Scale Insects and Mealybugs, Superfamily Coccoidea

Scale insects and mealybugs are significant pests of many ornamental plants and orchard trees, and cost these industries millions of dollars each year. Many other insects and larger predators eat these tiny insects, so they do serve a purpose. Some scale insects cause the formation of galls. Learn the habits and traits of these interesting true bugs, which belong to the superfamily Coccoidea. What Do Scale Insects Look Like? Scale insects often go unnoticed, although they live on many common landscape and garden plants. Theyre small insects, usually just a few millimeters long. They tend to position themselves on the undersides of leaves or other plant parts, where they arent exposed to the elements. Scale insects are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females  look entirely different from one another.   Adult females are usually somewhat round in shape, lack wings, and often lack legs as well. Males are winged, and look somewhat like winged aphids or small gnats. To identify scale insects, its often necessary to identify the host plant. Although largely considered pests, scale insects have been used in some surprisingly beneficial ways throughout history. The red pigment found in cactus-feeding cochineal scales is used to make a natural red dye for food, cosmetics, and textiles. Shellac is made from the secretions from coccids called lac scales. Scale insects and their waxy secretions have also been used in various cultures for making candles, for jewelry, and even for chewing gum. How Are Scale Insects Classified? Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - InsectaOrder - HemipteraSuperfamily – Coccoidea There is still some disagreement on how scale insects should be classified and how the group should be organized.   Some authors rank the scale insects as a suborder rather than a superfamily. Family level classification is still very much in flux. Some taxonomists subdivide the scale insects into just 22 families, while others use as many as 45. Scale Insect Families of Interest: Margarodidae - giant coccids, ground pearlsOrtheziidae - ensign coccidsPseudococcidae - mealybugsEriococcidae - felt scalesDactylopiidae - cochineal insectsKermesidae - gall-like coccidsAclerdidae - grass scalesAsterolecaniidae - pit scalesLecanodiaspididae - false pit scalesCoccidae - soft scales, wax scales, and tortoise scalesKerriidae - lac scalesDiaspididae - armored scales What Do Scale Insects Eat? Scale insects feed on plants, using piercing mouthparts to suck the juices from their host plant. Most scale insect species are specialist feeders, requiring a particular plant or group of plants to meet their nutritional needs. The Life Cycle of Scale Insects Its difficult to generalize a description of the scale insect life cycle. Development varies greatly between scale insect families and species, and is even different for males and females of the same species. Within the Coccoidea, there are species that reproduce sexually, species that are parthenogenetic, and even some that are hermaphroditic. Most scale insects produce eggs, and the female often guards them while they develop. Scale insect nymphs, particular in the first instar, are typically mobile and are referred to as crawlers. The nymphs disperse, and eventually settle on the host plant to begin feeding. Adult females are usually immobile and remain in one location for their entire lifespan. How Scale Insects Defend Themselves Scale insects produce a waxy secretion that forms a cover (called a test) over their bodies. This coating can vary greatly from species to species. In some scale insects, the test looks like a powdery substance, while others produce long strands of wax. The test is often cryptic, helping the scale insect blend in with the host plant. This waxy coat performs several functions for the scale insect. It helps insulate it from temperature fluctuations, and also maintains the proper humidity around the insects body. The test also camouflages the scale insect from potential predators and parasitoids. Scale insects and mealybugs also excrete honeydew, a sugary liquid waste that is a by-product of eating plant sap. This sweet substance attracts ants. Honeydew-loving ants will sometimes protect the scale insects from predators to ensure their supply of sugar remains intact. Where Do Scale Insects Live? The superfamily Coccoidea is quite large, with more than 7,500 species known throughout the world. Roughly 1,100 species inhabit the U.S. and Canada. Sources: Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. Capinera.Superfamily Coccoidea – Scales and Mealybugs, Bugguide.net. Accessed online February 9, 2016.Systematic Studies of Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea), by Nathaniel B. Hardy, University of California Davis, 2008.Scale Management Guidelines – UC IPM, University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Accessed online February 9, 2016.ScaleNet: Scale Insects (Coccoidea) Database, USDA Agricultural Research Service. Accessed online February 9, 2016.Coccoidea, Tree of Life Web. Accessed online February 9, 2016.

Essay On The Movie The Chrysalids - 961 Words

Discrimination is one of the world’s biggest problems right now. In the Movie The X-Men and the book The Chrysalids they show a wide variety of different types of discrimination. Discrimination comes in different ways from verbally to physically. The theme of discrimination against mutants shows throughout the Book and Movie as Humans Vs Mutants. If you take a glance at The Chrysalids book and then take a glance at The X-Men movie they seem that they don’t have anything a like, but if you look in deeper into the story they have a lot of similarities. Both the X-Men Last Stand directed by Brett Ratner and the book â€Å"The Chrysalids† written by John Wyndham Have many similarities. The characters, Themes, and actions the society takes upon†¦show more content†¦David strorm and Professor X has a Different view of mutants then other people they look at mutants as Normal people. Therefore the characters from both X-Men Last Stand and The Chrysalids both ha ve similarities. The X-Men and The Chrysalids show a relating theme of isolation and change. In the movie X-Men the people in the city are isolating the mutants because everyone wants mutants gone and they do not want mutants in their life. The mutants live a separate life than the normal people in the city mutants hang out with mutants and humans hangout with humans, the mutants have their own school and the humans also have their own school two separate breeds living in one city. The telepathic people are isolated because of their special ability. The waknukians see the telepaths special abilities as a danger and a threat to the humans in Waknuk. When the people in Waknuk find out about them having telepathic ability or being a mutant they have to flee the country. When Sophie’s mom said â€Å"We would have to go if anybody ever found out†.(Pg.46) When Alan found out about the six toes Sophie and he family had to flee. Both people in Waknuk and the people in the cit y of X-Men do not want change they want to live in the old days where no one was accepted but the norm was accepted. People like Xavier and the Sealander woman both accept change. At last the theme ofShow MoreRelated Consider Why Visions of the Future are Common in Literature. Make1565 Words   |  7 PagesFuture are Common in Literature. Make Specific Reference to The Chrysalids and at Least One Other Text. In this essay I will try to explain why visions of the future are so common in literature. To do this I will make reference to The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, Brother In the Land by Robert Swindell, Z for Zachariah by Robert C. OBrien and also a television series called Futurama, created by Matt Groening. This essay consists of three main parts: an introduction, an explanation on

Innovation Contemporary It and E Issues

Question: Discuss about the Innovation Contemporary It and E Issues. Answer: Introduction: The organization that is taken into consideration for this essay is IKEA Australia, which is intended to provide an innovative idea and equipment for making home a better place. The Facebook fan page contains the company's overview and their mission and has some photos and videos about their working procedure. Moreover, the user can also utilize the facility of posting their experience with IKEA and share the view about their products and services. The most attractive thing about the IKEAs fan page is that they have information regarding their recent and upcoming events so that the customers can get aware of their business proceedings and from the client's view; it is beneficial for the new customer to know whether the organization provide premium services to the buyers (Sabate et al. 2014). Moreover, in the context of a negative overview, the fan page does not contain the detailed description of their services they provide like their kitchen planning services and fusion style interior decoration for designing the home space with a better facility. The difference between the business website and Facebook fan page is that the latter one is more user-friendly, but the website presents every small detail about the organization. For instance, the services IKEA provide like kitchen designing, cooking-wares, designer kitchen furniture, lounging furniture and other facility are described in details that are not available on the Facebook fan page (Ikea.com 2016). However, Ruiz-Mafe et al. (2014) portrays that the Facebook fan page helps in the betterment of the organization as it increases the exposure about their business to potential customers and helps in reducing the marketing expenses. Thus, Facebook page is a mode of promotion that reaches their target audience and contributes to building brand loyalty. Reference List Facebook.com., 2016.IKEA Australia - About | Facebook. [online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ikea.au/about/?entry_point=page_nav_about_itemtab=page_info [Accessed 14 Sep. 2016]. Ikea.com., 2016.Outdoor furniture - IKEA. [online] Available at: https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/categories/departments/outdoor/ [Accessed 14 Sep. 2016]. Ruiz-Mafe, C., Marti-Parreno, J. and Sanz-Blas, S., 2014. Key drivers of consumer loyalty to Facebook fan pages.Online Information Review,38(3), pp.362-380. Sabate, F., Berbegal-Mirabent, J., Canabate, A. and Lebherz, P.R., 2014. Factors influencing popularity of branded content in Facebook fan pages.European Management Journal,32(6), pp.1001-1011.

wal mart Essays (331 words) - Walmart, Walmart Watch,

Wal-Mart: Staying on Top of the Fortune 500 A Case Study on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. This case study was produced for the Corporate Strategy and Public Affairs Lecture, The Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University. April 2002, Washington DC Contributors to this Report: Patrick Hayden, Seung Lee, Kate McMahon, Mike Pereira The case study is an examination of how Wal-Mart's Corporate Strategy affects its Public Affairs and Government Relations Strategy http://mike-pereira.com Executive Summary Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is the largest retail company in the United States and has been ranked number one on the Fortune 500 Index by Fortune Magazine. Wal-Mart has four parts to their corporate strategy. 1. Dominance in the Retail Market 2. Expansion in the U.S. and International Markets 3. Creation of Positive Brand and Company Recognition 4. Branch Out into New Sectors of Retail Wal-Mart?s public affairs strategy must work to make implementation of these policy goals happen. Its public affairs strategy enables the company to move into other sectors of the marketplace and expand into foreign countries. The public affairs strategy also involves gaining access to politicians who can help Wal-Mart achieve its goals. Wal-Mart has a very active Political Action Committee that gives almost a quarter million dollars annually. While Wal-Mart?s public affairs strategy works well with its corporate strategy. W e feel that there are a few recommendations which could make the company work better. Recently, Wal-Mart has been criticized for their opposition to allowing their employees to be unionized. Wal-Mart needs to clarify their reasons for their opposition to unionization. The public affairs strategy must also address the negative feelings harbored by some groups who feel that Wal-Mart is encroaching into far too many other sectors retail than it should. These concerns must be addressed if Wal-Mart is to enjoy continued success in creating positive name recognition.

resistance in the holocaust essays

resistance in the holocaust essays When we think of the quite courage of Miep and Henk Gies, and Oskar Schindler, and all others who refused to turn their backs on the Jews of the Holocaust, we ask ourselves how it happened that these few men, women, and children gathered the courage to face the risks they had to take. Who were these rescuers, and why did they do what they did? Nechama Tec, a well known, sociologist and herself a hidden child, suggests that the Holocaust rescuers were people who acted out of a deep moral conviction to respond to the suffering of another human being. Because of this conviction, the rescuers did what their consciences told them they had to do. And because of this singular act of goodness, more than 2,000,000 people were saved from the gas chambers. Resistance in the Holocaust helped to save many Jews. Three examples of this include Partisan Warfare, non-Jews risking their lives to hide/save Jews as well as people escaping from concentration camps. This helped the Jews by; Nazi Germans d ieing from the partisan warfare, Jews being hidden from Nazis Germans by other German citizens as well as giving Jews hope to keep on living. The first example I will talk about is a very famous story known all over the world. This story is an example of non-Jews risking their lives to save Jews. This is the story of Anne Frank and her family. Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929. She was a German-Jewish teenager who was forced to go into hiding during the Holocaust. She and her family, along with four others, spent 25 months during World War II in an annex of rooms above her fathers office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. During those 25 months two people Miep and Henk kept the Frank family as well as the Van Daans hidden away from the German Nazis. Then on a Friday morning in August of 1944 the Nazis came and captured the two families and arrested Miep and Henk. After being betrayed to the Nazis, Anne, her family, and the Van Daans were...

The Official Instructions to Start a Super PAC

The Official Instructions to Start a Super PAC So you want to start a super PAC. Maybe youre worried that your vote doesnt really matter. Maybe youre tired of other super PACs raising and spending unlimited amounts of cash from corporations and unions to sway elections and youre asking yourself If you cant beat em, why not join em? Not a problem. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court and Citizens United, anyone can start a super PAC. And the best part: It doesnt cost a dime. Never mind the Steven Colbert super PACs Super Fun Pack, which hilariously offers prospective activists, All you need is a burning desire for civic engagement and $99. Heres how to start a super PAC. For free. Just by signing your John Hancock on a couple pieces of paper. Step 1: Pick a Cause or Candidate First things first. Your super PAC doesnt have to target a politician, though it certainly can. Restore Our Future Inc., for example, is the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC that spent considerable sums of cash in Election 2012 going after the former Massachusetts governors Republican opponents, including Rick Santorum. Your super PAC can raise awareness about a particular cause or issue such as hydraulic fracking, abortion, or taxes. Yours can be a liberal super PAC or a conservative super PAC. Got a burning desire for civic engagement, as Colbert would put it, on a particular topic? Go for it. Step 2: Pick a Clever Name for Your Super PAC Youll want to name your super PAC something catchy. Something people will be able to easily remember when they break out their checkbooks. Already taken are Joe Six PAC, a super PAC that proclaims it is for the average Joe; the Sick and Tired of Washington super PAC, whose goals seem pretty obvious; and DogPAC, a super PAC representing Dogs Against Romney. Step 3: Other Essentials for Starting Your Own Super PAC All you need to create and run your official super PAC now are a bank account, a charming personality to raise all that money from corporations and unions, and a friend to serve as treasurer to keep track of your super PACs fundraising and spending. Pick someone who is trustworthy and responsible. Theyll need to file spending reports with the government. Step 4: File the Paperwork To officially launch your super PAC you will need to file whats called a Statement of Organization, or Form 1, with the Federal Election Commission. Check box 5(f) under Type of Committee. Also, write a short cover letter to the Federal Election Commission. Youll want to be sure you make it clear your new committee will be functioning as a super PAC. You can do that by including the following paragraph verbatim: This committee intends to make unlimited independent expenditures, and consistent with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decision in SpeechNow v. FEC, it therefore intends to raise funds in unlimited amounts. This committee will not use those funds to make contributions, whether direct, in-kind, or via coordinated communications, to federal candidates or committees. Make sure to include your Statement of Organization your name, address, contact information, and the name of your super PAC and its treasurer. Mail your form to: Federal Election Commission 999 E. St., NW Washington, D.C. 20463 Step 5: What To Do With Your Super PAC As the proud new owner of a super PAC, you are permitted to raise unlimited amounts of money from people including your friends, neighbors, and families. But you can also solicit money from political action committees, corporations, and labor organizations. You can turn around and use all that money to produce and air TV commercials or take out a massive billboard along a busy highway to roundly criticizes a politician you dont like. Have fun and be creative! A Note of Caution: What You Cant Do With Your Super PAC This is pretty simple. You are not allowed to use all that money youve raised from corporations and unions to make direct contributions to candidates or their political action committees. You also cant take out TV ads or billboards in coordination with any of those candidates or their PACs. This is a fairly gray area, so play it safe and steer clear of planning your attacks with any candidate or elected official.

Ethical Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Arguments - Essay Example Organ trade basically involves the sale of the human inner organs like the heart, liver the kidneys and other vital organs for transplant. As of now, there is a worldwide shortage of organs that are available for transplant. Essentially, a lot of wealthy people who unfortunately require organ transplant are capable of paying any amount of money to have the treatments as long as they do not have to wait in line for donated organs. Conversely, a lot of poor people will gladly sell their organs to make a living. However, a large percentage belongs to those who die will waiting for organs due to shortage (Chia, 2009). The sale of these organs has three major implications: ethical, legal and financial implications. Although the sale has had loopholes in a number of issues, there is a need to look at some of the implications since they affect the international market in which we are a part of. ... This is because, thousands of patients die yearly due to shortage in supply of organs, while others undergo painful and pricey dialysis treatments. Consequently, consenting to a commercial market in organs is highly likely to reduce the needless deaths and sufferings that are present as it increases the supply of organs. Moreover, the cash payments will increase people’s enthusiasm to donate their body parts, as well as, contributing to the fall of the same prices and making them affordable to more patients. On the contrary, the opponents for the sale of human organs argue that, although the society may claim to have the obligation of preserving life and easing human suffering, this may not be fully applicable. In particular, they argue that the society in not in a position to assume any practices that would violate the rights of its members or cause injustices. Additionally, the society has the obligation to ensure that each of its members whether rich or poor has an equal ri ght to accessing medical benefits. The issues of having the rich buying organs from the poor appear to benefit the former as compared to the latter, hence inception of unequal allotment of health becomes unjust (Wilkinson, 2011). Needless to mention, individuals have the right to live their lives with much freedom and dignity. Wilkinson, 2011 argues that, the organ market would undoubtedly lead to abuse that entails the violation of freedom and dignity of persons. In essence, they say that such a scheme will give confidence to the most defenseless, who in this case happens to be the poor through treating hemselves and be treated as commodities, as well as, giving others the opportunity to violate their rights in

The Feasibility of a Multinational Manufacturing Organization Assignment - 1

The Feasibility of a Multinational Manufacturing Organization - Assignment Example The current information (if any) is not up-to-date and thus there is the need for such information to be updated on a regular as businesses operate in a dynamic environment which is influenced by factors which include changes in technology in the production of new products and production processes in addition to changes in customer tastes and preferences (Argyrous 2005). Further, when competitor products change, there is also the need to change. Change in economic conditions is also a very important aspect which calls for new methods of production and new products. Such information helps the organization in gaining a deeper understanding of consumer needs and preferences and thus reducing the risk of product failure. Also, such information assists the organization in coming up with future forecasts and trends which are beneficial (Saunders and Thornhill 2003). This market research study will employ the use of 1000 participants. The findings from the respondents will help the organization to develop strategies which will be based on factual data and which will assist in influencing decisions, justifying actions and providing deeper explanations on why certain decisions have been made. The market study will, thus, aim at putting together information and supporting data aimed at; Analyzing market segments which will again assist in the selection of target markets, identification of potential customers and those that plan to consume the proposed products and why they have been using them; Gaining a deeper understanding of the promotion methods used and which target and appeal the perceived market segment. The level of education is very important since the readership of the various print media if key as it will determine the level of promotion and the most appealing promotion methods; Analyzing marketing performance to assist in determining whether customer expectations in terms of service are being met and whether the quality and the aesthetic appeal of the products is realistic.

Country Risk Analysis - Peru Essay Example for Free

Country Risk Analysis Peru Essay SWOT analysis Strengths: Peru is a country blessed with natural resources. In 2010 its exports reached some 23 billion GBP, which was mainly made out of minerals, petroleum and agricultural products. Its mining industry is the largest in Latin America, accounting for 7,7 billion GBP of its total exports in 2010. The climate is also favourable for agriculture, representing 13% of GDP, and employing 30% of the population. In addition, sites like Machu Picchu, Cuscu and Sacsayhuaman make Peru a popular tourist destination for millions of people every year. Weaknesses: Although an advantage when the business climate is favourable, Peru’s heavy dependence upon natural resources and agriculture can prove to be an Achilles heel. Volatile commodity prices and low productivity and fragmented land ownership in agriculture makes the economy susceptible to economic fluctuations. What’s more the country lacks vital infrastructure such as high quality roadways, bridges and flight routes. And as with so many other Latin American countries, high unemployment* threatens the economic and political stability, which in turn affects investor confidence. *Despite a fairly low unemployment rate of 7,9%, the underemployment rate is above 40%, which causes similar effects. Opportunities: In the period between 2000 and 2005 the number of visiting tourists to Peru doubled, and the figure has grown by approximately 11% annually, a trend that is expected to continue. Enforcing the rise in tourism is the announcement that there will be eight long weekends in Peru in 2012, generating some 500 million GBP in extra tourism revenue this year. In 2005, the US and Peru signed a free trade agreement enabling a non-barrier trading relationship between the two countries, which is a huge opportunity as the U.S accounts for 16.3% of Peru’s exports, and 19.5% of its imports annually. Threats: Almost 50% of Peru’s population is poor. This is mainly caused by the extraction industry, where people are oppressed in mining villages and remote communities. Income distribution is extremely skewed, as the richest 10% controls 35.4% of the wealth, and the poorest 10% only control 1.6%. PESTLE analysis Political: Peru is a quite democratic country, after the election of Fernando Belaà ºnde in 1980. However the political environment has been troublesome at best, with several attempts on overthrowing the government, last in October 2000. Alan Garcia, the same man who ran the country into the ditch with four-figure inflation rates in the 1990s, has in his second reign as president (2006-2011) witnessed an amazing economic recovery and growth. Corruption has long been a big problem in Peru, but counteraction was taken in February of 2010 when a dedicated commission was created to deal with the problem, which is especially brought on by the drug cartels. Peru also has a stable relationship with most of its neighbour countries, although their ongoing border conflict with Chile keeps that relationship tense. Economical: The economic environment in Peru has gone from hyperinflation (1991) to deflation (2002) to what appears to be stable growth since 2006. Being an exporting nation they where hit hard by the financial crisis, but kept the growth figure above 0, unlike many other Latin American countries. It regained GDP growth of 8.8% in 2010. In 2011 the credit rating agency Standard Poor raised Peru’s credit rating from BBB- to BBB. In general, Peru has one of the most prosperous economies in Latin America, having tripled in size in the past 11 years. In addition of being a member of the WTO, they also have a non-tariff trade agreement with the US, which has proven most advantageous as the US represents some 30% of both imports and exports. It is worth mentioning that Peru’s economic growth is very much aided by growth in private investment of 13% annually. This is acknowledged by the government, and has led to minor barriers to entry for foreign firms. Social: Since the early 21th century the conditions for Peruvians has improved in many measures. Life expectancy has increased by 4 years to 73 since 2004, and the literacy rate is stable at 90%. However, there is a big split between the rural areas and big cities such as Lima, with 8.5 million people. While people in the cities are lifted out of poverty due to the economic growth, the people living in the rural areas are subject to underemployment and bad infrastructure. The main language used is Spanish. Although some speak Quechua or Aymara, these are mainly spoken by people living in the Andes Mountains. Technological: Peru is known for its substantial bureaucracy and inefficiency, much of which is due to its low amount of technology available. However, more and more people now possess a mobile phone, and Internet usage is increasing steadily. This said these number should be growing as only 10% owns a personal computer, and there are only 3,7 internet subscriptions per 100 people. (http://devdata.worldbank.org/ict/per_ict.pdf) Legal: Although the legal system in Peru appears to lack both independence and efficiency, it has been severely altered to attract foreign investors and aid business. Through removing the requirement for small enterprises to deposit start-up capital in a bank before registration they have made it easier to start a business, and investors are protected through a new law that allows minority shareholders to request access to non-confidential corporate documents. The tax-system has been made electronic, which not only makes it work more efficient, it also makes taxing a lot easier for both parts. It is also legislated that eight-hour days and 48-hour weeks are the maximum working hours, with a minimum wage of $128 a month. Environmental: In August 2010 Peru obtained the Third Programmatic Environmental Development Policy Loan. This money is dedicated to â€Å"strengthen environmental governance, including regulation enforcement, and mainstreaming of environmental sustainability in the mining, fisheries, urban transport and energy sectors.† The funds will also be used to improve parts of the health sector, especially for those exposed to health risks from environmental degradation. This illustrates Peru’s awareness and concern about the environmental issues and their ability to handle them in a way that draws the World Bank’s attention.

Young Americans Must Vote! Essay -- Politics Political Argumentative

Young Americans Must Vote! Why vote? This is a major question among many young Americans today. America's youth, does not take the time to read articles, observe the news, or pay attention to presidential debates and campaigns due to their busy schedules. This creates two problems. First, young voters have little knowledge of current issues in the election. Also as a result, they are unaware of the importance of voting. Each presidential election stirs up an old controversy of whether to vote or not to vote. There are many young people who think that voting is not important; I believe that it is. By voting you are exercising your right as an American to voice your opinion, and young Americans need to become aware of this. One of the many young adults that is against voting in this year’s presidential election is Robert Klassen. Robert Klassen in a member of the League of Non-Voters, which is an organization that â€Å"is the focal point for the idea that political government doesn’t work and, contrary to conventional wisdom, democracy may be the worst form of it of all" (http://www.non-voters.org/). In his essay titled â€Å"Don’t Vote!,† Klassen makes arguments of why people should not vote in this year’s election. Klassen feels as if our government is criminal, the majority rule is unfair, the president is a tyrant, and we do not have freedom. This however is a tragedy, since democracy and our freedom to vote is part of what defines our country. Although I do not agree with Klassen on many of his claims I do agree with him when he states, â€Å"Americans have always been busy people preoccupied with their own lives and they pay remarkably little attention to what our full-time political government is really doing.† Thi... ... position of senator by one vote. Also in the 1960 presidential election, one additional voter per precinct in Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey and Texas would have elected Richard M. Nixon instead of John F. Kennedy as president (http://www.insuredemocracy.com/vote.htm). When you register to vote, the government collects these statistics on what age groups are registered to vote. If they see that a large majority of potential votes come from young people, then politicians are more inclined to focus on what is important to young people. All you need to do is take a little time to educate yourself about the election. For more information on voting and registering to vote, go to www.rockthevote.com or www.declareyourself.com. As young Americans we need to come together and have a say in what happens to the future of our country. Get educated, get involved, and VOTE !!!

Fiction and Literature Outdoor Literature

â€Å"When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language. â€Å"- James Earl Jones The major types of literature across the world are English, Greek, Latin, Roman, African, Indian, American, French, Irish, Spain, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Sanskrit, Nepali, Russian and Canadian literature. Literature is a well-considered form of a language that influences the minds of readers of all age.Italian Renaissance is the age of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, whereas Greece Literature mostly comprises the literature of Greek Gods and Goddesses. Romanticism of Wordsworth is the literature which is oriented towards nature and can be considered to be reverse of classicism. Today's era of Modernism and Post modernism uses artificial language based on ambiguity, satire and parody. Some authors choose long composition methods to link more than one story. Moreover, literature being a part of scientific language is also used to analyze grammar, usage, lexis and semantics. Kinds of Literature Fictional LiteratureDrama: Drama is the theatrical dialog performed on stage, it consists of 5 acts. Tragedy, comedy and melodrama are the sub types of drama. e. g William Shakespeare, an Elizabethan dramatist composed the plays Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear that are famous because of its combination of tragedy and comedy. Problem play, farce, fantasy, monologue and comedy of manners are some kinds of drama. Tragedy: It is a story of the major character who faces bad luck. Tragedy, elements of horrors and struggle usually concludes with the death of a person. The Illiad and The Odyssey by Homer are the two famous Greek tragedies.Comedy: The lead character overcomes the conflicts and overall look of the comedy is full of laughter and the issues are handled very lightly. The elements used in the comedy are romanticism, exaggeration, surprises and a comic view of life. Melodrama: Melodrama is a blend of two nouns – ‘melody' and ‘drama'. It is a musical play most popular by 1840. Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of the most popular plays describing cruelty of labor life. It has happy ending like comedy. Tragicomedy: The play that begins with serious mode but has a happy ending is tragicomedy. Prose LiteratureHistory, journalism, philosophy, fiction and fantasy writings, scientific writings, children's literature authors and writers are included in Prose Literature. Myth Myths are the fairy tales with lots of adventure, magic and it lacks scientific proof. Nursery rhymes, songs and lullabies are forms of myths that strike the interest of children. Creative and nature myth are stories of the stars and moon. Magic tales are wonderful tales of quests and fantasy. Hero myths are ideal heroes of adventure. Short story The small commercial fiction, true or imaginary, smaller than a novel is known as short st ory.Short stories are well-grouped that followed the sequence of easy and no complexity in beginning, concrete theme, some dialogs and ends with resolution. They are oral and short-lived which have gossip, joke, fable, myth, parable, hearsay and legend. Novel Novel can be based on comic, crime, detective, adventurous, romantic or political story divided into many parts. The major kinds of novels are: Allegory: The symbolic story revolves around two meanings. What the writer says directly is totally different from the conveyed meanings at the end. Political and Historical allegory are two forms of Allegory.Comedy: Satire is very common form in comedy novels and tries to focus on the facts of the society and their desires. Epistolary: The collection of letters or mails is the epistolary novels. Samuel Richardson's Pamela and Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrew are the few examples of Epistolary novels. Feminist: These types of novels are written by women writers around the world to describ e the place of women in a male dominated society. E. g Virginia Woolf's â€Å"A Room of one's Own†. Gothic: Gothic fiction is the combination of both horror and romance. Melodrama and parody were grouped in the Gothic literature in its early stages.Ironic: Ironic novels are known for excessive use of narrative technique. It is satire on the contemporary society about cultural, social and political issues. Realism: The realistic novels are based on the truths of ordinary society and their problems. It focuses on the plot, structure and the characters of the novel. Romance: Love and relationship topics are handled optimistically in the romantic novels. It originated in western countries; basically the story revolves around love affairs of main characters. Some popular sub categories of romantic novels are paranormal, erotic, suspense, multicultural and inspirational romance.Narration: In narrative style, writer becomes the third person who narrates whole story around the charac ters. Naturalism: Naturalism is based on the theory of Darwin. Picaresque: It is opposite to romance novels as it involves ideals, themes and principles that refuse the so-called prejudices of the society. Psychological: It's the psychological prospective of mind with a resolution. Satire: Satirical novels criticize the contemporary society. The most famous novels are Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726), Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim (1954), George Orwell's Animal Farm and Randell Jarrell's Pictures from an Institution (1954).Stream of Consciousness: James Joyce's stream of consciousness is all about the thought coming up in the minds of the readers. A novel also constitutes categories on social and political aspects like proletarian, psychological, protest novel, government, didactic, materialist novel, allegorical novel, novel of engagement, naturalistic novel, Marxist novel, radical novel, revolutionary novel, anti-war novel, utopian novel, futuristic novel, anarchist novel, p roblem novel, social philosophy novel, novel of ideas, problem play and speculative novel. Folk TaleFolk Tales are traditional stories that have been creating interest since ancient times. The children and old persons like religious story, magic and superstition as well. Fable, tall tales, cumulative, trickster and proverbs are the sub categories of folk tales. Mythology or legend is the ancient religious stories of origin and human civilization such as story of Robin Hood. Types of poetry Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in the tranquility. Greek poetry is found in free verse and we have rhymes in the Persian poem. Are you wondering how to write a poem, here are the followings forms of poem?Sonnet: Sonnet is the short poem of 14 lines grouped into Shakespearean and Italian sonnets. Ballad: The poems that are on the subject matter of love and sung by the poet or group of singers as telling readers a story. Elegy: This type of poem is the lamenting of the death of a person or his near one. Elegy Written in Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray is one of the famous poems marked as sad poems of the ages. Ode: Ode is the formal and long poem serious in nature. Allegory: Allegory is the famous form of poetry and is loved by the readers because of its two symbolic meanings.One is the literal meaning and another is the deep meaning. Epic and Mock epic: Epics are the narrative poems that convey moral and culture of that period. The Odyssey and Iliad are one of the largest philosophical epics written by Samuel Butler. Rape of the Lock is the great mock epic focusing on the minor incident of cutting of a curl. Lyric: It has Greek origin that gives a melody of imagery. It is the direct appeal of a poet to the readers about any incident or historical events. Lyrics are most of the time similar to ode or sonnets in the form. Nonfiction Literature:Nonfiction Literature is opposite to fiction as it is informative and comprises the interesting f acts with analysis and illustrations. Main types of Non- fiction literature Autobiography and Biography An autobiography is the story of the author's own life. ‘Family Life at the White House' by Bill Clinton is focused on his life and achievements. ‘Wings of fire' by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Mein kampf of Adolph Hitler are the autobiography books on real life. Essay Generally the authors' point of view about any particular topic in a detailed way is an essay.Essay has simple way of narrating the main subject; therefore they are descriptive, lengthy, subject oriented and comparative. Different types of essay: Personal essay, expository essay type, response essay, process essay, persuasive essay, argumentative essay, critical essay type, interview essay, reflective essay type, evaluation, observation essay, comparison type of essay, application essay, compare and contrast essay and narrative essay type. Literary criticism It is the critical study of a piece of literature . Here critics apply different theories, evaluation, discussion and explanation to the text or an essay to give total judgments.Plato, Aristotle, T. S. Eliot, Saussure and Frye are some of the famous critics. Travel literature It is the narration of any tour or foreign journey with the description of the events, dates, places, sights and author's views. Francis Bacon's natural philosophies in the middle of Seventeenth century is one famous example of travel literature. Diary Diaries are the incidents recorded by the author without any means of publishing them. It is the rough work of one's daily routine, happenings, memorable days or events in their life. E. g.Anne Frank's ‘Diary of a Young Girl' was published by her father in 1940s; it's a story of a girl trapped during German invade Amsterdam. Diaries consists of business letters, newsletters, weather listing. In today's world of Internet, writers write in blogs, forums, polls and social networking sites to convey their thou ghts. This also is a form of diary writing. Some profound forms of diaries are online diary, travel, sleep, tagebuch, fictional, dream and death diaries. Journal Journal is one of types of diaries that records infinite information. They are of following types:Personal: It is for personal analysis. In this journal one can write his goal, daily thoughts, events and situations. Academic: It is for students who do research or dissertation on particular subjects. Creative journals: Creative journals are the imaginative writing of a story, poem or narrative. Trade: Trade journals are used by industrial purposes where they dictate practical information. Dialectical: This journal is use by students to write on double column notebook. They can write facts, experiments, and observation on the left side and right side can be a series of thoughts and response with an end.Newspaper It is a collection of daily or weekly news of politics, sports, leisure, fashion, movies and business. Magazine Mag azines can be the current affairs or opinions well collected covering various content. Frame Narrative The psychoanalysis of human mind is present in a frame narrative. Here we find another story within the main story. Some of the popular narratives are Pegasus, Wuthering Heights, The Flying Horse, The Three Pigs, A Time to keep and the Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays. Outdoor literature Outdoor literature is the literature of adventure that gives whole exploration of an event.Exciting moments of life such as horse riding, fishing, trekking can be a part of literature. Some outdoor books are ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' by Mark Twain, ‘Treasure Island' by Robert Louis, ‘Voyages' by Richard Hakluyt and ‘A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush' by Eric Newby. Narrative form of Literature Today we find movies, audio and video CD's and Cassettes that present current literature in use. Digital poetry is an upcoming trend too. Comic books, cartoons, eBook and Internet games are the learning methods for children. Literature includes centuries, human nature, cultures and souls. Isn't it?

Character Identification in Drama Essay

One of the most powerful aspects of theater is the way that dramatic expression encourages the viewer to participate in the drama by identifying closely with one or more of the characters depicted on stage. In actuality, the measure of a play’s success depends on the degree to which the playwright is able to convincingly develop and exploit the audience’s identification with the dramatic characters and, in some almost ineffable way, allow them to experience the play’s themes and ideas in an intimate way. Most people probably identify more with a single character of any given play than with the other characters. Obviously, the protagonist of a play is expected to engage the audience’s identification and sympathy, but it is not always the case for every viewer that a given play’s protagonist will supply the most expedient method of sympathy and identification. For example, in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the character of Horatio seems to me, for reasons which I hope to explain shortly, a more sympathetic character and one with which I can closely identify because Horatio is the good-hearted friend who tries to offer actionable advice to Hamlet, only to have his advice ignored and for tragedy to win the day. From the beginning of the play it is clear that Horatio is meant to serve as a psuedo-narrator of the play and his relationship with the audience is established as quickly and as innately as is possible without s direct appeal to the audience. Although Horatio’s simple lines may seem as though they play little role in the overall development of the play, they are, in fact, rich with meaning. By assuring Hamlet that he should not follow the beckoning form of his father’s ghost in the second part of Act 1 Scene 3, Horatio fully expresses his bond with Hamlet, and in doing so, begins to shift the audience-identification and audience sympathy he has established up to that point with the audience to the play’s true protagonist, Hamlet. When Horatio says â€Å"†Do not, my lord. † (Hibbard 183) he is informing the audience that Hamlet faces true danger and that he is concerned for him; so, too, should the audience be concerned. The essence of the relationship between Horatio and Hamlet is consistently portrayed as a genuine friendship. Horatio’s loyalty is important to the play’s climax at the end of Act 5 Scene 2. He cautions Hamlet, again, to avoid his tragic fate: â€Å"If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit. † (Hibbard 344) By now, accustomed to Hamlet’s denial of his friend’s advice, the audience will recall the previous scene when Hamlet, against Horatio’s advice, sought conversation with ghost of his father. They will understand that when Hamlet chooses to disregard the advice of the single character in the play who has demonstrated friendship and loyalty to him, that Hamlet, again, embraces tragic fate. Horatio’s loyalty is â€Å"good† while Hamlet’s loyalty to the ghost of his father is destructive. Horatio represents an â€Å"existential connection to the living moment, whereas the ghost of the King represents the ambiguities of the Christian afterlife† (Holzknecht) and religious dogma as well as cultural tradition and social conservatism. My ability to identify with Horatio comes from the fact that I have also given advice to close friends who opted to ignore that advice and came to ruin. I think most people have probably faced that situation in their lives and the character of Horatio is therefore a good character to encourage audience identification. The same principle is at work in Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† where Hansberry challenged deep cultural ideas about African Americans. By focusing her play on realism, Hansberry created a theme which was radically different than the presentation of America typically seen on Broadway stages. The play’s impact on American audiences was very controversial. Hansberry relied on depicting extreme emotional states and conditions for her characters, as well as enticing her audience to experience the world of her characters with as much empathy as possible. In order to engage the audience, and to cause them to identify with the Youngers, Hansberry uses the device of realism, which extends to the character of Mama who is depicted as a well-meaning and hard-working person who faces insurmountable odds. One important reason why I feel an identification with Mama is because of the very beautiful language Hansberry developed for this character. Hansberry delivers the dialogue of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† in colloquial language and this aspect of them play enhances the play’s realism. The realism of the play then causes the audience to more closely identify with the play’s characters and plot, and each of these aspects of the play helps to communicate the important sociological and racial themes that drive â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun. † Hansberry’s dialogue, in fact, becomes a key driving force of the play’s ultimate revelatory impact on the audience. As the play progresses and the characters become more clearly defined with motivations that the audience can identify with (or despise) the dialect of the play begins to attain a lyrical uniqueness — a vocal music which was unlike any other play on the Broadway stage of the time. Lines such as â€Å"Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams†¦. ’† (Hansberry, 29) or â€Å"â€Å"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing†¦. † (Hansberry, 135) attain the status of aphorism in the context of the play and divulge important social and racial realities that, for most Americans in the mid-twentieth century, existed, if at all, as merely si-debar newspaper articles or in some other abstract realization. My identification with Mama extends to her empathy for others, such as in the case of the abortion which is alluded to in the play: â€Å"Mama realizes how close the other members of the family are to despair when Ruth reveals that the â€Å"doctor† she has seen is not a conventional physician but a woman who has the capability of performing an abortion, an illegal procedure at the time that could subject Ruth to severe criminal penalties† (Domina 8). I think most people have faced situations where they were meant to do what appears to be â€Å"wrong† in order to do what is essentially right. This is the magic of Hansberry’s characterization. In plays such as Antigone which are ancient plays, identification with the characters can sometimes be more difficult for modern audiences. However, the deep identification with Creon which I experienced while reading the play emerges from the timelessness of certain â€Å"faults† of character, namely pride, which I feel is as much a part of modern life as it is â€Å"common† life, or that is, the lives of people who are not kings or royalty. The damaging impact of pride can be felt over trivial matters as well as great issues as those depicted in the play, Antigone. For my own part, I felt an extreme identification with Creon because I have personally experienced the nature of pride and arrogance in relation to my own life and my own social relationships. One of the most important aspects of my identification with Creon is the fact that — by identifying with Creon — one also, indirectly — identifies with the Chorus of the play which, in the long run, serves as a counterpoint to Creon’s increasingly egomaniacal behavior. While I can abstractly connect my own â€Å"trivial† indiscretions with personal power to Creon’s obviously near-mythic exploits, I doubt that most modern readers would necessarily be able to make that connection because the seeming influence of their â€Å"small lvies† would not seem, to them, comparable to the life and actions of a great man. However, the portrayal of â€Å"great men† in classical tragedy was used in order to exaggerate the qualities and personality traits which were viewed as being connected to tragedy. That means that the aspects of Creon which seem near-mythic in Antigone are near-mythic precisely because they are universal and can, in fact, be applied to everyday lives. This is the power of theater: to span time and culture and find universal identification through the portrayal of archetypal characters. Work Cited Domina, Lynn. Understanding a Raisin in the Sun A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Random House, New York. 1959 Holzknecht, Karl J. The Backgrounds of Shakespeare’s Plays. New York: American Book, 1950. Hibbard, G. R. , ed. Hamlet. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998. Sophocles. Sophocles Antigone. Trans. Richard Emil Braun. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Democracy vs Communism essays

Democracy vs Communism essays Democracy and communism are two of the most different, yet important systems of government ever to be set into motion. While total democracy and total communism are not widely spread, the effects of both can be seen in the countries that adopted these forms of government years ago. This is done by the practice of the more modern forms of these two governing systems, liberal democracies and CPC states. Both communist and democratic governments have benefits and disadvantages; therefore many disagree about which may be best. One of the greatest distinctions between a communist and a democratic government are their conflicting economic systems. In a communist government, the goal is to abolish private property and class systems. The public owns the major resources and the means of production. Power is also held in common. The goal of the system is to hinder any individual person or group from becoming extremely wealthy, while others become excessively poor. By giving everyone equal pay and ownership, the system attempts to balance wealth between the previously rich and poor. Over time, the outcome became an increased lower class. However, in a democratic government, the economy prospers by allowing free enterprise. People can work hard for more money and profits. Money is most certainly a driving force in a democracy. Though, a downside might be someone that works just as hard and makes a minimum wage. But, democratic systems seem to be more economically successful that other forms of governmen t. . On the other hand, in a communist society a person can work infinitely harder than a coworker and receive the same pay by the end of the day. This fact has contributed to the downfall of communism. When employees have no incentive to work hard, they become lazy at their jobs which, in turn, drags down the economy. The success of democratic governments may be contributed to the fact of how ...

King Cobra Snake Facts

King Cobra Snake Facts The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is a snake known for its deadly venom and impressive size. Its not truly a cobra (genus Naja), although both species belong to the famiy Elapidae, which includes venomous cobras, sea snakes, kraits, mambas, and adders. Its genus name, Ophiophagus, means snake eater. It is the king because it eats other snakes. Fast Facts: King Cobra Scientific Name: Ophiophagus hannahCommon Names: King cobra, hamadryadBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 10-13 feetWeight: 13 poundsLifespan: 20 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: India and Southeast AsiaPopulation: DecreasingConservation Status: Vulnerable Description The king cobra is the worlds longest venomous snake. Adults typically measure 10.4 to 13.1 feet in length, but one individual measured 19.2 feet. King cobras are dimorphic in size with males larger than females (the reverse of most snake species). The average adult of either sex weighs about 13 pounds, with the heaviest recorded individual weighing 28 pounds. The snake is brown or deep olive green with black and either yellow or white crossbands. Its belly is cream-colored or yellow. King cobras can be distinguished from true cobras by its two large scales on the top back of the head and chevron neck stripes instead of eyes. A king cobra may be identified by the two scales on the back of its head and the chevron pattern on the back of its neck. gaiamoments, Getty Images Habitat and Distribution King cobras live in India, Southeast Asia, and southern East Asia. The snake prefers forests near lakes or streams. Diet and Behavior A king cobra hunts using its eyes and tongue. Because it relies on keen eyesight, it is most active during the daytime. The snakes forked tongue senses vibration and transfers chemical information to the Jacobsons organ in the snakes mouth so it can smell/taste its surroundings. King cobras primarily eat other snakes, but will take lizards, rodents, and birds if necessary. When the snake is threatened, it tries to escape. If cornered, it rears its head and the top third of its body, extends its hood, and hisses. A king cobras hiss is lower in frequency than that of most snakes and sounds like a growl. Cobras in threat posture can still move forward and may deliver multiple bites in a single strike. Reproduction and Offspring King cobras breed between January and April. Males wrestle each other to compete for females. After mating, the female lays between 21 and 40 leathery white eggs. She pushes leaves into a pile over the nest so that decomposition provides heat to incubate the eggs. The male remains close to the nest to help guard it, while the female stays with the eggs. While normally not aggressive, cobras readily defend their nests. The eggs hatch in autumn. Juveniles are black with yellow bands, resembling a banded sea krait. Adults leave the nest after the eggs hatch, but may mate for life. The average life span of a king cobra is 20 years. A baby king cobra hatches from its egg. R. Andrew Odum, Getty Images Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the king cobra conservation status as vulnerable. While its difficult to gauge the number of remaining snakes, the population is decreasing in size. King cobras are threatened by habitat loss from deforestation and are heavily harvested for skin, meat, traditional medicine, and the exotic pet trade. As venomous snakes, cobras are often killed out of fear. King Cobras and Humans King cobras are well known for use by snake charmers. Cobra bites are extremely rare, but most cases of bites involve snake charmers. King cobra venom is neurotoxic, plus it contains digestive enzymes. The venom can kill a human within 30 minutes or even an adult elephant within a matter of hours. In humans, symptoms include severe pain and blurred vision which progresses to drowsiness, paralysis, and ultimately coma, cardiovascular collapse, and death from respiratory failure. Two types of antivenom are produced, but they are not widely available. Thai snake charmers drink a mixture of alcohol and turmeric. A 2012 clinical study verified turmeric confers significant resistance to cobra venom. The mortality rate for untreated cobra bites ranges from 50 to 60%, implying the snake only delivers venom about half the time it bites. Sources Capula, Massimo; Behler. Simon Schusters Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. New York: Simon Schuster, 1989. ISBN 0-671-69098-1.Chanhome, L., Cox, M.J., Vasaruchapong, T., Chaiyabutr, N. and Sitprija, V. Characterization of venomous snakes of Thailand. Asian Biomedicine 5 (3): 311–328, 2011.Mehrtens, J. Living Snakes of the World. New York: Sterling, 1987. ISBN 0-8069-6461-8.Stuart, B., Wogan, G., Grismer, L., Auliya, M., Inger, R.F., Lilley, R., Chan-Ard, T., Thy, N., Nguyen, T.Q., Srinivasulu, C. Jelić, D. Ophiophagus hannah. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T177540A1491874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T177540A1491874.enWood, G.L. The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats. Sterling Publishing Co Inc., 1983 ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9.

How Gorbachev's regime come to an end, collapsing the Soviet Union Research Paper

How Gorbachev's regime come to an end, collapsing the Soviet Union - Research Paper Example There are a variety of reasons why the Soviet Union collapsed, bringing the era of Communism with it. Wohlworth (1994-1995) states that the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War is a complex event that has no easy answers. He also states that the theories which have been put forth to explain the end of the Cold War have been weak, and that it is necessary to disaggregate the end of the Cold War to get to a theory which might be plausible. He states that there were three keys to understanding what happened with the Soviet Union at the end of the Gorbachev era. The first key is that the â€Å"decision-makers' assessments of power are what matters† (Wohlworth, 1994-1995, p. 97). In particular, Wohlworth states that power is complex and it can be thought of either in terms of capabilities or influence. Capabilities are reassessed according to new and different information about non-material elements of capability, even when there is only a slight change in the mater ial measures. He also states that expectations inform policy, as all policies are future oriented. Therefore, a decision to reform, go to war, or retrench is contingent upon an assessment of what the future may hold. For instance, a nation may look and see that it is in decline. If this decline is reversible, then the nation may decide against a risky decision, such as warfare, and opt instead of a less-risky course of action, such as reform or retrenchment. The second key, according to Wohlworth (1994-1995), is that if the nation in the decline is a challenger, as opposed to a hegemon, that nation is more likely to retrench and reform instead of opting for war. This would help explain the end of the Soviet Union, as it was not a declining hegemon, but, rather, a declining challenger. The Soviet Union, while chafing against the American-dominated system of global influence, knew that it was not the predominant influence in the world. Therefore, as the Soviet Union was aware of its s tatus on the world stage – that it was not the dominant influence in the world, but, rather, a challenger, it did not want to go to war to preserve the status quo of its country. This theory is in contrast of an early theory of hegemonic war, put forth by Thucydides, that war may occur when there is a dynamic challenger and a moribund hegemon. In Thucydides' theory, the Soviet Union would have to have been dynamic, which means that it was in the process of transitioning to a hegemon, and the United States would have to be a moribund, which would mean that it was on the decline. While Wohlworth acknowledges that, at one point, the Soviet Union was a dynamic challenger, in the 1950s and 1960s, by the time the Soviet Union collapsed, it was a moribund challenger. In contrast, at this same point, the United States was a dynamic defender and hegemon. Therefore, the Soviet Union could not, rationally, have chosen to go to war to protect itself, because it saw the end

Western Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Western Art - Essay Example Classical architecture is based on the ‘symbolism’; a unit which is designed by categorization is mainly by the type of column used. Each order use to designed from the column, plus its base, plinth, or pedestal (if any), the crowning feature of the shaft, and the attractive horizontal member that triumphs of column, divided into three bands—architrave, frieze, and cornice. The Greeks used to have three orders, to get progressively slimmer and more ornately decorated: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, named after regions of Greece in which they are said to have been first used. The Romans later added two more orders—Tuscan, a starker form of Doric, and Composite, the richest of all. It was the combination of the features of Ionic and Corinthian—but Corinthian was the representation of the great order of the imperial Rome. Vitruvius discussed the orders, and from this resulted in the revival of the idea which represented their proportions and detailing which were codified and demonstrated in countless architectural treatises. Neolithic architecture appeared around 5500 to 8000 BC but there has been some evidence indicating that early Neolithic architecture appeared as early as 10000 BC in Syria and Iraq. Early Neolithic people especially in Mesopotamia were great builders who primarily used mud bricks to raise houses. More often than not these houses were painted with intricate landscapes of humans and animals probably depicting the way life were led in those times. These people also made elaborate tombs for their dead, a very good example of which is the Mane Braz megalithic tomb in Brittany, France. Stonehenge  is a  primitive  monument  located in the  English  county of  Wiltshire, which is the most famous prehistoric sites of world; Stonehenge is  earthworks  surrounded with large standing stones in a circular setting.  Archaeologists  believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC. Now if we

Irony in the drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Irony in the drama - Essay Example Sophocles makes use of both of the mentioned ironies in order to present the story of Oedipus while on the other hand, Shakespeare also takes support of both of the mentioned ironies in the lieu of literary techniques. Both the protagonists of the plays are destined to their downfall. Even if they make decisions, they make it in order to support the prophecies made. In addition, the playwrights were interested to take their heroes towards tragic endings due to which, they enabled them to make their decisions that were in the interest of the tragic ending. If they had decided differently, still they were to meet their prophecies as structured by both the playwrights. In Oedipus the king, dramatic irony is employed at various locations such as the prophecy about Oedipus that he will murder his own father and marry his own mother is revealed at the beginning of the play and the audiences of the play are aware of the prophecy and the ending of the play. On the other hand, Oedipus is quite ignorant about the prophecy and its implications. Even, when he gains knowledge about this prophecy, he tries to change the prediction by moving away from the parents who adopted him (Knox 1998). Oedipus thinks that he will change the prediction by means of getting away from his parents and by leaving his state but in actuality, he moves towards his real parents and kills his father ignorantly. Later on in the play, Oedipus tries to find the murderer of Laios, his real father, unknowingly that he, himself is the murderer (Knox 1998). Oedipus ironically announces that he will avenge the murderer by saying: The example of verbal irony can be seen when Oedipus promises that he will avenge Laios like his own father and will take his murderer in chains. Here, Oedipus is not aware that he is the murderer for whom he is searching. Also in the above mentioned quotation, Oedipus not knowingly announces that he will avenge the murdered king as he would have avenged his father, which is a

Dworkin Theory of Law as Integrity

Dworkin Theory of Law as Integrity In Laws Empire, Dworkin has distinguished three legal conceptions: conventionalism, pragmatism and law as integrity  [1]  , by criticizing conventionalism and pragmatism, Dworkin concludes that law as integrity is the most plausible and defensible. However, criticism to Dworkins argument-law as Integritycan be seen in various academic works. In this essay, first and foremost, we will briefly discuss the basic arguments of Dworkins theory of law as integrity then we will go on to criticize Dworkins theory in light of relevant legal theories. Introduction of the Theory of Law as integrity Conventionalism Pragmatism In the theory of conventionalism, legal rights can only emerge from existing law, including precedents and legislation. Conventionalism also holds the view that judges must follow the law and should make decisions only based on existing statutes and more importantly, judges must respect what convention deems binding law.  [2]   According to the theory of pragmatism, assignments of legal rights and responsibilities must be consistent with past decisions. Moreover, the pragmatist theory holds the view that adjudication is not really constrained by the law. Hence, pragmatism argues that judges should decide what decision will, according to them, be best for the community as a whole.  [3]  This means that for reasons of strategy judges must sometimes act as if they are applying pre-existing legal rights.  [4]  In the meanwhile, in accordance with pragmatist theory, to some extent, the behaviour of a court in making decision of certain case is not constrained by the existing law. These two legal theories are highly criticized by Dworkin. As Dworkin points out that assumes that judges sometimes invent law, which means that they act in an unconstrained manner. Pragmatism also assumes that judges are hardly constrained when adjudicating cases. It thus cannot account for why judges are so concerned with precedents and statutes when they decide hard cases.  [5]   Dworkin then provides a third theory of law, which he believes not only better represents what actually happens when judges decide cases but is also a morally better theory of law. Law as Integrity The concept of Law as Integrity is a key to Dworkins Constructive Interpretation of legal practice.  [6]  According to Dworkin, judges should identify legal rights and obligations on the basis that all the rights and obligations are crated by the community as integrity, and all those rights and obligations express the communitys conception of justice and fairness. In accordance with Dworkin, the only way to understand legal practice seems to be thattaking the interpretative perspectives of the participant into consider in the practice. Dworkin claims that when judges (as well as lawyers) consider which way is the best to solve a legal issue, they should not simply identify exactly what positive law is applicable in a certain case, but taking an interpretative approach to law as social practice. Dworkin emphasizes that a solution to a certain case is always sought out through a matter of interpretative practice. Dworkins perspective here is quite against that of conventionalists, the conventionalists insist that in dealing with a certain case, the judge only should identify exactly what law is applicable. Furthermore, Dworkin points out that in the debate of a certain case, different opinions and arguments are raised by lawyers, and under this circumstance, the decision of what law is applicable in the case is usually based on what opinion the law amounts to in a particular matter rather than what conventions apply. Participants in such a debate thus do not attempt to link the facts of a case with the supposedly posited law applicable but rather interpret the law in light of a general normative justification or moral point expressed in it. A participant interpreting a social practice [i.e. the law], according to that view, proposes value for the practice by describing some scheme of interest or goals or principles the practice can be taken to serve or express or exemplify.  [7]   Dworkin argues that network of political structures and decisions of his community  [8]  must always be called on by a judge when the judge goes about adjudicating. For instance, legislation and case law which must be identified in a pre-interpretative stage Then in the following stages, the judge must always question himself whether his interpretation of this network could form part of a coherent theory justifying the network as a whole. No actual judge could compose of anything approaching a full interpretation of all of his communitys law at once. But an actual judge can () allow the scope of his interpretation to fan out from the cases immediately in point to cases in the same general area or department of law, and then still farther, so far as this seems promising.  [9]  In accordance with Dworkins arguments, the interpretation of law should not only fit into the legal system but also be the best normative justification of law as such, this means that not only must the i nterpretation of the judges be consistent with the law identified at the pre-interpretative stage, but also the law must be interpreted in a way which is the best in the participants mind. Moreover, according to Dworkins theory, both the judge and any other participant should adjust his own sense of of what the practice really requires so as better to serve the justification he accepts at the interpretative stage.  [10]   We notice that, in accordance with Dworkin, morality affects the whole process of adjudication of cases. By contrast, he dose not express the view that a certain case should be adjudicated and resolved on the basis of sole considerations of justice. Dworkin claims that the moral standards should be derived form the explicit and existing legal practice and contrary to positivists, Dworkin believes that moral principles that cohere with past legal practice are valid propositions of law as well-so much so that these principles can and should go beyond what legal conventions teach us the law is.  [11]   In Dworkins theory, there are two basic elements of law, one is a retrospective element, which he calls fit, and the other is a prospective element, which he calls justification.  [12]  Furthermore, Dworkin points out that in exercising the function of these two elements, judges are required to construct a theory of law which can both fit past legal decisions and makes the law as good as possible. In doing this, the judges are required to search out legal principles which have been previously mentioned in the historical and social characteristics of the legal system and then improve the law for the future by making it more coherent  [13]  . Hence, we can say that according to Dwokins theory, in dealing with a certain case, the judge should try to interpret the law in a way which promotes the coherence of the legal system as well as possible. In other words, it is to say that an interpretationwhich is the most coherent to legal systemis much better than an interpretation-which makes the legal system less coherent. This implies that when interpretation is concerned, there exists a certain tension between what is presented by the existing positivist material and what is the best way to interpret such material from a moral point of view.  [14]   From the view of Dworkin, a judge is like an author in writing a novel, in that case a new author is bound by what another author has written in a previous chapter, but the new author will subsequently attempt to continue the novel in the best possible way.  [15]  A judge should view his or her role in a chain in law, he or she is not purely independent, but is indeed independent to some extent,He knows that other judges have decided cases that, although not exactly like his case, deal with related problems; he must think of their decisions as part of a long story he must interpret and then continue, according to his own judgement of how to make the developing story as good as it can be.  [16]  In other words, Dworkin holds the view that law is not arbitrary but rather the expression of an underlying attempt at forming and clarifying a coherent legal consciousness of society.  [17]  Hence, in interpreting certain legal text, a judge is not completely free. The judge is no t allowed to inject any personal morality into the interpretation of the legal document. More essentially, a judge is required to interpret with the purpose of establishing coherence based on the integrity of existing law. Furthermore, decision making by the judge will depend, that is, not only on his beliefs about which of these principles is superior as a matter of abstract justice but also about which should be followed, as a matter of political fairness, in a community whose members have the moral convictions his fellow citizens have.  [18]  Dworkin also explains this in more general terms: There are two possibilities. Someone might say that interpretation of a social practice means discovering the purposes or intentions of the other social participants in the practice (). Or that it means discovering the purposes of the community that houses the practice, conceived as itself having some form of mental life or group consciousness. The first of these suggestions seems more attractive because less mysterious. But it is ruled out by the internal structure of an argumentative social practice, because it is a feature of such practices that an interpretive claim is not just a claim about what other i nterpreters think. () [A] social practice creates and assumes a crucial distinction between interpreting the acts and thoughts of participants one by one, in that way, and interpreting that practice itself, that is, interpreting what they do collectively. It assumes that distinction because the claims and arguments participants make, licensed and encouraged by the practice, are about what it means, not what they mean. () [An interpreter must therefore] join the practice he proposes to understand ().  [19]   Criticism of Dworkins Legal Theory Moral to full extent According to Michael Sandel  [20]  , Dwokins legal theory begins with the principles of freedom and equality that justify the institutions of democracy and law. However, as Stephen Guise points out that the claim that democracy is just and that law is part of democracy is a claim about a moral ideal.  [21]  If we go further, that is to say, in a moral level, the world without democracy is better than a democratic world. Since in a democratic world, laws are enacted and enforced but laws may be substantively unjust. Stephen Guest criticizes that The theory of Dworkins is moral to the full extent. Interpretation is therefore is not constrained by facts even though it makes use of facts. It does not follow that his theory is subjective, because his moral views like all moral views are subject to revision, correction and, in short, reason.  [22]  Stephen Breyer says that constitutional standards keep subjective judicial decision-making in check.  [23]  In my mind, it is right, but not purely right, that is because, this statement implies that there exists some external checking fact on these judicial subjective judgments, more importantly, this statement demonstrates that judges should not formulate applicable constitutional standards. In the theory of Dworkins, interpretation is something close to the end-product of moralizing with others who are largely in agreement and who endorse true propositions of modality.  [24]  This means that the origin of Dworkins legal theory is moral pro posals concerning equality and freedom. Dworkin cannot explain the extraordinary rigidity of the U.S. Constitution, in particular the way that entrenched provisions of the Constitution conservatively constrain judges by imposing the dead hand of the past  [25]  . In Dworkins perspective, there is no categorical distinction between distinction history and substance, although there is an argument of fit, as we mentioned before, this is merely another form of argument of substance. So in Dworkins theory, there is no way of identifying historical facts about the Constitution distinct from its moral substance. The only arguments are moral arguments and as we mentioned in the first part, Dworkin expresses the idea that entrenched positions can be interpreted morally, in terms, for example, of the protection of democratic decision-making. So law is a form of moralizing that is also an integral part of democracy. If we genuinely believe in equality of respect, we naturally end up with endorsing representative democracy, which means legislative activity through delegated agency. It is not just that the legislature represents my view through legislation but, merely in its existence, it expresses my conviction that I respect others equally. Since I do, I must allow that their convictions count, too, and so I must abide by whatever the procedural outcome is of this respect I owe to others. Moral convictions and objectivity. There is a conflict in Dworkins theory, on one hand, Dworkin emphasizes objectivity in decision making, on the other hand, Dworkin put decision onto a moral basis. As Duncan Kennedy  [26]  claims that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the judges should not choose the interpretation that applies their own moral and political convictions. I personally dont see what else they could applyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Furthermore, as Waldron points out that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦These are convictions, not whims, and even where there is nothing else but ones own convictions to follow, no-one thinks that it means those convictions are rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [27]  So it is rare or even impossible that a judge will not take personal moral convictions into the process of adjudication or interpretation. Unclear about Justice By holding the same view with Waldron, Smith  [28]  supposes that Dworkins idea or justice is not clear since Dworkin has argued that justice depends on recognizable principles. Furthermore, Smith questions that why should a principle of justice have to be recognizable?  [29]  For principles of justice will surely gain moral recognition if they do because they have force independent of recognition. Someone has to do the recognizing first. How to achieve ideal integrity? Susan Hurley  [30]  defends Dworkins perspective against a claim by Kenneth Kress  [31]  that Dworkin cannot provide a coherent consideration of law in circumstances where there is an intervening judicial decision between a set of facts that ground litigation and the litigation itself. Does the judge decide on the basis of the previous law, or the intervening law? Hurley concludes that if the intervening decision is right, then there is coherence, therefore, there is no problem; if it is wrong, it is a mistake, and need not count. A question may be raised here thatalthough it may have created further rights, say, to reasonable expectations being met, which will cohere with integrity? Moreover, Hurley  [32]  sees the problem in terms of overall moral coherence untrammeled by worries about descriptive facts'. So Hurley usefully broadens the picture by pointing out that coherence is determined as much by hypothetical facts, those that test the limits of principle (and which judges often use), as they are by judicial decisions. Furthermore, as we mentioned before, in Dworkins legal theory, when dealing with a particular case, a judge should interpret and apply law in light of the whole legal system, and make interpretation which is consistent with the integrity of the legal system. However, is this really applicable in practice? In accordance with Waldron  [33]  , it is a challenge to Dworkins descriptive optimism that the facts of the American legal system could make it impossible to give an overall account of American law that would remain true to integrity. But as Stephen argues that there is no such tension between facts and moral optimism as he appears to envisage. The facts are either incorporated into the argument that makes for integrity or they are discounted. There is the possibility that the American legal system has become so dysfunctional that no moral case for integrity can be made for it, but that seemingly remote possibility would not be an embarrassment for Dworkins theory.  [34]  Waldrons comments seem to imply that there are facts that determine law independently of interpretation. And so it has the general form of: Imagine a legal system where integrity might not apply; what then? Dworkins reply can only be and it is his reply that We cannot be sure, before we look, because noth ing in his legal theory requires that all legal systems display integrity  [35]  . Finally, Dworkin must allow that, by making best sense of an existing legal practice, we may still conclude that the practice failed the ideal. Take the fugitive slave Acts for instance.  [36]  What should the judges do when they are legally required to send captured slaves back to the South? In order to maintain the integrity of legal system, the judges should send those slaves back but to achieve the goal of justice, judges should set the slaves free. Hence, the outcome of the judgment represents a serious conflict between integrity and jusitice. A positivist will deal this case by distinguishing legal justice and real justice, but in Dworkins theory, this is criticized. According to Dworkins theory, the relevant ideal here is the ideal of integrity; it is through bad legal argument that one fails to meet that ideal, and it is bad because it hasnt made maximal use, in the circumstances of actual practice, what that actual ideal of integrity requires. So interpretivism produces an ideal, but it is not the outcome that would be the best in all possible worlds, which is how we ordinarily think of ideals. But maybe this doesnt particularly matter. We have the ideal solution in integrity and this differs from the ideal solution in justice. At times both fairness and efficiency require following precedents, but integrity is different, although it will serve both those values as well. Nevertheless, the ideal of integrity appears to be constrained by existing practices in a way that the ideal of justice is not. Or, by its nature, it seems, interpretation is only possible within the existing world, which suggests it is not an ideal at all. A cruder way of putting this point is that making the best sense of existing legal practices is no more than adequately characterizing equity deficits, that is to say characterizing how far these practices fall short of the ideal. If the Legal System is Wicked Obviously, a consequence of Dworkins views is that the legal system itself may not contain too many mistakes. That is because in Dworkins theory, the normative dimension feeds on the law itself, and more importantly, Dworkin emphasizes the relationship between local politics and law. As a matter of fact, Dworkins theory is constructed on the presupposition that the integrity of the legal community is in a large measure reflected in its law. So if the justification of law is to flow from societys political decisions (in the form of law), it follows that these decisions must also be justifiable as such; but this is obviously not always the case, as the examples of Apartheid South Africa and Nazi Germany show. Why would we make racism the best it can be? Dworkins argument here is circular in that it presupposes, in his case, the existence of a liberal democracy  [37]   We also note that Dworkins theory does not require abandoning the history or anthropology of wicked legal systems. As we mentioned before, Dworkin holds the view that law should be treated as conventional, because that is a theory that clearly has a moral point  [38]  . There is no need to talk in terms of the Hart-Dworkin debate'  [39]  Stephen claims, especially as they barely debated these questions. The debate should instead concern the theoretical question of the identification of the conditions according to which propositions of law are true. That debate is important because it concerns, amongst other matters, our moral obligation to conform to law. And so while it is right that we move away from the Hart- Dworkin debate, it would be wrong to move from questions concerning the identification of law, because these are at the core of our moral obligations to the community.  [40]  It is true that there will be occasions when the law requires something the moral force o f which grates with a judges personal convictions. There will therefore be occasions when it may be morally right for the judge to lie where justice trumps integrity. But I dont see how any of this affects Dworkins theory unless, yet again, one supposes that some descriptive fact defeats the moral judgment. Both the systems of apartheid and Nazism contained elements of good that could be put to use through integrity. Since these systems regularly enforced equality in some spheres, and morality says that the racial classifications are wrong, then the laws promoting the immoral policies can be made out as dysfunctional, perverted, or even mistaken and, so, not creative of moral obligations. However, if there is no articulated and public structure that, as Dyzenhaus says, citizens have been encouraged to obey and treat as a source of rights and duties,  [41]  it is difficult to see what is left. Where there is such a semblance of law, of an articulate public structure of rights an d duties, citizens acquiescence forms something of a legitimizing base, which, incidentally, Fuller called the external morality of law.  [42]   What will be interpreted cannot be distinguished from the interpretation itself It is not very clear in what respect an analogy can be drawn between law and literature in that legal texts constrain judges in their interpretative activities. Some argue that legal texts themselves are texts as well and thus also must be interpreted. In other words, what is to be interpreted cannot be distinguished from the interpretation itself. There is no such thing as a text out there  [43]  , and meaning is derived from interpretation. From that point of view, a previous legal text as such does not put any constraints on its interpretation but rather on the shared understandings that live within the interpreting community. Conclusion As we have discussed throughout this essay, although Dworkin tried to provide a theory of law, which, at least in his opinion, not only better represents what actually happens when judges decide cases but is also a morally better theory of law. It seems that his work is unsuccessful. Dworkin tried to avoid the shortcomings of both conventionalist theory and pragmatist theory. In the theory of law as integrity, when comes to interpretation of law, on one hand, Dworkin expects to make the judge constrained by law by arguing that the interpretation of law should follow the step of former decisions and be coherent with the existing legal system, on the other hand, Dworkin tries to make the judge creative, and emphasizes on the moral issues in the process of interpretation. Moreover, Dworkin connects law with other social elements, such as politics and local community, and enlarged the conception of integrity. In conclusion, we see Dworkins theory of law as integrity is good in a moral level but bad in a legal level. As we have discussed in this essay, Dworkins theory of law as integrity lacks applicability, if a theory only sounds good but could not be applied in practice, this theory is not a good one. In addition, as a legal theory, Dworkins theory of law as integrity fails in the following essential aspects. Firstly, this theory made its sole concept integrity conflicted with the concept of justice under certain circumstances. Secondly, when Dworkin makes law closely related to politics, actually, more problems have been raised rather than solved.

Experiments :: essays research papers

 newspaper  measuring cups  1 cup of dry cornstarch  large bowl or pan  food coloring (if you want)  1/2 cup of water Put newspaper down on your counter or tabletop. Put the cornstarch into the bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring. (Use whatever colors you like.) Add water slowly, mixing the cornstarch and water with your fingers until all the powder is wet. Keep adding water until the Ooze feels like a liquid when you're mixing it slowly. Then try tapping on the surface with your finger or a spoon. When Ooze is just right, it won't splash--it will feel solid. If you Ooze is too powdery, add a little more water. If it's too wet, add more cornstarch. Play around with your Ooze! Pick up a handful and squeeze it. Stop squeezing and it will drip through your fingers. Rest your fingers on the surface of the Ooze. Let them sink down to the bottom of the bowl. Then try to pull them out fast. What happens? Take a blob and roll it between your hands to make a ball. Then stop rolling. The Ooze will trickle away between your fingers. Put a small plastic toy on the surface. Does it stay there or does it sin k? Ketchup, like Ooze, is a non-Newtonian fluid. Physicists say that the best way to get ketchup to flow is to turn the bottle over and be patient. Smacking the bottom of the bottle actually slows the ketchup down! Why does my Ooze act like that? Your Ooze is made up of tiny, solid particles of cornstarch suspended in water. Chemists call this type of mixture a colloid. As you found out when you experimented with your Ooze, this colloid behaves strangely. When you bang on it with a spoon or quickly squeeze a handful of Ooze, it freezes in place, acting like a solid. The harder you push, the thicker the Ooze becomes. But when you open your hand and let your Ooze ooze, it drips like a liquid. Try to stir the Ooze quickly with a finger, and it will resist your movement. Stir it slowly, and it will flow around your finger easily. Most liquids don't act like that. If you stir a cup of water with your finger, the water moves out of the way easily--and it doesn't matter whether you stir it quickly or slowly.

Conventional Supermarkets Essay

Retail Branding Strategy Retailer branding strategy can be defined as an approach planned by the organisation to achieve the organisation’s missions and goals. Retail branding strategies also facilitates in their competitive advantage in the industry. With strategies applied, companies can be viewed as a distinctive store as compared to other companies. There are various strategies that retail companies can adapt and one of the retailing strategies consists of seven factors; operating procedures, location, merchandising customer services, consumers, pricing, and promotion factors. (cite book) Conventional Supermarket An industry that we would also touch upon is conventional supermarket. Conventional supermarket is a departmentalized food store with a wide range of food and related products. The supermarkets are usually differentiated by their sizes e.g. a conventional supermarket is between 500 and 2000m2. (cite pdf) Supermarket Strategy Goods Conventional supermarkets should have a basic retailing strategy that they can adapt globally. Firstly, what goods do conventional supermarkets want to offer? A conventional supermarket typically offers a wide range of products and assortment and their merchandises would include both private and generic labels. Private labels are also known as house brands in food retailing. House brands were introduced to promote brand loyalty and are usually priced at affordable prices as compared to other brands that the supermarket takes in. Prices Prices are generally competitive in conventional supermarkets due to high competition within many firms for the same consumer with homogeneous product offerings (Dolan and Simon, 1996; Kotler, 2003; Lucas et al., 1994) Competitive price is defined as price of a product is based on what other competitors are charging thus it is not relatively as low as the old-fashioned neighbourhood convenience stores that are also locally known as ‘Indian Mama Shops’. Consumers Secondly, a supermarket has to decide on the target consumers in order to proceed with the location of the supermarket. Since conventional supermarkets offer largely food and related household products, they aim mainly on families that come from middle to low income. In addition, it targets working or non-working adults that are aged above 30 years. Location Since conventional supermarkets target on families, these supermarkets are located in the neighbourhood area with large trading area. The supermarkets are situated in residential areas as it is highly accessible and gives convenience for consumers. Their location might also be influenced due to location of competitors as it would enhance their trading areas. Operating procedures The operating procedure of supermarkets starts with Supermarket Licence which is mandated by the Environmental Public Health Act. Every business owners has to comply with cleanliness and food safety guidelines to prevent any food-borne diseases. The basic operating procedures that supermarkets have to follow are Hazard Analysis and Critical Control point (HACCP) system, cleaning and sanitation programs, pest control programs, waste management, transportation of finished products and maintenance program (Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore 2012). Store Atmosphere & Customer Services Conventional supermarkets have average store atmosphere whereby it is neither isolated nor too crowded. A good strategy that supermarkets do is categorizing the items for shoppers’ convenience in searching for goods. Customer services should be good as staffs play important role in assisting customers at the counters and shelves. Promotion Conventional supermarkets are one of the market players in the industry that invest highly in their promotions. Promotions include heavy use of newspaper, flyers and TV advertisements. These promotions have to be kept in line with the customers that supermarkets are targeting e.g. if the supermarket aims to attract younger customers, online promotions would be  preferred. Sheng Siong Supermarket Sheng Siong is one of Singapore’s largest retailers with over S$578.4 million in revenue for year 2011. Sheng Siong supermarket provides customers with both â€Å"wet and dry† shopping experience and their merchandises include a wide assortment of seafood, meat and vegetables, processed, packaged and/or preserved food products as well as general merchandise such as toiletries and essential household products. Sheng Siong Strategy Sheng Siong has complied with most of the strategies stated in the above. Firstly, the supermarket offers wide variety of food products and general merchandise. They also provide both generic and house brands products. The Housebrands stated in the image below are owned by Sheng Siong supermarket. (Sheng Siong 2012) These house brands allow bigger savings for consumers as they are priced lower than other generic products. Prices at Sheng Siong are generally low but competitive as we are able to find same products at other supermarkets at the same price. Sheng Siong supermarkets are located strategically in the heartlands of Singapore. With 33 stores located in the North, South, East, West and Central parts of Singapore, it shows that Sheng Siong aims to targets on every family in Singapore regardless of income status or age. Photo of Sheng Siong supermarket at Bedok Reservoir Road Photo of Neighbourhood opposite Sheng Siong supermarket @ Bedok Reservoir Road In complying with the operational procedures that are set by government bodies e.g. National Environmental Agency, Singapore Civil Defence Force and AVA, Sheng Siong has acquired licenses, permits, approvals and certifications for the business operations in Singapore (Sheng Siong 2012). Sheng Siong is also strategically categorized their merchandise for shoppers’ ease of identifying and convenience. Sheng Siong also provides consumers with a unique ‘push-basket’ for customers to shop at ease. Row 7 – Snacks/TidbitsWheeled basket Customer service is not really emphasized in Sheng Siong’s values but the supermarket offers weighing services for customers and they have many staffs in the supermarket to assist customers. Lastly, Sheng Siong has come up with promotion strategy using flyers and newspapers. One of their current promotions is lucky draw and winners are announced on the Sheng Siong Show. Weighing Service Sheng Siong Lucky Draw promotion 2012 NTUC Fairprice Supermarket One of the largest competitors of Sheng Siong is NTUC Fairprice. NTUC Fairprice is Singapore’s largest retailer with a network of over 230 outlets comprising FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, FairPrice Xpress and Cheers convenience stores. NTUC Fairprice Strategy Fairprice supermarket offers a wide range of foods products and household merchandise as well. Similarly, they provide house brand which is named after the company’s name i.e. Fairprice. NTUC Fairprice supermarket has come up with a strategy of having discounts on their specific house brand in order to attract customers to patronize their private brands instead. The image below shows the differences of the prices between their generic and house brand products. Also, Fairprice supermarket has also strategically located itself in the heartlands within walking distance from housing estates and competitors. They currently have over 90 stores of Fairprice supermarkets located across Singapore to cater to varied needs of consumers. This strategy is to gather more consumers as competitors would increase the trading area for Fairprice supermarket. Fairprice supermarket located nearby Guardian and 7-11 convenience stores Fairprice supermarkets have also complied with the licenses and regulations of supermarket in Singapore. In fairprice, customer service is emphasized as a key value in order to serve customers better. They also provide self-service methods for the consumers to have a freedom in their goods’ choice. Their promotions are similar to Sheng Siong’s such as newspapers and flyers. Fairprice supermarket also offers festive promotions such as discounts in Christmas period. Pros & Cons of Conventional Supermarkets Conventional supermarkets serve both advantages and disadvantages to both retailer and customer. Firstly, supermarkets have the advantage of low cost of operations thus being able to sell goods at lower price. Due to low cost of purchasing products from suppliers, it enables customers to purchase products at discounted prices as compared to convenient stores which mark up prices of the products. Conventional supermarket definitely offers the freedom of selection to customers due to wide variety and ease of shopping. They also have high degree of efficiency due to elimination of service such as packing. It is also an advantage to customers as the shelves are easily reached out and the size of the shopping experience is neither too big nor small e.g. convenient stores offers limited products and hypermarkets offer too wide of variety for customers who do daily shopping. However, there are downsides regarding conventional supermarkets. References Genessa M. Fratto, Michelle R. Jones, Nancy L. Cassill, (2006),†An investigation of competitive pricing among apparel retailers and brands†, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 10 Iss: 4 pp. 387 – 404 Barry Berman and Joel R. Evans. 2012. Retail Management, A Strategic Approach. http://www.fairprice.com.sg http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/9407/1/sp07be06.pdf http://singaporesupermarketrecipes.com/fairprice-ntuc-weekly-promotions-week-37/ (ntuc promo pic) http://www.sgsaleinfo.com/v2.0/tagsearch/Sheng%20Shiong/1 (sheng siong promo pic) http://www.guidemesingapore.com/industry-guides/retail/setting-up-a-retail-outlet-in-singapore http://www.ava.gov.sg/FoodSector/FoodTradersAndEst/LicOtherFoodProcessEst/ http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BStraits%2BTimes/Story/A1Story20080205-48245.html http://singaporesupermarketrecipes.com/category/shopping-guide/supermarkets/sheng-siong/ (supermarket)