Sunday, October 13, 2019

Analysis of Still Life With Peppermint Bottle by Paul Cezanne Essay

Analysis of Still Life With Peppermint Bottle by Paul Cezanne Paul Cezanne is considered one of the greatest and most memorable artists of the Post-Impressionist period. His techniques were admired and greatly influential in the development of Cubism and many other modern art movements. He employed several styles in his works, such as his still life productions. In 1894 he produced a brilliant piece of work entitled â€Å"Still Life with a Peppermint Bottle†. Through this work he used elaborate techniques that most artists had not even discovered during his era. Cezanne mastered the technique of still life. In his paintings he used random objects such as a peppermint bottles and fruit (these examples taken from his painting, ‘Still Life with a Peppermint Bottle’), which symbolized the private part of man’s nature. Jane Roberts supports this idea in stating that, â€Å" †¦ man will gladly surround himself with beloved knick knacks with which he can be isolated with and alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Roberts 213). She goes on to say that these objects are contemplative in nature, allowing man to sit and ponder their meaning. When I speak of contemplation, I mean that every object is taken into account and their meaning of existence and placement are reflected upon. The fruit on the table has many other meanings besides being edible or for human use. By observing the fruit, you come to realize that the fruit is not being used for a human purpose, such as for food. It is something to be contempla...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Awakening 3 :: essays research papers

Make Your Choice…   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is the purpose of life? What are we all reaching for? Many have pondered on this subject and have come to one conclusion – happiness. However, it is our choice whether to reach this state or not. In Kate Chopin's work, 'The Awakening,'; the main character, Edna, made her choice. She chose to be a slave to the world. She chose to live in the shadow of her husband. She chose to give into her society. It was these choices that kept her from her true passions and dreams, which was to live for herself. As one can see, sacrificing oneself for the good of another inhibits one from attaining true happiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many philosophers have dealt with the question of whether to live a life of servitude or to pursue one's greater happiness. Immanuel Kant stipulates that the more people cultivate their reason, the less likely they are to find happiness. He states that 'everyone is/should be aware of his/her duty, or how one ought to act.'; Everyone has a goal within himself/herself, and it is his/her responsibility to reach for it and achieve it. In 'The Awakening,'; Edna does not take responsibility. She tries her entire life to fit in the prescribed mold that her husband set for her. She invests so much time into duty and responsibility that she loses any happiness that she hoped to achieve. She was not aware of her 'responsibility as a human being.'; She was not 'aware of one's rational powers in the exercise of moral duty.'; Edna knew she was not happy living as a puppet. She wanted a change. With time, Kant noted, the person who devotes their life to reason finds themselves needing a release, in the end despising reason, and eventually pursuing only their true happiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In keeping with Kant's philosophy, Edna's life has been riddled with reason and duty, essentially giving herself away to the people around her. This devotion to those people causes her to break away from her normal life and moves her to focus on finding her inherent happiness. After being 'reasonable'; for the twenty-eight years of her life, Edna breaks down. She wants to pursue love and disregard her duty to her husband and children. She falls in what she considers girlish love with the character Robert. She proclaims to him, 'I love you…only you; no one but you.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Australian Economic Indicators

The Australian economy has grown by less than one percent, considering that GDP growth in 2003 was 3.1 percent and 3.9 in 2007. The 2007 growth was the highest in the period, whereas the lowest growth rate of 2.7 was experienced in 2007.Relationship between VariablesReal GDP growth is countercyclical with inflation. As it can be seen on the graph, GDP was rising when inflation rate was declining and vice versa. This is inline with economic understanding that lower rates of inflation are good for economic growth.ABS and policy makers should therefore embark on policies that suppressed inflation in favor of economic growth. Unemployment rate has been falling throughout the period and are now at historic lows. This decrease is most likely caused by the steadily rising economic growth and the well contained inflation.How ABS Measures Inflation and UnemploymentInflation is measured by collecting market (prices) data for different goods, services and financial instruments. The data is coll ected on a daily basis and compounded monthly, quarterly, and on annual basis. The three kinds of inflation measured by ABS include:Consumer Price Inflation: This index is used to measure changes in market prices for goods and services used by consumers. These includes thing like food, clothing, housing, transportation, communication, financial services, and education among others.Producer Price Index: This is used to track market prices for goods and services used in industrial production processes. Production inputs are measured in three levels: preliminary intermediate and final stage (ABS 2008).Labor Price Index: The measure in meant to track hourly wage rates and bonus that employers have to remunerate employees.ABS measures unemployment by collecting data on several aspects of Australian labor force. The bank regularly collects data on the number of new hires and the number of those who loose their positions. This data is collected from all regions and industries. At the end, it becomes possible to understand unemployment rates and trends between regions, industries and age groups among other comparisons.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Environmental Scanning Essay

The environment is responsible for more company changes that the general public often realizes. The future of a company depends on the reaction that the company has to environmental changes. By not adapting to the changes, companies could ultimately end up failing. Recognizing that the environment is changing, businesses need to be able to adapt their products to keep up with new opportunities and balance a strategic fit between the environment and the company (Wheelen and Hunger, 2010). Toyota: A Responsibility to the Environment. Toyota led the revolution on economically friendly vehicles when the Toyota Prius was introduced in the United States in January 2009 (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). The Prius is the first in a long line of cars since 2009 to be marketing towards not producing dangerous emissions harmful to the environment. Toyota recognized the need for more energy efficient cars to reduce and adapted to meet the need. This quick move resulted in Toyota standing out as a leader within the automobile industry. In 2011, Toyota introduced the Fifth Toyota Environmental Action Plan. This action plan sets the precedence for standards for 2020 through 2030. The three themes throughout the action plan is construction of a low-carbon society, construction of a recycling-based society, and the construction of a society that coexists with nature and environmental conservation (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). Toyota is committed to developing the next generation of vehicles that rely on clean energy such as electricity rather than fuel. Toyota also will ensure market acceptance of these new vehicles by having these vehicles stand out with different characteristics that customers will want to have (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). Toyota is seeking to stimulate the hybrid vehicle market by introducing new models and expanding the hybrid vehicle market field (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). Toyota is also working with consumers directly by implementing initiatives by promoting eco-driving as well as providing traffic-flow improvement using current IT & ITS technologies (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). By asserting Toyota as an industry leader in hybrid vehicle technology, Toyota has a competitive advantage. Making the action plan public information as well as focusing all future technology around this plan, Toyota is displaying dedication to the environment as well as dedication to what customers want. By making these goals public, Toyota has a responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of their plan. Toyota will measure the effectiveness of the action plan by working with the REACH Regulation to ensure the goals they set forth are being met (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). The REACH Regulation focuses on minimizing the impact of chemical substances on the environment as well as people and provide corporations with insight on responsibly managing the use of chemical substances (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). Toyota also plans on working with government agencies to ensure that environmental goals are being met (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). In 2008, Toyota began the process of registering products either directly or indirectly used in the manufacturing of their vehicles (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). In 2009, Toyota announced that only 15 supplies used in vehicle manufacturing were substances of high concern, and began to change these products for products that match REACH regulation (â€Å"The fifth toyota,† 2011). By working closely with REACH and other government agencies, Toyota is able to keep constant measure of their success in their environmentally based action plan. Florida Power and Light: Clean Energy for a Clean Future Florida Power and Light is committed to changing based on environmental needs. No longer is it possible for electric companies to operate with fossil fuels alone. Florida Power and Light uses a mix of fuels at their power plants in order to generate clean energy (â€Å"Our commitment to,† 2014). Due to this mix of fuels, Florida Power and Light is recognized as a clean energy company with one of the lowest emission rates (the emission rate is currently 35% better than the industry average) and obtains most energy from clean-burning natural gas (â€Å"Our commitment to,† 2014). This year, Florida Power and Light began operation at three emissions-free solar energy facilities in Florida (INSERT). By using clean energy, Florida Power and Light is number two in the country for energy efficiency and offers one of the lowest energy charges in the state to their customers (â€Å"Our commitment to,† 2014). Florida Power and Light is committed to being held accountable as a leader in energy efficiency. By working closely with the U. S. Department of Energy, Florida Power and Light can stay up to date on how to follow their current plan on power plant modernization process. Florida Power and Energy also updates the Florida Public Service Commission on a regular basis to ensure they are complying with the standards for clean energy (â€Å"Our commitment to,† 2014). The parent company of Florida Power and Light, Nextera Energy, makes their governing documents, policies and procedures public knowledge and files in compliance with government agencies to ensure that they are meeting the environmental needs necessary (â€Å"Our commitment to,† 2014). Since the U. S. Department of Energy must oversee all power plants in the United States, Florida Power and Light will have to successfully maintain effective clean energy to not only operate within standards, but to continue to be a leader in the field of power and energy. Performing an environmental scan is important to companies due to constant change. The environment is in a constant state of change. If companies do not recognize this change, they will fail to adapt to the needs of the current economic conditions. By failing to change, companies run the risk of becoming obsolete in the new environment and are no longer able to operate. By performing environmental scans, companies can gage where changes need to be made and how to be leaders in their field on how to successfully execute making the necessary changes in order to remain relevant. References The fifth toyota environmental action plan (fy2011-fy2015). (2011). Retrieved from http://www. toyota-global. com/sustainability/environmental_responsibility/action_plan/fifth_plan4. html Our commitment to the environment. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. fpl. com/environment/commitment. shtml Wheelen, T. L. , & Hunger, J. D. (2010). Concepts in strategic management and business policy: Achieving sustainability (12th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Victoria’s Secret Pink: Keeping the Brand Hip

Case 6 Victoria’s Secret Pink: Keeping the Brand Hip As consumers, we pay attention to what is hip and trendy in the marketplace as it relates to fashion. Advertising plays a large role in the fashion decisions made by adults and pre-adults alike. For instance, advertisers for Victoria Secret have done a brilliant job of creating an association with the Victoria Secret brand and the visual image of lingerie that immediately comes to mind. They do this by using famous super models to market their signature bras, panties and sleepwear. This association is then projected back on the consumer, who begins to believe that they can be just a seductive as the Victoria Secret supermodels if they purchase this lingerie. A dilemma that may arise from this is that sometimes ethical boundary lines may become blurred or even crossed when advertisers try to establish a target audience. In an effort to generate profits, companies may be putting themselves at risk by targeting audiences that are too young for their sexually charged merchandise. . Analyze the buyer decision process of a typical Pink customer. The typical Pink customer is a young and fashionable woman that enjoys comfortable clothing. For women who may think that the Victoria Secret line is too racy or sexy for them, the Pink line offers a casual alternative that allows young women to feel cute and playful. The Pink brand is typically associated with and is characterized as an â€Å"approach† product, which is a product that provides a consumer a form of enj oyment. A typical Pink consumer uses personal influences to make purchase decisions. For example, this line of clothing is basically geared toward college coeds, who are usually seen sporting â€Å"loungewear† in daily life. Pink consumers are able to take their personal sense of style to the next level by wearing clothing that better suits their personalities. In this line, loungewear has been redefined by the use of bright colors, stripes and polka-dots; the line reflects personalities that are more fun. Likewise, lifestyle and social class play a large role in buyer decision. Pink customers are fortunate enough to be able to afford to spend their disposable income on fashion forward brands such as these. Lastly, â€Å"age and life stage† impacts buyer decision. The intended target audiences for the Pink brand are women between the ages of 18 through 30 , which includes the later part of Generation X and most of Generation Y. This subculture perceives themselves as young and will dress accordingly and make a fashion statement with the popular Pink brand. The women in this target group who are interested in being fashionable will look to societal requirements of them when making fashion decisions. If they know their age group is being targeted by the Pink advertisers and they think that Pink is hip and stylish, they will likely be influenced to buy it. Consumers wearing modern clothing products tend to feel better about themselves and perceive themselves as conforming to modern times. 2. Apply the concept of aspirational groups to Victoria Secret’s Pink line. Should marketers have boundaries with regard to this concept? Victoria Secret has positioned the Pink line in a way that it will target young consumers through their entry-level product so that they continue to be loyal customers and purchase the Victoria Secret brand as they age. Marketers have an ethical and social responsibility to ensure that they are not marketing to a young target age group if the product poses an inherent health risk or is sexually charged. Such is the case with the tobacco companies. Their advertisements were indirectly gaining the attention of minors. I believe that Victoria Secret is not exploiting younger age groups with their Pink line. Even if tweens are interested in the product, there is little cause for concern since the line is intended to be cute and playful, rather than sexy. Unfortunately, because of age compression, children are doing away with childlike images at a much earlier age. The need to grow up is very visible when it comes to fashion. For this reason, marketers need to be diligent in making sure that they target and advertise to the appropriate age group. In this day and age we place blame on the fashion industry and manufactures for the skimpy clothing products that are introduced to the market place and essentially to our children. Although there is some truth to this, we must not minimize the essential role that parents need to play in ensuring that the boundaries for their children are met. 3. Explain how both the positive and negative consumer attitudes toward a brand like Pink develop? How might someone’s attitude toward Pink change? From a positive side, consumers can relate more to the Pink product line as the clothing is characterized as â€Å"loungewear† which is comfortable and easy to wear. The consumers are presented with new Pink products every three to four weeks. This in turn keeps customers satisfied with being able to have the latest and greatest attire. Positive consumer attitudes are formed by customer satisfaction with the product. If the customers’ expectations are exceeded, then they are said to have a positive outcome. Positive customer experience will lead to customers being loyal and making repeat purchases. Satisfied customers will in turn be advocates and refer their friends to the Pink line. Negative consumer attitudes are formed when there is dissatisfaction with the product purchased. These customers will most likely never purchase the product again due to their initial poor experience. A customer’s attitude towards Pink may change due to some misunderstanding. For example a loyal customer may change their opinion of the company not due to the product, but because of poor customer service. This in turn can persuade the customer to purchase from somewhere else. As a business, you need to create and maintain strong customer relationships. It is easier to keep current customers than to attract new ones. 4. What role does Pink appear to be playing in the self-concept of tweens, teens, and young adults? Pink appears to be having a positive influence on the self-concept of young adults. It is not always necessary to look sexy in order to feel good about yourself. Young adult women can look good and feel comfortable at the same time with the Pink line of clothing. Let’s face it, not all women love the way they look naked; the Pink brand allows them to feel as though they are wearing something young, hip and attractive without having to compete with the supermodels that wear the Victoria Secret line. The tweens and teens are being influenced by external forces such as the media, and by their social groups into wearing the Pink Label. Tweens and teens want to conform to societal expectations and will take any step necessary to accomplish this such as wearing adult clothing in order to fit in and be part of the hip, trendy crowd. Some parents may think that the Pink clothing line may be slightly risky or too provocative for this age group. Though selling to this age group may be a positive economic benefit for Pink, it may tarnish Pink’s corporate social image. Parents do not want to see their children dressing beyond their years. Bad publicity may cause customers to boycott the Pink brand and possibly the Victoria Secret’s products as well. References: Hickling, J. , & Miller, C. (2008). Cigarette pack and advertising displays at point of purchase: community demand for restrictions. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 32(6), 574-578. doi:10. 1111/j. 1470-6431. 2008. 00694. x. Court, D. , Elzinga, D. , Mulder, S. , & Vetvik, O. (2009). The consumer decision journey. McKinsey Quarterly, (3), 96-107. Retrieved from Business Source Elite database. Kotler, P. , & Armstrong, G. (2010). Victoria’s Secret Pink: Keeping the Brand Hip. In Principles of Marketing (Thirteenth ed. , pp. 12-13). Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Creed, W. , Scully, M. , & Austin, J. (2002). Clothes Make the Person? The Tailoring of Legitimating Accounts and the Social Construction of Identity. Organization Science, 13(5), 475-496. Retrieved from Business Source Elite database.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Analysis - Essay Example The use of direct quotes of the author calling his siblings shows the author’s attempts to imitate the family set-ups he watched in his favorite program. The quotes are useful in creating an imagery of the author’s actions and his desire to mimic the perfect families in TV. Orr (82) explains that the use of satire throughout the story is the writer’s strongest aspect in constructing his arguments. The author asked his brother Rick and sister Debbie to put on shoes to the dinner table just like in the TV where people dress appropriately for dinner parties. However, Rick defied him and came to the dinner table with only his swim trunks on. The writer’s attempts to influence his siblings and his brother’s defiance occurred without the mother realizing. The use of satire is more evident in the author’s use of an exclamation mark in the sentence â€Å"†¦to become wealthy, and right away!† The author is so obsessed with the rich lives of the families he watches in the TV such that he decides to take a rake and look for work in the neighborhood. Even though doing manual jobs such as cleaning using rakes cannot make one rich, the author still believes he can be rich. Even more satirical is the fact that the author walks in the neighborhood requesting to collect leaves in the summer. It is clear that the author’s obsession has impaired his judgment and reasoning. It is in the summer therefore, there are no leaves to clean up. However, the author’s insistence on the presence of leaves to clean up is ridiculous and discomforting. The author’s use of satire is his strongest literary aspect to show his childhood and often, stupid obsession with families in TV (Orr 83). Gary Soto discusses at length his quest to work for people in the neighborhood in order to get rich (Orr 93). He succinctly describes the work he did for his neighbors and in the process, highlights the stupidity of his

Monday, October 7, 2019

Report---Morrisons Supermarkets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report---Morrisons Supermarkets - Essay Example It also has a long standing management team to support such expansion. The level of service it gives to the customers is also high. The internal weakness of the company is that it is dependent on the market of UK. It is also uncertain over the long term acquisitions it has undertaken. It has a lower quality of Safeway estate. Their business model is very labour intensive. The external opportunities which the company now faces are the diversification of its business into new market. It has generated synergies through Safeway merger. Another opportunity facing the company is their expansion through online medium. It has decided to increase operations online. The Morrison faces many threats from its surrounding environments like Price wars. It is quite possible for its main competitors to engage in price wars. The UK grocery industry is undergoing a change and the company also need to adapt to the change. Hence if the company can’t take advantage of this position it will lose out in the market. Next the macroeconomic forces affect the company. Political forces which affect the company are changes in government policies like taxation polices. Any change of it will minimise the profit margins for the company in such competitive environment. The economic forces which affect them are their local suppliers of the products like meat etc. which keeps control over the quality of the food. Another advantage which the company have is that it helps to keep the prices in check. Morrison has launched a way of recognising a colleague’s job profile by giving National Qualified Certificate. This is their way of changing the lifestyle of the employees. They have also launched a campaign aimed â€Å"Let’s Grow† which provides free gardening equipment to the local schools so that a healthy social balance in the society can be maintained. The IT infrastructure of Safeway was down-graded and hence it needs to improve on it. Morrison faces legal risk with re spect to the government policies regarding pollution control. It is a limited liability company and hence has to follow the legal way of doing business according to the companies Act. The company also has to take care of the environmental aspects like using long-life reusable bags instead of the free non –degradable plastic bags. As far as the financial performance of the company is concerned the revenues has increased by over 7 percent in 2011 while the gross profit has increased by around 6% in 2011. The operating profits have increased by around 7.60% in 2011 which is more than the increase in is gross profit. Hence the company has been able to decrease the operating costs. CW2 Executive Summary In United Kingdom the supermarket chain store is on rise. In this report we will take a look at one such supermarket store named Morrison Supermarket. We will take a look at the marketing strategies of the company which it used employed in their normal course of business. Being a g rocery store it has to continuously change its marketing strategy to keep in line with the other competitors. We will also look at the different models like BCG and Ansoff and analyse the ways used to employ their marketing strategies. Lastly we will take a look at the other strategies the company can employ to further increase their business growth. Contents Executive Summary 4 Contents 5 Introduction 6 Analysis and Critical evaluation of Morrison’s Supermarkets 6 Analysis of Strategic Direction of Morrison’