Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Victimless Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Harmless Crimes - Essay Example A genuine case of this line of reasoning is taken from a Speech at Cornell Law School One needs to totally freed oneself of the ravenousness for money to see that prostitution, despite the fact that legitimized, can never be a real business since it will consistently be related with wrongdoing, debasement, class, mass sexual misuse and human dealing. Most normally the rundown of exercises and direct prohibited by most oppressive lawful structures incorporate, prostitution, profanity, nakedness, and interbreeding, erotica (sex entertainment), and homosexuality (consensual oral or butt-centric sexual action). The philosophical premise of this polarity of perspectives is significant. To the libertarian side the individual and their privileges are vital. Its absolutist position is introduced right plainly in the National Platform of the Libertarian Party (received at its July 2002 show in Indianapolis, Indiana) http://www.lp.org/issues/stage/victcrim.html, which incorporates, concerning consensual sexual action, the language: Harmless Crimes - Because just activities that encroach on the privileges of others can appropriately be named violations, we favor the cancelation of all government, state, and nearby laws making 'wrongdoings' without casualties. Specifically, we advocate: the annulment of all laws with respect to consensual sexual relations, including prostitution and sales, and the discontinuance of state persecution and provocation of gay people, that they, finally, be agreed their full rights as people; the annulment of all laws managing or restricting the ownership, use, deal, creation, or dissemination of explicitly express material, autonomous of socially reclaiming worth or consistence with network principles Preclusion Inquisitively enough the prohibitionist side can tally under its flag two gatherings that we may usually viewed as in conflict, upholders of conventional strict profound quality and guerilla women's activist ideologues. It is inside the all out division between these two perspectives that we should inspect to find a sensible answer to the essential inquiry given. In our general public the conventionalist see sets the general public as fundamental, the substance requiring the most pride, regard and thought. Along these lines the contention goes a slackening of sexual limitations will prompt the decimation of conventional marriage and the endless supply of crowds of unattached guys who, as everybody knows, are just keen on a certain something. It is especially with respect to the topic of prostitution that this thought is generally conspicuous. The thinking goes this way: for what reason would a man remain with help and ensure a solitary lady, with all the disservices that such conduct involves when he could be allowed to follow his senses and have a ball without result. This perspective goes further to guarantee that the family structure is simply the essential defense of society, and accordingly prostitution ought to be disallowed. The women's activist interpretation of this methodology is an inquiry from and

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Manage group living Essay

Presentation (What you are going to cover in this archive) I am going to cover bunch living for grown-ups. There are different gatherings living for grown-ups and each have a positive and negative effect. Gathering living can be gainful for grown-ups who are dangerous to live all alone and for people who are forlorn. I will concentrate on private consideration for bunch living. At the point when people arrive at the phase where it is possible that they or their families need to conclude it will be of their eventual benefits to be moved into private consideration, there are numerous components that impact this. Age Mental ability to decide Security factors/dangers Monetary Living in a gathering can act issues like people are united, people may not generally continue ahead with each other because of their perspectives, ethics, foundation and general inclinations. The troubles is satisfying everybody and guaranteeing they all live agreeably together. The advantages in bunch living is having friendship/companionship and a lot of exercises that they can go to with people they know and live with, as yet empowering them to have their own space and security in the event that they so wish. Different gathering living: Private consideration Older consideration buildings Lodgings Upheld living Private empowers 24 hour care Older buildings guarantees they have a superintendent and exercises on the off chance that they so wish to participate, care arrangements on the off chance that they so wish Lodgings are impermanent living Upheld living offers progressively decision and opportunity, exercises, feast arrangements and superintendent input, where if necessary they can have homecare arrangements. Whichever an individual or their families pick they all need to advance a cheerful/safe condition for people, guaranteeing they fulfill guidelines set out for private or gathering living arrangements. Each gathering living condition/care home needs to satisfy guidelines set out by the administration, these are observed by CQC, GSCC and neighborhood specialists to guarantee norms are met. Inside gathering living the earth must be protected, clean and guarantee people prosperity, while Promoting their freedom and maintain their privileges to human necessities. It is significant that principles recognize the necessities related with driving and overseeing bunch living arrangement; it incorporates building up the physical condition, day by day living exercises and gathering exercises so that they bolster the accomplishment of positive results for people. By regarding every person and their distinction, settling on a setting that empowers people decision, opportunity and to have the option to communicate. Solace and warmth, supper decisions and variety, regarding societies and foundations and concentrating on their prosperity, wellbeing and joy. Readiness for reason: The administrative forces gave by the CSA are intended to guarantee that care home supervisors, staff and premises are ‘fit for their purpose’. In applying the norms, controllers will search for proof that a home in the case of giving a drawn out situation, transient recovery, nursing care or expert assistance is effective in accomplishing its expressed points and goals. Completeness: Life in a consideration home/bunch living is comprised of a scope of administrations and Facilities which might be of more noteworthy or lesser significance to various people. In applying the norms, controllers guarantee the administration bundle offered by the consideration home adds to the general individual and medicinal services needs and inclinations of people and how the home functions with others administrations/experts to guarantee the individual’s incorporation in the network. Addressing evaluated needs: In applying the correct measures, monitors will search for Evidence that the consideration home addresses issues of people and that Individuals’ changing requirements keep on being met. The appraisal and administration client plan completed in the consideration home ought to be founded on the consideration the board. Singular consideration designs that addresses and determines their issues. Great private consideration represents an assortment of difficulties, and requires elevated levels of aptitude and imaginative capacity from supervisors, staff and outside backings. They should be focused on empowering inhabitants to assume however much liability as could be expected for the arranging and the executives of their own consideration. Chiefs ought to receive an arranged way to deal with addressing the requirements and advancing the capability of individual inhabitants, inside a system and culture for the unit, and gatherings inside it, which gives th e correct equalization of security, incitement and extension for freedom. ( Et al CQC site private consideration) Quality administrations: The Government’s modernizing plan, including the new administrative system, intends to guarantee more prominent confirmation of value benefits instead of living with second best. In applying the guidelines, controllers will look for proof of a pledge to constant improvement, quality administrations, backing, settlement and offices which guarantee a decent personal satisfaction for people It is significant individual have rights to their own options that incorporate dangers. The dangers they take should be assessed to guarantee the choice doesn't exceed the hazard to individual or others. The trouble inside gathering living is the thing that might be ok for one individual may not be for another, for example one individual might be sheltered to travel every which way however they see fit another may require oversight to go outside. This can represent an issue if completely free individual leaves get to entryway open or welcome a risky gathering to go outside with them. There are dangers related with regular living yet guaranteeing everyone’s security can be a test. Guaranteeing hardware, living quarters, and condition is remained careful and secure while advancing freedom and decision. In the event that a hazard can't be dispensed with I would see approaches to decrease the hazard, along these lines the individual is still in charge yet has quantifies set up to guarantee their security and the wellbeing ofâ others. Tending to dangers with people and completely educating them why something is classed as a hazard empowers them to settle on an educated choice as to in the event that they need to keep on facing the challenge, dependant on the seriousness. Working with individual and tuning in to how they esteem or see something functions, however on the off chance that they are inflexible and the hazard out loads the advantages, at that point measure must be set up. The physical condition can advance prosperity by having a pleasant unattractive air, permitting every person to add to this. The lighting, warmth, setting, installations and fittings just as what exercises everybody appreciates and urging all gatherings to take an interest. By having a safe however decent condition it advances prosperity, by permitting and including individual to state what they like and aversion advances consideration. Urging them to take an interest in different exercises gives incitement and helps assemble companionships inside gathering living. It is likewise significant that the staff have great preparing and draw in with people, that they stay well disposed and unbiased. Decision is one of the primary elements whether this be suppers, settings, exercises getting the correct parity and advancing their autonomy and inclusion. This add to their prosperity and satisfaction. On the off chance that nature was a chilly, clammy, dull, without any open doors for exercises, there was no opportunity of decision and caused individual to have set dinners, toileting times and removed their privileges and autonomy, I can't envision any individual would be glad and their prosperity would decay. Keeping up and the upkeep of goods and embellishments are significant, the expense of this can be considerable, with the privilege planning and putting aside of funds will help look after this, that way the upkeep can be kept up and the accounts will be promptly accessible. Some portion of this reflects in the sum it will cost for people to live there. Another route is to hold noble cause/gathering pledges days. I trust you can have cut backs yet at the same time keep up quality confirmation without conveying low quality environmental factors. Some portion of this is taking care of the earth, if the earth is of goodâ quality in the first place people are bound to keep up this and regard it as their home. Not permitting things that need fixing to get to the phase where they are in repairable or risky. Guaranteeing electrical things and gas overhauling is kept up, this is a legitimate necessity inside gathering living situations. Guaranteeing nature is kept spotless, protected and clean keeps up it’s every day living necessities and decreases the danger of cross defilement. There must be sufficient space for every person and the right measure of staff proportion. When settling on choices with respect to the earth it is significant that the people who live there are incorporated, they may need their very own portion effects, similar to a seat of dressing table. These things are essential to them as without been given the decision they will feel just as it isn't their home. Every individual will have diverse taste, different preferences, in spite of the fact that this may demonstrate hard to satisfy every one, if every one has some information they will feel included and are bound to meet up as a gathering to settle on what everybody needs. This ought to incorporate choices down to cost, what furniture, fitments; adornments they feel are the most significant and make their condition safe, the security angle should be taken a gander at equivalent to comfort. Seats that help people and offer the correct tallness, wash capacity and so on. Beds, lounge area furniture, style, plants, pictures, simple access between seats. Guaranteeing nature offers incitement and unwinding. Day by day exercises are a significant piece of gathering living and these additionally should be settled upon. Excursions, bingo, sing-along’s, blossom masterminding, practice classes, open air exercises, cultivating, vegetable plots and planting. By offering decision and guaranteeing day by day action times are followed to,â implementing an exercises co-ordinator and guaranteeing staff energize p

Friday, August 21, 2020

The Power of Celebrating Victories - and What Youre Missing if You Dont

The Power of Celebrating Victories - and What Youre Missing if You Dont How good are you at celebrating victories? Even little ones? Lex Ishimoto had every reason to believe, even assume, that he would be given a coveted ticket to the “So You Think You Can Dance” Academy.[1] Lex is one of the most qualified candidates who has ever auditioned for this show. He has been dancing since the age of seven, competed in countless dance competitions, and trained extensively in hip hop, modern, and ballet. At age 15, he received a rare offer to train with the American Ballet Theater â€" and turned it down. He played Billy Elliot on Broadway, and performs with the famous Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound Dance Company. Lex took a risk. He danced an improvisational routine rather than a choreographed one. He received a standing ovation from the judges and was given a ticket straight to the Academy. Unexpected Celebration! I honestly thought it would be reasonable for Lex not to be surprised or particularly excited about getting his ticket. Really, it was a foregone conclusion. And personally, when I am 99% sure I am going to reach a result, I often don’t exhibit a lot of emotion when I get it. I just don’t think it’s a big deal. But Lex looked almost like a little boy running out to the street with his ticket in hand, not quite knowing what to do with his excitement. Here’s a video that includes his response to his victory. The quality is not great, but it’s the best I could find (please Google Lex Ishimoto YouTube if you’d like to view a better-quality video of the performance itself): I was struck by my own thoughts about celebration as I watched Lex do his little victory dance. Here’s some of what went through my head: I’m so glad he celebrated. I feel better because he celebrated! I bet people around me would feel better if I celebrated more. I can celebrate things even if they seem small to me. Guess I don’t have to sit around waiting for big victories. Maybe Lex celebrated because he risked doing an improv routine. He challenged himself and it could have backfired, but instead it paid off. I often feel true excitement when I take a risk and it pays off (and sometimes even when it doesn’t). I should write a blog about this. Hmmm… I wonder what the research is on celebration? That last bullet prompted me to do some Googling. Here’s what I found about why it’s important to celebrate, even small victories â€" especially in the workplace. (See 7 Reasons It Always Pays to Celebrate Small Victories and Here’s why you should throw yourself a party the next time you reach a goal.) Some Benefits of Celebrating Victories: Positive reinforcement. People are motivated to perform better when they celebrate, and are celebrated for, their wins. Celebration creates future success. Fun. Celebrations make life â€" and work â€" fun! We work hard to achieve what we achieve, and it’s important to allow ourselves to be joyful for what we’ve done, rather than quickly move to the next thing. Marking progress. When you celebrate consistently, you create markers of where you’ve come from and where you are now. Keeping this perspective will motivate you to keep going, set even bigger goals, and clarify the direction you want to go. Confidence. Getting outside acknowledgment is one thing, but choosing to celebrate a victory for yourself is ultimately a more sustainable way to build confidence and joy. Yes, we get to create our own joy! It’s infectious. Celebrating yourself can create joy and satisfaction in others, particularly the people who helped you reach your goal. It will encourage them to join you too! Plus, you’ll start celebrating others more when you intentionally give props to yourself. I realize there might be some naysayers out there who think reveling in your wins will make other people feel bad. I would suggest you stop worrying about them and surround yourself with people who will rejoice with you! Gratitude. Much has been written on the benefits on gratitude. Celebrating victories is a powerful way to give thanks for what you have accomplished. Remember, you don’t need to have big wins to find cause for celebration. Today I expressed joy when I received a meaningful compliment. I’m celebrating that a friend took me up on my offer to come over and use my WiFi when his was down. I’m celebrating that I went to the first meeting of an Entrepreneurs group at 6am this morning. And I’m celebrating that I made it through 10 rounds of a challenging circuit at the gym. In a moment, I will give myself some love for writing my blog on Thursday night, three days before I usually sit down to do it. There are so many things to inspire joy in life if you look for them. What can you take time to celebrate today? [1] “So You Think You Can Dance” is a dance competition and TV show where dancers with a range of experience compete, first to get into the Academy, then to the Top 20, and then to win the competition. Winners must not only become fluent in dance styles including ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop and Bollywood, but they must also exhibit a compelling range of emotion on the dance floor.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

The Psychological And Sociological Aspects Of The...

Deciphering the Psychological and Sociological Aspects in the â€Å"Metamorphosis† As a person matures and develops over their lifespan, their sense of identity is constantly evolving. Regardless, if their outlook on life is optimistic or not, people yearn for those feelings of fulfillment and wanting to have served a purpose in the world. While some people believe that they have found their niche early in life, the rest are often still on the fence about where they belong and who their â€Å"true† selves are. Nevertheless, one cannot help but wonder what purpose does having an identity serve if societal influences continuously seeks to transform it. Literary authors like Franz Kafka have spent most of their lives trying to find the answer to this and relay it in such a way for their readers to understand it in their works. In the midst of searching for this answer lies the idea of existentialism and realism. Note that these theories can be easily confused. Though they appear to be the same on the surface, their meanings differ in depth and can even contradict each other. Existentialism refers to the idea that in order for things to truly exist, they must have a meaning or purpose. In contrast, realism is simply characterized by the way a person accurately represents themselves and the way that they deal accordingly with realistic situations. Though Kafka is an existentialist writer, he put both philosophies to the test in his famous work, â€Å"Metamorphosis†. In this novel, KafkaShow MoreRelatedA Professional Journey As A Nurse Of Today1612 Words   |  7 Pagesset, and vast body of knowledge pertaining to a professional subculture (Merriam-Webster). The first characteristic to define nursing as a profession is the need for knowledge. The knowledge used by nurses has qualities of theory and clinical. Both aspects of knowledge needed for nurses are important because it is how the patient receives the appropriate level of care. 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Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Characteristics of a Good Editor

You dont have to work for a magazine or newspaper to benefit from the help of a good editor. Even if she seems nit-picky with her line edits, remember that the editor is on your side. A good editor addresses your writing style and creative content, among many other details. Editing styles will vary, so find an editor that gives you the safe space to be creative and make mistakes simultaneously.   The Editor and the Writer Carl Sessions Stepp, the author of Editing for Todays Newsroom, believes editors should practice restraint and refrain from immediately reshaping the content in their own images. He has advised editors to read an article all the way through, open your mind to the logic of the [writers] approach, and offer at least minimal courtesy to the professional who has dripped blood for it.   Jill Geisler of The Poynter Institute says a writer must be able to trust that an editor respects the writers ownership of a story and can resist the temptation to completely write a new and improved version. Says Geisler, Thats fixing, not coaching. ... When you fix stories by doing instant rewrites, there may be a thrill in showing off your skill. By coaching writers, you discover better ways to craft copy. Gardner Botsford of The New Yorker magazine says that a good editor is a mechanic, or craftsman, while a good writer is an artist, adding that the less competent the writer, the louder the protests over editing. Editor as Critical Thinker Editor-in-chief Mariette DiChristina says editors must be organized, able to see the structure where it does not exist and able to identify the missing pieces or gaps in logic that bring the writing together. [M]ore than being good writers, editors must be good critical thinkers who can recognize and evaluate good writing [or who] can figure out how to make the most of the not-so-good writing. ... [A] good editor needs a sharp eye for detail, writes DiChristina.   A Quiet Conscience The legendary, shy, strong-willed editor of The New Yorker, William Shawn, wrote that it is one of the comic burdens of [an] editor not to be able to explain to anyone else exactly what he does. An editor, writes Shawn, must only counsel when the writer requests it, acting on occasion as a conscience and helping the writer in any way possible to say what he wants to say. Shawn writes that the work of a good editor, like the work of a good teacher, does not reveal itself directly; it is reflected in the accomplishments of others. A Goal-Setter Writer and editor Evelynne Kramer say the best editor is patient and always keeps in mind the long-term goals with the writer and not just what they see on the screen. Says Kramer, We can all get better at what we do, but improvement sometimes takes a lot of time and, more often than not, in fits and starts. A Partner Editor-in-chief Sally Lee says the ideal editor brings out the best in a writer and allows a writers  voice  to shine through. A good editor makes a writer feel challenged, enthusiastic and valuable. An editor is only as good as her writers, says Lee. An Enemy of Clichà ©s Media columnist and reporter David Carr said the best editors  are the enemies  of clichà ©s and tropes, but not the overburdened writer who occasionally resorts to them. Carr stated that the perfect traits of a good editor are good judgment, an appropriate bedside manner and an ability to conjure occasional magic in the space between writer and editor.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Biological Effect of Radiation Free Essays

EFFECTS OF RADIATION Background Radiation is all around us. It is naturally present in our environment and has been since the birth of this planet. Consequently, life has evolved in an environment which has significant levels of ionizing radiation. We will write a custom essay sample on Biological Effect of Radiation or any similar topic only for you Order Now It comes from outer space (cosmic), the ground (terrestrial), and even from within our own bodies. It is present in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and in the construction materials used to build our homes. Certain foods such as bananas and brazil nuts naturally contain higher levels of radiation than other foods. Brick and stone homes have higher natural radiation levels than homes made of other building materials such as wood. Our nation’s Capitol, which is largely constructed of granite, contains higher levels of natural radiation than most homes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | How does radiation have an impact on health? Too much radiation, like too much of anything, is harmful. We know about this harm from research and from accidents, and from the effects of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945. The effects can range from mild gastrointestinal problems (such as nausea and vomiting) to changes in the blood, to damage to the central nervous system. Too little radiation, likewise, is also harmful. The world’s flora and fauna, including human beings, have grown up in a radioactive environment. We know from research in which organisms have been shielded from everyday radiation that their growth is stunted. We also know it from comparing populations that receive different levels of radiation because of their location. Often, the populations receiving the most radiation are healthier and suffer fewer cancers. In between these extremes, it is usual to protect workers when they work in industries that use sources of radiation. Radioactive materials decay spontaneously to produce ionising radiation, which has the capacity to cause significant damage to the body’s internal chemistry, breaking the chemical bonds between the atoms and molecules that make up our tissues. Damage to the DNA of a cell is particularly important. The body responds by trying to repair this damage, but at high doses it is too severe or widespread to make repair possible, leading to short-term acute health effects. There is also a danger of mistakes in the natural DNA repair process, which can lead in the long-term to cancer. Regions of the body that are most vulnerable to acute radiation damage include the cells lining the intestine and stomach, and the blood-cell producing cells in the bone marrow. The extent of the damage caused is dependent on how long people are exposed to radiation, and at what level. These can include smaller head or brain size, poorly formed eyes, slow growth and severe learning difficulties. . | | COMMON RADIOISOTOPES AND THEIR USES Americium-241: Used in many smoke detectors for homes and businesses to measure levels of toxic lead in dried paint samples, to ensure uniform thickness in rolling processes like steel and paper production, and to help determine where oil wells should be drilled Cadmium-109: Used to analyze metal alloys for checking stock and sorting scrap Calcium-47: Aid to biomedical researchers studying the cell function and bone formation of mammals. Californium-252: Used to measure the mineral content of coal ash and to measure the moisture of materials stored in silos Carbon-14: Used in research to ensure that potential new drugs are metabolized without forming harmful by-products. Cesium-137: Used to treat cancers; to calibrate the equipment used to measure correct patient dosages of radioactive pharmaceuticals; to measure and control the liquid flow in oil pipelines; to tell researchers whether oil wells are plugged by sand; and to ensure the right fill level for packages of food, drugs and other products. The products in these packages do not become radioactive. ) Chromium-51: Used in research in red blood cell survival studies. Cobalt-57: Used in nuclear medicine to help physicians interpret diagnostic scans of patients’ organs, and to diagnose pernicious anemia. Cobalt-60: Used to sterilize surgical instruments; to improve the safety and reliability of industrial fuel oil burners; and to preserve poultry, fruits and spices. Copper-67: When injected with monoclonal antibodies into a cancer patient, helps the antibodies bind to and destroy the tumor Curium-244: Used in mining to analyze material excavated from pits and slurries from drilling operations. Iodine-123: Widely used to diagnose thyroid disorders. Iodine-129: Used to check some radioactivity counters in vitro diagnostic testing laboratories. Iodine-131: Used to diagnose and treat thyroid disorders Iridium-192: Used to test the integrity of pipeline welds, boilers and aircraft parts. Iron-55: Used to analyze electroplating solutions. Krypton-85: Used in indicator lights in appliances like clothes washers and dryers, stereos and coffeemakers; to gauge the thickness of thin plastics, sheet metal, rubber, textiles and paper; and to measure dust and pollutant levels. Nickel-63: Used to detect explosives and as voltage regulators and current surge protectors in electronic devices Phosphorus-32: Used in molecular biology IN MEDICINE Radioisotopes have found extensive use in diagnosis and therapy, and this has given rise to a rapidly growing field called nuclear medicine. These radioactive isotopes have proven particularly effective as tracers in certain diagnostic procedures. As radioisotopes are identical chemically with stable isotopes of the same element, they can take the place of the latter in physiological processes. Moreover, because of their radioactivity, they can be readily traced even in minute quantities with such detection devices as gamma-ray spectrometers and proportional counters. How to cite Biological Effect of Radiation, Essay examples

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Plan and Executing an Advertising campaign for Business Grow

Questions: 1. How do you negotiate timing, art work, insertions, advertisement locations and fee with Groupon to meet your requirements?2. What are the strategies showing the tasks and timelines, including contingency plan for mistakes and shortcomings for this promotion?3. Explain how you plan the target online sales units (for the deal is on), price and commission paid to Groupon as well as the redemption period and budget return from this venture.4. How do you analyses the creativity and success factors crucial to the campaign?5. Secure a contract Groupon that meet legal and ethical regulations together with advertising campaign plan and schedule.6. Explain how you implement advertising campaign activities complying with legal and ethical requirements as well as meeting budget and schedule agreed.7. Discuss the provision for adjustments to original time-table.8. Explain the process and analytical methods to measure performance outcome and determine the outcome gaps from the original targets. 9. Discuss how you negotiate and agree on unexpected outcomes and work out possible solutions with Groupon. Answers: Introduction: The assignment deals with executing an advertising campaign. Under this assignment, CleanNet is the organisation provides commercial cleaning service in Perth. Another organisation Groupon based on Australia that generally designs and executes advertisement for various commercial organisations. After analysing the opportunity of development of CleanNet in Australia, effective promotional activities are required and for that reason CleanNet has hired Groupon for executing the advertisement in favour of CleanNet. In accordance to Katsirea (2012) conducting advertisement campaign is effective for organisational growth. In such instance, an implementation strategy of advertisement campaign has been designed for organisation in first step. In next step, contract with the media has been negotiating and in last step, the monitoring process of advertisement campaign is designed for getting success in the project. Nature of the business and work place: Promotion of the product or service plays significant role as the market is extremely competitive. In such position, CleanNet is the organisation that provides commercial cleaning service. The organisation is located in Perth in Western Australia. The organisation CleanNet provides services in various places such as schools, multi storey offices, industry premises, hotels, shopping centres etc. Moreover, the organisation also provides service based on the health care facilities along with aged care facilities. The organisation, CleanNet follows a functional organisational structure and based on the function, the management of the organisation has designed and divided the entire employees or staffs. As per the structure, the corporate governance comprises with the managing director and a financial director is divided from this group. Apart from that, as per work the management has divided in three parts such as CleanNet cleaning, CleanNet group and CleanNet supplies. The CleanNet clea ning divided in two sectors. First sector comprises with director, business development managers, marketing, Telesales manager and telesales. The second sector comprises with general manager, project manager, area manager, site supervisors and site operatives. In addition, CleanNet group comprises with administration, help desk, HR, health safety and IT support. At last, the CleanNet supplies comprises with director and customer service department. The customer service department comprises with two sections, first section deals with internet sales, retail sales and telesales. On the other hand, the second section deals with warehouse manager, warehouse operatives and drivers. Figure 1: Organisational structure of CleanNet (Source: Created by author) The staffs are recruited after vetting very carefully as the staffs are the key success point of the organisation. Moreover, the employees of the management team are very much proactive during providing service towards the client in Perth. The staffs are highly efficient and the management maintain health and safety policy in the organisation as well as providing service in various areas. As the organisation provides various kinds of commercial cleaning service so the organisation uses several modern equipments for providing best possible service. In addition, after executing the modern equipment the management provides training and development session towards staffs for handling the equipment properly and avoiding the chances of accidents during providing services. In order to improve the quality of service the organisational management has accumulated feedback from customers and as per their view, the service quality along with the promotional factor must be improved. Actually, the market is very competitive and there are several organisations are providing similar kind of services. Moreover, Perth is the largest city with 1.97 million people. Based on geographic location it is central business district with developed economy. Thus, there is a great opportunity for CleanNet to grow their business in effective manner. Thus, effective promotional plan is required for developing the organisational position. As the organisation possesses proactive management team, and well experienced team so it will be easier to grab maximum market share in business perspective. Moreover, there is a chance for organisation CleanNet to expand their business through product or service development approach. 1. Process of negotiate timing, art-work, insertions, advertisement location and fees with Groupon to meet your requirements As opined by Winston and Granat (2014), the hired organisation Groupon is responsible for fulfilling the clients (CleanNet) requirement. As the organisation, Groupon has taken responsibility for designing the advertisement campaign so the CleanNet get success in business perspective so a negotiation related to timing; artwork, insertions, advertisement location and fees are observed during execution the plan. It is natural Groupon demands for high financial resource and gives pressure for allocating 50% of sales as the organisation is in initial stage. Moreover, the organisation Groupon has demanded for 6 weeks for designing the advertisement plan and one entire financial year for achieving the objectives. However, after a vast discussion, the service-providing organisation CleanNet has agreed to provide 40% monetary value of total sales. Moreover, the CleanNet has given condition that the organisation cannot give the entire value in one. With an easy instalment, the organisation pro vides 30% of allocated price in initial stage and then it pays back to Groupon in easy instalment that is 30-30-60%. Moreover, the organisation CleanNet will continuously monitor the sales vale and provide the feedback to Groupon. If CleanNet not gets success then, Groupon has to implement contingency plan for success (Events.groupon.com.au, 2015). 2. Strategies showing the tasks and timelines, including contingency plan for mistakes and shortcoming for this promotion (1.2): The hired company Groupon has decided to provide advertisements through audiovisual media, print media, audio media and word of mouth promotion. The organisation has been allocated four weeks for accomplishing the entire campaign. Although the organisation has executed several effective strategies as per present situation, but contingency may arise in any situation due to technical or programming error. Audiovisual media: In case of audiovisual media, the organisational management places the advertisement during most popular show. Moreover, the game those are very much popular in Australia those may give good result in case of advertisement as on that position; numerous people are making awareness regarding CleanNet organisation and its product (Liu et al. 2009). In case of contingency, the Groupon has designed other media for getting effective outcome for the organisation. For designing and implementing the audiovisual advertisement, the Groupon has taken 3 weeks time. Audio media: In case of audio-media, the organisation should announce with discount factor that the CleanNet is providing cleaning service with 30% discounts only in Perth for limited period. This is very time saving process and after 1 week, the advertisement can be audible through radio. Word of mouth promotion: In case of word of mouth promotion, the organisation takes two weak time for conducting marketing survey and designing the roadside add campaign. In this situation, the Groupon has chosen Koala kid for advertisement face to attract the customers. Moreover the roadside campaign should be organise in corporate area so that the multi storey office, shopping centre, schools are making awareness regarding the service as well as the organisation (Maciej Kutera and Mirosawa Lasek, 2010). On that moment, leaflet also is distributed to inform as well. Execute the entire program it will take more than 3 weeks. Social media: At last, the Groupon design advertisement for social media such as Facebook, Twitter etc. The using rate of social media is increasing day-by-day. Moreover, the organisations are using social media as communication media. In such instance if the organisation Groupon uses the social media then it will provide effective result. 3. Planning process target online sales unit, price and commission paid to Groupon in budget process (2.1): CleanNet hires the Groupon for executing the advertisement campaign. The organisation has given target to Groupon that the organisation want to earn $2 billion in one financial year and for that purpose the CleanNet has allocated the budget to Groupon. The research as referred by Shaw et al. (2014) the range of advertisement cost from 1% to 30% of total sales volume. However, the organisation is in initial stage and for that reason the organisation is allocating 40% of total sales. The hired organisation Groupon has to accomplish the entire activities such as print and broadcast advertising, website development, making public relation through roadside campaign along with the entire prior activities such as market survey, design the advertisement etc. The organisation CleanNet provides 30% of total sale after a certain period. After that, Groupon will demand 30-30-60% in instalment basis in same period. Apart from that, price factors include buying incentives, concession, discounts et c and the CleanNet has to take care of those factors (Sharma, 2012). Advertisement activities Allocated budget Market survey 3% Setting goal 5% Select advertisement venue 2% Develop the media plan 2% Organisational Fees (Fees of Groupon) 13% Execute campaign 75% Table 1: allocated budget for advertisement activities (Source: created by author) Executed various kind of advertisement Allocated budget Print and broadcast advertising 25% Website development 10% Making public relation through roadside add campaign 40% Social media 15% Distributing leaflet and hoarding 10% Table 2: allocated budget for advertisement activities (Source: Created by author) 4. Analysing process of creativity and success factor crucial to the campaign In order to getting the success in advertising campaign, the hired company Groupon has to conduct several activities. Before executing the advertisement campaign or before planning the management has to conduct market research, design budget and setting the goal. After that, the management of Groupon selects the advertising venue or the most effective media such as audio-visual media, websites, newspaper (Print media), radio station etc. As cleaning service is intangible thus, advertisement campaign must be very bright and attractive. Moreover, the research and development department implements some creative factors where freelancer should be needed to check all the aspect from outside. The management of Groupon conducts the advertisement campaign through audio-visual media, Newspaper, advertisement through hording, promotion through add campaign and social networking site. During providing advertisement through audio-visual media, Groupon selects Koala kid the most popular animation face in Australia and design the advertisement for every perspective. Apart from that, the RD of Groupon company designs big hording related to the CleanNet commercial organisation and provided service. In order to getting success in first step, the organisation can negotiate the pricing of the provided service. Moreover, with the help of discount factor, Groupon provides advertisement through newspaper, magazine and radio station. Along with this, in case of this kind of service, word of mouth promotion is very effective. Thus, the Groupon design a roadside add campaign where using the Koala kid, mouth promotion in commercial place is also effective (Events.groupon.com.au, 2015). 5. Planning of negotiate and agree on unexpected outcomes and work out possible solutions with Groupon (2.3): The CleanNet wants to earn revenue $2 billion within one financial year after placing advertisement through Groupon. Thus, Groupon has demanded 50% financial value of the total sales volume. After negotiation, the Groupon has agreed to provide the service with 40% of total sales volume. However, Groupon has informed the CleanNet that being the new organisation in the market it is quite difficult to generate $2 billion revenue within one financial year thus; the hired organisation indicated as unexpected outcome is the mission of the CleanNet. However, the organisation as received the project so the organisation has given commitment to help by aligning the every possible support in respect of advertisement. Thinking of perceived risk the organisation has also made contingency plan as programming error and technical error may arise in any situation. Thus, CleanNet will also work together with Groupon. As the organisation, CleanNet possesses proactive management team and good staff so t he entire management and the staffs will help the Groupon to successfully implementation of the advertisement campaign. Case study 2: 6. Implementation process of advertising campaign activities complying with legal and ethical requirements and meeting budget as schedules agreed Before designing and executing the advertisement process, both the organisation Groupon and CleanNet have to make legal relation under contract. Moreover, the Groupon has to execute the advertisement process following the laws and regulation imposed by the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA). The AANA has designed Code of Practice to execute advertisement with the purpose of fulfil the social expectations and fulfilling the social responsibilities such as removing environmental issue, children protection etc with the help of Advertising Federation of Australia, Australian Communication and Media authority. On the other hand, executing the advertisement service in allocated budget the organisation Groupon can take help from Free TV Australia and Australian Performing Right Association. Apart from that, the media cannot charge more from Groupon. If any media charge comparatively more then, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission support Groupon to provide adver tisement as per feasible price. Thus, the organisation Groupon has to make conversation with all the above mention legal authority to represent the advertisement in the course of different media. As per legislation, the organisation cannot use any cheap word for advertisement and should maintain the cultural influences (Zabel, 2012). 7. Provision for adjustment to original timetable The Groupon is responsible for the entire advertisement campaign in Australia mainly in Perth as the CleanNet is located in Perth. In order to executing the effective advertisement campaign, the organisational management of Groupon makes timetable for representing the advertisement. The organisation has given the timetable that is mentioned below: Advertisement mode Frequency Position TV (audio visual media) At least 20 times in a day Once in commercial break in Australian most popular show Starting position or last position in commercial break Audio media (Radio) Twice in every hour (minimum) Five times in every hour (Maximum) The advertisement should be provided in starting position in the commercial break Print media (Newspaper, magazines etc) Once in month (Full page) 10 days in month (Internal page) Once in month (Front page) 10 days in month (internal page) Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube) Every alternative day for Facebook and twitter 10% of total uploading program in every alternative day Not required Roadside campaign Once in month 2 hours minimum Table 3: Provision for adjustment to original timetable (Source: created by author) As per imposing rules of AANA, the organisational management of Groupon has presented the above-mentioned timetable for presenting the advertisement through various media. Moreover the Advertising Federation of Australia, Australian Communication and Media Authority will help the organisation Groupon for accomplishing the performance as per timetable. 8. The process and analytical method to measure performance outcome and determine the outcome gaps from the original targets There are three factors are using to measure performance outcome and determine the outcome gaps from the original targets such as Key performance indicators (KPI), Return on investment (ROI) and Advertising Research Foundation. In order to measure the performance the organisational management of Groupon evaluates the key performance indicators (KPI). In such situation, the organisation measures return on marketing investment, marketing return on investment and accountable marketing. It is because the through those metrics the organisation CleanNet can realize the financial performance that is the key point of the success (Sharma, 2012). Apart from that, the organisation management appraises the marketing outcome in customer perspective. Moreover, in order to determine the outcome gap the organisational management of Groupon take feedback from the customers and monitoring the entire marketing activities. After identifying the outcome gap, the organisational management gives pressure for repeating the advertisement in more frequency. 9. A contract Groupon that meet legal and ethical regulation together with advertising campaign plan and schedule The legal relation between two organisations such as Groupon and CleanNet is necessary for maintain the rules and regulation of the advertisement. In case of, using car graphics, the Groupon has to hire some third party. Moreover making contract, the both organisations should provide their detail information. In addition, after evaluating the entire rule and regulations both organisations sign with commitment for fulfilling the task on the time. On the other hand, in case of other advertisement process, the entire factors such as parties and effective date, billing, content, entire agreement, modifications or amendment, right to terminate etc are included in the contract form. Moreover, breaching the agreement, the blameworthy party has to provide compensation towards the innocent party (Zabel, 2012). Conclusion: It can be concluded from the above assignment that executing the advertisement campaign is very important for organisational business perspective. In this assignment, CleanNet is the organisation located in Perth, Australia provides commercial cleaning service towards various places such as Multi storey building, offices, schools, shopping centres etc. Groupon is the commercial organisation design the advertisement campaign for CleanNet. The organisational management and research development department together made the plan for executing the advertisement campaign after selecting the print media, audio media, audio-visual media, social networking site and word of mouth promotion as advertisement campaign. The organisation Groupon has conducted the entire performance under legal authority. Reference List: Events.groupon.com.au, (2015). Groupon Events. [online] Available at: https://events.groupon.com.au/ [Accessed 28 Jan. 2015] Katsirea, I. (2012). The Transmission State Principle: The End of the Broadcasting Sovereignty of the Member States?, Cambridge yearbook of European legal st, 6(1), pp.105-139 Liu, W., Zhong, S., Chaudhary, M. and Kapur, S. (2009). Online advertisement campaign optimisation, IJSOI, 4(1), pp.3 Maciej Kutera, M. and Mirosawa Lasek, M. (2010). Clustering Methods Application for Customer Segmentation to Manage Advertisement Campaign, Contemporary Economics, 4(3) Sharma, A. (2012). Consumer Perception and Attitude towards the Visual Elements in Social Campaign Advertisement, IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 3(1), pp.6-17 Shaw, B., Howell, A. and Genskow, K. (2014). Evaluation of a Movie Theater Advertisement Campaign to Promote Behaviors that Prevent Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species, Society Natural Resources, 27(7), pp.768-776 Winston, W. and Granat, J. (2014). Persuasive Advertising for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis Zabel, M. (2012). Advertising Ethics | Marketing magazine. [online] Marketing magazine. Available at: https://www.marketingmag.com.au/tags/advertising-ethics/#.VMjI744SHcc [Accessed 28 Jan. 2015]

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Aggressiveness Brain Success essays

Aggressiveness Brain Success essays Nowadays, the women in Asia are receiving more and more reputations than before. In China the most successful and welcomed TV anchormen are the men and women half to half and the female anchormen have much more chance to take part in some TV series show than their male colleagues; even the national woman soccer team of China, after they acquired the second prize in the World Cup last year, their brilliant glory erased our male soccer player ¡Ã‚ ¯s incompetence. Women, especially the Asian women, are no longer those whom only had to stay at home taking care of her husband and children, making dinners and cleaning the houses to spend her whole life. Now some of them would like to share much more respect from the men rather than make a living depending on them as before. How could women stand up so fast? Why couldn ¡Ã‚ ¯t they realize 100 years earlier? As the article RISE OF THE ASIA WOMEN has mentioned, the women ¡Ã‚ ¯s rising up at present, depends mostly on the development of the new economy, which includes IT, management, and information services. Females who are successful in some fields are those who have received higher education and have much know-how in their work. Females are born the same IQ level with the male, so to make full use of their wisdom is the key for their success. It will be non sense for them to compete the men by strength. They need brain. Many works, however, demands both wisdom when at work, and aggressiveness for violent challenge. So to be aggressive as a man, rather than powerful, does make sense in women ¡Ã‚ ¯s rising up. In tradition, women are obedient to the men and then what did they get, the blame, the beat, and the prejudice? They are not permitted to have their own thoughts and suggestions to offend th e profits of male, and that makes the women incompetent and they never resist until now. But now, things are totally different. Some women dare to toss different opinion t ...

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Filipino Nationalism essays

Filipino Nationalism essays THE BEGINNING OF FILIPINO NATIONALISM Nationalism had been greatly affected by factors that made the Filipinos as helpless and voiceless against their colonizers. These factors are: 1. Lack of Unity among Filipinos due to: Divided barangays with their respective chieftains The domination and control of Christianity as a religion introduced by the Spaniards. This despite the prevailing religion of the Muslim Filipinos. The policy of divide and rule of the Spanish government. On-going suppression of revolts from other Filipino provinces. Lack and poor means of communication among Filipinos 2. The discriminating and unfair educational system established by the Spaniards. This system had aggravated the call for Filipino nationalism as explained below: A. Almost all colleges and universities founded by the Spaniards were made exclusive only to Spaniards and Spanish mestizos. The doors were closed to Filipinos B. In most cases, Filipinos got their education from their parents and mostly confined at home. C. When at the latter part, the schools were opened to Filipinos their treatment from the teachers (Spaniards) were unfair, cruel punishments were made and the methods of teaching were improper. D. There were more colleges for women opened but only cater to Spanish women. While in the second half of the 19th Century, universities like the University of Sto. Tomas opened its doors to Filipinos yet only affluent Filipino families can afford to enroll their children in school. Though later on, some nationalist Filipinos began their search for fairness, justice and initiated moves towards Filipino Nationalism. Filipino Nationalism thereafter, in the early Spanish regime is unheard, unfelt and a thing of subservience by the Filipinos to their cruel masters of tyranny and oppression. ...

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Foreign Direct Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example Foreign Direct Investment refers to the investments that a multinational firm makes when it is initially located in one country but decides to locate to or acquire substantial production facilities in another country. FDI is a significant factor in operation of MNCs. As Bernard, Jensen and Schott [2] point out, its importance to the U.S. economy is demonstrated by the fact that about 90% of all exports from and imports into the U.S. flow through a U.S. MNC while roughly 50% of the trade flows in fact occur between subsidiaries or affiliates of the same MNCs.[2]. Foreign Direct Investment in another country could take place through the financing of new investments within the target country or even through mergers and acquisitions of local firms and production facilities, etc by a multinational entity, with the value of mergers increasing from 52% of the FDI in 1987 to 83% in 1999, as per UNCTAD [13].1.2:  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benefits of Foreign Direct Investment:  Foreign Direct Investment c an be beneficial to a multinational firm in several ways and Isobe et al [8] have examined the multinational firm in the context of technology transfer. They have examined the impact of early movers in technology within emerging economic regions as far as performance is concerned by studying 220 Japanese multinational companies that have set up their business in China. The findings in this study suggested that a multinational firm gains from technology transfer especially when the degree of commitment of the firm is high.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Ohio Casino Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ohio Casino - Essay Example In ways I can see how the casinos can benefit the state and bring more money in the state then out of the state. One thing about casinos is that they are looked at being corrupt and just taking people’s money. Notice why many Ohioans might be angry about the casino’s being run by certain Politian’s to watch over. On a blog with comments about the conflict one person said â€Å"All the crooks in Ohio have their handouts trying to get a bigger piece of the pie, how pathetic! No wonder Ohio keeps sinking further in its sinkhole† (Mangels). Could this person be talking about the politicians, in which some Politician’s are corrupt and being played to pass this. After the recession hit, Ohio was one of the worst hit states and in turn suffered severe job losses and foreclosures. When forwarding the proposal to build these casinos the strongest case that was presented was that the construction of these casinos will result in creating a huge number of jobs and bringing in the revenue that went to the nearby states casinos, from the pockets of Ohio residents (Adamson). The focus of advertisement campaigns was laid on the recession hit jobless people. During the time that the voting was due for the legislation that would legalize gambling in Ohio; Studies and reviews started appearing which highlighted the significance of these casinos and how jobs would be created for the people of Ohio. Print media and television advertisements targeted the jobless people of Ohio and how these casinos are the only way out. But opposed to this view a local in an article says that, ‘There are so many other options other than gambling that can help the economy that does not pose a risk to others’ (Hunt). Another person remarked that, ‘I wonder if the pro-gambling group's main focus is on creating jobs or on finding a way to "tax the public"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ There are surely other types of businesses that will create jobs’ (Anthony Hopper cited in Hunt). In 2009, the Job and Growth Committee published the results of a study that related that 20, 000 jobs would result from the industry along with $600 billion revenues and a private investment of $1 billion; all of this going to the federal budget (Adamson). Not surprisingly the revenue amount is already far below what was projected in the study and was inturn approved by the people of Ohio (Mayers). Another study was issued by the Department of Taxation, just a month prior to the vote; the study also focused on the financial revenues and jobs that would be created as a result of the industry; but the study completely ignored as to what repercussions the industry will have in terms of social, business and familial aspects and the surrounding competition, which according to experts has resulted in the low revenues generated (Mangels; Mayers). The lobby invested a gruesome amount of $47 million to campaign for the Ohio Casino and Gambling Industry, which is quadru pled amount of what the opponents of the campaign could get together; while ‘their commercials touted the jobs and tax revenue the gambling palaces would generate’ (Mangels). The anti-gambling campaign could only be heard from on the internet or the print media, no reportable television coverage was done leaving a large mass of audiences unaware of their perspective; as Brian Rothenberg of Progress Ohio says that the whole campaign, ‘was so focused on jobs at a time when Ohio was hyper jobs-conscious

Monday, January 27, 2020

Over View Marketing Of Products Within Nestle Marketing Essay

Over View Marketing Of Products Within Nestle Marketing Essay To pose Nestlà © product against the competitors, the company will be using differentiation strategy which will not only differentiate their own from others but also give an edge over others. Nestlà © core products will be very beneficial especially in terms of quality, health, and hygiene and most important consumer satisfaction. Nestlà © augmented products will include consumer satisfaction, warranty to retailers in terms of expire, delivery and after sales services. The companies all over the world get some competitive edge based on some features which other companies dont have. For example, as the Dell has the competitive edge over other computer manufacturer companies, because they use built-to-order Strategy while no other company in computer industry use this strategy. Similarly in Pakistan nestle has their competitive edge based on the strategies like product differentiation and customer oriented. Nestlà © is using the product differentiation strategy by providing the superior quality products. Their main focus is to keep the customers loyal. They bought shelve space in different departmental stores to attract the customers. They tried to reach each group of people in which they have succeeded. Besides, customer satisfaction is the focal point for the company. They provide hygienic products to their customers. Products are also verified by health and safety measures and international quality standards. Porter Five Forces 3.1.1 Threat of New Entrants: There is big number of food companies in the world; meanwhile the competitive between food companies are happened. Some companies have carved out role in which they support to dairy supply. These food companies are fearful of being squeezed out by the big players. Another threat for many food companies is other food services companies entering the market.15 Competing in a new industry requires resources to invest. Production of packed products requires huge investment of financial, human, technical, and marketing resources. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The suppliers of food might not pose a big threat, because of the number of suppliers. Raw milk is standard commodity and is available in the open market from a large number of milkmen. If anyone refuses to sell its product then company can buy it from others who are already willing to sell to company. On the other hand, the importance of volume to supplier also considered as a threat. Suppliers also have less leverage to bargain over price because the company is purchasing the large volume of their milk and suppliers dont have much option to sell milk to others. Bargaining Power of Buyers   The buyers will not post much of a threat to the food industry. Large clients have their own bargaining power with food companies. Large corporate clients like airlines and retailers pay millions of dollars a year. There are large numbers of distributors, who are buying and distributing the product, so their bargaining power is low and company have leverage to dictate implement its terms and conditions to distributors. Availability of Substitute   There are few of substitutes in the food industry. Most of the food companies have similar suites of services. Companies focusing on their role usually have a competitive advantage, but this advantage depends on whether there are any barriers that preventing other firms from entering.15 Competitive Rivalry The food industry is highly competitive in nowadays. As a result, food industry has become more like a commodity, an area in which the food company with the low cost structure, greater efficiency and better customer service will beat out competitors. In long run, larger companies prefer to take over or merge with other companies rather than spend the money to market and advertise to people.15 Source of Cost Efficiency 3.2.1 Economy of scale Economy of scale determines cost efficiency based on time, and processing of the operations and labour cost. Nestlà © used new high-technology system machines to process all the products, like high-speed bottling system, packaging machine for increasing the output of the products so, it could save time of the operation in process, and save labour cost. The company do not need to hire more labour to operate the process, which is one of the key to save cost. 3.2.2 Experience Nestlà © has been serving Pakistani consumers since 1988, when parent company, the Switzerland-based Nestlà © SA, first acquired a share in Milkpak Ltd. Today Nestlà © is fully integrated in Pakistani life, and is recognized as the producer of safe, nutritious and tasty food, and leaders in developing and uplifting the communities in which they operate. Nestlà © Pakistan ensures that their products are made available to consumers wherever in the country they might be. Convenience is at the heart of the Nestlà © philosophy, and there aim is to bring products to peoples doorsteps. Resources 3.3.1 Tangible resources Nestlà © Milkpak produces in over 81 countries and achieves 98% of its turnover outside Europe. Nestlà © Milkpak is the worlds largest milk company, which does 98% of its business. It has an annual turnover of 70 billion Swiss francs, 522 new factories in 81 countries, 200 operating companies, 1 basic research outer and 20 technological development groups, has more than 231,000 employees and more than 8000 products around the globe. There are three companies co-ordinate the activities of some 200 operating companies around the globe. Intangible resources There are three different functions, Nestlà © Milkpak, holds the financial shares in the allied companies. It also checks the profitability of these companies and to ensure the profitability of the group as whole. Second, Nestlà © Milkpak, has two areas of activities that are research and technological development, and technical assistance. Beside this, it provides know-how in engineering, marketing, production, organization, management and personnel training on a continuous basis. The third company is Nestlà © World Trade Corporation that oversees the import and export of merchandise worldwide. 3.4 BCG Matrix Relative Market Growth Low High STAR (Growth) QUESTION MARKS (Introduction) CASH COWS (Maturity) DOGS (Decline) 3.4.1 Stars The stars are the high relative market share and high market growth. Nestlà © beverages are the stars in their business, because with the high quality and new designs which comes every now and then makes them more popular among the customers, because customer with upper class wants the quality and nestle offers the best quality food items. Besides, Nestlà © major products such as Nestlà © milk pack and Nestlà © water will lies in the category of star products, due to the needs of human in their life. 3.4.2 Question Marks The product which have high anticipated growth rate but low market share would be considered as question marks. The product which the company launch first time in Pakistan is Nestlà © Ice-cream would come under the question marks due to the unknown result whether successful or failed in the growth of business in future. 3.4.3 Cash Cows The cash cows are Nestlà © cereal and other baby food products. There is less competitive brand on these specific of products and Nestle was considered as a branded and reliable brand, so most of the consumers prefer to buy from Nestle. 3.4.4 Dogs The pharmaceutical products are Nestlà © Dog; because it has low-share business with low growth market especially when talk about Pakistani market. The company has to think on what it can do by improving the low share and growth market. 3.5 Product Life Cycle ` Nestlà © Nestlà © Cereal Baby Food Nestlà © Food items pharmaceutical product (e.g. Milk pack and water) Nestlà © Ice-Cream INTRODUCTION GROWTH MATURITY DECLINE Product Development Time Nestlà © Products Nestlà © Milkpak Industry The product life cycle has been used to analyse the products development refer by the BCG matrix. Product life cycle has 4 stages consist of introduction, growth, maturity and decline. Nestlà © Ice-cream has been stated on the introduction stage because it is launched the first time in Pakistan. Next, the growth stage would be the food items like milk pack, water and etc, due to human need as Nestlà © has provided. On the other hand, Nestlà © cereal and baby food were stated in the maturity stage, due to less competitors. Lastly, Nestlà © pharmaceutical product is on the decline stage, because of the low share in business and low demand. In the product life cycle, it shows that Nestlà © Milkpak industry is now on the maturity stage, the company has been recognized by consumers. 3.6 SWOT Analysis (TOW Matrix) SWOT Analysis (TOW Matrix) Strengths Worldwide fame of Nestlà ©. Efficient milk collection system. Keeping high quality standards. Integrated distribution and warehousing facilities. Large market share of innovative. Having Good reputation in the market by strong brand name i.e. Nestlà ©. Strong RD. Weaknesses Unable to compete in price sensitive segment of UHT milk market. Under-utilization of the capacity. Unable to fulfil the demand of local powder milk market. Opportunities Improving Economy. Population growth rate. High urbanization rate. High literacy rate. Flexible government policies for food industry. Have significant growth opportunities. May merge with other global businesses to eliminate competitors. Having Capable of expanding into other markets of the world. SO Increase production of quality milk to cater the unsatisfied demand. They should go in the product line of powdered milk. They should increase their exports. They should cater the wide range of unsatisfied demand by improving their distribution networks. WO As per the increase demand of the milk they should fulfill the demand as Nestlà © have the ability to expand. They should make a strong distribution system to cater to avail the full benefit of the growing market. They should adopt affective marketing strategies for the promotion of their product. Threats High inflation rate. Low purchasing power. Decrease in GDP growth rate. Increasing interest rates. Recessionary period in business cycle. Competition with the new entrants. ST Invest more on the dairy product line as there is still a large chunk of the market which require modernization. Introduce new technology for quality assurance and better productivity. WT The co-ordination between different departments should be improved it will lessen the bureaucratic cost and increase the efficiency of the company.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Vulnerability of Man Essay example -- essays research papers

The Vulnerability of Man   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nature dwarfs us. The jungle absorbs us. Struggling to survive in the middle of an enticing jungle, one truly challenges his own restraints to the temptation of the jungle – of the horror of an abyss which lies so closely beneath us. All of our days and ways are a fragile structure balanced agitatedly atop the hungry jaws of nature that will effortless devour us. A happy life is a daily amnesty from this knowledge. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now share a common theme where the feeble human cannot restrain the domination of the jungle. Those who live in a fool’s paradise will die in a fool’s paradise, and those who discover the horrors of life will die in the jungle. Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now and Captain Kurtz in Heart of Darkness have both been lured into a â€Å"God-like† life in the jungle. Willard and Marlow both travel a long way down a river to attempt to rescue Kurtz, or kill him. The Kurtz in both stories have lost restraint to the wilderness, while Willard and Marlow fight hard to keep theirs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The opening scene in the movie captures a distraught Willard having just returned from the Vietnam War. Willard is pouncing around in his hotel room as though a savage. Only later it is revealed that he is resisting the temptation of returning to the jungle. â€Å"When I was here, I wanted to be there; when I was there all I could think about was getting back in the jungle† (Captain Willard). This scene suggests Willard’s strength to resist temptation. Having already escaped from Vietnam once, he will do it again. The matter is however, the difficulty of withstanding the jungle is like pulling two burly magnets in opposite directions. Willard himself deals with a desire to escape into the jungle. He is uncertain of his reasons, but his physicality and mentality demands it. In Apocalypse Now, the Vietnam War only plays a surface role, a parallel for the jungle, in which both display the effects of corruption and destruction on man. The true significan ce of the story lays beneath the surface, as the horror of existence, the horror of strength, and the horror of an ability to kill without feeling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel, Marlow and four other Englishmen are stranded close to the mouth of the Thames Riv... ...ad put his restraint to test eventually swallowed him whole. As does in Apocalypse Now, both Kurtz’ die saying â€Å"The horror. The horror.† While the definition of this â€Å"horror† is clearly defined in Apocalypse Now, it is left unclear in The Heart of Darkness. These words might have no larger meaning at all. Though there is a constituent of madness to Kurtz, he's remained coherent enough for the audience to wonder whether in casting off all restraints in the jungle, he has discovered some dark truth about the world, a truth that horrifies him. His words might be a pronouncement on the universe we all inhabit, as in Apocalypse Now, Colonel Kurtz’s discovery of how fragile men live their lives is easily tempted by the wilderness, and most will fall into this trap.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, the stories contain symbolic imagery of the all-too-powerful nature against the defenseless man. Both stories contain a horror of which one has been given a definition, and the other left for the audience to define. The stories examine a man’s capacity for evil and madness, and the level of self-control necessary to survive the manipulation of nature.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 17

Chapter 17 I've settled into some sort of droning routine here at the hotel, and in that way it reminds me of those times in China. My waking hours are filled with writing these pages, watching television, trying to irritate the angel, and sneaking off to the bathroom to read the Gospels. And I think it's the latter that's sent my sleeping hours into a landscape of nightmare that leaves me spent even when I wake. I've finished Mark, and again this fellow talks of a resurrection, of acts beyond the time of my and Joshua's death. It's a similar story to that told by the Matthew fellow, the events jumbled somewhat, but basically the story of Joshua's ministry, but it's the telling of the events of that last week of Passover that chills me. The angel hasn't been able to keep the secret that Joshua's teachings survived and grew to vast popularity. (He's stopped even changing the channel at the mention of Joshua on television, as he did when we first arrived.) But is this the book from which Joshua's teachings are drawn? I dream of blood, and suffering, and loneliness so empty that an echo can't survive, and I wake up screaming, soaked in my own sweat, and even after I'm awake the loneliness remains for a while. Last night when I awoke I thought I saw a woman standing at the end of my bed, and beside her, the angel, his black wings spread and touching the walls of the room on either side. Then, before I could get my wits about me, the angel wrapped his wings around the woman and she disappeared in the darkness of them and was gone. I think I really woke up then, because the angel was lying there on the other bed, staring into the dark, his eyes like black pearls, catching the red blinking aircraft lights that shone dimly through the window from the tops of the buildings across the street. No wings, no black robe, no woman. Just Raziel, staring. â€Å"Nightmare?† the angel asked. â€Å"Memory,† I said. Had I been asleep? I remember that same red blinking light, ever so dim, playing on the cheekbone and the bridge of the nose of the woman in my nightmare. (It was all I could see of her face.) And those elegant contours fit into the recesses of my memory like a key in the tumblers of a lock, releasing cinnamon and sandalwood and a laugh sweeter than the best day of childhood. Two days after I had walked away, I rang the gong outside the monastery and the little hatch opened to reveal the face of a newly shaven monk, the skin of his bald scalp still a dozen shades lighter in color than that of his face. â€Å"What?† he said. â€Å"The villagers ate our camels,† I said. â€Å"Go away. Your nostrils flare in an unpleasant manner and your soul is somewhat lumpy.† â€Å"Joshua, let me in. I don't have anywhere to go.† â€Å"I can't just let you in,† Josh whispered. â€Å"You have to wait three days like everyone else.† Then loudly, and obviously for someone inside's benefit, he said, â€Å"You appear to be infested by Bedouins! Now go away!† And he slammed the hatch. I stood there. And waited. In a few minutes he opened the hatch. â€Å"Infested by Bedouins?† I said. â€Å"Give me a break. I'm new. Did you bring food and water to last you?† â€Å"Yes, the toothless woman sold me some dried camel meat. There was a special.† â€Å"That's got to be unclean,† said Josh. â€Å"Bacon, Joshua, remember?† â€Å"Oh yeah. Sorry. I'll try to sneak some tea and a blanket out to you, but it won't be right away.† â€Å"Then Gaspar will let me back in?† â€Å"He was perplexed why you left in the first place. He said if anyone needed to learn some discipline, well, you know. There'll be punishment, I think.† â€Å"Sorry I left you.† â€Å"You didn't.† He grinned, looking sillier than normal with his two-toned head. â€Å"I'll tell you one thing I've learned here already.† â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"When I'm in charge, if someone knocks, they will be able to come in. Making someone who is seeking comfort stand out in the cold is a crock of rancid yak butter.† â€Å"Amen,† I said. Josh slammed the little hatch, obviously the prescribed way of closing it. I stood and wondered how Joshua, when he finally learned how to be the Messiah, would work the phrase â€Å"crock of rancid yak butter† into a sermon. Just what we Jews needed, I thought, more dietary restrictions. The monks stripped me naked and poured cold water over my head, then brushed me vigorously with brushes made from boar's hair, then poured hot water on me, then scrubbed, then cold water, until I screamed for them to stop. At that point they shaved my head, taking generous nicks out of my scalp as they did so, rinsed away the hair that stuck to my body, and handed me a fresh orange robe, a blanket, and a wooden rice bowl. Later I was given a pair of slippers, woven from some sort of grass, and I made myself some socks from woven yak hair, but this was the measure of my wealth for six years: a robe, a blanket, a bowl, some slippers, and some socks. As Monk Number Eight led me to meet with Gaspar, I thought of my old friend Bartholomew, and how much he would have loved the idea of my newfound austerity. He often told of how his Cynic patriarch Diogenes carried a bowl with him for years, but one day saw a man drinking from his cupped palm and declared, â€Å"I have been a fool, burdened all these years by the weight of a bowl when a perfectly good vessel lay at the end of my wrist.† Yeah, well, that's all well and good for Diogenes, but when it was all I had, if anyone had tried to take my bowl they would have lost the vessel at the end of their wrist. Gaspar sat on the floor in the same small room, eyes closed, hands folded on his knees before him. Joshua sat facing him in the same position. Number Eight Monk bowed out of the room and Gaspar opened his eyes. â€Å"Sit.† I did. â€Å"These are the four rules for which you may be expelled from the monastery: one, a monk will have no sexual intercourse with anyone, even down to an animal.† Joshua looked at me and cringed, as if he expected me to say something that would anger Gaspar. I said, â€Å"Right, no intercourse.† â€Å"Two: a monk, whether in the monastery or in the village, shall take no thing that is not given. Three: if a monk should intentionally take the life of a human or one like a human, either by his hand or by weapon, he will be expelled.† â€Å"One like a human?† I asked. â€Å"You shall see,† said Gaspar. â€Å"Four, a monk who claims to have reached superhuman states, or claims to have attained the wisdom of the saints, having not done so, will be expelled. Do you understand these four rules?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. Joshua nodded. â€Å"Understand that there are no mitigating circumstances. If you commit any of these offenses as judged by the other monks, you must leave the monastery.† Again I said yes and then Gaspar went into the thirteen rules for which a monk could be suspended from the monastery for a fortnight (the first of these was the heartbreaker, â€Å"no emission of semen except in a dream†) and then the ninety offenses for which one would receive an unfavorable rebirth if the sins were not repented (these ranged from destroying any kind of vegetation or deliberately depriving an animal of life to sitting in the open with a woman or claiming to a layman to have superhuman powers, even if you had them). Overall, there was an extraordinary number of rules, over a hundred on decorum, dozens for settling disputes, but remember, we were Jews, raised under the influence of the Pharisees, who judged virtually every event of day-to-day life against the Law of Moses. And with Balthasar we had studied Confucius, whose philosophy was little more than an extensive system of etiquette. I had no doubt Joshua could do this, and there was a chance I could handle it too, if Gaspar didn't use that bamboo rod too liberally and if I could conjure enough wet dreams. (Hey, I was eighteen years old and had just lived five years in a fortress full of available concubines, I had a habit, okay?) â€Å"Monk Number Twenty-two,† Gaspar said to Joshua, â€Å"you shall begin by learning how to sit.† â€Å"I can sit,† I said. â€Å"And you, Number Twenty-one, will shave the yak.† â€Å"That's just an expression, right?† It wasn't. A yak is an extremely large, extremely hairy, buffalolike animal with dangerous-looking black horns. If you've ever seen a water buffalo, imagine it wearing a full-body wig that drags the ground. Now sprinkle it with musk, manure, and sour milk: you've got yourself a yak. In a cavelike stable, the monks kept one female yak, which they let out during the day to wander the mountain paths to graze. On what, I don't know. There didn't seem to be enough living plant life to support an animal of that size (the yak's shoulder was higher than my head), but there didn't seem to be enough plant life in all of Judea for a herd of goats, either, and herding was one of the main occupations. What did I know? The yak provided just enough milk and cheese to remind the monks that they didn't get enough milk and cheese from one yak for twenty-two monks. The animal also provided a long, coarse wool which needed to be harvested twice a year. This venerated duty, along with combing the crap and grass and burrs out of the wool, fell to me. There's not much to know about yaks beyond that, except for one important fact that Gaspar felt I needed to learn through practice: yaks hate to be shaved. It fell to Monks Eight and Seven to bandage me, set my broken legs and arm, and clean off the yak dung that had been so thoroughly stomped into my body. I would tell you the distinction of those two solemn students if I could think of any, but I can't. The goal of all of the monks was to let go of the ego, the self, and but for a few more lines on the faces of the older men, they looked alike, dressed alike, and behaved alike. I, on the other hand, was quite distinct from the others, despite my shaved head and saffron robe, as I had bandages over half of my body and three out of four limbs splinted with bamboo. After the yak disaster, Joshua waited until the middle of the night to crawl down the hall to my cell. The soft snores of monks filled the halls, and the soft turbulence of the bats that entered their cave through the monastery echoed off the stone walls like the death panting of epileptic shadows. â€Å"Does it hurt?† Joshua said. Sweat streamed from my face despite the chilly temperature. â€Å"I can hardly breathe.† Seven and Eight had wrapped my broken ribs, but every breath was a knife in the side. Joshua put his hand on my forehead. â€Å"I'll be all right, Josh, you don't have to do that.† â€Å"Why wouldn't I?† he said. â€Å"Keep your voice down.† In seconds my pain was gone and I could breathe again. Then I fell asleep or passed out from gratitude, I don't know which. When I awoke with the dawn Joshua was still kneeling beside me, his hand still pressed against my forehead. He had fallen asleep there. I carried the combed yak wool to Gaspar, who was chanting in the great cavern temple. It amounted to a fairly large bundle and I set it on the floor behind the monk and backed away. â€Å"Wait,† Gaspar said, holding a single finger in the air. He finished his chant, then turned to me. â€Å"Tea,† he said. He led and I followed to the room where he had received Joshua and me when we had first arrived. â€Å"Sit,† he said. â€Å"Sit, don't wait.† I sat and watched him make a charcoal fire in a small stone brazier, using a bow and fire drill to start the flames first in some dried moss, then blowing it onto the charcoal. â€Å"I invented a stick that makes fire instantly,† I said. â€Å"I could teach – â€Å" Gaspar glared at me and held up the finger again to poke my words out of the air. â€Å"Sit,† he said. â€Å"Don't talk. Don't wait.† He heated water in a copper pot until it boiled, then poured it over some tea leaves in an earthenware bowl. He set two small cups on the table, then proceeded to pour tea from the bowl. â€Å"Hey, doofus!† I yelled. â€Å"You're spilling the fucking tea!† Gaspar smiled and set the bowl down on the table. â€Å"How can I give you tea if your cup is already full?† â€Å"Huh?† I said eloquently. Parables were never my strong suit. If you want to say something, say it. So, of course, Joshua and Buddhists were the perfect people to hang out with, straight talkers that they were. Gaspar poured himself some tea, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After perhaps a whole minute passed, he opened them again. â€Å"If you already know everything, then how will I be able to teach you? You must empty your cup before I can give you tea.† â€Å"Why didn't you say so?† I grabbed my cup, tossed the tea out the same window I'd tossed Gaspar's stick, then plopped the cup back on the table. â€Å"I'm ready,† I said. â€Å"Go to the temple and sit,† Gaspar said. No tea? He was obviously still not happy about my almost-threat on his life. I backed out of the door bowing (a courtesy Joy had taught me). â€Å"One more thing,† Gaspar said. I stopped and waited. â€Å"Number Seven said that you would not live through the night. Number Eight agreed. How is it that you are not only alive, but unhurt?† I thought about it for a second before I answered, something I seldom do, then I said, â€Å"Perhaps those monks value their own opinions too highly. I can only hope that they have not corrupted anyone else's thinking.† â€Å"Go sit,† Gaspar said. Sitting was what we did. To learn to sit, to be still and hear the music of the universe, was why we had come halfway around the world, evidently. To let go of ego, not individuality, but that which distinguishes us from all other beings. â€Å"When you sit, sit. When you breathe, breathe. When you eat, eat,† Gaspar would say, meaning that every bit of our being was to be in the moment, completely aware of the now, no past, no future, nothing dividing us from everything that is. It's hard for me, a Jew, to stay in the moment. Without the past, where is the guilt? And without the future, where is the dread? And without guilt and dread, who am I? â€Å"See your skin as what connects you to the universe, not what separates you from it,† Gaspar told me, trying to teach me the essence of what enlightenment meant, while admitting that it was not something that could be taught. Method he could teach. Gaspar could sit. The legend went (I pieced it together from bits dropped by the master and his monks) that Gaspar had built the monastery as a place to sit. Many years ago he had come to China from India, where he had been born a prince, to teach the emperor and his court the true meaning of Buddhism, which had been lost in years of dogma and overinterpretation of scripture. Upon arriving, the emperor asked Gaspar, â€Å"What have I attained for all of my good deeds?† â€Å"Nothing,† said Gaspar. The emperor was aghast, thinking now that he had been generous to his people all these years for nothing. He said, â€Å"Well then, what is the essence of Buddhism?† â€Å"Vast amphibians,† said Gaspar. The emperor had Gaspar thrown from the temple, at which time the young monk decided two things; one, that he would have a better answer the next time he was asked the question, and two, that he'd better learn to speak better Chinese before he talked to anyone of importance. He'd meant to say, â€Å"Vast emptiness,† but he'd gotten the words wrong. The legend went on to say that Gaspar then came to the cave where the monastery was now built and sat down to meditate, determined to stay there until enlightenment came to him. Nine years later, he came down from the mountain, and the people of the village were waiting for him with food and gifts. â€Å"Master, we seek your most holy guidance, what can you tell us?† they cried. â€Å"I really have to pee,† said the monk. And with that all of the villagers knew that he had indeed achieved the mind of all Buddhas, or â€Å"no mind,† as we called it. The villagers begged Gaspar to stay with them, and they helped him build the monastery at the site of the very cave where he had achieved his enlightenment. During the construction, the villagers were attacked many times by vicious bandits, and although he believed that no being should be killed, he also felt that these people should have a way to defend themselves, so he meditated on the subject until he devised a method of self-defense based on various movements he learned from the yogis in his native India, which he taught to the villagers, then to each of the monks as they joined the monastery. He called this discipline kung fu, which translates, â€Å"method by which short bald guys may kick the bejeezus out of you.† Our training in kung fu began with the hopping posts. After breakfast and morning meditation, Number Three Monk, who seemed to be the oldest of the monks, led us to the monastery courtyard where we found a stack of posts, perhaps two feet long and about a span's width in diameter. He had us set the posts on end in a straight line, about a half a stride away from each other. Then he told us to hop up on one of the posts and balance there. After both of us spent most of the morning picking ourselves up off the rough stone paving, we each found ourselves standing on one foot on the end of a pole. â€Å"Now what?† I asked. â€Å"Now nothing,† Number Three said. â€Å"Just stand.† So we stood. For hours. The sun crossed the sky and my legs and back began to ache and we fell again and again only to have Number Three bark at us and tell us to jump back up on the post. When darkness began to fall and we both had stood for several hours without falling, Number Three said, â€Å"Now hop to the next post.† I heard Joshua sigh heavily. I looked at the line of posts and could see the pain that lay ahead if we were going to have to hop this whole gauntlet. Joshua was next to me at the end of the line, so he would have to hop to the post I was standing on. Not only would I have to jump to the next post and land without falling, but I would have to make sure that my take-off didn't knock over the post I was leaving. â€Å"Now!† said Number Three. I leapt and missed the landing. The post tipped out from under me and I hit the stone headfirst, sending a white flash before my eyes and a bolt of fire down my neck. Before I could gather my wits Joshua tumbled over on top of me. â€Å"Thank you,† he said, grateful to have landed on a soft Jew rather than hard flagstone. â€Å"Back up,† Number Three said. We set up our posts again, then hopped up on them again. This time both of us made it on the first try. Then we waited for the command to take the next leap. The moon rose high and full and we both stared down the row of poles, wondering how long it would take us before we could hop the whole row, wondering how long Number Three would make us stay there, thinking about the story of how Gaspar had sat for nine years. I couldn't remember ever having felt so much pain, which is saying something if you've been yak-stomped. I was trying to imagine just how much fatigue and thirst I could bear before I fell when Number Three said, â€Å"Enough. Go sleep.† â€Å"That's it?† Joshua asked, as he hopped off his post and winced upon landing. â€Å"Why did we set up twenty posts if we were only going to use three?† â€Å"Why were you thinking of twenty when you can only stand on one?† answered Three. â€Å"I have to pee,† I said. â€Å"Exactly,† said the monk. So there you have it: Buddhism. Each day we went to the courtyard and arranged the posts differently, randomly. Number Three added posts of different heights and diameters. Sometimes we had to hop from one post to the other as quickly as possible, other times we stood in one place for hours, ready to move in an instant, should Number Three command it. The point, it seemed, was that we could not anticipate anything, nor could we develop a rhythm to the exercise. We were forced to be ready to move in any direction, without forethought. Number Three called this controlled spontaneity, and for the first six months in the monastery we spent as much time atop the posts as we did in sitting meditation. Joshua took to the kung fu training immediately, as he did to the meditation. I was, as the Buddhists say, more dense. In addition to the normal duties of tending the monastery, our gardens, and milking the yak (mercifully, a task I was never assigned), every ten days or so a group of six monks would go to the village with their bowls and collect alms from the villagers, usually rice and tea, sometimes dark sauces, yak butter, or cheese, and on rare occasions cotton fabric, from which new robes would be made. For the first year Joshua and I were not allowed to leave the monastery at all, but I started to notice a pattern of strange behavior. After each trip to the village for alms, four or five monks would disappear into the mountains for several days. Nothing was ever said of it, either when they left or when they returned, but it seemed that there was some sort of rotation, with each monk only leaving every third or fourth time, with the exception of Gaspar, who left more often. Finally I worked up the courage to ask Gaspar what was going on and he said, â€Å"It is a special meditation. You are not ready. Go sit.† Gaspar's answer to most of my questions was â€Å"Go sit,† and my resentment meant that I wasn't losing the attachment to my ego, and therefore I wasn't going anywhere in my meditation. Joshua, on the other hand, seemed completely at peace with what we were doing. He could sit for hours, not moving, and then perform the exercise on the posts as if he'd spent an hour limbering up. â€Å"How do you do it?† I asked him. â€Å"How do you think of nothing and not fall asleep?† That had been one of the major barriers to my enlightenment. If I sat still for too long, I fell asleep, and evidently, the sound of snoring echoing through the temple disturbed the meditations of the other monks. The recommended cure for this condition was to drink huge quantities of green tea, which did, indeed, keep me alert, but also replaced my â€Å"no mind† state with constant thoughts of my bladder. In fact, in less than a year, I attained total bladder conciousness. Joshua, on the other hand, was able to completely let go of his ego, as he had been instructed. It was in our ninth month at the monastery, in the midst of the most bitter winter I can even imagine, when Joshua, having let go of all constructions of self and vanity, became invisible.