How Procter and Gamble Moved to Electronic Documents

The Business Problem P&G faced problems managing the vast amounts of paper required for a company that develops drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Regulatory issues, research and development (R&D), and potential litigation generate even more paper documents and files. As a result, P&G wanted to gain control of its company documents, reduce administrative oversight of its paper documents, reduce costs, accelerate R&D initiatives, and improve tracking and signature compliance. P&G decided to adopt an electronic document management system.When P&G moved to electronic documents, it had to ensure that it could authenticate digital signatures and build signing and storage processes into its daily workflow. Further, P&G’s legal department wanted to ensure that it had a legally enforceable signature on file. The IT Solution P&G turned to IT integrator Cardinal Solutions (www. cardinalsolutions. com) to implement Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions and Adobe LiveCycle PDF Gene rator (www. adobe. com), which would function with P&G’s eLab Notebook program.These software packages would manage, review, approve, and sign the huge volume of R&D information, including files created with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. P&G adopted the pharmaceutical industry’s Signatures and Authentication for Everyone (SAFE) BioPharma Association standard. This standard was established to help companies go paperless and still interact with regulatory authorities on a global scale. P&G’s initiative focused on implementing methods to manage digital signatures and creating a method to confirm the identity of the signer.The company’s IT and legal departments agreed that the standard met the company’s business needs and risk requirements. Instead of recording information from experiments in paper notebooks – along with numbering each page, signing it and having a witness sign it – researchers can now use word processing program s, spreadsheets, presentation software, and similar tools to generate project notes and other necessary documentation. After a researcher has collected all the data, LiveCycle PDG Generator creates a PDF document and prompts the person creating the file to add a digital signature.The system requires the use of a USB token for authentication. At that point, LiveCycle Reader Extensions embeds usage rights within the document. The Result Today, once a digital signature is added to a file, an auditor can immediately view the document and all activity related to the document. The auditor right-clicks on the signature and views the entire audit trail. The signature can also be appended as a last page of the file so that it can be shared externally when necessary, such as in a court of law.The system saves P&G time and money. Researchers no longer have to spend several hours per week archiving paper files from their experiments. In addition, P&G is able to quickly retrieve large volumes of data that may be needed for government regulators or business partners. P&G projects that it will achieve tens of millions of dollars in productivity gains by using the system. The typical employee will save approximately 30 minutes of signing and archiving time per week..

Why Not to Legalize Marijuana

Why Not to Legalize Marijuana Marjorie Fleuridor ENG/102 March 10, 2013 Professor Laura Barnes Marijuana is one of the best known drugs that have been widely consumed throughout history which today raises a concerned eyebrow. Those who are advocates consider marijuana a harmless and beneficial substance because of its claimed value in treating symptoms of serious illness or diseases and Jeffrey Miron, a professor of economics at Harvard University in the following viewpoint believes that, â€Å"Legalizing illicit drugs would generate billions in tax revenue† (Forbes, 2012 pp. -1). Just as any drug, marijuana may bring some type of relief with its use, but it also poses risk which in the end poses threat to the economy because of its affects to the human body, open doors to addiction, and worse, harms the youth which is not worth the added benefits for the few legitimate users to make acceptable. Marijuana, which is also referred to as pot, weed, cannabis, refer, and Mary Jane to name a few, is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the U. S. s well as around the world which comes from the stems, seeds, leaves, and flowers of the hemp plant, which is also known as cannabis. Most individuals use the plant by either smoking it or mixing it into food because it is an all-natural substance. Registered nurse Mary Lynn Mathre states, â€Å"The cannabis plant (marijuana) has therapeutic benefits and could ease the suffering of millions of persons with various illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, chronic pain, and other maladies† (Mathre 1997, p. ) and that is one of various reasons advocates on legalizing the plant believe that, the substance relieving and therapeutic benefits should legalize the use of marijuana, but if that were the case, risks that occur from its use would not outweigh the benefits. First, why are the detrimental factors of the substance ignored? If marijuana is legali zed worldwide, through its medicinal or recreational use, the human body will experience short as well as long term effects stemming from the consumption of the plant.Marijuana contains a psychoactive chemical which is called tetrahydrcannabinol or THC and as it enters the brain, the marijuana user starts to feel euphoric, or high, but occasionally the drug makes individuals feel anxious, depressed, distrustful or fearful. THC affects the body in various ways by causing short-term effects which include memory loss, trouble with thinking, diminished motor skills, and an increase of the heart rate which is just the minor damage that pose hazard to the body (Goldstein, 2010).Advocates of marijuana has gone as far as pleading that the substance has no real potential harm compared to the use of tobacco, one of the leading causes of cancer. Crystal Phend, a senior staff writer for MedPage Today discusses a study that indicates that a link is present between smoking marijuana and lung canc er where she notes, â€Å"that the study finds that a single marijuana joint may be as carcinogenic as twenty cigarettes† (MedPage Today, 2008 p. ) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) formulated a chart on the commonly abused drugs in which tobacco which causes greater health risk such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer in various forms, for instance, the lungs, pancreas, and esophagus, but it has yet to be scheduled. Marijuana on the other hand poses less health risk compared to tobacco, but it is labeled as a Scheduled I drug, because for as long as marijuana has been present in the world, the illicit drug has no approved use and the denial from the federal law will definitely cause a harsher dent to the economy. The federal ban will keep the marijuana market fragmented† (Berlatsky, 2012 p. 178) which means the small population of potential growers or distributers will continue to fight or compete on the marijuana market, which may limit tax collection r esources and just proves why it should not be legalized. .To further, the story of former marijuana user shares how difficult it was to withdraw from marijuana concerning the subject of addiction with its use.Mick, a 62 year-old male started smoking pot back in 1969 because he had bouts of anxiety and at times depression, but has been sober for the past 10 years, up until suffering one of those prolonged periods of anxiety, in which he took a few hits on the pipe of the drug. The couple of use he took of the substance caused his level of anxiety to skyrocket, in which Mick then withdrew himself from the illicit drug.On the sixth day of withdrawal from smoking weed, he shared how his stomach thought terrible, which gave Mick an awful feeling. When he ate, he stated how his stomach became upset, but not to the point of vomiting and it brought on anxious as well as irritable feelings to the point where cries and isolates himself. Mick concluded on how he would never lit up again becaus e of the unfortunate risk it caused him when he attempted to misuse the drug (Online Support Groups for your Health Challenges, 2011).Supporters disagree that the plant could be of such sort compared to other drugs because a person who quits the substance will not undergo the painful physical symptoms and cravings compared to the experience which individuals suffer when they try to stop using heroin, but we as human react differently to various things. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that â€Å"about 9% of users develop an addiction to the drug, and that the number rises to 25% to 50% if people use the drug everyday† (NIDA, 2009 p. ). Some users of marijuana may become dependent on marijuana for various matters, and they become fixated on getting the plant, utilizing it in large quantities, and feel uncomfortable without it. If marijuana does not cause addiction, then why do so many victims of its use enter rehab facilities annually? â€Å"Since 1997, the number of people getting treatment for marijuana each year has increased by roughly 50%, or about 100,000 people† (Stop the Drug War 2009, p. 1).With such an increase, the economy will continue to suffer because of the cost of treatment for individuals battling little to no result with their marijuana addiction. Last, â€Å"Why young people have the need to use cannabis on a frequent basis is an interesting question and may be associated with their underlying personality characteristics, environment during childhood and adolescence, as well as any psychiatric disturbances they have experienced, such as depression, anxiety or even psychotic symptoms† (Camera et al. , 2012 pp. 1-2).The subject of a child’s environment where the use of the plant comes to play may cause an adolescent to suffer. For example, a parent’s state of mind may be altered when he or she needs to be an active, attentive caregiver when children are in their presence. Neglect may be the result because the symptoms interfered in the parent’s responsibilities and in such cases; social services are involved resulting with the system providing further care and parents in jail or rehab centers in which they would have to prove their stability.A child in this type of situation may isolate themselves from others or lash out because what they know as normal and home has been taken away. This particular child may grow up and head down the same path of smoking pot and with the â€Å"high† feeling which supporters advocate is the effects of the â€Å"medicine†, but marijuana as the introduction, opens the door to the potential use of other drugs, which can be detrimental.An adolescent may try marijuana and enjoy it; after a while, in the same environment that led to that first joint, will become curious or peer pressured into the unfamiliarity of other substances that are more exciting, gives a greater stimulation, or is more illicit, but are unaware of the dang ers that lay ahead. Heroin and cocaine are the common â€Å"gateway drugs† from early marijuana use in which both are highly toxic and have led to a number amount of deaths as well. Heroine like marijuana is illegal, highly addictive, true contents is unknown, and also is the most abused.The drug is processed from morphine; a naturally occurring substance removed from the seed pot of a variety of poppy plants and is typically a white or brownish powder. Cocaine is removed from the leaves of a South Africa coca plant, affects the body’s central nervous system and the fact that it is a white crystalline powder; cocaine is often mixed with cornstarch, vitamins, flour, and sugar. In relation to marijuana, the drug creates a strong sense of exhilaration in which users generally feel invisible and happy-go-lucky.Legalization of marijuana may increase the number of users in which† an additional 17 to 34 million young adult users† (US News, 2012 p. 1) which sets a bad example for young adults because with its worldwide acceptance whether it is for medical or recreational use, they will be curious of the feeling and reaction from its use, which will only lead down a road to where the youth will take a toll regarding marijuana use. You see, the youth are most at risk from legalization as well as associated obtainability of recreational drugs. If marijuana were to become more available, acceptable nd inexpensive, the substance will pull in greater numbers of vulnerable youth. †The marketing tactics of drug promoters and the major decline in drug use in the 1990s (due in great part to antidrug, education and awareness campaigns) there is a growing perception among young people today that drugs are harmless. A decade ago, for example, 79% of 12th graders thought regular marijuana use was harmful; only 58% do so today† (Drug Free Foundation, 2004) and pressure from colleagues is such an issue in persuading a peer to test drugs, the way adolescents perceive the dangers of its use is serious.The acceptance of marijuana to where it is provided with the government’s stamp of approval, directs a message to young children that drug use is not only inoffensive, but also normal and this is precisely the opposite message we should be assigning. Teaching children that drug use is dangerous will be even more difficult because advocates declare marijuana as â€Å"medicine,† which just simply opens a window for teens to feel that it is ok to smoke or add into their food however they may choose and through the promotion of the good it brings, this will only open a continual use of the drug and a cost to the economy. Marijuana use accounts for tens of thousands of marijuana related complaints at emergency rooms throughout the United States each year and over 99,000 are young people† (U. S. News 2012, pp. 1-1). The numbers are far too great to promote just the beneficial aspects of marijuana when the potential harmful outcomes cost the economy as far as healthcare costs with the number of young patience that are admitted to the hospital.To conclude, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) declared that responsible adult personal use of marijuana should be legalized, but how can one determine who is responsible to make use of weed? Alcohol and tobacco may stimulate harsher risk factors when consumed, but after more than 40 years of its existence, marijuana remains a Scheduled 1 substance, which is a drug that has a high potential for abuse, have no accepted medical use, and are not safe for use under medical supervision.In the end, the risks of marijuana seem to outweigh the benefits and that is why marijuana should not be legalized. References 42 Years of smoking pot / day 6 of withdrawal. (n. d. ). Online Support Groups for your Health Challenges. Retrieved from http://www. mdjunction. com/forums/marijuana-addiction-discussions/introductions-personal-stories/2 665662-42-years-of-smoking-pot-day-6-of-withdrawal Berlatsky, N. (2012). Legalizing Marijuana in California Would Not Generate Substantial Tax Revenue. In Marijuana (p. 178). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. Camera, A. A. , Tomaselli, V. Fleming, J. , Jabbar, G. A. , Trachtenberg, M. , Galves-Buccollini, J. A. (2012). Correlates to the Variable Effects of Cannabis in Young adults: A Preliminary Study. Harm Reduction, 9(15), 1-2. Cohan, P. (2012, September 7). Is it Time to Legalize Illicit Drugs? – Forbes. Information for the World's Business Leaders – Forbes. com. Retrieved March 16, 2013, from http://www. forbes. com/sites/petercohan/2012/07/09/is-it-time-to-legalize-illicit-drugs/ Drug Free Foundation (2004). Drug Free America Foundation – Medical Marijuana – ProCon. org. Medical Marijuana ProCon. org.Retrieved March 16, 2013, from http://medicalmarijuana. procon. org/view. source. php? sourceID=000810 Drug Free Foundation (2009, October 12). Dr ug Free America Foundation – Medical Marijuana – ProCon. org. Medical Marijuana ProCon. org. Retrieved March 16, 2013, from http://medicalmarijuana. procon. org/view. source. php? sourceID=000810 Evans, D. G. (2012, October 30). Marijuana Legalization's Costs Outweigh Its Benefits | Debate Club | US News Opinion. US News & World Report | News & Rankings | Best Colleges, Best Hospitals, and more. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www. usnews. om/debate-club/should-marijuana-use-be-legalized/marijuana-legalizations-costs-outweigh-its-benefits Goldstein. , M. J. (2010). Legalizing Drugs: Crime Stopper Or Social Risk? (p. 115). Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Pub. Group. Mathre, M. L. (1997). Legal Dilemmas of Cannabis Prohibitation. In Cannabis in medical practice: A legal, historical, and pharmacological overview of the therapeutic use of marijuana (p. 1). Jefferson, N. C: McFarland & Co. National Institue on Drug Abuse (2009). Is marijuana addictive? | National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from

Computer Hacker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Computer Hacker - Research Paper Example While some do this for fun and to satisfy their egos, others engage in computer hacking for profit or for knowledge purposes (Levy, 2010). Nonetheless, despite the reasons for engaging in computer hacking, this practice is considered neither wholly good nor bad, since this involves a number of negative outcomes. The practice of computer hacking has existed in the field of Information Technology since the past few decades. Computer hacking involves a high level of intelligence and dedication. Hackers are therefore, highly knowledgeable not only in computer systems, but also in the security systems, which people employ to keep hackers out and to secure their systems (Thomas, 2002). In order to hack into systems, hackers are required to have in-depth knowledge on the systems, and most therefore, have to study the particular systems they want to hack into. According to Sterling (1989), in order to gather knowledge, some hackers attend conferences in order to learn about new techniques an d easier ways of hacking into systems. After hacking a system, hackers gain access to all kind of information in the system. They therefore, can use the information in whatever manner they wish. They are able to download this information, to copy it to their computer, or even delete the information, among other commands. Nonetheless, depending on the kind of system jacked into, as well as the kind of information that is accessed, the actions of a computer hacker might result in negative outcomes, basing on how he or she manipulates and uses the information accessed. For instance, if a hacker hacks into the system of a telephone company, he or she might make calling cards, and change phone numbers, among others (Sterling, 1989). As seen, computer hacking is considered a form of... This paper approves that the question of computer hacking, and computer hacking and ethics remain paramount in the present IT generation. Ethics is an aspect, which individuals develop over time; and ethics involves good behavior, which are mainly aimed at improving, and not harming others. In the world of computers and technology, ethics has become an important aspect. In this light, some computer hackers, who hack for fun, have claimed that they hurt no one by â€Å"just looking around,† and therefore, their practice should be considered ethical, and nor criminal. This report makes a conclusion that with all efforts of governments, computer hacking has not been eliminated. Governments therefore, need to develop more effective strategies, which might help to curb computer hacking. In order to solve the problem of computer hacking, young enthusiasts interested in computers and computer hacking should be taught about ethics and its importance. In addition, these should be supported to develop a user community, instead of becoming isolated computer hackers. Nonetheless, the practice of computer hacking has been rising considerably in the past years. The major problem of computer hacking is that it infringes on other people’s privacy. More so, since technology levels also keep rising steadily, the future of computer hacking seems bright, as computer hackers will learn and evolve with the increasing technology. However, ethical hackers will also use the advanced technology to offer increased system security to organizations. Either way, compu ter hacking affects all countries, therefore, it should be the collective responsibility of countries to adopt strategies that will help to curb computer hacking.

The Viability of Primary and Secondary Qualities Essay

The Viability of Primary and Secondary Qualities - Essay Example The essence of the philosophical debate, therefore, centered on Berkeley’s refusal to believe that reality consisted of abstractions that could be separated from a material object. In order to explore this debate in more depth, this essay will examine Berkeley’s critique of Locke regarding the viability of primary and secondary qualities. As a preliminary matter, for Berkeley, the proffered distinction between primary and secondary qualities, an integral theoretical concept underpinning John Locke’s notion of Abstract Ideas, was an issue of fundamental importance. Our knowledge of the world around us, in Berkeley’s view, was dependent on the viability of this distinction. Berkeley’s ultimate rejection of this distinction, and the theory of Abstract Ideas was bold; Locke, after all, was not the first philosopher to believe in the validity of the distinction. Indeed, Berkeley challenged some of the greatest thinkers as the distinction had also been em braced by such luminaries as Descartes, Newton, and Galileo. A brief presentation of Locke’s approach to primary and secondary qualities is necessary because it highlights the bases of Berkeley’s attacks and because Locke’s work served as the authoritative statement of the viability of the distinction between primary and secondary qualities.... He also pointed out the epistemological problems which, he asserted, rendered Locke's distinction nothing more than speculation. Locke, in Berkeley's view, was hardly an empiricist. Berkeley could simply not accept Locke's assertion that an underlying quality could be separated from the mind. Locke stated, by contrast, that a quality was a power that was capable of producing an idea in our mind. This definition was significant because it separated the quality from our mind; more particularly, Locke established a causal relationship in which a quality inherent in an object caused us to have an idea about that object. Berkeley, because he rejected the separation, also rejected the notion of causation. Berkeley's strongest criticisms, however, derived from Locke's attempt to divide a quality into two specific types. This criticism dealt with Locke's attempts to draw a distinction between what he termed primary qualities and secondary qualities. Locke characterised primary qualities as being inseparable from the object being observed. Everything had fundamental properties. These fundamental properties were constant. Locke viewed solids, extensions, figures, motion or rest, and number as primary qualities; Berkeley, for the reasons mentioned below, argued and demonstrated that these primary qualities did not exist. The denial of these primary qualities served as the basis for his rejection of the notion of abstraction of ideas. Berkeley stated that these qualities were illusory and therefore could not produce in us ideas about the object being observed. Ideas were ideas and nothing more. Nor did Berkeley accept the premise that a

Imobilization of enzymes in clinical diagnosis using nanotechnology Research Proposal

Imobilization of enzymes in clinical diagnosis using nanotechnology - Research Proposal Example Immobilization can be done either physically or chemically. Physical immobilization involves weak interactions between the existing enzyme and the support whereas chemical immobilization includes formation of covalent bonds with the enzyme. Examples of physical methods of immobilization include adsorbing the enzyme in a water-soluble matrix, microencapsulating the enzyme with a solid membrane. This article looks into an overview of how immobilization was applied in the clinical diagnosis of the above mentioned diseases and new techniques that can be applied in the diagnosis process that reflect on advancements in the preceding methods. Nanotechnology has been applied in immobilization of enzymes via peptide mapping which is achieved through proteolytic digestion with enzymes such as trypsin. This process has been a possibility due to the quick and efficiency in the identification and digestion of unknown protein. Peptide mapping is done with the aid of enzymatic cleavage of the protein. Identification of the peptide fragments is done using either matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry or electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and in each case of identification separation of the mixture improves the coverage of the sequence. Peptide mapping is disadvantageous from the manual way of manipulation of samples besides lengthened enzymatic activities during proteolytic digestion. An antibody having a high affinity for a the substance under test is attached to a solid surface for example the human chorionic gonadotropin and a mixture of the purified human chorionic gonadotropin and a fluid test sample are passed through a test system and observations made on the results. Absence of human chorionic gonadotropin in the sample tested in deduced from the binding of the linked enzyme and the less the human

Tort Law Ph.D. Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tort Law Ph.D. - Case Study Example Prior to the regulations on electronic music equipment, which were introduced in 1990's the present music equipment was very sensitive to electro-magnetic interference. After 1990's it has to comply with specific standards that make it more immune to this sort of interference, that the problem experienced by Mr Morris would not be encountered with guitars produced according to these regulations. The interference is due to the sensitiveness of the recording equipment the foreseeing of nuisance by the Railways does not arise. It would arise if the interference were caused because of the sensitivity of the TI 21. "Railtrack could not reasonably have foreseen that these track circuits could have caused problems of electromagnetic interference at a distance of 60 to 70 meters." The court believed that playing the guitar with sensitive electric and electronic music instrument such as an amplifier is not an abnormal but an ordinary enjoyment of property, it is feature of modern life and it is material for many younger generation's pleasure and also a vital part of the modern music generation. The trial court believed the fact that electromagnetic interference was caused not only to the complaint alone but it caused to other users of such instrument also well before the track circuit was installed within that vicinity. And therefore concluded the second issue that nuisance of electromagnetic interference to the complainant was foreseeable. (Graham Sinclair (2005), Neighbors and the Law (Chapter 5.10) Findings of the Court of Appeal The court of appeal recognized the issue as a sensitive and since there is no settled law adjudicating the electromagnetic interference as nuisance. Therefore the court has elaborately discussed the issues taking the settled law nearest to issues in this case. The court has made the following findings: The court of appeal felt that only interference to the comforts of standard average man is actionable. Interference to abnormal and sensitive enjoyments of his property does not come within the ambit of the actionable nuisance. In this regard the court also felt that no

What is the effect of Tariff imposed by the US to Chinese solar panels Essay

What is the effect of Tariff imposed by the US to Chinese solar panels manufacture industries and on US producers - Essay Example Since the World Trade Organization provides for a free trade among its member states, such a move to impose tariffs on Chinese solar panels may not only infringe WTO trade agreement, but also bring disagreements that jeopardize the good trade relations that the country has had with China (Goldenberg, 2012). To better the situation for the American manufacturers, the commerce depart promised to enforce tariffs of 2.9 percent to 4.73 percent. This was after it was established that the Beijing government was offering unlawful grants to the Solar panel makers (Goldenberg, 2012). Some of the manufacturers acknowledged receiving government support and other cheap loans from the government. Though the imposition of the tariffs aims at leveling the unfair competition by Chinese manufacturers, some of the American based solar installation companies that rely on Chinese solar panels articulated their respite that the minimal tariffs imposed would not cause an increment in prices (Goldenberg, 2012). During his campaign trail, Obama indicated that renewable energy has for long been America’s innovation since solar power was first discovered at Bell Labs. Most of the countries have made efforts to promote clean energy sources to save the environment and reduce the effects of global warming (Goldenberg, 2012). The energy secretary noted that United States had overthrown China in clean energy investment by far. However, this growth in America’s clean energy was brought about by the low costs of Chinese solar panels. The increased demand for Chinese made solar panels has increased the United States solar panel imports from Chinese. This in turn resulted to the death of home grown solar manufacturing companies such as Solyndra and Evergreen Solar companies. This has resulted to embarrassment of Obama’s administration. Imposition of tariffs on the Chinese-made solar panels can assist the growth of the domestic solar panel manufacturers. Unfair competition, as noted

Computer Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Computer Systems - Essay Example The Midrange virtualization includes Solaris containers and zones and the commodity virtualization consists of VM ware, Oracle VM and Xen. The desktop virtualization is categorized in two PC / MAC and Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). The category named as PC / MAC includes virtual box, virtual PC etc. VDI consists of Oracle VDI and desktop virtualization by Citrix. The next category is the storage virtualization, which includes storage area networks and arrays developed by Exadata, Netapps etc. Lastly, there is a category named as network visualization consisting of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). A single piece of hardware is divided into multiple instance by a technology is known as virtualization. The OS (operating system) along with hardware is similar even before virtualization. The division of hardware makes the resource transmission simple as, an operating system (OS) needs to utilize all resources that are available in a box. A single box with the help of resources c an host several instances or nodes. For example RAM I/O capacity i.e. permanent storage space, central processing unit and bandwidth (network address). Likewise, this procedure facilitates an effective method for resource management of web application. For instance, a web application that is hosted on a relatively small node works on reduced cost of using entire box and still manages to provide resources from one node to another. In order to enhance the efficiency an unused resources in a box are moved. Optimal resource management is achieved by virtual server; we can also say that there is no requirement for deploying a web application and its components for migration of web services to some other hosts that are subjected to re-installation of new operating system. Consequently, virtualization fulfills the last process by utilizing a hypervisor. Likewise, the hypervisor hosts operating system that provides management of assets for many operating systems of visitors as well as nodes . Hence, as soon as a web application is deployed with virtualization technology, we can get a guest operating system powered by hypervisor. This is the major factor that provides scalability and assignment of more resources for the web application by clicking few buttons (Kusnetzky 2011). It is unnecessary to state that virtualization appeared in the year 1960 because a number of hypervisors are present to select from them. For the trendiest virtualization appliances are Xen and Virtual Box (Kusnetzky 2011). They are considered as open-source assignments due to their commercial popularity through corporations such as VMware and Nimbus data systems. However the process of virtualization is actually without responsibility. In fact, some disadvantages are also associated with its implementation. For example, â€Å"a hardware box's configuration is not clear to node users. A hardware box could be near its overall hardware limit, in which case more resources for a node could be limited , even requiring migration to another box†. In addition, it could appear as a weak virtualized resource for instance I/O capacity. In this situation various nodes are present in similar boxes try to interpret form the matching pair of hard drives thus resulting in amplified latency. Moreover, the sidebar contains more

Understanding Whiteness or white identity Annotated Bibliography

Understanding Whiteness or white identity - Annotated Bibliography Example Banks explains that in order to define whiteness, African Americans were necessary. This is because constructing other racial categories helped as a source of identification for powerful main groups like whites (p.22). In this article, bank has discussed racial theories developed by intellectual leaders and also explains how Franz Boas, Robert E Park and African American scholars and social scientist strived for racial reconstruction. Banks’ article helps student to realize how racial knowledge is constructed and how it is evolved over time. Banks also emphasises the importance of having transformative teaching and learning. Ralph Linton’s article â€Å"The one hundred percent American† humorously describes that most of the things an American use in everyday life are originated from other countries. Linton brilliantly analyses that majority of materials a typical American uses are un-American, and yet they consider themselves as â€Å"one hundred percent American†. Linton has explained almost every routine including activities like waking up, taking shower, having breakfast, going out in rain, catching train and reading paper, and finds out that American uses un-American materials for all these needs. This includes a pyjama he wears which is of East Indian origin or bed he sleeps which is from Persia or Asia Minor (p.1). Linton shows us that most of the American way of doing things exists because of the other countries which invented them. For students, this article is really informative and may help them understand the extent to which American culture is unique. The article â€Å"Do we need a common American identity?† discusses about the complex issues in American identity. The title question is supported by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr (1992) who asserts that multiculturalism is a threat for basic values of Americans. While Michael Walzer (1990) opposes the title question and suggests that multicultural identity cannot be avoided in America. According to

How has the UK government intervened in the affairs of the railways Essay

How has the UK government intervened in the affairs of the railways since the early nineteenth century Should the industry be publically or privately owned - Essay Example The services rendered trough the inherent administration of the railway that often encountered both public and private interventions. Government institutions in various states have led to the expansion of the rail sectors. Thus, there is an increased scope relating to the delivery of infrastructural services between the public and the private sector (Morales, Wittek, and Heyse, 2012, p.242). Development of the private sector and participation in the delivery of infrastructural services attribute to the capability of the sector to deliver efficient services. For example, in the public railway developments, the average actual projects are higher than the costs estimated. Indeed, the delivery of the railway services and the entire public infrastructure associates itself with inefficiencies and excessive costs. Essentially, the problems facing the provision of the railway services have the intervention of many players. The situation intervenes to align the delivery of the rail service to the benefit of the public good. In addition, the UK government has been a critical player in the execution of rail interventions to elicit better services to her citizens (Medda and Pels, 2012, p.645). Merchants and manufacturers had tried to advance the status of the road network in the 18th century by creating turnpike trusts. The schemes gained momentum during the second half of the 18th century and amid the 19th century. Undisputedly, there were nearly 22,000 miles and 104,770 miles of turnpike roads and parish highways respectively. These roads spread throughout England and the Wales. During the 18th century, there was unreliable road transport service because of the appalling conditions and unreliability because of wet weather observed in Britain. The maintenance of roads was a nightmare due to neglect from the state. It was the duty of the local labourers and unpaid farmers to carry out

Reaction Paper- Asian and Global Crisis Essay Example for Free

Reaction Paper- Asian and Global Crisis Essay Reaction Paper Asian and Global Crisis During the Asian and Global Crisis many of the criticisms are against accounting and accountants. In my further readings, I’ve read that during the Asian Crisis in 1997, where affected countries suffered severe setbacks in their economies and where development stagnated, the accountancy profession, including its standards, policies and levels of information disclosures, had played a role in the start of the crisis, and perhaps had even worsened it. Moreover, I’ve also read that during both crises, the Asian Crisis and Global Crisis in 2008, insufficient clarity in what was being measured, the wrong things being measured or things being measured inappropriately, lack of standards, inadequate transparency and poor ethical conduct, in short, poor corporate governance is the main breadth and depth of the crises. As a future accountant, what will I do after all the doubts and criticisms against the profession? In my opinion, sufficient clarity on what to measure, measuring things appropriately, following the applicable standards, adequate transparency and good ethical conduct are the things that I should carry out. It should be clarified in the accountant on what is the thing that he/she should measure. If I’m the accountant I should be knowledgeable on the nature and I should have understood necessary facts about the account when doing measurement or on examining the reasonableness of the measurement method used by the management. In addition, in measuring risks like financial risk, I should use a valid and reliable risk measurement technique because the information that I’ll be giving will be the basis for the management’s decision-making. If I have measured the things incorrectly or a wrong technique has been used, it could be misleading to the decision-making of the management and may cause chaos in the future to the company. In an accounting perspective, applicable generally accepted accounting standards should be used in the accounts of the financials of the company. Strict compliance should be observed so that transactions are properly recorded, summarized, classified and accounted for. Adequate disclosures should also be done. In the auditing perspective, as an auditor, auditing the company should be in accordance with the applicable generally accepted auditing standards. The auditor should be independent so that the opinion will be unbiased. I would like to emphasize that in compliance with the generally accepted auditing standards, the auditor should always take into consideration if the company provided adequate disclosures. Disclosure on significant matters is really important for the users who don’t have enough information regarding the matter will be informed. However, I have read in an article that there is also a lack of standards that also caused the hitch on crises. Regarding the lack of standards, I think it is already in the hands of the appropriate groups with authorities. Accountants need to refocus the structuring of financial transactions so that they comply with generally accepted accounting principles and that the economic substance of financial transactions is communicated. More accountability and ethical awareness needs to be instilled in the individuals who deceitfully structure financial transactions. Regulatory bodies need to ensure more transparency by closing loopholes and better enforcement of accounting standards. Audit committees, need to be sure that a company is communicating the true economic reality of the financial transactions and financial position of the business entity. Off-balance-sheet financing is one of the most significant ways, among others, that the user of financial statements can be misled. It is time for regulatory bodies to eliminate overly rules-based standards, clearly state the economic objective of each standard, and require firms to disclose the economic motivations for the accounting practices they adopt. While making judgment accountants need to be cautious and prudent. Accounting transactions and other events are sometimes uncertain but in order to be relevant it should be reported in time. Accountants have to make estimates requiring judgment to counter the uncertainty. Prudence is a key accounting principle which makes sure that assets and income are not overstated and liabilities and expenses are not understated. The bottom-line for all of these is to have good corporate governance. As defined by Robert M. Bushman, corporate governance structures serve: 1) to ensure that minority shareholders receive reliable information about the value of firms and that a company’s managers and large shareholders do not cheat them out of the value of their investments, and 2) to motivate managers to maximize firm value instead of pursuing personal objectives. I believe that all of the things I have mentioned are some of the keys that can help me as a future accountant in dealing the reality and to get out of all the doubts against the accounting profession.

Sustainable Development Housing

Sustainable Development Housing Course title- Sustainable urban development and transport Essay title- Sustainable Housing â€Å"within the context of present day housing provision, Finance and economic factors in the UK† Housing is not just seen as somewhere to live. New housing can be a driver of urban regeneration. Decent housing stimulates both physical and economic improvement, and the resulting enhancements in turn fuel new investment and fresh opportunities as the urban environment once again becomes full of life and enterprise. The importance of housing is illustrated by the fact that some 80 per cent of all development relates to housing and because where we live conditions so much of our daily lives (Gilliam, 1997). At the moment, housing investment seems to be too low to satisfy the number of people in the United Kingdom in need of housing. There is a vicious circle of low investment and high prices which is eroding post-war gains in housing provision, leading to severe housing shortages. It is normally the lower income group who bear the consequences. The effects of climate change and the strategies for dealing with it will all manifest themselves in the places where we live and work. This is true regardless of the targets and timescales for environmental impacts we debate or the balance we strike between regulatory frameworks and fiscal incentives. As a result, strategic urban design, master planning and the management of buildings, spaces and places must be essential parts of any sustainable development or climate change strategy. A holistic approach is required which goes beyond measurement and calculations to consider the quality of places. . (http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/10661.pdf) This essay seeks to look at sustainable housing within the context for recent housing provision, finance, economic factors and housing construction in the UK. At present, there are about 22 million dwellings in the UK, many of which are substandard or in need of major refurbishment. Government research forecast that 4.4 million new households will be required over the 25 year period to 2015. These projections are the result of demographic and social trends. (B. Edgar, J. Taylor, 2000, pg 157) Some factors determine the availability of housing. Among these are finance and the performance of the construction industry. Housing investment during the 1980s and 1990s fluctuated in line with financial conditions as a whole. Before the early 1970s, investment in housing did not have direct links to the national fortunes. This helped to stabilise the economy. Without sustained investment and the reduced construction work force, house building during the boom period was crowded out by commercial building activity. It is frequently believed that investment in housing diverts resources away from growth creating investment. But historically, evidence in industrialised countries suggests otherwise; in the medium term, housing investment may actually increase national income through higher and more sustained employment within the sector. Housing investment therefore contributes to economic growth and stability. (Ball 2000,) The introduction of private finance into housing associations since the late 1980s has been quite successful, and commercial interest rates at which funds are being invested suggest that associations are as good a risk as many large well-diversified manufacturing firms. However, the long term position might be different. Many associations assume that rents will rise faster than inflation, which may well be optimistic in some parts of the country. Further more, a greater proportion of available housing association resources will have to be allocated to repairs in other to maintain standards and the asset value of the housing. The longer term viability of private investment in social housing is therefore fundamentally dependent on the wider government fiscal policy framework. What is Sustainable housing? Homes are the building blocks of our communities. They affect our health, our wealth, and our opportunities for happiness. For most of us a home is the biggest investment we will ever make, the biggest asset we will ever own. And housing is critical to Britains future the decisions we take today make a crucial difference to the lives of generations to come. â€Å"The term sustainable housing is used to describe housing which has been designed to increase the efficiency of water, energy and use of materials. Whilst reducing the impact of development upon the health of residents and the environment. Sustainable housing is therefore environmentally friendly and socially inclusive† (Garvin Chinniah, Kim Hoffman, and Kate Pasquale 2007, lecture notes for sustainable housing for BENVGTC5, sustainable urban development UCL seen on UCL. moodle on 29/11/07) Governments challenges. There are three key challenges facing the Government and the planning system in the provision of housing; †¢ Worsening affordability One of the consequences of a long-term under-supply of housing has been worsening affordability, with negative consequences for individuals and the wider economy. †¢ Land supply constraints One of the key constraints on housing delivery is land supply. The effective supply of appropriate land through the planning system is fundamental to the successful delivery of the Governments housing policies. †¢ Responding to the housing market At present the planning system tends not to take adequate account of information about the housing market. This contributes to under-supply of housing in some areas. The challenge to the government is to provide more homes for the demanding population. Housing supply has increased substantially in the last few years and is now at its highest level since the 1980s, but supply is still not keeping up with rising demand from our ageing, growing population While the housing stock is growing by 185,000 a year in the UK, the number of households is projected to grow at 223,000 a year, with many people living alone, due to this, the Government is now setting a new housing target for 2016 of 240,000 additional homes a year to meet the growing demand and address affordability issues. The level of housing supply needs to increase over time towards this target and the government believes that a total of three million new homes are needed by 2020, two million of them by 2016. (Yvette Cooper, housing green paper, 23/July 2007) The Housing Corporation is investing  £230 million to deliver around 6,300 homes in small towns and villages through its 2006-08 affordable housing programmes. Overall, completions of new affordable homes in rural local authority areas in 2005-2006 totalled 10,189 new homes or 23% of all new units of affordable housing supplied in England, similar to the proportion of people who live in these rural areas. The Government commissioned the Housing Corporation to lead a feasibility study over the summer 2007 to consider the case for a new time limited funding programme to help local organisations overcome local barriers to the provision of affordable homes in rural areas. (http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/439986) ‘Mayor attacks councils over lack of affordable housing Ken Livingstone went into battle with two flagship conservative boroughs over affordable housing despite them being among the best in London for providing new homes. The Mayor has sough to name and shame wandsworth because of its low proportion of affordable homes and because it makes more properties available to key workers than low income families. He also attacked Hammersmith and Fulham for seeking to reduce its affordability targets from 65% to 40%- below the ‘aspirational 50% London benchmark, even though the council has provided a greater percentage of low cost homes than any other borough over a 3 year period. Hammersmith and Fulham has accused the Mayor of being obsessed with targets, claiming that its aims of increasing the overall supply of homes from 450 a year to between 600 and 650 will also mean more affordable properties , a minimum of 250 a year compared with its mayoral target of 225. The mayor wants half of all new developments in London to be â€Å"affordable† of these homes, 7 out of 10 should be for rent, and the remaining 3 available for purchase or part purchase in schemes normally favoured by key workers. Mr Livingstone believes that rented property is the only way of providing decent homes for the 60,000 homeless households in the capital and the 200 in temporary accommodation. A standard analysis of government house building figures shows that of the 27,578 homes completed in the capital in 2006/2007, only 7 boroughs exceeded their mayoral targets. A total of 722 homes were built in Wandsworth, almost hitting the mayors target for the borough of 745. It is not known how many of these properties were affordable, but between 2003-2004 and 2005-2006, 3,872 homes of all types were built in the borough of which 571 (15%) were affordable. But of these, only 257(6.6%) were for social rent. Mr Livingstone believes there should have been 1,355 such homes. Across the river, Hammersmith and Fulham has lead the way in affordable housing. Between 2003/2004 and 2005/2006, 955 homes 955 homes were built in the borough of which 782(82%) were affordable. It intends to help young Londoners get on the housing larder as those earning between  £20000 and  £50000/ year account for about 1 in 4 of its residents.† (Material extracted from the evening standard, Monday, 12 November, 2007, pg 9). New homes built, London, 2006/2007. Boroughs in London Homes Built Mayoral Target Barking and Dagenham 684 1,190 Barnet 377 2055 Bexley 212 345 Brent 632 1120 Bromley 484 485 Camden 378 595 City of London 2 90 Croydon 845 1100 Ealing 1325 915 Enfield 998 395 Greenwich 1134 2010 Hackney 420 1085 Ham and Fulham 202 450 Haringey 35 80 Harrow 320 400 Havering 650 535 Hillingdon 194 365 Hounslow 1556 445 Islington 743 1160 Kensington and Chelsea 139 350 Kingston 172 385 Lambeth 942 1100 Lewisham 463 975 Merton 646 370 Newham 471 3510 Redbridge 513 905 Richmond 298 270 Southwark 512 1630 Sutton 455 345 Tower Hamlets 1904 3150 Waltham Forest 394 665 Wandsworth 722 754 Westminster 242 680 Total 27578 30500 Source; Department for communities and local Government, Greater London Authority. Progress and challenges The government has made considerable progress since 1997, with a million more home owners, real improvements in the quality of social housing and a substantial reduction in homelessness. But with significant demographic change, fast-rising house prices and environmental challenges, it becomes important that we develop a new strategy towards housing over the years ahead to ensure that we have more homes and that they are greener and more affordable. The Government has always been committed to the quality of social housing. Since 1997,  £20 billion has been invested in making social homes decent for tenants. Since then the number of households living in non-decent social homes has fallen by more than a million; and over a million children have been lifted out of cold, damp and poor housing as a result. House building needs to increase further. As demand has grown faster than supply, house prices have risen. They have doubled in real terms over the last 10 years and nearly trebled in the last twenty years. House prices have risen more quickly than earnings in all regions. On average, lower quartile house prices are now more than seven times lower quartile earnings. This is not just a problem in the south. Affordability problems in the northern regions (Measured as the ratio of lower quartile house prices to earnings) have risen sharply since 1997. In some areas the ratio has more than doubled. For example in Warrington, affordability has worsened by 140% with the ratio reaching nearly eight times income in 2006. Rural communities also face particular challenges. http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/439986 accessed 30/11/2007) Why design matters, The major need for people is abundant housing supply and improved affordability. But in meeting this challenge it is vital we create places and communities where people want to live and work. We need to build more homes and better homes. In the past, too many new developments have suffered from a lack of attention to quality, safety, energy efficiency, environmental impact or infrastructure. Subsequently, peoples quality of life suffered and the cost of repair and renewal was considerable. Good design is not just about how a place looks. It involves ensuring that housing is flexible and responsive to the changing needs of society, including meeting the needs of an ageing population, providing better access for wheelchair users and creating more family-sized units with adequate access for baby buggies and outdoor play space. The Commission on Integration and Cohesion once published evidence of the link between perceptions of cohesion and positive attitudes about physical spaces, and we know that well-designed places can make a significant contribution to reducing the risk of crime. And it has the capacity to speed delivery, as local people are more welcoming of well-designed schemes and recognise the positive benefits that new housing can bring to an area. Climate change as a consequence of greenhouse gas emissions is a reality, and there will be effects over the next 30 to 40 years which are unavoidable. The Kyoto targets set in 1997 for greenhouse gas reductions will not prevent climate change, and the UK Government has set a more exacting long-term goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050. Recent policy initiatives have emphasised the seriousness of climate change and shifted towards the achievement of significant carbon savings across a wide range of activities. Housing providers cannot simply design for todays climate. They must take account of changing climate circumstances, rising temperatures, increasing storm frequency, changing patterns of rainfall, and extremes of drought and flooding. (Scotlands sustainable development strategy link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/SustainableDevelopment) highlights the importance of dwellings and neighbourhoods to improving quality of life and social cohesion. Safe, warm and dry homes are fundamental to social inclusion, better health, and reducing fuel poverty. Quality of life and social cohesion depend also on the location and quality of the local environment of our homes. The way we plan and develop our neighbourhoods makes a big difference to how communities look, feel and function. Building and maintaining our homes and neighbourhoods in a sustainable way also meets environmental objectives including cutting greenhouse gas emissions, reductions in pollution and the conservation of resources. The relationship between sustainability and housing is two-way. Incorporating principles of sustainability into housing development, maintenance and refurbishment will not only make a significant contribution to achieving general sustainability objectives, but will also improve the quality, durability and cost-effectiveness of our housing. A change of culture is needed so that there is a different approach to housing maintenance and development which places sustainability at centre stage. This should include the developers (whether registered social landlords or for-profit companies), builders and land use planners and also the tenants and owners. Sustainability objectives, such as the government target for reducing carbon emissions by 60% by 2050, will be achieved only if they are taken into account at all stages, from design through construction to long-term use, maintenance and eventual disposal and recycling. Raising the awareness of all those involved is vital. A sustainable housing development should have: †¢ Warm, dry, healthy, adaptable homes †¢ Environmentally friendly and energy-efficient buildings †¢ Access to employment, schools, shops, places of entertainment, primary health care †¢ reduced the need to travel (by car) and is accessible by public transport †¢ A mix of tenures, incomes and age groups †¢ A setting which enhances the quality of life from one generation to another and integrates people into wider society so that people want to live there †¢ Aesthetic qualities which can be enhanced by community art. Conclusion, The quality of housing and our surrounding environments have considerable social and cost implications. An adequate supply of housing (good standard and cost) is perhaps the most cost-effective form of infrastructure that can be provided. Housing standards have implications for health standards, levels of criminal activity and degrees of educational attainment. If the supply or quality of housing is inadequate, there are inevitably heavy cost implications for the providers of social services, often in the form of irrationally expensive emergency solutions such as bed and breakfast accommodation. The private sector has proved very successful in working in partnership with local authorities and housing associations to bring very large housing and regeneration projects in different areas. Government should continue to encourage private sector participation and investors towards achieving sustainable housing and also invest more funds in housing as shortage of fund is sometimes a limiting factor. A great degree in the application of planning policy coupled with government measures to promote long term investment in housing will help to provide stable conditions required for the housing industry to respond to the scale of housing shortages. Government should insist on the comprehensive use of environmental and design quality assessment tools for all buildings on post-completion and post-occupancy evaluations for all new and refurbished public buildings. This is the only way to drive continuous improvement. Legislation, policy and guidance need to be clearer and more consistent. Strategy and policy on sustainable development, planning, energy, climate change, waste, water, food, landscape character, need to be mutually reinforcing and obvious conflicts resolved so that policies join up rather than appear at odds with each other. Many local authorities are developing climate change strategies and action plans but implementation varies greatly. There should be greater emphasis on linking core spatial planning strategies with climate change strategies to ensure mutual reinforcement of objectives and targets. These need to be backed up by sound technical implementation, delivery and evaluation. Public bodies should establish baseline data on their carbon and ecological footprints as the norm and build in organisational capacity to reduce them. The European Commission and the UK government should require multinational construction companies to report on their sustainability performance to ensure transparency and to foster a culture of benchmarking. References; Directions in Housing Policy: Towards Sustainable Housing Policies for the UK  By PeterWilliams,A. E. Holmans accessed via;http://books.google.com/books?hl=enlr=id=pfp_sdl12MsCoi=fndpg=PR7dq=sustainable+housingots=AOWzbJiZ9hsig=obSv0RTyjIK2E96EQ4tSofO-cvs#PPA55,M1 on 16/11/2007 Scottish Executive (2006) Changing our Ways: Scotlands Climate Change Programme (LINK) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Climate-Change/16327/4825 on 17/11/07 Scottish Homes (2001) Housing for Varying Needs Parts 1 and 2 (LINK) http://www.archive2.official-documents.co.uk/menu/bycs.htm 19/11/07 Scottish Executive (2005) Choosing Our Future Chapter 12 (LINK) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/SustainableDevelopment 17/11/07 Scottish Executive (2006) People and Place: Regeneration Policy Statement (LINK) http://www.scotland. Assessed 1/12/07 http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/10661.pdf assessed on 1/12/07 ( Garvin Chinniah, Kim Hoffman, and Kate Pasquale 2007. lecture notes for sustainable housing for BENVGTC5, sustainable urban development u.c.l seen on u.c.l. moodle on 29/11/07) (Evening standard, Monday 12 November 2007, Page 9, www.standard.co.uk). (B. Edger and J. Taylor, 2000, housing in P Roberts and H Sykes (eds.), Urban Regeneration a Handbook, London: Sage, pg 157) (P Roberts and H Sykes (eds.) 2005, Urban Regeneration a Handbook, SAGE Publications

Season Of Migration To The North | Analysis

Season Of Migration To The North | Analysis Season of Migration to the North tells the story of Mustafa Saeed, a prodigy from Sudan who goes to study first in Cairo and then in London, where he hunts women but eventually falls for one himself. After a marriage consummated by violence and a prison sentence, he returns to Sudan, moving to a small village on the Nile, where he marries again and has children. He disappears mysteriously in a flood. Season of Migration to the North is complex, in its framing, in its episodic style, in its use of metaphor, and in the variety of material it canvasses. It touches on colonial arrogance, sexual mores and the status of women, the politics of independent Sudan, and more. There are lyrical fragments with no direct connection to the story, describing the rhythms of agriculture, travel along the Nile, a spontaneous night celebration by travellers in the desert, and so forth. And there are references to European novels about encounters with the exotic in Africa and the Middle East. Most of thi s is only hinted at, and never elaborated on, but there is enough here to keep students of post-colonial literature busy for a long time. Season of Migration to the North is short and immediate, however, and can be appreciated without any literary theory. http://dannyreviews.com/h/Season_Migration_North.html Most of the rest of the novel concerns his recollections of the exceedingly strange story that MS tells him a story which haunts and oppresses, yet also challenges him in terms of defining his own value system in postcolonial Sudanese society in the context of the new rulers of Africa, smooth of face, lupine of mouth, in suits of fine mohair and expensive silk (118). The life story MS had narrated began with the account of his (British, colonial) schooling, which had led him to the discovery of his own mind, like a sharp knife, cutting with cold effectiveness (22). So brilliant is he that from Khartoum he is sent to Cairo and then to London for advanced study here he is nicknamed the black Englishman (54). In British society he becomes a sexual predator, setting up as his lair a room seductively decorated with ersatz African paraphernalia. Englishwomen of a wide range of classes and ages easily succumb to and are destroyed by him. Three of these women are driven to suicide; while he eventually murders the most provocative of them, who had humiliated and taunted him before and also during their stormy marriage. This act (a sort of sex-murder) is in his own eyes, however, the grand consummation of his life: The sensation that I have bedded the goddess of Death and gazed out upon Hell from the aperture of her eyes its a feeling no man can imagine. The taste of that night stays on in my mouth, preventing me from savouring anything else. (153) Elsewhere MS says of this relationship that he was the invader who had come from the South, and this was the icy battlefield from which [he] would not make a safe return (160). On his return to the village, the narrator at last enters a secret room that MS had built next to his home a replica of a British gentlemans drawing room! Pride of place has been given to MSs painting of his white wife, Jean Morris. The room also contains a book, purportedly the Life Story of MS, dedicated To those who see with one eye and see things as either Eastern or Western (150-151). This brief account cannot accommodate the complicated structure, subtle allusiveness and richly metaphoric style of this difficult text, but may give some indication of its ironic (or sardonic) perspective and of its deep and lasting relevance to the political and cultural predicament of many Africans. Its demonstration of the harsh parallels between colonial racism and local sexism confirms that this text is, as Salih himself has stated, a plea for toleration at all levels. It is an unforgettable work. http://www.arabworldbooks.com/Readers2004/articles/tayebsaleh2E.html That being said, the second storyline, told by Mustafa, a stranger to the village, revolves around him using weak British women for sex and then leaving them so heart-broken they turn to suicide. While its easy to read this as a comment more on colonisation, I still felt uncomfortable seeing so many women reduced to objects or symbols. Since Mustafa was telling the story, though, I believe the objectification rested with him and his character, as opposed to Salih. This didnt necessarily make reading it any more pleasant, but it did justify it, for me at least. Can you sense the murkiness I feel on this aspect of the book? My wrestling with it made my experience of the book less enjoyable, but it didnt diminish the books worth in my eyes. I didnt feel a similar inner battle over the issues of colonisation raised in the book. Mustafa is the primary engine of this; he tells his story of being a smart, poor kid from Sudan who ends up going first to Cairo and then to London to become a fa mous economics professor who simultaneously seems to spend most of his energy sleeping with white British women. He basically learns how to turn British prejudices about the exotic to his advantage, and he talks about seducing girls with stories of imaginary animals running across the harsh, evocative landscape of his childhood. Throughout his narrative, hes portrayed as lacking something vitally human, a kind of warmth towards his fellow species that leaves him all cold intellectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as a young boy, he doesnt know how to connect with his schoolmates and doesnt even seem bothered by his friendlessness. And once hes an adult, while he must enjoy sex (why else seduce so many women?), he never feels any emotional attachment to the women, and I dont think he even sees it as a way to connect so much as a way to use and dominate. None of the women he encounters are ever shown as real human beings, although the only one to resist him does have more complexity about her than the o thers. As I mentioned in the above paragraph, its all too easy to read this as a metaphor for colonisation. But even while Salih is exploring this, he never makes it a black-and-white issueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nuances and complexities are explored, and he leaves up to the reader to try to figure out whats being said Your comments on Mustafas emotional coldness exploitation of white women even as theyre also exploiting him reminds me SO strongly of Ellisons Invisible Man, and the narrators conflicted relationship with white women in that novel. Like you with Season of Migration to the North, I was never sure how to feel about that aspect of the story, especially since I cant help locating the objectification with Ellison as well as his narrator. Complicated stuff. During the whole story I was anticipating a shocking twist at the end where we find out that Mustafa Saeed and the narrator are the same person. At the end of the book I noticed the narrator was swimming in the Nile river when he finally decides consciously on living, and that Mustafa Saeed had dissapeared earlier in the story while swimming in the Nile. This suggests possibly that they are the same character, although not clearly enough to leave me satisfied with such a conclusion. Over at wikipedia they must have had a similar idea, because they described Mustafa Saeed as the narrators doppelganger. Their explanation lead me to believe that maybe the narrator had came back so shook from his experience in the West that he didnt know if he wanted to live anymore, and so he had viewed himself in 3rd person through the character of Mustafa Saeed and then finally decided on living while swimming the Nile! NYRB Classics: Season of Migration to the North and Alone!  Alone! Font and Edna return to Egypt at the eruption of the Suez crisis, but Ram stays on in Britain, is ejected because his visa has lapsed, and then works for a period in a factory in Germany. He is afraid of seeing Edna again when he gets back to Cairo and he also avoids seeing Didi Nackla, a young Egyptian journalist who had later lived with them in London. There he had turned to Didi, despairing of Ednas feelings for him, and initiated a sexual relationship with her. Self-deprecating as he is, Ram allows us only glimpses of the actually hugely risky political business he is engaged in. He has been collecting evidence of the torture and murder of political activists in Egyptian jails, where (in a pattern typical of this society) wealthier or higher-class prisoners will not be subjected to such treatment. http://www.litnet.co.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_itemnews_id=51970cause_id=1270 England is leaving Egypt, finally, in 1954. The Egyptian army has overthrown the royal family and instituted a republican system that both embodies the nationalistic and progressive hope of many Egyptians, and also becomes increasingly repressive. The characters, Ram and Font, are Egyptians who are Anglophone and upper class, and so are out of touch with the new order. Ram is an educated, well-connected Copt, probably in his mid-twenties. His best friend is Font, another Copt. Ram and Font spent four years in England and are obsessed with English civilization and culture, but they also despise British colonialism and hypocrisy and they participated in guerilla fighting against the British during the Suez War. The Egypt of BEER IN THE SNOOKER CLUB is at a stage of political, economic, and religious uncertainty or indecision. One of the central issues of the novel is, What is an Egyptian? And the same uncertainty or indecision extends to Rams personal life: what to do with himself, whether or not to live attached to the purse strings of his rich aunt, whether or not to marry, and who? He has been educated in the British school system in Cairo, and dreaming of the mythical London of Piccadilly Circus and pubs, he and his best friends, Font and Edna, travel to England to experience sexual and political freedom and find as well dreariness and meanness and small-mindedness. There he and his lover, Edna, drift apart, and he returns to Cairo understanding that England has killed something natural in him. Sunday, May 20, 2007 How to be kind? And thoughts on Beer in the Snooker Club It occurs to me that people in England, at least, are starved of opportunities to be kind, to be useful. If one watches the eagerness with which people jump up on the bus when someone even approaching old age gets on, and the keenness with which a stranger directs you to the address you cannot find, or gives unsolicited advice in a shop, then one feels the terrible and unexploited desire to be good, when so many situations call for one to be cynical: critical and uncompromising for fear of being taken advantage of, being laughed at, being unnatural. Our suspicion is thus killing something in us, for it reveals to us day in, day out, the frightful, hard, trapped creature we have become, with our knowing faces frozen in a semi-permanent frown or sneer. On a suffocating coach ride, Bath-London, the hulking vehicle turned a difficult corner, and I observed from the window an elderly man making a signal to the driver that is was clear and safe for him to advance. It was a completely superfluous, foolish act, as red-lights prevented the other cars from advancing into our slowly turning rear end, but who amongst us would have wanted to shout out, what are you doing old man; there is no need for your help.? After I finished reading Beer in the Snooker Club by Egyptian writer Waguih Ghali, I lived for a long time with that book in my flat in Cairo overlooking the depressing Ministry of the Interior, and wandering the streets of downtown, burdened further with the thought of Ghali killing himself in the spare bedroom of British publisher, Diana Athill. I felt an immense sorrow that I could not fully explain by my own loneliness as a foreigner. Later I returned to the novel and considered Rams role in his own life, and found it an excruciatingly circumscribed and pitiful one. Ram, that narrator of Beer in the Snooker Club, born to a landowning Coptic Christian family, is the only son of the poor relative: his mother was widowed young and now relies upon the generosity with all its attendant obligations of her siblings. He has been educated in the British school system in Cairo, and dreaming of the mythical London of Piccadilly Circus and pubs, he and his best friends, Font and Edna, travel to England to experience sexual and political freedom and find as well dreariness and meanness and small-mindedness. There he and his lover, Edna, drift apart, and he returns to Cairo understanding that England has killed something natural in him. What Ram subsequently fails to do is to act out his compassion, and desire for other people. And this is during a period in Egypt, the late 1950s, post the 1952 revolution, when the young people are moving out of the spaces and roles formerly proscribed entirely for them by their parents, a corrupt elite and the British presence. Font a dogmatic Marxist, scornful of his privileged roots, adopts the garb and posture of a street vegetable seller. Ram, finds this absurdly and depressingly gimmicky just as the communism of Edna, an Egyptian Jew, and her incessant championing of the fellaheen leaves him cold. So, he reasons, to act righteously in the defense of the downtrodden, is to be a parody both of oneself and ones roots, and of those that one is claiming to stand up for; it is to proscribe who and what is authentically Egyptian and to disdain and reject everything even ones innocent childhood and everyone else that does not take this purging seriously. Ram does act briefly alone and secretly to send photographs to the newspapers that expose abuses by the government. But he jokes that for his pains the real risks involved, he prefers the idea of having gone to prison, rather than the heroic act of actually going. His potent hatred of his wealthy French-speaking familys disingenuineness, their greed and cowardice and sham magnanimousness, does not provoke him to act and speak upon any legitimised, public platform against both them and their class. Rather, Ram chooses to expose himself to ridicule and mere disapproval by performing apparently childish pranks pushing his odious American-educated cousin into the pool, making a scene at a society party. By making it impossible for anyone around him to consider his protests as serious and legitimate political acts, he can be disruptive and irreverent from within; but it is a lonely and claustrophobic role which engenders only greater cynicism and emotional numbness in the young man. As long as Ram divides his time between his politically committed friends and a depraved and decadent elite, he has only the rare opportunity to show kindness, for with the former he feels too self-consciously as if he is performing a political or social role, and with the latter in order to resist the powerful obligation upon him to be the good son, he can only be flippant naughty and rude. http://madny.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-to-be-kind-and-thoughts-on-beer-in.html there is this comparsion of the eastern culture vs the western culture that made the novel intresting to view from one point. ram the narrator is being confused by the two worlds that he has lived with, although he finds himself more with the western culture rather the eastern. I dont know whether or not he intended this, but I enjoyed his terse writing style. I also found it fascinating to learn that Egypt had its own lost generation. Some of the depictions of Cairo and its society and undoubtedly still true today, such as Gezeira Club, of which I am a member. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1231621.Beer_in_the_Snooker_Club?page=1

Just A Label :: essays research papers

I agree with Sigmund Friend that one needs both purposeful works and meaningful love to be considered a success. According to the Webster’s New World College dictionary success is defined as â€Å"a result; outcome; a favorable a satisfactory outcome or result; something having such an outcome; the gaining of wealth, fame, rank etc; a successful person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the community, in which I live success, is based on materialistic thing, such as cars, jewelry and clothing. At my school, Metro High, amongst my friends, peers and faculty success appears to be defined as a goal in which one accomplishes. One sets a goal, one achieves that goal, and one reaps the rewards and benefits. Society along with the media has defined success by economics, power, and influence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Growing up, I have had the pleasure of being surrounded by influential, powerful and successful women. Two of the women I consider successful are my grandmother and my mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My grandmother, Ozell Roby White, was born December 3, 1925 in Durant, Mississippi. Grandma White is what we called her. I have always been impressed with her endurance and overcoming of obstacles she endured. She was a farm girl who got little education, but was always taught to love, pray, share and trust in God. She lived through the boycotts, the Civil Rights movement and the Great Depression. Grandma White was thirteen years old when she moves to St. Louis, Missouri. While in St. Louis she met my grandfather. They married and had thirteen children. My grandfather died on February 15. 1976 and Grandma has many young children at home to care for. It was not easy for her, but she always knew she could depend on God. She exercised her faith and did her very best, and that far exceeded most two-parent homes. People would ask her â€Å"Why did she have so many children?† Well next to God Grandma White loved her children and her children loved her. She was th ere for then, and they were there for her. She has a passion for cooking. Cooking was Grandma and Grandma was cooking. She seasoned food well, but in addition she would constantly state â€Å"a smiling face flavors a meal more than any seasoning can.† My grandmother was my idea of success; she was the one that kept the family together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grandma’s success is defined in Friend’s statement of â€Å"success being one who has achieved meaningful work and meaningful love.

Americas Violence Fixation Essay examples -- Media Violent Crime Essa

America's Violence Fixation One of America's biggest problems today is violence. It is happening everywhere, in the households, out on the streets, even in our schools. When we watch the news and see these acts of violence, we hear the blame be put to one thing: entertainment. Movies and video games are supposedly causing young people to behave aggressively in society, and maybe even compelling them to kill. Some even believe that video rental stores should have policies, such as always requiring an ID, and that some TV programs, movies, and games glorify guns and violence, as well as the guns themselves (center4policy.org). True, some films do portray murder and violence as justifiable; films such as Blade, in which the title character killed vampires in an effort to protect the human race, or The Matrix, where the main characters used violence to free humanity from an artificial intelligence. Video games also have a considerable amount of violence in them as well. The main idea of Grand Theft Auto, one of the more popular video games, is to overtake a city, even if it means using violence. Players are allowed a various array of weapons from baseball bats to machine guns to assist them in missions. Ratings are placed on games, this particular one is rated "M" for "Mature". Retail stores are to check ID of customers in order for them to purchase such games. However, that does not stop children from borrowing the games from others, or even having unsuspecting parents buying them. The question, however, is: "Is entertainment really the cause of violence?" I have been affected personally by the media's claim that entertainment causes violence. One morning on the news program Good Morning... ...at some people disagree with some forms and aspects of entertainment is perfectly fine; not everyone will agree with some of it. Trying to overthrow what the masses enjoy is a completely different matter. As a race, we forget freedom of speech; one voice always has to be louder than the other. Personally, in terms of "Grand Theft Auto", "Pokemon", and " Harry Potter", people purchase these because they enjoy them, they are entertained by them, why not just let them do their thing? I suppose those who point the finger at these live such clean, wholesome lives. The bottom line is: there are things that are popular, people will buy them, be entertained, have, fun, and it will pass. Let them enjoy it. Sources http://www.pegmusic.com/violence-in-amer.html http://www.center4policy.org/violencec.html http://www.davekopel.com/Media/Irmassag.htm

Essay --

Upon the invasion of foreign powers, the central government secured its authority over China and integrated nationalism into its domestic and foreign policies in order to restore stability, and repel against foreign influences. China, before nineteenth century, existed as a heterogeneous Empire, unified by the 5000 year old â€Å"Great Civilization†; however, upon foreign invasion in nineteenth century, China was forced to re-evaluate their position on the international level. Modern Chinese nationalism is derived from traumas inflicted by European and Japanese imperialists and colonists (Melancon 856-874; Chung 5). The concept of Century of National Humiliation was created in order to commemorate the historic traumas and protect the nation’s sovereignty from foreign powers. Over time, Chinese society has come to embrace their glorious civilization and accepted their weaknesses which had caused them to be victimized in the past. Now, the central government uses strict principles to assure China’s moral position on foreign policies. For example, on April 1st, 2001, there was a mid-air c...

A Caregiver’s Story

Sarah (Sharon Cuneta), a grade school English teacher, joins the 150,000 Pinoy OFWs working in the United Kingdom to support her husband, Teddy (John Estrada), in making a better living for their family. More than just a chronicle of the Filipino experience working as nurses and caregivers in the U. K. , this story also charts Sarah's journey to self-discovery – from a submissive wife who makes sacrifices to make way for her Teddy's aspirations to an empowered woman who finds dignity and pride in a humbling job as a caregiver in London. The story begins as Sarah says goodbye to her familiar world. After finishing an arduous course in caregiving, she bids farewell to the Grade 5 classroom where she teaches English. She buys a winter coat for her son Paulo (John Manalo) and promises he will use it once she can afford to take him to London. In typical Pinoy fashion, she shares tearful goodbyes with her whole family at the airport when she finally leaves for the United Kingdom. Sarah arrives in London. At their apartment, she and Teddy share a passionate reunion. In a honeymoon mood, he takes her to the beautiful sights around London. While window-shopping at a famous mall, Sarah meets Sean (Makisig Morales), a spunky Filipino boy, as he tries to shoplift chocolate bars. After the initial fleeting period of excitement, she experiences the hard challenges every Filipino caregiver faces every day: cold weather, dirty work and difficult patients. Meanwhile, Teddy also struggles with the daily grind in the hospital where he works. He is stressed and drinks often because he has failed the nursing test twice. Despite the difficulty of adjusting to London life, however, Sarah faithfully stands by her Teddy. She tries to make the most of the situation by doing her best at work and earns the respect of Mr. Morgan, a wealthy old man. Teddy is oblivious to her success, however, as he is absorbed in his own problems with work. Sarah finds solace in her friendship with Mr. Morgan and his son David, who seems to appreciate her more than Teddy does, and with Sean, who eases her longing for her own son. Tension rises between Sarah and Teddy as the stress of London life takes its toll on their marriage. Because of mounting conflict both at work and home, Teddy decides to give up. He tells Sarah that they are going back to the Philippines. Sarah finds it very hard to accept Teddy's decision. She knows that staying in London is the best thing for their family, because returning to the Philippines would only mean going back to the same problems they had before. Will Sarah choose to remain by Teddy's side to keep her family intact? Or will she find the strength to stay in London to continue seeking a better life for her son, even if it means losing her marriage?

Angelas Ashes

Chapter Three â€Å"He makes more tea and we have that with bread and jam so no one can say we didn't have a sweet Christmas. † McClure Page 101 Even though they went through all the despairs of the year and the embarrassment of carrying a pig head to have a happy they were still able to have a happy Christmas dinner. Chapter Four â€Å"l wanted the raisin to myself but This shows how selfless Frank is. Payday Cloche's that had standing in Even though he wants the raisin h the corner with no shoes and the mom was freezing and he was gives it to someone who will cherish shivering like a dog had been kicked it more than him. ND I always felt sad over kicked dogs so I walked over and gave Payday the raisin†¦ † McClure page 121 Chapter 5 â€Å"Sixpence will get the two of us in Since Frank doesn't want to take with outplace left Sleeves toffee. Dance he uses the money to enjoy McClure page 143 the luxuries he's not used too. Chapter 6 â€Å"His father is in a bed in the corner groaning and spitting into a bucket. † McClure page 164 It seems that in Franks day, death as more common than now especially for the people in poverty.Frank learns at an early age that death is inevitable. Chapter 7 â€Å"One of our prayers is surely powerful because, next summer Mackey himself is carried off by the GA Looping consumption†¦ † McClure Page 172 Franks life seems too surrounded by death. Ifs also ironic how Mackey wanted his siblings to die not knowing that his time was coming up slowly Chapter 8 † Patricia is gone and I'll never know what happened to the highwayman and Bess the landlord's daughter† Frank seems to be unpleased by Patrician's death.Since he so used to it, he barely flinches when Hess told McClure page 199 the news. He is more concerned on how the poem ends. Chapter 9 † She tells me give my eyes a good rib and make them look as red as I can for the worse you look at the Dispensary the more pity you get the better chance of getting the public assistance. † McClure page 232 In this chapter, since their father is using his check on beer in England, Angela has to get public assistance. She basically loses all of her dignity n the process.

Marketing Plan Phase III Essay

Marketing Plan Phase III MKT 421 Marketing Plan Phase III In-N-Out Burgers basic values and philosophy is simple: make the highest quality product, prepare the product in a clean environment, and serve the product in a warm and friendly manner. Introducing a new product to In-N-Out Burgers traditional menu will challenge the products success with both existing customers as well as new customers. The introduction of the salad with a desirable zest to In-N-Out Burgers menu will bring a healthier choice to improve the menu and escalate customer satisfaction. The new product will be entering the market during the very competitive and less profitable maturity stage of the product life cycle. The target market for the new product will be families that want a choice in the fast food restaurant industry. The new salads with their flavorful attributes will give In-N-Out Burgers a competitive advantage because of their positioning and differentiation strategies at the right price. Product Attributes Maintaining the tradition of quality, In-N-Out will only use quality salad dressings on their salads. In-N-Out’s competition uses Newman’s popular brand name salad dressing that has an established fan base, and another competitor uses Ken’s salad dressing that are ranked the most popular salad dressing brands. They tend to be higher in calorie count so In-N-Out will be challenging the competition to provide a healthier salad option by using Annie’s Organic Salad dressings. Cost will be low because only three dressings will be needed to launch the salads; Caesar, ranch, and vinaigrette. This will allow for the growth of the salad line in the future. Mixed greens in the salads will allow for aesthetics’ as well as added nutrition, especially with an array of dark green leafy lettuce such as romaine. Cherry tomatoes will be added for color and fresh shredded carrots for variety. A colorful description of the salads has been added to demonstrate the qua lity of each. Side Salad. In N Out’s side salad is a fresh garden salad with a blend of premium lettuces. The generous salad serving is accented with blended cheeses, shredded carrots, and cherry tomatoes fresh from local farmers. This salad comes with three choices of  dressings; organic ranch or vinaigrette and In-N-Out’s signature special sauce. Caesar Salad. In addition to the variety of greens and cherry tomatoes the Caesar salad is topped with parmesan cheese. The salad is then tossed in a light, flavorful Caesar dressing. Avocado Chicken Salad. In- N- Out’s Avocado salad appeals to the Californian in us all. This salad is a hearty salad meant to satisfy. The mixed greens are combined with cherry tomatoes, blended cheese, red onion, ripe avocado, and grilled chicken. This salad will also come with the choice of ranch, vinaigrette, or special sauce. Product Life Cycle In-N-Out will be entering the salad foray behind the eight-ball in terms of the fast food salad product life cycle. Other fast food restaurants have had salads as an option on their menus for years prior to In-N-Out; they may already have a hold on much of the salad eating market. In-N-Out is entering the salad fast food market during its maturity stage. This means that In-N-Out may not be able to enjoy the large profit margins that early salad pioneers experienced, however, In-N-Out is confident that those smaller margins will be helped by regular increases in salad sales volume in addition to increased sales of the core menu items. In order to maximize salad sales volume, In-N-Out must recognize the maturity of the salad market and promote accordingly. Doing this will require In-N-Out to differentiate its salad offering from the competition and reposition its standing in the minds of consumers who do not feel that In-N-Out has an adequate assortment of food options. Customers who seek out salad offerings no doubt are interested in health benefits, freshness, availability, and price. In-N-Out is already known for their freshness and taste; their competition, on the other hand, many times, is not. In-N-Out must emphasize through their marketing mix that the same crisp freshness that customers expect from ingredients on their burgers is the same crisp freshness they can expect in their salads. The simple, low calorie nature of In-N-Out salads should be made clear because competitor salads often are not very in calories or sodium content. The simple and fresh nature of In-N-Out products will be an advantage of health conscious consumers. In-N-Out has an opportunity to win with quality but also due to the nature of competitor pricing, In-N-Out has an opportunity to match or beat their competitors in that arena as well. In-N-Out would do well to indicate the price advantage of their fresh options compared to the competitions heavier and pricier salad menus. Finally, In-N-Out must make it a priority to reposition its lack of choice perception in the fast food market. They must make it clear to customers that they now have an option beyond burgers and fries at In-N-Out. Couples and groups of people can eat at our restaurants even if one or more of the individuals is vegetarian or seeking a healthier options. Positioning and Differentiation Strategies Product differentiation strategy is part of the marketing strategy of a company that will establish a strong identity within a specific target market for that product. The goal is to have the intended consumer perceive the product desirable and different. With the introduction of salads to the In-N-Out Burgers menu, the company will need to establish a product differentiation strategy as other competitors also have salads on their menu. The difference that In-N-Out Burgers brings with their salads is the quality of the food. No pre-packaged, frozen or over processed vegetables will be used. Product positioning strategy is also part of the marketing strategy of a company, but the goal is focused on the consumer instead of the product and where that product fits in relationship to their competitors. ‘Positioning refers to how customers think about proposed or present brands in a market. Without a realistic view of how customers think about offerings in the market, it is hard for the marketing manager to differentiate.’ (Perreault, Cannon, McCarthy, 2011) In-N-Out Burgers has already positioned itself in the market regarding their burgers and has established a loyal base on customers. In-N-Out Burgers has ‘a famously devoted customer base that inspires envy throughout the industry—and brand recognition well beyond its geographic reach.’(Pearman, 2009) The product positioning strategy currently used for their burgers should be extended to their new salad products. Pricing Strategy The price strategy that In-n-Out will be using for their new salads is to target those price-conscious customers looking for healthy options along with the current menu options being offered. As a company In-N-Out is aware that there is a need in consumers who want to keep a healthy lifestyle while  still being able to have selections with reasonable pricing. In addition to appealing to those consumers wanting a healthier choice when ordering, In-N-Out is conscious that the competition will have similar selections with similar pricing as well. In this instance because the company doesn’t use intermediaries to promote or sell products, they will add to the marketing strategies by increasing the advertising on radio and TV commercials with the new salad options that have been added to the traditional menu that has been around since the company began. The advertising efforts will also add to the value that In-N-Out has had from day one, and that is freshness of their products. In-N-Out is confident that by using previous marketing strategies to offer the menu to consumers and offering the salads to the traditional menu with similar pricing will not only continue to keep existing customers but will also bring in new customers. Conclusion The new salad with its flavorful attributes will give In-N-Out Burgers a competitive advantage because of their positioning and differentiation strategies at the right price. The attributes of the three new salads being introduced to the menu are healthier, colorful, great tasting choices. The product is entering the market in the maturity stage of the product life cycle but In-N-Out Burgers can maintain this stage with its commitment to quality, and freshness, which gives it a competitive advantage. The success of the product will come from the firms positioning and differentiation strategies of quality while focusing on customer interests. In-N-Out Burgers price strategy will be competitive in the industry so as to draw new customers as well as satisfy the needs of the existing customers. In-N-Out Burgers is about quality, competitiveness, customer satisfaction, and a healthy diet. References Pearman, S. (2009). In-N-Out Burger’s Marketing Magic. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2009/sb20090424_877655.htm Perreault, W., Cannon, J., & McCarthy, E. (2011). Basic Marketing: A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill/Irwin.