Marketing Plan Soft Drink Company 1st Half Essay

The following plan is intended to provide a basic marketing communications plan for a fictitious company. The company in question operates in China and produces soft drinks, particularly adult soft drinks. The information in the plan has been sourced from various textbooks and online research including the National Bureau of Statistics China. It has been found that the company should target the market aged 18 to 44, married, living in urban China, and purchasing for personal use. In order to address and leverage the current internal and external situation, the recommended marketing communications objectives have been set as follows: 1. Increase awareness of the brand name to 50% of the target market 2. Increase awareness of the portability and attractive design of the product to 25% of the target segment Introduction The following plan has been compiled in order to provide the basis for a comprehensive marketing communications plan for a fictitious. The company produces and sells soft drinks. It specializes in adult soft drinks. The company and brand are new to the market. In order to provide a useful plan, the target segment has been identified and defined, a SWOT analysis has been carried out for the brand and organization, and marketing communications objectives have been set. The plan identifies the target market through segmentation variables. Following this is an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that the company must either address or leverage. Finally the marketing communications objectives are set in the final section. Segmenting the Market In order to develop a sufficient marketing communications plan, it is necessary to first know the target market that marketing messages will be directed toward. The market for this company’s offering can be defined according to the segmentation variables discussed by Schiffman et al(2005). The variables most relevant to this market are age, family life cycle, geography, awareness level, and user-situation(Schiffman et al, 2005). By using these variables it is possible to define the market as aged between 18 and 44, single or newly married, living in urban areas, unaware of the brand, and buying for personal use. Within this market it is possible to further segment the preferred target market for this company’s offering. Age can be used to further segment the market. Although older members of the family have a large influence on purchase decisions in China, Duncan(2005) implies that these older people are part of the ‘late majority’ group, which is not an attractive group for new products(Duncan, 2005 p229). Therefore the age of the target segment will be 18 to 44, as these individuals should be more likely to adopt new products or at least be influenced by ‘early adopters’(Duncan, 2005 p230). These individuals make up almost 35% of the total population(National Bureau of Statistics China, 2004), and so form a profitable target segment. The target segment can be further limited to those in the ‘young marrieds’ and ‘parenthood’ stages of the family life cycle(Schiffman et al, 2005). Geography is another useful variable. The target segment will live in the inner city or suburban areas of cities, and not on the outskirts of major urban areas or in rural areas. The income gap between urban and rural areas is substantial, with urban households averaging CNY9421. 6 per annum, and rural households CNY2936. 4, in 2004(National Bureau of Statistics China, 2004). By using the above segmentation variables we now have a target segment at which to direct the marketing communications strategy. SWOT Analysis In order to reach useful marketing objectives it is necessary to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that can be leveraged or addressed by the communications effort. This is known as a SWOT analysis(Duncan, 2005). The external environment will be considered first. According to an analysis of the external environment, two major opportunities exist. These are an increase on sales of adult soft drinks over the past year, and a minimum of new adult soft drink products being marketed by competitors. According to an article in China Daily(2006), sales of adult soft drinks increased by 47% in 2006. This shows that there is an increasing market for ‘adult’ soft drinks. Internal factors are also evaluated in the SWOT analysis. Analysis of this company has revealed two major strengths and one major weakness. The strengths are a devotion to customer service, and the design and innovativeness of the products. Customer service is something that is still at a basic level in China in terms of building relationships with new customers. This company offers outstanding after sales service, with teams located in every major Chinese city who are available 7 days a week and after hours on weekdays. This level of after sales service is not common among drink manufacturers in China. The company also has a follow-up strategy that includes phone calls and emails to new customers giving them the chance to open dialogues with the firm. The other strength, the design and innovativeness of the products, is more tangible. This company produces only adult soft drinks and is therefore able to allocate more time and resources to improving only one line of product, unlike other soft drink manufacturers. The look of the adult soft drinks in this company’s range is modern, using metallic colours on slim bottles, rather than the traditional images of fruit. There is one major internal weakness that should be addressed by any marketing communication efforts: brand awareness. Being a new brand, there is 0% awareness of this company’s brand in the target segment. This will almost certainly present a weakness that will have to be addressed by the marketing communications effort. The above SWOTs can be prioritized to reveal which should be leveraged or addressed by the marketing communications effort. These are brand awareness, the appearance and functionality of the product, and the lack of attention to the adult soft drinks in the market. These factors will now be considered in relation to marketing communications objectives. Marketing Communications Objectives According to Duncan, marketing objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, and challenging(2005, p180). In order to address the major weakness of the brand, increasing brand awareness should be a high priority. According to the AIDA decision making hierarchy(Duncan, 2005), communications cause customers to begin a process which moves from awareness to interest to desire to action. Since there is 0% awareness of the brand, communications will begin by creating brand awareness, particularly awareness of the brand name. This will be the first of the company’s marketing communications objectives: Increase awareness of the brand name to 50% of the target market. The achievement of this objective will create awareness, which will be transformed into interest and desire through the second objective. The second objective will be: Increase awareness of the portability and attractive design of the product to 25% of the target segment. According to the AIDA hierarchy, ‘making people aware of a brand is much easier than persuading them to buy a brand or take some other action’(Duncan, 2005 p182). The figure of 25% is set due to this theory. Aiming to create awareness of the products tangible qualities will ideally create interest in the brand, which may result in action on behalf of the target segment. With these objectives set it will be possible to create marketing messages that are directed and can be evaluated in terms of their effectiveness and ability to achieve the company’s objectives. The objectives have been set in close attention to the SWOTs that were revealed earlier, in order to maximize the effect of the marketing communications effort. Conclusion In conclusion it can be seen that the first half of the marketing communications plan has been completed. The target market has been identified as aged between 18 and 44, married or married with children, residing in urban areas in major Chinese cities, and purchasing the product for personal use. The SWOT analysis revealed that the company’s major advantages are the lack of attention to the adult soft drink market in China, and the attractive design and functionality of the product. The company’s major disadvantages are the domination of the market by major manufacturers, and the lack of brand awareness. However, the marketing communications objectives set in the plan will ideally address and leverage each of the pros and cons that exist in the situation. References Schiffman, L.et al, 2005, Consumer Behaviour, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest. China Daily, 2006, Soft drink sales cooling down, www. chinadaily. com. cn, viewed 4th April 2008 http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/china/2006-10/06/content_702416. htm Duncan, T. 2005, Principles of Advertising & IMC (2nd ed. ), McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York. National Bureau of Statistics China, 2004, www. stats. gov. cn, viewed 4th April 2008 at http://www. stats. gov. cn/tjsj/ndsj/2005/indexeh. htm.

Orchestra Concert

The music played throughout all of the concerts adhered to be diverse. The instruments, the individuals performing, and the conductor all proved to be outstanding. The concerts proved to be interesting as I witnessed them, first hand. The first concert I attended was performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra had performed Shostakovich’s â€Å"Symphony NO. 7, Leningrad† from the Romantic era. The orchestra was a large ensemble (1) containing various instruments that contributed to the overall sound of the piece. Since the orchestra was a large ensemble, just like the instrumentation common in the Romantic era, the orchestra was able to perform in a lively, vigorous manner, probably vivace (2). The orchestra performed tutti (3), in which all of the instruments of the ensemble played together. Every member of the orchestra played with exactness and steady energy, or in other words, con gusto (4). Overall, all the instruments included in the ensemble were needed for the piece to sound fanciful. In addition to the large ensemble, the orchestra played in an allargando (5) manner, in which the orchestra grew louder and then softer, which is also common to the Romantic era. As the orchestra progressed through the piece, the orchestra used various bow styles in order to dramatize the music. The ensemble played the symphony using legato, marcato (5), and spiccato (6), which contributed to the immense sound. The composer’s style of this piece was typical for the Romantic era because the composition was extensive, and included the piano, which is a well-known, as well as, important instrument in the Romantic era. The symphony, although has many characteristics included in the Romantic era, is not completely similar to other pieces that I have performed that are included in the Romantic era. Unlike the Shostakovich’s symphony, â€Å"Largo†, is a slow and steady piece that includes dynamic fluctuations. Similar to the symphony, the piece â€Å"Bacchanale† involves using marcato throughout the piece. While the orchestra was performing, the audience sat silent in order to observe the orchestra. All of the members of the orchestra seemed to be attentive to the conductor, which is important because every member of the orchestra needs to be aware of what is going to happen next in the music. The brass and the string had sections in the music, where they were the most important parts. Overall, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra performed well as a whole group. The second concert I attended was performed by the Richardson Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra performed â€Å"Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582† by Bach, which is part of the Baroque era. The string instruments of the orchestra performed with the hair of the bow, in other words, arco (7). By using lots of motion or most commonly known as mosso (8), the orchestra increased the tension of the piece. The orchestra played at a pretty fast tempo (9), probably allegro. The piece had a distinct part where the harp played. The ensemble was large, in order to attain the full sound of the piece. The instruments played in the orchestra did not comply with the typical orchestras of the Baroque era because it did not have a distinct part where were the main instruments were the piano and the bass, or more commonly known as basso continuo (10). Along with the use of basso continuo, the orchestra used ornamentation by adding grace notes (11) throughout the piece. The Baroque era also included the doctrine of affections (12), in which the Richardson Symphony Orchestra demonstrated by playing faster notes to demonstrate happiness. The style of the composer was distinctive of the Baroque era because he use both ornamentation and doctrine of affections. The bow stroke of the piece that was mostly used was legato. Unlike the piece we previously played in orchestra which is also part of the Baroque era (â€Å"Allegro in D for Strings†), the piece the symphony performed did not have the marcato stroke. My favorite part of the whole composition was when the harp was playing distinctly, but overall the orchestra played magnificently. The intonation of the orchestra was precise and all of the members of the orchestra played well as a whole. The orchestra also performed â€Å"Concerto #23 in A major, K. 488† by Mozart, which is part of the Mozart era. The orchestra included many instruments, as well as the piano, which had a very important part in the piece. The piano seemed to have the solo (13) in the piece. The use of the piano is not a standard to the classical era, although it contributed to the overall sound of the piece. The piece that the orchestra performed was extensive, which is a common characteristic of the Classical era. The composition reflected a fanciful style, known as caprice (14). The composer used some of the typical characteristics of the Classical era, by making the piece lengthier than those of the Baroque era, but the composer also added a twist by using the piano. The orchestra used both legato and marcato to reflect a whimsical style. The composition most likely included cue notes (15), in order to guide the players who were not playing while the piano was. Similarly to the piece that the Richardson Symphony Orchestra performed, â€Å"Menuetto† by Mozart also reflects a fanciful style that uses legato. The composition that the orchestra performed made me feel light-hearted. All of the professional musicians that performed had paid attention to the piano solo, in addition to paying attention to the conductor. Most of the string instruments used the middle part of their bow, in order to play quickly which reflected a fast sound. All of the professional concerts that I attended were a great learning experience but were also a blast to watch.

Defining manufacturing sequence of a tool steel Literature review

Defining manufacturing sequence of a tool steel - Literature review Example Accordingly, the tool steel and die steel has different classification, referring to the metallurgical composition and heat treatment measures used in making these products. For example, cold work and hot work category of steel have remarkably different carbon, chromium, magnesium, cobalt, and nickel and tungsten percentage representation. While tool steels are fundamentally medium or high carbon steels, they have varied amounts of specific elements that shape them into specialized application tools, with significant characteristics. Carbon in the tool steel helps it to gain greater hardness required to do the cutting and have wear-resistant properties. The other elements provide greater strength and toughness to the tool steel. The addition of such elements helps in retaining the size and shape of the tool, while ensuring that the specific tool maintains its strength and hardness during the heat-treatment process. As composition of tool steel varies according to the specific tool application, the aim of his paper is to discuss different types of steel alloys that can be used for manufacture of specific tools. Accordingly, the related changes in the microstructure of tool steel, as it undergoes various manufacturing and heat treatment processes are detailed in the following pages. Addition of Chromium enables the tool steel to gain properties of greater hardness, toughness and wears resistance. Cobalt addition results in increased red hardness, which makes tools applicable for use at higher temperature during operation. Manganese helps the tool steel in quick hardening, while going through heat treatment process. Larger addition of this element, between 1.2 to 1.6 percentages enables the steel to quench in oil instead of water, while lowering the quenching temperature, meant for hardening the tool steel. Molybdenum also helps

Progressive era through the great depression Assignment

Progressive era through the great depression - Assignment Example Another major turning point was the Depression and the Unemployment that occurred in the late 1920’s after the Great Depression; this period was characterized by extreme economic crises and high rates of unemployment. At this time several factories were shut down and many workers were laid off. Discussion 2 The two historical turning points discussed above led to several economic, social and political facets whose effects are still faced by the current American Society. To begin with, the rise of the social movements specifically the Labor Movements that were propagated by the Muckrakers who exposed the Corruption, poor working conditions and lack of respect to human rights that were experienced at working places. In this respect, various groups of activist were forced to take several actions geared to towards opposing the poor working conditions and the corruption at the work places. ... ded with proper remunerations and proper working conditions; such labor laws are currently still practiced to promote proper working conditions and promote proper employee-employer relationships. The Second pertinent turning point in the history of the American Society in the progressive era through the Great depression was the unemployment and the depression that led to an extreme economic crises featured by closing of factories, over-production and high levels of unemployment. This also occurred in the early to the late 1920’s; the crash of the stock market in 1929 in the USA which caused a drastic reduction in economic growth of the nation; workers and farmers were also faced with conditions of low income. Several organizations such as the Robert La Follett’s and the Wisconsin made various attempts to formulate strategies to enable the society to enable the society to cope up with the deteriorating economy; however, their efforts were fruitless (Wisconsin University 2008). In the Mid 1930’s the then United States’ President Roosevelt formulated the New Deal policy and the unemployment bill that was developed by the Harold Groves as an economic model succeeded in improving the economic status. These models together with the current economic models have facilitated the relative stability in the current economic status in the American Society. Discussion 3 The late 1980’s through the 1920’s saw the rise of several women empowerment movements and social groups for instance: The Women Suffrage Movement, Women and Peace Movement, Legacy of Women in the Progressive and the Status of Women. All these groups were focused towards empowering women; the American Society during the progressive era was characterized by the perception that women were the Moral Guardian

Fossil Group, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fossil Group, Inc - Essay Example These include brands such as Superman, Elvis Presley, Snoopy, Wonder Woman, Chronicles of Narnia, The Matrix and Star Wars. This paper outlines the inventory policies and items that Fossil Group Inc. adopts in their operations and offers in the market respectively. Apart from selling products directly to consumers through commercial websites and retail stores, Fossil owns a global distribution network that includes wholesale outlets in countries where the company has a physical presence. In countries that it does not have a physical presence, the company maintains third-party networks that facilitate the marketing and distribution of its products. Fossils’ inventory policy is primarily based on the average cost of production, which includes related freight charges and applicable duty. Inventory that is unmarketable or obsolete is determined by the difference between market value estimates and the approximate costs of inventory. Such estimates are based on assumptions regarding future demand, available channels for liquidation and prevailing market conditions. Additional reductions in inventory are thereby inevitable in the event that market conditions and future product demand are regarded by management to be less favorable than what had been projected. Reductions in inventory are also inevitable if the management determines that channels for liquidation are insufficient. The company’s success in inventory management is hence largely attributed to continuous assessment of off-price sales and regular updates of inventory estimates. Revenue from sales of products likely to be subjected to agreements in inventory consignment is often determined at the point where title and risk of loss has been transferred, products have successfully been delivered, buying price at the end of the chain can easily be determined, and there is reasonable assurance in collectability of the product. In the event that inventory is

Evidence for Practice Innovation. Evidence-Based Nursing Essay

Evidence for Practice Innovation. Evidence-Based Nursing - Essay Example Due to the fact that evidence in nursing practice is a recent idea, it has not been embraced by many nurses. In fact only about 15% of the nurses in practice work within the requirements of evidence based practice. This small percentage is quite devastating since this concept has been well explained and its significance documented . This figure also shows the negative attitude that is present among the nurses towards the concept in question. Due to this negative attitude they have not embraced the concept thus derailing its success. It is also human that people become resistant to changes that occur in their field of work, especially if the change is as demanding as in the case of carrying out researches as in this case of evidence based practice. Many decisions that are made in bid to improve the quality of health care services offered always leaves out EBPN showing some bias towards the idea. This calls for the nurse leaders to take the initiative to find a way through which they can facilitate the diffusion of the concept of evidence among the nurses. These leaders will have to innovate an easier way to facilitate the nursing workforce to adopt this excellent concept of evidence based nursing practice. This thus forms the platform for the discussion of this topic on evidence based practice innovation amongst the nursing workforce. In this essay the issues to be discussed include the following. First, is the reason as to why the subject was chosen for discussion, second is to formulate a focus question. The essay also requires the writer to plan and carry out a structured search in order to find relevant evidence that will answer the focused question. Synthesis, appraisal and evaluation of differing types of evidence will be discussed and so will be the relevance of this topic to practice development.   Ã‚   Rationale for the choice of the subject Evidence for practice innovation being the topic of the discussion was chosen for various reasons. To begin with, there is a great necessity to innovate the concept of evidence for practice so as to make it easy for the nursing workforce to embrace the idea of evidence in practice. This is because the idea of evidence is very beneficial in the nursing profession and it will ensure that the services offered by the nursing workforce are scientific. Being one of the people in favor for the evidence based nurse practice; the writer is obliged to facilitate its innovation so as to eradicate the negative attitude many nurses have towards it3. Many nurses that are in practice face a huge challenge in translating research evidence into their practice. For this reason many of them recent the idea of using EBPN in their practice. If this idea was innovated making the interpretation process easy, many of these nurses would embrace the idea with lots of ease. Innovation would also be a wise move to ensure that there is adequate time for clinical attention to the patient. Time has always been a challenge for the nurses due to the increasing demand in health care services. Another

Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act Essay

Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act - Essay Example Partly in response to King’s actions and his march to Washington, the government took the necessary actions in ensuring that there was equality in opportunities among all the people. It passed the Civil Rights and the Voting Rights Laws which effectively played a role in ending segregation within the American community (King & Lillback, 2003, 78). The other contemporary readings in the paper do not clearly indicate what role the government should play in ensuring that there is equality in opportunities. Brittain is pessimistic about the achievement of the integrated society that Dr. King believed and sacrificed himself for. Shelby Steele, a male, argues that African American should be responsible for their uplift whereas the white community should be responsible for providing the moral support required. He also states that the white community should be responsible for fighting racism that lingers within it. Steele additionally raises vigorous opposition against the Affirmative Action law in his works (King & Lillback, 2003, 97). ... utality and slavery contrasted the promises and liberties in farming, which President Jefferson termed as the guarantor of virtues along with morality in the American society. The author does not, however, state which method the government should adopt to end the vices (King & Lillback, 2003, 99). D’ Souza, on the other hand, who is a conservative, urges that the American Revolution principles should be conserved. In his book titled â€Å"We the Slave Owners†, the author argues against classical liberalism and old virtues along with the belief that man’s nature is fundamentally good and for these reason enormous conflicts emerge. He additionally states that the mediation process should be carried out by organizations such as the UN. The author does challenge the beliefs of concepts like affirmative action along with issues concerning social welfare. He finally attributes the majority of the current problems and other social issues being experienced to cultural th eft (D’ Souza, 154). The civil rights law that came into being in the year 1964 banned discriminatory actions against women and African Americans within their society which included the issue of racial segregation. It ended the inequalities that existed between the requirements for various voters within the system while also ending racial restrictions that existed in their working areas, schools along with public places and facilities. The American government through their voting rights law outlawed discrimination in their voting systems in the year 1965. The reason for enacting the law was because it had brought a lot of disenfranchisement among the African American society living within the United States of America (King & Lillback, 109). The law specifically prevents any standards, practices or

Visitor Impacts on Public Parks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visitor Impacts on Public Parks - Research Paper Example This paper will look at the effects of uncontrolled continual streams of visitors to my local park and the solutions to the problems they cause while enjoying the privilege. Parking at our local park has become a nightmare due to limited zonal spots for everyone involved. In fact, the numbers of vehicles lined up at the gate of the park have become a nuisance as they are preventing access to the park itself and discouraging more people from gaining access. This is a menace as the image of the park is tainted since they are regarded as negligent in providing for the needs of the visitors. In addition, the cars pollute the environment, with the effects being carried over to the protected resources inside the park1. In my view, people should be made to leave their personal means of transport at home and the park should have the mandate of providing public transport to people at designated times and venues. Such a move will ensure that the number of visitors gaining access to the facilit y is controlled in any one time. While inside the park, it has become apparent that the standard of cleanliness is deteriorating each day as the visitors are trashing everywhere they go. Plastics are the order of the day not mentioning the unsightly array of leftover food at every footpath in the surrounding environment. Some of the caged animals can be seen munching on some of these foods which they may have been offered by the visitors or perhaps collected as they roamed freely in their habitats. Ingestion of these foods can be dangerous since of it may not blend in well with their natural diets. There have been cases of food poisoning reports at alarming rates for the last quarter of the year. The management should provide more employees to investigate into the matter while drawing a keen eye that would help identify the culprits. These visitors should be fined heavily for their acts and given restriction from gaining access to the park until deemed necessary2. Some sections of t he park do not access to public foot paths or bridges across water bodies. This has forced visitors to find their own way around thus they have resulted in a lot erosion of the ground and destruction of vegetation and leading to deterioration of the environment. Some of them have penetrated sensitive parts of the forest which have led to some animals strayed into areas of the park they are not supposed to. These animals can be dangerous to the general public making the park to be hazardous for visitors and could lead to closure of the park. Measures should be taken to ensure that a guard is placed at strategic positions in the park where they can prevent such destructions from taking place in the first place. In another instance, campsites have been devouring parts of the forest since some extreme campers have brought down trees to create room for their tents or just for the mere advantage of the experience. The fires that have been made are frightening the wild animals and eating a way at the vegetation that may have been growing for thousands of generations. The animals have disappeared into the heart of the forests and are not seen during day which has proved to be very disappointing to the visitors of the park. This has also led to loss of enthusiasm for the diehard animal lovers who come to the park with the sole intention of sighting the fascinating creatures. Poaching is another vice that has risen lately amongst the visitors.

Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accident - Essay Example On this particular day, as his parents wants to buy for him a new car, a ‘Chevrolet Silverado 2012,’ they ask him to go and renew his license. He goes to the mall for the eye check test and the attendant informs him that even though the renewal is possible, it takes a few days to process and requires some payments. He makes the payment and receives a note to prove that his license is already renewed but he is waiting for delivery that is due in about three to four days. He then leaves for home. On his way home, his mother calls about the license renewal. He replies that he already renewed the license but is too tired and sleepy. He asks her to just get the car and take it home, something that she agrees to. He then turns off his phone, turns right and stays on the left lane. Mike then notices a speed bump and a U-turn and at the same time sees an old man riding a bicycle along the end of the right lane. Owing to the distance between the two lanes and the fact that the old man does not seem to move or show any intention of moving when Mike gets close to the U-turn, he increases his speed by 20 kilometers per hour from 50 kilometers per hour. As he gets close to the turn, however, the old man crosses the road. He does not have sufficient time either to stop the car or to avoid the man. Actually, he does not have time to think at all. He therefore hits the man without even noticing and drives on until he realizes shreds of glass on the passenger’s seat. Upon looking ba ckwards, Mike notices that the man is still. With the knowledge that he has hit the man, he thinks of speeding off the scene but changes his mind, stops the car and runs to the old man, to check whether the man is hurt of he is ok. At the shock that the man is not moving at all, Mike calls the police and the receiver asks him to check on the man. Another motorist however advises him not to touch the victim and Mike gets

United States V. Aluminum Co. Of America Essay Example for Free

United States V. Aluminum Co. Of America Essay United States V. Aluminum Co. Of America Introduction Case overview                   The United States V. Aluminum Co. Of America was a case that involved the federal government of the United States of America against the Aluminum Company of America and its subsidiaries. As the plaintiff, the federal government accused the company and one of its subsidiaries of conspiring with other foreign entities to establish a monopoly in the aluminum market both in the United States and abroad. Jointly with a Canadian company namely aluminum limited, the Aluminum Company of America was accused of forming a cartel known as The Alliance. According to the terms of the agreement signed in 1931, the shares of the resulting company were issued to the signatories accompanied by a production quota for every share held. Moreover, the alliance was free to sell its products at any price that it considers fair and no party to the agreement were supposed to sell or buy aluminum from anyone who was not a member of the alliance (Hall, 37). A second agreement that was signed by the parties in 1936 abandoned the earlier system of unconditional quotas and replaced it with royalty system. Although the United States was not included in the quotas in the first agreement, the members of the alliance included it in the second agreement. Based on this, the federal government of the united states of American instituted legal proceedings against the aluminum company of America and aluminum limited of Canada. In its presentation, the federal government accused the two companies of violating the Sherman act which prohibits companies from eng aging in contracts and alliances that are aimed at restraining trade among states or overseas countries.                   The trial commenced on June 1st 1938 in the district court and it lasted for four years. After listening to the arguments made by the parties, the court dismissed the case. In his ruling, the judged stated that the actions of the company did not violate the Sherman Act nor did they restrict aluminum trade among the states and in foreign markets. According to the evidence produced before him, the judge also noted that the large market share enjoyed by the company was as a result of its ability to predict changes in the market coupled with its superior marketing and distribution strategies. After the case was dismissed by the district court, the plaintiff filed for an appeal. Initially, the appeal was supposed to be handled by the United States Supreme Court but was moved to the Court of Appeals (Hand, et al, 36). This transfer resulted from the fact the Supreme Court could not attain the required quorum of six judges to listen to the case. In delivering t heir judgment, the circuit judges stated that although the agreements made by shareholders of the alliance were made abroad, they affected aluminum imports in America. Based on this, the court of appeals overruled the earlier judgment of the district court and declared actions of the Aluminum Company of America and its associates illegal. A summary of the legal issues in the case                   There were four major legal issues that arose during the case. The first legal issue was whether the Aluminum Company of America gained monopoly over the virgin aluminum ingot unfairly. Since its early years, the company had been in the business of producing and selling ingot aluminum. The company employed traditional techniques of mining and melting aluminum until 1892 when Bradley discovered that smelting could be done without using external heat. This technique promised a big economy in the production of aluminum. So that the aluminum company of America could get permission to use this technique, it entered into an agreement with Bradley (Hand, et al, 53). According to the terms of this agreement, the company would Bradley’s technology to manufacture Aluminum and in return, sell the assignee an unspecified amount of aluminum at a discount below its market prices. Aluminum extraction is a process that consumes a lot of electricity. Based on this , the American aluminum company contracted the major power suppliers. According to the terms of the contract, these power companies were not supposed to sell power to any other company that is involved in the manufacture of aluminum. These two acts made the company the sole largest producer of aluminum in the country. The main legal issue here was to determine whether the monopoly enjoyed by the company resulting from these two agreements was legal or not.                   The second legal issue that arose in the proceedings was whether the aluminum company of America was guilty of being involved in illegal activities; it established its monopoly in the aluminum business in America. In its application, the federal government of the United States wanted the court to find the activities of defendant unlawful not only because they played a role in the establishment of its monopoly but also they were designed to suppress its competitors. This issue was divided into three broad categories. The first category was to consider the preemption of water vapor and the bauxite deposits (Hall, 36). The Aluminum Company of America and its overseas subsidiaries bought up all bauxite deposits in all the major sources including Arkansas and other overseas sources. The plaintiff argued that the company bought more bauxite than it needed showing that the purchase was not for ensuring enough supply but locking out competitors. The second categ ory was to consider the suppression of other players in the aluminum industry and fabricated goods. As noted earlier in the paper, the Aluminum Company of America contracted the major power companies to supply it with power. In the contract, the power companies were not supposed to sell power to other players in the aluminum business. Moreover, the company also bough interests in two aluminum companies in Norway. The third category of issues was the domination the aluminum market especially cables and sheets. The plaintiff argued that the Aluminum Company of America used unlawful tactics to penetrate the control the market for fabricated aluminum products. This was done in three main ways that included buying many shares in the Aluminum Manufacturers and Inc., Aluminum Castings Company, using price squeeze and through the Piston Patent Pool.                   The third legal issue in the case was whether The Aluminum Company of America together with its subsidiaries were in an illegal conspiracy, and whether or not the company was also in conspiracies with other foreign aluminum manufacturers. The Aluminum Company of America was incorporated in 1928 with the aim of coming with subsidiaries to take over the operations of the company abroad. In place of all the possessions conveyed, the company issued all its common shares top its common shareholders in the ratio of one share for every three held. This tactic was meant to ensure that the beneficial ownership of the company remained as it had been previously. The court needed to determine whether these actions were legal business strategies or were conspiracies aimed at monopolizing the aluminum market in the United States and abroad (Wang, 73).                   The final legal issue in the case was establishing the right remedy in the case of every defendant who may be found guilty of violating the Sherman Act. About five years had passed since the proceedings started and many changes had taken place in the aluminum industry in America. Based on this, it was hard for the court to dispose the case on the basis of the basis of the existing judicial record. According to the presentations made by the plaintiff, the court should dissolve the defendant. Summary of any economic analysis relevant to the case                   The first economic analysis relevant to this case is the rise of monopoly and the effects it has on a country’s economy. As noted earlier in the paper, The Aluminum Company of America implemented a number of measures that saw it rise into a dominant player in the aluminum industry. Monopolies are not illegal but they must be established through lawful and competitive ways. More specifically, monopolies should not arise from a company’s competitiveness but not from conspiracies and other illegal acts (Hall, 28). No company should enjoy the unchallenged economic power in any industry because it discourages economic growth and slows economic growth. Even if monopolies are achieved lawfully, they should be discouraged regardless of their economic results. This would be inline with the Sherman act that was mainly aimed at putting an end to aggregations of capital because it made individuals helpless. Moreover, it gave large organizations an oppo rtunity to exploit customers. The outcome of the case                   The case was heard by two different courts. Initially, the case was handled by the district court before moving to the court of appeals. In the district court, the judge rules that the defendant was not guilty of engaging in a conspiracy with its subsidiaries to manipulate the American aluminum industry through a monopoly. The judge noted that the company success and dominance enjoyed by The Aluminum Company of America was a result of its superior business strategies compared to its competitors. Based on this, the court ruled that the actions of the company did violate the Sherman Act (Hand et al, 25). The plaintiff was not satisfied with this judgment and appealed it. Initially, the case was to be heard in the Supreme Court but was moved to the court of appeals after the Supreme Court failed to raise enough number of judges to listen to it.                   After listening to all the submissions presented before it, the Supreme Court made its final judgment four years after the case was initiated. In the judgment, the judges ruled that states could impose liabilities even to parties that are not within its allegiance. Based on the provisions of the Sherman act, the court ruled that the agreements entered into by The Aluminum Company of America in 1931 and 1936 were unlawful because they were meant to affect aluminum imports into the country. Moreover, the court indicated that the main aim of the Sherman act was to ensure that all the factors that play a role in determining prices should be kept free. Based on this, the court ruled that the actions of the aluminum company of America and its partners violated the Sherman act. Consequently, the court of appeal overturned the earlier ruling made by the district court. Conclusion                   In conclusion, The United States V. Aluminum Co. Of America was a case that was initiated by the federal government of the United States against the Aluminums Company of America and its partners. In filing the case, the plaintiff accused the defendant and its other partners of entering into business agreements aimed at establishing a monopoly in the aluminum market both in the United States and abroad (Wang, 38). According to the federal government, these actions were illegal because they were in violation of the Sherman act. This act prohibits companies from engaging in contracts and alliances that are aimed at restraining trade among states or overseas countries.                   There were four major legal issues in the case. The first legal issue was whether the Aluminum Company of America gained monopoly over the virgin aluminum ingot unfairly. The second legal issue that arose in the proceedings was whether the aluminum company of America was guilty of being involved in illegal activities. The other legal issue was whether The Aluminum Company of America together with its subsidiaries were in an illegal conspiracy, and whether or not the company was also in conspiracies with other foreign aluminum manufacturers. The final legal issue in the case was establishing the right remedy in the case of every defendant who may be found guilty of violating the Sherman Act.                   In its final ruling, the court of appeals overturned the ruling of the district court and found the actions of Aluminum Company of America and its subsidiaries illegal and to be in violation of the Sherman act. References Hall., K. L. The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. Oxford University Press, 2005. Print Hand, L., Swan, Augustus N. Hand. UNITED STATES v. ALUMINUM CO. OF AMERICA et al. No. 144. Circuit Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. March 12, 1945. Web Wang, Zhigang. International Harmonization of Competition Laws. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. 1995. 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Injury Underlying Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy (OBPP)

Injury Underlying Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy (OBPP) Mechanism of Injury Underlying Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy Introduction Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy (OBPP) is defined as a flaccid paresis of an upper extremity due to traumatic stretching of the brachial plexus occurring at birth, where the passive range of motion is greater than the active (Evans-Jones et al. 2003: F185–F189). Obstetrical brachial plexus palsy results from injury to the cervical roots C5-C8 and thoracic root T1 (Pollack et al. 2000: 236–246). The occurrence of Obstetrical brachial plexus injuries are reported in the medical literature at a rate of 0.38 to 2.6 per thousand live births (S. M. Shenaq et al. 2005). To understand the mechanism of injury causing OBPP it is necessary to have a fundamental anatomical knowledge about brachial plexus. Five spinal nerve roots C5, C6, C7, C8 and T1 combine to form brachial plexus. These five nerve roots combine into 3 trunks above the clavicle, the upper trunk at the C5-C6 level, the middle at C7 and the lower trunk at C8-T1. The cords end in 5 main peripheral nerves: the musculocutaneous, radial, axillary, median and ulnar nerves. The entire shoulder and the arm is supplied by the brachial plexus that helps in upper extremity function (Laurent et al. 1993: 197–203). There is a lot of controvery regarding the underlying mechanism of obstetrics brachial plexus injury that is a cause of recent litigious debate (Andersen et al. 2006: 93). OBPP is caused by excessive traction to the brachial plexus during delivery, as in majority of the cases upper shoulder gets blocked by the mother’s pubic symphysis (shoulder dystocia). With the traction to the child’s head, the angle between the neck and the shoulder is forcefully widened, overstretching the ipsilateral brachial plexus. The extent of injury can vary from neurapraxia or axonotmesis to neurotmesis and avulsion of rootlets from the spinal cord (Pondaag et al. 2004: 138–144). Some studies determine that in certain cases, brachial plexus injuries occur secondary to shoulder dystocia that is associated with high intrauterine forces, not traction injuries (S. M. Shenaq et al. 2005). Though the main theories have been that of compression (either direct or indirect caused by instrument s, fingers or between the bony structures) or traction (Sever 1916: 541) some authors proposed that infection or ischaemia is the cause, whilst others proposed postural in vitro causes, this view was strengthened by the apparent coincidence of other congenital malformations (S. P. Kay 1998: 43–50). The biomechanics of the size of the maternal pelvic and the foetal shoulder size and their position during the delivery determine the extent of injury to the brachial plexus (Zafeiriou Psychogiou 2008: 235–242). Also intrauterine factors, such as abnormal intrauterine pressures arising from uterine anomalies causes obstetrical brachial plexus palsy at the time of pregnancy (Gherman et al. 1999: 1303–1307). Some authors have (ACKER et al. 1988: 389–392) also discussed the possible reasons as to why relatively few OBPP happens during vaginal deliveries without shoulder dystocia; their analysis shifted the focus of OBPP’s cause, away from those forces appl ied by the clinicians towards the endogenous maternal propulsive forces. Both maternal expulsive forces and uterine contractions together form the natural forces. obstetrical brachial plexus palsy may happen in case of caesarean section (Jennett et al. 1992: 1673–1677) or operative vaginal delivery (Alexander et al. 2006: 885–890) also due to forceful traction and manipulation by the obstetrician. The risk factors for brachial plexus palsies may be divided into four categories: neonatal (: Birth weight > 4000 gm,Macrosomia, Breech foetal position, Apgar score: (a) 1 min, (b) 5 min), maternal (Age, Body mass index, Gestational diabetes, Multiparity, Maternal pelvic anatomy), labor-related factors (Duration of second stage of labor, Labor management: (a) induction of labor; (b) oxytocin augment; (c) epidural analgesia, Shoulder dystocia , Mode of delivery: (a) vaginal; (b) vacuum or forceps) and Associated Injuries (Clavicular fracture) (Zafeiriou Psychogiou 2008: 235–242). Brachial plexus injury can be classified according to severity : avulsion, rupture, neuroma, and neurapraxia (S. M. Shenaq et al. 1998: 527–536). anatomical location: upper, intermediate, lower, and total plexus palsy (Sandmire DeMott 2000: 941–942). Upper plexus palsy involves C5, C6, and sometimes C7. Also called Erb’s palsy, it is the most common type of brachial plexus injury (Gilbert Abbott 1995). It presents with an adducted arm, which is internally rotated at the shoulder. The wrist is flexed, and the fingers are extended, resulting in the characteristic ‘waiter’s tip’ posture. Intermediate plexus palsy, involving C7 and sometimes C8 and T1, has been proposed by a few researchers (Zafeiriou Psychogiou 2008: 235–242). Lower plexus palsy involves C8 and T1. Also called Klumpke paralysis, it is very rare and accounts for Total plexus palsy involves C5-C8 and sometimes T1 (J. K. Terzis et al. 1986: 773) and is the second most common type of injury (Laurent et al. 1993: 197–203). It is the most devastating plexus injury: the infant is left with a clawed hand and a flaccid and insensate arm. There is a strong positive correlation between assisted deliveries and total brachial plexus palsy, which indicates that a more severe injury has occurred to the plexus (Michelow et al. 1994: 675–680). Narakas classified obstetrical brachial plexus lesions into four, based on the examination 2- 3 weeks after birth: Group I: C5-6; paralysis of shoulder and biceps. Group II: C5-7; paralysis of shoulder, biceps and forearm extensors. Group Ill: C5-T1, complete paralysis of limb. Group IV: C5-T1; as above with Homers syndrome (S. P. Kay 1998: 43–50). The majority of the patient (70%-95%) recovered completely within 3 to 4 months. Rest 5% patients were requiring conservative or surgical treatment according to extent and severity of injury. Physiotherapy and splinting are conservative treatment and nerve reconstruction, grafting, neurolysis, tendon transplantation procedures are in the surgical treatment. Many classifications and scoring systems for assessing function and predicting outcomes for children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy have been proposed. The most common and clinically useful measures used are mention below. British Medical Research Council Scale A number of methods have been used to describe or quantify motor function in children with OBPP.The British Medical Research Council (M R C ) system of manual muscle testing is the most recognized scale for the evaluation of strength for patients with peripheral nerve injuries. This test employs the use of limb segment positioning without and against gravity and the use of manual resistance to grade muscle strength on a 6-point scale (O = no contraction, 5 = normal power). The MRC scale as a measure of strength for infants with OBPP has been reported by a number of authors. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Gilbert and Tassin Scale Gilbert and Tassin have suggested a modified MRC scale for the evaluation of children with OBPP to account for the difficulties encountered in examining infants with manual resistance. The MO-M3 scale has been used as an outcome measure in some studies. This scale is limited in the ability to distinguish improvements in motor recovery however, as it has only one grade to classify partial movement. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Mallet Scale Mallet has described a method of evaluating children with OBPP based on the ability to perform functional positioning of the affected limb. With this classification, patients are asked to actively perform five different shoulder movements: abduction, external rotation, placing the hand behind the neck, placing the hand as high as possible on the spine, and placing the hand to the mouth. Each shoulder movement is subsequently graded on a scale of I (no movement) to V (normal motion that is symmetric with that on the contralateral, unaffected side). Although utilized as an outcome measure by a number of authors. This system can only be used with a cooperative, older child. This scale is not suitable for use with infants. It has an excellent intra-observer reliability of kappa= 0.76 and an inter-observer reliability of kappa = 0.78 in this patients. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). The Active Movement Scale The Active Movement Scale is an eight-grade ordinal scale that was co-developed by the candidate and the head of the Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) for the specific purpose of evaluating infants (newborn to one year of age) with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. This tool is used to quantify upper extremity strength by observing spontaneous, active movement both without and against gravity. Each movement is scored on a scale of 0 to 7. The fifteen movements include shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, shoulder adduction, shoulder internal rotation, shoulder external rotation, elbow flexion, elbow extension, forearm pronation, forearm supination, wrist flexion, wrist extension, digital flexion, digital extension, thumb flexion, and thumb extension. The use of this scale for clinical and scientific evaluation has been reported in a number of publications. It has an excellent intra-observer reliability of kappa= 0.85 and an inter-observer reliability of kappa = 0.66 in this patients. It has established good psychometric properties in this population. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Gilbert and Raimondi scale Elbow flexion was graded by the system of Gilbert and Raimondi which ranges from 0 (paralysis) to 5 (complete active flexion and extension). Function of the hand was graded from 0 (paralysis) to 5 in which there is complete active flexion and extension of the wrist and fingers, strong intrinsic muscle function and active pronation and supination in excess of 90Â °, as described by Raimondi (Birch et al. 2005: 1089–1095). This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Toronto Test Score: Michelow et al. proposed the Toronto Test Score to quantify upper-extremity function and to predict recovery in infants with brachial plexus birth palsy9. With this scoring system, patients are prompted to actively flex the elbow and extend the elbow, wrist, fingers, and thumb. Each of these five movements is then graded on a scale of 0 (no motion) to 2 (normal full motion), and the sum of the values determines the aggregate, or total, Toronto Test Score (maximum, 10 points). The Toronto Test Score was designed to predict outcome in patients with brachial plexus birth palsy. It has an excellent intra-observer reliability of kappa= 0.73 and an inter-observer reliability of kappa = 0.51 in this patients. This scale falls within the body functions and structures domain of ICF (Ho et al. 2012). Literature Review: Julia K. Terzis and Kokkalis (2008) conducted a retrospective study to see the effect of primary and secondary shoulder reconstruction in obstetric brachial plexus palsy. 96children with OBPP were recruited in the study. 30 cases underwent primary reconstruction alone, 37 underwent both primary and secondary procedures, and 31 late cases underwent only palliative surgery. From this population, 23 cases were diagnosed with classic Erb’s palsy, 22 cases with Erb’s palsy and C7 involvement and 53 cases with global palsy (C5-T1). British Medical Research Council grading system and modified Mallet scale were used as outcome measures. The mean follow-up period was 6.7 years. Significant improvement was seen in the entire population according to modified Mallet scale and mean score improved from 8.8 points (range, 6-19 points) preoperatively to 20.9 points (range, 13-24 points) postoperatively (p They used large population. The inclusion criteria was not proper. They used long follow up period. There can be selection bias present. Nehme et al. (2002) conducted a retrospective study to see the prediction of outcome in upper root injuries in OBPP. 30 children with unilateral upper obstetrical brachial plexus injuries were recruited in this study. The age of this group was between 1 week and 2 months. The mean follow-up was 14 years. Each child was examined every month in the first year and every 3 months in the second year. Mallet scale was used to assess the functional recovery and classification of Tassin was used to assess the muscle power. Result showed that three patients had achieved a ‘‘good recovery’’, at 3 months and 12 patients had made a ‘‘good recovery’’ at 9 months with conventional physical therapy. The best predictor of outcome was elbow flexion at 9 months with 13% error, and not 3 months with 36% error rate for brachial plexus reconstruction. A ‘‘good result’’ at final assessment was predicted by the recovery of M2 elb ow flexion at 3 months (Student t-test: P Bisinella and Birch (2003) conducted a prospective study with 74 children with OBPP to see the incident of recovery. The mean age of children was 3.2 months and follow up period was two years. Mallet scale and Gilbert scale used for shoulder function, Gilbert and Raimondi scale used for elbow function and Raimondi’s system used for measuring hand function. Patients underwent to conventional or surgical intervention according to severity. Result showed that very good recovery in 39 cases, useful arm with residual deficit in 29 cases, some function in 4 cases and very poor result in 2 cases. Mallet scale is not appropriate for this age of children. They used large population. Methodology was not good. Grossman et al. (2004) conducted a prospective study to assess the shoulder function following late neurolysis and bypass grafting for upper brachial plexus birth injury. 11 children in age from 9 to21 months were recruited in the study. Modified Gilbert system used for measuring shoulder function. All patients were followed for 2 or more years. In spite of some limitation, modified Gilbert system is accepted as a reliable outcome measure following surgery. Significant improvement was seen in all patients. Sample size was too small. Methodology was not explained properly. Inclusion criteria was not mention properly. Birch et al. (2005) conducted a prospective study to see the improvement after repair of obstetric brachial plexus palsy. 100 children were recruited in the study. Operation was advised when poor clinical recovery was matched by unfavourable neurophysiological predictions. The mean duration of follow-up was 85 months. Gilbert’s system and mallet system was used to assess shoulder and Gilbert and Raimondi system used to assess elbow. Result showed that good improvement was obtained in 33% of repairs of C5, in 55% of C6, in 24% of C7 and in 57% of operations on C8 and T1. Discussion: The debate whether and when to operate on OBPP is still active because it is difficult to predict the natural history for recovery of nerve lesions, because this depends on the severity of the injury (stretch, rupture, avulsion) and on the levels of injury (partial or total plexus lesion). The challenge now lay in deciding which children would recover spontaneously, and which would need direct nerve surgery to aid their progress. Some author proposed three indications for surgery; complete palsy with flail arm and Horners syndrome; complete C5 C6 palsy without muscle contraction by 3 months and with a negative EMG (often, they say, corresponding to a complete root avulsion); and C5 C6 palsy with no recovery in biceps at 3 months (biceps alone is chosen because examination of deltoid to the exclusion of pectoralis major is difficult at this age). Zancolli and Zancollf suggested that for each level of involvement of the plexus there was a different key muscle to consider as an indicato r for direct nerve surgery. For the upper plexus the key muscle was biceps and deltoid, whilst for the middle plexus it was triceps and for the lower plexus, the finger flexors and thumb extensors. In general the decision about surgery in their recommendations is delayed until between 6 or 8 months when absence of clinical or electrophysiological signs of recovery in key muscles, or the cessation of recovery at a value of M2 or less on the British Muscle Movement Scale indicated the likelihood of poor spontaneous recovery and an indication for direct nerve surgery. According to literature review, Julia K. Terzis and Kokkalis (2008) proposed that early plexus reconstruction (

navy seals Essay -- essays research papers

SO YOU WANT TO BE A NAVY SEAL? From Sea, Air, and Land, the U.S. Navy Seal Teams are the most feared and respected commando forces in the U.S military if not the world. The Seal Teams are the most elite and highly trained forces on the face of the earth. President John F. Kennedy formed the teams in 1962 as a seagoing counterpart to the U.S Army Special Forces. Most Seal missions are unreported and unknown to the general public. The Seals are trained to operate in small units, one or two men, or a platoon consisting of sixteen or more men. Not all Seal teams are made for everyone, in fact 80% of the men who attempt to become one, fail or will drop out. To become a Seal you must have dedication, hardwork, and a lot of commitment. The process of becoming a seal is broken down into three different phases, Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3. â€Å"The first phase starts with a bang and ends with a boom,† says Travis Schweizer, a twenty-three year-old Seal. Phase 1 consists of a two and three-mile timed run, physical training, one to two mile ocean swims, and a gut burning obstacle course. These items are a part of everyday delight for these men. Phase 1 lasts for approximately eight weeks and that is only if you do not get set back. The First five weeks the student’s learn life saving, knot tying, underwater knot tying, basic first aid, and surf passages in small inflatable boats. Along with this is a 50-yard underwater swim, which must be completed and the students are often revived when they pass out. Also throughout out the whole six months of BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition School), the Seal Teams go through many torturous events and lessons. One of these being surf torture. This is where the entire class must wade into the surf zone to their waistline, then sit down with arms linked. Just to let you know the water in Coronado, California never gets above sixty-eight degrees during the summer and fifty-eight degrees during the winter. There the men with linked arms will sit there for hours at a time, soon the cold sucks out all of their body warmth and the whole class is shivering in unison as the waves crash over there heads. After this the men will find themselves doing hours of calisthenics to warm up, only to go back in the cold water for a few more hours. This is a very effective way to teach a potential Seal to mentally resist the effects of hypothermia,... ...o the students who are in SEAL training, but have not yet completed all 3 phases). The twenty or so men who graduate with stern faces and hardened bodies, show little resemblance to the wide eyed kids who arrived on the quarter-deck six and half months earlier to set sail on the journey of a lifetime. The moment of reflection and rest is short lived though. For now it is off to jump school, then assigned to a Seal team on the East or West Coast. Once on the Seal Team, it becomes clear that training has just begun. From now on they must prove worthy of wearing the coveted â€Å"Trident† Naval Warfare emblem. Once at Jump School these determined men will now start learning the proper techniques of jumping out of a perfectly good plane. This is known as Post BUD/s training. This is a thirty-week course that teaches you everything you need to know about war combat, and jumping techniques.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though grueling and tedious, the rewards for hard work and studying are priceless. You leave the military with a whole new meaning of life. To be able to protect your friends, family, and country is an honor that anyone should be able to enjoy.

Inaccurate Portrayal of the Dinosaur Face :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

Inaccurate Portrayal of the Dinosaur Face As time goes on, Paleontologists discover more and more fossil remains, and with that more and more information about dinosaurs. Yet even with the great deal of fossils that have been discovered in the past century, scientists are still forced to make educated guesses about certain dinosaur behaviors, traits, and appearance. Dr. Lawrence Witmer’s recent research addresses this issue. Dr. Witmer argues that the fleshy nostril of dinosaurs lies in a different place than has been assumed and portrayed for over the last one hundred years. Dr. Witmer’s discovery was published in the August issue of Science magazine in 2001 and may change how we envision dinosaurs forever. Movies like â€Å"Jurassic Park† and the BBC’s â€Å"Walking with Dinosaurs† portray dinosaurs with fleshy nostrils which lie very high on their head. Not only in popular media is this true but in sculptures, kids’ books and scholarly journals. How could so many scientists have been wrong for so long? Very easily. When a dinosaur fossil is discovered it has an extremely large nasal cavity in its skull, sometimes several feet in length. Since flesh does not preserve all too well over the course of millions of years, paleontologists have been forced to make an educated guess as to where the fleshy nostril lies within the larger nasal cavity. Since the 1880’s scientists assumed that the nostril existed near the top of the head. The reason for this is that when sauropods (long necked dinosaurs) were discovered, it was thought that they must live under water in order to avoid crushing themselves under their own weight. This would explain their long necks. It would also follow that the fleshy nostril would be near the top of the head so the creatures could breathe easily while their bodies were under water. Even after it was realized these dinosaurs did not live under the water, the idea that the fleshy nostril existed near the top of the head persisted. The idea was also spread to most other dinosaurs that were discovered thereafter. Perhaps you have noticed this in a drawing or movie, that Tyrannosaurus Rex’s large nostrils do not lie in the front of his face but instead halfway up his head. Witmer believes his years of research with his â€Å"DinoNose† project prove that dinosaurs’ fleshy nostrils actually exist on the front end of the nasal cavity instead of the back end as was once believed.

Imagery in Ode to the West Wind by P.B.Shelley Essay

Ode to the West Wind is a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley that shows the correspondence between the inner and the outer world of the poet. It is among his famous poems. The major theme of the poem is the poet’s intention to become a force that may bring the change and rejuvenation in man’s life. This theme is metaphorically shown by the rejuvenation of nature through the west wind as an agent. It is described through his excellent use of imagery in it. One may examine the excellence in the usage of imagery through the way it progresses from the beginning till the end.The poem commences with the imagery of the earth, shifting its attention to the air, then moving towards the water, and finally ending at the fire. Thus, the west wind affects all the four elements of the universe: earth, air, fire and water. All these images are conjured up in one thing-the poet-prophet figure. Before discussing these four imageries, it is necessary, at first, to discuss the symbol of the west wind itself. The west wind symbolizes a force, may be of the God or Christ like figure or of any powerful might that could dominate even the most powerful elements-earth, air, fire, and water. The speaker wants to be both the west wind itself and the objects the west wind spreads. The poet wants himself to be that force so that he may bring some revolution among the mankind. As Shelley says: â€Å"†¦Be thou, Spirit fierce, My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one!† Also, the way in which the west wind carries leaves, seeds, ashes and sparks, he wants himself and his thoughts to be the objects to be spread: â€Å"If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear; If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee; A wave to pant beneath thy power, and share The impulse of thy strength, only less free Than thou, O uncontrollable!† This unique technique of the structure of the imagery used makes the poem Shelley’s masterpiece. At first, there comes the imagery of the earth. The earth is mostly associated with the femininity-fertility, rebirth, and stability. The juxtaposing of west wind blowing over the entire earth represents the speaker’s desire to recreate and scatter his words. The major imageries related to this theme are the ‘dead leaves’ and the ‘winged seeds’. Both the dead leaves and the winged seeds together show the cyclicality of life on earth. At the outset, the power of the west wind stirs the earth by blowing its leaves. They are shown to scatter in such a way as if they are escaping from an enchanter ‘like ghosts’. This symbolizes the speaker’s inability to control his emotions that carry his message of reform and revolution. Further, the leaves are not the simple leaves but the ‘dead leaves’ with different colors like â€Å"Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red†. This is a visual imagery to arouse the sensual expression of these emotions in the reader. The poet’s thoughts are like the leaves with different ideologies, beliefs and, ideas. The leaves are shown dead because the poet’s thoughts have become dead due to his growing age. By showing this imagery the poet wants to say that his thoughts too have become pale and dead and need some force that may derive them like the leaves. After that this imagery of leaves evolves to the imagery of seeds the ‘winged seeds’. Since his thoughts have become pale and hectic red due to the growing age, he wants the rebirth of his emotions just like the winged seeds. West wind plants seeds in the ground during autumn and when the spring comes the buds grow out of them. They are buried like a corpse in the grave. His thoughts have become the corpse. Now it is the time of their fertility. Thus, we may note Shelley’s skill in showing the birth, life, and decay of his thoughts like the leaves that now need the rebirth like seeds. The poem then progresses to the imagery of second element, the air. The air is the source of communication because it carries thoughts far away. The wind shows its power over the air, too. Due to the west wind the air becomes more powerful which shakes the clouds. As a result rain and lightening is produced. They are the symbol of inspiration and creativity. Even as they destroy, they encourage new life and hope as well. Thus, all these details and descriptions of the imagery of air create a sensory experience of the poet’s inspiration for the creation of such a poetry that may go far beyond his reach and bring the change and revolution far and wide. The next imagery evolves to the third element, the water. Water is associated with the ability to feel and intuition to know. He wants to be closely connected to the west wind’s power over water as well. The West Wind awakens the sea that itself is highly violent. Sea has destroyed many great civilizations with its power. But still the west wind dominates it as well. It influences the water not only at its surface level but also deep inside the sea. Like west wind’s power over the deep sea the speaker requests his thoughts to be found not superficially but deep in the hearts of people. Thus, Shelley uses water as his primary source of poetic inspiration. Shelley shows the representation of natural power versus human power, natural mortality versus human mortality, natural freedom versus human freedom, and natural transformation versus human transformation in stanza 4. The poet’s purpose of describing such imagery is to show, what T.S Eliot calls, the ‘objective correlative’, or ‘objective equivalence’ of his emotions. It is through the powers of west wind that he is capable of describing the emotions in a more pictorial form. Finally,the poet describes the imagery of the fourth element, the fire. The fire is usually the image of hopelessness, destruction and death. This is the reason most of the people interpret the poem as the speaker’s lamentation over his inability to directly reach people. However, it works as the preserver as well. The fire is immediate in its action thus represents action orientation. There are only three images related to the fire-hearth, ashes and sparks. Since hearth is a controllable fire, it might be the case that the poet wanted West Wind or his emotions to be controlled not fleeing ‘like ghosts’. The poet compares his thoughts to the ashes and sparks of hearth. In most of the cultures, there is the fifth element as well which describes something which is beyond the material world. Shelley employs this fifth element as well in his ode. This fifth element for Shelley is the soul, or the spirit of a poet-prophet figure here metaphorically described as the ‘West Wind’. The west wind is the fifth element that dominates other four elements-earth, air, fire and water. Shelley is able to indulge in wish-thinking without seeming to and, at the same time, he can strengthen the virtue of hope in himself. The poem ends optimistically with an image of spring lurking behind the shroud of winter: â€Å"If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind ?† Thus Ode To The West Wind expresses the ardour and aspirations of Shelley, conveyed through the profuse use of images, in rapid and spontaneous flow.The images are drawn , both from the world of reality as well as from the world of abstract imagination.Thus Shelley’s revolutionary idealism is portrayed through the powerful images and impestuous rhythm of his lines.

Human Memory Model Essay

What is the Human Memory Model? Do you know where your thoughts and memories go? We are going to look at the three different memory types. What makes them up and how they function. Developing short and long term memories is something that is a long term project. We do not fill our cerebral cortex with all the knowledge and memories overnight. In this paper we are going to look at the human memory model. What makes us process thoughts into memories, process things we see, hear, feel, taste and smell into memories. We are going to look at short term memory, long term memory and sensory memory types. These different types of memory models make up the structural and functional model of memory. First we look at sensory memory this is like the safety deposit box of the memory bank. Sensory memory is the processing of brief sensations that occur through the five senses. They are briefly stored in your short term memory bank. If you enter a room that has a not so pleasant smell your brain is processing this in your short term memory. You may remember the room itself, but not necessarily the smell. Sensory memory only sticks around while the stimulus is also around. Certain instances can help recall the memories like an emotional memory, the stronger the emotion, the stronger the memory. Short term memory is also referred to as working memory, the combination of transient sensory memory and extensive long term memory. New material comes in and mashes with the old information, and is managed as a working process. Not all short term thoughts get put into our long term memory vault. Some methods of retaining information are called chunking. We process letters, numbers and thoughts by grouping into chunks of seven. Phone numbers are a good example of this, two groups of three digits and one group of four digits. Maybe this is why phone numbers are formatted this way, so we can remember so many different sets of phone numbers. If you make a call one time, you may not remember that number ever again. But placing this call multiple times will store the digits in your long term memory bank. (Editorial Board, 2011 p. g. 124) With this we move right into long term memory, long term memory is something we need to work at day after day. If you are trying to study for a test, it is best to study a little bit at a time every day, cramming is not recommended. You are not supplying your brain enough repetition to store information in your long term memory bank. This method of learning has been proven over time in many ways. Episodic memories are something you experience or an event in your life. Semantic memories are items of memory that you learned at some point in your life. Items that are told to you or you read about. Learning with your semantic memory still requires repetition for it to be stored in your long term memory bank. You must listen to someone speak and understand what they are saying before you will remember it. You cannot simply just stare at them and hear what they are saying. Your undivided attention is required. Explicit and Implicit memories are described as bringing information forward for recall. Implicit memory is brought forward automatically without intentional conscious recall. Whereas, explicit memories are brought forth through conscious recall. You use explicit memories to remember family and friends birthdays or mundane information that you learned in grade school. You need to recall this information to bring it back to the surface; where implicit memories are the ones that we never forget like riding a bike or driving a car. Retrospective memory is items of information that have already been presented and stored in the long term memory bank. Prospective memory is future information such as a grocery store list without writing the needed items down. Without making the list, you could walk into the grocery store and ask yourself, â€Å"why am I here†? But with retrospective memory you could recall that your kids ran out of milk at breakfast and not everyone could have cereal. So now you remember that your list included milk. Prospective emory may spark your memory for other items that you need to get. Encoding is the initial process of recording and identifying information. Three types of codes help to make memories acoustic, visual and semantic. Acoustic code is sound, some sounds recall memories. The sound of the ocean might give you a joyful memory of your childhood. There are also sounds that might bring up bad memories, like a gun shot. When thinking of a gunshot you recall a traumatic experience where two law enforcement officers are trying to apprehend a suspect. When you arrive they are all three wrestling on the ground. Now that the law enforcement officers are fighting and shouting at the suspect, you have to try to remember who is saying what and who pulls their gun out first. Then the gunshot happens and suddenly your mind goes blank. When other officers arrive you are expected to recall what has just happened and make a statement. However, the situation was so traumatizing that you only remember two details of the scene. Visual memories are much the same, as when you see the space where this event took place you are remembering the details of the event some years later. Semantic memories understand the relationship between signifiers such as words, phrases, signs and symbols. This is what you would learn while attending school and living in mainstream America. You brain stores all of this information like a flash drive, when you want to restore this information you simply full the file and remember. (LeMee & Shaw, 1997) (Editorial Board, 2011 p. g. 121) Now where do you think all of these memories go? They must all be stored somewhere right? Of course, the information is stored in the limbric system, which includes the hippocampus and the amygdala. The hippocampus is responsible for transferring the short term memory into long term memories. The amygdala is responsible for linking emotions and memories. The hippocampus acts as the neurological message system, passing along information from long term storage in the cerebral cortex. Different parts of the hippocampus are thought to be involved in different activities, such as consolidation of spatial memories. The amygdala provides a means of retrieval by pairing emotions in an event with the memory of the event. The hippocampus and amygdala are very important functions in the brain they are certainly not the only functions. (Editorial Board, 2011 p. g. 119) The brain is a very complex organ. It is the most important organ besides the heart in the human body. Without the brain, your quality of life would be awful. Brain injuries are all too common where a hit to the head in just the right place can take away all your short term memory. This could leave you with the ability to not retain any new memories. You should always protect your brain, especially the cerebral cortex which stores all your memories.

A Critique of Chinua Achebe’s “An Image of Africa” Essay

â€Å"Certainly Conrad appears to go to considerable pains to set up layers of insulation between himself and the moral universe of his history. He has, for example, a narrator behind a narrator. The primary narrator is Marlow but his account is given to us through the filter of a second, shadowy person. But if Conrad’s intention is to draw a cordon sanitaire between himself and the moral and psychological malaise of his narrator his care seems to me totally wasted because he neglects to hint however subtly or tentatively at an alternative frame of reference by which we may judge the actions and opinions of his characters.† Although Achebe recognizes Conrad’s use of multiple narrators, he dismisses any intention on Conrad’s part of utilizing the narrators to introduce psychological depth in Heart of Darkness. I believe, however, that Conrad’s full objective was to establish a moral and existential tone in his novella; he accomplished this by incorpo rating a second narrator. Conrad introduces the narrator and his surrounding characters as they navigate the Thames River. As the narrator describes Marlow and the other Seamen the reader begins to question where Marlow stands in this social hierarchy. Conrad thus establishes a tone of uncertainty in the credibility and morality of both Marlow and the narrator. The entire novella is a retelling of Marlow’s tales in Africa, years after they had occurred, which leaves the extent of Marlow’s exaggeration and embellishment of his story up for question. 2. Disagree â€Å"Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked† Achebe is not reading Conrad’s work on a symbolic level rather he superficially judges parts of the novella as racist. The novella Heart of Darkness is not a racial slur, nor is it an insulting depiction of the people of Africa in any way. It is an examination of the false pretenses the Europeans held over their assumed benevolent work in Africa. The purpose of Marlow’s story was to show the adverse effects of imperialism on white European tradesmen. Conrad is thus in no way a racist, as he set out to depict the malice of Europeans during this time period. He uses his experiences in the Congo during King Leopold of Belgium’s tyranny to show the malevolence greed instills in mankind. 3. Disagree â€Å"Africa as a metaphysical battlefield devoid of all recognizable humanity, into which the wandering European enters at his peril. . . . . Can nobody see the preposterous and perverse arrogance in thus reducing Africa to the role of props for the break-up of one petty European mind? But that is not even the point. The real question is the dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this age-long attitude has fostered and continues to foster in the world. And the question is whether a novel which celebrates this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race, can be called a great work of art.† Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a great work of art; is it a symbolic delineation of Western covetousness and the effects materialism has on mankind. Africa is not meant to be â€Å"devoid of all recognizable humanity.† Africa is a setting which could be moved anywhere white Europeans use phony moral objectives to carry out their greed. The novella is not specific to Africa but, is a representation of the degradation of man when he works on fake moral grounds. It is for that very reason that Conrad begins his novella with Marlow’s recount of man’s historical occupations -including Roman and British sieges- and the darkness that follows all acts of greed. 4. Disagree Unfortunately his heart of darkness plagues us still. Which is why an offensive and deplorable book can be described by a serious scholar as â€Å"among the half dozen greatest short novels in the English language.† Although Achebe’s defensive view is reasonable as he is of African descent and feels affronted by the opinion he believes Conrad holds, he misses the overall meaning of the novella. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is not a plague, nor should it be regretted. This novella gave insight into the shameful acts committed by Europeans in search of fame and fortune. Heart of Darkness is not a slander on the African people; it is the exposure of European cruelty and man’s madness derived from greed and feeling empowered over another. 5. Disagree â€Å"I am talking about a book which parades in the most vulgar fashion prejudices and insults from which a section of mankind has suffered untold agonies and atrocities in the past and continues to do so in many ways and many places today. I am talking about a story in which the very humanity of black people is called in question.† Humanity is questioned in Heart of Darkness but, Achebe fails to realize Conrad’s intention. Achebe focuses primarily on the depiction of the Africans in this novella and disregards the contempt Conrad holds for the imperialists. Conrad’s objective was to unmask the â€Å"prejudices and insults from which a section of mankind has suffered untold agonies and atrocities† but, not in the â€Å"vulgar fashion† Achebe describes. The humanity of Europeans is instead called in question. Conrad had witnessed firsthand how the Europeans pillaged and devastated African communities and used his experiences to illustrate the obscen ity of imperialism. 6. Disagree â€Å"As a sensible man I will not accept just any traveler’s tales solely on the grounds that I have not made the journey myself. I will not trust the evidence even off man’s very eyes when I suspect them to be as jaundiced as Conrad’s. And we also happen to know that Conrad was, in the words of his biographer, Bernard C. Meyer, â€Å"notoriously inaccurate in the rendering of his own history.† In fiction it is often the author’s idiosyncratic perspective that makes a story intriguing. Factual recounting does not arrive in a fictional book. Whether Conrad’s portrayal of imperialism in Africa was entirely accurate or an embellished version of his own existential struggles, Heart of Darkness was a landmark piece for his time period. The atrocities committed during European imperialism were not a subject of conversation but, Conrad helped to bring the issues to the surface. Conrad did not aim to offend the people of Africa; he intended to expo se the Europeans of their veiled immorality.

Box Man

1. Meaning Ascher states her main idea towards the end of the essay. – The Box Man chooses solitude, and he also confirms the essential aloneness of human being. She also demonstres that we can â€Å"find solice† within ourselves. Ascher leads up to and supports her idea with three examples – the box man chooses loneliness, and in contrast the two women whose loneliness seems unchosen. She supports these choices with specific details from Ascher’s observations – here is where you give details. 2. Purpose and audienceAscher seems to have written her essay for two interlocking reasons: to show and thus explain that solitude need not always be lonely and to argue gently for defeating loneliness by becoming one’s own friend. In choosing the Box Man as her main example, she reveals perhaps a third purpose as well – to convince readers that a homeless person can have dignity and may achieve a measure of self satisfaction lacking in some peop le who do have homes. Ascher seems to assume that her readers, like her are people with homes, people to whom the Box man and his life might seem completely foreign.She comments on his slow shuffle, mysterious discrimination among boxes, his blistered legs and how miserable his life looks. Building from this assumption that her readers will find the Box Man strange, Ascher takes pains to show the dignity of the Box man – his grand design for furniture, his resemblance to commuters, his grandmotherly finger lings and his refusal for handouts. Ascher also assumes some familiarity with literature – and she chooses female figures to illustrate this – all outcasts of society.Finally, Ascher seems to address people who are familiar with, if not actually residents of, New York cite: she refers to a New York street address, a New York subway line (IRT), and the Daily News- a NY paper. However readers that do not know the literature Archer cites, who do not know NYC are still likey to understand and appreciate Ascher’s main point.3. Method and Structure – Ascher’s primary support for her idea consist of three examples – specific instances of solitary people. It allows her to show contrasting responses  to solitude: one person who seems to choose it and two people who don’t. She develops the examples with description vividly portraying the Box Man and the two women. (cite here) Ascher uses division or analysis to take apart the elements of her three character’s lives, and she relies on comparison and contrast to show the differences between the Box Man the other two – (cite examples )While using many methods to develop her idea, Ascher keeps her organization fairly simple. She doesn’t not begin with a formal introduction or thesis statement but instead starts right off with her main examples, the inspiration for her idea. In the first seven paragraphs she narrates and describes the Box manâ⠂¬â„¢s activities. Then she explains what appeals to her about circumstances like the Box man’s and she applies those thought to what she imagines are his thought. Ascher contrasts the Box man and two other solitary people, whose lives she sees as different form his. Finally she returns to the Box Man and zeroes in on her main ides.4. Language  Ascher uses specific language to portray her three examples – she shows them to us – and lets us know what she thinks about them. For instance, the language changes for the depiction of the Box Man to the next to the last paragraph on solitude. â€Å"The Box Man comes to life in warms terms: (show examples) Ascher watches him with â€Å"silent fervor† he seems â€Å"dogged by luck† he sits with â€Å"slow care† he open the newspaper with â€Å"ease† In contrast, isolation comes across as a desperate state: â€Å"bland stares,† â€Å"strangers† â€Å"exile† .The contrast in language helps to emphasize Ascher point about the individuals ability to find comfort in solitude.In describing the two other solitary people who evidently have not found comfort in aloneness – Ascher uses words that emphasize the heaviness of time and the sterility of existence. The first woman â€Å"drags† her meals out and crumbles crackers between â€Å"dry fingers†. She lacks even the trinkets of attachment – a gold charm bracelet with picture of grandchildren. The wife with â€Å"her hair in a gray page boy,† the three blond daughters† – emphasizes the probable absence of such scenes in the woman’s own life.Ascher occasionally uses incomplete sentences or fragments to stress the accumulation of details or the quickness of her impressions. Paragraph 10  and 18 (cite examples from them) both of these incomplete sentences gain emphases for Parallelism, the use of similar grammatical for ideas of equal importance. Althou gh incomplete sentences can be unclear, these and others in Ascher’s essay are clear and she uses them deliberately and carefully.

China, India, and Wal-Mart: Issues of Price, Quality, and Sourcing Essay

1. What are the ethical issues associated with Wal-Mart’s extensive sourcing of low-cost products from China? Wal-Mart pricing is too low. As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart leverages its huge orders to convince factories to sell goods at low prices that are not sustainable. This puts pressure on other brands to pay less, thereby setting a dangerous industry precedent. According to Correspondent Hedrick Smith: â€Å"We heard that story again and again from American manufacturers in sectors as diverse as electronics, apparel, bicycles, furniture, and textiles. They expressed private dismay at the relentless pressure from the likes of Wal-Mart and Target to cut costs to the bone in America and then, when that did not satisfy the mass retailers, more pressure to move production to China or elsewhere offshore. But most did not dare to go on camera and tell their story publicly for fear of jeopardizing their remaining sales to Wal-Mart.† (Smith) Another ethical issue is safety of the products we receive and the working conditions of the outsourced employees. From the Wal-Mart routinely turns a blind eye to poor conditions in supplier factories unless investigations are made public. â€Å"Retailer admits fire safety aspects are not adequately covered in ethical sourcing audits†. (Yardley) Wal-Mart needs more transparent ethical sourcing efforts. â€Å"Wal-Mart buys more than $1 billion in garments from Bangladesh each year, attracted by the country’s $37-a-month minimum wage, the lowest in the world.†(Yardley) 2. Based on your experience, does Wal-Mart sacrifice product quality in order to offer customers low prices  ¾ always? Yes. I don’t really shop at Wal-Mart anymore. I don’t believe the price you pay is for a quality product. I would rather save up my money and buy it from another retailer with a good reputation. I believe in the saying â€Å"You get what you pay for†. I have a problem with how they treat employees and when you go in the stores these days there are definite operation issues: Customers and analysts have noticed the operational problems in the stores, Wal-Mart associates have felt the impact most acutely. In the first national independent poll of Wal-Mart associates, conducted by Lake Research Partners in May and June of 2011, concerns about staffing levels were broadly cited by associates among top three things they would change with the company, after higher pay and more respect on the job. Among the other findings: * Nearly  ¾ say understaffing has created problems such as stock-outs, messy stores and poor customer service; * In contrast to company statements regarding high levels of employee satisfaction, 84% say they would take a better job if they could find one *  ½ say they are living paycheck to paycheck; only 14% describe their household as living comfortably. Across the country the reductions in staffing have translated into significantly increased workloads. A few examples convey the scale of the changes: * An associate in the electronics department in Southern California: â€Å"There used to be four or five people in consumer electronics at any given time, now it’s one or two;† * An associate in overnight stocking in Southern California: â€Å"I used to do five pallets a night, now they say I have to do 12;† * A former assistant manager in Seattle: â€Å"Our store used to have about 600 employees, now it’s about 350.† (Marshall) What advice would you give to critics of Wal-Mart in order to enhance their impact on the company? To enhance their impact on governmental and regulatory agencies? To enhance their impact on society in general? I can’t seem to think of anything or in my research, it has all been negative. I would love to hear what others in our class had to say on this subject and the problem lies that I am not a fan either.