The Problem Of Evil Essay -- essays research papers

The Problem Of Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is impossible to deny the existence of evil in the world as we as human beings experience pain and suffering every day. It is generally accepted that there are two different types of evil – natural (based on God) and moral (based on humans). Moral evil is caused by human beings and occurs when humans inflict suffering on other people like September 11th, world wars, the Holocaust and other human related travesties. We also inflict evil on animals with testing or hunting for game not using the animals as God intended for fur or food. Humans also have obliterated the environment with pollution, destroying the rainforests and the way we litter and think nothing of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Natural evil is not caused by humans but considered to be caused by God and occurs naturally in the world. Some natural evils could be Earthquakes, droughts and some forms of cancer. However, not all evils can be easily separated into these categories as humans can contribute to natural evils.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cancer is a naturally occurring disease; humans often do things which bring it about. Tobacco for example is the cause of eleven million deaths per year; do you think God believed that humans would actually be dumb enough to put such a harmful chemical into our bodies? No, there was an obvious better way to use tobacco but humans mostly use it in a negative way. Some could look at the problem of evil and sugg...

Philip Larkin Here

He can see everyday life during his journey, â€Å"traffic†, â€Å"workmen at dawn†. He also describes his runner into hull by the use Of the widening Of the river Hummer, which runs through Hull. It shows that he started his journey where the river was thin and at its source and has followed the winding path to its mouth. At the end of the first stanza, Larkin uses a mixture of impressions to describe the nature around him, â€Å"gold clouds† and â€Å"shining gull marked mud†.Larkin is using this mixture of positive words to describe a negative scene to portray a kind of beauty, Larkin tells the reader how it is, he is an observer. In the second stanza, Larkin describes the town, which shows that Larkin is near the ND of his journey. Larkin begins his portrayal of the town by using a list of descriptive words such as â€Å"scattered streets†, â€Å"barge filled waters, â€Å"spires and cranes†. These different descriptive words show the ac tivity of the port and portray a sense of confusion (scattered and crowded).Hull is a very busy port town and used in exporting lots of goods and has been like that for many years, which is why Larkin is able to use the historic nature of the town in his poem, † slave museum†, â€Å"residents of raw estates† (the word raw here suggests new, which shows how the port has probably been regenerated after the destruction caused in the war and the increase in demand for houses). Larkin is also telling the reader the time period in which he is writing in, â€Å"grim head-scarred wives†, generally worn by working class women; however the word grim puts a more depressing look on things.The time period is also portrayed in the description of the buses, â€Å"flat faced trolleys†, the new style of bus, with a flat face instead of curved. Also the list of different items t the end of stanza 2 show the boom in Britain after the Second World War with new technolog ies and the explosion of materialism. In stanza 3, the first line Larkin says â€Å"urban yet simple†, this can either be interpreted in a negative way or a positive way. It could show how Larkin looks down on them and feels as though he is better than them which is negative, however, it could be portrayed as though Larkin is admiring their lifestyle in a nicer, positive way.Larkin describes the port as â€Å"fishy-smelling pastoral Of ships† the word pastoral is a strange word to use however it is a link to the country side (pastoral farming) and is also a possible reference to how the port has hanged over the years and got bigger and more used and so that is why it is â€Å"fishy-smelling'. Thee city does not define Larkin, he is not part of a â€Å"cut- priced crowd† or want â€Å"mortgaged half-built houses†, in fact, most of what the city is representing is the opposite of what Larkin actually wants, which is why the last stanza is all about an isol ate place.In the last stanza of the poem, we start to understand how Larrikin preferable state isolation/loneliness â€Å"loneliness clarifies† which shows that Larkin is saying that you only really know who you are when you are alone. In the fourth stanza is where we find the first full stop of the poem which can be indicated as the train Larkin has been on has come to a halt. The caesuras in the first two lines of stanza four also help to emphasis the quietness and loneliness of the area where Larkin lived the rest of his life.We get other indications of loneliness and isolation in the poem â€Å"Mr. Balance', where a man used to live in a flat by himself with only the bare essentials in it. â€Å"Here silence stands† the alliteration of the â€Å"s† sound and the caesura help to emphasis the stillness and how the poem now comes more static compared to the movement of the previous three stanzas. The rhythm is changed by these caesuras which create a longer se ntence which also makes the poem feel slower and more static.Beyond the main madness of the town, Larkin is able to find more description of beauty which would normally be missed because he has no distractions in this isolate place â€Å"Hidden weeds flower, neglected. By the end of the last stanza, Larkin has moved from his new home to the beach where he stands, looking out over the water â€Å"ends the land†, â€Å"facing the sun† which indicates owe Larkin is now at peace, away from normal everyday madness, he is one with the elements and has no fear in facing the sun like he does with other commitments.This is also emphasizes with the soft alliteration sounds used to describe the area he is in â€Å"shapes and shingle†, â€Å"air ascends†. Larkin uses very clever use of language in the last stanza as he almost tries to paint a big picture on his canvas for his readers to see which is clearly indicated in the line â€Å"bluish neutral distance† , he tries to describe colors to clearly show the natural beauty. And the final line of the poem, really sums up Larrikin love of isolation and loneliness with the phase â€Å"initiative, out of reach† which are very unsociable words, however that perfectly describes Larrikin personality.The last stanza is different to the previous stanzas because Larkin talks about cosmically and elemental objects rather than the materialistic objects by describing the sea, sun, flowers instead of plate glassed doors and flat faced trellises. There is a rhyming scheme used throughout this poem which is very subtle and consist of very few perfect rhymes and more half rhymes.

Multilateral vs bilateral diplomacy Essay

Governments need to develop international relations in different fields like security, and trade as well as to decide the option of engaging in a bilateral or multilateral basis with other countries through diplomacy. Bilateralism and multilateralism have supporters and detractors; however the multilateral approach has increased since the end of the Second World War and thanks to the globalisation that affects all the countries around the world. In this way, the international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have become important actors in global governance, cooperating in problem-solving agreements and providing activities to face global problems. IGOs can also be independent actors. Bilateralism is considered the reflection of the distribution of powers between the parties, where the dominant country generally takes advantage, while multilateralism is viewed as relations that follow a pattern of principles. This paper will argue why countries prefer multilateral engagement through international organisations rather than bilateral one with other states. The first part of the essay will focus on the need of states to engage with others. The second part will give a broader definition of bilateralism and multilateralism, the main strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The third part will cover the different role of multilateral organisations in diplomacy. Finally, the fourth part will explain the advantages of the multilateralism that place it as the preferred engagement among countries. Some examples and case studies will be used to remark this tendency. The essay however will finish with some challenges that the multilateralism approach face in the near future. Why countries need to engage with others As the whole society, countries cannot be isolated from the world, this means that they need to develop a foreign policy of how to deal with others, negotiating their interests and solving problems that can arise with the neighbours. This process is named diplomacy (Wright 2011). Diplomacy can be on an individual basis (bilateralism) or in groups of three or more (multilateralism) where states follow principles in their relationship. Asian countries rely mainly in the first approach, meanwhile European countries prefer the second one (Wright 2011). According to the  international relations theory, states may create international law and international institutions, and may enforce the rules they codify. Nevertheless, these rules do not determine a state to act in a defined manner, but instead the underlying material interests and power relations. Institutions also may increase information about states behaviour diminishing the significant uncertainty of cooperation. Also, they can increase efficiency, reducing the transaction costs and providing a venue where states can meet as well as they provide norms, practices and decision making procedures to shape expectations and allow a quickly settle on a specific course of action. It is important to remember that states are configurations of individual and group interests that were constructed from mix of history, ideas, norms, and beliefs and that project those interests into the international system through a particular kind of government (Slaughter 2011). Bilateralism and Multilateralism ‘Bilateralism is a value-free concept, and the substance and output are likely to be driven by the relative power between the two parties and, by extension, by the interests of the stronger party’ (Wright 2011). Bilateralism could be discriminatory if the powerful state tries to get the best deal according to its interests with other states on an individual and ad hoc basis as small states depend on its markets. However, this approach could also bring benefits like the risk reduction since actions are controlled and the probability for reciprocal benefits is higher (Wright 2011). ‘Multilateralism, by contrast, organises relations between three or more states along a set of basic principles that lay out certain expectations of behaviour that all parties must agree to and abide by, including the strongest party’ (Wright 2011). The different challenges that states have faced in terms of security, peacekeeping, disease control, human rights violations, and pollu tion in the last few decades have demonstrated that these factors are complex and cannot be managed by a country or a group, no matter how powerful or effective it can be, it is a global issue (Powell 2003). Policy prescriptions of multilateral organisations seem to be intrusive in terms of state sovereignty, becoming difficult to agree and implement in most cases (Roberts 2009). Multilateralism background and International Organisations Multilateral cooperation origins can be traced a long way back through congresses and conferences, such as the Congress of Westphalia from 1644 to 1648, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and the Congress of Paris in 1856. In terms of committees, the first ones were set up to deal with technical matters like the Commissions to regulate the Rhine, the Danube and other rivers. In 1874, the Universal Postal Union was created after the Berne Conference to allow letters stamped and posted in one country could be transported and delivered in another. In terms of Peace, the First Hague Conference of 1899 and the Concert of Europe in from 1815 to 1914 were established. In 1919, after the First World War, the League of Nations appeared ‘to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security’. Finally, the United Nations was born in 1947 after the Second World War with wider aims open to all states (Roberts 2009, Wiseman & Basu, 2013). The international organisations can belong to universal multilateralism (United Nations – UN), regional multilateralism (European Union – EU), value-based multilateralism (North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO) or minilateralism (G20) or a mix of some approaches (Wright 2011). They have changed the representation from nation-state governments’ diplomatic to non-state diplomatic actors thank to their role of diplomacy facilitation venue (Pigman 2010). Their participation model will vary depending on their category. Universal multilateralism is open to all states without taking in account their geographic location, size or regime. The barriers of entry are relatively low but the states participation can be on one-state/one-vote basis (General Assembly of United Nations) or weighting vote in the basis of population, wealth or financial contribution (International Monetary Fund – IMF) (Wright 2011, Pigman 2010, Karns & Mingst 2013). The regional multilateralism ‘focuses on policy coordination and cooperation among states in a specific geographic region’ while the values-based multilateralism relies on their own values in terms of security, economic or human rights matters. Finally, minilateralism ‘allows a powerful state or a small group of states to convene a select group that is capable of acting in a timely manner and in a way that is proportionate to the challenge at hand’. The participation in the regional multilateralism and the minilateralism is inclusive but depending on the institution and  culture of the members can be majoritarian or consensus (Wright 2011, Pigman 2010, Karns & Mingst 2013). Multilateral engagement through international organisations International institutions (IGOs) can play a complementary role with states being the universal multilateralism ones the preferred thanks to the benefits granted to the members. States, most of the time, join the IGOs pursuing their national interests or to solve problems mainly in public goods, telecommunications, transportation among others (Karns & Mingst 2013). It is also said that IGOs can build up democracy enhancing domestic constitutional mechanisms and strengthen the principle of reciprocity among countries allowing compensations or other ameliorative actions. IGOs also concede the opportunity to diffuse general interests against special ones thanks to the public agendas, and disseminate important technical information that can be implemented and adapted according to the nations’ needs. Finally, IGOs have empowered societies protecting individual and minority rights, fostering collective deliberation or discussion and improving the participatory strands (Keohane, Macedo & Moravcsik 2009). The United Nations (UN) is the best known of the world’s universal institutions, and even when all countries are welcome, not all receive the same treatment (Wright 2011). The UN has at the moment 193 members and six principal organs: the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the Secretariat, being the most important the General Assembly and the Security Council. The General Assembly allows each member state has one vote however its resolutions are non-binding in a legal sense and only motivate governments to implement them. By contrary, in the case of the Security Council, the five permanent member countries (China, France, United Kingdom, Russian Federation and United States) has the right to veto, and together the other eleven members (elected for two years from the rest of UN members) can authorise to sanction and use the force to preserve or restore peace between nations (Pigman 2010, Wiseman & Basu 2013). Even if this participatory approach could disappoint countries, the fact is that most of the members prefer the UN as their main form of Diplomacy thanks to the opportunity to present proposals, express discomfort or ask for help in specific issues. The UN, through its vast network composed by foundations, major university centres, key NGOs, UN associations, think tanks,  institutes, and prominent individuals, can seek for solutions, programs and activities (Wiseman & Basu 2013). In terms of peace negotiation and new states democracy, the UN has some successful stories as Namibia and East Timor. In the case of Namibia, in 1990, the African country of Namibia became the 160th member of the United Nations after a long process of patient and persistent efforts from the UN that could persuade South Africa to fulfil its colonial mandate in the territory. During Namibia transition, UNTAG (United Nations Transition Assistance Group); consisting of people of 124 nationalities, almost 8,000 troops, and a civilian support and local staff of almost 2,000; worked for around one year to ensure the electoral process and monitor the ceasefire between the South West Africa People’s Organization and South African forces, and the withdrawal and demobilization of all military forces in Namibia (Johnson 2010). In East Timor’s independence, the UN also played an important role to end Indonesia’s 24-year occupation. The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was established to provide an integrated, multidimensional peacekeeping operation and was fu lly responsible for the administration of East Timor until 2002 when its transition to independence was completed. The entire infrastructure required to ensure the prosperity of the new democracy was established, and it is told that the UN’s involvement in this small, remote country goes back much further – to the months after the brutal Indonesian invasion of December 1975, when a young, bearded Timorese by the name of Jose Ramos Horta pleaded at the UN Security Council for international support (Head 2012). Until now, only examples of ‘high politics’ (armed conflicts) have been given, however, the UN is also well-known for its support in ‘low politics’ (socioeconomic factors as poverty and resource scarcity) to its members (Wiseman & Basu 2013). Specialised economic agencies such as the UN Council on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are in charge of much of th e work (Pigman 2010). Important proposals have been raised in these topics, and countless programmes and projects have been executed in developing countries mainly. Examples are Mongolian microfinance plans that have helped this country to pass a centrally planned  to a market-driven economy and have an average annual GDP growth rate of about 5 percent. In Bulgaria, a project named ‘Beautiful Bulgaria’ focused on vocational training for the unemployed, training to small and medium enterprises, start-up financing for small businesses, renovating tourism sites, sporting facilities and playgrounds made possible in 2007 that Bulgaria was admitted to the European Union. The Danube River flows through many Eastern European countries before reaching the Black Sea. In terms of environment, the Black Sea and the Danube River Basin programme has given measurable improvement as countries collectively identified their transboundary problem and agreed to environmental solution. For decades, the discharge of polluted water into the Danube resulted in nutrient over-enrichment in the Black Sea, affecting fish stocks, beaches and the incidence of waterborne disease. The dissolution of the Soviet Union provided an opportunity for countries in the region to launch a collaborative effort to address this issue (UNDP 2011). The UN not only gives the opportunity to deal well-known issues like the ones mentioned before, but it also provides the chance to explore new fields in Diplomacy. An example of this is the current condemnation of United States (US) espionage by Latin America and other countries that feel their sovereignty violated even when the US defends its programme as a tool to fight against terrorism (Stea, 2013). The media has played a key role in this topic pushing the US actual administration to propose changes to the National Security Agency (NSA) program as the promise that US government will no longer store the phone call information, however these ‘changes’ are not clear enough yet for the international community (Ackerman & Roberts 2014). In 2001, United States achieved the support of the UN Security Council that require d states to freeze the assets of individuals or institutions believed to be associated with terrorism (Keohne, Macedo & Moravcsik), however the panorama does not look the same for this issue. Diplomacy through UN has mainly been successful in regulating the international travel through the certification of airports by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the establishment of safety standards; ensuring that products for export meet international standards (e.g. milk, bananas, coffee, tea); ensuring that international agreements are implemented by the member states, for example, agreements relating to shared resources (i.e. animals,  rivers/lakes, logging, etc.); promoting cooperation among various countries, especially within the south (East Asia), resulting in exchange of information, scholarships, businesses, etc.; raising public awareness through international conferences, e.g. Environment (Rio), Human Settlement (Istanbul), Gender (Beijing), the plight of children (New York); promoting technical assistance in various fields to its member states in the third world; and providing shelter and relief to millions of refugees from war and persecution, as well as supporting the repatriation and resettlement of refugees and displaced persons (UNDP 2011). Finally, the UN as venue has also allowed the increase of ‘public diplomacy’ (since conferences are open to the media, therefore to an international audience), the ‘behind-the-scenes bilateral diplomacy’ (because in many cases the UN resolution approaches the parties who after bilateral negotiations solve common issues), and the ‘polylateral diplomacy’ (the relationship between the state and non-state representatives composed by NGOs working with the UN) that could be seen as a network diplomacy (Wiseman & Basu, 2013). Multilateralism Challenges Most of IGOs are labelled as ‘western’, with a strong influence of some members like United States which have unresolved historical grievances. Countries like China, that in the 2000s played a leading role in the construction of multilateral structures in Asia, concerns Washington since it considers that Beijing is using soft power to marginalise the United States. Climate change also poses a threat to all states because the major carbon emitters cannot agree to find a solution as it affects their interests. Compromise not always produces the level of cooperation required to solve a problem (Wright 2011). Nowadays, some of the challenges are referred to asymmetries in the evolving process of multiple channels and levels of diplomatic representation and interaction with the rise of such new powers as Brazil, Germany, India and South Africa. Also, the UN diplomacy is now tied to a larger and more complex diplomatic community of diplomats and non-state actors (Pigman 2010, Wiseman & Basu 2013). Another issue is related to structures. ‘The UN’s basic structure has not evolved with the changing international political climate and configurations. Most obviously, the P5 member states’ privileged status has skewed the relations  between government representatives who otherwise hold equal legal status in the international state system’ (Kerr & Wiseman 2013). To maintain the institution’s legitimacy, efficiency and its role of global governance, deep changes need to be done. Sensitive topics and decisions should be addressed in a correct way. For example, nowadays, the Syria crisis has provoked a wave of critics against the UN that have qualified the organisation as incompetent to find effective solutions to this kind of situations that harms innocent people. Another difficult topic is in terms of the nuclear weapon testing even when the nuclear non-proliferation treaty was signed by 190 nations, including five nations that admitted to owning nuclear weapons: France, England, Russia, China, and the US. The nuclear stockpiles remain high, and numerous nations continue to develop these devastating weapons, including North Korea, Israel, Pakistan, and India. These failures of compliance of the non-proliferation treaty and the inability to enforce crucial rules and regulations on offending nations have increased the criticism towards the UN effectiveness. Finally, resolutions related to sensitive topics as the human rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people may provoke the refusal of member countries that do not share this idea, and that could interpret this as an imposition from Western countries (Crary 2011) Conclusion Diplomacy through multilateral engagement represents the favourite channel of most of the countries thanks to the benefits it represents. States can get active participation in forums and raise petitions as well as to sign agreements that not only involve another state-party but even non-state actors. Technical assistance, humanitarian aid, democracy enhancement, complaints are some of the advantages of the IGO’s as venue, being the United Nations the most well-known thanks to its structure. Other IGO’s like the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO are also important as venue to deal with common issues in a universal or regional basis. However, these IGO’s, mainly the UN, also face challenges that need to be solved to continue the model in the future. The current structure of the Security Council with 5 privileged members has been pushed in the last years to change and enlarge if the UN pretends to continue be considered as ‘the centrepiece of global governanceà ¢â‚¬â„¢, effective and legitimate. The rise of the so-called BRIC  countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) have made the decision making process more carefully as the shift of power in the system is undeniable. References Ackerman, S & Roberts, D 2014, ‘Obama presents NSA reforms with plan to end government storage of call data’, The Guardian, 18 January, viewed 19 January 2014, . Crary, D 2011, ‘U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passes, Hailed As ‘Historic Moment’’, Huffington Post, 17 June, viewed 19 January 2014, . Head, J 2012, ‘East Timor: UN ends peacekeeping mission’, BBC News Asia, 31 December, viewed 19 January 2014, . Johnson, K 2010, ‘Celebrating a United Nations success story’, LaCross Tribune, 23 April, viewed 19 January 2014, . Karns, M & Mingst, K 2013, ‘International Organizations and Diplomacy’, in A Cooper, J Heine & R Thakur (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 142-159. Keohane, R, Macedo, S & Moravcsik, A 2009, ‘Democracy-Enhancing Multilateralism’, International Organization, Vol. 63, pp. 1-31. Osler, F & Heinbecker, P 2011, ‘The â€Å"New† Multilateralism of the Twenty-First Century’, Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 299-310. Pigman, G 2010, ‘Multilateral Institutions, Supranational Polities, Regional Bodies’, Contemporary Diplomacy, Polity Press, Cambridge, pp. 56-69. Powell, L 2003, ‘In Defense of Multilateralism’, Global Environmental Governance: the Post-Johannesburg Agenda, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, viewed 19 January 2014, . Roberts, I 2009a, ‘Legal Framework for Multilateral Diplomacy’, in Sir I Roberts (ed), Satow’s Diplomatic Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 287-315. ______ 2009b, ‘Theory of Multilateral Diplomacy’, in Sir I Roberts (ed), Satow’s Diplomatic Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 317-320. Slaughter, A 2011, ‘International Relations, Principal Theories’ in R Wolfrum (ed), Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 722-727. Stea, C 2013, ‘Latin America Condemns US Espionage at United Nations Security Council’, Global Research, 17 August, viewed 19 January 2014, . United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2011, Case Studies of Sustained and Successful Development Cooperation: Supporting Transformational Change, UNDP, viewed 19 January 2014 . Wiseman, G & Basu, S 2013, ‘The United Nations’, in P Kerr & G Wiseman (eds), Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories & Practices, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 319-335. Wright, T 2013, ‘Bilateral and Multilateral Diplomacy in Normal Times and in Crises’, in P Kerr & G Wiseman (eds), Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories & Practices, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, pp. 175-191.

Tweeter analysis Essays

Tweeter analysis Essays Tweeter analysis Paper Tweeter analysis Paper The other points to be discussed will be the strategy of Tweeter going forward to tackle the price competition due to rivals like, Lecher, Circuit City and the WIZ. Problem Identification Tweeter was in a market that was highly competitive and it faced many challenges to sustain itself ranging from price wars to unexpected value perception by the customers, uncertainty about Its APP policy to threats from new entrants. But the major problems can be listed as follows, Difference In the value perception of the customer and that being offered by Tweeter Despite of having competitive prices, why is large amount being returned through Automatic price protection (APP) Evaluate the impact of APP strategy on Bryn Mar Threat from new entrants like Wiz into the New England market Analysis First we will carry out a SOOT analysis for Tweeter In the current market conditions. Secondly, we will see the impact of APP on the buying behavior of the customers. We will analyze the data provided in the various case exhibits and provide recommendations for Tweeter?s future strategy. SOOT Analysis Tweeter started its venture with medium to high-end audio and video equipment ND components. The customers perceived It as a high quality retailer with knowledgeable sales people who offered high level of customer service. But the competitors?w strategy was to capture the customers through low pricing strategy. Tweeter was forced to compete on price and even introduce entry-level brands and lower end models of existing brands. It was unable to cash upon this strategy since the customers failed to recognize the competitive price offerings on its products. Looking at Exhibit 14, 54% of the respondents did not know whether the prices offered by Tweeter are higher or lower compared to other big chains Like Lecher Ana Cult CLC TTY. Moreover, AT ten respondents won 010 not Know auto ten A policy also were unaware of the relative prices. Also, 40. 6% customers are not aware of the concept of APP and 37. 9% of the customers do not know that Tweeter has a policy related to APP. So we can say that the value offered by Tweeter was not exactly as perceived by the customers since their promotion strategies did not work as there was always a competitor whose highest price was lower than Tweeter?was lowest offered price. The probability of customers knowing about the introduction of low end products by Tweeter was less considering they did not focus on promotion. Under the Automatic Price Protection policy, Tweeter monitored newspapers on a daily basis for advertisements of competitors present within 25 miles of its vicinity. If an item purchased at Tweeter in the past 30 days was advertised for a lower price, then they automatically mailed a refund check to the consumer for 100% of the difference in the amounts. There were some constraints applied as the items insider are of value above 50$ and the difference is more than 2$. The advantages of APP on Buying Behavior can be ?C Eliminates the need for extensive, price?based search for the customer ?C Break the ?Kiewit for a sale?0 buying mentality ?C Create positive word-of- mouth ?C Good technique for customer conversion and retention The disadvantages of APP on Buying Behavior can be ?C APP is relative complex, difficult to communicate via media ?C Purchase decision of customers is based on prices at face value. So they would prefer a impetigo giving sale or discount instead of APP Looking at the income statement in exhibit 7, since the implementation of APP the gross revenues have increased by 88. 5% from 1993 to 1996 while the net income has increased from -661 k$ in 1993 to kick$ in 1996. Hence, we can see that the top line improvement has not been translated to the bottom line. Looking at exhibit 12, we can observe that APP policy was highly ineffective during the festive months, since it was a custom for the competitors to reduce their prices aiming to maximize their sales and profits. Due to the overlapping products with Tweeter, they had to incur increased payback during these months. Tweeter was losing out a lot on its pricing strategy for cost leadership and current profit minimization by concentrating on the low end product market, whereas it specialized in the medium to high-end market and the customers perceived it to be a high quality retailer offering good customer service. In fact, Tweeter customers perceived that they were paying a premium price for receiving the best customer service in the region. Tweeter acquired Bryn Mar stereo and died as its first venture outside of New England. Bryn Mar was a high-end consumer electronics chain similar to Tweeter and it had also adopted APP policy. But due to low awareness of the policy in the new area, Bryn Mar failed to see an appreciable increase in sales despite adoption of APP policy. Tweeter can handle this issue by concentrating more on promotion of the APP policy and its assured benefits. Considering the channels of distribution, from exhibit 4 1 1, we can observe that the product mix offered by Tweeter at their specialty stores and boutiques for consumer electronic categories Is well In sync Witt ten stores parterre Day ten customers to Duty those products, as 59-64% of market share is captured by the specialty stores. Hence, during expansion in other states outside New England, they should target for opening similar type of stores. From exhibit 8, we can observe that the customer base seeking Quality/Service that forms 10% of the total market prefers Tweeter that is 70% of Tweeter?was market. It has only 20% market share in the price biter segment and it can focus to increase the share in this segment, as these customers focus on absolute best deal looking at verbal factors of price, service and quality. Tweeter can surely cater to these customers. Recommendations Do not target low end products The major mistake that Tweeter committed was introduction of low end products. The competitors of low end products were superstores and mass merchants that mainly concentrated on providing low competitive prices while compromising on customer service and salesperson knowledge. Being a specialty store, Tweeter?was PODS included giving the customer a better shopping experience through excellent customer service and salesperson knowledge. Hence, venturing into APP for low end products mostly resulted in loss. No differentiation on the basis of prices through sales or discounts The customer psychology was to accept prices at face value. They got more attracted by initial savings rather than a money refund at a later stage. Hence though the savings might be same their tendency is to choose a product on sale to a complex offering like APP. Thus, there is no incentive to provide sales or discounts on low end products. This supplements the previous point for Tweeter to back out from sale of low end products. Do not target entry level customers Entry-level customers laid great emphasis on price and not on product quality and customer service. Since Tweeter?was unique offerings did not include low end products, the probability of them choosing Tweeter was minimum. Promotion towards BIB segment The high end products can be catered to customers who value these as a long-term investment like educational institutions, music bands, etc. That form a part of BIB segment. These customers will be willing to pay a premium for high quality. Hence, Tweeter should focus more on this segment.

Witness for the Prosecution

Witness for the Prosecution There has been a murder in 1950s England. Miss Emily French, a woman approaching age 60, was found dead in her house on Friday October the 14th. Her housekeeper was away that evening and Miss Emilys   only other friend, Leonard Vole, was the last person to see her alive. The murder occurred at approximately 9:30 at night. Leonard Vole insists he was at his own home at that time, however the housekeeper, Janet Mackenzie, says she heard him speaking with Miss Emily French at 9:25 when Janet briefly returned home to pick up a sewing pattern. Leonard Vole has retained the services of a solicitor, Mr. Mayhew, and barrister, Sir Wilfred Robarts, QC. Leonard Vole is an extremely likeable man with a story that could either be 1.) the most believable tale of a nice man down on his luck who made friends with an older woman or 2.) the perfect set-up for the chance to inherit close to a million pounds. When Miss Emily French’s last will and testament names Leonard as the sole beneficiary of her estate, it seems Leonard will be found guilty. Only Leonard’s wife, Romaine, has a chance of persuading the jury of Leonard’s innocence. But Romaine has a few secrets and a hidden agenda of her own and she isn’t sharing the details with anyone. Production Details Setting: Sir Wilfred Robart’s offices, English Courtroom Time: 1950s Cast Size: This play can accommodate 13 actors with numerous non-speaking small roles as the jury and courtroom attendants. Male Characters: 8 Female Characters: 5 Characters that could be played by either males or females: 0 Content Issues:  Stabbing Roles Carter is Sir Wilfred’s clerk. He is an older gentleman who prides himself on keeping good time and good order of his boss’s offices. Greta is Sir Wilfred’s typist. She is described as â€Å"adenoidal† and flighty. She is easily distracted by the people who come into the office, especially if she has read about them in the newspaper. Sir Wilfred Robarts, QC is the well-respected barrister on Leonard Vole’s case. He prides himself on reading people and their intentions perfectly the first time he meets them. He is knowledgeable and puts genuine effort into each case he tries. Mr. Mayhew is the solicitor on Leonard Vole’s case. He assists Sir Wilfred in office work and provides another pair of eyes and ears to examine the evidence and consider strategies. His knowledge and opinions are invaluable assets for the case. Leonard Vole appears to be the all-around good-natured sort of man one would enjoy befriending. He has dreams and aspirations that will not come to fruition in his current financial situation, but he is not a complainer. He has the ability to endear himself to anyone, especially to women. Romaine is Leonard’s wife. Their marriage is not technically legal, as she is still married (on paper) to a man from her native Germany. Although Leonard insists that Romaine loves him and is devoted to him, she is a difficult woman to read. She has her own agenda and is skeptical that anyone will be able to help her. Mr. Myers, QC is the prosecuting barrister. He and Sir Wilfred, who often find themselves opposite one other in court, have a contentious relationship and. Both manage to keep civil tongues and behave when they appear in front of the judge, but their mutual animosity is evident. Mr. Justice Wainwright is the judge in Leonard Vole’s case. He is fair and handles the barristers and witnesses with a firm hand. He is not above inserting his opinion or telling a story if need be. Janet Mackenzie was Miss Emily French’s housekeeper and companion for twenty years. She has an unyielding personality. She is not charmed by Leonard Vole and has a very dim opinion of him as a person. Other Smaller Roles and Non-speaking Roles Inspector Hearne Plain Clothes Detective Third Juror Second Juror Foreman of the Jury Court Usher Clerk of the Court Alderman Judge’s Clerk Court Stenographer Warder Barristers (6) Policeman Dr. Wyatt Mr. Clegg The Other Woman Production Notes Set. The two must-have sets for Witness for the Prosecution are Sir Wilfred’s office and the courtroom. For this show – no minimalistic approaches. The sets ought to be built and dressed according to resemble a formal barrister’s office and courtroom of the time period. Costumes must be period specific and of note are the traditional wigs and robes worn in British courtrooms by the barristers, judges, and solicitors. Because the time span of the play is six weeks, some actors will need several costume changes. The playwright provides a specific note on doubling up the roles actors may play in order for smaller casts to still achieve the â€Å"spectacle† of the courtroom. She offers a template for the roles that may be reduced or be cast by the using the same actor. This template is available in the script offered from Samuel French. However, Christie stresses that the same actress that plays Greta should not play the role of â€Å"The Other Woman.† Even though the two characters never appear onstage at the same time, Christie does not want the audience to think that it is part of the plot and that Greta is in fact The Other Woman. Christie goes on to offer suggestions that â€Å"local amateurs† be used to fill out the courtroom scene or even that the audience be invited to sit on the stage. Playwright Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976) is beloved and renowned mystery writer from England. She is best known for her novels and such characters as Miss Marple, Hercule Pirot, and Tommy and Tuppence. Her stories focus on mysteries and murder; where the truth is found in the details and the characters are never who they first appear to be. Her play Mousetrap claims the title of longest running play with a production history that spans over 60 years. Agatha Christie is so prolific and popular that only Shakespeare and the Bible have only outsold her works. Samuel French holds the production rights for Witness for the Prosecution.

Quantum Physics Overview, Concepts, and History

Quantum Physics Overview, Concepts, and History Quantum physics is the study of the behavior of matter and energy at the molecular, atomic, nuclear, and even smaller microscopic levels. In the early 20th century, scientists discovered that the laws governing macroscopic objects do not function the same in such small realms. What Does Quantum Mean? Quantum comes from the Latin meaning how much. It refers to the discrete units of matter and energy that are predicted by and observed in quantum physics. Even space and time, which appear to be extremely continuous, have the smallest possible values. Who Developed Quantum Mechanics? As scientists gained the technology to measure with greater precision, strange phenomena was observed. The birth of quantum physics is attributed to Max Plancks 1900 paper on blackbody radiation. Development of the field was done by Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Richard Feynman, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, and other luminary figures in the field. Ironically, Albert Einstein had serious theoretical issues with quantum mechanics and tried for many years to disprove or modify it. Whats Special About Quantum Physics? In the realm of quantum physics, observing something actually influences the physical processes taking place. Light waves act like particles and particles act like waves (called wave particle duality). Matter can go from one spot to another without moving through the intervening space (called quantum tunnelling). Information moves instantly across vast distances. In fact, in quantum mechanics we discover that the entire universe is actually a series of probabilities. Fortunately, it breaks down when dealing with large objects, as demonstrated by the Schrodingers Cat thought experiment. What is Quantum Entanglement? One of the key concepts is quantum entanglement, which describes a situation where multiple particles are associated in such a way that measuring the quantum state of one particle also places constraints on the measurements of the other particles. This is best exemplified by the EPR Paradox. Though originally a thought experiment, this has now been confirmed experimentally through tests of something known as Bells Theorem. Quantum Optics Quantum optics is a branch of quantum physics that focuses primarily on the behavior of light, or photons. At the level of quantum optics, the behavior of individual photons has a bearing on the outcoming light, as opposed to classical optics, which was developed by Sir Isaac Newton. Lasers are one application that has come out of the study of quantum optics. Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) Quantum electrodynamics (QED) is the study of how electrons and photons interact. It was developed in the late 1940s by Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger, Sinitro Tomonage, and others. The predictions of QED regarding the scattering of photons and electrons are accurate to eleven decimal places. Unified Field Theory Unified field theory is a collection of research paths that are trying to reconcile quantum physics with Einsteins theory of general relativity, often by trying to consolidate the fundamental forces of physics. Some types of unified theories include (with some overlap): Quantum GravityLoop Quantum GravityString Theory / Superstring Theory / M-TheoryGrand Unified TheorySupersymmetryTheory of Everything Other Names for Quantum Physics Quantum physics is sometimes called quantum mechanics or quantum field theory. It also has various subfields, as discussed above, which are sometimes used interchangeably with quantum physics, though quantum physics is actually the broader term for all of these disciplines. Major Findings, Experiments, and Basic Explanations Earliest Findings Black Body RadiationPhotoelectric Effect Wave-Particle Duality Youngs Double Slit ExperimentDe Broglie Hypothesis The Compton Effect Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Causality in Quantum Physics - Thought Experiments and Interpretations The Copenhagen InterpretationSchrodingers CatEPR ParadoxThe Many Worlds Interpretation

Child Abandonment kill(affect) children Research Paper

Child Abandonment kill(affect) children - Research Paper Example Additionally, political conditions may contribute towards abandonment as evident in the Romanian revolution (Nelson, Fox and Zeanah 64). Child abandonment may also be associated with the lack of institutions such as orphanages, which take care of children in case their parents or guardians fail to support them. Child abandonment is a very serious problem, which affects the long-term development of a child. Parents should be careful before abandoning their children because it can cause long-term psychological impact, raise trust issues and expose the child to physical and mental health problems. According to Karen Maier, children who are abandoned harbor long-standing senses of shame and loss. These children may either idealize or reject the absent parent. Karen (2013) stated, â€Å"children who completely reject their absent parents strive to be the exact opposite of the parent who abandoned them† (Maier 2). Conversely, children who idealize the parent who abandoned them have a tendency of developing fantasies about them in order to provide temporary comfort. Long-term psychological impact of child abandonment include issues such as problems maintaining long-term relationships, depression, eating disorders, social disabilities, cognitive or learning disabilities and low self-esteem. Children who have been abandoned experience disorganized or insecure attachment with other people. As a result, they have problems interacting with others or maintaining long-term relationships (Clothier 1). Patterns of child-parent or caregiver attachments are important during growth. These patterns determine the social and emotional development of the child. Children who have been abandoned have insecure attachment with others because their primary source of protection or safety, in this case the parent, abandoned them. These children consider their parents as a source of harm, which leaves the child in an irresolvable state of conflict. Abandoned