Thursday, October 31, 2019

Evaluation of DHS's Ethics, Cooperation, Leadership, and Legal Research Paper

Evaluation of DHS's Ethics, Cooperation, Leadership, and Legal Decisions - Research Paper Example Investigations by the DHS are still ongoing, while other stakeholders in the incident representing the government have taken preventive measures. For example, Mungin & Brady (2013) write that Connecticut governor, Dannel Malloy signed a law increasing the number of guns banned by the state. In addition, background checks are to be conducted on all gun purchases, and schools allocated 15 million U.S dollars to improve their security. Parents of the murdered children, as well as other residents of Connecticut welcomed the law and called for tougher regulations to curb illegal gun possession (Mungin & Brady, 2013). On 16th April 2013, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston marathon, killing three people and injuring 100 others. Two brothers were suspected of being behind the bombings and one is in custody, while the other was shot dead in a shootout with police, when the latter were looking for the suspect. According to Homeland Security (2013), Mr. McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, the two brothers appear to have received help in planning the attack. The sophistication of the devices used and the timing of the attack led to this conclusion. Accordingly, investigations into the attack cover areas outside the U.S, particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan. On its part, the federal government pledged to get to the bottom of the matter, but president Obama avoided terming the attacks as â€Å"terrorism†. To the public, a day of celebrations turned tragic, especially considering that the marathoners had paid tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting at the beginning of the race. According to the Center for Public Integrity’s article by Fred Schulte on â€Å"ATF’s struggle to close down firearm dealers† (2013), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) does a shoddy job inspecting dealers. Apparently, ATF inspectors may delay to inspect a dealer for as long as eight years and when they do, the inspection is not thorough enough. In cases where inspectors find dealers to have violated gun laws and revoke the dealer’s licenses, the latter usually appeals revocation. This process drags in the courts for years and meanwhile, dealers pass their business over to relatives or turn them into â€Å"personal† collection, which does not require background checks. Probably, this is the reason why people like Adam Lanza owned guns capable of killing more than 26 people in 5 minutes. There is no telling how many more people own guns illegally, and how safe the U.S citizens are. A second article by Berlow on â€Å"current gun debate may not help beleaguered ATF† addresses how the congress has played a role in ATF’s failure to control weapon use, particularly in conducting investigations. It also addresses the fact that the agency lacks funds to run operations smoothly. In addition, the current laws are too weak to recognize the role of TF in cases involving gun trafficking. Leadership influences The leadership of DHS is hierarchical in structure, headed by the Secretary of Homeland Security, who is appointed by the President, with the consent of the senate. The Deputy Secretary comes second, followed by Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries who head different departments. This style of leadership allows for the formation of mechanism to assess risks, and allocate funds for countering terrorism.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Use academic literture and to apply theory in examining a chosen Essay

Use academic literture and to apply theory in examining a chosen ethical or social marketing issue - Essay Example Therefore, marketing managers have the responsibility of ensuring that they reduce advertisements that encourage underage drinking (Mohan, 2009, pg 27). This can be done by creating public awareness of the dangers of alcohol consumption. They should set out well-coordinated efforts aimed at reducing underage drinking by fostering mature and responsible drinking habits to adults Panda (2010) defines advertisement a mass communication medium; thus, require managers to exercise social responsibility. The marketing managers are required to provide correct information about the products and services that they promote (Andreasen, 2011, pg29). This is critical in giving consumer adequate information to make correct choices. Understanding the responsibility towards the public is critical since it has a positive and negative consequences. Imperatively, the consumers’ protection groups and government provide criticism on advertisements. In many cases, they base their arguments on companys manipulative and deceptive reasons (Panda, 2010,pg37). Many consumers focus their attention on the environmental and social effect of advertisements. Other concerned with the commercial clutter, offensiveness, stereotypes, and value system. For instances, labels designed for alcoholic beverages in retail places have pictures of an older person and not children to avoid allur ing the youth and children. Marketing managers have the responsibility of ensuring that their advertisements meet the ethical norms. In essence, they need to ensure that the messages do not harm the political, social, and morals standards in the society (Lamb, 2011, pg8). Ethical advertisements are those that have limits on decency, does not lie, and don’t make false claims. It can be observed that many advertisements are exaggerative. The sole reasons for marketing managers are to increase their sales. Many are forced to make a false representation by presenting colorful, decorated, and

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Most Important Issues Facing British Society

Most Important Issues Facing British Society Ever since the 1880, immigrants came to Britain to flee from various reasons such as poverty, religious persecution, and other different social reasons. Britain was the worlds largest market for transportation of human lives. Now, Britain offers LGBT rights, Black rights, and other minority rights that most countries lack. Moreover, it also offers health care benefit for anyone living inside Britain. Lastly, it is a safe haven for refugees to seek for asylum. As a result, Britain has received more immigrants and asylum seekers than any other countries in the European Union. There immigrants come from countries in many different parts of the world including Afghanistan, Poland, and even Ireland. However, in the recent years, there have complaints by the British natives that there have been way too many immigrants. In the past 10 years, there are about 1.5 million people immigrated into the UK. Over two-third of them came from the continents of Asia and Africa. In 2006, the United Kingdoms population was 61 million. If immigration continues at this current rate, the total population in the UK in 2031 will be 70 million according to the government actuary department. Currently, the people born outside of the UK account for 10% of the UKs population compare that to just 6% in 1981 and 8% in 2001. This has made Britain a very ethnically diverse nation. However, there have been major clashes between cultures in the United Kingdom. Native British people believe in tradition rather than fairness and value community rather than individualism. Most indigenous British residents complained that the government allow too many immigrants to enter inside Britain and felt that the British culture has been diminished by these newly immigrants. Most of these complaints are from the London region, where most of the immigrants resided. With the large wave of immigrants, British people felt their tradition was being harmed. With the freedom of mobility in the European Union, people from countries inside the EU can visit and stay in the United Kingdom. Many of them would just stay and not return to its formal countries. There is an estimate that there could be 35000 people from outside of the European Union who come on a visitors visa and then never leave. When these immigrants arrive, they for m their own community and transforming the once British community into their own. This frustrates a lot of indigenous British citizens as they see their old community getting converted into a foreign community. For example, the largest immigrant group to Britain is Polish. Currently, Polish represents 1/60 of the population in Britain. These polish immigrants dont fully integrated into the British society and still continue their lives as if they are in Poland. They form their own community in Britain and keep themselves separated from traditional English community. Furthermore, many indigenous British citizens are concerned that their jobs might be taken away from these newly immigrants. Most of the immigrants who came into Britain are usually from poorer nations. They would work hard and would be satisfied with getting paid minimal wages. Many indigenous underclass British people have seen their jobs taken away by new immigrants. Moreover, indigenous British complain that these immigrants have received more benefits from Britain such as health care benefit than they have contributed to the system. British people argued that they see the quality of their social service decline as immigrants are drying up the social fund. According to governments latest Citizenship survey, over 77% of the population thinks that immigration should be cut. Therefore, in the UKs election in may, both the Labour and the Conservative party are considering putting a limit on immigration. They also want to increase security to prevent illegal immigration and will have stricter criteria for refugees to join, making sure that refugees genuinely need help in order to survive . Race Relation: Ethnic minority in the United Kingdom complained that they dont receive the same rights or opportunity as native white British citizens. A lot of ethnic minorities find it hard to find jobs in Politics or to take on an executive position in a company compared to white British citizens. For instance, Yasmin Aili Brown said she was the only minority in her News Paper company in the United Kingdom. The British public had been very hostile/racist against her, sending her hate mails and saying that the real Britain is for White people. A lot of ethnic minorities especially the Muslim group shares the same experience as her when it comes to discrimination. Immigrants complained that there were stereotypical and derogatory jokes towards them. For example, Black is often characterized as uneducated and uncivilized outlaws. Muslim would often have characterized as wearing Hijab, turbane all the time and their refusal of alcohol. One example our speaker Adrian gave us was an example of a Musli m who immigrated into UK 10 years ago had to change his name from Mohammad to John in order to fit in with the British Society more. He always doesnt get invited to social events or get promoted. Lastly, many ethnic minorities / immigrants dislike the fact that most British people would classify them either as Black or Asian. People from India, China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Japan would all be considered Asian and People from Hispanic countries, Caribbean island are all be considered as Black. Thus, this is causing a lot of minorities feel as if they dont belonged in Britain as they have lost their identity. Therefore, the clash between the indigenous and newly immigrants is currently a serious issue facing Britain. Security: Due to the recent waves of immigrants into Britain, there is a fear of the Muslim community with Islamic religion. In 2006, 3% of the working age populations are immigrants born in the Middle East. People feel like security being jeopardized because of the concern for terrorist attack. In recent years, many terrorist activities were conducted by the Muslims who were born inside Britain. For instance, there was a coordinated suicide attacks in London subway station on July 7th, 2005. The bombings were carried out by four British Muslim men, three of Pakistani and one of Jamaican descent, who were motivated by Britains involvement in the Iraq War. Furthermore, there was an attempt bombing attack by a British African this year. Many of members of these terrorist organizations were 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants, meaning they were born in Britain. This is a serious issue currently for Britain because it cant prevent internal terrorist attacks from its own citizens. Economic recovery: Due to the recent financial crisis, Britain is currently facing serious issues in terms of cutting its unemployment rate and reducing its national debt. In 2008, the United Kingdom had to bail out its financial banks such as RBS from bankrupting because a large part of the UKs economy was financial based. As a result, the United Kingdom has piled itself with debt after many stimulus packages to revitalize the economy. Now, the United Kingdom faces the problem of fixing its financial system and the need of reducing its national debt. The UKs government has to cut public spending and raise taxes. This is a serious issue because Britains social welfare budget and government spending has already been very low due to the poor economy. It would be difficult to continue to cut spending in the public sector when there is a very high unemployment rate. Cutting spending in social welfare program would mean there will be less benefit for the UKs citizens and the homeless people who need it on t he street. Moreover, raising taxes in a country that already has a very high VAT of 20% wont be good for the economy as people will have less disposable income to spend. In order to reduce deficit, the labour party said that there will be a tax increase of 60% to only the top% of earners. The conservative party proposed to start cut spending immediately in 2010 to eliminate the UKs structural deficit within the next five years. Therefore, both parties consider the large UK deficit as a serious issue facing the UK. However, cutting spending and raising taxes would ultimately slow down the UKs recovery and would be an issue for the public as no one likes paying high taxes. UK economy is too weak for sharp spending cuts. Currently, both Tory and labor party tried to avoid taking about spending cut because the public usually isnt very supportive of it. The government faces the issue of reducing the unemployment rate at the same time because there would be social unrest. Britain certainl y doesnt want its economy to be like its economy in the 1970s when there was a very high unemployment rate. The government is currently proposing to provide training for unemployed workers in the UK for more than six months in order to solve the unemployment issue. Relationship with the Europe Union Britain has lost its once dominance as an empirical power in the world. However, it stills wants to exert influence in the world. Ever since the end of WWII, Britain is losing its once close relationship with Australia and Canada as they are continuing becoming more independent. It is hard for Britain to maintain its relationship with the commonwealth countries due to geographic reason. In 1973, Britain joined the European Union to receive funding from the EUs central budget in order to salvage its poor economy. Moreover, it joined to give Britain an more importance role in world affairs. Currently, with the rise of emerging markets such as China and India, Britain has found itself falling behind in terms of influencing the world and need to develop a closer tie with the European Union. Now, it faces the issue of whether to further integrate into the European Union or not. Currently, the European Union wants to further integrate economically and politically. However, Britain dislike the idea of political integration in Europe and still wants to keep independency/sovereignty as an imperial state. Britain refuses to adopt Euro as its official currency and refuses to contribute to its part of the share into the Common Agricultural Policy. Britain is against most of the policy proposed to the European Union such as enlargement of the EU. Thereby, most European nations consider Britain as a hindrance rather than a helper for the European progress. This is really harming the relationship between Britain and the European Union. According to the Suns poll, the majority of British citizens prefer the European Economic Community rather than the European Union, where Britain will only receive trading benefit for the EU rather than political benefit. It is not taking an advantage of its relationship with the European Union in terms of trading because most of the UKs businesses are service based. Many citizens proposed that Britain should withdraw from the EUs political uni on as they dont want a centralize government to make the decision for the British. British people want a British government, in which the British can enjoy the basic democratic free right and the ability to throw out a Government they dont like. Leaving the European Union would severely harm the relationship between the United Kingdom and Europe. Therefore, developing a good relationship with the European Union while maintaining Britains sovereignty is one of the major issues Britain is facing today. Conclusion: Britain is a rapidly transforming nation that still wants to retain its traditional customs and imperial status. However, current issues such as immigration, internal ethnic relationship, internal security, economic recovery, and Britains relationship with the EU act as major blocks to the progress of the British society. Whatever the next British government may be, these are the issues that party has to address and solve. The modern British society has to find ways to deal with these crucial issues in order to move towards a brighter future. Citations: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/01/immigrationpolicy.immigrationandpublicservices1

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Lasting Effect of Sin and Guilt on Hester and Dimmesdale Essays

Without an honorable reputation a person is not worthy of respect from others in their society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the struggle to shake off the past is an underlying theme throughout the novel. Characters in this novel go through their lives struggling with trying to cope with the guilt and shame associated with actions that lost them their honorable reputation. Particularly, Hawthorne shows the lasting effect that sin and guilt has on two of the main characters in the book: Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne's guilt is the result of her committing adultery, which has a significant effect on her life. Hester is publicly seen with the scarlet letter when she first emerges out of the cold dark prison. "It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself" (49). The spell that is mentioned is the scarlet letter, "so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom" (49). The scarlet letter is what isolates her from everyone else because it symbolizes sin. Hester is in her very own sphere, where her sin affects her livelihood and has completely cut her off from the world. Her entrance into the sphere marks the beginning of her guilt and it occurs when she is in the prison after her first exposure to the crowd. The prison marks the beginning of a new life for Hester, a life full of guilt and seclusion. Her problem is that her shame is slowly surfacing while she faces the crowd realizing that she has been stripped of all her pride and everything that was important to her in the past. The lasting effect of Hester's sin is the shame that she now embodies due to her committing adultery. The shame that is ass... ...is the guilt, which they are left with in the end. On the fateful day where the two committed adultery, they had no idea that this mistake would turn out to be like an ominous black cloud that they would never be able to escape from. When they chose to have Pearl, they unknowingly signed a contract that said they would have to suffer with their guilty conscience as a consequence for having Pearl. At the time, they did not think that they would feel much guilt, but when the word got out that Hester had a baby, everything changed. The mistake had been made and they would now be forced to live with it whether they liked it or not. In the end, Hester and Dimmesdale both sacrifice their peaceful lives to live with the guilt of giving birth to a child who should have never been born. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1986.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Psychopathy Essay

There have been many studies linking conduct disorder to antisocial personality disorder and sometimes to psychopathy as well. Conduct disorder appears in children and adolescents and involves behavior that violates rights of others and/or societal norms or rules. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the individual’s behavior must include actions such as aggression to people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, serious violations of rules, as well as a clinically significant impairment in the adolescent’s social, academic, or occupational functioning. The DSM-IV states that in order for a child or adolescent to be found to be presenting Conduct Disorder he or she must present with three or more of the above listed behaviors in the past twelve months, including at least one in the past six months (McCaullum, pp. 6-12, 2001). Those who present with antisocial personality disorder may or may not present with psychopathy. There are two main assessment devices used to evaluate the level of psychopathy that a person exhibits. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was developed by Robert Hare in 1980 and revised in 1991 (Blair et al, 2005). The Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) is another device used to assess psychopathy in adults (Frick & Hare, 2001a). Both of these assessments consist of twenty behavioral items, scored from zero to two, that are used to measure whether or not a person possesses certain traits that, when combined, are common to those of people diagnosed with psychopathy. There have been many research studies conducted over the years concerning the validity and effectiveness of the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised. One such study was aimed at assessing whether or not the level of psychopathy of an individual, as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised, was correlated to that individual’s probability of violent recidivism (Tengstrom, Grann, Langstrom, & Kullgren, 2000). The study had a sample size of 202 male violent offenders presenting with schizophrenia that ranged in ages from 16 to 67. The base rate for each individual’s Psychopathy Checklist- Revised score was 26 and the base rate for reconvictions during follow-up was 21% (Tengstrom, Grann, Langstrom, & Kullgren, 2000). Overall, his study showed a positive relationship between score on the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised and the level of violent recidivism. The implications of this research study show that the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised can be used as a tool to gauge the likelihood of reconvictions concerning violent crimes, at least when discussing male violent offenders that present with schizophrenia. Another study, conducted by Walters and colleagues (2003), strived to determine whether the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised or the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form (LCSF) compared to each other when assessing levels of disciplinary adjustment and recidivism. Although the results of the study showed that the two tests were similar in results, the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form only took about ten minutes to complete while the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised takes between two and three hours (Walters et al, 2003). Therefore, it was concluded in the study that if there was a high risk of offender recidivism or disciplinary maladjustment, the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form would possibly be a better choice due to the cost-effectiveness of the inventory. Due to the abundance of characteristics tested for in the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised, there have been many studies to assess which of those have a greater effect than others when discussing propensity to commit violent offenses. According to Blair and associates (2002), one of the specific symptoms presented in individuals with psychopathy is a reduced level of empathic response. There has been a positive relationship found between high levels of antisocial behavior and low levels of empathetic response. This supports the reason that both the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Antisocial Process Screening Device for children include the lower levels of empathetic response to victims in their criteria of psychopathy (Blair et al, 2005). One of the most common methods in which this theory has been tested is by measuring the level of skin conductance in individuals while presenting them with images of people in distress. Both children with psychopathic tendencies and adults with psychopathy present reduced autonomic responsiveness (Blair et al, 1997). This study shows that while those not presenting with psychopathy show high levels of autonomic responsiveness through sweating due to empathy felt by viewing the disturbing images, those that present with psychopathy or psychopathic tendencies do not. According to a study conducted by Blair and Coles (2000), individuals presenting with psychopathic tendencies or psychopathy tend to have a reduced ability to name both fearful facial expressions and fearful vocal affect (Stevens et al, 2001). An interesting fact coinciding with this finding is that while both children with psychopathic tendencies as well as adults with psychopathy present with this lowered empathetic response to fear and sadness, they do not show impairment in responding to expressions of happiness, anger, or surprise (Blair et al, 2005). Another factor associated with psychopathic tendencies or psychopathy is a partially inhibited ability to make the distinction between moral and conventional transgressions. A moral transgression is explained by Turiel (1983) as one that is defined by its consequences pertaining to the rights and well-being of individuals, such as hurting a person. A conventional transgression is assessed by its consequences for the social order (Turiel, 1983). A person that is not presenting with psychopathy will not present with an inability to distinguish between moral and conventional transgressions. They tend to reference the victim in a moral or conventional transgression situation more frequently when explaining their reason as to why they believed the transgression to be wrong. In the case of those presenting with psychopathic tendencies, psychopathy, as well as some other antisocial disorders, individuals make less references to the victims included in the situation and also seem to have a more difficult time distinguishing between moral and conventional transgressions discussed in the situation (Blair et al 1995a). The second of the two previously mentioned deficiencies in the ability to distinguish between moral and conventional transgressions is even more prevalent when the rules banning the specific transgressions are removed from the scenario. Thus, if there is no law or rule prohibiting the act or transgression, children with psychopathic tendencies, adults with psychopathy, as well as other antisocial populations will show a decreased ability to distinguish between the two types of transgressions (Nucci & Herman, 1982). Another area that is studied in order to search for differences in populations that present with psychopathy is that of gender and ethnicity. In a study by McCoy and Edens (2006), researchers looked to test the theory that stated that individuals of African descent are more likely to present with psychopathy. The study included 945 Black and White youths who were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist- Youth Version. There was a lack of results showing any significant difference between Caucasians and those of African descent. However, there was an unexplained heterogeneity among the individual races. The researchers from this study advised that more research should be conducted in this area of study in order to attempt to discover the reason for this similarity within the individual races. Another study, this one conducted by Kosson, Smith, and Newman (1990), used a combination of three separate research projects in order to come to a conclusion. The first study was aimed at examining the internal structure of the Psychopathy Checklist and and its scores in relation to several constructs relevant to psychopathy. This first study found that there were differences between Whites and Blacks in the distribution of psychopathy scores. It also noted a difference between the two groups in the relation of psychopathy to measures of impulsivity. The second study was focused on assessing patterns of passive avoidance manifestations as compared to the results in a study conducted by Newman and Kosson (1986). It found that the levels of passive avoidance manifestations were similar, but not identical, in the two groups. The third and final study consisted of assessing the levels of criminal charges received by both psychopaths and non-psychopaths. This portion of the study was particularly interesting in that it found that psychopaths do, in fact, receive more criminal charges than do non-psychopaths (Kosson, Smith, & Newman, 1990).

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 30~31

Thirty Theo â€Å"Listen,† Theo said, cocking his ear toward the cave mouth. â€Å"Vehicles. The SWAT team is here.† Molly glanced to the back of the cave. From the light of the colors Steve was flashing she could see that the pilgrims had surrounded the Sea Beast and were stroking his scales. She turned back to Theo. â€Å"You've got to stop the helicopters. Call them and stop it.† â€Å"Molly, it's not the news helicopters that will hurt him, or us. It's those guys who just pulled up.† Theo peeked out the mouth of the cave and saw two four-wheel-drives parking down on the marine terrace, about a hun-dred yards from the cave mouth. Of course, he thought, they still think they need cover. Molly brandished her broadsword, holding it only inches from Theo's stomach. â€Å"If he's hurt, I'll never forgive you, Theo Crowe. I'll track you down to the ends of the earth and kill you like the radioactive scum that you are.† â€Å"That Kendra or Molly talking?† â€Å"I mean it,† she screamed, almost hysterical now. Steve roared from the back of the cave. â€Å"Don't go nuts on me, Molly. I'm doing my best. But the only thing your pal seems likely to do is eat me. He doesn't seemed real motivated by anything else.† Molly slumped to her knees and hung her head as if someone had sucked the energy out of her through a valve in her boot. Theo fought the urge to comfort her, afraid that if he even touched her shoulder the Sea Beast might attack him. Then it hit him. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed the Head of the Slug. Mavis Mavis Sand had spent a lifetime making mistakes and learning from them, and that perspective made her feel as if she knew what was good for people better than they knew themselves. Consequently, Mavis was a meddler. Most of the time she was content to use information as her tool of choice and rumor as her means of delivery. What someone knew – and when they knew it – controlled what they did. (The Spider, pulling digital strings from his basement web, had exactly the same philosophy.) Today she'd had a heap of problems dumped on her, none of them directly hers, and she had been pondering them all morning without much luck in coming up with a way to manipulate the information to solve them. Then the call came from Theo, and it all clicked: Theo was right, they could use the monster's instincts to get them out of the cave, but if she played the mix right, she could solve a couple of other problems as well. She put down the phone and Catfish said, â€Å"Who that?† â€Å"It was Theo.† â€Å"That ol' dragon ain't et him yet? Boy must be livin a charmed life.† Mavis leaned over the bar, close to Catfish, took his hand in hers, and began squeezing. â€Å"Sweetie, put on your friendly persuasion hat. I need you to run down to the pharmacy and pick up something for me.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† Catfish said, wincing as the bones in his fingers compressed under her grip. When the Bluesman was gone, Mavis made a quick phone call, then went to the back room and dug through boxes and filling cabinets until she came up with what she was looking for: a small black box attached to a long cord with a cigarette lighter plug on the end. â€Å"Don't worry, Theo,† she said to herself. â€Å"I put my life in the hands of machinery a long time ago, and I'm doing just fine.† She giggled and it came out sounding like the starter cranking on a fuel dry Ford. Catfish A Bluesman hates to be told what to do. Authority rankles him, inspires his rebellion, and plays to his need to self-destruct. A Bluesman doesn't take to having a boss unless he's on a chain gang (for the chain gang boss ranks below only a mean old woman and a sweet young thing in the hier-archy of the Blues Muse, followed closely by bad liquor, a dead dog, and the Man). Catfish had a boss who was a mean old woman: a distinct and disconcerting turn of the Blues screw that might have driven a lesser Bluesman to shoot hisself, get shot, get hold of some bad liquor, or bust up his guitar and take a job down to the mill. But Catfish hadn't taken nigh unto eighty trips around that cruel, cruel sun without gaining some per-spective, so he would go to the pharmacy as he was told. He would talk to the fish-fucking white boy with the combed-over hair that waved in the air like the sprung lid on a bean can. And when he was done, he would pick up his pay from the mean old woman who was holding it hostage and he would get his wrinkly Black ass out of this town and go nurse his heartbreak on the moving trap that was, is, and always shall be the road. So Catfish strolled a rolling Delta moonwalk of a stroll (redolent of sas-safras and jive) into Pine Cove Drug and Gift, and the four blue-haired chicken women behind the counter nearly tumbled over each other trying to get to the back room. Imagine it: a person of the Dark persuasion in their midst. What if he should ask for a vial of Afro-Sheen or some other ethnic-ally oriented product with which they were totally unfamiliar? Why, the smoke alarms would melt, screaming like dying witches, when their col-lective minds steamed to a stop. Do we look like thrill-seekers? Wasn't it enough that we had to put up that sign reading NO HABLA ESPANOL and acknowledge the existence of thirty percent of the population, even in the negative? No, we shall err on the side of safety, thank you, and in lieu of sand in which to bury our heads, we shall head into the back room. Winston Krauss, who was counting fake Zolofts behind his glass wall, looked up and saw Catfish coming down the aisle toward the counter and immediately regretted that he hadn't installed bulletproof glass. Still, Winston was a man of the world, and you don't indulge the fantasy of molesting dolphins without becoming familiar with the ways of people of color, for that is who dolphins prefer to hang out with, when they aren't hanging out with the Cousteaus, or so it appeared on the Discovery Channel. He stepped out of his booth and met Catfish as he reached the counter. â€Å"Good day, me brother-mon, ye,† Winston said in his best island dialect. â€Å"What can I be gettin for ye?† And there was that welcoming smile, only a dreadlock and a white sand beach short of a travel poster. Catfish squinted, removed his fedora, ran a hand over his shining scalp, stepped back, turned his head to the side and studied the pharmacist for a moment, then said, â€Å"I will slap the shit out of you. You know that?† â€Å"Sorry,† Winston said, coughing somewhat, as if trying to dislodge the errant Jamaican from his throat. â€Å"What can I do for you, sir?† â€Å"Mavis down to the Slug sent me up to ax you somethin.† â€Å"I'm familiar with her medical records,† Winston said, â€Å"You can have her call me if she has a question.† â€Å"Yeah, she don't want to call you. She want you to come down to see her.† Winston adjusted his bolo tie. â€Å"I'm sorry, but you'll have to have her call me. I can't leave the store.† Catfish nodded. â€Å"That what she thought you'd say. She say to ax you if she can have a big jar of them sugar pills you selling instead medicine.† Winston glanced at the back room where his staff was huddled like Anne Frank and family, peering out through the crack in the door. â€Å"Tell her I'll be right over,† Winston said. â€Å"She said to wait and come with you.† Winston was visibly sweating now; oily beads rose on his scalp. â€Å"Let me tell the staff where I'll be.† â€Å"Hurry up, Flipper. I ain't got all day,† Catfish said. Winston Krauss shuddered, hitched up his double knits, and waddled around the counter. â€Å"Ladies, I'll be back in few minutes,† he called over his shoulder. Catfish leaned over the counter to where he could see the row of eyes peering out of the crack and said, â€Å"I be back in a few minutes my own self, ladies. I needs some medicine what can help me with this huge black dick I have to carry around. The weight of it like to break my back.† There was a collective intake of breath so abrupt that the drop in pressure sprung the barometer on the wall and made Catfish's ears pop. Winston Krauss turned and scowled at Catfish. â€Å"Was that really necessary?† â€Å"Man's got to look after his reputation,† Catfish said. The Sheriff Burton had them cover him while he moved down through the rocks and across the marine terrace to the Blazers. He found Sheridan crouched behind the fender, his M-16 trained on the cave entrance. â€Å"Rough morning, Sheriff?† Sheridan said, showing a hint of a smile at Burton's disheveled suit. Burton looked around at the other team members, who were all staring through rifle scopes at the cave entrance. â€Å"So we only have five?† â€Å"Morales is coaching Pee-Wee Football today. The others are on regular duty. We couldn't pull them off.† Burton scowled. â€Å"As far as I know, they only have the one weapon, but it's a fully automatic AK. I want two men on either side of the cave mouth, one down in that crevice where I was pinned down can deliver the gas, followed by concussion grenades. I'll stay here with a sniper rifle to take out anyone who gets past the entry crew. Shoot anything that moves. Let's go, five minutes. On my mark.† â€Å"No gas,† Sheridan said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"No gas and no concussion. You wanted us here without checking in. That stuff is kept in the locker at County Justice. We just have the body armor and our own personal weapons.† Burton looked around at the other men again. â€Å"You guys all have your own personal M-16s, but no grenades?† â€Å"Yes, sir.† â€Å"So I have a standoff? I had a standoff before, Sheridan. A standoff doesn't do me any good. Come with me.† He pushed a fresh clip into his 9 mm. and turned to the others. â€Å"Cover us.† Burton led the SWAT commander to a spot in the rocks just below the cave mouth. â€Å"Crowe?† Burton called. â€Å"You've had enough time to consider my offer!† â€Å"Offer?† Sheridan asked. Burton shushed him. â€Å"I haven't decided yet!† Theo shouted. â€Å"We've got thirty people in here to discuss it with and they're not being cooperative.† Sheridan looked at Burton. â€Å"Thirty people? We can't shoot thirty people. I'm not shooting any thirty people.† â€Å"Five minutes, Crowe,† Burton said. â€Å"Then you have no more options.† â€Å"What's the offer?† Sheridan whispered to the sheriff. â€Å"Don't worry about it. I'm just trying to get the subject separated from the hostages so we can take him out.† â€Å"Then we'd better have a description of the suspect, don't you think?† â€Å"He's the one in handcuffs,† Burton said. â€Å"Well, aren't you the fucking hero?† Sheridan shot back. Skinner Skinner watched from the front seat of the Mercedes as the Food Guy was loaded into the back of the Suburban with the cage in it. The Bad Guys hadn't even left the windows cracked. How would the Food Guy breathe? He wouldn't be able to sit in the front seat and put his head out the window either. Skinner was sad for the Food Guy. He crawled in the backseat of the Mercedes and lay down to nap away his anxiety. The Head of the Slug The first thing Catfish saw when he came through the doors of the Head of the Slug was Estelle standing at the bar, and he could feel the crust peeling off his heart like old paint. Her hair was down. Brushed out, it hung to her waist. She was wearing a pair of pink overalls that had been splattered with paint over a man's white T-shirt – his T-shirt, he realized. She looked to him like what he always thought home was supposed to look like, but as a Bluesman, he was bound by tradition to be cool. â€Å"Hey, girl, what you doin' here?† â€Å"I called her,† Mavis said. â€Å"This is your driver.† â€Å"What I need a driver for?† â€Å"I'll tell you.† Estelle took his hand and led him to a booth in the corner. Winston Krauss came through the door a second later and Mavis waved him over to the bar. â€Å"Son, I'm about to make you the happiest man in the whole world.† â€Å"You are? Why?† â€Å"Because I like to see people get what they want. And I have what you want.† â€Å"You do?† Mavis stepped up to the bar and in low, conspiratorial tones, began telling Winston Krauss the most titillating, outrageously erotic tale that she had ever told, trying the whole time to remember that the man she was talking to wanted to have sex with marine animals. Over in the corner booth, Catfish's modicum of cool had melted. Estelle was smiling, even as tears welled up in her eyes. â€Å"I wouldn't ask you to do it if I thought it would put you in danger. Really.† â€Å"I know that,† Catfish said, a gentleness in his voice that he usually reserved for kittens and traffic cops. â€Å"It just that I been runnin from this my whole life.† â€Å"I don't think so,† Estelle said. â€Å"I think you've been running to this.† Catfish grinned. â€Å"You gonna take them old Blues off me for good, ain't you?† â€Å"You know it.† â€Å"Then let's go.† Catfish stood up and turned to where Mavis and Winston stood. â€Å"We ready? Y'all ready?† He noticed that the front of Winston's trousers had become overly tight. â€Å"Yeah, you ready. You sick, but you ready.† Mavis nodded, a slight mechanical ratcheting noise coming from her neck, â€Å"Take the second turn out, not the first,† Mavis said to Estelle. â€Å"From there it hugs the coast, so there's no hills.† â€Å"I have to go get my mask and fins,† wailed Winston. Thirty-one Molly â€Å"Has it been five minutes yet?† Molly was sitting cross-legged, her sword held across her knees. Theo jumped as if he'd been poked with an ice pick, then checked his watch. He crouched by the cave mouth, listening for the sound of either salvation or death. â€Å"About a minute left. Where the hell are they? Molly, maybe you should find some cover.† â€Å"What cover?† She looked around the cave. It was an open chamber; the only cover would be the darkness in the back of the chamber. â€Å"Get behind Steve.† â€Å"No,† Molly said. â€Å"I won't do that.† She heard a voice come from the back of her mind. â€Å"Get to cover, you daffy broad. What, do you have a death wish?† â€Å"I have abandonment issues. I'm not going to turn around and abandon someone else,† Molly said. â€Å"What?† Theo said. â€Å"I wasn't talking to you.† â€Å"Fine, die. What do I care?† said the narrator. â€Å"Bastard,† Molly said. â€Å"What?† said Theo. â€Å"Not you!† â€Å"Molly, how did you get those guys to come out and drag me into the cave before?† â€Å"I just told them to.† â€Å"Well, take their clothes back to them and tell them to get dressed.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just do it. And tell them to hang on to Steve's sides and not let go, no matter what he does.† â€Å"Now who's nuts?† â€Å"Molly, please, I'm trying to save him.† The Sheriff Burton checked his watch. â€Å"That's it. Get into position. We're going in.† Sergeant Sheridan wasn't so sure. â€Å"They have thirty hostages and we don't have any recon of their positions and we don't have a full team. You want to take this guy out with thirty witnesses?† â€Å"Goddamn it, Sheridan, get your men in position. We go on my signal.† â€Å"Sheriff Burton.† Theo's voice from the cave. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'll take your offer,† Theo said. â€Å"Give me five more minutes and I'll come out. We can all leave together. The others will come out after you're gone.† â€Å"You just want him anyway, right?† Sheridan said. â€Å"He's the only one that can hurt the operation.† Burton turned it over in his mind. He'd been determined to take out the constable and the woman, but now he had to rethink things. If he could get Crowe away from the others, he could dispose of him with no witnesses. Burton's cell phone rang. He flipped it open. â€Å"Burton,† he said. â€Å"You shouldn't have made disparaging comments about my weight, Sheriff,† the Spider said. â€Å"Nailsworth, you piece of sh – † The line went dead. Suddenly the sound of a wailing Blues guitar came screaming over the marine terrace. Burton and the SWAT team turned to see an old white station wagon driving along the edge of the terrace, next to where it dropped to the beach. An inhuman roar rose up out of the cave, and when Burton looked back to the cave all he saw was a huge reptilian face coming at him. Winston Krauss Winston sat in the back of the station wagon, steadying the Marshall amplifier that was screaming out the notes from Catfish's Stratocaster. The amp was plugged into Mavis's black box and a cord ran over the seats into the cigarette lighter, next to where Catfish was playing. After the first few notes, Winston's hearing had shut down due to temporary deafness, but he didn't care. He could hardly believe his luck. Mavis had promised him the biggest sexual thrill of his life, and he had doubted her. But now he saw it. It was the most gorgeous creature he'd ever seen. Steve The feelings of self-pity, jealousy, and heartbreak were new to him, but the response that welled up in him when he heard the sound of his enemy was more deeply imprinted on his lizard brain and it displaced all the newer feelings with rage and the imperative to attack. He stormed out of the cave with pilgrims hanging on his back by the ridge of armored plates that ran down his spine. Two layers of protective covering slid over his eyes, shortening his vision, but it was the sound that guided him anyway, the sound that carried the strongest association with the enemy. He flashed bright crimson and yellow as he charged over the rocks, kicking aside the vehicles and shedding pilgrims as he made his way to his enemy at the shore. Theo Molly stood in the cave entrance, screaming for Steve to stop. Theo grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away just as the Sea Beast, dangling pilgrims, charged past them. She elbowed Theo in the forehead, stunning him for a second, and she made for the cave entrance. Theo caught her outside on the rocks and held her. â€Å"No!† Theo wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her side, and lifted her off the ground, then held her kicking as he braced for gunfire. But none came. Burton was climbing to his feet just below them, focused on the Sea Beast as it passed. â€Å"Shoot that thing! Shoot it! Shoot it!† The SWAT commander had rolled out of the way and come up with his weapon ready, but with people hanging all over the beast, he didn't know where to shoot, so instead let his weapon fall to his side as he stared in amazement. Burton drew a pistol and began running after the Sea Beast. Below, two of the SWAT team had already broken into a run from behind the Blazers just as the Sea Beast bowled them over. The other two were pinned underneath one of the crushed vehicles. As they fell, each pil grim jumped to his feet and ran after the Sea Beast, who was making a beeline across the grassy terrace toward the white station wagon. Theo watched as the car stopped, Blues slide notes still screaming out of the back, and Estelle Boyet crawled out of the driver's seat and ran around to the back. The guitar playing stopped for a second as the passenger side opened, and out stepped Catfish Jefferson, holding a Fender Stratocaster. â€Å"Let me go!† Molly screamed. â€Å"I've got to save him! I've got to save him!† Theo yanked her back toward the cave. When he was able to look again, someone he didn't immediately recognize had crawled out of the station wagon, and Catfish handed him the guitar. Sheriff Burton was running after the Sea Beast, waving his weapon around, trying to get an angle to shoot without hitting one of the pilgrims. He stopped, dropped to one knee, steadied his aim, and fired. The Sea Beast roared and whipped around, throwing the last of the pilgrims into a tumble in the grass. Molly whipped her head back into Theo's chin at the same time she drove a heel into his knee. Theo let go of her and she rushed over the rocks and down toward the monster. Catfish Estelle had brought the car right to the edge of the drop-off to the rocky beach. Catfish looked at the surf beating on the rocks below, then at his guitar cords coiled in the front seat, then at the rocks again. They just might be long enough. But the dragon was going to get to them before he could find out. â€Å"Hurry!† Estelle shouted. Catfish stood mesmerized by the charging monster, not a hundred yards away. â€Å"Go,† he said weakly, â€Å"get yourself out of here.† â€Å"No!† said Winston Krauss. â€Å"You promised.† There was a gunshot and the Sea Beast whipped around in his tracks, bringing Catfish to his senses. â€Å"Let's go,† he said to Winston. Then he looked at Estelle over the top of the car and winked. â€Å"You go on. This ain't your time.† Catfish played a few notes on the Stratocaster and then ambled after Winston to the surf. The pharmacist ran into the water up to his knees, then turned around. Catfish was having trouble climbing over the rocks to the water while keeping the guitar cord from catching. â€Å"That's far enough,† Catfish said. He walked into the surf and stood next to Winston, keeping the guitar high to keep any spray off of it. â€Å"Give it,† Winston demanded. â€Å"You ain't got a lick a sense, do you?† â€Å"Give it,† Winston repeated. Catfish played four bars of â€Å"Green Onions† on the Strat, the notes still blaring out of the amp in the station wagon, then draped the strap around Winston's neck and handed him a guitar pick. â€Å"Have fun,† Catfish said. â€Å"Oh, I will,† Winston said, a lascivious grin crossing his face. â€Å"You know I will.† â€Å"Play!† Catfish said as he turned and ran up the beach. He saw Estelle already making her way away down the shore away from the commotion. Behind him, the sour, rattling notes began to emanate from the amp in the station wagon as gunshots filled the air. Molly The sheriff fired three more times as he backed away from the Sea Beast, missing not only the monster but the entire North American continent. Molly threw herself sideways from a full run into the back of Burton's knees and cut his legs out from under him. She came up in a crouch, putting herself between Burton and the Sea Beast. The sheriff thought he heard the song â€Å"Green Onions† and shook his head to clear a hallucination. The Sea Beast roared again and the sheriff vaulted into a crouch, ready to fire, but instead of a sea monster in front of him, he saw a woman in a leather bikini. He looked over his shoulder and watched the Sea Beast snap up the white station wagon in its jaws and toss it aside. The guitar sounds stopped and the Sea Beast slid over the bluff to the beach. Seeing that the danger was gone, he trained his sights on the woman. People were streaming by him on either side after the monster, wailing like a crowd of banshees. Molly looked over her shoulder and saw Steve going into the water, then turned back to Burton. â€Å"Go ahead, you prick. I don't care.† â€Å"You got it,† Burton said. Winston Krauss He was just beating on the guitar strings now, but it didn't matter. The amplifier wasn't working anymore and this beautiful creature was coming to him. Winston was so turned on he thought he'd explode. She was coming to him, his dream lover, and he yanked the guitar from around his neck, ready to receive her. â€Å"Oh, come on, baby. Come to papa,† he said. The Sea Beast charged into the water, throwing spray fifty feet in the air, then snapped his jaws over Winston, severing the pharmacist's body into two sleazy pieces. The Sea Beast swallowed Winston's legs and roared, then snapped up the remaining piece and dove under the sea. The Sheriff â€Å"I don't think so, Sheriff,† Sheridan said. Burton looked over his shoulder without taking the gun off Molly. Sheridan had his M-16 trained on the sheriff's back. â€Å"Don't fuck with me, Sheridan. You're in this with me.† â€Å"I'm not in this. Lower your weapon, sir.† Burton lowered the pistol and turned toward Sheridan. Molly started to leap forward and the SWAT commander pointed the M-16 at her. â€Å"Right there,† he said. She stopped. The pilgrims were all standing at the shore now, wailing as they looked out. Molly gestured in that direction and Sheridan nodded. She ran toward the shoreline. â€Å"What now?† Burton asked. â€Å"I don't know,† said Sheridan, â€Å"but no one has been shot here, and I have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of attention around this event, so no one is going to get shot.† â€Å"You wimp.† â€Å"Whatever,† Sheridan said. â€Å"Hey, Burton!† Theo Crowe was running down the hill toward them. â€Å"You hear that?† When they looked up, Theo ducked behind one of the wrecked Blazers and pointed toward the southern sky. â€Å"Film at eleven.† Burton could hear them now: helicopters. He looked to the south and saw the two dots coming over the horizon. Two of the SWAT team members were topping the next hill. They had started running when the monster first came out of the cave. The other two were still pinned under one of the overturned Blazers. He turned back to Sheridan. The big cop was watching the approaching helicopters. â€Å"Game over,† Sheridan said. â€Å"Guess it's time to start thinking about my deal with the D.A.† Burton shot him in the face, then broke for the far side of the rocks to his Eldorado before the others had time to figure out what had happened. Theo Theo came up behind Molly and touched her lightly on the shoulder. When she turned, he could see tears streaming down her cheeks. Then she re-turned to staring out to sea with the others. She said, â€Å"All I ever wanted is to feel special. To feel like something set me apart.† Theo put his arm around her. â€Å"Everyone wants that.† â€Å"But I had it, Theo. More by having Steve in my life than when I was making movies. These people felt it, but not like me.† The two helicopters were coming in close now and Theo had to speak right into her ear to be heard over the thumping blades. â€Å"No one's like you.† There was a stirring in the water just past the surf line, and something was rising in the kelp bed. Theo could see the purple gill trees standing out on the Sea Beast's neck. He was heading toward shore. Theo tried to pull Molly closer, but she broke loose from him, jumped off the bluff, and ran into the surf, scooping up two baseball-sized rocks as she went. Theo went after her and was halfway across the beach when she turned and looked at him with eyes filled with such pleading and desperation that it stopped him in his tracks. The helicopters were hovering only a hundred feet over the beach now. The wash from the blades kicked up sand in the faces of the onlookers. As the Sea Beast approached shore, only his eyes and gills above the water, Molly threw one of the stones. â€Å"No, go away! Go!† The second stone hit the Sea Beast's eye, and he stopped. â€Å"Don't come back!† Molly screamed. Slowly the Sea Beast sank below the surface. The Sheriff The speedometer on the Eldorado was approaching sixty when Burton topped the last hill before the cattle guard. He had to get to the airport and use the open ticket in his briefcase to join his money in the Caymans before anyone could figure out where he had gone. He'd planned for this all along, knowing he might have to make a run for it at some point, but what he hadn't planned was that there would be two Suburbans and a Mercedes parked just over the top of the hill. Before he could stop himself, he hit the brakes and wrenched the wheel to the left. The tires dug into the pasture and sent the Eldorado up on two wheels, then over. There was none of the slowing of time or compression of events that often happens in accidents. He saw light and dark, felt his body being beaten around the Caddy, and then the crash of smashing metal and breaking glass. Then there was a pause. He lay on the ceiling of the overturned Eldorado, peppered with pieces of safety glass, trying to feel if any of his limbs were broken. He seemed okay, he could feel his feet, and it didn't hurt when he breathed. But he smelled gas. It was enough to remind him to move. He grabbed the briefcase with his escape kit and slithered out the broken back window to find the Eldorado half-perched, half-smashed over the front of a white Suburban. He climbed to his feet and ran to the truck. It was locked. Sheridan, you prick, you would lock your truck, he thought. He didn't notice the people handcuffed inside the K-9 cage in the back. The Mercedes was his last chance. He ran around it and yanked opened the driver's side door. The keys were in the ignition. He climbed in and took a deep breath. He had to calm down now. No more mistakes, he told himself. He started the Mercedes and was turning to back it down the hill when the dog hit him.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Solutions for Wordy Phrasing

Solutions for Wordy Phrasing Solutions for Wordy Phrasing Solutions for Wordy Phrasing By Mark Nichol Efforts to make your writing more concise are admirable, but although some words and phrases won’t be missed or fewer or shorter words can be substituted, others may serve a useful distinction. Note, in the following examples and annotations, the differences in the suitability of various phrases. â€Å"What the organization aims to do is produce an economically sustainable model.† When a sentence describes a series of actions, revise to expunge the weakest among them. Start the sentence with the subject by omitting what, then delete do, and the rest falls into place: â€Å"The organization aims to produce an economically sustainable model.† â€Å"I appreciate the fact that we can discuss this reasonably.† A fact does not need to be identified as such. When such self-referential labeling occurs, delete it: â€Å"I appreciate that we can discuss this reasonably.† â€Å"Due to the fact that you arrived late, we missed our flight.† What does â€Å"due to the fact that† mean? â€Å"Because.† So use because instead: â€Å"Because you arrived late, we missed our flight.† â€Å"We arrived early in order to get good seats.† â€Å"In order to† can easily be reduced to to: â€Å"We arrived early to get good seats.† However, sometimes especially in sentences in which the phrase precedes know or a similar verb including it seems an improvement on the more concise version. Retaining the phrase in â€Å"She reread the essay in order to understand its argument more clearly,† for example, suggests a contemplation that â€Å"She reread the essay to understand its argument more clearly† does not, and â€Å"She reread the essay so that she understood its argument more clearly† is the same length as, and no more elegant than, the original wording. â€Å"So as to† is a similar construction, as in â€Å"We studied other cultures so as to appreciate traditional customs that persist in immigrant communities.† Also, â€Å"in order† is best retained before a negative infinitive, as in â€Å"I tiptoed across the room in order not to wake her.† â€Å"I left the papers on my desk in order that I would not forget them.† â€Å"In order that† is equivalent to so and can be replaced by that word: â€Å"I left the papers on my desk so I would not forget them.† (That may be retained but is optional.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsConnotations of 35 Words for Funny People5 Keys to Better Sentence Flow

Monday, October 21, 2019

Accuracy Definition in Chemistry

Accuracy Definition in Chemistry Accuracy refers to the correctness of a single measurement. Accuracy is determined by comparing the measurement against the true or accepted value. An accurate measurement is close to the true value, like hitting the center of a bullseye. Contrast this with precision, which reflects how well a series of measurements agree with each other, whether or not any of them are close to the true value. Precision can often be adjusted using calibration to yield values that are both accurate and precise. Scientists often report percent error of a measurement, which expresses how far a measured value is from the true value. Examples of Accuracy in Measurements For example, if you measure a cube that is known to be 10.0 cm across and your values are 9.0 cm, 8.8 cm, and 11.2 cm, these values are more accurate than if you had gotten values of 11.5 cm, 11.6 cm, and 11.6 cm (which are more precise). Different types of glassware used in the lab are inherently different in their level of accuracy. If you use an unmarked flask to try to obtain 1 liter of liquid, youre likely not going to be very accurate. If you use a 1-liter beaker, youll probably be accurate within several milliliters. If you use a volumetric flask, the accuracy of the measurement may be within a milliliter or two. Accurate measuring tools, such as a volumetric flask, are usually labeled so a scientist knows what level of accuracy to expect from the measurement. For another example, consider mass measurement. If you measure mass on a Mettler scale, you can expect accuracy within a fraction of a gram (depending on how well the scale is calibrated). If you use a home scale to measure mass, you usually need to tare the scale (zero it) to calibrate it and even then will only get an inaccurate mass measurement. For a scale used to measure weight, for example, the value could be off by half a pound or more, plus the accuracy of the scale may change depending on where you are in the instruments range. A person weighing close to 125 lbs might get a more accurate measurement than a baby weighing 12 lbs. In other cases, accuracy reflects how close a value is to a standard. A standard is an accepted value. A chemist might prepare a standard solution to use as a reference. There are also standards for units of measurement, such as the meter, liter, and kilogram. The atomic clock is a type of standard used to determine accuracy of time measurements.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Definition and Examples of Anaphora in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Anaphora in Rhetoric Anaphora is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. By building toward a climax, anaphora can create a strong emotional effect. Consequently, this figure of speech is often found in polemical writings and passionate oratory, perhaps most famously in Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech. Classical scholar George A. Kennedy compares anaphora to a series of hammer blows in which the repetition of the word both connects and reinforces the successive thoughts (New Testament Interpretation Through Rhetorical Criticism, 1984).  Ã‚   Examples and Observations We learned to diagram sentences with the solemn precision of scientists articulating chemical equations. We learned to read by reading aloud, and we learned to spell by spelling aloud.(Joyce Carol Oates, District School #7: Niagara County, New York. Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art. HarperCollins, 2003)I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat, and a gun.(Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, 1940)It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place.(Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, 1951)Anaphora will repeat an opening phrase or word;Anaphora will pour it into a mould (absurd)!Anaphora will cast each subsequent opening;Anaphora will last until its tiring.(John Hollander, Rhymes Reason: A Guide to English Verse. Yale University Press, 1989)Here comes the shadow not looking where it is going,And the whole night wi ll fall; it is time.Here comes the little wind which the hourDrags with it everywhere like an empty wagon through leaves.Here comes my ignorance shuffling after themAsking them what they are doing.(W.S. Merwin, Sire. The Second Four Books of Poems. Copper Canyon Press, 1993) Sir Walter Raleigh. Good food. Good cheer. Good times.(slogan of the Sir Walter Raleigh Inn Restaurant, Maryland)We saw the bruised children of these fathers clump onto our school bus, we saw the abandoned children huddle in the pews at church, we saw the stunned and battered mothers begging for help at our doors.(Scott Russell Sanders, Under the Influence, 1989)Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.(Rick Blaine in Casablanca)We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.(Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, June 4, 1940)Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms, and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.Let both sides unite to heed, in all corners of the earth, the command of Isaiah - to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free.(President John Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961) But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so weve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream, 1963)Its the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworkers son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.(Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, July 27, 2004)In school, I am a luckless goose girl, friendless and forlorn. In P.S. 71 I carry, weighty as a cloak, the ineradicable knowledge of my scandal - I am cross-eyed, dumb, an imbecile in arithmetic; in P.S. 71 I am publicly shamed in Assembly because I am caught not singing Christmas carols; in P.S. 71 I am repeatedly accused of deicide. But in the Park View Pharmacy, in the winter dusk, branches blackening in the park across the road, I am driving in rapture through the Violet Fairy Book and the Yellow Fairy Book, insubstantial chariots snatched from the box in the mud.(Cynthia Ozick, A Drugstore in Winter. Art and Ardor, 1983) Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in public and private life, have been the consequences of action without thought.(attributed to Bernard Baruch)Brylcreem, a little dabll do ya,Brylcreem, youll look so debonair!Brylcreem, the galsll all pursue ya!Theyll love to get their fingers in your hair.(Advertising jingle, 1950s)I want her to live. I want her to breathe. I want her to aerobicize.(Weird Science, 1985)Im not afraid to die. Im not afraid to live. Im not afraid to fail. Im not afraid to succeed. Im not afraid to fall in love. Im not afraid to be alone. Im just afraid I might have to stop talking about myself for five minutes.(Kinky Friedman, When the Cats Away, 1988)In Gods name, you people are the real thing. We are the illusion!So turn off your television sets. Turn them off now! Turn them off right now! Turn them off and leave them off. Turn them off right in the middle of this sentence Im speaking to you now.Turn them off!(Peter Finch as television anchorman Howard Beale in Network, 1976) Anaphora in Dr. Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cant go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing cloud of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos: Da ddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading white and colored; when your first name becomes nigger and your middle name becomes boy (however old you are) and your last name becomes John, and when your wife and mother are never given the respected title Mrs.; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance never quite knowing what to expect next, and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodiness; then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter From a Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963. I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World, ed. by James M. Washington. HarperCollins, 1992) Anaphora in President Franklin Roosevelts Second Inaugural Address But here is the challenge to our democracy: In this nation, I see tens of millions of its citizens - a substantial part of its whole population - who at this very moment are denied the greater part of what the very lowest standards of today call the necessities of life.I see millions of families trying to live on incomes so meager that the pall of family disaster hangs over them day by day.I see millions whose daily lives in city and on farm continue under conditions labeled indecent by a so-called polite society half a century ago.I see millions denied education, recreation, and the opportunity to better their lot and the lot of their children.I see millions lacking the means to buy the products of farm and factory and by their poverty denying work and productiveness to many other millions.I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.But it is not in despair that I paint you that picture. I paint it for you in hope - because the nation, seeing and understanding the injustice in it, proposes to paint it out.(Franklin D. Roosevelt, Second Inaugural Address, January 20, 1937) The Lighter Side of Anaphora I dont like you sucking around, bothering our citizens, Lebowski. I dont like your jerk-off name. I dont like your jerk-off face. I dont like your jerk-off behavior, and I dont like you, jerk-off.(Policeman in The Big Lebowski, 1998)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Vicarious Liability Module 3 ( SLP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vicarious Liability Module 3 ( SLP) - Essay Example The acts posed health risks to the patients and also resulted to psychological harm. There was sufficient evidence in the case of Robert Ray Courtney. The pharmacist was involved in the act of diluting chemotherapy drugs before prescribing them the patients diagnosed of cancer (Anselmi, 2012). The scheme was discovered through the assistance of a doctor who bought the drugs from Robert Ray Courtney and became suspicious that the pharmacist was selling more drugs than the amount he purchased. The doctor later took the drugs he obtained from Robert Ray Courtney to a lab for analysis. The analysis revealed that the dose of Taxol contained a 32% of the total amount of Taxol it was supposed to contain. The doctor then took the courtesy of informing the FBI and also FDA of the situation. The government agents proceeded to test several samples of Taxol and also Gemzar retrieved from Robert Ray Courtney. The doses were meant for cancer patients and the federal agents found out that the drugs contained between 17% and 50% of the chemotherapy constituents they were supposed to have. As the investigations proceeded the government agents asked the doctor to buy other doses of Zofran, Taxol, Gemzar, Platinol and Paraplantin from Robert Ray Courtney and use fake patient identity. The drugs were analyzed in the lab and the results revealed that they contained a maximum of 65% of the constituents they were supposed to contain (DeKaye and Naclerio, 2012). The government agents performed a search in the Courtneys pharmacy which resulted into his arrest. In the court hearings, Robert Ray Courtney pleaded guilty to the offense of tampering with products which resulted to bodily injury and also the offense of misbranding or adulterating drugs. Other parties that were also held responsible for the act were Eli Lilly & Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (Giliker, 2011) who were the manufacturers of the drug. The documents retrieved from the companies

Friday, October 18, 2019

Corporate Finance assignment on capital budgeting techniques and Essay

Corporate Finance assignment on capital budgeting techniques and required rate of return estimation - Essay Example For projects that are considered as mutually exclusive, that project that reflects the higher NPV, which has been applied in this case is the most appropriate to pick. The assumption under NPV is that cash inflows after every period are usually reinvested. It calculates the absolute proportionality of two projects. (Heitger, 2007 p525) Therefore, it is going to be applied in this study. Managers are in a position to make an evaluation of a project cash flow. One of the renown methods of projects’ analysis and choice is NPV; NPV= Present Value cash inflows – Present Value cash outflows. If the result is positive, then it gives a go ahead to take up the project. (Harvey, 1995) In this case presented below, there is no project with a positive NPV and thus rationality call for the avoidance of both. However, if the company has to undertake a project, then it should undertake Titan project since it has the higher NPV. Figure 1: PROJECT TITAN PROJECT TITAN Year 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 EXPENSES initial costs 48000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 infrastructure costs 15000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 depreciation equipment 0 7200000 7200000 7200000 7200000 7200000 7200000 working capital 0 5500000 6050000 6655000 7320500 8052550 8857805 operation expenses 0 16000000 17120000 18318400 19600688 20972736 22440828 Royalties 0 0 2200000 2464000 2759680 3090842 3461743 interest on loan 0 4178351 3572568 2908313 2179941 1381263 505494 TOTAL OUTFLOWS 63000000 32878351 36142568 37545713 39060809 40697391 42465870 REVENUES 0 0 44000000 49280000 55193600 61816832 69234852 NET CASH INFLOWS BEFORE TAX 63000000 32878351 7857432 11734287 16132791 21119441 26768982 TAX ON NET REVENUE 0 0 2357230 3520286 4839837 6335832 8030695 NET CASH INFLOWS -63000000 -32878351 5500202 8214001 11292954 14783609 18738287 PRESENT VALUE (17%) 1 0.8547 0.7305 0.6244 0.5337 0.4561 0.3898 -63000000 -28101126.6 4017897.561 5128822.224 6027049.55 6742804.065 7304184.273 NPV= -61880368.93 PROJECT OLYMPUS PROJECT OLYMPUS YEAR 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 EXPENSES initial costs 66000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 infrastracture costs 20000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 depreciation equipment 0 9900000 9900000 9900000 9900000 9900000 9900000 6600000 0 working capital 0 14000000 12880000 11849600 10901632 10029501 9227141 8488970 7809852 operation expenses 0 31000000 32240000 33529600 34870784 36265615 37716240 39224890 40793885 Royalties 0 0 2725000 3079250 3479553 3931894 4403722 4976205 5623112 interest on loan 0 5668303 5116727 4513708 3854450 3133706 2345743 1484291 542497 Lease costs 0 3000000 3000000 3000000 3000000 3000000 3000000 3000000 3000000 TOTAL OUTFLOWS 86000000 63568303 65861727 65872158 66006419 66260716 66592846 63774356 57769346 REVENUES 0 0 54500000 61585000 69591050 78637887 88074433 99524109 112462243 NET CASH INFLOWS BEFORE TAX -86000000 63568303 -11361727 -4287158 3584631 12377171 21481587 35749753 54692897 TAX ON NET REVENUE 0 0 0 0 1075389.3 3713151.3 6444476.1 10724925.9 16407869.1 NET CASH INFLOWS -86000000 -63568303 - 11361727 -4287158 2509241.7 8664019.7 15037110.9 25024827.1 38285027.9 PRESENT VALUE (17%) 1 0.8547 0.7305 0.6244 0.5337 0.4561 0.3898 0.3332 0.2848 -86000000 -54331828.57 -8299741.574 -2676901.455 1339182.295 3951659.385 5861465.829 8338272.39 10903575.95 NPV= -118237414.3 PART 2 Beta shows the relationship existing between the premium rate of the market and a firm’s rate of return. Beta is the value reflecting the slope when these two components mentioned are graphed. The process of finding beta is to be explained as

Delegation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Delegation Paper - Essay Example However, there has been a significant transformation in management style and approach of MGM Transport's managers. After attending a management seminar, most of the managers adapted a new way of dealing with their team members or subordinates most especially in the manner the delegated tasks to their subordinates. Delegation in MGM Transport is now all about asking questions and hearing out what the employees have to say regarding specific concerns. Managers in the company now place more value on what the employees have to say. So before they dish out orders left and right, the managers consult their people, ask them questions, and make them give their suggestions as to how the issue will be solved. As early as the planning stages, the managers now involve their team members. The plan of action which used to be the responsibility of the manager has now become collaboration between the manager and the employees. A specific instance that will demonstrate how such delegation process occurs in MGM is when the issue of the need to expand the company's less-than-a-truckload (LTL) services. John Adams, a member of the sales team, was tasked to study the need to expand the company's LTL services and which regions or areas must be considered. Before coming up with any decision or plan of action, John called for a meeting with his team. He told them of the situation and asked them what they have to say about it. Adams asked them for suggestion as to how to proceed with the task. When everyone had said their piece, John and his team worked out a plan that will resolve the issue at hand. By involving his team in the planning process, John was able to eliminate possible misunderstandings that commonly occur when the team members do not have sufficient knowledge or background on the task that needs to be done. It was only after the consultation process did John divide the tasks among the team members. E ach member was assigned to do things that fit into his area of expertise the best. No one person was given too much or too little duties. Delegation in MGM used to be a big concern and a weakness of the managers. However, this has greatly changed. Today, delegation has been utilized by MGM managers as an effective tool that will increase the productivity of the company. II. Delegation in Other Areas and Activities The case of MGM Transport demonstrates a situation wherein delegation was effectively used in the planning stage. Delegation, however, is applicable not just to the planning phase. Delegation can be used in several other phases and stages in an organization. There are various ways by which delegation can be valuable to an organization and the various processes embedded in its operations. As seen in the example of MGM, delegating in planning requires the involvement of key employees whose skills and capabilities are necessary for the resolution of a particular issue. When in the planning process, it is vital for the manager to be aware of the various perspectives and points of view of an issue. Moreover, any manager in any organization would want that he would have as much suggestions and ideas from as many angles and sides when he makes decisions on certain issues. It is in this case wherein delegation can ease the planning process. Not only will delegation reduce the pressure on the

The television show AMERICAN IDOL. is a good show. and why it a good Essay

The television show AMERICAN IDOL. is a good show. and why it a good show - Essay Example Exploring the spontaneity aspects of the show, how much of it is truly spontaneous and what parts are orchestrated is a topic of speculation (Shale 2006). The competition’s initial rounds attract tens of thousands of hopeful artists who are screened and only dozens move on to the rounds in Hollywood. In these initial auditions, a mix of expectant artists are showcased comprise of some bizarre acts, very poor singing talent along with those who are chosen for the rounds in Hollywood. The viewers are granted the experience of watching spontaneity at its epitome with bizarre and awful performances such as the portrayal of Lady Marmalade in season one and a contestant dressed as the Statue of Liberty in the latest season’s auditions. While one may wonder whether such self-delusioned people are for real, viewers will no doubt agree that such eccentricities add to the reality show’s appeal. While spontaneity of the contestants is one aspect, the judges themselves add to the drama of the show by blunt and harsh criticisms and unsuppressed dismays expressed verbally and with their dramatic facial expressions. The three judges of the show, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson portrays three different personal styles with Simon coming across as the most critical and harsh of them with controversial remarks which even raise public backlashes. As per Tom Shales, in his article, Americas Winning Losers†¦ â€Å"when the show started, this aspect of it seemed awfully mean-spirited -- humiliation television, cruelty as entertainment† (Shales 2006). However, it has to be accepted that the viewing audience sees such brutal remarks by Simon as "You look like the Incredible Hulks wife" as an essential element of the formula which makes Idol the success it is. Squabbling between the judges themselves on disagreements on who they

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Bisphenol A (BPA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bisphenol A (BPA) - Essay Example It is known in recent years of the mid-20th century to have been widely utilized in the manufacture of bottles made of hard plastic as well as metallic containers for packaging food and beverage. BPA is primarily used in synthesizing polycarbonate high-performance plastics, epoxy resins, and coatings which are further required for a variety of yields and other applications. As being a potential contaminant which bears significant impact upon reproduction and growth in aquatic life due to leaching of BPA from landfills which consist of mixed wastes of disposing of plastic and metal objects. As such, organisms like fish, reptiles, amphibians, and several aquatic invertebrates have been reported to suffer from endocrine-based consequences upon exposure to moderately toxic BPA levels. Other relevant findings also demonstrate environmental hazards posed by BPA on terrestrial wildlife and leguminous plants through its interfering action on certain processes required for biological developm ent. BPA is found to cause disruption of endocrine and neurological functions, obesity, brain tumors, thyroid problems, and cancer in human beings among others. I suppose that, as a concerned citizen, I can help minimize the impact of BPA on my environment and on my own health by completely refraining from or reducing at least the use of polycarbonate products. I would take the time and effort to join some anti-BPA campaigns whenever I can and communicate to the public the most to support the endeavor of seeking alternatives to BPA.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Essay on Horizontal Recruiters Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Horizontal Recruiters - Essay Example It is the only cemetery that is under the Armys jurisdiction while the other 113 are under the Veterans Administration. He notes that although these men and women who are buried there were once regular citizens like the people who come to read their names, they are seen as heroes. The Army has glorified these corpses as something that should be revered and that it is something that people should be humbled by because these soldiers laid down their lives for their country. The author also suggests that President Kennedy also became a heroic entity within the walls of Arlington because of his assignation and the fact that he is the most visited grave in the cemetery. He talks about the fact that although he was under court martial his father was able to get him out of it and this act led to him being elected president later. All of this information made the author angry about what he was seeing how the Arlington Cemetery as a tribute to the militarys need to emulate its victims. Another historical fact that he brings to light is the fact that Arlington was once named "Freedom Village" and it served as a place where free slaves were living just after Lincoln freed them. This was a place where they could receive permanent housing and community service. This was an established village for them for over 30 years. Unfortunately because it was under the jurisdiction of the Army, many residents complained that the living conditions were like living in slavery. After the war it was more difficult for the ex-slaves to get the help they needed and the federal assistance they were receiving was reduced. He makes the point that the Arlington National Cemetery brought this about and created a welfare state before there was welfare available to the nation. Another travesty that this young man is upset about is the fact that in Arlington National Cemetery blacks and whites could not be buried together. This created another way for the slaves to be separated within the

Bisphenol A (BPA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bisphenol A (BPA) - Essay Example It is known in recent years of the mid-20th century to have been widely utilized in the manufacture of bottles made of hard plastic as well as metallic containers for packaging food and beverage. BPA is primarily used in synthesizing polycarbonate high-performance plastics, epoxy resins, and coatings which are further required for a variety of yields and other applications. As being a potential contaminant which bears significant impact upon reproduction and growth in aquatic life due to leaching of BPA from landfills which consist of mixed wastes of disposing of plastic and metal objects. As such, organisms like fish, reptiles, amphibians, and several aquatic invertebrates have been reported to suffer from endocrine-based consequences upon exposure to moderately toxic BPA levels. Other relevant findings also demonstrate environmental hazards posed by BPA on terrestrial wildlife and leguminous plants through its interfering action on certain processes required for biological developm ent. BPA is found to cause disruption of endocrine and neurological functions, obesity, brain tumors, thyroid problems, and cancer in human beings among others. I suppose that, as a concerned citizen, I can help minimize the impact of BPA on my environment and on my own health by completely refraining from or reducing at least the use of polycarbonate products. I would take the time and effort to join some anti-BPA campaigns whenever I can and communicate to the public the most to support the endeavor of seeking alternatives to BPA.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Evolution of Human Figure in Sculpture Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Human Figure in Sculpture Essay Depiction of human figures have dramatically changed through time. It was in sculpture that human physical dimensions were visibly illustrated. There have been many variations of the human body shown from the prehistoric to the modern period. In this research, three sculpture namely: statute of Gilgamesh, the Moschophoros and the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta will be used to trace the progression of the human body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gilgamesh was   the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh wherein he was portrayed as half god and half human. His personality was the representation of all the virtues of humans. In the statue, Gilgamesh was shown holding a lion in a headlock position wherein his arm was protected by the â€Å"chain-mail robe† (Gilmore â€Å"Ancient Sumeria). Meanwhile, the other hand was gripping a snake.   These portrayals symbolized Gilgameshs warrior and royal status. The body was irregularly depicted because of the   disproportion of the upper and lower body.   The torso seemed intentionally elongated making the waist line looked low. However, since the statue is an example of a Gargantuan statue, they type of perspective would make a difference in the alteration of the figures proportions (Gilmore â€Å"Ancient Sumeria).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Calf-bearer or the Moschoporos is the interpretation of a Greek specifically a rich Attican who was about to sacrifice a calf as an offering to the goddess Athena. The figure was clothed with a thin cloak that outlined the structure of the body resulting to a partially nude sculpture. The animal was put around the figures shoulders with his hands clutched on the hooves. More so, muscular details were evident in the abdomen area. Many details were present on the face of the human figure. The curls of his hair took the shape of pearls or corals that framed his forehead while a closed small mouth with a curved beard and â€Å"deep-set eyes† accented the whole face (Atlantis International â€Å"The Acropolis Museum†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The statue of Augustus of Prima Porta signified Augustus military supremacy. Historically, the statue was believed to be created as a sign of the commemoration of the triumph of the Romans against the Parthians. Unlike other Roman leaders, Augustus was   depicted as a mere man and not the traditional deified god (Ramage â€Å"Historical Reflection on the Statue †). The head of the statue contained details that were very recognizable such as the broad head with a Primaporta styled hair, full close mouth, keen ridged eyebrows, smooth round chin and   pointed nose highlighted. The breastplate with intricate graphical details and the hand in an upright position signified his authority. Meanwhile, the presence of the robe suggested the godliness of Augustus and the cupid riding a dolphin emphasized the divinity of the â€Å"founder of Venus and Italy namely the Julian family to Aeneas† (Ramage â€Å"Description of the Statueà ¢â‚¬ ).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Among the three sculpture, the Roman portrait of Augustus was the most defined in terms of human form. It exactly depicted the human characteristics from top to bottom. The statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer have some distortions in the body image making it look disfigured. In the statue of Augustus, it had a sense of movement while the statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer appeared stiff. Also, the Gilgamesh lacked the three-dimensionality because of the awkward position of the legs and arms while the Calf-bearer compared to the former achieved more proportion because of the smooth construction of the muscles in the body. It is evident that from the Archaic period to the time of the Romans, human figure developed from a god-like depiction like the Gilgamesh to a more real person represented by Augustus. However, the concept of the sanctity of gods and goddesses were prevalent in the three sculptures. Overall, the sculptures showed the progress in depicting the human body from being disproportionate to a perfect formation of the shape and movement of the whole body. Works Cited Glimore, Tom. â€Å"Ancient Sumeria.†1999. T Byron G Publishing. 27 March 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.anticipation.info/texte/gilmore/Tom  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   %20Gilmore/www.tomgilmore.com/sumeria.htm. Ramage. â€Å"Description of the Statue.† (October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prima Porta   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://web.mit.edu/21h.402/www/primaporta/description/. Ramage. â€Å"Historical Reflection on the Statue.† (October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prima Porta http://web.mit.edu/21h.402/www/primaporta/context/reflection/. â€Å"The Acropolis Museum.† (2006). Atlantis International.   27 March 2008     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://madeinatlantis.com/athens/acropolis_museum.htm.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Reverse Innovation Is Completely Different Marketing Essay

Reverse Innovation Is Completely Different Marketing Essay Large multinational companies traditionally considered deriving revenues in their home turf, and sought most of their growth opportunities within their home country. As markets saturated, they moved on to other rich countries targeting consumers from those market segments that they were able to secure in their home country. As competition from businesses both large and small increased, corporate strategy included expansion into emerging markets. Multinational companies have the capital to leverage their expansion into these emerging markets. This method allowed companies to obtain a foothold in these fast-growing economies, however, their current product offerings were too expensive to cater to the bottom of the pyramid consumers, which is sometimes the bulk of the population. Western multinationals found themselves capturing a small segment of the market, due to the unavailability of cheap products so eagerly sought by these bottom of the pyramid consumers. As done previously in ric h foreign countries, the western multinational could cater to the rich in the developing country. Unfortunately the number of consumers fulfilling these criteria is quite small compared to the entire population. Traditional strategies of globalisation later included local innovation, which together was termed as glocalisation. These local innovations were fuelled by the need to address differences in the demand structure of the current consumers. Existing products of the multinational was slightly tweaked to appeal to the locals, through various ways (include from literature). This process carried out well until local competition from emerging countries, with their superior local market understanding started developing products aimed at meeting the needs of the bottom of the pyramid consumers. These products as identified by Vijay (XXX) share some unique characteristics (low price, etc.) and are much readily accessible by this consumer base. They products created for these consumers by local businesses were highly innovative, often performing the same functions as the western multinationals product offerings, at a much lower price point. It fulfilled the need of these consumers of being of good enough quality but at the same time being easy to use. Cheap products performing the same function attracted the attention of consumers in higher income segments in the emerging countries, and gained popularity through to neighbouring countries with low GDPs per capita. Multinationals were seeing their markets slowly being taken over by these local innovators. To tackle this problem, western companies, not familiar with the demand needs of the locals created local innovation teams to create a clean slate approach towards innovation. Aside from altering current offerings, they also focused on creating completely new products sharing those factors such as low price, ease of use and good-enough quality. These products saw good responses from the local markets, bringing about increased learning of market needs to the Western multinational. The step following this original local innovation was the export of products back to the developed world. This process was coined by Vijay as Reverse Innovation in his book. The latest step for expansion of firms, this stage brings about a large number of research questions mentioned by Vijay and Trimble in their book. However, one aspect not considered was the target market in the developed country for these products. It is clear to recognize that there exists, even in the developed world, a number of consumers, especially in the bottom of the income groups, who prefer products sharing the features of low price, ease of use and good-enough quality. However, it is not clear who exactly these consumers are. With moderate success of the few successful examples of reversely innovated products in the western world, it creates the need to find out the perfect consumer profile for these products. This becomes more apparent during current recessionary periods, causing consumers to tighten t heir budgets. We analyse in this paper, from a consumer standpoint, behaviour towards these reversely innovated products. We ask whether the current economic climate will cause the purchase behaviour of those consumers, who would not necessarily have considered purchasing products sharing such features, to change or not. Literature Review Introduction Guided by the research objectives, the literature review can be broken down into three major parts; 1. Reverse Innovation and related topics, 2. Consumer behaviour and its influence on market segmentation and 3. Consumer behaviour towards reversely innovated products in western societies. Within stated topics, the literature review, first, describes briefly respective theory, its composition and provides distinct definitions, vital key models and perspectives. Thereby, research objectives of this dissertation and related theories can be clarified and explicitly distinguished from irrelevant literature available. This is specifically applicable to the topic of consumer behaviour and market segmentation with its vast amount of diverse scopes and research areas. Second, it helps to define clear definitions of different innovation models, especially those generating from emerging countries, or the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), etc. Defining Reverse Innovationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Definition History Theory (models, frameworks) Critique in contrast with other theory Analysis = hypotheses (if required) Innovation in general Brief introduction to innovation in general (including history or necessity for business?) Definition of innovation with some scholars explaining it and most popular frameworks (if available) Explanation of reverse innovation Brief introduction to reverse innovation (including origin and necessity) Definition of the theory behind reverse innovation In our paper, we focus solely on developed country multinationals, and this also sets the backdrop for the definition of reverse innovation. Indeed the term stands true only if innovations are brought back to the home (developed) country. Introducing the model of reverse innovation (4 stages of RI) (by vijay) Briefly describe all four stages (maybe I can find another model that can be described as an alternative to vijays model although probably not possible) Explaining the four stages in detail: Chris Trimble defines innovation as any project that is new to you and has an uncertain outcome (1,25). US President, Obama, talks about the need for innovation by US scientists to outdo global competition. However, Vijay argues that this can only be done when scientists stop focusing on innovation in the USA and look elsewhere for dynamic ideas based on consumer needs. Innovation can occur anywhere and Mehmood Khan, chief scientific officer of PepsiCo found that Western doctors discovered in Bangladesh the use of century old local treatment for diarrhoea by cholera. What is innovation? Sustaining Disruptive Incremental Radical Reverse Strategic Architectural Modular Competence Enhancing Competence Destroying Globalisation: Definition -43, 45 History Theory (models, frameworks) (ted levitt) Critique in contrast with other theory 51, 54 Analysis hypotheses (if required) transition to glocalisation 48 unused 33, 46, int., ghamewat Phase 1 Globalization -Multinationals built unprecedented economies of scale by selling products and services to markets all around the world. Innovation happened at home, and then the new offerings were distributed everywhere. Globalisation theory was initially developed in 1817 by David Ricardo in his Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, where he suggests that nations should specialise in the production of those goods and services in which they are most adept. However, this would benefit both trading partners only if certain conditions stayed constant, namely: There should be a balance of trade between the 2 nations so that one does not become indebted or dependant to the other in any way Capital investment should take place in home country and not allowed to move from high wage to low wage country In a sophisticatedly connected information network prevalent in todays world, these conditions do not hold, invalidating Ricardos definition. It is not possible for countries to rely on themselves alone based on their competitive advantage. Global economics is dominated by export intensive countries, thus necessitating the need for increased exports to the rest of the world as the only method for expansion. Reverse innovation, however brings back the learning from foreign countries back to the home country to strengthen the foothold in current established markets of the MNC. The bi-polar world economy dominated by USA and Europe (also Japan), has now become tri-polar with the inclusion of East South East Asia. In terms of market size, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the UK still dominate, by 2020, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan will move up to the top ten. It is easy to see their success already in a multitude of industries (Steel, Consumer electronics, Food, etc. ). This new tri polar world economy suggests the high importance companies must place to these emerging regions. diagram (447886) can be included to underline the change in globalisation Globalisation is one of the most popular buzzwords around not only in the world of business but a term to define the processes of international integration arising from increased human connectivity and interchange of ideas, products and other aspects of culture. Beerkens, 2006, summarises the different definitions and perspectives prevailing on the matter from Marx Engels, 1848 to his own definition in 2004. He postulates that the process of globalisation causes acceleration, massification, flexibilisation, diffusion and expansion of transnational flows of people. It accelerates basic social arrangements (like power, culture, markets, politics, rights, values, norms, ideology, identity, citizenship and solidarity) to become disconnected from their spatial context (mainly the nation state) to create a worldwide interconnectedness between nation states.(beerkens, 2004). This also means that the development on one side of the globe will have consequences on the other. Som prominent exa mples of globalisation include Coca Colas presence in over 200 countries (1, 43) or the restructuring of the automotive industry to adjust to cost differences around the world through relocation of competitive advantage regarding manufacturing, assembling, etc., to the rise in prices of oil in the Western world due to shooting up of demand for it during 2004 and 2006 in India and China. Globalisation benefits XXXXXX. (1, 43) argue that the effects of globalisation are yet to see any slowing down. With standardised national income, media and technology authors adopt the view that consumers would have similar needs and behaviours. For example, communications development (Bradley, 1991:384) and technology development (Ronkainen 1993:167) will bring convergence in consumer markets. McLuhan (1964) talks about a Global Village, where global media and increased travel will bring about convergence in consumer behaviour, values and lifestyles. This is supported by Ted Levitt (1983) who suggest that new technology will cause consumer needs to become consistent, based on his view of consumer rationality and price sensitivity or profit maximising intentions. However, this assumption of nationality is inherently flawed as it does not incorporate cultural contexts (Antonides 1998; McCracken 1989; Sà ¼erdem 1993). There is also small empirical evidence of consumer behaviour convergence based on universal price-minded customers in the micro level (Usunier 1996). Macro level hypotheses is al so disregarded by (Craig, Douglas and Grain 1992, Hollanders, Soete and Ter Weel 1999, Sarkar 1999). As can be easily understood, the scope of this topic is huge, and we shall look at only from an international business point of view. CONVERGENCE but in reality DIVERGENCE XXXXXX Given the ease of controlling expansion possibilities, cost reduction, resources and logistics, MNEs can now strategically disperse activities, including innovation functions in different low cost geographic locations. The motivations for conducting international business include market motives, economic motives and strategic motives. Market motives can be offensive or defensive offensive being the motive to seize market opportunities in overseas countries through trade investments, and defensive being the motive to protect the companys market power or competitive position in contrast to the domestic rivalry or changes in government policies. Economic motives apply when firms capitalise on the inter-country differences in costs of labour, natural resources and capital and taxation, to achieve economies of scale and subsequent higher revenues. E.g. Motorola establishing production facilities in Chinas special economic zones offering lower taxation rate than applicable in the US. Stra tegic motives lead firms to internationalise, capitalising on distinctive resources or capabilities developed at home (e.g. technologies and economies of scale). Firms can increase their cash flow by deploying these capabilities overseas. Firms may also wish to exploit first mover advantages, e.g. Volkswagen which was the second automaker in China, was the first to locate in Shanghai, gaining a monopoly in the market for years. Firms also gain advantage by integrating both vertically and/or horizontally involving different countries. (1, 43) There are several papers suggesting the heterogeneity amongst different markets in the global sphere. Bakhtazmai (2011) postulates that there is a decentralised regulation of markets, and while cosmopolitan nations move towards globalisation, they also reach down to the social local organisations. According to J.H. Mittelman, globalisation is a historical transformation in economy and cultural diversity. Hofstede postulated different dimensions could be used to understand and tackle cultural differences. Differences in product usage and buying motives are correlated with these dimensions (De Mooij 1998, 2000, 2001). Since peoples attitudes related to consumption are based on their values,the differences become more stable and stronger over time. Conventionally international business interprets the term culture to mean national cultures exclusively, but Hofstede (1991:253) has warned against applying national culture dimensions to subnational levels. Bakhtazmai concludes that the pace , magnitude and direction of change caused by globalisation will continue to progress rapidly through technology transfer. Dynamic management (Dowbor, 2001) requires constant adaptation to different segments of social reproduction. Benefits from globalisation may include design, purchasing, manufacturing operations, packaging, etc. making possible standardised facilities, methodologies and procedures across countries. Companies may only tweak a little bit in each area to achieve profits. The process of combining both global and local operations has become known as glocalisation. Yip and Coundouriotis (1991) argue that global strategy usage can possibly help achieve reduced costs, improved quality, enhanced customer preference and combined global resources. To understand the global consumer culture, (1,54) offers an categorization approach by integrating Roschs categorization theory into the discussion of whether consumer cultures globalize, glocalize or localize. The authors suggest that arguments for global consumer culture are made at the superordinate level. Levitt (1983) predicted the demise of local consumer culture, causing debates about viability of globally standardised marketing. Proponents of global consumer culture argue that cross border tourism, labour mobility (Holt et al. 2004) lead to standardisation of consumer demands (Alden et al 1999, Jain 1989). Advocates of local consumer culture argue that LCC remains resilient against such global forces (Jackson, 2004;Watts, 1996). However, meanings associated with the consumption factor are primarily functional or symbolic, causing the strength of the argument for a global consumer culture to vary between glocal and local consumer culture. Ghamewat, P (XX) also argues that the world today is not as globalised as many strategists believe. The world is not flat, he says, his view significantly differing from Thomas Friedman (XX)  [1]  Companies must find ways to manage differences and similarities within and across regions. Globalisation is relatively recent term, starting usage in 1960, however really starting to realise prominent existence since the 1990s. McLuhan, 1964 talks about a global village where people on earth live in a single social place. The local, however has to come to terms with the global. The mutual relationship also means that global is just plural versions of local. Hence, globalisation is always glocalisation (Robertson, 1995) captured as being global, but acting local. Glocalisation Phase 2 Glocalization In this phase, multinationals recognized that while Phases 1 had minimized costs, they werent as competitive in local markets as they needed to be. Therefore, they focused on winning market share by adapting global offerings to meet local needs. Innovation still originated with home-country needs, but products and services were later modified to win in each market. To meet the budgets of customers in poor countries, they sometimes de-featured existing products. Think Globally Act Locally (Glocal) is the at the core of international marketing departments and this defines the portmanteau word glocalisation. Early critics for global standardization talk about consumers needs and interests becoming homogenous, people willing to sacrifice product features, functions and designs, for high quality at low prices and huge economies of scale can be achieved through internationalisation. (1, 34) (1,37) (1, 37) glocalisation as a linear expansion of territorial scales should we include or not? Can also be included in globalisation (motives for globalisation, but we do not mention glocalisation in that stage yet, so unsure) Standardisation versus Adaptation, Homogenisation versus Tailoring these company activities are optimised when a company goes glocal. (1, 38) The term originated from the Japanese word dochakuka meaning global localization (do land, chaku arrive at, ka process of) (1,42) and came into existence with Japanese business practices as they brought their services in the 1980s to the USA (Japanese cars) (1,39; 1,40). The idea was applied to the marketing of products and affects all the Ps of the marketing mix. (1, 40) (1,36). The word glocal was coined by sociologist Ronald Robertson (1995). The erroneous assumption regarding homogeneity has led to firms to believe that their products will be accepted by international consumers. As studies show, their sales get saturated after a point, indicating the differences in consumer behaviour patterns. Company executives have started to innovate locally through learning of the intricacies of the foreign environment where they operate, understanding that this is the only way to leverage their global scale and reach (1, 43). Although most companies follow the notion Think Global, Act Local Glocalisation is more complex (Medeni 2004). Glocalisation was developed as a more holistic solution to globalisation and localisation, which is more sociological. (1, 41) (also glocalisation as a three level system; 1,37) In his paper, Vignali (2001) (1,36) differentiates between globalisation and internationalisation, defining the former as involving developing marketing strategies as if the world is a single entity, through full standardisation. He describes internationalisation however as incorporating customisation of marketing strategies for different regions of the world based on cultural, regional and national differences. This is in line with Levit (1983) who suggest multinational companies and global companies engage in internationalisation and globalisation respectively. (1, 38) Grune (1989) (1, 38) argues that multinationals pursue independent strategies in each foreign market and subsidiaries are essentially autonomous operations generating their own profits whilst finance and marketing efforts being coordinated by headquarters. Global companies operate as integrated systems with each subsidiary depending on the other for operations and strategy. Therefore multinationals localise while globals globalise (!) Globalisation and localisation may seem contradictory, however this mix of strategies are bound to coexist in the future. It takes into account the vast differences in practices, values, standards of living and taxation across the globe. At the core of the standardisation debate stands the argument to what extent, if at all, is it applicable to design, market and deliver existing offerings across national market boundaries (1, 34). The arguments set forth in this paper for glocalisation suggest that a distribution infrastructure is available for realisation of potential economies of scale, through successful global strategies since global market segments exist, as does global economies of scale. Tiplady (1, 35) adds that the situation is a bit complex and that globalisation does not only travel one way from the West to the Rest. The interconnected world allows ideas to transfer between nations and as they get to their new destination, they are adapted to fit the situation, meaning multinationals also learn within emerging country presence. It can be argued therefore, that reverse innovation is a type of glocalisation. Local realities shape these tweaks, for example Wal-Mart in China sells chicken feet and Chinese branded stewed pork ribs, also an indication of utilising local suppliers (tax breaks). (1, 35) Under the set of assumptions that developing countries are engaged in a slow and evolutionary process of catching up with the rich world, both economically and technologically, and they will import what they desire from the rich world, a strategy of glocalisation makes perfect sense. Firms can tap emerging markets by simply exporting lightly modified versions of global products developed for rich world customers mainly lower end models with fewer features. Glocalisation is essentially a simulation of the process of hybridization A process whereby cultural forms literally move through time and space where they interact with other cultural forms and settings, influence each other, produce new forms, and change the cultural settings. (Lull, 2000. P.242). Businesses not engaging in the process can be rejected by host country consumers, as the process of growth within these countries is organic and must happen through integration with the host culture e.g. Wal-Mart in Germany tried to naively reinforce American culture onto Germans, which led to unfavourable results. (1, 40). (1, 41) points out the important role of cutting edge technologies in advanced products and especially consumer electronics in glocalisation. Good for our reverse innovation hypotheses. When Wal-Mart tried entering Central and South America, it discovered it could not sustain by exporting only its existing formula it had to innovate. In his paper, Immelt (2009) (1, 17) suggests that the business model of adapting global offerings to local needs will not be sufficient given the slowdown of growth in rich countries. He suggests companies start reverse innovating, i.e. involve themselves in local innovation and then distributing them globally. He recognises that multinationals can adopt both strategies, there are some conflicts which must be resolved, and otherwise, emerging country multinationals, with good local knowledge will destroy giants like GE. Reverse Innovation As lastly described, due to the increasing potential of the consumer market within the poor people of emerging markets, MNEs have to start focussing more on these groups of customers. However, because of the drastic divergence in preferences Vijay argues that adaptation will not be sufficient anymore to cover the resulting differences. He defines the following gaps as the main reason of differentiating preferences. Performance Gap Customers in emerging countries have lower incomes than their contemporaries in the developed world. This causes them to demand products that deliver a lower performance from products, however at a much lower price/performance ratio. Infrastructure Gap The developed world has superior infrastructure, e.g. power, water supply, logistical solutions, political institutions, etc. These are all still under construction in the developing world and require some time to reach (or even surpass) the levels in the developed world. This means that consumers in poor countries require products that do not rely on dependable infrastructure. The implication for improved innovation from this gap is that these poor countries will adopt technologies that have either been proved to be useful in the developed world, and also technologies that are better. For example, wireless technology in India is sometimes more sophisticated than developed countries. Sustainability Gap Poor countries face stringent sustainability constraints, for example, India faces the threat of increased carbon emissions from its numerous industries. Problems such as these necessitate environmentally friendly products, which are often innovated locally, e.g. electrical cars in China, biodegradable energy (reference). Regulatory Gap Regulatory structures in developed countries are more sophisticated and require companies to go through a lot of bureaucracy before they may establish new innovations. Thus, emerging countries see regulatory hurdles quickly being passed through. This may also be due to the fact that emerging country governments want more solutions to solve their problems of high population, low education, poor healthcare, etc. Preferences Gap Tastes and preferences are different based on values and culture. Companies must be innovative to address these needs, and this requires a clean state assessment of the customers needs. Vijay argues that it becomes almost impossible to fill these vast gaps with the strategy of adaptation and essentially glocalisation. Thus, MNEs have to start from scratch utilising a clean slate approach for innovation, which is essentially part of the stage local innovation. The first out of two stages within the reverse innovation process. Mentioned gaps inhere the differences in views, traditions, cultures and experiences between the western rich world and the developing world with lower average income (Gobble, 2012). A good example of failing in an emerging market due to a glocal strategy, provided by several scholars (reference), is the failure of General Electric in the medical equipment sector. Describe book example_international business_page 28. Local innovation, as described by Vijay, functions as a bridge to overcome these differences. Immelt (2009) suggests companies to start the process with a multinationals focus on developing countries, innovating products in the country, for the country. They take a zero-based (or a clean slate) assessment of customer needs, as opposed to the notion that consumers will adopt the companys products which have been slightly altered for them. In this stage, the company can pool together its resources from around the world to innovate the most appropriate product for the local customer. This approach is into contrast to the existing glocal strategy where products are being globally standardized and designed from home and only marginally adapted to the local customers needs afterwards. Local innovation requires changes in the organisational structure, to include board of directors with individuals with superior understanding of emerging market needs. Leaders must understand that Stage 1: Local innovation Starting to realise that their glocal strategy was not suitable for the Chinese market anymore, GE created a low cost, portable ultrasound machine called the GE MAC 400. GEs conventional ultra sound machines were sophisticated, but very bulky and quite expensive, affordable by a select few in the emerging world. In 2002 GE launched this product in China combining a regular laptop with sophisticated software, selling for $30000. In 2008, this product was re-engineered and the new model sold for $15000.This new product is less than 15% of GEs contemporary offerings, and it was highly successful in emerging economies. This caused the mental map of GE to shift from the Triad (USA, Europe Japan) to the rest of the world  [2]  , and also initialised the idea of reverse innovation (taking learning back to the developed world)- Although local innovation might indicate an ultimate strategy to capture the entire potential customer population from BRIC countries like China and India, it does fulfil its role only partially. Vijay defines his theory being applicable to the middle- and especially low-end segment in the emerging markets. In the past, they have been neglected by western MNEs due to their focus on the high-end customer segments in emerging markets when utilising glocalisation. The low-end segment is providing an increasing opportunity for MNEs as it consists out of 4 billion people world-wide. Prahalad (2007) defines them as the bottom-of the pyramid with a purchasing power parity of approxamitely 5$ trillion dollars. Bottom-of the pyramid articles To meet the differences in customer preferences, different authors have identified similar theories about the product specifications needed. One theory isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.(different theories such as inclusive innovation, catalytic,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) explain inclusive, catalytic, grass roots innovation, below the radar innovation, appropriate technology, inclusive business, jugaad/ frugal innovation (focus on the last for our first major hypothesis) Factors identified by Prahalad: Affordable Products Emerging nations cannot afford goods priced for the US and Western Europe, which pushes companies to find inexpensive materials or manufacturing options. 2. Leapfrog Technologies Developing countries lack 20th century infrastructure and so have fast- forwarded to newer technologies such as mobile phones or solar energy. 3. Service Ecosystems Entrepreneurs in emerging markets often must rely on natural conditions and, therefore, should aim at building more eco-friendly products and services. 4. Robust Systems Emerging markets require products that work in rugged conditions. A gadget sturdy enough to survive monsoons in India is most likely to handle weather conditions in western countries also. 5. Newer Applications Customers in eme