Pocahontas Essays - Disneys Pocahontas, American Folklore

Pocahontas People today tend to scrutinize every aspect of anything that crosses the silver screen. The Disney company is always questioned on the reality of their films. Some see racism, bias, or ignorance toward history. Now for a cartoon that's supposed to entertain children, Disney does it the best. They do it so well that some argue that the people who criticize Disney are the one's who have the problem. But when Disney makes a film they have to keep one thing in mind when they do it. They have to understand that what they show to children those kids are going to see that, and except that as the truth. Take for example the movie Pocahontas by Disney. This is a film with many flaws that could eventually lead kids off the truth behind the real story of Pocahontas. Pocahontas was a real story with real people. By Disney taking that film and putting their own twist on it, they could lead an entire generation of kids away from what's true. Disney was wrong when they made the movie because what they showed wasn't the truth, and by taking history and changing it around is just unethical. Jaquelyn Kilpatrick tries to make that same point on an essay about relatively the same thing. Jaquelyn Kilpatrick states, "Instead of progress in depicting Native Americans, this film takes a step backwards ? a very dangerous step because it is so carefully glossed as ?authentic' and ?respectful'" (74). Kilpatrick points out that Pocahontas was supposed to be the most "PC" of all the Disney movies ever. But the backbone of her thesis is that it didn't pay attention to any of the facts about Pocahontas' life because it was so politically correct. She also argues, "For one thing, she was not a voluptuos young woman when she met John Smith but a ten- to twelve-year-old girl, and John Smith was a thirty-something mercenary who more resembled a brick than a blonde Adonis" (74). Disney not only clouded the story of a young girl who was kidnapped and raped by English settlers, but they even portrayed her looks totally wrong. "Besides her beautiful ?more Asian' eyes, he gave her a body with a wasp waist, sexy hips and legs, and breasts that are truly impressive" (76). She also went on to explain the misrepresentation of the English settlers. She points out " the English in the film are extremely one-dimensional in their bumbling greed" (76). Disney not all stereotyped all English as money hungry bandits, but they also stereotyped all Native American as ready to fall head over heels for the first white man who comes their way. Kilpatrick goes on saying "they changed her age, her body, and gave her a motive for her actions that boils down to going gaga over the first white man she sees" (74). But the one point that Kilpatrick stated over an over was that Disney changed the truth behind the story of Pocahontas. Pocahontas was changed to leave a smile on everyone's face. The story of Pocahontas wasn't a happy love story; it was a tragic story of a young girl. Pocahontas was a girl who was kidnapped and raped by the English settlers. She was then married to a tobacco planter named John Rolf and went to England, only to die of smallpox on the journey to return home. Personally, I agree with every point that Kilpatrick presented in her argument. The story of Pocahontas wasn't Disney's type story, but Disney turned it into one for the sake of money. Disney saw an open market for a Native American story, and they went for it sacrificing history for a dollar. Disney wanted to do something for a culture that has never been honored before, the Native Americans. But they did it in exchange for history. Native Americans where honored but not through the true story of Pocahontas. Pocahontas and Disney's Pocahontas are two different people. But in the eyes of children everywhere when they think of a Native American story they'll think of Disney's. It's a sad thing that something like a movie could change something like the real story of Pocahontas. Out there is a generation of kids who went to see a real good movie. But the movie that was supposed to be the truth really wasn't. The movie was something twisted and molded to satisfy an audience that wouldn't be happy with violence, and unattractive people. Kilpatrick made a point with this article. The point being that this

Understanding Society Through Cultural Artifacts

Understanding Society Through Cultural Artifacts Researchers can learn a great deal about a society by analyzing cultural artifacts such as newspapers, magazines, television programs, or music. These cultural artifacts, which can also be considered aspects of material culture, can reveal a great deal about the society that produced them. Sociologists call the study of these cultural artifacts content analysis. Researchers who use content analysis are not studying the people, but rather are studying the communications the people produce as a way of creating a picture of their society. Key Takeaways: Content Analysis In content analysis, researchers examine a societys cultural artifacts in order to understand that society.Cultural artifacts are the aspects of material culture produced by a society, such as books, magazines, televisions shows, and movies.Content analysis is limited by the fact that it can only tell us what content a culture has produced, not how members of the society actually feel about those artifacts. Content analysis is frequently used to measure cultural change and to study different aspects of culture. Sociologists also use it as an indirect way to determine how social groups are perceived. For example, they might examine how African Americans are depicted in television shows or how women are depicted in advertisements. Content analysis can uncover evidence of racism and sexism in society. For example, in one study, researchers looked at the representation of female characters in 700 different films. They found that only about 30% of characters with a speaking role were female, which demonstrates a lack of representation of female characters. The study also found that people of color and LGBT individuals were underrepresented in film. In other words, by collecting data from cultural artifacts, researchers were able to determine the extent of the diversity problem in Hollywood. In conducting a content analysis, researchers quantify and analyze the presence, meanings, and relationships of words and concepts within the cultural artifacts they are studying. They then make inferences about the messages within the artifacts and about the culture they are studying. At its most basic, content analysis is a statistical exercise that involves categorizing some aspect of behavior and counting the number of times such behavior occurs. For example, a researcher might count the number of minutes that men and women appear on screen in a television show and make comparisons. This allows us to paint a picture of the patterns of behavior that underlie social interactions portrayed in the media. Strengths of Using Content Analysis Content analysis has several strengths as a research method. First, it is a great method because it is unobtrusive. That is, it has no effect on the person being studied since the cultural artifact has already been produced. Second, it is relatively easy to gain access to the media source or publication the researcher wishes to study. Rather than trying to recruit research participants to fill out questionnaires, the researcher can use cultural artifacts that have already been created. Finally, content analysis can present an objective account of events, themes, and issues that might not be immediately apparent to a reader, viewer, or general consumer. By conducting a quantitative analysis of a large number of cultural artifacts, researchers can uncover patterns that might not be noticeable from looking at only one or two examples of cultural artifacts. Weaknesses of Using Content Analysis Content analysis also has several weaknesses as a research method. First, it is limited in what it can study. Since it is based only on mass communication – either visual, oral, or written – it cannot tell us what people really think about these images or whether they affect people’s behavior. Second, content analysis may not be as objective as it claims since the researcher must select and record data accurately. In some cases, the researcher must make choices about how to interpret or categorize particular forms of behavior and other researchers may interpret it differently. A final weakness of content analysis is that it can be time consuming, as researchers need to sort through large numbers of cultural artifacts in order to draw conclusions. References Andersen, M.L. and Taylor, H.F. (2009). Sociology: The Essentials. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.

Facebook Advertising for Authors Part 2

Facebook Advertising for Authors Part 2 Facebook Advertising for Authors, by Mark Dawson: Part 2 Facebook advertising is a marketing technique that is rising in popularity among many independent authors. As any other technique, it takes time, testing and iteration to produce results. And as for any other technique, it works better in certain genres and for certain books than others.However, we believe there is a great untapped potential in Facebook advertising for authors and this is the reason why we interviewed internationally bestselling author Mark Dawson. You can read part 1 of the interview here, where he focuses on growing a mailing list through Facebook ads. You can also play the full video below to enjoy a nice French chateau decorum and hear just how fascinated Mark is by the potential of Facebook marketing. Or, if you’re familiar with both, read part 2 of the transcript below!Here, we focus on advertising from Facebook directly to Amazon and how to track the results, on top of decrypting how Amazon’s wonderful algorithms work and how to get the most out of your faithful reviewers! Hi Mark! In part 1 of this interview, we discussed how you use keep separate mailing lists and automated email sequences to drive sales. I am subscribed to your mailing list, and I noticed that before I get to the email where you offer me to buy the next book in the series, you offer several free books and really try to build a relationship with the reader.Yes, and that’s really important. One thing I’ve worked very hard on is to turn those subscribers into readers, then into fans, then super-fans, and finally into friends. That’s kind of the way I look at it. So I’ve got a street team with nearly 900 people, which is now closed because 900 is enough for what I need.But I answer every single email from readers, whether it comes from they finding my email address on my website or from a reply to an email I sent out, I reply to everything. I also try to answer every message on Facebook.I think that’s really important, and it might be one of those thin gs I’ll not be able to do forever, because I’ve got probably 20,000 people on my lists now and am very busy writing new stuff and running the business. So at some point I’ll have to sit down and ask myself: â€Å"can I justify spending an hour every day answering email correspondence from readers?†; but I’ll put that off as long as I can, because I think that’s one of the main reasons why last year was so successful.I’ve now got fans who I can really rely on: when I say I’ve got a new book out, I know they’ll go and buy it. And if that happens in certain numbers, then Amazon starts marketing for you and everything becomes a virtuous circle at that point.Yes, it’s really all about hitting that point where Amazon starts doing the work for you, isn’t it? And the launch is a particularly crucial moment for that, right?Yes, I’ve launched quite a few books like year and monitored and studied the dynamics o f the launches, so I’ve got it down now to a reasonably fine art. I know, for example, that if you’ve got 1,000 people on your list and you’re confident that 100 of them will buy the book when it comes out, you don’t want them to buy the book on the same day. Amazon rewards you for steady sales rather than spikes. So it’s better to have 20 every day for 5 days rather than 100 on day 1 and then nothing on days 2 to 5.That kind of stuff is quite important, and if you’ve got - like I do - segmented lists, you’re able to â€Å"massage† the sales into a pattern that you think will be best for Amazon to notice this new book.And if we go back to Facebook ads, what I might do for the launch is set up an ad just targeted to people on my mailing list. One thing that Facebook allows you to do is to import your email addresses from your mailing list and they will then match these email addresses with Facebook accounts (provided that thes e people have one). So I will also serve ads to those people as well. Some people might say: â€Å"why are you saying the same thing twice? You’re already sending them an email asking them to buy the book.† Well, not all emails are opened (50% is already a very high open rate), and it’s a standard advertizing theory that it takes more than one touch for someone to make a buying decision. So that kind of joined-up campaign is going to be more effective than just an email blast or just a Facebook campaign.Yes, that’s what we call â€Å"re-marketing† in the business world, and it’s a widely used technique to engage with users who sign up for your services but then don’t end up â€Å"buying† anything. Facebook’s â€Å"custom audiences† are a great way to do that indeed. Another amazing feature that Facebook has is â€Å"lookalike† audiences, do you use those?Oh yes, all the time. For those who don’t know what one is, you can import your mailing list into Facebook and then tell them: â€Å"please, generate a lookalike audience based on this mailing list†. Facebook will then try to assess what the people have in common in your mailing list, and algorithmically search for people matching the same interests, demographics, etc.And how are the results, compared to the standard campaigns simply based on â€Å"interests†?Sometimes better. My best sales ad for one of the boxed sets I have on sale is a 2.2M list of people based in the United States defined as a â€Å"lookalike† of my mailing list. I optimize the ads for clicks and typically generate a %50-%100 ROI every day.For the ads that redirect to Amazon, how do you track the results? Because you can track what happens on your website, but you cannot track what happens on Amazon, right?That’s an interesting question and one I’m looking into right now. At the moment, I use affiliate linking: you can set up an affiliate account and direct your ads to the affiliate links, so Amazon will tell you through their affiliate program exactly how many people have bought your book coming from that affiliate URL.Unfortunately, I’ve been looking into this as I said, and it looks like you’re not really allowed to use an Amazon affiliate link in a Facebook ad, which is really really annoying. So what you’ll probably have to do is send the traffic from Facebook to your website where you have a sales page, and then your sales page has the affiliate links. And I hate that, on the one hand, because it’s putting a step between the ad and the buying decision, but on the other hand you can put things on your sales page that you cannot have on Amazon, like a video, or clips from the audiobook, etc.Of course, if that doesn’t prove to work, the alternative is just not to use affiliate links and directly send the traffic to Amazon, on a normal link. You’re less pre cise on your numbers that way but provided you know what you were selling before, you can get a rough idea of how effective the campaign is being.Last question for you Mark, to wrap this up and let you go back to your other activities. Let’s say I’m an author, I have a mailing list with 20 subscribers, and I’ve just implemented a â€Å"reader magnet†, where I offer a free book for readers to subscribe to my mailing list. I’m still getting only 2-3 reviewers a week. What kind of actionable steps can I take in order to get more subscribers?First, make sure that the call to action for that reader magnet is everywhere. You need to advertize the reader magnet on your product page, because a subscriber is more important than a sale. So if a reader sees it on the page but doesn’t buy the book, don’t worry: once they’re on your list, you can offer them book 2, book 3, etc. You need to look at it as a long term financial proposition rat her than short term financial gain.So put it on the product page, put it on your Amazon (and Reedsy) author page, put in on your books - front and back: front so readers see it if they use the â€Å"look inside† functionality on Amazon, back so readers who enjoy your book can subscribe to get more - and everywhere else: link your social media profiles to your landing page.Provided all that is in place, I suggest you look into Facebook ads, because that’s one pretty hot area right now with incredible growth opportunities for us.Thank you so much for all this advice, Mark!  If you want to learn more on Facebook ads, visit Mark Dawson’s course, Self-Publishing Formula, here!Have you tried using Facebook advertising to grow your mailing list? Or to sell more books? What do you think of Mark’s tools for success? Leave your thoughts, or any questions for Mark, in the comments below!

Marketing Planning Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Marketing Planning - Research Proposal Example Animeinternational.com (2006) is an online retailer of anime related products: Dvds and Music; Manga and Books; Toys and Figures; Art Work; Cards and Games; and other merchandise such as accessories, jewelry, and even kitchenware. The company sells over 10,000 diverse products in the anime genre. Animeinternational.com also caters to the multimedia consumer, offering specialized downloads such as wallpapers and avatars (used in Internet forums, emails and online gaming). This diversity in product, design and orientation allows animeinternational.com to offer consumers a wide variety of the most popular anime titles through E-commerce and telephone purchases. Animeinternational.com (2006) slogan is "Your Online Anime Mega Store for all your Anime Needs" and advertises that "Unlike our competitors our focus is not only the North American market, rather we cater to the needs of customers in all countries worldwide." Claiming "price leadership and unparalleled customer service" (animeinternational.com 2006) the company exhibits a strong focus on total quality management in the domains of business to customer and business to business transactions. There are multiple products and services available. ... th American market, rather we cater to the needs of customers in all countries worldwide." Claiming "price leadership and unparalleled customer service" (animeinternational.com 2006) the company exhibits a strong focus on total quality management in the domains of business to customer and business to business transactions. There are multiple products and services available. This marketing proposal paper will focus on expanding the services to include tailored customer relationship management service using use-case scenario technology and focus on expansion service lines in opening markets, particularly the female age 15-24 market that is highly undeserved in the anime industry. Marketing Environment Animeinternational.com has a strong market orientation towards customer relationship management (CRM). CRM is "identifying prospective buyers, understanding them intimately, and developing favourable long-term perceptions of the organisation and its offerings so that buyers will choose them in the marketplace" (Kerin p 21 2002). Animeinternational utilises several online techniques with the purpose of concentrating towards CRM. Some of these methods include blogging, online community, and 'fan fiction.' This type of 'free service' allows animeinternational.com to communicate with, understand and respond to the average consumer base, which has been identified as the young adult male in the Internet and gaming community (animeinterantioal.com 2006). Animeinternational.com also offers online 'chat' customer service, telephone service and specialised anime resources, such as an encyclopaedia. By continuously interacting with the customer base through communication, animeinterational.com exhibits strong consumer relationship management. Company Animeinternational.com (2006)

Strategic Management of Chevron Corporation Case Study

Strategic Management of Chevron Corporation - Case Study Example The company has established an extensive social network. It takes seriously its role across the globe. It has a strong network of retail gas stations which consist of Chevron, Texaco and Caltex. Its operations range from producing oil to manufacturing petrochemical. In countries where Chevron does business, it is a strong supporter of programs that support the community. It works with local and national governments and other organizations to provide basic human needs, education and career training, support for local businesses. It has a university partnership program which works with colleges and universities around the world to provide scholarships and grants to outstanding students. Chevron is helping most countries diversify their economies by investing in all aspects of the energy industry. It aids countries gain self reliance as it enables them produce commodities that they would otherwise import. It works closely with leaders in its operational countries to select social infrastructure projects for funding such as schools, hospitals and electrical projects. The company works to add value to businesses and communities around the globe. It supplies the countries with professional and versatile task forces through spreading knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship. Competitor analysis Chevron Company mainly faces competition from industries dealing with petroleum refining, manufacturing of chemicals, alternative power generation, gas stations and electrical utilities. Its main competitors are ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, BP p.I.c. and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. It has used strategic planning and corporate management to establish itself on top of the energy industry. Its E-business applications have greatly added to its measure of success. In the modern globalized world, the success of companies will be measured by how well they have leveraged E-business applications to beat competition (Thierauf & Hoctor, 2003). Supplier analysis Chevron has developed some of the world’

The Relationship Of Text And Music During The Period From The Early Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Relationship Of Text And Music During The Period From The Early Middle Ages Essay In the middle ages, the music was both sacred and secular. Its relationship to text can be inferred from the overwhelming evidence of the manuscripts. Right from the middle ages, music never failed to echo the meaning of text. The composers of the middle ages were more likely to see the relation between text and music as one of abstract architecture, grammatical and syntactic structure,and perhaps even of acoustical properties rather than directly one of meaning. The relationship between text and music was not one of measuring, then there was no reason for one kind of music to be appropriate for one kind of text. Since the words and the music were not related in any semantic or emotional way, a monophonic dance-song, a polyphonic spring-song based on it, a song of praise or a lament song may be indistinguishable in musical style. Renaissance describes the development of civilization that marked the transition from mediaval to modern times. The Renaissance composers used their music to communicate with their audiences. there was a set of shared aural expectations between composers and listeners that governed the relationship between text and music. there was a close relationship between music and poetry and music was capable enough to stir the listeners emotions. Inspired by the classical world, Renaissance composers fit words and music together in an increasingly dramatic fashion which is very much evident in the manuscripts of the Renaissance period. In the Baroque era, music was considered to be a divine art. This idea implied that music was not considered on its merits alone, but a path to divinity. music was understood as a general principle of divine creations. Thus music of the Baroque era related to text as an image, an imitation or an anticipation of the heavenly life or the abode of The Omnipresent. At the end of the Baroque era the relationship of the text and music was as meaningful as the relationship of God with mankind.

William F. Mays Rising to the Occasion of Our Death Essay examples --

There are three key audiences of the text for William F. May's â€Å"Rising to the Occasion of Our Death.† The first audience, in this case, would be legislative organizations or lawmakers who have researched and studied similar cases regarding euthanasia. Since May was as an ethics professor at Southern Methodist University, his tone is decidedly intellectual. An uneducated individual would find it more difficult to read his essay; for example, in declarations such as â€Å"Advocates of active euthanasia appeal to the principle of patient autonomy,† May's syntax and tone is formal, informative, and utilizes heavy technical jargon (May 662). In other words, it is authoritative, and enables the audience to view him as a credible source due to his syntactical confidence. Other organizations, lobbyists, or lawmakers who are researching evidence on euthanasia would certainly benefit from reading his expert opinion on the matter. Moreover, his desire to develop a â€Å"ju dicious, regulated policy† is a certain acknowledgement that he is attempting to legally call for regulations on euthanasia (May 662). The second audience that May is appealing to are conservative Christians, who are distinctively pro-life. As his article was originally published in well-circulated The Christian Century magazine, addressing this audience exposes members of May's audience who are unfamiliar with euthanasia to its technicalities by debating morality. His tone is similar to that of a sermon; instead of utilizing scientific facts or statistics, May chooses to exclude a logos appeal in favor of an ethos objective. He preaches on moral values about life and death, mentioning that â€Å"the best death is not always the sudden death† (May 662). According to May, preparation... ...ploying strong technical terms and establishing an extrinsic ethos, and exercising sub-arguments that would only benefit numerous groups of people, May strongly achieves his strategy of argument through ethos in terms of rhetorical persuasion. Works Cited Agatucci, Cara. "Cora Agatucci's Toulmin-Style Analysis of May's Argument." WR 122 Course Home Page. N.p., 06 Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. May, William F. "Rising to the Occasion of our Death." The Christian Century Jul 11 1990: 662. ProQuest. Web. 31 Mar. 2014 "Opinion 2.21 – Euthanasia." Opinion 2.21 – Euthanasia. American Medical Association, June 1996. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Perelman, Chaà ¯m, and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca. Facts, Values, and Hierarchies, The New Rhetoric. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF. The Stases and Other Rhetorical Concepts from Introduction to Academic Writing. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF.

Major Trends in Bank Management

The banking industry of the United States has experienced tremendous changes over the past few decades.   Regulation has had to keep up with the times, of course.   The three major changes that the banks of America have worked around in recent decades have required regulatory transformations in order to increase the profits of the banks and at the same time to make banking a more convenient facility on offer to the consumers, investors, etc.   Banks have merged and also ventured into the provision of nontraditional banking services to increase their revenues. An example of added convenience that the recent changes in the industry have brought about is the growing number of American banks in foreign countries.   Seeing that globalization has shifted a large number of American businesses into foreign markets as multinational corporations, the wisdom behind opening American banks in the self same foreign markets is apparent.   As a matter of fact, besides consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services, globalization is the third major trend that has faced the banking industry of the United States especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. The McFadden Act of 1927 was an enemy of the expansion of U.S. banks.   By prohibiting banks from expanding across state lines, this Act was not only a barrier to competition but was also responsible for the establishment of a huge number of small banks with little to show in terms of assets.   Thanks to the loopholes that McFadden carried along, the Act was eventually repealed, but only after the states of America began to allow their banks to branch across state lines.   It was in 1975 that the state of Maine first allowed interstate branching unto its bank holding companies.   Other states of America developed their own banking regulations to the same effect, eventually to rule out the McFadden Act, which was actually replaced by the  Congress in the year 1994 when the Riegel-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act was passed. This new legislation allowed all U.S. banks to branch across state lines.   Consequently, there were important bank mergers that reduced the number of banks in the country, but did not decrease the number of physical banks or branches sprawled across the United States.   Many of the physical banks or branches of banks remained under the supervision of the big, merged banks.   Although economists believe that the big, merged banks should be experiencing economies of scale in addition to economies of scope, there is no evidence yet to suggest that the consolidated banks of America have indeed experienced economies of scale and scope.   At the same time, it has been shown that bank mergers have the capacity to check inefficiency.   When an efficient bank takes over an inefficient bank that did not fare too well during the McFadden days; there are obvious quality improvement implications. The second major trend that the banking industry of the U.S. experienced especially in the latter half of the twentieth century was concerned with the provision of nontraditional banking services.   Given that banks are functioning for the sake of profits – anything that threatens a source of bank revenue must be replaced by a different revenue source and the changes backed by regulation.   The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 was an obstruction to the revenue generating function of U.S. banks. This Act prohibited banks from venturing forth into investment markets, allowing the financial markets alone to enjoy the blessings of the large corporate loans business.   Another loss facing the banks of the nation was a new regulatory requirement introduced during the 1980s making it mandatory for banks to keep a specified minimum ratio of equity capital to total assets. Fortunately, however, during the 1960s, the banks of the United States had already  begun to publicly decry the Glass-Steagall Act, ultimately to have it repealed and replaced by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.   Subsequently, today’s banks are permitted to provide a variety of nontraditional banking services, including interest rate swaps, financial futures, and financial options; and thereby increase their revenues.   Increases in bank profits are expected to lead to quality improvements also in the traditional banking areas. In addition to the above, the banks of the U.S., especially since the last two decades of the twentieth century, have increasingly assumed the responsibilities of globalization.   The Edge Act of 1919 had granted express permission to American banks to establish their subsidiaries abroad in order to ease the functioning of international business.   Even so, there were only eight U.S. banks with foreign branches until the 1960s. Today, there are more than one hundred U.S. banks with foreign branches – all making it easy especially for American businesses in foreign countries to transact with them.   As globalization has replaced the Cold War era in a period of unprecedented integration among markets and economies, a great number of foreign banks have also opened their branches in the United States.   These foreign banks in the U.S. were by and large unregulated until the year 1978.   The International Banking Act of 1978 changed this to mandate that all foreign banks must also be regulated like the local (American) banks in the country. Even though globalization arrived full-fledged at the banking industry during the last two decades of the twentieth century, its signs had begun to appear as early as 1960s.   During that time, the Regulation Q, putting a ceiling on interest rates in the United States, had compelled a huge number of investors to move into European markets where regulations were relatively  relaxed.   Eurodollars were created when the U.S. dollars began to move out of their home country to be deposited into and borrowed from banks that were outside the country. The Eurobond market, for long-term investment, was similarly created outside the United States, albeit committed to transactions in U.S. dollars in countries where regulations were more relaxed than in the U.S.   These countries were not just in Europe, however.   The Bahamas and the Caymans, for example, played an active role in the Euromarket because of little or no regulation as well as nearly zero taxation. The most recent development in the banking industry in the area of globalization has been the permission granted by Federal Reserve for the establishment of International Banking Facilities.   Allowed since 1981, these special facilities are based in the U.S. and largely unregulated.   The only condition that these International Banking Facilities are required to meet is twofold: (1) International Banking Facilities should only deposit money that comes to them from outside the United States; and (2) They must only lend to borrowers that are based abroad.   American multinational corporations in foreign countries may also avail the services of International Banking Facilities.     This kind of departmentalization in terms of the sources and uses of funds is meant to add to the convenience of banking.   Furthermore, the creation of International Banking Facilities, plus the changes that the banking industry has experienced in terms of consolidation and the provision of nontraditional banking services; proffer evidence that the regulatory agencies are in fact committed to the improvement of business in general.   

Starbucks – Supply Chain

Starbucks Expectations of Starbucks’ customers in terms of Starbucks’ coffee beverages The expectations of Starbucks’ customers regarding coffee beverages would be to receive a perfectly made coffee, which is also recognized by the Starbucks’ mission statement. The notion of perfectly made coffee at Starbucks will include freshness and richness of taste, choice (varieties by origin, type and flavor), consistency of taste, image of â€Å"premium coffee†, some exotic experience, gourmet beverage, unique blends, same consistent quality and same price at every location and every day. The idea is to help â€Å"customers find a beverage that’s right for them from over 19,000 choices, by giving them an opportunity to try new things they didn’t know about and find a new beverage. † The primary goals of Starbucks’ coffee bean supply chain as being a customer focused organization The primary goals of the coffee bean supply chain will be to provide total customer satisfaction by ensuring the coffee is available in all varieties, at reasonably affordable prices, and the coffee meets and exceeds customers’ expectations, along with providing the unique experience (as described above), while keeping costs possibly low throughout the whole chain from supplier(s) to end customer(s). How purchasing helps Starbuck achieve their supply chain goals Being an integral part and the core activity of the supply chain, purchasing is also a key strategic process of the business. At Starbucks, purchasing is ensuring an interrupted flow of coffee at optimal cost and of consistent quality. This is achieved by 1) searching varieties and sources that would meet SB standards in terms of supreme and sustainable quality, and careful selection of coffee and contracting reliable suppliers (Coffee Sourcing Guidelines, Preferred Supplier Status Program); 2) building ong-lasting relationships with coffee growers and exporters, including co-ops and individual farmers; 3) hands-on checking on agricultural conditions and crop yields, â€Å"audit from crop to cup†; 4) paying premium prices to coffee growers, along with using fixed-price contracts and future contracts; 5) Green and social initiatives promoted by SB. How the operations elements of Starbucks’ supply chain support them at achieving their goals. Objectives of these elements Objectives of operations elements will be to ensure the next step in the supply chain meets strategic and tactical goals and provides for compliance with SB’s standards, while constantly minimizing costs by controlling and managing inventories. That is the right quantity of the product has to be forecasted, planned, scheduled, delivered, processed, and distributed in order to secure smooth operations of every SB outlet and distribution channel. A set of tools is being used to this end: RFID for â€Å"dark deliveries† by suppliers, and for shipping containers (Operation Safe Commerce), Integrated Supply Chain Operating systems, Lean operations, Inventory control and forecasting accuracy to SKU level, High-tech roasting and grinding equipment, automated POS systems, DRP (distribution resource planning), TRP (transportation requirement planning), ERP systems. How distribution and warehousing support the supply chain goals of Starbucks. Objectives of the Starbucks’ distribution and warehousing functions. Distribution and warehousing functions will be the final steps in delivering the product to the end customer, along with ensuring ultimate satisfaction. Again, minimizing costs and maximizing profits. Long-term agreements with logistics providers and foodservice distributors (Sysco, HAVI) complement the Company-operated retail stores and the network of distribution channels, which include retail and grocery store licensing agreements, wholesale club accounts, joint ventures and direct-to-consumer channels, via mail orders and online. Convenience stores, department stores, movie theatres, businesses, airports, schools and medical facilities are other examples of the network. Why effective integration of activities is required for Starbucks to achieve their goals. Activities Integration plays a crucial role in the whole SB supply chain, as poor performance or failure at any step or activity of the supply chain will jeopardize the whole venture. Activities and elements involved into integration include building long-term relations with reliable partners, elimination of obstacles in the way of cooperation, working out common goals and tools for such cooperation along with strategies and tactics, effective communication and introduction of modern integrated systems, prompt collection, analysis and sharing of information by all supply chain participants, supply chain performance measurements and monitoring. Some examples of such activities at the very beginning of the chain will be: common work with coffee growers on cultivation practices in order to improve coffee quality and provide consistency and continuity, which will better match the roasting process, paying premium prices to growers which will contribute to creating sustainable sources of coffee beans, CAFE practices, etc.

The mob and pop culture essays

The mob and pop culture essays Often times you hear the phrase about life imitating art and vice versa. When it comes to pop culture this is especially true. Most often society and pop culture reflect each other. One major influence in this category is the prevalence of organized crime in pop culture. Organized Crime has become a lasting influence in popular culture due to its fascination with the American dream and the way in which they pursue it. In Hollywood and show business in general there is a long standing relationship with organized crime. Early on in Hollywood the influence of organized crime could make or break your career. They had gained control over some motion picture studios as well as part of the recording industry. This relationship is also highlighted in the many ways that Frank Sinatra has been linked to various organized crime figures throughout history. There is a certain brash outlaw mentality that attracts us to organized crime. This has been going on in the movies for a very long time. We can look back at some of the greatest movies of all time and the Godfather trilogy is sure to be listed. Along with other features such as Goodfellas and Casino these films have painted the picture of hard working honest criminals pursuing the American dream by any means necessary. While many people may not agree with the ways in which they kill to advance their dreams many of us can relate to the daily struggles of trying to reach a certain pinnacle of success. Often times they are somewhat admired for the extent they will go to in order to reach their dreams. Beyond the dramatic films organized crime has even reached into the comedy realm with the releases of Analyze This and Analyze That. These films become popular because they begin to paint another side to the story. It shows that while many of the characters in organized crime films have a certain amount of toughness there is also an undeniable human side to these characters. They show t...

John Ray - An Evolution Scientist

John Ray - An Evolution Scientist Early Life and Education: Born November 29, 1627 - Died January 17, 1705 John Ray was born on November 29, 1627 to a blacksmith father and an herbalist mother in the town of Black Notley, Essex, England. Growing up, John was said to have spent a lot of time at his mothers side as she collected plants and used them to heal the sick. Spending so much time in nature at an early age sent John on his path to become known as the Father of English Naturalists. John was a very good student at Braintree school and soon enrolled at Cambridge University at the age of 16 in 1644. Since he was from a poor family and could not afford the tuition for the prestigious college, he worked as a servant to the Trinity College staff to pay off his fees. In five short years, he was employed by the college as a fellow and then became a full-fledged lecturer in 1651. Personal Life: Most of John Rays young life was spent studying nature, lecturing, and working toward becoming a clergyman in the Anglican Church. In 1660, John became an ordained priest in the Church. This led him to reconsider his work at Cambridge University and he ended up leaving the college because of conflicting beliefs between his Church and the University. When he made the decision to leave the University, he was supporting himself and his now widowed mother. John had trouble making ends meet until a former student  of his asked Ray to join him in various research projects that the student funded. John ended up making many trips through Europe gathering specimens to study. He conducted some research on anatomy and physiology of humans, as well as studied plants, animals, and even rocks. This work afforded him the opportunity to join the prestigious Royal Society of London in 1667. John Ray finally married at the age of 44, just before the death of his research partner. However, Ray was able to continue the research he started thanks to a provision in his partners will that would continue to fund the research they had started together. He and his wife had four daughters together. Biography: Even though John Ray was a staunch believer in the hand of God in the changing of a species, his great contributions to the field of Biology were very influential in Charles Darwins initial Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection. John Ray was the first person to publish a widely accepted definition of the word species. His definition made it clear that any seed from the same plant was the same species, even if it had different traits. He was also a fierce opponent of spontaneous generation and often wrote on the subject about how it was an atheists made up nonsense. Some of his most famous books cataloged all of the plants he had been studying over the years. Many believe his works to be the beginnings of the taxonomic system later created by Carolus Linnaeus. John Ray did not believe that his faith and his science contradicted each other in any way. He wrote many works reconciling the two. He supported the idea that God created all living things and then changed them over time. There were no accidental changes in his view and all were guided by God. This is similar to the current idea of Intelligent Design. Ray continued his research until he died on January 17, 1705.

Corporate Social Responsibility Programs Marketing Managers Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility Programs Marketing Managers - Essay Example While obeying law and economic interest, a social responsible business is involved in social activities that improve society. It does not appear that the responsibilities of a corporation to society, their employees, customers, suppliers, and the communities or shareholders in which they service are in practice According to Robbins, a social responsible business pursues long goals that are good for society and cause no harm. Marketing managers, as moral agents, are required to make practical and as well as ethical decisions. In doing so, managers have to do what is right because it is their responsibility. Why do marketing managers need to ensure that their companies operate visible Corporate Social Responsibility programs (CSR) CSR should be of high priority. This will give managers the opportunity to display their value throughout the company. Public opinion supports corporations pursuing economic and social goals. Social responsible companies tend to have secured long run of profits. Social responsible activities are simply the right thing to do. Seeking social goals create an attractive public image for businesses. Involvement in social programs helps to solve social problems. Addressing social problems before they become serious and costly will definitely benefit the society as a whole. A socially responsible corporation can normally expect minimum government regulations. Regarding stockholder interests, being social responsible will increase a corporation's stock prices in the long run. And many successful businesses have huge profits that will support charitable projects that n eed funding (Robbins, 2005, Page102). Elfren Sicangco Cruz states that there many definitions of corporate social responsibility. According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, CSR is a continuing commitment by business to behave ethically while contributing to economic development; improving the quality of life for workers and their families; the local community and society at large. Mallen Baker suggests that corporate management business processes are to make an overall positive impact on society. The International Organization of Employers says CSR is a voluntary positive initiative by businesses that look beyond legal aspects in economic, social, and environmental areas. Michael Hopkins, in A Plantary Bargain: CSR Comes of Age, goes on to say that corporate social responsibility is the treatment of stakeholders both in and outside the corporation. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is fundamental to a long term, comprehensive approach to business success. CSR has become one of the benchmarks of an organization's overall success. Corporations as well as their marketing managers need to ensure that every aspect of their performance reflect the values, interests and expectations of society. Why Social responsible activities affect a company's economic performance. There are findings from research studies that can fully explain the importance of corporate social responsibility programs. In such studies, there appears to be little evidence that a company's social activities harm long term economic performance. Companies are reporting that there is positive relationship between social responsibility and economic performance. Marketing managers should, however, certainly consider social goals as they plan, organize, lead and control their company's operations. Corporation can implement CSR at many levels.