Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Outdoor-lifestyle retailer Essay Example for Free

Outdoor-lifestyle retailer Essay Executive Summary BBQfun will be the leading outdoor-lifestyle retailer, catering to the growing need for furnishing new and renovated dwellings in the greater Brisbane area. The assortment offer of BBQs, outdoor furniture and BBQ accessories will position BBQfun as best inclass for outdoor-lifestyle retailing. BBQfun will reinvent the way people shop for outdoor-lifestyle products. BBQfun will build its reputation on offering the fullest assortment of products possible in our chosen fields, incorporating both local and imported goods with products sold on easy to manage long-term payment plans. Our after sales service and 3 year guarantees will find traction with a market dominated by low-quality. Situation Analysis BBQfun is close to entering its fifth year of operation. Te initial rollout of stores has been well received, and marketing is now critical to its continued success and future profitability. The store offers wide-ranging outdoor-lifestyle items on easy to manage payment terms and supplies a three year guarantee on every item sold. The basic market need is for quality, fashionable and unique outdoor-lifestyle items that caters to the house-proud needs of our market. Market Summary BBQfun possess good information about the market and knows a great deal about the common attributes of our most prized and loyal customers. BBQfun will leverage this information to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how BBQfun can better communicate with them. Market Demographics †¢ Accessibility. The patron can gain easy access to the store with minimal wait. †¢ Customer service. The patron will be impressed with the after sales service and Guarantees. †¢ Competitive pricing. All products/services will be competitively priced relative to comparable high-end outdoor-lifestyle lines. Above all, BBQfun believes that easy to access stores with extensive choices in our chosen fields, that are sold on an easy to manage payment plan with a three year guarantee are the keys to our customer’s needs and wants. Market Trends The market trend for outdoor-lifestyle stores is headed toward a more sophisticated and informed customer. The outdoor-lifestyles patron today relative to yesterday is more sophisticated in a number of different ways. †¢ Item quality. The preference for high-quality items is increasing as customers are learning to appreciate the qualitative differences. †¢ Unique. Our patrons appreciate the opportunity to include outdoor-lifestyles in their home that stand out from the mass produced and sold low quality items. †¢ Selection. People are demanding a larger selection of choices, they are no  longer accepting a limited offer in outdoor-lifestyles. The reason for this trend is that within the last couple of years there has been an explosion of media in the form of TV shows and magazines that have promoted exotic and different outdoor-lifestyles. Our patrons no longer need to accept a limited number of options. With more choices, patrons have become more sophisticated. This trend is intuitive as you can observe a more sophisticated patron in larger city markets such as Sydney or Melbourne where there has been more choices available. BBQfun strongly believes that customers are more interested in range of products, after sales service and easy to manage payments than any other issues. These are the reasons that they will shop with us and become loyal patrons. Technological developments with the broadband rollout across greater Brisbane and Australia is opening up significant opportunities for internet shopping and for providing information for our customers about our product range. Market Growth In 2008, the National outdoor-lifestyle market reached $300 million dollars. Outdoor lifestyle sales are estimated to grow by at least 6% for the next few years. This growth can be attributed to several different factors. The greater disposable household income from the two income families, the greater availability of affordable and interesting quality imports with the high value of the Australian dollar and the marketing by popular TV shows like ‘Homes Beautiful’ and ‘Better Outdoor-lifestyles’. Economy Based on economic forecasts, BBQfun assumes that interest rates are staying steady and so will have no affect on disposable income. The same assumption is made about employment levels, where BBQfun assumes that unemployment levels remain the same at 4.7%. Political From research carried out, BBQfun identified that the Government focus and emphasis in future legislative direction will be about ‘growing the economy’ and ‘population base which BBQfun sees as a positive for their business model. There is also a strong push for environmentally sound business practices in the legislative framework. BBQfun, as business operating in Australia, will abide by the law in all its dealings and comply with all legislation that impacts on its business activities. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company, and describes the opportunities and threats facing BBQfun. Strengths †¢ Excellent staff who are highly skilled and knowledgeable about outdoor-lifestyles. †¢ Great retail space that is bright, functional and efficient for a commercial urban district. †¢ High customer loyalty among repeat customers. †¢ Assortment offerings that exceed competitors offerings in quality, range and accessibility. Weaknesses †¢ A limited marketing budget to develop brand awareness due to the lack of critical mass and store cover. †¢ The struggle to continually fund the growing long term repayment plans taken out by our customers. Opportunities †¢ A growing market in a high growth area with a significant percentage of the target market still not aware of BBQfun’s offer. †¢ Increasing sales opportunities outside of our target area – greater Brisbane. Threats †¢ Competition from local independents that can reduce prices as owner operators lower than our staff run stores. †¢ Competition from National chains moving into the Brisbane market. †¢ A slump in the economy reducing customers disposable income spent on outdoor-lifestyles. Competition National Competition †¢ The Yard: has a limited selection but significant depth. All Australian made. No significant marketing or promotion. The price point is high, but the quality of products are quite good. Not in Brisbane. Mostly in Sydney and Melbourne. †¢ BBQ’s R us: Broad range of outdoor-lifestyle products including trinkets and furnishings. Lots of cheap imports. Concentrating on established markets. Strong in the replacements segment. Not in Brisbane. Mostly in Melbourne and Adelaide. †¢ Outdoorz: Large operations of only a few stores per city. Mass markets outdoor lifestyles at good value prices. No imported goods. Extensive advertising. Low to medium quality. Not in Brisbane. Strong in the replacement segment rather than new and refurbished  dwellings. Strong in other capital cities. Local Competition †¢ All independents. These stores are owned by individual owner operators. Ranges vary according to owner preferences. Very little imports. Mostly retailing Australian manufactured goods. Collectively their average item sale price is $250, have a market share of 48%, and are growing at about 8% per year. BBQfun do not see the competitors changing their marketing strategy or product offer in the foreseeable future. Growth and Share Analysis New dwellings – growth in potential customers 10%. Estimated Brisbane customer numbers in 2010 is 95,000. Renovations – growth in potential customers 7%. Estimated Brisbane customer numbers in 2010 is 35,000. Replacement – growth in potential customers 5%. Estimated Brisbane customer numbers in 2010 is 120,000. Service Offering BBQfun has created a outdoor-lifestyles range of retail products that are differentiated and superior to competitors. Customers can see the quality of the product as it is displayed in the stores. The following are characteristics of the product: 1. BBQfun’s credit offer is backed by a top tier bank. 2. Imported products make up 33% of the assortment. 3. The 3 year guarantee is unique in the market place. 4. Broadest possible range in chosen fields. BBQfun’s prides itself on providing service that is on par if not better than any of the local independent stores and far in excess of the national chains. BBQfun will ensure that all aspects that are involved in the delivery of satisfaction to the customer will work using an integrated approach. At a GlanceThe Prototype BBQfun Store: †¢ Location: a commercial, suburban neighbourhood, or urban retail district. †¢ Design: bright and functional. †¢ Size: 1,000 to 1,500 m2. †¢ Employees: 15 to 20 full time plus casuals †¢ Types of transactions: 60% cash, 40% on long term repayment plan. Keys to Success Location. BBQfun’s site selection criteria are critical to success. Scott Bremmer, former partner of an international chain, helped us identify the following site selection criteria: †¢ New dwelling populations. †¢ Shopping patterns requiring easy access. †¢ Customer car parking counts. Critical Issues BBQfun is still in the speculative stage as a possible franchise concept or joint venture. Its critical issues are: †¢ Committed to sales growth which allows for greater options in import assortments and in reduced price with volume buys. This will promote our uniqueness and contribute to improved profit margins. †¢ Continue to finance the easy manage long term repayment plan for customers. †¢ Locate in easy access sites close to the growing markets in new dwelling development. Marketing Strategy BBQfun’s advertising budget is set at $250,000 for the year. The advertising program will target local letter-box drops, radio and magazines. BBQfun’s will do direct mail and local advertising, with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazine likely to be the most successful of the campaigns. BBQfun will try to get articles about BBQfun into the BrisNews magazine. Previous features in the BrisNews magazine has seen a dramatic increase of sales immediately after the article was published. Mission BBQfun’s mission is to provide customers with the most extensive assortment of quality outdoor-lifestyle products available in the market. Our after sales service is second to none supported by our easy to manage long term repayment plans which make unique, imported and high quality outdoor-lifestyle affordable to all. BBQfun exist to attract and maintain outdoor-lifestyle customers wishing to purchase products that give our customers pride in their homes. Our services will exceed the expectations of our customers. Marketing Objectives 1. Increase sales from $15million per year to $20million per year in the next  three years 2. Increase our loyalty customers list from 10,000 to 16,000. 3. Establish brand recognition in Brisbane so that at least 2 in 3 people recognise our brand in a random survey taken in 18 months time. 3.3 Financial Objectives 1. A double-digit growth rate for each future year. 2. Reduce the overhead per store through disciplined management of expenses. 3. Continue increase our gross profit margins. Target Marketing The market can be segmented into three target populations: †¢ New dwellings – generally want to purchase entire suites. Typically shopped as couples. Price sensitive to a point but co-ordination is the highest priority. †¢ Renovations – demand for high quality and different items. Unique and exotic over rides price concerns. †¢ Replacement – basic functional products that replace and broken or worn item. Single shopper. Cheap price required. The BBQfun customers are mostly aged between 20 and 50, making up 50% of the new and renovated dwelling market. Outdoor-lifestyle stores have been very successful in stand alone, extensive car park access, close to new housing estates being established. These areas have families who have household disposable incomes of over $40,000 per year. Combining several key demographic factors, BBQfun arrives at a profile of the primary customer as follows: †¢ Sophisticated people who are house proud. †¢ Shoppers who will drive to an easy to access store. †¢ A customers who requires payment plans to spread their commitment over an extended period. †¢ Renovators and new home builders †¢ 20-50 year olds Positioning BBQfun will position itself as a broad assortment, quality, unique outdoor-lifestyle retailer. Brisbane consumers who appreciate high-quality and uniqueness will recognize the value and unique offerings of BBQfun. Patrons will be single as well as families, ages 20-50. BBQfun’s positioning will leverage their competitive edge: †¢ Product. The product will be wide ranging, quality and unique. It offers the house proud customer a different  option from the cheap mass produced offer prevalent in the market †¢ Service. BBQfun offer the only 3 years guarantee in the market. Our easy play payment scheme is just what our mortgage repaying customers welcome. Our experienced staff can assist with product knowledge second to none in the industry. By offering a superior service in range and uniqueness, BBQfun will excel relative to the competition and achieve our objectives. Strategy Pyramids The single objective is to position BBQfun as the premier outdoor-lifestyles store in the greater Brisbane area, commanding a majority of the market share within five years. The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness regarding their services offered, develop that customer base, and work toward building customer loyalty and referrals. The message that BBQfun will seek to communicate is that BBQfun offers the widest, most exotic, easy access outdoor-lifestyle products in Brisbane. This message will be communicated through a variety of methods. The first will be direct mail. The direct mail campaign will be a way to communicate directly with the consumer. BBQfun will also use ads and inserts in Brizzy magazine.The last method for communicating BBQfun’s message is through a grassroots PR campaign. This campaign will invite people from Brizzy for lunch to get articles written about BBQfun into the news. Because of this level of effectiveness and low/zero cost, BBQfun will work hard to get press in the Brizzy. BBQfun also believe that the local patrons far prefer to receive information from the store via flyers in the letterbox. Marketing Mix BBQfun’s marketing mix is comprised of these following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service. †¢ Pricing. While BBQfun will price at comparable prices for comparable quality, it will not be cheap. We push value over cheap and back this up with a 3 year guarantee. †¢ Distribution. BBQfun products will be distributed through a chain of retail stores which customers can access easily via the large car parking arrangements. †¢ Advertising and Promotion. The most successful advertising will be ads and inserts in the Brizzy as well as a PR campaign of informational articles and reviews also within the Brizzy. Promotions will take the form of in store entertainment and competitions with prizes to exotic overseas destinations. †¢ Customer Service. BBQfun’s philosophy is  that whatever needs to be done to make the customer happy must occur, this investment will pay off with a fiercely loyal customer base who is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals. Product development It is envisaged that new products will be developed on a regular basis in line with changes in customer taste which is targeted at every 12 months. The plan for product testing is to engage market research firms. By getting feedback from these firms, changes can be made or products ‘canned’ so that only tested and proven products make it onto the store assortment list. Marketing Research During the initial phases of the marketing plan development, several focus groups were held to gain insight into a variety of patrons of outdoor-lifestyle stores. These focus groups provided useful insight into the decisions, and decision making processes, of consumers. An additional source of market research that is dynamic is a feedback mechanism based on a suggestion card system in store. The last source of market research is competitive analysis/appreciation. BBQfun management will continually visit local outdoor-lifestyle stores for two reasons. The first is for competitive analysis, providing BBQfun with timely information regarding other store’s service offering. The second reason is that local business owners, are often part of an informal fraternal organization where they support each others business. Financials, Budgets, and Forecasts This section will offer a financial overview of BBQfun as it relates to the marketing activities. BBQfun will address Break-even Analysis, sales forecasts, expense forecasts, and how those link to the marketing strategy. Break-even Analysis The Break-even Analysis indicates that $1.1 million in sales per year will be needed to reach the break-even point. Fixed costs are estimated at $150,000. Variable costs are 40% of sales, therefore sales of $1.0 million will be sufficient to pay for the fixed and variable cost. Sales Forecast The first year of the plan will be used to get the cafe up and running. By year two things will get busier. Sales will gradually increase with profitability being reached by the beginning of year two. Gross profit is  anticipated at 50%. Ongoing sales forecasting will be to use the services of Cannon’s Consultants who will advise on all aspects of the marketing function that BBQfun will be engaged with. Cannons will also be given access to the marketing cost data so that they can periodically examine and validate marketing costs in line with industry benchmarks. They have always been the preferred consultants because they are locally based unlike the national group of consultants, Brown Holingsworth, based in Melbourne.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Okalahoma critical analysis Essay -- Drama

Okalahoma critical analysis The original production of Oklahoma opened at the St. James Theatre, New York, on Wednesday March 31, 1943. The top ticket price was $4.80. It ran on Broadway for over five years, besting the previous record holder Hellzapoppin by more than two years. For fifteen years, from 1946 until 1961, Oklahoma held the record as the longest running show in Broadway history. When Okalahoma closed on Broadway May 29, 1948 after 2,212 performances, more than four and a half million people had seen it there. In our expressive arts lesson we watched a section of Okalahoma. As our topic is dreams and nightmares, we watched the section where Laurey has her dream. In a swirl of dream images, Laurey sees herself marrying Curly when Jud invades the wedding; he carries her off, thwarts Curly's attempts to rescue her, and, after a horrific struggle, kills Curly. Laurey awakes from her nightmare with a start...and finds Jud ready to escort her to the Dance. In the beginning of this section we can see Laurey falling to sleep. Then the lights suddenly dim, this shows the audience that we have travelled from reality to her dream. The lighting plays an important part in this musical, as it communicates to the audience Laurey’s mood and feelings. When Laurey is dreaming the light dims to a blue. Then hands appear from the cornfields; they are being lighted up with gold spotlights. She then follows them to a large stage, which is filled up with blur light. In her dream they lighting is calm and cool, and the mood is happy but when it changes into a nightmare the lights suddenly switch red, and makes the atmosphere alarming and unsettling. A spot light is also used on Curley when he enters to dance with Laurey. This can symbolise that he is the one for her, and that he stands out from everyone else. By using a white spotlight shows the audience that he is pure and good. But the spotlights also build a feeling of confusion and distress. This is in her nightmare where the lighting is red and the white spotlights are darting around the stage. This shows the audience Laurey’s feelings towards her nightmare. Music is crucial in her dream as there is no speaking involved, so they music is the only thing that can be heard. In her dream they are playing the song â€Å"oh, what a beautiful morning†. This is played in maj... ...girls they dance in unison, to show they are together and under control. They use lots of turns, and leaps. They also use a lot of ballet movements. This shows the audience a calm, flowing and graceful dream. In the dance with the showgirls, they are all dancing separately with separate movements. They use lots of flexible movements, and balances. This can show the audience that they are separated and unorganised. When she dances the waltz with curly they use lots of lifts, turns and graceful movements, on the other hand when dancing with Judd she is being thrown around and manipulated like a rag doll. This also shows another contrast, which may relate to the contrasts in dreams and nightmares. The musical communicated to the audience her feeling and emotions through other means than verbal communication. They show it mainly through lighting, movement, and music. It relates to dreams and nightmares as is seems rather peculiar. The music seems out of tune and distraught. And strange things and people appear throughout to make the dream seem realistic. This critical analysis will help me to relate to dreams and nightmares throughout my performance without talking.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Theory of Evolution – Short Essay

How is the theory of evolution used to explain the tremendous diversity of life on Earth? Describe how variation within a population arises and how natural selection differs from artificial selection. Finally, describe how bacteria that become resistant to modern antibiotics Is a clear example of evolution In action. The theory of evolution Is used to explain the extensive diversity of life on Earth by looking at why creatures evolve. The main reason they are able to evolve is that they have a quality that helps them survive in their environment.If two identical animals re put in very different habitats the future generations will end up with very different characteristics. For example, if a bird of multilayered origin is put in the jungle it could be said that eventually they will evolve to be a species of green birds because they have the best camouflage against predators. Natural selection Is most easily described by how a species survives because of traits dictated by their surro undings. An example of this Is an animal of prey that can run faster than Its heard, will escape a predator and live to breed In the future.The offspring will have the genes of a fast parent and likely be fast themselves therefore able to outrun the predator as well. Artificial selection is when humans interfere and only allow certain characteristics to be passed onto the next generation. An example of this is a dog breeder only breeding the dogs with the shiniest coats. The next generation will be heavily influenced to have shiny coats, an example of what they deem a valued characteristic. A very interesting way to see evolution is how bacteria are evolving to become resistant to modern antibiotics.Once thought to be the cure to many dangerous actuarial Infections antibiotics started to be handed out to Ill patients. Unfortunately, some patients are not finishing their prescribed antibiotics leaving bacteria alive In their bodies that are resistant to the drug. These mutant bacteri a quickly reproduce making future generations that are immune to the antibiotics. I can utilize my knowledge of the dangers of antibiotics in my career as a nurse when I work with the elderly in a hospital. I observe that an older patient has abdominal cramping and diarrhea I will assess whether they have recently taken antibiotics because of the risk of C. Official. Being aware of this infection I can collect a stool test to diagnose it. Once diagnosed, I can instruct the patient to stop taking the antibiotic. Then I will counsel them about how C. Difficult Is related to antibiotics. To begin, when the patient takes the drug to treat an Illness It will kill off not only the bacteria making the person sick but the good bacteria found In our Intestines as well. When this Is mammals the dangerous C. Delicate can grow out of control producing toxins that attack the intestine. It is also possible that C. Difficult is becoming crucial it is to finish any prescribed medication.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Definition Examples of Collage Essays

In composition studies, a collage is a  discontinuous essay form made up of discrete bits of discourse—description, dialogue, narrative, explanation, and the like.   A collage essay (also known as a patchwork essay, a discontinuous essay, and segmented writing) generally forgoes conventional transitions, leaving it up to the reader to locate or impose connections between the fragmented observations. In his book Reality Hunger (2010), David Shields defines collage as the art of reassembling fragments of preexisting images in such a way as to form a new image. Collage, he notes, was the most important innovation in the art of the twentieth century. To use  collage as a writer, says Shara McCallum, is to map onto your essay . . . the semblance of continuities and discontinuities associated with the art form (in Now Write! ed. by  Sherry Ellis). Examples of Collage Essays Lying Awake by Charles DickensA Now: Descriptive of a Hot Day by Leigh HuntSuite Amà ©ricaine by H.L. Mencken Examples and Observations What Is a Collage?Collage is a term derived from art and refers to a picture made up of pieces of found objects: scraps of newspaper, bits of old cane backing, a gum wrapper, lengths of string, tin cans. A collage can be made entirely of found objects, or it can be a combination of the objects and the artistss own drawing. [Writers] perform a similar act. But instead of gathering scraps of newspaper and string, they arrange scattered pieces of language: clichà ©s, phrases they have heard, or quotations.(David Bergman and Daniel Mark Epstein, The Heath Guide to Literature. D.C. Heath, 1984)The Collage in ProseMany feature stories in daily and especially Sunday newspapers drift into the collage form—or example, a neighborhood in Brooklyn written up in a series of bits that present rather than explain: portraits of people and of terrain, street corner scenes, mini-narratives, dialogues, and reminiscent monologues. . . .You might make a collage essay on the causes of the French R evolution that consists entirely of stories, portraits, and scenes. You would have to choose and arrange your fragments in such a way that they tell why the French Revolution happened as it did. Or you might have one that consists entirely of dialogues: between nobles, peasants, middle-class city dwellers, and thinkers of the period; between people who came before and those who came afterwards. Of course you may have to revise and polish some of these fragments to make them as good as possible—perhaps even write some more bits to give at least a minimal coherence.(Peter Elbow, Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1998)Collage: E.B. Whites Essay Hot WeatherMorning is so closely associated with brisk affairs, music with evening and days end, that when I hear a three-year-old dance tune crooned upon the early air while shadows still point west and the day is erect in the saddle, I feel faintly decadent, at loose ends, as though I were in the South Seas—a beachcomber waiting for a piece of fruit to fall, or for a brown girl to appear naked from a pool.* * *Asterisks? So soon?* * *It is a hot-weather sign, the asterisk. The cicada of the typewriter, telling the long steaming noons. Don Marquis was one of the great exponents of the asterisk. The heavy pauses between his paragraphs, could they find a translator, would make a book for the ages.* * *Don knew how lonely everybody is. Always the struggle of the human soul is to break through the barriers of silence and distance into companionship. Friendship, lust, love, art, religion--we rush into them pleading, fighting, clamoring for the touch of spirit laid against our spirit. Why else would you be reading this fragmentary page—you with the book in your lap? Youre not out to learn anything, certainly. You just want the healing action of some chance corroboration, the soporific of spirit laid against spirit. Even if you had read only to crab about everything I say, your letter of complaint is a dead give-away: you are unutterably lonely or you wouldnt have taken the trouble to write it. . . .(E.B. White, Hot Weather. One Mans Meat. Harper Row, 1944)Collage in Joan Didions Essay Slouching Towards BethlehemAt three-thirty that afternoon Max, Tom, and Sharon placed tabs under their tongues and sat down together in the living room to wait for the flash. Barbara stayed in the bedroom, smoking hash. During the next four hours a window banged once in Barbaras room and about five-thirty some children had a fight on the street. A curtain billowed in the afternoon wind. A cat scratched a beagle in Sharons lap. Except for the sitar music on the stereo there was no other sound or movement until seven-thirty, when Max said, Wow.(Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968)Discontinuous or Paratactic Essays[T]he serial arrangement of pieces in a discontinuous essay res ults in a composition the whole of which can only be taken in gradually and therefore can only be held entirely in mind by a special act of will. Indeed, the fragmented mode of presentation tacitly invites one to consider each segment in and of itself, in relation to every other segment and in relation to the entire set of pieces, resulting in a complex network of understandings gradually arrived at rather than a whole work immediately perceived. . . .Discontinuous—it works so well to denote the visible and substantive breaks in a segmented piece that it seems to be the most accurate descriptive term. But it might have negative connotations—like many words beginning with dis--so Ive been pondering a more neutral term, such as paratactic, from the Greek parataxis, which refers to the placement of clauses or phrases side by side without any type of conjunction. . . . Though its hardly so chic and culturally relevant a term as collage, parataxis is certainly more akin to what happens in essays such as [George] Orwells Marrakech, [E.B.] Whites Spring, [Annie] Dillards Living Like Weasels, and [Joyce Carol] Oatess My Father, My Fiction, all of which contain discrete sentences, paragraphs, or longer units of discourse placed side by side without any connective or transitional material between them.(Carl H. Klaus, The Made-Up Self: Impersonation in the Personal Essay. Univ. of Iowa Press, 2010)Winston Weathers on Collage Methods of ComposingIn extreme form, collage/montage can mean something as radical as William Burroughss famous cut-up method, whereby texts written in traditional grammar are arbitrarily cut up, horizontally and vertically, and converted into near-unintelligible scraps of text. The scraps are then shuffled (or folded in) and joined randomly. . . .Less radical, and more usable, are methods of collage that use larger and more intelligible units of composition, each unit—like the crot—communicative within itself simply being joined in the collage to other communication units, perhaps from different time periods, perhaps dealing with different subject matter, perhaps even containing different sentence/dictional style, texture, tone. Collage at its best actually countermands much of the discontinuity and fragmentation of the alternate style by revealing, by the time a composition ends, a synthesis and wholeness that might not have been suspected at any station along the way.(Winston Weathers, Grammars of Style: New Options in Composition, 1976. Rpt. in Style in Rhetoric and Composition: A Critical Sourcebook, ed. by Paul Butler. Bedford/St. Martins, 2010)David Shields on Collage314Collage is a demonstration of the many becoming the one, with the one never fully resolved because of the many that continue to impinge upon it. . . .328Im not interested in collage as the refuge of the compositionally disabled. Im interested in collage as (to be honest) an evolution beyond narrative. . . .330Everything I write , I believe instinctively, is to some extent collage. Meaning, ultimately, is a matter of adjacent data. . . .339Collage is pieces of other things. Their edges dont meet. . . .349The very nature of collage demands fragmented materials, or at least materials yanked out of context. Collage is, in a way, only an accentuated act of editing: picking through options and presenting a new arrangement . . .. The act of editing may be the key postmodern artistic instrument. . . .354In collage, writing is stripped of the pretense of originality and appears as a practice of mediation, of selection and contextualization, a practice, almost, of reading.(David Shields, Reality Hunger: A Manifesto. Knopf, 2010)

Friday, December 27, 2019

The Iceman Lost in the Italian Alps 5,000 Years Ago

Otzi the Iceman, also called Similaun Man, Hauslabjoch Man or even Frozen Fritz, was discovered in 1991, eroding out of a glacier in the Italian Alps near the border between Italy and Austria. The human remains are of a Late Neolithic or Chalcolithic man who died in 3350-3300 BC. Because he ended up in a crevasse, his body was perfectly preserved by the glacier in which he was found, rather than crushed by the glaciers movements in the last 5,000 years. The remarkable level of preservation has allowed archaeologists the first detailed look into clothing, behavior, tool use and diet of the period. So Who Was Otzi the Iceman? The Iceman stood about 158 cm (52) tall  and weighed about 61 kg (134 lbs). He was rather short compared to most European males of the time, but sturdily built. He was in his mid-40s, and his strong leg muscles and overall fitness suggest that he may have spent his life herding sheep and goats up and down the Tyrolean Alps. He died about 5200 years ago, in the late spring. His health was fair for the period -- he had arthritis in his joints and he had whipworm, which would have been quite painful. Otzi had several tattoos on his body, including a cross on the inside of his left knee; six parallel straight lines arranged in two rows on his back above his kidneys, each about 6 inches long; and several parallel lines on his ankles. Some have argued that tattooing may have been some sort of acupuncture. Clothing and Equipment The Iceman carried a range of tools, weapons, and containers. An animal skin quiver contained arrow-shafts made of viburnum and hazelwood, sinews and spare points. A copper ax head with a yew haft and leather binding, a small flint knife, and a pouch with a flint scraper and an  awl were all included in the artifacts found with him. He carried a yew bow, and researchers at first thought the man had been a hunter-gatherer by trade, but additional evidence makes it clear he was a pastoralist  -- a Neolithic herder. Otzis clothing included a belt, loincloth, and goat-skin leggings with suspenders, not unlike lederhosen. He wore a bearskin cap, outer cape, and coat made of woven grass and moccasin-type shoes made from deer and bear leather. He stuffed those shoes with moss and grasses, no doubt for insulation and comfort. The Icemans Last Days Otzis stable isotopic signature suggests that he was probably born near the confluence of the Eisack and Rienz rivers of Italy, near where the town of Brixen is today, but that as an adult, he lived in the lower Vinschgau valley, not far from where he was eventually found. The Icemans stomach held cultivated wheat, possibly consumed as bread; game meat, and dried sloe plums. Blood traces on the stone arrow points he carried with him are from four different people, suggesting he had participated in a fight for his life. Further analysis of the contents of his stomach and intestines have allowed researchers to describe his last two to three days as both hectic and violent. During this time he spent time in the high pastures of the Otzal valley, then walked down to the village in the Vinschgau valley. There he was involved in a violent confrontation, sustaining a deep cut on his hand. He fled back to the Tisenjoch ridge where he died. Moss and the Iceman Four important mosses were found in Otzis intestines and reported in 2009 by JH Dickson and colleagues. Mosses are not food -- theyre not tasty,  nor nutritious. So what were they doing there? Neckera complanata and Anomodon viticulosus. These two species of moss are found on lime-rich, shady rocks in woodlands, growing close to and south of where Otzi was found, but not north. The presence of them inside Otzi probably came from their use as food-wrapping and suggests that Otzi wrapped his last meal south of where he died.Hymenostylium recurvirostrum This species of moss is known to hang about on marble. The only outcrop of marble in the vicinity of Otzis body is on the Pfelderer Tal, suggesting that at least on one of his last journeys, Otzi climbed into the Alps westwards up the Pfelderer Tal.Sphagnum imbricatum Hornsch: Sphagnum moss doesnt grow in the South Tyrol where Otzi died. Its a bog moss  and the only likely location within walking distance of where he died, is the broad, low-lying valley of Vinschgau, where Otzi resided for his adult life. Sphagnum moss has a specific ethnographic use as dressings for wounds  because it is soft and absorbent. Otzis hand was deeply cut 3 to 8  days before he died, and researchers think its possible that this moss was used to staunch his wound, and was transferred to his food from the dressings on his hand. Death of the Iceman Before Otzi died, he had suffered two fairly serious wounds, in addition to a blow to the head. One the deep cut to his right palm and the other was a wound in his left shoulder. In 2001, conventional x-rays and computed tomography revealed a stone arrowhead embedded in that shoulder. A research team led by Frank Jakobus Rà ¼hli at the  Swiss Mummy Project  at the University of Zurich used multislice computed tomography, a non-invasive computer scanning process used in detecting heart disease, to examine Otzis body. They discovered a 13-mm tear in an artery within the Icemans torso.  Otzi  appears to have suffered massive bleeding as a result of the tear, which eventually killed him. Researchers believe that the Iceman was sitting in a semi-upright position when he died. Around the time he died, someone pulled the arrow shaft out of Otzis body, leaving the arrowhead still embedded in his chest. Recent Discoveries in the 2000s Two reports, one in  Antiquity  and one in the  Journal of Archaeological Science, were published in the fall of 2011. Groenman-van Waateringe reported that pollen from  Ostrya carpinfolia  (hop hornbeam) found in Otzis gut likely represented the use of hop hornbeam bark as a medication. Ethnographic and historical pharmacological data lists several medicinal uses for hop hornbeam, with painkilling, gastric problems and nausea as some of the treated symptoms. Gostner et al. reported a detailed analysis of radiological studies on the Iceman. The Iceman was x-rayed and examined using computed tomography in 2001 and using multi-slice CT in 2005. These tests revealed that Otzi had had a full meal shortly before his death, suggesting that although he may have been chased through the mountains during the last day of his life, he was able to stop and have a full meal consisting of ibex and deer meat, sloe plums and wheat bread. In addition, he lived a life that included strenuous walking in high altitudes  and suffered from knee pain. Otzis  Burial Ritual? In 2010, Vanzetti and colleagues argued that, despite earlier interpretations, it is possible that Otzis remains represent an intentional, ceremonial burial. Most scholars have agreed that Otzi was the victim of an accident or a murder and that he died on the mountaintop where he was discovered. Vanzetti and colleagues based their interpretations of Otzi as a formal burial on the placement of objects around Otzis body, the presence of unfinished weaponry, and the mat, which they argue was a funeral shroud. Other scholars (Carancini et al and Fasolo et al) have supported that interpretation. A  gallery  in the journal  Antiquity, however, disagrees, stating that forensic, taphonomic and botanical evidence supports the original interpretation. See  The Iceman is Not a Burial  discussion for further information. Otzi is currently on display in the  South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. Detailed zoom-able photographs of the Iceman have been collected in the  Iceman photoscan  site, assembled by the Eurac, Institute for Mummies and the Iceman. Sources Dickson, James. Six mosses from the Tyrolean Iceman’s alimentary tract and their significance for his ethnobotany and the events of his last days. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, Wolfgang Karl Hofbauer, Ron Porley, et al., ReserchGate, January 2008. Ermini L, Olivieri C, Rizzi E, Corti G, Bonnal R, Soares P, Luciani S, Marota I, De Bellis G, Richards MB et al. 2008.  Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of the Tyrolean Iceman.  Current Biology  18(21):1687-1693. Festi D, Putzer A, and Oeggl K. 2014.  Mid and late Holocene land-use changes in the Ãâ€"tztal Alps, territory of the Neolithic Iceman â€Å"Ãâ€"tzi†.  Quaternary International  353(0):17-33. doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2013.07.052 Gostner P, Pernter P, Bonatti G, Graefen A, and Zink AR. 2011.  New radiological insights into the life and death of the Tyrolean Iceman.  Journal of Archaeological Science  38(12):3425-3431. Groenman-van Waateringe W. 2011.  The Icemans last days – the testimony of Ostrya carpinifolia  Antiquity  85(328):434-440. Maderspacher F. 2008.  Quick Guide: Ãâ€"tzi.  Current Biology  18(21):R990-R991. Miller G. 2014.  The bare necessities.  New Scientist  221(2962):41-42. doi: 10.1016/S0262-4079(14)60636-9 Ruff CB, Holt BM, Slà ¡dek V, Berner M, MurphyJr. WA, zur Nedden D, Seidler H, and Recheis W. 2006.  Body size, body proportions, and mobility in the Tyrolean â€Å"Iceman†.  Journal of Human Evolution  51(1):91-101. Vanzetti A, Vidale M, Gallinaro M, Frayer DW, and Bondioli L. 2010.  The Iceman as a burial.  Antiquity  84(325):681-692. Zink A, Graefen A, Oeggl K, Dickson JH, Leitner W, Kaufmann G, Fleckinger A, Gostner P, and Egarter Vigl E. 2011.  The Iceman is not a burial: reply to Vanzetti et al.  (2010).  Antiquity  85(328).

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Childcare - 1924 Words

Childcare and Education Preshay Weatherspoon English 122 Prairie Markussen April 7, 2014 Childcare and Education Some may disagree that the best place for children ages three and under are day care and preschool programs. In early child care education there are many benefits for children. My argument is to state the different advantages in early education. The results of the Parental Childcare and children’s Educational Attainment study shows that with the control of time, the health of a child will not have an effect on the age in which he can enroll in school. After controlling for endogeneity the results of the study were profound, and that childcare time should never be omitted because it can bias the study. While the†¦show more content†¦I recently visited a daycare center in Marrero, LA the security measures were awesome. Each parent is issued an authorize user id and password. Along with a authorize user id and password you must provide a finger scan to check in and to checkout a child. As I walked throughout the office I observe twelve security cameras that displayed each classroom, cafeteria, play centers, front and back of the building. I was impressed with the strong security measures taken to protect the safety of kids. Some parents feel young kids shouldn’t attend day care centers because it takes away boding time between a child and the parent, or a child is too young to learn .I totally disagree, a child bonds with their parents from birth, eight hours a day in child care center will not break a parents bond .Studies show the earlier a child a leaves away from their parents its teaches them to become self-sufficient on their own without total dependence of their parents. Is a child too young to learn? I would answer no. Kids learn in many different ways starting from infants. Early child hood education enhances a child’s learning ability. When a child enters daycare there learning begins with recognizing colors, shapes, number, alphabet’s s and lyrics. When entering preschool a child that has previously attended a daycare setting is more likely to be further advance than a child entering preschool without previous daycare education. Preschool teaches skills that will prepare a child forShow MoreRelatedThe Cost of Childcare Essay1486 Words   |  6 PagesChildcare or â€Å"daycare† is one of the most commonly used resources among Americans in the United States. There are many options for childcare that parents could choose from. They have many choices for childcare, ranging from: in-home care, childcare facilities, after school or government-funded Head Start programs. . â€Å"Head Start is a federally funded governmental progra m with the explicit goal of preparing underprivileged children for primary education† (Conley). 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Child Criminals free essay sample

Child Criminals: what should we do now? Madii 5. 17. 12 There has always been a controversy over how child criminals should be handled in court. People disagree on whether children should be tried as adults for their actions or if their age should be a great determinant of the outcome. Children are very complex. Their life history, home environment, influences, possible mental illnesses, and the simple mentality and moral level of children must be considered when they are being convicted of a crime. The U. S. is the only country in the world where children are sentenced to die in prison. Is it fair? The main subject that is debated upon in this issue is the age of maturity. â€Å"Child crime is different from adult crime in that the offenders are, in most legal systems, not deemed to be fully conscious moral individuals† (Debatepedia). Although that is true, children should be moral enough to know that extreme crimes are not right. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Criminals or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Maybe that excuse will work for robbery and such. But when it comes to murder and sex crimes, they should not be able to get out of that. Those are two extreme things that everyone, no matter what age they are, should know are wrong† (Madii Sahli). Every child should know the difference from right and wrong by the age of three or four, or at least have a sense as to what the difference is. The difference was instilled in our brains when we were two† (Courtney B. ). A three or four year old may know right and wrong, but we cannot possibly expect them to understand the consequences of their actions. We cannot hold a four year old responsible for themselves. Children are very impressionable. The rights and wrongs that they learn from their environment may not be the same as the rights and wrongs of the law. But should normal children be impressionable enough to be convinced that murder is okay? If it is insisted that people know the difference from right and wrong at the age of three, then why is the age of adulthood so high? Instead of the age of 18 determining when one is an adult, the age should be brought down to sixteen. By the age of sixteen, everyone should know better. â€Å"I am only sixteen, and I know better not to commit any crimes. I am old enough to understand consequences for my actions, and every other sixteen year old should be mature enough to know as well. (Madii Sahli). Compared to other countries, sixteen is still a higher age to be considered an adult. Many countries recognize the age of criminal responsibility to be much younger than eighteen. Below is a list of some other countries and their age of legality/adulthood. COUNTRY: AGE OF LEGALITY/ADULTHOOD: England 10 years old for crimes. 13 years old for sex crimes. Romania 12 years old. Greece 12 years old. Turke y 14 years old Armenia 14 years old. Spain 15 years old. Scotland 16 years old. Belgium 18 years old. Luxembourg 18 years old. On the other hand, United States law uses 18 for many things as well. People are not considered responsible enough to purchase tobacco products, live on your own, get a tattoo/certain piercings, choose to have sex with whomever you want, get married, own property, sue/get sued, or gamble until you are eighteen years old. You cannot even order crayons from a television commercial until you are 18! If you are not responsible enough to make your own choices, then how can you be considered an adult? â€Å"There needs to be some balance. The age of adulthood should completely be moved down to 16. At the age of sixteen, you should be able to get convicted of adult crimes, but you should also be able to smoke, etc. The only things that I think should stay at 18 is the age of being able to move out and live on your own or with a roommate, getting married, and gambling. That makes more sense to me† (Madii Sahli). In 1998, 29% of high school boys in America owned guns. A survey was taken in Virginia in 1996, and reported that 41% of youth have been in a gang or associated themselves with a gang. From those 41%, 69% got involved because of influences coming from their friends and 60% said that they joined for excitement. Joining a criminal group for excitement shows just how careless children are when it comes to the law. They do not understand their consequences because they believe that they will be treated leniently in the eyes of the court. More needs to be done to show them that they cannot get away with it. â€Å"The murderers made their decision. Children always wanted to be treated as adults so why not trial them as adults? That is always a child’s dream, to be treated as an adult† (Courtney B. from Teen Ink). Children should be tested for mental illness before the trial proceeds. As many as 70 percent of youth in the system are affected with a mental disorder, and one in five suffer from a mental illness so severe as to impair their ability to function as a young person and grow into a responsible adult. The prevalence of disruptive behavior disorders among youths in juvenile justice systems is reported to be between 30 percent and 50 percent† (Sarah Hammond). Not only sh ould they be trialed differently, but they should not be placed into a jail. They should be placed somewhere that can take care of them and help to handle their disability. That way, they might be able to recover properly. Most children who have committed crimes were accompanied by an adult during the incident. Joe Sullivan was thirteen-years-old when he became one of the two thirteen-year-old in the entire country to be sentenced to life without parole for an offense that did not involve a killing. Joe was mentally disabled, and lived in a home in which he was victim to physical and sexual abuse regularly. Two older boys, Nathan McCants (17) and Michael Gulley (15) convinced Joe to participate in a burglary in which they entered an empty household of a 72-year-old elderly woman. One of the older boys stole jewelry and money, and the homeowner was sexually assaulted in her home later that day, but never saw her attacker. The assault was so brutal that she needed to have corrective surgery. One of the older boys had blamed the sexual assault on Joe. While being blindfolded, the woman listened to the Joe’s voice to see if she recognized it and stated that it â€Å"could very well be† him. Both of the older boys received short sentences in juvenile detention, while Joe Sullivan was charged and tried in adult court. Even though Joe was the youngest person in the country sentenced to die in prison for a non-homicide, his lawyer filed a brief on appeal saying there were no issues to challenge in his case. Joe was sent to adult prison when he was just fourteen, and he was repeatedly and brutally victimized by older inmates† (Equal Justice Initiative). Joe, not only having to deal with a traumatic past of his home life and a mental illness, was di agnosed with multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. The petition stating that this punishment is cruel and usual was denied. Another convicted child who was influenced by a very bad home life includes Antonio Nunez. When Antonio was thirteen-years-old, he was shot multiple times in a drive by shooting. While his brother tried to help him, he was shot in the head and killed. Because of the traumatic event, he developed post-traumatic stress disorder. His mother was depressed and inactive, his father was an alcoholic, and his siblings were currently being treated for anxiety and trauma. Most children who have commit crimes were influenced and accompanied by an adult. Antonio fell victim to older influences, having got into the car with two older men. 4-year-old Antonio was in a joint trial with the 27-year-old after the other man claimed himself to be kidnapped by them. â€Å"The Equal Justice Initiative has documented over 70 cases throughout the United States in which children 14 and younger have been condemned to die in prison, often without consideration of the child’s age of life history. Antoni o Nunez is the only child in the country known [in 2007] to be serving a death in prison sentence for his involvement, at age 14, in a single incident where no one was injured† (Equal Justice Initiative Writer). Sometimes putting a child in an adult jail will only do more harm, and will only give them more bad impressions and thoughts. This is because when you put a child in an adult jail, you are surrounding them with people who have committed crimes as well and are a negative influence. They are being trapped in the same environment that got them there in the first place. â€Å"Young people who have been in prison since they were adolescents need help learning basic life skills† (Equal Justice Initiative Writer). According to mental health researchers Laurence Steinberg and Thomas Grisso, unlike an adult, a young teen can change. Handling child criminals is totally situational. Some of them deserve it, and sometimes it is fair for them to suffer with an extreme punishment. Many children get away with murder. Eric Smith was twelve years old when he murdered a six year old. He was to stay in jail until he was twenty-one. â€Å"Eric Smith admitted what he did was wrong but he also said he enjoyed it. There is no chance of rehabilitation for this boy nor is there for any other child murderer† (Courtney B. from Teen Ink). Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were ten years old when the kidnapped a two year old named James Berger when James’s mother went into the grocery store. They committed many criminal acts against him. They sexually molested him, beat him with a 28 lb iron bar, and poured paint into his eyes. As James was hardly holding on to his life, the two boys placed his beaten body onto the train tracks. When a child does something like that, they are bound to be messed up for the rest of their lives. â€Å"The boys obviously knew what they were doing and that it was wrong because they tried covering their tracks by making up stories† (Courtney B. ). Only a severely disturbed child could do something like that so young. Scientists put together an experiment which compared the brain of a serial killer and a normal person using a CAT scan. The results showed that the serial killers brain was covered in black spots, while the normal persons brain only had two miniscule black spots. If a child’s brain is already that irregular, how can they recover from that? People are fighting to convince the courts that sentencing a child to die in prison violates the eighth amendment, for it is cruel and unusual. â€Å"In 1988, the Supreme Court ruled that no person under the age of sixteen may be executed for a crime. Twenty states with capital punishment laws consequently established sixteen as the minimum age for execution† (Daily Mail Reporter). â€Å"In 2005, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that sentencing juveniles to death is unconstitutional. The court ruled that life without parole for anything less than homicide was unconstitutional as well† (Daily Mail Reporter). The only catch is that the child can be tried and convicted to be considered an adult in the eyes of the court. That means that no matter their age, they can still be sentenced to death. But no matter what, a child is still a child. When it comes to life sentencing, those rules should apply to every person under the age of 18. 14-year-old Omer Ninham was sentenced to prison for life after he threw a child off of a parking ramp. He claimed it to be a cruel and unusual punishment. â€Å"The Supreme Court ruled that neither the state not the U. S. has any statue prohibiting life sentences without parole for 14-year-olds in homicide cases† (Daily Mail Reporter). When it comes to murder, most states will trial the child as an adult, especially if the crime was first-degree murder. But sometimes in special cases, it is moved into a juvenile court (Natalie Saar). I think that it should only be moved into a juvenile court for two reasons. One being if the child has any type of mental illness that can alter their brain capability, and two being if they are under a certain age. Age 10 for murder and sex crimes, and age 12 for other crimes such as burglary and theft† (Madii Sahli). In 2008, there were 73 child ren who were sentenced to die in prison for an offence that took place when they were only 13 or 14 years old. This includes a man named Phillip Shaw. Shaw was convicted when he was 14 for a robbery-shooting, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. When he was 28, a retrial won him his freedom after he had spent 14 years in adult prison. Each side, whether one believes in adult punishment for children or is against it, has their points. There has got to be balance between the two. How to handle children is very situational, and depends on a lot of different things such as their life history, home environment, influences, possible mental illnesses, and the simple mentality and moral level of the child. The U. S. is the only country in the world where children are sentenced to die in prison. Is that fair?