Sunday, April 12, 2020

The Bad Mood Keeps Rising an Example of the Topic Psychology Essays by

The Bad Mood Keeps Rising In the chapter The New Anticorporate Activism Naomi Klein discusses the emergence of new phenomenon a network of human-rights activists that has exposed many organizations to damage. Moreover, Klein traces the key differences and similarities between anticorporate campaigning and apartheid actions. The central point of the chapter is that one has to fight corporations and organizations whose sole purpose is to benefit from repressive government policies and to increase profits disregarding social and corporate responsibilities. Thus, the role of anticorporate activists is to reveal violations committed by multicultural corporations and organizations. Klein argues the role of anticorporate activists is crucial to contemporary business world as multicultural corporations dont consider, in many cases, their responsibilities and obligations to the public. (pp.325-326) Need essay sample on "The Bad Mood Keeps Rising" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The negative moment is that anticorporate activism takes many forms ranging from socially and environmentally responsible to radically terrorist. Moreover, the tasks of the groups are different as well. For example, the Yellow Pages is an international hacker group whose goal is to hack computer networks of huge corporations. (p.326) Klein stresses that it is economic globalization that has caused emergence of anticorporate activists and many corporations are forced to fight as well. Anticorporate activism goes far beyond labor and trade unions. Their members are both young and old representatives whose education ranges from elementary school to colleges and university. They come with large investments claiming that multicultural corporations and organizations are behaving illegally and, thus, sinfully. As anticorporate activists claim, multicultural corporations should stake their lives on their violations and being not committed to environment they are operating in. Anticorporate a ctivists are social marketers and political intelligentsia who are worrying about environment more than about increasing profits and sales. (p.327) Further, Klein discusses the Year of Sweatshop tracing the emergence of the anticorporate activists to 1995-1996. Andrew Ross has called that year the year of Sweatshop because every time Americans switched on their TVs they heard shameful news about labor exploiting, human rights violating and environment polluting. It means that world brands didnt consider human and environmental factor in pursuing increased sales and profits. Nike, Shell, McDonalds, Disney and many other corporations were in that row. However, the Year of Sweatshop appeared to result in the Year of Brand Attack. (p.332) The Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire appeared to be the turning point in anti-sweatshop movement in the country. Thousand of workers were striking waiting for government response and declaring their rights: working week is to be 54 hours; working day is to be ended not later than 9 p.m.; fire and health care regulations are to be introduced, etc. (p.333) Klein says that many of the anticorproate campaigns are of political origin whose attacks are targeted at global economic issues rather than at national ones. Global corporations are argued to re-organize the world they way they want it to look like. (p.340) Many citizens tried to fight conservative economic trends by voting for liberal and democratic governments, but soon they realized that economic policy remained unchanged. Even greater transparency in government has failed to be effective in restraining multicultural power. Today international stage is experiencing disillusionment with current political processes because attempts to regulate multicultural corporations through the United Nations have failed to be effective. (p.3410) Summing up, anticorporate activism is movement aimed at making multicultural corporations more socially and environmentally responsible. They develop political strategies to re-organize multinational brands and their efforts are more successful that th at of the governments. Moral Panic, the Media and British Rave Culture In the article Moral Panic, the Media and British Rave Culture Sarah Thornton discusses authentic culture as a means to struggle with mass-mediated corporate world. In particular, Thornton points the following themes: underground as subculture; the betrayals of broadcasting; importance of censors; marketing moral outrage; subterranean media; and development of subculture as result of mass-mediated corporate world. The author argues that authentic music is outside the media as it doesnt match its norms and standards. However, for many people authentic culture is self-expression and ability to present original thinking. Researchers often claim that underground or authentic music stresses the anti-media discourse and, thus, young people loose the ability to identify what to consider right and what to consider wrong. Nevertheless, the author argues that, despite recent claims and arguments, no opposition between the media and subculture is revealed. (pp.176-177) Underground is defined as the expression of subculture and underground style is authentic, it doesnt tend to be labeled as fashionable or mass-produced. Underground music promotes the original world that is off the elitism and mass-consumerism. Underground style is against the mass media, but it doesnt oppose it. Mainly, undergrounds are mixed as they disregard class, race and ethnicity. In particular, the discourse of undergrounds is anti-mass culture; undergrounds criticize media of being commercial, shallow and derivative. The long-standing form of underground subculture is happiness. For example, British youth acknowledges sub cultural hierarchy and they acknowledge their position within it. The underground culture is a relative system exposed to timing, position and context. (p.179) The British homes mainly prefer four channels and Top of the Pops is viewed as a gateway to mass culture and key point of selling out. Within underground context, selling is viewed the same as betraying. The undergrounds cant understand why to sell original songs beyond initial market. In such a way, artist looses sense of possession, familiar belonging and exclusive ownership. Art shouldnt be sold out. Many academics argue that the youth and the British media are in opposition, but in reality contemporary youth is not against television. They are simply against selling culture to someone else and they accuse national television of distributing illegally raw materials of youth subculture. (pp.180-181) Thornton assumes that moral panic operates within the purviews of tabloids, and even underground subculture has its own tabloid front pages. Media is often outrageous with the youth scene that authenticates their culture and disapproves credible sources. Subcultural press predicted that moral panic about hippies, punks, and acid house is inevitable. Cultural studies of moral panic tend to defined youth subculture as innocent victims of negative stigmatization. However, they are not what they are thought to be. (p.183) The undergrounds claim that mass media misunderstands their initial goal of cultural pursuits. Thus, moral panic is generated by the culture industries targeting the market. Nevertheless, Thompson writes that moral panic is a metaphor that aims at depicting complex society experiencing groundless fear about the future of the media ad culture. Moral panic inflates the threat posted by culture differences. (p.184) Rave and acid house styles are considered unique phenomena of the 20th century, but recent case studies reveal general points about the media and youth subculture. Media is involved in organization of underground subculture. Thornton concludes underground culture is not organic and autonomous. Mass media plays crucial role in formation of underground subculture; moreover, mass media actively participates in development of underground lifestyle. Development of subculture shows that contemporary youth is unambiguously active and creative instead of remaining passive and manipulated. Due to authentic culture the youth is allowed to represent their unique view on the world, it is an excellent way of self-expression and self-recognition. (pp.186-188) Images, Ideology, and Women of Color In the article Images, Ideology, and Women of Color Leith Mullings discusses the role and position of African-American women in contemporary American society. The author examines representations of African-American women and their emergence in the context of class and gender conflicts. The central conflict of the article is the duality of freedom and constrains that trace gender for Africa-American population. Despite democracy and equal rights movement, there is still a constraint on gender for women of color. Thus, their freedom is inadvertently measured. (p.237) There are many reasons that have led to negative perception of African-American women. The first reason is slavery and the second is representation of women as inappropriate women. Even in literature they were portrayed as mammies, castrators and sexually provocative. Therefore, women of color appeared to be at the centre of the strongly held ideologies concerning race and gender. (p.238) The most enduring representation of African-American women is attributed to slavery times. Their images drawn from literature and historical accounts didnt truly represent the reality. For example, in the Antebellum South women of color were represented as subordinate in their gender hierarchy as males were dominant in that region. Interestingly, an ideal woman was highly romanticized. The model woman was identified with her home being ideal wife and mother. She was assumed to be calm, passive, delicate, submissive, dependent and frail and pure. Historians have drawn two images that characterized African-American woman in America and Europe: Jezebel is a sexually aggressive and provocative woman governed by its libido, whereas Mammy is a religious and mother slave who devotes all her time to slave owners children. (p.239) The author stresses that defeminization of women of color was related to race ideologies that promoted the brutal conditions of slavery in American society. Thus, African-American women were treated as non-human and definitely inferior species, and slavery for them was the most appropriate condition. Surprisingly, medical science stresses African-American women had smaller lungs and brain, whereas their genitals were larger. In such a way, enslaved were proved to belong to different species that white population. (p.239) The stereotypes of Jezebel and Mammy were applied to women of different ages and phenotypes. The idea that African-American women represented another species justified their excessive sexuality. Therefore, sexually aggressive African-American women faced sexual exploitation and rape, whereas Euro-American men stressed women were the initiators because of their libido. In such a way, the author shows that artificially created stereotype may be an excellent excuse for violence and discrimination. (pp.240-243) Mullings writes that there are many similarities in the way dominant groups tend to represent their personhood. For example, the aspect of exploitation centers on the definition of being other. For all people of color, men are presented as dangerous and irresponsible being a threat to European women, whereas women are presented as not deserving social sexual protection in contrast to women of their race and class. Further, men are portrayed as sexually aggressive, whereas women are portrayed as sexually available. African-American women are always depicted as sexually excessive, erotic and exotic. Sexual domination, thus, reinforced labor exploitation and represents European domination. (p.246-247) Summing up, ideologies aimed at stigmatizing African-American women as inferior appeared to be central to maintaining race and gender discrimination. Oppression of African-American women was always justified by representing them as natural instead of social and historical and by masking so cial relations. Gender subordination was supported and women were stigmatized in case they challenged patriarchal model. African-American women were blamed for overall poverty rates and economic decline. Mullings concludes that experience of African-American women has created the basis for deconstructing those ideologies. (p.248-249) Popular Culture and Major League Sport In the article The Real Integrated circus, Political Economy, Popular culture and Major League Sport Gruneau and Whitson discuss major changes, challenges and tensions in major league sport. Moreover, the authors discuss the shifts in cultural studies. Today industries that are centered on the provision of entertainment are wide-ranging and they embrace advertising, sports, radio, television and video products. The emphasis of the cultural studies has shifted from politics and economy to unexplored fields of popular culture. The interest on class politics has been replaced with the interest on sexual orientation, gender construction, ethnicity and race discrimination. As a result, recent works concentrates on examining the meaning, subjectivity and politics of signification instead of analyzing changes in social cultural forms. (pp.360-361) However, the central argument of the article is that development of professional leagues has altered relations and attitudes of sports players to their home communities. The public started to relate their performances to the community pride. As far as teams consisted of local players, they were obliged to say something about their community and qualities of people. It means that field competitiveness resulted in community competitiveness. (p.364) The changes and tension in professional sports are often attributed to expansion into new markets, players salary, and labor struggles. Changes are inevitable as they are presented as extension of older commercial dynamics. (p.365) Tensions are argued to be a result of changes in political-economic environment since the middle of 1970s the years when the industries started to promote and produce cultural popular cultural goods. Moreover, industries became interested in promoting consumption styles that became a real integrated circus in European and American countries. The authors admit that it is still rather difficult t identify what to consider new and what to consider old in promotional discourses and industrial restructuring. (p.372) They underline the necessity to examine how ideology is sustained by forms and practices of symbolic production. The problem of professional sports is seen in efforts of media commentators and sports promoters to construct the idea of us around professional sports instead of distinguished sports from community as benefits that teams bring should not be treated as the benefits of the whole community. One more problem is that with the increase of players salaries the ticket pri ces have raised and games of major leagues is out of reach for middle-class and working class fans. (pp.373-374) The author argue that public money has played their crucial role in promoting major league sports as private investors have got an opportunity to pay franchise fees and to present major leagues to small markets or markets they are willing major leagues to play in. In the late 1960 major leagues have often played in publicly financed facilities (p.378). Of course, franchising offers significant benefits, although the long-term objectives of major league sports was to ensure contracts with national television and special attention was paid to contracts with major US networks. Television increased public interest in major league sports as it allowed the audience to see the most interesting moment missed in arena and stadium. Moreover, television technologies made public know major league players and, in some cases, athletes were turning into local or national celebrities. (p.369) The purpose of television was to attract new audiences beyond male fans and to make major league games more watched and talked about. The key challenge for major league teams was to increase its continental profile; otherwise, the team risked to loose its regional fan base in favor of more active rivals. The authors conclude that further research is needed to examine whether major league franchises are beneficial economic and social investments. Several researchers have already begun to study the issue, but more attention should be paid to costs and benefits of major league sports. (pp.380-381) References Gruneau, R., Major League Sports. In Understanding Canada: Building on the New Canadian Political Economy, ed. by Clement, W. USA: McGill-Queen's University Press. Klein, Naomi. (2000). Bad Mood Rising: The New Anticorporate Activism. In No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. Toronto: Vintage Canada. Mullings, Leith. (2004). Images, Ideology, and Women of Colour. In Feminist Communication Theory ed. by Rakow, L., & Wackwitz, L. London: Sage. Thornton, Sarah. (1994). Moral Panic, the Media and British Rave Culture. In Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Youth Culture, ed. by Rose, T., & Ross, A. New York, Routledge.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

CLEVELAND Surname Meaning and Origin

CLEVELAND Surname Meaning and Origin The Cleveland surname most commonly originated as  a name for someone who came from the district of Cleveland in Yorkshire, England, a corruption of cliff lane, which described  the steep, hilly terrain of the region, from the Old English clif, meaning bank, slope and land, meaning land. According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, the Cleveland surname may also have originated in some families as an  Americanized spelling of the Norwegian surnames Kleiveland or Kleveland, habitational names from several farmsteads in Agder and Vestlandet, from the Old Norse kleif, meaning rocky ascent and  land,  meaning land. Surname Origin: English Alternate Surname Spellings: CLEAVELAND, CLEVLAND, CLIEVLAND, CLIVELAND Where in the World Is the CLEVELAND Surname Found? While it originated in England, the Cleveland surname is now most prevalent in the United States, according to surname distribution data from Forebears. Within the British Isles, at the turn of the 20th century, Cleveland was most common in Suffolk, England, followed by Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, Hampshire, Sussex, and Surrey. WorldNames PublicProfiler  also has the Cleveland surname as most commonly found in the United States, with the greatest numbers of people with this last name found in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alaska. Famous People With the Last Name CLEVELAND Grover Cleveland - the 22nd and 24th president of the United StatesMoses Cleaveland - the progenitor of the famous Cleaveland whaling family of Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket in MassachusettsBenjamin Cleveland - American Revolutionary War patriot, best known  for his role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain.Dick Cleveland - American swimmer, winner of three Pan American Games and a former world record-holder.  Carol Cleveland -  British actress and comedian, best known  for her appearances on Monty Pythons Flying Circus. Genealogy Resources for the Surname CLEVELAND The Genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland FamiliesThis three-volume set  published by Edmund Janes Cleveland in 1899 attempts to track in both the male and female lines, the posterity of Moses Cleveland of Ipswich, Suffolk County, England and Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. See also Vol. II and Vol. III. Free on Internet Archive. The Cleveland DNA ProjectThe Cleveland DNA Project is open to all  families with this surname, of all spelling variations, and from all locations. The group is working to  correlate test results and paternal pedigrees so that each family can identify their genetic heritage and  related Cleveland families. Common English Surnames: Meanings and OriginsLearn about the four types of English surnames, plus explore the meaning and origin of the 100 most common English last names. Cleveland Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Cleveland family crest or coat of arms for the Cleveland surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. FamilySearch - CLEVELAND GenealogyExplore over 500,000 historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Cleveland surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. CLEVELAND Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Cleveland  surname. DistantCousin.com - CLEVELAND  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Cleveland. CLEVELAND Genealogy ForumSearch the archives for posts about Cleveland ancestors, or post your own Cleveland query. The Cleveland Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the popular last name Cleveland from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Minicase-8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minicase-8 - Essay Example However, under the ED, only those conversion options that â€Å"establish an ownership relationship will be classified as equity† (ED-FI, p. 4). This means that, once converted, the shares are not redeemable and that the holder bears the risk of the changes in the market value of the issuer’s shares of stock. If the option does not meet this criterion, the entire convertible bond will be classified as liability. Prior to the issuance of SFAS 145, the standard used to account for early extinguishment of debt was FASB Statement No. 4, Reporting Gains and Losses from Extinguishment of Debt. Under Statement No. 4, the gains or losses realized from the early settlement of debt should be shown as part of the company’s extraordinary items in its income statement. This classification is required regardless of the reason behind the early settlement. Under SFAS 145, gains or losses from early extinguishment of debt can now be classified as part of the income or loss from continuing operations in the income statement; provided that early extinguishments of debts are part of the recurring transactions for the issuer. However, if such early extinguishments of debts are unusual or are infrequent transactions, the gains or losses realized from such early extinguishments should still be classified as extraordinary items in the income statement. The change was made because FASB recognized that early payments of debt have become part of the risk management strategy of certain companies. Such transactions are now also viewed as recurring financing activities that an entity can utilize to manage its interest rate risk. FASB also thinks that this change is consistent with the definition of unusual or extraordinary transactions under APB Opinion No. 30 and will reduce the frequency of using the caption â€Å"extraordinary items† in t he income statement. The requirement of SFAS 145 related to the classification of gains or losses from early extinguishment of debt affects

Friday, February 7, 2020

Fundamental Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory Essay

Fundamental Assumptions of Psychoanalytic Theory - Essay Example Basic Instincts According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory (Lauretis, 2008), the two basic instincts that drive all behavior are sex and aggression. He believed that people are mostly ignorant towards these motivating forces in themselves (Lauretis, 2008). For example, a boy who was mistreated by a bully, adapted his manners by following his behavior. By copying the aggressor, the boy alters himself from the individual who is threatened to the individual who is threatening others. For Freud, the basis of all human action is â€Å"psychic energy† (Humberto, 1969). Freud believed that this energy is a restricted resource because â€Å"directing this energy into one activity prevented it from being used in another† (Loker, 2006). Therefore, a person who uses lots of energy venting anger on his or her spouse will have slight or no energy to spare for the wants of his or her kids. The two basic instincts that stimulate or boost psychic energy, Freud called ‘libi do’ and the ‘death instinct’ or the ‘drive to aggression’. In his initial work, Freud believed that the two basic instincts or drives were self-continuation (or continued existence) and species-continuation. The need to save the species was mentioned in the sex drive. Although, later on he combined these two views - continuation of self and of species - into ‘libido’ as the single source including both types of drive. Unconscious Motivation Unconscious motivation plays a major role in Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory. In accordance with this theory, most human behavior is the outcome of needs, wishes, and recollections that have been suppressed into an unconscious condition, however, it still control actions. Freud thought that the human psyche is made of a small, conscious part that is accessible for direct observation and a much bigger subconscious part that has an even more vital part in shaping behavior (Horney, 2000). The mind is similar to an iceberg and only a small portion is exposed to conscious understanding, whereas the bigger, deeper bases for human actions lie under the surface. Example of unconscious motivation is when someone is incapable to stay in a continuing relationship and always gets a basis to end his associations. He may claim that there is a normal reason for ending a relation, although his behavior may actually be the result of an â€Å"unconscious need for affection and belongingness, and an overpowering fear of rejection. In his heart, he wishes and wants to be in a caring bond; however, he finds reasons to end the relationship to avoid being rejected† (MacIntyre, 2004). The view of unconscious motivation was included into Freud’s psychoanalytic theory only after testing it technically as well as medically. He insistently stated that unconscious procedures, which direct human behavior, could be identified by special methods developed by psychoanalysts (Molino, 2004). P sychic Determinism Everything that takes place in someone’s mind and everything someone does has a particular, exclusive reason namely psychic determinism. Psychoanalysis has no space for wonders, upsets or independence. All apparent inconsistencies of psyche as well as behavior can be determined; nothing is unintentional, for example, it is not accidental when a person fails to remember someone’

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Advantages Of Unit Banking Essay Example for Free

Advantages Of Unit Banking Essay 1.Local Development:Unit banking is localized banking. The unit bank has the specialised knowledge of the local problems and serves the requirements of the local people in a better manner than branch banking. The funds of the locality are utilised for the local development and are not transferred to other areas 2.Promotes Regional Balance:Under unit banking system, there is no transfer of resources from rural and backward areas to the big industrial commercial centres. This tends to reduce regional in balance. 3.Easy Management:The management and supervision of a unit bank is much easier and more effective than that under branch banking system. There are less chances of fraud and irregularities in the financial management of the unit banks. 4.Initiative in Banking Business:Unit banks have full knowledge of and greater involvement in the local problems. They are in a position to take initiative to tackle these problems through financial help. 5.No Monopolistic Tendencies:Unit banks are generally of small size. Thus, there is no possibility of generating monopolistic tendencies under unit banking system. 6.No Inefficient Branches:Under unit banking system, weak and inefficient branches are automatically eliminated. No protection is provided to such banks. 7.No diseconomies of Large Scale Operations:Unit banking is free from the diseconomies and problems of large-scale operations which are generally experienced by the branch banks. 8.Easy Management and Control:Under unit banking system, it becomes very easy for a single office to manage and control efficiently. 9.Close Management and Workers Relationship:Under unit banking system, there prevails a close and cordial relationship between employer and employees. 10.Quick Decision:The owners or the management of unit banks can take quick decision and prompt action in times of emergencies. 11.Use of Local Resources:Local financial resources are used for local development. 12.Lesser Fraud and Irregularities:Due to the less scattered affairs of the bank, there are very little possibilities of fraud and irregularities. Disadvantages Of Unit Banking: 1.No. Distribution of Risks:Under unit banking, the bank operations are highly localised. Therefore, there is little possibility of distribution and diversification of risks in various areas and industries. 2.Inability to Face Crisis:Limited resources of the unit banks also restrict their ability  to face financial crisis. These banks are not in a position to stand a sudden rush of withdrawals. 3.No Banking Development in Backward Areas:Unit banks, because of their limits resources, cannot afford to open uneconomic banking business is smaller towns and rural area. As such, these area remain unbanked. 4.Lack of Specialization:Unit banks, because of their small size, are not able to introduce, and get advantages of, division of labor and specialization. Such banks cannot afford to employ highly trained and specialized staff. 5.Costly Remittance of Funds:A unit bank has no branches at other place. As a result, it has to depend upon the correspondent banks for transfer of funds which is very expensive. 6.Disparity in Interest Rates:Since easy and cheap movement of does not exist under the unit banking system, interest rates vary considerably at different places. 7.Local Pressures:Since unit banks are highly localised in their business, local pressures and interferences generally disrupt their normal functioning. 8.Undesirable Competition:Unit banks are independently run by different managements. This results in undesirable competition among different unit banks. 9.Limited Size of Operation:Unit bank business can not be operated on large scale because of its limited area. Being the small organisation, division of labour can not be applied. 10.No Economy of Reserves:Under unit banking, bank can not transfer its funds to any other branch. So economy in cash reserve can not be secured under this system. 11.Limited Financial Resources:A unit bank has limited financial resources so it is not able to provide full and adequate banking facilities to the industry and trade of the area. 12.Investment of Idle Funds:A unit bank having no other branches, can not utilize its idle funds in profitable ways.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Free Essays on Homers Odyssey:Discussion of the Final Volume, Book XXIV :: Odyssey essays

The Odyssey: A Discussion of the Final Volume, Book XXIV Homer’s epic, The Odyssey is the classic story of the homecoming of the warrior and king Odysseus. It is one of the most enduring pieces of literature known to man. The lessons and tales from the epic are unforgettable. However, there are several difficulties that the contemporary reader has with The Odyssey. These include issues such as difficult language, tangential stories, and the verse style it was written in. However, the focus of this paper is the final volume of the epic. This volume, Book XXIV, is usually noted as rather anticlimactic. Many believe that it is simply an epilogue (having the epic really ends in Book XXII when Odysseus killed the suitors.) Some scholars believe that the final book is not even Homeric. This essay shall discuss why Book XXIV is a good conclusion and how it relates to the rest of the story, which would provide a case for it being Homeric. In Book XXIV, entitled "Warriors, Farewell," Homer does not seem to want to have a grand ending, but rather neatly wrap up all of the loose ends. There are three major parts to this book, they include: the voyage of the suitors’ shades to Hades and dialogue between Agamemnon and Amphimedon; the story of Odysseus and Telemakhos visiting Odysseus’ father, Laertes; and the start of tje feud between the families of the suitors and the house of Odysseus and Laertes (which could have torn the country of Ithaca apart) which was stopped by the Zeus and Athena. Homer starts Book XXIV in Hades as Agamemnon and Akhilleus greet the shades of the suitors that Odysseus killed in Book XXII. One of the shades tells Agamemnon of how Penelope was faithful and how Odysseus returned to take his revenge. Agamemnon, who upon his homecoming after the Trojan war was killed by his adulterous wife, was surprised by this tale. This is perfectly consistent with the earlier depiction of Agamemnon in Hades (Book XI) in which he tells Odysseus to beware of Penelope for she may have been unfaithful. This meeting between Agamemnon and the shades of the suitors makes sense since the story of Agamemnon was one often referred to during the epic. This sort of finishes off the Agamemnon story. The introduction of the suitors’ shades also serves to yet again reinforce the theme of hospitality.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Metrics for GGI

The marketing approach for the implementation of the GGI procedure can be measured using several metrics. In this aspect, it would be more available for the business owners to realize how to go about the recommended processes in increasing the commercial exposure of the products. As what has been recommended previously, the significant marketing plan for the GGI commodities is advertising dealing with media facilities such as direct marketing, TV ads, radio plugs, print distribution and electronic promotions. In order to measure how each of these promotional plans are performing with respect to total profitability outputs, certain marketing metrics can be applied. In the case of GGI, items are sold through different channels of dealers, sub-dealers and retailers. However, to get hold of the natural response of the consumers to the promotional scheme, it would be advisable for the company to target measuring the metrics based on the lowest scale of transactions-the end users or the retailers. In this way, the overall flow of the products and the profit value being acquired can provide the most exact metric data for the business. The implementation of metrics needs to be separated in each of the marketing plan approaches. Advertising does not really measure how many products were sold, but can actually measure how the products’ commercial appeal will project metrics (Curtis, 2002). Electronic Approach-The best possible measuring technique for this advertising process is to measure the amount of positive responses based on e-mail replies from the consumers. Since mail database promotions were used, the actual response rate of the end users can be tallied or structured in a database which can count the frequency of the response in a limited time frame. The basic recommendation which the team can apply to this metric is that if in a succession of time frame the hits on websites and the e-mail responses increase with respect to the previous measuring interval, then additional investments can be made to make the channels more visually or commercially appealing. In terms of the website promotion, the metrics which can be used to measure the efficiency of the channel is to integrate a visit counter within the web pages. In this aspect, the company will be able to monitor how many hits per day are initiated by the online consumers on the website. Of course, it does not readily equate to sales, but the very aspect of monitoring the visits can create a very good projection of sales values. TV and Radio Advertising-In terms of the conventional mediums of advertising, the survey method can be used as the primary metrics for the efficiency of these media units. Of course, it may be difficult for the company to increase their processes within the broadcast network’s ability to expose the GGI products. But what can be done is to regularly set up survey procedures at least once a month. The metrics to be used should focus on how the respondents were greatly influenced to buy the products based on their exposure to TV and Radio advertisements. By the time the results are obtained, the team may be able to recommend purchasing additional time slots for these media ads. But before it can be done, survey results must first provide whether there is a direct relationship between consumer purchase and TV and radio ad exposures. This can be statistically measured using correlation and regression computations. Flyers, Posters, Retailer Promotion-The last suggestion for advertising is under the scope of non-electronic mediums. This is the most basic form of measuring metrics since the retailers and dealers themselves will get to construct their respective databases on how much sales they were able to produce. Moreover, each store will definitely have tallied numbers of purchases of specific items distributed by GGI. Therefore, the company will be able to immediately measure the success of the ad campaign in a given time interval. To make use of these metrics, the most effective process is to identify the market share earned by each partner retailers. Also, each of these units may capture the true flow of consumer preference by seasonally implementing Customer Relationship Management. Fabricated scorecards are always available in the market to help the retailers produce a reliable set of sales data (Miller, 2007). In an overall scale, the best metrics to use for GGI is to take note of its ROI or Return of Investment Values. This can only be computed if the company was able to dispose all of the products in a batch for a particular time frame Also, it is only possible for the business to measure such metric if all the initial investments were already acquired back. The remaining accounts receivable balance will then project the initial profit margin of the company. This will provide greater prediction strengths whether the marketing campaign was successful or needs improvement. Therefore, GGI might first consider improving its promotional campaign on the lowest level of advertising in the retailer units since these partners are the primary remitter of investment and profit value shares. At the present stage of GGI which is supposedly very young, the best metric to maintain is the ROI analysis. Since the investment values are still very fresh and somewhat conservative, it would be ideal to limit the creation of secondary analysis such as surveys and database management because these require additional investment expenses. Even though ROI exceeds surveys costs most of the time (Yun Lee, 2007), additional expenses will not be ideal for a starting business. With ROI, the only required tools are the company files and financial utilities based on the flow of products and acquisition of sales money. Apparently, knowing the most effective marketing metrics can save the company time and effort in allocating budget allowances (Cohen, 2007). References Cohen, J. 2007. Make More Money with Marketing Metrics. About.Com. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from http://marketing.about.com/od/marketingplanandstrategy/a/mrktgmetric.htm. Curtis, E. 2002. Commercial Exposure. Dental Editors. Retrieved December 26, 2007 Miller, S. 2007. How Important is Productivity Measurement in Retail Stores?. Ezine Articles. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Important-is-Productivity-Measurement-in-Retail-Stores?&id=812937. Yun Lee, M. 2007. Conducting Surveys and Focus Groups. Entrepreneur.com. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from