A Poetry Explication Of Poetry - 972 Words

A Poetry Explication of â€Å"Introduction to Poetry† A poetry explication is a fairly short analysis, which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other literary elements that make up a poem. These elements help the reader have an understanding of the poem and what the author is trying to convey in a very effective way. Most young readers don’t usually understand the poems. For this literary explanation the reader had an interest in the poem â€Å"Introduction to poetry†, by Collins. In this poem, the author, who is also a professor, decided to reach out to his students to portray the way students approach poems. This author uses imagery; metaphor and theme to better understand his poem. In the poem, â€Å"Introduction to poetry†, as soon as the reader, reads the poem they will notice imagery. Imagery is a very effective way for the author to paint a vivid picture. This allows the reader to create pictures in their own minds. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker asks the reader to do a visual examination of the poem. He asks them to hold it up to the light, like if the reader had just discover some transparency. Another poetic element is used in the third stanza, where the image of a mouse is exploring a maze, searching for his way out. This is one of the clearest examples of poetic imagery in the poem. â€Å"I say drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out† (Collins, 1988, line 5, 7), the reader can literary imagine a little whiteShow MoreRelatedPoetry Explication764 Words   |  4 Pages?Luke Brogoitti Dr. Wing English 105 Essay #1 Feb. 18th, 2009 Poetry Explication Matt Skiba’s song â€Å"Blue In The Face†, performed by Alkaline Trio in 2003, is written in a first person narrative directed towards a former lover. Skiba uses dark connotations and satanic allusions to portray his emotions and describe the various reasons he thinks she left that night, how he feels about the situation that happened and lastly that he wants her back. Matt Skiba’s songs are synonymous withRead MoreAn Explication Of A Poetry Explication Essay1895 Words   |  8 PagesWriting Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1 ? Essay #1: Poetry Explication A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis that describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. It is a line-by-line unfolding or revealing of the meaning(s) of a poem as the poem develops that meaning from beginning to end. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem s plot and conflicts withRead MorePoetry Explication1059 Words   |  5 PagesSamantha Ward Professor Amy Clukey English 300-03 Due Date: September 22, 2011 Most Painful Memories: An Explication of Edward Mayes’ â€Å"University of Iowa, 1976† Take a minute to imagine â€Å"Men looking like they had been/attacked repeatedly by a succession /of wild animals,† â€Å"never/ ending blasted field of corpses,† and â€Å"throats half gone, /eyes bleeding, raw meat heaped/ in piles.† These are the vividly, grotesque images Edward Mayes describes to readers in his poem, â€Å"University of Iowa HospitalRead MorePoetry Explication1130 Words   |  5 PagesThe Goose Fish by Howard Nemerov This poem dramatizes the conflict between appearance and reality, particularly as this conflict relates to the central symbol of the poem, the goose fish. The speaker relates the tale of two lovers who encounter a dead fish on the beach after sharing their affection with one another. While looking at the fish, the couple ponders the meaning of this fish. Taken figuratively, the goose fish occupies many roles. As the speaker overlooks the events taking placeRead More Poetry Explication Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesPoetry Explication Language is a remarkable thing. It can convey every thought, feeling, and emotion with perfect accuracy. Almost exclusively, language has taken awkward, unfit animals out of nature and made them rulers over the earth and many of its elements. When used well, it has the power to change an individuals view of the world, make someone believe they have seen something they have not, and even more astonishingly, look inside ones self and see what exists. If language is mixedRead MorePoetry Explication of Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"Mirror†949 Words   |  4 PagesPoetry Explication of Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"Mirror† The first thing one can notice in Sylvia Plath’s poem â€Å"Mirror† (rpt. In Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson, Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 9th ed. [Boston: Wadsworth, 2006] 680) is that the speaker in the poem is the mirror and the woman in the poem is Sylvia Plath. As you read through the poem, the lake is relevant because of the famous mythological story of narcissus. He was extremely beautiful and one day while drinking from a lakeRead MorePoetry Explication Of Percy Bysshe Shelleys Ozymandias733 Words   |  3 PagesPoetry Explication It is impossible for one to overcome the finite nature of existence and the perpetual progression of time. Although no one has succeeded many have tried to remain forever in the present, such as Egyptian monarch Ozymandias. Even though he himself was bounded to the thirteenth century B.C., he attempted to guarantee his immortality through his works and a large statue of himself. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s 1818 poem, â€Å"Ozymandias,† is a traveler’s chilling recount of what remains inRead MorePoetry Explication : Dulce Et Decorum Est1039 Words   |  5 PagesPoetry Explication: Dulce Et Decorum Est To die for one’s country is horrible and wrong. For now, this may seem like a mistake, like this is all a mistake, and that the statement itself cannot possibly be what is meant to be written in the first sentence of this page. But it is supposed to be there, because there it is, bold and right. The poem â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† is truly bold and right in its horrifying descriptions of what it is actually like to die for one’s country. It not only proves aRead MoreThe Buck in the Snow Poetry Explication Essay699 Words   |  3 PagesJoseph Beard C. DeKraai AP/IB English, period 1 30 August 2010 Word Count: 534 â€Å"The Buck in the Snow† by Edna St. Vincent Millay Over a short twelve lines, the speaker in â€Å"The Buck in the Snow† mourns then philosophizes over the realism of death, which represents sin, vice, pain, and everything imperfect in the world. The imagery and diction chosen by Edna St. Vincent Millay suggest a sorrowful mood that matches the mournful prayer of the speaker in the first stanza: White sky, saw you notRead MorePoetry Explication : Because I Could Not Stop For Death1385 Words   |  6 PagesPoetry Explication: Because I could not stop for Death Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson processes the life leading up to death and eternal life. The speaker is telling the poem many years after death and in eternal life. She explains the journey to immortality, while also facing the problem of sacrifice and willingness to earn it. The poem is succulent in alliteration, imagery, repetition, personification and rhyme. A notable shift in almost all of the poems direction occurs

Helper Essay - 828 Words

i want the rank of Helper because this server has a big community and great amount of user there is a good amount of rule breakers. I have been playing on this server for Around 2-3 years and about a couple months ago I decided to step up in the game and not only be just a Member on this server but a staff so I can make this server fun and a server that people will know for good community. I got denied couple times but im still going to try till i get accepted . I also want this rank so I can keep on improving the server and be making this server a server that players will come on and know they are always supported and always will be supported and if they need help I will be willing to help. I also want this rank so I can make this server†¦show more content†¦This results in Permanent /ban Hacking: Hacking is where you are using either Illegal Modifications or an actual Hacked Client, you will be put on a Holding ban and the video i made will be reviewed by another staff-member and if they think the person is cheating it will result in a Permanent /ban Spamming: Spamming is where you paste the same message or similar to the message you posted before 3 times in the amount of 15 seconds. this will result to a warn followed by a /mute Chat Flooding: Chat Flooding is similar to advertising but a bit different, flooding the chat is where you post different messages but without giving any time before posting the next message. If someone is to post 1,2,3,4 without giving a time period it would be considered as trying to flood the chat. This will result as a warn than followed by a /tempmute Suspicious Links: Suspicious Links in chat are not allowed, Most of the time they are IP-Loggers or something to hack your computer or internet. The ONLY link you are allowed to post is something that links to www.opcraft.net (a forum post). this will result in a /mute Mute Evasion: Mute Evading is where you have been muted by a staff member, then you either log onto an alternate account or use several of our features to get staff or players attention. This will result in a tempban by a ManagerShow MoreRelatedHelper Application Essay1035 Words   |  5 PagesWelcome to my Helper Application. My name is Daniel, and I have been playing on mineage for quite a while. I am currently an EnderGod on MineagePvP, but I plan on upgrading if this upcoming revamp is successful. On the darker side though, we can all agree that basically every reset this server has seen in the past 2 years or so has been very faulty. People get aggravated quickly every map due to many reasons, one being an overwhelming amount of hackers and advertisers. This leads to the map dyingRead MoreHelper For A Stranger Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesHelper for a Stranger I walked down the filthy New York City sidewalk on my way to the bus stop. I hated living here. People were always asking me for money and food, and on the sidewalks people were always running into me and touching me with their disgusting hands. Things weren’t any better at home. I live with my two older twin brothers, Kyle and Henry, who hang around each other all the time and never with me. They hate me. These are all the reasons why I’m headed for the bus stop. I am runningRead MoreEssay Helper Client Confidentiality1122 Words   |  5 PagesInformed consent and confidentiality play a very important role in the helping profession. The helper needs to clearly communicate to the client that the information shared with them is confidential, meaning that it is not reused for any other purpose other than to assist the client with what they are there to work on (Hill, p.65). The professional must also communicate the three exceptions in which the information shared is n ot kept confidential. Those exceptions are: 1) When information regardingRead MoreMrs Johnstone948 Words   |  4 Pagesteachers and top students analyse all sorts of English essays to give you an insider s look into what makes a great essay. Come and visit our English essay section on Marked by Teachers and use this analysis and advice to write your own masterpiece at GCSE or A-level! We re TSR s sister site, so you re sure to feel right at home straight away. Just take our free tour to see how we can help you with your studies. Thanks! Your English study helper Hi! Maybe we can help with your question. OnRead MoreThe Death Of The Elm Tree953 Words   |  4 Pagesa natural part of life – at least that is how the saying goes – but many tend to possess a skewed perception of death. The thought of death generally unnerves and frightens people. Scientist Lewis Thomas addresses this in his 1979 essay â€Å"On Natural Death.† In his essay, Thomas establishes himself as a liable source of information through his scientific background and impressive schooling. Aware of his audience’s unease regarding this topic, Lewis Thomas dispels their trepidation by referencing variousRead MoreEssay on Service Dogs: Much More than a Helpers1471 Words   |  6 Pagestheir owners, service dogs help their owners live independently. It is not a simple task to get a service dog. Service dogs just don’t come straight out of a pet store. It takes years to train that cute little fluff ball and turn him into a human helper. Because there is so much work involved in training a dog to become a service dog, there are not enough of them. In fact, people needing a service dog may have to wait two to five years before they can get a service dog . Service dogs are selectedRead MoreOF MICE AND MEN ESSAY Libre2222 Words   |  9 PagesOf Mice And Men Essay Of mice and men essay State of California. essay writers salt lake city research paper writing chattanooga buy college ruled paper. Of mice and men essay Metis-sur-Mer of mice and men essay Columbus, Leicestershire, Palmdale, Bakersfield of mice and men essay san antonio write essay for me, of mice and men essay Alexandria uploading essay to common app, Chester of mice and men essay Norfolk geometry and algebra 1 formula sheet Of mice and men essay State of Rhode Island andRead More The Problems of Plagiarism Essay1199 Words   |  5 Pagesto use information honestly and in proper ways so as to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism can be an accidental borrowing of words resulting from the practice of notetaking and paraphrasing, or â€Å"too much† editing and proofreading by a fellow student or helper. Presenting another person’s ideas as your own is a form of plagiarism. Failure to acknowledge sources is also a common form of plagiarism. Using quotation marks around quoted words and paraphrased ideas are accepted practice with proper citationRead MoreThe Welfare Of Foreign Workers1200 Words   |  5 Pagesperson or a groups’ happiness, health and well-being. In this essay, I will be looking it from three different perspectives of why the welfare is not taken care of seriously. Firstly, the treatment they received, next, the food they eat and lastly the living conditions that they stay in. In Singapore, there are around 1.32 million of foreign workers. Majority take up low skilled jobs, for example construction workers and domestic helpers. These jobs are called the 3D jobs, which means it is dirtyRead MoreThe Hero Myth of the Matrix Essay1074 Words   |  5 Pages using the Matrix as an example we will look at these ten stages. Like in Linda Segers essay, the first stage of the hero is he/she is presented to the viewers in normal surroundings doing normal things. In the movie the Matrix Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo, (Played by Keanu Reeves) is a program writer for a software company and lives by himself. The only way this story differs from Segers essay is in Neos free time he is a rebel computer hacker. He does this because he is looking for

Differences and Similarities of Greek and Roman Gods free essay sample

There are also tales of how the roman counterparts came to be. Such tales as how Cronus the Greek God became Saturn the Roman God of Agricultural and Fertility. When studying Mythology it is easy to see that the Ancient Greeks and Romans did not idealize their Gods, their Gods felt the same emotions as mortals, they just felt them stronger and their reactions’ where greater than a mere mortals. They welded their powers and strengths to the benefit of themselves and anyone they felt obliged to or favored. They thought little of what their actions aused for the mortals only how it affected them. Cronus was the youngest so of mother earth and father heaven, also known as Gaea and Uranus. Mother Earth had six sons originally but they were so hideous that father heaven imprisoned them in a deep hole. After mother earth gave birth to six more children she challenged them to punish their father for his evil. Her youngest son Cronus took the challenge. He dismembered his father’s manhood and tossed it into the sea. After this he too kept his older hideous siblings locked up and with his other siblings became the titans. He ruled for a time until his sister and also wife bore him six children. He feared the same fate as that of his father and so he swallowed all but the last, the youngest again stood alone. When the last child was born Rhea his wife and sister went to mother earth and asked for help to protect her child. Mother earth agreed and raised Cronus and Rhea’s youngest, Zeus, hidden from his father. Rhea in turn took a rock wrapped in a baby blanket and gave it to Cronus and told him it was his child. He believed her and swallowed it too, leaving Zeus to grow up and one day defeat his father. When Zeus grew up and Cronus discovered he was still alive they fought, Cronus was forced to regurgitate his five other children and the rock. With his siblings and older Uncles, Zeus fought Cronus and the other Titans and in the end forced Cronus to flee. Cronus fled to Latium and here he became known as Saturn, the Roman God and ruler of Latium through marriage. He taught his people to tend the land and became known as the agricultural and fertility god. The era of his rule was known as the Golden Age and they still celebrate Saturn every December during a festival called Saturnalia. The actions of Cronus cut off his fathers manhood resulted in one story of how Aphrodite and Venus came to be. When Cronus removed his father’s manhood and tossed it into the sea, it is said that Aphrodite rose from the sea and came to shore on a conch shell. She is said to be from the mixing of the foam of the sea and the blood of father earth. Being the goddess of love and beauty made her desirable to all men, gods or mortals and at times caused wars, between mortals and between gods and goddesses. She is said to be the mother of Eros, the god of love, Cupid in Roman mythology. As a goddess she possessed many powers and as said earlier, these gods and goddesses did not think anything of wielding their powers in way they pleased. When it was said by others that the mortal, Psyche, was more beautiful than Aphrodite she set out to punish her, (this is just one version of the story as there are many). This tale is told with for both Aphrodite and Venus and their sons Eros and Cupid, the mortal in question Psyche has the same name in all tales. Being jealous or wanting to teach her a lesson, Aphrodite/Venus sent Eros/Cupid to shot her with an arrow and make her fall in love with the first man she saw no matter how ugly. When Eros/Cupid went to do this there was a mess up and he ended up falling for the lovely Psyche, not wanting his mother to know he flew her off to his secluded home and kept her there. He told her she could not lay eyes on him and only visited her at night in the dark. She either got curious on her own or was influenced by her jealous sisters, and one night took her oil lamp and looked at Eros/Cupid while he slept. He woke to find her staring at him and angry at her lack of trust and betrayal left her. She went to his mother Aphrodite/Venus and asked for help to get him back. Aphrodite, still angry, sent Psyche on four dangerous and perceivably impossible tasks to prove her worth as a wife to Eros . She was first required to sort a room of grain in a day’s time, with the help of some ants she succeed. Next she had to get water from a water fall; she passed this test with the help of an eagle. She was challenged to get the fleece from a ferocious. Last she was told to go down to the underworld and retrieve a potion from Persephone. She accomplished all these tasks, Eros/Cupid went to Zeus/Jupiter missing his love and asked for help. Zeus/Jupiter listen to the tale and granted him his wish and made Psyche an immortal Goddess and they lived happily ever after. Venus has her own tales as well. She is viewed in one version, as the mother of Rome. In this story her son Aeneas, fathered by Anchises, flees from Troy after the Greeks gained control and founds Rome. This is another link between the Greeks and Romans in mythology. Eros/Cupid is in most cases, is thought of as the son to Aphrodite/Venus, fathered by Ares/Mars, the God of War, who Aphrodite/Venus had an affair with and in some tales was married to. Eros/Cupid was the God of Love and fertility. Some tales say he is responsible for Heaven/Uranus and Earth/Gaea coming together. His arrows were of two types and could either make a mortal or God for in love with one type or make them indifferent with another arrow. He was often seen as mischievous as he dealt his arrows as he saw fit and sometimes as his mother Aphrodite/Venus saw fit. He finally fell victim to his own arrow, while on an errand for his mother and fell for Psyche. These Gods though mythical have had influence on people since their conception through verbal tales and literature used to explain how things came to be. The tales told of how ancient Greeks, while they were respective of the gods powers, did not see them as role models, yet symbols and figures to effect life. The Greek Gods seem to carry over to the Romans some with different names and different tales. Some were just borrowed as is and praised similarly. The Roman Gods of mythology as many other things the Romans developed have leaked into present day society. Noting the names of the gods and the names of the present day solar system planet names and how each planet is represented by a god’s name, right down to tiny Pluto (no longer considered a planet).

The Budgeting Process Essay Example

The Budgeting Process Paper The budgeting process pulls together the plans to each manager in the organization. 9-Nan example of using the budget to allocate resources in a university is found in the area of research funds and grants Universities typically have a limited amount of research-support resources that must be allocated among the various colleges and divisions within the university. This allocation process often takes place within the context of the budgeting process. The flowchart on the following page depicts the components Of the master budget for a service station. 9-general economic trends are important in forecasting sales in the airline industry, The overall health of the economy is an important factor affecting the extent of business travel. In addition, the health of the economy, inflation, and income levels affect the extent to which the general public travels by air, 9-operational budgets specify how an organizations operations will be carried out to meet the demand for its goods and services. The operational budgets prepared in a hospital would include a labor budget showing the number of repressions personnel of various types required to carry out the hospitals mission, an overhead budget listing planned expenditures for such costs as utilities and maintenance, and a cash budget showing planned cash receipts and disbursements. Flowchart for Review Question 9-4 7. Application of activity-based costing to the budgeting process yields activity- based budgeting (ABA). Under BABY the first step is to specify the products or services to be produced and the customers to be seerÐ’Â »deed. We will write a custom essay sample on The Budgeting Process specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Budgeting Process specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Budgeting Process specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Then the activities necessary to produce these products and services are determined. Finally the sources needed to perform the specified activities are determined. ABA differs from traditional budgeting in the emphasis that it places on activities and its use of activity-based costing data in the budgeting process. 8. E-budgeting stands for an electronic and enterprise-wide budgeting process. Under this approach the information needed to construct a budget is gathered via the Internet from individuals and subunits located throughout the enterprise. The Internet also is used to disseminate the resulting budget schedules and information to authorized users throughout the enterprise. -9th city of New York could use budgeting for planning purposes in many ways. For example, the citys personnel budget would be important in planning for required employees in the police and fire departments, The citys capital budget would be used in planning for the replacement of the citys vehicles, computers, administrative buildings, and traffic control equipment. The citys cash budget would be important in planning tort cash receipts and disbursements, It is important for any organization, including a municipal government, to make sure that it has enough cash on hand to meet its cash deeds at all times. 10. The budget director, or chief budget officer, specifies the process by which budget data will be gathered, collects the information, and prepares the master budget. To communicate budget procedures and deadlines to employees throughout the organization, the budget director often develops and disseminates a budget manual. -11 The budget manual says Who is responsible for providing various types Of information, when the information is required, and what form the information is to take. The budget manual also States Who should receive each schedule when the master budget is complete. -12 A companys board of directors generally has final approval over the master budget. By exercising its authority to make changes in the budget and grant final approval, the board of directors can wield considerable influence on the overall direction the organization takes. Since the budget is used as a resource- allocation mechanism, the board of directors can emphasize some programs and curtail or eliminate others by allocating funds through the budgeting process. 9-13 Under zero-base budgeting, the budget for virtually every activity in the organization is initially set to zero. To receive funding during the budgeting process, each activity must be justified in terms of its continued usefulness. The zero-base budgeting approach forces management to rethink each phase of an organizations operations before allocating resources. -AAA master budget is based on many assumptions and predictions of unknown parameters. For example, the sales budget is built on an assumption about the nature of demand for goods or services. The direct-material budget requires an estimate of the direct-material price and the quantity of material required per unit of production. Many other assumptions are used throughout the rest of the budgeting process. 9-15 The difference between the revenue or cost projection that a person provides in the budgeting process and a realistic estimate tooth revenue or cost is called budgetary slack. Building budgetary slack into the budget is called padding the budget. A significant problem caused by budgetary slack is that the budget ceases to be an accurate portrayal of likely future events. Cost estimates are often inflated, and revenue estimates are often understated. In this situation, the budget loses its effectiveness as a planning tool. -16 An organization can reduce the problem of budgetary slack in several ways. First, it can avoid relying on the budget as a negative, evaluative tool. Second, managers can be given incentives not only to achieve budgetary projections but also to provide accurate projections. -17 The idea of participative budgeting is to involve employees throughout an organization in the budgetary process. Such participation can give employees the feeling that this is our budget, rather than the feeling that this is the budget you imposed on us. When employees feel that they were part Of the budgeting recess, they are more likely to strive to achieve the budget. 9-18 This comment is occasionally heard from people who have started and run their own small business for a long period of time. These individuals have great knowledge in their minds about running their business. They feel that they do not need to spend a great deal of time on the budgeting process, because they can essentially run the business by feel. This approach can result in several problems. First, if the person who is running the business is sick or traveling, he or she is not available to make decisions and implement plans that could have en clarified by a budget. Second, the purposes of budgeting are important to the effective running of an organization. Budgets facilitate communication and coordination, are useful in resource allocation, and help in evaluating performance and providing incentives to employees. It is difficult to achieve these benefits putout a budgeting process. 9-19 In developing a budget to meet your college expenses, the primary steps would be to project your cash receipts and your cash disbursements. Your cash receipts could come from such sources as summer jobs, jobs held during the academic year, college funds saved by relatives or friends for your benefit, scholarships, and financial aid from your college or university. You would also need to carefully project your college expenses. Your expenses would include tuition, room and board, books and other academic supplies, transportation, clothing and other personal needs, and money for entertainment and miscellaneous expenses. 9-20 Firms with international operations tact a variety of additional challenges in preparing their budgets. ; A multinational firms budget must reflect the translation of foreign currencies into u. S. Liars. Almost all the worlds currencies fluctuate in their values relative to the dollar, and this fluctuation makes budgeting for those translations difficult. It is difficult to prepare budgets when inflation is high or unpredictable. Some foreign countries have experienced hyperinflation, sometimes with annual inflation rates well over 100 percent. Predicting such high inflation rates is difficult and complicates a multinationals budgeting process. ; The economies Of all countries fluctuate in terms Of consumer demand, availability of skilled labor, laws affecting commerce, and so forth. Companies With foreign operations face the task Of anticipating such changing conditions in their budgeting processes. -21 The five phases in a products life cycle are as follows: (a) Product planning and concept design (b) Preliminary design (c) Detailed design and testing (d) Production (e) Distribution and customer service It is important to budget these costs as early as possible in order to ensure that the revenue a product generates over its life cycle Will cover all Of the costs to be incurred. A large portion of a products life-cycle costs will be committed ell before they are actually incurred. 9-22 (a) Ordering costs: The cost of preparing, placing, and receiving a purchase order. Examples include the clerical costs of preparing purchase orders, time spent finding suppliers and expediting orders, transportation, and receiving costs, such as unloading and inspection. ) (b) Holding costs: The cost incurred in keeping inventory on hand for some period of time. (Examples include the costs of storage space such as a warehouse, depreciation, security, insurance, forgone interest on working capital tied up in inventory, and the costs of deterioration and theft. (c) Shortage costs: The cost incurred by the organization when it does not have materials or finished goods on hand when needed. Examples include the costs caused by disrupted production when raw materials are unavailable, lost sales, dissatisfied customers, and the loss of quantity discounts on purchases. ) 9-23 The EX. approach assumes that some inventory must be held. The objective of the model is to balance the cost of ordering against the cost of holding inventory. In contrast, the KIT philosophy is to reduce all inventories to the absolute minimum, eliminating them completely if possible. The KIT viewpoint asserts that inventory holding costs tend to be higher than may be apparent because of the inefficiency and waste involved in storing inventory.

A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories

A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories â€Å"A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories† by Louisa May Alcott includes four short stories, each with different themes, tones, structure and point of view. Yet on a careful reading of these four stories one can discern a common theme that can be loosely applied to all the four stories. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This common theme of love and compassion is brought out in each of these stories in a very distinctive way, making each one stand out in its own right. This essay will compare and contrast the various literary elements of the four short stories and highlight the common theme of love and compassion running through the entire collection. The structure of each of these stories is laid out in a way to have maximum impact on the readers. A Modern Cinderella starts out like Cinderella’s story and shows one sister toiling h ard while other rest and ends like Cinderella when John produces the slipper. The beginning and the end justify the title for the rest of the story is nothing like the fairy tale and lays out the daily trials of simple folks. But while the Cinderella like start hooks the reader, the happy ending gives reader something to cheer about after the tragedy that had befallen the family in the middle of the story. The structure provides a perfect blend wherein comparison with the fairy tale is juxtaposed with the harsher realities of life. Debby’s Debut follows a simple structure of a love triangle where the love of the two suitors is alternately discussed to create the suspense as to which of the two Debby will chose. Although the reader is told that Debby loves Evans and there are a number of signs pointing towards Evans as the eventual winner, the depth of Leavenworth’s love is discussed in enough details to create doubt in the reader’s mind, especially in light of the pressure from Aunt Pen. This story follows the classical structure of a love triangle to keep the readers interested. The Brothers has an ebb and flow like structure. It starts slowly but the momentum builds up and reaches its high point when Robert’s identity is revealed. The tension continues as Robert proceeds to kill Ned and Faith tries to stop him. Once Robert agrees to back off, the narrative once again slows down only to rise again towards the climax. This structure has a very dramatic effect on the story and gets the reader involved in the lives of the lead characters.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Each of the stories introduces the loving and compassionate nature of its lead characters in the opening scene. The first story, A Modern Cinderella, starts on a hot summer day when the main protagonist, Nan, is toiling alone in the kitchen while her younger sisters laze around. The arrival of John in this setting and subsequent change in Nan’s demeanor immediately makes the reader aware of the spark between these lead characters. Similarly in the Debby’s Debut, the reference to Aunt Pen’s intention of finding a suitable match for Debby, gives the first hint of an impending romance. The themes of The Brothers and Nelly’s Hospital center more around the compassion of its lead characters for other creatures. In The Brothers, nurse Faith Dane finds compassion in her heart for both the rebel soldier as well as the Mulatto, when it is clear that no one else in the hospital want to have anything to do with either of them. The main theme of Nelly’s Hospital is her compassion for her living being and once again this theme is introduced early in the story. Thus, each one of the four stories gives very specific and clear hint about their main theme in the early stages. Another idea repeated throug h the stories is that of loving one’s enemy. In The Brothers, Faith immediately agrees to care for the rebel soldier declaring that though she could not quite love her enemies, she was â€Å"willing to take care of them† (55). This theme of loving one’s enemies is repeated in Nelly’s Hospital, When Nelly compares the snake with a Rebel soldiers and yet decides to help it. In Debby’s Debut, Debby feels compassion for Clara, who would have been considered competition by other girls in her place. Astute enough to realize that Leavenworth was flirting with Clara to get her attention and that Clara might be falling for him, Debby chides Leavenworth for his actions. In the Modern Cinderella, although her sisters are not her enemies and are not intentionally cruel to her, at the beginning of the story, they come across as the â€Å"wicked stepsisters† and yet Nan jokes about them when John asks where they are. At this stage, the reader is not awa re of the true nature of the relationship between the sisters, and Nan’s charitable description of her sisters’ activities hint at her compassionate constitution. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus the idea of compassion towards enemies is firmly established across the four stories. The common theme of love and compassion is supported by author’s tone which is mostly optimistic in each of the stories. Modern Cinderella starts with the various domestic problems facing Nan, but the entry of John quickly turns the tone into optimism. The sisters share a loving relationship and even though Di and Laura tend to avoid house work and responsibilities, John’s reproach of their attitude is playful and their reaction suggests at the tight bond shared by the sisters. Despite all the problems faced by lovers, the tone never be comes pessimistic. Even the death of the sisters’ father does bring down the narrative and when Nan falls ill, it is quickly balanced by Laura’s optimistic thoughts about her sister and her resolve to become more like Nan. In Debby’s Debut, the tone is earnest and joyful as Debby attempts to please her aunt but cannot help herself from enjoying simple pleasures of life. As Debby enjoys her life despite Aunt Pen’s strict rules, the readers get pulled into the lively girl’s adventure and enjoy the vacation with her. In keeping with the subject of the story, The Brothers has a rather solemn tone. Although Robert’s experiences as a slave make him bitter, it does not affect the tone of the story which remains optimistic throughout. Finally, Nelly’s Hospital has an earnest tone as all the major characters chip in to help Nelly in her noble cause. As mentioned, each one of these stories remains optimistic even in the face of adverse circu mstances and avoid any kind of negative tone. The stories make ample use of foreshadowing to prepare the readers for the budding romance of its lead characters. In Modern Cinderella, Nan is facing a number of problems in the kitchen as she is trying to prepare the dinner all alone. But with the arrival of John â€Å"seemed to soothe all unpropitious powers with a sudden spell† (5). Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is the first hint of about Nan’s feeling for John. Similarly, the mention of John giving â€Å"his own gift in his mother’s name† hints at John’s feeling for Nan long before he confesses about it to his mother. In Debby’s Debut, the readers get the first hint Frank Evans and Debby may fall in love which each other by referring to Evans as â€Å"her fate† (26). In The Brothers, Robert’s trance like conduct when Faith first sees him gives the first hint that something is right. These foreshadowing makes the readers look forward to impending romance in The Modern Cinderella and Debby’s Debut, while incites the curiosity in The Brothers. The stories introduce conflict at various stages in the plot. In a Modern Cinderella, the conflict first arises somewhere in the middle of the story when John’s mother advices him to wait a year before proposing to Nan. It is further heightened by the death of the sisters’ fathe r which puts the responsibility of the family on young Nan’s shoulders. In Debby’s Debut, conflict is present from the very start since the Aunt Pen obviously wants Debby to marry rich and Evans comes from a working class background. Leavenworth’s growing affection for Debby further complicates the conflict. In The Brothers, the conflict is introduced rather late when Robert discloses his true identity and his intentions of taking revenge. The introduction of the conflict at various stages makes the readers react in different ways in each of these stories. In the Modern Cinderella, just as the reader is starting to believe that the main protagonists will soon get together, the introduction of conflict brings back the suspense. The love triangle and Aunt Pen’s clear preference for the rich Leavenworth keeps the suspense alive throughout the story in Debby’s Debut. In The Brothers, once the conflict is revealed, readers develop sympathy for Robert and subsequently, when the Rebel recovers, readers get the feeling of injustice towards the former slave. The strategic positioning of the conflict in each of these stories keeps the reader involved and raises varying emotions. Coming to the point of view, Alcott uses various points of view in the four stories to make the desired impact. Both Modern Cinderella and Debby’s Debut are romantic stories and so the omniscient point of view of these stories keeps the readers aware of the feelings of each of the characters and heightens the conflict and suspense in these stories. The Brothers uses a First Person narration resulting in a limited point of view which in turn heightens the suspense of the proceedings. The third person narrative of Nelly’s Hospital provides readers with the facts as seen from the perspective of a young girl. This helps the readers appreciate Nelly’s efforts and empathize with her concerns. Thus using the right point of views makes conflic t and the suspense of each one these stories stand out and helps the reader to identify with the characters. While each of the stories has their own ironies, The Brothers is perhaps one of the most ironic tales ever told. Robert finds himself caring for and trying to save the man who was responsible for his wife’s death. Even though he hates Ned, for an entire week he works hard to improve his condition so that he can learn what happened to his wife. When Robert tries to kill Ned to take revenge for her wife’s death, Faith ironically evokes the dead woman’s memory to stop him from committing murder. And in the end, even though he had been wronged again and again by his former master, he is unable to get his revenge when not him but another soldier kills Ned while he dies as a result of wounds inflicted upon him by Ned. Robert feels avenged and says that â€Å"it’s better so†, perhaps because the way the things played out ensured that Robert was n ot guilty of murdering his own brother. Once again the readers witness the irony of the situation since even though he had been wronged by Ned in so many ways Robert continues to think of him as his brother. While The Brothers is full of irony, other stories in the collection also have their ironic moments. In A Modern Cinderella, the biggest irony is perhaps the fact that the girls lose their father on the happiest day of their life. Just a few hours after he accepts Phillips proposal to allow Laura to marry him, he is found dead in his garden. Alcott further brings out this irony in announcing the death. She refers to fields of grain and ripening fruits, all of which are symbols of prosperity and life and then mentions almost offhandedly that â€Å"In the silence of the night a greater Reaper had passed by†¦leaving only tender memories† (18). In Debby’s Debut, we witness the happy irony of Debby falling in love with the poor Mr. Evans despite her aunt’s best efforts to get her married to the rich Leavenworth. Also, while Aunt Pen tries to educate her niece in the sophisticated ways of the rich society, ironically it is Debby’s simple and honest demeanor which attracts Leavenworth to her. The stories also make ample use of symbols, metaphors and imagery to get the message across. A Modern Cinderella starts with a description of the sisters’ house and its surrounding and refers to the trees as â€Å"patriarchal elms stood sentinel upon the lawn, as they had stood almost a century ago† (3), just as their fathers â€Å"paternal love †¦ had been its strength and stay† (20). The problems facing Nan as she braves the house work all is best captured by the words â€Å"domestic purgatory†¦, kitchen† (4). Later, when it is obvious that Nan has fallen in love with John, the grove which she had visited since childhood to enjoy its solitude no longer felt deserted and â€Å"all things seemed to wear one shape†(13), an obvious reference to John. Just before announcing the death of their father, Alcott tells the readers the good news of Laura’s impending engagement. A little later, John and Nan walk out into the garden to look for Nan’s father. As they are walking down the garden, Alcott describes the scenery as â€Å"Fields of yellow grain were waving on the hill-side, and sere corn blades rustled in the wind, from the orchard came the scent of ripening fruit, and all the garden-plots lay ready to yield up their humble offerings to their masters hand† (18). These words serve a dual purpose at this point of the story. Besides bringing out the irony of the old man’s death, they also refer to the happiness felt by the young lovers in wake of the recently receive good news. Although the sisters always had a close bond, the death of their father brought them closer and prepared them for the long life that lay in front of them. Alcott has described this formation of a close bond between the sisters using the metaphor â€Å"the soil was made ready, and in the depth of winter the good seed was sown, was watered with many tears, and soon sprang up green with a promise of a harvest for their after years† (20). As the girls grew closer and became more responsible, their actions are described as â€Å"herbs of grace† (21). Time heals all wounds and by spring the girls had taken control of their lives and moved on after their father’s death. This aptly symbolized as â€Å"spring cleaning†. In Debby’ Debut, the contrast between old age and youth is brought out by the fact that while even though they had both had the same exhausting journey, Aunt Pen chose to sleep earl while Debby was forced to be patient even though she wanted to play at the beach. Also, while Debby rose early, Aunt Pen continued to sleep till much later. The rising sun is an apt symbol for Debby’s youth and her soon to foll ow debut. The youngsters at the summer watering hole had completely different dispositions in the privacy of their home but took on more polished roles in the each other company. This change in their personalities is captured by Alcott using the words â€Å"actors and actresses† to refer to the young crowd. In the Brothers, the various injustices faced by Robert are compared with Michael Angelo’s bronze prisoner. Also, Robert refused to adopt the last name of his masters but later took Faith’s last name as a sign of his respect for the woman who gave him a second life free of vengeful thoughts. Another symbol is Alcott’s reference to the fact that â€Å"all colored men are called boys†. Robert is described as a twenty five year old strong-limbed and manly person. Yet he is referred to as a â€Å"boy† because of his race. As Patterson points out, this confuses his identity, just as his being of mixed race results in him belonging to neither race. Similarly, being a contraband â€Å"he is neither a slave nor free† (Patterson para 5). By referring to this manly person as â€Å"boy†, Alcott symbolizes the confused nature of his identity. Thus Alcott has made ample use of imagery, symbols and metaphors to get across her message in her stories. Alcott also had a tendency to borrow heavily from her own life and experiences and this lends the realism to her stories. A Modern Cinderella, tells the story of three sisters. As pointed out by Keyser, this sister theme is repeated over and over again Alcott’s writing. A Modern Cinderella like several other of Alcott’s work, including her most famous novel, Little Women, â€Å"are based on the experience of Alcott and her sisters† (Keyser 84). Similarly, Alcott’s brief work as a nurse during the Civil War is reflected in The Brothers and Nelly’s Hospital. On the other hand, Debby’s Debut reflects her limited knowledge of fash ionable society since by the time she wrote the story it was no longer considered necessary for poor girls to â€Å"make hay and eat bread and milk out of a bowl† (Harris 117). It is obvious that her stories were much more realistic when they were directly inspired from her personal experiences. In conclusion, the four stories in the collection each have a unique take on theme of love and compassion and loving ones enemies. Each one of these stories skillfully uses the various literary elements to create the mood and deliver the punch at the right places. The fourth story, Nelly’s Hospital is simple tale of a little girl who feels compassion for living beings. Although the story is not as dramatic as the other three stories, it portrays the innocence of childhood and brings out the healing power of a kind deed. A Modern Cinderella and Debby’s Debut are classical love stories told in a simple way. And The Brothers highlights the importance of forgiving those wh o have sinned against us. Each one of these stories provides a new insight into human nature and has a literary structure to keep its readers hooked from the first word to the last. Work Cited Alcott, Louis May. A Modern Cinderella and Other Stories. Web. Harris, Sharon M. Rebecca Harding Davis and American Realism. USA: University of Pennsylvania Press. 1991. Print Keyser, Elizabeth Lennox. â€Å"The Most Beautiful Things in All the World† Little women and the feminist imagination: criticism, controversy, personal essays. Eds. Janice M. Alberghene, Beverly Lyon Clark.USA: Psychology Press. 1999. Print. Patterson, Mark. Racial sacrifice and citizenship: the construction of masculinity in Louisa May Alcotts The Brothers.. Studies in American Fiction 25.2 (1997): 147+. Literature Resource Center. Web.

Biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Unifier of Japan

Biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Unifier of Japan Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1539–September 18, 1598) was the leader of Japan who reunified the country after 120 years of political fragmentation. During his rule, known as the Momoyama or Peach Mountain age, the country was united as a more-or-less peaceful federation of 200 independent daimyo (great lords), with himself as an imperial regent. Fast Facts: Toyotomi Hideyoshi Known For: Ruler of Japan, reunified the countryBorn: 1536 in Nakamura, Owari Province, JapanParents: Farmer and part-time soldier Yaemon and his wifeDied: September 18, 1598 at Fushimi castle, KyotoEducation: Trained as a military aide to Matsushita Yukitsana (1551–1558), then with Oda Nobunaga (1558–1582)Published Works: The Tensho-ki, a biography he commissionedSpouse(s): Chacha (principal concubine and mother of his children)Children: Tsurumatsu (1580–1591), Toyotomi Hideyori (1593–1615) Early Life Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born in 1536, in Nakamura, Owari Province, Japan.  He was the second child of Yaemon, a peasant farmer and part-time soldier for the Oda clan, who died in 1543  when the boy was 7 years old and his sister was about 10. Hideyoshi’s mother soon remarried. Her new husband also served Oda Nobuhide, the daimyo of the Owari region, and she had another son and daughter. Hideyoshi was small for his age and skinny. His parents sent him to a temple to get an education, but the boy ran away seeking adventure. In 1551, he joined the service of Matsushita Yukitsuna, a retainer of the powerful Imagawa family in Totomi province. This was unusual because both Hideyoshi’s father and his stepfather had served the Oda clan. Joining Oda Hideyoshi returned home in 1558 and offered his service to Oda Nobunaga, son of the daimyo. At the time, the Imagawa clans army of 40,000 was invading Owari, Hideyoshi’s home province. Hideyoshi took a huge gamble- the Oda army numbered only about 2,000.  In 1560, the Imagawa and Oda armies met in battle at Okehazama.  Oda Nobunaga’s tiny force ambushed the Imagawa troops in a driving rainstorm and scored an incredible victory, driving the invaders away. Legend says that 24-year-old Hideyoshi served in this battle as Nobunaga’s sandal-bearer. However, Hideyoshi does not appear in Nobunaga’s surviving writings until the early 1570s. Promotion Six years later, Hideyoshi led a raid that captured Inabayama Castle for the Oda clan. Oda Nobunaga rewarded him by making him a general. In 1570, Nobunaga attacked his brother-in-law’s castle, Odani. Hideyoshi led the first three detachments of one thousand samurai each against the well-fortified castle. Nobunaga’s army used the devastating new technology of firearms, rather than horse-mounted swordsmen. Muskets are not much use against castle walls, however, so Hideyoshi’s section of the Oda army settled in for a siege. By 1573, Nobunagas troops had defeated all of its enemies in the area. For his part, Hideyoshi received the daimyo-ship of three regions within Omi Province. By 1580, Oda Nobunaga had consolidated power in over 31 of Japans 66 provinces. Upheaval In 1582, Nobunagas general Akechi Mitsuhide turned his army against his lord, attacking and overrunning Nobunagas castle. Nobunagas diplomatic machinations had caused the hostage-murder of Mitsuhides mother.  Mitsuhide forced Oda Nobunaga and his eldest son to commit seppuku. Hideyoshi captured one of Mitsuhides messengers and learned of Nobunagas death the next day. He and other Oda generals, including Tokugawa Ieyasu, raced to avenge their lords death. Hideyoshi caught up with Mitsuhide first, defeating and killing him at the Battle of Yamazaki just 13 days after Nobunagas death. A succession fight erupted in the Oda clan. Hideyoshi supported Nobunagas grandson Oda Hidenobu. Tokugawa Ieyasu preferred the oldest remaining son Oda Nobukatsu. Hideyoshi prevailed, installing Hidenobu as the new Oda daimyo. Throughout 1584, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu engaged in intermittent skirmishes, none decisive. At the Battle of Nagakute, Hideyoshis troops were crushed, but Ieyasu lost three of his top generals. After eight months of this costly fighting, Ieyasu sued for peace. Hideyoshi now controlled 37 provinces. In conciliation, Hideyoshi distributed lands to his defeated foes in the Tokugawa and Shibata clans. He also granted lands to Samboshi and Nobutaka. This was a clear signal that he was taking power in his own name. Hideyoshi Reunifies Japan In 1583, Hideyoshi began construction on Osaka Castle, a symbol of his power and intent to rule all of Japan. Like Nobunaga, he refused the title of Shogun. Some courtiers doubted a farmer’s son could legally claim that title. Hideyoshi circumvented the potentially embarrassing debate by taking the title of kampaku, or regent, instead.  Hideyoshi then ordered the dilapidated Imperial Palace restored, and offered gifts of money to the cash-strapped imperial family. Hideyoshi also decided to bring the southern island of Kyushu under his authority. This island was home to the primary trading ports through which goods from China, Korea, Portugal, and other nations made their way into Japan. Many of the daimyo of Kyushu had converted to Christianity under the influence of Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries. Some had been converted by force, and Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were destroyed. In November 1586, Hideyoshi sent a huge invasion force to Kyushu, totaling some 250,000 troops. A number of local daimyo rallied to his side as well, so it did not take long for the massive army to crush all resistance. As usual, Hideyoshi confiscated all of the land and then returned smaller portions to his defeated foes and rewarded his allies with much larger fiefdoms. He also ordered the expulsion of all Christian missionaries on Kyushu. The final reunification campaign took place in 1590. Hideyoshi sent another huge army, probably more than 200,000 men, to conquer the mighty Hojo clan, which ruled the area around Edo (now Tokyo).  Ieyasu and Oda Nobukatsu led the army, joined by a naval force to bottle up the Hojo resistance from the sea. The defiant daimyo Hojo Ujimasa withdrew to Odawara Castle and settled in to wait out Hideyoshi. After six months, Hideyoshi sent in Ujimasas brother to ask for the Hojo daimyos surrender. He refused, and Hideyoshi launched a three-day, all-out attack on the castle. Ujimasa finally sent his son to surrender the castle. Hideyoshi ordered Ujimasa to commit seppuku. He confiscated the domains  and sent Ujimasas son and brother into exile. The great Hojo clan was obliterated. Hideyoshis Reign In 1588, Hideyoshi forbade all Japanese citizens besides samurai from owning weapons. This Sword Hunt angered farmers and warrior-monks, who traditionally had kept weapons and participated in wars and rebellions. Hideyoshi wanted to clarify the boundaries between the various social classes in Japan  and to prevent uprisings by the monks and peasants. Three years later, Hideyoshi issued another order forbidding anyone from hiring ronin, the wandering samurai with no masters. Towns also were barred from allowing farmers to become traders or craftsmen. The Japanese social order was to be set in stone. If you were born a farmer, you died a farmer. If you were a samurai born into the service of a particular daimyo, there you stayed. Hideyoshi himself rose from the peasant class to become kampaku. Nonetheless, this hypocritical order helped to usher in a centuries-long era of peace and stability. In order to keep the daimyo in check, Hideyoshi ordered them to send their wives and children to the capital city as hostages. The daimyo themselves would spend alternating years in their fiefs and in the capital. This system, called sankin kotai or alternate attendance, was codified in 1635 and continued until 1862. Finally, Hideyoshi also ordered a nationwide population census  and a survey of all the lands. It measured not only the exact sizes of the different domains  but also the relative fertility and expected crop yield. All of this information was key for setting taxation rates. Succession Problems Hideyoshis only children were two boys, from his principal concubine Chacha (also known as Yodo-dono or Yodo-gimi), the daughter of Oda Nobunagas sister. In 1591, Hideyoshis only son, a toddler named Tsurumatsu, suddenly died, followed soon by Hideyoshis half-brother Hidenaga. The kampaku adopted Hidenagas son Hidetsugu as his heir. In 1592, Hideyoshi became the taiko or retired regent, while Hidetsugu took the title of kampaku. This retirement was in name only, however- Hideyoshi maintained his hold on power. The following year, however, Hideyoshis concubine Chacha gave birth to a new son. This baby, Hideyori, represented a serious threat to Hidetsugu. Hideyoshi had a substantial force of bodyguards posted to protect the child from any attack by his uncle. Hidetsugu developed a bad reputation across the country as a cruel and blood-thirsty man. He was known to drive out into the countryside with his musket and shoot down farmers in their fields just for practice. He also played executioner, relishing the job of chopping up convicted criminals with his sword. Hideyoshi could not tolerate this dangerous and unstable man, who posed an obvious threat to the baby Hideyori. In 1595, he accused Hidetsugu of plotting to overthrow him and ordered him to commit seppuku. Hidetsugus head was displayed on the city walls after his death. Shockingly, Hideyoshi also ordered Hidetsugus wives, concubines, and children all to be brutally executed except for a one-month-old daughter. This excessive cruelty was not an isolated incident in Hideyoshis later years. He also ordered his friend and tutor, the tea-ceremony master Rikyu, to commit seppuku at the age of 69 in 1591. In 1596, he ordered the crucifixion of six shipwrecked Spanish Franciscan missionaries, three Japanese Jesuits, and 17 Japanese Christians at Nagasaki. Invasions of Korea Throughout the late 1580s and early 1590s, Hideyoshi sent a number of emissaries to King Seonjo of Korea, demanding safe passage through the country for the Japanese army. Hideyoshi informed the Joseon king that he intended to conquer Ming China and India. The Korean ruler made no reply to these messages. In February 1592, 140,000 Japanese army troops arrived in an armada of some 2,000 boats and ships. It attacked Busan, in southeastern Korea.  In weeks, the Japanese advanced to the capital city of Seoul. King Seonjo and his court fled north, leaving the capital to be burned and looted. By July, the Japanese held Pyeongyang as well. The battle-hardened samurai troops cut through the Korean defenders like a sword through butter, to China’s concern. The land war went Hideyoshis way, but Korean naval superiority made life difficult for the Japanese. The Korean fleet had better weaponry and more experienced sailors. It also had a secret weapon- the iron-clad turtle ships, which were nearly invulnerable to Japans underpowered naval cannon. Cut off from their food and ammunition supplies, the Japanese army got bogged down in the mountains of northern Korea. Korean Admiral Yi Sun Shin scored a devastating victory over Hideyoshis navy at the Battle of Hansan-do on August 13, 1592. Hideyoshi ordered his remaining ships to cease engagements with the Korean navy.  In January 1593, the Wanli Emperor of China sent 45,000 troops to reinforce the beleaguered Koreans. Together, the Koreans and Chinese pushed Hideyoshis army out of Pyeongyang. The Japanese were pinned down and with their navy unable to deliver supplies, they began to starve.  In mid-May1593, Hideyoshi relented and ordered his troops home to Japan. He did not give up his dream of a mainland empire, however. In August 1597, Hideyoshi sent a second invasion force against Korea. This time, however, the Koreans and their Chinese allies were better prepared. They stopped the Japanese army short of Seoul and forced them back toward Busan in a slow, grinding drive. Meanwhile, Admiral Yi set out to crush Japans rebuilt naval forces once more. Death Hideyoshis grand imperial scheme came to an end on September 18, 1598, when the taiko died. On his deathbed, Hideyoshi repented sending his army into this Korean quagmire. He said, Dont let my soldiers become spirits in a foreign land. Hideyoshis biggest concern as he lay dying, however, was the fate of his heir. Hideyori was only 5 years old and unable to assume his fathers powers, so Hideyoshi set up the Council of Five Elders to rule as his regents until he came of age. This council included Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hideyoshi’s one-time rival. The old taiko extracted vows of loyalty to his little son from a number of other senior daimyo and sent precious gifts of gold, silk robes, and swords to all the important political players. He also made personal appeals to the Council members to protect and serve Hideyori faithfully. Hideyoshis Legacy The Council of Five Elders kept the taikos death a secret for several months while they withdrew the Japanese army from Korea. With that piece of business complete, though, the council broke down into two opposing camps. On one side was Tokugawa Ieyasu. On the other were the remaining four elders. Ieyasu wanted to take power for himself. The others supported little Hideyori. In 1600, the two forces came to blows in the Battle of Sekigahara. Ieyasu prevailed  and declared himself shogun. Hideyori was confined to Osaka Castle. In 1614, the 21-year-old Hideyori began to gather soldiers, preparing to challenge Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu launched the Siege of Osaka in November, forcing him to disarm and sign a peace pact. The next spring, Hideyori tried again to gather troops. The Tokugawa army launched an all-out attack on Osaka Castle, reducing sections to rubble with their cannon and setting the castle on fire. Hideyori and his mother committed seppuku. His 8-year-old son was captured by the Tokugawa forces and beheaded. That was the end of the Toyotomi clan. The Tokugawa shoguns would rule Japan until the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Although his lineage did not survive, Hideyoshis influence on Japanese culture and politics was enormous. He solidified the class structure, unified the nation under central control, and popularized cultural practices such as the tea ceremony. Hideyoshi finished the unification begun by his lord, Oda Nobunaga, setting the stage for the peace and stability of the Tokugawa Era. Sources Berry, Mary Elizabeth. Hideyoshi. Cambridge: The Harvard University Press, 1982.  Hideyoshi, Toyotomi. 101 Letters of Hideyoshi: The Private Correspondence of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Sophia University, 1975.Turnbull, Stephen. Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Leadership, Strategy, Conflict. Osprey Publishing, 2011.

To what extent can The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) be described Essay

To what extent can The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) be described as a feminist text - Essay Example Additionally, she was drug abused and a lonely woman being suffering the miseries of her life through the hands of his own people. However, she has been shown as a strong woman who takes revenge along with justifying his stance. The storyline is quite captivating in every regard making readers and viewers to enjoy every bit of it (Larsson, 2011). Though, a number of critiques have stated that the movie revolves around the subject of feminist where huge focus has been on highlighting the position and power of women in the society against the men (Newman, 2011). Additionally, with a strong plot, the movie also questions the deeds of men in the society and crimes committed by them in the form of rapes and murders. Being a string gender, the acts of men in the society and especially in the settings of Sweden have been closely analysed through the lenses of feminist approach. On the other hand, the movie supporters stated that the mainly because of the female protagonist, there have been talks about the film being a feminist text but in reality, it touches social issues that need to be understood from women’s’ perspectives (Bourke, 2007). Based on this, the discussion will revolve around analysing the fact to what extent the movie can be described as a feminist text along with discussing about the crime, sexuality, and gender in Sweden in a critical manner. The movie has some serious drama, sexual explicit, physical abuses, rapes, murders, and crime scenes that can be alluring and saddening but showcasing the reality to an extent prevailing in the backdrop of a country like Sweden. The movie shows that the publisher of the Millennium Magazine loses a case involving allegations that were published by him about the billionaire financier Wennerstrom. He was sentenced to three months of imprisonment. The female protagonist in the form of Lisbeth Slander was hired by Vanger, the patriarch of

Molecular Genetics Practical Write Up Lab Report

Molecular Genetics Practical Write Up - Lab Report Example typhimurium, and TA 1535, TA 1537, TA 1538 mutants. 2mL of molten overlay agar (kept in a 45 °C water-bath) was added in to a sterile tube. After waiting for the agar to cool slightly (roughly 37 °C), 0.1mL of the bacterial culture was added using a Gilson pipette fitted with a sterile tip. Immediately the molten agar was poured along with the bacterial strain onto a E-medium plate ensuring even distribution of the overlay agar on the plate surface. The plate was then allowed to cool before incubating at 37 °C overnight. 2mL of molten overlay agar was added in to a sterile tube and after slightly cooling, 0.2mL 0.5mM histidine + 0.5mM biotin solution was added. 0.1 mL of the bacterial culture was added using a Gilson pipette fitted with a sterile tip and immediately the molten agar was poured along with the bacterial strain onto a E-medium plate ensuring even distribution of the overlay agar on the plate surface. The plate was then left to cool and later incubated at 37 °C overnight. 2mL of molten overlay agar was added into a sterile tube. After the agar had slightly cooled, 0.2mL 0.5mM histidine + 0.5mM biotin solution and 0.1mL of the 0.1M histidine solution was added. Immediately pour the molten agar was poured onto a E-medium plate ensuring even distribution of the overlay agar on the plate surface and the plate allowed to cool. Six serial dilutions of the bacterial culture in  ¼ strength Ringer’s solution ( 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5 and 10-6) were prepared by adding, for instance for the 10-1, 100ÃŽ ¼l of the bacterial culture in a sterile eppendorf tube and adding 900ÃŽ ¼l of  ¼ strength Ringer’s solution. This diluted culture was used to carry out the next dilution and repeat this was repeated six times in total in order to get the 10-6 dilution. The plate was divided into two halves using a marker pen and marking the bottom of the plate one side was marked 10-5 and the other side 10-6. 10ÃŽ ¼l of the 10-5 dilution was dropped using a Gilson

Health Care Utilization Essay Example for Free

Health Care Utilization Essay Health care reform is not a recently devised concept. The government and health professionals have studied and tried to establish legislation that would assist the general population with a means of accessing adequate health care for decades. The task has proven itself as a daunting one although studied the world over. Individuals struggle with disease and illness that they cannot afford medical attention and treatment. Insurance companies price gouge or drop individuals from their insurance coverage. Reform has to be implemented to protect the public and provide across the board health care for every situation. Ronald Andersen wrote in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior there is a model of behavior that determines the seeking out of health services (Anderson, 1995). Anderson collaborated with Odin Anderson and wrote The Initial Behavioral Model in 1968 to assist in the analysis of national survey data collected by the Center for Health Administration Studies and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (Andersen Anderson, 1967). The model explains that there are elements that may determine if an individual will access health services. Anderson explained, â€Å"I want to stress that the model was initially designed to explain the use of formal personal health services rather than to focus on the important interactions that take place as people receive care, or on health outcomes†(Andersen, 1968, p. 1). The Initial Behavioral Model (1960s) PREDISPOSING ENABLING USE OF CHARACTERISTICS RESOURCES NEED HEALTH SERVICES Demographic Personal/Family Perceived Social Structure Community  (Evaluated) Health Beliefs (Revisiting The Behavioral Model and Access to Medical Care: Does it Matter?, 1995) The president had legislation passed in 2010 to implement the Affordable Care Act. Today, more than 45 million Americans lack access to affordable health insurance. Additionally, many individuals who do have health insurance have incomplete coverage that may include exclusions for pre-existing conditions, or they may be one-step away from losing coverage because of a change in employment. Individuals with health insurance face increasingly high premiums and medical costs that drive some to bankruptcy or force choices between maintaining health insurance coverage and paying for other household essentials (HHS, 2013). These new regulations will provide consumer protections and the developing of a competitive market. Insurance companies will be required to spend a specific percentage on health care and not excessive administrative costs. There have been major changes to the accessibility of insurance coverage for individuals which have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition. Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny insurance coverage for individuals, such as children born with life-threatening illnesses. This will also address lifetime limits on medical care. There has been a health insurance exchange in an effort to pool millions of people and allow them to examine various insurance coverage policies to determine the best policy for them and their families. Health and Human Services has implemented a website for the comparison of the insurance coverage options (HHS, 2013). There have been conversations for decades about the implementation of universal health coverage. The World Health Organization defines it as a goal to ensure that people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them. It goes on explaining, access to health services enables people to be more productive and active contributors to their families and communities†¦.financial risk protection prevents people from being pushed into poverty when they have to pay for health services out of their own pockets (WHO, 2012). There is a definite similarity with the concepts of universal health care and the Affordable  Care Act now in place in this country. Attempts are being made to ensure that all citizens can access health care and increase their wellbeing in the process. The expansion of Medicaid will benefit multiple low-income citizens who, through no fault of their own, are working at a minimum wage job. They are barely earning too much money to be eligible for assistance and are not making enough of a salary to afford health insurance coverage. It turns into a viscous cycle. The individual has to decide whether it is better to quit work and get assistance for medical care or to continue struggling and still not make the grade. There have been no major issues personally with the implementation of the health care expansion. The insurances that I carry are both the Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid has changed in that they are requiring that there is a primary care physician (PCP) established to oversee medical services provided. The initial visit would be to the PCP where any examination and testing would be performed for the determination of the necessity of a referral. The PCP’s office would organize all medical records and coordinate with the specialist’s staff to establish a consultation. I consider myself an extremely fortunate individual because I have been able to have multiple medical issues addressed and corrected because of the medical coverage. The Medicare coverage is not as restrictive as Medicaid. Medicare allows the individual to access any physician or facility that the patient desires for treatment as long as their insurance is accepted. There has not been any specific positive or negative effect with this coverage. Medicare has provided successfully for preventive measures in my health services such as yearly mammograms, colonoscopy testing every two years (if deemed necessary through findings during prior examination), and comprehensive yearly physical examinations. Unfortunately, there is minimal dental coverage and no eye examinations available. There has been major skepticism with the Affordable Care Act being voted on and implemented in the governmental realm. It is exhibiting a number of positive actions implemented with the creation of this act. It is time that this country gives thought to the individuals which are suffering because of no fault of their own other than being on the lower end of the income scale. Also citizens are pleased with the inclusion of the poor souls battling daily with an affliction that requires more attention and treatment than they could ever afford. It is in this new light that people are viewing the creation of the Affordable Care Act and see that this should prove to be beneficial to every citizen within the national borders. Reference Andersen, R. M. (1995). Revisiting The Behavioral Model and Access to Medical Care: Does it Matter? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36, 1-10, retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2137284 Andersen, R.M., Anderson, O.W. (1967), A Decade of Health Services, retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1815595 Health and Human Services (2013), Strengthen Health Care, retrieved from: http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/about/goal1.html World Health Organization (2012), What is Universal Health Coverage, retrieved from: http://www.who.int/features/qa/universal_health_coverage/en/index.html

The Openings Of The Time Machi :: essays research papers

The openings of the Time Machine and Lord of the Flies seem like a description of paradise. In what ways does this turn out to be deceptive? The Time Machine is about the possibility of time travelling. In the story, one man succeeds in building a fully working time machine, and he uses it to travel into the future. The story was written during the Victorian times (1895), by H.G. Wells.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lord of the Flies involves a group of boys who crash land on an island, in the middle of nowhere. It begins as paradise, but as the story goes on it turns out differently to what they expected. William Golding wrote the story, during the Cold War era. It was written after the Second World War. The times, in which wells and Golding lived in, reflected on what was written in each of their stories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wells lived in a time of peace and stability, as there hadn't been a major war for 30 years, which was in 1865. This had an impact on what Wells wrote about in his story. There was an influence on who and what the characters were in the story, and how they lived and did things. The Morlocks are very similar to the miners of the Victorian times. The Morlocks lived underground and in the dark. The miners didn't live underground, but they did spend most of their time working there. I would have thought that the Morlocks would be like slaves to the Eloi, because that's what the miners were like to the upper class people. However, this wasn't so, the Morlocks were in complete control of the Eloi, who were just food for them. The Morlocks were the more intellectual out of the two species, and had power over the Eloi. The Morlocks worked underground and were clever enough to work the complicated machinery. The Morlocks were a lot stronger than the Eloi, which gave them m ore authority over the Eloi. Wells wrote the Time Machine in a similar time to what we are living in at the moment. We are both very near to the turn of a new century, which involves new beginnings and new achievements in life. Wells wrote his story just before the turn of the 20th Century, in 1895. And we are about to go into the 21st Century. In 1985 they weren't even thinking about the things which we have achieved today.

Inline Skating

Inline Skating Marketing Plan Pegasus Sports This sample marketing plan was created with Marketing Plan Pro software. Plan Outline †¢ Executive Summary †¢ Situation Analysis o Market Summary ? Market Needs ? Market Trends ? Market Growth o SWOT Analysis ? Strengths ? Weaknesses ? Opportunities ? Threats o Competition o Product Offering o Keys to Success o Critical Issues †¢ Marketing Strategy †¢ Financials †¢ Controls Executive Summary Pegasus Sports International is a start-up aftermarket inline skating accessory manufacturer. In addition to the aftermarket products, Pegasus is developing SkateTours, a service that takes clients out, in conjunction with a local skate shop, and provides them with an afternoon of skating using inline skates and some of Pegasus' other accessories such as SkateSails. The aftermarket skate accessory market has been largely ignored. While there are several major manufacturers of the skates themselves, the accessory market has not been addressed. This provides Pegasus with an extraordinary opportunity for market growth. Skating is a booming sport. Currently most of the skating is recreational. There are however a growing number of competitions, both team orientated such as skate hockey as well as individual competitions such as speed skate racing. Pegasus will work to grow these markets as well as develop the skate transportation market, a more utilitarian use of skating. Several of Pegasus' currently developed products have patents pending and local market research indicates that there is great demand for these products. Pegasus will achieve fast, significant market penetration that will be achieved through a solid business model, long range planning, and a strong management team that will able to execute on this exciting opportunity. The three principals on the management team have over 30 years of combined personal and industry experience. This extensive experience provides Pegasus with the empirical information as well as the passion to provide the skating market with much needed aftermarket products. Pegasus will sell their products initially through their website. This â€Å"Dell† direct to the consumer approach will allow Pegasus to achieve higher margins and maintain a close relationship with the customers which is essential for producing products that have a true market demand. By the end of the year, Pegasus will have developed relationships with different skate shops and will begin to sell some of their products through the use of retailers. [pic] Sales Forecast | | |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Sales | | | | |Recreational |$455,740 |$598,877 |$687,765 | |Competitive |$72,918 |$95,820 |$110,042 | |Total Sales |$528,658 |$694,697 |$797,807 | | | | | | |Direct Cost of Sales |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Recreational |$82,033 |$107,798 |$123,798 | |Competitive |$13,125 |$17,248 |$19,808 | |Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales |$95,159 |$125,046 |$143,605 | Situation Analysis Pegasus is entering their first year of operation. The products have been well received and marketing will be key to deve lop brand and product awareness as well as grow the customer base. Pegasus International offers several different aftermarket skating accessories, serving the growing inline skating industry. Market Summary Pegasus posesses good information about the market and knows a great deal about the common attributes of the most prized customer. This information will be leveraged to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how Pegasus can better communicate with them. [pic] [pic] [pic] Market Analysis | | | |2003 |2004 |2005 |2006 |2007 | | |Potential Customers |Growth | | | | | |CAGR | |Recreational |10% |19,142,500|21,056,750|23,162,425|25,478,668|28,026,535|10. 00% | |Fitness |15% |6,820,000 |7,843,000 |9,019,450 |10,372,368|11,928,223|15. 00% | |Speed |10% |387,500 |426,250 |468,875 |515,763 |567,339 |10. 00% | |Total |11. 36% |26,350,000|29,326,000|32,650,750|36,366,799|40,522,097|11. 36% | Market Needs Pegasus is providing the skating community with a wide range of acc essories for all variations of skating. Pegasus seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to their customers: †¢ Quality craftsmanship: The customers work hard for the money and do not enjoy spending it on disposable products that only work for a year or two. †¢ Well thought out designs: The skating market has not been addressed by well thought out products that serve skaters needs. Pegasus' industry experience and personal dedication to the sport will provide Pegasus with the needed information to produce insightfully designed products. †¢ Customer Service: Exemplary service is required to build a sustainable business that has a loyal customer base. Market Trends Pegasus will distinguish themselves by marketing products not previously available to skaters. The emphasis in the past has been to sell skates and very few replacement parts. The number of skaters is not restricted to any one single country, continent, or age group, so there is a world market. Pegasus has products for virtually every group of skaters. The fastest growing segment of this sport is the fitness skater. Therefore, the marketing is being directed to service this group. BladeBoots will enable them to enter establishments without having to remove their skates. BladeBoots will be aimed at the recreational skater, the largest segment; however SkateAids are great for everyone. There is one more way the sport of skating will grow, and that is through SkateSailing. This sport is primarily for the medium to advanced skater. The growth potential for this sport is tremendous. The sails Pegasus' has manufactured so far have ended up in Europe. The same thing happened with windsurfing. It started out here in Santa Monica but did not take off until it had already grown big in Europe. More and more groups are getting together on skate excursions in cities all over the world. For example, San Francisco has night group skating that numbers in the hundreds of people. The market trends are showing continued growth in all directions of skating. [pic] [pic] Market Growth With the price of skates going down due to competition by so many skate companies, the market has had steady growth throughout the world, with 22. 5 million in 1999 to over 31 million in 2002. The growth statistics for 2003 are estimated to be over 35 million. More and more people are discovering, and in many cases rediscovering, the health benefits and fun of skating. [pic] [pic] SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company, and describes the opportunities and threats facing Pegasus. Strengths †¢ In-depth industry experience and insight. †¢ Creative, functional product designers. †¢ The use of a highly efficient, flexible business model utilizing direct customer sales and distribution. Weaknesses The reliance of outside capital necessary to grow the business. †¢ A lack of retailers who can work directly face to face with the customer to generate brand and product awareness. †¢ The difficulty to develo ping brand awareness as a start-up company. Opportunities †¢ Participation within a growing industry. †¢ Decreased product costs through scales of economy. †¢ The ability to leverage other industry participants marketing efforts to help grow the general market. Threats †¢ Future/ potential competition from an already established market participants. †¢ A slump in the economy that could have a negative effect on people's spending discretionary income on fitness/ recreational products. The release of a study that calls into question the safety of skating or the inability to prevent major skating induced traumas. Competition Pegasus Sports International is forming its own market. While there are a few companies that do make sails and foils that a few skaters are using, Pegasus is the only one that is truly designed for and by skaters. The few competitors' sails are not designed for skating, but for windsurfing or for skateboards. In the case of foils, storage a nd carrying are not practical. There are different indirect competitors who are manufactures of the actual skates. After many years in the market, these companies have yet to become direct competitors by manufacturing accessories for the skates that they manufacture. Product Offering Pegasus Sports International now offers several products: †¢ The first product that has been developed is BladeBoots, a cover for the wheels and frame of in-line skates, which allow skaters to enter places that normally would not allow them in. BladeBoots come with a small pouch and belt which converts to a well-designed skate carrier. †¢ The second product is SkateSails. These sails are specifically designed for use while skating. Feedback that Pegasus has received from skaters indicates this could become a very popular sport. Trade marking this product is currently in progress. †¢ The third product will be referred to as SkateAid and be in production by December. Other ideas for products are under development, but Pegasus must hold back until they can protect themselves through pending patent applications. Keys to Success The keys to success are simply designing and producing products that meet market demand. Additionally, Pegasus must ensure total customer satisfaction. If these keys to success are achieved, Pegasus will become a profitable, sustainable company. Critical Issues Pegasus is still in the speculative stages as a start-up business. The critical issues are: †¢ Establish themselves as the premier skating accessory company. †¢ Pursue controlled growth that dictates that payroll expenses will never exceed the revenue base. This will help protect against recessions. Constantly monitor customer satisfaction, ensuring that the growth strategy will never compromise service and satisfaction levels. Marketing Strategy The key to the marketing strategy is focusing on the speed, health and fitness, and recreational skaters. Pegasus can cover about 80% of the skating market since they produce products geared towards each segment. Pegasus is able to address all of the different segments within the market because although each segment is distinct in terms of its users and equipment, Pegasus' products are useful to all of the different segments. Mission Pegasus Sports International's mission is to provide the customer with the finest skating accessories available. We exist to attract and maintain customers. With a strict adherence to this maxim, success will be ensured. Our services and products will exceed the expectations of the customers. Marketing Objectives †¢ Maintain positive, strong growth each quarter (not withstanding seasonal sales patterns). †¢ Achieve a steady increase in market penetration. †¢ Decrease customer acquisition costs by 1. 5% a quarter. Financial Objectives †¢ Increase the profit margin by 1% per quarter through efficiency and scale of economy gains. †¢ Maintain a significant research and development budget (as a percentage relative to sales) to spur future product developments. †¢ A double to triple digit growth rate for the first three years. Target Markets With a world skating market of over 31 million and steadily growing (statistics released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association), the niche has been created. Pegasus' aim is to expand this market by promoting SkateSailing, a new sport which is popular at both Santa Monica and Venice Beach in California. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association survey indicates that skating now has more participation than football, softball, skiing, and snowboarding combined. The breakdown of participation of skating is as follows: 1+% speed (growing), 8% hockey (declining), 7% extreme/aggressive (declining), 22% fitness (nearly seven million–the fastest growing), and 61% recreational (first-timers). Our products are targeting the fitness and recreational groups, as they are the fastest growing. These groups are gearing themselves towards health and fitness, and combined, they can easily grow to 85% (or 26 million) of the market in the next five years. Positioning Pegasus will position themselves as the premier aftermarket skating accessory company. This positioning will be achieved by leveraging their competitive edge: industry experience and passion. Pegasus is a skating company formed by skaters for skaters. They are able to use their vast experience and personal passion for the sport to develop innovative, useful accessories for a broad range of skaters. Strategies The single objective is to position Pegasus as the premier skating accessory manufacturer, serving both the domestic market as well as international market. The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness concerning the offered products and services and develop the customer base. The message that Pegasus will seek to communicate is that they offer the best-designed, most useful skating accessories. This message will be communicated through a variety of methods. The first will the use of their robust website. As well as a rich source of product information, the site will also be used for purchasing. A lot of time and money will be invested into the site to provide the customer with the perception of total professionalism and utility for Pegasus' products and services. The second method will be advertisements placed in numerous industry magazines. The skating industry is supported by several different glossy magazines designed to promote the industry as a whole. Additionally, there are a couple of smaller periodicals that serve the smaller market segments within the skating industry. The last method of communication is the use of printed sales literature. The two previously mentioned marketing methods will create demand for the sales literature that will be sent out to customers. The cost of the sales literature will be fairly minimal as it will use the already compiled sales information from the website. Marketing Mix Pegasus' marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service. †¢ Pricing: This will be based on a per product retail price. †¢ Distribution: Initially Pegasus will use a direct to the consume distribution model. Over time Pegasus will use retailers as well. †¢ Advertising and Promotion: Several different methods will be used for the advertising effort. †¢ Customer Service: Pegasus will strive to achieve benchmarked levels of customer care. Marketing Research Pegasus is blessed with good fortune of being located in the center of the skating world, Venice, CA. Pegasus will be able to leverage this opportune location by working with many of the different skaters that live in the area. Pegasus was able to test out all of their products, not only with the principals who are accomplished skaters, but also the many other dedicated and â€Å"newbie† users located in Venice. The extensive product testing by a wide variety of users provided Pegasus with valuable product feedback and has led to several design improvements. Financials This section will offer the financial overview of Pegasus as it related to the marketing activities. Pegasus will address Break-even Analysis, sales forecasts, expense forecast, and indicate how these activities link to the marketing strategy. Break-even Analysis The break-even analysis indicates that $7,760 will be required in monthly sales revenue to reach the break-even point. [pic] [pic] [pic] Break-even Analysis | | | | |Monthly Revenue Break-even |$6,372 | | | | |Assumptions: | | |Average Percent Variable Cost |18% | |Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost |$6,363 | Sales Forecast Pegasus feels that the sales forecasting is conservative. Pegasus will steadily increase sales as the advertising budget allows. Please refer to the Sales Forecast Chart. Please note that while in the market segmentation section all of the potential customers have been broken down into separate groups, for the sales forecasts, the grouping has been changed Recreational and Competitive. By reducing the number of categories it allows the reader to quickly discern information, making the chart more functional. [pic] [pic] Expense Forecast The expense forecast will be used as a tool to keep the department in target and provide indicators when corrections / modifications are needed for the proper implementation of the marketing plan. [pic] [pic] [pic] Marketing Expense Budget | | |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Website |$25,000 |$8,000 |$10,000 | |Advertisements |$8,050 |$15,000 |$20,000 | |Other |$1,725 |$2,000 |$3,000 | | |———— |———— |———— | |Total Sales and Marketing Exp enses |$34,775 |$25,000 |$33,000 | |Percent of Sales |6. 58% |3. 60% |4. 14% | Controls The purpose of Pegasus' marketing plan is to serve as a guide for the organization. The following areas will be monitored to gauge performance: †¢ Revenue: monthly and annual. †¢ Expenses: monthly and annual. †¢ Customer satisfaction. †¢ New product development. Implementation The following milestones identify the key marketing programs. It is important to accomplish each one on time and on budget. [pic] Milestones | | | | | | | | |Advertising |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Marketing plan completion |1/1/2003 |2/1/2003 |$0 |Stan |Marketing | |Webiste completion |1/1/2003 |3/15/2003 |$20,400 |outside firm |Marketing | |Advertising campaign #1 |1/1/2003 |6/30/2003 |$3,500 |Stan |Marketing | |Advertising campaign #2 |3/1/1999 |12/30/2003 |$4,550 |Stan |Marketing | |Development of the retail channel|1/1/2003 |11/30/2003 |$0 |Stan |Marketing | |Name me |1/1/2 003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Advertising Budget | | |$28,450 | | | |PR |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total PR Budget | | |$0 | | | |Direct Marketing |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | Total Direct Marketing Budget | | |$0 | | | |Web Development |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1 /1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Web Development Budget | | |$0 | | | |Other |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Other Budget | | |$0 | | | |Totals | | |$28,450 | | | Contingency Planning Difficulties and Risks †¢ Problems generating visibility, a function of being a internet-based start-up organization. †¢ An entry into the market by an already established market competitor. Worst Case Risks Include †¢ Determining that the business cannot support itself on an ongoing basis. †¢ Having to liquidate equipment or intellectual capital to cover liabilities.