Parentheses Of Blood Essays - Humour, Sony Labou Tansi, Tansi, Irony

Parentheses Of Blood Adam Brassard 4/15/99 Parentheses of blood By Sony Labou Tansi Dramas are classified into four sub-fields: tragedies, comedies, melo-dramas, and satires. Each sub-field has characteristics, which makes it identifiable. It is common to find any combination of the sub-fields within a play. To classify drama one must look at the more prominent theme. This paper is focusing on the drama ?Parentheses of blood?, by playwright Sony Labou Tansi. Tansi was born in Congo in 1947. Of his fifteen plays most were published in French. In 1986 his work was commissioned for English translation. Tansi has lived through Africas period of colonialism and the dictorial governments that followed. Congo was under French colonial rule through his adolescent years. It went through periods of military dictatorship before democratization. Tansi was a member of the opposing party in Congo and won himself a seat in the National assembly in 1993, just two years before his death. Like many others in post-colonial Africa, Tansi felt oppressed and untrusting of government, this is clearly evident in ?Parentheses of blood.? This play is an African Drama. Three-dimensional characters are common in African dramas, this is necessary in order to make the drama believable. Another theme of African plays is the presence of a storteller. This is common because many plays have been passed down through generations by word. A third distinguishing feature is an audience that has an active role within the play. A final identifying source is the presence of song and dance. The characters in Tansi's play were unquestionably three-dimensional. They all had distinct personalities and body, an essential for making the drama believable. How can the absence of the three remaining elements of African drama be explained? Tansi's work was done in the post-colonial period. Because of French influence African song and dance became less prominent. It was not totally wiped out, but because of French policy many once common tribal songs and dance became less common among Africans. Writing in a modern period Tansi had no need for a storyteller. This play is a depiction of the way Tansi saw life in Africa from his own point of view. Tansi did not choose to have an active audience. Not all African dramas had this characteristic, but this could be another consequence of the transition to the post-modern literature of Africa. All literature changes with time and specific elements of literature can be associated with a given period; this transition in African drama can be compared with the identifiable periods in American literature. Tansi's piece of literature can be classified as a satire. There are three identifying themes in a satire; they deal with societal vices, reject individuals so the society can be cleansed, and are highly ironic. Each of these themes is found in this play. The setting of Tansi's piece is in an African community in postcolonial Africa. This small community is symbolic of many African countries after colonialism. After independence was granted the imperial empires of France and Britain picked up and moved out of Africa. Most African states were left without stable political institutions. This made it easy for powerful army leaders to take control of the government. Once in power the leaders would establish fake democracies. Elections were held in African societies, but the ruling party often rigged them. In a sense dictators ruled each country. In the play the vices of the African society are clearly identified, ?The law forbids belief in Libertashio's death, whether he is dead or not. Therefore he is not dead?(11). The vice of this society is with its political institution. The army had orders from the capital to kill Libertatio and anybody who denied that he was still alive. The irony of the situation was seen when Martial asked Mark what would happen if they brought back a fake. ?Mark: Send us back for another. Martial: And what happens to the fake? Mark: He is killed. What else? Libertatio has a different face every time. His body changes as often as most people's moods. He's tough as they come?(14). Who is Libertatio? He symbolizes the feelings that many African people had. As was said earlier fake democracies were established in Africa, Libertatio stands for those that were

Ghazals, Short Lyrical Poems that Blend Arabic and American Cultures

Ghazals, Short Lyrical Poems that Blend Arabic and American Cultures Like  the pantoum, the ghazal arose in another language and has recently come to life in English despite the difficulties of technical translation. Ghazals originated in 8th century Arabic verse, came to the Indian subcontinent with Sufis in the 12th century, and flourished in the voices of the great Persian mystics, Rumi in the 13th century and Hafez in the 14th century. After Goethe became enamored of the form, ghazals became popular among 19th century German poets, as well as more recent generations like the Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcà ­a Lorca. In the last 20 years, the ghazal has taken its place among the adopted poetic forms used by many contemporary poets writing in English. A ghazal is a short lyric poem composed of a series of about 5 to 15 couplets, each of which stands independently on its own as a poetic thought. The couplets are linked through a rhyme scheme established in both lines of the first couplet and continued in the 2nd line of each following pair of lines. (Some critics specify that this rhyme carried through the 2nd line of each couplet must actually, in strict ghazal form, be the same ending word.) The meter is not strictly determined, but the lines of the couplets must be of equal length. Themes usually are connected to love and longing, either romantic desire for a mortal beloved, or a spiritual longing for communion with a higher power. The closing signature couplet of a ghazal often includes the poet’s name or an allusion to it. Ghazals traditionally invoke universal themes like love, melancholy, desire and address metaphysical questions. Indian musicians like Ravi Shankar and Begum Akhtar made ghazals popular in the United States during the 1960s. Americans also discovered ghazals through the New Delhi poet Agha Shahid Ali, who blended Indo-Islamic traditions with American-style storytelling.

June Themes and Activities for Elementary Students

June Themes and Activities for Elementary Students If youre still in the classroom when summer starts,  use these ideas for inspiration to create your own lessons and activities or use the ideas provided. Here is a list of June themes, events, and holidays with correlating activities to go with them.   Celebrate Month-Long June Themes and Events National Safety Month - Celebrate safety by teaching your students tips about fire safety, how to avoid strangers, or other safety topics. National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month - Celebrate National Fruits and Vegetable month by teaching your students about the importance of nutrition. Dairy Month - This is the time of the month when we are all reminded of the great importance of everything dairy. During this month try this milk paint recipe with your students. Great Outdoors Month - June is a special time to celebrate the great outdoors! Plan a field trip with your class and dont forget to set the rules for a successful trip! Zoo and Aquarium Month - Teach students about the zoo with a few animal crafts, and all about the aquarium by having students create an ecosystem. June Holidays and Events June 1st Donut Day - Whats a better way to celebrate Donut Day than to eat them! But, before you do that, first have students use a plastic knife to try and cut the donut into different sections to reinforce fraction skills.Flip a Coin Day - Sounds like a silly day to celebrate, but there are endless opportunities for students to learn from just flipping a coin! Students can learn probability, or you can have a coin toss challenge. The ideas are endless.Oscar the Grouchs Birthday - Kindergarten classes will love celebrating Oscar the Grouchs birthday! Celebrate by having students make birthday cards and sing Sesame Street songs.Stand for Children Day - Honor Stand for Children Day by making sure they will be college ready. June 3rd First U.S. Spacewalk - Celebrate Ed Whites spacewalk by having students participate in space-related activities.Egg Day - National Egg Day is a fun day to promote eggs. Use this day as an opportunity to teach your students the importance of eggs. Egg carton crafts would also go perfectly on World Egg Day!Repeat Day - Repeat Day can be a fun opportunity for students to review what they have learned. On this day have students repeat everything they did the day before. From wearing the same clothes to eating the same lunch, and learning the same things. June 4th Aesops Birthday - This is a day for students to discover all about Aesop by reading his famous fables.Cheese Day - Celebrate Cheese Day by having students bring in different cheese snacks and singing the Cheese song.First Ford Made - In 1896 Henry Ford made his first operational car. On this day have students discuss what life would be like if we didnt have cars. Then have students write a story about their ideas. Use an essay rubric to assess their work. June 5th First Hot Air Balloon Flight - In 1783 Montgolfier brothers were the first to take a hot air balloon flight. Celebrate the Montgolfier brothers great accomplishment by teaching students the history of balloons.National Gingerbread Day - Celebrate this yummy food by having students create gingerbread crafts.Richard Scarrys Birthday - Richard Scarry, born in 1919 is a famous author of childrens books. Celebrate this magnificent author by reading his book, The Best Christmas Book Ever.World Environment Day - Celebrate World Environment Day by learning unique ways for reusing and recycling items in your classroom. Plus, teach your students about how to take care of our earth with these activities. June 6th D-Day - Discuss the history and show pictures, as well as read some personal stories about that day.National Yo-Yo Day - Buy enough Yo-Yos for students to have a contest. The first person to keep it going the longest wins! June 7th National Chocolate Ice Cream Day - Celebrate this fun day by eating ice cream during snack time. June 8th   Frank Lloyd Wrights Birthday - Celebrate this special birthday by having students make an airplane craft.World Oceans Day - Take a field trip to your local Aquarium to celebrate this day. June 10th Judy Garlands Birthday - Judy Garland was a singer and actress who starred in the Wizard of Oz. Honor her great accomplishments by viewing the movie she was best known for.Ballpoint Pen Day - This may sound like a silly day to celebrate, but students will love being able to write with different color pens throughout the day instead of the same old boring pencil. June 12th Anne Franks Birthday - Born in 1929 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Anne Frank was a true inspiration to all. Honor this beautiful girls heroism, by reading the book Anne Franks Story: Her Life Retold for Children.The Baseball Was Invented - What is a better way to celebrate the day the baseball was invented then by having students participate in a class baseball game! June 14th   Caldecott Medal First Awarded - In 1937 the Caldecott Medal was first awarded. Honor the winners of this award by reading your students the books that won.Flag Day - Celebrate this day with Flag Day activities. June 15th Fly a Kite Day - This is a special day to celebrate with your students because it is the anniversary of Ben Franklins Kite Experiment in 1752. Celebrate this day by making a kite with your students. June 16th Fathers Day- Every third Sunday of June we celebrate Fathers Day. On this day have students write a poem, make him a craft, or write a card and tell him how special he is. June 17th Eat Your Vegetables Day - Its important to eat healthily. On this day have students bring in a healthy snack, and discuss the importance of healthy eating and getting enough sleep. June 18th International Picnic Day - Have a class picnic to celebrate International Picnic Day! June 19th Juneteenth - A day to celebrate the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Discuss famous women in history, and slavery statistics. June 21st First Day of Summer - If you are still in school you can celebrate the end of school with fun Summer activities.World Handshake Day - Have students describe their ideal world and draw a picture of their interpretation of World Handshake Day.United Nations Public Service Day - Help students recognize the importance of giving back by taking a field trip to your local food shelter or hospital. June 24th International Fairy Day - Have students write a fairy tale to honor this special day. June 25th Eric Carles Birthday - This beloved author should be celebrated every day. Honor Eric Carles birthday by reading some of his famous stories. June 26th Bicycle Patented - Where would our world be if we didnt have the bicycle? Use that question as a writing prompt for your students. June 27th Helen Kellers Birthday- Born in 1880, Helen Keller was deaf and blind but still seemed to accomplish a great deal. Read a collection of inspiring quotes by Helen Keller while teaching your students her back-story.Melody for Happy Birthday Song - Have students use the melody of the Happy Birthday song to re-write their own version of the famous song. June 28th Paul Bunyan Day - Celebrate this fun-loving giant lumberjack by reading the story The Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan. June 29th Camera Day - On Camera Day have students take turns taking photographs of each other and turn their photos into a class book. June 30th Meteor Day - Show students how a meteor shower  actually works.

The Scramble and Acquisition of African Colonies Essay

The Scramble and Acquisition of African Colonies - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the European countries that colonized Africa were Italy, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. Their colonization of Africa was because of power struggles and competition for supremacy in Europe. The scramble was a rapid colonization of the African continent after the European powers acquired colonies in 1880-1900. The scramble was pushed by the economic, social, and political evolution that Europe was going through. It developed in the nineteenth century due to the collapse of the slave profitability, abolition,  and the European expansion. During the late nineteenth century, European countries like Britain were suffering growth deficit in its balance of trade. The imperatives of capitalist development spurred the European scramble. Thus, the goal of European intrusion was economically driven. Their objective was to find assured sources of raw materials, guaranteed markets, and profitable investment outlets. Their countries had limited resources and also highly populated. They dispersed themselves to the African continent to scramble and acquire colonies. During their trade with Africans, they realized that the continent was endowed with various minerals. Imperialism was also induced by the demand for raw materials unavailable in Europe. Africa had cotton, tea, rubber, diamonds, palm oil, copper,  and cocoa. The European consumers had grown accustomed to the products of the raw materials. The European industry as well had grown to depend on the raw materials from the continent of Africa. The European powers’ was another major factor for scrambling to acquire the African colonies. The population in Europe had grown so much, and it could no longer support the population. To manage a struggle for power amongst its people, they had to acquire new territories. As a result, some of its citizens were shipped to Africa to start an empire of their own. They also scrambled to acquire the African colonies, so that they could be able to achieve the aspect of â€Å"balance of power.† The colonies were viewed as tools of negotiation, useful as items of exchange at periods of international bargains. They also regarded colonies with the large native population as a source of military power during the colonial wars.

Acquisition of Gender Identity and Gender Roles Term Paper

Acquisition of Gender Identity and Gender Roles - Term Paper Example From the very start, the gender identity is determined through the sex of the person at conception, the influence of the male and female hormones secreted in the body, and the societal definitions and perceptions which identify the requirements of roles particular to one gender (Cox, 2008). The biological factors remain the core of defining gender identity and roles. However, each child passes through numerous phases of cognitive and psychological development, which creates the initial pattern of self-identity as a sexual being (Sammons, nd). One of the primary researches and understanding of gender identity and gender role has been achieved through Kohlberg’s development theory (Cox, 2008). He states that children, according to their mental capacity, growth and approach develop the sense of gender identity in three successive stages. The first stage which takes place at 2 years of age is when the child identifies himself as male or female (Cox, 2008 and Sammons, nd). The second stage is called gender stability, which takes place at age four years. At this stage, the child realizes that he or she is permanently male or female, that is, gender is a permanent phenomenon (Bussey and Bandura, 1999). The final stage, the gender constancy, takes place at ages 5 and 7 y ears. At this stage, the child realizes that clothes or change of appearance does not alter the sex of the person (Cox, 2008). I remember how it was very difficult for my mother to make me conform to things that are considered girlish. At first, it was always the correction of me being a girl and not a boy. Then further emphasis on me being a girl, by showing me what I should like and which are boy things to do. Finally, I was instructed how to dress and act, with a constant barrage of statements starting with â€Å"little girls don’t do that†.  

Philosophy Statement on Adult Education Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Statement on Adult Education Essay For human beings, learning appears to be unstoppable and insatiable. People are always craving, curious and willing to learn new things every time. New information or methodology never fails to excite the curiosity and interest of the people thus inspiring learning attitude and enthusiasm. Even though at adult age or middle age, the rate of learning enthusiasm of the people never declines and sometimes it even increases with every year that passed on someone’ life. This idea is attributed to many factors that includes the psychological and emotional maturity of the person’s perspective towards learning and education, which is characterized by an upsurge in the degree of seriousness and willingness. Some cases are attributed to factors such as financial capabilities or time availability but most of the cases are because of the personal reason within the individual. Thus, adult education is a conventional and constructive approach to the learning process because it based on the humanistic and progressive philosophies of the human being. Adult Education The Corley and Stedman define adult education as â€Å"all forms of schooling and learning programs in which adults participate. Unlike other types of education, adult education is defined by the student population rather than by the content or complexity of a learning program (2005). † Accordingly, it is the learning process and enthusiastic approach of adults to the world of knowledge and information through the use of the schooling methodologies whether formal or informal. There are actually many reasons why an adult wants to participate in the education process. Some adults reasoned out that they want to learn new things and information which are not yet available during their schooling periods thus they want to be updated. Others want to develop or enhance their skills by taking either a masteral or a doctorate degree on their field of career or acquire skills on a new career they wish to embrace. While other, commonly the people who have not yet experienced schooling process or became literate, wants to learn the basic skills which they have not yet learned. Because of different reasons, the adult education programs offered at the present caters to different motives or needs. These programs ranged from categories such as literacy training, community development, university credit programs, on-the-job training and continuing professional education (Corley Stedman, 2005). In addition, due to the surging demand and popularity of the idea of adult education many institutions have already established facilities and programs to accommodate the interested students. Programs vary in organization from casual, incidental learning to formal college credit courses. Institutions offering education to adults include colleges, libraries, museums, social service and government agencies, businesses, and churches (Corley Stedman, 2005). Conclusion Adult education is normal process and something that should not be subjected to discrimination and subjection because learning is a human impulse or need that can be satisfied or fulfilled regardless of age and social status. Age and time should not be a hindrance to the acquisition of skills, information and literacy. Humans regardless of age always have humanistic and progressive philosophical aspects that continuously crave for enhance and learning to aid the development of a person in all aspects. Education whether in form of literacy, practical knowledge or scientific information will help the person realized and fully understand himself or herself and his or her environment thus continuous attainment of knowledge is important and adult education is one means of attaining it.

Asian American Identity Essay -- Culture Race

Silence as Beauty, Silence as Self: The Asian American Identity The label â€Å"American† encompasses many different cultures and races. However, American society is often guilty of assuming there is only one true, certainly white, â€Å"American† face, voice, and behavior. Associate Professor of Sociology, Minako Maykovich, states that â€Å"the criteria for physical characteristics are generally determined by the dominant group in society,† thus â€Å"racial difference is the greatest obstacle to the process of assimilation† (68). In Traise Yamamoto’s nonfiction narrative, â€Å"Different Silences,† and Janice Mirikitani’s poem, â€Å"Breaking Silence,† the authors explore their Asian American identities as defined by American culture. The quest to eliminate stereotypes and expectations through visible behavior coincides with an Asian custom that â€Å"value[s] silence more highly then North Americans† (Donahue 265). Mirikitani’s poem, â€Å"Breaking Silence,† focuses on her mother’s experience testifying to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Japanese American Civilians in 1981. Yamamoto, who is also a poet, takes a more assertive and personal stance in her autobiographical narrative, â€Å"Different Silences.† These Japanese American authors seek to reclaim their heritage by aggressively confronting their white American audience, while retaining an empowered, wise attitude that uplifts the seemingly invisible and silent Asian American community. Yamamoto’s â€Å"Different Silences† and Mirikitani’s â€Å"Breaking Silence† both recognize how Asian Americans in the past and present have used, or use, silence for protection. As Japanese Americans of the third generation, or Sanseis, Yamamoto and Mirikitani both reflect on their ethnic herita... ...icans; some are shameful silences that need to be â€Å"broken,† as Mirikitani observes, but the healthy silences are inherently part of the Asian American identity. Works Cited Donahue, Ray T. Japanese Culture and Communication: Critical Cultural Analysis. New York: University Press of American, Inc., 1998. Espiritu, Yen Le. Asian American Women and Men: Labor, Laws, and Love. London: Sage Publications, 1997. Leitner-Rudolph, Miryam. Janice Mirikitani and Her Work. Austria: Braumueller, 2001. Maykovich, Minako K. Japanese American Identity Dilemma. Tokyo: Wayside University Press: 1972. Mirikitani, Janice. â€Å"Breaking Silence.† Shedding Silence. Berkeley: Celestial Arts, 1987. 33-36. Yamamoto, Traise. â€Å"Different Silences.† Asian American Literature: A Brief Introduction and Anthology. Ed. Shawn Wong. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1996. 45-50.

Amazon.Com (Strategy)

In order to accomplish their company goal -to become the world's largest online retail store†-, it versified its operation to include the retailing of toys, electronics, music, and other consumer goods. Through this paper, we first aim to analyses the internal capabilities of Amazon as an organization and discuss a sustainable future trend for the organization to follow. The analysis which follows is aimed to first identify Amazon. Coma's Internal strategic capabilities explained as ‘resources' & secondly ‘competencies' (which will be aimed to summaries the manner in which the Identified resources are deployed to effective use). . 1 The ‘Resource Based View' will be used s the strategic tool to hence sum up the firm's Internal strategic capability. Strategic capableness of a firm would be defined as Its resources & competencies to survive and prosper in the business environment. We will first begin by identifying the tangible & intangible resources of Amazon. Com. Typically, its resources can be considered under the following broad categories – Physical resources – Amazon's many fulfillment distribution centers were strategically located near the main airports of the cities it operated in.Such choice of strategic location of distribution centers not only improved efficiency but also effectively erring the operating costs thereby enabling the company to offer lower prices to its customers. Differentiated Into two, Other non-tangible resources can be Internal non- material: continual enhancement of customer experience on the website through continuous Software and technology development External non-material – this included the positive image of the Amazon's brand name as a result of a customer base running into millions and the company's Associate Program.Human Resources – Amazon always took a tactical approach to employing its staff. Amazon's global work force comprised of 20,700 employees. Its top brass manag ement included names such as Richard Dalzell (previously Vice- President of Wall-Mart) who bought in expertise in supply chain management, international retailing, data mining systems and merchandising & logistic systems. Other senior managers had been recruited from various companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Laddering, whom added value with their various skills & capableness to the firm.The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bozos himself was a Princeton graduate with previous experience as the Senior Vice-President of D. E. Shaw, a Wall Street hedge fund firm. From which he exploited the Information he rendered about the incredible growth of the internet retail industry which was prelate to grow at a mammoth 23 per Mont Financial Resources – By 2008, Amazon had a market capitalization of $29. 4 billion with its net profit growing from $190 million in 2006 to $645 million in 2008.Amazon was also able to maintain a strong cash flow position to enable the company focus on its ‘ Long term sustainable growth' of the firm by investment in continuous technological innovation. It achieved by substantial increase in its working capital via offering shorter credit terms to its consumers and longer payment terms to its appliers with the value been typically 26 days. How Amazon has really deployed its resources, gives it unique capabilities that the competitors would find hard to imitate. This is primarily as the firm has resources that critically underpin competitive advantage that others cannot obtain.The efficiency of a firm does not just end on it possessing large capital, physical resources, good work force or an advanced technological platform but how they are managed and deployed. The below analysis is aimed at depicting how well Amazon has exploited its resources to command the market they are in. 2. 2 Another method of analysis e think as appropriate for this case study is the, The Value chain which describes the activities within and around the organizati on that help create a product or service.It helps analyses the organization in terms of a set of activities which managers undertake to create value for its consumers. This analysis will help us conclude how well Amazon functions as firm to be competitive in the industry – Primary Activities: Are directly related to creation/delivery of product Inbound Logistics: Receiving, Storing and Distributing Inputs to product. Amazon tied up with numerous leading companies that offered their final goods and services to hem which could be sold through the Amazon forum. It added different brands on a worldwide level which helped the company gain popularity.Operations: Amazon's frustration-free packing is the transformation of the final goods to a deliverable condition to the end user which created an image in the consumers mind as an initiative to be consumer friendly. Outbound Logistics: Distribution of Product to Customers. Amazon strategically placed their centers near airports and in larger cities as Products needed to be physically shipped to customers. They have done well in acquiring land in convenient locations and hence eve on transportation costs thereby benefiting the end consumer with lower prices on the end product.Marketing and Sales: Sales and Awareness of Product. Amazon sells their product through the Amazon website, retail websites and Amazon web services to their different customers. They sold shoes and handbags through a website called Endless. Com. They also launched their Jewelry and Watch stores in the I-J, German, France and Japan and launched its Office Supplies Stores in 2008. Other expansions included Automobile parts that were made available at a single destination which provided arts from all top brands; Software en Espanola Store and PC Casual Gaming Store.Amazon made it clear that they are looking at customer convenience whilst selling their products. They made all their products available at a single destination or forum at relativel y low prices. This also gave customers a wide range of selection which enabled them to compare and contrast different products and brands. Service: Enhance or maintain value of product. Amazon emphasized on quality service to customers. I nee always looked to alt I T ten easels AT customers Ana nonce create a product line based on customer needs rather than their specialization and revived after sale-services via email to keep them happy.Support Activities: Help to improve effectiveness and efficiency of primary activities. Procurement: Acquisition of resource inputs. Amazon is not involved in the actual production of the product. Technology Development: R&D, process/product development. Amazon always looked to innovate and test out new markets through continual investments in technology. This reduced costs and improved efficiency. An investment in R&D meant that it could add further value to the customer experience through recommendations of similar products and acting as a virtual legman which was available at the customer's fingertips.Segmentation was also not required as each customer that logged in gave Amazon an idea as to which sector he/she is interested in. It also helped Amazon diversify to different markets with the introduction of Kindle, Amazon Web Services and Digital Content Offerings. An improving technology base reflected high growths and cost reductions annually. An emphasis on technology meant that Amazon always looked at long term benefits. Human Resource Management: Recruitment, Training and Developing skills of staff. Amazon focused a lot on recruitment.They brought in an experienced management team headed by Richard Dalzell who is highly qualified in several fields. They required managers with expertise in computer software and were recruited from companies such as Apple and Microsoft. This was essential as any website-based company requires a strong management team with expert knowledge and capable of satisfying the customer needs as we ll as maintaining a strong foothold in the market. Amazon did a fantastic Job in attaining the services of such experienced and qualified personnel which has been one of the key reasons to their success.Infrastructure: Formal planning, Finance and Structure of Organization. Amazon initially acquired finance from a private investment from Bozos and Silicon Valley funding. They also raised capital through an PIP. Technology plays a huge part as they are structured on heavy investments in R&D sector. Amazon's infrastructure is fairly sound. They are a capital intensive company and the figures show that they are achieving high growth, sales and profit levels which enables them further investment and diversification opportunities.Generic Activities: Merging a Cluster of activities that benefit customers. Amazon business model is a cluster of activities. As Amazon does not assemble the final Product and simply enters into a contract with the brand that does produce it, it should primarily focus on satisfying customer needs with heavy sales, marketing schemes and after sale services. Technology and human resource management play an essential role in achieving these goals. Amazon has a successful Value chain which has laid the platform for future success as well.Its weakness obviously lies with the fact that it doesn't manufacture the goods directly but has to rely on various vendors for the end product. Such reliance can cause issues of dry supply for a product in high demand. 2. 3 Amazon initially ventured out as a firm with an aim to become the world's biggest and best online bookstore' which it successfully achieved a few years after it was set-up. However in order to maintain a sustainable growth, a competitive advantage, became necessary Tort Amazon to expand ten Dustless Deanna online KICK retailing.I nose Nellie teem in managing costs efficiently and achieve a competitor's advantage over other aspiring firms As Amazon's marketing activities spread quickly acro ss the world, the intention level increase as well. In order to survive and keep sustaining in the global market, it is pertinent for Amazon to enhance its capabilities and competitive advantages. Since the company was established in 1994, it has continued to expand and achieve some sustainable competitive advantages.Value of strategic capabilities One of the key factors needed to ensure an organization is successful in the global market is to provide products that add value to customers, which gives them an incentive to pay a premium price for its products. As long as customers feel they are aging advantage of the prices of Amazon's products or services, which leads to consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty. The idea of Amazon's customer strategy called ‘customer-centric' consists of three kind of consumers – ‘Consumer customers, Seller customers and Developer customers'.It is wise for Amazon to focus on the satisfaction of all these customer groups who add valu e to them on the basis of distinctive capability which competition is unable to offer. However, the company should not only consider the value to customers, but also it needs to ensure the organization's activities have a positive investment return. When Amazon uses advanced technology to provide their customers convenience services, it is necessary for the company to take into account all the cost related to such an activity to enable it make financial projections.According to the case, in 2008, the activities of investment and expenses were supported by Amazon's shareholders due to positive returns being delivered to the market. Rarity of strategic capabilities If a company possesses a unique or rare resource, it is described absolute competitive advantage for this company. Amazon makes invests a fair bit to Research ND Development of Technology. It is the company's belief that this emphasis on development of advanced technology will give them an edge over other organizations. Com petition has found it difficult to imitate Amazon in this sphere.However, the rarity could be temporary, especially under this modern business circumstances. Other organizations might figure out the same technologies and strategies eventually, which is why Jeff Bozos lays great emphasis on continuous innovation. Maintainability of strategic capabilities Possessing advanced technology and skills are not enough to sustain a company's success. Strong maintainability ensures the creation of sustainable competitive advantages for a company. Organizations are able to differentiate themselves from their competitors by developing activities focused on customer needs.For example, Amazon attracted its initial customer base via its online bookstore, and then went ahead to expand its product categories such as electronics, beauty and digital media. The speed of expansion of Amazon's products globally via its international network created barriers to imitation by other competitors. Non-substitut ability of strategic capabilities An important competitive advantage is a low level of substitution. Using the five forces model to analyze we observe that substitutes will create an effective threat when the price and performance of the substitute is more valuable for customers.There are two dimensions in this area. Firstly, the company needs to consider possible product or service stimulation Trot a Deterrent Ministry. Amazon Autocue on online retailing, its direct substitute threats are mainly from â€Å"off-line† stores as Customers may prefer purchasing products from stores rather than waiting for few days for their goods in the post. Secondly, if the company struggles at the competence level, the organization could lose customers due to dissatisfaction .Amazon has several direct and indirect competitors in the global market, a possible threat to the company is the possibility of these competitors offering customers better products or services and being more efficient in their services provided. Although widening its business beyond online book selling could increase Amazon's strategic capabilities and competitive advantages in the global market to achieve sustainable success, it is not advisable to digress completely from the initial goal of he company to . The original vision of Amazon has in most parts been fulfilled, as it has a major market share in the online bookstore industry.Nowadays, Amazon. Com has an online marketplace for books with over 110 million primarily used all over the world and with millions of people Joining through its global websites 2. 4 Recommendation & Conclusion Amazon. Com is currently one of the finest in its industry. It has created a bundle of resources & strategic capabilities that has enabled it to build multiple sources of sustainable competitive advantage. The company though needs to block opportunities for its impetuous like Microsoft aspiring to create a substitute who took advantage of Amazon's ‘Rigidit ies'.This should be considered as a potential threat which may account for their decrease in growth. Amazon's emphasis upon technological innovation has enabled it to launch new sites that serve customers with specific needs. Strategic alliances & acquisitions have been a key method for the company to penetrate the market by offering a wider choice of goods and services. This strategic capability could be enhanced and developed further to gain a wider share of the market for sustainable competitive advantage & is thus directing the company towards a route of diversification.We believe that focusing on Just online retail of books, would limit the growth of the company to only one product in a wide industry. However focusing on all with equal emphasis and with scope of enhancing the customer experience will give the company a positive platform of growth. It has already achieved the strong foothold in the online retail of books which it should endeavourer to consistently maintain but a t the same time exploit other avenues which the wide industry has to offer

Tk Max Facts

TK Maxx TK Maxx is a relatively new arrival in the UK. Their parent company TJ Maxx have been operating in the United States since 1976 and the first UK store was opened in 1994. The company was renamed TK Maxx in the UK in order to avoid confusion with TJ Hughes. Its business model is that of an â€Å"off-price† department store, which means that it will buy excess stock from major department stores and other sources and sell it at discounted prices.Naturally TK Maxx can also benefit from the global buying power of their US parent company. The value clothing market has grown strongly in recent years and companies like TK Maxx, Primark and Matalan have all seen substantial growth in recent years. Some commentators feel that as discounters, they are equally well placed to take advantage of any reduction in consumer spending which may result from measures taken by the incoming government to reduce the budget deficit.They stock a wide range of designer brands at discount prices a nd their products appeal mainly to buyers in the 18-35 age group. Even so, some feel that the company has moved a little way upmarket to try and challenge some more traditional retailers such as NEXT, and many stores have been refurbished while some much larger ones have opened in a department store format. In addition, six Littlewoods stores were acquired in 2004. The rise of TK Maxx in the UK has not however been without problems.Hackers stole information of approximately 45 million payment cards from used by customers in the UK, United States, Puerto Rico and Ireland. The hacking started in 2005 and data on transactions conducted between 2002 and 2005 was accessed. The effect of this theft on UK customer has at least been mitigated by the introduction of chip and pin technology. In addition TK Maxx was blocked from moving into a store vacated by Zavvi in the Regent Street area of London.The reason was apparently that the owners of the property felt that the area was inappropriate for the TK Maxx brand. However, generally speaking TK Maxx has been a success story in the UK and a further sales channel was introduced in 2009 with the introduction of online shopping.Selected financial Information 31/01/1031/01/200931/01/200831/01/200731/01/2006 Turnover 1,194,3121,122,1971,028,248945,311788,447 Profit before tax78,29348,87836,40535,72223,786 ROCE25. 5819. 8817. 3619. 8412. 77 Employees 13,37913,27713,23512,71911,127

Howard Zinn Essay Example

Howard Zinn Essay Example Howard Zinn Essay Howard Zinn Essay When he returned home, he turned in all of his medals he earned and wrote Never Again. Howard Zion really had three major accomplishments in his life. His civil rights move meet, his anti war movement, and a publication of A Peoples History of the United States. Body Zion was very passionate about being part of history and did so by helping In the call rights movement. A. He became an Adult Adviser to the Student Nonviolence t Coordinating Committee and marched for call rights with his students. B. He Ana many meetings Witt call RL sharecroppers and children who were involved in the movement. Ants leaders Ana C. He took many notes on what happened today and recorded the history being made. Howard Zion opposed to militarism. A. He dedicated half a century opposing at home. He practiced what he preached and Joined many picket lines of striking workers. B. He endorsed and worked with the anti war movement to build the strongest opposition to the Iraq invasion and other colonialists wars. C. One of the most remembered dates he marched he w rote I will be marching March, 17 with my wife, with friends, to express our solidarity with those people all over the country who demand that the United States bring our troop s back from Iraq. We need to make clear that the democrats in congress that we expect bold action from them to stop the war, to save lives of Americans and Iraqis, and use the enormous sums wasted on war to serve the needs of people. Howard Zion wrote a history textbook A Peoples History of the United States. A. This book provided other perspectives of American H story and was a finalists for the National Book Award in 1981. B. Let depicts the struggles of Native Americans gains European and U. S. Conquests and expansion, slaves against slavery, unionists and to her workers against capitalists, women against patriarchal, and African American civil RI sights. C. The Zion Education Project was started because of the is book. It was launched to support educators using A Peoples History of the United Sat sees. Conclusion Civil rights were eventually established. People are still trying to get the troops brought HTH home to this day. Zions works and publications are read all the time. Howard Zion heel peed in being a big part of many great movements and works. He was a great man many Poe plea appreciated and adored. Zion influences millions who have read his work and have been inspired by his action s. He left us with these encouraging words: We dont have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an endless succession of presents, and to live now as we think humans would live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

Banana Yoshimoto comparative essay

Banana Yoshimoto effectively portrays various common themes and motifs in both â€Å"Helix† and â€Å"Newlywed†, in revealing the subconscious state of mind of the respective protagonists. Although the storylines are quite different, we get the feeling that many themes and strategies such as isolation, incredible poetic effect, and the recurring use of a helper figure used to develop the characters, are relatively interchangeable. These literary patterns allow for the protagonists to both escape the shallowness that plagues them, and bring to light the deeper meaning behind their subconscious (now conscious) struggles, especially those relating to their true feelings for their personal companions. Isolation is a recurring theme that is a catalyst for the subconscious state causing the climactic epiphanies within the protagonists of both stories. This is comparably portrayed through the blatant representation of shallow urban relationships. In â€Å"Helix†, we witness this theme of shallowness through the personal thoughts of the protagonist at the beginning of the story. In a moment of reflection, the protagonist exclaims, I feel as if my heart will stop beating, because once I know that much about a woman, it can never work out between us. (Helix, 651) Alluding to his lover, this theme of shallowness is difficult to ignore as the narrator is transparently portraying his ability to write off a relationship on incredibly superficial grounds. In â€Å"Newlywed† however, Banana uses the same approach in order to portray this theme of isolation, yet goes to quite an extreme to illustrate her character’s subconscious thoughts. The transformation from bum to beauty is a symbolic element of the story, and is supposed to confuse both the narrator and the reader at first, but it soon becomes clear that there is a deeper philosophical meaning to this odd occurrence. This bizarre intervention, in what seemed to be quite an ordinary context, rapidly changes the pacing and evolution of the story itself. At first, the narrator is unsure of himself, which ultimately leads the reader to question the reliability of his story: â€Å"I tried convincing myself that this was nothing more than a drunken nightmare. That’s what it was, an ugly duckling dream, a transformation from bum to beauty.† (Newlywed, 5) The isolation that surrounds the protagonists of Newlywed and Helix both physically and emotionally is what ultimately leads to the epiphanies that expose the underlying feelings towards their companions. Whether it is an empty train cabin, or the deserted city of Tokyo, Yoshimoto definitely seeks to portray the feeling of seclusion in order to emphasize the revelations that expose the protagonists’ true emotions. Another common aspect in both â€Å"Helix† and â€Å"Newlywed† is Yoshimoto’s use of poetic language and literary symbolism in order to develop both her characters and the story with greater depth. Despite that fact that many of the descriptions that she gives on behalf of the narrator are purely physical, and extremely shallow, it is an important aspect of both stories, as it helps lead to the dramatic changes that occur within the protagonists. In â€Å"Newlywed† for example, when the beautiful woman on the train asks the narrator about his wife, the first description that he gives, is purely physical: â€Å"She’s short, and slender, and has long hair. And her eyes are real narrow, so she looks like she’s smiling, even when she’s angry.† (Newlywed, 6) These superficial descriptions may be attributed to the fact that the narrator was in a â€Å"drunken state†, yet clearly depict him as a man that is not madly in love with his wife. By contrast, the poetic imaging in â€Å"Helix† reveals a man that is clearly in love with his girlfriend. Even near the beginning of the story, when he is expressing his feelings of uncertainty toward his relationship, he still gives this poetic illustration of his girlfriend: â€Å"She was like an evening moon, her white light almost swallowed by the gradations of pale blue sky.† (Helix, 651) This beautiful poetic image of his girlfriend is surprising to the reader, as he had just explained that he was having difficulty overcoming her idiosyncrasies. This dramatization brings the reader to the realization that the protagonist’s stream of consciousness narration is very unpredictable, yet will ultimately lead to his ability to expose his true feelings as the story develops. The author clearly likes to represent this feeling of indecision with poetic illustration as it is used several times in both stories. In â€Å"Newlywed†, the narrator vividly describes his mixed feelings toward his wife, Atsuko, during the peak of his epiphany-like experience: â€Å"For me, the beautiful, all-encompassing web spun by this creature is at once so polluted, yet so pure that I feel compelled to grab on to it. I am terrified by it but find myself unable to hide from it. At some point I have been caught up in the magical power she has.† (Newlywed, 16) Banana doesn’t strictly limit her poetic language to the story’s character development; she also uses it to depict specific moods in order to contextualize certain situations that shake up the intensity of the story itself. Coincidentally, in both â€Å"Helix† and â€Å"Newlywed†, the feeling of isolation is commonly portrayed throughout both stories with the unique use of grandiose language. This allows the protagonists to avoid any outside distractions that would interfere with the personal situations that they have to deal with. Tokyo is described as being a ghost town at the beginning of â€Å"Helix†, for example. â€Å"There was not a soul on the dark streets, save the autumn wind. I encountered this emptiness at every moonlit corner I turned†. (Helix, 651) Clearly unusual in a city like Tokyo, Yoshimoto is almost desperately taking this context to the extreme in an attempt to add an element of absurdity to the situation, and maintain a clear line of focus on the protagonist and his continuous train of thought. In â€Å"Newlywed†, she uses the same strategic language to create a context of solitude in order isolate the protagonist: â€Å"I looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed this amazing transformation, but the passengers in the neighboring cars seemed miles away, in a totally different space, separated by a transparent wall, all looking just as tired as they had moments before, indifferent to my surprise.† (Newlywed, 4) The language that Yoshimoto uses is not only unique, but allows the reader to fully contextualize themselves within the story, and fully comprehend the conscious and unconscious struggles within each story’s protagonist. The use of helper figures is another way that the author both challenges and exposes the protagonists. The most evident helper figure from both stories is the seemingly god-like character that transformed from a homeless man to a beautiful woman in â€Å"Newlywed†. The interpretation of this symbolic figure is entirely left to the reader’s imagination, yet its crucial role in the storyline and to the protagonist’s character development is indisputable. This peculiar intervention is a clear example of how far Yoshimoto is willing to go to force her characters to express their thoughts. At first, it is difficult to process what the narrator is depicting; yet as the story develops, we quickly learn that this character has a specific purpose to act as catalyst to the protagonist’s epiphany-like reflection about his life, specifically in relation to marriage. After opening up to this woman about his life, he explains how he felt about what he had experienced on the train that night: â€Å"Deep inside, I felt timid, even scared, not about my own drunkenness or fear that my mind was playing tricks on me, but the more basic sensation of encountering something much larger than myself, and feeling immeasurably small and insignificant by comparison†. (Newlywed, 12) From this, the reader is able to see that this man is clearly having a life changing experience that is allowing him to re-evaluate the major aspects of his life, including his relationship. This helper figure to the protagonist allowed him to bring out the subconscious struggles that seemed to weigh on him throughout the story. On the other hand, â€Å"Helix† presents multiple helper figures, some seeming as random and arbitrary as that of â€Å"Newlywed† and similarly allows the protagonist to truthfully evaluate and ultimately expose how he feels about the woman that he loves. The first helper figure that seems to startle the narrator does not take the form of a person, but rather a situational mind-cleansing seminar that his girlfriend brings to the table. She explains, â€Å"I guess that’s the chance you take if you go to one of these sessions. You might even end up forgetting things that seemed really important to you, things you don’t want to forget†. (Helix, 652) This seminar quickly becomes a euphemism for breaking up in the mind of the narrator, and his response, â€Å"don’t go†, unconsciously shows his fear of losing her. This ultimately shifts the dynamic of the story as he had previously inferred his desire to break up with his girlfriend at the beginning of the story. Yoshimoto also inserts a random explosion near the end of â€Å"Helix† as the lovers discuss their love for each other. Much like most of the random events that present themselves in her stories, there is a deeper meaning below what we see at the surface. This strange intervention that causes people to â€Å"[poor] into the [empty] streets from every doorway† (Helix, 654) encapsulates the unpredictability that is portrayed throughout the story, and through the narrator’s stream of consciousness narration. This ultimately leads the story to end on a note of misunderstanding and confusion surrounding the protagonist’s comparison of love to the helix of a strand of DNA. The interventions are not only incorporated to reveal and expose the true feelings of each protagonist, but also change the dynamic of each story and help maintain a feeling of unpredictability toward the narratives themselves, as well as the unreliability of the protagonists.

Marketing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Assignment - Essay Example Compatibility refers to the degree to which innovation matches the values and experiences of the individuals. Iphone was highly compatible with the needs of the modern day phone user. Most people at the time of launch of this product were already using a laptop, a music player and a phone. The launch of iphone provided them with a new ease – they could now work on the internet and listen to music without carrying their laptops or music players. The function of three devices could now be performed by a single device. Complexity refers to the degree to which the product is difficult to use. Products which are complex and difficult to understand take a longer time to penetrate in the market. The iphone is very easy to use device. The single button operation of iphone is one of the reasons it is preferred over Samsung galaxy series. Divisibility means the degree to which the innovation can be tried on a limited basis. These limited trials as they are called help the company in finding out the reaction of the public towards the product and make changes if necessary. These trials are very common for iphone launches. Just before the launch the product is tested among college going youth , business executives etc. in order to know their input regarding the product. The main problem with divisibility is knowing if the sample group represents the feelings of the entire target population. This problem has to be solved by market research specialists for iphone. This refers to the degree to which the benefits of the innovation are visible or describable to others. The advantages of iphone are very easy for the user to show. There is visible difference in the features of an iphone as compared to other phones. The possession of an iphone has soon become a fashion statement among people soon after its launch. Globalization has helped on the convergence of civilizations. However, the differences between people of different