Personal Narrative Divorce Essay - 1052 Words

Personal Narrative: Divorce Mum had briefly informed me that we were going to a place that would make sure that the right parent looked after us. This was drilled into me for weeks in advance along with the miscellaneous I love you more than Dad does and you enjoy living with me more than Dad, dont you? What Mum didnt realise is that children can see straight through people like her so her ongoing effort to unbalance my opinion just floated straight past me like a cloud. My brother, on the other hand, had a tendency to make it seem as if he trusted every word Mum said. Whether he really did or whether it was all a very†¦show more content†¦Trying to find something else to worry about I wandered into Mums room. I found her standing in front of the mirror getting ready to go. She saw me in the mirror but just continued beautifying herself. She was dressed smartly and was applying her make-up as if t his was just a chance to show off. I watched her for a while and there was something provocative and spiteful about her, as if she had changed to a different person I didnt know. I lay on her bed and just stared at the ceiling trying to make sense of my first encounter with the confusion of the real, adult world. A few minutes later Mum had ushered me off of her bed and out of her room and told me to put my shoes and coat on. Instinctively, I went to help my brother put his shoes on because I knew thats what Mum actually meant. He was three years younger than me but I didnt appreciate that he wouldnt understand the importance of this visit long awaited by Mum. I kept talking to him and sharing my feelings but the only response I got was where are we going, rach? Since I didnt know the answer to this question I stopped talking and proceeded to tie his shoe laces. In the car, on the way to this unknown place I sat in the back seat in a daze. I saw my brother trying to glance out of the window but still seeming quite content so I thought I would follow his lead. Just tall enough to lookShow MoreRelatedPersonal Narrative: Significant Life Event of Divorce740 Words   |  3 PagesAssignment 2: Significant life event of divorce My parents divorce was one of my most significant life events. As a result of my parents divorce, I lived in a divided home. I spent part of my time with my father (usually weekends and a few holidays) and part of my time with my mother (weekdays and other major holidays). Unlike other children my age, who tended to conceive of their parents as infallible well into adolescence, I understood at a young age that my parents were not perfect. 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Ty explains Wollstonecrafts contrasting voices as her attempts to use several forms and many voices, as she negotiates between what Julia Kristeva calls the semiotic and the symbolic world of the Father (32). Ty goes on to explain that Wollstonecrafts contradictory narrative tones are the result of a simple gender difference: womenRead MoreAnalysis Of Don t Blame The Eater988 Words   |  4 Pagesone’s body in â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater,†. Zinczenko is able to effectively argue against the manipulation of the food industr y by showing the reader that the consumer is the victim while the food industry is the one to blame. His use of questioning, personal appeals, imagery, direct tone and colorful diction results in a compelling case that supports his accusations of manipulation by the fast food industry. 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Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22 Free Essays

â€Å"You faked it†¦ faked being affected by me,† I realized, shock making my words come out thick and faltering. Still chuckling, he took a step toward me, and I cringed, frantically trying to find a way to run, to get out of my own apartment. What had moments ago seemed safe and inviting now became close and stifling. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22 or any similar topic only for you Order Now My apartment was too small, the door too far away. I couldn’t breathe. The amusement on Roman’s face shifted to astonishment. â€Å"What’s the matter? What are you afraid of?† â€Å"What do you think I’m afraid of?† He blinked. â€Å"Me?† â€Å"Yes, you. You kill immortals.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he admitted, â€Å"but I’d never hurt you. Never. You know that, don’t you?† I didn’t answer. â€Å"Don’t you?† I backed up farther, not that I had anywhere to go. I was faced in such a way as to only keep moving toward my bedroom, not toward the front door. That wasn’t likely to do any good. Roman still seemed floored at my reaction. â€Å"Come on, I can’t believe this. I would never do anything to you. I’m half in love with you. Hell, do you know what a wrench you’ve already thrown into this operation?† â€Å"Me? What have I done?† â€Å"What have you done? You’ve wrapped my heart around your little finger, that’s what you’ve done. That day†¦ when you solicited me at the bookstore? I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d been watching you all week, you know, trying to learn your habits. Christ, I’ll never forget the first day I saw you. How feisty you where. How beautiful. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for you right then and there. And later†¦ when you wouldn’t go out with me after the signing? I couldn’t believe it. You were originally going to be my first target, you know. But I couldn’t do it. Not after I’d talked to you. Not after I’d realized what you are.† I swallowed, curious in spite of myself. â€Å"What – what am I?† He took a step toward me, a rueful half-smile on his handsome face. â€Å"A succubus who doesn’t want to be a succubus. A succubus who wants to be human.† â€Å"No, that’s not true†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Of course it is. You’re like me. You don’t play by the rules. You’re tired of the system. You don’t let them push you into the role they’ve dictated for you. God, I couldn’t believe it, watching you. The more you seemed interested in me, the more you tried to back off. You think that’s normal for a succubus? It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen – not to mention the most frustrating. That’s why I finally decided to call you out today. I couldn’t decide if you’d really cut me off for my own good or were just interested in someone else now – like Mortensen.† â€Å"Wait – that’s why you arranged that stupid little game today? For your own fucking ego gratification?† Roman shrugged haplessly, still looking self-satisfied. â€Å"It sounds so shallow when you put it like that. I mean, okay, it was pretty stupid. And maybe a little childish. But I had to know where your affection stood. You can’t imagine how touching it was to see you so worried about me – not to mention the fact that you checked on me first. That was the real kicker: I got priority over the others.† I almost protested that I’d actually worried about Seth first, having only called Roman beforehand because I thought Seth was already accounted for. Fortunately, I had enough sense to keep my mouth shut on that issue. Better to let Roman think he’d proven his point. â€Å"You have issues,† I said instead, perhaps unwisely. â€Å"Making me jump through hoops like that. Me and the other immortals.† â€Å"Perhaps. And I am sorry for any discomfort I caused you, but as for the others?† He shook his head. â€Å"It’s good for them. They need it, Georgina. I mean, doesn’t it piss you off? What they’ve done to you? You’re obviously not happy with your lot, but do you think the folks in charge are going to let you change things? No. No more than they’re going to give me or my kind a break. The system is flawed. They’re locked in their fucking ‘this is good’ and ‘this is evil’ mentality. No gray area. No mutability. That’s why I go around and do what I do. They need the wake-up call. They need to know they aren’t the be all and end all of sin and salvation. Some of us are still fighting.† â€Å"Go around†¦ How often do you do this? This killing thing?† â€Å"Oh, not that often. Every twenty to fifty years or so. Sometimes a century. Doing it sort of cleanses me for a while, and then, over the years, I’ll start getting pissed off at the whole system again and stake out a new place, a new set of immortals.† â€Å"Is it always the same pattern?† I remembered Jerome’s symbols. â€Å"The warning phase†¦ then the main attack phase?† Roman brightened. â€Å"Well, well, haven’t you done your homework. Yes, it usually works that way. Take out a few lesser immortals first. They’re easy targets, even if I always feel a little guilty about it. Really, they’re as much victims of the system as you and I are. Still, messing with them freaks out the higher immortals, and then the stage is set to move on to the main attraction.† â€Å"Jerome,† I stated grimly. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Jerome†¦ the local archdemon.† I hesitated. â€Å"Your father.† â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t sound like he’s a big deal.† â€Å"In the grand scheme of things, he’s not.† â€Å"Yeah†¦ but he’s your father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So? Our relationship – or lack thereof – doesn’t really change anything.† Jerome had said almost the exact same thing about Roman. Baffled, I sat down on the arm of a nearby chair since it appeared my imminent destruction wasn’t quite so imminent after all. â€Å"But isn’t he†¦ isn’t he the ‘real target’ – the higher immortal you’re here to kill?† Roman shook his head, face turning serious. â€Å"No. That’s not how the pattern works. After I move on from the lesser immortals, I focus in on the local bigwig. The real powerhouse in the area. That tends to unsettle people more. Better psychological effect, you know? If I can take out the big man on campus, then they worry no one is safe.† â€Å"So, that would be Jerome.† â€Å"No, it’s not,† he countered patiently. † Archdemonor no, my illustrious father is not the ultimate power source around here. Don’t get me wrong; I’m getting a nice bit of satisfaction from pissing in his territory, so to speak, but there’s someone else who dwarfs him. You probably don’t know him. It’s not like you’d have reason to hang out with him or anything.† Stronger than Jerome? That only left – â€Å"Carter. You’re going after Carter.† â€Å"Is that his name? The local angel?† â€Å"He’s stronger than Jerome?† â€Å"Considerably.† Roman gave me a curious look. â€Å"Do you know him?† â€Å"I†¦ know of him,† I lied. â€Å"Like you said, I don’t hang out with him or anything.† In reality, my mind raced. Carter was the target? Mild, sardonic Carter? I could hardly believe he was more powerful than Jerome, but then, I knew almost nothing about him. I didn’t even know what he did, what his job or mission in Seattle was. Yet, one thing that was obvious to me – and only me, apparently – was that if the angel really did outclass Jerome, then Roman couldn’t do anything to him, not if the rule about nephilim power not exceeding parental power held true. Roman shouldn’t technically be able to harm either angel or demon. I chose not to mention this to him, however – or the fact that I knew Carter better than Roman believed. The more delusional he was, the more of a chance we had to do something about him. â€Å"Good. I didn’t really figure a succubus would be too friendly with an angel, but with you, it’s hard to tell. You may have a sharp tongue, but you still manage to gather a lot of admirers.† Relaxing slightly, Roman leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest. â€Å"God knows I’ve already gone out of my way to avoid your friends.† Anger helped me overcome my fear. â€Å"Oh really? What about Hugh?† â€Å"Which one’s he?† â€Å"The imp.† â€Å"Ah, yes. Well, I had to keep setting an example, didn’t I? So, yeah, I messed with him a little. He’d been impertinent to you. But I didn’t kill him.† He looked at me in what I supposed was meant to be an encouraging type of way. â€Å"That was for your benefit.† I stayed silent. I recalled how Hugh had looked in the hospital. Impertinent? â€Å"And what about the others?† he pushed. â€Å"That annoying angel? The vampire that threatened you? I wanted to break his neck on the spot. I got rid of them for you. I didn’t have to do that.† I felt ill. I wanted no deaths on my hands. â€Å"Most considerate of you.† â€Å"Come on, give me a break here. I had to do something, and really, once I’d met your vampire friend at the dance lesson, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything to him at all. You put me in a really tight spot. I was running out of victims.† â€Å"Sorry for the inconvenience,† I snapped, ire rising at his pathetic show of compassion. â€Å"Is that why you took it easy on me that night?† He frowned. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You know what I mean!† Thinking back to my attack, it all made perfect sense. It had occurred after I’d been to Krystal Starz, the day after I’d run out on Roman at the concert. A perfect excuse for him to be angry and seek retaliation. â€Å"Remember? The day after Doug’s concert? After I’d been with Seth?† Understanding washed over Roman’s features. â€Å"Oh. That.† â€Å"That’s all you have to say?† â€Å"It was a bit juvenile, I admit, but you can hardly blame me. It wasn’t easy watching you cozy up to Mortensen after freaking out on me like that. I’d watched you go home with him the night before. I had to do something.† I sprang up from my seat, old apprehension returning. â€Å"You had to do something? Like beat the crap out of me in an alley?† Roman raised an eyebrow. â€Å"What are you talking about? I told you I would never hurt you.† â€Å"Then what are you talking about?† â€Å"I’m talking about that ice cream place. I’d followed you two around earlier in the day, and when I saw how cute you were getting over dessert, I got jealous and blew the door open. Juvenile, as I said.† â€Å"I remember that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off stupidly, recalling how the door had blown open at the parlor, letting the outside wind wreak havoc in the small store. Wind like that was certainly uncharacteristic here, yet I had never suspected supernatural influence. He was right; it had been juvenile. â€Å"So what’s the alley thing you’re talking about?† he prompted. I snapped out of my memory. â€Å"Later†¦ that night. I’d been running errands, and you†¦ or someone†¦ attacked me on the way home.† Roman’s face turned cold, his eyes sharpening to aqua steel. â€Å"Tell me. Tell me everything. Exactly what happened.† I did, explaining my lead to the Harrington book, subsequent trip to Krystal Starz, and walk home in the dark. I edited the part about my rescuer, however. I didn’t want Roman to know I had more than a casual acquaintance with Carter, lest the nephilim think I might be a deterrent to his plans. The more he thought I had no interest in the angel, the more likely I would be able to get out some kind of warning. Closing his eyes, Roman leaned his head against the wall when I finished, sighing. Suddenly, he looked less like a dangerous killer and more like a tired version of the man I’d come to know and nearly love. â€Å"I knew it. I knew noninterference was too much to ask.† â€Å"What†¦ what do you mean?† A strange feeling crawled down my spine. â€Å"Nothing. Forget it. Look, I’m sorry about that. I should have taken precautions beforehand to protect you. I knew too†¦ the next day? When I came by and you cut things off between us? I could tell you had been hurt, even through your shape-shifting. I could tell it was supernaturally inflicted too, but I never suspected†¦ I thought it was some other immortal – one of your own circle – you’d tangled with. You had sort of a residual effect on you†¦ the faint traces of someone else’s power†¦ like a demon’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But that’s not – oh. You mean Jerome.† â€Å"Daddy dearest again? Don’t tell me†¦ don’t tell me he did something to you too.† Roman’s brief lapse into mildness faded, replaced by something more sinister. â€Å"No, no,† I said hastily, recalling Jerome’s psychic slap, pinning me to the couch. â€Å"It wasn’t like that. It was more of a show of power that I caught the edge of. He wasn’t the one who hurt me. He’d never hurt me.† â€Å"Good. I’m still not happy about what happened in the alley, mind you, but I’ll have a little chat with the guilty party and make sure it never happens again. When I saw you that day, I had half a mind to take out all the immortals in the area. The thought of someone hurting you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Closer and closer he came to me. Hesitantly, he squeezed my arm. I didn’t know whether to recoil or reach out to him. I didn’t know how to reconcile my old attraction with this new terror. â€Å"You have no idea how much I care about you, Georgina.† â€Å"Then how†¦ in the alley – â€Å" Before I could follow that thought to completion, another suddenly poked its head up at Roman’s words. When I saw you that day. He had visited me the day after the attack, coming over while Carter investigated a nephilim signature. But that was impossible. I couldn’t remember where that particular signature had occurred, but it had not been close by. Roman could not have flashed Carter and then made it over to my apartment so quickly. Iknew noninterference was too much to ask for. I’ll have a little chat with the guilty party. I understood then why Roman felt he could take on Carter, why having less power than the angel would pose no concern. The realization sank into me like lead, heavy and cold. I’m not sure what look crossed my face, but Roman’s suddenly softened with compassion. â€Å"What’s the matter?† â€Å"How many?† I whispered to him. â€Å"How many what?† â€Å"How many nephilim are in the city?† How to cite Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22, Essay examples

E-Business Spinneys

Question: Discuss about theE-Businessfor Spinneys. Answer: Introduction An e-Business model is similar to that of other business models that helps to describe the functioning procedure of a company. It also helps to give the details about the products or services that are offered by the company. If customers are locked-in and the commodities are less responsive to price, then prices may be changed to a degree with fewer risk. However, with the help of market research all the changes need to check in advance. The e-business perception portray the underlying principle of the business, its goals and vision, and commodities or assistance from which it will earn proceeds (Spieth, Schneckenberg and Ricart 2014). Action Plan Spinneys E-Business Strategy The E-Business Strategies pertaining the E-Business Model and Business Plan of Spinneys is as follows: The virtual stores are mostly situated in the public areas, most frequently in subways and bus stops with elevated foot traffic and recurrent on an every day basis by tech-savvy customers. In that case, Spinneys requires to introduce a Homeplus application that will help the interested customers, as they will utilize their waiting time in bus stops as well as metro station. The opening of the virtual stores of Spinneys in the subways will help the company to increase their potential market (Al-Mudimigh 2015). The individuals will also be to use their Smartphone to scan the QR codes of the commodities that will be supplied by Spinneys. The posters in the virtual stores of Spinneys needs to be designed in such a way that it will look like the actual aisles and shelves of a regular Spinneys store. This will make the experience of the customers user-friendly. Spinneys need to store the scanned commodities in the online shopping basket of the customers. As reported, majority of the individuals place the online orders between 10 am and 5 pm when they are travelling from and to work (Ocasio and Radoynovska 2016). The company also requires to recognize its online value proposition. This will help Spinneys to define where its business sits in the marketplace amongst its competitors. This will help the company to enlarge its customer outreach in Dubai. They also need to merge their delicately tuned value proposition with better-quality transaction skills as well as comprehensive sourcing and access to capital to generate value for both the individuals and the shareholders. Providing value in an e-business makes the use of the similar approaches as providing importance in any business. With the help of value proposition, Spinneys will be able to focus on the well-being of the customers (Osterwalder et al. 2014). Pricing is another most important part of the e-business model that should be established based on market research. The company needs to set the price by keeping into consideration the prices that are set by its competitors. If Spinneys has a high fixed to variable cost, prices should be changed vigilantly. Spinneys Social Medial Marketing Campaign Social Medial Marketing Campaign explaining how social media outlets can be utilized to engage clients by Spinneys are as follows: Social media outlets will help to engage clients or customers as it will help to create a large amount of data about the customers in real time. Each day there are more than 500 million Tweets and 4.7 billion likes on Facebook that helps to gain a wealth of information about the customers. Through day-to-day active engagement as well as social listening, social media outlets will help to gather pertinent information about the customers as well as valuable customer insights. Social Media marketing campaign is an inexpensive method to promote the business and distribute content. It also provides powerful targeting choices in order to reach the right audience. If Spinneys operates an advertisement on Facebook, it will be able to target based on location, demographics, behaviors as well as connection (Hsu, Ray and Li-Hsieh 2014). Social media outlets will help to engage with the customers by increasing sales and customer retention with the help of regular communication as well as timely customer service (Tuten and Solomon 2014). It also helps to share content quicker and easier. In the past, the marketers usually faced challenges of ensuring their content reached customers in the shortest possible time. However, with the advancement in technology Spinneys will be able to share content about their trade by sharing the content on the social network account of the brand. Geo-targeting is one of the most effectual methods that help to send message out to a particular audience based on the location. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook allows the customers to converse the right kind of content to the customers (Burdette et al. 2013). Recommendation It can be recommended that the company should make use of social media outlet, as it will increase the sale by increasing the website traffic. The social media outlet will help to direct the individuals to their website that will raise the search ranking for the company. With the presence of social media, the customers will find it easier to get the details about the products that are sold by Spinneys. This will also help to increase the retention of the customers as well as brand loyalty. Conclusion It can be concluded that providing value in an e-business makes the use of the similar approaches as providing importance in any business. Spinneys require to recognize its online value proposition. This will help the company to define where its business sits in the marketplace amongst its competitors. They also need to combine their finely tuned value proposition with better-quality retailing skills as well as global sourcing to generate value for the customers. References Al-Mudimigh, A.S., 2015. E-business strategy in an online banking services: a case study. The Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 2007. Burdette, J., Hebenstreit, J., Cabrera, R., Lee, C.J., Friedman, R. and Helsper, D., Digital Envoy, Inc., 2013. Method, computer program product and electronic device for hyper-local geo-targeting. U.S. Patent 8,443,107. Hsu, P.F., Ray, S. and Li-Hsieh, Y.Y., 2014. Examining cloud computing adoption intention, pricing mechanism, and deployment model. International Journal of Information Management, 34(4), pp.474-488. Ocasio, W. and Radoynovska, N., 2016. Strategy and commitments to institutional logics: Organizational heterogeneity in business models and governance. Strategic Organization, p.1476127015625040. Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Bernarda, G. and Smith, A., 2014. Value proposition design: how to create products and services customers want. John Wiley Sons. Spieth, P., Schneckenberg, D. and Ricart, J.E., 2014. Business model innovationstate of the art and future challenges for the field. RD Management, 44(3), pp.237-247. Tuten, T.L. and Solomon, M.R., 2014. Social media marketing. Sage.

Women in the Workplace Abstract Essay Example

Women in the Workplace Abstract Paper Abstract Issue: Gender discrimination/tensions are still very prevalent in today’s â€Å"equal society. † Although many people believe gender discrimination is mostly a thing of the past, it is still existing as an invisible barrier in one of the most prominent areas of life: the workplace. This paper will discuss occupational sexism and it’s effects on American attitudes. In American popular culture, women are viewed as adorable and sweet, subjectively positive traits that suit them to hearth and home, but also as too emotional and insufficiently logical to accomplish the work of the world. I believe that although progression has been made toward overall gender equity, the battle is far from over and must continue. Purpose: By incorporating facts and statistics from varying sources such as the Wall Street Journal, I plan to show my audience that despite considerable progress over the last quarter century, women workers are still perceived as less competent than men. My goal is to raise awareness with hopes of providing a better understanding among my readers. Obstacle: I believe that the biggest obstacle that might interfere with my stated purpose is the unwillingness to change. Moreover, I feel that the male-dominated workplace will be unwilling to relinquish the reigns of the American jungle. The audience might not agree with my purpose for a few reasons. Some might feel that the progression made over this past quarter century is fine the way it is. Others might firmly believe that a woman’s place is in the home. There are many possible outlying reasons why my audience might not agree with my position. I feel that the research is adequate and continually growing, and is therefore not an issue. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in the Workplace Abstract specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Women in the Workplace Abstract specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Women in the Workplace Abstract specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Scope: In my research paper, I plan to write about: 1. Wage discrimination, systematic sex-based hiring and promotional practices. 2. Systematic sex-based hiring and promotional practices a. (i. e. when employers do not hire or promote a person who is otherwise apparently qualified for a job solely on the grounds that they are a woman or man) 3. Sexual harassment 4. The belief that certain occupational fields or types of jobs, particularly those that are degrading and/or low-paying, are womens work or those that are dangerous and/or hazardous are mens work

Apple Computer Inc. Marketing

Apple Computer Inc. Marketing Industry background Essentially, international trade is often a characteristic of the computer industry, rather than a mere contributing factor (Bardhan, Jaffee Kroll, 2004). Currently, even the smallest businesses have become active in marketing their products or services internationally. Personal computing has emerged to be the most important contributing factor to overseas labor employment due to production costs.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Apple Computer Inc. Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The continued increase in productivity within the computing industry is steered by the continued advancements in technology. Efficiency and other achievements result from the ever changing technology for the better. Among the major product lines in the electronic industry are the computers which also form the core products of the electronic companies. However, Apple’s computers have lost significant de mand due to the limitations the company experiences from complementary products. Hewlett-Packard and Dell have continued to dominate the computer market with their products having a higher demand than other competitors. Compared to Apple, firms like Dell and HP are substantially bigger and provide substitute products which attract many consumers due to their compatibility. Sony, Samsung and LG have focused more on consumer electronics such as televisions, digital cameras, mobile phones, gaming consoles, DVD players and digital speakers. Company background Previously known as Apple Computer Inc, Apple store is a global company that produces computers, software and consumer electronics. Its major products are personal computers, iPhone, iPod, iPad and iTune Store. The company was established in 1976 by two electronic engineers, Wozniak and Jobs, who released the first computer called Apple 1. Since then, Apple store has dominated the personal computer market through innovative product s such as the Power Mac and Macintosh, but encountered marketing problems in the 90s. Through Steve Jobs, the firm seeded innovative technologies that led to the introduction of new products such as the iPhone, iPad and iTune music store. The company became the new market leader in consumer electronics with the latest success coming from a range of products including the iPod Touch, iTunes, the iPhone, and the iPad (Apple Inc., 2011). Presently, the company is the global leader in technology with revenue of $60 billion after overtaking Microsoft in terms of market capitalization in 2010.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sony was founded as a telecommunication engineering company by Akio, Masaru and Tamon in 1946 (Dogruer et al, 2001, p.4). The firm immediately adopted transistor technology to produce radios, home video recorders and microphones. Due to pressures fr om competition, Sony diversified beyond consumer electronics and started producing computer chips and computer peripherals. Later, the company entered the gaming machines after Nintendo became very successful in the industry. Due to rapid growth through mergers, Sony expanded to other major markets for consumer electronics such as Europe and America. So far, the company has focused on consumer electronics and in particular televisions, digital cameras and game machines. The company is also a major producer of personal computers and computer microchips. Product overview There are four major product segments that defines Sony’s portfolio. They include electronics, games, computers and pictures (Tang, Misra Shanholt, 2012, pp.16-18). The electronic product line consists of products like audio electronics, digital cameras, televisions and speakers. In this line, advanced technologies like Blu-ray and LCD technologies are the key differentiating factors. The games product line co nsists solely of the Play stations which are differentiated through enhanced technology that allow for superior graphics and increased computation power. The pictures category involves movies while the computer segment includes PCs, computer peripherals and computer microchips. Apple’s product and services segments involve a wide portfolio of Smartphone, personal computers, music store, book leaders and other applications. The key products and services include iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, software applications, televisions, iCloud, iOS and Mac OS (operating systems) as well as a variety of services, accessories and support services (USSEC, 2011, p.1). In addition, Apple tenders moderator products for instance iPhones, iPads, iPods, Mac and attuned merchandises as well as PC appliances, imprinter, amplifiers, storage devises and supercomputer peripherals. The firm also offers digital content and applications via the App Store, iBook Store, iTune Store and Mac App Store. Strategic marketing Strategic marketing is a process that allows a business to focus its limited resources on the greatest opportunities in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantages and thus increase sales (Baker, 2008). The focus of Sony strategy is to ensure that its products are of high quality and develop profitable and long-term loyalty with customers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Apple Computer Inc. Marketing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The corporate marketing strategy of the firm is to build awareness before launching a product. International market success depends on standardization/adaptation to local markets. Sonny standardized its products by manufacturing Japanese electronics and adapted local promotions campaigns to build awareness. Apple uses Apple brand as the competitive strength in the highly competitive market such as the PC industry with its Macintosh computers and associated software. Th e product strategy is to develop innovative products in line with a ‘digital hub’ strategy such that the firm’s products work as digital hub for other devices (Apple Inc.). The branding approach puts emphasis on sentiments such that the brand is about thoughts, routine, novelty, enthusiasm, dreams, autonomy and desires. Macro-environmental analysis Rivalry between competitors While an industry characterized by few large manufacturers and very expensive products hunts a niche audience, the evolution of personal computers has caused an explosion in the industry which currently includes dozens of companies pursuing millions of consumers across the globe. Due to the use of electronic equipments in day to day lives, the equipments are becoming more of commodities (Sony Corporation, 2010). For most consumers, economy is more important than performance specifications. This has forced many manufacturers to pursue best-cost and low-cost provider strategies. The companies in the middle range compete for consumers by offering various options at varying prices. The similarity of electronic products because of industry standard setting leads to competition in prices that squeeze margins and drive prices down. Moreover, technological development presents increased competition on the industry. Electronic products are becoming more and more sophisticated, efficient with less energy consumption. To hasten the situation, industry leaders like Apple, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have always kept to this pace. Supplier power Suppliers have significant influence over the manufacturers of electronic equipments. While many standards in the industry are open and made by collaborative or independent bodies like IEE, manufacturers also depend on standards owned privately. Often, the technology requires entrance or must be licensed to a paid-membership group. Additionally, the virtual concentration of suppliers puts some pressure on competitors.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For personal computers, Sony outsources central processing units from Intel. Thus, incompatibility in design does not allow the company to switch to other suppliers. However, microchip manufacturers are not present in computer manufacturing business and hence rely on computer manufacturers for their business. As a result discounts are placed on exclusivity agreements and bulk purchasing thus lessening some pressure from suppliers. Buyer power As in all businesses, customers have the last say and apply considerable leverage over manufacturers. The various buyers with many but differing needs impact manufacturers of electronics directly since they must react and adapt by offering extensive product-lines. The notable characteristic between power user looking for the ‘greatest and latest’ and average user needing a product which is ‘just good enough’ presents an obstacle to manufacturers focusing on tapping the many customers possible. Manufacturers benefit fro m the wide use and acceptance of electronic products causing high demand for the products. Brand loyalty and proprietary systems are used to maintain customers. Threat of potential entrants Many avenues through which new entrants can enter the electronic market exist; however several hindrances may prevent the entrance. The current market is characterized by well entrenched players who have significant brand loyalty and recognition including Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung and LG among others (Sony Corporation, 2010). Thus developing a successful brand in the presence of such players is difficult. They also keep costs down and dominate with economies of scale that cannot be achieved easily by a new entrant unless a substantial capital is invested. Despite these obstacles, new entrants may still come from newly instituted lean organizations which depend on third party OEM (original equipment manufacturers) for production. This trend is increasing in popularity bringing companies such as Acer Inc. into competition with industry giants. Threat of substitutes The technology sector has substantially grown with the introduction of alternatives such as televisions, game consoles, Smartphone, virtual music stores and personal computers. There are now feature-rich smart phones and PDAs in an average living room. Such developments have resulted in consumers focusing their â€Å"technology money† away from computers, televisions, radios and game consoles. However, despite the focus it is not likely that smart phones will diminish the importance of other products significantly. The only thing that the substitutes have influenced is elimination of monopoly in the electronic market. Micro-environmental analysis Apple and Sony are leaders in the electronic industry but market their products in the same markets. The firms are probably influenced by the same micro-environmental factors. They are expected to respond to the dynamics of both individualistic cultures of the west and collective cultures of the east. This is probably achieved by creating organizational cultures that support both team work and individual efforts in the respective areas of operations. As the firms become increasingly global, Du Plessis and Beaver (2008) insist on the need to develop an effective International Human Resource Management (IHRM) in order to respond to labor sourcing and expatriation issues. Consumers are also becoming more sensitive to prices and quality hence compelling Apple and Sony to be more responsive through effective quality control systems. Involvement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is also a strategy that Apple and Sony are using to improve their relationship with consumers. SWOT analysis Sony SWOT analysis Strength Mature value chain Strong brand name Intellectual property holding Weaknesses Weak financials Lack of focus Conservative management Opportunities New Chief Executive Officer Economic recovery Industry integration Threats Stiff competition Macro-economic factors Partnership Apple SWOT analysis Strengths Global presence Strong brand image Synergistic portfolio Strong media content Weaknesses Low returns Labor issues Dependency for key components Opportunities Wireless product New digital platform MP3 player market Threats Strong competition Slow Euro-zone economy Lawsuits Market segmentation Sony Corporation segments its market in three divisions namely the consumer, professional and devices segment, networked products and services segment and financial services segment. Televisions lead in the first segments while game and PCs lead in the second segment. Sony Corporation has also segmented its markets according to geographic regions. These regions include Europe, America, Asian-Pacific, Africa and Latin America. For the Asian-Pacific, European and American markets, the firm markets its major product categories including household electronics, computer hardware and software, computer micr ochips, mobile phones and gaming consoles. For the rest of the markets, the firm markets only its household electronic goods and computer hardware. For several years, Apple has identified four major segments within its customer profile including business, education, creative professionals and high-end consumers. At the turn of the millennium, the company’s core product strengths were in the product segments of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Desktop Publishing (DTP) (Ashcroft, 2011, p.5). By the end of 2010, the situation turned upside down. The core product strengths were now the Personal computers, Smartphone, book readers, iTune store and applications. Market segments widened to include households, celebrities and sports fanatics. All these segments are continuously pursuing whatever information technology offers to their careers and lifestyles. Target markets Apple store sell its products to a wider range of markets and across many parts of the world. The company uses ret ail stores and online sites, to offer its goods and third party goods to the consumer and business segments. Apple has invested in programs that promote reseller sales such as the ASCP which focuses on certain reseller locations and APRP which provide expertise in products and customer service (USSEC, 2009). In addition, the company offers its computer products in the government, business and creative markets within its locations. The markets are particularly crucial to third party developers of computer applications and hardware that are compatible with Apple’s computers. The superior expansion and computing performance of Apple products are the major attractions for consumers within this market. Moreover, Apple offers its computer products to customers in scientific market as well as information technology markets. Positioning strategy Through product differentiation, Sony is positioned as the most convenient, quality-focused, value-added and technological producer of consu mer electronics goods. The focus of Sony strategy is to ensure that its products are of high quality and develop profitable and long-term loyalty with customers. Indeed, this positioning strategy has enabled the company to sell its products at premium prices even in primitive markets in Africa. The corporate marketing strategy of Sony is to build awareness before launching a product. International market success depends on adaptation to local markets. Sonny standardized its products by manufacturing Japanese electronics and adapted local promotions campaigns to build awareness. The success of Apple Company has been credited to its effort in innovating new products. In fact, while many companies experienced decreased revenues during the depression period, Apple continued to increase its revenues throughout. Up to date, the company has invested generously in innovative development of its products. Apple has continually put innovation ahead of all its plans and strategies. This can be witnessed in the current wave of touch screen technology in most of its devices. They have come up with not only iPhones, iPods and iPads with touch screens, but laptops with no keyboards (Apple Inc.). These laptops use a very unique technology in which a user can complete computer tasks like printing or typing with just a few spins of a disc. However, this is not the only new innovation; just recently the company released the world thinnest laptop challenging all of its competitors. The Macbook Air is so thin that it can fit inside an envelope. For the last several years, the company has surprised the market with new innovations starting from its iPhone, iPad, ipod, laptops, desktops, iTunes, and the recent Macbook. This is a clear indication that innovation is the core positioning strategy for Apple. Recommendation The changing consumer trends and market shifts are requiring many companies to institute strategies that will respond to these dynamics and ensure that the firms achiev e competitive advantages. Among the trickiest industry is the electronic industry which is characterized by big firms that are swift in responding to the marketing changes. In this industry, Apple Inc. and Sony Corporation can only adopt the best-cost strategy to increase their competitive advantages since consumers are increasingly becoming price sensitive and many competitors are pursuing low-cost strategies. This strategy demands the integration of developmental and marketing plans which focus on the best value while reducing the prices of products. Within this strategy, the firms should retool their products to attract a wider range of consumer segments while maintaining low prices for the majority low income earners. Avoiding unexpected risks such as those from natural calamities is important. Therefore, the firms should include stakeholders such as OEM partners to distribute the impacts caused by such calamities. But the best way for the companies to position themselves better in the marketplace is to stay ahead in terms of price and quality. Reference List Apple Inc, The new, faster MacBook Air. Web. Ashcroft, J 2011, Apple Inc. The case study 2000-2010. Web. Baker, M 2008, The Strategic marketing plan. Cambridge Strategic Publications Limited, London. Bardhan, A, Jaffee, D Kroll C 2004, Globalization and a high-tech economy: California, the United States and beyond. Springer, New York. Dogruer, B, Ferzly, M, Nguyen, H, Roach, D Ward, R 2001, Report on Sony Corporation. Web. Du Plessis, A J Beaver, B 2008, â€Å"The changing role of human resource managers for international assignments.† International Review of Business Research Papers, vol.4 no.5, pp.166-181. Sony Corporation 2010, Annual Report 2009. Web. Tang, H, Misra, R Shanholt, E 2012, Sony Corporation. Web. USSEC 2009, Form 10-K: Apple Inc. Web. USSEC 2011, Form 10-K. Web.

Can We Define Art

Can we define art? Of course we can define art. According to dictionary, art Is the quality, production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful appealing or of more than ordinary significance. But in the eye of some artist included Morris Welts, they believe art Is undefined for many reason. According to Morris Weitz, he point out a few theories of art and argues in his article The Role of Theory in Aesthetics, that they are lacking to the extent that they cannot satisfactorily cover all of the range of things we would like to consider artworks. In addition, they dont accurately capture the concept of art. Weitz argues that where previous theories go wrong Is in their attempts to establish a set of necessary and sufficient condition of art, when in fact what we should do Is ask about art the concept. Once this concept Is understood, he argues that it will make clear the logical impossibility of defining art in terms of necessary and sufficient conditions. Furthermore, Weitzs main argument for why theories of art fail comes from his application of Wittgensteins thoughts about language. pecifically the word game. o art. In fact, according to Wittgenstein, he highlighted the difficulty of defining the word games, he said let us consider what we call games: I mean board-games, card-games, ball-games, Olympic Games, and so on. What is common to them all? Dont say: there must be something common to all. For if you look at them you will not see something that common to all, but similarities. relationships. and a whole series of them at that . He was showing there is no one common feature to all games. And the word games cannot be simply defined; he argues that games have amily resemblances to each other. Some games resemble other games in some respects; there is no more to it, no necessary and sufficient condition. In addition, Weitz argues, this same resemblance principle may apply to art. The problem of the nature of art is like that of the nature of games, at least in these respects: If we actually look and see what it Is that we call art, we will also find no common properties only strands of similarities. He also said, The basic resemblance between these concepts is their open texture. In elucidation them certain cases can e given, about which there can be no question as to their being correctly described as art or game but no exhaustive set of cases can be given. Art is an open concept. Its nature Is such that new cases will constantly arise which will require a decision on the part of those interested on whether to extend the concept to include the new cases. He said that the expansive, changing and creauve nature of art would make defining properties or closure of the concept logically impossible. It is for this reason that he claims previous attempts at defining art have been in vain. Weitzs houghts we may actually find ourselves closer to arts definition. And Weitz says: What I am arguing, then, is that the very expansive, adventurous character of art, its ever-present changes and novel creations, make It logically Impossible to ensure any set of defining properties. It means is that If you were to take a wide range of instances of artworks, there would be no one feature common to them all. However, they are all the common concept products, namely one that is expansive and adventurous. Its necessary, so for a work of art to embody this creativity at least to Of2 human mind product that possesses this concept. In addition, objects in nature arent made by someone with art concept as unbound, adventurous creativity; they also arent creation from a concept in a human mind, furthermore, their existence is independent of human intellect or observation. For example, mountain, trees, flowers and something like that arent works of art. For more information, whoever is producing the object; they wont be doing as an exercise of creativity and unbound expression and so is not necessarily producing the object with an artistic conception in mind. For example, it is not necessary to have a concept of art in mind when creating a map or a floor plan or a scale model. As Weitz claimed, artworks can be differentiated from non-artworks is a hint that perhaps attempting to define art is not quite such a vain pursuit. Furthermore, I do not think defining and elucidation of the concept are different tasks as Weitz would have us believe. If a given artwork has art the concept behind it then this appears to suffice as a necessary condition for its being a work of art. Which leads me to believe the word art may be defined by the oncept behind its instances. A relevant comment on this approach is the response that, in allowing art to be defined by the concept behind it, anyone may place or point to some object or mark and proclaim; that is art. For example a piece of paper scrunched up and thrown on the floor, or an everyday object bizarrely placed may be declared art. My response to this is that in proclaiming such objects as art the proclaimed is correctly commenting on and employing the concept of art previously established. An attempt at challenging previous artistic convention does not onstitute creation outside of art the concept. Furthermore, I would like to extend the set of non-artworks to contain all things that exist, in their current state, independently of intervention by a person with artistic intent. In short, to declare an object an artwork is not enough for the declaration to be true. Since it would have existed and continues to exist in its current state regardless. This I feel is analogous to why objects in nature are not artworks. In conclusion, I feel Weitzs comment on the nature of art are important, but as opposed to leading to the conclusion that art s undefined. In fact, it gets us well on the way to a definition free from the problems faced by previous theories. Weitz is happy to be very specific in his description of the concept of art, which I have argued allows us to rule out many things as non- artworks. By considering the differences in artworks and non-artworks, we can see that where something is a work of art, the artistic concept has been present in a human intellect, which has conceived and created the piece. Non-artworks exist in their current state independently of any such concept.

Life is like mountain climbing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Life is like mountain climbing - Essay Example The air and the atmosphere is equally beautiful and enriching. The overall experience has enabled me interacting and coming across new people and getting to exchange views on various topics. People from all walks of life head there. Even the elders head there and show their resolve to valuing the natural beauty. The mountain ranges have short term stay points in there and I resort to them during my hiking experience every time I get tired. Finally when I reach the top of the mountain, it is one real soothing experience and it gives a panoramic view of the surroundings and everything appears so small yet so beautiful. The very scene reminds me of the old time adage which states that "When you get to the very top of the mountain, all the other hills will be smaller". At this point, one feels a sense of accomplishment and acknowledgement altogether. During the nice experience I often come across the individuals who give up on the initial hard work that is attached to it. The overall experience of climbing through the mountains can be correlated to that of life observation and experiences. It tells of how different processes are undertaken such as educational pursuit, individual struggle, overcoming negativity and various other similar facets of life. Life, like the mountain is a constant challenge and a up way directed concept. Just as those people who give up on hope, cannot climb the mountains, the same way, the people in life who do not brace up the challenges and hardships cannot go on. This struggle and this activity in itself is the beauty of life and living. Those people who show courage overcome the obstacles such as surmounting the mountains. It is through this self believe that people overcome the challenges of life. This courage enables them overcoming all the obstacles and challenges faced by them. Those people who through their hard work make it to the mountains and through the obstacles of life make full use of their time, their energy and also