Alcohol and the American Colonists Essay Example for Free

Alcohol and the American Colonists Essay American history shows that our ancestors were heavy drinkers. Why did the colonists drink so much? To understand the logic of our ancestors heavy drinking, we think about colonial life. What drinking resources were available to them? What kind of life did they live? New England water was polluted and cow’s milk caused â€Å"sickness† (tuberculosis). New England had cold winters. What did they have to keep warm? Whatever dangers heavy drinking may have presented to the early American colonists, the dangers were minimal compared to the useful benefits alcohol provided them. Drinking resources were limited in colonial times. As Brown states, â€Å"Two typical New England facts brought about polluted water: Indians and the weather. † The Indians had a reputation of stealing, and when the colonists weren’t worried about the Indians the threat of winter brought snow and cold temperatures. Many colonists had wells available for water. Brown describes the water quality in Wines and Beers of New England: â€Å"Wells were either next to the house, usually in and attached shed, or right inside. Sanitary requirements were unknown. The customary way of dealing with human wastes was to use a â€Å"chamber pot,† which was emptied onto the animal dung heap, often very close to the water supply. Yet the farmers needed to quench their thirst, and although secondarily the alcohol in beer wine, and cider must have helped make the rugged unpleasantness of their lives more endurable, primarily the alcohol was a preservative for their drinks. † Alcohol was accessible and didn’t pose a threat to the colonists. â€Å"It was more than a luxury,† â€Å"it was a necessity. † (Lender and Martin 2) The main concern of American colonists was farming. War was also going on. Farmers turning into soldiers being sent to fight. These were depressing times especially during winter months. How were these soldiers to keep warm? If we think about it a fire would give away their position and they had no shelter. Written by John Brown in Early American Beverages, â€Å"Exposed to the rigors of freezing and sub-zero temperatures, at times, a bit of rum or wine provided a warming stimulant and may have prevented pneumonia. † For the soldiers alcohol was a necessity. Our colonial ancestors were heavy drinkers. Alcohol was beneficial, and it was only logical to the colonists for alcohol to be a major part of an everyday diet. Alcohol provided warmth in the cold, no expiration, happiness in war, and hydration for farmers. The dangers of alcohol were minimal in comparison to the other drinking sources. Works Cited: Brown, John H. Early American Beverages. New York: Bonanza, 1966. Print. Brown, Sanborn. Wines Beers of Old New England A How-To-Do-It History . Hanover, NH: The UP of England, 1978. Print. Lender, Mark E. , and James K. Martin. Drinking in America: A History. 2nd ed. New York: Free Press, 1987. Print.

Promotion Mix To Create An IMC Campaign Marketing Essay

Promotion Mix To Create An IMC Campaign Marketing Essay As defined by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, integrated marketing communications (IMC) is a concept of marketing communications planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan (Elliott, 2012, P:491). Companies that sell products or services use some or all of the components of a marketing and communications mix, also called a promotional mix. These include advertising, personal sales, sales promotions, public relations and direct marketing. Most national brands use all parts of the mix, each in proportion to the needs of the product. Cereal makers, for example, concentrate most efforts and money on advertising and sales promotions, such as coupons. Other products call for different mix ratios, with some mix components completely eschewed. In addition to these key promotional tools, the marketer can also use other techniques, such as exhibitions and product placement in movies, songs or video games, which have been growing in popularity in recent years. Before proceeding any further, however, it is important to stress that promotional mix decisions should not be made in isolation. As we saw with pricing, all aspects of the marketing mix need to be blended together carefully. The promotional mix used must be aligned with the decisions made with regard to product, pricing and distribution, in order to communicate benefits to a target market. But for a soft-drinks maker like Pepsi, IMC can also be used can be used to create more communication impact, e.g. Advertising can be combined with sales promotions and a little bit of public relations such as sponsorship/events. From the facts of the case study, Pepsi used a new approach in its marketing communication. Pepsi holds the number one, third and fourth position among music, overall position among all companies, and entertainment channels. It gives a significant contribution on the music channels with 12.81% share of coverage and holds the first position in that category. It has the third position on the whole TV media with overall 4.29% share of coverage, the effectiveness of which is reported in reduction by researchers (Kotler Keller 2006, p.576). Similarly, it comes at number fourth on entertainment channels. Overall, these new media win the trust of consumers by connecting with them at a deeper level. Marketers are taking note of many different social media opportunities and beginning to implement new social initiatives at a higher rate than ever before. Social media marketing and the businesses that utilize it have become more sophisticated. Q2. How effectively has Pepsi integrated digital and traditional media for the promotion of their products? Provide examples of digital media used. Nowadays millions of consumers converse on a daily basis in online communities, discussion forums, blogs and social networks. They turn to the Internet to share opinions, advice, grievances and recommendations. It has been said that traditional media is losing its face value and that the Internet is a fad and digital only applies to the millennium generation. While that may seem true, if you want to stay on the innovative cusp for your business, use both traditional and internet media marketing and here are some reasons why: 1. Online conversations can power or deflate a companys brand. Do you have a presence? 2. Discover specific issues that are being discussed around your company, brand or organization and create feedback to these issues. 3. There may be events, trends and issues that may be influencing industry and brand buzz. 4. Measure how your online and offline marketing campaigns resonate with consumers. 5. Leverage word-of-mouth to drive brand credibility, and ultimately sales if you use face-to-face marketing, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization Strategy, and Social Media Strategy correctly. People are more likely to communicate through both word-of-mouth and social media when they are engaged with the product, service, or idea. This engagement may come naturally for supporters of causes, political candidates, and trendy new technological products. However, it can also be creatively stimulated for products and services which generate less psychological involvement of customers. For example, Pepsi (2008) uses its Pepsi Stuff online customer loyalty program to engage consumers by enabling them to redeem points for MP3 downloads, television show downloads, CDs, DVDs, electronics, and apparel. Campaign participants are also allowed to participate in sweepstakes drawings for larger prizes, such as home theater systems and trip giveaways. Coca Cola (2008) has a similar campaign entitled My Coke Rewards. According to Nielson research, TV users watch more than ever before (an average of 127 hrs, 15 min per month) and these users are spending 9% more time using the Internet (26 hrs, 26 min per month) from last year. Approximately 220 million Americans have Internet access at home and/or work with a growing number using the Internet for research and social media. Knowing this research, traditional media entertains and communicates to a mass audience whereas digital media entertains, communicates with, and engages the individual. The benefits of digital media can be highly measurable and marketers can often see a direct effect in the form of improved sales in addition to establishing a direct link with the consumer. This can also be cost effective. However, the pitfalls of digital marketing can be that the medium is new, constantly changing and evolving with results that vary. You often get what you ask for! Digital media is known as digitized content (text, graphics, audio and video) that can be transmitted over the Internet. While digital media consumption such as twitter, facebook, youtube etc have increased tremendously, Pepsi cannot ignore consumers who still rely on traditional media for their informative and entertainment needs, as a result, 2/3 of their advertising budget is still dedicated to traditional media. Marketers must strike a good balance between using traditional and digital/social media and other promotional tools Q3. How might Pepsi measure the effectiveness of its new campaign? Provide examples. The most suitable criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of advertising, depends on a number variables, such as the advertising goals, the type of media used, the cost of evaluation, the value that the business or advertising agency places on evaluation measures, the level of precision and reliability required, who the evaluation is for and the budget. It is difficult to accurately measure the effectiveness of a particular advertisement, because it is affected by such things as the amount and type of prior advertising The best measurement of a campaigns effectiveness is its ability to meet its objectives. From the case study, Pepsis objectives could be: Attract more competitors users (such as Coca-Cola) Increase sales volume Hold present Customers Create brand awareness To project a rejuvenated image for Pepsi as a socially responsible corporation To change consumer attitudes from neutral or unfavourable (it is a soft drink after all) to positive To use newer, digital media to engage in two-way communication with their customers/public. To communicate its new image via it new packaging Generally, Pepsi could use the following to measure the campaigns effectiveness: Stimulate an increase in sales Remind customers of the existence of a product Inform customers Build a brand image Build customer loyalty and relationship Change customer attitudes Marketers recognize that in the modern world of marketing there are many different opportunities and methods for contacting current and prospective customers to provide them with information about a company and/or brands. The challenge is to understand how to use the various IMC tools to make such contacts and deliver the branding message effectively and efficiently. A successful IMC program requires that marketers find the right combination of communication tools and techniques, define their role and the extent to which they can or should be used, and coordinate their use. To accomplish this, the persons responsible for the companys communication efforts must have an understanding of the IMC tools that are available and the ways they can be used.

Native American Oppression

Native American Oppression Whoever controls the past controls the future (George Orwell). Freedom; just what is freedom? Many think of freedom as having a choice. It is what the United States is supposedly founded on. But is it really? How many people actually have the freedom to know the oppression not through the eyes of the conqueror, but the conquered? History is not meant to be repeated, for it teaches us how to prevent. So why is it that we do not learn? The history of the Native Americans has never been a pretty one. Native Americans have suffered and have been oppressed like none other. What Columbus did to the Arawaks of the Bahamas, Cortes did to the Aztecs of Mexico, Pizarro to the Incas of Peru, and the English settlers of Virginia and Massachusetts to the Powhatans and the Pequots. Settlers were seeking religious and political freedom; during their quest they set their eyes on the new world. What is the point of freedom if one must subjugate others for it? The history of oppression, of the European invasion on the Indian settlements in the Americas begins five hundred years ago. That beginning is one of conquest, slavery, and death. When we read the history books given to children in the United States, it all starts with heroic adventure, one where there was no bloodshed, and Columbus Day is a celebration. Past the elementary and high schools, there are only occasional hints of something else, but only a hint. Samuel Eliot Morison in his popular book Christopher Columbus, Mariner, written in 1954, he tells about the enslavement and the killing: The cruel policy initiated by Columbus and pursued by his successors resulted in complete genocide. Samuel Eliot Morison did not lie about Christopher Columbus. But rather he mentioned the truth quickly and very subtly. On October 12, a sailor called Rodrigo saw the early morning moon shining on white sands, and cried out. It was an island in the Bahamas, the Caribbean Sea. The first man to sight land was to get a yearly pension of 10,000 maravedis for life, but Rodrigo never got it. Columbus claimed he had seen a light the evening before. He got the reward. So, approaching land, they were met by the Arawak Indians, who swam out to greet them. The Arawaks lived in village communes, had a developed agriculture of corn, yams, and cassava. They could spin and weave, but they had no horses or work animals. They had no iron, but they wore tiny gold ornaments in their ears. Arawak men and women full of wonder emerged from their villages onto the islands beaches and swam out to get a closer look at the strange big boat, the likes of which they had never before seen. When Columbus and his sailors came ashore, carrying swords, speaking oddly, the Arawaks ran to greet them, brought them food, water, gifts. He later wrote of this in his log: They brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks bells. They willingly traded everything they owned. They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features. They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane They would make fine servants. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. The gold ornaments would prove to have disastrous consequences as they would fuel the greed the Spanish had. Christopher Columbus ordered for some of them to be captured by force and sent on board the ships. The main goal behind this was information about the location of gold. On the way back the Native Americans died aboard the ship when the weather dropped. The Indians, Columbus reported, are so naive and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone. He concluded his report by asking for a little help from their Majesties, and in return he would bring them from his next voyage as much gold as they need and as many slaves as they ask. He was full of religious talk: Thus the eternal God, our Lord, gives victory to those who follow His way over apparent impossibilities. His second expedition was given seventeen ships and more than twelve hundred men. The aim was clear: slaves and gold. They went from island to island in the Caribbean, taking Indians as captives. But as word spread of the Europeans intent they found more and more empty villages. On Haiti, they found that the sailors left behind at Fort Navidad had been killed in a battle with the Indians, after they had roamed the island in gangs looking for gold, taking women and children as slaves for sex and labor. When there was a possibility of making a profit God had no room in Christopher Columbus mind. Columbus sent expedition after expedition into the interior. They found no gold fields, but had to fill up the ships returning to Spain with some kind of dividend. In the year 1495, they went on a great slave raid, rounded up fifteen hundred Arawak men, women, and children, put them in pens guarded by Spaniards and dogs, then picked the five hundred best specimens to load onto ships. Of those five hundred, two hundred died en route. The rest arrived alive in Spain and were put up for sale by the archdeacon of the town, who reported that, although the slaves were naked as the day they were born, they showed no more embarrassment than animals. Columbus later wrote: Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold. In the province of Cicao on Haiti, where he and his men imagined huge gold fields to exist, they ordered all persons fourteen years or older to collect a certain quantity of gold every three months. When they brought it, they were given copper tokens to hang around their necks. Indians found without a copper token had their hands cut off and bled to death. The Indians had been given an impossible task. The only gold around was bits of dust garnered from the streams. So they fled, were hunted down with dogs, and were killed. Trying to put together an army of resistance, the Arawaks faced Spaniards who had armor, muskets, swords, horses. When the Spaniards took prisoners they hanged them or burned them to death. Among the Arawaks, mass suicides began, with cassava poison. Infants were killed to save them from the Spaniards. In two years, through murder, mutilation, or suicide, half of the Indians on Haiti were dead. This was all in the name of the holy trinity, and ordered by Columbus. The Arawaks were not the only Indians to suffer at the hands of European forces. The Aztec civilization of Mexico came out of the heritage of Mayan, Zapotec, and Toltec cultures. It built enormous constructions from stone tools and human labor, developed a writing system and a priesthood. It also engaged in the ritual killing of thousands of people as sacrifices to the gods. The cruelty of the Aztecs, however, did not erase a certain innocence, and when a Spanish armada appeared at Vera Cruz, and a bearded white man came ashore, with strange beasts, clad in iron, it was thought that he was the legendary Aztec man-god, and so they welcomed him, with magnanimous hospitality. That was Hernando Cortes, sent from Spain, and blessed by the deputies of God, with one obsessive goal: to find gold. For God, for Glory, and Gold. (Cortez) In the mind of Montezuma, the king of the Aztecs, there must have been a certain doubt about whether Cortes was indeed Quetzalcoatl, because he sent a hundred runners to Cortes, bearing enormous treasures, gold and silver wrought into objects of fantastic beauty, but at the same time begging him to go back. Cortes then began his march of death from town to town, using deception, turning Aztec against Aztec, killing with the kind of deliberateness that accompanies a strategy-to paralyze the will of the population by a sudden frightful deed. And so, in Cholulu, he invited the headmen of the Cholula nation to the square. And when they came, with thousands of unarmed retainers, Cortess small army of Spaniards, posted around the square with cannon, armed with crossbows, mounted on horses, massacred them, down to the last man. Then they looted the city and moved on. When their cavalcade of murder was over they were in Mexico City, Montezuma was dead, and the Aztec civilization, shattered, was in the hands of the Spaniards. In Peru, the Spanish conquistador Pizarro, used the same tactics, and for the same reasons- the frenzy in the early capitalist states of Europe: for gold, slaves, and products of the soil. To pay the bondholders and stockholders of the expeditions: which in turn financed the monarchical bureaucracies rising in Western Europe. Also to spur the growth of the new money economy rising out of feudalism, and to participate in what Karl Marx would later call the primitive accumulation of capital. These were the violent beginnings of an intricate system of technology, business, politics, and culture that would dominate the world for the next five centuries. In the North American English colonies, the pattern was set early, as Columbus had set it in the islands of the Bahamas. In 1585, before there was any permanent English settlement in Virginia, Richard Grenville landed there with seven ships. The Indians he met were hospitable, but when one of them stole a small silver cup, Grenville sacked and burned the whole Indian village. Jamestown itself was set up inside the territory of an Indian confederacy, led by the chief, Powhatan. Powhatan watched the English settle on his peoples land, but did not attack, maintaining a posture of coolness. When the English were going through their starving time in the winter of 1610, some of them ran off to join the Indians, where they would at least be fed. When the summer came, the governor of the colony sent a messenger to ask Powhatan to return the runaways, whereupon Powhatan, according to the English account, replied with no other than proud and disdainful Answers. Some soldiers were therefore sent out to take Revenge. They fell upon an Indian settlement, killed fifteen or sixteen Indians, burned the houses, cut down the corn growing around the village, took the queen of the tribe and her children into boats, then ended up throwing the children overboard and shot out their Brains in the water. The queen was later taken off and stabbed to death. Twelve years later, the Indians, alarmed as the English settlements kept growing in numbers, apparently decided to try to wipe them out for good. They went on a rampage and massacred 347 men, women, and children. From then on it was total war. Not able to enslave the Indians, and not able to live with them, the English decided to exterminate them. Edmund Morgan writes, in his history of early Virginia, American Slavery, American Freedom: Since the Indians were better woodsmen than the English and virtually impossible to track down, the method was to feign peaceful intentions, let them settle down and plant their corn wherever they chose, and then, just before harvest, fall upon them, killing as many as possible and burning the corn Within two or three years of the massacre the English had avenged the deaths of that day many times over. The lies of American History are too many to tell. Christopher Columbus wasnt a hero but a murderer, and the pilgrims didnt have the fairy tale relation with the Indians. When the Pilgrims came to New England they too were coming not to vacant land but to territory inhabited by tribes of Indians. The governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop, created the excuse to take Indian land by declaring the area legally a vacuum. The Indians, he said, had not subdued the land, and therefore had only a natural right to it, but not a civil right. A natural right did not have legal standing. The Puritans also appealed to the Bible, Psalms 2:8: Ask of me, and I shall give thee, the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. And to justify their use of force to take the land, they cited Romans 13:2: Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. The Puritans lived in uneasy truce with the Pequot Indians, who occupied what is now southern Connecticut and Rhode Island. But they wanted them out of the way; they wanted their land. And they seemed to want also to establish their rule firmly over Connecticut settlers in that area. The murder of a white trader, Indian-kidnaper, and troublemaker became an excuse to make war on the Pequots in 1636. So, the war with the Pequots began. Massacres took place on both sides. The English developed a tactic of warfare used earlier by Cortes and later, in the twentieth century, even more systematically: deliberate attacks on noncombatants for the purpose of terrorizing the enemy. This is ethno historian Francis Jenningss interpretation of Captain John Masons attack on a Pequot village on the Mystic River near Long Island Sound: Mason proposed to avoid attacking Pequot warriors, which would have overtaxed his unseasoned, unreliable troops. Battle, as such, was not his purpose. Battle is only one of the ways to destroy an enemys will to fight. Massacre can accomplish the same end with less risk, and Mason had determined that massacre would be his objective. As Dr. Cotton Mather, Puritan theologian put it: It was supposed that no less than 600 Pequot souls were brought down to hell that day. The war continued. Indian tribes were used against one another, and never seemed able to join together in fighting the English. Jennings sums up: The terror was very real among the Indians, but in time they came to meditate upon its foundations. They drew three lessons from the Pequot War: First, that the Englishmens most solemn pledge would be broken whenever obligation conflicted with advantage; Second, that the English way of war had no limit of scruple or mercy; and third that weapons of Indian making were almost useless against weapons of European manufacture. These lessons the Indians took to heart. Was all this bloodshed and deceit-from Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro, and the Puritans-a necessity for the human race to progress from savagery to civilization? Was Morison right in burying the story of genocide inside a story of human progress? Perhaps a persuasive argument can be made-as it was made by Stalin when he killed peasants for industrial progress in the Soviet Union, as it was made by Churchill explaining the bombings of Dresden and Hamburg, and Truman explaining Hiroshima. But how can the judgment be made if the benefits and losses cannot be balanced because the losses are either unmentioned or mentioned quickly? To emphasize the heroism of Columbus and his successors as navigators and discoverers, and to de-emphasize their genocide, is not a technical necessity but an ideological choice. It is certainly the choice which most make. The easy acceptance of atrocities as a deplorable but necessary price to pay for progress (Hiroshima and Vietnam, to save Western civilization; Kronstadt and Hungary, to save socialism; nuclear proliferation, to save us all)-that is still with us. One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we have learned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes are buried in containers in the earth. We have learned to give them exactly the same proportion of attention that teachers and writers often give them in the most respectable of classrooms and textbooks. This learned sense of moral proportion, coming from the apparent objectivity of the scholar, is accepted more easily than when it comes from politicians at press conferences. It is therefore m ore deadly. Not to mention more widespread. The treatment of heroes and their victims, and the quiet acceptance of conquest and murder in the name of progress, is only one aspect of a certain approach to history, in which the past is told from the point of view of governments, conquerors, diplomats, leaders. It is as if they, like Columbus, deserve universal acceptance, as if they-the Founding Fathers, Jackson, Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Kennedy, the leading members of Congress, the famous Justices of the Supreme Court-represent the nation as a whole. The pretense is that there really is such a thing as the United States, subject to occasional conflicts and quarrels, but fundamentally a community of people with common interests. It is as if there really is a national interest represented in the Constitution, in territorial expansion, in the laws passed by Congress, the decisions of the courts, the development of capitalism, the culture of education and the mass media. There is no justification for oppression and genocide. There can be no mission directly from God which destroys an entire culture. No legal document or moral law will ever be enough to justify it. While the people may die the rancor left behind wont perish. For it will be documented in history. The true history of the world is all of the peoples stories not just the conquerors. Whoever controls the past controls the future (George Orwell). A hunch backed bison. Proud and majestic. Now bowing. Arched over him, United States of America hangs above. Flip, reflect. A profile. A man with pride, feathers in his hair. Branded. 1936. The word liberty hangs in front of him. Taunting. He does not see it. His eyes are downcast. To notice it would be shortsighted. For what do he and his descendants know of liberty? Their relation with it is maintained with reservations. Primitive concentration camps. Ironic. Little remains today of the bison and the Indian. Confined to obverse and reverse. Looking past each other in opposite directions. To the air, the empty air. Dreaming of days, long gone, many moons ago. Works Cited Angelis, Gina De. Francisco Pizarro and the Conquest of Inca. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001. Bandelier, F. Hernando Cortà ©s. Catholic Encyclopedia. September 20, 2003. . Bowden, Thomas. The Enemies of Christopher Columbus: Answers to Critical Questions About the Spread of Western Civilization . : The Paper Tiger, 2003. Cortà ©s, Hernà ¡n, Marquà ©s Del Valle De Oaxaca. Britannica 2002 Deluxe Edition CD-ROM. September 20, 2003 Crivelli, Camillus. Francisco Pizarro. Catholic Encyclopedia. September 23, 2003 . Fisher, Mark/Richardson, Kristi. Francisco Pizarro. Carpenoctem. 20 Sept. 2003 Fisher, Mark/Richardson, Kristi. Hernando Cortes. Carpenoctem. 20 Sept. 2003 Francisco, Michael. Cortes Speech. Escondido Tutorial Service. 20 Sept. 2003 . Gibson, Charles. Cortes, Hernando. The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1997 Jennings, Francis. The Invasion of America: Indians, Colonialism, and the Cant of Conquest. Ney York: Norton library, 1975. King James Version. Bible. Marx, Karl. The Communist Manifesto. London: , 1848. Orwell, George. Quote DB. . 20 Nov. 2009 . Pizarro, Francisco. Britannica 2002 Deluxe Edition CD-ROM. September 20, 2003 Powhatan Indian Tribe History . Access Genealogy. 20 Nov. 2009 .

Penelopes Recognition of Odysseus as a Beggar Essay -- World Literatu

In Homer's epic The Odyssey, Odysseus returns to the island of Ithaka disguised as a beggar. He reveals his real identity to his son, Telemakhos, as well as a few others who he would need to help kill the suitors. However, Odysseus does not reveal himself to his wife, Penelope. She recognizes the beggar as her long lost husband and chooses not to unveil his true identity. Penelope does this because she realized that her husband would be in danger, in his current surroundings, if she was to reveal who he really was. Therefore she acts as if she does not know the beggar is Odysseus. However, it is portrayed subtly in the book that she does indeed know that the beggar is her husband. The very first piece of evidence Homer provides that Odysseus would be recognized by his family, is when the old dog recognizes who he was. The dog had been around since Odysseus had set sail on his epic journey. This makes the dog extremely old, and yet it still is able to recognize Odysseus' voice. The fact that the dog recognizes him in disguise so easily foreshadows Penelope's recognition of Odysseus as a beggar. Upon hearing of the travels of the beggar, Penelope is very interested to question him as to whether he has ever crossed paths with her husband Odysseus. The story that Odysseus tells her is for the most part untrue. However, he does give specific details as to what clothes he had worn, so that Penelope would believe that the story was truthful. The beggar then goes on to tell her that Odysseus is coming back to Ithaka in the very near future. It is at this point that Penelope first thought that the beggar could actually be her husband Odysseus, as she was overcome with emotions, and began to cry. From this point on ... ...at if he was not revealing himself to her that there was a good reason for it. Since she knew this, she went along with his act and did not give him away. On numerous occasions she makes comments that would lead one to think that she doesn't know the identity of the beggar, but it is merely the fact that she is highly intelligent and is able to hide what she knows very well. Through all of these examples, it is obvious that Penelope recognized Odysseus to some extent in the beginning, and throughout his time posing as a beggar she became more convinced of his identity. She hides this knowledge only to protect herself and her husband. Their interactions, though subtle to the naked eye, upon closer examination reveal that she did in fact recognize her husband as the beggar. Works Cited Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1996.

John Miltons Paradise Lost as Christian Epic Essay example -- Milton

Paradise Lost as Christian Epic John Milton's great epic poem, Paradise Lost, was written between the 1640's and 1665 in England, at a time of rapid change in the western world. Milton, a Puritan, clung to traditional Christian beliefs throughout his epic, but he also combined signs of the changing modern era with ancient epic style to craft a masterpiece. He chose as the subject of his great work the fall of man, from Genesis, which was a very popular story to discuss and retell at the time. His whole life had led up to the completion of this greatest work; he put over twenty years of time and almost as many years of study and travel to build a timeless classic. The success of his poem lies in the fact that he skillfully combined classic epic tradition with strongly held Puritan Christian beliefs. In Paradise Lost, Milton uses many conventions of the classic epic, including an invocation of the Muse, love, wa, a solitary voyage, heroism, the supernatural and mythical allusion. Milton writes, "Sing, Heavenly Muse, that on the secret top of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire that shepard who first taught the chosen seed in the beginning how the heavens and earth rose out of Chaos." Here he invokes the traditional muse of the epic, yet in the same sentence he identifies the muse as a Christian being and asks him to sing of Christian tales. A central theme of Paradise Lost is that of the deep and true love between Adam and Eve. This follows both traditonal Christianity and conventional epic style. Adam and Eve are created and placed on earth as "our first two parents, yet the only two of mankind, in the happy garden placed, reaping immortal fruits of joy and love, uninterrupted joy, unrivaled love, in blissful solitude."(... ...le in one sentence. Thus, he successfully completes the tapestry which he has created, weaving the Bible and the genre of the epic closely together to create a work of art. Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton uses various tools of the epic to convey a traditional and very popular Biblical story. He adds his own touches to make it more of an epic and to set forth new insights into God's ways and the temptations we all face. Through his uses of love, war, heroism, and allusion, Milton crafted an epic; through his references to the Bible and his selection of Christ as the hero, he set forth a beautifully religious Renaissance work. He masterfully combined these two techniques to create a beautiful story capable of withstanding the test of time and touching its readers for centuries. Works Cited Scott Elledge, ed., Paradise Lost, second edn. (NY: Norton, 1993).

On the Maintenance of a Small Business Essay

Creative Cuisine Concepts is a small business run by Sharon F. Johnson, employing twenty five staff members, and serving fifteen hundred meals at one of the cafeterias of America Hondo Motor Co. The company was going through severe financial trouble with its mounting debt, inability to make payments to vendors, and mismanagement of financial accounts. Johnson’s business partner left the company, and so she had to cash out her 401(k) retirement savings to save her small business. She also had to borrow money from the small inheritance of her husband so as to maintain her business. Nevertheless, the small business remained in financial trouble. This was before Johnson was advised by her mentor at American Honda to seek help for the financial statements of her small business. Subsequently, the lady hired an accountant for her business and opted for an accounting software program in place of the paper-based system. She also began to take a training course, sponsored by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Assn. of Women Business Owners, to improve her business and leadership skills. Johnson’s failing company began to recover soon after. She expects her business to breakeven in the near future. With the results that she has achieved thus far, she has additionally planned to grow her business from $1. 5 million to $50 million in revenue (Zwahlen). Zwahlen’s article, â€Å"Recovering from Financial Turmoil† about Creative Cuisine Concepts, describes many of the challenges faced by small businesses that are mentioned in the textbook. When Johnson’s business partner left the company, she became a sole proprietor of Creative Cuisine Concepts facing personal financial liability for all business debts. Moreover, the textbook mentions that the owners of small businesses have to be rather creative so as to maintain their businesses in the face of trials, such as mismanagement and cash flow problem. Johnson had to be rather innovative to save her business from the turmoil that it faced. She had to borrow from her husband’s inheritance, and cash out her retirement savings plan. Also according to the textbook, this is the usual route taken by the owners of small businesses who must use up their personal funds to maintain their companies. As compared to public companies, it is difficult for privately owned businesses to raise funds. Lastly, the textbook mentions management problems at small businesses that do not have the funds to hire a large number of competent people. Johnson had to take a business and leadership course to enhance her skills. The course was sponsored by an association of business women, who are known to head a large number of small businesses in the United States, according to the textbook. In my opinion, Johnson should also approach the Small Business Administration (SBA) to help her business meet its new goal of raising $50 million in revenue. As a matter of fact, the owner of the small business should have approached the SBA at the time her business was going through severe financial trouble. SBA could have provided her with a guarantee for a small business loan from a bank or private lender. It could also have helped her obtain a microloan. Furthermore, there are Small Business Investment Companies that Johnson could have approached. Although her creativity to gather the much-needed funds, apart from her motivation to gain new skills and put a new financial system into place must be applauded – the assistance of SBA could have saved her from the worries that she faced.

Determinants of Germany’s Economic Robustness Essay

Exports account for more than one-third of national output and the Germany’s strong export performance in goods or merchandise is also denoted by the term Exportweltmeister (world champion exporter). However, analysis of German’s economic history demonstrates that the country did not face constant growth throughout the years. It also had to face moments of recession just like other countries and its own past (reunification) appeared to have been a cause of German’s slow growth at times. Following are figures of German’s GDP throughout the last 3 decades which will help us to emphasise our statement. While the decrease in the year 1990s can be associated with the unification and the costs involved, that of 2010-2011, can be associated to the global recession that the world experienced then. Yet, even in the recession marred years, the German economy managed to stay stable as the world sixth largest country in terms of GDP (2009. ) Now, against the background of fragile global recovery and the intensification of the eurozone crisis, Germany has recorded strong GDP growth and a declining trend in unemployment. What’s the secret of such a robust economy? Referring to Germany, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said in December 1989 at a Strasbourg summit â€Å"We defeated the Germans twice! And now they’re back†. Although this statement was related to politics, it appears to be relevant in the economic context as well. As such, our study will consist of analysing more in details the secret behind this particular success or consistency and will also involve comparison of countries which also have more or less the same pattern of Germany but still cannot reach their level of development to underline what are those parameters which make Germany so unique. Current Situation Germany’s economy is holding up better than expected amid the Eurozone’s debt crisis, as robust demand from outside of Europe has helped offset weak activity on the continent. Several other factors contribute to Germany’s solid macroeconomic position. Germany is the only major advanced economy which had lower unemployment rate in 2012 than it had in 2007. The level of German GDP has increased by a cumulative 5. 8% since the beginning of 2010, compared to 2. 3% for the eurozone. The monetary conditions set for the entire eurozone by the ECB are accommodative for Germany given the strong cyclical position of its economy. As a consequence of safe-haven capital inflows, yields are also at extremely low levels. Furthermore, Germany has a strong net external creditor position and a large, albeit gradually declining, current account surplus. The German financial sector has stabilised since 2009 and liquidity is abundant in the current environment. However, meeting Basel III requirements will remain a challenge for German banks in light of modest profitability and still a high leverage. Since mid-2008, German banks have cut their total eurozone exposure by â‚ ¬332bn, a 30% fall, of which â‚ ¬187bn was withdrawn from Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, a fall of 44%. Despite this fast pace of deleveraging, the quality of the remaining assets may well deteriorate further as the recession deepens in the periphery. In its semi-annual economic outlook, the German central bank raised its forecast for domestic GDP growth this year to 1. 0% from 0. 6% in the December outlook due to better-than-expected first quarter growth that was largely the result of strong exports to emerging markets. The upward revision brings economic activity near its potential growth rate of 1. 25. Growth in 2013 is seen at 1. 6%, down 0. point from December’s forecast due to a statistical correction resulting from the revisions for this year. The Eurozone crisis â€Å"may have left its mark, but the good structural condition of Germany’s economy and the robust global economy have maintained the upper hand,† Still, the outlook remains â€Å"highly uncertain,† with risks stemming â€Å"overwhelmingly† from external factors. While weak Eurozone g rowth in the debt crisis has already been factored in to the forecasts, Germany’s export-driven economy would be vulnerable to a â€Å"noticeable weakening† of conditions outside of Europe. Germany remains exposed to the systemic component of the crisis. A significantly deeper recession of its large eurozone trading partners could also push Germany into recession with negative repercussions for the fiscal stance as well. Furthermore, additional sizeable contribution to eurozone bail-out funds, on top of the EFSF guarantees, could push German debt level above 90% of GDP, close to the upper limit Fitch generally considers consistent with a ‘AAA’ rating. Materialisation of these risks would put downward pressure on the rating. Germany has all the ingredients of a declining public debt path. The economy is growing, budget deficit is moderate and nominal interest rates reached record low levels. Nevertheless the longer track record serves as a warning sign. Despite the fiscal rules of the eurozone, the debt/GDP ratio had increased to 83% by 2010 from 55% in 1995. During the 13 years of monetary union, the German debt ratio declined in only five years and has been above the 60% reference value since 2003. PROBLEM STATEMENT The problem that leads us to undertake this research is simple. Observing the amazing performance of Germany in the international market even in the period of recession, one wonder how this can be achieved by them while the others are still struggling. It becomes apparent that there must be some particular reasons behind this success. Research Question/Hypothesis H1: There is something unique that make Germany successful in the international market. H2: There is a relationship between the implementation of new economic policies with the economic performance of Germany H0: There is nothing unique about Germany’s success. They work on the same policies as other countries. OBJECTIVES AND AIMS OVERALL OBJECTIVE By this study, we hope to underline the policies that led Germany to success and from this knowledge, have a better understanding of the strengths and weakness of a business environment. Overall, we aim to have clear knowledge about impact of business environment on performance of business undertakings. In the long term, we can use the technique used in this research to analyse any business environment before setting up of any business firm. Also, we can advice other developing countries about implementing those policies which could benefit them considering their own business environment and also be on their path of development just like Germany. This research can be considered as a tool to determine business opportunities as well. SPECIFIC AIMS Understand the parameters that made the economy very strong in the market How is that amidst the gloom Germany continues to be the engine that drives the Eurozone economies, and also helping to bail out a few? How does the robust, high-tech manufacturing sector continue to be the export champion? What role do the academic system and â€Å"Deutsche Tugenden† play in the success? What is the special Trade School training system that creates highly skilled technical workforce? Take into considerations other macroeconomic indicators particular to Germany Understand how one can take advantage of the strengths and weakness prevailing in its environment * Have valuable and actual knowledge of economic concepts BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE 1. (Raymond J. Ahearn and Paul Belkin; the German Economy and U. S. -German Economic Relations 2010) By most standards, post-war West Germany registered impressive economic performance in the first decades of its existence. But beginning in the mid-1990s, the German economy has been on a much lower growth path, averaging about 1. 5% of GDP per year. Unemployment has also risen steadily. These trends, which have been exacerbated by a steep 5% decline in German GDP growth in 2009, raise questions about the long-term vitality and strength of the German economy. A number of factors help explain Germany’s declining growth rate. One factor has been the high cost associated with integrating the formerly communist East German economy into the Federal Republic since reunification in 1990. A second has been the growing cost of Germany’s generous social security and welfare programs and associated regulations which some believe may undercut incentives for work and entrepreneurship. A third is an economy that is more geared towards exporting than domestic investment and consumption. With declining economic growth and rising expenditures on social protections, Germany faces significant budgetary and resource constraints. A prosperous German state remains critical to both the U. S. and European economies. Difficulties Germany may have in regaining a stronger economic position are important concerns, affecting the U. S. -German partnership’s ability to mutually address and manage a range of bilateral, regional, and global challenges. The report therefore elaborates on these themes in three parts: the first section examines Germany’s economic performance in historical perspective and assesses some of the domestic factors that may be contributing to Germany’s less than optimal performance; the second discusses the reform challenges facing Germany’s political leaders; and the third section evaluates a few salient U. S. -German economic policy differences and strains that seem to be influenced by Germany’s weakened economic situation. 2. Financial System Stability Assessment, report prepared by the Monetary and Capital Markets and European Departments and approved by Jose Vinals and Antonio Borges, June 20, 2011; results in the following main findings: The main findings of the FSAP are: * The German financial system is recovering from the global crisis, yet low profitability hampers many banks’ ability to build stronger buffers against the shocks that could hit the global economy and especially Europe; * Structural reforms are overdue. The Landesbanken require thorough restructuring and probably downsizing, but the imperative to loosen constraints and strengthen banks’ commercial orientation is more general; * The standard of financial sector regulation and supervision is high. The crisis showed that more timely information, additional on-site supervision, and follow up through forward-looking supervisory action are needed; and * The framework to manage financial crises has been enhanced significantly, particularly with the introduction of a new bank resolution regime. Deposit protection schemes need to be rationalized, and Germany should actively help efforts to develop mechanisms to deal with cross-border crises. Very interesting report, but emphasises on the financial sector of the country and its current scenario only. 3. Talking about articles with reference to the German’s secret for economic robustness, there are various available were the authors aim to point out these parameters which made Germany so powerful in today’s market. As such, an article from www. guardian. co. k goes on saying: â€Å"Germany invested heavily in its Bavarian science and technology base, identifying future growth sectors and building clusters of excellence to attract investment†¦ it’s still â€Å"making stuff†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ While the British focused on becoming lawyers and money men, Germany continued to respect engineering and making things (not just money)†. Mr James Dyson, Author of Ingenious Britain, did not agree that this par ameter was the cause behind the German success and responded to this statement by saying â€Å"In your coverage of the German success story, not a word has been printed on the German â€Å"housing market†. It is as if this were detached from the overall economic and cultural formula. Is it not a fact that Germany has a large, affordable rented sector with secure tenancies that deters a quick- housing-buck mentality? Does this housing culture not sustain investment in proper wealth creation (ie manufacturing) and thereby reduce the cycles of property boom and bust? † Well, Mr Olaf Plotner the dean of executive education at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin and author of Counter Strategies in Global Markets in his post in Forbes magazine also shares his views about the reasons to justify the German’s success. He goes on saying: â€Å"cooperation between unions and employers plays a major role in the success of German industry. But that’s just one part of a much bigger picture†¦ German businesses have been able to avoid the focus on the short-term shareholder that dogs so many large companies elsewhere because of an ownership structure that seems unique to Germany†¦ the companies give importance to uniting ownership and management. † As of now, we have already different views from different people as they all try to explain the German success. Well, these views are not the only one. According to Mr Richard Anderson Business reporter for BBC News, â€Å"Germany is a country whose inhabitants work fewer hours than almost any others, whose workforce is not particularly productive and whose children spend less time at school than most of its neighbours. But still, the German economy is so powerful†¦why? † Mr Anderson structured is study under three main headings. Euro bliss †¦. Germany has benefited greatly from the euro; Germany adopted a much weaker currency than would otherwise have been the case†¦ This has provided a terrific boost to German exports, which are cheaper to overseas consumers as a result†¦. Just as important are the relatively low levels of private debt†¦ German companies and individuals refused to spend beyond their means†¦ Germans are uncomfortable with the concept of borrowing money and prefer to live within their own means. â€Å"In German, borrowing is ‘schulden’, [the same word for guilt. ] There is an attitude that if you have to borrow, there is something wrong with you,† Labour reforms †¦the Social Democratic government was able to use its close ties with labour unions to push for moderation in wage inflation. The reforms laid the foundation for a stable and flexible labour market. While unemployment across Europe and the US soared during the global downturn, remarkably the jobless number in Germany barely flickered. German workers were simply willing to work fewer hours, knowing that they would keep their jobs because of it. Job skills And in Germany, there is fewer stigmas attached to vocational training and technical colleges than in many countries. Research Gap The read reports do not seem to treat with the actual factors behind the success, hence we believe into scope for our research. Since in these articles, the German economic history I study but then related to other topics just like in the case of US-German relationship or the study of the German financial markets. True that these reports will help us in our study and can be used as a basis, they surely permit us to look at the German’s economy from a different point of view. Most of reports seem to elaborate a lot on the negative features of the economy, not that we intend to ignore the negative features but what we are trying to do here is to explain how despite these features, Germany is able to hold such a position in the global market. Specifically we want to pinpoint the special policies which allow this achievement and propose economic models to other developing countries in order to permit them to also achieve such a miracle. Thus, reading the articles, we can see there are already numerous parameters that each of authors believed to be the one behind the success of Germany. Our study will therefore constitute in analysing these factors and comparing the performance of Germany with that of other countries which also have this factor. We will also try to analyse the impact that the implementation the each factor had on the economy of the country. To emphasize on the relevance of this research, we can another article by in the New York Times which states: â€Å"Germany had the formula right all along. † Hence, our study will be directed towards analysing all the various aspects that made the formula right and try to make it right in our business environment as well! In fact, a diagnosis research is one which is directed towards discovering what is happening, why it is happening and what can and is to be done about it. It aims at identifying the causes and helping to arrive at possible solutions. Diagnostic research probes into the reasons `why? and goes beyond the problems. Our research is directed towards giving us in-depth knowledge about the reasons which made Germany successful today and we are interested in knowing which of these can be used by other nations as well. Our study will be divided into the following chapters: Chapter 1: here we will deal with the introduction to the study and the aim and purpose of the same. The subject background will also be studied in this step. We intend to trace the economic history of Germany in this section from World War II till today; macro and micro economic variables will be explained and we can propose an elaboration on the economy theory that is followed by the country. Chapter 2: will be dealing with review of books, articles, research papers and journals published with respect to the topic and identification of the research gap. Chapter 3: will elaborate on the research design. Here the parameters that we aim to use in our research will also be defined. As such, the parameters that we wish to study are as follows: 1. GDP, 2. Debt to GDP ratio, 3. Unemployment, 4. Household debt, 5. Inflation, 6. Commodity price swings 7. Foreign trade – imports/exports, net surplus, 8. Social spending, 9. Education, 10. Healthcare, 11. Pension funds, 12. Manufacturing vs. agrosectors, 13. Private ;amp; Public undertakings, 14. Patents 15. Innovation, 16. Mittelstand 17. Housing prices, 18. Real estate, 19. New firms reg. 20. Firms winding up, 21. New investments, 22. Banking, 23. M ;amp; As abroad, 24. Fuel prices Chapter 4: the data collected will be analysed and interpreted I this chapter Chapter 5: appropriate findings can be drawn from the data processed and conlusion will follow Population and Study Sample Our study will require interaction with economic experts and other industry-related experts who will give us insight and information about the various policies that are prevailing in Germany and their impact on the economy. Sample Size and Selection of Sample Here, we can select purposive sample and we will require snowballing as a technique as well since our study is very particular and one expert might put us into contact with another of his colleagues. Sources of Data The main sources of data will be secondary but experts’ insights in terms of interviews will constitute our primary data also. Collection of Data The secondary data will collected by visiting websites, reading books, analysing research papers, articles and other thesis. The primary data is collected by mean of interview. Data Analysis Strategies They will be use of regression analyse the percentage change that the implementation that each parameters did on the economy They will also be use of correlation to analyse the data from other countries which implemented each particular parameter. First, we will have to analyse each of these parameters in the German environment and then compare the German performance with other countries’ which have the same potentiality.