Stegosaurus

The clam is a benthic, epifaunal and sesile organism with bilateral symmetry. The star is a benthic, epifaunal and sesile organism with pentameral symmetry. The crab is a benthic, epifaunal and vagrant organism with bilateral symmetry. The sea urchin is a benthic, epifaunal and sessile organism with radial symmetry. The hermit crab is a benthic, epifaunal and vagrant organism with bilateral symmetry. The squid is a pelagic and nektonic organism with bilateral symmetry. The barnacles are benthic, epifaunal and sessile organisms.The crayfish is a benthic, epifaunal and vagrant organism with bilateral symmetry. The shrimp is a benthic, epifaunal and vagrant organism with bilateral symmetry. The turtle is a pelagic and nektonic organism with bilateral symmetry. The bryozoan is a benthic, epifaunal and sessile organism with asymmetric symmetry. The ammonite is a benthic, epifaunal and vagrant organism with bilateral symmetry. The horn coral is a benthic, epifaunal and sessile organism tha t has radial symmetry. The fish is a pelagic and nektonic organism with bilateral symmetry.The sea urchin is a benthic, epifaunal and sessile organism that has radial symmetry. The shark is a pelagic and nektonic organism with bilateral symmetry. The ammonite is a benthic, epifaunal and sessile organism with radial symmetry. The trilobite is a benthic, infaunal and vagrant organism with bilateral symmetry. No, it would not be successfull on the sea floor and it certainly would not be successfull burrowing or living in the sea floor, although squid do sometimes prey on benthic organisms. The squid uses its tentacles to grab and eat its prey.The squid uses its muscles to pump through the water. And has adapted to see better with large eyes. No they would not do so well living on land, they float through the sea so they would not have any means or mobilization, also, they use long tentacles to sting and catch their prey, this would not be very efficient on land. The hermit crab uses th e shell to protect itself from prey. Because the animal moves so slowly, it needs the added protection. It could be that the animal could not move fast and would need to curl up in its shell to protect itself from prey.

Ethics and Corporate Responsibility in the Workplace and the World Essay

Abstract This paper will examine the ethics of a pharmaceutical company by the name of PharmaCARE. Stakeholders will be discussed, and the treatment of rank and file workers versus executives will be analyzed. Also the proposed firing of three of PharmaCare’s workers will be debated. Additionally obligations, protection, and whistleblowing opportunities will be examined on behalf of Allen a manager for the company. PharmaCARE’s environmental initiatives will be assessed and compared to their efforts to stop environmental laws and regulations. The Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ( CERCLA) will be reviewed, and all provisions which apply to the PharmaCARE scenario will be discussed. PharmaCARE is one of the world’s most successful pharmaceutical companies. It has a reputation for producing high quality products that saved millions of lives, and enhance the quality of millions of others. The company sponsors a program that offers free and discounted medication to low income customers. PharmaCARE has many stakeholders. Stakeholders being any one or group owning a significant percentage of a company shares, or a person or group not owning shares in an enterprise but affected by or having interest in its operation.(W.Dictionary) Having established the definition of a stakeholder, one can concur that PharmaCARE has plenty. When identifying the company’s stakeholders the first that come to mind are the investors, shareholders and employees, without these people the company would cease to exist. The secondary stakeholders are the customers, suppliers, communities, clinics, hospitals, and doctors’ offices, all of these groups have an interest or wil l be affected by the operations of PharmaCARE. Established in New Jersey, PharmaCARE owns a substantial manufacturing facility in the African nation of Colberia. The natives of the land are extremely poor and maintain the lowest standard of living. PharmaCARE employs the natives, paying them a measly one dollar a day salary to gather plants and carry up to fifty pounds five miles. The company executives that run the facility on the other hand live in a luxury compound provided by the company. PharmaCARE’s practice of paying people to work for a dollar a day is totally utilitarian. They are getting cheap labor and destroying the land of the natives without even trying to provide a structure to help the people out of poverty, or provide equipment or facilities to help them replenish their land. PharmaCARE is morally corrupt, they have no sense of community when it comes to their bottom line. The executive of PharmaCARE are paid sizable salaries and are treated well. They are provided with facilities that contain all the amen ities. The lower ranking employees are treated as expendables. They are expected to work in unsafe conditions without complaint, or risk the chance of being fired. They are in some cases paid a salary so miniscule that it can be interpreted as modern day slavery. On the surface PharmaCARE looks to be an ethically sound company but when closely evaluated it is utilitarianism at its worst. Allen Jones a manager for the company was appointed to lead a new division created by PharmaCARE called CompCARE. The subsidiary was a way for PharmaCARE to avoid FDA scrutiny concerning the reformulation and selling of their top selling diabetes drug. The company quickly established CompCARE and did a low cost renovation to an office located close to headquarter. The new formulation of the drug was successful for treating Alzheimer and the success of CompCARE grew. As production and working hours increased employees began to fall ill. An employee brought to Allen’s attention that there was mold on the air vents, after contacting his supervisor Allen was told to ignore the fact. An EE by the name of Donna who previously had perfect attendance became so ill that she could no longer report to work because of the mold. So she eventually filed for workers compensation. Tom one of Allen’s best supervisor threaten to file a complaint with OSHA about the air quality at the fac ility because it was so bad. Lastly an EE named Ayesha filed an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) complaint  inferring that she had been looked over for a promotion because she was Muslim. Allen discussed the EE issues with his boss and was told to fire them all. Firing the EEs would not be the best decision for Allen, he has to consider the legal ramifications of his actions. Legally, Allen cannot fire Donna for filing for workers compensation, an EE is protected by law from retaliation for filing a claim. Donna had excellent work evaluations prior to her illness, Allen would have to provide sufficient evidence that firing her was not due to the filing of a workers comp claim. Firing Donna would surely bring an employment discrimination lawsuit against PharmaCARE, it would be wise for Allen to convince his boss to take care of the mold problem in the facility it would save the company money in the long run. Terminating Tom would also bring litigations against PharmaCARE, Tom could allege that he was wrongfully discharged, because he complained about his unsafe working conditions and threaten to inform OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Commission). Under the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act one cannot be terminated for reporting a violation of public policy or not for good cause once a probationary period is completed. Tom was Allen’s best supervisor, terminating him would be illegal. Allen needs to persuade his boss to remedy the mold problem at the facility, he needs to explain to him that it is in the best interest of the company. Lastly Allen could legally fire Ayesha, not because of her filing a complaint with EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunities Commission) but for not being able to substantiate the claim. Under the Employment-at- Will Act he can terminate her unless some type of contractual terms are stated or implied in the employer’s handbook. Allen’s managerial status puts him in a unique position, he has direct contact with the executives and daily interactions with the lower level EE. Allen is faced with legal and ethical issues, Allen has been told to allow workers to remain in a hazardous work environment. The air quality of the workplace is dangerous to the health of any one working in the environment. As a manager he has an ethical and legal duty to report the conditions of his jobsite to first his superiors, then to OSHA if no measures are taken to correct the problem. Allen’s boss has made it clear that nothing will be done about the air pollution, so reporting this problem to OSHA would  benefit Allen legally. As a manager Allen was made aware of the problem by an employee, if the employee decides to contact OSHA and inform them that they reported this problem to him he may be fired later for not taking steps to remedy the problem. Once you submit a complaint to OSHA your company cannot retaliate against you, this will protect Allen from getting fired and having legal action taken against him. Allen reporting to OSHA is his best option, his job will be protected and he would have done the right thing for the employees. PharmaCARE had recently announced its â€Å"We Care about Your World† initiative. They started recycling, and made packaging changes, these steps made them seem community friendly. Even as they took on these green initiatives, they lobbied to block environmental efforts that would benefit the greater good of the people. Also they entered poor villages and exploited the people and the land to their benefit with no moral gauge. It seems that PharmaCARE is promoting an image of environmental stewardship when they are actually ethically corrupt. They are misleading the community with their behind the scenes practices. If PharmaCARE is going to portray themselves as an environmentally friendly company than they should assume the responsibility of initiating a green program in all aspects of their productions within reason. Communities will support a company that they believe to care about the interest of the greater good and not just profit. PharmaCARE is jeopardizing their image w ith these unethical practices and if made public the company could possibly suffer an economic loss. Comprehensive Environment Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) also known as â€Å"Superfund†, was enacted by Congress in 1980. This law created a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad Federal authority to respond directly to releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances that may endanger public health or the environment. The law authorized the EPA to identify companies or individuals responsible for hazardous waste contamination and require them to clean it up. If no party could be found responsible for the contamination then money from the superfund would be used for the cleanup. On October 17, 1986 CERCLA was amended to include more detailed provisions to better the process of  enforcing maintaining and cleaning contamination sites. They include increasing State involvement in every phase of the Superfund program, requiring Superfund actions to consider the standards and requirements found in other State and Federal environmental laws and regulations, and stressing the importance of permanent remedies and innovative treatment technologies in cleaning up hazardous waste sites. There are eleven provisions in all, they were added to give the states more authority in the matters of environmental protection, and bring awareness to the actual dangers to human health from hazardous waste. Provisions relating to PharmaCARE are the right to have safe and toxic free working conditions and the power of the state to enforce clean up, also the random site inspections. References Stakeholders. (n.d.) Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved August 11, 2013, from Dictionary.com website OSHA: complying with workplace health and safety laws. (2013). Retrieved from www.nolo.com SARA Overview. (2013). Retrieved from www.epa.gov/superfund/policy Halbert, T., & Ingulli, E. (2012). The duty of loyalty. In M. Staudt & M. Stranz (Eds.), Laws and ethics in the business environment (7th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Proposal - Essay Example In order to derive a genetic algorithm, potential solutions to a problem need to be developed by encoding; for instance by using binary bit strings. Another method used is the estimation of distribution algorithms for software optimisation, whereby a probability model is maintained for each generation of a problem situation. While there are studies applying each of these software optimization methods separately, the number of studies where both methods are compared in the same assessment are not as plentiful. This study seeks to carry out a comparison of both these software optimization methods in one particular study. Both these methods will be compared and an estimation of the efficacy of each method in terms of software optimization capacity will be made on the basis of the comparison. This study will rely primarily on two major research studies which are detailed below, which form a close parallel to the subject of this research study. The most relevant studies that would apply in the context of this research proposal are those showing different methods of software optimization. Through the use of parallel and distributing processing, multi thread techniques have been shown to provide better solutions than sequential options (Cruz and Pelta, 2009). Under the multi thread option, each solver thread represents a particular optimization algorithm and a coordinator collects performance information on the solvers and then sends them instructions on how behaviour is to be altered. On the algorithmic approach, metaheuristics can be successfully applied to complex and difficult combinations of optimization programs. In the study carried out by Cruz and Pelta (2009), the most basic ingredients of soft computing were used, i.e, through fuzzy sets and fuzzy rules, depending upon the location, i.e, by focusing upon the p-median, where the combinatorial optimization problem occurred. The

Recreate class room Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recreate class room - Essay Example Teachers should design classrooms so that all children have an equal chance for learning and an opportunity to be safe. In order to construct a classroom as described, teachers must think about their classrooms and about the different types of children that are present each year, and design a classroom that fits this group. Moore et al. (2010) suggest that in order for teachers to be able to work well with all students, they will also need to have tools to help them. A positive classroom environment also encourages students to interact with each other, ask questions, and be open to learning. Sapon-Shevin (2008) states that inclusion means not only including disabled students, but also providing space for different students so that they all feel valued and accepted. This research will examine the factors that are involved in recreating a classroom for students with many differences. Teachers must also be able to create a class where different cultures are respected and where different types of children are included. As examples, there may be Muslim families, Hispanic families, children from same-sex families and others who will be learning together in one space. The teacher’s job is to make sure that all these children are able to work collaboratively together in the same classroom. 5.1 Teachers Treat All Students Fairly and Establish an Environment that is Respectful, Supportive, and Caring An important aspect of treating students fairly is to use inclusive language. Inclusive language means that the teacher will use words that help the student understand that he or she is an important aspect of the class. Causton-Theoharis and Theoharis suggest that one way to do this is to make sure that special education students and disabled students are able to stay within a regular classroom. This means that they are not put into separate classrooms or separated from the other children. Also, students are treated well by the full school community and the district. This allows students to feel comfortable in the classroom and feel comfortable that the teachers and other staff in the school want them to be a part of the school. This also is important so that students with different abilities do not feel that they are isolated rather than included. 5.2 Teachers Create an Environment that is Physically and Emotionally Safe Another important aspect is for children to be involved in a classroom where materials are easily accessible and they can be used by all children in the classroom. The design of the classroom materials and the design of the classroom are welcoming and easy for all children to access. Books and materials should be bright and welcoming to children, and they should be at a level in the room where children can reach them easily. Rubenstein and Wilson (2011) add that classrooms must be engaging by providing children with challenges they can work with to create work together. Read (2010) suggests that children can be helpful in desig ning the classroom environment because they understand what they like to see. In a study that the author created it was found that circles and other shapes were more interesting to children than other forms. Teachers must take into consideration how to create the atmosphere that will help students want to learn in the environment. Colors and

Pick one Neureobiology topic from list Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pick one Neureobiology topic from list - Essay Example These are the simplest and oldest microscopes which use light along with powerful lenses to focus on a living or a dead specimen placed onto a platform called the stage (refer to the picture above). The specimen (also called sample) is viewed using the eye piece. Before we move onto electron microscopy we must understand what exactly is meant by the term resolution. Resolution is a measure of how detailed an image is. A picture with a great resolution is very clear. The problem with light microscopy is that the image (called micrograph) formed using a light microscope has a lower resolution i.e. it is less clear even at the highest magnification. Now the question is why resolution matters. It matters because the clarity of an image matters when viewing cells that have very small parts if the resolution is low then two small parts can end up appearing as one single small part. Light microscopes have a limit of resolution of 200nm that is if any two objects are viewed using a light microscope and are closer than 200nm to each other than they cannot be viewed as separate objects and instead they get merged into a single object. The major difference between a light and an electron microscope is of resolution. Electron microscopes have a much greater resolution than light microscopes and as a result the image (micrograph) obtained using an electron microscope is much clearer. These use a beam of electrons (very small negatively charged particles that are found in all substances) instead of light to examine the specimen. Electron microscopes were made in order to overcome the limitations of the light microscope. Electron microscopes provide much larger magnification and much clearer images of specimen being viewed. There are two types of electron microscopes: 1. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) designed after reflective light microscopes these are also using electrons beams but here the beam is used for scanning the surface or the boundary of

Classic Hollywood Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Classic Hollywood Cinema - Essay Example Although many of the films made during this period, emulated the cinematic practices of Classic Hollywood cinema, certain films also defied these conventions. Quite interestingly some films did both, that is, they emulated the conventions of the Classic Hollywood cinema in certain aspects, and then in other aspects defied those conventions. One of the well known film, which was made during this period, and which did this both this emulation as well as defying of Classic Hollywood cinema’s conventions is Citizen Kane. This paper will analyse how Citizen Kane or its director or scriptwriter through various scenes and scene making aspects followed as well as maximally defied Classical Hollywood cinema Citizen Kane, an American drama released in 1941, was scripted (along with Herman J. Mankiewicz), directed by as well as starred by Orson Welles. It was Welles first feature film and earned Academy Awards nominations in nine categories, wining for the Best Original Screenplay for Mankiewicz and Welles. It is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made; topping many Top films’ list including American Film Institutes 100 Years†¦100 Movies list as well as the Sight & Sound polls. The story is about the life and legacy of a millionaire newspaper tycoon, with the story told in the flashback. A group of reporters try deciphering the last word spoken by Charles Foster Kane, the newspaper tycoon: â€Å"Rosebud.† The film begins with a news reel detailing Kanes life for the masses, and then from there, we are shown flashbacks from Kanes life. As the reporters investigate further, the viewers see a display of a fascinating mans rise to fame, and how he eventually fell o ff the "top of the world." (imdb.com). Classical Hollywood cinema or Classical Hollywood narrative is the term given to the films with a distinct visual and sound style, made on the principle or basis of continuity editing, so that there is an "invisible" style. However, the key distinct style of

Windshield survey Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Windshield survey - Coursework Example Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2008 in Plano was $4,402 and median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2008 in Plano was $3,685.The houses seems in good conditions and well maintained by the occupants. At the time the racial composition of the city was that78.26%were White, 5.02%were Black, 0.36% were Native American, 10.18%were Asian, 0.04% werePacific Islander, while 3.86% were fromother races, and 2.28% were from two or more races.HispanicorLatinopopulation was 10.07%. However, census statistics from 2006 showed a remarkable change in the composition of races in Plano, with rises in the numbers of black people (6.1%), Asians (14.7%), and Hispanics (14.4%) residing in the area and a fall in the percentage of white people (75.6%). According to estimates there were 80,875 families. Out of those, 42.0% had had children below the age of 18.Married coupleswere estimated at 64.3% while 7.5% had a female householder without a husband. Almost 25.1% households were non-families. Roughly 20.2% of all families were individuals, and 2.9% had somebody who was 65 years of age or above and living alone. While the average household size was estimated at 2.73, the average family size was estimated at 3.18 (http://www.homefacts.com ). According to data 28.7% of Plano's population is below the age of 18 while 7.0% is 18 to 24. ... Roughly 20.2% of all families were individuals, and 2.9% had somebody who was 65 years of age or above and living alone. While the average household size was estimated at 2.73, the average family size was estimated at 3.18 (http://www.homefacts.com ). According to data 28.7% of Plano's population is below the age of 18 while 7.0% is 18 to 24. The same statistics show that 36.5% is 25 to 44, 22.9% is 45 to 64, and 4.9% who 65 years of age or are above. Median age is estimated at 34 years. For every 100 women, there are 99.3 men. For every 100 women aged 18 and above, there are 97.2 men. 2007 estimates show the median income of a family in this city to be $84,492, while the median income for a family is estimated at $101,616. Homogeneous 2 Plano has produced such popular people like Lance Armstrong, who was seven-timeTour de Francewinner, Greg Buis, who participated in the first seasonreality TVshow, John Benjamin Hickey who was an actor and Keech Rainwater who was a drummer for thecountry musicgroupLone Star. Healthy lifestyle behaviors 4 Plano is well known for its health-consciousness. Unlike many other wealthy cities, Plano has been known for preferences among its rich people for healthy food. Physical exercise and frequent visits to the family doctor are well known. Jogging in parks and along boulevards in mornings and evenings especially by rich Whites is a marked behavioral tendency here. Risk behavior 4 Plano as any other affluent neighborhood has been witnessing a rapid rise in its level of risk behavioral factors such as drugs, alcohol abuse and crime. Data through 2001 -2008 shows the forcible rape incidents had a considerable increase from 23-50 over the years. Robberies both armed and unarmed have been between 113-150, each

Battle vs. Bulge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Battle vs. Bulge - Essay Example (Smith, 2006) The article describes the festival, which was held by the Greater Kingsport Family YMCA and was called 'Put Play in Your Day', aimed at encouraging parents to be better involved into the way their children eat and exercise. The party's main goal was to prove parents that they play the major role in forming eating and physical habits of their children. It has been pointed out, that parents themselves should serve as a model of correct nutrition. However, the stress has also been made on the fact, that not only nutrition should be corrected and viewed, but the fight against obesity must be performed on all levels of human consciousness - 'a routine should be developed at an early age, not just fitness, but also nutrition, mind, body and spirit'. (Smith, 2006) Another negative factor, which is often made one of the main reasons of child obesity, is video games, but the article suggests new solution - video games, which teach children to dance and move, as 'Dance, Dance Revolution'. Thus, children will be able to play games and be active at the same time, avoiding the risks of obesity.

Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme Essay - 1

Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme in THE TALE OF KIEU - Essay Example People are compared to some objects belonging to nature and the world around them. This helps to understand the epic better and see the inner soul of its characters. So, if there were no connections between people and nature in The Tale of Kieu, it would not be so readable and interesting for the public. Even the first lines of the text under consideration remind the readers of their dependence upon nature. Thus, Nguyen Du writes that: â€Å"Blue Heaven's wont to strike arose from spite. By lamplight turn these scented leaves and read a tale of love recorded in old books† (Du 3). The first lines of this quotation hint that people live under the sky and it seems to be a living being for them, because only something that can breathe is able to ‘strike’. The major characters of the epic are compared to nature. For example, Chia-Ching had two beautiful daughters whose beauty is described with the help of this comparison. The daughters were named Van and Kieu. The firs t daughter is compared with flowers, plums, clouds and snow. This is easily proved by the following lines: â€Å"her face a moon, her eyebrows two full curves; her smile a flower, her voice the song of jade; her hair the sheen of clouds, her skin white snow† (Du 4). Another daughter – Kieu has much in common with autumn and spring. Her eyes looked like autumn streams. It was possible to see brows like spring hills above her eyes. Resorting to the use of these comparisons seems to be the best way for the author to describe the beauty of these girls. People are the part of nature; that is why no wonder that Nguyen Du creates the above-mentioned comparisons. It should be noted that people described by the author of The Tale of Kieu seem to live in harmony with nature. For example, when Nguyen Du gives more information about Kieu and her life, he mentions nature again. The connection between nature and Kieu is proved by the following lines: â€Å"She calmly lived behind d rawn shades and drapes, as wooers swarmed, unheeded, by the wall. Young grass spread all its green to heaven's rim; some blossoms marked pear branches with white dots† (Du 4). The grass mentioned by Nguyen Du is a symbol. It stands for Kieu’s youth. She is not experienced yet and the most important events in her life are still in the future. The protagonist likes sun and the earth the same way as grass. They seem to have much in common with each other; that is why it is one of the best images of nature applied by the author of the epic under consideration. The author of the epic resorts to the use of the image of moon very often. In the beginning of The Tale of Kieu it is used in order to describe Van’s appearance. Then, this very image is applied in order to show Kim and Kieu’s love. Why does Nguyen Du decide to use moon one more time? The moon is not affected by the spots that constantly appear on it. This does not prevent it from shining. The same situa tion occurs to Kim and Kieu. They love each other despite all the problems and people who are trying to stop them. Moreover, the image of moon occurs when Kim has to look for his beloved. Thus, here the reader may find the following line: â€Å"to fall in love, to part, to reunite – both felt mixed grief and joy as rose the moon† (Du 45). In fact, moon always was a symbol of love and romance; however, a few poets resorted to its use in order to describe tragic events. Nevertheless, it is successfully done by Nguyen Du.

Description of Target Audience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Description of Target Audience - Essay Example The athletes have their own specific style of playing a sport. These audiences can identify the major positive outcomes or the concerns with the co-athlete. The athletes may be a serious resource in locating the best ways to crack a selection process. The athletes are the people who can rate the kind of effort you have had put in the game or event. So, the athletes are the valuable audience to validate your performance. The athletes serve as a word of mouth propaganda tool for promoting to an authenticate source. The sports institutions are the first major path which would open the competition to show case your skills in your concerns region. The athletic institutions are set up to capture the glimpse of the regional talent in a concerned region. The institutions are provided with the standards the athlete should meet on which the potential Olympic athlete can work on. The athlete institutions provide necessary infrastructure with the support of various government and private sports promoters. The tools and expertise provided in the institutions can add on for to focus more enhancing the performance level. The coaching these institutions provide for a group will certainly provide a platform to share the expertise among the peers. The potential athlete should therefore should therefore more conscious about the kind of sport he is into, the kind of institution he/she target, he/she should have a clear idea of the kind of the exposure he/she will get. The potential athlete should chalk down the selection process clearly to join the sports institution. The coaches are the knowledge banks about the intricities involved in the achieving the highest level of standards. A sports coach creates the right conditions for learning to happen and to provide the motivating factors both physically and mentally to the athletes. Athletes who are highly motivated to their task can seek the

Role of Electronic Media in Communication Essay Example for Free

Role of Electronic Media in Communication Essay The role of the Internet in business communication is varied and has come to be of great importance. It can be used to increase effective communication both internally and externally. Use of the Internet can make it easier to connect with others quickly and more often, in addition to exchanging a wide array of media types. It can be used to communicate purchase information to vendors and by customers to ask questions. The factors that make the role of the Internet in business communication important can also cause conflict, depending on the way the medium is used. Email is one of the most popular uses of the internet in business communication. It is widely used for both internal and external communications. Email enables users to communicate with each other at any hour and from several locations. It can also be an effective way to keep track of requests, conversations, and other important data as it provides a record of what was communicated. One of the most significant internal uses of the internet in business communication is the intranet site. This is a website that is only available to the members of a particular organization. It typically serves as both a sort of community bulletin board and a place to access forms, information, and other resources that are necessary or helpful for employees. Most intranet sites are password protected and some even have sections which are only available to certain groups of employees. The transmission of the internet has revolutionized the business arena. The use of the Internet is changing high-tech marketing overnight while different industries have been trying to use it as part of their marketing strategy. It does not only reconfigured the way different firms do business and the way the consumers buy goods and services but it also become instrumental in transforming the value chain from manufacturers to retailers to consumers, creating a new retail distribution channel. Website development is a powerful tool used by different business organizations around the world. It is defined as the process of achieving business objectives utilizing electronic communications technology. Email- Email has evolved into probably the most common form of communication today. Set up mailing lists in your email software for internal communications, vendor news, press releases and customer information. Use a professional email address, preferably with your company’s website address as the suffix, rather than sending from a personal account or a free Web account. Sending bulk emails can result in many of your messages ending up in recipients spam folders or worse, violating the CAN-SPAM act. Contact your Internet service provider to learn if you can send bulk emails from your account and what precautions you’ll need to take to stay within the law, such as including an opt-out provision for people on your list. The convenience of email can lead to impersonal communications — send well wishes and thank-you notes using cards and letters. Press Releases- For generations, the press release has been the standard form of communications between business and the media. Create a list of media contacts and send news regularly. Put a date on each press release and supply contact information for your business, including a persons name, telephone number and email address. Don’t talk about yourself to start your press release — focus on the reader, providing information that makes your information news, not advertising or promotional content. To make sure your press release doesn’t get lost in a flurry of emails to an editor’s inbox, send a print copy of your release via snail mail and follow up with an email. Contact Management Systems- A contact management system is a database of people important to your business that you can sort in a variety of ways. The database should allow you to create lists of customers, clients, media contacts or vendors by contact type, area code, ZIP code, state or other parameters you set up in your database. Some companies create their own contact management systems, others buy sophisticated programs, while others use budget-friendly Web services. In addition to simple email lists, some programs let you create newsletters or other marketing tools to increase your interaction with customers. Phone Systems- Your business will seem more professional if you have a dedicated phone line rather than taking calls on your cellphone. Phone systems allow you to use one phone for multiple lines, play music while customers are on hold, transfer calls to other employees, make conference calls and set up mailboxes. When you buy service from a phone company or your Internet service provider, you might be able to get the phone free, along with a number of upgraded services and free customer support. Video Conferencing- Bringing people together for meetings with video conferencing not only creates a more intimate meeting, but also saves your company thousands of dollars in travel costs. Unlike a telephone conference call, a video call lets different participants show charts, make demonstrations and share drawings, models and mockups. Many computers come with built-in cameras, and attachments are available for many others. Test video conferencing with one other person, then expand to try a few internal meetings before you commit to an important videoconference. 1. Campfire If your business involves frequently collaboration with many different colleagues, clients and vendors, consider using Campfire for real-time chats. Campfire is like instant messaging, but designed exclusively for groups. It also works with any IM client. Campfire’s Web-based, group-chat tool lets you set up password-protected chat rooms and invite others to chat, collaborate and make decisions. You can upload an image file, and it displays right in the chat room for all chat members to see. You can even invite the entire chat room to a conference call with one click. Since it’s Web-based, you don’t need to download, install or configure anything—all you need is a Web browser and an Internet connection. Best of all, a basic package will cost you just $12 per month. 2. Present.ly Present.ly allows individuals to post short, frequent updates that are tracked or followed by others, similar to Twitter. But unlike Twitter, Present.ly provides a secure and private way to do this, enabling users to share updates among members of a company without them being visible to the outside world. The basic service is free. Present.ly enables you to share images, documents, video and audioclips with colleagues. The app is a great way to get quick feedback on a new design mockup, send out new policy documents for human resources or even post pictures from the company picnic. You can also keep the team conversations focused by creating groups for each project or topic of discussion—users will receive messages that are relevant to the topic at hand, and they’re free to move between conversations as desired. 3. Yammer Does your business have team members in multiple locations, or are you a virtual team scattered across the globe? You might want to check out Yammer, which allows you to set up a private social network for your business to communicate, collaborate and share expertise via an easy-to-use, Web-based interface. While the product’s wide range of features makes it appealing to large organizations, small businesses appreciate that Yammer lets you upload and share documents with co-workers and create communities for cases when you’re working with partners outside of your network. SMB owners will also like the price: the basic service is free. 4. Cube Tree Another tool to check out is Cube Tree, Success Factors’ social collaboration technology. Cube Tree combines collaboration tools with a private social network. Users can keep each other up-to-date on their activities by following people and groups of interest, and by posting updates and comments. Cube Tree advances a team’s ability to work efficiently in public and private groups by drawing on a wide array of tools, including blogs, wikis, social docs, polls and task tracking. Cube Tree Basic is free, and Cube Tree Premier costs $5 per month per user. Small businesses that are already using Success Factors’ Employee Performance Management software will also like the fact that Cube Tree uses the same profile and organization data available in other Success Factors modules. For example, when used as part of the recruiting process, Cube Tree can accelerate recruiting by simplifying resume review and discussion on candidates, and it also streamlines the new hire’s onboarding process. 5. Mango Spring Another one-stop-shop for social communication and collaboration is MangoSpring’s MangoSuite, which includes microblogging, chat, document sharing and project management applications that work together in one integrated platform. You can mix and match the functionality you need, and you’ll only pay for what you use, with prices starting at just a few dollars per user per month. MangoSuite pulls together all of your employees’ ideas, deadlines, milestones, threaded discussions, brainstorms, exchanged links and uploaded documents and makes them accessible in a real-time enterprise micro-blogging platform. Similar to how Facebook‘s feed and commenting functionality works, sharing something with the group or project members generates a feed that is visible to the relevant team; users can then comment on any feed item. 6. WizeHive If your company’s online life revolves around e-mail, WizeHive may be the choice for you. WizeHive is a collaboration platform that allows groups to share conversations, notes, tasks, calendars, files and other information in secure, private workspaces. Information can be entered from within WizeHive or via e-mail, Twitter and mobile devices. WizeHive integrates with any e-mail program—you can create new notes or tasks by simply sending a message to a special WizeHive e-mail address with the name of the workspace in the subject. Likewise, you can also receive WizeHive communications from your colleagues via e-mail. The starter package is free for up to three workspaces and 5GB of storage 7. Socialcast Need your social communications technology to integrate with your existing infrastructure? Check out Socialcast. Socialcast allows companies to integrate their traditional systems (such as CRM and ERP) with its social software platform, enabling employees to collaborate and take action on the core processes being carried out by those systems. In terms of core functionality, Socialcast offers internal activity streams, enterprise microblogging, employee profiles, groups, integration with SharePoint and even a desktop app and mobile version. The basic service is free, but for a few dollars per user per month, Socialcast offers Socialcast Reach, which enables integration with CRM systems, ERP systems, HR business systems and more. 8. Facebook Groups Don’t need any of these bells and whistles? You might want to look at Facebook Groups. Your employees are already on Facebook, they know how to use it, and it’s free. While Facebook Groups lacks much of the advanced features of other social collaboration technology, it has just enough functionality for staff to collaborate and work together. They can use Facebook Groups for real-time collaboration, do group chat using Facebook chat, and post photos, news and updates to the group feed. It even has basic document sharing and editing functionality. Best of all, if you want your team to promote your business to their Facebook network, you don’t have to send out an e-mail and hope people share—all you have to do is post an item to your Facebook feed and employees can share with just one click. Conclusion To summarize it all, the emergence of the Internet has undoubtedly changed the business environment in which the firms around the world operate. It has been stated that the Internet has altered industry structure by reducing the costs of coordination in the value chain. The Internet has become a source of competitive benefit by bestowing companies with new ways to outperform their competitors, and spawned new businesses by providing more information. Moreover, the Internet evolves to encourage direct interaction between producers and consumers in markets where consumers have more complete information about goods and services, enabling them to exert substantial control. Further, the rapid growth of the internet has been one of the key factors in changing the rules on how businesses’ compete in the market. The reach and speed of the enhancement along with the distinctive characteristics of interactivity and customization intensify the need for having a modern business approach from the competing industry on the internet serving in their attempt to oppose or leverage the popularity of other competitors. Herein, the strategic importance of the internet in terms of communication is especially evident for the business industry as products/services and the internet has been able to create a to maintain good customer interaction and business transactions. With millions of websites online, the Internet is considered as the most essential communication medium in the world and with millions of customers around, many organisations will have the opportunity to provide the needs of a specific market.

Company Background And Market Analysis Of Mcdonalds

Company Background And Market Analysis Of Mcdonalds McDonalds is the leading global foodservice retailer and the worlds largest chain of hamburgers fast food restaurant. It is founded in year 1955 by Ray Kroc. McDonalds serves more than  60 million people with more than 32,000 local restaurants in 117 countries each day. It employs more than 1.5 million people. More than 75% of McDonalds restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. Source From the table above, since year 2004 until year 2008, even until now, McDonalds is still the number choice of customers when come to fast food follow by Burger King and Wendys. In year 2008, Subway took over Wendys place and ranked at number three. Besides that, The Star Online stated that McDonalds is ranked in the top 10 most valuable brands in 2010 and it is placed at number six. Top 10 most Valuable Brands in 2010 Rank Brand Value ($bn) 1 Coca-cola 70.45 2 IBM 64.73 3 Microsoft 60.90 4 Google 43.56 5 GE 42.81 6 McDonalds 33.58 7 Intel 32.02 8 Nokia 29.5 9 Disney 28.73 10 HP 26.87 Source: Company Situation Mission Statement: McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience.   Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. Values: We place the customer experience at the core of all we do. We are committed to our people. We believe in the McDonalds system. We operate out business ethically. We give back to our communities. We grow our business profitably. We strive continually to improve. Management Overview McDonalds management is very successful as it exports its brands throughout the globe. The company operates McDonalds restaurants as well as franchises. There are 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries at year-end 2009, and there are 26,216 were operated by franchisees and 6,262 were operated by the Company. Under franchise arrangement, a portion of the capital have to be provided by franchisees to invest in their restaurant businesses for the equipment, signs, seating and decorations, reinvesting in the business is needed from time to time. Financial Situation Revenues by geographic Segment: McDonalds largest geographical market is Europe, accounted for 41% of the total revenues in the year 2009 which is mainly driven by France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Revenues are generated through other geographic segments: United States (US),  Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) and other countries and corporate are 35%, 19% and 5% respectively. From McDonalds 2009 annual report, we can see that its total revenues from the US reached $7,944 millions in year 2009, a decrease of 1.7% over year 2008. Revenues from Europe were $9,274 million in year 2009, a decrease of 6.5% compared to year 2008. While revenues from APMEA reached $4,337 million in year 2008, an increase of 2.4% compared with year 2008. Revenues from other countries and corporate reached $1,190 millions in year 2009, a decrease of 7.8% over year 2008. The total operating income and assets in US shows favourable results where the figures keep increasing since year 2007 to year 2009. Total capital expenses in US show improvement as well where the expenditure is lesser in year 2009 compared to year 2008. Market Share: According to Jim Muehlhausen, McDonalds had occupied 19% of the total market share in the fast food industry. While its closest competitors: Burger King and Wendys accounted 2% individually. Pie Chart below shows the market share of the major players in the fast food industry. Source: Market Situation Sector Trends The land size of United Statess is at 3.79 million square miles, according to U.S. Bureau of Census, with the total population of 307,006,500 in July 2009, it is the third largest both by land area and population. The table on the left shows the population in United States in July 2009 according to states. Segmentation The market is segmented by demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural. Targeting McDonalds target market is people who love fast food. The demand of fast food is increasing nowadays as everyone is practicing faster paced lifestyles. Macdonalds target market is: children, students, working adults and families who are from five to seventy years old. Students tend to spend their time to socialize with their friends in fast food restaurants compare to other restaurants as it offers affordable prices and trendy ambiences. Besides that, due to the hectic schedule, fast food restaurant is always the number one choice for working adults to have their meals as it offers quick services. Kids simply love fast food, hence, the parents will bring their children to fast food restaurants to have family meals. Positioning McDonalds outlets are located mostly in high population states such as: Florida, New York, Texas, Illinois and Ohio. They were built near office buildings, schools, in shopping malls, etc., which are high visibility, traffic volume and ease of access areas. State July 2009 population Alabama 4,708,708 Alaska 698,473 Arizona 6,595,778 Arkansas 2,889,450 California 36,961,664 Colorado 5,024,748 Connecticut 3,518,288 Delaware 885,122 DC 599,657 Florida 18,537,969 Georgia 9,829,211 Hawaii 1,295,178 Idaho 1,545,801 Illinois 12,910,409 Indiana 6,423,113 Iowa 3,007,856 Kansas 2,818,747 Kentucky 4,314,113 Louisiana 4,492,076 Maine 1,318,301 Maryland 5,699,478 Massachusetts 6,593,587 Michigan 9,969,727 Minnesota 5,266,214 Mississippi 2,951,996 Missouri 5,987,580 Montana 974,989 Nebraska 1,796,619 Nevada 2,643,085 New Hampshire 1,324,575 New Jersey 8,707,739 New Mexico 2,009,671 New York 19,541,453 North Carolina 9,380,884 North Dakota 646,844 Ohio 11,542,645 Oklahoma 3,687,050 Oregon 3,825,657 Pennsylvania 12,604,767 Rhode Island 1,053,209 South Carolina 4,561,242 South Dakota 812,383 Tennessee 6,296,254 Texas 24,782,302 Utah 2,784,572 Vermont 621,760 Virginia 7,882,590 Washington 6,664,195 West Virginia 1,819,777 Wisconsin 5,654,774 Wyoming 544,270 Total 307,006,550 McDonalds target market and its market segmentation: Children Youth Adults Elderly Demographic Age 5 to 12 13 to 25 26-54 55-70 Occupation Students Students/Part-timers Part-timer/Full-timer/Self-employed Retired Income 1000 to 2500 >2500 Pensions and savings Geographic Within United States Psychographic Interests Entertainment Entertainment, leisure Entertainment, leisure Enjoyment Lifestyle Dependent Aggressive Aggressive Slow and steady Behavioural Occasions Birthday party Birthday party, gathering Gathering, anniversary Anniversary McDonalds SWOT analysis Strengths Strong global presence with its nearest domestic competitor being only half of its size. The market leader in both domestic and international markets. Strong brand recognition Ranked number one in Fortune Magazines 2008 list of most admired food service companies Having more than 32,000 local restaurants in 117 countries. First to come out with nutrition facts information on its products. Weaknesses Lack of product innovation. High cost for employee training due to high employee turnover. Opportunities Its outlets are located in high visibility, traffic volume and ease of access areas. International market Advances in technology Threats Saturated food industries. Price competition between competitors. More health conscious customers and fast food is categorized as unhealthy food. PESTLE implications Political According McDonalds 2009 annual report, foreign currency translation had a negative impact on McDonalds consolidated operating results in year 2009 which is driven by the Euro, Russian Ruble, British Pound, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar. While in year 2008 and 2007, the foreign translation had positive impact on its consolidated operating results. The table below shows how the foreign currency translation affect McDonalds consolidated operating results. Economical With its franchises in US, McDonalds provide a lot of job opportunities to the US people to reduce the unemployment level in that country. McDonalds is hiring up to 600 part-timers to work in its outlets throughout the Las Vegas area which is with 14.2% of unemployment level. Social Fast foods lead to obesity problems in America as they are high in fats, calories, sugar and salt. Rates of obesity in America are keep increasing obesity will leads to other diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, etc. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) said that a person will gain an average weight of 10 pounds if he or she ate fast food two or more times in a week. Pew Research Centre reported that almost 20% of Americans eat fast food at least twice a week after the survey is conducted. As the health concern is increased among the Americans, they tend not take less fast food as it have been seen as unhealthy food. To conquer the problems, McDonalds comes out with nutrition facts charts on selected packaging and menu information for customers to have guidelines for the food intake and meet their nutrition desires. Sample nutrition facts are shown in the pictures below. Technology With the technology, McDonalds serves burgers and fries to the customers in minutes time, McDonalds was the first to have touch-screen computers at the front counter and drive-thru to serve customers faster and easier when they ordering food. There are also touch screen self-ordering kiosks for customers to order food by themselves. Besides that, McDonalds uses Wayport for high speed connectivity to the internet. Legal McDonalds has been involved in legal cases which most of them are trademark disputes where many food businesses are using Mc or Mac because of McDonalds strong brand recognition. Environmental To reduce the impacts on environment, McDonalds uses 3Rs approaches: reduce, reuse and recycle. There is 82% of McDonald packaging are made from renewable materials at the moment. Besides that, cooking oil is recycled to be reused in variety products such as environmentally friendly biodiesel. Competitors situation and SWOT McDonalds closest competitors are Burger King Corporation and Wendys International Incorporation. Burger King Burger King is founded in year 1954 by McLamore and Edgerton. It has more than 12,200 outlets in 73 countries, however, 66% of its outlets are located in United States and 90% of them are privately owned and operated. It is having more than 38,800 employees serving about 11.4 million customers in daily basis. Strengths Second largest fast food hamburger restaurant Strong brand equity Weaknesses Heavily concentrated in US market Relies heavily on its franchises Opportunities International market Advances in technology Threats Changing consumer habits towards healthier food choices Intense competition with the competitors Increasing labour costs Wendys Wendys is founded in year 1969 by Dave Thomas. It is an international fast food chain restaurant which ranked as the worlds third largest hamburger fast food chain. In year 2009, there are 6,541 restaurants worldwide where 1,391 are company restaurant and 5,150 are franchise restaurants, majority of them 77 are located at North America. Wendys employs 46,000 people worldwide. Strengths Third largest hamburger fast food chain restaurant Global brand Strong supply chain Weaknesses Concentrated in North America market Having management problems Relies on franchises Opportunities International market Advances in technology Threats Strong competitors Increase in beef prices Fast food have been seen as unhealthy food Objectives and Assumptions Assumptions During the preparation of a marketing plan, there are few assumptions being made upon it where there will be no large fluctuation particularly on Foreign Exchange variance. Besides that, it is crucial to take variances such as economy crisis, natural disasters that will have impacts on McDonalds business into consideration during the preparation of a marketing plan. Objectives These marketing objectives are what McDonalds is trying to achieve on the three following years of its operations by using SMART criteria which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely: Marketing: Specific To increase market share. To increase new product awareness. Measurable To increase the market share by 5%. To have an increase of 18% on new product awareness. Achievable Advertisements on the new product to grab customers attention. More franchisees to open new franchises. Realistic Fast-paced lifestyle leads to higher demand as more customers prefer fast food nowadays. Timely To increase market share by 5% yearly start from 2010. To have an increase in product awareness by 18% start from 2010. Financial: Specific To increase overall sales revenue. To reduce cost of sales. Measurable Increase sales revenue by 8%. Reduce the cost of sales by 5%. Achievable Higher demand for fast food. Realistic McDonalds order raw materials in bulk to get cheaper prices and reduce cost. Advertising stimulate customers appetite and increase sales. Timely Sales revenue increases by 8% annually start from year 2010. Cost of sales reduces by 5% yearly start from 2010. Societal: Specific Provide healthier fast food. To make product more environmental friendly. Reduce electric and water consumption and wastage. Measurable RD at 8% of sales on healthier food recipe in year 2010. Reduce energy consumption and wastage by 3%. Achievable Reduce in fats, calories, sugar and salt in the products. Electric and water consumption is reduced by using them wisely Realistic 82% of McDonald packaging are made from renewable materials Timely Electric and water consumption and wastage is to be reduced by 3% monthly start from January 2010. Strategy Marketing Mix Marketing mix is all about putting the right product in the right place, at the right price and at the right time to boost sales and hence generate higher profit. Product McDonalds primarily sells hamburgers, chicken products, cheeseburgers, breakfast items, lunch items, french fries, soft drinks, shakes and also desserts. McDonalds should innovates its products continuously as people tend to change their preference and tastes from time to time. Without product innovations, customer will get bored to eat the same food over and over again. With its strong brand recognition, McDonalds serves its customers within minutes from ordering until they get their food with world class food quality by using fresh ingredients and excellent product features. Its staffs are trained to provide fast and excellent services to the customers. McDonalds product packaging is environmental friendly and 100% recyclable to reduce the negative impacts on the environment. Questionnaires have to be prepared from time to time to get feedbacks from the customers so that McDonalds have an idea to improve on its products and environments by following customers preferences. As people starts to practice healthy lifestyles, McDonalds includes salads, wraps and fruit into its menu. Besides that, McDonalds comes out with nutrition facts table and charts for people to have guidelines for their food intake and to meet their nutrition desires. The sample nutrition facts table for McDonalds USA is shown below. Source: Price McDonalds uses value-based pricing and psychological pricing on its products. One example for psychological pricing is $3.59 instead of $3.60 and $4.99 instead of $5. In customers perception of saving, they look at the items with prices ending with  £0.95 or  £0.99 more favourable as compare to  £1.00 as example although there are only  £0.05 and  £0.01 difference. The prices are set where they are reasonable and affordable by the customers. It uses value pricing strategies  on some of its products where they are cheaper to buy in a set compared to ala carte such as: happy meal, combo meal,  family meal, breakfast and lunch sets to increase overall sales volumes. Discounts coupons should be given out from time to time to attract new customers and to boost sales in those particular periods. Place McDonalds outlets are located in high visibility, traffic volume and ease of access areas. Most of its outlets consist of the distribution channels. It is important so that the product is available to the customer all the time. In United States, there are nearly 50% of McDonalds outlets can be reached by driving within three minutes. McDonalds gives certain level of satisfaction, fun as well as happiness each time they dine at McDonalds as it offers better ambience, hygienic environment and also great services. Free Wi-Fi with high speed connectivity to internet is provided to customers for them to access to internet to do business and entertainment when they are dining. Besides that, children will not easily get bored when they just sit and eat as they can have fun at the playgrounds in the restaurants while their parents have some time to spend together. Every McDonalds outlets have Drive-Thru to make customers who want to take away more convenient and fast. Besides that, quick del ivery to households is provided with a little charge. Promotion McDonalds uses various promotion channels to effectively communicate the product information to the customers as it has clear understanding of the customer value that helps to decide whether the promotion cost is worth spending or not. McDonalds three main advertising objectives are to make people aware of its product, having position perception about it and remember it. It does its advertising promotions through televisions, radios, hoardings and also bus shelters. Printed ads in newspapers and magazines and television programmes are one of its important marketing medium too to stimulate customers appetite. Besides that, McDonalds is doing sales promotion too. Customers can enjoy McDonalds breakfast and lunch sets in cheaper price in a certain period of the day. Besides that, discount coupons will be given to customers from time to time for them to enjoy McDonalds foods in cheaper prices. Kids simply love to celebrate their birthday parties in McDonalds. Hence, McDonalds can give special discounts and gifts to the birthday kids so that they will come back next year and tell it to their friends. Forecast and implications McDonalds three years forecasts and budgets (Dollars in millions) 2009 2010 2011 2012 Objective comment Sales 7944 8580 9266 10007 Improve by 8% yearly Cost 659 626 595 565 Reduce by 5% annually Profit 7285 7954 8671 9442 Increases by around 8% yearly It is forecasted that McDonalds in United States will meet its financial objective where its sales increase steadily by 8% yearly start from year 2010 while its cost reduces by 5% annually. Hence, the profit will be increasing by around 8% yearly start from 2010. Metrics McDonalds is using metric strategy in order to measure whether it can achieve its objectives or not. Marketing metric: Objectives Metrics To increase market share Measure by number of new franchises opening yearly Increase product awareness among target audiences Calculated by the sales of the particular product after advertising promotion is done Financial metric: Objectives Metrics Increase sales revenue Product sales is measured by dollars annually Reduce cost of sales Cost of sales is measured by dollars yearly Societal metric: Objectives Metrics Provide healthier fast food Measure by the percentage of fats, calories, sugar and salt in the products Reduce electrical and water consumption and wastage Calculate by the electric and water bills monthly More environmental friendly Measure by the percentage of its packaging that using recyclable materials Conclusion As the conclusion, although McDonalds is number one in fast food industry, it should keep improving its business in term of marketing, financial and social to be better in the future. McDonalds can get feedback from the customers to know what they prefer, how they want McDonalds to change so that McDonalds know what action it should takes to improve itself. With new product innovations and healthier fast food, McDonalds will be more successful. Word Count: 2275 words

Fine Art, Photography And Influence In Dadaism

Fine Art, Photography And Influence In Dadaism Photography has played a controversial but an important role in the arts for the last 150 years. The question is still debated whether photography is an art or a form of documentation seen by the eye instead of the mind. Since its beginnings, photography, as an art form has been questioned the view is that photography is not an art, but a form of mechanical reproduction, it was slandered as being more technological than creative. Dadaists, in contrast, embraced photography, enjoying its modern means of creation. Their experiments with the medium include use of double exposures, radical perspective, and unconventional subjects. Dadaists also experimented with photograms, camera-less photographic prints that record the placement of objects on photosensitive paper that has been exposed to light; these are among some of the earliest abstract photographs. The Dadaists were the first artists to abandon conventional materials and techniques.Raoul Haussmann, John Heartfield, and Hannah Hoch invented photo-montage a collage of separate photographs that is re-photographed so that the final image is converted back into a seamless photographic print. The original aim of the Movement was far removed from the world of art, and was primarily political in nature. To its supporters Dada was not art, it was anti art, and for everything art stood for dada was to represent the opposite they wanted to affect all aspects of Western civilization, to take part in the revolutionary changes which were the inevitable result of the chaos of the First World War They were not interested in painting pictures which the public would admire in an detached manner, they wanted to provoke the public into reacting to their activities. To the Dadaists, a violently negative reaction was better than a passive acceptance. The artwork consisted of photomontages paintings, advertisements, collages, poetry, essays, leaflets and combinations of multiple art forms. Dada influenced almost every artistic principle of our time. Protests in the US during the 1960s copied those of the Dadaists during and after the World Wars. Dada artists developed new techniques of collage and montage and pioneered the use of materials such as newspaper clippings and postcards in their works. A weaving together of photographs and paper to create a new artistic image The main representatives of Dadaism were Hans Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Hugo ball, Francis Picabia, Max Ernst, Raoul Haussmann, Man Ray, John Heartfield Marcel Janco, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Hoch, Sophie Taeuber Arp. Max Ernst born in Germany, 1891-1976 enrolled at Bonn University in 1909 and studied philosophy, art history, literature, psychology and psychiatry. In 1914 he met Hans Arp a founder member of Dada in Cologne. The two soon became friends and their friendship lasted for fifty years. With the outburst of the First World War Ernst was conscripted to the army,, He fought in France and Poland, in his autobiography he referred to his time in the army On the first of August 1914 Max Ernst died. He was resurrected on the eleventh of November 1918which suggests to me, that a part of himself died when he enlisted in the war, which started on Aug 1st and that the day the war ended 11th Nov he felt hed come alive again .His artwork reflected his experiences in battle using military photographs as source material for photomontages and considering he studied psychology and art history in University , violence and brutality were probably no reflection of the man he was. Pasting together images of planes or bombs with humans, Collage is the exploitation of the chance meeting of two distant realities on an unfamiliar plane -Max Ernst, 1919 The Punching Ball or the Immortality of Buonarroti 1920 Self Portrait Photomontage, gouache, and ink on photograph Painting is not for me either decorative amusement, or the plastic invention of felt reality; it must be every time: invention, discovery, revelation. Max Ernst. Man Ray born Emmanuel Radnitzky1890-1976 an American photographer and painter raised in New York Beginning as a commercial artist in New York, he taught himself photography to reproduce his paintings and mixed media. Man Ray, was the Dadaist most committed to photography, he abandoned painting altogether, and dedicated his art making after 1918 to film and photography. He had his first solo show of paintings and drawings in 1915. His first Dada-style work, an assemblage he called Self-Portrait, was shown in 1916. After meeting Marcel Duchamp, he founded the American branch of the Dada movement. The New York Dadaists tended to be more optimistic than their European counterparts. Dadaist ideas were not really accepted by New Yorkers and Man Ray left America to live and work in Paris in 1921, he set up a photography studio and began making photograms, which he called Rayographs. These Rayographs summarise the essence of Dadaism and Surrealism. His experiments with photography included rediscovering how to make camera less pictures. He made them by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper, which he exposed to light and developed them In Paris he created one of his best known Dadaist artworks: Indestructible Object (1923), a metronome with a photo of an eye attached to its clicking arm. artists such as James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and Jean Cocteau posed for Man Rays camera. When Dada dispelled, Ray was already an active Surrealist Man Rays negative portrait of Jacqueline Goddard (1930) initialled by the photographer in pencil, is one of the photographers many images of women. Printed from an auto chrome, as opposed to a conventional negative, the auto chrome, used in place of a negative during the printing process, yielded a photograph with reversed tones and a diffuse luminosity. Man Ray rotated the picture to 90 degrees, so that Goddard who had been lying down during the sitting, appears in the finished print to float in space with her hair streaming dramatically behind her John Heartfield born Helmut Herzfeld 1891 1968 was a German photomontagist, draughtsman, typographer and stage designer John Heartfield and his siblings were abandoned by their parents his mother, a political activist, and his father, a socialist writer had to flee Germany to avoid persecution for their political beliefs. The children were raised by relatives and in institutions From 1907 to 1911 John Heartfield studied art at the KÃ ¶nigliche Kunstgewerbeschule in Munich , specializing in poster design. In the summer of 1916, Germany had been using an offensive nationalistic slogan: Gott Strafe England or May God Punish England. This angered Helmut who protested by changing his name to John Heartfield. John Heartfield played a major role in the Dada Movement, he learned techniques and styles from many other artists who expressed their political ideas through art. His experiences in World War I led him to conclude that the only worthy art, was that which took account of social realities. He witnessed a country of hungry, desolate people in the midst of chaos during the Second World War, and through his art, protested their suffering. He took a sarcastic approach, condemning the anti-semite and the wealthy industrialists who supported the German army Most of his career was spent declaring his opposition to Hitler and the Nazi Regime and he used his art to protest the violent, greedy governmental control of the Nazi party. His politically charged photomontages were banned in his home country during the Nazi regime In 1939 the Arcade Gallery in London showed one of Heartfields most famous exhibitions, One Mans War against Hitler . This piece is Hearfields interpretation of the Nazi military slogan. Blood dripping from the swastika infers that the military (weapons and soldiers) was all Germany needed for victory. Bismarck had stated that the German people would be reformed through a combination of blood and iron. Heartfields 1934 photomontage shows how this was to be interpreted in reality In my opinion Dada was a radical art form that challenged Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. Dadaists were the first to use photography to create photomontage images which made visible to the world the violence, hypocrisies and chaos of the war and revolution. They used their art and photography as a weapon to express their political dissatisfaction. They weaved together in their photomontages and collages, their thoughts and experiences and associations with the environment and culture they witnessed during their lifetime. Dada seem to me to have been a group of people who stood up an fought back against dictatorship and oppression. While the thunder of guns rolled in the distance, we sang, painted, glued and composed for all our worth. We are seeking an art that would heal mankind from the madness of the age. Jean Arp The photomontage images were created by taking multiple negatives of photos and stacking them together to create a new photo or picture. It is two dimensional with, no perspective or unified point of view. Modern technology today gives us Photoshop and other creative software to create photomontage images, layering and merging photographs together to create new images.

Expanding Medicare to Include Prescription Drug Coverage :: essays papers

Expanding Medicare to Include Prescription Drug Coverage Introduction Throughout the past year of presidential campaigning, one of the top issues for both candidates has been that of whether or not there should be a prescription-drug benefit added to Medicare. Both George W. Bush and Al Gore have proposed a plan to expand Medicare to include full prescription-drug coverage for senior citizens receiving Medicare, at the expense of taxpayers. It is obvious why this issue has been such a priority for both candidates. Senior citizens vote at a much higher rate than other age groups. Both candidates know the importance of these senior citizen votes and believe that the proposal of adding a prescription-drug benefit is something that will appeal to a vast number of senior citizens. Both candidates have portrayed the issue as being very critical and as a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The question, however, is whether or not such drug coverage is a worthwhile project to undertake. Is the problem indeed serious enough to call for the type of reform that the candidates are proposing? Medicare is already a very costly program to keep up, and adding prescription-drug coverage would increase these costs even more. In order to fund this project, there will need to be a tax hike. Should taxpayers subsidize this prescription-drug benefit? Is there a good reason why this redistribution should take place? What are the benefits and costs of this proposal? These and other questions will be addressed in this paper as we examine the following topics: the need for senior citizens to have prescription-drug coverage, the political rhetoric involved with this issue, the projected shortfall in the budget of the Medicare program, and who really would benefit if a prescription-drug benefit was added to Medicare. Need for Prescription-Drug Coverage Many people argue that the lack of a prescription-drug benefit is the major shortcoming of the Medicare program. But are Medicare recipients really in need of such a benefit? According to a study done by the AARP Public Policy Institute, about 25.6 million, or 65 percent, of noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries already receive some type of prescription-drug coverage, whether it is through employer-sponsored health plans or individually purchased private health policies. This leaves about 13.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who are without prescription-drug coverage.

Divided Nations :: essays papers

Divided Nations Introduction In this essay, I will discuss both the cultural factors in divided nations encountered in the book â€Å"The Violence Within: Cultural and Political Opposition in Divided Nations†, edited by Kay B. Warren, and the methods by which the contributors to this volume have collected their data. The broad array of conflict and opposition encountered in the book are inclusive to countries such as Northern Ireland, Israel, Egypt, Iran, South Africa, The Philippines, Guatemala, and Brazil. A variety of authors have lent their interpretations and experiences in and of these cultures. The methods of data collection are wide ranging, including participant observation, representative, and the accounts of professionals in the same or similar fields. First, I will describe the cultural factors contributing to unrest in each of these nations, and then the methods by which the authors have collected their research material. Cultural Factors in Northern Ireland There is a long history of opposition to British colonialism in Northern Ireland and historically, colonialism creates a special case which carries characteristic cultural effects in the opposition. Colonialism, as Begona Aretxaga (223) points out, â€Å"not only exploits and despoils, it also creates meanings and shapes feelings.†. He further suggests that it is this creation of meanings and shaping of feeling that sets colonialism apart from other forms of political opposition. It is this effect which has laid the cultural framework for the political defiances of the Irish. The major cultural vessel used to express dissent has historically been seen in the form of hunger strikes by political prisoners. This practice has a far-reaching cultural basis which can be found in Gaelic tradition. The hunger strike has also gained significant meaning from the Catholic religion, drawing from the symbolism therein. Whereas this type of non-violent protest has often been associated with the precedent set by Ghandi, here it has a rich historical background and was used to rally and unify the Irish people. From the British perspective, what made colonialism acceptable to the masses was a cultural infusion, painting a picture of the Irish as savages. Their religion was deemed pagan. This religious dissimilarity has permeated through the years, and been the main source of difference as seen between these two entities. Next, I will document the cultural components contributing to the conflict in Israel. Cultural Factors in Israel The rather significant cultural

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury :: Veldt

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of The Veldt, is a delving into the issue of how modern technology can destroy the nuclear family.   The editor of the Encounters book, John A. Rothermich comments that "This story is almost devoid of characterization.", I agree with this statement and think it is key to the plot of the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story begins with the mother of the family, who has quite a generic name.   We are given no information of the characters background and how they came to the point in time they are now.   The lines "Happylife Home" and the familiar room settings like the parent's bedroom and the nursery give you a sense that this is a typical suburban home of the time. The mother seems alarmed or confused about something, "the nursery is...different now than it was", this at first might lead you to believe the mother has true individual characteristics.   However, when you read on, you see the stereotyped reactions to every situation that comes about, the parents then say "nothing's too good for our children".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Later in the story the parents discuss the problems of the incredible house and nursery, "The house is wife, mother, and nursemaid, Can I compete with it?", and the father has a generic answer "But I thought that's why we bought this house".   The parents in the story look upon their children's needs as services instead of ways of expressing any love or care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the story we never learn anything about the children except for their obsession with the nursery, "I don't want to do anything but look and listen and smell; what else is there to do?".   When the parents tell the children the idea of shutting down the computerized house "for a vacation", the children react shocked and stay with their one, single characteristic given, they act shocked "Who will fry my eggs for me, or darn my socks?". You see then the children's primary relationship is to the house and not the parents, the children exclaim "I wish you were dead!".   And sure enough, by the end of the story the children act on their on

Artwork Essay

The â€Å"Self-Portrait with a bandaged ear† by Vincent Van Gogh and â€Å"The Two Fridas† by Mexican painter Kahlo Frida are depicting the artists’ deep hurt and emotional breakdown at losing their special person in life. However, the portrait â€Å"The Two Fridas† is representing the artist’s conflicting psychological mind more into details and straightforward than Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait â€Å"The Bandaged Ear. † In â€Å"The Two Fridas,† she uses various actions and clear setting to help viewers the theme of painting easily. The background is filled with the agitated clouds on the stormy dark sky and it obviously reflects her inner pain. Frida who sits on the left side portrays rejected Frida by her husband Diego Rivera. On the right, it represents loved and respected Frida by him. The two Fridas hold hands each other as if loved Frida tries to join unloved Frida’s suffering. It also implies her only companion is herself since she was six years old. She was isolated from other people due to her health problems. In â€Å"The bandaged ear,† Van Gogh pierces the viewer’s feeling using the facial expression rather than actions. His pale and thin face like Jesus Christ in a late medieval painting and every brushstroke that he made on the canvas tells his pitiful presence at the time. In fact, it is not easy to catching the purpose of the Japanese painting on the wall behind Van Gogh. For late 18th century, European artists considered the traditional Japanese art as a utopian aestheticism. So, he uses the Japanese painting for representing his lost paradise. Frida utilizes many symbolic and striking objects to illustrate her turmoil. The two hearts express her pain. The abandoned Frida’s heart is dying while the other Frida’s heart is whole. The unloved Frida is holding the surgical pincer to cut off a vein that travels through both Fridas’ hearts. Frida tries to stop the flow of blood from loved Frida on the right. Therefore, the blood is dripping on her white dress and it is the sign of danger of bleeding to death. In addition, her white dress is ripped open and it refers her broken relationship between Diego. Van Gogh simply uses fewer objects than Frida’s portrait. In combination of wearing a bandage across his ear to under his chin and his sallow skin imply his health condition is unwell. He may be shivering inside because he wears a coat and hat. Frida Kahlo has been associated with the surrealist movement which is the most influential movement in early 1900’s. This movement is influenced by Sigman Freud and Karl Max and they are well known psychologists. The surrealists believe the conscious mind repress the power of imagination so they are willing to depict their unlimited imagination. They expose the uncensored feeling as if in a dream. Also, they use many different kinds of symbols and colors to make art more details and straightforward. Unlike surrealist Frida, the impressionist artist Van Gogh conveys the subject of his art by demonstrating the techniques of loose brushstrokes that barely forms the figure and it makes his piece sort of like a sketch or â€Å"unfinished painting. He uses not many different colors but instead he focuses on putting shadows or highlights in color. Both of great self portraits portray the artists’ mental and physical collapse in their own stylistic and unique techniques. However, Kahlo Frida’s painting is easier to analyze the subject of artwork than Van Gogh’s painting. Because, she chooses varieties of symbols and colors to express her strange and violent imaginations and it definitely helps viewers easy to define her painful heart through her painting.

With Independence Comes Greater Responsibility.

â€Å"With independence comes greater responsibility. † Ring! Ring! the alarm clock wakes me up at precisely 7:30 am on the first day of summer. My parents rush into my room yelling at me to get up. I’m oblivious to what’s happening because my eyes are still half closed. As I regain my senses I see that my parents are wearing tank-tops and shorts. Instantly I remember that we’re going to China for the summer. After that commotion my parents left the room leaving me with two empty bags to be filled with my belongings that would last me two months. It’s inevitable that I’ll forget something, I mean I always do.Every summer we go to vacations and I always forget to bring the right amount of underwear or my prescribed cream because usually my mom does it for me. This time it’s different, I’m older and I should be able to do it myself. I arbitrarily put everything in my bag. From every item of clothing, every pair of shoes plus the t hings in between. Next thing you know I’m at the airport with my parents unloading our luggage onto a cart. Inside, at the terminal desk the woman behind the counter was telling us that they were overbooked causing us to get upgraded to first class, but there was a problem.There were only two spots available, and one of us had to wait for the next flight. I told my parents that i wanted to stay behind, i mean, i wanted to prove to them that i was responsible enough plus it was kind of romantic for them to be alone. They actually listened to what i had to say and gave me what i wanted. Fast forward to the plane being boarded i was watching my parents leave without me, i had a little anxiety because it would be the first time that my parents let me go alone.Soon after they left i went to my gate with the help of the airport employees because i didn’t have a clue where anything was. I was on my own and i felt a little heartache watching the families around me having fun a nd bonding. We were being called onto the plane. First they called first class, seniors then it was my turn. I handed over my ticket and showed her my passport she noticed the tenseness in my body language and said â€Å"you look nervous, are you okay? †. I managed to let out a quiet â€Å"yes† even though i was telling a lie.I entered the plane and found my seat and sat down. After everyone settled down the plane started to move. It was doing circles around the driveway to warm up it’s engine. Then it stops and i could hear a huge roar from the engine. Before lift off my dad would always give me gum before liftoff so my ears wouldn’t pop. He would always buy juicy fruit but this time he wasn’t here and i didn’t have any. I forced myself to withstand the pressure. After the successful liftoff my moms lap would be my pillow and my mom would ask for a blanket.I was getting cold and tired so i asked the stewardess for a pillow and a blanket, ju st like how my parents would ask if they were with me. The blanket and pillow were amazingly comfy and i quickly fell asleep. Excuse me sir! Excuse me sir! It was the flight attendant asking me if i want beef or chicken. My parents would usually get my food for me and let me sleep longer. They weren’t here so i just picked what the guy beside me picked, beef. The airplane food was gross, i never liked it.I could see the family across from me and how they were all enjoying their meals and pretending that they were at their dinner table exchanging stories that happened to them. I sat quietly eating my meal. Then the guy beside me started to talk to me about the show i was watching. I usually never talk to anyone on the plane, but this time i thought i would give it a try. So i talked to him and he seem to be an interesting person to talk to. We talked the whole way before the seat belt sign went on. This is when we start landing and at that point my body started to shiver.I was always afraid of landing. My mom would usually hold my hand to keep me calm, but she wasn’t here. The guy who had become my friend saw me shiver and asked me what's wrong with me. I manned up and told him nothing’s wrong. Those last few seconds as the plane started to descend were the scariest time of my life. I kept my composure, and stayed calm. I knew i could do this , i know i can, I can, I can, I can. The heart was beating super fast. Then i heard â€Å"SCREECH† and i was safe. I knew my parents were waiting for me and i couldn’t wait to get off to see them again. I was so proud of myself.

Military Operations

The role of the officer in the armed forces is to provide leadership for all operational commands. Military officers are expected to command the managerial, executive, scientific and technical centers of high-level military operations. In the U. S. Army, the officer will command a fort or a brigade. In the Navy, he or she will command a ship, submarine, or aircraft squadron. In the Air Force, officers command space shuttles or engineering, airlift wing, medical staff, or logistics centers. In the Marines, they command operations and training, plans and budget, or enlisted processing stations. In the Coast Guard, they can be chief of training, executive officers, or public affairs; or commanding officer of a cutter. Being all that you can be means performing any number of tasks. Whichever of the five branches of the United States Armed forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Forces, or Coast Guard) you choose to join, prepare yourself for more than a buzz-cut and target practice. Officers are leaders, organizers, strategists, and managers whose duties entail enormous responsibilities. Each branch of the armed forces has particular tasks. The Army is in charge of land-based defense initiatives. The Air Force supervises space and air defense. While the Navy flies the flag upon the seas, the Marine Corps provides them with land support. The Coast Guard plays a dual role. In peacetime, it works for the Department of Transportation, controlling access to American shores. The moment war breaks out, the Coast Guard works alongside of the Navy. Some of the responsibilities inherent in a chosen military career are obvious, such as running a nuclear submarine or commanding a platoon of demolition specialists. Less obvious, but just as important, are he various clerical and managerial tasks that are essential to the smooth operation of our national defense and international peacekeeping. Because of military officers' versatility, training, and skills, they are valued in the civilian world. Many former officers find themselves in great demand at some of America's largest corporation. Department of Transportation, controlling access to American shores. The moment war breaks out, the Coast Guard works alongside of the Navy. Some of the responsibilities inherent in a chosen military career are obvious, such as running a nuclear ubmarine or commanding a platoon of demolition specialists. Less obvious, but just as important, are the various clerical and managerial tasks that are essential to the smooth operation of our national defense and international peacekeeping. Because of military officers' versatility, training, and skills, they are valued in the civilian world. Many former officers find themselves in great demand at some of America's largest corporation Pay and benefits are based on rank and cumulative years of service. For example, the newly commissioned Second Lieutenant or Ensign can expect on average a base salary of 26,000 per year. Further, this salary is augmented by allowances for living quarters, subsistence, and various hazardous duty incentives. For example, in the U. S. Navy an officer's salary can be supplemented by either sea pay, submarine pay, or aviation pay, depending on the career path. Overall, the armed forces offer a salary structure that is competitive with private industry. The perks include extensive travel and health-care benefits, as well as family-oriented services like day care, job security, and a decent pension after a relatively short career. Of ourse, the gratitude our nation shows its soldiers cannot be left out of the package. Benefits available to members of the armed forces compare favorably to those in the civilian work force. Some examples are opportunities for highly advanced training and education with full salary, early high-level management responsibilities, medical and dental care, 30 days of paid yearly vacation, moving allowances, shopping privileges at exchanges and commissaries, membership affiliation with officer clubs, a dynamic retirement program, and fringe benefits that offer long-range security for both career.

To what extent do the two texts present similar or different criticisms of society?

Both No Sugar, written by Jack Davis and Once Were Warriors directed by Lee Tamohori use a number of different themes to present extensively similar criticisms of society. In the play No Sugar, an indigenous family depicts the injustices and problems they face with both the white man and themselves. Also, in Once Were Warriors we see a Maori family struggling to cope with the harsh life they face in their run-down community overrun by gangs and crime. In both texts, the audience sees colonialist policies in extreme poverty, substance abuse, racism, violence and the effects of disintegration of the family. A major theme that is brought to light in Once Were Warriors and No Sugar is the effects of colonialism. In both texts, the characters endure racist policies and are exploited by the â€Å"white man laws† and as a consequence left disenfranchised from society. In Once Were Warriors, Tamohori contrasts Jake against Beth to illustrate how the loss of one's pride and tradition ultimately leads to their downfall. Jake is described as a â€Å"slave† and is clearly a victim to the laws imposed from the white invasion, opposed to Beth, who knows of a better life, involving family culture and traditions rather than crime and alcoholism; the two key reasons leading to Jake's demise. Similarly, in No Sugar, we see the effects of colonialism take its toll on the characters. Due to the paternalistic role cast upon the aboriginal people by those in authority such as A. O. Neville and the Chief Protector of Aboriginals, the characters resort to crime to get by. This is apparent when Jimmy is sent away to jail for months on end and being denied any communications between him and his family, brought about by the controlling laws cast upon the indigenous population at the time. Similarly, both texts present this criticism of society through demonstrating the affect these incidents have on all the characters. In No Sugar and Once Were Warriors, another criticism of the dominant society is its capacity to marginalize its native people. In No Sugar, this is evident in the majority of times the Aboriginal family is in contact with the local Sergeant and Constable. Jimmy: â€Å"Six months! I can do that on me fuckin' head. † Sergeant: â€Å"I'll see what I can do. † In this scene, Jimmy and Sam have been jailed in the Northam police station. This scene, and many like it which follow, demonstrates the injustices these characters face, and the paternalistic behavior of the government at the time. For this reason, the characters in the book were separated from their families and incarcerated for months and in that time, endured racist treatment while in prison. Comparable to this, Once Were Warriors depicts a racist society in a similar manner and through similar circumstances. The Heke family reside in a slum on the outskirts of the city. The family occupies a run-down government funded house in a suburb where crime and conflict with the police is an everyday occurrence. Despite being in a similar situation to the characters in No Sugar, due to the time difference, the family in Once Were Warriors are looked after by a better understanding government and legal system. This is evident when we see the son Mark in conflict with the law for misbehavior, consequently being sent to a youth camp. Unlike No Sugar, the camp that Mark is sent to proves to be a positive change in his life, one which ultimately alters the trends of his own family when he returns home. Compared to No Sugar, the racist treatment of these characters essentially produces a negative impact within their own lives and the lives of their families. Nevertheless, the creators purposely portray this theme in both texts to highlight it within our society, and in effect, through analyzing both texts the audience can notice significant gains that the characters from Once Were Warriors benefit from while the characters from No Sugar suffer as a result. Exposed in both texts, as a result of lost pride, was the theme of substance abuse, namely alcohol. Within the two texts, alcohol abuse plays a significant role in only the lives of the men, ultimately determining their behavior towards the others. In Once Were Warriors, the presence of alcohol is apparent in the majority of scenes. The main character, Jake ‘The Muss', relies on alcohol as a coping mechanism for the harsh, marginalized life he leads, but the affect it has on him and his family proves to be detrimental. A decisive example of this is the night that Gracie commits suicide subsequent to her uncle raping her. Throughout the whole incident, Jake remains drunk and seems to be impassive to his daughter's death. The next morning we see Jake, still with a bottle in his hand drinking away his troubles. No Sugar also portrays the theme of alcohol abuse; Jimmy Munday and Sam Millimurra, his brother-in-law have been drinking heavily and they begin to fight in a wild lumbering manner. The scene has a humorous tone – especially when Gran breaks up the fight, however on a serious level it expresses the problems the characters face because of their isolation and impotence. In both texts, the theme of substance abuse is displayed intentionally to further depict the despair and disempowerment the characters face and the way in which their lives and the people around them are impacted upon. Highlighted in both texts was the way the indigenous characters, who were once proud people, become lowered to impotent helpless figures. As we see in Once Were Warriors, the unstable Jake used his fist to release the pain, anguish and frustration he feels; as Jakes wife Beth states, â€Å"You're still a slave, to your fist, to your drink, to yourself. Likewise, in No Sugar, Jimmy is portrayed as a bitter character suffering the effect of extensive alcohol abuse. In both texts, the creators include these characters to demonstrate the frustrating effects of life without power and what its like to be entirely disenfranchised from society as well as their traditional ways and culture. Throughout No Sugar and Once Were Warriors, Tamohori and Davis recognize the ‘mediator' role that the women played – Beth and Gracie in Once Were Warriors and Gran and Milly in No Sugar. A significant scene which reveals Beth's function in the family occurs when she comforts Gracie – the only gentle soul amongst the tough family, subsequent to being physically abused by Jake. â€Å"[It] won't be easy, just gotta find the money†¦ we will, I promise†. This demonstrates the reassuring attitude Beth, as a mother, has towards her children despite the severe events that occur in the family, as well as the significant role in keeping her family strong and together. In the same way, Gran displays the sense of comfort and conciliation in No Sugar. Unlike Beth, Gran produces this sense of comfort through constantly resorting to their own people's traditional songs. The existence of Gran is paramount to the survival of those around her in that through her knowledge of traditional Aboriginal ways, she brings comfort, support and hope of a better future at times where something so out of reach seems possible. The societies shown in Once Were Warriors and No Sugar are similarly presented in a critical light as both Davis and Tamohori demonstrate the conditions brought about by the effects of colonialism. Both texts also depict the power of women, and the hope they provide the surrounding characters for a better future. Both texts, intentionally, finish in a similar way in that the audience are instilled with a sense of hope that through reconnection with their heritage the characters may escape the control of the oppressive society they inhabit.