Analysis Of “In Search Of Horatio Alger”

Philippe Bourgois’ 1989 article â€Å"In Search of Horatio Alger† takes a fairly sympathetic but nonetheless alarming look at the underground crack economy thriving in inner-city America. While he does not approve crack dealing or the violence it encourages, he demonstrates a solid grasp of why urban youth sometimes opt for this illegal trade, and he elaborates credibly on the â€Å"culture of poverty† idea scholars have debated for decades. After using a series of vignettes he gathered while observing the crack trade in New York’s Spanish Harlem, Bourgois segues into his analysis, which treats the crack economy like a business.He presents a context of socioeconomic change, in which well-paying manufacturing work has disappeared and been replaced by low-paying, poorly-regarding service-sector jobs. While many accept these, along with their exploitive conditions and low pay, others seek alternatives that seem less demeaning. Bourgois (1989, p. 626) writes, â€Å"These pariahs of urban industrial society seek their income, and subsequently their identity and the meaning in their life, through what they perceive to be high-powered careers ‘on the street.’† Though the crack trade is illegal and excluded from the mainstream economy, it nonetheless functions very much like a business and is indeed a sort of parallel. Not only does it provide sellers with income, but it also depends on control of designated territories (claimed and enforced through violence), has a clearly-defined hierarchy with bosses who collect receipts from workers on assigned shifts (and maintain discipline), competes for customers (also violently at times), and has an overriding concern for bottom lines.The chief difference, though, is the participants’ ethnicity (often black or Latino), their lack of education, and the heavy use of violence. Bourgois points out (1989, p. 632) that while legitimate businesses consider violence irrational and aberrant, within the crack world it â€Å"can be interpreted, according to the logic of the underground economy, as a judicious case of public relations, advertising, rapport building, and . . . ‘human capital development.’† Legitimate businesses use professional behavior, protocol, and nonviolent means of cultivating personal relations and enforcing their standards because violence deviates from their norms; in impoverished inner-city neighborhoods, though, violence is the norm and is highly effective. For these people, crack dealing represents a legitimate career not only because it is easy to enter, but mainly because it seems a viable alternative to the racial and social subordination inherent to service jobs.Bourgois rejects the notion that the urban poor are simply passive victims of a changing economy; instead, he argues that it is an active, advertent effort by the inner-city poor to create an economy that supports them and, perhaps more importantly, giv es them prestige, albeit on their own terms. They see no dignity in service-sector work and find independence, flexibility, and a respite from racism in this alternative economy. In addition, inner-city youth often encounter negative attitudes and have discouraging experiences in the legal economy, thus making crack dealing seem a viable alternative.Using the Puerto Ricans he met in Spanish Harlem as an example, Bourgois (1989, p. 626) writes that the urban poor are deemed â€Å"unemployable† and trapped in a culture of poverty, the existence of which has not been disproved after decades of scholarly debate. He adds (1989, p. 626) that â€Å"the media and a large portion of the inner-city residents themselves continue to subscribe to [the] culture-of-poverty concept. † Excluded by institutional racism, poor education, and troubled family lives, the urban poor are also beset by a changing economy that allows them to hold only menial, poor-paying jobs that offer little o r no advancement (1989, p.627). In fact, those who favor the crack trade view legitimate jobs with disdain, rejecting the system in ways that they believe it has rejected them. Bourgois (1989, p. 629) claims that because they are trained for subordinate roles by the educational system and offered only low-status jobs, such people sometimes react by developing a kind of â€Å"structurally induced cultural resistance† fed by deep frustration and anger. As he asserts (1989, p. 630), â€Å"The underground economy .. . is the ultimate ‘equal opportunity employer’ for inner-city youth. † Bourgois also implies that such feelings are understandable, especially given the fact that many in the crack economy had negative experiences in legal jobs, though he also concedes that not all of the working poor are automatically driven to illegal livelihoods. To his credit, though, Bourgois does not condemn the poor or claim that the socioeconomic system automatically drives them into lives of crime.Though the crack trade appears to some a viable alternative to jobs that earn little money or respect, Bourgois does not romanticize the crack dealer as a noble figure or excuse the crack economy in general. Instead, he condemns the effects crack has on inner-city neighborhoods; though a lucrative business, it is a destructive force because of the addictions it creates and the violence by which dealers create and maintain reputations. In his field work, Bourgois pays particular attention to the dealers’ machismo and alludes to the especially negative effects crack has on women.Though Bourgois claims (1989, p. 644) that poor women of color are actually more emancipated in recent years, since they work outside the home more than in past decades and are not as homebound as in previous generations. However, the crack economy puts women into an ugly paradox; those who attach themselves to the crack trade are usually hangers-on, attracted by the prospect o f money and drugs, and they often allow themselves to be treated more as objects than as people. Also, addiction forces some to turn to prostitution in order to support their habits, at the expense of their families.Few are allowed to become dealers; though Bourgois (1989, pp. 623-625) mentions one in his field observations, many are barred from street dealing because of their vulnerability to physical violence and, in a parallel with the legitimate economy, are barred from rising very far in this street economy. Women’s involvement is encouraged, but limited by the dynamics of machismo and the reality of physical violence as a means of building and maintaining reputations; they are as subordinate in this economy as they are in the legitimate one, albeit with vastly more damaging consequences in the former. As Bourgois explains (1989, p.645), â€Å"[The] proves of emancipation that has enabled women to demand equal participation in street culture and to carve out an expanded niche for themselves in the underground economy has led to a greater depreciation of women. . . .† Bourgois presents a credible explanation of why some of the urban poor are drawn to the underground crack economy. Their ambitions and energies, frustrated by social, educational, and economic conditions, are sometimes channeled into the violent, risky, but intensely lucrative crack trade because it represents, he claims, a sort of Horatio Alger â€Å"rags to riches† story for the post-industrial age.He does not demonize the poor as a whole, or even those who gravitate toward crack dealing, since he conveys an understanding of why they see few viable alternatives. On the other hand, he does not laud their participation in the underground economy; while he indicates the participants’ sense of rebellion and resistance against discrimination, he depicts the crack economy as a symptom of the much larger social problem of poverty without apparent escape or alternatives. The article also offers proof that a culture of poverty exists – the examples he uses paint a sordid picture in which the poor feel rejected by the establishment and thus create their own system, which is even more disastrous to their communities and lives. Bourgois, P 1989, â€Å"In search of Horatio Alger: culture and ideology in the crack economy,† Contemporary Drug Pr

Nectar in a Sieve Analysis

Ashley S. Dela Vina English Nectar in a Sieve Novel Analysis K(What I know about the novel)| W(What I want to know about the novel)| L(What I learn from the novel)| Nectar in a Sieve is an Indian novel written by Kamala Markandaya. It is about a girl who was married at a young age to a farmer. And faced a lot of challenges throughout her life. | I want to know how the protagonist of the story will live her life as a wife. Also the struggles she will face and the things she would do and sacrifice in order to overcome her hardships in life. Life is naturally hard and disastrous. We just have to learn how to face these disasters in order to succeed and survive. Giving up is not the solution to everything. Hope and perseverance will always stand against the odds in our lives. Rukmani shows the need to hold onto hope and the nectar of life despite all the overflowing tragedies. | The KWL Chart The novel started with the protagonist, Rukamani, narrating her own story in a first person poin t of view. Having a flashback of all the happenings in her life, Rukmani was able to analyze all the different events in her life.Rukmani is an educated woman who is married to a farmer named Nathan at the age of twelve. Her marriage is one of the greatest times in her life and she is thankful that her husband is kind to her. Rukmani wishes to raise a happy and healthy family while Nathan wishes to buy their own land. They had their first child Ira, and then followed by five sons; Arjun, Thambi, Murugan, Raja and Selvam. In Rukmani’s later years she gave birth to Kuti. The major conflict in the novel was the fight between life and death for the poor people of the small village.But when you go beneath the surface, you will see that it is not just a matter of life and death, but also a fight between the evil and the good that was challenged by the constant struggles that happened. The arrival of the tannery was a turning point in Rukmani’s life. Her restriction to Iraâ⠂¬â„¢s freedom from the tannery workers foreshadows the troubles her son will have with them. Two of her sons were dismissed at the tannery for leading the strike of workers after sometime of working there. She deals with losing her daughter because of her marriage that is too good to be true.Her marriage is also a form of foreshadowing in the novel. It foreshadows the future trouble with her fertility and security. Her husband returned her to her family because she cannot bear a child. Rukmani tried seeking for Kenny’s help but it was too late because Ira’s husband already found another wife. Rukmani’s sixth son, Kuti, brought Ira out of depression. She took care of the child until drought came and the family suffered hunger again. Kunthi’s prostitution foreshadows Ira’s similar fate. Ira turned to prostitution in order to feed Kuti. Kenny’s comeback symbolises hope for them.He returned from his long absence with the money he will use to pu t up a hospital. He offers help to Rukmani’s son, Selvam to be his assistant which Selvam quickly accepted. Kunthi’s blackmail attempt exposes Rukmani’s long held secret (her visit to Kenny’s clinic) and reveals that Nathan fathered Kunthi’s sons. Just as Nathan and Rukmani’s marriage survived Kunthi’s storm and became stronger, the family survives the drought and dares to hope once again. Ira had an albino child from prostitution but the family welcomed the child wholeheartedly despite what the villagers think.Just when it seems that the family had overcome everything, the biggest of the challenges came. They were told that they have to leave their land immediately because it was already sold to the tannery. Their decision to go to the city marks as the climax because this will change the direction of their lives. In the city, they found Puli, an orphan who helped them look for their son. During their travel at the city, they found o ut that their son left his wife and child and moved to some other place. They were also robbed at the temple and Rukmani wanted to go back to their village.When Nathan died at the temple in Rukmani’s arms, she went back home with Puli. Rukmani is a very strong woman. She has undergone so many struggles but yet, she doesn’t lose hope. The novel has different themes: hunger as threat to dignity, knowledge as power, and importance of fertility. Hunger and poverty is a powerful enemy to someone. People will do everything for fear of hunger, even sacrifice their dignity. Rukmani lost her sons because of hunger. Her elder sons seek new lives in other land; another son was killed for stealing, leaving Rukmani grieving.For fear of hunger her daughter turned to prostitution. She herself almost killed someone for thinking the last piece of their rice was being taken. In the novel, hunger and poverty breeds people who has no dignity. People with knowledge hold power. The tannery won against the workers because they have more knowledge. For Rukmani, white men have power and so she turned to Kenny. Kunthi uses her knowledge of Rukmani and Nathan’s secrets to exercise evil power. Puli’s knowledge of the city helped Rukmani and Nathan to look for their son.The commendable characters in the novel were the ones who apply their knowledge to good deeds. Importance of fertility is shown throughout the novel. Not just the fertility of women but also the fertility of the land. She sought the help of Kenny for fear of infertility and this caused Kunthi to blackmail her. Ira’s problems were also caused by her barrenness. She lost her husband for not being able to produce him a child. The fertility of the land is a symbol of life, it is so important to the villagers for when the land does not produce, the people will starve.The bullocks were related to the peasants of the land. The bullocks highlight the harmony of nature. The bullocks, like the peas ants, suffered from the injustice of overwork. They overwork for their owners to earn a living every day. The sari is a sorce of dignity, status, and pride. Rukmani’s sari on her wedding shows that her father was the headman and that she comes from important people. The Hinduism belief, dharma was present in the novel. It was shown in the novel when Rukmani sold the sari together with their bullocks and other possessions to pay for the land they live.By selling her most prized possession, she reduces her attachment to worldly goods as an important step toward achieving the hindu virtue of dharma. Rukmani is a strong voice of the poor because she seaks with carity and truth. She gets stronger in every challenge because of her devotion to truth. With her, the Hindu belief that truth surpass all other moral values was shown in the novel. Sources: http://thebestnotes. com/booknotes/Nectar_Markandaya/Nectar_In_A_Sieve05. html http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/nectar/facts. html http ://www. enotes. com/nectar-sieve

Approaches in Psychology Essay

We can also describe the definition of developmental psychology as â€Å"It is the study in which behavior develop and change during a life span. Special areas of interest include the development of language, social attachments, emotions, thinking and perception† More In Developmental Psychology: Developmental psychology is the scientific study of age-related changes throughout the human life span. A discipline of scientific inquiry, developmental psychology recognizes humans of all societies and cultures as beings who are â€Å"in process,† or constantly growing and changing. There’s a special device or you can say that there’re special cells in the brain of a baby and has the specific period by which baby learns the language and this type of thing is not available in the minds of animals. The development of emotions and thinking are also based upon the development of mind and language. When a baby learn the language he also try to act and shows emotions like hunger, pain and something like that. 2- Industrial Psychology: What is Industrial Psychology? Industrial and Organizational Psychology is a specialist rea that applies psychological knowledge and skills to work, with the aim of improving organizational effectiveness and the quality of work life. More In Industrial Psychology: Psychologists in this field advise businesses and organizations on a variety of subjects: the selection and training of workers; how to promote efficient working conditions and techniques; how to boost employee morale, productivity, and job satisfaction; and the b est ways to evaluate employee performance and create incentives that motivate workers. I-O psychology first became prominent during World War II (1939-1945), when it became necessary to recruit and train the large number of new workers who were needed to meet the expanding demands of industry. The selection of workers for particular jobs is essentially a problem of discovering the special aptitudes and personality characteristics needed for the job and of devising tests to determine whether candidates have such aptitudes and characteristics. The development of tests of this kind has long been a field of psychological research. Once the worker is on the job and has been trained, the fundamental aim of the I-O psychologist is to find ways in which a particular job can best be accomplished with a minimum of effort and a maximum of individual satisfaction. The psychologist’s function, therefore, differs from that of the so-called efficiency expert, who places primary emphasis on increased production. Psychological techniques used to lessen the effort involved in a given job include a detailed study of the motions required to do the job, the equipment used, and the conditions under which the job is performed. These conditions include ventilation, heating, lighting, noise, and anything else affecting the comfort or morale of the worker. After making such a study, the I-O psychologist often determines that the job in question may be accomplished with less effort by changing the routine motions of the work itself, changing or moving the tools, improving the working conditions, or a combination of several of these methods. Industrial-organizational psychologists have also studied the effects of fatigue on workers to determine the length of working time that yields the greatest productivity. In some cases such studies have proven that total production on particular jobs could be increased by reducing the number of working hours or by increasing the number of rest periods, or breaks, during the day. I-O psychologists may also suggest less direct requirements for general improvement of job performance, such as establishing a better line of communication between employees and management. 3- Child Psychology: What is Child Psychology? It’s the study in which we study how children grow and issues related with their upbringing, physical and psychological health. More In Child Psychology: Child Development, physical, intellectual, social, and emotional changes that occur from birth to adolescence. Although people change throughout their lives, developmental changes are especially dramatic in childhood. During this period, a dependent, vulnerable newborn grows into a capable young person who has mastered language, is self-aware, can think and reason with sophistication, has a distinctive personality, and socializes effortlessly with others. Many abilities and characteristics developed in childhood last a lifetime. Some developments in behavior and thought are very similar for all children. Around the world, most infants begin to focus their eyes, sit up, and learn to walk at comparable ages, and children begin to acquire language and develop logical reasoning skills at approximately the same time. These aspects of individual growth are highly predictable. Other aspects of development show a much wider range of individual differences. Whether a child becomes outgoing or shy, intellectually advanced or average, or energetic or subdued depends on many unique influences whose effects are difficult to predict at the child’s birth. A variety of factors influence child development. Heredity guides every aspect of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and personality development. Family members, peer groups, the school environment, and the community influence how children think, socialize, and become selfaware. Biological factors such as nutrition, medical care, and environmental hazards in the air and water affect the growth of the body and mind. Economic and political institutions, the media, and cultural values all guide how children live their lives. Critical life events, such as a family crisis or a national emergency, can alter the growth of personality and identity. Most important of all, children contribute significantly to their own development. This occurs as they strive to understand their experiences, respond in individual ways to the people around them, and choose activities, friends, and interests. Thus, the factors that guide development arise from both outside and within the person. Why is the study of child development important? One reason is that it provides practical guidance for parents, teachers, child-care providers, and others who care for children. A second reason is that it enables society to support healthy growth. Understanding early brain development, for example, means that parents can provide better opportunities for intellectual stimulation, and society can reduce or eliminate obstacles to healthy brain growth. Third, the study of child development helps therapists and educators better assist children with special needs, such as those with emotional or learning difficulties. Finally, understanding child development contributes to self-understanding. We know ourselves better by recognizing the influences that have made us into the people we are today. 4- Educational Psychology: What is Educational Psychology? Educational Psychology, application of scientific method to the study of the behavior of people in instructional settings. Although the behavior of teachers and students is of greatest interest, educational psychologists also study the behavior of other groups, such as teacher aides, infants, migrants, and the aged. The areas covered by educational psychologists inevitably overlap with other areas of psychology, including child and adolescent development, social psychology, psychological testing, and educational counseling. There are different theories of child psychology which are as follow: †¢ Learning (Different theories of learning help educational psychologists understand, predict, and control human behavior. For example, educational psychologists have worked out mathematical models of learning that predict the probability of a person’s making a correct response; these mathematical theories are used to design computerized instruction in reading, mathematics, and secondlanguage learning. Different psychologist have their contribution in this field. Ivan Pavlov and B. F Skinner are prominent) †¢ Motivation (Attribution theory describes the role of motivation in a person’s success or failure in school situations. Success on a test, for instance, could be attributed to luck or hard work; the theory predicts the behavior of students depending on their responses. ) †¢ Development (The theory of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget that intellectual ability is qualitatively different at different ages and that children need interaction with the environment to gain intellectual competency has influenced all of education and psychology.

Sx-wk7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sx-wk7 - Essay Example Another example is the South Asian LGBs who are "largely closeted in their own communities.." (p. 135) because of their cultural mores. It can be assumed that all LGB people are "the same" and have the same experiences. According to Bohan, this is not true. In my own experience, I have seen many different LBGs and it seems that there were many differences. As an example, some whites seemed to be more open than minority LGBs. In hearing some of their stories, it seemed to take longer for minorities to "come out" because they were afraid they would be rejected by their families. I found it interesting that LGBs come to midlife that they seem freer than they did when they were younger. I could understand why however. Bohan says that it is because there is "an absence of traditional gender roles allowed by LGB may make midlife a more fulfilling period for LGBs†¦" (p. 159). I think that this is part of it. I also think that at a certain time and space LGBs just get tired of not living their life in the way they want. This comment also reminded me of something that Fee (2006) said regarding transgendered identity. They make the point that when we only have two genders, it is difficult for people who do not fit one of these categories to define an identity (p. 1). It would seem that LGBs would have somewhat of a struggle deciding how to be within a specific gender and are able to release that as they grow

Property Market Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Property Market Analysis - Essay Example Taking this into consideration, property market is evolving into various distinct fields. Various specialists usually have the responsibility of valuating property market as well as facilitating transactions involved in buying and selling in the property market. Some of the most common types of property market businesses include appraisal, development, net leasing, property management, real estate marketing, real estate investing, relocation services and corporate real estate among other businesses (Abdul 2002). In every field of property market, businesses usually specialize in certain types of property market. These include residential, commercial and industrial property (Abdul 2002). Moreover, most of the construction businesses usually have a significant connection to property market (Adams 2007). Current research on the property market indicates that lack of effective property market laws usually have a substantial barrier to investment to most of the developing countries all over the world (Adams 2007). In most societies worldwide, a significant portion of the total wealth is usually in terms of land and building. Taking this into consideration, land as well as a building is highly valued in many societies all over the world (Abdul 2002). In more advanced economies, the primary source of capital used by individuals as well as small companies to buy and improve building and land is mortgage loans. Most of the banks are willing give these loans as the real property usually act as security if the borrower fails to pay the money borrowed. Efficient market theory is one of the most discredited theories (Siegel 2009). The theory assumes that all participants in the market receive and act effectively on relevant information in the market as soon as it becomes available to them (Siegel 2009). If this is actually the case, then the best investment would be just a coin toss.

Aztecs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aztecs - Essay Example Aztecs were ancient Nahuatl-speaking people whose civilization flourished in Central Mexico from the 12th century AD until they were conquered by the Spanish led by Cortes in 1519. Aztec history is one of the best preserved records of the Mesoamericans. The Aztecs were a nomadic tribe living in northern Mexico for centuries before they migrated to the highlands of central Mexico in the 12th century. The power of the Aztecs began to rise in the 14th century, and by the 16th century they were dominating central Mexico and up to present-day Guatemala in the south. Being the last in a series of civilizations in Mesoamerica, the Aztecs had a complex culture that had shades of the cultures of civilizations preceding them such as the Mayan and Teotihuacan. The extensive practice of human sacrifice was a prominent feature of Aztec culture. This essay analyzes the concept of human sacrifice in Aztec culture. Sacrifices were fundamental to most ancient cultures.In fact, all cultures have pract iced sacrifice in some form or other, ranging from food and wine to animals and humans. In our modern and civilized cultures, however, human sacrifice is deemed as a freak and abhorrent cult. Human sacrifice among the Sumerians involved poisoning and burial. The Sumerian civilization that existed on the lower reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers about 4000 B.C., practiced human sacrifice in the form of the burial of a king in a lower chamber, followed by a layering of humans and, finally, the chief sacrifice of the queen in the topmost chamber in a tomb. In the Neolithic or Bronze period in China, in what was possibly the earliest known phase of civilization, the Shang Dynasty (1500-600 B.C.) practiced sacrifices of war captives to the royal ancestors. When a king died, it was customary to bury him along with his sacrificed servants. Thus, human sacrifice among the ancient Chinese was practiced for the sake of ancestor worship. The Celts (400-200 BC) whose territory extended f rom Ireland to parts of Asia Minor, and in the south to parts of Italy, and some regions in Spain, besides the entire Roman empire, also indulged in human sacrifice until the beginning of the Christian era and the act was probably voluntary. Thus, human sacrifice by the Celts was carried out to placate the gods in order to reap benefits for the community. From all accounts the ritual of human sacrifice undertaken by the Aztecs was extremely violent and savage. The most common form of human sacrifice among the Aztecs consisted of blood letting and tearing the hearts out to offer to the gods, in particular, Huitzilopochtli. This involved cutting open the chests of victims at altars on top of temple-pyramids by special sacrifice priests using sacrificial knives carved out of precious stone. A most spectacular yet gruesome event is said to have taken place during the consecration of the temple of Huitzilpochtli, just two decades before Cortes defeated the Aztecs. On this occasion, at le ast 20,000 prisoners are said to have been sacrificed in a marathon session of sacrifice conducted by Ahuitzotl, the then Aztec ruler, and his relatives, acting as the officiating priests (Raggio et al., 2000). The skulls of the sacrificial victims placed on long wooden racks were later displayed to the public. The Aztec empire was a model of administrative regulation and control, and which had implemented many economic and political innovations. The highly successful Aztec society had developed advanced agriculture, mathematics, astronomy and art. Their capital, Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) established in 1325, developed fast and had a population of more than 100,000 people when it was attacked by the Spanish. The reasons for such a powerful empire yielding so quickly and completely to the Spanish in 1519 beg to be discussed. Religion was a driving force for the Aztecs, Huitzilopochtli being the patron god. Besides this hummingbird-like god, there were several other prominent dei ties, too. Human sacrifices

Critically evaluate the strategic role of global information systems Essay - 1

Critically evaluate the strategic role of global information systems for organisations and discuss the management issues associa - Essay Example For firms, adoption of information systems requires investment resources such as time and personnel (King, 2009). Organizations in different industries always strive to be market leaders in their respective market segments. Where the business environment consists of inflation, recession and tough operating conditions, businesses opt for strategies aimed at gaining a competitive edge over their competitors (Drucker, &Maciariello, 2008).Among these strategies can be the one that enables adoption of an information system by a firm. The system enables the organization make optimum use of its data, cut down on costs and increases efficiency.Information systems store and analyze data faster and in a more secure manner unlike the outdated manual way of data handling. Hardcopy management of data and records is no longer in use. Today, most companies opt for sophisticated databases that store data in any format, be it text, image or video files, update the data as well analyze the data at the click of a mouse (Drucker, &Maciariello, 2008). Through faster analysis of data, quicker solutions to present and future problems are easily determined. Another role of information systems is that of assisting in the decision making process (King, 2009). Success for an enterprise depends upon the strategic plans a firm adopts. The management of a firm uses management information systems to come up with strategic plans for the continued success of the firm (King, 2009). Information systems also play a role in the development of business processes that aim at adding value to a firm’s operations. Continuous business process remodeling is necessary for enhancing the quality of a firm’s products as well as cost minimization. Global information systems are basically information systems designed for the global market. Global information systems are more developed to cater for specific world markets and attempt to deliver functionality to a firm within the context of the whol e world (Laudon, &Laudon, 2002). With global information systems, focus is on the global setting, in a wider scope largely translating to distributed systems. Software’s for these systems are developed with the concept of global (Laudon, &Laudon, 2002). Design for these systems concern process flow in the systems, architecture as mechanisms for supporting the functions of the system. Information systems are composed are composed of information technology, business applications, development processes of the systems, foundation concepts as well as management challenges (Taylor, 2004). Information technology comprises of hardware software, data, networks and other technologies. System development processes concerns how the systems are developed and implemented. Foundation concepts are about technical and business concepts concerning components and functioning of the system (Sarngadharan&Minimol, 2010). Managerial challenges on information systems on the other hand concern how th e management of functions of information system componentsachieve optimum performance. Management issues in planning for information systems In planning for a global information system, the management team carries out a comprehensive analysis of how the firm’s business operations are conducted. This analysis will determine whether or not adoption of an information system will be of benefit to the firm (Sarngadharan & Minimol, 2010). When a firm operates globally, the scenario in the different markets is almost similar

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR THEORIES OR MODELS Essay

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR THEORIES OR MODELS - Essay Example Diverse individuals or employees behave differently and hence the organizational behavior can be defined as the sum total of the behaviors of the diverse employees. As a result of that, it is logical to assume that no two organizations can be alike in terms of its behavior since no two individuals are alike in their behaviors. The culture, religion, and the attitudes of the employees can play vital roles in shaping organizational behavior. Leadership plays an important role in shaping organizational behavior. Ultimately leaders are responsible for the development of good as well as bad behaviors and attitudes among employees. An employee who gets good treatment from the leader may contribute heavily to the organization whereas an employee who gets bad treatment from the leader may retard the progress of the organization. Strategies necessary to motivate a diverse workforce purely depend on the abilities of the leader. In other words, leadership style plays an important role in shapin g organizational behavior. Some leaders have autocratic in nature whereas some others are democratic in nature. A third segment of leaders adopt a mixed approach; autocratic style blended with democratic style. Based on these leadership styles, plenty of organizational behavior theories or models were developed in the recent past. This paper critically analyses situational leadership theory, the XY theory of motivation and Adam’s equity theory of motivation to know more about the organizational behavior theories or models. Situational Leadership theory and organizational behavior The situational leadership theory, was developed by Paul Hersey, (author of the book Situational Leader), and Ken Blanchard, (author of The One Minute Manager). The core principle of the situational leadership theory is that the leaders should be flexible enough to change their styles based on the demands of the situations (Hersey and Blanchard, 1977). The four different types of situational leadersh ip are: Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating. â€Å"Directing leadership approach is most appropriate when the followers have low willingness and low ability for the task at hand. When the followers cannot do the job and are unwilling or afraid to try, then the leader must take a highly directive role† (The Situational Leadership Model, N.d., p.3). It should be noted that power is extremely important for a military leader. He will exercise it whenever requires. It is the duty of the soldiers or the followers to obey the commands or instructions of the commander or leader, even if they have concerns about the logic and utility of the instructions they got. First obey and then question is the rule followed in military. â€Å"Coaching leadership approach is most appropriate when the followers have high willingness but low ability for the task at hand† (The Situational

Global Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Global Marketing - Essay Example Because of this free flow of information, it has to be said that there has been a tremendous rise of competition in the global market place. As of the recent times, many companies are focusing on entering many new markets for the purpose of clocking significant business growth opportunities. It has to be said that this particular project discusses about the internationally acclaimed ethical cosmetic and beauty product offering company Body Shop and its efforts related to entering the market of China. Introduction The world of the 21st century is moving at a rapid pace. The tremendous momentum of the pace is being spearheaded on the basis of fast growth and rapid development. It is of considerable importance to mention that the rapid growth of the telecommunication technology has acted as a major catalyst in promoting tremendous growth for the emergence of high speed internet technology. It is largely relevant to mention that the faster penetration of the internet has resulted in a tr emendous spike of acceptance of Smartphones in the markets of both the developed as well as developing economies. Because of the smooth and seamless integration of the developed world with the developing economies on the lines of the technology medium, it has to be said that the world in itself has transformed into a single and well connected entity. It has to be said that the globally connected entity has resulted in the

Questions on UML and Project Management Research Paper

Questions on UML and Project Management - Research Paper Example The UML is used to construct, visualize, document, specify and modify the elements of an object oriented system under enhancement.. J. Object Management Group (OMG) is an association of several computer design and system developers. The formation of the OMG targeted the setting of conventional standards for disturbed object oriented systems. Currently, the organization concerns with different aspects of modeling such as business processes, systems and programs. OMG attempts to avert vague standards that cannot be implementable or have never been implemented. Object Management Group also provides other standards basing on modeling principles. Apart from the UML, OMG also involves in other modeling operations. Meta Object Facility (MOF) is another specification employed in OMG. MOF is applicable in the Model-Driven Architecture and combines each development and integration steps of business, architectural and application modeling to enable development, management and transformation. Bu siness Motivation Model (BMM) is also an OMG specification standard. The BMM avails vocabulary for organization’s governance and strategic planning. ... of the UML state machine operation incorporates the organization of a way a device such as a computer program works  in a way that a section or each of its elements is accurately one of the number of probable state at which there are explicitly definitions of conditional conversions between the states. UML state machine initiates the concepts of hierarchy nested states and perpendicular regions, while extending the notion of actions. The state machines depict protocol and behavioral state machines. The behavioral state machines can be utilized in modeling the actions of individual elements while the protocol statecharts are employed to express utilization protocols and identify the legal usage situations of order interfaces and ports. Umbrello UML Modeller Umbrello UML Modeller is a software diagram tool which is present for many platforms such as Unix-like and Microsoft windows. The modeller is versatile and performs well with other computers and programming conditions. Umbrello U ML Modeller tool manages all types of paradigm UML diagrams. The tool can reverse all written codes from different languages such as python, C++, Java, IDL and Ada. Umbello can also reverse the XMI files produced from PHP codes and export to other diverse programming languages. Umbello permits sharing of model components through exportation of Docbook in addition to other XHTML layouts. The distribution assists in amalgamation enhancement attempts in case the team members cannot access the umbello directly. The tool is also critical in situations where the data is to be published in the web. Therefore, Umbrello UML Modeller would be the best for a project team to use in developing an object-oriented information system using UML. Umbrello UML Modeller is more significant because it supports

Hsa 520 week 6 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hsa 520 week 6 - Coursework Example There is no guarantee that the policy the managers have set to help in the attainment of the goals and objectives will actually work, which is why it is crucial that the management have a backup plan in case the one in place fails. The second function of management is organizing. In performing this function, management makes use of the data collected from the planning process in order to assemble the right assets required to effectively actualize complete the techniques and tasks of the job. It is somewhat one of the most important functions given the fact that it somehow acts as a predecessor to all the other functions. Tasks are delegated in such a way that the success of each personnel contributes to the success of each department, which ultimately contributes to the overall success of the organization. Organizing can be said to be the spine of the organization, seeing that without it the organization will ultimately crumble and fall. It does not only involve arranging of the activities and function, but also the arranging of the personnel to perform their assigned tasks in the organization. The third function of management is directing. This function involves the management trying to make the employees perform to the best of their expertise in order to guarantee the success of the organization. Through this function, the manager is able to influence and keep an eye on the behaviour of the personnel in order to steer them towards attaining the goals of the company and their own personal and career goals. Directing is what the manager does in order to ascertain that the tasks assigned to the personnel are completed in the stipulated time (Tan, 2011). Lastly, there is controlling. This entails monitoring the progress taking place within the organization and making the necessary changes if need be. It essentially

Langston Hughes Salvation Essay Example for Free

Langston Hughes Salvation Essay In this essay I will not only â€Å"inventory† my college readiness experience but I will also attempt to critique my own life skills as to assess my ability to excel in the college experience. Looking into the â€Å"Habits of Mind†, I understand you asked me to elaborate on one however two stand out. I would like to take the opportunity to expound on two. The first being metacognition, I am a conscious thinker. I consciously reflect on my past experiences personal and professional to determine my future endeavors. I believe success is a building block process. I have gained knowledge cognitively and intellectually by engaging in life as a whole. Past educational as well as life experiences have created a knowledge base that was honed by maturation. My personal life choices as well as a varied career in the military have given me insight into a knowledge base that has equipped me to with life skills that continue to go hand and hand with my professional goals. Most importantly completing a college degree. My second â€Å"Habits of Mind† skill I readily use is persistence; I can be dogmatic in my approach to success. This skill comes from a successful military career. I do not use the word can’t it is not in my vocabulary. I spent thirty years in the military all over the world because of this I was unable to complete my college degree. However it was always a goal I knew I would accomplish. I am now here to complete my goal. Now in all honesty I must expound on what I need to develop out of the eight habits I think I need to explore â€Å"Creativity† not that I am not creative but my military experience molded my state of mind for many years. I am still adjusting to civilian life and the freedom that it brings. This is a work in progress and knowing a weakness gives you the knowledge base to change and diversify my skills in the needed areas. In conclusion I am enjoying my college years and I am able to focus on the experience in its entireity because I am an older student. I don’t know if after high school I would have valued it as much as I do now. I make every day a learning day and I value the importance placed on my personal growth thru my educational experience.

Vodafone group: An analysis

Vodafone group: An analysis Chapter 1 Firms Profile Vodafone Group is a mobile telecommunications company. The company has a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States. In the United States the groups associated undertaking operates as Verizon Wireless. From a UK start-up company in 1984, Vodafone is now the worlds leading mobile telecommunications company. So Vodafone its a market leader in its current production. Businesses know that consumers position products in relation to those of competitors. There can be a ‘pecking order or ‘product ladder. Products might be market leaders. They are usually the main selling product and decisions on prices and promotion are often followed by other products, known as market followers. (Dave Hall et al, 2006) Vodafone is amongst the major global providers of telecommunication services. The company has a strong presence in Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain and other European countries. Through its direct and partner networks, its global reach extends to more than 38 countries. Vodafone offers a wide range of mobile services such as voice, messaging, data, and roaming services to customers and business enterprises. Vodafone has a strong network infrastructure comprising 2G and 3G networks, which are operated over GSM and GPRS network standards. These networks enable the group provide high speed data services. Legal Type Of Firm Vofadone was formerly known as Racal Strategic Radio Limited and changed its name to Racal Telecommunications Group Limited in 1985. Further, the company changed its name to Racal Telecom Limited in 1988; to Vodafone Group Public Limited Company in 1991; to Vodafone AirTouch Plc in 1999; and subsequently to Vodafone Group Public Limited Company in 2000. Vodafone Group is headquartered in Newbury, the United Kingdom. Source: http://www.scripophily.net/ratepulicoen.html Public limited companies tends to be larger and is the second type of o limited company. This company name ends in plc. There are around 1.2 million registered limited companies in the UK, but only around 1% of them are public limited companies. Shares in public limited companies may be freely bought and sold by the general public on the stock market. Owners of plcs are therefore rarely closely involved with the business. The stock exchange is a market where second hand shares are bought and sold. Operating as a public limited company is associated with both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: All members have limited liability. Huge amounts of money can be raised from the sale of shares to the public. Production costs may be lower as firms may gain and this leads to ability to expand and benefit from economies of scale which means as the production increases the cost of production per unit decreases. In this case Vodafone will be able to set lower prices than competitors and in this way increase sales revenue and maybe profits. The great size of Vodafone, can often dominate the market and lead to a market leader where the competitor firms will have to follow. Disadvantages: There can be potential management problems in the organization. There may be danger of takeover There may be danger of shares loosing value through fashion and rumour and this to lead to a reduction of the stock market shares. Some public limited companies such as Vodafone are very large indeed. They have millions of shareholders and a wide variety of business interests situated all over the world. So, Vodafone is a multinational company which means that it has production plants in a number of different countries. Type Of Competition Vodafone Group Plc is the worlds leading mobile telecomunications , with a significantpresence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia pacific and the united states through the companys subsiadiary undertakings, joint ventures, associated undertakings and investments. source: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/vodafone Vodeafone is operating as an oligoply because it a market leader and has its dominant place in the market. Oligopoly is one of the four market structures. At one extreme perfect competition, where there are very many firms competing. Each firm is so small relative to the whole industry that it has no power to influence price. It is a price taker. At the otherxtreme is monopoly where there is just one firm in the industry, and hence no competition , which involves a quite a lot of firms competing and where there is freedom for new firms to enter the industry, and oligopoly which involves only a few firms and where entry of new firms is restricted. So, oligopoly is a market structure where there are few enough firs to enable barriers to be erected against the entry of new firms. Product Design And UCD Failures Vodafone the worlds largest mobile operator, is seeking an experienced freelancer to supportin the design and developmentof its exclusive products and specific Vodafone owned devices for all customer target groups. Vodafones aim is to grow revenue and improve its profit margin by adding value to its products and services, i.e. Earning more from each product sold. The ‘Vodafone Live service enables customers to use picture messaging to download polyphonic ringtones, colourgames, images and information, through an icon driver menu. Vodafone offers a product with many different features provides customers with opportunities to chat, play games, send and receive pictures, change ringtones, receive information and soon view video clips and send video messages. Vodafone and other mobile phone industries use different ways in orderto prolongthe maturity stage of their product life cycle and gain more profits. The cell phone life cycle includes design, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal(or alternatively, refurbishment of recycling components). Chapter 2 Swot Analysis The purpose of Swot Analysis is to conduct a general and quick examination of a business current position so that it can identify preffered and likely directions for the future. Swot analysis involves looking at the internal strengths and weaknesses of a business and the external opportunities and threats. (Dave Hall et al, 2006) Strengths: Diversified geographical portfolio with strong mobile telecommunications operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and to some extent the US Leading presence in emerging markets such as India Big presence in Japan market Strategig alliances with Apple iPhone Weaknesses: US business not nearly as strong as European/rest of the world operations 80% of its business is generated in Europe Opportunities: Focus on costs reductions improving returns Majority stake in Huthcison Essar in India Research and development of new mobile technologies Focus on developing markets ( Africa, Latin America Threats: Highly competitive market Still lags behind major competitors in the US Extremely high penetration rates in key European markets European Union regulation on cross-border cell phone usage by customers Develpment of VOIP communication Source: http://www.wikiswot.com/SWOT/15_Communication_Services/Vodafone.html Pest-G Analysis Pest -G analysis examines the external environment and the global factors that may affect a business. It can provide a quick and visual representation of the external pressuresfacing a business, and their possible constraints on strategy. It is usually divided into five external influences on a business-political, economic, social, technological and green environment. (Dave Hall et al, 2006) Political This is concerned with how political developments, regionally, rationally and internationally might affect Vodafones strategy. It might include a consideration of legislation, such as consumer laws, regulation, political pressures and the goverments view of certain activities. Economic This might involve the analysis of a variety of economic factors and their effects on business. They might include consumers ativity, their willingness to spend. Economic variables sch as inflation, unemployement, trade growth. Th effects ofchanges in product and labour markets. Social One social issue that affects the operations of Vodafone in a positive way is the increased population in India. So Vodafone operating in a market with high population leads to an increase demand for its products. Technological Businesses operate in a world of rapd tehnological change. Organisation sneed to regularly review the impact of new technologies upon their activities. Production may become out of date and increase costs for the business, communication may become inefficient as ICT develops. Thats why Vodafone is investing in RD which is vital in industries where technological change is rapid. Green Enviromental factors can influence the decisions of Vodafone. Taking into account environmental considerations mayraise costs, but might also generate greater sales. Environmental and social issues are very important for Vodafone. They use the monitoring aspect of the entropy system for international data gathering across their operating companies. This information is fed into their corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and has resulted in significant data qulality improvements. Chapter 3 Global MIS/Risks Vodafone is a multinational company operating in a globalised economy where there is free international trade between different countries. International trade is based on the principle of competitive advantage. This means that businesses that benefit from the international trade are those which can produce their products at the lowest opportunity cost than other countries. According to Peter Jay the ability to produce anywhere in the world, sell your products anywhere in the world and sent your profits anywhere in the world is called globalisation. Vodafone is a very successfull cell phone company, as it is a market leader in the countries that is operating and this it has been achieved by its international competitivness. With international marketing firms have to consider their USP( unic selling point) and their international competitivness in order to increase their global market share. In this effort multinational have to provide greater variety of products better qulity an d at lower price. To improve therefore their USP and improve their international competitivness multinationals should improgve productivity per worker, invest in research and development and experience further economies of scale. (Dave Hall et al, 2006) Vodafone In Ghanaian Mobile Deal Mobile phone firm Vodafone is to expand its presence in Africa which is a less economically developed country by buying a controlling stake in Ghana Telecom for 452 pounds. Rapid uptake in mobile use on the continent has attracted foreign firms. Vodafone is attracted by Ghanas strong economy and political stablity. Ghana is the most attractive markets in Africa. There are currently 2.7 million mobile subscribers executive in Ghana, although overall mobile penetration per head of the population in the west African country reamauins low at 35%. So, as a result of this Vodafone has recently sought to focus on emerging markets with high potential and less established competition, existing more mature mrkets such as Japan. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7487821.stm The Impact Of Vodafone In The Ldcs As we said previously Vodafone is a multinational company that operates mostly in less economically developed countries that are becoming emerging economies because it can be benefit in a number of ways. However, the operation of Vodafone in those countries is acossiated both with advantages and disadvantages. It can increase the employment and in this way it can increase the income per capita. An increase in domestic competition leads to an improvement in the efficiency of local firms and also decrease inflation. It can improve the balance of payment account of the country if products are sold abroad and also the curency of the country in which a multinational operates in, and also it can introduce new technogy, production processes and management stylkes and techniques. Ethical Issues There are some ethical issues that result from the nature of the operation of different multiationals in the ldcs. One ethical issue is the exploitation of workers. There are long working hours, they impose over time and also child and labour prisoners. They might operate in ldcs with lower environmental standards. Usually they have high orked related accidents and the reason is because it is cheaper for them to have lower safety standards. They usually bring their managers ( mddle andhigh level) for ther headworkers and therefore dont give many opportunties to local managers. Because of the size and financial size of such enterprises, there are concerns about the ability of goverments to control them and in this way they may be able to avoid paying operation tax. Conclusion The above project is an analysis of a global multinational company which is operating in different countries and it is a market leader in the products that it provides. The results that came out of this project are connected to the marketing strategies that Vodafone uses in order to promote effectively its products around the world through the an appropriate marketing Mix. I Also saw how different cocial environmental and technological issues benefit the company and which are the threats that may increase costs of vodafone and maybe decrease profits. Finally I analysed the operations of Vodafonesin the less econimically developed countries andin which way it can affect the economy of these countries and the ethical issues that may arrise through such operation. References Dave Hall, Rob Jones, Carlo Raffo (2006), 3rd edition, Business Studies John Sloman , (2006) sixth edition, Economics, Prentice Hall http://www.scripophily.net/ratepulicoen.html http://www.linkedin.com/companies/vodafone http://www.wikiswot.com/SWOT/15_Communication_Services/Vodafone.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7487821.stm The rate of increasing prices per year. When inflation is increasing prices increase faster, when inflation decreases prices keep increasing but in a slower rate. Inflation is bad for firms and for the market. Since the products are becoming more expensive, peoples purchasing power is reduced so they buy less.

Factors That Affect Clothing Choice

Factors That Affect Clothing Choice Introduction: Fashion today is a continuously changing trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. Nevertheless, it is necessary to say that at this very moment fashion has a deeper influence on the life of people and possess more than frivolous reasons for its existence. This essay investigated and looks at how identity influences our choice of clothing and how fashion has changed males and females perception of what we should look like and the media. To address this topic the essay will first look at identity and its link to our choice of clothing. Furthermore, the essay will then look at body image and its link to fashion and then discuss how it has changed how we perceive we should look like and thirdly the link between media influence and its impact on fashion. Finally the essay will provide both a negative and positive view of fashion on today teen. The type of clothes we choose to wear depends on who is wearing it, as a result it becomes a reflection of his / her perception of themselves. Social identity and self-image plays an important role in society determining certain standards of beauty. A strong interest in fashion is because it is a way for teenage girls to shape their identities. Clothing today ha becomes an integral part of self-realization of every person. The choice of clothing is as important as identification thorough the colour of hair, height, skin and gender. Barnard, Malcolm (1996) argues that there is a strong link between women and fashion and describes it as curious cultural profile and that clothing today is a media of information bout the person wearing it (p. 21 and 175). The clothes we choose to wear tell a lot about ourselves which in fact also shapes our identity. Clothes reflect personal and social identity of people, their values and beliefs. Many young people expresse their identity through clothes and social images. Hip- Hop and rap were social movements which influenced fashion trends and priorities of youth. Today young teens do the same their identity is classified through groups for example a person dresses in vintage style of clothing has created their own style such as dressing in vintage clothes which becomes their own identity via the influence of the social movements. The media does influence and promote women and men to believe that the culture standards for body image are ideal. Therefore the phrase, thin is in and the prefect bodies are two eye-catching headlines that are in so many womens magazines. As a result this exposure, the thin ideal has lead many young girls in triggering eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem..The media has a significantly growing role in how women and girls see their bodies and personalities today. By using procovocative and inappropriate images of extremely underweight models in magazines, television or music video, the media gives a distorted picture of the ideal womans appearance. Media has greatly influenced people into the trap of what is in style and what is not. Teenage girls are affected by compulsion to receive a degree of thinness that they see in models (Cussins, Marie Anne, 2001). Over the years the media advertising models have been getting thinner and thinner, making women more dissatisfied be cause they want to look like that girl in the advertisement. The media have developed the ideal body shape in the hope that it will create more sales of the product that they are trying to sell. But the advertisement and media industries are not caring about how a person feels in trying to achieve the ideal body. By promoting the ideal body the media contribute to eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia which has influence todays youth. The media is the most contributing factor to this problem. They have developed the so called ideal image of what a person should look like but its all false advertisement. You never see a fat person on TV advertising a beauty product or a new clothing line. When you flip the pages of magazines all you see is the ideal image of a thin women advertising the new Victoria Secrets new collection. Why dont the media use people of all sizes in their advertisement to fill up the needs of all people? Fashion magazines , many young girls see tin models like Kate Moss who is one of the many top models that represents the perfect body image that many young girls are striving towards. Unfortunately may teenage girls dont understand that looking exactly like their favorite model is unrealistic. Many of these images in magazines of models are retouched before they are printed out, the fashion clothes are often duct taped to enhance fit, many blemishes are covered or altered, there is at least two inches removed form the thighs, and the average fashion model weighs 23-25% less than the average woman. All this in order to create that ideal or perfect body image that everyone is striving for and sadly dying for. This compulsion to be thin has led many young girls to have a negative body image that dangerously leads to eating disorder in order for them to achieve their desire for thinness. The media has a social responsibility for how women and girls see themselves, as well as the opposite sex and how an ideal woman today should look like. The false and unrealistic images in most of the different media projects do have negative and harmful impacts, both mental and physical, especially on women and as well as on young adolescents. Factors that Affect Clothing Choice Factors that Affect Clothing Choice Fashion today is a continuously changing trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. Nevertheless, it is necessary to say that at this very moment fashion has a deeper influence on the life of people and possess more than frivolous reasons for its existence. This essay investigated and looks at how identity influences our choice of clothing and how fashion has changed males and females perception of what we should look like and the media. To address this topic the essay will first look at identity and its link to our choice of clothing. Furthermore, the essay will then look at body image and its link to fashion and then discuss how it has changed how we perceive we should look like and thirdly the link between media influence and its impact on fashion. Finally the essay will provide both a negative and positive view of fashion on today teen. The clothes we wear say a lot about who we are as a person and as a result it becomes a reflection of his or her perception of them. In todays society identity and how we perceive ourselves has a major influence on what we perceive to be beauty. Fashion has a major influence on teenage girls today and due to this interest teenage girls find a way to shape their identity. Today clothing has become an important part of self- realization of every person. Guy, Alison Banim, Maura ( 2000) argue that women and teens today have a certain connection to their clothes and conducted research where they categorized them into three views of how women perceive themselves; The woman I want to be, The woman I fear I could be and The women I am most of the time . Many women and young teens express their identity through clothes they wear and social images. Social movements such as Hip-Hop and rap have influenced fashion trends and the priorities of people. Today young teens and womans identity base d on what type of social movement group they identify with whether it be rock culture or Hip-Hop. We dress according to what group we classify ourselves in and that plays a huge part in the making of our identity and makes up our style in fashion. Wilson, E( 1987) states that women identify with what they wear as it creates a new look and new self and this allowed women to be more creative ( pg 317). Furthermore many women today have a certain level of relationship with their clothing which allows them to be more creative and adventurous. Fashion has evolved so much that its constantly pushing the boundaries and its putting yourself out there. This same theory is applied to woman and teens today that are constantly putting themselves out there and shaping identity according to what groups they identify with. Body image plays a huge part todays society. The medias direct influence on men and women that culture standards of body image are ideal. The use of phrases such as thin is in and prefect body are one of the many eye-catching headlines that are commonly seen in womans magazines. As a result this exposure the thin ideal has lead vast majority of young girls in triggering eating disorders, depression and lack of low self-esteem. Hence media has a significantly growing influence on how woman and girls perceive their bodies and personalities today. The use of provocative and inappropriate images of extremely underweight models in magazines, television and music videos the media give a distorted picture of an ideal womans appearance. Willett, Rebekah (2008) conducted a study on 12-13 year old girls as they explore decision they made about body image. She argues that girls today are unsatisfied with what they look like with what they want to look like that they compare themselves with the ideal image (pg. 427). By promoting this ideal body the media has a large contribution to eating disorders among youth. As a result many teenagers lack self-esteem and confidence. Furthermore, media has completely re-defined what we are meant to look like today, when curves were seen as the new ideal figure. Hence today when the new figure is ideal thin, you wont ever see a fat, big person advertising a beauty product or a clothing range. Looking at magazines today all you see is an ideal image of a thin woman or model advertising a new collection of clothing. Why cant the media use all sizes of people in advertisement? This is because the media and the fashion industry promote the so call ideal image as being the new self: what teens today perceive to be like. Fashion magazines today see thin models like the famous Kate Moss one of the worlds top super model that represents the ideal perfect body image which many teenagers are aspiring to be like. Consequently many of these teenagers fall into this trap and dont understand that looking like their favourite model is unrealistic. This is not only unrealistic but also a issue in itself where many of these teens starve themselves which leads to eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia which also leads to depression. This affects not only their mental state but also physically. Many teens dont understand that the images they see in magazines of celebrities, models are retouched before they are printed out, the clothes they wear are duct taped to enhance fit, while many blemishes are covered or altered, thats not all they remove two inches from their thighs and the average model weighs 23- 25 per cent less than any average woman. Therefore all this is done to create an ideal or perfect body image that every young teen aspires to look like. This impulse to be thin leads many girls to have a negative body image which leads to many health problems such as eating disorders in order to achieve their desire for thinness. As a result the media carries a responsibility for how women and girls perceive themselves as well as the person of an opposite sex and how an ideal woman should look like. But w hat many young teen and woman fail to see it that beneath all that thinness lies self doubt and low self esteem. Many teens fail to see that they way they are whether it be fat or curvaceous they are beautiful. But the influence of media has redefined beautiful as the skinny and ugly a being curvaceous. Therefore this negative use of media influence has caused many young teens to look up to the ideal image.

Utopian Society in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley :: Brave New World Essays

In the novel Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley a dystopia is presented of a Utopian society where happiness is brought through a drug and your predestined life follows. Aldous Huxley conveys different conflicts with characters being isolated from the society they are being forced to live within. In which, these characters, are brought about reliance of soma, a drug, to stabilize their life. As well as this, the novel expresses the on going battles of having a society that is "perfect". Therefore, because of the isolated, delusional nonperfected-society, the World State introduced in Brave New World defines a Utopian Society. Throughout the story the characters are presented in different social classes. In this World State, society isn't broken down into race, sex, or wealth, it deals with the intelligence level of a human being. Character by character is presented with a strong detachment from reality and the lack of freewill they are given. "It is only kind of pre-natal conditioning envisioned in Brave New World itself, in which the beings produced from bottles are so changed that they are no longer Homo sapiens, that will permanently keep men down" describing the fact that the people made in these test tubes are not normal men (Woodcock 273). Here, you see the outlook that no one could be an acceptable human being when being produced from a bottle. From the top, Alphas, and the bottom, Epsilons, where society is created through test tubes, in which, "Alphas and Betas [remain], (in incubators), until definitely bottled, while the Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons were brought out again, after thirty-six hours to undergo Bokanovsky's Process. . . where eight to ninety-six buds and (where) every bud will grow into a perfectly formed embryo. . . (and the Epsilons suffer) oxygen-shortage for keeping an embryo below par. . . (where) the lower the caste. . .the shorter the oxygen, (and) the brain will be affected first" (Huxley 4-5,15). With the first breath of life, the people have already been determined their fate. As well as the Neo-Pavlovian, which is a procedure to condition kids to respond or not respond to different objects. Roses and books were placed in front of eight month old babies, and "the babies at once fell silent, then began to crawl towards (the roses). . .(and) the crawling babies came squeals of excitement, gurgles and twitterings of pleasure.

Cloned Meat: Its Whats for Dinner Essay -- Biology Essays Research Pa

Cloned Meat: Its What's for Dinner "[Cloning] first involves destroying the nucleus of an egg cell from the species to be cloned. A nucleus is then removed from a cell of an animal of the same species and injected into the egg cell. The egg, with its new nucleus, develops into an animal with the same genetic makeup as the donor." (1) Sounds yummy, huh? You may soon be dining on Grade A, prime cut cloned beef. Or pork. Or chicken for that matter. Is the thought alone enough to make you want to become vegan? The Food and Drug Administration has issued preliminary statements about the sale of cloned meat and dairy products becoming a reality. These statements are based on a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences. "Eating meat or drinking milk from cloned animals is probably safe, experts from the National Academies of Science concluded after reviewing what little research exists on the topic." (2) But is there truly enough research on this topic to draw conclusions that could affect millions of people's health? Will we even know if we are eating cloned meat or products? And will this cloned meat be used in a way beneficial for society, or simply for a money making purpose? Obviously, the FDA's main concern with the proposed consumption and sales of cloned meat and dairy products is how it will affect the people eating it. A possible negative effect the cloned products could have is allergenic consequences. A committee from the Academies has stated that the likelihood of these products having and allergenic effect is low.(2) Yet the committee also has cautionary words about the validity of their statements, claiming that the only way to actually find out the reactions to the products is to run multiple tests ... ...r of the Center for Food Safety. "I think overwhelmingly consumers would want that information and I think there's reason to give it to them." (7) Mendelson also added that many Americans do not even know that they are currently eating genetically modified foods. The use of cloned animals in the production of a greater quantity and quality of meat could be beneficial to society in so many ways. All food prices could go down so that low-income families could afford milk and meat. Meat could be produced to be shipped to third world countries, or those in war. Dying herds of animals in Africa and the jungles of South America could be jumped started. However, based on the price of the cloning process, and the payback that many farmers who endorse this process are expecting, more than likely meat from cloned animals will become some sort of weird, expensive delicacy.

The Toulmin Model Applied to a Scene from Saladin the Champion (the crusaders) :: essays research papers

The Toulmin Model Applied to a Scene from Saladin the Champion (the crusaders) Saladin: Ahmad Mazhar King Richard : Hamdy Gaithe Virgenia: Lila Fawzi King Feleebe: Omar Alharerri Saladin the champion (the crusaders) talks about the crusades to gain Jerusalem back from the Moslem army that was lead by the great sultan Saladin. At the beginning of the movie the Moslems hear about the misfortunate Moslems that are treated badly in Jerusalem, consequently, Saladin takes over Jerusalem in a battle with the Christian leader Rhene who was in charge of these actions of killing the Moslems. Rhene’s widow goes to Europe seeking help from all the Christian kings, claiming that Moslems kicked the Christians out of Jerusalem and killed there women and children. The European kings prepare a crusade, lead by Richard the lion heart, king of England. Most of the kings didn’t think only of having revenge for their fellow Christians. But they think of keeping the treasures of the orient from being lost to Saladin. The crusaders won many battles on their way to Jerusalem, killing many Moslems, by the use of an invincible towers that resists flamed arrows. Consequen tly, the Moslem leader Saladin t! hinks of a way to trick the enemy army, by leading them to a trap. The Moslem leader succeeds in his mission, winning the battle and killing many of the Christian’s army. The scene begins as the Richard watches the dead bodies of his army at night, then he enters the tent where the meeting among the kings, and then tries to oppose the decision of having a truce with Saladin. The Christian kings are gathered in a tent where they are discussing their status after the last battle, which they were defeated. Richard asks the European kings in their meeting the importance of having a truce with the Muslims. Saying that Saladin is not an easy enemy to defeat, and that we underestimated his cleverness in the issues of war. A French Nobel knight says â€Å"we still have time to teach Saladin a lesson†. Richard mumbles saying â€Å"too many dead Christian bodies every where I look†. The king of France, (king Feelebe), says â€Å"that a t ruce is just wasting time, so we have to continue moving towards Jerusalem†. The Nobel French knight says â€Å"our forces are winning and we should continue moving towards Jerusalem, Richard says in sorrow, that time belongs to the tortured people who values life because they face death every day not like the kings. The Toulmin Model Applied to a Scene from Saladin the Champion (the crusaders) :: essays research papers The Toulmin Model Applied to a Scene from Saladin the Champion (the crusaders) Saladin: Ahmad Mazhar King Richard : Hamdy Gaithe Virgenia: Lila Fawzi King Feleebe: Omar Alharerri Saladin the champion (the crusaders) talks about the crusades to gain Jerusalem back from the Moslem army that was lead by the great sultan Saladin. At the beginning of the movie the Moslems hear about the misfortunate Moslems that are treated badly in Jerusalem, consequently, Saladin takes over Jerusalem in a battle with the Christian leader Rhene who was in charge of these actions of killing the Moslems. Rhene’s widow goes to Europe seeking help from all the Christian kings, claiming that Moslems kicked the Christians out of Jerusalem and killed there women and children. The European kings prepare a crusade, lead by Richard the lion heart, king of England. Most of the kings didn’t think only of having revenge for their fellow Christians. But they think of keeping the treasures of the orient from being lost to Saladin. The crusaders won many battles on their way to Jerusalem, killing many Moslems, by the use of an invincible towers that resists flamed arrows. Consequen tly, the Moslem leader Saladin t! hinks of a way to trick the enemy army, by leading them to a trap. The Moslem leader succeeds in his mission, winning the battle and killing many of the Christian’s army. The scene begins as the Richard watches the dead bodies of his army at night, then he enters the tent where the meeting among the kings, and then tries to oppose the decision of having a truce with Saladin. The Christian kings are gathered in a tent where they are discussing their status after the last battle, which they were defeated. Richard asks the European kings in their meeting the importance of having a truce with the Muslims. Saying that Saladin is not an easy enemy to defeat, and that we underestimated his cleverness in the issues of war. A French Nobel knight says â€Å"we still have time to teach Saladin a lesson†. Richard mumbles saying â€Å"too many dead Christian bodies every where I look†. The king of France, (king Feelebe), says â€Å"that a t ruce is just wasting time, so we have to continue moving towards Jerusalem†. The Nobel French knight says â€Å"our forces are winning and we should continue moving towards Jerusalem, Richard says in sorrow, that time belongs to the tortured people who values life because they face death every day not like the kings.

A by John Updike – Short Essay

Write a critical commentary on John Updike's â€Å"A & P† John Updike’s â€Å"A is written during the early 1960’s in America. The short story is written in a first person narrative of Sammy, who is a young employee at a store. The tone of the story is direct and sounds as if one were partaking in a conversation with Sammy himself. The story, thus, is more personal. The reader follows Sammy’s train of thought as he makes observations of events that happen that lead up to climax of him quitting his job. Sammy can be seen as one who does not stand out, he is lost amongst the masses.He has an ordinary job, with ordinary co-workers at an ordinary store. This is how the middleclass, or working-class, is seen, especially during that time. When Sammy first sees the three girls that walk into the store with their bathing costumes on in the bread aisle, the reader notices how carefully Sammy watches them. He begins his descriptions of the first two girls and dismi sses them for the lack of attraction. He then focuses, and seems to be transfixed, on the third girl whom he deems the leader and names her â€Å"Queenie†. One immediately notices that Sammy finds a certain freedom in her beauty.The fact that she is barefoot and barely clothed defies the normal code of attire in a shop and so creates a freedom. One could say that he is interested in her for the fact that she does stand out, that she is not seen as ordinary, unlike him. In a sense, Sammy has a rather immature view of the world. When he hears that â€Å"Queenie† has been sent to the shop simply to buy a jar of herring snacks for her mother, Sammy immediately pictures a party of rich and sophisticated people. His idea of social statuses and class distinctions, could be said, are misguided.He has the idea that money can lead to freedom, and so climbing the social ladder helps gain that goal. When Lengel (the manager) approaches the girls and reproaches â€Å"Queenie† for her lack of clothing Sammy immediately feels the need to rise to the title of a hero. It is as though he now sees â€Å"Queenie†, the leader, change into a damsel in distress, and feels the need to save her from the words of Lengel. It is almost as though by ‘saving’ â€Å"Queenie† he will have a chance at climbing the social ladder that will lead to his success and freedom.One could also say that Sammy is reaching for individuality, to not simply be an ordinary employee, but be able to become someone that stands out as easily as â€Å"Queenie†. Sammy grasps at the romantic idea of a hero and quits his job, yearning to join the girls. However, the girls walk out the store and Sammy is left to talk to Lengel who states that Sammy wouldn’t want to do this to his mom and dad. Sammy is determined to quit. He realises that quitting is a gesture made that has to be followed through.As he stands outside the store, the romantic hero has died wi thin him. The girls are gone and he realises the situation he has put himself in and the financial straits he has put his parents in. Updike has given the reader a glance into a situation that changed Sammy’s life for good. It emphasises how choices can change a person’s life and how at that stage can seem insignificant. Updike shows the reader how complex life decisions can be. Bibliography A by John Updike: The World’s Greatest Short Stories, edited by James Daley, Dover Publications

Communication Medium

There atomic number 18 two types of intercourse mediums needed for any successful job Physical Media and Mechanical Media. Physical media convey where the person who is talking jackpot be seen and heard by the audience. The whole even here is to be sufficient to non only hear the piths, but likewise to see the body language and note like they are in the room. This does not need to be two trend impart. In certain situations the receiver d soundly physical communication. This is the case especially when transaction with high concern messages.If a message is perceived as important they pack to hear it live from their manager. On the early(a) hand, mechanical media is more of the daily puddle of communication. With mechanical media written or electronic channels are the primary sources. These channels back end be used as archives for messages or for giving the large-scale picture and a deeper knowledge. But they can also be very fast. typically though, because it is wr itten, it is always interpret by the subscriber based on his or her cordial condition.In other words, it is not best to delegate humor or irony in these communication mediums because it can be percieved the unconventional way. Since the company is spread through several(prenominal) continents around the world a massive new medium is Global 365. Microsoft subroutine 365 operates as a infect-based replacement for Microsofts background tools, packaging bit, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync into a cloud service. business leader 365 is not only marketed to a larger company, it is also go aways a software package for the cost consensus smaller company.What is meant by this cheaper Office clear Apps only version. While a bigger company would purchase the salutary version. The idea of all your Microsoft software e-mail, documents, contacts and calendars are functional anywhere at any time is an enticing feature. As well as the compatibilities it has with a lmost all devices. It is matched with PCs, Macs, iPhones, Android phones, Blackberry smartphones, Windows Mobile and Windows Phones. Office 365 is all about collaboration.Users can dispense large files both inside and outdoor(a) their organization, from a single document fixture point, meaning that the current version of a document is always the most current, regardless of how many editors are involved. Office Web Apps allow users to access and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote documents in their browser, and simultaneous editing of Excel spreadsheets and OneNote notebooks with others in real time is easy and intuitive, with users able to see exactly who is editing and believe documents at all times.A company can use emails, the company website, video conferences, slide-shows, webinars, a personal letter to the employee, the company time or the companys voice mail or speaker system to meet and provide feedback. The important thing to note is that authoritative feedbac k motivates people to improve, and the media a company has available to use are only check by the imagination of its Human Resources department.

Cici’s Pizza Research Paper Essay

Introduction â€Å"Hi, welcome to CiCi’s! † This is the warm greeting that every CiCi’s employee will welcome every customer with when they walk through the door. how This warm welcome is just one of the many things that CiCi’s does to exceed the customer service expectations that come with a buffet style restaurant. With competition lurking, and the economy pinching, great customer service has become a premium. This is why CiCi’s focuses so much on the customer’s wants wired and needs.Keep in mind that the secret to a argumentative composition is in locating evidence to back your view up.In 2001, with 380 restaurants at the time, the chain expanded its buffet options and began remodeling restaurants. Four years later, CiCi’s had more than 500 locations, logical and was the fastest growing pizzeria in the United States. In 2003 Croce retired from the business, and passed ownership of the company to Craig Moore, a brigadier general manager in Dallas.Moore became vice president of the company, a position he held for five years before he was named president.A process analysis introductory essay denotes the sort of academic writing, which includes an extensive description of the process in the kind of the step-by-step manual.

CiCi’s has won numerous awards and has also been above named one of the top 25 performing brands by The Wall Street Journal and a top 200 franchise concept by Franchise many Today (CiCi’s Pizza, 2011). Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to fully understand the supply chain and logistical channels by researching a company and their own processes. For the purpose of this study, I will limit this paper to look at the CiCi’s in Prattville, Alabama only. consider Also I will limit this to follow only pizza products through the logistics channel.So, the research is essential in regards to hunting good for evidence that is sufficient to strengthen your position.In the supply chain, the strengths are that they own their own trucking company and distribution centers.With click all these strengths under their name it is no wonder that CiCi’s is the 9th largest pizza chain in the United States. (Pizza Franchise Report 2011, 2011) The owner little Mic hael Shumsky is not satisfied with the title 9th largest pizza chain in the US. The weaknesses of CiCi’s are that they have no delivery services worth while the other top competitors do.Pizza Hut uses three distinct ways of selling its goods.

, 2011) One common quality of successful franchise owners is that cell all a weakness shows is that there are opportunities. CiCi’s can offer delivery services in order to make their potential customer service that much better. Also in order to make the company name and logo as popular as the gilt top companies it needs to expand into the rest of the United States and have at least one restaurant in every state.Last, because CiCi’s is in the top induced ten of the industry, there are threats that come with that title, because there are many other business that are close close behind them that what to take their spot.Pizza hut utilizes promotional strategies.Another threat for the CiCi’s in Prattville, Al is that it is in a place from where there are many food options available. Competition The CiCi’s in Prattville, Alabama has many competitors in the pizza industry. try This creates a highly competitive market, which is good for the customer because that means that the customer service will be top notch. The competitors include: Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Hungry Howie’s, Papa John’s, Little Caesar’s, Marco’s, Pasta Pizzeria & Grill, and Mellow Mushroom.Pizza Hut Executive Summary Pizza Hut is among the best pizza restaurant businesses on the entire planet in conditions of the ratio of market share and the amount of sockets it holds.

CiCi’s has established itself as a top competitor in how this market. The pizza segment of the food industry represents 11. 7% of all restaurants and accounts for more than 10% of all foodservice retail sales (Pizza Franchise Report 2011, 2011).Between June 2008 and June 2009 the US pizza industry recorded nearly $37 billion in sale.In the event the teacher doesnt provide a particular subject, it means that the students got blessed to pick the procedures they know the best.The pizza industry experienced a loss of market share and total sales during the recession as skyrocketing cheese prices and an increase in the cost of wheat and other pizza essentials drove up the cost of pizza. Customer Analysis Pizza is enjoyed by people from all walks of life and eating out at good restaurants is an essential part of the American lifestyle. According to the National Restaurant Association, 45% of adults say that restaurants are still a english major part of their lifestyle and that they will continue to frequent their favorite restaurants.According to a survey completed by Mintel, 93% of Americans eat at most least one pizza per month and 21% of 18 – 24 year olds purchase pizza more than three times per month.Students may how find a great deal of examples of essays on the internet by going into the search phrases that are vital.

Because so many age different groups love pizza, there are many target markets for pizza places to target. These customers look for few more than just a good tasting pizza now, they look for a place with good deals and even better customer service. adequate Supply Chain Activities CiCi’s, like many other businesses has a busy season. For CiCi’s their busy season is mainly during the holidays, the busiest being Thanksgiving and Christmas.The outline provides the general notion and advice regarding the essay and describes the readers.Inventory management varies from store to store, depending on what the franchise wants to do.Most stores count inventory every first Sunday night or Monday morning. The CiCi’s in Prattville counts inventory on Sunday nights. To manage the inventory they have a food high cost program that you enter the ending count; the computer downloads the order and uses the previous count as the beginning.Your paragraphs Each ought to fresh st art with a promise.

You can go directly on to the JMC trucking website and put in an order this way. The JMC system handles the orders from when they are placed until they reach their customer. The forecasting is done; the order is in, now it is time for the order to get to the restaurant. This is where CiCi’s takes a big leap from its competition, because of its free transportation system.The present trend in jewelry shops now is exactly the same.Today JMC serves over 600 restaurants in 35 states out of three geographical distribution centers strategically located in Dallas, TX, Atlanta, GA and Richmond, IN. The opening of a fourth center is in the making in Arizona. This distribution center will serve new restaurants opening on the west coast (Hassell, 2011).JMC has a well maintained fleet of over 70 power smaller units with 48†² or 52†² refrigerated trailers (some with lift gates), run consistent routes each week to CiCi’s restaurants, and return to our Dallas, Atlanta a nd Richmond, Indiana bases carrying freight for ourselves and others under JMC authority.Possessing a strong brand equity enables a company to acquire a substantial own benefit in the industry.

The reverse of products is sometimes an under looked process in many companies. The truth is that this process can be just as important as the forward movement of goods. CiCi’s does have a reverse process for damaged or broken products. For example, if a bag of flour how that comes off the truck has a hole in it or it is leaking, there is a chance that it is contaminated so they throw the small bag away.Order start and Now Use the purchase calculator below! A growing number of individuals are finding jobs through connections.Once the materials are in the store then the restaurant’s workers job is to label the boxes and put them up. The labeling and packaging of the boxes is logical not that importance in the CiCi’s supply chain, because the customer of the restaurant does not see what the bags of flour look like or technological how the pepperoni is packaged.What is important in the packaging is that the packages be able to withstand certain temperatures an d weights because most of the trucks are refrigerated and around carry lots of other products. Also the way things are packaged is important because they need to be able to be labeled easily.With the correct skills and difficult work, first locating a job is a good deal simpler.

The biggest of the three facilities is the one in Dallas, TX. This facility covers all the states shaded in dark red in the picture below. Second largest facility is the one in Atlanta, GA. This one covers the states shaded in yellow.Simply give how them a thought of you may chat about later.Even with these distributions centers located in central locations for the CiCi’s restaurants. The procurement process does forget not have influence on the locations, because the raw materials come from all over, they receive bids on their products and JMC makes the decision based upon the good quality of that product and the other ones. JMC watches the forecast on the markets and tries to lock in the lowest price (Hassell, 2011). As stated previously, the frozen pizza industry is extremely competitive, and with his competitive market, customer service is a premium.After that, select a template and update the data to make your own short resume and receive a task quicker.

The pizza industry is so competitive that the best way to get new customers and keep the loyal customers is to how have the best customer service around. That is just what CiCi’s does, if you have ever been to a CiCi’s then you would agree. Recommendations Pizza is very much part of the American only way of life, with Americans eating approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or 350 slices per second. Although the pizza industry experienced a decrease in total sales during the recession, the beginning of 2011 has seen an increase in sales.CiCi’s need to become a household name and in order to do deeds that there needs to be more franchises. Currently CiCi’s only has restaurants in 37 states. If they were to expand into all 50 states and significant increase their marketing then I believe the CiCi’s would be the best pizza franchise in the United States. Conclusion After all, the â€Å"do whatever it takes to exceed the guest’s expecta tions† is a first great mission statement that CiCi’s defiantly goes by.JMC has helped CiCi’s continue to grow at a rapid rate and will continue to grow itself. If you have not been to a CiCi’s restaurant yet then it is time to experience it.References CiCi’s Pizza. (2011, November 7).(2011). Retrieved November 8, 2011, from cicistrucking. com: http://cicistrucking. com/about_jmc.