East Coast Yachts key Essay

1. Calculate all of the ratios listed in the industry table for East Coast Yachts Current ratio=CA/CL= 14,651,000/19,539,000=0.75 Quick Ratio=(CA-Inventory)/CL=(14651000-6136000)/19539000=0.44 Total assert turnover=Sales / Total Assets=167310000/108615000=1.54 Inventory turnover=Cost of Goods Sold / Inventory=117910000/6136000=19.22 Receivable turnover=Sales / Accounts Receivable=167310000/5473000=30.57 Debt ratio(TA-TE)/TA=(108615000-55341000)/108615000=0.49 Debt-equity ratio=TD/TE=33735000/55341000=0.61 Equity multiplier=TA/TE=108615000/55341000=1.96 Interest coverage=23496000/300900=7.96 Profit margin=Net Income / Sales=12562200/167310000=0.07 Return on asserts=Net Income / Total Assets=12562200/108615000=0.12 Return on equity=Net Income / Total Equity=12562200/55341000=0.23 2. Compare the performance of East Coast Yachts to the industry as a whole. For each ratio, comment on why it might be viewed as positive or negative relative to the industry. Suppose you create an inventory ratio calculated as inventory divided by current liabilities. How do you interpret this ratio? How does East Coast Yachts compare to the industry average? Current ratio is negative because CA smaller than CL Quick Ratio is positive because the ratio is bigger than the industry upper quartile ratio. Total assert turnover is positive the ratio because the ratio is bigger than the industry upper quartile ratio. Inventory turnover is positive because it is higher than the industry average. It represents that the company has a high sales based on its inventory. Receivable turnover is positive because it shows that the company can collect the sales faster. Debt ratio is positive because it shows that the company has a lower debt risk than the industry average. Debt-equity ratio is positive because it shows that the company is less aggressive using debt which means the company has relatively lower debt risk. Equity multiplier is negative because it shows that the company has a lower accounting return. Interest coverage= Profit margin is about the same with the industry average. Return on assets is positive because the profit per dollar of assets is higher than the industry average. Return on equity is positive because it shows that the company has better shareholder’s fare. Inventory Ratio= CL /Inventory =19539000/6136000=3.18 Inventory is negative It is still smaller than industry lower quartile It represents that the company has a low sales based on its inventory. 3. Calculate the sustainable growth rate of East Coast Yachts. Calculate external funds needed (EFN) and prepare pro forma income statements and balance sheets assuming growth at precisely this rate. Recalculate the ratios in the previous question. What do you observe? ROE=ni/te=125622000/55341000=0.23 B=re/ni=5024800/12562200=0.4 Sustainable Growth rate=ROE*b/1-roe*b=0.23*0.4/1-0.23*0.40=0.099 EFN= TA-(TL+E)=108615000*1.099-ï ¼Ë†19539000*1.099+3373500+55341000*1.1099ï ¼â€°=3166002 All Current ratio=CA/CL= 14,651,000*1.09/19,539,000*1.09=0.75 QuickRatio=(CA-Inventory)/CL=(14651000*1.09-6136000*1.09)/19539000*1.09=0.44 Total assert turnover=Sales / Total Assets=167310000*1.09/108615000*1.09=1.54 Inventory turnover=Cost of Goods Sold / Inventory=117910000*1.09/6136000*1.09=19.22 Receivable turnover=Sales / Accounts Receivable=167310000*1.09/5473000*1.09=30.57 Debt ratio(TA-TE)/TA=(108615000-55341000*1.09)/108615000*1.09=0.49 Debt-equity ratio=TD/TE=33735000*1.09/55341000*1.09=0.61 Equity multiplier=TA/TE=108615000*1.09/55341000*1.09=1.96 Interest coverage=23496000*1.09/300900*1.09=8.93 Profit margin=Net Income / Sales=12562200*1.09/167310000*1.09=0.07 Return on asserts=Net Income / Total Assets=12562200*1.09/108615000*1.09=0.12 Return on equity=Net Income / Total Equity=12562200*1.09/55341000*1.09=0.23 Only interest coverage changed. 4As a practical matter, East Coast Yachts is unlikely to be willing to raise external equity capital, in part because the owners don’t want to dilute their existing ownership and control positions. However, East Coast Yachts is planning for a growth rate of 20 percent next year. What are your conclusions and recommendations about the feasibility of East Coast’s expansion plans? EFN= TA-(TL+E)=108615000*1.2-ï ¼Ë†19539000*1.2+3373500+55341000*1.2ï ¼â€°=8753040 5. Most assets can be increased as a percentage of sales. For instance, cash can be increased by any amount. However, fixed assets often must be increased in specific amounts because it is impossible, as a practical matter, to buy part of a new plant or machine. In this case a company has a â€Å"staircase† or â€Å"lumpy† fixed cost structure. Assume that East Coast Yachts is currently producing at 100 percent Of capacity. As a result, to expand production, the company must set up an entirely new line at a cost of $30 million. Calculate the new EFN with this assumption. What does this imply about capacity utilization for East Coast Yachts next year? Depreciation percentage= $5,460,000 / $93,964,000= .0581 Pro forma depreciation=0.581*123964000=7203221 EFN= TA-(TL+E)=108615000*1.2+3000000 -ï ¼Ë†19539000*1.2+3373500+55341000*1.2=23004405 The fixed assets have increased faster than sales, so the capacity utilization for next year will decrease.

Network Server Administration

Course number CIS 332, Network Server Administration, lists as its main topics: installing and configuring servers, network protocols, resource and end user management, security, Active Directory, and the variety of server roles which can be implemented. My experience and certification as a Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) as well as a Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) demonstrates that I have a thorough grounding in both the theory and practice of the topics covered in this course and should receive credit for it. Installing and configuring servers was the subject of Installing, Configuring and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, which I took in 2001 in preparation for my initial Microsoft Certified Professional certification. This exam covered such topics as installing Microsoft Windows 2000 Server using both an attended installation and an unattended installation; server upgrades from Windows NT (the previous version) and troubleshooting and repairing failed installations. This exam also covered installing and configuring hardware devices and user management. Network protocols were discussed during the training for the exam Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure, which I also took in 2001. This exam covered installing, configuring, troubleshooting and administering such protocols as DNS and DHCP, TCP/IP, NWLink, and IPSec. The training covered such aspects of network protocols as remote access policies and network routing. Security was one of the topics of this exam, as well. Network security using IPSec and encryption and authentication protocols was discussed along with the network implementation details. Resource and end user management was one of the main topics of the Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment exam, which also updated my knowledge of security, networking and utilities. The exam covered such topics as user creation and modification, user and group management, Terminal Services management and implementing security and software update services. Security was covered in a number of exams, including Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure, Installing, Configuring and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Designing Security for   a Windows 2000 Network. All aspects of network security were covered in the various training sessions for these exams, including topics such as analysis of network security requirements in relation to organizational realities and requirements, design and implementation of such specifics as authentication policies, public-key infrastructures and encryption techniques, physical security, and design and implementation of security audit and assurance strategies. Also included were security considerations for all auxiliary services, such as DNS, Terminal Services, SNMP, Remote Installation Services and others. Implementation of Active Directory and knowledge of varied server roles was provided by the exam Designing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure. The training for this exam encompassed the design and implementation of an Active Directory forest and domain structure as well as planning a DNS strategy for client and server naming. This training also included design and implementation of a number of different server types, such as file and print servers, databases, proxy servers, Web servers, desktop management servers, applications servers and dial-in management servers. Further knowledge of Active Directory and auxiliary services was provided in the training for Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure. This training included such topics as installing, configuring and troubleshooting Active Directory and DNS, implementing Change and Configuration Management, and managing all the components of Active Directory, including moving, publishing and locating Active Directory Objects, controlling access, delegating administrative privileges for objects, performing backup and restore and maintaining security for the Active Directory server via Group Policy and the Security Configuration and Analysis tool. The topics covered in CIS 332, Network Server Administration, have been completely encompassed by my previous experience, training and certification with Microsoft Windows Server 2000, as well as updated knowledge gained by   training for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. I have been constantly increasing my skills and knowledge in this area for the past six years, using both training and work experience to gain certifications which prove that I have a complete grasp of all aspects of the subject matter included in this course. Installing and configuring servers and network protocols, troubleshooting failed installations or configurations, resource and end user management, security design and management, design and implementation of Active Directory services and implementing and administering a wide variety of network server roles are all major aspects of my training and certification experience. I feel I am fully qualified for the information covered in CIS 332, and should be granted credit for this course.

Identify the major trends that have influenced world trade and global Term Paper

Identify the major trends that have influenced world trade and global marketing - Term Paper Example Many countries have opened up their economies as part of Free Trade and is having an impact on the global economy. The main strength of Free Trade is that, it puts forward the notion that minimalistic state role or intervention resulted in better economy and importantly better society. Free trade proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and importantly free trade (Harvey 2). From earlier times, many Third World countries including Asian and African countries only indulged in agriculture for their livelihood. However, globalization and the opening up their markets as Free Trade regimes, these countries and their governments started to focus on industrial development, by improving their own industries and importantly by facilitating entry of foreign companies. They enticed the foreign companies with a slew of beneficial financial and social schemes. Foreign firms for their part optimally invested tapping the existing cheap labor and other resources, thereby garnering for themselves good profits. Importantly, a sizeable portion of good profits reached the local employees, thereby improving their economic standing and also optimizing country’s economy. Apart from this major trend of globalization, another major trend that is influencing global marketing is the concept of green marketing. Marketing’s traditional axiom so far has been â€Å"give customers what they want† and â€Å"sell as much as you can† (Ottman, Stafford and Hartman 2006). However, in today’s business environment, sustainability is the key word with natural environment given clear importance along with the business motives. Another trend is that of consumer knowledge increase with regards to impact of products and processes on their

The Importance of Using Social Media in Business Research Paper

The Importance of Using Social Media in Business - Research Paper Example   Through social media, businesses are able to establish and use social marketing as a tool to expand. Social marketing is one of the key factors for making a business successful in terms of sales by increasing the market range. For marketing to become a success in social media by the use of social marketing, businesses must set up hierarchies that prove effective in marketing the business. At the bottom of the hierarchy, pyramid is blogging. It is a known fact that the internet has revolutionized the world. Using this view, it has been observed that blogging has seen to revolutionize the internet world. Blogs are online diaries, which help the business people reach their potential customers. Through blogs, businesspersons are able to air views to their customers and, using them as online dialogue, receive feedback. Through blogs, businesses are able to monitor the progress of their businesses and hence they are able to effectively market their business. From blogs, businesses are also able to make the necessary adjustments so as to achieve success through factors such as increased sales, which result in a higher profit margin in the business. Blogging comes as an aid in building customer loyalty. This is in the sense that a businessperson is able to keep his or her customers engaged with your business by keeping customers apprised of new products in the business and fluctuation of prices. New services in the business are also known to the customers through blogs due to their accessibility (Debono, 2012).

A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle Essay - 1

A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle - Essay Example The narrative discourse is distinct from the story because the events are arranged in a chronological manner. Instead of arranging the information of the story in a manner that makes sense, the author switches the story between the characters or moves the reader through flashbacks and flash-forwards. Although narratives of all genres are ubiquitous in the day-to-day life, Doyle’s narrative does not leverage the aspects that separate narrative from expository discourse. In the narrative discourse, Doyle employs varied approaches that include the solution to the narrative. For example, the dialogue between Watson and Holmes provides a clear understanding of the story. For instance, â€Å"was there a secret marriage?† also reveals the way the Holmes condescends the views of women in the story. One of the approaches employed in the story is the conversational approach, which the author included in the fiction work as the key aspect of the narrative discourse. The second app roach on narrative discourse provides a new genre of literary texts that represent a certain meaning. Doyle also uses suspense in the mystery story that leaves the reader to keep thinking about what happens next in the story. The author creates suspense in the story through explaining the atmosphere of the narrative in order to enable the reader to understand what is around him or her or what the people around the reader are doing. Suspense is used in narratives in order to enable the reader to think or focus on the insight of the story.

International Business in the Globalization Environment Dissertation

International Business in the Globalization Environment - Dissertation Example Managers tend to see the international market as societies in microcosm with their own specific cultures and ways of transmitting these cultures to their members. Samiee et al (2005) and Verlegh (2007) examine the impact on a home country and unique brand image of the product on perception and buying patterns in targeted markets. They find that national stereotypes and buyer attitudes toward countries of origin influence the buying process and profitability of the company. Another layer of literature is based on theoretical materials and concepts aimed to discuss and evaluate business strategies and international marketing trends around the world. ... They examine the impact of culture on the formulation and the application of an international marketing strategy. The home country and the host country environment constitute an open interaction system. The strategies of the firm play the primary role in the interaction; secondary roles are played by a number of other players. Special attention should be given to such countries as Malaysia, Thailand and Philippine affected by strong national culture and traditions. The results of the interaction may be more or less successful from the point of view of the firm, the host country, or other institutions or organizations involved (Balabanis et al 157). The host country environment presents another set of macro factors. On the macro environmental level, cultural forces need to be evaluated. On the microenvironmental level, the factors become more specific; they include (1) buyer-seller relationships, (2) nature of supply and demand, (3) market price mechanism, (4) nature of competition, (5) barriers to market entry, and (6) nature of the distribution. At the operational level, factors such as (1) sof t versus hard currency, (2) exchange rate fluctuations, (3) inflation, (4) tariffs and quotas, and (5) invisible barriers become extremely important (Doole and Lowe 82). Research suggests that "cultural distance" also presents a major challenge to an entrepreneur assessing the potential of the host market.

U.S History pre-1877 Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S History pre-1877 - Movie Review Example While films like â€Å"dancing with the wolves† has shown the beauty of nature and the way human beings can feel romantic about the natural things, Black Robe is just dull and depriving without any romanticizing of nature. However, the Indians are also human beings and this fact is depicted in the film as the film provides many glimpses of their tenderness and sensitivity. However, they engage in brutal and cruel activities more for the sake of their faith and belief in God, rather than for themselves. Therefore, they consider the sacrifice of flesh a sacrament for their faith. The opening scenes of places in New France also show French as equally vulgar and dirty. The film provides a message that given the chance and circumstances, French men can also become cruel like the Indians. Although there is a vast cultural difference, the opening scenes show the commonality of two cultures, white French and Red Indians as both are equally superstitious, being very funny about the interaction of spirituality with the physical bodies of human kind, belonging to both the communities. This is very well expressed in the processional scenes and dance shows that come in the beginning of the film. This certainly highlights the meaningful cultural relationship, at least with regard to the brutality of human kind........( Canby, 1991 Black Robe) This is a civil war epic produced by Freddie Fields, which shows the 54 Regiment of Massachusetts comprising of mainly black men, including the escaped slaves from south and some free Northern blacks. However, the regiment has a distinguished character as they are given rough combat training only to loot the southern towns while destroying its habitants and collect the profits from the goods’ sales lifted during such raids and looting carnage. The film is again different from other war films as the training and raising of battalions gets a back seat in the film., while the bravery

Health care operations management roles and goals Essay

Health care operations management roles and goals - Essay Example Controlling is the function that monitors the progress towards the goals and taking the necessary corrective action, should the progress be unsatisfactory (Langabeer, 2007). Managers in health care operations thus have to play several roles. These roles can be classified as the informational roles, the decisional roles, and the interpersonal roles. The informational role consists of collecting, monitoring and disseminating information that is garnered from internal as well as external sources relevant to the efficient functioning of the organization. The decision roles consist of making critical decisions in the organization. These decisions include the appropriate allocation of resources of the organization either in manpower, finance or materials to the disparate units in the organization. Rewarding employees for good performance and punishing employees for poor performance, and negotiating between employees and others in the organization. The inter personal role involves training and motivating employees, serving s their spokesperson, facilitating communication and the exchange of information between the various units and professional present in a he althcare organization, and acting as a liaison between these units and professionals (Langabeer, 2007). Operations managers thus play several roles in an organization. However, it must be remembered that a health care organization differs from other organizations. Within a health care organization service is provided by personnel, who are extremely specialized in their tasks, governed by a set of professional principals and values. In other words for achieving the quality and service objectives of the organization disparate specialized professionals need to work as a team to meeting these objectives. Furthermore there is call for highly specialized equipment and devices in the delivery of

Compare and Contrast of Short Stories Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast of Short Stories Essay In â€Å"The Ones That Walk Away From Omelas† and â€Å"The Lottery†, Ursula Le Guin and Shirley Jackson portray a supposedly perfect society built on clandestine secrets. In the short story â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas†, Omelas’ inhabitants are smart and cultured, and it seems like a utopian city of happiness and delight. Everything about Omelas is your every desire, disregarding the secret of the city: the good fortune of Omelas requires that a single unfortunate child be kept in never-ending filth, darkness and misery, and that all its citizens should be told of this when they come of age. After the truth is told to the people of Omelas most are initially shocked and disgusted and somehow manage to live there life and make it worth it for the child’s existence; others just walk away from the city of Omelas. In the short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, a small village of about 300 have an annual lottery; women, men, and children participate, to see who will be the chosen one to guarantee enough rain for the corn crops. The winner is to be stoned to death. The way the authors use irony to depict the story societies as wonderful and perfect then towards the end the dark secret is discovered is very intriguing and captivating, which makes you want to keep reading. In the story, â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas†, Omelas seems to be this beautiful and cheerful place. The story takes place during a festival and there are children running around laughing and there is music. It talks about a race and how the horses are excited, â€Å"(the horses) flared their nostrils and pranced and boasted to one another â€Å" with silver, gold, and green braided into their manes. The story has and air of excitement and celebration that is soon questioned when the author begins to talk about the child.

Macbeth Tragic Evil

Macbeth Tragic Evil Darth Vader: A Modern Macbeth Obsession with ambition eventually causes heroes, who have achieved greatness, to lose control. These heroes are called tragic heroes. This is true for the men created by William Shakespeare and George Lucas. Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, turns evil, as does Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars movies, made by George Lucas. The downfall of both men comes from the numerous problems they have. Anakin Skywalker and Macbeth were both heroes at one time. Anakin Skywalker saved a lot of people. What made him a hero was the fact that he was willing to help everybody. During the war, the people were depending on Anakin. He also had a best friend and mentor in his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. They are closer than friends. Closer than brothers. Macbeth had also done many heroic acts. He had saved many soldiers on the battlefield. He was a General in the Scottish army and a true war hero. But alls too weak; For brave Macbeth, Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth saves Scotland and restores peace with help from his best friend, Banquo. Macbeth also looks up to Duncan, the King of Scotland. Anakin Skywalker and Macbeth both had a tragic flaw that led them down the path to the dark side. Anakin has always had anger, fear, and a desire for more power. Macbeth has also had similar ambitions and desires for power. Once Macbeth hears of the witchs prophecies, he begins thinking evil thoughts and murderous ideas. He considers doing it, but has internal conflicts about it. Both men had evil influences in their lives. Anakin had Palpatine manipulating him since he was a small boy, and Macbeth had the witches to give him evil thoughts. Know Banquo was your enemy. Both men had dreams about their own empires. They also committed many murders that were not necessary. Both men loved their wives. Both were obsessed. Anakins main reason for turning to the dark side was to save Padme, his wife, from dying. Macbeth allowed his wife to convince him to murder Duncan and do other bad deeds. Anakin Skywalker and Macbeth had many things in common with their circumstances in becoming evil. Both Anakin Skywalker and Macbeth realized they could not live this way. Anakin redeemed himself in the end. Macbeth had the opportunity to, but did not. Anakin could not stand seeing his son dying. He destroyed his evil influence, Palpatine. By doing this, he fulfilled his destiny and brought balance to the force. Anakin Skywalker died peacefully in his sons presence. Help me take this mask off, let me look upon you with my own eyes. Macbeth did not destroy his evil influence, the witches, but he did recognize their evil intentions. He realized that their prophecies were meant to deceive him. Macbeth became a warrior again. He died with honor, bravely. Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff. Macbeth almost redeemed himself when he put his sword down, but he refused to surrender. Macbeth is an example of a classic tragic hero, whereas Anakin is no longer a tragic hero by redeeming himself. Anakin Skywalker and Macbeth are both great examples of a tragic hero. They were once great heroes who gave in to the dark side. Later Anakin redeemed himself, unfortunately Macbeth did not. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. 2nd ed. New York: New American Library, 1998. 3-97. Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi. Dir. Richard Marquand. Perf. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. DVD. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 1983. Stover, Matthew. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Del Ray Books, 2005.

Pest Analysis For Madame Tussauds Marketing Essay

Pest Analysis For Madame Tussauds Marketing Essay Thousands and thousands of wax statue has been designed which reflects the art, culture, fame, emotions, success and personality of an individual, basically waxworks are an appreciation for an individual for their tremendous work in their specific field and to honour them for their work, which is recognised by the world and the world should have the clear picture of glory of an individual which speaks about his work, ability, life style, behaviours and also admired as a symbol of role model and this attitude brings them to the hall of fame in Madame Tussauds as a piece of art created in the form wax statue. Madame Tussauds is a wax museum which was opened 200 years ago and it remains just as popular as it ever was. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussauds and was formerly known as Madame Tussauds. Madame Tussauds is the globally acclaimed wax museum; its history is fascinating and its exhibitions haunting in their accurate likeness to well-known figures, living and dead. The mus eum displays waxworks of their honourable guests who are (A-list) celebrities, sporting legends, political heavyweights, royal figures and historical icons, reliving the times, events and moments that made the world talk about them. Madame Tussauds has attraction in London, Las Vegas, Sydney, Vienna, Blackpool, Hollywood, Washington D.C., Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, New York City and Shanghai.it is owned by the Merlin Entertainments Group, hence is the second largest leisure organisation in the world after Disney. Madame Tussauds is recognised as a brand with strong reputation and offers a unique experience. It is one of the most important tourist attraction spots in the world, which is visited by the tourists all over the world. Hence it is one of the most attractive places visited by the people around the world, which also helps in generating the revenue and making it one of the most profitable leisure organisations in the world. Madame Tussauds is mainly known for its waxworks which is the worlds most famous tourist spot, it is a place of art and entertainment which makes it a visitor attraction, hence you can discover worlds most famous personalitys wax statue which speaks about their fame and success. Mad ame Tussauds of today is a fast paced and interactive experience, encouraging visitors to get up close and personal with their favourite celebrities. Madame Tussauds as a model for a successful leisure business is highly interesting and hence it focuses on each section of the resource an introduction to leisure and tourism, marketing and sales and customer service. In todays world Madame Tussauds is world renewed museum, which is a great hub for the organisation to fetch revenue, it has a versatile features and strategy adopted by the organisation to maximise the profit level in order to achieve the organisational objectives. Madame Tussauds is a big brand which holds goodwill in the present market, it is one of those leisure organisations which had a great outcome during the period of recession, and hence it earned profit when the countries economies were at the saturation period, whereas Madame Tussauds made stable outcomes. Even the countries economic fall and recession cannot a ffect this leisure organisation. It is a place of knowledge, learning, arts, education and entertainment which has a great impact on visitors. The museum can reach only those whom it can attract. This fact alone is enough to compel it to be convenient to all, wide in its scope, varied in its activities, hospitable eager to follow any lead the humblest inquirer may give. (JOHN COTTON DANA) 4 Ps OF MARKETING MIX FOR MADAME TUSSAUDS: (MAIN BODY) MARKETING MIX:-When a firm is marketing for their product and services, firm need to create the successful mix of: their right product, which is sold at the right price, at right place and uses most suitable form of promotion. The marketing mix balances the product and services introduced in to the market. Hence it is a unique method of selling goods and services to the customer and making perfect balance to draw the attention of their potential customer. It is tool which is used by an organisation to increase the demand of their product and services, profit margin and achieve their organisational objectives. Madame Tussauds will have their own marketing mix to utilising them as perfect balance in order to create demand of their product and services and attracting the attention of their potential visitors worldwide. This is what an organisation draws the attention of their potential customer and provides to its customer worldwide. PRODUCT:- is a main element of marketing mix, it is vital in marketing mix as it is the only source of generating sales revenue, without this element an organisation can never think of generating profit. The wax statue of Madame Tussauds is the globally acclaimed wax museum; its history is fascinating and its exhibitions haunting in their accurate likeness to well-known figures, living and dead. The museum displays waxworks of their honourable guests who are (A-list) celebrities, sporting legends, political heavyweights, royal figures and historical icons, reliving the times, events and moments that made the world talk about them. The wax statue of Madame Tussauds is the product which you buy or experience, either the product can be tangible or intangible. Hence the right products are those product and services that the customers want to buy or experience it. There are thousands and thousands of wax statues which are listed as product and that can be experienced by the visitors world wide. Hence it is very much important that the right product gets to the right people. PRICE: is an important element of marketing mix, it is the amount paid for the product and services by the consumer. If the price is low customer attention is drawn and if prices are high it deviates the attention of customer, hence the right price of any product and services are those which are paid comfortably by the customer or are prepared to make the payment for their experience. If the prices are stable for their product which are offered then this process also allows the organisation to make their profit. Hence the cost is the manufacturing cost and the price is the profit added to the manufacturing cost. Hence price is the one which create the sales revenue and all the others are cost. Each figure costs approximately $125,000 to make. Merlin aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 30 million visitors worldwide. There is different pricing method for different age group. Madame Tussauds has a variety of pricing technique to attract their customer and also ha s lots of offer which encourage the consumers to visit. These price only help organisation to make profit, an organisation needs to make profit to make the business successful. It is clearly mentioned that the pricing policy of an organisation will differ according to time and circumstances PLACE: is the specific area where the product and services will be marketed, sold or experienced. A place where customer can easily interact or experience products and services. It is the designated area for the availability of their goods and services and for their experience.it is transferred from one place to another and then making them available for the customer. Madame Tussauds has attraction in London, Las Vegas, Sydney, Vienna, Blackpool, Hollywood, Washington D.C., Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, New York City and Shanghai.it is owned by the Merlin Entertainments Group, hence is the second largest leisure organisation in the world. These wax statues can be experienced from different part of this world, which makes it available all the time at different places and can be easily visited round the world. Location and easy access are the important factor for any organisation and which makes them available all the time. Today transportation has played an important role for visitin g Madame Tussauds located at different places and can be experienced easily. Hence it is the process of getting the right product to the right place at the right time. PROMOTION: is the unique method of communicating with customers. It is a communication tool that provides information and guide line to the consumer, promotion covers all the methods in which a leisure organisation communicates about their product and services and hence allows the customer to make decision while purchasing their product and services. It is very important for almost every organisation; it is an easy process to draw the attention and providing information to reach the ultimate consumer. Madame Tussauds uses various modes of promotion to aware the visitors throughout the world wide; i.e. advertisement, sales promotion, public relation, personal selling, direct marketing, sponsorship, events and displays are the communication tools through which an organisation communicate to the people around the worldwide. It bridges the gap between the people and the organisation to interact with each other. It is the most dynamic process which enables the customer to experience and understand. These promotional activities separate the communication gap and hence construct the healthy relation to obtain feedback form the visitors. Which are the extreme source for generating the sales revenue and people are updated with latest news and information, what is happening within and outside of an organisation worldwide? PEST ANALYSIS FOR MADAME TUSSAUDS: POLITICAL- Madame Tussauds has a great political impact, as it is bounded by the government legal, local as well as international laws, it works according to the organisations memorandum and article of association, hence it maintains the healthy decorum as stated by government about environmental regulation and protection, taxation policies, international trade policies/restrictions, consumer protection/employment laws, competition regulation, political stability and safety regulation. These important measures are adopted to bridge a healthy relation between political and leisure organisation. Both are interdependent on each other by giving tax to the governments, company can enjoy so many benefits without any political hindrance. Political aspects are generated to maintain healthy impact on consumers and all the three party (company, consumer and government) can enjoy the benefits and advantage arising from each other. Thus Madame Tussauds holds healthy political aspects and receives a great co-operation from the government as it is one of the most reliable sources of revenue generation. The Merlin Entertainments group operates the attraction and ensures that the spirit, artistry and vision of Madame Tussauds live on. ECONOMIC Madame Tussauds has a great move towards economy, around 500 million people have visited Madame Tussauds London since it was first established- thats more than the population of North America and Australia combined. Each figure costs approximately $125,000 to make. Merlin aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 30 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 13000 employees. For more than 200 years, Madame Tussauds has been entertaining and educating millions of people with its signature wax figures. It is a place of art and entertainment which makes it a visitor attraction. Madame Tussauds of today is a fast paced and interactive experience, encouraging visitors to get up close and personal with their favourite celebrities. As it is a reliable source of generating revenue, it has great impact on economy, thus even in a poor economic condition it is efficient in maintaining the stability of an organisation, it helps in economic growth of an organisation, hence it helps in maintaining the interest rates and monetary policies for an organisation to perform smoothly. A large number of employment opportunities are created and highly skilled and qualified people are employed in an organisation for economic growth. Merlin Entertainments group has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over five years. The worlds No 2 visitor attraction operator wax figures. SOCIAL It was opened 200 years ago and it remains just as popular as it ever was. Merlin aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 30 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 13000 employees. For more than 200 years, Madame Tussauds has been entertaining and educating millions of people with its signature wax figures. Madame Tussauds is recognised as a brand with strong reputation and offers a unique experience. It is one of the most important tourist attraction spots in the world, which is visited by the tourists all over the world, which also help in generating the revenue and making it one of the most profitable leisure organisations in the world. It is a place of art and entertainment which makes it a visitor attraction, hence you can discover worlds most famous personalitys wax statue which speaks about their fame and success. It is a place for different age group which transforms the information in forms of knowledge, education, art, activity, innovation, motivation, skills and ability, culture, learning skills, emotion, fashion, fame, success and personality of an individual. Madame Tussauds is a beautiful waxwork place which holds the tremendous work culture and values of society. It takes an extra effort for the welfare of society. Madame Tussauds has escaped destruction in three major 20th century catastrophes. The world famous attraction survived a huge fire in 1925; earthquake in 1931; and devastating blitz bombing during World War II in 1940. TECHNOLOGICAL It begins from initial sitting to press launch, a typical Madame Tussauds figure takes around four months to make, utilise a team of around 20 skilled artists and costs  £150,000. Nearly 500 precise body and facial measurements are taken over two hours at a standard sitting session with the celebrity subject. This gives Madame Tussauds sculptors to create a strikingly realistic figure. Merlin Entertainments group is mainly focusing on the usage of advance technology to improve their waxworks and visitors from worldwide can have a clear picture of their favourite personality in their mind, hence giving a life to their waxwork and also utilisation of latest technology has improved the working style and behaviour of an organisation, in order to satisfy their visitor from the worldwide. In fact there is a lot of replacement in their working style every day we learn something new and try to innovate and present in such way to draw the attention of our visitors. Technology has its own impact it helps to learn and gain the work sprit to achieve the organisational goals. A customer always have high expectations due to rapid change in technology, proactive approach to new product development and proactive, aggressive approach to future strategies. A continuous improvement in transport infrastructure is highly developed and among the best in the world. There are 6 airports that share the international air transport association airport; they are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City and Biggin Hill. High speed train, underground tube, DLR, over ground, and expansion of national motorways improve interregional links. The use of the internet and e-commerce has seen a strong growth since 2000. SWOT ANALYSIS FOR MADAME TUSSAUDS: SWOT ANALYSIS: is a method which determine the potential factor of an organisation and the performance of an employees which are combined together to achieve the organisational objectives. Every organisation grows due to their potential hard working employees that cover the entire task instructed by their superior. Swot analysis is a tool that identifies the internal and external factor for an organisation i.e. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Some of the internal factors are strengths and weaknesses and external factors are opportunities and threats. Internal factors are those attributes which help you to identify your strengths within the organisation that can be highly skilled employees, products that you are offering or the amount of work culture you are promoting and it also identify your weaknesses where the organisation is lacking or is unsuccessful that can be the usage of resources, performance of an individual or facing unhealthy circumstances. Every organ isation needs manpower to grow rapidly in to the market and facing the unseen conditions. Hence the external factors are those attributes which help you to identify your opportunities and threats coming from outside of the organisation, it helps you to provide external information which can be an opportunities for an organisation or threats for an organisation it mainly indicates you in advance how to accept the feedback and response to it in future. Madame Tussauds is well placed organisation which focuses on its internal and external factors of an organisation. STRENGTHS: for any organisation manpower is the most important strengths, success of any organisation depends on the usage of its manpower and their ultimate resources. For more than 200 years, Madame Tussauds has been entertaining and educating millions of people with its signature wax figures and has an excellent technique to handle their customer efficiently. It is a place of art and entertainment which makes it a visitor attraction. Madame Tussauds of today is a fast paced and interactive experience, encouraging visitors to get up close and personal with their favourite celebrities. Organisation strength mainly depends on the sub division of various departments i.e. good visitor facilities, various cultural and excellent extra curriculum activities which are generally linked with school and others institutional programme. Madame Tussauds is globally recognised brand with worldwide strong reputation; Madame Tussauds is one of those organisations which offer a wide range of experi ence to its visitors from every part of world with much transportation linkage. Merlin aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 30 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 13000 employees. Madame Tussauds permits the visitors to have a photograph with their favourite celebrities and can share their experiences with other members. WEAKNESSES: are those factor which are possibly faced by every organisation, weaknesses are those elements which are the back portion of every organisation. Weaknesses are of various types it can be internal as well as external, internal weaknesses are within the organisation and external weaknesses are out of the organisation. As we know that every organisation have their weaknesses some way or other, in same manner Madame Tussauds have local parking for coaches is difficult as it requires a huge parking spaces as it is one of the most common problem. It also creates problem on holidays and weekends as there are large number of visitors are visiting to their favourite place and have to make a long queuing on busy days and it also makes difficult to approach near the popular wax figures as it is crowded and is not so easy to experience it. These issues can create fear in the customers mind before thinking of visiting Madame Tussauds, as the customers are held with so many problems s uch as parking, long queuing, and crowded popular wax figures. Some of foreign language differences and provision are also making it complex for the visitors from worldwide, as we know that Madame Tussauds holds a cosmopolitan environment and should focus on the language provision as they are the only extreme source for generating revenue for an organisation. OPPORTUNITIES: Madame Tussauds is utilising the effective opportunities for the growth and redevelopment scheme for achieving the organisational objectives, which consist of increase in government funding, usage of resources and skilled employees, increasing the sales revenue of an organisation, to maintain the brand loyalty, targeting new market, developing a new product mix, increasing product contribution, effective customer handling and international cooperation. Madame Tussauds develops new wax figures to attract mass audience, many new schools and other instructional programme are organised to transfer knowledge and information in which a large audience participate in it. Hence it also creates many new distribution channels to bridge a gap between consumer and organisation for a healthy relationship, Madame Tussauds always works on its upcoming events these are new themed events which attracts large amount of newly formed audiences. Hence it always believes in working on advan ce technology to upgrade the knowledge and can face the new challenges in future and create new figures through which a large amount of informative audience can be targeted to fetch revenue from them. To make a hike for an organisation one need to take and handle the opportunities in right direction or positive use can lead the organisation to grow more and more. THREATS: can be of different types, which can lead you future trouble, threats are predicted as well as unpredicted circumstances which can harm an organisation structure in future. Whereas organisation takes extra measures and are prepared to overcome of the coming obstacles. Threats can be internal which are within the organisation or it can be external which are outside of the organisation. Mostly threats are from competitive environment, alternative destination and attractions, unreliable transportation, change in usage of advance technology, free attraction in London are some of the most upcoming threats which the company faces and has to bear the loses raised for the threats. All these threats are situational changes, whereas if the company can forecast these threats then the company can face these threats, whereas if an organisation cannot forecast the threats then it can lead to a serious issue. These threats can be controlled and the situation arises from these threats can also be controlled. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Merlin Entertainments Group is the second largest leisure organisation in the world after Disney. . Merlin aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 30 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands. Madame Tussauds is a big brand name and is globally acclaimed museum, Madame Tussauds of today is a fast paced and interactive experience, encouraging visitors to get up close and personal with their favourite celebrities. Madame Tussauds as a model for a successful leisure business is highly interesting and hence it focuses on each section of the resource an introduction to leisure and tourism, marketing and sales and customer service. It identitys the core concept through which an organisation objectives can be achieved. The commitment and passion of its managers and 13000 employees has been incredible, hence an organisation has been credible in utilisation of employees and its resources, and an organisation has received an effective cooperation to achieve the tasks and positive feedback from the employees. The management has a dynamic role to play with its marketing staff, distribution channel, advertisement and media networks and various other field work employees for spreading the knowledge and information to the customer and maintaining a healthy relation. Madame Tussauds is recognised as a brand with strong reputation and offers a unique experience. It is one of the most important tourist attraction spots in the world, which is visited by the tourists all over the world. Hence Merlin Entertainments Groups can also go for several project worldwide as it has a strong brand name and under this brand name many other Madame Tussauds museum can be operated in various country, Madame Tussauds has attraction in London, Las Vegas, Sydney, Vienna, Blackpool, Hollywood, Washington D.C., Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, New York City and Shanghai. Hence it can be extended to more different part of this world under the same brand name, as an organisation it is the most profitable organisation and has a tendency to increase the amount of profit margin as it holds great goodwill in the current global market. It spreads a cosmopolitan heritage across the world and hold international cooperation with various countries, and the role of manpower and skille d employees especially for this organisation has been phenomenon and this organisation has a great scope in future as it is one of the oldest attractive hub for most of the people across the world. Madame Tussauds is a wax museum which was opened 200 years ago and it remains just as popular as it ever was.

Analysis of Leda and the Swan Essay -- English Literature

Analysis of Leda and the Swan. Greek mythology. Analysis of Leda and the Swan. Greek mythology has, throughout history, been the subject of much debate and interpretation. Conjuring up images of bloody battles and crumbling cities, its descriptions of the epic battle between good and evil still have remarkable relevance and continue to resonate with poignancy in our bleak, war-torn society. The poem Leda and the Swan, written by William Butler Yeats, attempts to shed new light on what is arguably one of Ancient Greece's most controversial myths. In this essay I aim to study the poem in more depth, analysing what Yeats says and how he says it. Leda and the Swan is an interpretation of the Greek myth wherein Zeus, in the form of a swan, violated a young woman, who gave birth to Helen and Clytemnestra. Helen's flight with Paris to Troy, leaving her husband Menelaus (Agamemnon's brother) caused the war between the Greeks and the Trojans. Clytemnestra then murdered her husband Agamemnon on his return from victory at Troy. The poem begins with Yeats emphasising the brutality of Zeus' actions, describing the initial impact as a "sudden blow". The two words carry the connotation of brutality, urgency and forcefulness; the harshness of the word "sudden" consolidating the phrase's power. There is an implication that the action is unnaturally rapid, thus godlike and powerful. The power and forcefulness of Zeus' actions is reinforced as the line continues, with the word "great" used to describe the wings of the swan which represents him, while the harshness of harshness of the word "beating" re-emphasising the brutality of Zeus' actions. Furthermore, Yeat's use of the word "great" implies glory and majesty, ... ...self as a swan. It is also clear from the poem that Leda felt ambivalent while being raped - she was unsure of whether to submit or resist. The implication near the end of the poem is that she did attempt to resist (although the "shudder in the loins" and the "white rush" convey the fact that she was raped), yet the question is why this was so. Yeats causes the reader to ponder on whether Leda's fingers were "terrified" because of the act or because of her potential knowledge of the consequences, and he himself near the end of the poem ponders on whether she knew the consequences of the rape before it happened ("Did she put on his knowledge with his power?"). Yeats speaks, on a literal level, about the rape of a young woman, yet he also relates the events of Greek mythology to themes of fate, giving the poem meaning and resonance on a more universal level.

Abortion :: essays research papers

Years ago when a women would get pregnant she would have a baby. Today accidental pregnancies are solved by a method called abortion. With this method the newly formed fetus is basically removed from the mother’s body and destroyed. Although the whole process of having an abortion seems not especially pleasant, they seem to be popular. Many people argue that abortion is plain and simple murder. They reason that if a woman feels responsible enough to have sex, she needs to be responsible enough to deal with the consequences. No matter what the circumstances may be. The fourteenth amendment states that no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without a good reason and a fair trial. Pro-life supporters use the fact that in the United States constitution it clearly states that no one can kill anyone else without due process to fight against abortions. They reason that we must follow all of the other amendments so why do we not fully follow the fourteenth? The unborn baby has a constitutional right to life unless due process of the law is put into effect. But how can due process be in effect when the baby can not even speak for itself? Basically pro-life supporters argue that the baby can not be killed because it has the constitutional right to life. Non-abortions advocates also argue that abortions get used too regularly as a form of birth control. They believe that abortions are put into the same category as the â€Å"pill† and the Depo-Provera shot. They also believe that while abortions are legal and so available, people do not see unprotected sex as serious as they should. Women may consent to un-protected sex because if they become pregnant they figure they can always just go get an abortion. Pro-life supporters believe that abortions are a simple way out of a very complicated problem. However, the illegalization of abortion may bring on many consequences. If someone falls victim of rape and becomes pregnant it is not fair to make them keep the child. The mother would of course love the child, but with that would come a form of hate. It is true that one should take responsibility for their actions, but rape is no action of their own. Rape is an act of violence and no women should have to have a baby out of it. As a women I agree that I, and only I, should make the decision of rather to have an abortion or to not have one.

Yale’s Five Stage Developmental Model

Using Yale’s five-stage developmental model, identify the stages of Ronald Reagan’s first presidential campaign giving specific examples from history. Give specific attention to applying the stages of a campaign history. Document your sources using APA format. You must use EBSCO or other on-line sources available through Amberton Library. You may also use books available through Ebrary and net library to complete this assignment. These on-line books are available on the library’s on-line resources. Do not try to complete this assignment by using websites for speeches. Yale’s five stage developmental model gives us examples of what should happen from the beginning to end of a political campaign, product-line marketing scheme, or ideological campaign such as Christianity or Scientology. In the case of our 40th president, Ronald Reagan, you can see these steps put into action during his first run for the Presidential Office back in 1979. Yale’s model identifies the first step in the five stages as Identification. According to the text, Charles U. Larson (2010) Identification is the position you establish in the minds of your audience P. 83-289. The audience can be a congregation, fans, voters, and potential converts. In the case of Ronald Reagan, during his first campaign he would have wanted to bring favor upon himself in the eyes as many Americans as he possibly could; especially the Electoral College. He did, in fact, win over the nation & the Electoral College. The second step is Identification. According to Larson (2010), Identification in Yale’s model refers to â€Å"establishing a position in the minds of consumers, voters, and potential converts† p. 283. To achieve making their mark on the minds of potential customers a product line may simply use a name that encompasses what they offer, Newsweek is the example used in Larson (2010) â€Å"It suggests that it contains the news of the past week† p. 283. Identification can also be established with the use symbols, as in the case with McDonalds. The unmistakable â€Å"golden arches† of McDonalds can be seen for what seems like miles by children. During the 1980 election, a bumper sticker the Reagan Campaign released was a simple design with a large impact. The sticker’s basic blue background with the word â€Å"Reagan† in large white print sticks out along with â€Å"for president† down below the name; simple, yet effective. This sticker gives Identification to Reagan the man, the candidate, and Regan the brand name. Taking a step towards Yale’s first step, Identification, is also evident in The Reagan Campaign’s goals after he won the GOP July 7th 1980. As Michael Malbin noted, â€Å"Ronald Reagan had three strategic goals for the Republican convention. . . . He wanted to maintain the enthusiasm of the conservative supporters who won him the nomination. He wanted to reach out to centrist and moderate Republicans, particularly to white-collar suburbanites who might be thinking about voting for independent candidate John Anderson. Finally, he wanted to build on his appeal to normally Democratic blue-collar workers. † Skinner, Kiron; Bruce, Bueno de Mesquita,; Kudelia, Serhiy (2008) stated Reagan’s acceptance speech on July 17 was the most precise expression of these aspirations to date† p. 170. The Reagan Campaign takes the final step towards Identification by appealing to the American people as someone with peace on Earth in mind. This is evident from his stance on foreign relations and the military. Reagan appeals to many Americans who are not happy with the current administrations performance over the previous four years. Reagan stated in Skinner, Kiron; Bruce, Bueno de Mesquita; Kudelia, Serhiy’s (2008) â€Å"Of all the objectives we seek, first and foremost is the establishment of lasting world peace. We must always stand ready to negotiate in good faith, ready to pursue any reasonable avenue that holds forth the promise of lessening tensions and furthering the prospects of peace. But let our friends and those who may wish us ill take note: the United States has an obligation to its citizens and to the people of the world never to let those who would destroy freedom dictate the future course of human life on this planet. I would regard my election as proof that we have renewed our resolve to preserve world peace and freedom† p. 171. Although his contenders would try to portray Reagan as a warmonger, he repeatedly told voters that it was not his intent to make war but rather to create peace by building superior forces. Legitimacy is the second step in Yale’s model and simply put is being considered trustworthy and believable by your target audience. An example in the text states that a candidate, Larson (2010) â€Å"gains legitimacy by winning his political party’s primary election† p. 285; thus us the case in 1979 when Ronald Reagan won the Republican’s nod as the candidate for president in the election of 1980. In fact, it was more the illegitimacy of the Carter Campaign that helped Ronald Reagan charm voters. Voters that were upset over low employment, the economy, and foreign policy were a driving factor behind the fears Americans felt. Voters were ripe and the Reagan Campaign was there for the picking. Scheele, Henry Z (1981) â€Å"Ronald Reagan benefited in part from the conditions of his times, the unpopularity of the seemingly inept incumbent President, the division within the Democratic Party, and the resurgence of conservative thought in much of America† p. 274. Yale’s third step in the model is, Participation. Larson (2010) states that â€Å"the legitimacy stage of campaigns usually blends so smoothly with the participation stage that it is almost impossible to tell when one ends and the next begins â€Å" p. 286. The Participation step involves recruitment and involvement of previously uncommitted persons, although, this can be difficult to detect during political campaigns. The fine line between supporter and potential adversary can be as simple as the results of a primary election, as is in the case in the Republican Primary elections, which began in January 1980. George H. W.  Bush ran against Ronald Reagan in the 1980 Republican primaries. After George Bush was ultimately defeated, Reagan appointed Bush as his potential Vice President and running mate. The line of when George bush, previously uncommitted, became recruited by the Reagan Campaign is distinct. It occurred when George H. W. Bush accepted the offer to run beside Ronald Reagan. The fourth step in Yale’s model is known as Penetration. Larson (2010) â€Å"The penetration stage can be defined as the point at which a person, product, or idea has earned a meaningful share of the market, electorate, or other constituency. Meaningful might be defined as enough to be noticed by the opposition brand, candidate, or cause â€Å"p. 289. Winning an election is not a prerequisite for having penetrated a certain party’s ranks as a contender. In fact, simply being able to collect a substantial amount of votes can suffice in establishing legitimacy and therefore penetration can occur. Once could say that George H. W. Bush was not a significant in the 1980 Republican primary because he came in second place with a mere 3,070,033 votes, 23. 81 % of the total. However, this number was enough to earn Bush’s legitimacy as a Presidential contender and helped earn him the Vice Presidential position. The final step in Yale’s five step model is Distribution. This step involves the campaign or product showing a positive return to the voters or consumers in the form of success. Larson (2010) states that the distribution step takes place â€Å"as a campaign or movement’s succeeding and rewarding supporters in some way. The candidates now live up their promises. They signal their supporters that social change is going to occur† p. 289. A moment that stands out as a time when Ronald Reagan delivered a positive return to those who supported him and voted fro him in the 1980 Presidential election, is how he responded to the assassination attempt on his life. Allen, Richard V (2001) â€Å"On March 30th 1981, President Reagan was shot by a young man named John W. Hinckley Jr. while leaving a Washington hotel. â€Å" p. 64. But being shot by a would-be assassin is not what appealed to the American public, it’s the way he handled his ordeal and bounced back with such grace and professionalism; he took the entire ordeal in stride. In fact, according to Langer, Gary (June 7, 2004) â€Å"the attempt had great influence on Reagan's popularity; the polls indicated his approval rating to be around 73%†. This shows that somehow Americans were pleased with the fact Ronald Reagan was able to endure the ordeal. The y must have felt that they were in some ways repaid for believing in the newly elected President. Kengor, Paul (2004) Reagan believed that God had spared his life so that he might go on to fulfill a greater purpose and, although not a Catholic, meetings with Mother Teresa, Cardinal Terence Cooke, and fellow shooting survivor Pope John Paul II reinforced this belief. Reagan returned to the Oval Office on April 25, receiving a standing ovation from staff and Cabinet members; referring to their teamwork in his absence, he insisted, â€Å"I should be applauding you. † Steven R. Weisman (April 29, 1981) His first public appearance was an April 28 speech before the joint houses of Congress to introduce his planned spending cuts, a campaign promise. United Press International (April 25, 1981) He received â€Å"two thunderous standing ovations†, which the New York Times deemed â€Å"a salute to his good health† as well as his programs, which the President introduced using a medical recovery theme. It is apparent that the nation as a whole felt a positive return or, from Yale’s model, a distribution from Ronald Reagan during this specific moment just after his election. Sometimes it is not a product or tangible prize that your audience is looking for. Many times the feeling or emotional return is enough to provide hope and satisfy the masses. Although President Reagan probably did not wish to be shot, by retuning to office he filled America with good feelings.

Comparison Essay

Schools of Thought Comparison By: Amanda Szyszkowski There are three main types of schools of thought that are noted in the field of philosophy. The three schools are continental, pragmatic, and analytic philosophies. We are going to take a look at all three of theses and compare them, and see which one most appeals to me and why. The first school is continental philosophy. Continental philosophy is a general term that is associated with the philosophical views that originated on the continental England in the 20th century (dictionary. om staff, 2012). It contains many theories such as critical theory, deconstruction, existentialism, hermeneutics, phenomenology, and structuralism (dictionary. com staff, 2012). The two schools of thought linked to continental that are the most important are existentailism and phenomenology (Moore & Bruder, 2011). The most influencial philosophers related to continental philosophy are Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre (Moore & Bruder, 2011).Some th emes of existentailism are traditional and academic philosophies are sterile from the concerns of real life, the world is irrational, and the world is absurd in the sense that there are not explanations that can be given for the way that it is. The above are not all the themes for this school of thought but there are the most compelling (Moore & Bruder, 2011). The second type philosophy is known is pragmatic. Pragmatic philosophy is a type of philosophy that rejects the idea that there is a such a thing as absolute truth (Moore & Bruder, 2011).Instead in this philosophy they think the truth is realtive to time, place, purpose, and is ever changing in the light of new data (Moore & Bruder, 2011). Pragmatism roots primarily are located in the United States. It is also know as American pragmatism. The main school of thought for pragmatism is that there is no absolute or fixed truth. The founding fathers of this type of philosophy are C. S. Pierce and William James. James however would not take the credit for the invention of pragmatism that starting in philosophy clubs that the two men set up. He gives all the credit to Pierce.The final type of philosophy that I am going to cover is analytic philosophy. Analytic philosophy is the learning through experience. The mind of a person catorgorizes experiences. The main school of though for analytic philosophy is that the only thing that we know for certain is that we learn through experience (Moore & Bruder, 2011). Analytic philosophy has ties to both England and America, but it is mostly is used in America. The main philosopher for this type of philosophy is Russell. Russell and his wife set up many schools in England and America that proposed a new way of learning philosophy (Moore & Bruder, 2011).All three types of philosophy have strong and valid points and strong ideals. Which one do you think is the strongest one? References 1. Dictionary. com Staff. (2012) â€Å"Continental Philosophy† retrieved from http ://dictionary. reference. com/browse/continental-philosophy on September 2, 2012. 2. Moore, B. N. , & Bruder, K. (2011)  Philosophy: The Power Of Ideas. (8th  ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. 3. Farlex. (2012) â€Å"Pragmaticism† retrieved from http://www. thefreedictionary. com/pragmatism on September 2, 2012. 4.

Structured Cabling

1. What industry standards body and standards series numbers do you need to reference for Ethernet applications and cabling? The IEEE maintains the industry standards for Ethernet Protocols (or applications). This is part of the 802.3 series of standards and includes applications such as 1000Base-T, 1000Base-SX, 10GBase-T, and 10GBase-SR.2. What are the different types of category 6 cables and what should be recommended this network? Category 6 and category 6A are the types of cables; I would recommend Cat 6A cable over Cat 6 because cat 6A also supports 10Gbps which is for future speed.3. What cable would you recommend to offer the best shielding performance? You need STP or FIBER OPTIC cable to provide best shielding performance, optic fiber is expensive not easy to terminate ends and has no RFI EMI, whereas shielded twisted pair is easy and cheap.4. What type of cable would you use for the horizontal spaces and vertical links? Cat6 is the current standard for new installations of Ethernet cable. Depending on the space and certain building codes you need to decide between Plenum (CMP) or Riser (CMR). The difference being Riser cable is more durable, but puts out toxic fumes when caught on fire, so it is not suitable for spaces with open air flow. Dropped ceilings are generally considered Plenum spaces so therefore require plenum cable.5. What would you look for in trying to find fault if you had the following next and fext problems in 1Gbps links and difficulty meeting 10Gbps performance requirements? When finding fault in NEXT; the crosstalk is usually detected or found at the same end of the cable generating the signal and it is most common between 60 and 90 feet of the transmitter.In the other hand, when finding faults in FEXT the crosstalk occurs in the other end (opposite) of the cable. the problem is usually too many twists in the  cable; Alien Crosstalk (AXT) as the signal rate increase in a cable, this is a major source of interference, and a limiti ng factor, for running 10GBase-T (10Gbps) over UTP cabling. This kind of crosstalk usually â€Å"occurs when the signal being carried in one cable interferes with the signal being carried in â€Å"another cables†.TermsOsi- (Open Systems Interconnection) this is a standard description or â€Å"reference Model† for how messages should be transmitted between any two points in a telecommunication network. Its purpose is to guide product implementers so that their products will consistently work with other products. The reference model defines seven layers of functions that take place at each end of a communication. Although OSI is not always strictly adhered to in terms of keeping related functions together in a well-defined layer, many if not most products involved in telecommunication make an attempt to describe them in relation to the OSI model. It is also valuable as a single reference view of communication that furnishes everyone a common ground for education and dis cussion.Developed by representatives of major computer and telecommunication companies beginning in 1983, OSI was originally intended to be a detailed specification of interfaces. Instead, the committee decided to establish a common reference model for which others could develop detailed interfaces that in turn could become standards. OSI was officially adopted as an international standard by the International Organization of Standards (ISO). Currently, it is Recommendation X.200 of the ITU-TS. The main idea in OSI is that the process of communication between two end points in a telecommunication network can be divided into layers, with each layer adding its own set of special, related functions.Each communicating user or program is at a computer equipped with these seven layers of function. So, in a given message between users, there will be a flow of data through each layer at one end down through the layers in that computer and, at the other end, when the message arrives, another flow of data up through the layers in the receiving computer and ultimately to the end user or program. The actual programming and hardware that furnishes these seven layers of function is usually a combination of the computer  operating system, applications (such as your Web browser), TCP/IP or alternative transport and network protocols, and the software and hardware that enable you to put a signal on one of the lines attached to your computer.The 7 Standard Tcp/IPLayer 7: The application layer†¦This is the layer at which communication partners are identified, quality of service is identified, user authentication and privacy are considered, and any constraints on data syntax are identified. (This layer is not the application itself, although some applications may perform application layer functions.) Layer 6: The presentation layer†¦This is a layer, usually part of an operating system, that converts incoming and outgoing data from one presentation format to another (f or example, from a text stream into a popup window with the newly arrived text). Sometimes called the syntax layer.Layer 5: The session layer†¦This layer sets up, coordinates, and terminates conversations, exchanges, and dialogs between the applications at each end. It deals with session and connection coordination. Layer 4: The transport layer†¦This layer manages the end-to-end control (for example, determining whether all packets have arrived) and error-checking. It ensures complete data transfer. Layer 3: The network layer†¦This layer handles the routing of the data (sending it in the right direction to the right destination on outgoing transmissions and receiving incoming transmissions at the packet level). The network layer does routing and forwarding.Layer 2: The data-link layer†¦This layer provides synchronization for the physical level and does bit-stuffing for strings of 1's in excess of 5. It furnishes transmission protocol knowledge and management. Lay er 1: The physical layer†¦This layer conveys the bit stream through the network at the electrical and mechanical level. It provides the hardware means of sending and receiving data on a carrier.

Rebellion of 1837

Dannicah S. Blk 2. 3 Rebellion of 1837 After learning about the rebellion of 1837 and constantly taking notes, I realized the rebellion was not successful in overturning the government but it did unite both Upper and Lower Canada together. This was able to take away any differences of the two cultures, English and French. The impact did not happen immediately as intended though. In fact it caused the government to get back at the reformers and concentrate more on their punishment such as transportation, hanging, flogging and deaths for the rebels, instead of working on fixing the colony.You can tell that Canada had a serious political problem that was in desperate need to be improved. When the Chateau Clique and the reformers squared off against each other, the British did nothing to ease tension. They appointed James Craig, an anti-French as governor just to arrest those who criticized the government and brought soldiers to intimidate the French. The French Canadians disapproved of the British democracy and found it very difficult to accept. There were numerous reasons why many French Canadians resented the government.Three important ones were because of how discriminative economically and politically the government was of their language and culture, how they were given unequal taxation, and for their lack in power over the government. Although, this all happened in Lower Canada. The rebellion in Upper Canada was to bring an American style democracy because they, as well as the people in Lower Canada, believed that their government were discriminative against the French. The reason why I believe the rebellion in both Lower and Upper Canada was unsuccessful because they did not have any reasonable impact on any British colonies immediately.To begin with, the Rebellion in Upper Canada failed miserably because of their lack of military experience. Many rebellions were killed during battle and several were arrested. Some even fled to America, they were no match fo r the British. This rebellion would have been more successful if the Catholic Church participated but church leaders advised parishioners to stay loyal to the British. The rebellion in Lower Canada ended quickly. The rebellion in Upper Canada also did not turn out so good as well since the British military overpowered them.Even though Mackenzie, leader of the Upper Canada rebellion, took time to train his rebels and plan, the whole event all just led to deaths and arrest of many patriots. Mackenzie also escaped to America where he gained supporters there. In the end the British government continued to rule of Canada where they focused on discussing major punishment for the rebels. In my opinion, the leaders who led the rebellion of both Upper and Lower Canada were very similar. They could motivate emotions with words but they had no idea how to organize their supporters into affective forces.Eventually, Britain’s ways of administrating the colonies would have to change. John Lambton, the Earl of Durham, a reformer politician, realized the whole cause of the rebellion was the conflict between the English and French. He then proposed that Upper and Lower Canada should be united. In conclusion, the whole Rebellion was not successful as planned since the impact did not happen immediately but when Lower and Upper Canada was united it developed a new country. However, both leaders of the Rebellion returned to Canada eventually and were considered heroes by some and other as troublemakers.

How Social Networking Sites Help Employers to Communicate Effectively Essay

How Social Networking Sites Help Employers to Communicate Effectively with Employees - Essay Example This phenomenon of communication through social networks has a greater impact in workplaces. This is because it has presented an opportunity for employers and employees to engage in their workplace under collective basis. FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn are the four major social networking sites that are enhancing communication across the world. Effective communication using social media within workplaces is mainly reinforced by their ability to reach instantaneously to a vast number of people in an organization. It has also laid a platform that allows two way communications through instant messaging available in the chat rooms. In addition, effective communication has also been enhanced in the workplaces among employers and employees due to their easy accessibility and usability. This is because in the current world social networking sites are readily available to everyone who is able to use a smart phone or a computer. These factors have enhanced higher adoption of social s ites masking them the fundamental part of organizations every day’s life. This paper work focuses on how social networking sites help employers communicate more effectively with employees in order to enhance higher productivity and other added values at workplaces. Communication power of social networking sites in workplaces Internet and social networking media have greatly contributed to fundamental changes concerning ways in which people interact in the business world and other private spheres. Companies and other corporate organization across the world have played a catch-up in order to understand ways of harnessing the emerging technologies for better management. Employers in various organizations have responded to the rising technology in the modern world to facilitate relationships with their employees through social media. Various online communication channels such as emails and other instant messaging have changed efficiency and nature of communication processes in bu sinesses and other organizations. This is by maintaining relationships among working colleagues in order to enhance their primary roles. Since it is difficult for employers to contact all employees in their business organizations, social networking sites have provided an opportunity for them to have quicker and faster communication (Jue, Marr, & Kassotakis, 2009). In case of issues that need instant attention, employers are always in a position to send the messages through social networks such as MySpace and LinkedIn to their employees. This enables information to reach all employees within a short time making them to have quick reaction and decision toward what the employer require them to do. This has facilitated better collaboration of all subordinate workers and their employer in work places. Collaboration has greatly transformed work outputs in businesses and other organization due to effective communication between managers and their employees through networks that promote tea mwork (Kaupins, 2011). Frequent communication between employers and employees has also allowed everybody to contribute in enhancing better performance of organizations. This is because communication allows every subordinate member in an organization to grow together in a team. In addition, it has also been noted that most of the employees are young generation who are always determined to use social networking

Joint Attention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Joint Attention - Essay Example I started making sounds with my mouth and he raised his head, seeming surprised as he looked at my moving mouth. A while later, I saw a small smile curl on his lips. I kept popping my lips and making sounds, and earned a small chuckle from this beautiful baby. His mother kept cooing and encouraging him, as if to tell him that I was safe to interact with. It only took a short time, but I felt good that our interaction was very positive, making me want to see more of Ethan’s awesome smile. What transpired in the interaction between Ethan and me is known as ‘joint attention’. There have been several studies on the topic of joint attention, and several definitions have been formed in relation to the study design. Naoi, Tsuchiya, Yamamoto, Nakamura (2008) broadly define joint attention as the â€Å"coordinated and shared attention between two individuals directed at an object or event† (p. 595). Naber, et al (2007) refer to joint attention as a â€Å"triadic relation between self, other and object and indicates the earliest behavior of the infant’s awareness of others’ minds† (p. 899). In their view, Naber, et al conclude that manifested early joint attention behaviors are major milestones in child development. Illustrated in simple terms, joint attention does not refer to only one observed behavior but a host of related behaviors such as gaze following; pointing behavior; mutual gazing or joint visual attention; following the dir ection of the pointing of the speaker; showing an object; giving an appropriate response to a mutually gazed at object; etc. It includes another person joining the individual in attending to an object or event observed. Rocha, Schreibman and Stahmer (2007) categorize joint attention into joint attention initiations or joint attention responses. They claim that joint attention responses develop earlier in the individual than the ability to initiate joint attention bids.

Satisfying and dissatisfying scenarios and two service incident Essay - 1

Satisfying and dissatisfying scenarios and two service incident analyses - Essay Example There are many satisfying service incidents that I have experienced, but I would like to share this particular experience with McDonald’s. McDonald’s is one of the leading firms in the fast food chain industry around the globe today. Fast food chain restaurants are very popular in today’s fast-paced world where everybody seems to be looking for an instant in almost everything. This incident happened on August 27, 2011, at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Together with my family, we enjoyed not just good tasting foods from McDonald’s, but including their fast and reliable service. It took only around less than 5 minutes and we enjoyed eating our orders. We were looking for nearby restaurants at that time. Our hunger and thirst were remarkable by then, but they subsided right away after we were able to receive product and service offerings based on our expectation. The researchers thought it would be much better to try McDonald’s instead of o ther restaurants because we were trying to consider the time and our level of hunger for food. It happened that McDonald’s was one of the nearby restaurants we saw so we considered it our primary choice. The researcher was so satisfied because there were many customers in the queue at that time but the service crew attendants did a remarkable favor for everyone. They ensured that customers’ orders have been taken already while they were still in the queue waiting their time to be served.

Quantative problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quantative problem solving - Essay Example On the other hand, Carol recommends the Exer-Trim program of the XYZ Fitness Club which offers a daily pass and use of gym and other health facilities worth $2.56 inclusive of supplements at a fixed annual cost of $307. As a challenge to herself, Tanya has to decide on the option that would enable her to lose weight and save money on the first 60 days prior to their out-of-the-country vacation. A. Analyze the cost of each option algebraically – Each cost equation may be written in the slope-intercept form y = mx + b, Assuming that the value of the daily set meal under the U-Light program is not subject to change, then Tanya would have to pay a constant rate of $5.13 if she chooses to diet without workout and agree to cover the $145-annual fee. Hence, the cost of enrolment for the U-Light package may be set, depending on the number of days (t) signed up for, as: C(t) = 5.13*t + 145 (in which the slope (m) is the rate $5.13 charge per day and the y-intercept (b) assumes the fixe d cost of $145 (on a yearly basis)). Considering the Exer-Trim program, nevertheless, Tanya has the alternative of visiting the XYZ club for an extensive workout that can make her thoroughly fit even in the absence of restricting diet on food. She just needs to pay a uniform daily rate of $2.56 that comes with fixed settlement of $307 for supplementary items such that, depending also on the number of days (t) enrolled for, it would cost her: C(t) = 2.56*t + 307 (in which the slope (m) is the rate $2.56 charge per day and the y-intercept (b) is given by the fixed cost of $307 (on a yearly basis)) C(t) stands for ‘cost in dollars’ whereas ‘t’ represents the number of days (diet and exercise) and to find solution where the values of C(t) and t are the same for both schemes, equate 5.13*t + 145 = 2.56*t + 307 which becomes 2.57*t = 162 (on combining like terms) ---? t ? 63.035 days (upon division of each side by 2.57) Then, substituting this value of ‘tâ €™ into one of the original equations: C(63.035) = 5.13*(63.035) + 145 ---? C(63.035) ? $468.37 This means that the solution is approximately at: B. Depict the real-world problem on a single graph – Sketch of the Graph: Total Workout or Diet Meal Cost (per package) C(t) t-days (diet or exercise) C. Discuss a decision-making process that is based on both mathematical reasoning and non-financial, or situational, considerations. After solving the system of equations and sketching each linear graph on the xy-plane, Tanya can now decide according to the following outcomes: At t > 63.035 days, it would cost Tanya too much to go on a south beach diet with U-Light program whereas at t < 63.035 days, it is rather expensive to go after extensive workout with Exer-Trim program. Since Tanya’s priority is to save money for the first 60 days of her weight loss scheme, she must then opt for the U-Light program and go on south beach diet that merely includes one pass to the gym. T he graph shows that she can save more for the Bali-getaway if she agrees to pay $5.13 a day for a south beach diet meal with fixed annual service charge of $145. In that case, she would

The Invasion of Kuwait in 1990 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Invasion of Kuwait in 1990 - Essay Example The essence and purpose of this essay is to analyze how the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq has affected the relationship between these two countries to date. To achieve this goal, the researcher of the essay analyzes several different oficial and unofficial reasons for the invasion, the results of the war, and the United States factor in the invasion discussed. In addition, several reasons were advanced by Iraq to justify the invasion which was contrary to international law, and article 2(4) of the UN Charter which forbids the use or the threat of use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another country. The official reason that was discussed in the essay and advanced by Iraq is that it was invading at the request of revolutionaries who were dissatisfied with the regime. However, the researcher mentiones that the real reasons for the attack behind it were conspicuous and were revealed later, for example by Saddam Hussein during his interrog ation by the FBI. The researcher analyzes the consequences of the war and discusses how the Invasion affected Kuwait-Iraq relationship today. In conclusion the researcher states that the Iraq invasion of Kuwait had serious repercussion on the relationship between the two countries. It not only strained its relationship with Kuwait, but also major superpowers. However, following the removal of Saddam Hussein from power, the relationship between the two countries are slowly normalizing again.... Therefore, Iraq sent officials to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other gulf member countries to convince them to fix the price of oil. The OPEC member states finally agreed at a price, but which the Kuwait said would not honor, and Kuwait was throughout violating their quota. Consequently, this gave rise diplomatic and economic disputes between these two countries (Gulfnews, 2009). Secondly, the other issue related to debts that Kuwait had advanced to Iraq to fund the war with Iran. At the end of the war, Iraq could not repay the debt that amounted to $14 billion. Hence, Iraq approached Iran to forgive the debt, a request which Kuwait rejected. This compromised the other avenue that Iraq could use to secure funds to help in rebuilding, that is through securing loans. This is because the amounts extended had already been registered as loans, and therefore Iraq could not secure loans from third states. Iraq argued that the word ‘loan’ had been used to disguise the real nature of such funding to Iran. Iraq was of the view that these amounts were not loans but free grants to aid in the fight against Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini which was threatening to overran the whole Arab region. The failure to forgive these debts acerbated the tension between these two countries (Gulfnews, 2009). The other reason advanced by Iraq, was the accusation that Kuwait was ‘stealing’ oil across their international border through slant-drilling especially in Rumaila oil fields. The oil field borders the two countries and during the Iraq-Iran war, while Iraq had cut materially production of oil from Rumaila oil fields, Kuwait increased its production in the same area. Iraq accused Kuwait of employing advanced drilling methods to its oil. It argued that Kuwait had

Portfolios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Portfolios - Essay Example There are many types of portfolios and some include the documentation portfolio, process portfolio and the show case portfolio. The documentation portfolio also known as working portfolio is an approach that entails the compilation of data that shows the growth and progression of scholars. A process portfolio is another type of portfolio that shows the general learning process of students. This means that the portfolio collects the small details of the student works and shows how a student used his/her skills to improve their grades. This type of portfolio also shows the self-reflection of the students. Showcase portfolios illustrate the cumulative assessment of the syllabus mastery by the student. It contains the best work of the student from the topics that the teachers have seen suitable for evaluation (Sharp) An electronic portfolio is a portfolio that uses technological methods to document and store the information of a student. It is better that the other types of portfolios because it uses many methods of documenting and storing data. These methods include auditory, visual and graphics. The electronic portfolios have the potential of sorting out materials so that they connect facts to suitable standards. The information can be in form of a tape or computer readable structure. Portfolios are a good way of teaching students as the students will be able to assess themselves in their learning process. When a student looks at how he is gradually becoming a poor student, he may be able to pay more attention to his weak points and work harder to perform better. Moreover, through the student portfolio, a teacher is able to make the students perform better in their studies and improve their weak points (Aurbach, 2006). Unlike a report card, which will only show a grade like C or B, a portfolio shows much more detail. It will show the weakness and struggles of a student. This is

Ethical Behavior of Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Behavior of Companies - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that honoring the interest of the shareholders is the priority of any business investment. Investors expect to yield maximum profit from the venture by maximizing revenue and minimizing cost. However, balancing these parameters leads to adverse consequences that result in social or environmental conflict with other stakeholders. Therefore, the integration of a CSR framework comes in handy to solve the conflict created by the business operations. The Corporate Social Responsibility model requires the firm to be responsible for its business practices that affect the community or the environment where it operates. However, this does not come at the expense of the enterprise success. For this reason, the value optimization is the ideal practice because it embraces social, economic, and environmental accountability to its stakeholders. The responsible shareholder-value optimization principle supports ethical actions and responsibility of the busin ess to its stakeholders. Under this principle, the organization is responsible for any social, economic or environmental inconvenience caused by its maneuver. As a result, this role gives the business a mandate to ensure ethical practices that are within the expectation of the shareholders, the community, and other stakeholders.

A newspaper invites young people to write articles about television Coursework

A newspaper invites young people to write articles about television programmes they either loathe or love. Write the piece you would send to the newspaper - Coursework Example You can tell which series it is from the opening sequence. Actually I can tell what series it is from the extent of Chandler’s physical decline. He starts out quite fit and degenerates into an increasingly zombified, staring-eyed mess. Apparently he had to fight some addiction demons in real life. My theory is that working with this bunch gradually eroded his sanity. I only watch Friends because it provides the ideal opportunity for venting all my pent-up frustrations about life. For me this programme has all the charms of an emotional punchbag. I look at the smug, silly faces and enjoy an imaginary workout in the boxing ring with each one in turn. Except Chandler. Something worries me about Chandler. It is a fact that every viewer on the planet, unfortunately, has a soft spot for one of the six characters. It’s a kind of post-modern Rorschach test. The one you identify with reveals your true nature. I never did see the attraction of Friends, and even now, almost a decade after the last series gasped its way onto our screens, I don’t get it. I mean look at the stereotypical gender roles. The girls are all mad: Rachel is sex-mad, Monica is neurotic and has issues with food, issues with hygiene, issues with men, and a seriously weird relationship with her brother. And Phoebe. Well, Phoebe is the poster girl for cloud-cuckoo land. â€Å"Smelly cat, smelly cat†¦You smell like something dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was that all about? I hope the producers are insured against all the law suits that are bound to follow from children thinking that this is acceptable behaviour in an adult human being. And the boys are not much better. Would you go out with any of them? The show has a formula that is repeated ad nauseam until finally the characters just show up on the set and the dialogue writes itself. In fact it is so predictable that a ten year old could write it and nobody would be any the wiser. Joey and Chandler have little boy-games in their flat, while Rachel