Venus in Furs Book Review

'Venus in Furs' Book Review Not many writers have the distinction or the notoriety of having a psycho-sexual term named after them. The astonishing and ingenious sexual cruelties in the Marquis de Sades works, particularly in The 120 Days of Sodom, have made his name a byword, and in 1890 the German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing introduced the word sadism into medical terminology (even though the sole manuscript of The 120 Days of Sodom had yet to be discovered and published, the full fury of which would wildly intensify the meaning of the term). Historian and Progressive Thinker Fittingly in the shadow of the overpowering de Sade, the Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch inspired the term for sadism’s flip-side, masochism, which was also introduced by Krafft-Ebing. Von Sacher-Masoch was a historian, folklorist, collector of stories, and progressive thinker, but even though he produced dozens of books in any number of genres, he’s almost solely known for his infamous novella Venus in Furs (its the only work translated into English). Initially meant to be part of an epic novel-sequence called (Sacher-Masoch abandoned that plan after a few volumes), Venus in Furs was published as the fourth part of the first book, which was entitled, Love. Each book was named after one of the â€Å"evils† that Cain introduced into the world, and with this underlying premise- that love is an evil- von Sacher-Masoch reveals a seriously uneasy view of human relations. Venus in Furs - Beginnings The book starts with an epigraph from the Bibles book of Judith, which narrates the story of a clever and powerful woman beheading Holofernes, an Assyrian general. An unnamed narrator, then, opens the book with a strange dream of an icy Venus, who wears furs and who leads a philosophical discussion about how women’s cruel nature increases mans desire. When the narrator awakens, he goes to meet with his friend Severin, to whom he relates his dream. ​ Introducing Severin Severin is a strange and sober man who at times, the narrator relates, had violent attacks of sudden passion and gave the impression of being about to ram his head right through a wall.† Noticing a painting in Severins room depicting a northern Venus who wears furs and holds a lash that she uses to subjugate a man who is clearly a younger Severin himself, the narrator wonders aloud if the painting perhaps inspired his dream. After a short discussion, a young woman enters to bring tea and food for the pair, and to the narrator’s astonishment, a very slight offense on the woman’s part causes Severin to berate, whip, and chase her from the room. Explaining that you have to â€Å"break† a woman rather than let her break you, Severin produces a manuscript from his desk that tells how he was ostensibly â€Å"cured† of his obsession with being dominated by women. Confessions of a Suprasensual Man Entitled â€Å"Confessions of a Suprasensual Man,† this manuscript comprises all but the last few pages of the rest of the novel. Entering into this frame, the narrator (and the reader) finds Severin at a Carpathian health resort where he meets and falls in love with a woman named Wanda, with whom he draws up and signs a contract that makes him her legal slave and gives her full power over him. At first, because she seems to like him and enjoys his company, Wanda shies away from the degradations that Severin asks her to subject him to, but as she slowly allows herself to take up her dominant role, she takes greater pleasure in torturing him and increasingly grows to despise him for how he allows her to treat him. Leaving the Carpathian mountains for Florence, Wanda makes Severin dress and act like a common servant, forcing him to sleep in disgusting quarters and keeping him isolated from her company unless needed to serve some whim or another. These changes make Severin feel the palpable reality of his desires- a reality that he was in no way prepared for- but although he loathes his detestable new position, he finds himself unable to resist (and to keep from requesting) new humiliations. At times Wanda offers to put an end to their game  because she still has feelings of affection toward him, but those feelings fade as her mantle of power gives her free rein to use Severin for her increasingly twisted devices. The breaking point comes when Wanda finds a nearly superhuman lover in Florence and decides to make Severin subject to him as well. Unable to bear subjugation to another man, Severin ultimately finds himself â€Å"cured† of his need to be dominated by women. Telescoping back to the novel’s outer frame, the narrator, who’s seen Severin’s current cruelty toward women, asks him for â€Å"the moral† to all of this, and Severin answers that a woman can only be a man’s slave or despot, adding the caveat that this imbalance can only be remedied â€Å"when she has the same rights as he and is his equal in education and work.† This egalitarian last touch squares with von Sacher-Masoch’s socialist leanings, but clearly the events and stresses of the novel- which were mirrored closely in von Sacher-Masoch’s personal life, both before and after writing it- prefer wallowing in inequity much more that eradicating it. And this has been the novel’s main appeal for readers ever since. Unlike the works of the great de Sade, which soar as striking feats of both writing and imagination, Venus in Furs is much more of a literary curio than an artistic piece of literature. Its symbolic orders are muddled; its philosophical excursions are both ponderous and corny; and although its characters are vivid and memorable, they too often fall into â€Å"types† rather than exist as fully explored individuals. Still, it’s a curious and often enjoyable read, and whether you take it as literature or as psychology- or as erotica- there’s no question that this book’s whip will leave a distinct mark on your imagination.

Asia Essays - Economy, Stock Market Crashes, Free Essays

Asia Essays - Economy, Stock Market Crashes, Free Essays Asia A large economic downturn in East Asia threatens to end its nearly 30 year run of high growth rates. It is hard to understand what these declines will actualy do to the world market. The crisis has caused Asian currencies to fall 50-60%, stock markets to decline 40%, banks to close, and property values to drop. The crisis was brought on by currency devaluations, bad banking practices, high foreign debt, loose government regulation, and corruption. Due to East Asia's large impact on the world economy, the panic in Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, and other Asian countries has prompted other countries to worry about the affect on their own economies and offer aid to the financially troubled nations. The countries that are included in the East Asian crisis, known as Tiger economies, are Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. For these countries to participate effectively in the exchange of goods, services, and assets, an international monetary system is needed to facilitate economic transactions. To be effective in facilitating movement in goods, services, and assets, a monetary system most importantly requires an efficient balance of payments adjustment mechanism so that deficits and surpluses are not prolonged but are eliminated with relative ease in a reasonably short time period. The Asian crisis of recent falls into this category of inefficient balance of payments facilitated by depreciation of its currency. By competitively depreciating its currencies, Asia is exporting its deflation, its overcapacity and its lack of growth to the West, particularly to the US. No other group of countries in the world has produced more rapid economic growth and dramatic reduction in poverty than East Asia. Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand have virtually eliminated absolute poverty, and Indonesia is within reach of that goal. Nevertheless, this financial crisis has exposed weaknesses in Asian economies that must be addressed if the region is to return to its high growth of recent years. Despite the great cries of anguish we hear from bankers and corporations, the real victims of the collapse of globalisation in Asia, are the same people who were the victims of the miracle. Their low wages, or incomes from farming, are now devalued by 25% - 55%. Millions of casual construction workers are idle across the region. And now hundreds of thousands of public sector employees and finance sector workers are being sacked as the IMF enforces government budget cuts, bank and finance company closures. The East Asian crisis has affected almost all of the Asian nations, but the three hardest hit countries are Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea. The panic began in Thailand in May of 1997 when speculators, worried about Thailand's slowing economy, excessive debt, and political instability devalued the baht as they fled for market-driven currencies like the American dollar. Indonesia's economy soon fell soon after when the rupiah hit a record low against the U.S. dollar. Indonesia is plagued by more than $70 billion worth of bad debts and a corrupt and inefficient government. Thailand and Indonesia also suffer from being overbuilt during real estate booms that were the result of huge influxes of cash by optimistic foreign investors. South Korea faltered under the weight of its huge foreign debt, decreasing exports, and weakening currency. World Bank support for East Asian governments focuses on carrying out three principal objectives: 1.to build the foundation for restoring growth and raising incomes by adopting wide-ranging reforms in the financial sector, in corporate governance and competition, and in managing external debt. This builds on the IMF-led rescue efforts in the region; 2.to strengthen social protection for the poor and other vulnerable groups to help cushion the impact of the crisis; and 3.to improve the quality and transparency of key government institutions, including helping governments address problems of corruption and accountability. The World Bank believes these objectives are inseparable and essential components of winning and holding public support for difficult reforms. There must be visible help with the social costs of reform, particularly protection for the unemployed; the financial and corporate sectors must be better regulated, more transparent, and adequately capitalized to regain the confidence of investors, both foreign and domestic. Once confidence is restored, economic growth can resume, raising incomes for the poor in the process. The World Bank's Involvement to Date

Custom Beowulf Essay

Custom Beowulf Essay Custom Beowulf Essay Students are expected either to have essay writingskills or to be able to acquire them miraculously in a very short time. College essay differs from what you may have written in secondary school in a number of ways: You are expected to read widely and to critically review the field of literature on a topic. Relying on a single book is unacceptable. You are expected to write analytical essays that attempt to analyze, not to describe, different issues. You are expected to give evidence to support whatever you say in your English essay: You are expected to find relevant sources to support points raised in your essay. Teachers often complain that Beowulf essays written by students do not answer the set question. Custom essay service is always ready to help you solve this problem.Custom essay writersare professionals who know all features of academic essay writing. Order Custom Beowulf essay writing service and we will provide you with truly professional custom written essay! Custom Essay Writing Essays aren't as easy as you may think, but they are one of the few tasks that allow you significant control over the way you organize, research and answer the proposed question. At the undergraduate level, an essay usually isn't based on original research and you're not expected to solve the global problems, especially when numerous books have been referenced to support the topic. Essay is a document of your learning; it is a proof of your research efforts, your understanding of the topic, and your ability to communicate that understanding convincingly and effectively. The academic essay writing is based on the following skills: independent thinking finding, selecting, organizing and referencing information analyzing information from competing explanations and sources answering a question in a given time frame and within a word limit. Custom Writing Essay writing skills will serve you well beyond the walls of your university. Contrary to popular belief, essays aren't some form of perverse initiation ritual designed to make life harder for students. Many jobs require you to write letters, memos, information sheets and reports, all of which, to a greater or lesser degree, require skills in research, analysis, writing and referencing. College English essay is therefore the training ground for future life and employment skills. It is a tool for communicating your knowledge and your understanding. Most importantly, essay writing teaches you to analyze a topic systematically and to communicate your thinking about the topic in a logical way. is available 24/7 to assist you with custom essay writing on any topic and of any complexity! Contact us if you have any questions! Popular posts: Proposal Writing Services Paper Research Help Writing a Research Paper Critical Analysis of a Research Paper Argumentative Research Paper Topics

Media violence and sex Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Media violence and sex - Research Paper Example Sex and violence in media have increased to a very large extent ever since the inception of modern technologies. A different perspective is needed in order to extract a sense of reality out of films and movies. This vice has also been spreading to various forms of print media such as magazines and periodicals (Fedorov, 57). The blatant approach of presenting sex and violence by media has been coming under heavy criticism. For instance, the following quote might explain better - â€Å"in 1968, the Supreme Court held in Ginsberg v. New York that material not deemed obscene for adults may nonetheless be considered obscene with respect to minors† (Kotrla, 50). Parents and guardians around the world argue that influence of media can structure the moral views of the future world. There is little tolerance for sex and violence among parents, and so media needs to consider making changes. The current generation of children can imbibe unethical behaviour from the lessons they acquire from the media and consider such behavior as normal. A more subtle approach towards portraying these vices is necessary to secure a bright future for children. In addition, children need education on how to view sex and violence portrayed in the media to protect them from harmful impacts (Kotrla, 51). The root of media sex and violence can be found in the 1950s movies. It was during this period that movies were introduced to the public. Helped by technological progress, majority of the initial films were documentaries and action movies that would appeal to the public. The films would follow definite formats and provide entertainment to general audiences. With media becoming a profitable venture, heavy investments resulted in enhanced quality of films. According to Fedorov, with growing demand for reality in quality of movies, the inception of real life concepts such as sex and violence became inevitable (Fedorov, 38). Ever since media has been synonymous with providing

The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Emerging Financial Literature review

The Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Emerging Financial Markets - Literature review Example Regulations create and establish rules that should be observed and respected by individuals, organisations or firms that operate within a particular industry or business. Anyone or any entity that does not act in accordance to the preset rules is in direct contravention of the law and is thus subject to punishment by law. The punishment to be handed down can either be in terms of fines, imprisonment or repossession of the respective business. However, in the free market, the allocation of market resources is solely on the foundation of supply and demand forces, this happens in the absolute absence of any form of government intervention. The question now becomes whether free market approach or pro-regulation approach is the best avenue to take in the Australian economy. When it is all said and done, regulation is the appropriate approach to take. This paper will endeavour to illustrate, with logical backing, why this approach is the most suitable one in the Australian perspective. Thi s paper will evaluate twelve articles, which are either for or against, the introduction of legislation to the Australian environment. ... The work by MJR Gaffikin (2005) strongly illuminates on this situation. Gaffikin notes that change in legislation might result in either an increase or decrease in the total expenses, to be incurred by the affected firms. He additionally cites the example of waste management. He explores this issue and ends up asserting that if firms are made to account for their waste management systems, many firms will have to invest more in their waste disposal mechanisms. This leads to a substantial increase in their overall operations cost. Thus, judging on this fact, then the free market approach is favoured. However, Michael gives a biased assertion that regulation aids in the creation of wealth, this is the view adopted by economists. This literal work is prejudiced in a manner that it does not back its assertions with hard facts. Nonetheless, the author has targeted the whole subject of regulation. In a situation whereby this article is the only information available on the projected impact of legislation, then the measure to be adopted would be to campaign for free market approach. However, this article does not take into factor in the general environmental effect of careless disposing of waste. When objectively analysing how the market would behave in the absence of government regulation, it is akin to analysing how children in the kindergarten would behave in the absence of their teacher. When there is no body of authority, individuals tend to act erratically as no accountability is necessitated. The thought of economy behaving this way is alarming if not depressing. This situation will favour the greedy at the expense of the good and ethical people. This is the view

Role of MIS in Market Research Essay Example for Free

Role of MIS in Market Research Essay Introduction: The changing market environment has given rise to the needs of update information more than ever in the past. The markets have transformed to international from local. With the increase in the exposure to masses and increased geographical market coverage, the need of quick and up to date information has also increased. With the changing business environment the buyers are also changing. With the increasing incomes the buyers have become more selective. For a company to launch a new product it has become important to have the information from the buyer needs to buyer wants. On the other hand it is also important to have the knowledge of how to present the product in effective manner in order to reach the customer in an effective manner. With the changing business needs the new marketing techniques such as product differentiation, branding and advertising are also gaining immense importance. The successful product positioning and promotion is only possible if all the required information in this lieu is gathered and used in the right direction. In order to fulfil modern information needs, new information technologies have also been evolved. The information regarding the buyer preferences and behaviour plays an important part in helping the management to take important decisions regarding the product such as pricing, promotion, competition etc.   It is important for the company to establish a system in order to acquire a large amount of information for the marketing managers. â€Å"Competitive companies study their managers’ information needs and design marketing information systems (MIS) to meets these needs. A marketing information system (MIS) consists of people, equipment, and procedures to gather, sort, analyse, evaluate, and distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to marketing decision markers. To carry out their analysis, planning, implementation, and control responsibilities marketing managers need information about developments in the marketing environment. The role of the MIS is to assess the manager’s information needs, develop the needed information, and distribute that information in a timely fashion, the information is developed through internal company records, marketing intelligence activities, marketing research, and marketing decision support analysis.† (Kotler, 2000) An effective MIS will also help in enhancing the exposure level of the company from local market to national market. It is important for the company to design the MIS system in an effective manner. In most of the cases the companies lack information sophistication. Some of them collect a large amount of information but the data is not stored in a proper way to be handled easily. The MIS will help the company in understanding the customer’s perception, taste, needs and desires regarding the new product. Without the proper MIS the investment in the production and innovation will not be of any use. â€Å"The MIS represent a cross between what managers think they need, what managers really need, and what is economically feasible.† (Kotler, 2000) The MIS will provide support to the management in the areas of reduction of price risks, planning for an effective and cheap marketing strategy with technology assessment and development, particularly in evolving and popularising food product offered by the company. An effective Marketing information system can help in the company in motivating distributors, retailers, and other intermediaries to pass along important intelligence. Through the components of MIS the Company will able to collect information regarding order-to-payment cycle and sales reporting system. The mangers will be able to get the information about the developments in the marketing environment. The MIS will also assist the managers in collecting, analysing and reporting data relevant to the market situation. The decision support system will help the managers to take important marketing decisions by interpreting the gathered information. Hence MIS is the most important instrument without which the Company cannot market its product successfully in market. 1.Objectives: The main objective of the study is to find out the role of marketing information system in the effective and successful promotion of product of a company. Research Design: Research is a fact finding activity (Dominowski, 1980). The aim of primary research is to make known something previously unknown and to advance human knowledge by making it more certain or better fitting; the aim is discovery (Elias and Dunning, 1986). In this case it is required to find out the perceptions of the customers regarding the desert the Company is going to launch nation wide. The primary research design will provide a structure for the collection and analysis of data. A preference of research design reflects decisions about precedence will be given to a scope of dimension of the research process (Bryman, 2001).    Easterby-Smith et al (1997) identify three reasons why the exploration of philosophy may be significant with particular reference to research methodology: Firstly, it can help the researcher to refine and specify the research methods to be used in a study, that is, to clarify the overall research strategy to be used. This would include the type of evidence gathered and its origin, the way in which such evidence is interpreted, and how it helps to answer the research questions posed. Secondly, knowledge of research philosophy will enable and assist the researcher to evaluate different methodologies and methods and avoid inappropriate use and unnecessary work by identifying the limitations of particular approaches at an early stage. Thirdly, it may help the researcher to be creative and innovative in either selection or adaptation of methods that were previously outside his or her experience. Two views about the research process dominate the literature: positivism and phenomenology which have an important part to play in business and management research (Saunders, 2000). Positivism is founded on the belief that study of human behaviour should be conducted in the same way that as studies conducted in the natural sciences. On the other hand phenomenology is concerned with the understanding human behaviour from the participant’s own frame of reference (Hussey and Collis, 2003). Positivistic paradigm Phenomenological paradigm Tends to produce quantitative data Tends to produce qualitative data Uses large samples Uses small samples Concerned with hypothesis testing Concerned with generating theories Data is highly specific and precise Data is rich and subjective The location is artificial The location is natural Reliability is high Reliability is low Validity is low Validity is high Generalises from sample to population Generalises from one setting to another Figure 1: Features of the two main paradigms  (Hussey and Collis, 2003) The design to be used for this research would be the utilisation of the survey and interview questions in an electronic form which were sent to the respondents a couple of days before the formal computation of the results. We will conduct cross-sectional design which â€Å"entails the collection of data on more than one case and at a single point in time in order to collect a body of quantitative or quantifiable data in connection with two or more variables†(Bryman Bell 2003:48). The said design of research is indeed applicable for this study and would be able to provide the necessary details for the completion of the research. The reason behind this is the fact that the respondents themselves are capable of giving the necessary answer for the needed data in this case. Hence, the results of the study are expected to give accurate details for the research procedure. Data Collection – methodology:    It is better to use effective and authentic ways of research so that the investment of the management can prove fruitful. We will consider two research methods Interview Questionnaire Interviewing: Interviewing is a data collection method in which the researcher asks for information verbally from the respondents (Jennings, 2001). It is the way to access people’s perceptions, definitions, meaning, situation and construction of reality, where it involves discussing or questioning issues with people to collect data unlikely to be accessible using techniques such as questionnaires or observation (Punch, 1998). The interviewing research method can be successfully followed in this project. Generally speaking, an interview is a social interaction between two people, with one person gathering information from the other. The interaction is what differentiates the interview from the questionnaire, even when the questions posed are identical. Thus structured interviews give the researcher specific answers as opposed to narrative response to questions gathered from semi-structured in-depth interviews (Gubrium and Holstein, 2002). Structured interviews enable the interviewer to ask each respondent the same questions in the same way. A tightly control structured schedule of questions and format is used, very much like a questionnaire. Interviews must be well prepared and must have clear objectives for each interview. Interviews can be conducted after the team has established the topical areas to be covered in the interviews and after the lead investigator has reviewed with the board the objectives of the interviews and strategies for obtaining useful information. In many research situation permission requests should be received before the interview takes place. The interviewer should consider the length of the interview to cover his aims, normally between 15 minutes to an hour. Provide contact information of the interviewer and it must be determined who to interview, in what order, what interviewing techniques to employ and what method of record to use (Denscombe, 2003). The following aspects should be considered when defining a strategy for the interview (Mason, 1996): The questions should make sense and be meaningful to the interviewee. The questions should be related to the interviewee experiences based on what is already known about them. The interviewer must take care to be sensitive to the needs of the interviewee. The interviewer should be aware of the flow of the interview interaction by attempting to move seamlessly between topics and questions. The interviewer needs to focus on issues and topics that are relevant to the research problem and questions. Choosing interviews for this stage of this part of the research was in order to get as much information as possible from the few people that will be interviewed. Interview questions will be compiled from the existing literature and detailed in relation to the research topic, aim and objectives Questionnaires: In the questionnaires method of data collection the researcher can precisely obtain the information that he asks for and these information can be analysed in an easier way than if choosing another method. In addition to that questionnaires are not an expensive method of data collection, and they don’t take long time to fill in. On the other hand questionnaires have some disadvantages such as: they do not have a high response rate, the wording of the questions can cause bias to the client’s responses, and the questions might not be designed correctly, which will result in collecting unneeded answers   (McNamara, 1999). Choosing questionnaires for this step was due to the relatively large sample size that the researcher intends to include in his research, and for the cheap cost of this method comparing with other data collection methods. Effective sampling design: Sample is a subset or subgroup of the population, while the sample size is the actual number of subjects chosen as a sample to represent the population characteristics. Sampling is the process of selecting items from the population so that the sample characteristics can be generalised to the population (Jennings, 2001). Simple Random Sampling Design: In case of simple random sampling there is a higher expectation of each and every element of being selected from all the target population. Most of the surveys are aimed to get information about the inferences of target population. In the case of dairy products limited simple random sampling can serve the purpose well. Since it is the case of desert, which can be liked by all the customers from different social, economical, and age groups. There are not any specifications regarding age, sex, social and ethical point of view. It has been found that Probability sampling, for instance simple random sampling can provide more is more competent results than that of non-probability sampling designs. The simple random sampling has also some drawbacks attached to it. In case of random sampling if the population does not reflect the correct representation of the target population the results will not serve the purpose of survey. It is possible to select the non-representing population because as we know that in the case of random sampling design each and every sample has an equal chance of being selected. So it can be stated that probability sampling is more effective in presenting more accurate results than that of non-probability sampling. Although in some situations simple random sampling is not also feasible. Additional survey sampling designs are also required to find the most correct results. To guarantee the representativeness of the sample, the researcher must make sure that it is random. In random sampling all members of the population have an equal chance of being included in the sample (Veal, 1997). In qualitative research sample size are in general small, thus probability theory and notions of statistical representativeness do not apply. The sample might choose to encapsulate a range of characteristics relevant to the subject under study, or provide a detailed view of behaviour, events or experiences that are seen in the wider population (McGivern, 2003). Another way of sampling the population is to use stratified random sampling design in order to avoid the complications regarding the large-scale sampling. In the case of stratified sampling the samples are chosen as the representatives of different subgroups from the target population. It should be kept in mind that all the participants are chosen in a way that they effectively represent the subgroups. If the stratified sampling is effectively undertaken it can find out more competent inferences than that of simple random sampling. In order to get a deeper insight of the population subgroups within a target population that are likely to have similarities –attitudes or tastes– within a stratum but differences among strata, stratified sampling is the best choice. (Brightman, Schneider, 1994) In the case of surveying customers needs for Dairy products Limited to introduce new product focus group samples can be divided into different strata regarding their age, tastes, income and class. Selecting Stratified Random Sample: The first step in the process of selecting a stratified random sample is to determine the total size of sample population. In case of Dairy products limited the sample size will be larger. In order to achieve the inferences about the tastes, choice and economic inferences focus groups should be undertaken at all the local outlets of Dairy products limited. The large sample size will decrease the margin of error although costly. In this lieu it is the decision of management to keep a balance in precision and cost. Secondly, the sample size with in a stratum is determined. There are several factors, which determine the sample size in each stratum. These factors also effect the results acquired by the allocation of sample population in different strata. The factors are as follows: Total sample size in each stratum; The degree of variability in different stratums. The cost of obtaining observations from each stratum. â€Å"Use proportional allocation sampling when sampling costs are the same for all strata and when all strata exhibit the same variability.† (Brightman Schneider, 1996) As discussed above stratified random sampling is effective in providing the accurate precise estimates than simple random sampling regarding the population but the case can be reverse if the target population is not correctly stratified. â€Å"Stratifying works best when the variability of the variable of interest is low within each stratum and high between different strata.† (Brightman Schneider, 1996) For the purpose of this survey we will use stratified random sampling in order to gain knowledge about the different factors effecting the tastes of the customers. This way the author is able to narrow down the results easier than handling the sample population from a bigger scope of computations. The results are merely based upon the journals done by other researchers and their comparison with the results of this study’s completion. The Variables:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The questionnaires shall be expected to give exact results regarding the satisfaction that the consumers or the clients receive from the provided services. This way, the variable which includes the satisfaction level of the client and the performance capabilities of the company providing the services are to be evaluated through the questionnaire and interview results. Data Analysis: On their own, data are rarely used in their original form. Through the process of data analysis, value is added to the data to turn them into information. It is information rather than data which users especially policy and decision-makers are interested in (Uganda bureau of statistics, 2005). However this will be a very sensitive and critical stage in my research process as misinterpretation or over-interpretation is always a potential risk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The process of data analysis in this research will include the following steps: Indicate the date of the questionnaires. Who completed them, and the number of returns? Categorise the data collected. This can be done according to gender, origin, age etc. Reading through the questionnaires and interviews carefully and coding them after the event in relation to the types of answers, themes and issues, and then  categorising of response (keeping a note of what the codes refer to). Then by asking some questions like what are the answers that keep repeating, what are the deviations from these answers, and Are there themes emerging? Contradictions? Then it would be possible to draw some relative generalisations. Timetable and Budget The research will be finished in three months starting on 1st April and ending on 1st July. In the following month, I would carry out the plan and I hope that some improvement would be made in holiday in particular. We think that the earlier the research finishes the better, so that one could take action earlier. Time table Week Tasks   1 Project start meeting , identification of   research problem 2 Research design 3 Interview preparation 4 Start interview 5   Interview in process 6 design   and agree questionnaires 7 Identify respondents email addresses   and send questionnaires 8-9 Analysis of interview data and write up 10-11 Questionnaires analysis 12-13 Prepare final report, informal discussion of findings 13-14 Delivery of   summary report and presentation, Follow-up queries references: Bryman A., and Bell. E., (2003) business research methods 1st ed.  Ã‚   OXFORD Donald r.    Bryman, A., (2001). Social research methods. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Brightman, H., Schneider, H., (1994). Statistics for Business Problem Solving, (2nd ed.). SouthWestern Publishing Co., Ohio. Denscombe, M. 2003. The good research guide: for small-scale research project.   2nd ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press Dominowski, R.L., (1980). Introduction to logic, 6th ed., New York: Macmillan. Elias, N., and Dunning, E., (1986). Quest for excitement: Sport and leisure in the civilising process, oxford: Basil Blackwell. Gubrium, J.F., and Holstein, J. A., (2002). Handbook of interview research, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Jennings, G. (2001). Tourism research, Milton, Qld.: Wiley Australia Kotler, P., (2000). Marketing Management, Millenium Edition, Prentice Hall, United States. Mason, J., (1996). Qualitative researching, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. McGivern Yvonne, (2006). The Practice of Market and Social Research. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall. McGivern, Y. (2003). The practice of market and social research: an introduction. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall Stallings, W. Slyke, Richard, V., (1998). Business Data Communications. 3rd ed. Prentice Hall Punch K. (1998). Introduction to social research: quantitative and qualitative approaches.   London: SAGE Veal, A. J., (1997). Research methods for leisure and tourism: A practical guide, 2nd ed., London: Pitman Publishing.

Sears Kmart Merger Essay -- essays research papers

Due to slow sales and less traffic at both Sears and Kmart, the two have decided to merge creating one entity named Sears Holdings. Kmart has agreed to buy Sears for $11 Billion. This puts Sears Holdings at the third largest retailer behind Wal-Mart and Home Depot. Although Wal-Mart is a direct competitor with Kmart, Sears Holdings goal is not to compete with Wal-Mart directly, but find areas that have been overlooked by other retailers, and take advantage of the expanded line of products the new company has to offer. Sears has had higher sales than Kmart, so hundreds of Kmart’s will be transformed into Sears stores. As of now, most of Sears 870 stores are only found in malls. The new strategy would be to open Sears stores in current Kmart locations, to offer consumers with a different variety of products than what’s currently available from large retailers like Kmart and Wal-Mart. Sears is known for selling items such as their exclusive line of craftsman tools and Ken more appliances. In the future these Sears exclusives will be found in Kmart stores, and Kmart exclusives such as Martha Stewarts line of housewares will be found in Sears. This merger will bring a wide array of products to a larger group of consumers. Currently consumers looking to buy home appliances like stoves or refrigerators have to go to a mall with a Sears store or a specialty store like Best Buy or Circuit City. Not all consumers live near a mall, so buying from Sears may not be an option. Although bot...

President Andrew Jackson Vetoes Bank Bill

Ernesto Hernandez Rodriguez Deacon Orr Economics October 9, 2012 President Andrew Jackson Vetoes Bank Bill—July 10, 1832 President Andrew Jackson veto against the bank bill is truly a communication to Congress but it is also like a political manifesto. He states that the privileges possessed by the bank are unauthorized by the Constitution, subversive of the rights of the States, and dangerous to the liberties of the people. In McCuloch v Maryland, the court turned to the â€Å"necessary† and â€Å"proper† clause which grants Congress enumerated powers which include the power to regulate collect taxes.President Jackson explains the necessity in regards to the functions that the bank is trying to fulfill: The â€Å"degree of its necessity,† involving all the details of a banking institution, is a question exclusively for legislative consideration (Jackson). It is not question for the judicial department. As stated in the Constitution the one that has the jo b to determine what is â€Å"necessary† in cases where the law is not prohibited or really calculated, is the legislative department. President Jackson gives major points in describing the reason why the bank was not â€Å"necessary† and â€Å"proper†.At first the bank was established by Congress because of the power to determine what was necessary. But in the years 1816 and 1832 Congress proposed and took away from their successors the power of establishing banks for twenty years and then for fifteen years more. This contradiction that Congress did of bartering away or divesting itself from the powers is unconstitutional because of using discretion upon itself; Congress was limiting the discretion of their successors. And the Constitution does not grant Congress the power to inflict this in itself. The bank affected the rights of the Sates in a subversive way.It gave up, surrendered the right of the States to tax the banking institutions. Under the operation of this act resident stockholders and citizens would be taxed 1 per cent. Stock held in the States would be subject to taxation, meanwhile stocks from the branches and those foreign stockholders would have been exempted from this burden. Their annual profits would be 1 per cent more than the citizen stockholders. As annual dividends of the bank estimated at 7 per cent, the stock would be worth 10 or 15 per cent more to foreigners than to citizens of the United States.Another important aspect was the benefits foreign stockholders received through this act. Not only citizens received bounty from government, more than eight millions of the stock was held by foreigners. And the bank act would not permit competition in the purchase of this monopoly. A fourth part of the stock is held by foreigners and the residue is held by a few hundredths of US citizens, chiefly of the richest class. As annual dividends of the bank estimated at 7 per cent, the stock would be worth 10 or 15 per cent more to foreigners than to citizens of the United States.Of the twenty-eight millions of private stock in the corporation, $8,405,500 was held by foreigners, mostly Great Britain. The amount of specie drawn from those States through its branches within two years was about $6,000,000. More than a half a million of this amount passes on to Europe to pay the dividends of the foreign stockholders. When by a tax on resident stockholders the stock of this bank was made worth 10 or 15 per cent more to foreigners than to residents. The bank would have sent across the Atlantic from two to five millions of specie every year to pay the bank dividends.Shockingly almost one third of foreign stock that was not represented in elections curtails the suffrage of the directors. The entire stock would have serious chances to fall into the hands of few citizen stockholders causing temptation to secure the control in their own hands by monopolizing the remaining stock. There was also a danger that a presiden t and directors would then reelect themselves from year to year without the responsibility to control manage the whole concerns of the bank. The American people would have suffered an adverse effect in many ways. This ct excludes the whole American people from competition in the purchase of this monopoly and dispose of it for many millions less than it is worth. The fourth section provision secures to the State banks a legal privilege in the Bank of the United States which is withheld from all private citizens. There was a lack of equality when paying with notes. A State bank that had notes by a particular branch could pay the dept to the Bank of the United States with those notes, but a citizen couldn’t pay with those notes but must have sold them at a discount or sent them to the branch to be cashed.This does not measure out equal justice to the high and the low, the rich and the poor. The president of the bank said that most of the State banks existed by its forbearance, t he abstention of enforcing the payment of the debt. The influence of the self elected directory which is identified with those of the foreign stockholders may become concentered in a particular interest that could affect the purity of elections and the independence of the country when it goes to war.Their influence could have been so great as to influence elections and control the affairs of the nation. Works Cited Jackson, Andrew.  «Miller Center.  » 10 de July de 1832. Miller Center. Monday October 2012. . McBride, Alex.  «pbs.  » s. f. The Supreme Court. Monday October 2012. .

M*A*S*H: The Evolution

From a simple book turned into a movie then to one of television’s greatest legend, M*A*S*H had beautifully evolved to a work of art. Its popularity and stretched life span is enough testimony for the show’s quality—not to mention several nominations and awards. It was one of the most watched television shows of its time. Much of the show’s success is the fruit of fine ensemble acting, beautifully written witty script, and the most noticeable of all: the innovative use of the camera. The script’s satirical charm has won the loyalty of fans through its clever use of humor. Overlapping dialogues was a device frequently used by the show. This gave the script wit and it sounded very natural. It also made way for some of the show’s most famous punch-lines. The script can be easily followed by the audience even though it’s episodic. It followed a solid story that has kept the audience entertained. It debunked the idea that war story genre had to be have a serious atmosphere. M*A*S*H is considered as a show ahead of its time. The show had stood firm through the years even though it underwent several changes like changes of cast members and important people behind the camera. The early episodes of M*A*S*H, though lacking the production equipment we have now, was shot in style. Stylish zooms were used and quite got the attention of critics. Camera techniques were very important in the storytelling.   The zooming and panning used in the show is now a convention in television shows. We should also appreciate the show’s long shots. This is not done much in television productions, even today with all the advancement in camera technology. To think that M*A*S*H was able to produce such kind of high-quality show is very impressive even to today’s most acclaimed directors. As a war story, the cinematography has to give the audience a war story feel. M*A*S*H has succeeded in that aspect and continued to further improve the quality of cinematography.   The early years of production had to work with average level equipments. As time had gone by and the pilot show promised popularity, they were given more money to take the show to the next level and set the show apart from the other shows of that time. More money is now available to acquire equipment to improve lighting and sounds. The improved lighting, let’s just say that it made the show more easy to the eyes. The lighting made the shots eye candies. It highlighted the colors of the situation and delivered the feel of war to television screens. The close-up to actors is now reduced of unwanted shadows that maybe distracting to the audience. The costume, especially in the later episodes was given more color and character by the improved lighting. The long shots and the other camera shots made in the exterior were improved to a point that the audience can feel the situation. The shots made in the interior were also improved by the lighting. It gave a more in depth feel of rooms for medical attention in the gory times of wars. The improvement of sounds also contributed much to the show’s success. From the opening credits to the closing, the tunes are catchy enough to keep the audience attention intact. The background music doesn’t over power the actor’s voice while he or she is speaking his or her line. This is very important to a television show and M*A*S*H seems to be very aware of that fact. The background music is just there to heighten the emotion of scenes, not to be the scene itself.   Audibility is a major factor to be considered in every production.   M*A*S*H has also improved in this aspect. From gunshots to door creeks, from shouts to whispers, audibility has definitely improved. Multiple editing also became an important facto to the show’s success. The pursuit of quality is clearly meticulously pursued by the show. This is vey hard for a production because aside form the fact that it is costing the production more money, it is causing the production precious time. Wastes in time in a television production are unforgivable in the genre. There is never a day that a television production has no tight deadline to meet.   But the sacrifice made by the production to further improve the quality of their show is really impressive, especially during their time where editing equipment is rather slow by the standard of today and the budget is tight. M*A*S*H is a television show that the shows of today is modeled. M*A*S*H has all the necessary factors for a hit show. It is the recipe that should be followed by the shows of today if they want to run for more than a decade like M*A*S*H did.   M*A*S*H may have been to several heavy changes, but the important thing they did is that kept the quality of their show high and kept giving their audience entertained and laughing even to the most serious of situations like war. This show has shown us how effective the camera is in the aspect of storytelling. The exploration of M*A*S*H in the use of camera is phenomenal. They are one of the pioneers of such effective use of the camera. This show has proven that an expensive camera is not the formula for a hit show. It is the use of that camera that is very important. Today’s television shows that lacks on this aspect should look back and study M*A*S*H as their model show. To think that M*A*S*H can still stand toe to toe to a television show of today really proves its legendary reputation. If only the use of cameras now has the same motivation and passion just like the people of M*A*S*H, I am very excited to think of the possibilities. The cameras of today are way beyond the capabilities of the cameras back then. If the new technologies is only used and pushed to its full potential, who knows how high the level of quality we can achieve. Reference Editorial Reviews. 2000. Mash- Season One on TV. Retrieved 0ctober 29, 2007

Free Essays on Intersex People

Socialization is learning to be human. Following the movie I watched in class about intersex people I’ve learned that fitting into society is not always easy. For interesex people Just finding out who they are is whole challenge with in one self. There are people waling around every day that look like you and me who are born intersex. Intersex people or Hermaphrodites are people born with both the male and female sex chromosomes and cannot be distinguish as either male or female. When we look in the mirror it is clear-cut that we are either male or female. For some people it is not that simple. Someone Like Max, Tammy, and Patrick who were born with an unknown sex has to live a life of sometimes pain and uncertainly not knowing where he or she belong as part of society. Form many years when we think of something like this we vastly assume of a carnival freak or a side show act on TV. There are thousand of people born a year that are intersex Because of discomfort brought to them many are ashamed and hide who they really are. One example is brought to us by both of the first two characters in the movie Max and Tammy. At the age of 21 they both find someone who see them as a female so right away they jump into marriage. Not even trying to find them selves someone who they can feel comfortable with but rather taking a life partner as face value because they feel that they might not have a second chance at it. Only knowing those two stories told by both max and T ammy I can just imagine how many other jump into the same situation. I mean it’s hard in society for a person who was born with one sex to find a significant other no less a intersex person. Society hasn’t really talked about this subject much because it is basically kept a secret among the people born like this and their families. But one thing is for sure it probably wouldn’t be accepted with open arms either. Let’s just look at history gays and lesbians are still ha... Free Essays on Intersex People Free Essays on Intersex People Socialization is learning to be human. Following the movie I watched in class about intersex people I’ve learned that fitting into society is not always easy. For interesex people Just finding out who they are is whole challenge with in one self. There are people waling around every day that look like you and me who are born intersex. Intersex people or Hermaphrodites are people born with both the male and female sex chromosomes and cannot be distinguish as either male or female. When we look in the mirror it is clear-cut that we are either male or female. For some people it is not that simple. Someone Like Max, Tammy, and Patrick who were born with an unknown sex has to live a life of sometimes pain and uncertainly not knowing where he or she belong as part of society. Form many years when we think of something like this we vastly assume of a carnival freak or a side show act on TV. There are thousand of people born a year that are intersex Because of discomfort brought to them many are ashamed and hide who they really are. One example is brought to us by both of the first two characters in the movie Max and Tammy. At the age of 21 they both find someone who see them as a female so right away they jump into marriage. Not even trying to find them selves someone who they can feel comfortable with but rather taking a life partner as face value because they feel that they might not have a second chance at it. Only knowing those two stories told by both max and T ammy I can just imagine how many other jump into the same situation. I mean it’s hard in society for a person who was born with one sex to find a significant other no less a intersex person. Society hasn’t really talked about this subject much because it is basically kept a secret among the people born like this and their families. But one thing is for sure it probably wouldn’t be accepted with open arms either. Let’s just look at history gays and lesbians are still ha...

Aerodynamic Development Of Land Speed Record Car Engineering Essay

Aerodynamic Development Of Land Speed Record Car Engineering Essay This project is focused on the baseline aerodynamic analyses and optimisation of a Land Speed Record vehicle in terms of performance of drag and aerodynamic stability, and thereby, speed the vehicle can attain. The vehicle `Stay Gold’ shown below belongs to the David Tremayne, a Formula One journalist. It is his plan to break the current British Land Speed Record by achieving a speed of about 350 m/s. A photograph of the vehicle in its current form can be seen below. C:UsersCecilDesktopDSC07489.JPG Figure 1, (20)- Photograph of the Land Speed Record vehicle in its current form. In aerodynamic analyses, the prohibitive costs of conventional wind testing along with the advent of computing power, characterised by its decreasing cost has brought the applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to the fore front of research and industrial applications, (2). The complications of actual wind tunnel testing ranging from differences in boundary conditions to the scale and mounti ng of the object is covered well in existing literature, (1). CFD is a method for analysing complex fluid flow problems using numerical methods to solve the Navier-Stokes governing equations. This report begins with the study of high speed vehicle aerodynamics to understand the important physical phenomena taking place, i.e. Air flows linked with different parts of the vehicle. CFD has been established as a proven tool used to perform baseline simulations with different turbulence models, boundary conditions and grids. Consequently, the influence of compressibility by running cases with progressively faster operating speeds up to Mach 0.5 and the effects of varying the geometry of nose and body of the vehicle using low-drag fairings are studied. Literature Review: High Speed Vehicle Aerodynamics: Aerodynamics is the study of various forces when a body is in motion. As we know, any vehicle moving through a fluid experiences forces induced by the fluid on it. When a vehicle moves forw ard it displaces the static air in front of it and hence disrupts the air flow around the body. These induced fluid forces can be characterised into three main forces which can be represented on a Cartesian coordinate system as shown in the figure below, (19). Figure 2, (19)- Forces acting on a vehicle represented on Cartesian coordinate system The vertical force along the Z axis is called lift. In this context, the vertical force is usually pushing the car towards the ground. Lift force then would be negative. Instead, the term downforce will be used, which is the positive vertical force towards the ground. The horizontal force moving in the opposite direction as the vehicle along the X axis is called drag force. Drag force is created by the vehicle’s resistance to motion moving through the air. . Drag will always be negative with this axis system, although in the results it will be displayed as positive, (19). The horizontal lateral force along the Y axis is called side for ce which occurs due to strong cross winds or by vehicles being in proximity to each other. The magnitude of these forces depends on various factors like the geometry & speed of the vehicle, mass of the fluid, viscosity & compressibility. These three forces are the basic aerodynamic forces that act on a moving solid body. We concentrate on the reducing the drag force alone to achieve higher speeds.

Human Resources #5 -Due Nov 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resources #5 -Due Nov 13 - Essay Example This is highly recommended at lower levels at Abbott Laboratories where knowledge and skills count most to deliver the best products to customers. On the job training can be delivered at the work place itself, as it keeps the focus on the need to upgrade or sharpen the skills in the same area of activity. It will be cost effective as well. This kind of training is most useful at all levels, especially for the new entrants. OJT can be delivered in classrooms as well. The informal way of on the job training fosters better employee relations as well. ‘Special Assignments’ similarly give lower-level executives firsthand experience in working on actual problems. Behavior modeling involves showing trainees the right way of doing something, letting trainees practice that way, and then giving feedback on the trainees’ performance. Modeling is one of the effective ways of learning. Trainees watch films or videos that show models behaving effectively in a problem situation. Role playing will also be very helpful as trainees are given roles to play in a simulated situation. This improves interpersonal skills among the employees. By social reinforcement, the trainer strengthens the learning by complimenting and praising. It helps gaining confidence and getting recognition. When the trained employees carry their learning to the work place by using their updated skills, they will show improved performance. Behavioral methods are more of giving practical training to the trainees. The various methods under Behavioral approach allow the trainee to behavior in a real fashion. These methods are best used for skill development. Any training method that helps building strong teams is of great value to every organization, especially for Abbott Laboratories with its global presence. Team work is the life of an organization. Effective team building techniques are immensely helpful for fostering team spirit and