Personal Experience Essay

Life is brimming with undertakings and encounters. The way to living great is making these encounters as significant as could reasonably be expected. I experienced a critical encounter, which was in reality to a greater degree a hazard, around two years prior. I was 15 years of age and I needed to choose whether I would remain in my old neighborhood or move to Monterrey, Mexico. As in each quandary confronted, there are upsides and downsides that will attempt to influence you. Time wouldn’t stop and the day of my choice was drawing nearer and closer; the less time I needed to choose, the more confounded and uncertain I became. Everything I could do was envision myself living the future in my old neighborhood or in Monterrey. Be that as it may, for what reason would i say i was placed into this circumstance? Would it be a good idea for me to have stayed where I was conceived and where I’d carried on with as long as I can remember or would the best thing be to move to a t otally new city? My family once comprised of my mother, my father, two more established siblings, and me. Tragically, my father died in December of 2007 when I was twelve years of age. Monterrey is a city portrayed by having numerous remote understudies in light of the profoundly perceived college, Tec de Monterrey (ITESM). Both of my siblings chose to concentrate there. This went out with just a bereft mother and a high school young lady. That was the second I understood we expected to accomplish something, having me settle on a mind-blowing choice with the weight of time. I was brought up in Matamoros, Mexico, which is a bordertown with Brownsville, Texas. Having my understudy visa, I concentrated there as long as I can remember. I had numerous companions living in both Matamoros and Brownsville. This was a main consideration on my choice since I didn’t need to leave them and, in Monterrey, I didn’t know anybody. The thing was that in Matamoros, each side of my home, each road, and all aspects of the city would just help me to remember my father who was at that point in Heaven. To me, this was a sort of torment. I needed to either leave my companions and start another life, or remain there with everyone’s support, except continually managing the enduring of not having the option to relinquish my father in light of my environmental factors. I knew moving to Monterrey was a generally excellent thought, yet like everything, it had its negative perspectives too. It would be something to be thankful for to move in light of the fact that my mother and I would now live with my siblings and we would all be joined like we were previously. This fresh start would assist us with conquering the demise of my father. The terrible part was that, as I was going to enter secondary school, moving to Monterrey without realizing anybody would be exceptionally troublesome. I had consistently concentrated in the USA, so going to a school in Mexico would most likely lower my evaluations and make things increasingly entangled. It was tied in with facing the challenge. Choice time was close. After I broke down everything, I comprehended that the best thing I could was to move to Monterrey with my mother. This was a huge encounter since it truly affected me. The principal semester was hard as I felt in solitude. When I started making companions, anyway I understood I couldn’t have settled on a superior choice. Individuals in Monterrey are extremely modest and mindful. They showed me numerous things, empowering me to improve as an individual with better sentiments. These companions were the ones who pulled me closer to God when I most required Him. There was no preferred inclination over returning home and seeing my siblings living with me once more. My family was by and by joined together, and I am exceptionally thankful for the entirety of this. View as multi-pages

Internation Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internation Systems - Essay Example kkel Vedby Rasmussen in the work ‘The West, considerate society, and the development of peace’ calls attention to that: â€Å"According to the hypothesis, vote based system is the appearance of the reasons for harmony as it were. Law based states are the implies that understand the compelling motivation of harmony: liberal society.† (Rasmussen, 2003, p.29) DPT represents majority rule government, which is the outflow of the realities identified with harmony. In this way, the vote based states are the best model for DPT, in light of the fact that a popular government prompts a liberal society where harmony exists. The possibility that a universe of majority rule governments would be increasingly quiet spot is so noteworthy in light of the fact that practically all carnage identified with war were not among just nations. As vote based system prompts stable governments which speak to the yearning of the individuals, there is high possibility for it to help further la w based considerations. In the long run, the spread of law based idea prompts world harmony. In any case, it is vital that majority rule government is certainly not a solitary framework and there are a few frameworks of government under popular government. The general thought is same, for example the administration which speak to the individuals. Majority rules system shows colossal regard towards private property and gives lawful correspondence among residents. As the popularity based government is chosen by the individuals, there is less possibility for boundless government authority over the mass. Yet, the general meaning of majority rules system isn't same and it prompts distortion of exactly the same thought. For example, the middle class republics, tyrannies and so on are deduced as majority rules systems. Because of political weight, in certain nations, individuals are compelled to choose despots as their pioneer. In any case, this doesn't demonstrate that this specific nation is law based. In this way, it is essential to have an all around acknowledged definition for majority rule government. From another view point, the nations with taught populace demonstrate the propensity to grasp vote based system since it bolsters the unrestrained choice of the individuals. Plus, to make an environment of world harmony, it is significant for the

How to Do a Chain Analysis for Problem Behaviors

How to Do a Chain Analysis for Problem Behaviors PTSD Coping Print How to Do a Chain Analysis to Change Problem Behaviors By Matthew Tull, PhD twitter Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn about our editorial policy Matthew Tull, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on November 25, 2019 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD on November 25, 2019 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes & Risk Factors Treatment Living With In Children Kris Ubach and Quim Roser / Getty Images It can be important for a person with PTSD to learn how to do a chain analysis. People with PTSD  can develop a number of problem behaviors. However it is important to recognize that these problem behaviors develop for a reason. They are serving some kind of function, oftentimes helping someone avoid or escape distress. What Is Chain Analysis? Also known as functional analysis, a  chain analysis is a technique designed to help a person understand the function of a particular behavior.?? During a chain analysis of a particular problem behavior (for example,  deliberate self-harm),?? a person tries to uncover all the factors that led up to that behavior. In other words, a person tries to discover all the links in the chain that ultimately resulted in problem behavior. Therefore a chain analysis  will help you figure out all the things that can contribute to problem behavior. In doing so, a chain analysis can give you insight into how to change such behavior. For example, a person may identify the situation he was in, the thoughts he was experiencing, or the feelings he was having just prior to engaging in that behavior. In doing so, a person can increase his awareness of all the factors that may put him at risk for problem behavior. This way a person has better ability to intervene early on to prevent that behavior in the future. Identify What You Want to Change The first step is to identify the behavior you want to change. For example, do you want to stop engaging in self-medication through alcohol? Binge eating? Try to identify a behavior that is causing problems for you in your life. Next, think about what happened prior to you engaging in the problem behavior. What were you doing? What was going on around you? Were you in an argument? Did you have a memory of your traumatic event triggered? Basically, you want to identify the event or situation that served as the starting point for your problem behavior. 4 Steps to Shift Perspective and Change Everything Pay Attention to Thought Patterns and Feelings Now, identify what kinds of thoughts were brought up by the situation or event that led to the problem behavior. How did you evaluate the situation or yourself in that situation? Did you engage in catastrophic or all-or-none thinking? Think about what emotions you were having as a result of that situation. Try your best to list as many emotions as you possibly can, such as fear, sadness, anger, shame, guilt, embarrassment, or dread. Pay attention to what you felt in your body. Try to recognize and label all the sensations that came up. For example, did you experience shortness of breath? Muscle tension? An increased heart rate? Think about how your body reacted to the situation. Next, list off what your thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations made you want to do. That is, did they make you want to escape the situation or do something to make those feelings stop? Did you feel a need to engage in your problem behavior? Finally, think about the consequences of engaging in your problem behavior. Did you feel better afterward? Did you feel disappointed in yourself? Ashamed? Try to list as many consequences (both positive and negative) as you can. Using Self-Monitoring for PTSD to Bring Awareness of Your Emotions Tips It can be helpful to go through a chain analysis soon after you engage in problem behavior. This way, your experience is fresh in your mind and you will likely be able to remember more information about the factors that led up to your problem behavior. It might also be helpful to identify what things might have made you more susceptible to responding to the situation as you did. For example, when people do not eat well or do not get enough sleep, they may be more susceptible to experiencing negative moods or having more reactive emotional experiences. Behaviors can serve multiple functions. Therefore, go through a chain analysis for a number of different situations that led to a problem behavior and try to identify all the functions a problem behavior serves for you. After you go through the chain analysis, come up with different coping strategies you could use at each stage. In addition to identifying the function a problem behavior serves, it is also incredibly important to figure out how to break the chain through the use of healthier coping strategies.?? PTSD: Coping, Support, and Living Well

Essay Kirby Dicks Film The Invisible War - 699 Words

Sixty-five years after President Truman signs the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act more than 200,000 women are serving in the military. These women are engaged in real combat and experience the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion like every soldier out there. But what’s more is that in the first three quarters of the fiscal year of 2013 3,553 sexual assault complaints were reported to the Defense Department. Of these, only one hundred and seventy-five of the alleged attackers were criminally charged. All of these numbers have been complied and given meaning through Kirby Dicks’ film The Invisible War. As a director Dick has been nominated for both the Academy and Emmy Awards for best documentary director. Like most of his†¦show more content†¦She left the service two months before her completed two years of service and is now unable to claim disability from the Department of Veteran Affairs office. Her story ends just like the other personal testimonies; barely anyone helped or sought justice. In each case the victim was ostracized and made out to be a liar after speaking out about the rape. According to the film only 2% of rape accusations are criminally prosecuted and brought to light. Slated against the backdrop of personal experiences, the director adds an element of statistics. Dick pulls from an interview between himself and Dr. Kaye Whitley, the Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. In doing so he illustrates just how uneducated the military is about sexual assault. Dr. Whitely is unable to answer questions about the attacker instead she makes it clear that her data is only about what the victim can do better to â€Å"prevent† sexual assault. A recent court ruling over the case that Cioca and four other victims were involved called rape an â€Å"occupational hazard.† Meaning that rape is just a risk you run if you are a women entering the military. Around this point in the docu mentary the discussions that occur in the classroom about rape culture echoed in my ears. These actions are being swept under the rug and covered for by citing that sexual assault is just a part of the job. We live in a society where rape victims are often blamed and rapists are excused for

The Community Of The Lgbtq Community - 1593 Words

In the twenty-four hours following the election, a surge in calls to suicide hotlines primarily from those belonging to the LGBTQ community. Trumps victory had caused thousands to suddenly fear their own futures in this country and questioned which of their rights they were going to lose in the next four years. This lead to many calling suicide hotlines for confirmation that life was worth living for and that their was always hope. Crisis lines dedicated to the LGBTQ community were specifically the ones that were most effected. The numbers of calls they were receiving were in the thousands, over doubling the average number of calls received and reaching unprecedented levels. An additional concern is that this may be causing a sudden influx trans-suicides, potentially up to ten. However, none of these cases have as of yet been confirmed, so there is a possibility that no suicides in relation to the election have occurred. Transpeople within America have a particularly precariou s state in this country and the election seems likely to remove their rights in the upcoming years. Regardless, the election has increased the anxieties of countless in this country. This recent development was quite important to me as someone who is part of the LGBTQ community. Although the election was seen as high stakes for both Democrats and Republicans, Trump’s policies will most likely have a negative impact disproportionately on minorities, immigrants, and those who have marginalizedShow MoreRelatedOverview Of The LGBTQ Community914 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction LGBTQ elders, regardless of their sexual orientation, face a number of unique health related challenges as they age. Amongst those challenges are increased isolation, stigma, and loss of cognitive functioning (Hoy-Ellis, Ator, Kerr Milford, 2016). In this essay I have chosen to write on this topic and conducted a literature search on EBSCOhost using the search terms ‘LGBTQ’ and ‘aging.’ The following is based on the article, â€Å"Innovative approaches addressing aging and mental healthRead MoreThe Struggle Of The Lgbtq Community Essay1859 Words   |  8 PagesThe struggle of the LGBTQ community was captured by the documentary, Before Stonewall. Before Stonewall follows captures what life was like for members of the LGBTQ community before the Stonewall Inn riots and subsequently the â€Å"Gay Rights Movement†, through each decade, interviewing members of the community who lived before the â€Å"Gay Rights Movement†. The documentary splits the struggles of the LGBTQ people by decades. It started with LGBTQ people living in isolation and secrecy in the 1920s and slowlyRead MoreThe Reality Of The Lgbtq Community1404 Words   |  6 Pagesexperiences of lesbian motherhood. They appear progressive at face value, even queer at times, yet, they ultimately uphold assimilationist politics and dodge the potential for queerness or advocacy. This is obscures and distorts the reality of the LGBTQ+ community and reaffirms the social boundaries which constrain lesbian parents to narrow standards. H1: Summary From this analysis, it is apparent that The Kids Are All Right and The Fosters strategically attempt to gain respectability for lesbian parentsRead MoreThe Rights Of The Lgbtq Community1217 Words   |  5 PagesThe LGBTQ community has been denied certain rights because of their sexual preference. Because there is not a natural born man and woman standing at the aisle, many states deny them the right to marriage. Many protest the rights the LGBTQ community should be able to have. The Catholic Church has condemned the LGBTQ community since the beginning of time. While some states have changed their views and laws on LGBTQ rights and privileges, there is still much improvement that needs to be done. Who givesRead MoreThe Rights Of The Lgbtq Community Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pageshe status of the LGBTQ community in each decade, starting in the early 1900s, held many key leaders, organizations, and events that were pivotal in the Gay Rights Movement. The documentary begins speaking about homosexuality in the 1900s. No one really talked about sexuality. It was a just common knowledge, however if you were thought to be living a lesbian or gay life, it was grounds for being locked up in a mental institution. Many gay men however could recognize each other through either smallRead MoreA Misconception Of The Lgbtq Community1959 Words   |  8 PagesThere seems to be a misconception that the LGBTQ community is immune to poverty when in actuality, a large majority of them are living in poor conditions. When most people think of gay men specifically, they think of rich, white men living in suburban areas, wearing designer clothes, constantly accessorized, and shop at expensive boutiques. But that is simply not the case. In fact, most LGBTQ people are poor or working-class, female, and people of color who struggle with obtaining or keeping a jobRead MoreDiscrimination Towards The Lgbtq Community1483 Words   |  6 PagesCarolyn Kasper Mrs. Gallos English 3 6 April 2017 Discrimination Towards the LGBTQ Community We as a society are not doing enough to end the discrimination in the LGBTQ ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) community . There is no reason to discriminate someone for what they do behind closed doors and they should keep their negative words and actions to themselves. No one no matter what they believe in should be discriminated against. Just because someone who is attracted to the sameRead MoreAmerican Laws And The Lgbtq Community1407 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Laws and the LGBTQ+ Community â€Å"Discrimination [dih-skrim-uh-ney-shuh n]: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.† Right from the dictionary, the definition is clear. Look back 95 years to 1920, where women across America raised their voices and fought back for the right to vote. Now take a look back 48 years ago when in 1967Read MoreLgbtq Youth And Its Impact On The Community Essay1696 Words   |  7 Pagesthat LGBTQ youth are not able to get the help in school which causes them to have low self-esteem, not show up to school, and even engage in risky behavior. School psychologists must provide services for their entire student body and that includes youth apart of the LGBTQ community. Regardless of what their beliefs are it’s important that they give LGBTQ youth the support that they need and also help them work towards a positi ve identity while going the process of coming out. To assist LGBTQ youthRead MoreConversion Therapy And Its Effects On The Lgbtq Community1218 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieves in such treatment. That alone is a huge threat to people of the LGBTQ+ community. Conversion therapy is affecting the LGBTQ+ community greatly. Conversion therapy can be defined as â€Å"psychological interventions, from behavioral methods to psychoanalytic approaches† to change a person’s sexuality or gender identity (Hadelman, pg. 202, 2002). This treatment has been proven to not work as well as having harmful implications to LGBTQ+ people. In 1960, the conversion therapy movement began in the

Wildlife Conservation Free Essays

Do you remember going to the zoo as a child? The excitement of seeing something exotic, the terror of hearing a lion roar, the amazement of seeing a giraffe’s long neck. Everyone has a favourite animal. It could be a tiger, an elephant or a hippo. We will write a custom essay sample on Wildlife Conservation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Now think of your favourite animal, an animal that in some way or another defined you, dying in the next hour. It is predicted 3 unique species die out every hour. That’s 72 unique species every day. That’s 23,208 unique species every year. 26,208. Any animal lover understands the extent of the problem we now face. We are leading ourselves into a cataclysmic hole and in the very near future, the it will threaten the entire destiny of mankind. Over the last 30 years, over 30,000 species have died. This figure begs belief. Just the thought of there being 30,000 species that will go undocumented by mankind and not seen ever again is a horrific thought. Some plants are economically and medically very important to humanity. Nearly all drugs have some connection with plants and there is every possibility that an undiscovered plant could cure all diseases around the world. Plants are the root(if you pardon the pun) and cornerstone of the ecologies around the world, and not to mention if plants die out so do we. It’s as simple as that. If the last few years are to go by , our fortune isn’t looking too good. Carbon emissions have gone up by threefold and 1.5 acres of rainforest are lost every second with tragic consequences for both developing and industrial countries. 129,600 acres of rainforest is lost every day. That’s the equivalent of losing an area of the size of Greece every day. Now some people may argue that this is just rubbish and the world is not dying, that there is no element of truth in this information at all. All facts used in this leaflet are true. The judgement has to be left to you. Do you think the world is dying? For those who think the world is dying there is still some hope. As far as I can see , the only way we can save endangered species is by wildlife conservation. To prevent the extinction of beloved species, there are many things you can do. You can start of by doing small steps such as researching about wildlife preservation or by making the problem more widely known. But if you want to make a bigger change to the way how the world is run you should join wildlife conservation societies such as The Nature Conservancy or the World Wildlife Fund. If we change our ways we can save the world. If we change our ways we can secure the future. If we change our ways your children will be able to live. But we have to change our habits now. How to cite Wildlife Conservation, Essays Wildlife Conservation Free Essays Wildlife Conservation is essential to the protection of endangered species and potentially saving humans and the ecosystem because scientists don’t know all of the affects that the extinction of certain species may have on the ecosystem and people. There is an ongoing battle between people who think that they are helpful and people that think that they aren’t doing anything. As the population of humans grows we have to expand so that we can all live comfortably. We will write a custom essay sample on Wildlife Conservation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Unfortunately a lot of people believe that we as humans have the upper hand because we are the â€Å"dominant† species; this may not be true however. Scientific studies haven’t quite figured out how the loss of one particular species could affect the ecosystem or humans for that reason. It’s not entirely known what affect, if any, animals have on humans or our natural resources. This has sparked a great debate among people. The non-consequentialist side argues that animals have just as much right to live as we do and because we don’t know what the consequences would be we should save them. While the consequentialist side argues that the human population needs to do what is best for them no matter what that means for the animals. Animal species serve as an indicator of the health of the ecosystem. â€Å"We need to study species and their roles within ecosystems to understand their interdependencies and to predict the impacts of our actions on the environment. Species offer clues to understanding natural history and thus have historical value as records of past processes† (Paterson, 2006). This proves that animals have value to us because they help us better understand the environment. It could be said that without them we wouldn’t know as much as we do about the environment and history. That’s just one way that animals can benefit us. Some animal species provide people with food. â€Å"It can be said that the quality of life will decline substantially with the loss of species diversity. In many developing countries, game viewing and trophy hunting generate considerable sums of money, and the aesthetic value of wildlife can thus be directly linked to an economic value† (Paterson, 2006). If the animals they were hunting became extinct, they would no longer benefit from it. However that doesn’t stop them because they need to make money and they need to provide for themselves and their families. People depend on animals that live around them for food; without the animals the people would either die off or be forced to find a different way to survive. â€Å"Many species, including endangered ones, are expected to have agricultural, industrial, and medical benefits† (Paterson, 2006). Scientists don’t know exactly what each animal does for the ecosystem so they can’t tell us which ones would or wouldn’t benefit us if they were gone. Some animals do have known roles in the ecosystem, take the grizzly bear for example. Grizzlies keep other predators, such as cougars, coyotes and foxes at bay. Grizzlies eat berries, flowers, grasses, sedges, herbs, tubers, and nuts of all kinds. If they did become extinct the vegetation in an area would become over populated. Because grizzlies eat vegetation they help mix the soil and help increase the nutrients. With that being said, if they were to become extinct, a lot of the areas that Grizzlies occupy wouldn’t get â€Å"farmed† and would therefore not grow as well. This could cause other animals to not be able to occupy the land either or worse it could cause other animals that were normally not there to occupy the land. So the extinction of one species of animal could result in the endangerment or extinction or another species. Humans are actually the main cause of the endangerments of a lot of species. People hunt animals for food, their skin and tusks, and also their fat. Many species of animals are hunted in such large groups so fast that it doesn’t give them time to repopulate. This causes them to slowly become extinct and why is this? Simply because people are more concerned about the wellbeing of themselves and no one else. The human pollution has caused pollution to animal food causing a lot of these animals to migrate to find food. This causes them to leave their homes and venture out to places that are unfamiliar to them; places where they might not be able to survive. Industrializing, and urban development have destroyed forests and habitats for animals causing them to leave and find another place to live. As humans grow and develop, we need to expand and make room for new industries and buildings so we can continue to grow and prosper. But by doing this it has caused many species of animals to become almost extinct. This is where Wildlife Conservations come into play, there are more than 1,000 animal species endangered worldwide, luckily there are more than 3,500 protected areas in existence worldwide that protect these endangered species (Kurpis, 2002). Wildlife Conservations are a place where animals can live and not worry about people killing them or losing their homes. They can live in the â€Å"wild† like they did before people came around and started destroying everything around them. From a non-consequentialist side, Wildlife Conservations are a great way to save the animals. Wildlife Conservations help endangered animals attempt to repopulate and changed their endangered species status. By keeping the animals from being hunted for food, fur, tusks , or whatever else people may need them for, animals can reproduce and start to grow in number again. This can potentially help the endangered species get off of the endangered species list. A non-consequentialist would say that every animal has a job to carry out in our ecosystem. Every animal weather it’s big or small has a job to carry out and if we stop caring about the animals who knows what will happen to us in time. From a consequentialist point of view, they’d argue that they need to expand industries and housing developments so that they can grow. They don’t care that they are destroying the homes of hundreds and thousands of animals. â€Å"The primary reasons for the depletion of wildlife are the loss of habitats, poaching and indiscriminative hunting and fishing, rapid contamination of the food and water resources. There has, at large been an expansion of the human habitation into the forest areas and other wildlife habitats that have resulted in the destruction of wildlife† (Wildlife Conservation Facts, 2012). Every time we cut down trees or every time we clear out a forest, animals are made homeless and have no where else to go. Non-consequentialists would argue that it is our duty to see that the well being of everyone is taken into consideration before we go and destroy forests and cut down trees. They would say that the animals have every right that we do to live and that we shouldn’t do anything to them that we ouldn’t want done to us. We as people should look at the big picture and see that by doing whatever we want right now we could actually affect us later. We could potentially save the lives of hundreds and thousands of animals and maybe even ourselves. Because who knows what killing off grizzlies, polar bears, wolves, or even bunnies will do to us. They may be th e reason that we are still alive and they may be the reason that our ecosystem is still thriving. If we save them we may be doing ourselves a favor as well as doing them a favor. Reference Page Paterson, B (2006). Ethics for Wildlife Conservation: Overcoming the Human-Nature Dualism. Retrieved October 23, 2012 from http://www. redorbit. com/news/science/410448/ethics_for_wildlife_conservation_overcoming_the_humannature_dualism/ Kurpis, L (2002). Facts About Endangered Species. Retrieved October 23, 2012 from http://www. endangeredspecie. com/Interesting_Facts. htm Environmentbasics. 2012. Wildlife Conservation Facts. Retrieved October 24, 2012, from http://www. environmentbasics. com/environment-articles/wildlife-conservation. html How to cite Wildlife Conservation, Essay examples

With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking Essay Example

With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? Essay The first laws sanctioning the death penalty were established in the 18th century BC. At that time, the death penalty was used all over the world. However in 1846, Michigan became the first state in the U.S. to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except treason. By 1917, nine states had completely abolished the death penalty for all crimes or strictly limited it. The use of cyanide gas as a means of execution was introduced in 1924. Many thought this method was brutal and inhumane. A Gallup Poll conducted in 1966 showed support for the death penalty at an all time low and finally, in June 1972, the Supreme Court suspended the death penalty. It was reinstated shortly after in 1976. The lethal injection was seen as the most humane and painless method of execution. Oklahoma became the first state to adopt the lethal injection in 1977. Charles Brookes became the first person to be executed by this method five years later. In April 1999, the UN Human Rights Commission Resolution bega n to support a world-wide moratorium on executions. To this day, the death penalty is still used as a form of punishment in around 30 of the 52 states in North America. The film Dead Man Walking was directed by Tim Robbins and was released in 1995. I believe that Robbins completely unbiased about the issue of the death penalty throughout the whole film. He is neither against nor supportive of Poncelot. Film reviewer Ben Stephens, explains what Robbins was hoping to achieve with the film: With an issue as sensitive and fraught with potential pitfalls as this, director, Tim Robbins, manages to present a remarkably unbiased film, with all the usual arguments for and against the death penalty given more or less equal weight. This quote describes the difference between Dead Man Walking and the usual death row films such as The Green Mile. Dead Man Walking shows the criminals point of view so we can see and possibly understand what he is going through. We will write a custom essay sample on With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Dead Man Walking is set in Louisiana, North America during the 1990s. The film focuses on a convicted murderer and rapist Matthew Poncelot, (Sean With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? Johir Islam Penn) and a well-educated nun, Sister Helen Prejean, (Susan Sarandon). Poncelot is sentenced to death and as he is unable to afford a decent lawyer, he has to defend himself until Prejean steps in voluntarily to help him lodge an appeal against his sentence. The narrative is non-linear and it draws in the audience. At this time, there was a nation wide campaign to cut down on crime and increase the number of convicted criminals executed. Poncelots appeal is denied, with the full support of the campaign and the murdered victims families. The audience reacts by asking a rhetorical question: Why would anyone want to help a monster like Poncelot? Prejean explains this by believing in second chances. However, many people, like the victims families would like to see Poncelot dead. Poncelot is portrayed as a racist. He is arrogant, ignorant, uneducated and considers himself as a red neck or hick. However that may just be a stereotype that we fail to see. He is sentenced to death for the murder of a seventeen year old and murdering and raping his seventeen year old girlfriend. On the other hand, Prejean is portrayed as kind, liberal and forgiving. She has given up everything to become a nun. She believes in mercy, forgiveness and in second chances: Im just trying to follow the example of Jesus, who said that every person is worth their worst act. Prejean is very independent. She visits the prison chaplain and is asked about her nuns habit, which she is not wearing. She does not need the clothes of a nun to behave and think like one. This also shows that she is liberal. At the start of the film, we are shown some old home movies of Prejeans past which creates a contrast between her past and present. This tells the audience about her background and privileged, sup portive family. Her dream since childhood was to become a nun. She had always wanted to help the community and the people. She wanted to help race relations and tension between the coloured and white community. The prison chaplain thinks differently. He is cynical and contemptuous about Prejeans involvement with helping a convicted criminal. He is traditional, strict and doesnt believe in second chances. The only time we feel sympathy for Poncelot is at the end when he is dying. We realise during this scene that he has truly learned his lesson but knows With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? Johir Islam it is too late. Before leaving the world and heading for the after life, Poncelot realises that an apology is necessary for his monstrous deed, and he succeeds in winning some forgiveness. Poncelot says: I think killing is wrong whether I do it or yall, which emphasises that he has learnt the value of life. All of this is used ingeniously by Robbins to establish a conflict between white people of the same religion-which means we focus on the issue of the death penalty and not on race relations or religious differences. The most effective cinematography techniques are found in the scene in which Poncelot is in the process of being executed and is dying slowly. As he is slowly fading away, the camera cross cuts to flashbacks of the scene of the murder. Poncelot remembers the attack vividly. The flashbacks are in colour so it is very clear and are from Poncelots perspective so we finally see what really happened. This juxtaposition of the victims violent, undignified death and Poncelots own death reveals Robbins intention to present an unbiased view of the death penalty. Cross cutting is used effectively between Poncelots dying body and the murder. Cross cutting is also used between shots of the body of Poncelot and the poison filled syringes. This makes a comparison and helps the audience to see everything going on. Parallel shots are also used to link the teenage victims to Poncelot suggesting that they are all victims. As Poncelot is asking for forgiveness to the families of the victims, he is put in a Christ-like position, which suggests that his death will rid some sins. At the beginning of the film, we are shown an extreme close up of Prejean when she is driving to the prison, which reveals her character and facial expression. Shes thoughtful, calm and concentrating. As she is driving, we find an example of non-diegetic sound when we hear Poncelots voice reading out his letters. We hear him before we see him, which creates an atmosphere of tension. The letters are an insight to his character. We are given a tracking shot of Prejean as she walks up to Hope House, which establishes Prejeans job and her close-knit relationship with children. With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? Johir Islam We are later shown tension building close up shots of Prejean and Poncelot when they are talking in the prison. Poncelot is always shown behind the wire screen emphasising that he is imprisoned and trapped. Louisiana is a southern state, which means the audience should expect vast amounts of racism and inequality. Louisiana also strongly supports the death penalty. Many people are uneducated thus are ignorant leading to racism. Economic segregation is also a cause of ignorance and racism-there are many places where only whites are permitted to live. In addition, a lot of the taxpayers money is spent on criminals and prisoners, so many welcomed the execution of the convicted. The characters accents give away the location of the film. They have southern accents and use dialect, for example Poncelot exclaims momma which instantly establishes the region. The audience will have certain preconceptions of the south which are to except racism, segregation, and high levels of crime, unemployment and lack of education. The prison is depicted as a harsh, unforgiving, merciless house of death. The lighting is very dim and dark. Doors are slammed violently and the echoing screams on inmates can be heard which all highlight the harsh nature of the prison. Poncelot is not given an honourable or dignified death. Prison wardens shave one of his legs and tag him like an animal. He is executed in his prison uniform emphasising that he will die a prisoner. A pair of fluffy white slippers also gives us a similar message. Dissolved shots from the execution room to outside of a church gives the closing sequence a calm atmosphere. We have just witnessed the execution of a convicted murderer and rapist and we are now given a shot of a beautiful building on a tranquil, sunny day. The director has chosen to end the film calmly to again remind us that his film is completely unbiased. Most of the time when the characters are locked in a conversation, silence is used to create tension. Non-diegetic sound is used when Poncelot is about to be injected. We hear a requiem to make us feel sympathetic towards Poncelot. With reference to characterisation and film techniques, how does the director Tim Robbins Depict the death penalty in his film Dead Man Walking? Johir Islam The requiem also suggests that Poncelot will be going to heaven because he confessed to his sins. We hear calm, soothing music at the closing scene with the shot of the church, which helps create a soothing, calm ending to the film. In conclusion, I believe Ben Stephens statement about Robbins and his film Dead Man Walking is correct-it does have the usual arguments for and against the death penalty but the film is remarkably unbiased. Robbins wanted his film to be unbiased and thats what it is-the film is on neither side, for or against. It makes you come to your own conclusions. I am ambivalent about the death penalty. Id agree to the death penalty if my family were the victim because it is an emotional issue. I dont think there is a possibility of forgiveness for the murderer as I strongly believe in the saying an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That way the whole world would be blind and toothless. However, we must remember that killing someone doesnt solve anything. Two wrongs do not make a right. However if I were in Poncelots situation, or if a family member or close friend was, I would obviously be against the death penalty. It all depends on the given situation. I have learned that life is unfair but to succeed in life we must learn to deal with the ups and downs of life.

Motorola Essays - Motorola, Schaumburg, Illinois, Lenovo Smartphones

Motorola Essays - Motorola, Schaumburg, Illinois, Lenovo Smartphones Motorola Since it first entered the competitive electronic firm market, Motorola has continued to remain successfully as a world leader in mobile communication technology, ranking as the leading maker of cellular telephones, paging devices, automotive semi-conductors, and microchips that are used to operate devices other than computers. Although it has lost a few battles, Motorola has taken on the Japanese head to head, through these times of Japanese competition. In the 1980s Motorola controlled the emerging U.S, Market for cellular phones and pagers but they werent aggressively focused on competing with the Japanese, even though Japanese firms began to flood the U.S. market with low-priced, high-quality telephones and pagers, leaving Motorola pushed into the background. This is when Motorola heard the call to battle. Managers at first were not sure how they should respond, so they originally decided to abandon some business areas and even considered merging their own semiconductor operations with those of Toshiba. After a lot of searching they decided to fight back and regain the firms lost market position. This fight involved two main strategies: First learn from the Japanese, and then compete with them. To carry out these strategies, Motorola executives decided to to set a number of broad based goals that essentially committed the firm to lowering costs, improving quality, and regaining lost market share. Managers were then sent out on missions, mainly focused on Japan, to learn how to compete better. Some manager even observed Motorolas own Japanese operations to learn and understand how it fully functioned; while others focused more on how other successful Japanese firms operated. At the same time, the firm also drastically boosted its budget, R&D, and employee training worldwide. One important thing that executives learned from their trip to Japan after viewing a flag flying outside one of its plants was that they had altogether forgotten their old ways of doing business and this is the exact point where they decided to reinvent their firm from top to bottom. Old plants were closed as new ones were built. Workers received new training with a wide range of quality-enhancement techniques. They decided to place their new commitment to quality at the forefront of everything it did. They even decided to announced their goal of achieving a perfection rate of 99.9997% (Six Sigma), and when they actually achieved this level of quality they received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Motorola has been continuously successful especially abroad in Japan. The firm has 20 offices and has more than 3,000 employees there. It is currently number three in market share there both in pagers and cellular telephones but is steadily approaching number two. Worldwide, Motorola controls 45% of the total market for these products, have regained its number two position in semiconductor sales, and is furiously launching as many new productions that seem to baffle its competitors. Today Motorola generates more than 56% of its revenues abroad. Major new initiatives are underway in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe and the firm has currently made headway in Western Europe against rivals Philips and Thomsom. Motorola has set new and staggering goals for itself. It wishes to take quality to the point where defects will be measured related to billions rather millions. It wants to cut its cycle time tenfold every ten years. And by this year, Motorola wanted over 75% of its revenues to come from foreign markets. Even though Motorola has established and proven itself as a successful company, they have their strengths and weaknesses like every other company. Motorolas strengths are its net sales, its innovation, and marketing and software development. Their passion, openness of executives, Acquisitions, mergers, and business alliances are also part of Motorolas Strengths. Weaknesses of Motorola are the overall quality of its operations, products, and business practices. They seem to generate unhappy consumers and have poor consumer relations. Their products seem to have high numbers of defects while Motorola itself is viewed as being inefficient and has a reputation of lacking a strategy. There also have low employee education, training, motivation, and morale, which is an extremely important aspect. Opportunities that Motorola has are that they can learn from the Japanese, have untapped market opportunities around the world. They also have the

The History of How Shoes Are Made

The History of How Shoes Are Made In most early civilizations, sandals were the most common footwear, however, a few early cultures had more substantial shoes. But shoes in ancient- and even not so ancient- civilizations had some major design differences than their modern-day counterparts. In fact, as late as the 1850s, most shoes were constructed on absolutely straight lasts (foot-shaped forms on which shoes were constructed and repaired), which meant that the right and the left shoes were pretty much the same. On the upside, that would make them interchangeable. On the downside, they were likely a lot less comfortable. Shoes in the BC In Mesopotamia, circa 1600 to 1200 BC, mountain people living on the border of Iran wore a type of soft shoes made of wraparound leather that was similar to a moccasin. Egyptians began making shoes from woven reeds as early as 1550 BC. Worn as overshoes, they were boat-shaped and had straps constructed of long, thin reeds covered by wider strips of the same material. Shoes in this style were still being made as late as the 19th century. Meanwhile, in China, shoes made from layers of hemp, circa the final century BC, were made in a process similar to quilting and featured decorative as well as functional stitching. Circa 43-450 AD Roman sandals are believed to be the first footwear specifically designed to fit the foot. Constructed with cork soles and leather straps or lacing, sandals were the same for men and women. Some military sandals known as caligae used hobnails to reinforce the soles. The imprints and patterns they left behind could be read as messages. Circa 937 AD Foot binding was a practice introduced in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) that became increasingly popular in China during the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD). Starting at age 5 to 8, the bones in girls feet were broken and then tightly wrapped to prevent growth. The ideal for womens feet was modeled after the lotus blossom and was decreed to be no more than three to four inches in length. Girls with tiny, highly arched feet were prized as prime marriage material- but the crippling practice left many of them barely able to walk. These tiny feet were adorned with dainty shoes constructed of silk or cotton and richly embroidered. Chinese women of the upper classes were often buried with many pairs of such shoes. While several bans were imposed on the practice (the first by Emperor Chun Chi of the Manchu dynasty in 1645 and the second by Emperor K’ang Hsi in 1662), foot-binding remained a common practice in China into the early 20th century. 12th Century Pointy-tipped Poulianes (â€Å"shoes  in the Polish fashion†) became popular in the middle ages and continued to come and go until the early 15th century. Circa 1350 to 1450 Pattens were overshoes worn to protect them from the elements and filthy street conditions. They were similar in function to more modern galoshes, except that pattens were made in the same shape as the shoes they were fitted over. 1450 to 1550 During the Renaissance, shoe fashions evolved from vertical lines favored by Gothic styles to become more horizontal. Nowhere was this more evident than in the toe shape. The richer and more powerful the wearer, the more extreme and broad the squared toe became. However, while squared toed shoes were prevalent, during this time, round-toed shoes began to emerge. Round-toed shoes were considered a more practical choice for children, however, even some adult shoes of the Tudor period featured the round profile. 17th Century During the mid-17th century, shoe fashions for men were mostly square-toed, however, it was at this time that the fork toe design debuted. Chopines, backless shoes or slippers featuring high platform soles, became popular throughout Renaissance Europe thanks to a revival in ancient Greek culture. The most notable examples from the period come from Spain (where the platforms were sometimes constructed from cork) and Italy. Men, as well as women, wore slip-on indoor slides known as mules, which were available in a variety of materials and colors and featured a slightly flared heel. In 1660, with the restoration of Charles II to the throne of France, fashions from the French courts grew in popularity across the Channel. Red heels, a style allegedly created for Charles himself, came into vogue and remained there well into the next century. 18th Century In the 18th century, shoes for upper-class women, such as salon mules, initially took shape as boudoir fashion but evolved into day and even dancewear. The erotically charged footwear was favored by Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France, who was in huge part responsible for the trend. Unfortunately, elegant shoes of the day were constructed of materials such as silk that rendered them inappropriate for outdoor use and as a result, pattens  (also known as clogs) made a big comeback, especially in big cities, such as London, that had yet to deal with the unsanitary conditions of its streets. Fast Facts: Shoe Laces Prior to shoestrings, shoes were commonly fastened with buckles.Modern shoestrings, which employed strings laced through shoe holes and then tied, were invented in England in 1790 (first recorded date, March 27).An aglet (from the Latin word for needle) is a small plastic or fiber tube used to bind the end of a shoelace, or similar cord, to prevent fraying and to allow the lace to be passed through an eyelet or another opening. In the 1780s, a fascination with all things â€Å"Oriental† led to the introduction of shoes with upturned toes known as Kampskatcha slippers. (While billed as an homage to Chinese fashion, they more closely resembled Juttis, the upturned slippers worn by affluent female members of the court of the Mughal Empire.) From the 1780s through the 1790s, the height of heels gradually decreased. With the approach of the French Revolution (1787-99), excess was seen with increasing disdain, and less became more. 19th Century Styles In 1817, the Duke of Wellington commissioned the boots that would become synonymous with his name. Streamlined and free of ornamentation, â€Å"Wellies† became all the rage. The rubberized version, still popular today, was introduced in the 1850s by the North British Rubber Company. In the following decade, the family shoemaking firm of C J Clark Ltd was founded and remains one of Englands leading shoe manufacturers. Prior to 1830, there was no difference between right and left shoes. French shoemakers came up with the idea of placing little labels on the insoles of shoes: â€Å"Gauche† for the left, and â€Å"Droit† for the right. While the shoes were still both straight in shape, since the French style was considered the height of fashion, other countries were quick to emulate the trend. In 1837 by J. Sparkes Hall patented the elastic side boot, which allowed them to be put on and taken off much more easily than those that required buttons or laces. Hall actually presented a pair of them to Queen Victoria, and the style remained popular through the end of the 1850s. By the 1860s, flat, squared-toed shoes featuring side lacing were de rigeur. This left the front of the shoes free for decoration. Rosettes were a popular embellishment of the day for women’s shoes. In the mid- to late-1800s unassembled shoes made with flat sheets of woven straw were produced in Italy and sold across Europe and in America to be put together as shoemakers saw fit. In the mid-1870s, the Manchu people of China (who did not practice foot binding) favored platform shoes that were the precursors to 20th-century fashion styles. Hoof-shaped pedestals afforded increased balance. Women’s shoes were taller and more intricately decorated than those for men. 19th Century Innovations in Shoe Manufacturing 1830s: Plimsolls, canvas-topped shoes with rubber soles, first manufactured by the Liverpool Rubber Company, make their debut as beachwear.June 15, 1844: Inventor and manufacturing engineer Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanized rubber, a chemical process that uses heat to meld rubber to fabric or other components for a sturdier, more permanent bond.1858: Lyman Reed Blake, an American inventor receives a patent for the specialized sewing machine he developed that stitches the soles of shoes to the uppers.January 24, 1871: Charles Goodyear Jrs patents the Goodyear Welt, a machine for sewing boots and shoes.1883: Jan Ernst Matzeliger patents an automatic method for lasting shoes that paves the way for the mass production of affordable shoes.January 24, 1899: Irish-American Humphrey OSullivan patents the first rubber heel for shoes. Later, Elijah McCoy (best known for developing a lubricating system for railroad steam engines that did not require trains to stop) invents an im proved rubber heel. Keds, Converse, and the Evolution of Sneakers In 1892, nine small rubber manufacturing companies consolidated to form the U.S. Rubber Company. Among them was the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company, organized in the 1840s in Naugatuck, Connecticut, the first licensee of Charles Goodyears vulcanization process. While Plimsolls had been on the scene for nearly six decades, vulcanization was a game-changer for rubber-soled canvas shoes. From 1892 to 1913, the rubber footwear divisions of U.S. Rubber were manufacturing their products under 30 different brand names but the company decided to consolidate their brands under a single name. The initial favorite was Peds, from the Latin for foot, but another company already owned that trademark. By 1916, the choice had come down to two final alternatives: ​Veds  or Keds. The k sound won out and Keds were born. The same year, Keds introduced their Champion Sneaker for Women. Keds were first mass-marketed as canvas-top sneakers in 1917. Henry Nelson McKinney, a copywriter who worked for the N. W. Ayer Son Advertising Agency, coined the word sneaker to connote the quiet, stealthy nature of rubber-soled shoes. Other shoes, with the exception of moccasins, were noisy while sneakers were practically silent. (The Keds brand was acquired by the Stride Rite Corporation in 1979, which was in turn purchased by Wolverine World Wide in 2012). 1917 was a banner year for basketball shoes. Converse All Stars, the first shoe specifically designed for the game, were introduced. Soon after, Chuck Taylor, an iconic player of the day, became the brand ambassador. The design has remained pretty much the same over the years, and remain firmly ensconced in the cultural landscape today.   Early 20th Century Styles As at the close of the 19th century, low-heeled shoes began to fall increasingly out of favor and as the new century dawned, higher heels made a huge resurgence. However, not everyone was willing to suffer for fashion. In 1906, Chicago-based podiatrist William Mathias  Scholl  launched his eponymous brand of corrective footwear, Dr. Scholl’s. By the 1910s, morality and fashion were increasingly at odds. Nice girls were expected to play by a stringent set of rules, including those instituted with regard to the heel height of women’s shoes. Anything over three inches was considered â€Å"indecent.† Spectator shoes, the two-toned Oxfords commonly worn by British patrons of sporting events gained huge popularity among the well to do in England at the close of WWI. In America, however, spectators became part of the counterculture instead. By the ’40s, spectators often accompanied Zoot suits, the over-the-top outfits sported by African American and Hispanic men in defiance of the fashion status quo. One of the most innovative shoe designers of the 20th century, Salvatore Ferragamo, rose to fame in the 1930s. In addition to experimenting with unusual materials including kangaroo, crocodile, and fish skin, Ferragamo drew on historic inspiration for his shoes. His cork wedge sandals- often imitated and reimagined- are considered one of the most important shoe designs of the 20th century. Meanwhile, in Norway, a designer named Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger was looking to create a shoe that was truly comfortable and fashionable. His unisex innovation, a slip-on shoe called the Aurland moccasin was inspired by Native American moccasins and slip-ons favored by Norwegian fishermen. The shoes took off, both in Europe and in America. Not long after, the Spaulding family based in New Hampshire launched a similar shoe called The Loafer, which would eventually become the generic term for this slip-on style. In 1934, G. H. Bass debuted his Weejuns (a play on the word â€Å"Norwegian† as a nod to the homeland of the original designer). Weejuns had a distinctive strip of leather across the saddle featuring a cutout design. Kids who wore them started putting pennies or dimes into the slot, and the shoes became known as- you guessed it- Penny Loafers. The boat (or deck) shoe was invented by American boater Paul Sperry in 1935. After watching how his dog was able to maintain stability on ice, Sperry was inspired to cut grooves into the soles of his shoes and a brand was born. Post World War II the Latter Half of the 20th Century WWII was the crucible for a number of shoe trends. Doc Martens, combining comfortable air-cushioned soles with durable uppers were invented by Dr. Klaus Maertens in 1947. In 1949, Brothel creepers, the brainchild of British shoemaker George Cox, transformed the sole of an army boot into a thick exaggerated wedge made their debut. Loafers had long been considered a shoe of the hoi polloi in America but when the style was reinvented in 1953 by the House of Gucci, it became the shoe of choice for formal occasions for affluent fashion enthusiasts of both genders and remained so through the 1980s. Stiletto heels (whose name was a nod to a Sicilian fighting blade) became increasingly popular in the 1950s as the curvy female hourglass figure came back into vogue. Designer Roger Vivier of the House Dior is credited as having the most influence on shoes of this style from the period. While they’ve existed for more than 6,000 years in some form or other, the Y-shaped rubber sandals known as flip-flops became pretty much ubiquitous in the 1960s. The Birkenstock family have been making shoes since 1774, however, it wasn’t until 1964 when Karl Birkenstock transformed the arch support inserts for his shoes into soles for sandals that the company became a household name. During the 1970s disco craze, platform shoes became hot, hot, hot. Taking a leaf from Salvatore Ferragamo’s designs from four decades earlier, men and women hit the dance floor in outrageously high shoes.  One of the most popular brands of the era was Candie’s, a clothing brand that launched in 1978. Ugg boots debut in 1978. Uggs were originally made of sheepskin and worn by Australian surfers to warm up their feet after being in the water. In 1978, after Brian Smith imported Uggs to California under the label UGG Australia, the brand took off and has remained a fashion staple ever since but knockoffs in a variety of synthetic and cheaper materials have flooded the market. With the 1980s came a fitness craze that changed the shape of footwear. Designers such as Reebok increasingly took branding and specialization to heart in hopes of raising both profile and profits. The most successful athletic brand to cash in on this trend is Nike’s Air Jordan, which encompasses basketball shoes and athletic and casual style clothing. The brand was created for five-time NBA MVP Michael Jordan.  Designed for Nike by Peter Moore,  Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore, the original Air Jordan sneakers were produced in 1984 and were solely for Jordan’s use, but were released to the public later that year. The brand continues to thrive in the 2000s. Vintage Air Jordans, especially those with some special personal connection to Michael Jordan, have sold for exorbitant prices (the highest recorded as of 2018 was in excess of $100,000). Sources â€Å"Timeline: A History of Shoes†. Victoria Albert Museumâ€Å"History of the Penny Loafer†. Tricker’s EnglandAcedera, Shane. â€Å"The Most Expensive Air Jordans†. SportOne. May 18, 2018Cartwright, Mark. â€Å"Foot Binding†. Ancient History Encyclopedia. September 27, 2017

Animal Senses Biology magnetoreception mechanism on Migratory Birds Essay

Animal Senses Biology magnetoreception mechanism on Migratory Birds - Essay Example Birds have various times of migration. Some birds migrate during the day like swallows and crows, while some migrate at night such as warblers, cuckoos, wild fowls and woodpeckers, as well as most songbirds (Engels 1). Stimuli such as internal body clocks or subtle weather changes cause these birds to migrate, and this ability can be explained by a phenomenon called magnetoreception, which is the ability of some organisms to detect the Earth’s magnetic field in perceiving direction, altitude or location (Solov'yov 40). The Earth’s magnetic field can be detected through various mechanisms such as chemical, electrical and mechanical means, and any of these stimuli can be converted into a molecular signal like a light-stimulated or photochemical reaction in the retina, which can then be recognized and perceived by magnetoceptive organisms like birds and insects (41). Hypotheses in the mechanisms of magnetoreception in birds There are various mechanisms hypothesized for mag netoreception to occur in birds, and one of these is the phenomenon involving a chemical compass where chemical reactions occur involving the transitions of electrons between high and low energy configurations or spin states, influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field (Rodgers 353). ... The amount of products from this reaction and the length of the half-life time of the radical base pair would depend on the strength of the detected magnetic field. The strength of the magnetic field determines the amount of radical base products and their length of half-life, and their linear relationship can be used to determine the strength of the magnetic field (Ritz 135; Rodgers 353). Thus, the stronger the magnetic field, the radical base pair mechanism would be producing more molecules with unpaired electrons, which in turn keeps the bird in its intended direction. These reactions occur in the photoreceptor region of the bird’s eye, helping the birds detect the strength of Earth’s magnetic field through radical base pair mechanism. The radical spinning is explained by hyperfine interactions, and these happen when there is a coupling between the magnetic moments of the unpaired electron and its atomic nucleus (Ritz 135). The interchanging conversions between the s inglet state and the triplet state is a process whose frequency is determined by the strength of the hyperfine reactions. This system is not only influenced by the intensity but also by the direction of the field, which makes it act like a compass (136). The tendency of one component of hyperfine reaction to be strong towards one direction only determines the interchanging conversion rate of the S and T state. Thus the effects of the magnetic field would be depending on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the alignment of the radical pairs. These are the mechanisms by which birds are able to travel at night. Photoreceptor mechanisms in birds Birds have two types of light receptors in their eye: night vision

Sarbanes-Oxley Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sarbanes-Oxley Act - Essay Example Examples include WorldCom and Enron companies. According to section 404(a) of the Act, it is a requirement that managements of companies assess their Internal Controls effectiveness and report on the same over financial reporting. Also, Subsection (b) of the same section, calls on independent auditors to attest to the assessments done by the managements. This is regarding Internal Controls effectiveness. The opinion of the study is that it is not too much a regulation. As stipulated by the Securities and Exchange Commissions report, the enactment of section 404 of the Sarbox Act have proven too costly. The outlays are incredibly high to companies, which has led to some attempts at their reduction while upholding effectiveness like the reforms of year 2007. (sec.gov, 2009) However, the cost of implementation is far much less than the 2001-2002 business scandals cost. These are with the inclusion of Global Crossing, Tyco, WorldCom and Enron companies, which shook the confidence of investors a great deal. (Hallberg, 2008 p390) A case at hand to support the argument that, it is not too much regulation is that of the collapsed Enron Company. This is where, in October 2001, Enron company had made public their third quarter earnings report where they purported to have realized an after tax Earnings of USD 1.01 billion. On the same date of reporting, Enron had cut down equity of shareholders by USD 1.2 billion, which it claimed to be the rectification of accounting errors. In November, 2001 the company filed with the SEC Form 8-K, considering the current events. This form 8-K stipulated that Enron would like to restate their financial statements from year 1997 through 2001 June. These statements led to a shocking fall of income of USD 569 million. In the same year, 2001, Enron Company filed for bankruptcy which triggered investigations. (De Vay, 2006 p3) As said earlier, as stipulated by the Securities and Exchange

Assessment Of The Burger King Chain Commerce Essay

Assessment Of The Burger King Chain Commerce Essay Burger King is one the fast food chain which is abbreviated as BK, it is operating almost all over the world with its headquarter in Florida, United States. The first store was opened over the piece of Insta Broiler. This equipment was so much popular for cooking burgers. In 1953, BK began as a franchise chain in Jacksonville, a place in Florida. In 1955, where this franchise was facing a financial problem, it was then purchased by David Edgerton and James McLamore and then it was named as Burger King. Burger King is operating in 73 countries with over 12000 outlets, of which 66% holds in US and 90%, has been runned by the private owners. It became a Corporation in 1959, and this is where when all the franchisees purchase the right to open stores and operate it. Initially, when the company started they use to sell burgers, French fries, soft drinks and ice creams. Then later in 1957, BK introduce Whopper which turns out to be the signature for them and they adopted the motto as The Home of Whopper, (Mouw, 2007). Theoretical Background The development of new ventures makes the way for most individuals to come up with an idea and develop it by generating a product or service (Gyamfi and Tontoh, 2007). According to (Morse and Mitchell, 2006), the new venture development can be competitive in the market because many activities are involved in creating a business. Barringer and Ireland (2006) said that the establishment of new ventures gives the society globalization, job creation and innovation. Different scholars and institutions have proposed many ways of developing new ventures from different angles. Moreover, many entrepreneurs have established new ventures competitively without any external influence. Wickham (2004) defined an entrepreneur as a manager which carries out a particular activity; an individual which possesses a personality, psychology and personal characteristics and an agent that adds the value to the society. Sarasvathy (2001) found the dependency of a venture issue on an individuals past knowledge, the experience of its formation, culture and his other distinctive achievements. According to Timmons (1999), the development of a new venture involves the vital factors team, opportunity and resources that are seen to be in a corresponding process. Although there are numerous ways for venture creation, there are also various failures and even it does not become successful in the long run for the few ones (Gyamfi and Tontoh, 2007). Gilkerson and Paauwe (1998) showed that most businesses fail because the choice of business opportunity was poor. Gartner (1988) suggested that entrepreneurship depends on your action and not on your identification. This has generated the interest of looking at business planning process in new venture development. It is important to know about the variables or considerations in developing the new ventures that makes the process feasible or practical and this is what has been presented in the report in accordance with the opinions of different authors (Bhave, 1994). Discussion Business planning is an important aspect that needs to be considered to fulfil the plans for a new venture or renewing an existing venture. It serves as a method to achieve the desired goals (Gyamfi and Tontoh, 2007). According to (Davidsson, 2003), a good planning process provides a good approach of having a niche in the market. It also gives you a process view of entrepreneurship. He believes that it is impossible to take a business in one decision or one act from its non-existence to existence in one step. Therefore, in creating a business, entrepreneurs have to do a number of activities sequentially. Business planning helps in finding the competitive advantage of the operation by finding, describing and refining it (Stan et al., 2003). Profit (2007) says that the planning process gives very good steps needed to reach the goals that have been set for the future. It describes the opportunities, business strengths and a road map for continuous improvement. As the growth and success of a business lies in creating a road map for it but many entrepreneurs, having the knowledge of it, do not have a good planning process (Profit, 2007). This makes it difficult to start up ventures successfully (Gyamfi and Tontoh, 2007). Harper (1991) noted that as many novices do not hesitate to position and elaborate themselves well in the market so the trial and error methods have been unfavourable for them. Profit (2007) suggested that the requirement of an entrepreneur can be accomplished by analyzing the business issues and refining the goals from a good planning process. Timmons (1999) clarifies that it is important to take a decision about the investment of time and effort because some ideas may not lead to business or success. One should also size up about the existence of potential business. Therefore, a good planning method helps one to get confidence, test ideas and see the flaws in his business to avoid the waste of resources and to take the right steps forward (Gyamfi and Tontoh, 2007). In fact, for every 100 ideas presented to investors in the form of a business or proposal of some kind, usually just I or 2 or 3 get funded. Over 80% of those rejections occur in the few hours; another 10 to 80 get rejected after the business plan has been read carefully (Timmons, 1999). Theoretical Spheres The development of a new venture has been discussed by many authors in entrepreneurship. The theories from three experts of business administration, in a sequential mode, have been chosen to make the report more exigent and practical. These are of Hult et al. (1991), Stan et al. (2003) and Profit (2007). Opportunity Analysis of Burger King SWOT Analysis After the goals have been set by managements, it is their responsibility to analyse the companys current position. And to evaluate the position of the organisation, the management use SWOT analysis. This helps the upper management to plan and compare the internal organisation strengths and weakness with the opportunities and threats which are external to the organisation. This helps the management to fulfil the objective which they have stated in the mission statement. Main core competencies of the company are the main strength of the organisation in which they are best at. It is the strength which the customers values and pays for it and which the competitors lacks of. Companys faces problem when they know their weaknesses and did not work on it, the environmental threats will probably molest the weaknesses of an organisation. And these weaknesses can be overcome if they avail the opportunities which can create value to the firm (Marke, 2006). Burger King Strengths Burger King or BK is a worldwide brand which everyone knows about. It attracts all type of customers such as sex, race, age, income etc. It is one of the largest fast food ham burger restaurants (FFHR) in the world It not only distribute in US, it has many franchises situated around the globe. Weaknesses The main weakness of the BK is that they have operated mainly in US; almost 65% of their operations are in United States. BK has not focused on their brand name very well, it relies mostly on franchisees which are carries their brand name along and any mistake by them will decrease the Goodwill of the organisation. BK has the menu which is unhealthy and it does not appeal to the consumers. They brand their products less likely than their competitors such as McDonalds etc. Opportunity BK should develop a new product which can attract customers in the breakfast as well. BK is called the House of Whopper so they should emphasise their brand focusing mainly on Whopper Virgins. They should expand their business in countries like India, Malaysia, and Kuwait etc. Where there is an emerging market. Threats The main threat of BK is that they have to face a healthy competition with McDonalds, KFCs and other restaurants. BK menu is healthy food which the consumers dont prefer much, they should change their habits to attract customers diverting to healthy food. It may affect the profit margins of BK, when the labour cost rises. Source: (Kurtz, 2008) Environmental Analysis It is critical to indentify the variables which can affect the supply and the demand of the products and services by analyzing the macro environment. Whenever there is a change in the environment or the place where the company is operation, it has an impact on the organisation as well. So there are possible criterias which the analyst has to check which can have the effect on the organisation. And these can be Political, Social, Economical and Technological factors. PEST analysis examines the impact of the factors which can affect the business. If Burger King opens its new Venture in Pakistan, they can first analyse the factors which can affect their business or they think that if it is feasible to open up a chain in Pakistan. Burger King PEST Analyses Political: This includes the regulations imposed by the government in the country where they are operating. This relates to the elections, law of employment, environment laws, war, terrorism, governing body, and its structure. These are the factors which the burger king has to analyse before opening their chain in Pakistan. The political condition of Pakistan is not stable at the moments, there are lots of suicide attacks but they can still open a franchise in the popular city such as Karachi and in those areas where the security is high. Economic: It is the level of spending the local government does, taxation, growth of the country, unemployment, rates such as interest and inflation. Country such as Pakistan is one of the developing countries. This country has seen the growth but the interest rates and the inflation rates has been double in over few years but people living there are more keen to have fast food restaurants and a places like these so that there can be an increase in the economy. Social Factors: Social relates to age, gender race etc. It is the standard of living which the people adopt. Technological Factors: These factors are the inventions, research and development and information systems. In Pakistan, investments in terms of social and technological will increase the competition and requires a lot of investment. BK can invest in salads, and low fat food but again there will be a danger for moving away from its identity. It can be good economic purposes of changing their policy to sell high calorie menus because there are few costs which are attached to it. Investments in terms of technology can give an advantage over its competitors such as McDonalds. They can open up a call centre which can be centralizing where the customers can place their orders online. This will increase speed of the customer services and will cut the staff cut. After analyzing the current situation in Pakistan with the help of macro environmental analysis, we can conclude that opening a chain of Burger King, it will not be difficult for them to make money because there are so many restaurants today who have lock their suppliers and the largest companies which are already operating in Pakistan such as McDonalds have the high bargaining power and are able to bare cost such as advertisement. BK can invest more on the products and technology, they can advertise heavily on their new products so that they can attract more customers towards themselves, (Mowen, 2001). Porter 5 Forces Model Porter 5 forces model deals with factors that is outside the industry that influence the environment of competition. A firm has to know about the industries in which it is operating and should know how to compete in the market. It the forces from the competition can be drive. Competition can be created by the interaction of 5 forces which is the threat of new entrants, the power of suppliers, the power of buyers and the threats of substitute. The threats of new entrants are very high because of the fact that it does not require high investment to open up a small restaurant. But BK can advertise heavily on the advertisement where by the customers can only buy the burgers for them. Burger King appears to be in the list of those industries that have the recognized brand with all their benefits are linked with new customers so that they can attract. Supplier power: for the burgers, the ingredients require are just meat, buns and soft drinks, which can be supplied by any of the supplier and there are other supplies which also provide the services such as restaurants premises including the equipment and staff. Golden state foods started supplying McDonalds but now they are supplying the beef and other products to KFCs and BKs as well. There should always be an upper hand on the supplier by the firm. Burger King has a large number of franchised outlets almost 89%. Since after the increase in franchise for BK, they have the limited control over the franchisees and that is the main reason why there are experiencing problems in removing their supplier again and again, Bk seems to be unhappy with the supplier every time. There is a low buying power in the burger industry. It depends on the customers and their taste to which burger to want to have. There is low switching cost and lots of substitute available so the buyer power has increase. As we all know that there are so many substitutes available, there is lots of restaurant and therefore the threat of substitute is relatively very high. And this is the reason why the fast food restaurant like McDonalds and BK do more branding in order to attract more customers. Competitive Rivalry in the burger restaurant is high because there are so many restaurant but we look for the differentiation, BK promotes its burger as the tastiest burgers because it is flame grill. Differentiation is only weapon in this industry, and those customers who have realized the taste can reduce the competitive rivalry (Kurtz, 2008). Competitors Analysis Analysis of the competitive is very important and useful in the sense that the company should know how their rivals are operating and performing. This evaluation is very critical for the use of strategy formulation. A company has to identify the factors both the external as well as the internal to the organisation which can impact the forces. These factors can affect the companys objective and the goals because on these factors they can change their strategy. When KFC came in to the market, they follow the initiates of Burger King and follow the price cut strategy; it was named as the Big King competitor to the Big Mac. When Burger King came to know about this strategy they responded by: BK lowering the prices and cutting the cost on their standardize menu based on burgers, fries and soft drinks. Revenue and growth for BK are the mixture of their strategy but in the late 1990s, the volume was falling especially in US which cause their market share to decline as well. BK boosts their volume by cutting the prices and behaves accordingly to the competitors. They then use their resources and capabilities to turn into a financially strong company. The strategy used by KFC get an aggressive response from Burger King but the burger market in the world today faces a lot of competition between Burger King, McDonalds and KFCs. Source: (Youngman, 1998) Strategic Analysis For the strategic analysis it is very important to define the industries broadly, there should detailed analysis on the competition through which they can focus on the markets that are drawn narrowly in terms of both the products and geography. In the strategic analysis, the process of industries which has many dimensions is divided into segmentations. In an industry, sub markets can be differentiating through Segmentation. A company can sometimes avoid competition if they change their strategy into the segmentation. Burger King has maintained its sales by selling more Whoppers. They analyse probability at the level of customers individuality. Through Segments, key success factors can be differing. In the restaurant industry such as Burger King and McDonalds, the success of an industry can be analyse by segmenting the customers of the fast food and the luxury restaurant, (Grant, 2005). Conclusion Recommendations When the company have enough resources to utilize to its capability, the company just focus on those products for the customers demand more. After the success in the domestic market, company tries to exploit in the international market. But first they will analyse the factors which can affect them in operating in that country. They have to understand the objective that has been set by the competitors and looking into it they should make their own international strategy. There will be an effect on the market share, if the competitor is a large company, this can be a threat to the company who is entering into the market.

Campaign Strategy Essay

1) What are the goals of the campaign? 2) What questions need to be answered to reach those goals? This is a list of general campaign questions to help start your research process. These are not research questions. Each general campaign question should generate a list of more specific research questions. For example, â€Å"What is the issue/problem?† could lead to the question, â€Å"What is the history of lead poisoning in our community?† General questions to ask about a campaign: 1. What is the issue/problem? (Understand their arguments.) 2. What are the solutions or alternatives? (Develop our arguments.) 3. Who else is trying to change the problem, how effective are they, and what are their solutions? (Potential allies. Locate a niche. Avoid obstacles and duplication of effort.) 4. Who can implement those solutions? Who has the power? (The Targets) 5. What kind of campaign would it take to convince them? (Feasibility test.) A. How long would victory take? What are the time constraints? B. What are tactics and paths to a victory? C. What are the opportunities or obstacles? D. What has worked for other organizations on similar campaigns? 6. Who are the other players? A. Who would support change? (Allies) B. Who opposes change? (Opposition) C. Who could become allies/opposition, but are currently neutral? 7. Does our base have the power and resources to win this campaign? 8. Will this campaign build our movement, base, or organization? WHAT IS A CAMPAIGN STRATEGY? A campaign can be seen as an organised, purposeful effort to create change, and it should be guided by thoughtful planning. Before taking action, successful campaigners learn as much as possible about: * the existing situation * who is affected by the campaign issue both positively and negatively * what changes could improve the situation * what resources, tactics and tools are available to implement a campaign that will address the issue. Campaigners use this knowledge to create their strategy, which guides them in planning, implementing, marketing, monitoring, improving and evaluating their campaign. A campaign strategy should answer the †¨following questions: Problem, Vision, Change 1. What problem are you confronting? 2. What is your vision of how the world will be, once the problem is resolved? 3. What change/s would bring about this vision? Stakeholders, Relationships,Targets 4. Who is affected, positively or negatively, by the problem? 5. How are these people or groups related to the problem and to each other? 6. Who are you trying to reach? 7. If your campaign is successful, who will be affected? Answering key questions repeatedly, at each stage of your campaign, about the problem, solution, stakeholders and targets as well as the tactics, message and tools you will use, will help develop your campaign strategy. Your campaign strategy will guide what you do and it should be updated regularly as the campaign is implemented and the situation changes. CREATE A COMMON VISION It’s useful to involve your whole campaigning group in exploring the problem, your vision and the changes sought: a shared understanding of the problem will stimulate ideas about possible actions to take, and will also help your group to stay motivated and focussed during the campaign. Creating a common vision will also help determine ways to monitor, and adjust the implementation of, the campaign if necessary. Activity 1: PROBLEM – SOLUTION – CHANGE 1. Discuss and decide, as a group, what core problem your campaign seeks to address. Elaborate all the adverse effects of this problem. 2. Each person in the group should create their own answer to the following question: What would a world without this problem be like? * Use words, diagrams, illustrations. * Imagine unlimited resources (money, power, etc). * Discuss and enumerate all the benefits of this proposed world. 3. Combine your individual visions of the future to create a single common vision for the campaign. Discuss in depth which broad actions or changes would resolve the problem you identified, so as to arrive at the world you have envisioned. These necessary actions are the main focus of your campaign. Discuss the scope of your campaign: decide whether it has multiple components (sub-campaigns). If it does, you may choose either to narrow the focus of your campaign or create a multiple-campaign strategy. UNDERSTAND THE CAMPAIGN’S STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders are people, groups, organisations, or institutions that are connected to your issue. They may support your campaign, be adversely affected by the issue in question, have the power to change the situation, or even be responsible for the problem you have identified. An important task when designing your campaign is to learn as much about the stakeholders as possible. You should: * Understand each stakeholder’s relationship to the problem and your proposed solution * Define the relationships between different stakeholders * Determine the ability and willingness of stakeholders to help or hurt your campaign * Identify which of these stakeholders your campaign should concentrate on to create the change your desire. Activity 2: MAPPING STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS Start creating a map in which entities with a stake in your issue are represented as circles, or nodes, and lines between these circles represent relationships. It is good to use sticky papers (post-it notes) for this activity because they can be moved about as required. 1. Discuss the interaction that is at the root of the problem your campaign wants to address. Who creates the problem? Who is affected by it? How and why are these entities connected to one another? 2. Continue, taking notes as you go along, until you can identify the interaction between entities (nodes) that most represents what you seek to change. 3. Identify all of the nodes between which this kind of interaction is happening. 4. Place these nodes at the center of your map. 5. Identify the relationships of these central nodes with others nodes on your map. Start locally and move outward regionally, nationally, internationally and globally, if relevant. Depending on your problem, expand your map with two or more levels of nodes (marking these in a clear way): * First level: entities with direct contact to the central nodes (family / local) * Second level: entities with contact to the first level (regional / national) * Third level: nodes with general influence on the issue (international / institutional) 6. Next, draw lines representing relationships between these nodes and identify the kind of relationship they have; for example: * Power * Mutual benefit * Conflict * Potential After mapping out as many stakeholders as you can, you will have a graphic representation of your stakeholders’ relationships with your issue. Next you should analyse how your stakeholders may help achieve the change/s you seek. For more information on how to do this, see New Tactics in Human Rights Tactical Mapping. Activity 3: FROM STAKEHOLDERS TO TARGETS Begin defining specific objective/s of your campaign. Consider each stakeholder’s level of support and level of influence in the context of your campaign objective/s. 1. In simple, active terms, define what would resolve your problem and bring about the change you seek. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. 2. Using the list of the stakeholders from the previous activity, identify as many as possible who could help achieve your objective. 3. Draw a horizontal and a vertical axis on a large sheet of blank paper (shown here). Place the stakeholders as follows: * The vertical axis represents their level of influence in achieving the goal of your objective from most influential (top) to least influential (bottom). * The horizontal axis represents whether they are likely to oppose (left) or support (right) your campaign. 4. After you place all the stakeholders on the paper, identify the most influential entities or individuals as potential primary targets, those who can make the change you seek. Note their level of support or opposition for this change. 5. Discuss the relationship of these entities to other stakeholders. You may already have this information on your stakeholder map from Activity 2. 6. Identify stakeholders who support your campaign and have influence on or relationships with your primary target group. They are your secondary targets, or participant groups, who could become actively involved in helping your campaign achieve its goals. Locate them on your graph and identify two or three participant groups to concentrate on. (Adapted from The Change Agency’s Power Mapping exercise.) Activity 4: FROM TARGETS TO TACTICS Now you have identified the target audiences that your campaign needs to communicate with, and what relationships they have with other entities with a stake in the problem, you can consider what tactics will best address your target and participant groups? 1. Draw a half-circle, divided into wedges. Place those who most support your campaign on the left side of the spectrum; those who oppose you the most on the right. 2. Use your maps and sticky papers, placing each target and stakeholder in a wedge according to their level of support for your cause. The result is a spectrum of stakeholders, a few of whom you have identified as primary or secondary targets. A five-wedge diagram would include the following: a. Active allies: supportive and motivated to achieve your goals b. Allies: may benefit from your success c. Neutral parties: may not be involved or affected currently d. Opponents: may suffer from your success e. Active opponents: actively interfere with your activities 3. Use this diagram to help decide which tactics to consider, depending on each stakeholder’s location on the spectrum. For example: f. Supportive: use mobilisation tactics g. Neutral: use educational. visualisation tactics h. Opposing: use disruption, interference tactics (Adapted from New Tactics in Human Rights’ Spectrum of Allies exercise.) This card was created by Namita Singh and Ali Gharavi in collaboration with Tactical Tech. There are four essential elements to every successful capital campaign: the Case; Leadership; Prospects; and, the Plan. This article is last in a series addressing each element and will focus on designing a successful capital campaign plan. You cannot do everything at once, but you can do one thing at a time. Begin by designing a comprehensive campaign strategy that works well you and your organization. Every successful campaign begins with a plan. The campaign plan is a detailed set of procedural guidelines for campaign leaders and volunteers. The successful campaign plan is built with two overriding principles in mind: (1) Anything other than a complete success is entirely unacceptable; and (2) To ensure the complete success of this fundraising effort, the campaign must be formally declared (and treated) as the primary institutional priority of the organization throughout the fundraising timetable. Recognizing and stating these basic truths puts you into the mindset to make the dec isions and commitments necessary for a successful campaign. From there, we begin to incorporate essential fundraising elements into a comprehensive strategy. Just as there are the four essential elements of a successful campaign (Case, Leadership, Prospects and Plan) there are many vital techniques at work within a good fundraising plan, among them the use of: personal visits, a phased approach, specific gift requests, lead and major gift solicitation, pledge type gifts. Personal visits always yield more money. People give to people—people they love, people they admire, people they respect and even people they fear. Often it is the personal relationship of the volunteer making the request that has the most sway with the potential donor. Our classic technique demands that we employ a phase-by-phase approach to our fundraising, always asking for the largest gifts first, and then medium sized gifts and finally smaller gifts. This ensures that we create enthusiasm and build momentum. Our success, as evidenced by our rapidly rising fundrais ing totals and our large average gift, will pull undecided people toward us and encourage them to give. Victory has a thousand fathers, yet defeat is always an orphan. One of the most important concepts we must use is to ask for a specific gift. We should be asking mostly with a view of our need in mind, but with some view of their means in mind as well. As we articulate the request, we want to make it clear that the reason we are asking them for this specific amount is because we need it if we are to succeed. It is important that they not get the sense that we are asking them for this amount just because we think they have it, or because we think that is what they â€Å"ought to give,† but only because â€Å"we have this enormous need and a limited number of people of means to whom we can turn.† If people are going to help you achieve ambitious plans, they need to know what is required of them. You must always ask for the specific gift. Every campaign that is successful in reaching its potential is going to do a good job of soliciting Leadership and Major Gifts. Clearly some families are especially able to help because of their material blessings. Within the fundraising industry, it is a well-known fact that approximately 80% of the money (or more) will come from just 20% of the people (and sometimes fewer). These Leadership and Major Gifts set the pace for others to follow and they provide the financial foundation upon which to build a successful campaign. Much time is spent, early in the campaign, trying to determine who should be challenged to consider a gift of this significant nature. A well-run campaign will always stress equal effort, equal stretching or even equal sacrifice from every prospective donor, but not equal giving. Each prospect should be encouraged to do their individual best. Another element of a successful campaign plan is to offer people the opportunity to make pledges, rather than one-time gifts, and to offer longer pledge redemption periods where appropriate and possible. Depending upon the length of the pledge redemption period, pledges are usually two—three times larger than one-time contributions. In today’s busy world, people often budget their money very carefully. If a family were going to give you $100 per month, you would rather have that run for 60 months (5 years) than 36 months (3 years), would you not? Narrowing the pledge collection period is not going to get this family (which is giving out of current income) to pay the money any sooner. It will merely get you a smaller pledge. There are many other important aspects of a solid fundraising plan, including: Financial Goals and Objectives Clearly stated goals tied to both the leaders responsible for attaining them and the timeline over which they are to be accomplished. A Detailed Campaign Timetable Giving form to function, the timetable gives us an orderly way to approach a complex task, ensuring the most important things are going to be done first. Organizational Chart Clarifying the responsibilities of each campaign leader and showing everyone how they are related to one another. Description of Leadership Roles and Responsibilities Written instructions delineating the job responsibilities of each leader/volunteer. Campaign Phases and/or Divisions and Tracks of Activity Another form of timeline, breaking out major phases of activity and tracks of action. Many phases may go on simultaneously, while others will be the only activity underway at that given time. Lead and Major Gift Programs This most important track of activity begins during the early quiet phase of the campaign and continues until the potential for such gifts has been exhausted. Commemorative Gift Plan A comprehensive plan to commemorate the gifts of your campaign donors, especially major and leadership donors which might include naming opportunities, public recognition and memorabilia that you can give to outstanding leaders/donors (such as a scale model of a building, etc.). Keep in mind that the plan may evolve as the campaign moves forward. Often this is a function of actual early results, and who is giving at what levels. Who is accepting a leadership role? Preparing a detailed timetable and organizational chart is a good way of measuring the progress of the campaign in relation to the plan and detecting when necessary adjustments or revisions may be needed. It also provides a specific measure of accountability. Establish goals for each constituency and phase. Everyone needs to know what is expected of him or her! A statistical summary of the number and level of gifts required to reach the campaign goal for each phase of activity should be kept regularly. This list should be constantly monitored against progress to date and should be consulted daily to develop a precise order of solicitation, thus providing us a plan and timetable for asking. In summary, the campaign plan is one of the four essential elements of a successful capital campaign and must be carefully researched and crafted. Remember to keep a close eye on the fundraising plan and modify it in view of your actual experiences. The plan is your road map to success. Remember, it is static while the world is very dynamic. Use the plan as your basic guide, maintaining your liberty to deviate from it briefly where called upon, and you will find it serves you quite nicely and leads to your fundraising success.