Monday, November 25, 2019

Aids and the Media essays

Aids and the Media essays AIDS and the Psychological Disorders Caused By Illicit Drug Use and the Media It is pretty easy to understand how people diagnosed with AIDS would be willing to do and/or try anything to help themselves; as well as being more susceptible to not only opportunistic diseases, but also diseases of the mind. The pressures and stress that AIDS patients must face is incomprehensible to those of us who do not face death everyday, waiting for the next illness to take over, waiting to die; their minds must go numb with black thoughts. The media too is at fault for helping to make AIDS sufferers deadened with their hyped up miracle drugs and advertisements of greater life; then the disappointment that comes when the drugs dont do and fix all they say they will. That is so much stress on your brain, your mind, and your physical self. There are so many psychological aspects to the AIDS virus that it is almost impossible to say that victims of it would not be psychologically affected in some way. I have decided to use two different articles in this paper to describe the ways in which AIDS patients are psychologically affected by the media and the pressures of the disease itself. The first article is from The Archives of General Psychiatry called Psychiatric Disorders and Drug Use Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Adults in the United States. The second is written by Jayson Blair and is called Healthy Skepticism and the Marketing of AIDS. I think that by putting these two articles together we can get a really good idea of how psychologically impaired AIDS patients can become with the of AIDS propaganda put forth by the media in addition to and combined with the use of illegal and illicit drugs. Nearly half of the sample used in the first study screened positive for a psychiatric disorder, 40% reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana, and more than 12% screened positive for drug dependence during the previo...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Understanding Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Understanding Religion - Essay Example Religion largely concerns an individual’s faith; whether he or she is a believer or not. Faith is the key pillar of all religions, and it is evident in all religions of the world. Without faith, in the existence of a supreme being or a higher mode of living, there would be no religions to talk about (Van, 2007). Religions all over the world strive to encourage a state of better coexistence between individuals and their environment. The earliest known religions have similarities with today’s religion because they still preach the same principles of living a pure life without sin. However, there exists a difference in how sin is defined, in the different religions of the world. Different religions have different teachings and ideas that are deemed necessary to be able to attain the set goal of religion, which varies depending on the type of an individual’s religious background (Van, 2007). Religion is seen as the greatest unifier for all mankind, and it forges a ve ry strong bond between believers. Traditions of a given community have contributed to the type of religion that develops around them, and the influence it has on their daily lives (Van, 2007). For instance, Asian countries have different religious practices from those of the Western world as evidenced by predominant Buddhism, in Asia, and Christianity, in Western countries. Their religions were entrenched early at the beginning of their cultures and traditions. This made it easier for their type of religious beliefs to be accepted earlier, in the life of each individual as the normal way of life and existence (Van, 2007). Religious scriptures have played a key role in shaping and spreading different religions around the globe. Scriptures are written documents like the Bible or the Quran that the believers of these religions believe contain sacred messages.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Currency Exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Currency Exchange - Essay Example Around 1967 the GBP was devalued by 14 per cent, a major economic policy decision. Since then, the Sterling, on average has either depreciated or appreciated by 14 per cent every two years. The figure below shows how the exchange rate between the Sterling and the United States dollar has performed over a 5 year period. Around the mid 2008 shows a sharp drop in the exchange rate from around 2.0 to a low of 1.4. The significant change in the movement is attributed to the financial recession of the 2008. Sterling/US dollar exchange rate over the last one year For the past one year, the Sterling has been weak against the USD making the USD an expensive and valuable asset. This means that the clients needing to buys the currency are paying more and more. The reason for this slide may be due to the steps forward by Europe and the US. For instance the situation in Italy may be the key factor for the change in exchange rates which could go on for the next couple of weeks. Also, with a furthe r round of Quantitative Easing expected in the UK, the Sterling has been losing ground against the USD. Rates have dropped and whilst many expect this trend to continue should QE be confirmed, this in my view is being priced by the investors. Notably, the pound is not only losing ground against the USD but against other major currencies and the recent drop against the Euro and the Australian Dollar are no coincidence. It is floating around 1.50 against the USD and at an all-time low against the AUD. The following figures give the performance of the Sterling against the USD for a the last 12 months, narrowing down to 6 months and 3 months respectively. Key factors affecting the Sterling Being the sixth largest economy in the world and the third largest economy in Europe, the United Kingdom has a lot to boast about. For instance, the United Kingdom is able to produce over 60 per cent of its food with less than 2 per cent of the labour force. The United Kingdom also has numerous resour ces at its disposal, for instance oil, natural gas and coal. However the country was hit hard the financial crisis with growths rates going down to 0.3 per cent in Quarter 1 of 2010 and 0.4 per cent growth in Quarter 4 of 2009. The UK has a capitalist economy that is highly productive with a strong financial services industry. On a global basis the British Sterling Pound is undervalue. For instance, the purchase price parity shows that the Sterling should fall in value over time, but high investment flow potential means the opposite is what will happen, that is the Sterling will increase in value. According the United Kingdom’s Value Investor Survey, which reflects short term investment, the economic environment is very favourable for long term economic growth because of high scores on the government transparency, economic diversity and economic freedom. An undervalued currency, a favourable business environment and a moderate investment flow potential leads to a positive out look for the United Kingdom investments. Factors that have positively affected the British Sterling Pound are lower rates of unemployment and the foreign students. The UK, the US and Australia are the leading centres in attracting foreign students to study in their countries. These students obviously provide many social and monetary benefits that propel the economic activities of the host countries. Some factors that have negatively affected th

Monday, November 18, 2019

Statement of Purpose for UCLA art major Personal

Of Purpose for UCLA art major - Personal Statement Example Since an early age, my parents instilled in me a love for art and a respect for various artistic disciplines. I attended painting and drawing classes every week since 7 years of age until 15 years of age. I came to the U.S. from Taiwan at a young age. I fully credit my parents with having given me the tools to succeed in the art world in the U.S. My parents passed on to me their interest in collecting paintings of a wide variety. Therefore, we have an art gallery at home full of famous paintings from both Taiwan and China. My parents consistently took myself and my siblings to art galleries, and is still one of our favorite family activities when we get together. Regarding my own personal interest in art, I’ve participated in numerous painting and drawing contests. When I moved to the United States for high school, I attended a creative and performing arts school in San Diego and continued working on my artistic talent. After high school, I developed my other interests in desi gn. I chose to work on fashion design. Fashion is art to me. I wanted to pursue art on a different level, however. After graduating from college, I wanted to have more formal higher education experience focused not just on art as it is studied in traditional schools, but also study art at another level at UCLA. My purpose in pursuing this graduate degree in art at UCLA is undergirded by the fact that I know UCLA is an excellent school with a stellar reputation in this field. UCLA also has respect for diversity in its student body, which was important to me in selecting a grad school program. The UCLA faculty is very experienced and knowledgeable in several aspects of the art world, which was also another key factor in deciding to apply here. I sincerely feel that attending UCLA will help me become a better artist. My ultimate goals in obtaining a graduate degree in art are to: 1) own my own gallery; 2) share my art with the public at large; and 3) work with art museums and/or galler ies in order to restore and preserve masterpieces for posterity, so our children and grandchildren will still be able to appreciate creative pieces from master artists. Obtaining a graduate degree in art at UCLA would not only serve to bolster my experience and interest in art, but would also help provide a schema for how to realize my dreams. Wanting to become well-known in the art world, I believe this degree would give me instant credibility that would signify my expertise in not only dealing with art but creating it. I thank you for reading and for your thoughtful consideration of my application in light of the above-stated comments. Personal Accomplishments, Community Pride: A Response to Prompt #2 I have accomplished many personal achievements in my lifetime, but I consider many of these achievements as exemplars for my community (including my family). Having grown up as an immigrant, I realize the incredible opportunities that coming to America gave me and my family. I will b e forever grateful for those. Undertaking this graduate degree in art from UCLA, therefore, is not only a source of personal accomplishment but a symbol of community pride for everyone I know and love that contributes to my culture—both in the U.S. and in Taiwan. While in Taiwan, I won the first-place award for the Taiwan Shei-Pa National Park’s official drawing contest when I was only an 11-year-old elementary school student—chosen from all the student contestants in all of Taiwan. When I came to attend high

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Product Feature For Whittakers Products

Product Feature For Whittakers Products Whittakers the major chocolate manufacturer and the only fully owned New Zealand Company. It is the second biggest chocolate brand in New Zealand. It has dark peanuts slab, processing of beans includes human involvement. There is no solid milk in this chocolate. Whittaker forwards its quality using pure cocoa butter and cocoa milk. Product feature for Whittakers products:- Dark chocolate has always been best seller for company by setting a trend or a saga of taste. Its high quality cocoa beans and it is family sized blocks of chocolate having 72% dark Ghana chocolate. It is popular in KIWI people of New Zealand because Whittaker is KIWI owned company and has been one of the good competitors. Its vegan preparation add features in this chocolates Product Support for Whittakers products:- The product support for the Whittaker chocolates are, contact centre details, other elements like phone number, email communication and customer support details. Also, retailers always have taken Whittakers as the most appreciable manufacturer of market for its quality and long term appreciation of customers. Internet is also play a crucial for product support because it is ultra-modern and technology. It has the pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, @twitter, web pages and other blogs. Product differentiation for Whittakers products:- If compared with other big market players like Nestle, Ferro and Cadbury the range of products at Whittakers is unmatchable. If we talk about differentiation, as we know there are 33% cocoa in this chocolate and only 21% cocoa in Cadbury chocolate. All the cocoa for Whittaker comes from Ghana and Madagascar. All are gluten free as comparison to other companies. 4 recommendations to make improvement in marketing mix:- 1):- The cost factor should be sized on the bases of customer purchasing capacity in addition to quality of product. It seems rich chocolate for riches. 2):-Company should take steps to raise their market in Asian countries for their certain development towards international marketing. 3):-Quality no doubt is the prime factor for any product of a company to survive long in the market however availability of the sale is rather more important. For an example if a person sitting in foreign country wishes to taste the product of Whittakers needs to shell out extra cents to purchase it via internet. 4):-Local existence in different markets is very important for company as the positivity of its being a Kiwi company is turning towards negativity as a large mass of consumers is still unaware of this brand name. Answer to Question No. 2: Below is the detailed study of 4 different pricing strategies at Whittakers namely: Value Based Pricing Competition based Pricing Differential Pricing Bundle Pricing Value-Based Pricing:-The strategies to put price first as a primary factor and not the exclusive is Value-based pricing. Whittakers set its pricing lesser as a tag of profitability and more as a cost to quality. The price for Whittakers seems higher if compared with any foreign brand. The Creamy Milk product of Whittakers has a direct competitor in global market i.e. Dairy Milk form Cadbury. KIWI mostly people prefer to go for Whittaker for its purity and vegan .So it goes with Whittakers also, they set the price as not to earn the profit only but to keep the clientele attached with brand furthermore. Competition-based Pricing: Whittaker follow the steps to stay longer in the market via setting the price of goods in accordance with the price of similar products (already existing or newly launched).As we know very well, Whittaker chocolates are liked by KIWI people not only of its pricing but also their quality in chocolates. According to marketing manager of Whittaker, cocoa butter is more expensive but still they are selling chocolates on normal price which is beneficial for company output as comparison to other company cocoa like Cadbury. Differential Pricing: On the basis of differential pricing, Whittaker chocolates can promote and sell their products through coupons, mega sales, price rebates and distribution outlet. Also its depending on demographics or customer distinctions like age, lifestyles, status, and income. Moreover, on the basis of competitors and market research and pricing of others companies is beneficial. Bundle Pricing: Company can sell their product by increasing the volume of products in bucket and sale their product on normal prices. Everyone like the bundle products near to festivals like Christmas and for gift to anyone. They can down their prices near to festivals for customer attractions and for some profit. it differentiate the competition by providing a surplus to the range of customers through offering the bundle of products in a package. 4 other basis of pricing to improve the mix of marketing:- Whittakers should expand their business on global strategies maintain their price and strategies to compete other chocolates company like NESTLE, Hershey and Cadbury etc. Offering the cost effectiveness delivery to customers with good quality is required to improvement. In bundle pricing, the company should start with services like appreciation to customers or provide token and coupons that will boost the sales. Company can include the references of all social contributions to the society because customers will earn the references and raise the emotional factor in the heart of purchaser. Answer to Question No. 3: Advertisement: on the basis of advertisement effectiveness, Whittakers scored on the prospect of advertising can be scored 10/ 10. They motivates the customers by advertisement on Social sites like Facebook, linked, @twitter helping a lot to promote the products of Whittaker chocolates. Even the other ways like television, print media and radio are also been adopted by this company to grab more attentions. Public Relation: the word of mouth is also known as variant of marketing. Same as doing by Whittaker Company. They give first preference to public relations because majority of companies taken activity into action for its customers.it is called jargoned word of mouth, technical or tailored to a product. It becomes very important to entertain that Whittaker is doing well in. Consumer Promotions: Customers loyalty is preferred by company in consumer promotion in which consumers having long term relations with company. The other way to promote are sampling, contests, money Refunds, packaging, loyalty schemes and exhibitions to attract the customers attentions. 4 promotional tools for attracting customers to purchase Whittakers products instead of other brands: As a thumb rule of business promotion i.e. the advertisement like television promos at a grand level to explore the potential company should increase the diameters from country basis to global basis and should go for the television promos at a grand level to explore the potential market or customers across the world. Whittakers should design promotional campaigns in other countries according to their regional language at the world level. We can promote the product on you tube videos and on created pages of Facebook, twitter so that everyone who liked the paged on Facebook or on twitter can see the new flavour or existing product of chocolate. As Whittakers have justified that its a brand of the KIWI and for the KIWI; should similarly impact the people by interacting their eating, living, purchasing and spending habits with the companys product range. It will convey a message that this brand has a product to treat every sector of people Answer to Question No. 4: Exclusive: Hereby the company has taken much of the exclusiveness of distribution in its own hands. The example for this can be drawn through the website of Whittakers. A wide ranged catalogue covering the entire range of existing products, their descriptions is mentioned along with pictorial representation of product packaging. Selective: Whittakers is a company that explores more of strategy of selective distribution as the products and distributions of the company are for limited area or people. Though it is opposite to an open distribution system but a depicting one for the business nature of the company. This strategy has its own charm as because the area of competition decreases the margin of profit earning increases. Henceforth if a global market player like Cadbury or Nestle which has an open distributions system will not be successful to earn the clientele in business territories of Whittakers as because the impact of Whittakers on KIWIs is century long. A foreign brand cannot afford such a high cost of production by paying international taxes. In case if they try launching a product or product line by compromising slightly with the quality even, the newly customer will built rather more strong interest in their previous brand of chocolate. Intensive: Whitaker though has not it available for entire world through all different means of distribution however it is intensive approach of distribution for the areas where it is popular. Other methods for distributions: Direct Method: the company should start the company should seek for franchisees or their own branch outlets at continental level. Indirect method: by adopting this method the company can reach put to the areas where it already is not having trade currently without losing the authority of decision making. Channel distribution: by adopting this method the company can open its outlets by sharing the business compulsion with local potential natives of foreign lands. Answer to Question No. 5: Product: product quality plays a crucial role in selling of product. If there is good quality .then, everyone likes to buy the product. For example Audi car, people like to buy the Audi because of its high performance and also good looking. Price: Price should be according to the market and the service/product. For BIC the manufacturers of lighters, razors and pens should provide the services of the product at the affordable price to attract more customers. Place: Placement is also play an equal role for company. For example Amway Company sells their product through independent business owners of worldwide. In the India, mostly like to sell their second hand through car agents or dealers. Promotion: companies doing advertisement on radio, television, on social sites like Facebook, yahoo and Other ways like sampling, packaging, branding and coupons for the promotion of product. If we talk about Whittakers chocolate all these things are important. For products, they are using 33% cocoa butter as comparison to Cadbury and affordable price, good placement and promotion. REFRENCES:- New Zealand (2012). New Zealand profile in 2012, retrieved in www.wikipedia.com www.whittaker.co.nz www.wikipedia.com www.answer.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Left Behind Book Series :: essays research papers

Feeling left behind? You might be if you have looked in the religion section of a bookstore recently. Since 1995, over fifty million books bearing the banner of the Left Behind series have showed up not only in Protestant bookstores but also in mainstream, secular bookstores. In 1998 the original four books of the series simultaneously occupied the top four slots in the New York Times bestseller list—which does not count sales figures from Protestant bookstores. The tenth volume of the series debuted at number one on the list. The books of the Left Behind series offer a fictionalized account of the end of the world, based on the authors’ understanding of the book of Revelation and other Bible prophecies. But Left Behind is much more than a series of books. It is a multi-media franchise that includes not only the original novels (which should total twelve to fourteen) but also two motion pictures, over twenty children’s books, study guides, dramatized and unabridged audio books, and graphic novels—with more on the way! Also attached to the franchise are a number of non-fiction works in which the authors explain their views of Bible prophecy in a straightforward manner rather than using the form of a novel. Evangelical publishing has never seen a phenomenon like this. It dwarfs even The Late Great Planet Earth, which was the best-selling book of the 1970s. Left Behind leaves many Catholics scratching their heads. They may know that it has something to do with the end of the world. Some Catholics have even had Evangelical friends try to get them to read the books as a subtle (or not so subtle) attempt to evangelize them. But few have a clear idea of what the books are about, who is behind them, and how they relate to the Catholic faith. This is a problem. There is nothing wrong with having a successful publishing franchise, but when that franchise contains anti-Catholic prejudice and bad theology, that is a problem. Matters are worse when the franchise is so profit-driven that it puts making a buck over the spiritual and psychological well-being of children. As we will see, Left Behind does all of that. The Man Behind Left Behind The Left Behind books carry the bylines of two men, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The latter is a prolific freelance author and ghostwriter who has published several dozen books. He is the actual author of the Left Behind books, but his is the less important role, because he does not generate the ideas for them.