; and more poetry collections, Bronzeville Boys and Girls, 1956; The Bean Eaters, 1960; Selected Poems, 1963; In the Mecca, 1968; Riot, 1969; Family Pictures, 1970; Aloneness, 1971; The Tiger Who Wore Gloves; or What You Are You Are, 1974; Beckonings, 1975; A Primer for Blacks, 1980; To Disembark, 1981; The Near Johannesburg Boy and Other Poems, 1986; Blacks, 1987; Children Coming Home, 1992; and her posthumous collection, In Montgomery, 2001. (In 2005, Elizabeth Alexander edited The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks. ) Brooks also wrote her own story in the autobiographies A Report from Part One, 1972; and Report From Part Two, 1996. Brooks's work always honored the everyday existence of African Americans.She did, however, change her style as the social situation in the United States changed. One catalyst for this change was the Second Black Writers’ Conference, which she attended at Fisk University in 1967. There she met young black writers who were a part of the Black Arts Movement, who wrote with overt anger and sometimes obscenities. This event gave Brooks pause and her own sensibilities of her â€Å"blackness† came into question. After this event, Brooks started selling her work to smaller, African-American publishing houses. Some have accused Brooks of becoming too much like the newer poets—too polemic, leaving behind her subtle and unique use of language came into question.After this event, Brooks started selling her work to smaller, African-American publishing houses. Some have accused Brooks of becoming too much like the newer poets—too polemic, leaving behind her subtle and unique use of language and form as a way of seeing the world. Others sense in Brooks's newer work a renewed vision of what it means to be African American in the United States, a continuance of her abiding respect and awe for the wonders of everyday existence and for her unique way of finding universal truths within the sp ecific lives and events of ordinary people. In eulogizing Brooks to Essence magazine, her long-time publisher and friend Haki Madhubuti recalled, â€Å"She wore her love in her language. Her love has been returned, too, as shown in the tribute book To Gwen With Love (1971) and the almost worshipful celebrations of her 70th and 80th birthdays (1987, 1997). REFERENCES BLC-1. BW:SSCA, pp. 64-65. EBLG. NAAAL. Lee, A. Robert, â€Å"Poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks,† in MAAL. McKay, Nellie. 1991. â€Å"Gwendolyn Brooks,† Modern American Women Writers, New York: Scribner's. McLendon, Jacquelyn, in AAW. Melhem, D. H. 1987. Gwendolyn Brooks: Poetry & the Heroic Voice, Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. Podolsky, Marjorie, â€Å"Maud Martha,† in MAAL. Williams, Kenny Jackson, â€Å"Brooks, Gwendolyn,† and â€Å"Street in Bronzeville,† in OCAAL. â€Å"Gwendolyn Brooks† in //www. black-collegian. com, and in //www. greatwomen. org. Brooks Brings â €˜Free-verse Kind of Time’ to UIS,† in // www. sj-r. com/news/97/11/13. —Janet Hoover, with assistance from Lisa Bahlinger REFERENCES AANB. AAW:PV. B. BCE. CAO-08. CE. CLCS. LFCC-07. Q. W. W2B. Wiki. Baker, Houston A. , Jr. â€Å"The Achievement of Gwendolyn Brooks. † CLA Journal 16. 1 (Sept. 1972): Rpt. in Sharon R. Gunton and Laurie Lanzen Harris (Eds. ). (1980). Contemporary Literary Criticism (Vol. 15). Detroit: Gale Research. From Literature Resource Center. Clark, Norris B. â€Å"Gwendolyn Brooks and a Black Aesthetic. † A Life Distilled: Gwendolyn Brooks, Her Poetry and Fiction (Maria K. Mootry and Gary Smith, Eds. ). University of Illinois Press, 1987.Rpt. in Daniel G. Marowski and Roger Matuz (Eds. ). (1988). Contemporary Literary Criticism (Vol. 49, pp. 81-99). Detroit: Gale Research. From Literature Resource Center. Doreski, Carole K. , in AW:ACLB-91. Griffin, Farah Jasmine, in APSWWII-4. Hansell, William H. â€Å"The Uncommon Commonp lace in the Early Poems of Gwendolyn Brooks. † CLA Journal 30. 3 (Mar. 1987), pp. 261-277. Rpt. in Daniel G. Marowski and Roger Matuz (Eds. ). (1988). Contemporary Literary Criticism (Vol. 49). Detroit: Gale Research. From Literature Resource Center. Israel, Charles, in APSWWII-1. James, Charles L. in CP-6. Kent, George E. , in AAW-40-55. Mckay, Nellie, in MAWW.Mclendon, Jacquelyn, in AAW-1991. Miller, R. Baxter, in GEAAL. Mueller, Michael E. , and Jennifer M. York, in BB. Shaw, Harry B. 1980. â€Å"Gwendolyn Brooks. † Twayne's United States Authors Series 395. Boston: Twayne Publishers. From The Twayne Authors Series. Shucard, Alan R. , and Allison Hersh, in RGAL-3. Taylor, Henry. â€Å"Gwendolyn Brooks: An Essential Sanity. † Kenyon Review 13. 4 (Fall 1991): pp. 115-131. Rpt. in Jeffrey W. Hunter (Ed. ). (2000). Contemporary Literary Criticism (Vol. 125). Detroit: Gale Group. From Literature Resource Center.  © Grey House Publishing Persistent URL to this ent ry: http://www. credoreference. com/entry/ghaaw/brooks_gwendolyn_elizabethAPA Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth). (2009). In Encyclopedia of African-American Writing. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com/entry/ghaaw/brooks_gwendolyn_elizabeth Chicago Encyclopedia of African-American Writing, s. v. â€Å"Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth),† accessed April 16, 2013, http://www. credoreference. com/entry/ghaaw/brooks_gwendolyn_elizabeth Harvard ‘Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth)’ 2009, in Encyclopedia of African-American Writing, Grey House Publishing, Amenia, NY, USA, viewed 16 April 2013, MLA â€Å"Brooks, Gwendolyn (Elizabeth). † Encyclopedia of African-American Writing. Amenia: Grey House Publishing, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 16 April 2013.

The Effect Of External Factors On Purchase

The results demonstrate that demographic, geographic and group significantly effect Pl. The findings of this study help marketing, managers and companies to understand young Malaysian consumers' behavior and Pl. Keywords: external factors, purchase intention (Pl), young generation, Malaysia 1. Introduction Nowadays, purchase intention is more complicated and more significant for consumers than in the past. Customers are encompassed by reports, advertisements, articles and direct mailings that provide large amount of information.Moreover, different kinds of products, supplies, super markets and shopping malls have complex and difficult decision making. This study focuses on the young generation in Malaysia because of some reasons. Firstly, immature customer segment is known as special segment for some special products. Secondly, at the period of evolution from youth to early maturity, these customer segments have their unique consumer behaviors and attitudes (Safari, AAA). Thirdly, ju veniles' effect on their families and shape family consumer behavior; finally, young consumers can change and influence culture as well as society (Safari, AAA).In addition, according to the previous studies, investigators argued that the external actors (demographic, geographic and group) influence Pl. Besides, there are some difficulties in applying these factors and measuring their effects on Pl. The effect of demographic on Pl is complicated and confusing that needs to be examined. For instance, consumers 18 to 24-year-old are â€Å"more likely than other consumers to buy a product on the spur of the moment and change brands if the mood strikes† (Abdul Raze & Summarizing, 2009). Apart from that, there are still some studies that indicate the males and females behave and make Pl in different Ways. Teenage boys were more utilitarian, whereas manage girls are more social/conspicuous conscious† (Cathy & Vincent, 2006). Furthermore, different races have different behavio rs, which can significantly affect Pl; for example, the Malady are more patriotic to the local brands compared to two other Malaysian races. Likewise, group influence significantly affects Pl. Group (social networks, television, influential, books) influences on young generation in Malaysia and changes their culture, behavior and purchase intention because they have adapted with other cultures (Eon, Ata & Philip, 2008). 2.Literature Review Purchase intention means a consumer prefers to buy a product or service cause he/she finds that he/she needs a particular product or service, or even attitude towards a product and perception of product. In other words, purchase intention means consumer will buy a product once again after she or he evaluates a product and finds out that the product worth buying. While consumers select one particular product, the final decision on accepting 153 WV,m. Essence. Org/birr International Business Research Volvo. 5, No. 8; 2012 a product to buy or rejecti ng it depends on consumers' intention.Also, a large number of external factors have been recognized, which can affect Pl (Keller, 2001). 2. The Effect of Demography on Pl One of the most important features which influence Pl is demographic (age, gender and race). Young consumers in different ages have different behavior. A nineteen years old consumer may behave differently with a twenty five years old consumer. For example, some young consumers are more concerned on the labeled products than other young consumers (Nabob & Mimed, 2010). The effect of gender depends on some factors.For example, females are more concerned about those kinds of products that are directly related to house because as housewives, the quality of the products is more important or them compared to men. Thereby, label, brands and quality have effects on consumers' PI (Seasonal, All & Seabird, 2006; Safari, Bibb). The other factors that shape Pl among males and females are information and education. For example, a study shows that females are less experienced with online purchasing; therefore, they rely on other recommendations than males during decision making process (Ciao & Yang, 2010).Atmosphere and environment also influence on consumers' Pl among males and females. An investigation shows that music in restaurants has more effect on females than males. Stephanie Wilson, 2003). In addition, studies showed that men are more risk taking than women and they are more reliance on themselves to make purchase decision than women (Seed, 2003). Different ethnic groups act differently to make purchase decision. For example, studies in the United States have shown that African-Americans in some cases have different purchase intentions than the whites (Americans).Some factors can have effects on different races such as media, advertisements, and televisions. The other example shows that 16% of married white women are more likely to do mom purchase than married black women in the United States; but some other factors (socio-economic, environment, culture, income) could be combined with race to achieve better outcomes (Ciao & Yang, 2010). 2. 2 The Effect of Geography on Pl The other external factor that influences consumers' Pl is geography. Locations that products are being produced and manufactured are very important for consumers and can shape their Pl.A place to shop for organic products is crucially integral for consumers. For instance, a research demonstrates that majority of consumers prefer to buy their organic food ND products from hypermarkets and shopping malls and only a few of them enjoy of buying products in farms (Sit & Inertia, 2010). 2. 3 The Effect of Group on Pl Group also affects consumers and their Pl. Previous experiences of celebrities have utilized different assumptions and basic theoretical grounds Of psychology to describe how a sponsorship as an influential effect consumers' Pl and their behavior (Speed & Thompson, 2000).Sport celebrities as a group of influential figures have significant influences on young consumers especially when they want to make decision to choose a brand and Pl. Star members in each team have significant effects on consumer behavior. Thus, they would make brand for the team's sponsor because team members are able to attract enormous amount of consumers for a brand (Arcadias & Fairyland, 2006). 3. Research Methodology 3. 1 Measures Data has been mainly collected based on primary research and secondary research was used as well. Previous literatures were studied to recognize the factors influencing consumer Pl.Learning and understanding key points from previous literatures were combined with this current research study to obtain better results. Sampling strategy is based on probability based. The population is in age group of 17-32 years old as millennial/young generation. Questionnaire has distributed to some Malaysian universities. According to the aim of this research, the race of population has to be M alaysian only and questions Were written in English language. The sample Was selected from universities (senior and junior students). SPAS soft. Are was used to measure/ analyze the data. 3. 2 Hypothesis Demographic factors positively effects on purchase intention, for example, there is a difference between young consumers and adult generation in the ease of purchase intention. In some cases, male and female consumers act differently to make purchase decision and also different races have different influences on purchase intention 154 WV. Essence. Org/birr Volvo. 5, NO. 8; 2012 (Hide, Gerard & Alex, 2008). Thereby, age, gender and race are strongly affecting Pl, which has been proven by previous studies.HI : (a): Age influence PI (b): Gender influence Pl (c): Race influence Pl Malaysia is divided into two different parts: west and east. Sit (2010) noted that different areas and locations have different effects on consumers' behavior and purchase intention. Consumers in cities and vi llages (rural and urban) have different behavior and purchase intention (Wong & Yah, 2008). Therefore, rural and urban influence Pl differently. H2O: Geographic influence on Pl. Friend, relative, colleague/classmates and Media impact on purchase intention. HA: Group affects Pl. . 3 Data Collection The questionnaire in this study has been distributed to 350 respondents. 325 respondents have returned the completed questionnaire, which made up 93% of overall responses. We have given the questionnaire to students usually in their classes and we had left them and given them enough time to answer the questions. After 30 to 45 minutes we went back to classes and ask students to return questionnaires. The SPAS software has been used to analyze the effects of external factors (demographic, geographic and group influence) on Pl.Consumers between 17-32 years old were selected as young generation. The research was carried out at different regions in Malaysia such as International Islamic Univer sity Malaysia (MM), University Sebastian Malaysia (LIKE), University Putty Malaysia (JIM), Multimedia University (MIX) and Nation Library. The questions mainly examined the effects of rends, relatives, classmates/colleagues and media on consumers' Pl. All scales measured on 7-point Liker-type scales ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree† to â€Å"strongly agree†. The demographic factor is divided into three separate categories.These three groups involved age, gender and race, which will be explained in the following subsections. As demonstrated in Table 1, most respondents involved are in the age group of 22-26 years old. Analysis shows that 30. 2% of the respondents belong to 17-21 age group, 40. 9% belong to 22-26 age group and only 28. 9% are in the age range of 27-32 years old. The majority of the respondents are females; 221 respondents are female (68%) and 1 04 are males, which contributes to 32% of the total respondents participated in this study.

Multinational finance and accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

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A Critical Analysis of Womens Social Realities in Ancient Greece Essay

A Critical Analysis of Womens Social Realities in Ancient Greece - Essay Example In a number of cases in Greek medical science, law, social status, etc, women were considered as inferior and subservient to their male counterparts. Greek society was accustomed to view women as addendum to the males. A close analysis of the Greek medical treatises by some anonymous Greek scholars including Hippocrates1 shows that though Greek medical science has made a significant effort to look deep into the scientific rationales to explain women’s physical realities, the tendency to view women as addendum to their male counterparts has always prevailed over these medical interpretations. But in other sectors such as economy, politics, religion, law, etc there were strictly demarcated dichotomies between men’s and women’s role. But the Spartan women would enjoy more civil, social and economic rights than the Greek women did. Scholars argue that as a military polis, Sparta had been able to forsake the gender bias in its attitudes to women and allow its women to enjoy more freedom according to their military career and services to the state. As revealed in Hippocrates’ corpus, ancient Greek medical science was highly infused with male ideology and tendency to view women’s reality as â€Å"special cases†2. ... gard, Sue Blundell says, â€Å"In the discussions of women’s reproductive system in particular, ideas about women’s physiology can be seen to reflect and reinforce ideas about their social and moral identity†.4 Greek views on female puberty, menstruation, sex, reproduction, conception, menopause, etc necessarily reflects women’s subjectivity to their male counterparts. Marriage as well as sexual intercourse was supposed to be a solution to a number of female problems of female physiology. Menstruation is one of these problems that were thought to be cured with sexual intercourse. In cases of menstrual hallucination and suicidal tendency of young girls, one of Hippocratic authors’ advice is as following: â€Å"My prescription is that when virgins have this trouble, they should marry as soon as possible. If they become pregnant, they will be cured†.5 Young girls who had reached puberty were thought to be uncontrollable and, therefore, to be mis creant in the society. In the case of sex and reproduction, a woman’s value had been assessed in terms of her ability to give a child. In a male-centered society, a woman without fertility was nothing but a barren land which gives nothing to its owner. Like most other male dominated societies of human civilization, classical Greek society used to view women as a property of the males. Therefore, Greek women could not inherit property and run business. According to Sue Blundell, â€Å"Athenian Women could not by law enter into any contact ‘beyond the value of one medimnos of barley’: a mdimnons was a measure of grain, [which is] sufficient to keep a family fed for five or six days†.6 Classical Greek women could acquire property in three ways: inheritance, dowry and gifts. Indeed, inheritance was a legal means which

A Case of Lengthier Annual Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Case of Lengthier Annual Reports - Essay Example It also includes the company’s mission statement and pertinent financial statements (Holmes, Sugden, & Gee, 2008). While annual reports used to fall considerably below the 100-page mark during the last decade, a survey by business advisory firm Deloitte shows that in 2010, the average length of annual reports has reached an all-time high of 101 pages (Deloitte, 2010). Interestingly enough, the lengthiest reports are littered with more advertisement-like photographs and captions than relevant narratives and figures. These are the supposed culprits of reports being lengthier than they used to be. Such a phenomenon is of primary interest because of the impact that this has on the ability of such reports to serve their true purpose. Questions arise as to whether lengthier reports actually provide readers with more information or additional confusion? Do the long reports indicate that companies are revealing more of their respective businesses’ actual performance or are they merely an effort to gloss over weaknesses that new regulatory rules aim to draw out? Do lengthier reports mean more substance or just more clutter? This paper attempts to provide answers to these questions and adequately support the claims made herein by extracts from actual company annual reports. Company reports included are those of Ericssion, Carlsberg, and Walmart. Reasons for the increasing length of annual reports According to Isobel Sharp, an audit partner at Deloitte, annual reports are significantly increasing in length because companies are now revealing their company’s business risks and even having important performance indicators disclosed in their reports. Moreover, corporates now provide a director’s responsibility statement, a requirement introduced around four years ago as a consequence of EU’s Transparency Obligations Directive (Deloitte, 2010). Essentially, the many rules that are brought up in recent years are also being blamed for the cons istently rising trend in annual report length. However, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of UK points out that company reports in general are trying to please too many users at the same time, hence the almost unstoppable increasing trend in the length of annual reports (UK FRC, 2010). Preparers try to put in as much additional information as they can in an attempt to make the reports as appealing to current and prospective investors as possible (Campbell & Slack, 2008). One company that illustrates this is the 163-page Annual Report by the Carlsberg Group of companies which feels so much more like a 163-page advertisement, with pages that are more fitting in a magazine than in a business report. On the other hand, Boeing’s annual report cannot be more straightforward in its layout and content. Yet, the company needed 156 pages to provide all the data needed and required by regulatory institutions. These two examples illustrate that the burgeoning lengths of annual report s are both a result of additional requirements from regulatory institutions, and the trying-to-please-everybody approach of report preparers. If these requirements are further increased in the future, then lengthier annual reports may definitely be expected. Experts are even hinting that 200 page mark may not be far from being surpassed considering the current trend of adding more and more arguably irrelevant pages to annual reports. More words: For better or for worse? Preparers of annual reports reveal that because of the need to effectively inform shareholders of what is happening in the business, and the need to be able to satisfy the disclosure rules set by regulators, more words are apparently needed (The FRC, 2011). However,

IDENTITY THEFT CAN AFFECT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IDENTITY THEFT CAN AFFECT - Research Paper Example During 2012, more than 12 million reported being victims of identity fraud in America. The number showed an increase from that reported in 2011 and 2010: the figures reported were USD 11.6 and 10.2 million respectively (Javelin Strategy & Research, 2013). The average costs incurred by the victims of identity theft were USD 365 (Javelin Strategy & Research, 2013). This paper will explore the growth of identity theft, its effects on individuals and the wider community and the types of identity theft. The problem of identity theft and identity fraud is worsened by the lack of cyber borders and the increase in globalization, which make it possible for identity thieves to commit crimes within and outside the borders of the US. The commission of these crimes within and outside the country makes the work of investigating them more difficult. The fact that the criminals possess numerous identities and also the fact that they may use networks to engage in the crimes also challenges the investigative role of law enforcement officials (Finklea, 2013). Additionally, identity theft is often connected and committed in tandem with other crimes, ranging from bank fraud, credit card theft and employment and immigration fraud. More importantly, it is necessary to take into account that the impacts of identity theft and fraud felt by businesses and individuals are not only limited to financial burdens, but also other important areas (Javelin Strategy & Research, 2013). For example, in assessing the national impacts felt by the US, it is important to note that identity theft and the associated crimes affect the health of the national economy and also the security of the nation. It is necessary to take into account that, in many cases, policy makers have differed over the role of the federal government in preventing the crime, mitigating its effects, providing the best

Advertising analysis (Nokia and Apple) Research Paper

Advertising analysis (Nokia and Apple) - Research Paper Example Nokia and Apple-two famous household names which have established their craft and credibility in manufacturing gadgets.However,these two brands have crossed their way as they compete for man's hunt for the most appealing mobile phone this generation can offer with the launch of Apple iPhone.As the competition for man's attention arises, advertisement of mobile phones has propagated rapidly. Hence, as a mobile phone user myself, my attention was drawn to two of the latest commercials of mobile phones, each from the above-mentioned mobile phone manufacturers.The Nokia N93 and Apple iPhone both launched their commercials on television. The Nokia N93 commercial whose sophistication has been branded by its plain black background, starts with the introduction of this Nokia model. As the commercial progresses, espoused by a background song from the classic band Moby, the features and its specifications are enumerated in print whilst the mobile phone shows off how these features are executed . The commercial closes with the logo of Nokia with their slogan "Connecting people".Apparently, Nokia has remained to patronize the bandwagon propaganda for this advertisement, which tries to convince consumers that since everyone else is doing it, they will be left out if they do not (Pollio, 1990). As majority of mobile phone users focus on the specifications of a mobile phone and indulge in knowing how to utilize this information, Nokia dwells on specifically identifying the details of the Nokia N93, such as the resolution, screen size and camera attributes. However, considering that Nokia has used the music of Moby to be the background music of this commercial, the commercial obviously appeals to all ages of mobile phone users who can afford to buy the phone. This is because the music supplied by Moby appeals to the older generation in which Moby has started as a band, and to the younger generation as well who nowadays settle to classic rock music. However, as the phone is a high-end model, it generally targets the upper society who can afford to purchase the Nokia N93. This is evident on the font of the features enumerated and the plain black background, which usually symbolizes wealth and refinement. Furthermore, the detailed enumeration of the features of the phone implies that the Nokia N93 is inclined to be marketed to the type of consumers who are feature-conscious. On the other hand, the commercial of the Apple iPhone begins with minimal background music, as a man's voice starts expressing how amazing things can fit in your pockets, thus referring to the Apple iPhone. Then, it proceeds with the voice naming the "amazing things" which can fit in this mobile phone. Contrary to the Nokia commercial, the features of iPhone are not detailed and specific. However, the delivery of the features of the phone is enough for its viewers to understand its attributes. As Apple has already established a brand marketed to the upper society-classy, sophisticated yet simple, which is being tried by Nokia to emulate, the black background and classic background music appeals to the elite. Additionally, the advertisement of Apple iPhone tends to appeal to the type of consumers who are design-oriented. Hence, this type of consumers is represented by those who care less about the functionality of the phone but dwell more on the design of the gadget. Nonetheless, the advertisement also tries to break the stereotype that the iPhone, being an Apple product, is less feature-enhanced. This is manifested as the narrator of the commercial tends to specify the "amazing things" packaged in iPhone. Furthermore, one of the most noticeable aspects of this commercial is Apple's attempts to use the "plain folks" propaganda on which Apple is trying to convince the public that the narrator's views reflect those of the common person (Berger, 1991). This is evident as the voice of the narrator tends to be casual, not too

Media influence on decision-making, ethical and unethical practices Research Paper

Media influence on decision-making, ethical and unethical practices - Research Paper Example More than subliminal messaging, media utilizes various other techniques to present information; the public in general lack understanding of even these techniques and fall easy prey, thus taking decisions that they would otherwise not. Pharmaceutical marketers argue that advertising and promoting drugs allows for the patients to be more informed and know their options when it comes to therapy or medication (Buckley 4). More than often the media and marketers have been known to presents information in a manner which can be misleading. In a survey conducted in USA in 2012 it was reported that 60% of all Americans do not trust the media to report the news completely and accurately (Morales). When it comes to news the media is only having an effect on the opinion of the people but when it comes to health marketing and communication it is the health and lives of people and consumers which are at stake. Media Pressure and Persuasion Media pressure means to exercise influence over the ideologies, practices, opinions and values of people (CYH). Hirsch & Gandolf believe that health care advertising agencies use a lot more than budgets allocated for media advertising and innovative ideas; persuasion and its various techniques are employed to market healthcare products to the medical community in specific and public in general. Persuasion has been a strong technique to influence control over the people by controlling and manipulating their behavior (Shanti).

Choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Choose - Essay Example Rawls and Nozick have different conceptions of justice and liberty because of their divergences on deserts, government’s role in ensuring justice, and whether justice or liberty is more important than the other. The paper asserts that Rawls has a more superior theory of justice than Nozick because he relates his theory of justice to liberty and rights and justifies the importance of justice to liberty, while Nozick’s framework of justice may improve liberty’s basis for individual rights, but his theory can lead to gross inequalities that can be justified as moral. Rawls says that we do not deserve the talents and natural gifts we are born with and the products we get from them because we are all born with some form of social advantage/disadvantage in one way or another, but such social inequality can be fixed to promote justice. He asserts that people start from biased positions in life that impact their social status, which, in turn, shapes his conception of jus tice. Rawls says that a man is not born equal with another because â€Å"[h]is character depends in large part upon fortunate family and social circumstances for which he can claim no credit† (Rawls 219). People are not born equal if they are born with varying levels of social advantage or disadvantage. ... He argues that people with more social and wealth endowments should sacrifice for the poor to reduce injustice in the world. Rawls underlines the role of the government and institutions in addressing inequality: â€Å"What is just and unjust is the way that institutions deal with these facts [of injustice through inequality]† (Rawls 218). In particular, Rawls stresses that what is just is to redistribute wealth to benefit the most worst off: â€Å"Those who have been favored by nature†¦may gain from their good fortune only on terms that improve the situation of those who have lost out† (Rawls 218). In other words, Rawls is saying that people do not deserve what they get from their talents and natural gifts, if others in society are worse off than they are, and to correct this, the government must step in to redistribute wealth that can lead to greater equality. To do this is to just, according to Rawls. Nozick disagrees with Rawls and argues for private property ri ghts where we deserve our talents and natural gifts and the products we get from them. Nozick asserts that a particular distribution of goods is just depending on how it came about (110), where people are seen as ends, not means to an end, whatever that end may be. He states: â€Å"An end-state view†¦would express the view that people are ends and not merely means† (104). The paper interprets that, if people are ends, then the state should not see them as means of improving justice. In addition, Nozick offers three kinds of justice to argue that people deserve the talents and natural gifts they have and the products from them. He asserts the first form of justice, where a person who acquires property â€Å"in accordance with the

A topic on software testing Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

A topic on software testing - Thesis Proposal Example Modern systems and products are largely based on ‘embedded systems’ to facilitate control, action and enhanced functionality. In fact, embedded systems used in these scenarios comprise both hardware and software components that work in a highly customized framework to achieve a specific workflow or operation. Although embedded systems are sophisticated computers, they seldom share or provide a similar interface like PCs and are capable of providing a highly dedicated and distinct functionality based on their structure and configuration.A typical application of embedded systems is in precision-driven measurement and control systems, wherein a particular process or parameter such as temperature is constantly monitored and measured through sensors, converted and delivered as a stream of digital signals and processed to modulate the regulation of the underlying process (heat controlled according to predefined constraints). Embedded systems are also in vehicles to measure car bon emissions through a sensory arrangement and processed through a feedback controller network to store and monitor the condition of the engine (Rajski and Tyszer). Over the past few decades, embedded systems have become integral parts of every notable electronic system including safety-critical components. For instance, embedded systems are used to control sensitive and critical functions such as aircraft navigation and ensure failsafe availability of financial networks.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Essay Example for Free

Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Essay Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Team Charter LAW 531 Alternative Dispute Resolution Clause for Learning Team Charter This paper will discuss an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) clause that might be used by a Learning Team to resolve a disagreement among members. This paper will identify all provisions and information necessary to enable the ADR to occur and function effectively. The dispute that the ADR clause that might be used by a Learning Team will be when a member fails to submit their portion of the Learning Team assignment on time and therefore another member must write the portion assigned. I, Learning Team member, will settle all disputes or controversies arising from not submitting my portion on the time and date previously decided by the Learning Team to the Learning Team folder exclusively by mediation and a neutral third party mediator. The mediator will be chosen by the professor of the course that the Learning Team is associated. The mediation will be held within three days of said dispute or controversy and remedy will be completed within 5 days of said dispute. I will make myself available to the mediation and cooperate in any fashion with mediator. If a fair and equitable agreement for all cannot be reached than I will not be given rights within the Learning Team and the University will be notified that I have forfeited rights to the Learning Team. If and when settlement has been reached no party within Learning Team will mention said disruption within Learning Team folder. The above clause will allow the Learning Team to have a clear understanding that it is very important to make sure that their assigned portion is submitted on time. If the assigned portion is not submitted on time than they may have to submit to a mediation to work out the differences within the Learning Team and how they will make up to the Learning Team.

A market analysis of the McDonalds corporation

A market analysis of the McDonalds corporation McDonalds is a popularly known Market Leader in the Fast food Industry or better known as the Burger Industry. Started in the year 1948, it has managed to emerge triumphant in spite of a number of companies entering the industry. The company has successfully established a popular brand image. In fact the growth of fast food has been named after the organization as McDonaldization. Marketing involves identifying what customers demand and striving towards meeting their demands. Marketing Audit involves analyzing the companys various aspects and evaluating the companys marketing strategy. It involves in bringing out the pitfalls in the organizations functioning. The following pages contain the analysis of McDonalds Corporation. We have researched the various facets of the organization functioning as to how well they have managed to reach customers. There has been an analysis of the industry aspects like the customers, competitors and the suppliers. Also the Macro Environmental analysis along with the SWOT has been performed. We have analyzed the current Marketing techniques. On analyzing the current situation of the company and the market in the fast food industry we have provided some recommendations which might prove to be useful for the organization on its successful implementation. Introduction The statistics figures show that the global fast food market reached a value of $102.7 billion in 2006, growing by 4.8%. Meanwhile, analysts forecast that in 2011, the global fast food market will have a value of $125.4 billion, an increase of 22.2% since 2006 (Fast Food: Global Industry Guide, n. d.). McDonalds is the worlds leading company in the fast food industry. It has more than 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries serving millions people around the global. The companys success was as a result of the policy they follow, known as the Q.S.C. V. (Quality food; Fast, Friendly Service; Restaurant Cleanliness; and a menu that provides Value). The company was first started as a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino by the two brothers Mac and Dick McDonalds in the year 1948. It was later bought by Ray Kroc, who was their franchising agent in 1961 and opened his first McDonalds in Illinois. The companys menu initially consisted of Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, French Fries, Sodas, Milkshakes, milk and coffee, although it has grown considerably since. The company follows a unique business model described as the three legged stool wherein the three legs are the owners/operators, suppliers and Company employees. It is an organization that develops, operates, franchises and services a worldwide system of restaurants that prepare, assemble, package and sell a limited menu of quickly prepared, moderately priced food. McDonalds has pioneered food quality specifications, marketing and training programs, and operational and supply systems, all of which are considered the standards of the industry throughout the world. Marketing Mix Every business organization must develop an effective marketing strategy. The 7 Ps is used to continually evaluate and re evaluate business activities. The seven Ps are product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning, and people. The 7 Ps are used to ensure that the company is on track and achieve maximum results. Product Predominantly sells Hamburgers and cheeseburgers which forms the part of the standard menu worldwide Also sells various types of chicken sandwiches and products, French fries, soft drinks, breakfasts, and desserts. They sell a variety of products during limited promotional time periods. The company tests new products on an ongoing basis. Example: Chicken Nuggets in the year 1983 DIRECTION People Focuses on Friendly and Prompt service which helps them to maintain their reputation Employees have a standard uniform. Statistics of staff composition Restaurant staffRestaurant managementOffice staffFranchisees staff44,000300050025,000They have high recruitment standards, employ local staff and proper training. PATH Process Manufacturing process is transparent and visible to customers. Customers are invited to check the ingredients used in the food. Maintain high quality control standards. Use of innovative ideas and having latest technologies installed. Drive through facility Price Have Specials, two dollar burgers Competitors find it difficult to follow Generally use a value-based approach to pricing, Aim at giving consumers the best value for money Promotions Best methods to maintain high awareness and promote their image Advertising through Billboards, Television, Radio etc. Sponsorships like Ronald House and local Basketball Sales Promotion, Examples: Two dollar burger, Happy Meal Direct Marketing through Birthday and Clubs Publicity Place Placed extensively and easily accessible Have Drive through where customers can pick up food Mc Delivery offers options for home delivery Holds a different place in the consumers mind Fun place for children Physical Evidence Means looking for aspects customer uses to assess a product and evaluate its position High quality standards are maintained Emphasizes on clean and hygienic interiors of its outlets High importance to the appearance of the staff and the service provided. ACTION Current Marketing Strategy McDonalds as a world Market Leader has certain goals which it strives to achieve 100% customer satisfaction, increase its market share and optimize profitability by reducing costs. On analyzing the companys marketing position, the following are a part of the current strategy in order to reach its customers: Healthier foods To handle the change of trend towards healthier food this McDonalds have changed the way the food is prepared. It makes sure that 100% vegetable oil is used, low fat milk is used for milkshakes and the amount of sodium has been cut down. Food Quality and Nutrition The quality and safety of food items are of paramount importance in McDonalds. This is achieved through strict product standards, strict enforcement of operating procedures and work in close relationship with the suppliers. Larger Menus McDonalds aims at achieving the other important expectation from the consumers (want for choice). To this McDonalds reacted by introducing the breakfast menu with a variety of food products. Apart from this they have also introduced a lot of other products. Restaurant Diversity The restaurants in each location are customized and their menus are according to the needs and demands of the customers in the location, the food on the menu would conform to the regional and ethnic tastes. Brand Positioning McDonalds Brand positioning is mainly carried out through sponsorship of events and sports. It sponsors events like Domes community programme and learning experience and Child Safety Week. Industry Analysis Industry analysis of an organization involves the analysis in the following categories: Customer Analysis This refers to buyer force. The buyer has a great deal of selecting power due to the fact that if they are dissatisfied with the food or service they can easily switch or purchase from an alternate product. But it is undeniable that any organization cannot satisfy the needs of all the consumers. Therefore organization divides the market into segments which display similar characteristics or behavior is necessary. McDonalds market segmentation is based on demographic variables Age and Lifestyle. The primary target markets are seniors, adults and teenagers, but the most heavily targeted segment is children. The market segmentation of McDonalds can be visualized as follows: Market Segments Seniors Adults Teenagers Children Customers are those who pay money to acquire an organizations goods or services. For many years McDonalds mostly targeted the young people, however this has changed in this decade; McDonalds has turned towards a more general market. By doing this McDonalds concentrates on the family, targeting a diverse market Competitor Analysis It was said that the Fast Food industry is highly competitive (Data Warehousing Case Study: Fast Food, n. d.). McDonalds major Competitors include that Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, and Panera Bread. Especially, KFC, which offers chicken nuggets and fries on its menu, operates over an 11000 restaurants in more than 80 countries. Fast food, especially fries, hamburger and so on, are thought as garbage-food because of high-calorie. There are high possibilities of healthy substitutes posing a threat to these companies. Of course, McDonalds is concentrating on the health side by introduction of healthy food items in the menu. The following are the findings of the competitive position of McDonalds based on the Porters five forces: Rivalry: This involves how the company differentiates itself from its competitors. In case of McDonalds, as discussed above the major rivals are Burger King, KFC and Wendys. Though McDonalds is the Market Leader currently, with the capacity of the rivals growing the competition seems intense. The rivals are trying to increase their sales by concentrating on the health factors. New Entrants: With so many popular fast food companies in the industry new entrants are not much if a threat when seen globally. McDonalds has an edge over its competitors as it is globally spread. Buyers: With reasonable prices and quick service provided by McDonalds, there is less scope for customers to move to competitors for the products. With the introduction of the wireless facility in the some of the outlets has added to the attraction. Suppliers: Except for the cold drink from Coca Cola, the company does not have a single supplier at a global level. For meat it has its own farm and other raw materials are from local store Substitutes: There are high possibilities of healthy substitutes posing a threat to the company. Though McDonalds is concentrating on the health side by introduction of healthy food items in the menu, it might still be posed with the challenge of substitutes. Supplier Analysis Supplier is an organization that provides resources for other organizations. In McDonalds three legged stool philosophy the third leg is supplier partners. McDonalds has practiced a backward vertical integration, by replacing most of its suppliers. It has done so for two reasons, To reduce costs, and To ensure that its products are of top quality. These supplies include beef and milk to be used in its products, which it gets from its farms. Other suppliers include local grocery stores that supply McDonalds with fresh vegetables. Soft drinks are supplied exclusively by Coca-Cola, which is also its ally. McDonalds supplies also include raw material such as flour, sugar, yeast, etc. . MACRO ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Companies always operate in a larger macro environment of forces and trends that shape opportunities and post threats. These forces represent non-controllable forces, which the company must monitor and respond to. In most cases, we identify macro environmental factors by an acronym, PESTEL. P: Political System of the country. E : Economical Factors S : Social / Cultural factors T : Technological factors E : Ecological factors L : Legal factors POLITICAL FACTORS McDonalds employees and job applicants are selected, trained, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant skills, talents and performance and without reference to race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital status or disability. In support of this, McDonalds also has a policy on Sexual and Racial Harassment. All McDonalds restaurants work to standards which meet the highest best practice guidelines for Building and Health and Safety regulations. ENVIRONMENTAL / ECOLOGICAL FACTORS McDonalds is analyzing every aspect of its business in terms of its impact on the environment and is committed to waste minimization with a target of a 50% volume reduction. McDonalds works only in partnership with suppliers with sound environmental practices. It also has a manager responsible for environmental affairs. A revolutionary new static waste compactor is now in 60 restaurants, which reduces waste volumes by an average of 40-50%. McDonalds is committed to using recycled materials wherever possible in its packaging and business in general. Waste oil makes up 10% of a restaurants waste and is recycled via local collectors at regional refineries, into animal feedstock and other by products. In April 1988, McDonalds switched to non-CFC foam packaging which carries the CFC-Free message. McDonalds is playing an active role in global efforts to develop more environmentally friendly refrigerants. SOCIO- CULTURAL FACTORS McDonalds feels that it address public concern regarding nutrition through a combination of stringent product standards, strictly enforced restaurant operating procedures, and close working relationships with suppliers to assure that McDonalds food is safe and of the highest quality. It also discloses nutritional and ingredient information regarding its menu items through in-store posters and brochures distributed upon request. In the early 1990s, international expansion into new cultures and corresponding eating habits resulted in new product introductions in several locations. McDonalds new items generally receive no advertising and little sales promotion during the test period. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS McDonalds corporation has built a whole range of systems such as intranets, wireless applications or innovative kiosk systems, all based on Days Commu ­niquà ©. In their most recent initiative, the company migrated their global internet presence mcdonalds.com to our platform. An important component of McDonalds operational strategy is to anticipate customer traffic patterns and food selection based on a detailed analysis of sales history and trends. Restaurants use this information to prepare menu items in the right quantities and at the right times to have the food ready for customers when they arrive. To ensure freshness, all food not served within 10 minutes must be discarded. ECONOMIC FACTORS During the late 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium, McDonalds found itself in a regression, the first one since its conception in 1955. The Gold Arches werent shining like they once did, however there are in the process of being polished, figuratively speaking. In 2003 McDonalds ranked eighth out of 100 brands in the Global Brand Scoreboard assembled by Interbrand Corporation and Business Week, proving that McDonalds is one of the worlds best known and most valuable brands. However, that wasnt the case during 2001 and 2002. LEGAL FACTORS The legal framework includes that any company in the Food and Beverages industry must not transport commodities that are hazardous to life and property or that are contraband in nature. Example: illegal drugs and unlicensed arms and ammunition. McDonalds serves 100% beef, 100% chicken, and Grade A eggs. McDonalds food comes only from certified suppliers who are audited and inspected on a regular basis. More than 2,000 safety, quality and inspection checks surround McDonalds food as it moves from the farms to our restaurants. McDonalds requires that 72 safety protocols are conducted every single day in McDonalds restaurants. McDonaldss Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats Strong Player Global Existence and Massive Size Strong Brand Marketing Outlets easily accessible Consistency and Fast Service Weak Product Differentiation Slowed Revenue and income growth Mature Industry Strength of competition More health conscious consumers International Expansion Only serving 1% of worlds population Growing dining-out market Strengths McDonald is a strong player in international market with his competitors hardly half the business. Global existence and massive size allows him more diversification in food menu. Exceptionally strong brand recognition and aggressive marketing. A strong real estate selection makes its outlets located in the areas which are easily accessible It has the consistency in his fast food supply and success of its food items Weaknesses Lack of product differentiation. The competitors also brought about the development of similar products. Too many competitors entering the market which reduces the companys ability to increase revenue and also leads to slow income growth. Opportunities More international expansion, as it still required penetrating in many countries especially in Asia, Europe and Latin America covering only 1% of world population There has been an increase in the number of people who dine out, thus paving way for growth Threats Market saturation leaving less scope for expansion and revenue generation. Competitors are quite strong and gaining good market share with new innovations. More people are getting health conscious and switching to different eating habits. Findings and Implications Domination of the industry McDonalds Corporation services the worlds largest chain of fast food outlets and has established as a Market Leaders. It has a market share of around 7.7% in the quick service industry in the United States. It holds a market of 43.1% in the burger segment. But it may need to grow in the non-burger fast food market. Growth As far as domestic market is considered there has the growth has slowed down. The companys revenue grew by 9% to record a $21.6 Billion. The comparable sales of the organization increased to about 5.7% from the year 2005 and the system wide sales increased to 7%. Income from continuing operations per common share was $2.30 with $2.03 in 2005. The following is a five year analysis of the number of McDonalds UK retail outlets and their pre-tax profits: 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 No of restaurants 836 928 1016 1117 1184 Pre-tax profit ( £m) 100.2 82.3 127.9 137.5 141.4 The Growth of Mc Donalds in terms of restaurants can be viewed as below: International Sector McDonalds has expanded to many countries throughout the world. It has opened 744 restaurants in 2006, ending the year with more than 31000 outlets worldwide. The company has clearly demonstrated extensive and impressive growth by expanding into markets across the globe, increasing penetration into the existing markets and stretching its product range to include exciting breakfasts. It is often conceived that McDonalds is approaching the end of its extended growth phase. But with increasing population throughout the world, assuming people consume three meals a day, it serves around 1% meal a share position that provides possibilities for plenty of growth within the industry. Competition is however aggressively snapping at the base of golden arches. A new genre of restaurants seems to have emerged in the market, dubbed as the fast casual. They are offering consumers fresher, healthier and more variety of food in a more inviting ambience. Recommendations Prospects for growth Strategy High Market Share Mature Markets Market leader in one product market Maintaining Market Share Substitutes entering the market Maintaining Dominance in the market Increase of Market size Innovative redefinition of existing markets. Expand into related product market Maintaining good relationship with customers and suppliers. If high prospects for growth then entry into substitute market Buying some of the emerging firms in order to reduce competition through expansion. McDonalds is the company with the highest market share in the Fast food industry. In order to expand and grow further it is necessary for the organization to expand the market itself. This can be done by the introduction of innovative food items in the menu in order to attract all kinds of consumers. Without innovation expanding the market size might prove advantageous to the competitors too. Mature markets can be handled by redefining the existing markets in a way that from redefining new markets are created in order to expand. In order to redefine the market they can introduce jumbo sized burger and sandwiches at reasonable price which is sure to attract more customers from all categories and hence expands the market. Since McDonalds is a Market Leader in the Fast food industry, it can continue with the expansion into other related industries. Like McCafe in the coffee industry, it can expand into another field like having their own drinks produced and manufacturing. In order to maintain its current market share it should continue to maintain good relationship with customers and suppliers by ensuring more quality to its consumers When there is a threat of healthier substitutes entering the market, McDonalds can also enter into the substitute market if it has prospects for growth and it is developing in its early stages which will avoid McDonalds from facing threats. The major substitutes McDonalds have are the healthier ones. In order to face the threat from substitutes, McDonalds can make their menu healthier, they can have a low fat menu items with sandwiches, wraps and burgers that are healthier In order for McDonalds to maintain its market dominance, it can buy small but emerging firms in the industry so that the competitors reduce in number. ANSOFFS PRODUCT EXPANSION GRID PRODUCTS CURRENT NEW M A R K E T S CURRENT Market Penetration Strategies Current Products: Big Mac, Grilled Chicken Foldovers, Beverages, French Fries etc. Current Market: Students, Working Professionals, families. Collaboration with institutes, universities Opening outlets at campuses, easily accessible places, commercial areas Investments on advertisements, vouchers, coupons etc Product Development Strategies Introducing Vegetables food Healthy and Nutritious products, e.g. Brown bread instead of white one. Successful product launches in U.S. included Premium Roast Coffee, the Asian Salad and snack wrap. Combination of continental food with local food at affordable price NEW Market Development Strategies Entering into more developing countries Offering franchise in new market More Advertisement and promotion Inaugural discounts Providing membership cards Buying some emerging firms Diversification Strategies New restaurants offering various cuisines Cake shops, bakery items Improving distribution or delivery service. The Ansoffs Matrix depicts the Market expansion strategy for McDonalds. Conclusion The extensive research of McDonalds Corporation has been pursued. The company being the major player in the fast food industry has a competitive edge over the others within the industry. It has created great popularity amongst its customers especially amongst the kids who are McDonalds key target customers. The company does face a threat of expanding in the mature market and taking over by the competitors which has been highlighted. It has several key strategies which if maintained will continue to stay as the leader in the fast food industry. The key points being its quick and fast service, quality food, easily accessible and fair pricing of the food items. The Health factor towards which the trend is moving is to be considered by the organization which will be added advantage to its growth and expansion.

Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) Model for Wind Farms

Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) Model for Wind Farms A Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) Model for Wind Farms with Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) The cost of energy is an important issue in the world as demand for renewable energy resources is growing. Performance-based energy contracts are designed to keep the price of energy as low as possible while controlling the risk for both the Buyer and the Seller. Price and risk are often balanced using Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Since wind is not a constant supply source, in order to keep risk low, wind PPAs contain clauses that require the purchase and sale of the energy to fall within reasonable limits. However, the existence of those limits creates pressure on prices, causing increases in the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). Depending on the variation in capacity factor (CF), the power generator (the Seller) may find that the limitations on power purchases required by the utility (the Buyer) are not favorable and will result in higher costs of energy than predicted. Existing LCOE models do not take into account energy purchase limitations or variations in energy production when calculating an LCOE. The challenge addressed in this paper is that the price schedule in a PPA is determined using the LCOE provided by the Seller, but the energy delivery limits imposed within the PPA impact the LCOE in ways that are not accommodated by existing models. A new cost model has been developed to evaluate the price of electricity from wind energy under a PPA contract. This paper presents a method that an energy Seller can use to develop an appropriate Cost of Energy (COE) based on desired energy delivery quantities. The new cost model can then be used as a basis for setting an appropriate PPA price schedule. During the PPA negotiations, LCOE is calculated and used by the seller to determine an appropriate COE for each unit of energy that falls within the conditions set within the contract. As the COE isnegotiated and determined to be too high or too low by either party, the PPA terms are changed to adjust for the desired PPA prices. PPA energy purchase limitations can change the LCOE by as much as a factor of two depending on the energy limitations. The application of the model on real wind farms shows that the actual LCOE depends on the limitations on energy purchase within a PPA contract as well as the expected performance characterist ics associated with wind farms. Cost of Energy (COE) becomes a major concern for the public and utilities as the demand for power from renewable energy sources, such as wind, increases. Utilities may become reluctant to purchase more renewable energy than they are required to purchase if the COE is too high. COE is the actual cost to buy energy while LCOE is the break-even cost to generate the energy. The LCOE is a commonly accepted calculation of the Total Life-Cycle Cost (TLCC) for each unit of energy produced in the lifetime of a project[1]. In addition to the increase in the use of renewable energy sources, there is an increase in the use of PPAs for all sources of energy. PPAs are Performance-Based Contracts (PBCs) that aim to create a fair agreement for the purchase and sale of energy between a utility (the Buyer) and a generator (the Seller). The use of PPAs has been increasing around the world and they are commonly used in Europe, the U.S., and in Latin America. In Germany alone, offshore wind projects with PPAs totaled over 1.2 GW in capacity in 2013[2]. In the U.S. there existed a total of 29,632 MW of capacity in 343 signed or planned PPAs in 2014-2015[3]. Between 2008 and 2016, 650 MW of new capacity was signed in the U.S. and in 2015 the use of PPAs in the U.S. grew to 1.6 GW[4]. In Latin America, the government typically awards PPAs. In 2014, the government of Peru awarded PPAs to projects with a total of 232 MW of capacity[5]. ` PPAs use an LCOE calculation to determine a fair price of energy, much like a standard retail energy contract[1]. However, Buyers in a PPA can create terms that limit the annual purchase of energy, thereby affecting the actual LCOE. Buyers can create a limit for the minimum annual amount of energy that needs to be delivered and/or the maximum amount that energy will be bought at full price. The PPA contract limits create penalties; a penalty is incurred when the Seller does not fall within the energy delivery requirements. In a normal energy contract (such as a standard retail contract, a market retail contract, and in a PPA), the LCOE is calculated over the period of the contract and energy is purchased as it arrives at the agreed upon point of delivery. PPAs are used to share and reduce the risks of added costs, however, in some cases the costs are not accounted for within LCOE models. Conventional LCOE models include all the costs associated with an energy project. PPAs address and outline the capital costs, operational costs over the lifetime of the project, the energy produced, tax credits, and the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) within a specific project.[2] The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and others have developed and used LCOE models that typically consider all or most of these parameters [6][7][8]. The terms of the PPA are important because they create costs that affect the actual LCOE. However, current LCOE models do not include the effects of the energy delivery limits and their penalty costs imposed by PPAs as a cost to the wind farms. If the LCOE does not reflect the break-even cost, the Seller risks the projects failure and the Buyer risks the loss in profit from not providing enough energy to its end-use consumers. A more accurate LCOE could prevent the failure of a wind farm and benefit the Seller, the Buyer, and consumers. In this paper, a new LCOE model is proposed to address the PPA annual energy delivery limits, which we refer to as penalties. Although the application of penalties as a cost appears to be straightforward (because of their direct and indirect costs to the Seller), the penalties are more complex to analyze when uncertainties are introduced. The difference between the LCOE with and without penalties can be significant (see the Wind Farm Case Study). The effect of penalties on the LCOE can vary depending on the capacity factor (CF), the variation in CF, as well as the limits on the purchase of energy. Determining the best limits in a PPA depends on the needs of the Buyer in conjunction with a desire for a COE that reflects the actual LCOE for the Seller within the contract. This paper develops a method that provides a tool that the Seller can use to negotiate penalties and an appropriate COE within their PPAs. PPAs define every aspect of the project including: the terms for the entire projects construction, operation and maintenance (OM), insurance, the interconnection and grid, government involvement in the project, the delivery of energy, and any other third party involvement in the project[9]. Each of these aspects is a responsibility of the Seller that affects the cost of the wind farm. Normally, PPAs are viewed as just the relationship between the utility (Buyer) and the generator (Seller), however, this paper views the PPA as a plan with specific features defined for the success of the wind farm and all parties involved. During the negotiation of the PPA, the length of the agreement, the PPA price and the price schedule are determined[10]. All the costs determined during negotiations are reviewed to calculate the LCOE for the whole project and then the LCOE is used to determine a fair value for each unit of energy. The negotiation of the COE and PPA terms is iterated until both parties are satisfied. If the COE is too high, the terms are negotiated to drop the cost and if the terms create extra costs the COE is negotiated to a higher value. Although the PPA attempts to cover all the costs in the contract, the conventional LCOE models used do not consider the penalties on annual energy delivery limits as a cost. The purpose of creating annual energy delivery requirements is to be fair to the Buyer who takes on risk in acquiring negative profits by joining a new contract. The Buyer may not want to buy more expensive and unpredictable renewable energy, but may be required to by renewable energy requirem ents set by the government. This leads the Buyer to create limits on the amount of energy they are willing to purchase. However, the costs associated with these penalties are also a risk that could increase the LCOE without increasing the COE or the PPA price. Thus, causing a loss in profit for the Seller. The effect of penalties must be considered within the LCOE to ensure the fairness in the contract. In some cases, PPAs create minimum energy delivery requirements. If there is not enough energy being provided by the Seller, then the Buyer has to look for energy elsewhere at, possibly, spot-market prices. Spot-market prices vary daily (hourly) due to changing demand for energy buying and selling energy on the spot market is a risk that neither the Buyer nor the Seller wish to be exposed to. The Buyer creates the minimum energy delivery requirement to reduce their risk and the Seller has to pay at the PPA COE for every unit of energy under-delivered. Not all PPAs have minimum energy requirements and some that have a minimum requirement also have a maximum energy delivery requirement. The maximum energy delivery requirement has been used in locations that have renewable energy requirements mandated by customers or the government (and the Buyers would not otherwise purchase energy from renewable sources due to higher costs, e.g., the United States). Within a PPA, there are three diff erent requirements the Buyer can establish once the Seller has delivered the maximum energy delivery limit before the end of the contracted period. The Buyer could require that the energy generated cannot be sold, the energy could be sold at a fraction of the COE, or the energy could be sold in the spot-market. Both the spot-market and wind energy production are unpredictable. Energy could be produced during a period of very low demand and as such low spot-market prices would apply (e.g., at a faction of the LCOE). Although wind farms have energy that is bought and paid for monthly, the actual revenue is calculated at the end of the year. At the end of each year, the Sellers account is reviewed for penalty costs and the over purchase of energy to rectify the account balance. It is important to note that the LCOE model needs to review the annual CF and not the monthly CF and energy generation to determine the actual LCOE of a wind farm due to the PPA billing conditions stated above.[3] The levelized cost of energy, also known the levelized cost of electricity, or the levelized energy cost, is an economic assessment of the average total cost to build and operate a power-generating system over its lifetime divided by the total power generated of the system over that lifetime. LCOE is often used as an alternative to the average price that the power generating system must receive in a market to break even over its lifetime. LCOE is a first-order economic assessment of the cost competitiveness of an electricity-generating system that incorporates all costs over its lifetime accounting for the initial investment, the OM cost, the cost of fuel, and the cost of capital. The definition of LCOE is the cost that, if assigned to every unit of energy produced by the system over the analysis period, will equal the Total Life-Cycle Cost (TLCC) when discounted back to the base year [1][1], (1) where discrete compounding is assumed, Ei is the amount of energy produced in year i, r is the WACC (or discount rate), and n is the number of years over which the LCOE is calculated. E in year i is calculated as, (2) where RP is rated power, and CFiis the average capacity factor in year i. The TLCC in this model can be expressed as [11], (3) where I is the initial investment, and the Present Value of the total OM costs (PVOM) is given by[11], (4) where OMi is the OM costs in year i. LCOE is an equation that assigns a value for every unit produced during the given lifetime of a project. Traditionally, PPAs treat the contract length as the whole lifetime of the project, making short-term PPAs more expensive than long-term[11][12]. Since LCOE is by definition constant once calculated, it can be factored out of the summation in Equation (1) and the LCOE is given as, (5) Although the denominator of Equation (5) appears to be discounting the energy (and some authors have characterize it as such), the discounting is actually a result of the algebra carried through from Equation (1) in which revenues were discounted (energy is not discounted, only cost can be discounted). Based on the derivation of LCOE, the LCOE model must incorporate all financial parameters that contribute to the TLCC. Given this definition, this paper presents a model that includes PPA penalties in the TLCC. Several LCOE models currently exist and are used to determine fair prices for wind energy. NREL uses SAM (System Advisor Model) to compute the LCOE using wind farm data for PPAs[7]. Equation 6shows the LCOE model used in SAM (6) where CPEi is the cost to generate energy in year i and each parameter is given in the ith year.In the SAM model, the LCOE is calculated based on expected cash flows for OM and capital expenditures. Although cash flow is important for determining the actual money spent and costs involved in a wind farm project, SAM does not recognize the implementation of penalties or tax credits in its wind LCOE model[7]. The SAM model does calculate a PPA price within its financial model that includes tax credits, but the PPA price is only a discounted value from the calculated LCOE and does not consider penalties. Similar to SAM, the most commonly used LCOE models do not include tax credits, production losses, or penalties. Some LCOE models, such as Equation (7)[8], (7) explicitly include the following costs: fuel cost (F), production tax credit (PTC), depreciation (D), tax levy (T), and royalties (R).[4] Equation (7) recognizes that the tax credits reduce costs, but it does not recognize PPA penalties as a cost. Other models, such as Equation (8)[6], (8) where CRF is the capital recovery factor, consider the LCOE as a direct project cost and not the sum of TLCC of wind farms, which should include tax credits and PPA penalty costs in the TLCC. PPAs typically consider tax credits as a part of LCOE as seen in the Delmarva-Bluewater PPA[13] and explicitly in Equation (7). However, within PPAs, the LCOE calculation does not consider the cost of penalties in the life-cycle cost. Current LCOE models do not consider all the cost parameters in a wind farm managed via a PPA. PPAs may define a maximum annual energy delivery quantity, a minimum annual energy delivery quantity, both of these limits, or neither. The energy delivery limits are cost parameters that are typically not considered in a conventional LCOE model. The terms generally follow the rule that after the maximum delivery is reached, energy will no longer is purchased by the Buyer, the energy will be sold at a reduced price, or it will be sold on the spot-market[14]. This is generally considered a cost/penalty for the Seller since they lose some value of the energy that is produced after the maximum delivery quantity is reached. Similarly, there is a direct cost/penalty in the minimum energy delivery defined in the PPA, as every unit of under-produced energy must be paid back at the agreed upon COE. We model the minimum delivery penalty based on the PacifiCorp draft PPA, which included the liquidated damages from output shortfall[15]. In Fig. 1, the Maximum and Minimum energy limits demonstrate how the penalties are applied. Each year that the energy production is above or below the limits as shown in Fig. 1, the penalty is applied. The new model reflects the costs of energy production that is above the maximum or below the minimum energy delivery limits. The model begins with an existing LCOE model (Equation (7)) and alters it to include the delivery penalties and tax credits.The cost for under-delivering energy (PN), is the difference between the energy that was generated and delivered (E) and the threshold for the minimum penalty (Minlim)based on expected energy production (Pexp). E is calculated by, (9) where Eiis the sum of all the energy produced in the wind farm from N turbines in year i, CFi,j is the average capacity factor in year i for turbine j, and RPj is the rated power of turbine j. Using this calculation for energy, the production loss and the penalty from the minimum energy delivery limit can be calculated. PN is then calculated by, (10) In Equation (10), Minlim is smallest fraction of expected energy production (Pexp) that the Buyer requires. The purpose of the minimum limit is for the benefit of the Buyer. The Buyer expects a minimum amount of energy to meet the demands of the consumers. If the energy does not meet the requirement, then the Buyer has to go to an outside source (e.g., the spot-market) and will may have to purchase energy at a higher cost, which the Buyer will require the Seller to compensate them for. Similarly, the production loss (PL) is the difference between the energy that was generated (E) in that year and the threshold for the maximum penalty (Maxlim) based on the Pexp. (1-PPAterm) (11) In Equation (11), Maxlimis the largest fraction of expected energy production that the Buyer is willing to purchase. PN is only applied during the years that actual energy production is less than the quantity of energy determined by MinlimPexp,when EilimPexp. PL is only applied when the energy produced exceeds the amount of energy determined by MaxlimPexp,when Ei>MaxlimPexp. PPA ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­term is a fraction that represents the type of penalty placed on the Seller after the maximum energy limit has been reached. In a PPA with no outside sell option the PPAterm has a value of0. When all the energy is purchased by the Buyer regardless of the limit the PPAtermis 1 and therefore PL is never applied.[5] The LCOE model including all the unaccounted for cost variables that exist in PPAs is given by, (12) where PL and PN are only included in the total penalty cost (Pen) when the calculated cost in either of those variables in a year is more than $0. In Equation (12) the sums in the numerator and denominator start at i = 0 under the assumption that the investment cost (Ii) comes from a depreciation schedule. In the case where the PPA allows for the Buyer to sell into the spot-market, the PL be a negative value. The Peni in year i is the sum of the production loss and the penalty cost, (13) and the tax credit in year i (TCi) is given by, (14) where all types of tax credits that can be applied to a wind farm are included (see nomenclature for specific tax credit contributions). Both of the Pen and the TC depend on the conditions imposed by the PPA. A controlled study of wind farms was conducted to explore the effects of CF variation and energy delivery requirements on the LCOE. LCOEs were calculated based on four types of PPAs for farms with an annual CF that ranged in decreasing and increasing in fractions of 0 to 0.4 of the average CF around the average CF of 0.4. The four types of PPAs are: a PPA with just a minimum penalty, a PPA with just a maximum penalty where no energy can be bought above the limit, a PPA with just a maximum penalty where the energy is purchased at a fraction of 0.1 (PPAterm= 0.1) of the COE value for each unit of energy above the limit (the value of PPAterm= 0.1 was based on the Pakistan PPA[17]), and a PPA with just a maximum penalty where the energy above the maximum energy delivery limit has to be sold into the spot-market. Although the average CF = 0.4 is the same in all the cases considered, the COE for each wind farm is different since the LCOE differs for each wind farm due to the variations in CF. The costs and energy produced in each year varies, thus creating differences in the discounted total costs for each farm in the years that the CF varies. Each LCOE was calculated for a duration of 5 years. The following data was used to calculate the LCOE, I = $1500 per installed kW[18] OM = $0.01 per kWh produced[18] F = $0[8] TC = $0.05 per kWh sold[19] r = 0.089 per year[20] COE = Calculated LCOE from a PPA without penalties[21] I, although shown as a single value, is a value that is depreciated over the lifetime of the wind farm and changes for every year i. The COE in a PPA is generally calculated from an LCOE that does not consider delivery penalties as a cost. For this reason, the cost calculated from penalties in the new model uses the calculated LCOE (for an individual wind farm) under a PPA without penalties as the COE. Pexpis calculated as the average annual expected energy production from a specific farm. In these cases the expected energy production is calculated using a CF of 0.4 for every year as Danish wind farms averaged 0.41 in 2012 and NREL has predicted that between 2005 and 2030, wind farms will be operating at capacity factors between 0.36 and 0.43[22]. Ei is calculated using a CF that is based on the variability around the average CF. The values of Minlim, Maxlim,and Ei, are then used to calculated penalties. CF variation is the fraction of energy that is produced in year i that falls around the average CF of a project. Fig. 2 demonstrates this effect with two farms that have an average CF of 0.4 and a rated power of 2000 kW over 5 years. Wind farm 1 in this case has a CF variation of 0.05, this means that 0.05 more energy is produced in one year and 0.05 less is produced in another. Wind farm 2 in Fig. 2is similar as it portrays a CF variation of 0.15. The algorithm used in this study valued year 2 as the unexpected higher CF year and year 4 as the lower than expected CF year. It is possible to change the algorithm for other schedules of uncertainty that would yield different results and to make the schedule more complicated with random variations in random years. In all of the LCOE verification tests, the LCOE follows a similar trend. Fig. 3 shows the results from a PPA with only a minimum energy delivery limit. In this case, as the fraction of expected energy production increases, more energy is likely to fall below the annual requirement, thus increasing the LCOE. The variation in CF determines the quantity below the minimum that the energy can fall to and how much the penalty cost will be to the Seller. The greater the variation, the more likely the LCOE will be effected by the minimum energy delivery limits. Fig. 4shows a PPA where once the energy goes above the maximum annual energy delivery requirement that energy can be sold into the spot-market. The spot market is difficult to predict, therefore this study used spot-market prices from 2014 given by the EIA and used a Monte-Carlo simulation to randomly develop a normal distribution with a mean of $52.32 and a standard deviation of 38.75. Those values were then used to determine an expected value for the PPAtermfraction used in the produce the production loss calculation. In Fig. 4 the PPAterm = 1.1, which means that it was cheaper to sell into the spot-market then to sell to the Buyer under the PPA contract (i.e., cheaper to sell means more money for the Seller).[6] The results from Fig. 4 show that the LCOE drops when more energy is sold into the spot-market under these conditions. As the required energy fraction increased, only high variation farms have a lower LCOE because they are still producing above the maximum energy delivery limit and selling into the more profitable spot-market. Fig. 5 and 6 show very similar trends for two different PPAs. Fig. 5contains results from a PPA with a PPA ­term= 0.1 and Fig. 6contains results from a PPA with no outside sell option. Fig. 5allows for energy to be purchased after the maximum energy delivery limit has been reached, but only at PPAterm = 0.1 the value of the COE. This means that production loss is 0.9 of the COE for each unit of energy produced above the maximum energy delivery limit. Fig. 6 is similar because the production loss is the whole COE value for each unit of energy sold above the maximum energy delivery requirement because all the energy produced above the maximum limit cannot be sold, but is still being produced. Both figures show that as the Maxlimis increased, meaning that the maximum energy delivery requirement is increasing, less energy is being produced outside of the limit. Higher variations in the CF are more effected by the Maxlim than those with less variation. The only difference between Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 is that in Fig. 5 the LCOE values are slightly lower than those in Fig. 6 This is due to the low value for the PPAterm. A simulation was run to determine the resulting LCOEs from the four different PPA options. The first is a PPA with no energy delivery limits, where the energy is bought and sold as it is produced. The first type of PPA reflects a conventional LCOE where the PPA energy delivery limits are not applied. The second PPA has just a minimum delivery limit, the third has just a maximum delivery limits, and the fourth PPA has both delivery limits. Real data was collected from 7 different wind farms (Table 1[23]) that varied in the number of turbines, manufacturer, year built, rated power and country (Germany or Denmark). To simplify the differences in costs across the wind farms, the same cost variable values used in the model verification tests were used. The only difference in costs used from the model verification tests and the wind farm case study is that the wind farm case study uses a fixed COE for each farm at $0.25 per kWh, based on NRELs highest expected COE[24]. These wind farms com pared the four different PPA types with a fixed Maxlim = 0.75 and a Minlim = 0.52.[7] The LCOE of each turbine was calculated from the sum of LCOE costs at the end of 5 years. Fig. 7 shows the differences in the LCOEs based on the different annual energy delivery requirements and the selection of penalties that were applied. Each wind farm was given a number because the given data did not contain the name of the farms and only serial numbers for the turbines to identify that the turbines were a part of the same farm. The results show that in most data sets, while using the same Maxlimand/or Minlim parameters, just having a maximum penalty produced LCOEs closest to the LCOEs with no penalties. The results also showed that LCOEs with both penalties or those with just minimum penalties produced higher LCOEs. Based on the results from the model verification tests, for wind farms with the same turbine types and year manufactured, it can be assumed that the different clusters of LCOEs are caused by the differences in CF. Lower CFs cause larger differences between a PPA with just a maximum penalty and a PPA with just a minimum penalty as produced by wind farm datasets 1 and 2. While datasets 4 and 7 show closer clusters of LCOE due to higher CFs that less frequently fall below the threshold for the minimum annual energy delivery limit, but more frequently have production loss by producing energy above the maximum annual energy delivery limit. Wind Farm Dataset/ Manufacturer/ Rated Power<

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

When I was in elementary school, I loved to read. I was a total nerd back then ... okay maybe I still am, but one thing has changed. Now I don't so much like reading. My favorite poet was Shel Silverstein, who wrote "Where the Sidewalk Ends." He seemed like he was a total hippie, but that's cool because I like hippies. My grandma is a recovering hippie. I like her too. Anyway, Shel Silverstein wrote about the coolest things. He wrote about magical erasers, eating whales and a boy with long hair flying away from people who were taunting him. He captured all of the things that I loved without knowing that I actually loved them. Now you may ask, how does this hippie relate to our graduation? Well, he wrote a poem entitled "Traffic Light" and this is how it goes: "The traffic light simply would not turn green So the people stopped to wait As the traffic rolled and the wind blew cold And the hour grew dark and late "Zoom-varuum, trucks, trailers, Bikes and limousines, Clatterin' by - me oh my! Won't that light turn green? "But the days turned weeks, and the weeks turned months And there on that corner they stood, Twiddlin' their thumbs till the changin' comes The way good people should. "And if you walk by that corner now, You may think it's rather strange To see them there as they hopefully gaze With the very same smile on their very same face As they patiently stand in the very same place And wait for the light to change." Last year I took Ms. Gilbert. A good chunk of you have as well. For those of you who didn't , if you looked around and saw pathetic-looking, sleep-deprived zombies, those were Ms. Abbott's victims ... I mean students. As a direct result of her class, I cannot do anything without finding symbolism in it. Darn her for making me find meaning in life. What a concept! The poem "Traffic Light" is dripping with symbolism. We, the class of 2003, have been standing at a traffic light.

Correlations between Biology and Male Homosexuality Essay -- Science S

Correlations Between Biology and Male Homosexuality Homosexuality, one of the many different sexual behaviors exhibited by humankind, has been rejected, persecuted, and denied. Are the studies that attempt to find causation moral? Is this search for the "why" of homosexuality a continuation of the heterosexist assumption that heterosexuality is normal and homosexuality abnormal? Are assumptions being made that homosexuality is a disease and should therefore be treated medically? Is the research currently being done heterosexist? Studies that are being performed currently and those done in the recent past have shown that there are strong connections between male homosexuality and biology. By presenting the scientifically significant studies that I have come across, I intend to reduce the ignorance surrounding homosexuality and the behaviors often found with it, and to show some of the correlations between biology and male homosexuality. Throughout my research of homosexuality, I wavered back and forth, debating the morality of this search for a cause. It seemed that finding a cause for homosexuality was somewhat akin to finding the cause for a disease. Unhappy with the association of homosexuality with abnormality, I wondered why scientists were allowed to place homosexuals at such a level. On one hand, with biology backing up gay men and women, the fight for equality and basic human rights could be won more quickly. Although science and society have progressed significantly since the days of Nazi Germany, when homosexuality was thought to come about through "seduction and mind-traps," critics of the current scientific curiosity with homosexuality consider every study and experiment an effort to strengthen the argument tha... ...ce of linkage to micro satellite markers on the X-Chromosome in a Canadian study," poster presentation at the International Academy of Sex Research, Provincetown, MA, 1995 Slimp, J. C., B.L. Hart, and R.W. Goy, "Heterosexual, autosexual and social behavior among adult male rhesus monkeys with medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamic lesions," Brain Research 142:105-122 (1978). Soulairac, A. and M. L. Soulairac, "Effets de là ©sions hypothalamiques sur le comportement sexuel et le tractus gà ©nital du rat male," Annales d'Endocrinologie (Paris) 17:731-745 (1956). Stein, Edward. The Mismeasure of Desire: The Science, Theory, and Ethics of Sexual Orientation. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Whitman, F.L., M. Diamond, and J. Marin, "Homosexual orientation in twins: A report on 61 pairs and three triplet sets," Archives of Sexual Behavior 22:187-206 (1993).