Forward the Foundation Chapter 7

18 Raych sat in the anteroom of a public building in Dahl into which he had never ventured-never could have ventured-as a ragamuffin youth. He felt, in all truth, a little uneasy about it now, as though he were trespassing. He tried to look calm, trustworthy, lovable. Dad had told him that this was a quality he carried around with him, but he had never been conscious of it. If it came about naturally, he would probably spoil it by trying too hard to seem to be what he really was. He tried relaxing while keeping an eye on the official who was manipulating a computer at the desk. The official was not a Dahlite. He was, in fact, Gambol Deen Namarti, who had been with Joranum at the meeting with Dad that Raych had attended. Every once in a while, Namarti would look up from his desk and glance at Raych with a hostile glare. This Namarti wasn't buying Raych's lovability. Raych could see that. Raych did not try to meet Namarti's hostility with a friendly smile. It would have seemed too artificial. He simply waited. He had gotten this far. If Joranum arrived, as he was expected to, Raych would have a chance to speak to him. Joranum did arrive, sweeping in, smiling his public smile of warmth and confidence. Namarti's hand came up and Joranum stopped. They spoke together in low voices while Raych watched intently and tried in vain to seem as if he wasn't. It seemed plain to Raych that Namarti was arguing against the meeting and Raych bridled a bit at that. Then Joranum looked at Raych, smiled, and pushed Namarti to one side. It occurred to Raych that, while Namarti was the brains of the team, it was Joranum who clearly had the charisma. Joranum strode toward him and held out a plump, slightly moist hand. â€Å"Well well. Professor Seldon's young man. How are you?† â€Å"Fine, thank you, sir.† â€Å"You had some trouble getting here, I understand.† â€Å"Not too much, sir.† â€Å"And you've come with a message from your father, I trust. I hope he is reconsidering his decision and has decided to join me in my great crusade.† â€Å"I don't think so, sir.† Joranum frowned slightly. â€Å"Are you here without his knowledge?† â€Å"No, sir. He sent me.† â€Å"I see. Are you hungry, lad?† â€Å"Not at the moment, sir.† â€Å"Then would you mind if I eat? I don't get much time for the ordinary amenities of life,† he said, smiling broadly. â€Å"It's all right with me, sir.† Together, they moved to a table and sat down. Joranum unwrapped a sandwich and took a bite. His voice slightly muffled, he said, â€Å"And why did he send you, son?† Raych shrugged. â€Å"I think he thought I might find out something about you that he could use against you. He's heart and soul with First Minister Demerzel.† â€Å"And you're not?† â€Å"No, sir. I'm a Dahlite.† â€Å"I know you are, Mr. Seldon, but what does that mean?† â€Å"It means I'm oppressed, so I'm on your side and I want to help you. Of course, I wouldn't want my father to know.† â€Å"There's no reason he should know. How do you propose to help me?† He glanced quickly at Namarti, who was leaning against his desk, listening, with his arms folded and his expression lowering. â€Å"Do you know anything about psychohistory?† â€Å"No, sir. My father don't talk to me about that-and if he did, I wouldn't get it. I don't think he's getting anywhere with that stuff.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Sure I'm sure. There's a guy there, Yugo Amaryl, also a Dahlite, who talks about it sometimes. I'm sure nothing is happening.† â€Å"Ah! And can I see Yugo Amaryl sometime, do you suppose?† â€Å"I don't think so. He ain't much for Demerzel, but he's all for my father. He wouldn't cross him.† â€Å"But you would?† Raych looked unhappy and he muttered stubbornly, â€Å"I'm a Dahlite.† Joranum cleared his throat. â€Å"Then let me ask you again. How do you propose to help me, young man?† â€Å"I've got something to tell you that maybe you won't believe.† â€Å"Indeed? Try me. If I don't believe it, I will tell you so.† â€Å"It's about First Minister Eto Demerzel.† â€Å"Well?† Raych looked around uneasily. â€Å"Can anyone hear me?† â€Å"Just Namarti and myself.† â€Å"All right, then listen. This guy Demerzel ain't a guy. He's a robot.† â€Å"What!† exploded Joranum. Raych felt moved to explain. â€Å"A robot is a mechanical man, sir. He ain't human. He's a machine.† Namarti broke out passionately, â€Å"Jo-Jo, don't believe that. It's ridiculous.† But Joranum held up an admonitory hand. His eyes were gleaming. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"My father was in Mycogen once. He told me all about it. In Mycogen they talk about robots a lot.† â€Å"Yes, I know. At least, I have heard so.† â€Å"The Mycogenians believe that robots were once very common among their ancestors, but they were wiped out.† Namarti's eyes narrowed. â€Å"But what makes you think that Demerzel is a robot? From what little I have heard of these fantasies, robots are made out of metal, aren't they?† â€Å"That's so,† said Raych earnestly. â€Å"But what I heard is that there were a few robots that look just like human beings and they live forever-â€Å" Namarti shook his head violently. â€Å"Legends! Ridiculous legends! JoJo, why are we listening-â€Å" But Joranum cut him off quickly. â€Å"No, G.D. I want to listen. I've heard these legends, too.† â€Å"But it's nonsense, Jo-Jo.† â€Å"Don't be in such a rush to say ‘nonsense.' And even if it were, people live and die by nonsense. It's not what is so much as what people think is. Tell me, young man, putting legends to one side, what makes you think Demerzel is a robot? Let's suppose that robots exist. What is it, then, about Demerzel that makes you say he is a robot? Did he tell you so?† â€Å"No, sir,† said Raych. â€Å"Did your father tell you so?† asked Joranum. â€Å"No, sir. It's just my own idea, but I'm sure of it.† â€Å"Why? What makes you so sure?† â€Å"It's just something about him. He doesn't change. He doesn't get older. He doesn't show emotions. Something about him looks like he's made of metal.† Joranum sat back in his chair and looked at Raych for an extended time. It was almost possible to hear his thoughts buzzing. Finally he said, â€Å"Suppose he is a robot, young man. Why should you care? Does it matter to you?† â€Å"Of course it matters to me,† said Raych. â€Å"I'm a human being. I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire.† Joranum turned to Namarti with a gesture of eager approval. â€Å"Do you hear that, G.D.? ‘I'm a human being. I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire.' Put him on holovision and have him say it. Have him repeat it over and over till it's drummed into every person on Trantor-â€Å" â€Å"Hey,† said Raych, finally catching his breath. â€Å"I can't say that on holovision. I can't let my father find out-â€Å" â€Å"No, of course not,† said Joranum quickly. â€Å"We couldn't allow that. We'll just use the words. We'll find some other Dahlite. Someone from each of the sectors, each in his own dialect, but always the same message: ‘I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire.'† Namarti said, â€Å"And what happens when Demerzel proves he's not a robot?† â€Å"Really,† said Joranum. â€Å"How will he do that? It would be impossible for him to do so. Psychologically impossible. What? The great Demerzel, the power behind the throne, the man who has twitched the strings attached to Cleon I all these years and those attached to Cleon's father before him? Will he climb down now and whine to the public that he is, too, a human being? That would be almost as destructive to him as being a robot. G.D., we have the villain in a no-win situation and we owe it all to this fine young man here.† Raych flushed. Joranum said, â€Å"Raych is your name, isn't it? Once our party is in a position to do so, we won't forget. Dahl will be treated well and you will have a good position with us. You're going to be Dahl's sector leader someday, Raych, and you're not going to regret you've done this. Are you, now?† â€Å"Not on your life,† said Raych fervently. â€Å"In that case, we'll see that you get back to your father. You let him know that we intend him no harm, that we value him greatly. You can tell him you found that out in any way you please. And if you find anything else you think we might be able to use-about psychohistory, in particular, you let us know.† â€Å"You bet. But do you mean it when you say you'll see to it that Dahl gets some breaks?† â€Å"Absolutely. Equality of sectors, my boy. Equality of worlds. We'll have a new Empire with all the old villainies of privilege and inequality wiped out.† And Raych nodded his head vigorously. â€Å"That's what I want.† 19 Cleon, Emperor of the Galaxy, was walking hurriedly through the arcade that led from his private quarters in the Small Palace to the offices of the rather tremendous staff that lived in the various annexes of the Imperial Palace, which served as the nerve center of the Empire. Several of his personal attaches walked after him, with looks of the deepest concern on their faces. The Emperor did not walk to others. He summoned them and they came to him. If he did walk, he never showed signs of haste or emotional trauma. How could he? He was the Emperor and, as such, far more a symbol of all the worlds than a human being. Yet now he seemed to be a human being. He motioned everyone aside with an impatient wave of his right hand. In his left hand he held a gleaming hologram. â€Å"The First Minister,† he said in an almost strangled voice, not at all like the carefully cultivated tones he had painstakingly assumed along with the throne. â€Å"Where is he?† And all the high functionaries who were in his way fumbled and gasped and found it impossible to manage coherence. He brushed past them angrily, making them all feel, undoubtedly, as though they were living through a waking nightmare. Finally he burst into Demerzel's private office, panting slightly, and shouted-literally shouted- â€Å"Demerzel!† Demerzel looked up with a trace of surprise and rose smoothly to his feet, for one did not sit in the presence of the Emperor unless specifically invited to. â€Å"Sire?† he said. And the Emperor slammed the hologram down on Demerzel's desk and said, â€Å"What is this? Will you tell me that?† Demerzel looked at what the Emperor had given him. It was a beautiful hologram, sharp and alive. One could almost hear the little boy-perhaps ten years old-speaking the words that were included in the caption: â€Å"I don't want no robot in charge of running the Empire.† Demerzel said quietly, â€Å"Sire, I have received this, too.† â€Å"And who else has?† â€Å"I am under the impression, Sire, that it is a flier that is being widely spread over Trantor.† â€Å"Yes, and do you see the person at whom that brat is looking?† He tapped his Imperial forefinger at it. â€Å"Isn't that you?† â€Å"The resemblance is striking, Sire.† â€Å"Am I wrong in supposing that the whole intent of this flier, as you call it, is to accuse you of being a robot?† â€Å"That does seem to be its intention, Sire.† â€Å"And stop me if I'm wrong, but aren't robots the legendary mechanical human beings one finds in-in thrillers and children's stories?† â€Å"The Mycogenians have it as an article of faith, Sire, that robots-â€Å" â€Å"I'm not interested in the Mycogenians and their articles of faith. Why are they accusing you of being a robot?† â€Å"Merely a metaphorical point, I'm sure, Sire. They wish to portray me as a man of no heart, whose views are the conscienceless calculations of a machine.† â€Å"That's too subtle, Demerzel. I'm no fool.† He tapped the hologram again. â€Å"They're trying to make people believe you are really a robot.† â€Å"We can scarcely prevent it, Sire, if people choose to believe that.† â€Å"We cannot afford it. It detracts from the dignity of your office. Worse than that, it detracts from the dignity of the Emperor, The implication is that I-I would choose as my First Minister a mechanical man. That is impossible to endure. See here, Demerzel, aren't there laws that forbid the denigration of public officers of the Empire?† â€Å"Yes, there are-and quite severe ones, Sire, dating back to the great Law Codes of Aburamis.† â€Å"And to denigrate the Emperor himself is a capital offense, is it not?† â€Å"Death is the punishment, Sire. Yes.† â€Å"Well, this not only denigrates you, it denigrates me-and whoever did it should be executed forthwith. It was this Joranum, of course, who is behind it.† â€Å"Undoubtedly. Sire, but proving it might be rather difficult.† â€Å"Nonsense! I have proof enough! I want an execution.† â€Å"The trouble is, Sire, that the laws of denigration are virtually never enforced. Not in this century, certainly.† â€Å"And that is why society is becoming so unstable and the Empire is being shaken to its roots. The laws are still in the books, so enforce them.† Demerzel said, â€Å"Consider, Sire, if that would be wise. It would make you appear to be a tyrant and a despot. Your rule has been a most successful one through kindness and mildness-â€Å" â€Å"Yes and see where that got me. Let's have them fear me for a change, rather than love me-in this fashion.† â€Å"I strongly recommend that you not do so, Sire. It may be the spark that will start a rebellion.† â€Å"What would you do, then? Go before the people and say, ‘Look at me. I am no robot.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ â€Å"No, Sire, for as you say that would destroy my dignity and, worse yet, yours.† â€Å"Then?† â€Å"I am not certain, Sire. I have not yet thought it through.† â€Å"Not yet thought it through? Get in touch with Seldon.† â€Å"Sire?† â€Å"What is so difficult to understand about my order? Get in touch with Seldon!† â€Å"You wish me to summon him to the Palace, Sire?† â€Å"No, there's no time for that. I presume you can set up a sealed communication line between us that cannot be tapped.† â€Å"Certainly, Sire.† â€Å"Then do so. Now!† 20 Seldon lacked Demerzel's self-possession, being, as he was, only flesh and blood. The summons to his office and the sudden faint glow and tingle of the scrambler field was indication enough that something unusual was taking place. He had spoken by sealed lines before but never to the full extent of Imperial security. He expected some government official to clear the way for Demerzel himself. Considering the slowly mounting tumult of the robot flier, he could expect nothing less. But he did not expect anything more, either, and when the image of the Emperor himself, with the faint glitter of the scramble field outlining him, stepped into his office (so to speak), Seldon fell back in his seat, mouth wide open, and could make only ineffectual attempts to rise. Cleon motioned him impatiently to keep his seat. â€Å"You must know what's going on, Seldon.† â€Å"Do you mean about the robot flier, Sire?† â€Å"That's exactly what I mean. What's to be done?† Seldon, despite the permission to remain seated, finally rose. â€Å"There's more, Sire. Joranum is organizing rallies all over Trantor on the robot issue. At least, that's what I hear on the newscasts.† â€Å"It hasn't reached me yet. Of course not. Why should the Emperor know what is going on?† â€Å"It is not for the Emperor to be concerned, Sire. I'm sure that the First Minister-â€Å" â€Å"The First Minister will do nothing, not even keep me informed. I turn to you and your psychohistory. Tell me what to do. â€Å" â€Å"Sire?† â€Å"I'm not going to play your game, Seldon. You've been working on psychohistory for eight years. The First Minister tells me I must not take legal action against Joranum. What, then, do I do?† Seldon stuttered. â€Å"S-sire! Nothing!† â€Å"You have nothing to tell me?† â€Å"No, Sire. That is not what I mean. I mean you must do nothing. Nothing! The First Minister is quite right if he tells you that you must not take legal action. It will make things worse.† â€Å"Very well. What will make things better?† â€Å"For you to do nothing. For the First Minister to do nothing. For the government to allow Joranum to do just as he pleases.† â€Å"How will that help?† And Seldon said, trying to suppress the note of desperation in his voice, â€Å"That will soon be seen.† The Emperor seemed to deflate suddenly, as though all the anger and indignation had been drawn out of him. He said, â€Å"Ah! I understand! You have the situation well in hand!† â€Å"Sire! I have not said that-â€Å" â€Å"You need not say. I have heard enough. You have the situation well in hand, but I want results. I still have the Imperial Guard and the armed forces. They will be loyal and, if it comes to actual disorders, I will not hesitate. But I will give you your chance first.† His image flashed out and Seldon sat there, simply staring at the empty space where the image had been. Ever since the first unhappy moment when he had mentioned psychohistory at the Decennial Convention eight years before, he had had to face the fact that he didn't have what he had incautiously talked about. All he had was the wild ghost of some thoughts-and what Yugo Amaryl called intuition.

Climate Change and Global Warming Essay

Cause Climatologists, who predict short and long-term climate trends, believe carbon dioxide and other emissions, mainly from industrial and commercial activity over the last two centuries, have altered the Earth’s atmosphere. This change has caused a â€Å"greenhouse effect† which is rapidly warming the planet. Effects The predicted effects of global warming include the melting of polar ice caps; a significant rise in sea levels; more extreme weather events; a reduction in agricultural land; water shortages; food shortages; loss of rain forests; and more species becoming extinct. Solutions Scientists believe all nations must take immediate and urgent action to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Technological solutions have been proposed, ranging from â€Å"carbon scrubbers† that remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse gases to placing giant mirrors in space to reflect enough sunlight to cool down the planet. Controversy Although an overwhelming majority of scientists accept the man-made global warming theory, a minority have questioned this consensus. They suggest that man’s impact on the climate is negligible and that global warming is wholly the result of natural cycles. David Kennedy, nd. Basic Causes of Global Warming Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5057613_basic-causes-global-warming.html Basic Causes of Global Warming Greenhouse Effect When sunlight hits the Earth some is absorbed but most is reflected. The greenhouse effect is when sunlight escaping back into space is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere and then reflected back onto the Earth’s surface. Most greenhouse gas is water vapor, but other gases that contribute to it include carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and other gases that have a less significant impact. Carbon Dioxide According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, in 2002 around 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions were the result of burning coal for electricity. Around 93 percent of the electric utility industry burns coal. Carbon dioxide emissions also come from cars and other vehicles, airplanes and buildings. New technologies, like the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and hybrid electric vehicles, are some solutions for minimizing vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Methane Methane is the second largest contributor to the greenhouse effect. Methane is a natural byproduct of living organisms and is produced by plants and bovine flatulence. Bacteria decomposing organic material also produce methane. According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, methane levels have increased by 145 percent in the last 100 years. In the United States, all rice fields are grown in flooded areas which produce methane gases. Deforestation Deforestation is the process of clearing forests, either rainforest or temperate forests. The burning of forests is responsible for up to 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. This is the result of clearing and cutting nearly 34 million acres a year. Forests are also important because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. So while carbon dioxide emissions increase, the lack of forests is making the number increase faster. Permafrost Permafrost is a layer of land and soil that has been frozen and kept at freezing temperatures or below. In many northern climates like Alaska, Canada and Siberia, the permafrost layer of soil holds vast amounts of carbon. What researchers and scientists fear is that the permafrost will warm up and microbes will decompose the soil and release carbon dioxide. Permafrost has absorbed carbon dioxide for thousands of years, but may release it back if thawed. Timothy Sexton,.nd. Global Warming Cause & Effects retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_4744736_global-warming-cause-effects.html Global Warming Cause & Effects Greenhouse Effect The overriding cause of global warming is an umbrella term known as the â€Å"greenhouse effect.† As the rays of the sun reach Earth, some of the heat is absorbed and some is radiated back into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act similarly to a gigantic mirror and reflect warmth back to Earth that in the past would have continued being radiated into space. It is this reflection of heat back to Earth that is at the heart of the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse Gases These greenhouse gases that are responsible for reflecting back heat that would otherwise be lost include simple water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and the infamous ozone. Unfortunately, there is no way to know exactly which greenhouse gas is most responsible for the greenhouse effect. Cause of Increased Gases The problem of global warming has been caused by the addition of more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The gases responsible will rise into the air whether humans are here or not; the problem is that much of basic human activity in the 20th and 21st century produced greenhouse gas at a level never experienced before. Basically, any activity that produces one of the gases listed above is a cause of global warming; everything from driving a car to using electricity. Because trees act as a natural conversion plant to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, deforestation contributes to global warming because the fewer trees there are, the more carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere. Effects The effects of global warming are potentially far-ranging. Increased temperatures means melting of glaciers, ice and snow around the poles, which means an increase in sea levels. Warming water will also increase the potential for hurricanes and typhoons so devastating that they will make Hurricane Katrina pale in comparison. That rise in sea levels could also mean that beachfront property will soon be found 10 to 50 miles inland from where beaches are now. Temperatures The average temperature on Earth has been steadily rising since the mid-1980s, and global warming is expected to continue this trend. In addition to longer and hotter summers, rising temperatures will affect agriculture. Indeed, the effect of a hotter Earth is already increasing the transmission of infectious bacteria that thrive under warm conditions. Hoax? There are still a great many people who believe that global warming is simply some kind of politically-created hoax. Those leading the charge against global warming tend to be industry with a vested interest. On the other hand, the list of scientific entities that have agreed on the reality of global warming include, among many others, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Royal Society of the UK.

The Beginning of a New Life

In the fall of 2011, I moved to Buffalo, New York and took two years to get here. I do not regret anything. I arrived knowing nothing and speaking English was not the same as when I was twelve when I was studying in Tampa, FL. Some people may think it’s funny that I came here not knowing the woman I was to live with. My mother was happy but scared at the same time that I was going to a city that I did not know and almost alone, without close relatives or even friends. But one that does not risk does not succeed. Many are wondering just what brought me to Buffalo, NY. I left a place with plenty of sunshine, beautiful beaches and lots of fun to a place that winter is. I met my wife on a social networking site. It was crazy, but I prepared my destination. In my country, I was unemployed and the place where I worked gave up my services and I could not find work. I started receiving unemployment benefits. I liked being at home all day. When I met my wife on the social network, we began to write and then we exchanged the phone numbers. After two months I moved to Buffalo to start a new life. She already had a child and I had no children at the moment. I talked to my mother about it and told me that if I felt happy doing that she supported me. In the following days I looked for information of Buffalo and buy a ticket, pack and what needed for the trip. But first I decided to visit my dad in Florida because he had not seen in a long time. So my trip began on October 29, 2011 to Lake City, FL. Lake City is a beautiful place with friendly people and almost everyone knows each other, because it is a small town and there are few places that have entertainment. When I was there first time in the year 2002, there was almost nothing, just some parks, five disco bars, and where all young people share a lot after going to the movies or the clubs †¦ Wal-Mart. On arrival, I was surprised it did not seem much a small town because it had evolved. To my surprise, there were several shopping centers, had many more stores than eleven years ago. The small town was not small, was now a bigger city and productive, with more opportunities to grow personally and economically professionals. But despite the new city that I came by surprise, people still the same, kind, respectful and generous as ever. I spent three weeks with my father who taught me new things that had built. I left fascinated and I said to myself: â€Å"I want to return with my new family but to stay and make a new life here with them, they will achieve it one day. † I felt motivated to move forward in my life and have a major future for me and my family. I wanted to go to that city, but had a new beginning, a new life, a new future ahead you had to structure. I begin my journey to a strange city. I didn’t come by plane; I wanted to travel by bus, so begins the journey to Buffalo, New York. In the driving time I made several stops, but I had my mind occupied with things like the city, everything will be fine, get quick work, I will be happy, and I was increasingly reflective. The trip was about eighteen hours and I could not sleep. When I reached this city, my new love and my stepson received me happily and lovingly, and I was very happy, but at the same time I felt strange and disoriented and did not know anything about this city. It was night when I get to Buffalo, New York. I came to my new home, I took a bath and went to bed and said, â€Å"Tomorrow is my beginning of a new life. † The next day when I woke up, I felt strange, but I could not get for later, this was my first, so I decided to do it. So I got dressed and started to explore the city. It was cold; in a few days would be Thanksgiving Day. I was committed to finding jobs, but it was hard, because my English is not the same as before, but I don’t give up. After several attempts and several weeks ago I received a call from an employment agency. I started at a famer market Jose Disaderio, but in few weeks they laid me off, and employment agencies know. But I'm not discouraged at all. I spent Christmas and New Years with family. After several days my girlfriend gave me the news that I was father for the first time in my life. I was on clouds, like a dream that I wake.

Convenience Store and 7-eleven

7-Eleven in Taiwan Yuko Matsumuro National Chengchi University Abstract Nowadays, convenience stores have become more and more common in Taiwan. If you just look around everywhere, you will soon find there are a lot of convenience stores surrounding your town. Among several convenience store chains, 7-Eleven, or the President Chain Store Corporation, is the most popular one now. The paper focuses on why 7-Eleven is so successful in Taiwan and pursuits what is behind it.At the beginning, to understand the position of 7-Eleven’s parent company Uni-President Enterprise Corporation (UPEC) in Taiwan, and investigate how it influence the success of 7-Eleven. Also, based on the data which showed the consumers’ satisfaction towards 7-Eleven’s service, to consider how 7-Eleven’s service performances are evaluated by consumers and what kinds of management manuals they have. In last, the paper will discuss the influences of 7-Eleven’s special marketing geograp hical strategy and their advertisement effects on consumers.These information will help us know why 7-Eleven can continue to improve. Why 7-Eleven succeed in Taiwan? Introduction According to the article â€Å"Taiwan Convenience Stores 2010†, â€Å"In 2009, Taiwan’s four major convenience store chains such as 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Hi-life, and OK operated a total of 9,184 stores around the country, a density of one store per 2,500 people, making Taiwan the densest market in the world in terms of convenience stores. † Among several convenience store chains, 7-Eleven is the most popular one in Taiwan now.To think about the history of Taiwanese convenience stores, according to the article â€Å"The Development and Trend for Convenience Stores† from Managing Convenience Stores Theories, the Uni-President Enterprise Corporation (UPEC) had contributed the great role to the development of convenience store in Taiwan (Department of Economy, 2000). â€Å"In May 27, 1979, UPEC stated with fourteen chain stores and in this year, UPEC cooperated with the Southland Corporation, having the longest history and the biggest chain convenience store Company in South America, imported 7-Eleven to Taiwan† (Department of Economy, 2000).The first 7-Eleven in Taiwan opened in 1980 with 27 stores and the sale of this year was just only NTD 1. 2 billion. Although 7-Eleven grew 62 stores in 1984, the sale still did not improve a lot, and 33 stores had been closed in this year (Lu and Luo, 2010). Nevertheless, the 7-Eleven company did not stop to increase the number of stores; in 1987 they started to work 24 hours with all 168 stores. Since this turning point, 7-Eleven started to expand their business and in April 2010, 7-Eleven expanded with 4733 chain stores with a sale of NTD1017. 6 billion in a year (Lu and Luo, 2010).This paper will explore these following questions: 1. Why 7-Eleven is so successful in Taiwan? 2. Does 7-Eleven’s parent†™s company the Uni-President Enterprise Corporation (UPEC) role relates to the success of 7-Eleven? 3. What kinds of strategies 7-Eleven has? It is valuable to study why 7-Eleven can continue to improve and understand their strategies and backgrounds. What is the Uni-President Enterprise Corporation (UPEC)? First of all, to understand the position of 7-Eleven’s parent company Uni-President Enterprise Corporation (UPEC) in Taiwan, and investigate how it influence the success of 7-Eleven.According to the article â€Å"The Revenue for UPEC in April is 41. 92 billion and increasing annually by 7. 41%†, â€Å"The whole profit-making of UPEC in April recorded NT41. 92 billion, its increased 7. 41% from last year at the same time† (Yang, 2011). Uni-President Enterprise Corporation (UPEC) is the only company in Taiwan, which has many kinds of food manufacture branches, and dozens of products can be made through only one branch (Chang, 2006). Major domestic subsidiarie s of UPEC are such as 7-Eleven, Starbucks Coffee Company, Mister Donuts, Muji (Taiwan) Co. , President Drugstore Business Corp. COSMED), President Transnet Corp. , Semeur De Pain and so on. We can see there are so many subsidiaries under the UPEC and each of them quite popular companies in Taiwan now. â€Å"While adequately integrating the subsidiaries of retail, logistics and recreational service companies within the group, rapidly expanding its business territory† (Uni-President, 2007). The subsidiaries of UPEC’s business tie-up increased their business territory, and made UPEC more powerful company. In 2005, the profit-making of the food industry UPEC exceeded over NTD 1,000 billion† (Chang, 2006).The food industry of UPEC is one of famous company in Taiwan, if you look around 7-Eleven’s food categories, you will soon found a lot of them are from its company. Now, we know such big food industry behind 7-Eleven, is it related to the success of 7-Eleven? Food is important role in convenience store In the article â€Å"The Almighty Convenience Store, 7-11 and Family Mart Competes†, E-IPC, the research of Taiwanese people whose frequency to visit convenience stores which stated from 1988, suggested those who answered once a week was 53. % in 1995; in 2009, those who answered to go there every week was 84. 7%, among them, the sum of those who answered three times a week and once a week was 50%, answered going everyday was 34%, surprisingly, those who answered visited over twice a day was 7. 3% (Marketing. chinatimes. com, 2010). The age of main consumers who spend money in convenience store is 13 to 64, the E-IPC in 2006 to 2009, shown that those who answered visiting there every day was increased 30. 8 to 34% (Marketing. hinatimes. com, 2010). From the data, we can see nowadays people visit the convenience stores more often than before. Then, what kind of people have become regulars nowadays? The article shows that the Taiwanes e population is mostly working class; they at least buy two takeout meals per day, and these two meals are mostly breakfast and lunch (Marketing. chinatimes. com, 2010). Now, we know the main consumer of convenience store is the working class people and their needs are food.According to the article â€Å"Local Convenience Stores' development and future in 2008†, the data of â€Å"The Private Brand of four big convenience stores in Taiwan†(Table 1) shows that 7-Eleven’s main products such as â€Å"Drinks, fresh food, snacks, coffees, daily commodities†, all of them comes from UPEC company or their own 7-Eleven brands (Wang. 2008). As to Family Mart, their main products are the â€Å"Fresh food and drinks†, Hi-Life’s are the â€Å"Fresh food and dairy products†, and OK is the â€Å"Fresh food† (Wang. 2008).Only Fresh food come from their own brands in Family mart, Hi-Life, and OK, and we can see 7-Eleven has more many kinds of ma in products than others because of the support of UPEC. Table 1 The Private Brand of four big convenience stores in Taiwan (2008) |Company |Brands |Main products |Notes | |7-Eleven |7-11 |Drinks |All products come from UPEC company or their | | | |Fresh food |own 7-Eleven brands | | | Snacks | | | |CITY CAFE |Coffees | | | | |Daily commodities | | |Family |Fami |Drinks |Fresh food comes from their own Fami brand | |Mart | |Fresh food | | |Hi-life |Hi-life |Drinks |Fresh food comes from their own Hi-life brand | | | |Daily commodities | | |OK |OK |Fresh food |Fresh food comes from their own OK brand | â€Å"Extended menu offerings have successfully increased the importance of convenience stores foodservice offering. The company derives its share from its convenience stores, under the brand 7-Eleven. At the end of 2009, there were 4,750 outlets,† 7-Eleven may be considered to be the pioneer in introducing convenience stores fast food in Taiwan, and has since constantly in novated with the launch of new products (Euromonitor international. 2010). Besides, â€Å"Family Mart said the sale of fresh food items currently accounts for only 12 percent of its revenue. In Taiwan, the industry average is 20 percent† (Business weekly. 010), compared with other convenience stores, Family Mart provides less food and it may give distance with 7-Eleven’ high sale because people’s needs are food. Then, how does the CVS chain store attracts the customers and creates non stopping motives for them to buy? There are two prospective on this; one is the products that they are currently selling. With the penetration of the stores, expanding their takeout meals market is also an important marketing strategy (Marketing. chinatimes. com, 2010). Therefore, the convenience stores’ targets the timing to do marketing strategies or other promotional plans. For example, in 7-Eleven, drinks and breakfasts are only 39 NTD to promote their products (Marketin g. chinatimes. com, 2010). Internal business management of 7-ElevenAccording to the date of â€Å"The Benchmarking Companies of Digital Service in 2011†, 7-Eleven, or the President Chain Store Corporation, ranked the top in retailer category, it can say consumers are satisfied to the services of 7-Eleven (He and Yang, 2011). From this date, we can consider why 7-Eleven’s service performances are evaluated by consumers and what kinds of management manuals they have. According to the book of â€Å"Successful CVS Strategies† by Chen Kuang in 2006, stated the detailed and specific personal management is 7-Eleven’s basic concept. There are three main management concepts of 7-Eleven such as work refinement, formal management, and the core value to the consumers. First of all, the feature of 7-Eleven’s staff management is refinement work.For example, as to cleaning, â€Å"there are many stores are required to do cleaning but less stores have cleaning pro cess and every department has its own regulations, 7-Eleven is such convenience store†(Chen, 2006). Even though cleaning which parts in what time, the way or the order to clean, using which tools to clean, all of which are written in their management regulation, and workers should be follow it every day. Their regulation is including such as cleaning of doors, floors, around of sales counter, electric lights, parking areas, public telephone outside the store, and so on (Chen, 2006). As to formal management, â€Å"Working Progress reports are written by every staff everyday, which can make the staff clearly understand when to do what at where and how† (Chen, 2006).Also, 7-Eleven execute working progress report for every worker once a time, which includes evaluation of oneself or other workers (Chen, 2006). Also, the customers' core value is to provide and support how 7-11 should run the business. They consider to receive the consumers’ heart is important for their value and the growth for the company. â€Å"For example, 7-Eleven’s staff cannot answer â€Å"I don’t know† for their consumers’ question. They should say ‘Could you wait me for a while, I’ll check it’, or ‘Can I ask your phone number? I’ll contact you if I know the result’† (Chen, 2006). They also have seven technical words which should say if they meet the consumers such as regular greetings, please watch your step, and take care.We can see the 7-Eleven’s personal management is really detailed which increase their work efficiency; also their regulation requires staff to be precise in work and have the right behavior toward the consumers. Such 7-Eleven’s management may lead to the consumers’ satisfaction. Staff training and evaluation are also the important part of 7-Eleven’s internal management. 7-Eleven has three training center in Taiwan such as Taipei, Taizhong, and Kaoshiung , where trains the new staff’s knowledge, attitude, skills, and abilities. â€Å"The new staffs take training classes for the first four and a half day and one left to do retail sales practice†(Chen, 2006).In addition, â€Å"7-Eleven training materials are renewed in every six months† which we can see 7-Eleven changes their management manual depends on the society condition or people’s need. As to managers' training and evaluation of promotions, â€Å"the 80% to 90% of 7-Eleven’s senior management employees were raised from the basic unit staff to be promoted† (Chen, 2006). For example, if a graduate college has performed well in the basic unit staff, he will be the vice manager in three years (Chen, 2006). Employing people in the promoting way, which can maintain stable management, decrease employees’ fluidity. The workers done need to worry about their future at the same time training rich experience staff workers. Marketing Geograp hical of 7-Eleven Taiwan is a high dense populated region, it has limited for the growth of big stores, and they cannot establish their companies easily. However small stores, especially convenience store, has more possible to be future development mainstream† (Department of Economy, 2000). As we know convenience stores in Taiwan has been increasing their marketing territory nowadays. According to the article â€Å"The Comparison of 7-11 President Convenient Chain Stores, Family Mart Convenient Chain Stores and Hi-life Convenient Chain Stores†, the research of the main convenient chain stores in Taiwan in 2007 showed that â€Å"7-11 President Convenient Chain Stores was on the top of the rank, which owned 51. 87% of the market; Family Mart Convenient Chain Stores owned 24. 6% of the market, and Hi-life Convenient Chain Stores owned 14. 33% of the market† (Workshop of Starting your own business with joining Chain Stores, 2008). 7-Eleven shares more than half of th e convenience store market in Taiwan, and has raised its publicity. However, they are not only increasing the number of stores, but also having the strategies to set up it. â€Å"According to the Statistic suggested that the condition of location influences the store’s success of 60%† (Chen, 2006). To see 7-eleven’s geographical condition and learn their three important strategies such as confirmation of business place, Choosing the right place, and address and evaluations.Confirmation of business place refers â€Å"the basic investigation of business place and know their competitive market† (Chen, 2006) For example, the residential area is more stable for stores’ profit. The next, choosing the right place means that 7-Eleven always set in the consumers’ daily routes such as on the way of going to the work or school, parks, and so on. Also, address and evaluations is that the condition of population density or using the rate of success to ca lculate if the store should be establish or not (Chen, 2006). 7-Eleven always investigate the place deeply, to understand either the place can lead 7-eleven’s success or not. Moreover, the central construction is also one of 7-Eleven’s geographical strategies.It will consider four major effects from central construction that is decreasing the budget of advertising, increasing the image of the business, being controlled better and the quality would be better, and increasing the efficiency of delivery and decrease the amount of money and time spend on it (Chen, 2006). For example, our school National Chengchi University, we can find three 7-eleven inside the school campus and two outside of school. There are five 7-Eleven around our school; some of stores are running together because we sometimes see the employees go 7-Eleven in this store or move to that one. It can help each stores business and can cause great advertising effect for 7-Eleven. AdvertisementIf you watch any commercials on TV for a while, you will soon be aware that it is easy to find 7-Eleven advertisements. Recently, 7-Eleven’s commercials have increased, do these advertisements really influence the increasing of their profits? The article indicated that â€Å"After several failed attempts, 7-Eleven came out with the low price City Cafe in 2004. However, with the success of commercial advertisements in 2007, 7-Eleven has been selling 30 million cups of coffee a year† (Taiwan insights, 2010). Whatever strategy does 7-Eleven used and rises up its profits? Since November of 2009, the usage of hiring celebrities with different impressions to be with representatives, to have a strong stands in the coffee market.According to the article â€Å"The Report of Reaching ‘The effect of advertisement’†(Table 2), in the data of December, 2009, â€Å"the rank of ‘Effective dose of advertisement’ in coffee from chain stores and fast food restaurants , ‘7-11 CITY CAFE’ is on the top. † With the airing 157,846 times on screens 7-11 CITY CAFE’ commercial have the highest budgets of 9,710,000 NTD. In return, CITY CAFE’ has helped 7-11 to earn back a revenue of 17 times bigger than the actual costs being used for the campaigns. However, Family Mart has only an airing of 65,670 on screens, their advertisement effect is ranked the fourth (Liao, 2010). From the data, we can see 7-Eleven’s commercial on the screen increases their profits. Table 2 The ranking of effect of advertisement in December, 2009 Ranking |Products |Airing times |Seconds |Times on the screen|Effect of ad | |1 |7-11 CITY CAFE |2,974 |89,205 |157,846 |9,707 | |2 |Mc CAFE |2,268 |68,040 |145,500 |8,378 | |3 |Hi-life Brown CAFE |2,532 |53,175 |130,442 |7,717 | |4 |Family Brown CAFE |3,159 |32,880 |65,670 |4,124 |Moreover, according to the date from â€Å"CVC industries from May to October in 2009 ‘The rank of Advertisement effect in 2009’†(Table 3), top ten among seven are UPEC, the top is 7-Eleven’s advertisement whose airing is 1,057,969 times, compared with the second rank 524,102 times of Family Mart, it is greatly high (Liao, 2010). As we know commercials costs money, but if you do not put action to increase your publicity, you will decrease the opportunity to introduce your products to people, and also cannot earn a lot of revenue. The data shows large number of 7-Eleven’s advertisements on TV, and they make use of commercials sufficiently to lead their successful of business. Table 3 The rank of Advertisement effect in May to October, 2009 Raking |Products |Airing times |Seconds |Times on the screen |Effect of ad | |1 |7-11President Convenient Store |29,460 |626,140 |1,057,969 |70,208 | |2 |Family Convenient Store |16,804 |262,650 |524,102 |32,250 | |3 | 7-11Slurpy |15,109 |247,160 |485,738 |30,341 | |4 |7-11 CITY CAFE |11,162 |242,160 |414,309 |28,442 | |5 |Welcome Supermarket |7,098 |141,960 |290,317 |19,631 | |6 |7-11OPENchan recharge card |5,398 |134,950 |240,821 |16,729 | |7 |7-11general lunch box |9,002 |139,100 |256,977 |16,417 | |8 |7-11Onigiri |6,734 |148,795 |261,237 |16,117 | |9 |Family fabulous bread |8,900 |119,840 |229,083 |13,659 | |10 |7-11SMOOTHIE |3,218 |96,510 |184,137 |13,005 | | |photosynthesis | | | | | Conclusion After the research of 7-Eleven, we can understand the 7-Eleven’s background and there are many kinds of strategies behind them.The 7-Eleven’s parent company Uni-President Enterprise Corporation (UPEC) has a lot of subsidiaries whose business tip-up make each company’s development. For example, the food industry of UPEC supports 7-Eleven’s variety of food products, and increases their outlets than other convenience stores. Especially, for the working class people whose purpose to visit convenience store is for the food, it can say the food industry of UPEC’s support relate to the success of 7-Eleven. Also, the detailed internal business management of 7-Eleven makes worker can understand clearly how they work and behave, and following its regulations which increase the efficiency of each stores.Employing people in the promoting way also give them more faith for their work. If the management does not give the stable work condition for employee, they also cannot give a good response to the upper levels. Moreover, 7-Eleven’s geographical marketing or large number of advertisements which also raising up their publicity and become the one of strategy for the success. If we do not know what is hiding behind 7-11, we will never understand why they are so popular in Taiwan and how they succeed. To the success of one company, the managements should consider a lot of possibilities to make their business more efficient and always observe people’s mind.For instance, â€Å"7-Eleven’s training materials are renewed in every six months† (Chen, 2 006), from there we can see they always change their materials depending on the passage of the time, it also makes 7-Eleven’s continual improvement. In 1984, 7-Eleven closed up 33 stores because of the crisis of management, and their brand of City Cafe in 2004 recorded low prize; nevertheless, the history of 7-Eleven is not always successful but they come up with new ideas to solve the issues. What can we learn from 7-Eleven is that even though the result is a failure, you forge ahead and try next without giving up. References Chang, A. , Chien, H. , & Hsu, J. (2010, June 30). Taiwan Convenience Stores 2010.Retrieved from http://www. chilealimentos. com/medios/Servicios/Normas_internacionales/Normaotros_paises/Normativa_Taiwan/Taiwan_Convenience_Stores_2010_Taipei_ATO_Taiwan_USDA. pdf Business Weekly. (2010, December 31). Magazine digest — Convenience stores' new focus. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved from http://focustaiwan. tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail. aspx? ID=201012310013&T ype=aMAG Chang, C. (2006, April 21). 58 â€Å"UPEC's food industry profiting billions rooting in China†. . Retrieved from http://tw. nextmedia. com/applenews/article/art_id/2552607/IssueID/20060421 Chen, K. (2006, April). 7-11. Taiwan: . Department of

Pan’s Labrynth †Captain’s Task Essay

â€Å"Leave us now, my honest guards. Go and nag the pathetic cook to make me something appetizing for my lunch. Now, back to you Mercedes, I have always thought you were someone I could trust, someone I could rely on.† Mercedes cowered helplessly against the stony wall as the Captain slowly shadowed over her. His beady black eyes glared ferociously at her as he spoke, â€Å"You and me, we had a special trust, what happened?† His face filled with concern. He then turned around, with his back facing towards her, poured 2 generous glasses of alcohol in and put them on a tray. Mercedes took the hidden knife from her neatly pleated dress and cut the tight rope from her tiny hands. â€Å"I grew up and realised what a ruthless, greedy pig you are.† She replied bluntly. The Captain’s face flushed a bright red. His horrifically big eyes bulged out of their sockets as he struggled to keep his big hands off of Mercedes’ petite face. â€Å"In all my life, I have never seen a women disrespect a man so acutely.† Mercedes stared at his back for several minutes before springing into action. â€Å"I have hated you ever since I met you. You make me sick. How could such a man treat his family like a group of cockroaches? Only a fool would act the way you do.† â€Å"Listen here you spiteful little rodent. I am a well respected man and if you want to live, my sweet, I suggest you start changing your atrocious attitude towards me.† Swiftly, Mercedes rapidly ran and lunged towards the Captain’s back without a second thought. â€Å"This is from your wife.† She whispered. She stabbed him in the top right of his back. â€Å"This is from Ofelia.† She said with her voice raised slightly louder and stabbed hard at the bottom left of his back. â€Å"And this is from me!† She shouted from the top of her lungs. By now, she turned the Captain around and slit his mouth from the right side. His shirt was a bright scarlet shade, and his back and mouth leaked with fresh blood. The Captain was silent for a split second, as the blood glistened from his face, but then he replied, â€Å"You can run, my sweet, but you can’t hide. I will get you, you stupid pathetic runt, if it’s the last thing I do.† Mercedes, petrified, backed out of the old dusty barn and stumbled straight past the 2 guards from earlier. â€Å"Hey, you!† One of the guards shouted. Mercedes knew he was shouting for her, but her heart told her to keep running. As she ran tiredly up the hill, the Captain had caught up. â€Å"GET HER YOU USELESS PARASITES!† Within 2 minutes of the Captain’s screaming catastrophe, there were 20 men on horses charging up the hill for Mercedes. â€Å"I will kill that Captain, even if I have to die trying.† Mercedes whispered to herself. Mercedes ran and ran, faster and faster, as the hill got steeper and steeper. She came to an abrupt hold as the hill began to flatten. The Captain was right; there was no-where she could hide. â€Å"Hello my pretty, what a surprise to see you up here?† Cooed the first guard on a huge horse twice the size of her. He was also armed with several ferocious guns. â€Å"If you come any closer, just watch†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Whispered Mercedes. She was shaking with fear. She had the knife in line with her delicate throat. â€Å"Don’t do it, Bonita, you’ll regret it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Murmured the first guard. â€Å"Just let her kill herself, she’s useless anyway† Advised the second guard. There were now 20 huge brawny horses circled around her. Mercedes could hear her head thumping intensely. Out of nowhere, all 20 of the guards were shot off their horses one by one. One minute the empty hill-top was surrounded with tough guards on great big horses, and the next minute, every single guard was shot down from their horses. Mercedes felt as shaky as a leaf. Then, out of the empty surroundings, her brother, Juan, and his army slowly wafted towards her. â€Å"Oh Mercedes! I was so worried about you.† Mercedes turned around and playfully hit her muscular brother. â€Å"Don’t you ever scare me like that again! I was petrified. I never knew where you were, of where you were staying, how you were eating.† â€Å"Don’t worry sis’, I had the whole thing planned out. We were going to attack the stupid Captain anyway, so we thought why not now, and just when my baby sis’ needed me too!† Mercedes’ brother sniggered with laughter with the alongside rebels. Mercedes blushed a shade of rosy pink. Suddenly, one of the quieter ones from the group decided to speak up. â€Å"Sir, when are we going to attack again?† He piped Mercedes and her brother both looked at each other. â€Å"Well, Son, we have just finished attacking, so we shall just wait and see.† By now, Juan was sitting on the bare ground smoking a cigar, with his incredibly long legs up and resting on a huge rock. â€Å"How many times have I told you to stop smoking!† Screeched Mercedes. â€Å"HEY! I’m the one who just saved your life, give me a break! I do the hero thing for once, ad I still get told off!† Juan took a long puff on the cigar, and the passed it onto another rebel. â€Å"Look, I don’t want you getting hurt, so make sure you take care of yourself. I won’t always be there to look after you, so remember that.† Mercedes stood straight, smoothed her creased up dress and gave her brother a hug. â€Å"I will go and finish my duty, and you go finish yours, ok?† â€Å"Si, si, mi hermana, I will succeed. Do not worry,† Reassured Mercedes’ brother. Slowly, Mercedes walked off into the sunset, where a huge mission awaited her. She and her brother would just have to wait and see what would happen.

Analyze Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Analyze - Assignment Example In this regard, it becomes less expensive to settle sovereign debt and penetrate integrated financial markets (Figge, 2010). Similarly, currency unions also help to promote trade liberalization because of the uniformity in the exchange values. For instance, during global inflationary periods, countries worst hit do not suffer from financial losses when trading with their partners (Figge, 2010). However, challenges also occur due to currency unions, sovereign debts and integrated financial markets. For example, there is the loss of an independent monetary policy, which affects the moderation of demand stocks and curbing of inflation rates (Figge, 2010). This implies that a country may be unable to execute monetary policies during inflation because it might affect international trade. It is apparent that introducing other monetary policies might involve the formation of a central bank to oversee the process. Another disadvantage is that currency unions may have a negative influence on developing countries when making investment decisions (Figge, 2010). This is because it limits the budget of the developing countries that cannot raise the required funds to initiate investments in the developed economies. The evolution of money involves the development of a medium of exchange unit during transactions. The first transaction was barter trade, which entails trading goods and services for other similar commodities. This implies that one would exchange his goods with other goods he needs or suits his wants. One of the cons of this system is that it enabled people to get what they wanted easily. This is because the two parties would agree on the commodities to exchange without problems (Davies & Julian Hodge Bank, 2002). Alternatively, it faced the problem of double coincidence of requirements in which one party had to fulfill the wants of the other. For instance, a person who had goats and wanted grains would not do

Millennium System Theories and Transcendence Research Paper

Millennium System Theories and Transcendence - Research Paper Example A primary reference will be Revelation 20: 1-6, but the discussion will draw from both Old Testament and New Testament scripture. Theories of the end times fall among various major classifications. Theoretical classifications include Historical Premillennialism, Dispensational Premillennialism, Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, Preterism, and No Millennialism, which are considered in turn before the final conclusion is reached. 2. THESIS STATEMENT In the midst of all the complex Millennium theories, each of which can help us to reflect on the mysteries of the end times that will surely come one day, the best approach is a transcendent one, which leaves the details to God’s Spirit and trusts in the revelation that is made to each believer in his or her direct relationship with God. 3. DISCUSSION In the literal interpretations, there are four events that figure into the chronology of the end times: the Millennium, the Tribulation, Armageddon, and the Rapture. The Millennium ref ers to a peaceful 1000 year reign of Christ. The Tribulation refers to a dreadful seven-year reign of the Antichrist. Armageddon refers to a terrible war, initiated by the Antichrist. The Rapture refers to the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, born-again Christians, and the ascension of all born again Christians, to meet Christ1. Historical Premillennialists believe that the Antichrist and Tribulation come first, followed by the return of Christ. Christ and his Church return, to rule for 1000 years, living in spiritual bodies, in the New Jerusalem, which is a cube which descended to earth. Evil has been conquered. After that, all people are judged. This perspective was held by a lot of Christians, during the first three centuries of the Christian era2. Dispensational Premillennialists believe that the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4:17) occurs before the Tribulation and Armageddon (Daniel 11), which means that Christians escape the horrors of the Tribulation. This is then followed by the millennial reign of Christ and the Final Judgment. The greatest distinction between Historic and Dispensational Premillennialism is that the former group makes no distinction in function or grace for Israel, while the latter group believes that Israel, as God’s original chosen people, will rule over the earth physically, in fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham, while the Gentile Christians will rule spiritually, in spiritual bodies, in the New Jerusalem3. Also, Israel goes through the Tribulation and then accepts Christ, in this view4. This millennial theory system is generally accepted by Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christians, particularly beginning in 1909, with the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible5. According to Revelation 20:1-6, an angel locks up Satan, sealing him in a bottomless pit for a thousand years, during which time Christian martyrs, who were beheaded because they evangelized for Christ and would not worship or c ooperate with the Antichrist, will reign with Christ as priests. This indicates that the Tribulation comes before the Millennium.

Introduction to Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to Marketing - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the potential value of a specific framework of marketing, the marketing mix, to help a business operating in the British organic food industry, the Sea View Farm, to improve its performance. The fact that the business owners do not have experience on marketing practices should be taken into consideration when deciding on the marketing strategies that the firm would implement for securing its market position and for setting the basis for growth in the future. It seems that marketing could help the business to increase its performance but only under the terms that all the phases of the relevant plan will be closely monitored. The cooperation with a professional of the marketing industry would increase the chances for the success of the above initiative. 2. Overview of the current marketing mix and its importance to the organisation. In its most common form, the marketing mix includes four elements, also known as ‘four Ps’: product, place, price and promotion. These elements need to be reviewed and evaluated in order to decide on the marketing strategies that would be most appropriate for covering each organization’s needs. Relevant literature should be primarily reviewed. Marketing mix is a framework that has been established for covering specific marketing needs. In fact, these needs seem to be common in businesses in different industries (Doole & Lowe 2008). The marketing mix introduces four criteria that can be used for developing an effective marketing plan (Leadley & Forsyth 2004). One of the key advantages of marketing mix is its standardization (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel 2011). Indeed, firms that decide to use the specific approach need to focus on four elements, as included in the marketing mix, without having the potential to alternate or to replace these elements (Usman et al.2012). Of course, failures when implementing the specific approach are difficult to be fully avoided. In practice, it has been proved that the marketing mix has certain drawbacks, such as: a) the marketing mix is developed according to ‘the seller’s perceptions on market’ (Kotler & Armstrong 2010, p.77); b) it is partially opposed to the market rule that in the context of each market the interests of the consumer need to be primarily served (Czinkota, M. & Ronkainen 207). In fact, the marketing mix highlights the interests of the seller as being of equal worth with those of the buyer; c) the structure/ content of marketing mix cannot be effectively protected; competitors can develop similar marketing mixes for protecting their market position (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel 2011); d) marketing mix may not cooperate well with certain business strategies that are widely used for promoted products/ services worldwide; reference is made, as an example to the case of branding (Riaz & Tanveer 2011) and e) marketing mix may not be quite effective in markets with strong socio-cultural environments, where the influen ce of culture on ethics is quite strong (Keramati et al. 2012). The potential expansion of marketing mix, i.e. above the 4Ps, could possibly help to resolve the problems presented above (Goi 2009). In addition, it should be noted that in turbulent markets, the findings of the marketing mix would not be quite credible (Borden 1984). The market conditions would be changed regularly under the pressures of external forces; thus any assumption for the actual qualities/ potentials of

The Effect of the Ozone Layer on the Greenhouse Effect Research Paper

The Effect of the Ozone Layer on the Greenhouse Effect - Research Paper Example This augmentation in the temperature of the planet is called Global Warming. Normal greenhouse gases allow only sunlight and impede other hazardous radiations from reaching the Earth’s surface. An increase in temperature is due to emancipation of various gases called as green house gases which encompass smokestacks, vehicles, fossil fuels, appending to the standard Earth’s greenhouse effect. Researchers have estimated that if this rise in temperature will continue it is going to have devastating impact on climate patterns resulting in drifts, melting of glaciers and elevation in the sea level (Climate changes). Molina and Rowland in 1974, were the first to warn about the chemical activity being displayed by the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) towards destruction of stratospheric ozone layer, a protective shield that prevents all the living beings on the planet from harmful radiation. CFCs have long lifetime in the atmosphere; moreover, CFCs get chemically decomposed in stratosphere as well as they catalyze the depletion of ozone. This is a matter of utmost concern and a call for policymakers and public to act on. Consequently, 24 nations together with European Community signed Montreal Protocol, today 196 governments are part of it and are in compliance with the strict controls. 98 percent of ozone depleting chemicals has been phased out worldwide. Accordingly, ozone layer is witnessing a phase of recovery which is likely to be accomplished by 2065. Without, this rigorous step, CFCs and other ozone depleting substances (ODSs) would have destroyed two-thirds of the ozone layer by 2065, millions of cancer cases would have been introduced and potentially half of the global agriculture would have been lost. It is documented that most of the ODSs are also greenhouse gases (GHGs) responsible for keeping the earth warm. Estimations

Monitor and improve customer service Assignment

Monitor and improve customer service - Assignment Example The firm is expecting at least twice the number of waiting calls in relation to the calls that are active (Tugnoli ). The indicator will focus on the number of calls that will lead to the resolving of a particular problem as put forward by the customers. The institution will need at least ten calls from the consumers in order to look into a particular problem (Parmenter). The number will eliminate any doubts in the existence of the problem. The perspective will focus on registering the opinions by customers about the provision of the services by the agents of the business entity (Kerzner). The feedbacks will ensure the apprehension of consumer needs and the upgrade as per the consumer satisfaction. The aspect will register the time that elapses when an agent attends to the client. The information will evaluate the efficiency of the workforce. The time measure will also register the ability of the institution in handling complaints. Every employee objective has a link with at least one KPI. The fact will make sure that the evaluation of the performance is simple and efficient. To be more specific, the institution will employ the unit team key performance indicator. The indicator will illustrate the ratio of the difference between the complaints that an agent handles that result to customer satisfaction against the number of the customers that are not satisfied. The KPI illustrates the performance of the human resource. The following questionnaire will focus on acquiring customer feedback as well as registering the performance from the consumers’ perspective. Any information henceforth will be confidential and shall not be available to the public. The title of the essay illustrates the possible upgrades that the customers suggest about the prevailing customer service exercises. The propositions here in also concentrate on the possible weaknesses of the program. Consequently, goes a

It is going to be report format Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

It is going to be report format - Essay Example In Joe’s case, a partnership relationship usually existed between him and his sister: they used to buy tickets together and discuss the possibility of using their shares of the ticket. According to Beyer G.W. and Petrini J. â€Å"If a taxpayer purchased a lottery ticket with the intent and understanding that the proceeds would be shared with others, the courts have treated the proceeds of the ticket as income to all the recipients rather than as income to just the purchaser.†1 However, on that particular week, Joe’s stepsister did not contribute to the purchase of the ticket and the partnership relationship between the two of them stopped at that moment. It is possible to talk about an intention of sharing the profit in the past weeks, when Joe’s stepsister contributed to the lottery ticket’s purchase, which explains Joe’s intention to share the prize. Joe was the only person who bought the ticket and it is clear that under these circumstance s the intention of sharing the possible profit did not exist. ... on that particular week, Joe was the only buyer of the lottery ticket 3. the fact that his stepsister did not contribute to the purchase of the winning lottery ticket may serve as proof in Joe’s favour to show that on that week he did not buy the ticket with the intention of sharing the prize with his stepsister I would advise Joe not to worry about having to share the prize with his stepsister. Word count: 481 words b) I believe that Lawrence & Co can be held liable for inducing Joe to conclude the contract by creating a false representation on the capacity of the premises. According to Richards P. (217) â€Å"A misrepresentation may be defined†¦ as a false statement of fact that induces another to enter into a contract.†2 It is obvious that Lawrence & Co has made a false statement regarding its premises in order to induce Joe to enter into a contract with it. Even though at the beginning of the negotiations Tim actually believed that the premises were big enough to fit 25 of Joe’s courier vans, the fact that the premises were actually smaller than believed was discovered by Tim during the negotiation process. The disclosure of this discovery at that moment would have stopped the negotiation process and lead to a lost deal for Tim’s business. Therefore, Tim voluntarily hid the discovered fact, believing that there will be no legal consequences against him. Moreover, the belief that all 25 courier vans will fit into the premises was practically the reason that convinced Joe to sign the contract. In the case of Derry v Peek3 the House of Lords concluded that â€Å"Fraud is established where it is proved that a false statement is made: (a)

Argument of evaluation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Argument of evaluation - Assignment Example when he should have enjoyed his retirement) and the circumstances under which Reagan conducted his presidency, it is clear how great his influence was, which is still felt today, which most people do not know but which everybody somehow benefited. All previous presidents will be evaluated on how good they were on both domestic and international affairs. On the domestic side, issues like the economy, employment, taxes, and governance will be used as criteria to measure their achievements. On the international front, the main criteria to be used will be conduct of foreign policy and international agenda like globalization, trade issues, and foreign wars (whether limited wars or proxy wars). President Ronald Reagan will be compared to the other great presidents in terms of his accomplishments, how he measures up against public opinion polls, how all other foreign governments view his administration, the long-term effects of his actions while in office, and how history will probably judge him, even in the years to come. An example of his enduring legacy is the adoption of the word â€Å"Reaganomics† which means lowered taxes and less of the government interference in business (Dunn 51) and in peoples lives, and a strong

The Condition of U.S. Bridges Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Condition of U.S. Bridges - Research Paper Example As a result of years of declining budgets with respect to bridge repair, it is estimated that only one in the ninth bridges are currently considered as â€Å"structurally deficient†. The underlying reason for the lack of funding that bridge repair has been able to affect over the past several years can be linked to various factors. One of the first factors that should be considered is with respect to declining overall revenue that gas taxes have been able to drive. As the cost of a gallon of gasoline has risen precipitously over the past 20 years the response by both federal and state government was to decrease the overall tax burden that was leveraged against this particular commodity. Naturally, the underlying goal for such an approach was to make the resource more affordable to the population; thereby increasing mobility and decreasing the overall rates of joblessness that the economy would otherwise experience. However, a downside to this approach was the fact that federal and state revenue that was earned on each and every gallon of fuel sold was not able to meet the same levels as it had during the 1980s and 1990s. As the reader can reasonably expect, the inability of revenue to keep up with the increased requirements of infrastructure repair created a situation in which a veritable avalanche of projects competed for repair by increasingly reduced levels of funding. Research into the current state of the nation’s bridges estimates that by 2025, fully  ¼ bridges will be over 65 years old.

Mktg 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mktg 3000 - Essay Example This characteristic is extremely attractive because advertisers can target customers when they are driving near their store location. A lot of consumers in America are impulsive buyers and receiving ads into their cellular has personalized psychological effects that can push a sale. This technique of mobile advertisement is referred to as location based advertisement. It is currently commonly used in Japan and Europe. Mobile advertising has had a greater impact in Asia than in the United States. There are companies that are capitalizing on this new niche marketing method to attract new mobile customers. NearbyNow and GPShopper are both offering text messages services that allow the mobile user to search the shoppers of stores for prices and inventory (Plunkett Research). The speed of G3 and G4 networks has increased the capacity of cellular phones to connect to be able to surf the internet at very fast speeds. Smart phones also have the ability to generate tremendous graphics. New sm artphones with windows technology are so advanced that the phone can play Xbox games. The graphics capabilities of the phones can be used by marketers to generate very attractive advertisers. One of the advantages of mobile advertising is that marketing campaigns can be created based on the profile of the mobile users.

Labor Law group project individual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Labor Law group project individual - Essay Example This has led to the awareness of rights and equality among all citizens of America. Seemingly, the employers are also careful when it comes to treatment and opportunity for individuals with disabilities. One evident case where ADA was implied is the Bates v. UPS case. According to the case and implication of ADA law, UPS was charged with $5.8 million dollar. The reason behind it was UPS was not able to work to remove the barriers in terms of communication among deaf people. Secondly, the information regarding bonus and funds was not shared with the individuals having disabilities. With the help of ADA law, the workers with deaf and hearing problems took actions against the UPS (Shrock and Coscarelli). Another case which makes the effects of ADA to be more effective was the case between Paralyzed Veterans of America (or "PVA") v. Ellerbe Becket Architects and Engineers where the Ellerbe Becket were not able to provide the wheelchair facilities to the event design (Preiser and

Information for Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information for Decision Making - Essay Example The research methodology used in the paper is both qualitative and quantitative. Sampling has played an important role in data collection process. The sampling was supported through questionnaire. Data analysis provides the results based on findings. Cost and time table further emphasises on the need of budget and time for the research. Conclusion and recommendation gives an overview of the limitations and important of technology in an organisation. Table of Content Introduction 5 Background 6 Problem Definition 6 Research Objective 7 Research Design 8 Sampling 9 Data Collection 9 Questionnaire 10 Data Processing and Analysis 11 Reporting 12 Cost and Timetable Activities 12 Conclusion & Recommendation 13 Reference 15 Bibliography 18 Introduction Marketing research can be defined as the process of analysing, collecting and devising the required information. Marketing research is an important procedure for any company wanting to market its product in a new territory (Burns & Bush, 2007 , p.7). Marketing research methodology involves the explanation of the problem and the process to find the desired solution. The cause of problem and the research methodology plan are directly proportional to each other. Marketing research is an important component to collect the desired market information. Marketing research helps in identifying the problems and opportunities by linking the consumer and the marketer. It further evaluates and enhances the understanding of the marketing process and helps in finding the methods to make certain activities of marketing more presentable and effective (Schmidt & Hollensen, 2007, p. 19). Marketing research helps an organisation to modify the marketing-mix and also supports the activities which lead to the customer satisfaction. It is an important tool to make sure that both demand and supply are being taken care of by an organisation. In a broader sense it helps to develop a good equation between the customers and the suppliers (Bradley, 2 007, p. 4). Background The Royal Mint is the worlds oldest and the leading mint exporter. Founded over 1,000 years ago the Royal Mint has achieved the status of national treasure (Royal Mint, 2012). It is not only known for its art of coin making but high quality and craftsmanship makes it a worldwide leader. The Royal Mint is not subjugated to coin making only but is associated with craftsmanship of medals as well. UK might be the home to the company but it has its presence in more than 50 countries. The company which makes coins for UK has been roped in to make commemorative medals for the Olympics 2012 to be held in London. Over 1000 years of history and maintenance of the high quality artistry has made the company most sought after by different countries around the world. Technology has further improved the company’s structure and functionality. Technology has helped the company to keep a database of the customers and also build customer relationship through CRM system. P roblem Definition The problem definition is related to identifying the broad topic associated with research. The broad topic in relation to the research can be the problem faced by the Royal Mint in achieving the target of making medals for the Olympics 2012 along with meeting the deadline. The broad topic is further divided into narrow topic. The narrow topic is more related to the problems which can have an impact on the broad topic of the

SS310 Unit 7 DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SS310 Unit 7 DB - Research Paper Example It is equally evident that archeological resources within the moon have the capacity to improve the state of the earth. This is attributable to the minerals, and other compounds that are likely to benefit humankind. It is equally central to recognize that the moon helps in enhancing life on earth. The exploration of the moon may lead to economic and scientific progress because it sets the stage for economic and societal progress. It is necessary to harvest the moon’s natural resources such as Iron (Waldman, 2000). This will make it simple to generate steel, and other components that are associated with Iron. These resources can enhance economic growth and improve the living standards of people. This is likely to alleviate my living conditions. It is essential to plan for the prospects not just concentrating on the present. Knowledge is increased through exploration. This finally leads to innovation of new technologies and wealth (Waldman,

Detroit Museum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Detroit Museum - Research Paper Example The longest day to visit the Museum is Friday when it remains open to visitors for full twelve hrs starting from 10am. I too visited it on Friday. DIA’s collection is among the largest art collections. The collection of DIA contains more than 60000 artworks from all over the world. The collection includes all sorts of works including cutting edge and classic work which enrich the perceptions of the visitors. In order to provide the visitors with an opportunity to spend quite some time in the DIA and gain a lot from the museum, DIA has built partnership with many hotels in the locality. The Museum Shop at DIA is full of wonderful accessories and gadgets. This is a place where visitors can find some of the extremely unique and fabulous accessories that are hard to find elsewhere. One of my most favorite pots that I purchased for $50 from the DIA Museum Shop is the Celadon Daisy Ginger Jar shown below: Celadon Daisy Ginger Jar at DIA Museum Shop (â€Å"Detroit Institute of Artsà ¢â‚¬ ). One of the popular exhibitions of the Detroit Museum is the zoo in which prints of animals are displayed which commenced on 23rd March this year. In the DIA collection, there are above 150 prints in total which comprise prints of peacocks, dolphins, and lizards.

Marketing Mix Essay Example for Free

Marketing Mix Essay Product refers to the creation or design of a good or service. It is here that the process begins in the life of a product. In this part of the marketing mix the design is made, the name is created, and even the packaging of the good is decided upon. This is where a product needs to be created in a way that makes the product marketable for its intended target. (Manktelow, 2013) Place is the process in when it is decided where the product is going to be sold and how the product will be distributed. Many questions are answered in this part of the process such as â€Å"Where do buyers look for this product? , â€Å"What channels of distribution should be used? †, â€Å"Do we need to use a sales force, attend trade shows, or send samples to companies? †, and â€Å"What are competitors doing? † (Manktelow, 2013) For example, a company producing power tools would not want to distribute their goods in a boutique. The intended customer base is not likely going to be found here. The correct distribution would be in a store where power tools are sold like Home Depot. While having a great product is important, you need to get it to the consumer in the most efficient manner. Price is where the value of the product is determined. Pricing is just as important as the product itself. No matter how great a product is, it needs to be priced so that consumers will be willing to purchase it and so that it will make a profit that is worth investing in. Pricing also can offer a chance to get a leg up on the competition. In order to gain an advantage in market share a company may decide to price their product slightly lower than their competitor’s price. (Manktelow, 2013) Promotion is how a company creates their promotional strategy, advertising, and public relations. Promotion is extremely important in making the consumer aware of the product. It is also very important that the promotional strategy is aimed at the target audience. (Manktelow, 2013) For example, to promote a new basketball shoe advertising could be created featuring a professional basketball player and the product could be heavily advertised during basketball games on television when the intended audience is going to be watching the game. PayPal, Inc. is a payment processor that operates primarily in processing payments on the internet. In 2010 PayPal began to push a new motto of â€Å"Anytime, Anywhere, Anyhow†. PayPal was taking their online payment services and moving them into the physical world. In order to achieve this PayPal began pushing their mobile payment services to develop products that would help to achieve this vision. PayPal required a product that would allow people to truly use PayPal anywhere at any time. In 2012 PayPal launched PayPal Here. PayPal here is a product that connects to a smartphone to allow merchants to accept credit card payments wherever their business may take them. To allow buyers the convenience of using PayPal anywhere, PayPal revamped the PayPal Mobile App. The PayPal Mobile App allows a person to send funds at any time using their smartphone. Whether it is sending money to a friend or paying for an item on eBay, the PayPal Mobile App allows buyers to use their PayPal account without having to be in front of their computer. The other product PayPal created for both merchants and for buyers is PayPal’s in-store checkout. In December of 2011 PayPal partnered with The Home Depot to unveil this new product and feature. Customers of the Home Depot no longer need to bring their wallet to the store with them. By simply entering their mobile number and PIN number they can pay with their PayPal account. Upon checking out the customer receives a text message and email receipt of their purchase. This video demonstrates the PayPal in-store checkout process. http://www. youtube. com/watch? feature=player_detailpagev=Q8P9qT9EIVk PayPal’s placement of the product was not as complicated as many companies selling a product like a hammer or shoes. The PayPal Here product is a way to use the PayPal Here service. Customers simply have to go to the PayPal website or PayPal Here App and request the PayPal here dongle. It is sent to the customer at no cost because the value is in the customer accepting payments using the PayPal Here service. This benefits PayPal in that they do not have to deal with major distribution channels in getting their product into the right store. They simply need to ship the product to the customer that asks for it off of the PayPal website. PayPal has structured their pricing to remain ahead of their primary competitor Square. PayPal charges 2. 7% per transaction to receive payments using the PayPal Here product. Square has a similar product and charges 2. 75% per transaction. The cost of the phone attachment for PayPal Here is free. This has allowed PayPal to keep up with their competitor. In order to effectively market this product PayPal needed to have a price that at least met that of their competitor in order to get people to use the product. PayPal decided to charge slightly less than their competitor in order to gain customers new to this technology and to sway some customers away from Square. Had the service not been available through a competitor, PayPal’s pricing may have been different. Having a price that meets or beats the competition shows that PayPal is marketing their product to not just to customers new to accepting mobile payments, but to those that are already accepting them which expands the market they are targeting. PayPal also offers other types of services other than just accepting payments on a mobile phone which creates more value for potential customers. PayPal has launched aggressive marketing campaigns through email and through banners on their website. PayPal has never advertised their products on television or radio and they did not start with the launch of PayPal Here. PayPal announced PayPal Here at a media event and let the media spread the word along with the advertising occurring through email and on the PayPal website. This helps PayPal save money in advertising and promotion while still promoting their product efficiently. PayPal’s intended targets for PayPal Here are small businesses and people who sell at events like trade shows, service (lawn care, plumbing, etc. ) who would like to be able to give their customers more options to pay for their services. The marketing mix is an effective way to help successfully market a product or service. It addresses every aspect that is needed in order to successfully prepare a product to be launched. The four P’s work together to help a company provide the consumer with what they want, get the product to the consumer that demands the product, sells at a price that benefits the company and the consumer, and will promote the product to the right audience. Without the proper use of the marketing mix a product could easily fail. A company could design a new product that may seem great, but if they do not market the product correctly the right people will not see it, buy it, or be aware of it. Without the sales, the life of a product can be short lived because of ineffective marketing. PayPal has shown an effective use of the marketing mix. PayPal identified a consumer need, PayPal designed a product and service that would meet the needs of the consumer, PayPal found an efficient way to deliver the product and service to the customer, PayPal provided a price that was slightly better than the price of their competitor to gain a market advantage, and PayPal effectively used word of mouth promotion and promotion through their own website to make consumers aware of this new innovative product that can meet their needs. It has been effective use of the marketing mix that has helped PayPal remain on top of the online payment processing world.

History revision Essay Example for Free

History revision Essay History- What historians chose to interpret from the surviving evidence of the past Source + Historians = Histories All historians have their own views and interests due to their upbringing hence that the process of selection and interpretation distorts our ‘knowledge’ further. Issues in historiography Training of historians Objectivity in history Oral societies and history Problems of historical research Universal history Evidence- selection Source- How? Truth- Consensuses Context/ Perspectives Selection- Who decides? Interpretation Revision Ideology- Reputation, perspective, emerging ideas, lack of evidence Language and technique- To place emphasis and how historians chose to say Methodology- How the way you put the sources? (cross-examine, verification) Facts in history History from ‘above or below’ Motive Judgement- Whose? Audience Linguistics History and Ideology- Political beliefs influence Explicit vs. Implicit Something clearly or implied Form of literature- poems, speech â€Å"What are historical facts? † – Carl Becker 1. History is subjective- personal desires and prejudices (history changes along with society’s values) 2. History is interpreted differently between people (interpreting what in the past is though) 3. History cannot be re-enacted as a series of events 4. History is written on how much the Historian can extract from the evidence and his knowledge- background, audience, purpose, motive. 5. History is pre-occupied with ‘cold’ and ‘hard’ facts and not small detail (the obvious history) Case Study: Herodotus The historian Born at Halicarnassus (485 BC – 425 BC) Exiled due to conspiring against Persians Merchant and traveller Greek Historian Cannot be free form bias (critical judgement) Educated (upper class) Harnessed ill feelings towards Persian Motive and Purpose for Writing â€Å"These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he publishes, in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the remembrance of what men have done, and of preventing the great and wonderful actions of the Greeks and the foreigners from losing their due need of glory; and to put on record what were their grounds of feud† To commemorate To preserve the memory of the past by putting on record the astonishing achievements both of his and other people and more particularly. To show how they come into conflict To record the â€Å"glory† of Greeks To record stories even where truth is impossible (fantasises, legends) Inspired by Home and Hecateus Methodology and Technique Witness accounts Values Reports Sources Interests Viewpoints Evidence Books Entertainment Evidence Observations The Mind Enquiries Language and Style (words and phrases chosen, speeches, audience) Future Generations People’s viewpoint/ interpretation Memories Opinions Rumours Claims Honour Home and Hecateus Orally- entertaining Conflicting accounts Type of History Anthropology- study of mankind Ethnology Traditions, cultures and religious stories- oracles, wonders, marvels, dreams, myths, omens, sacrifices, prophecies, fables Societies- common practices Orators, politicians, demagogues, battles and warriors Polyphonic Constructed and recorded Books- customs, legends, history and tradition (The Histories) War between Persia and Greece Social and literary narrative Similar work style from predecessors (Homer and Hecateus: oral historians) Knowledge from his extensive travels Consulted witnesses and examined whenever possible and dreams, oracles and portents His opinion on plausible reports from implausible ones Intention of publishing hence being bias (perspective) Poetry (exaggeration) Impact of the historian on historiography Set a ‘standard’ no matter what (guidelines and rules) Creation of Western historical writing Include everything/ everybody Based on research Establishes historical writing as freely economic, political and diplomatic, social, sexual, religious, military or naval History as a field (social, cultural, gendered, religious, political, military An enquiry Storytelling and discipline Father of history and lies Establishes history as a mode of storytelling Post modernism Vocabulary Commemorative Divine intervention Greek pride Patriotic Remembrance Perspective of elite Greek society Broad Perspective Plethora Case Study- Thucydides The historian 460BC- 400 BC Elite, wealthy, male Early military career was cut short due to plague in Athens One of Athens’ ten generals Failing to save Amphipholis, he spends 20 years in exile. He returned at 404 BC. He has the opportunity to travel to both sides during the Peloponnesian War Age of the sophists- uses debates and rhetoric to argue issues Sceptical and rational Motive and Purpose for Writing â€Å"My work is not a piece of writing designed to meet the taste of an immediate public, but was done to last for ever† â€Å"I have written my work, not as an essay which is to win the applause of the moment, but as a possession for all time† Wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians â€Å"that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it† Does not glorify war To record Methodology and Technique High value on eyewitness testimonies Episodes of himself taking part Consulted written documents Interviews of participants Does not recognise divine interventions Modern historical objectivity Chronology- summers and winters Debates that he records From memory Sharp analysis of causes and effects Language and Style (words and phrases chosen, speeches, audience) To last through the ages Prose literature Speeches- adds realism Cross-examination Validity of their ideas on logic and rational thinking Debates Morals Type of History Political and military history Detailed writing of military, naval battles, preparation for battles, encouraging speeches by generals, effects and consequences of war Peloponnesians War Events (no arts, literature or society) War of Greeks- disputes, colonies, war, envoys Fast moving, precise, directed, decisive, carefully structured and highly analytic Strict chronological method Monologic Constructed and recorded Sophist’s speeches (used debates and arguments and counter argument, view and counter view, opinion and counter opinion) Objective Book- History of the Peloponnesian War Headlined and narrow events- military and political and diplomatic Impact of the historian on historiography Invention of a chronological way Developed an understanding of human nature explaining behaviours in such crises (plagues, massacres and civil war) instead on divine intervention History is based on logic and rational reasons and thinking Increased of accuracy and reliability of sources Sharp analysis of causes and effect Father of â€Å"scientific history†- strict standard of evidence gathering and analysing of evidence History was to learn from the past therefore making better decisions in the future Didactic- to teach Vocabulary Rhetoric of uncertainty with phrases like Devoted in evoking in detail Focus on a great historical period, a period of war Analytical No criticisms Refers to an interpretation Innovative Critical World history Case Study- Horrible Histories, Teary Deary Aim/ purpose: Entertainment, monetary, children’s interest in history Motive: Make a statement (anti-authority context) as school interest in history is declining Methodology: Consults historians (record, writing, collecting) Have professional actors Scripts (Performance) Series on Television (BBC) Language/ style: Colourful bright colours In a humorous way â€Å"Stories about people, in dramatic situations, with jokes† Gags Imagination Impact: Refocus the presentation of history to young children From being dry and dull to with humour History is now acceptable to be shown on TV for children Information of history has changed dramatically Case Study- Bede