A Quitter At Heart free essay sample

Quitting has a stigma attached to it. It shows that a person is not dedicated, is flaky and unreliable, and most likely has commitment issues. But is that really fair? I don’t think so, because I am one of the best quitters there is, and I don’t believe any of these qualities define me. I have quit so many more activities than my friends, it almost feels like a bragging right. After six years of hard work and dedication, I quit piano, and after only five, I quit the oboe and with it, the pep band. Three years were all I could tolerate of my school’s softball program, I quit soccer twice, and I left the track team after only one season. Speech only lasted a matter of weeks (a personal record). I signed up for Reviving Ophelia and Knightlife (two clubs promoting healthy lifestyles), but I gradually stopped attending meetings. We will write a custom essay sample on A Quitter At Heart or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I can say with pride that I have successfully quit two instruments, three sports, and four clubs in a mere three years. What an accomplishment! Don’t misunderstand me, I have never joined an activity for the sole purpose of quitting it. Curious by nature, I don’t let fear of the unknown stop me from trying new things. In fourth grade, when my music teacher asked me if I wanted to try playing the oboe, I said â€Å"sure.† Of course I wouldn’t turn down my dad’s offer to teach me softball, and I didn’t question my mom’s hunch that I’d be good at soccer (I wasn’t). Track seemed like a great idea because I was already a cross country runner and Nordic skier. Speech sounded like fun, and I joined Reviving Ophelia because I was a girl and Knightlife because I stay out of trouble. I knew that high school would pass quickly, and I wanted to be experience as much of it as possible. I first began to doubt my commitment to my numerous activities when I found myself unsuccessful at, fed up with, or just plain disliking most of them. My piano teacher expected perfection from me, which I failed to deliver. Pep band was just the opposite, filled with apathetic freshmen who only wanted their fine arts credits so they could quit. The softball program neglected freshmen in favor of students from the junior high, I was only a mediocre soccer player, my speech coach stood me up three days in a row, and I never had the time before or after school to attend Knightlife or Reviving Ophelia meetings. So I slowly quit them all: piano before ninth grade; speech and Reviving Ophelia during ninth grade; soccer and softball during tenth; and Knightlife and track during eleventh. Suddenly, I had afternoons free, and determined not to waste them, I now spend at least three days a week catching up with my friend Kiley after school. We work on our chemistry homework, walk around campus, pester our English teacher for writing advice, and ponder our existence. And Kiley isn’t the only friend I’ve reconnected with. Last month, I joined a recreational soccer team with another friend, Jenny, playing because I love the sport, not the competition, and I am making a habit of running with a freshman friend, Rachel, from the Nordic ski team. Sometimes I even go rollerblading or play a piano duet with my mom. Although I haven’t been doing anything strictly constructive with my free time, I have been able to strengthen my relationships with my friends and family, which has been much more rewarding than any involvement in track or softball or Knightlife. I hate to be labeled as a quitter, but having an awareness of my limitations has its merits. In addition to having the time to strengthen relationships, I also have more time to focus on the things that I am actually passionate about, such as Nordic skiing, math league, and cross country running. These are activities I’ve tried and stuck with because, in simplest terms, they bring me joy. Unfortunately, in order to discover which activities bring me that joy, I’ve done my fair share of trial and error, which is a fancy way of saying that I’ve smudged my reputation a bit by quitting eleven activities in three years. In an ideal world, I would prefer not to be defined by what I do but rather by who I am: a girl who loves trying new things, who enjoys the company of others, and who is true to herself. I can’t guarantee that I will always stick with every new thing I try from here on out, but I can guarantee that if I’ve tried something with an open mind and that if it isn’t right for me, I will quit it the only way I know how: with no regrets.

Strategic Analysis of Marks and Spencers Plc (MS) The WritePass Journal

Strategic Analysis of Marks and Spencers Plc (MS) Abstract: Strategic Analysis of Marks and Spencers Plc (MS) Abstract:Introduction:Strategic positionEnvironmental analysisStrengths:Weakness:Opportunities:Threats:Porter’s 5 forces model:Competitive rivalry (High):Bargaining power of buyers (High): Bargaining power of suppliers (Low):Threat of new entrants (Medium):Threat of substitutes (High): Cultural web:Evaluation of strategic directionTOWS MATRIX:Industry life cycle:Ansoff matrix:Conclusion: References:Related Abstract: This report critically analyses how the external and internal factors affect the strategies of MS and modifies its business strategies. Even though MS has good strategy and marketing plans they haven’t used it to their advantage. It also tells how the macro and micro environment affect their strategy and their plan. The report uses frame works like PESTEL, SWOT and porter 5 forces. It further investigates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of MS. This report highlights on MS planning, organising, and taking decisions. It further incorporates the history, business operation, and the treats and opportunities faced by the company. It also provides an alternative solution and offers recommendation which might help the company to compete in the market, by providing appropriate service to its customer’s .The main aim of this report is to evaluate how MS can survive in this ever changing market Introduction: Marks and Spencer the Britain retailer (often referred to as Marks Sparks by locals) is a general retailer that sells clothes, gifts, home furnishings, and foods under the brand name St. Michael in the UK, Europe, the Americas and Far East. The company also operates in the financial services segment.  Ã‚   Marks Spencer was started in 1884 by Michael Marks in the Leeds market. The company strived for value and low prices and worked for its development. By 1901, the company acquired 35 outlets and had a new partner in Tom Spencer. The company’s stores started to carry the label (St. Michael) by 1949.   The company’s vision is to offer consumers great quality, value, and service. With nearly 300 stores in the United Kingdom, MS is the country’s largest retailer and holds 17% of UK clothing market. The goods they have are perceived be of excellent value and quality. It has been seen that the company adheres to top-down management approach and watched under the close supervision of its former CEO. This was going good with the company for several decades, But latter part of the 1990s there was a noticeable decline in the sales and in the overall performance of the company. Strategic position Marks and spencer is operating in a very competitive environment and there are many factors that affect the company in the outside environment. As they operate in many segments like food cloths and home and beauty products they have to deal with a lot of competitors. MS is very sensitive to technological, social and economic factors. It has to keep up with ever growing and changing trends of clothing if they have to compete in the market. The key drivers that affect MS are changing trends and online purchasing as they have no control over it. The core values of MS: quality, affordability and service were under the attack from its competitors. Other Retailers such as Top Shop, Next, Debenhams, Warehouse and the Gap provide the customers with better fashionable and trendier designs with good value. Food chains, such as Tesco, Waitrose, and Sainsbury have started to move into frozen foods and readymade food products. MS has challenge from all the business segments it is competing. But MS has not changed enough to be competitive; this resulted in MS losing its profits and market share (MS Press Releases 1999) Strategic clock:   Differentiation      Ã‚  Perceived value MS is trying to gain market share and for them to regain its market share and dominance they need to invest. Currently MS takes on the larger market share and is still suffering in its profits. This implies weakness in a rather cutthroat world of retail.  Giving access to quality food and clothes to all is their vision. They are committed to understanding and meeting the customer’s needs  consistently, in this ever competitive retail environment. MS has 90% of its revenues from the UK (Mintel,2009) , Increased food and fuel prices has an impact on the disposable income of the consumers   which leads to weaker demand for non-food products, MS is responding to this trend of   cutting prices this is having a serious effect on their   sales Environmental analysis Swot analysis: Strengths: Excellent and high quality products They have excellent relationship with its employees they are treated well and paid well It has stores all over high streets in London Profitable company and has a large market share in the retail sector It has a long term relationship with its suppliers It’s been here for more than 100 years so it has a good history of trade. Weakness: It is heavily reliant on British suppliers where as its competitors use foreign suppliers for low cost products. They have an old and classical fashion image, advertising is poor as they do not offer discount sales during festivals like Christmas and Easter, this Is the time when the customers buy a lot of goods. No customer focus Technology is poor as they cannot provide reading of their inventory No knowledge about the market for the younger generation. Poor customer service as they do not provide fitting rooms and loyalty cards. Opportunities: MS has to enter the e-business effectively as their competitors Expansion in growing product areas such as Food, Home and Beauty as they have customers trust for their quality and innovation The Home business, areas like home furnishings and gifts are fastest growing product areas and beauty products are growing rapidly. Both of these areas offer promising opportunities for the company to develop and expand Focus on cloths market segment by age group and introduce clothing line for kids and teenagers. Threats: Since MS operate in many segments like food clothing and others they have many competitors such as Tesco, Sainsbury, Zara, Gap and top shop. Customers are always looking new fashion cloths Internet allows the customers to shop from home online. MS has not done well in the foreign market after expanding abroad. Porter’s 5 forces model: Competitive rivalry (High): Marks and spencer faces high rivalry in the clothing sector from next and gap, they also face high competition in the food industry from Tesco and Sainsbury. Bargaining power of buyers (High): The threat from buyers is high as they have large number of retailers situated very close by. Bargaining power of suppliers (Low): The power of suppliers is low as there are concentrated purchasers. Threat of new entrants (Medium): Is very relatively low as there the other retailers are already established. Threat of substitutes (High): There has been increase in retailers who import their goods from foreign countries, so consumers can buy the same products for cheaper price. Cultural web: Evaluation of strategic direction The strategic direction of Marks and spencer can be evaluated by using the TOWS matrix, Ansoff matrix which helps us to understand how marks and spencer can possible convert their weaknesses to strengths and their threats to opportunities. The vision of Marks and Spencer is to give standard and high quality products to all. Marks  and Spencer give huge importance to a work place that  inspires and rewards the employee’s .The approach to Corporate Social tell us their commitment to Quality, Value, Service and Trust. It allows Marks and Spencer to manage  operations responsibly, this helps  them to attract shoppers to their stores and retain their customers, it also helps to have a good understanding with the suppliers and helps to give value to their stakeholders. TOWS MATRIX: TOWS Strengths Opportunities High quality products High end customers Stores all over high East accessibility to streets in the UK the customers Mature in high profitable Scope for improvement economy in marketing and Technology Weakness Opportunity Suppliers limited to New suppliers the UK Poor customer service Enhanced services not Keeping with the Must enter E-business competitors in a effective way Weakness Threat Reliant on British Higher production costs suppliers Poor marketing Intense competition Strategy Poor technology use New entrants into the market with better technology Strength Threat High street giant Higher cost, online sales by competitors Long term relationship new lower cost suppliers with suppliers Cost efficiency New market By looking at the TOWS matrix the strategic direction is suitable with capabilities MS has. Industry life cycle:       This is a tool used to look at the current phase of the company, according to industry cycle MS is in the maturity stage; after looking at the external environment the life cycle curve indicates that growth is slow due to a lot of competitors. However this calls for MS to change their strategy due to heavy competition, in the market. Ansoff matrix: We can use Ansoff product/market matrix to identify the strategic direction for Marks and Spencer’s. This matrix helps to understand the strategic option available to MS in terms of products and market coverage, by looking at their strategic capability. Market penetration can be done by product development as their clothing lack variety and if they can develop this they can be competitive. It can also be achieved by concentrating only on the UK market and consolidating it. Product development can be achieved by developing the per una brand as it is already an established brand.IT development to promote online shopping. Market development can be achieved by looking at new countries new customers and can also consider entering new segment like children’s wear and teenagers to be competitive. Marks and spencer can also diversify in food, beauty products and home appliance and get into partnership with other retailers.    Conclusion: Using the environmental audit (PESTEL and SWOT) and strategic analysis it can be seen that MS poses some strength within them and also a few weaknesses. They also have a few threats and areas of opportunities which explored can take MS to new Heights. MS drifted away from its core values and failed to notice that the competition was getting tougher and was not in line with the changing trend, this made them to lose a few customers. The mid-market segment which MS was operating was hit by recession and this made the consumers move to other retailers such as Primark, Tesco Sainsbury etc. which were providing the consumers for cheaper rates. MS should come up with a contingency plan to not only focus on differentiation, but also to encounter the growing rivalry from other supermarket chains. Acceptability: Looking at the current weaknesses like not following the market trend in the clothing line and no proper customer service that MS have it can’t sustain the challenge from other retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury, gap and Zara as do market research and follow the current trend that is in the UK. Feasibility: With the combination of its strengths the strategy MS is using can be feasible but need to turn its threats to opportunities. MS need to diversify and keep up with the challenge from the competitors, so that they can satisfy the shareholders Sustainability: For MS strategy to be sustainable and prosper in the long term their core competences has like value to customers, Rarity, inimitability has to be looked at. Because customers feel they are not getting value for their money as the competitor are offering goods for cheaper prices, Their products are not rare and can be imitated by other competitors. Recommendation: The current strategy MS is pursing is not very sound, so here are a few changes that MS has to look at that would help them to capture back the lost market share and customers. Come up with new quality products in areas of cloth food home and financial services and achieve customer satisfaction through quality service. Regain lost market share in clothing: Improve the Per Una brand as people like it.They have to be customer oriented and do a market research on the current trends in the UK. Start providing trial rooms so to attract customers. Use Zara’s concept of communicating with the manufactures abroad through media. Obtain customer opinion and feedback this helps not only in keeping up with the current trend in the clothing line but also helps to do research in the food and home appliances sector. Improve online shopping this not only helps in reducing costs but also helps in increasing sales and to be competitive and also an opportunity to advertise in the internet. Make the advertising big as MS is an old organization and the younger generations who are not aware of it would rather go to stores which are attractively advertised. Putting up hoardings in the streets and may be in the Tube stations would help attract customers not only in UK but also tourists. Improve the customer shopping experience: MS need to invest in its stores in areas like stock availability and better customer service which adds to the value to the customers and uniqueness quotient. Improve franchising in foreign: This helps to capture market share in other countries with less capital. References: http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/investors/corporate_governance/governance_framework (n.d) [15 June 2011] docshare.com/doc/103365/Exploring-Corporate-Strategy-in-Marks-and-Spe (n.d) [16 June 2011] examstutor.com/business/resources/companyprofiles/marksandspencer/strategyinsight.php   (n.d) [15 June 2011] marksandspencer.com/thecompany/ (n.d) [15 June 2011] google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://mamikikeyu.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/lifecycle.pngimgrefurl=http://mamikikeyu.wordpress.com/2011/04/h=322w=414sz=14tbnid=-r6cuuc94rtigM:tbnh=97tbnw=125prev=/search%3Fq%3Dindustry%2Blife%2Bcycle%2Bdiagram%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Duzoom=1q=industry+life+cycle+diagramhl=enusg=__LrlcgyCPZs3vCFQwZWOWw1dMPV4=sa=Xei=KVP7Ter7KsrJhAeE1emUAwsqi=2ved=0CCIQ9QEwAg   (n.d) [17 June 2011]    Appendix: PESTEL analysis POLITICAL  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The EU and the Free Trade Agreements, this helps the other British Companies to take advantage of it by getting their goods from other countries for cheaper rates compared to MS higher cost structure. Issues of labour laws ECONOMIC   the Retail sector is very sensitive to changes in tax and interest rates. After the economic slump the retail industry is once again booming. The competitors import their goods from other countries  to cut cost but this puts MS in a disadvantage as they get the good from within the UK. SOCIAL  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ changing life style and trend of the consumers could be a threat to the company. However this also could be an Opportunity in terms of new market and consumers. TECHNICAL  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Media plays an important role in communicating with the designers and manufactures in other countries about the changing trends of UK. Online shopping Is now getting more and more common. LEGAL –To provide high quality as promised, and legislations for health and safety both in terms of consumer rights and also in terms of production of own natural renewable resources for making clothes ENVIRONMENTAL  Ã¢â‚¬â€œRetailers use lot raw materials to produce their goods; they need to be aware of the natural habitats and the environmental effects. They also have to be aware of the legal effects for farm animals in health and safety

Is Ham correct that the connection between science and naturalism is Assignment

Is Ham correct that the connection between science and naturalism is 'arbitrary' - Assignment Example Regardless, a theory that lacks a few of the criteria may still be scientific if it is accompanied by sufficient reasons. But if a theory lacks most or all of these criteria, it falls short of being scientific (Losse 137-149). The defining feature of all theories of science and their accompanying understanding is the capacity to make testable predictions, which then limits the room for error. The bearing and certainty of those estimations helps to determine how scientific theory will be useful in the future. By contrast, supernatural theory lacks any observable predictions, thus fails the minimum thresholds for scientific evidence in what enables prospective scientists to refrain from that particular line of (Losse 177). Supernatural causes advocated by Ham are based on predictions which are not reasonably certain for scientific testing, thus are also not useful. Losse said falsifiability of scientific criteria makes scientific theory more reliable than Ham’s supernatural causes, especially when applied in important predictions (178). Ham’s rigid, faith-based creationist philosophy is unacceptable as scientific because it does not obligates its members to explore various formulae to test its reliability overtime and or make important adjustments to it, hence the lack of evidence-based growth. And by being supported by several independent bodies of evidence, rather than one foundation, the scientific criteria outperform Ham’s supernatural theory which does not have any divergent criteria drawing similar conclusions about nature hence the its lack of its acceptability in science. The criteria also make scientific knowledge look consistent with past experimental outcomes, which lack in supernatural theory and thus, create the best platform for drawing accurate predictions of the future in the same way past theories have been made (Losse 107). By being correctable, scientific theory outperforms the rigid supernatural theory in the sense

Food & Beverage Revenue Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Food & Beverage Revenue Management - Essay Example Established in 2004, Red Bamboo offers a casual and relaxed atmosphere but guarantees an enjoyable dining experience. The star of the restaurant is the food, so people are encouraged to visit in relaxed garments or casual attire. The restaurant is conveniently situated in the heart of Central Dublin's food and restaurant district. The restaurant can conveniently seat around sixty to eighty-five guests and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner: As in any food business, Red bamboo also encountered problems in controlling yields and revenues, especially in its initial year of operations. The management then decided to use an effective yield management mechanism to address the problems which will eventually affect the overall operations of the restaurant (Kimes, 1989). Yield management is an approach aimed at improving revenues and increasing the course of consumer demand. In order to achieve these goals, yield management utilizes the fundamental stratagem of giving the precise service at the right point in time to the right consumer at the appropriate price (Kimes, 1989). Each segment of this approach entails definite tactical levers that enable the management to come up with an efficient and advantageous yield management plan. The factors that greatly affect the outcome of this strategy are best known as the 4 Cs which are cost, clock, calendar and capacity. Calendar procedures entail control over the timeframe when the transaction/reservation is made. Clock-related strategies rotate on the timing of the service delivered to the customer. Capacity issue is associated with effectively selling seating that is on hand based on the existing demand. Last, cost refers to the appropriate value of the service (Kimes, Chase, Choi, Lee, and Ngonzi, 1998). It is imperative to provide a measurement tool or give definition to the sale which is the outcome of the service provided. For Red Bamboo's case, the management referred to it as available seat per hour or seat/hour (Kimes, 1989). The guiding principle for an effective yield management plan is to take full advantage of the revenue that could be made on the available seat/hour (Kimes, 1989). For purposes of easier identification, management referred to this as REVSH. Being able to quantify in a time-related approach the goal of the process, the management of Red Bamboo then refocused on the specific stratagem levers that will impact REVSH. Among the levers that were initially identified are the following: meal preparation, menu plan/design, operational process, labor setup, etc. Red Bamboo's management first looked into the physical capacity of the restaurant. Red Bamboo conveniently seats sixty persons in its main dining hall, twenty in the bar and when weather permits, can seat around fifteen in an outside patio/area. When the revenue management plan began, Red Bamboo's menu consisted of twelve appetizers, twenty-five entrees and six desserts. In order to ascertain baseline information on mealtime length, arrival sample and REVSH, data was collected on an hourly fashion; though point of sales and observation by the staff. From these collected data, the management then estimated the average periodic meal duration by calculating the standard deviation and variance during meals (Miller, Dopson, and Hayes, 2004). It was found out that the average meal duration of customer was one hour

Shahrukh Khan and Representation of Islam in His Movies Essay

Shahrukh Khan and Representation of Islam in His Movies - Essay Example Shahrukh khan and his movies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....................................................9 7. Shahrukh khan and impact of Islam in his movies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 7.1 Veer Zaara and underlying mechanism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....10 7.2 Shahrukh’s contribution†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦............................................................13 7.3 Message of the film†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...................................................................13 7.4 Criticisms faced and public response†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......................................14 8. My Name Is Khan and Islam†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....................................................14 8.1 Biased fee lings †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦........................................................................16 8.2 Message of the film†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..................................................................17 8.3 Shahrukh khan and My Name Is Khan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....................................18 9. ... Firstly the paper focuses on the crux of Islamic fundamentalism and their principles. Then the focus is entailed on the significant role of media and their policies to change the angle of representation of readers and viewers about societal facts and information. In this part the dominant role of media in representing Islam is also concentrated. Moving on to the next section limelight is given on the role of Bollywood and the influence of Islam in them. Then the core discussion is about Shahrukh khan’s movies and the impact of Islam in them. Three outstanding movies of Shahrukh have been adopted for this purpose as for example Veer Zaara, My Name is Khan and Hey Ram. In Veer Zaara, a marvelous cross cultural love story ahead of its times and the impact of religion and the message of communal harmony has been beautifully spun. Public responses are also shown. Then a plethora of in detailed explanation of the representation of Islam and Shahrukh khan’s most acclaimed film ,’My Name Is Khan’ has been provided. Finally ending a short discussion is also given about the movie Hey Ram where Shahrukh khan played a small role of Muslim archaeologist where also Islam has a vivid significance. 1. Introduction Shahrukh Khan, recognized as the king of Bollywood with a huge fan base, is the world’s one of the most popular movie persona in the modern times. From a new comer in the film industry with no god father behind and with tremendous passion and complex understanding for movies have made him reach the summit of success. He reigns over the hearts of millions as a romantic hero for which he is initially recognized with his super hit films

Nozicks Theories of Justice Analysis

Nozicks Theories of Justice Analysis Introduction Robert Nozick gained fame as a leading American philosopher thanks to the success of his 1974 book, Anarchy, State, and Utopia. The books endeavours to further explore the anti-consequentialist elements that have been discussed by John Rawls in his book, A Theory of Justice. Nozick has identified the best tool with which to gauge state action is its respect for individual rights. For this reason, a minimal state, according to Nozick, is the only legitimate state considering its key role in protecting various individual rights, including the right to life, the right to own property, and liberty. Nozick endeavours to refute the anarchists claim by way of demonstrating how a minimal state might come about without infringing on individual rights. Nozick has also endeavoured to restore interest in the idea that individual rights are a key element of the political theory by considering the political philosophy of libertarianism. The premise of this essay is to argue that Nozicks minimal st ate is unjust by exploring counter-arguments to it, such as by Rawls. Nozicks libertarianism Libertarianism advocates for the need to limit role of state in societal issues, basically to national defence, police protection, as well as how courts of law are governed. In his libertarianism philosophy, Nozick argues that all other tasks that the modern government is charged with, such as social insurance, welfare, and education, ought to be taken over by charities, religious organisations, and by private institutions. In this case, Nozick contends that the private institutions should essentially operate in a free market. Many libertarians depend on sociological and economic considerations in defending their position namely, the innate processes that could trigger inefficiency and incompetence in state bureaucracies, as well as the advantages of market competition. They also cite the poor record of government in addressing such specific issues as pollution and poverty. While Nozick seeks to endorse such arguments, he, nonetheless, assumes a moral position in defending libertarianism. Nozick is of the view that while there are practical benefits associated with liberalism, its profound respect for individual rights is by far the strongest. Nozicks libertarianism is largely based on his entitlement theory which states that if a person has acquired a property justly, he/she has the right to own it. In the event that a person possesses a property that has been obtained through unjust means such a property should be subjected to the compensation and rectification processes. Nozick further opines that where an individual is entitled to own a property, denying them the right to own it against their will amounts to an injustice. A minimal state emerges from Nozicks state of nature. Such a state, according to Nozick, cannot pry into peoples lives, and neither can it force them into surrendering what they justly own. The minimal state, therefore, only protec ts the individual against being forced to enter into a contract, fraud, as well as theft. On account of the entitlement theory, the state has no right to coerce its citizens into forfeiting property that rightfully belongs to them so that the proceeds can be used to funding government programmes which the state views as constituting the common good. As such, while people are likely to contribute towards the support of various schemes out of their own volition, the state cannot forcibly tax them with the goal of funding public education, providing for the  poor or public goods, among others. Nozick strong claims about rights Nozick is convinced that a key function of political philosophy is to refute the claim made by the anarchist to the effect that no state is legitimate. Given his focus on moral rights, Nozick argued in favour of a minimal state that preserved moral rights. Mulgan is opposed to the moral right of a minimal state that Nozick speaks in favour of, arguing that they are the only legal means of enabling a state to exercise its legal and political rights. Nozick is of the view that the society that emerges from a minimal state boasts of a capitalist economy, as well as a free market. Accordingly, such a society fulfils the requirements of a free society. A state that exceeds these requirements would be morally unacceptable seeing as it would contravene rights. In defending the minimal state, Nozick stretched a history that traced the origin of a minimal state from a state of nature with no rights having been violated. His was hypothetical, as opposed to actual history, which indicated the e mergence of a minimal state through just means. The libertarian perspective recognises individuals as possessing rights. As such, when other people do certain things to them, this amount to a violation of their individual rights. The reason why these rights are natural is because we have them based on what they are as opposed to having received them from someone. Nozick states that stating we have rights is different from explaining why we have rights. In a bid to draw this important distinction, Nozick makes use of the second formulation of Categorical Imperative that Immanuel Kant popularised namely, that one should act in such a manner as to treat humanity as an end, as opposed to treating humanity as a means. Kant was of the view that humans are rational by nature and that they possess dignity. Accordingly, humans should be treated with dignity. It is this dignity that hinders other people from using us, implying that humans have rights against use of this nature. Nozick opines that human rights act as side-constraints, and this has a limiting effect on what other people (the state included) may do to us. Nozick further opines that humans cannot trade their rights in exchange for something of benefit. For instance, pursuing a little more wealth or happiness is not sufficient grounds for contravening an individuals rights. According to Nozick, people are inviolable, implying that they ought not to be used to meet certain ends if doing so is against their will. Nozick has relied on this argument while developing his self-ownership principle. Nozick opines that because an individual owns his/herself, they thus have a right to do with themselves what they deem pleasing. Since nobody else owns us and we do not own them, each one of us has his/her individual rights to themselves and what is in their possession. In other words, we have rights against violations by other people, including theft, enslavement, and the rights to have access to such services as education and healthcare, and the right to own property through just means. Wilt Chamberlain unjust and just distributions In his Wilt Chamberlain argument, Nozick endeavoured to highlight his claim against the idea of distributive justice. In this case, Nozick tries to show that patterned ideologies of distributive justice are not attuned with freedom. His argument is thus an attempt at depicting justice in transfer. Chamberlain is a famous basketball player and some of his fans willingly pay money to watch him play basketball. Consequently, Chamberlain benefits from a huge amount of cash. Nozick contends that he sees nothing wrong with an individual disposing of his or her resources, on condition that this is done willingly. Nozick further intimates that he sees nothing wrong with distribution borne out of voluntary transactions. The Wilt Chamberlain argument is therefore an attempt by Nozick to demonstrate that voluntary exchange as evidenced by basketball fans willingly paying to see Chamberlain play is okay. Nozick does not see anything wrong with transactions of this nature. The outcome of this transfer is that Chamberlain ends up with more than he did previously. Again, Nozick sees nothing wrong with such an outcome. Nozick contends that when individuals willingly dispose of resources, this ends up upsetting patterns. Assuming, for instance, that a utility maximising pattern had been established in society prior to the basketball fans opting to watch Chamberlain play and this pattern is not maximised nay more after the transfers of the transactions have been made to Chamberlain, Nozick argue that it would be unreasonable to try and forcefully go back to such a pattern through state action. Nozick argues that Liberty upsets patterns , and goes on to indicate that it would be unfair to attempt to reinstate a pattern that has been destabilised by intentional transfer. The most important thing for Nozick is entitlement. For the reason that individuals obtain holdings due to other individuals having relinquished holdings either in exchange for certain services or goods (for example, watching Chamberlain play) or due to charitable donations, then the individual who receives such holdings has a claim to them since they have been transferred voluntarily. Similarly, Nozick contends that free transfer will agitate any end-state theory, such as ensuring that everyone has an equal share to the holdings. This is based on the understanding that provided that individuals are able to transfer property without restraint and based on their needs, such as end-state shall shortly be upset. Any attempt to restore such an end state through forceful means would amount to a contravention of i ndividual entitlement rights. Critics to Nozicks argument on Chamberlain contend that Chamberlain holds no absolute rights to this new holding and that a portion of this new income could be subjected to taxation under legitimate means in order that the amount taxed may help fund crucial societal projects. Regarding this, Cohen further contends that redistributive claims of third parties, and more so the very poor, may lawfully change following a change in the comprehensive distribution in society since what is in possession of third parties is reliant on what others possess, in addition to the comprehensive distribution in society. It is also likely hat the intuitive petition that Nozick links to his Wilt Chamberlain argument might actually fail to attract universal recognition. Many critics are of the opinion that there could be considerable instinctive entreat towards arguments that endeavour to demonstrate a basis for the provision of support for persons unable to fend for themselves, in preference to towards the instinctive petition to permit Chamberlain to hold onto all the money emanating from voluntary transactions. A review of Nozicks Wilt Chamberlain argument indicates that it may not be appealing without firth accepting his moral intuitions and entitlement theory. Three Principles of Justice Nozick recognises three principles of justice, which are essential to his entitlement theory. They are: just acquisition; just transfer; and just rectification. Nozick is of the view that the just acquisition principle gives an individual the freedoms to acquire any holdings that they wish to obtain, provided that such property has not been acquired by fraudulent means, through forceful means, or via theft. Nozick further maintains that the principle of just transfer allows an individual to exchange property in their possession provided that there is no further transfer of the same property by force, theft or fraud. These two principles underscore the transfer and acquisition of goods through legitimate means. Conversely, Nozick opines that the principle of just rectification seeks to correct violations of the principles of just acquisition and just transfer. Distributive justice, according to Nozick, involves ensuring that goods end up with those who found them or made them, or those who acquire them from others via an agreement that is, selling or buying of goods. All other means of owning goods are not legitimate, on the basis of a moral position. This hinges on the premise that all other means of owning goods entails forcing people to give goods to others, and this contravenes the general libertarian principle that Nozick contends is the most basic moral principle. However, where an individual has acquired goods by assassination, theft, or fraud, Nozick urges that it is important that the just rectification principle is pursued. This principle is especially useful in a case whereby a person has been involved in unjust transfers, or where there is original acquisition of a good. The principle endeavours to establish what might have transpired in the event that the unjust transfer/acquisition had not taken place. The principle further demands the implementation of measures like compensation or restitution with the goal of enabling the victim go back to the condition she or he would have been had the injustice not happened. Finally, the principle does not approve compensatory processes that could be infringe on individual rights of third-parties who are not connected with the property being transferred or acquired. Nozick is of the view that execution of the principle of rectification is crucial in setting up the legitimacy of all property by examining justice in the acquisition and transfer of such property, and the likely compensation that the victims ought to receive should it be established that they have been the victims of injustices. Most critics of liberalism complain that it permits too little government. Specifically, they argue on the need for a more-than-minimal state to aid in the realisation of distributive justice. Rawls maintains that the state should partake in redistributive taxation as a means of ensuring that income and wealth is distributed fairly in the society. This is a position that Nozick is opposed to, going by his entitlement theory of justice Rawls offers opposing views of legitimate state power to those offered by Nozick. Rawls maintains that the state ought to possess the powers it needs to see to it that the least well-off citizens become well-off. Such a viewpoint is rooted in his theory of justice. A key principle to this theory holds that the only time when unequal distribution of income and wealth becomes unacceptable is in case individuals at the bottom becomes well off that is likely to be the case under any other form of distribution. Nozick is opposed to such arguments, indicating that they rely on a false ideation of distributive justice. Rawls is opposed to utilitarianism as it could allow an unjust distribution of burdens and benefits. Unlike Nozick, Rawls is of the view that social justice encompasses the fundamental structure of society, as opposed to transactions between individuals. Rawls also intimates that justice demands that there be a minimisation of economic and social outcomes of arbitrarily distributed goods. Conclusion Nozicks is not just. Nozick views the voluntary transactions among individuals that act forms the foundation for justice, rather than the distribution itself. If at all Nozicks Wilt Chamberlain argument is to be regarded as being valid, we must first accept his entitlement theory. The allegations of third parties not partaking in any transactions could legitimately change following changes in distribution in society. Although the Wilt Chamberlain argument holds instinctive appeal, arguments that endeavour to support the very needy are likely to possess even stronger intuitive appeal. The principle of rectification as popularised by Nozick, along with the principle of compensation that is linked to it, are difficult to apply, and this could justify universal supply of opportunity and sustenance. Even the pettiest claims ought to be considered in the minimal state as they are vital for poor people. The principle of compensation could fall short of upholding rights as virtually anything may be done. Nozick fails to acknowledge the crucial role of political power in a minimal state, just like in any other state. While Nozick urges that charity could aid in the acquisition of social goods, such an argument is inadequate charities lacks the means or resources to undertake important schemes, such as in healthcare or education.

Illuminating The Path Of Progress :: essays research papers

Illuminating the Path of Progress Thomas Alva Edison is the most famous inventor in American History. Edison designed, built, and delivered the electrical age. He started a revolution that would refocus technology, change life patterns, and create millions of jobs. He became famous for his scientific inventions, even though he was not a scientist. His real talent was his ability to clearly judge a problem and be persistent in experimenting. He was the master of the trial and error method. Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He was the last of seven children born to Samuel and Nancy Edison. Edison's early life was spent in Ohio near the nation's busiest grain port. He spent time exploring the canal and played near his father's shingle business. When Alva was a child, he had scarlet fever. The fever damaged his hearing and delayed his entrance into school. Edison was curious about the world around him and always tried to teach himself through reading and experiments. Alva spent three years in home schooling. He was taught by his mother. He later returned to school but left at age twelve to get a job and help support his family. Edison got his first job selling newspapers and snacks to the passengers on the train between Port Huron and Detroit. Edison bought a used printing press in 1862 and published the Grand Trunk Herald for passengers. It was the first newspaper published on a train. When Edison was fifteen, he was taught Morse code and became a manager of a telegraph office. Edison got the idea for his first invention from working here. His first inventions were the transmitter and receiver for the automatic telegraph. At 21, Edison produced his first major invention, a stock ticker. In 1869, when Edison was twenty-two, he patented his first invention and advertised that he would devote his time to bringing out his inventions. The first patent received by Edison was for a vote recorder. Years later Edison's design was put in use by state legislatures for use by the public in general elections. By the age of twenty-three Edison owned two factories to manufacture telegraphic equipment and had money to pursue his research. On December 25, 1871, Edison married Mary Stilwell. They had three children. Two of his children were nicknamed Dot and Dash after the Morse code. In 1880 Edison made a discovery in science. He noticed that when a metal plate was inserted into a light bulb, the plate became a valve and the current could be controlled. This discovery is known as the "Edison Effect.

Marketing Strategy for Apple Ipod

Executive Summary The focus of this report is on the Apple iPod that has created increasing demands in various outlets. The iPod allows consumers to download their favourite music but also books, movies and now even allows one to surf the internet. In this reports you find an extensive analysis on how Apple has became such a huge company within its market and will show us how the popularity of the iPod has seemingly helped Apple to be become one of the most well known brands worldwide. In order to do this, the main areas of discussion I am going to focus upon are the company itself. I will look at the firms’ internal and external Marketing environment in order to provide an insight in what position the firm is in. Furthermore, I will look at the competition they are facing and what affect this have upon their marketing strategy. I will also provide recommendations will be provided on how Apple can strengthen their position in the market. Introduction Established in April 1976, Apple, develops, sells, and supports a series of personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones, computer software, and computer hardware and hardware accessories. Rather than releasing multiples of little products to try and win over consumers through market saturation, Apple releases higher end, high quality, and user friendly products. They believe in bringing in simplicity and innovation to the mass market and for that reason have been extremely successful. As of September 2007, the company operates about 200 retail stores in five countries and an online store where hardware and software products are sold. Its products include the Macintosh line of desktop and notebook computers, the Mac OS X operating system, the iPod music player and a portfolio of software and peripheral products for education, creative, consumer and business customers. [1] Apple introduced its first iPod portable digital music player. The product has proven unbelievably successful; over 100 million units have been sold in the six years since its introduction. In 2003, Apple's iTunes Store was introduced, offering online music downloads in integration with the iPod. The service quickly became the market leader in online music services, with over 3 billion downloads by August 2007. Steve Jobs announced that iTunes had reached 4 billion downloads during his keynote address at the 2008 Macworld Conference & Expo. [2] Apple is recognized as an unparallel in computer designing and compatibility. The sleek and state of the art design of the Apple’s products snatch away the consumers mind quite easily than the rest. The Apple iPod The iPod is the fastest selling music player in history. Apple has sold over 100 million iPods since the player’s introduction in October 2001, [2] although sales have said to have started slowing; the company currently enjoys a Microsoft-like domination of the MP3 player market. From the early iPods to the new iPod touch, it has gone through a significant change and has opened the user’s world from the palm of their hands. In January Apple reported the best quarter revenue and earnings in Apple's history so far. Apple posted record revenue of $9. 6 billion and record net quarterly profit of $1. 8 billion. 42% of Apple's revenue for the First fiscal quarter of 2008 came from iPod sales. [3] Another interesting statistic for this is that 40% of last quarter's iPod sales went to first-time buyers, and just shows that the music player market is far from saturated as some have stated. [4] This iconic product is considered by many to be a must have item. â€Å"The iPod is to music players what Kleenex is to tissue or Xerox is to copiers. †[5] The Marketing Environment Apple operate on a global level with 200 stores in 5 countries. Nowadays Apple is more commonly know for the iPod. The iPod has dominated digital music player sales in the United States and United Kingdom with many companies struggling to find a product to challenge the iPod. Due to the ever-changing market, businesses like Apple need to monitor the ever-changing business environment and make sure they are going in the right direction. A business can then only plan where it is going if it knows where it is starting from. Finding out where a business is at the moment involves looking at its micro and macro environment. Micro-Environment Porter’s Five Forces The microenvironment consists of those factors that affect the firm directly. This model helps to contrast the micro environment of a firm. (Refer to Appendix A) What we know is that competition in the market is very intense A wrong move could have a harmful affect with your competitors moving ahead of you due to the intensity of the competition in the market. In relation to that, customers are in a strong position as they have more bargaining power and due to the fact there are many substitutes. With the Microsoft Zune 8 it makes it really difficult for new consumers to make a decision between the two. Often customers will pay due to the iPod reputation and its important Apple keep this high. Macro-environment Pest analysis To further analyse the external marketing environment, the macro environment we conduct a PEST analysis. Such external factors usually are beyond the firm's control and sometimes present themselves as threats. PEST is the abbreviation for political, economic, social and technological. (Refer to Appendix B for full PEST analysis) The Competition In the PC market Apple face intense competition form the likes of Dell, Toshiba and HP. Whilst in operating system, Microsoft are the biggest rivals. In both these Apple do not have a great hold. However in the Mp3 market, which is more relevant, Apple have dominated the Market since the release of the iPod. With the competition current coming from SanDisk and Samsung. [12] Its safe to say that although Apple is diversified more than most of its competitors, their differentiation is a biggest strength because they spend so much on R, which is what seperates them from their competition. SWOT Analysis A summary of Apples SWOT analysis is that Apple are in a very strong position because it has a powerful brand name and is recognised globally, coupled with its huge fan base of consumers gives them many strengths within the market. The fact that they are so popular in the mp3 market gets them a lot of attention within the media. Only Microsoft due to being Apples biggest competitor will get a large amount of media coverage. The iPod itself in terms of ease of use and innovative technology means that it is very difficult to match. Only the Microsoft Zune 8 can compare to the design and usability. Although may have been released to late in order to make real challenge against the iPod. For Apple to overcome the potential threats, they must continue to be inventive and explore opportunities globally. R + D and product innovation are of the utmost importance. Apple must continue to improve and be innovative to remain market leaders, otherwise other companies may capitalise on any kind of drop in standards. Although one of the largest digital music sellers in the world, iTunes face a bit of competition from Amazon as well as Myspace, Apple have a target on their backs and only takes a company with good resources to challenge them. for full SWOT analysis refer to Appendix C) Marketing Objectives Due to Apples secretive attitude, finding real evidence of real goals is difficult. What we can deduce however is that although iPod sales are starting to slow they still want to maintain high turnover and profit. That’s the major objective of any of its competitors. Also from resea rch over various sources Apple are aiming hoping to: †¢ Improve brand awareness †¢ Improve sales with the iPod touch. †¢ Improve position in the mobile phone market, with the help of the SDK for the i-phone (Aiming to sell 10 million iphones this year Improving sales of the iPhone and the touch, as they are the ‘in’ products which everybody wants, would help them gain a enormous amount of revenue and help spread the brand. Marketing stratergy I think Apples main stratergy is there appeal to their customers. What you find in general with many of their products more btter looking than the competitions. One thing we can see is Apple building on the popularity of the iPod. It appeals to the Mass market. Now appeal less as a computer company and more of a electronics company and seem more user-friendly. Apple have a differentiation stratergy. Apple products are known to have a unique appeal, with its sleek designs a userbility. Due to this it gets a lot of attention from consumers and the media. Without much advertising or marketing on their part. They give something new and unique to talk about which everybody gets pulled in to. With the iPod there not only selling a mp3 player, there selling a social chic. Everybody has one and everybody wants one. Target Market Target market †¢ Apple Ipod focused particularly at those between the age of 12-25, consistent with their advertising. Bright colours and and a man dancing. It will appeal to both males and females †¢ People who have a passion or interest in music and/or literature †¢ Technology enthusiasts The iPod appeals to the mass market, everyone is a potential customer. Young or old. They have music, literature and podcasts all avaiable for the iPod owners. The simplicity and sleek design is what attracts people. Although the latest ones (the touch) are exp ensive, and may be aimed at higher and older earners. Marketing mix The marketing mix consists of four elements: Products, Price, Place and Promotion, better known as the 4p’s. The marketing mix can only be made when the target customer is known, which I have done above. |Product |Price | | | | |This product allows consumer’s to download not only their |When initially launched into the mp3 market, Apple utilised pricing | |favourite music but also books and photos. Nowadays with the|strategies in the form of psychological and skimming prices. Most of | |latest versions of the iPod you can watch videos and surf on|the websites have the iPod touch at ‘? 199. 00. ’ This makes consumers | |the internet with one small device. Apple have introduced |think it is much cheaper than ‘? 200. 00’ but in reality it is only a | |updated versions of the iPod starting from the first iPod in|pound less. The high price is on the basis of the companies | |2001 to the iPod touch (refer to appendix D). These are |popularity, and the unique design of the ‘touch’. It will also attract| |extension stratergies to increase the product life cycle of |an image of quality with their products. | |the iPod. | | | |[pic] | |The fact that the is product differentiated making it unique| | |will make product both functional and desirable to potential| | |consumers. | | | | |Promotion |Place | | | | |By promoting the iPod it will satisfy the needs of the |Apple has many distribution channels, from their online Apple Store, | |customers. Consumers will gain better understanding of the |to their retail stores and many resellers around the world. Indirect | |product and how it works. All in all advertising and |distribution where third parties are involved in the sales process are| |promotions will bring more awareness to their products and |also used. These resellers will sell to the smaller firms who cannot | |potentially more sales. |aford to buy directly from Apple. | |Apple's promotion strategy, was the surprise element that it| | |attached just before they released the iPod. There was a |The iPod is available to purchase at most major stores within the UK. | |heavy speculation and curiosity regarding the product and |From specialist electronic stores to supermarkets. Stores from Apple | |everyone was watching out for it. It allowed fans and |retailers to Tesco sell the iPod. They are also available all over the| |enthusiastic tech and entertainment media to spread the word|internet from places like Amazon to ebay. A countless amount of | |of the gadget even before its release. Just when iPod was |retailers will stock the iPod such is its popularity | |launched Apple advertised extensively for the iPod, this is | | |where the infamous commercial showing a man listening to the| | |songs on his iPod and dancing. A similar stratergy has been | | |used throught the release as with increasing the popularity | | |of iTunes. | Evaluation of the Apple Strategies The overall position of Apple is profitable as sales have increased over the last years. Sales of the iPod have been increasing since it had been released. Although sales for this quarter have been said to be slow. [pic] Source: wikipedia[2] This has been reflected in their strategies to expand through the introduction of newer more innovative designs and this is why they are market leaders in the mp3 market. Apple has a lot of few different range ranges of iPod products, like the shuffle, the nano, the video and touch. All of which have different prices. This is a good strategy as it appeals to a wide mass market. The fact that Apple append very little on Advertising on their products compared to many of its firms, is down to the general buzz and interest of their products. There teasing with products entices the media and technology enthusiast tin wanting more. However this may not always be the case, for apple to consider more advertising may be important. The differentiation approach sets Apple apart from its competitors however Microsoft is challenging Apple. They have the money and resources to match. It would be fairly foolish to think that Apple is too strong in the market. They need to continue to invest a lot of money in R+D. With products like the iPhone and the Touch it can be said they are going in the right direction, in achieving innovative, unique designs. I also think Apple have a huge opportunity in supporting the whole education system. It has the money and resources to do this. Possibly negotiating contracts with schools and universities, for pod casts even computers could put Apple in a challenging position in the computer market. Having agreements with universities, and schools can increase there popularity and awareness. Conclusion â€Å"Apple has nearly 250 stores worldwide and now derives 20 per cent of its revenue from them. And those numbers are growing. In the quarter to the end of September 2007, for example, Apple reported that its retail stores accounted for $1. 25bn of the company's $6. 2bn revenues – a 42 per cent increase over 2006. †[14] Since the release of the iPod, about half of Apple's revenues come from music and iPods. Interest in the iPod and iPhone has made other apples products popular, like the Mac whose sales have increased. Apple has demonstrated how to create real, breathtaking growth by dreaming up products so original and imaginative that they have taken industries by storm. To maintain control in the mp3 player market, they need to maintain their quality and strategic marketing plans if they want to keep ahead. Apple leads the industry in innovation and many other things like design features. Sony, Microsoft, Creative are all right behind Apple. The battle of the MP3 players will surely be an excellent example of competition that breeds better products, with Apple taking the first step with the iPod Touch and iPhone. The iPod was ground-breaking technology that was absorbed by mainstream culture, and now has become the epitome of portable audio. Companies such as Apple will need to be self-motivated if they are to stay ahead of the game. Differentiation and innovation is the key in maintaining their dominance. Apple has a high competitive advantage because of its excellent product image. They use simplicity and lustrous designs to appeal to customers. The electronic market gets connected more and more with the entertainment market. With already the market leader in the digital sales market, it would not be surprising to see Apple move in to TV. Appendices Appendix A [pic] Source: Corporate Stratergy finntrack. com[8] (Rivalry Calling the level competiton in the mp3 industry as intense is an understatement. The this case we have the like of Sony, Samsung and Creative, with many more in the whole market. Apple commands 70 percent of the MP3 player market. 10] However with concerns of the MP3 market being saturated, its puts more pressure on businesses to succeed. With the innovative designs like the iPod touch and the iPhone it shows why apple are leading the market. (Threat of Substitutes Countless substitute products are available for the iPod whether they are actually better or even appeal more is a different matter, but the threat is still very high. The more diffe rentiation th less like a switch to a substitute will occur. To date no company have come close to meet the popularity of the Apple products. Reason being the innovative designs and ease of use have convinced most customers to stick with Apple. Higher prices need to be justified by the differentiation of the product. Substitutes such as the Sony NW-(A806), Microsoft Zune 8 and many others, can still attract many customers but with imaginative designs like the iPod Touch leaves many companies playing catch up. (Threats of new entrants Although it is possible, its unlikely. Start up costs would be very high so little chance new entrants would enter a very competitive market unless they have a very differentiated and innovative product. Existing firms have established themselves in the market and have created strong brand awareness. (Bargaining Power of Customers The bargaining power of customers is high due to the fact it is easy to switch to a substitute where quality or price, even both is better elsewhere. With so many substitutes of similar quality, its down to the business to make their products more appealing. Apple have done this with their strong vision to build innovative, unique products and have made their products easy to use. (Bargaining Power of suppliers Suppliers don’t have much power over larger corporations like Apple. With the booming chinese economy, Apple can change suppliers without any major consequences, if they are in disagreement over price and quality. However Apple have built a strong relationship with their suppliers, with strict procedures and this in turn helps Apple achieve it targets. â€Å"Our business environment is competitive and fast-paced. Our suppliers must understand this dynamic and be agile and flexible in responding to changing business conditions. †[11] Appendix B Political: | |Governments with stricter laws on copyright | |An anti-american agenda may be brought against them. Some people may choose not to use american products | |Economical: | |Inflation currently has increased in UK and the US and may affect current sales of ipods which have already slowed. |Global economy in a down turn | |The exchange rate will also affect Apple as they are importing or exporting goods within the int ernational market. | |Social: | |Again Anti-american agenda may cause potential customers to but from another company. | |A generally aging british population, so many may be put off by the technology | |As much as it is a iPod culture, it can go away as quickly as it came. People may find something else which is better and| |more value for money. | |Technological: | |Many substitutes available from iRiver, Samsung and sony | |Competition moving away from copy protection on songs. Such as amazon. | |Peer-to-peer file sharing applications like Limewire and Kazaa are still extremely popular. Although this is a problem | |with the music industry on a whole. This still however affects iTunes. | Appendix C Strengths: †¢ The products itself appeals to both males and females †¢ All the iPods starting from the very first have a great reputation amongst it customers for its userability. †¢ Great technology underpinnings that allow the creation of powerful products. Allows them to attract a huge customer base due to their innovation and technology †¢ Very user focused and always committed to a superb user experience, in all their products †¢ Limited edition ranges, increases product life cycle. Limited editions ranging from U2 to BMW Weaknesses: †¢ High prices may push potential customers to competitors with substitutes at a better price. †¢ Technology is changing at a faster rate than ever. For Apple to remain profitable, they must invest huge amount of money in their R&D to remain competitive. †¢ Questions over reliability of the iPod [2] Oppurtunities: †¢ iPod was is revolutionary technology that has become part of mainstream culture, Apple can capitalize on that †¢ To develop themselves in to other markets due to the reputation they earned from the iPod. New designs may be available to boost sales and extend the product life cycle e. g. the iPod touch. †¢ iPods have also gained popularity for use in education. Apple offers more information on educational uses for iPods on their website. [13] Threats: †¢ Very high level of competition, a lot of substitutes, possibly offering cheaper prices i. e. iRiver †¢ Cheap fakes being made of the iPod and the iPod shuffle †¢ Concerns of market being extremely saturated. †¢ Competition, with the like of Amazon in digital sales [7] Appendix D [pic] Sources: Wikipedia [2] and Mactracker Apple Inc. Model database References: 1. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Apple_Computer 2. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ipod 3. Apple Reports First Quarter Results(January 2008), [Accessed date: 14th March 2008]-http://www. apple. com/pr/library/2008/01/22results. html 4. Tim Conneally, (February 2008) Nearly 3% of America became iPod converts over the holiday, [Accessed date: 14th March 2008]- http://www. betanews. com/article/Nearly_3_of_America_became_iPod_converts_over_the_holiday/1204309531 5. Betsy Morris, (March 2008 ) What makes Apple golden, [Accessed date: 9th March 2008] – http://money. cnn. com/2008/02/29/news/companies/amac_apple. fortune/ 6. Q/A with apple employees and analysts(January 2008): Reading the runes for Apple [Accessed date: 5th March 2008]-http://www. guardian. co. uk/technology/2008/jan/10/apple. steve. jobs#swot 7. Jefferson Graham, (March 2008), Amazon takes on Apple with copy-protection-free music [Accessed date: 20th March 2008]- http://www. usatoday. com/money/media/2008-03-25-sony-music service_N. tm 8. Corporate strategy [Accessed date: 25th March 2008] -www. finntrack. com/corporate_strat. htm- 9. http://www. tutor2u. net/business/strategy/porter_five_forces. htm [Accessed date: 25th March 2008]- 10. Leander Kahney, (March 2008)How Apple Got Everything Right By Doing Everything Wrong [Accessed date: 27th March 2008]-http://www. wired. com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-04/bz_apple 11. Apple and Procurement [Accessed date: 29th March 2008]- htt p://www. apple. com/procurement/ 12. Jeremy Horwitz(August 2006) iPod maintains 75. % share of U. S. MP3 player market [Accessed date: 31st March 2008] http://www. ilounge. com/index. php/news/comments/ipod-maintains-756-share-of-us-digital-music-player-market 13. iTunes U and mobile learning[Accessed date: 2nd April 2008] http://www. apple. com/education/itunesu_mobilelearning/ipod. html 14. John Naughton(March 2008) Core values that turned Apple into the best store in town [Accessed date: 4th April 2008] http://www. guardian. co. uk/media/2008/mar/30/marketingandpr. apple Bibliography

Free Essays on Holocaust

The Holocaust is likely one of the most misunderstood historical events of modern times. There are those that underestimate the extent of world knowledge about the German atrocities. There are also those whom are ignorant of the way in which the Jews reacted to their situation. The incredible extent of incorrect information about the Holocaust which people have been taught is a severe problem that must be corrected immediately. The only solution is the education of the masses. It is imperative that modern society fully appreciate the terrors of the Holocaust in order to prevent it?s reoccurrence. First and foremost, we must address the fallacies concerning the world?s knowledge of what was happening. It is often assumed and taught that the Holocaust portion of World War II was such a well kept secret that no one knew of it until after the fact, however, this is untrue. There were various ways that the world was notified of these horrors. Various nations and various Jewish communities gained knowledge of the barbarity and did nothing. The powers that be were notified many times of what was going on. On September 29 and 30, 1941 there was a mass killing at Babi Yar, a Russian city near Kiev. Reporters in Kiev were sending the story to their publishers within three days, it was never printed. A Swiss-German industrialist, after having been invited to watch a mass killing, sent photographs to Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, they were ignored. In February 1942, the Vatican and the Red Cross received confirmed reports of the Holocaust. After discussing whether to intervene, they concluded that they had to remain silent, so as not to compromise their neutrality. In July of 1942, news reports of the killings were aired in London, however, nothing came of it because the reports were in French. Head of the CIA, Allen Dulles received an account of the camps from two inmates in 1944. Despite being quote-unquote ?profoundly shocked?... Free Essays on Holocaust Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is likely one of the most misunderstood historical events of modern times. There are those that underestimate the extent of world knowledge about the German atrocities. There are also those whom are ignorant of the way in which the Jews reacted to their situation. The incredible extent of incorrect information about the Holocaust which people have been taught is a severe problem that must be corrected immediately. The only solution is the education of the masses. It is imperative that modern society fully appreciate the terrors of the Holocaust in order to prevent it?s reoccurrence. First and foremost, we must address the fallacies concerning the world?s knowledge of what was happening. It is often assumed and taught that the Holocaust portion of World War II was such a well kept secret that no one knew of it until after the fact, however, this is untrue. There were various ways that the world was notified of these horrors. Various nations and various Jewish communities gained knowledge of the barbarity and did nothing. The powers that be were notified many times of what was going on. On September 29 and 30, 1941 there was a mass killing at Babi Yar, a Russian city near Kiev. Reporters in Kiev were sending the story to their publishers within three days, it was never printed. A Swiss-German industrialist, after having been invited to watch a mass killing, sent photographs to Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, they were ignored. In February 1942, the Vatican and the Red Cross received confirmed reports of the Holocaust. After discussing whether to intervene, they concluded that they had to remain silent, so as not to compromise their neutrality. In July of 1942, news reports of the killings were aired in London, however, nothing came of it because the reports were in French. Head of the CIA, Allen Dulles received an account of the camps from two inmates in 1944. Despite being quote-unquote ?profoundly shocked?... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a term that is synonymous with genocide. In the Webster Merriam dictionary this term has two meanings; the first is a sacrifice consumed by fire. The second meaning is a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life especially through fire. In regards to the historical event known as the Holocaust, the second definition is the most fitting. This definition is appropriate because that is exactly what the Holocaust was: a complete destruction of a sect of people, mainly Jews, through the use of fire (primarily ovens in which their bodies were burned in). When speaking of destruction, it is important to understand that not only were bodies and lives destroyed, but the spirit of the Jewish people was shattered. There are many different questions concerning the Holocaust that have risen overtime. Whether or not the Holocaust ever existed has been debated for decades. To this day people have doubted the actual existence of the Holocaust, as well as the issue of how long the Holocaust was actually around for or when it even started. Not only when, but where it all happen, is also a pertinent part of understanding the full effect of this horrifying period in time. Also another widely held viewpoint and argument was if the Jews resisted or if the Jews succumbed to the Nazi party and Hitler. Within this paper I will confirm that in fact the holocaust actually did happen by discussing the beginning of the holocaust, concentrating on specific camps, and then talking about how it affects the Jewish people today. The holocaust began when a man by the name of Adolf Hitler came into power, and was on a mission to annihilate as much of the Jewish population that he could. Hitler was able to come to power through several different reasons. Long term bitterness, an ineffective constitution, money, propaganda, attacks on other parties, and personal qualities all contributed. Not to mention the fact that Hitler wa... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a term that is synonymous with genocide. In the Webster Merriam dictionary this term has two meanings; the first is a sacrifice consumed by fire. The second meaning is a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life especially through fire. In regards to the historical event known as the Holocaust, the second definition is the most fitting. This definition is appropriate because that is exactly what the Holocaust was: a complete destruction of a sect of people, mainly Jews, through the use of fire (primarily ovens in which their bodies were burned in). When speaking of destruction, it is important to understand that not only were bodies and lives destroyed, but the spirit of the Jewish people was shattered. There are many different questions concerning the Holocaust that have risen overtime. Whether or not the Holocaust ever existed has been debated for decades. To this day people have doubted the actual existence of the Holocaust, as well as the issue of how long the Holocaust was actually around for or when it even started. Not only when, but where it all happen, is also a pertinent part of understanding the full effect of this horrifying period in time. Also another widely held viewpoint and argument was if the Jews resisted or if the Jews succumbed to the Nazi party and Hitler. Within this paper I will confirm that in fact the holocaust actually did happen by discussing the beginning of the holocaust, concentrating on specific camps, and then talking about how it affects the Jewish people today. The holocaust began when a man by the name of Adolf Hitler came into power, and was on a mission to annihilate as much of the Jewish population that he could. Hitler was able to come to power through several different reasons. Long term bitterness, an ineffective constitution, money, propaganda, attacks on other parties, and personal qualities all contributed. Not to mention the fact that Hitler wa... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust during World War II was arguably one of the worst human induced disasters that have happened to the human race. The Holocaust orchestrated by the Nazi Empire destroyed millions of lives and created questions about humanity that may never be answered. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. The Jewish people have been scarred for generations and may never be able to once again associate with the rest of the free world. Further, these scars have now become the looking glass through which the survivors and their children view the world. Through narrow eyes, the survivors relate everything to the experiences they endured during the Holocaust. Likewise, these new views on the world shapes how the survivors live, interact, and raise a family both socially and spiritually. Some survivors are scarred so deeply they cannot escape the past feelings and images of terror; psychologists call this â €Å"Survivor Syndrome†. A survivor of the war is one who has encountered, been exposed to, or witnessed death, and has himself of herself remained alive. The symptoms affected not only survivors, but their families as well. These symptoms were also caused by some of the horrifying experiences that happened especially to the Jewish women. The symptoms included an inability to work, and even at times to talk. The Jewish people fear that it may happen again. Also a fear of uniformed police officers because of their position of power became very common. There were also many feelings of guilt for having survived when others had not. "Why am I alive?" â€Å"Why not my sister and brother...my whole family?" The Jewish holocaust survivors posed those and other questions. The survivors had thoughts of death, nightmares, panic attacks, and various other symptoms. Disinterest in life, people, and sometimes even in reality played a huge role in marital problems and suicid... Free Essays on Holocaust The world's biggest desolation that caused the murders of millions of Jewish people took place during WWII. The Holocaust orchestrated by the Nazi Empire destroyed millions of lives and created questions about humanity that may never be answered. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. The Jewish people have been scarred for generations and may never be able to once again associate with the rest of the free world. Further, these scars have now become the looking glass through which the survivors and their children view the world. Through narrow eyes, the survivors relate everything to the experiences they endured during the Holocaust. Likewise, these new views on the world shapes how the survivors live, interact, and raise a family both socially and spiritually. Some survivors are scarred so deeply they can not escape the past feelings and images of terror; they call this Survivor Syndrome. A Survivor is one who has encountered, been exposed to, or witnessed death, and has himself of herself remained alive. The symptoms affected not only survivors, but their families as well. The symptoms included an inability to work, and even at times to talk. The Jewish people fear that it may happen again. Also a fear of uniformed police officers because of their position of power became very common. There were also many feelings of guilt for having survived when others had not. "Why am I alive?" Why not my sister and brother...my whole family?" The survivors had thoughts of death, nightmares, panic attacks, and various other symptoms. Disinterest in life, people, and sometimes even in reality played a huge role in marital problems and suicide. There are five main categories of Survivor syndrome. The first is the Death imprint, which is the idea of not only death itself, but of all forms of torture and gruesome images of death. For many survivors they can re... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a history of overwhelming horror and enduring sorrow. I can’t even imagine having to go through something as tragic as the Holocaust. However, at times I have wondered what it would be like if I were a Jewish girl, living during the Holocaust, and sent to a camp. What would I have done? I have thought that maybe I would just kill myself. What’s the point on trying to live? How would I be able to handle seeing people disappear day by day and watching everyone fall apart? It would be impossible and to live each day in fear that I may be next, I would just die from being so scared. However, I also think I would want to try and live through each day, just to show the Nazi’s that they couldn’t ruin me. I would want to show them I was strong, even if I were weak. I wouldn’t want to let them get the best of me. Yet, honestly I don’t know how I would react. I would have to be faced with the situation to know. â€Å"If w e ask today, sometimes with a faint if se! lf-righteous air of disapproval, why Jews in the camps or ghetto’s behaved the way they did, the answer, more often than not, lies locked in the heart bursting with fear or dread. It is an answer beyond judgment – but not beyond compassion†(Langer 36-37). After reading works of literature by survivors, I was in shock by the way some Jews acted towards one another and even more, betrayed there fellow Jews. They behaved in such a way in which, I would hope if I were in their situation, I would not do what they did. The novel, Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi and the short story â€Å"The Block of Death† by Sarah Nomberg-Przytyk, are two works of literature that portray how the Jews behaved. In the novel, Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi tells us, in vivid detail, his life while he was in the camp. Levi was a young Italian chemist, only twenty-four, when he was captured by the Fascist militia in 1943. From that day, he no longer had a... Free Essays on Holocaust Analysis of the Holocaust Of all the examples of injustice against humanity in history, the Jewish Holocaust has to be one of the most prominent. In the period of 1933 to 1945, the Nazis waged a vicious war against Jews and other "lesser races". This war came to a head with the "Final Solution" in 1938. One of the end results of the Final Solution was the horrible concentration and death camps of Germany, Poland, and other parts of Nazi-controlled Europe. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, people around the world were shocked by final tallies of human losses, and the people responsible were punished for their inhuman acts. The Holocaust was a dark time in the history of the 20th century. One can trace the beginnings of the Holocaust as far back as 1933, when the Nazi party of Germany, lead by Adolf Hitler, came to power. Hitler's anti-Jew campaign began soon afterward, with the "Nuremberg Laws", which defined the meaning of being Jewish based on ancestry. These laws also forced segregation between Jews and the rest of the public. It was only a dim indication of what the future held for European Jews. Anti-Jewish aggression continued for years after the passing of the Nuremberg Laws. One of these was the "Aryanization" of Jewish property and business. Jews were progressively forced out of the economy of Germany, their assets turned over to the government and the German public. Other forms of degradation were pogroms, or organized demonstrations against Jews. The first, and most infamous, of these pogroms was Krystallnacht, or "The night of broken glass". This pogrom was prompted by the assassination of Ernst von Rath, a German diplomat, by Herschel Grymozpan in Paris on November 7th, 1938. Two days later, an act of retaliation was organized by Joseph Gobbels to attack Jews in Germany. On the nights of November 9th and 10th, over 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroye... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust during World War II was arguably one of the worst human induced disasters that have happened to the human race. The Holocaust orchestrated by the Nazi Empire destroyed millions of lives and created questions about humanity that may never be answered. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. The Jewish people have been scarred for generations and may never be able to once again associate with the rest of the free world. Further, these scars have now become the looking glass through which the survivors and their children view the world. Through narrow eyes, the survivors relate everything to the experiences they endured during the Holocaust. Likewise, these new views on the world shapes how the survivors live, interact, and raise a family both socially and spiritually. Some survivors are scarred so deeply they cannot escape the past feelings and images of terror; psychologists call this â €Å"Survivor Syndrome†. A survivor of the war is one who has encountered, been exposed to, or witnessed death, and has himself of herself remained alive. The symptoms affected not only survivors, but their families as well. These symptoms were also caused by some of the horrifying experiences that happened especially to the Jewish women. The symptoms included an inability to work, and even at times to talk. The Jewish people fear that it may happen again. Also a fear of uniformed police officers because of their position of power became very common. There were also many feelings of guilt for having survived when others had not. "Why am I alive?" â€Å"Why not my sister and brother...my whole family?" The Jewish holocaust survivors posed those and other questions. The survivors had thoughts of death, nightmares, panic attacks, and various other symptoms. Disinterest in life, people, and sometimes even in reality played a huge role in marital problems and suicid... Free Essays on Holocaust Holocaust By:Robert Perez Holocaust, originally, a religious rite in which an offering was entirely consumed by fire. In current usage, holocaust refers to any widespread human disaster, but as the term Holocaust it means the almost complete destruction of European Jews by Nazi Germany When the Nazi regime came to power in Germany in 1933, it immediately began to take systematic measures against Jews. The Nazi Party, government agencies, banks, and business enterprises made concerted efforts to eliminate Jews from economic life, and from German life in general. In 1938, following the assassination of a German diplomat in Paris by a young Jew, all synagogues in Germany were set on fire, windows of Jewish shops were smashed, and thousands of Jews were arrested. This "Night of Broken When World War II began in 1939, the German army occupied the western half of Poland, bringing almost 2 million more Jews under Germany's control. Polish Jews were forced to move into ghettos surrounded by walls and barbed wi! re. Unemployment, malnutrition, and poverty were widespread; housing was overcrowded; and typhus was common. In June 1941 German armies invaded the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and soldiers in special units were dispatched to kill all Soviet Jews on the spot. A month after operations began in the USSR, Hermann Gà ¶ring, the second in command of Nazi Germany, sent a directive to Reinhard Heydrich, chief of the Reich Security Main Office, charging him with the task of organizing a "final solution to the Jewish question" in all of German-dominated Europe. Jews in Germany were then forced to wear badges or armbands marked with a yellow star. Soon the Nazis deported tens of thousands to ghettos in Poland and to occupied Soviet cities. Death camps, or concentration camps, equipped with gas chambers were erected in occupied Poland. People were deported from the ghettos; although their destinations were not disclosed, repo... Free Essays on Holocaust THE HOLOCAUST The Holocaust was the destruction of European Jewry by the Nazis through an officially sanctioned, government-ordered, systematic plan of mass annihilation. As many as six million Jews died, almost two-thirds of the Jews of Europe. Although the Holocaust took place during World War II, the war was not the cause of the Holocaust. The war played a role in covering up the genocide of the Jewish people. In 19th century Europe, Jews were classified as an inferior race with specific physical and personality characteristics. Some thinkers believed these traits would disappear if Jews received political and social understanding and could blend into the broader society. Others felt that these traits were genetically passed on and could not be changed. An increasing emphasis on nationalism also highlighted the Jews as a "foreign element," which could contaminate the native stock and culture and potentially dominate the native population economically and politically. This long-standing history provided a reason for the Nazi ideology and program of genocide. Adolph Hitler, who was a charismatic Austrian, rose to power in Germany during the 1920s and early 1930s at a time of social, political, and economic rise. Failing to take power by force in 1923, he eventually won power by democratic means. Once in power, he eliminated all opposition and launched an ambitious program of world domination and elimination of the Jews, the same ideas as he write in his book. The Nazis, under cover of the war, developed the technology, and psychology of hate to murder millions of Jews. The details of the Final Solution were worked out at the Wannsee Conference. All Jews in Germany and the occupied countries were deported to sealed ghettos as a holding area. Many were then shipped in cattle cars to labor camps where they lived under brutally inhuman conditions. Hundreds of thousands were sent directly to the gas chambers in death camps. As th... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a term that is synonymous with genocide, the complete destruction of a sect of people, predominantly Jews in this case, simply for the purpose of ethnic cleansing. This was a dark period in the history of the world that tested the strength, spirit, and solidarity of a people. The Holocaust was marked by extreme physical violence, but it may have been the psychological torture endured by both survivors and victims of this horrific event that best signifies the impact it had on the Jewish community and the world. A devastating event that shattered a nation. There are many different questions concerning the Holocaust that have arisen overtime. Debates have raged for decades arguing the intricacies of this single event. People have doubted, and continue to doubt, that there ever was a Holocaust. Scholars can not agree on when the Holocaust began, how long it lasted, or geographically where it occurred. Other questions that regularly appear include to what extent, if any, the Jews put up a resistance when faced with the impending force of Hitler and the Nazi regime. This paper will document facts that affirm the existence of the Holocaust, beginning with the birth and origins surrounding it. A look at concentration camps and their effects will follow, and concluding with a discussion on how the Holocaust has affected the Jewish community today. The Holocaust began when Adolf Hitler came into power and implemented a plan to annihilate the Jewish population in an effort to, in his eyes, purify the German race and solidify the country. Hitler’s rise to power, and growing hatred for the Jewish community, was fueled by apathetic Germans in Berlin during World War I. On October 7, 1916 Hitler received a leg wound and was dismissed from the military temporarily in order to recover. While recuperating in Berlin, he witnesses first hand the lack of support the Germans had for their country fighting in World War I... Free Essays on Holocaust When I was first given this assignment, I would have to say that I have never been more uninterested in doing homework in my life. I’ve never been interested in history of any kind, which would explain my failures to participate in class and so when I first stepped into the Museum of Tolerance I didn’t expect it to make me want to learn and I certainly did not expect one museum visit to change my whole perspective on what human life used to be. But it has in a way I never could have imagined. At the Museum of Tolerance, the first thing I saw was a mini-video that had clips of an interview with William Pierce who wrote â€Å"The Turner Diaries,† which was found in Timothy McVeigh’s possession when he was arrested. The video also had clips of groups of African-American men making stereotypical remarks toward the white-Americans. They spoke of how for every black man who didn’t have a gun, there was a white man with at least one gun. This is obviously a stereotype because not every white man owned a gun. The leader of the group, whose name I did not catch, had even said that he â€Å"wished they would show movies with white men being killed to the point where the blood flowed into the popcorn.† This particular clip had a huge effect on me. I’ve heard of African-Americans being oppressed by the white-Americans since they created slave codes of the pre-civil war era that were later replaced by segregation laws and practices to discriminate a gainst the blacks. But I never realized that the African-Americans of today still feel now, the way the African-Americans of that time felt towards the white-Americans. Then I went into an area that was called â€Å"The Point of View Diner.† It was a video clip of this scenario: There’s a radio disc jockey named Bostic who has a radio show where he constantly uses hate speech. He wasn’t just speaking discriminately towards minorities, but also towards women. Bostic would say stuff like how... Free Essays on Holocaust Yehuda Bauer defines Jewish resistance in Nazi-occupied Europe as â€Å"any group action consciously taken in opposition to known or surmised laws, actions, or intentions directed against the Jews by the Germans and their supporters.† However, many argue that passive resistance, even when done by a single individual, is inherently considered resistance as well. Through careful examination of various sources, written by Bauer and Yahil, considering the difficult conditions Jewish armed and unarmed resistance was considerably more widespread than has been subsequently assumed. In the Holocaust there were three types of Jewish resistance: the resistance and uprising in the ghettos, revolts in death camps, and Jewish participation in the partisan movement. In many ghettos, the Judenrat leaders taught that survival lay in submission, and the general population accepted that ideology. But nevertheless, their was a Jewish effort, including the effort of the underground, which directed their endeavors in aiming to guarantee the physical survival of the Jewish masses. In addition, they also initiated widespread activity on other spheres such as not showing up for labor.. One form of unarmed resistance was the smuggling of food inside the ghetto. One can take Poland as an example, official German food allocations distributed by the Warsaw Judenrat came to 336 calories daily in 1941. It is unlikely that Warsaw Jews could have survived longer than a few months on such rations. But smuggling produced an average of 1125 calories daily. This determination to survive i n defiance of Nazi authority, is definitely to be considered an act of resistance. A second means of unarmed resistance is evident through education. Although the Nazi’s forbade education it took place clandestinely, where small groups of pupils would meet either in the soup kitchen or in the home of the teacher. There is evidence of educating youths in a large number of places in P...