Globalization and the new world food crisis Essay

Since the dawn of civilization, man has always ventured and made developments for his betterment. Man’s basic need like any other animal on the planet has been his food. Initially man devised new hunting skills and innovate new weapons to hunt and feed. As time passed by he understood the basics of agriculture and ended his nomadic life. This was a turning point in mankind and the need for growing food to survive was well understood. With the passing of more time, agricultural science was used to enhance agricultural outputs with most of the countries at least going through one form of agricultural revolution. The need for food is still an essential need in this world full of technology and finances. Globalization brought the world closer and resources of one country started being used for resources or capital from other country. The concept of open trade became evitable and food was traded in plenty. It didn’t matter, where one was and could buy vegetables and fruits from other countries. Staying in the United States of America once could have Chinese mandarins. This was the extent in which globalization had upsurge trade amongst countries. Today the scenario has changed drastically, even though there is trade available, there is a major scarcity of food available in the world to be traded. The surplus quota of food which always used to be exported by countries is now being used for keeping out in reserves and in storage. Today the prices of exports have reached as high as 80% of the original cost as the other countries have started banning exports. Food today has become more expensive and scarcer than oil and other extinguishing resources. Today the world has entered into a new world ‘food crises’. Prices of bread in grocery store have changed and risen more in a week that it has over the years. It is a very grave situation and the world is in serious mess for it. Food prices have really soared up making it very difficult for buyers in terms of finances, but they still have to buy it as it is food and one cannot live without food. It has been estimated that wheat prices are up by 120%, rice prices are up by 75% and it has been efficiently calculated by experts that on an average a poor family today is spending 80% of its income on food. Food which is a basic necessity for a man to survive is a matter for daily struggle for about billion people. Because of this callous increase in food pricing, there has been huge increasing in malnutrition and it has been estimated that more than 3. 5 million children are dying per year because of food shortage. Further more the food crisis, which had been lingering around for some time, but somehow world leaders failed to acknowledge it and due to which about 100 million people have crossed below the poverty line in the last 2 years. The situation is considered to be very grave as this problem is here to stay at least till 2015. This problem is there for in the future as situations have been created where food will become more expensive than gold. The situation has now been officially declared out of hand situation and rapid measures are expected to control the situation at least for the near future. Globalization has been of the main issues that has caused this food crisis in the world. Everything being connected if has its advantages then it also has a lot of disadvantages. Today because of globalization and international trade every country is dependent on some country for its commodities and export. One thing that was clear in the world was not everything could be made in one country, so it has to be bought from another country. Today if natural disaster strikes at one country and if that country is one of the biggest exporters of a particular food item, then it is seen that prices of that food item goes up in the international market. Today the sorrow of one country is proportional to international markets. For instance an example of how globalization affects the food crisis is seen below: ‘The price of maize has never been higher, and the future has seldom seemed rosier. Carleton is booming, with $200-million put up for a new bio fuel factory and, after years in the doldrums, there is full-time, well-paid work for 50 people. The same fields that surround houses may be bringing new money to rural America, but they are also helping to push up the price of bread in Manchester, tortillas in Mexico City and beer in Madrid as Challenged by President George Bush to produce 133-billion liters of non-fossil transport fuels by 2017 to reduce United States dependency on imported oil, thousands are patriotically turning the US corn belt from the bread basket of the world into an enormous fuel tank. Only a year ago, their maize mostly went to cattle feed or was exported as food aid. Come harvest time, almost all will end up at the new plant at Carleton, where it will be fermented to make ethanol’ (Yale Global). Globalization has taken its toll on fossil fuels. Today it’s known that fossil fuels will extinguish in the coming years and the world might come to a halt. For this scientist devised ways of making bio fuels with the help of corn and maize. As the current United States of America’s president George Bush has vowed to stop imports of oil and fossil fuel from other nations by 2017, he has started a massive operation for making the country self sufficient on bio fuel. This has made the farmers giving away corn and wheat for the production of the fuel. The United States of America had made special subsidy for the American farmers to compete with globalize rates and due to which actual wheat producing nations like Mexico had to lose out on its farming out wheat and corn as because of the amount of international trade norms imposed due to United States of America. Because of that farmers in Latin America had major crisis for their wheat and became dependent of the American policy. Today when America is giving away its corn and wheat production for making away bio fuel, bread has become a major issue for the world and the following will explain problems created by it for poor countries: ‘Ever since the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund broke down trade barriers in the global south-thus opening the gates for the dumping of subsidized grain from the U. S. and Europe-farmers in poor countries have steadily been driven out of business. Under the banner of â€Å"comparative advantage,† many poor countries that had previously been self sufficient in food were turned as a conscious matter of US foreign policy into food importing countries. But with the U. S. hoarding its corn and selling the rest of its food dear, these nations are left holding the poor end of an expensive stick’ (Eric Holt-Gimenez). After America, Australia is one biggest wheat production nation on the world and is also a large responsibility for the world’s food production. Globalization has taken its toll on the environment. Today industries and technology have shifted to a new level often overlooking environmental issues. This high amount of globalization has accelerated the phenomenon of global warming which itself is responsible for many issues. Because of global warming, there suns rays are directly affecting the planet through the depleting ozone. This rise in temperature brings in lots of disasters on its way, like meting of polar caps, abrupt changes of climate and worst of all no rain but more heat. Because of the globalization Australia has been suffering more lately and it is having multiple year droughts. These droughts caused by global warming are taking its toll on the wheat productions making the wheat and corn an expensive item for the world. The following will explain the condition of Australia’s wheat woes. ‘After America, Australia is normally the second largest exporter of grain, and in a good year it would hope to harvest about 25 million tones. But the country remains in the grip of the worst drought in a century, which is why the 2006 crop yielded only 9. 8m tones. Last year saw one of the best starts to a growing season for years, but dry weather in recent weeks has forced the Australian government to slash its crop forecasts by 30%’ (BBC). Globalization has taken its toll on two massive exporters of wheat and since these two countries are affected it becomes very hard for the world as the remaining wheat that is available becomes very expensive making it impossible for poor people to think of having bread. Hard as it may seem to believe but it is quiet true now that globalization has been the food stealer of the world. Today many people are being pushed below poverty lines as they cannot afford to buy food and the deaths related with starvation or malnutrition has increased to new heights. Everything is proportional to every activity in the world and since the prices of wheat have soared up, people are getting poorer and the buying capacity of people is getting directly affected because of it. The following piece will shed light on the relationship of poverty and globalization: ‘The relationship between globalization and poverty is complex, Harrison acknowledges, yet she says that a number of persuasive conclusions may be drawn from the studies in Globalization and Poverty. One conclusion is that the relationship depends not just on trade or financial globalization but on the interaction of globalization with the rest of the economic environment: investments in human capital and infrastructure, promotion of credit and technical assistance to farmers, worthy institutions and governance, and macroeconomic stability, including flexible exchange rates and Globalization and Poverty yields several implications. First, impediments to exports from developing countries worsen poverty in those countries. Second, careful targeting is necessary to address the poor in different countries who are likely to be hurt by globalization’ (Matt Nesvisky)

Pieces of April

Pieces of April Opening scene: Acoustic steel guitar sound track Close up of April in bed= implies not ready to get up â€Å"This is your big day we don't want to miss this opportunity' Bobby drags April from the bed, shoves her in the shower â€Å"No Bobby' Bobby starts making the food while April sits on the toilet saying â€Å"I'm coming† Costume- black eyeliner -black nail polish -tattoos -black boyfriend April is a rebellious person needs someone to help her (in life) egg- Bobby Meeting the family: No music No Joy in bed â€Å"JOY JOY' Tracking shot of father looking through the house for ‘disrupting' his family frantically looking for Joy both on and daughter Join in search Joy is found in the dark alone in the car (passenger seat) Miss en scene â€Å"everyone get ready' Joy is controlling.Starting to prepare Thanks Giving dinner: Bobby in control-stirring, reading packets (close up on Bobby's hands) April seems incompetent -drops turkey, can't cut onions, stuf fs whole celery in turkey â€Å"They're probably not even going to come† Cross cut to family â€Å"If not now when† mom) â€Å"What makes her think she can cook all of a sudden † (Beth) â€Å"April is the problem† (Beth) Everyone questions Joy about how she is feeling- we realize she is not well (two shots) Bobby shows all the stuff he brought: â€Å"Be careful they're worth more than you are† â€Å"how much did they cost† â€Å"They weren't cheap†¦. Accents†¦. † Mimi got yourself a deal† April throws them in the bin-still hurt by past experiences, broken relationship with her mother Food as a motif: April is cooking Thanks giving dinner Joy asks her mother â€Å"did you eat† as a greeting Family stops to buy a lot of donuts- Implies they will be hungry because April cant cook. They don't deserve decorations† (April) April rips up the place card when she writes ‘Mom' replacing it with ‘Joy show ing that he does not see Joy as her mom April is made to seem helpless- Bobby gets her up and ready -Bobby starts cooking – Bobby has organized the decorations -when April discovers the oven doesn't work the first thing she does is call out the window for Bobby-making mashed potatoes with uncooked potatoes April goes door to door in her apartment block looking for help (later this is an example of her resourcefulness â€Å"Some new piercing, some new ugly tattoos, we can experience the disaster that is her life and go home† Glimpse of hope/change â€Å"apparently this guy Bobby reminds her of me† the girls got problems†- implies that a young middle class girl has an easy life† When April reveals her mother's impending death the neighbors change the POP â€Å"one last chance to be with the people you love† â€Å"you don't get along do you† High angle shots of April Cooking the turkey: You haven't been back Believe it she prefers it that way I'm the first pancake† Discussing about what she is cooking stuffing from a box and cranberry sauce from a can enforces the idea that April cant cool (helpless) but also implies she was not cared for her by her mother We onto want to be early' Joy -choosing a different route to make the trip Worth' the time Group shot of April in between the neighbors in their kitchen as they rook and discuss their ‘nothing special' menu when April discusses her menu, she makes it seem too simple- really nothing special showing the contrast between the intent of making a special ‘last' family meal and not pitting much thought into it. â€Å"Have you done it before? † â€Å"Then it's not nothing† Being taught how to make cranberry sauce implies April has not had this type of experience with her own mother Aprils perseverance in trying to find an oven to chock her turkey shows her change in thought about having a successful ‘last meal'- this is also reinforced when they continue to have thanks giving when her family don't turn up Photo motif happy memories: â€Å"Since when was she in the picture? -taking a Christmas photo, fake smiles, ling delay, everyone there but April When Joy gets the family to stop and pretends she wants to talk to them about preparing for her death but instead mocks how bad she expects Aprils cooking to be â€Å"how each of you in your own way is going to handle(pause) discarding your uneaten DOD† -shows her need to manipulate/control her family Irony- Joy thinks April is a screw up but at the same time we see her eating Junk food, smoking dope and alluding to a very sexually promiscuous past. Neighbor Wayne talks about the care you need to take with cooking a turkey (he's annoying) while April is trying to take care with what she's cooking- she mocks him tick tock showing her meaner side (like her mother? Memories: 3 shot- Joy leans on Tommy's shoulders showing her closeness with her son Motif-> photogra phs (album)- Joy insists on slowing her mother the photos (that Timmy took) f her surgery (breast removal) â€Å"this is my favorite† (without breasts) Series of close ups: April putting food in oven putting up table setting table decorating the apartment black staircase shows she does expect her family to turn up â€Å"That you stop† -contrast between Joys look of illness and Beet's look of hurt at her mother's words- you feel sympathy for them both â€Å"Who are you?†¦ My daughter is kind†¦ † Dotted â€Å"not anymore† Joy â€Å"then I don't know you† Dotted Reflection â€Å"I am so critical† â€Å"why am I so hard (on Beth)† -Joy reflects on her relationship with her children â€Å"I can only think of one vivid beautiful memory'- turns out that all her good memories of April are really about Beth That makes Joy angry/panic forcing them to stop their Journey â€Å"Petulance, shoplifting, fire in the kitchen, flicking matc hes at Beth, using a lighter to trim Tommy's hair, the drugs. â€Å"no wonder I have cancer she's the cancer I cant have another bad experience Vive had too many bad experiences†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Insight into Aprils criminal past when she tries to break into Wane's apartment with a crow bar â€Å"Bad girl† (Wayne) When she discovers he has stolen a leg she attacks him uniform a bad girl a very bad girl† No I'm not† (sitting alone on the steps (high angle)) The meaning of Thanks Giving â€Å"the first year on their own was hard†¦ Really really hard† -implying this was true for herself as well â€Å"This one day where everyone seemed to know they needed each other†¦ They knew for certain they couldn't do it on their own. â€Å"- implying that this is true for April on this day.Retrieving the turkey salt n pepper shakers implies she wants to put the past behind her Have a fake turkey leg to replace the missing one implies that everything can be fixed Contrast- April excitedly descends the stairwell to meet her family â€Å"They're ere†¦. They're here† April sadly ascends the stairwell after seeing they have left (destroying her decorations as she goes) Resolution when Joy witnesses a woman leaving her young girl (abandoning her) in the bathroom (with her knickers still around her ankles) she realizes that she has been abandoning April all her life -she is at fault â€Å"Mom, mom† (echoes of the past) Freeze frame (still shots) of everyone having thanks giving together- no dialogue (nothing needs to be said) final family photo (with Bobby)= one last happy memory implying only happy memory before time ran out (sound of the camera sound)

Abolishing the Death Penalty Thesis

Abolishing the Death Penalty October 18, 2010 Abolishing the Death Penalty The death penalty has been an active force in the United States for decades. In the early history of our country, public executions were quite popular. Thousands have been executed with the majority occurring in the early twentieth century. But public sentiment towards the executions began to wane as the concepts of basic human rights were being developed throughout the century. As a result, a kind of unofficial moratorium was placed on all executions while several Supreme Court cases were taking place to determine the legality of the punishment.The result of the cases actually made the death penalty illegal as it stood, so several states rewrote their laws, being more specific as to the circumstances as to which the penalty can be applied. The Supreme Court reversed its decision and those states that met the new compliance could reinstate the death penalty. Today, it is legal to execute death row prisoners in all but fifteen states. While it may be legal, it still holds that the death penalty has not and cannot accomplish the task that it has been reinstated to fulfill. Part I: ThesisThe death penalty should be abolished for a variety of reasons. Initially, the death penalty has long been held to be inherently unjust. It is considered unjust in relation to its application, unjust as to the type of punishment utilized and unjust as a punishment at all. It has and continues to be argued in court that the executions amount to what is considered cruel and unusual punishment and so barbaric that it should be done away with as a type of punishment. It is a sad but true statement to say that the United States is one of the last democratic nations to continue to utilize the death penalty.Our country has wavered back in forth on the issue of capital punishment being illegal and a breach of human rights. Additionally, even while continuing to use the death penalty it has not shown to be a deterre nt of crime and actually may increase it. Opponents of the death penalty also recognize that it has not been applied fairly. For instance, minorities, the poor, and the mentally disabled tend to receive the death penalty with far greater consistency than their counterparts. That cannot be a punishment representative of a great industrialized country.Those against the death penalty also recognize the cost involved with executing a prisoner. To actually take a death row inmate through the complete appellate system, so as to ensure the inmate’s guilt without any doubt, would cost exponentially more than housing the same inmate for the duration of their life. The monies saved could be better served if used towards something positive, like victim’s programs or the like. Lastly, the death penalty is a punishment that is irrevocable; its effects are permanent and there is the sad reality that innocent lives may be lost. There is no perfect system and mistakes are bound to be made.This is one mistake, however, that cannot be corrected. This is why the death penalty cannot be the United States’ answer for grave offenders of the law. Part II: Anti-Thesis Proponents of the death penalty are large in number. According to many polls, as many as 80% of the American population still favor capital punishment. One reason for this is society as a whole believes that if a person kills another person, the killer forfeits his right to his own life. (Christie, 1990). If a person shows such complete and utter disregard for human life, the question is posed, why should any regard be shown for the person?Also, those in favor of using the death penalty argue that it is a just punishment for the crime and it is reliable. After all, though some states are trying to punish people with death for other heinous crimes, such as rape and repeat child molestation, so far the death penalty can only be imposed on murder cases. As far as the reliability argument, supporters wi ll always point out that because of the thoroughness in applying and appealing death penalty cases, the process itself will weed out the innocent and wrongly convicted. Proponents of the death penalty also view it as a deterrent to crime. â€Å"Same old†, 1990). Just by having the possible punishment of death as an end result to a heinous crime has lowered the murder rate in some states. The feeling is that the more executions you have, the lower the homicide rate you will have. Not to mention the innocent lives you will save. Supporters of capital punishment will cite studies showing that murderers who are allowed to live will inevitably kill again. Studies have shown that murderers awaiting their death penalty sentence to be carried out have killed correction officers, knowing there could be no additional fate assigned to them.Another argument made in favor of the death penalty is one of Biblical proportions. There are some activists that say the Bible itself proclaims the right to execute a perpetrator of the most serious of crimes by quoting a scripture from Leviticus 24:20 – â€Å"†¦fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured. † The old adage has not been lost on those who feel that it is their God given right to enforce the laws that God has given them regarding the taking of a human life. Gray, 2010) Lastly, many supporters of capital punishment feel that it is appropriate to give a punishment that fits the crime and one that is universal. It doesn’t matter a person’s color, race, creed, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or financial status; if two people, one white and one â€Å"non-white†, commit the exact same crime under the exact same circumstances, they in fact should receive the exact same punishment. It is believed that the death penalty, when applied under the circumstance of murder in the first degree with aggravating circumstances, is the great equalizer, with everyone being treated the same in the eyes of the law.Part III: Synthesis It is important that the United States realizes, sooner than later, that the death penalty has to be abolished. Proponents want us to think that a killer forfeits his own life. But the reality is all life is precious, regardless of its form or merit. (Thomson, 2001). Although someone has taken a life, and in no way should that be trivialized, it does not change that situation by killing the offender. All it does is show that two wrongs do not make a right. The execution of the murderer does not bring the victim back to life.Quite frankly, the death penalty often provides a way out for the offender and if punishment was the true desire of the sentence then there are situations, other than execution that may be far more punitive than the taking of his or her life. (Thomson, 2001). When it comes to reliability, the argument on behalf of the death penalty doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Yes, it is true that the exhaustive appeals process does on occasion help to find innocent people who have been convicted of murder. This is largely due to the relatively new innovation of DNA technology as it relates to crime scene investigation. (Gzedit, 2010).Well, if anything, this proves the fallibility of the death penalty process. If over 131 death row inmates could be exonerated and released from death row, that shows just how faulty the system is and proves it is unreliable. Again, as stated previously, once a prisoner has been executed, there is no returning from the grave to say a mistake has been made. At least if the inmate was serving a life sentence and found innocent, they could be released, although still wronged by a jail sentence, but it is a correctable injustice. One of the main arguments in favor of the death penalty is that it serves as a deterrent to serious crime.Would it surprise you to know that this simply is not true? It is a proven fact that the death penalty has not demonstrably deterred crime. (â€Å"Same old†, 1990). The 2004 Uniform Crime Report that was published by the FBI published that Southern states demonstrated the highest murder rate in the country, despite being responsible for 85% of the nation’s executions. (Friedman, 2006, p. 37). As further evidence that the death penalty doesn’t deter crime I introduce you to the state of Texas which has been nicknamed the â€Å"killing machine† because they tend to exercise the death penalty frequently and rapidly.Even with capital punishment Texas has a disturbing murder rate of 5. 6 per 100,000 persons s opposed to Massachusetts, which banned executions and only has a murder rate of 2. 6. (Gzedit, 2010). As for the idea that people who kill once develop an appetite to kill again, there have been no definitive studies that prove this theory. This mindset is based on gut reaction, conjecture, and hysteria. Perhaps one of the most controversial argume nts in favor of the death penalty is the interpreted law given by God to exact the same punishment on the criminal as was forced upon the victim.Supporters of this notion quote scripture from the Holy Bible as a sort of guideline to follow. However the Bible also has scripture that specifically refutes the idea of the death penalty as retribution for man to man. For example, Matthew 5:38-39 insists that violence shall not beget violence. James 4:12 says that God is the only one who can take a life in the name of justice. Leviticus 19:18 warns against vengeance (which, really, is what the death penalty amounts to). In John 8:7, Jesus himself says, â€Å"let he who is without sin cast the first stone. This is truly what Jesus would do! Finally, proponents of the death penalty exclaim that executions are given with perfect exactness according to the crime, without regard to race, color, creed, nationality, etc†¦ , basically saying without bias. However, many different studies hav e show that the likelihood of you receiving the death penalty increases according to those very attributes. People of color are more likely than their white counterparts to receive the death penalty for committing the same crime under the same circumstances.Also, blacks that murder white victims are far likelier to end up on death row than whites killing blacks. Furthermore, studies show that prosecutors are more likely to seek the death penalty against blacks than they will for whites who commit the same crime. (Friedman, 2006, pp. 86-89). So much for all being equal under the law! So, as you see, we are a country somewhat divided. While the majority of Americans still favour the idea of using the death penalty, it has become an increasingly more controversial subject.The United States always holds its head up high as the leader of the free world and is quick to condemn other countries with regards to their human rights violations. How then can we continue to justify our use of thi s antiquated, archaic method of punishment? It is time that our country steps in line with the rest of the industrialized countries into the 21st century and do away with the death penalty once and for all.References Gzedit. (2010, January 27). Pro-death: :America alone. The Charleston Gazette,A. 4. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. Document ID: 1948771421). Christie, J. (1990, March 29). At Last, Punishment Fits the Crime Death penalty: It has wide support because ordinary citizens identify with media images of brutalized victims :[Home Edition]. Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext),p. 7. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from Los Angeles Times. (Document ID: 60026222). Friedman, L. (2006). The death penalty. Greenhaven Press Gray, L. (4   November). Houston Chronicle Lisa Gray column: Life, death and the prodigal son. McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID:  1893533451). Same old anti-crime hype . (1990, October 15). Milwaukee Journal,p. a06. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 64063217). Thomson, R. (2001, June 18). A consistent pro-life stance rules out the death penalty :[SARASOTA Edition]. Sarasota Herald Tribune,p. BS1. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 74204727).

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example His father's name was David Poe (1784-1810) while his mother's was Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins (1787-1811) (Quinn 1997). He was born on January 19, 1809. A year after his birth, his father died, then a year later, her mother followed. Left as an orphan, Edgar was taken in by Frances and John Allan, a wealthy merchant in Richmond, Virginia. In 1815, Poe went with the Allans to England where he studied in Chelsea. Five years later, he went back to study at the University of Virginia. In this school he considered Latin and poetry. In addition, Edgar was an active and athletic student, joining activities such as swimming and acting. A few years later, Edgar and John had a falling out due to Edgar's debts and lack of responsibility. Unable to support his self, he enlisted in the U.S. army where he served for two years. In 1827, Edgar Poe published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems. When Edgar's foster mother died in 1827, he had a brief reconciliation with Allan and later entered West Point Military Academy but was dismissed after one year. In 1831, the same year his Poems were published, Edgar lived in with his aunt Maria Clemm in Baltimore. Eventually, he married Maria Clemm's daughter, Virginia Eliza, in 1836, who was just a girl of thirteen. The only completed novel of Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym was published in 1838. The story is about a Nantucket stowaway looking for adventure but the novel soon turns to a chilly story of murder and cannibalism. (Merriman 2007) It was the years succeeding his marriage that the financial strains started to set in. The Panic of 1837 marking the "close of one epoch in our industrial history, and the beginning of a new era. It engulfed all classes and all phases of economic toils; and for seven long years the people of the land struggled to free themselves from its oppression," (McGrane). Aside from professional and personal struggles, Poe was also almost always in economic distress; frequently loaning and making literary hack works (Whalen 1999). It was these problems that made him understand the "sad poverty and the thousand consequent contumelies and other ills which the condition of the mere Magazinist entails upon him in America - where more than in any other region upon the face of the globe to be poor is to be despised." After their marriage came the string of years of writing. It was in 1841 that the first detective story was ever written. The title was The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Their last residence was a cottage in the Fordham section of the Bronx. In 1847, Virginia died, Edgar Allan Poe was deeply saddened by the loss of his wife. Due to this, he frequently directed his attention to alcohol and was reportedly becoming more erratic. A year after Virginia's death, he rekindled his affair with his childhood sweetheart in Richmond, Elmira Royster. In able to raise funds to start his own magazine (to be called Stylus) in 1849, Poe went on a poetry and lecture reading tour. But his hopes of starting his own magazine was never realized because of his sudden mysterious death on the 7th of October of that same year. (Merriman 2007) There are several different theories that have been proposed concerning his death. Others say he died of alcoholism while others suggest different diseases. Still, others imply that Poe did not suffer a natural death but instead was murdered. For the past decades and until now, what really happened to Edgar Allan

Advance taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Advance taxation - Essay Example If Watson considers a change in the payment of tax, the company will need to comply with the rules governing the calculation of tax for a period of more than 12 months. In the case of a period of 17 months, the tax computation will be apportioned into two chargeable accounting periods i.e. a period of 12 months and the other of 5 months. In this case, the trading income will be apportioned based on the time. Capital allowances will however be calculated separately for each of the chargeable accounting period (CAP) Moreover, property income will also be apportioned based on time. Non trade interest on the other hand will be considered in the period of accrual in case there are no details to assist in apportionment. Non chargeable gains will be computed for in the period of the gain while gift aid will be considered in the period in which they are paid. The company will not be entitled to repayment in the first three years since the company has not incurred losses. In the fourth yea, the company will carry forward their entitlement for the non recovered claims plus interest to subsequent years. The relief will therefore be realized in the year 2014 and after. In conclusion, companies must ensure that they compute their tax liability or make their tax claims as per the tax regulations to avoid unnecessary penalties and to ensure that they operate as per tax

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Management - Essay Example The most significant problems that are affecting the plant include, material cost and a bad co-ordination between Research & Development people and Production engineers. Repeated design changing is making the overall cost higher. Had been designs coming from R & D section go directly for production without any more rectification, cost would have lowered. There is a dispute between R & D and Production peoples. One is blaming the other, which forces me to incorporate one special investigation team to govern actually where the conflict is. One design after coming to Production section does not reserves the right to be changed without proper notification to me. According to the notice sent by Employee & Community Relation Manager, we need to hire women and people of color very soon and make sure a higher percentage will be recruited into Production section which requires more effective manpower. Nothing is born perfect. We have to give the color of perfection. Question is not how effective we are, rather question is how much more we have to be. There must be a good relation among the people in the department as well as within various departments. After getting sure that design is complete and may rule over the market then only materials should be purchased. Otherwise it’s immaterial to periodically purchase and change the model structure. To set up good relationship, weekly meetings will be organized where all the in- charges of various sections may come with their ambiguities and questions if any. Other than this, picnic party, cultural activities will help the employees to intermingle. As Baker and Baker is interested for our model 80, so production engineers must do their work to make the product available as soon as possible. After that only other models and multi channel digital system will be carried out. As we are hiring people, later on works can be split up.

Answer the questions below and support your points using case law not Essay

Answer the questions below and support your points using case law not the textbook references - Essay Example Similarly, an advertisement or brochure does not constitute an offer, but only an attempt to obtain an offer. However, the display of goods in a shop is an invitation to treat. Application In Harvey v Facey [1893] AC 552, it was held that it was insufficient to just provide a statement regarding the price. In this case the plaintiff had asked the defendant, by means of a telegram, whether he would sell the Bumper Hall Pen and to quote the lowest cash price. The reply was to be given by telegram to the plaintiff. To this the defendant replied that the lowest price would be ? 900. In reply the plaintiff conveyed his consent and stated that he would purchase it for that price and asked the defendant to send the title deeds of that piece of land. The court held that there was no contract between these parties, as the mere statement of price did not constitute an offer and was nothing more than the provision of information. In Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (Southern) Ltd [1953] EWCA Civ 6, the Appellate Court deemed the shop sign to be an invitation to treat. In this case, the issue considered was when a sale was completed in a self service shop. The court held that the sale was completed when the medicine had been selected and taken to the shop assistant, who then accepted it and completed the contract. The display of goods on the shelves of the shop was not an offer but merely an invitation to treat. This was reiterated by the court in Fisher v Bell [1961] 1 QB 394, in which Lord Chief Justice Parker held that the mere display of a knife with a price tag in a shop window did not constitute an offer for sale. In this case, the shop had displayed a prohibited type of knife in a shop window. The legislation in force had prohibited the offer of such items for sale. This was deemed to be an invitation to treat and not an offer by the learned chief justice. Conclusion Offer can become a contract after its acceptance. An Invitation to Trea t is not an offer, which can be accepted, and is merely an invitation for offers. Question 2 Explain the standard of care owed by one person to another in the tort of negligence Issue The standard of care owed by one person to another in the tort of negligence. Rule The standard of care owed by one person to another in torts, is based on the notions of reasonableness and foreseeability. Contributory negligence in the context of personal injury and death relates to the failure of a person, usually the plaintiff, to adopt reasonable measure to promote safety, which contributes to the injury suffered by that person. Damages awarded by the Australian courts are reduced to the extent of the contributory negligence of the plaintiff. Application There is a clear distinction between the notions of reasonableness and foreseeability. Thus in Bolton v Stone [1951] AC 850, their Lordships ruled that although it was foreseeable for injury to occur due to being hit by a cricket ball that had been struck over the boundary fence, it was very much unlikely to happen, and that this was sufficient justification for the respondents to ignore the risk. In general, it is unreasonable to undertake a risk that is foreseeable. However, when the chances of the risk taking place are very meagre, a reasonable person will undertake the risk. Another major consideration relates to the seriousness of the injury caused. Thus, in Paris v Stepney Borough Council

Questions answered Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Questions answered - Essay Example It is important to note that an proposition ought to have a defined timeframe upon which it will expire or be invalidated. Secondly, a contract must involve consideration (Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards, 2014). By delineation, consideration denotes the damages on the part of the supplier or entity giving the promise and must be quantifiable financially. The third element as posited by Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards (2014) is contractual capacity. There are legal guidelines outlining the qualifications of an individual with the capacity to enter into an contract with another person. For instance, an individual must be an adult or have attained eighteen years of age, be mentally upright. Any contract enterer with an individual who has not met the specified qualifications is invalid. The fourth element of a contract is legality (Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards, 2014). In this regard, the involved entities must be ready to bind their agreement legally. In case one of the parties does not deliver in regard to the promises outlined in the contract, the legality of the contract gives the party the basis to initiate legal proceedings against the other party. Fifthly, there must be a valid consent to enter into an agreement (Meiners, Ringleb and Edwards, 2014). By explanation, this means that an individual should individually assent to the agree ment without being forced. Informed consent is defined by Schermer (2002) as the practice or procedure through which a medical practitioner reveals all information relating treatment to a patient with an intention of providing him or her with all the relevant information required to make a choice to either allow or reject treatment. Patients, according to Schemer (2002), have a legal right to determine the type of treatment they prefer and it is the obligation of the physician to respect the patients decision. In order for a patient to allow or refuse treatment, the physician involved must explain in detail the

The case for contamination by Anthony Appiah Essay

The case for contamination by Anthony Appiah - Essay Example In such a society, it becomes difficult to control the trending social values that people share in such platforms. Appiah thus retains a passive viewpoint as he strives to maintain objectivity in the article. He discusses the importance of religion in the changing society as the discussion below portrays. Just as the title of the article depicts, Anthony Appiah discusses the â€Å"contamination† of the world. In his context, contamination of the world refers to the slow but sure infiltration of foreign cultures as people continually integrate on a global platform. The advancement of the society coupled with the development of new technologies have created a global village, such is a society in which people trade cultural values easily. According to Appiah, the seclusion of the traditional society sought to preserve the cultures and values of the societies that could not readily interact with others (Flood 21). With the intensified interactions in the contemporary society, it becomes difficult to monitor the actions of people as most societies continue to adopt the independent structures thus borrowing global cultural trends. As such, cultures continue to infiltrate the society; Appiah observes that such changes are contaminations of the inherent cultural values. While religion is a fundamental aspect of a society and a cultural feature, the changes in the current structures of societies continue to apportion a reserved function for religions. Unlike in some of the traditional societies in which the Church for example was an important organ of governance, contemporary societies have secular governments. This exhibits the inherent change in the structures of the societies and the cultural values of the people in contemporary societies. The modern structure of societies position religion as important in setting values and influencing the behavior of people in the

The Strategy of Economic Development and World Trade Via Free Markets Essay

The Strategy of Economic Development and World Trade Via Free Markets - Essay Example Patriotic consumption is brought out by the author as it becomes clear following a terrorist act that occurred in 2001. Due to the event, there were many claims by the public figures that the individuals were patriotic in spending their money in the place to stimulate the economy of the country. Due to the event that occurred, the people would be much concerned with personal and family affairs without the observation of the economic objectives of the country. it was noted that Americans had rationales to shopping before the attack occurred but this reduced as there were other new considerations when they did their shopping. According to Murray, preppies are the ones that can be used in the context to bring about linking of the roles. The link comes as the students are able to develop some moderate amount of discipline. Most successful students in their studies are those that have developed discipline and work extra hard in their studies. The students should find time out of class by getting themselves involved in recreational activities such as fine arts or enjoying a beautiful scene. This allows them to show knowledge and appreciation to the scenes. Partying is viewed as an event that enables one to forget about some factors though the event should be restricted to weekends only. Additional self-indulgence is required in activities that are daily carried out and they should be combined with self-discipline. When these practices are considered, there is taking the form of displaying better quality in the activities and goods that one uses (Milner, 78).

Analysis and Evaluation of an Advertisement Essay

Analysis and Evaluation of an Advertisement - Essay Example Further downwards are the following lines of text respectively; ‘Starrex Music Phones’, ‘Customized playlists’ and ‘Sound effects’. These texts are in white. On the background of the above texts are other two lines of text in black, ‘Mix your Music ‘, ‘Karaoke’ The advertisement is neatly designed with the four dancers in positioning themselves in along a curve with the central two appearing much larger than the other two on the extremes. The space in the advert is optimally utilized with both the texts and the images covering about three-quarters of the advertisement pages. The color use in the advert is deep orange in the background especially behind the text and on the upper sections of the beautiful sky. At the centre of the advertisement page are the shades of brown and white which extent to some parts of the sky. As to the effect of the advertisement display; it targets the youth population. The advertisement presents a colorful and a busy display due to the evidently vigorous dance and the fiery coloration of the deep orange just adds to this effect. Because of these aspects, this advertisement presents a wonderful cutting edge presentation that impacts a great deal on the viewer. All these attributes of the advertisement talk a lot of the modernity and such appeal to a larger extent to the youth (Nicolosi 80). To emphasize this, the advertisement persuades the audience to obtain the displayed phone type so as to be in control of their own entertainment, through managing their own customized playlists and being able to mix their own music karaoke. The logical appeal of the advertisement with regard to the logos is great. This is because the consistency and clarity of the message being conveyed, ‘an awesome and joyous experience with respect to entertainment from such a phone’, is the eve emphasized by both the images and colors. Next, with respect to the

Athenian Artistic Performances Were They a Form of Propaganda Essay Example for Free

Athenian Artistic Performances Were They a Form of Propaganda Essay The â€Å"glory that was Greece† reached its height in 5th century BCE in Athens, under the leadership of Pericles. He opened Athenian democracy to the ordinary citizen, was responsible for the construction of magnificent temples and statues on the Acropolis and he, in effect created the Athenian empire. The definition of propaganda is â€Å"the planned use of any form of public or mass-produced communication designed to affect the minds of a given group for a specific purpose, whether military, economic or political† (Linearger, p. 39, 1954). This has connotations of dishonesty and while people assume it is a modern phenomenon, its roots go back much further. The question is however, was propaganda rife in 5th century BCE Athens and if so, was it the driving force whether explicitly or not behind many of the public displays? A funeral oration or epitaphios logos is an official speech delivered at a funeral. The epitaphios is regarded as a virtually unique Athenian concept, although early elements of such speeches exist in the Epic poetry of Homer and in Lyric poetry of Pindar; in addition modern parallels have been drawn between Lincoln’s Gettysburg address and Pericles. When Pericles gave the epitaphios for Athenian soldiers who had been killed in the first year of the Peloponnesian War. He took the opportunity to not only praise the deceased, but Athens itself, in an oration which has been both praised as enshrining the archetypal democratic system and condemned as barefaced propaganda. In Thucydides’ book History of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles’ Funeral Oration is a powerful rhetorical piece. In addition it is important evidence for the study of the Athenian sense of identity and the way they represented themselves and others. It eloquently discusses the ancient democratic model and the picture it portrays serves as a prototype for democratic states today (Abbott, 1970). Thucydides specified a man would be chosen to make an ‘appropriate speech’ i. e. it matched formulaic prescriptions of the epitaphios, which according to Edinger, â€Å"consisted of a number of recognised topics: praise of the dead, praise of the ancestors, praise of the city, consolation of the families of the dead.

Personal Learning Statement for Dissertation

Personal Learning Statement for Dissertation Careful, precise and comprehensive planning is the key to success. Having known the importance of planning, I carefully planned my project with a step by step approach. The first step at this stage was the analysis of my strengths and weaknesses in order to decide the topic of my research project. I have always been interested in stock markets and business analysis of companies. This interest helped me learn more about business and financial analysis of companies and the different ways by which their financial performance and position can be analysed. The next important step was the formulation of a strategy as to how I would carry out the task in hand i.e. How to conduct the research? When to start? And most importantly whom should I choose as a mentor? In regards to the selection of a suitable mentor the article titled Making the most of your Mentor by Pippa Riley (11th August, 2005) published on ACCA website proved to be a life saver. I gave it a deep thought and after carefully considering all my options I chose my mentor to be my tutor Mr Muhammad Yasser Naqvi Syed, who is a Member of ACCA. A person who has helped me a great deal since the day I joined ACCA and has been a role model for me over the years. After concluding my decision I approached my mentor and I was extremely delighted when he accepted to be my mentor and guide me through the project. 2. Meetings with Mentor The role of Project Mentor is of great significance in the success of a research project. I had my first meeting with my chosen mentor on 5th January 2010, just after December 2009 ACCA examinations. In that meeting I introduced my mentor to the topic I had chosen and the reason behind my selection. I told him about my strategy and the means and methods I intended to use. I was confident that I had properly communicated the reasons and objectives of the topic I chose and my mentor seemed to be satisfied with my choice and strategy. Furthermore, I sought his advice on the matters such as research methods and we had a fruitful discussion. All in all, the first meeting was highly successful and cemented my ideas showing me a clear path to my objective. After my first meeting I was much more confident as I had a clear direction towards preparing the project. Our second meeting was scheduled for 12th March 2009. Before the meeting I reviewed my project at every stage and tried to make sure that there are no spellings or grammatical mistakes and after that I sent the completed part to my mentor for reviewing the progress. I also noted all the feed back from my mentor and tried to improve the quality of my work. In the meeting I demonstrated all the information I had gathered from different sources and asked my mentors advice on some unresolved issues. Before the 3rd meeting I sent a draft copy of the project to my mentor and noted his feed back and then I prepared slides in Microsoft PowerPoint along with extra slides showing charts and share prices. We held our third and final meeting on 14th April 2009. I was very confident of the work I had done and prepared for the presentation beforehand. I had a clear set of mind of what I had done and how I wanted to express that work in the presentation. My mentor was satisfied and equally amazed at my effort and congratulated me on my work. As stated in the guidelines, I had 15 minutes for the presentation; therefore I planned for my presentation well in advance and made sure that I included all the relevant information. Before I started my presentation, I handed out printed copies of my presentation to my mentor and my colleagues. I started my presentation by introducing J Sainsbury and giving a brief history of the company. After that I explained the various analyses and comparisons I had performed in order to analyze the financial position of J Sainsbury and to reach at a conclusion. I also explained the potential opportunities and the threats faced by the company. I used Microsoft Power Point to convey my message more efficiently and used graphical analysis to help my cause. My presentation was indeed a success and I felt all my hard work and dedication paid off. My mentor was pleasantly surprised and gave me a pat on my back. My strengths included a thorough understanding of the topic, detailed research work and good presentation skills while my weaknesses included taking a few more minutes outside my allowed quota. This experience was a massive confidence booster for me and it proved to me that I am very well capable of delivering top class professional presentations. 3. Self Assessment / Critical Evaluation As part of the skills and learning statement, I would now try to critically evaluate my performance and the skills I learned during the preparation of my project. One of the ways of evaluating the success of a project is to analyse whether it has answered all the relevant research questions satisfactorily or not. In formulating the strategy of my research project, I identified a few research questions which were critical to the overall success of my project. I focused my energies to finding the answers of these questions. Although I think I managed to answer most of the research questions in a satisfactory manner, there were a few areas where I could have done more research and allocated more time and resources. The feedback I got back from my mentor suggested that I have been able to achieve the objectives of my research project successfully. This being the first extensive research project carried out by me made the task a little bit daunting in the beginning and made me a little apprehensive about my abilities of carrying out the task with perfection. But as the project progressed, things started becoming clearer and my confidence levels were boosted. I chose to assess the business and financial performance of J Sainsbury plc over the last three years. J Sainsburys plc is a United Kingdom-based company principally engaged in grocery and related retailing, and financial services. Financial ratios were used to asses the financial performance of the company over a three year period and then I tried to explain the reasons for variations in the ratios. I kept sending my draft incomplete project to my mentor and requested him to assess my performance under the guidelines of Oxford Brookes University so I could judge the quality of my work done so far. For this purpose I sent several emails to my mentor and made notes of every feed back. I carefully assessed the external position by looking at the macro environment by using Porters Five Forces Model. I tried to do well on this analysis by giving a detailed overview and try to look at the wider side of the picture. I highlighted critical strengths and weaknesses and the resulting opportunities and threats faced by the company by using a technique called SWOT analysis. This exercise was very beneficial to get a thorough understanding of the company and also helped me to come up with some recommendations to capitalise on the strengths of the company and eliminate or neutralize its weaknesses. 4. Interpersonal and Communication Skills The term interpersonal skill is very often used to measure the personal ability to operate within the business organization through social communication and interaction. And the Communication skills are the skills which enable people to communicate effectively with each other. It also includes the ability to speak in public, meetings, presentations and writing letters. In my RAP it relates to the communication skills which I demonstrated during the meetings with my mentor and customers. The meetings with my mentor helped me to assess my interpersonal and communication skills and identify the areas which needed improvement. Questioning is one of the most important utensil in communication in order to derive answers and achieve confirmation. Since it is a fundamental tool in seeking information it is was imperative to get direct answers during the initial stages of the project as I required direction from my mentor. However I realised that getting direct information was not easy as the response is directly dependent on the style of question. During the project I used both closed questions where I needed a confirmation of what I knew and open questions where the intention was to get as much information as possible. Towards the end of the project, when I had passed the data gathering stage I was seeking specific answers, this also entailed asking probing questions in order to clarify many areas. Restating information in a form of a question enabled me to understand difficult factors. Effective communication also entails speaking and listening. I used both gestures and a variety of verbal and non verbal means for instance, nodding my head, making notes of important points, and basic words of confirmation to express a form of acknowledgement seen as a verification or feedback that is identified as active or reflective listening, as I would continuously be seeking to understand what my mentor was stating. This was reinforced with the use of eye contact to show that I understood and was interested in what was being communicated to me by my mentor. Prior to meetings I would make sure that my mobile phone was switched off, to reduce disturbance that was in my control. These activities helped me to improve my interpersonal and communication skills and also made me more confident in my approach. 5. How RAP Helped In Studies / Employment The preparation of RAP has helped me to gain certain invaluable and precious skills which have helped me both in my studies and my working life. I learned a lot of new skills and techniques which has given me an edge over my competitors in the job market. The preparation of RAP helped me immensely in better understanding of professional subjects of ACCA such as P3 (Business Analysis) and P2 (Corporate Reporting). As a part of my RAP I used different financial and non financial techniques described in these subjects to asses the business and financial performance of JS Sainsbury. It was a great exercise for me and gave me a chance to apply all my knowledge gained from ACCA qualification in to a practical company scenario. RAP also improved my skills in Microsoft Office. I learned a lot of new features of MS Word, MS Excel and MS Power Point. These skills are still helping me in my current job and have increased my work efficiency. I have also had a pay rise from my employer since preparing my RAP, underlining the improvement I have made. RAP has also helped me polishing my interactive skills as I improved this skill by collecting financial and non financial information about the company from different sources. These interactive skills have helped me a lot in my current job and as a result I am much more confident while interacting with clients during audits and client visits. The project helped me develop my IT skills. I added not only to my accounting knowledge, but also learned different aspects of planning, organising, time management, writing, and public speaking. These skills will be of use to me in all aspects of my life.

Report on rituximab as a biologic

Report on rituximab as a biologic Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody that has been one of the most prevalent biologics on the market, and has made some very significant sales over the last few years. It was originally designed in 1986 by IDEC pharmaceuticals. The drug is now being marketed under the brand names Rituxin and MabThera, dependant on the region. The antibody is chimeric in nature and is comprised of murine and human regions. It contains heavy and light variable regions of a murine origin and constant heavy and light regions of human origins meaning the Fc domain is of human origins, and so can invoke Fc receptor binding (see figure 1). The antibody is produced artificially and the gene construct of the murine and human domains are engineered and inserted into vectors, and then expressed in mammalian cells line. The mammalian cell line of choice for this specific drug is the Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (CHO cells); these provided the corrected folded drug in sufficient quantities. The use of the mammalian cell line ensured that firstly the antibodies had the correct codon usage, glycosylation, amino acids and folding, as these are mammalian cells so are able to carry out these tasks to closer specification as human cells. http://www.nature.com/onc/journal/v22/n47/images/1206939f1.jpg Figure 1: representation of the rituximab antibody. Taken from http://www.nature.com/onc/journal/v22/n47/fig_tab/1206939f1.html The filtrate from the suspension had to be purified to obtain the rituximab that will be used for clinical applications. There are two methods used to perform this task. First of all Ion-exchange chromatography, this method allows the removal to toxic products, cell mass, some viruses and unimportant protein products. The second step of purification that is used is affinity chromatography; affinity chromatography is then used to remove the specific antibody with high resolution and specificity. As a mammalian cell line was used for the expression there is a slight chance that possible viruses can pass through the purification process and be found in the final product, so a few processes were introduced to remove these possible contaminants. The media was autoclaved and human transferrin was removed, the ion exchange chromatography also helps remove some retroviruses. The drug reaches a purity of around 99%, and has a shelf stability of 2 years. The FDA originally approved Rituximab in 1997 for use against B-Cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that had become resistant to all other forms of treatment (chemotherapy). Since its approval for use against lymphoma, it has been approved and is used off label for use against other diseases. It is seen to have an efficacy against autoimmune (AI) diseases, transplant rejection treatment and severe ulcerative colitis. Rituximab is known as an anti-CD20 antibody, meaning that it acts on and binds to the CD20 molecule. CD20 molecules are found in large amount on the surface of activated B-cells. The reason for targeting these cells is that the activated B-cells are generally the ones that are causing the problems in the disease discussed earlier. However, CD20 is also expressed, in smaller amounts, on most other B-cells so there is a certain amount of collateral damage to the immune system, which in some cases has led to an increase risk of catching serious infections. CD20 is a very weird antigen, it has no known natural ligand and its function is still very much unknown, opinions are that it helps maintain calcium concentrations across the membrane. After being binding to the CD20 at amino acid positions 170-13 and 183-183, it is seen to halt the cell cycle and induce apoptosis. There are two methods that carry out this apoptotic response, the first being the indirect killing of the cell. This involves a mechanism called anti-body dependant cell cytoxicity (ADCC). ADCC is mechanism where one the FAB part of the antibody has bound to the receptor on the surface the Fc domain changes formation and can now bind to an FC receptor. Fc receptors are found on other cells within the immune system, such as NK cells, the binding of the FC domain to one of these cells induces a killing response from the activated immune cell recruited. The Fc domain also has the ability to activate complement, so the biding of specific blood proteases, induces lysis of the cell. There is also a less well-understood mechanism that rituximab uses to kill activated B cells. This is by directly inducing apoptosis upon binding, why this occurs is not fully unde rstood, from studies it can be seen that the binding of rituximab to the CD20 causes a down regulation of MHC, a down regulation of the B-cell receptor and flux down pathways that induce apoptosis. In a recent study it can be seen that 50% increase of 30%. So that is a huge increase in the amount of patients who were currently unresponsive to available treatments. As can be seen from these results the introduction of rituximab was a real breakthrough in the field, and provided a method of treatment for those people who had no other option. As motioned earlier the drug is frequently used off label by clinicians. Rituximab has been seen to have very promising result when used to treat MS and some other AI diseases. There have also been recent developments into the treatment of severe ulcerative colitis, and rituximab is currently in phase III trials for use against ulcerative colitis where existing treatments are currently not effective. Rituximab was and is still a huge commercial success; grossing $5.68 billion in 2009 (a 9% increase on the previous year) it was one of the best selling biologics. With all the possible applications of this drug it does mean that there is still a commercial future for the drug. Rituximab is currently being marketed by Roche, Biogen and other companies have exclusivity for marketing in Japan, China and India This can be seen with how often clinicians use the drug off label to treat diseases that the FDA didnt originally approve it for. The shear wide-ranging applications of the drug are one of the main reasons for its commercial success. The drug was also a huge boost to the clinicians tools to fight against diseases which had become resistant or unresponsive to the existing gold standards, such as in B cell lymphoma and RA as discussed above. There is also still future prospects for this drug with phase III trials currently underway for the use of the drug against severe ulcerative c olitis and possible uses in replaced rejection treatment plans, so it seems that this drug is likely to be a block buster for some time to come.

Flannery OConnors Good Country People Essay -- Good Country People

Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People" In "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor, uses symbolism in the choice of names, almost to the point of being ironic and humorous. These names center around the personality and demeanor of the characters. Hulga, once known as Joy, simply changed her name because it was the ugliest she could think of. Mrs. Freeman's name is ironic because she is burdened by the land that she works, so is not really free. Mrs. Hopewell?s name is also ironic, because she trys to provide hope, but is in fact empty in her talk. Each one of these characters names, Hulga, Mrs. Freeman, and Mrs. Hopewell, show the symbolism used by Flannery O'Connor. Hulga, the daughter to Mrs. Hopewell, was actually named Joy at birth. At the age of ten, Joy lost one of her legs in a hunting accident, and from that point on became a depressed realist. At the age of twenty one, Joy moved out of the house, went to college, and legally changed her name to Hulga. Hulga most likely changes her name to spite her mother, because Joy is such a beautiful name and Hulga is such an ugly one. ?She [Hulga] had arrived at it first purely on the basis of its ugly sound and then the full genius of its fitness had struck her...She saw it as the name of her highest creative act.? Hulga alo changes her name because of the true way she feels inside. Hulga is the ugliest name she could think of and it shows her inability to love or become close to anyone. ?One of...

The Passing Of Arthur And Excalibur :: essays research papers

John Boorman adapted the †Passing of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arthur† in the movie â€Å"Excalibur.† Movies are not the only adaptations of Tennyson’s poem but there are several art and music adaptations. Examples of these adaptations include music by Loreena McKennit and paintings by John William Waterhouse, Howard Pyle and Arthur Rackham. In Bela Balazs’s Art Form and Material Balazs states that a good adaptation is a reinterpretation of the original. Boorman uses nature and color to recreate the atmosphere of the original text. These techniques enhance the richness of the movie, provide a more in depth view of Arthur’s life and make the setting more interesting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tennyson’s descriptive writing allows the reader to form detailed pictures. The atmosphere Tennyson creates focuses a lot on the beauty of nature. During the scene when Bedivere throws Excalibur in the lake he describes the area with â€Å"zigzag paths, and juts of pointed rock, the shining levels of the lake...the winter moon, long cloud and frost.† He produces an atmosphere of bleakness and despair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tennyson concentrates on the image of the winter moon while Bedivere tries to get rid of the Excalibur. This picture makes the reader think that the setting is a winter night. According to Webster’s dictionary, winter symbolizes of coldness, misery or death. Winter is the season when living things die. The moon only comes out during the night. At night people â€Å"rest† from their busy lives and do nothing. Night closely related to winter because both are very dark and bleak times. The lack of light shows the sadness happening to Arthur. As Arthur passes the only light he has comes from the winter moon. The reader gets the feeling that Arthur is heading there. Tennyson chooses dark words and images to create a very desolate and gloomy setting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sidney Lumet states in Making Movies â€Å"there are no unimportant decisions in a movie.† Production designers put a lot of effort to recreate the original text. The setting is a very important factor in making a movie. It contributes to much of the style of a movie. Settings reflects many of the directors insights and opinions. There are times where the director goes to great lengths just to form the perfect scene. They leave no detail spared. According to Lumet, a director’s goal is to create a setting so that the audience feels apart of the movie’s world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the director needs to find a setting for his/her movie Lumet recommends to â€Å"find places that are closest to what you want to end up with.† If the setting needs to be changed it can change the atmosphere and become expensive too. Art direction

A need for old age homes in modern times Essay

It’s a shameful state of affairs that there has arisen a need for old age homes in modern times. Why do we need these homes? Why are we considering our older relatives as a burden on us? Not too long ago we used to have a strong joint family system. It was an unquestioned norm of the society to take care if of the elderly. It was considered an honour and a blessing. Sadly, joint families have become relics of the past. In this nuclear age, old people are considered a liability. Time is money. And time and money determine our priorities today. Why are old age homes a symbol of societal ingratitude? Obviously, the absence of near and dear ones and the lack of their love and affection are the causes. Definitely, old age homes stand out as sore thumbs in the society, symbolic of our negligence towards our aged parents. As Thomas Merton, a catholic author rightly said, ‘These people, who live the evening of their lives in old age homes live unloved and die unmourned. Death comes to them as a great reliever.’ Are we not negating the role they have played in catapulting us to what we are today? Can we be so mean and selfish? Do we ever realise how priceless senior citizens are to the nation because of their wide experience and wisdom? How can we overlook their sad forlorn faces and concentrate on our triumphs? Don’t you remember all those countless hurdles and sleepless nights they have faced? So why don’t we make a fresh start? Let’s work together to weave a web of love and compassion to shelter our elders who have been torch lights of guidance all their lives for us. The elderly of the world today are more in need of love, kindness, safety and comfort from their own children and family members than that coming from a stranger. They can do without the amenities and/or luxuries that any OLD AGE HOME, SANITARIUM or GERIATRIC HOSPITAL WARD can give them. You might very well be paying a high price to keep a domestic helper or cook for your elderly parent(s) or grand-parent(s) – but that is not what the elderly  really WANT. They need the aid of a helper in their daily lives, it is true – but it is for a smile, a kind, polite word, attention and love that they really crave for. They crave for somebody who will talk to them and laugh with them – people who will stay by their side when the darkness of night falls and the fear of dying alone creeps in. Whether you want to believe it or not, old people crave for a TRUE AND LOYAL FRIEND. An emotional and moral â€Å"SUPPORT SYSTEM† that comes from one’s own loving and ca ring family members has more curative value in the longer run than all the allopathic drugs and medicines put together. now a days our Indian society is intensely influenced by the western world.. & we have become obsessed with money so that we are gradually losing our morality. †¨its time to realise that Aged parents are like children. & we should take care of them†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¨finally i wanna say 1 thing that†¨WHATEVER WE GIVE IN THE PRESENT ONLY WE WILL GET IN THE FUTURE†¦.!!!†¨so it is preferable if possible and the children are willing to look after you. in case the children are not favourable then it is preferred to live in a good old age home who can take care of of you till your death. but the people who do not have their children then the preference is to live in old age home only old people are big support for the family. bcz they are our base and having better experinces den new age people. and bcz old age people we r kwn in the society.and they r the strength of the family. so don’t let dem to old age home keep them in family bcz in this age they need family support and care†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. well according to me everyone has right to live with their family happily †¦.. to days people are trying to avoid their responsibility †¦ they think old parents are only burden†¦there is no use of them†¦but i think if you got saperate by your old parents ..send them old age home.. then you are the next one who will suffer the same problem†¦. Can not agree with your view even with best effort. Did our parents think the same way when they spared time, attention and energy for us? The answer is no. If our parents could find time for us, surely we as well, can think the same way both for our children and parents. Provide quality time as also while we need to pay back even if it is at the cost of a few promotions less in job or making less money in other vocations. Being competitive was very much known to our parents as well and so was the rat-race, yet if they avoided we must appreciate that gesture. Of course few from â€Å"Rat-race† may realize of this being a differentiating factors to be called Human. my opinion Parents make great sacrifices for the care of their children. Day after day, parents protect their children from danger, attend to their cries, and reassure them after a bad dream. Parents give up necessities for their children everyday†¦.But when the children grown up and if they reach better postion in the society, they are forgetting their own parents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I cant able to undersatnd, how they(children) can forget their past lifehow they can avoid their own parents in their lifeIs it Good? that it’s shamefull that we have to discuss this matter as we are forgetting our culture which tell us that mother father are god in the world . I agree with your views that parents must be kept with us if required we can keep servent to tocare for them in our absence and after coming from work we can spend some time with them .This much will keep them happy . Our parents are taking too many difficulties or we can say they are sacrificing for the welfare of their children. Hence it should not be the right thing to leave them in the oldage homes. It is the duty of every one to keep their old age parents with them and should be taken care by their children. In case the old age parents are left in the homes by you, which will be watched by your own children and tomorrow you will meet the same thing by your children. Whether elderly people should live with their children and grandchildren or  in retirement homes depends on their personal choice and the circumstances in which they have been living till then.I personally feel elderly people must live with their children and grand children.†¨ The chief reason for my view is old people are like infants who need constant care and attention.Most of them have some or the other medical conditions which may require assistance from people around.Some people may or may not be financially sound to live in retirement homes.Above all,it is the primary duty of the children to take care of their parents at such an age For example,In India most of the parents live with their children in their older age.This develops bond between different generations and bridges the gap between them.Younger generation can learn a lot from the older generation where as older generation can know about the progress which the newer generations are making. Moreover living with the family creates a sense of security and warmth which might be lacking in any other type of residences.Finally,living with the family would be a better option. They did not ponder much about lack of privacy whenever we barged into their romantic rendezvous. They did it all for Us! Is this how we pay back? By dumping them in old age homes? i know Okay, times have changed. Now, both parents might have to work to run the home. Maybe, we don’t want to miss out on our promotions. After all, the money from that promotion will also be used to give parents a ‘better old age home!!’ And now-a-days, old age homes are all spruced up like hotels with all facilities including medicine and entertainment readily available. Fine, but pray tell me, if we have the time to party, if we have the time to watch television can we not find a little time for our parents at home? Is it too much to ask for? Old age homes may provide all material requirements but surely, we are wise enough( or are we?!) to understand that an old age home cannot fill in the vacuum of love and affection that only a family can provide. Even if we call them every other day, can the phone call fulfill the anticipations and expectation that a parent has to meet his/her son or/and daughter? Come on friend , I am telling you a little story † one day my friend’s father made a little mistake then my friend shout on them.. his father replied , son , when you were small (child) you made lot of errors but i never rebuked on you , you did several mistake but i always tried to show  you good manner to do that task. but today , when i am getting sick , my memory and body is not supporting me , you are not doing the same as what i did in past for you . Friends they are treasure for us, with lot of experience of life, with lot of love, with lot of honor . don’t loo se you wealth , they are root of your life , without root , you will not be strong and steady. I believe that they should live in family and with family.I believe that whatever we do we do it for our family.If we can manage our small kids who also want special care why not our parents.We dont send them to some other kid care center then why there is problem with parents.If one can afford them to old age home then it could also be managed, care and attention could also be provided at our home by arranging some professionals who will come to home and take care of them.Definitely it cost higher but I think they deserve it.They don’t need money,they need family and want to die in front of there loved one rather than some unknown professional. We should understand that no matter how high we rise in our life but we are in life because of them and we should help them to get the LOVE,RESPECT that they deserve. Here I want to post something that i recently gone through. Today I’m sharing something that is very close to us & also very true. We all go through this †¦plz read through†¦ At 4 Years†¨ My daddy is great.†¨ †¨ At 6 Years†¨ My daddy knows everybody.†¨ †¨ At 10 Years†¨ My daddy is good but is short tempered†¨ †¨ At 12 Years†¨ My daddy was very nice to me when I was young.†¨ †¨ At 14 Years†¨ My daddy is getting fastidious.†¨ †¨ At 16 Years†¨ My daddy is not in line with the current times.†¨ †¨ At 18 Years†¨ My daddy is becoming increasingly cranky.†¨ †¨ At 20 Years†¨ Oh! It’s becoming difficult to tolerate daddy. Wonder how Mother puts up†¨ with him.†¨ †¨ At 25 Years†¨ Daddy is objecting to everything.†¨ †¨ At 30 Years†¨ it’s becoming difficult to manage my son. I was so scared of my father†¨ when I was young.†¨ †¨ At 40 Years†¨ Daddy brought me up with so much discipline. Even I should do the same.†¨ †¨ At 45 Years†¨ I am baffled as to how my daddy brought us up.â € ¨ †¨ At 50 Years†¨ My daddy faced so many hardships to bring us up. I am unable to manage†¨ A Single son.†¨ †¨ At 55 Years†¨ My daddy was so far  sighted and planned so many things for us. He is†¨ one of his kind and unique.†¨ †¨ At 60 Years†¨ My daddy is great.†¨ †¨ Thus, it took 56 years to complete the cycle and come back to the 1st. Stage. Realize the true value of your parents before it’s too late†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Bye the way I want to thank the owner of this debate and to Disha.who gave me an opportunity to take part in this debate I don’t think people have time today even to take care of their own parents, I mean they are busy running behind money and creating better future for themselves but are forgetting who provided a better future for them in the first place, and even parents at times think that they don’t want to be a burden on their children and they themselves at times get registered to these oldage homes, as they are seeing whats happening infront of them and they dont want to be let down by their own kids infront of others I strongly feel that older people should spend rest of their lives with their children because there are some things that money can’t buy especially â€Å"LOVE†. Old age especially demands affection. Children are brought up by their parents since they are too young. Especially in a society to which I belong, Technology-integration in Old Age Homes in India A Status Paper Sugan Bhatia, Ph.D. President Indian University Association for Continuing Education Delhi 1.1 The elderly (aged 60 years and above) in India account for more than 9 percent of the total population. The National Population Commission estimated that the population of the elderly is expected to grow from 71 million in 2001 to 173 million in 2026. This demographic scenario appears to indicate a very precarious condition for the older persons in terms of their capability to enjoy the right to life with dignity. While those in the age group 60-69 years could be expected to lead a fairly healthy life and offer their services as volunteers for informal care giving to others in the two higher age groups, both the 70-79 years age group and the 80 + years age group would require critical social and medical healthcare support – both  informal care giving and formal care giving. 1.2 The growing incidence of elder abuse and severe fissures in the multigenerational family or household has forced many older persons to abandon their family home; some of them have also been â€Å"pushed out† and have thus been left shelter-less. Most urban areas appear to have a growing incidence of cases of abandoned elderly. A new culture of â€Å"peer group participation† being attempted by the old persons appears to be taking roots in many parts of urban India; Old Age Homes of various types are rapidly becoming a choice for many â€Å"abandoned†, â€Å"left out† or â€Å"neglected† old persons with or without survival resources. 1.3 The vision of â€Å"alternate shelter† for older persons, as enunciated in both national and global policy frameworks, includes Group housing for older persons, No physical barriers to mobility, Health care and nutritional support, Development of age-integrated communities, Recreation services, Age-friend ly, easy and safe accessibility to shopping complexes, community centers, parks and other services, and Provision of ramps†¦

Marketing and Buying Decision

Principles of Marketing Principles of Marketing 2012 Name: Robert Barnes Student Number: 21154021 Institution: University of West London Word count: 1455 2012 Name: Robert Barnes Student Number: 21154021 Institution: University of West London Word count: 1455 Table of Contents 1. 0 Introduction2 2. 0 Question 1 3 2. 1 Personality 3 2. 2 Motivation6 2. 3 Conflict6 3. 0 Question 2 8 Bibliography9 1. 0 Introduction The case study I have chosen to cover is â€Å"Breezing out for a night on the tiles†. It discusses the rise of the premium pre-mixed drinks industry between 1995-2000, in particular the Bacardi Breezer brand.It looks at the marketing activity which has taken place and the brand association the marketers aimed to achieve. In this report I will be exploring the buying process involved when purchasing an alcoholic beverage, the influencing factors when making a decision and the role that marketing plays, in these decisions. The definition of marketing is â€Å"The manag ement process which identifies anticipates and supplies customer requirements efficiently and profitably. † Adrian Palmer 2004 Personality noun (plural personalities)The coon of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character: – Oxford Dictionary 2012 ENTJ Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organisational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas. – Introduction to Type, Sixth Edition by Isabel Briggs-Myers 1998 2. 0 Question 1Q. Give an overview of how the buying decision-making process might work for purchasing an alcoholic drink in a pub or club. How would this differ when purchasing alcohol in a supermarket or off licence? A. The Theory To answer this question we first need to look at the theories in marketing associated to the buying process, influences and behaviours. Diagram 2. 0 is the structure of the buying process based on the â€Å"Cognitive Paradigm† theory (Pickton and Broderick 2001) which focuses on the individuals thought process, during a buying decision.It assumes that the buying decision is approached as a problem solving activity and that the consumer is being rational throughout the process. It is widely used as the default theory by marketers and sales professionals when structuring campaigns. It does not however accurately describe the process that occurs during extreme impulse or irrational purchases, which are both, almost intangible processes. For the purpose of this exercise, we will assume that the responsible purchase of alcohol is approached, both rationally and thoughtfully. Diagram 2. 0 – The Buying Process. Source: Marketing Communications, by John Egan. 2007) Step 1 of the process is the â€Å"P roblem Recognition†. This is the identification of a need, such as â€Å"I am hungry, therefore I need to eat†. It can however be very complex and the consumer may require education or informing before recognising a problem exists, such as a dentist telling you, you need a filling, even though you hadn’t felt any pain in that tooth. Marketers can exploit this step by feeding information to consumers for goods and services, they hadn’t realised they needed. Step 2 of the process is the â€Å"Information Search†.This is when an individual has identified a need but may need to research to find the right solution. For example, if a student identifies a need for a computer, but has a limited budget, he or she might research information to identify the best option for the budget they have. This step can skipped if the consumer has enough knowledge, regarding the possible solutions. Step 3 of the process is â€Å"Evaluation†. This is when more than one option is available to solve the identified need, and the consumer wants to experience these before purchasing. An example would be someone test driving multiple cars before purchasing one.Effectively they will all satisfy the same need, but the consumer wants to know what the experience is, before making the decision. This step can skipped if the consumer has previous experience or is happy with a certain product or service beforehand. Step 4 of the process is â€Å"Decision†. This is simply the final choose for a solution to the identified need, after weighing up all options. Again, a consumer can move directly to this step from â€Å"Problem Recognition† if enough prior knowledge exists. Step 5 of the process is â€Å"Purchase†. This is when the decision is executed and the goods or services are acquired.Step 6 of the process is â€Å"Post-Purchase Evaluation†. This is when you access you satisfaction with your product or service after you have acq uired it. If a great experience is had, it will lead to a higher likelihood that you will purchase that product or service again. Applying the theory Table 2. 0 is an application of the above theory, for an individual going through the buying process at both a club and supermarket. Buying Process Step| Nightclub or Pub| Supermarket| Problem Recognition| * A want to let loose. * A need for confidence. * A desire to fit in or stand-out. An aspiration to impress. | * Alcohol for cooking. * Thoughts of a night in. * A desire to relax and unwind. * Drinks for guests and friends. * Cheap drinks before going out. | Information Search| * Advertisement around the club. * Bottles behind the bar. * Drink & cocktail menus. * What others are drinking. * Peer and/or social pressure. | * The label on the bottle. * Prices and special offers. * Staff knowledge. | Evaluation| * Tasting a friends drink. * Design of the bottle. * Recognition of a brand. | * Description on label. * Design and quality of bottle. Alcohol percentage. * Brand recognition. | Decision| * Information processed and decision made. | * Information processed and decision made. | Purchase| * Majority of exchanges in cash. | * Majority of exchanges by credit card. | Post-Purchase Evaluation| * Did that get me drunk? * Did I like the taste? * Do I want another one? * Did it give me a hangover? | * Did I like the taste? * Was it good value? * Will I buy it again? * Did it get me to the desired level of drunkenness? | Table 2. 0 – The Buying Process of Alcohol in Different Environments.What this application of theory shows, is that there are different factors in play when buying alcohol in a club or pub compared to a supermarket, but the process remains the same. These factors are different mostly due to the environment, information availability, the individual’s intent and marketing strategies. If selling a drink in a club or pub it is more important for your drink to be seen as â€Å"cool† socially and price is less of a factor whereas if selling in a supermarket, your drink needs to be competitively priced yet still demonstrate a level of quality. 3. 0 Question 2 Q.Detail the individual and group influences that are likely to affect someone’s choice of drink brand? A. The Theory Diagram 3. 0 demonstrates the individual and group influencing factors when making a buying decision. Diagram 2. 1 – Factors affecting buying decisions. (Source: Marketing Communications, by John Egan. 2007) Our strongest influences when making a buying decision are our internal beliefs and values. These include Attitude, Perception, Learning, Memory and Motivation. The next in terms of influencing power are Primary Groups. Primary groups are made up of close friends, family and people who you respect.You are affected by these groups by the opinions and values they hold. The next group in terms of influencing power is the Secondary Group. This group is made up of people you know but not closely, or people who you may aspire to be like. Lastly there are influences depending on your Culture, Race or Religion, that will affect your decision when buying something. There are also External factors that include things that are beyond your control, such as Fashion, Law, Time ect. So how do these factors affect someone when buying an alcoholic drink?Well if I was out with my family, I would be unlikely to order shots, as they would not approve, whereas if I was out with close friends, then this would be the opposite. The secondary group has the same effect, but is less powerful in its influence. 4. 0 Question 3 Q. Explain the roles of the various marketing activities described in this case in influencing consumer behaviour. A. In 2000 Bacardi spent ? 14m on a campaign to promote their brand â€Å"Bacardi Breezer†. The reason to do this is to influence people decisions when making a buying decision. Bacardi’s first large campaign was in 1999 when they spent ? 5. 6m.The campaign was headlined with the slogan â€Å"there’s Latin spirit in everyone† aimed at the 18-24 year old market. This campaign was created to give the brand an exotic, cool to be seen drinking appeal and was aimed at the demographic that would most likely be drinking in an environment where these factors we important in their buying decision. This campaign established Bacardi Breezer as one of the major players in the alco-pop industry. Bibliography * John Martin, 2010. Organizational Behaviour & Management. 4th Revised edition Edition. South Western Educational Publishing. * John Martin, 2004. Organizational Behaviour And Management. Edition. Thomson Learning. * Laurie J. Mullins, 2006. Essentials of Management and Organisational Behaviour. Edition. FT Press. * Isabel Briggs Myers, 1998. Introduction to Type: A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. 6th Edition. Center for Applications of. * Adrian Furnham, 2008. Pe rsonality and Intelligence at Work: Exploring and Explaining Individual Differences at Work. 1 Edition. Routledge. * Stephen P. Robins, 2010. Organizational Behaviour. 1 Edition. Pearson Books. * John Ivancevich, 2010. Organizational Behavior and Management. 9 Edition. McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Cottle-Taylor Analysis

Question 1: Cottle-Taylor A company’s marketing mix strategy is key to their success. Thorough analysis is needed to assure that product attributes, distribution strategy, communication strategy and pricing strategy are all in line with the company’s strategic goal. The following analysis is of Cottle-Taylor’s marketing mix strategy in India. Product Attributes: Cottle-Taylor has three product categories in order to reach their three market segments: 1) Low-End Manual, 2) Mid-Range Manual, and 3) Battery-Operated. The manual toothbrush designs include â€Å"a variety of colors; all styles included rubber grips† (HBR 6).In the Low-End category Cottle-Taylor produced 5 different products with varying characteristics ranging from soft bristles, to flexible necks for minimal gum irritation, to kid sized brushes. This category contains a basic toothbrush with no significant innovation. The Mid-Range category has two products that have slightly more advanced fea tures such as multi-angled bristles and tongue cleaner. The Battery-Operated is the most advanced category in terms of innovation and product characteristics. It contains two electric toothbrush models with rotating bristles that perform 3,000 strokes a minute.Distribution Strategy: Cottle-Taylor has three distribution tactics in order to penetrate the large dispersed retail scene in India: 1) 20 distributors that focus on the large retail outlets in urban cities, 2) 250 medium sized distributors serving wholesalers and retailers in semi urban areas, and 3) â€Å"seed† distributors who work with over 300,000 outlets in small villages across the country (HBR 7). In the retail outlets in urban cities Cottle-Taylor mainly supplies their Mid-Range and Battery-Operated models to capitalize on higher-income Indians who shop at supermarkets.Cottle-Taylor uses â€Å"seed† distributors to supply the numerous small villages with its basic line. They see no value in building rela tionships because there are too many small stores and â€Å"seed† distributors speak the language. However, communicating key selling points was hard and assuring their products were visible in the small cluttered stores was impossible. Communication Strategy: Cottle-Taylor had three key communication messages in India: 1) Persuading consumers to brush for the first time, 2) Increasing incidences of brushing, and 3) Persuading consumers to upgrade to Mid-Range or PremiumProducts (HBR 8). They allocated 12% of sales on the advertising budget, which broke down into 9% for advertisements and 3% for promotions. The main target demographics are men and women ages 20-35 in rural and urban areas that currently brush or don’t brush. It is important to build awareness and educate consumers on the benefits of tooth brushing and they did this through the use of TV, radio, billboards and prints ads. Pricing Strategy: Cottle-Taylor prices their toothbrushes in respect to their targ et segments.The low-end brushes range from . 22-. 35 cents, the medium-end ranges from . 52-. 98 cents and the high-end ranges from $1-11. In terms of driving success in India, Cottle-Taylor’s strategy is strongest in the area of communication. They successfully positioned and communicated to customers that they are â€Å"an authority on oral care† (HBR 5) and consumers hold their products in high regard. Partnering with IDA has given their brand great credibility and helped them become an industry leader holding 47% of the oral care market share.As shown in Exhibit 5, Cottle-Taylor has experienced 53% growth in market share for toothbrushes from 2004-2009 and 47% growth in oral care market share. They ran successful campaigns where, â€Å"among rural residents†¦those exposed to the campaigns were twice as likely to adopt tooth brushing within a year than those who had not been exposed† (HBR 5). In just five years they have almost dominated the oral care ma rket and a key contributor to their success is their communication strategy.Their weakest strategy in the marketing mix is product attributes. It appears Cottle-Taylor has not fully understood their market segments when designing products for India. Looking at exhibit 8, it is clear the majority of demand is for the Low-End Manual with 87% of sales. The least amount of demand is for the Battery-Operated brush with only . 5% of sales. With 80% of the population in India living under $2 a day, does it make sense to market a high-end expensive product in India?Exhibit 4 shows that a very small percentage of Indians have sufficient amounts of disposable income to spend on expensive toothbrushes. India has a very small concentration of high income and a very large number of people living in poverty. The Battery-Operated brush is mainly marketed in urban areas however, â€Å"in 2009 roughly 78% of Indians lived in rural towns and villages and 22% in urban settings† (HBR 3). This is a very small percent of the population they are trying to capture with the high-end toothbrush. Overall, this is a very comprehensive marketing strategy.Cottle-Taylor has segmented the market and created specific products for each market. As mentioned earlier, the high-end segment does not have significant demand, which insinuates the segments could have been analyzed more. With this said, Cottle-Taylor has done a good job at navigating the complex retail scene in India through their distribution strategy. It is clear that Cottle-Taylor has successfully marketed their brand through communications mediums because there is high brand awareness and favorable brand positioning.