Christian Rock essays

Christian Rock essays Christian and rock are two words that usually do not accompany each other, my only question is why not? Can Christian music rock? A lot of people steer clear of todays contempary Christian hits because they hear the word Christian and decide that they do not want to drive around listening to the church hymns that their grandparents sing, however, that is not what todays Christian music is all about. In fact a lot of people are guilty of being Christian music fans without even realizing it. Recently gospel music has been breaking into the main stream, and big time Christian hits are being played on anything from the secular radio station to MTV. Bands like Switchfoot, Jars of Clay, Relient K, and Audio A are just a few examples of Christians that rock, their bands have chart topping hits and they, along with many other Christians that rock, will be playing in the Ichthus music festival this year. Along with Ichthus Christians also have their own version of the about everything from th e dance club, to a rave where they play all the most recent Christian music hits. Gospel music's mainstream conversion is a movement in progress. Momentum, however, is definitely building(Mitchell1) no one can deny that recently a lot of Christian music has been going mainstream. I have turned on the radio to secular stations numerous times and heard some of my favorite Christian bands. An example of the recent play would be switchfoot with their song called Meant to Live(Mitchell 1) the song has been topping the secular charts and is actually at the moment included in the top 100 videos at launch.yahoo.com and was in last Decembers top 10 modern rock chart. A lot of people do not realize that switchfoot is a Christian band, but indeed they are, and with the presentation of the facts in the above paragraph, it would be hard to deny that they rock. However switchfoot is just one example of a Christian band that is toppi...

Noble Gases Properties

Noble Gases Properties The right column of the periodic table contains seven elements known as the inert or noble gases. Learn about the properties of the noble gas group of elements. Key Takeaways: Noble Gas Properties The noble gases are group 18 on the periodic table, which is the column of elements on the right side of the table.There are seven noble gas elements: helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson.Noble gases are the least reactive chemical elements. They are nearly inert because the atoms have a full valence electron shell, with little tendency to accept or donate electrons to form chemical bonds. Location and List  of the Noble Gases  on the Periodic Table The noble gases, also known as the inert gases or rare gases, are located in Group VIII or International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) group 18 of the periodic table. This is the column of elements along the far right side of the periodic table.  This group is a subset of the nonmetals.  Collectively, the elements are also called the helium group or the neon group. The noble gases are: Helium (He)Neon  (Ne)Argon (Ar)Krypton (Kr)Xenon (Xe)Radon (Rn)Oganesson (Og) With the exception of oganesson, all of these elements are gases at ordinary temperature and pressure. There havent been enough atoms produced of oganesson to know its phase for certain, but most scientists predict it will be a liquid or solid. Both radon and oganesson consist only of radioactive isotopes. Noble Gas Properties The noble gases are relatively nonreactive. In fact, they are the least reactive elements on the periodic table.  This is because they have a complete valence shell. They have little tendency to gain or lose electrons. In 1898, Hugo Erdmann coined the phrase noble gas to reflect the low reactivity of these elements, in much the same way as the noble metals are less reactive than other metals.  The noble gases have high ionization energies and negligible electronegativities. The noble gases have low boiling points and are all gases at room temperature. Summary of Common Properties Fairly nonreactiveComplete outer electron or valence shell (oxidation number 0)High ionization energiesVery low electronegativitiesLow boiling points (all monatomic  gases at room temperature)No color, odor, or flavor under ordinary conditions (but may form colored liquids and solids)NonflammableAt low pressure, they will conduct electricity and fluoresce Uses of the Noble Gases The noble gases are used to form inert atmospheres, typically for arc welding, to protect specimens, and to deter chemical reactions. The elements are used in lamps, such as neon lights and krypton headlamps, and in lasers. Helium is used in balloons, for deep-sea diving air tanks,  and to cool superconducting magnets. Misconceptions About the Noble Gases Although the noble gases have been called the rare gases, they arent particularly uncommon on Earth or in the universe. In fact, argon is the 3rd or 4th most abundant gas in the atmosphere  (1.3 percent by mass or 0.94 percent by volume), while neon, krypton, helium, and xenon are notable trace elements.​ For a long time, many people believed the noble gases to be completely nonreactive and unable to form chemical compounds. Although these elements dont form compounds readily, examples of molecules containing xenon, krypton, and radon have been found. At high pressure, even helium, neon, and argon participate in chemical reactions. Sources of the Noble Gases Neon, argon, krypton, and xenon all are found in air and are obtained by liquefying it and performing fractional distillation. The major source of helium is from the  cryogenic separation of natural gas. Radon, a radioactive noble gas, is produced from the  radioactive decay of heavier elements, including radium, thorium, and uranium. Element 118 is a man-made radioactive element, produced by striking a target with accelerated particles. In the future, extraterrestrial sources of noble gases may be found. Helium, in particular, is more abundant on larger planets than it is on Earth. Sources Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford:Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4.Lehmann, J (2002). The Chemistry of Krypton. Coordination Chemistry Reviews. 233–234: 1–39. doi:10.1016/S0010-8545(02)00202-3Ozima, Minoru; Podosek, Frank A. (2002). Noble Gas Geochemistry. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-80366-7.Partington, J. R. (1957). Discovery of Radon. Nature. 179 (4566): 912. doi:10.1038/179912a0Renouf, Edward (1901). Noble gases. Science. 13 (320): 268–270.

Apology by Plato Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apology by Plato - Essay Example However, their works are written during the years witnesses of this trial were still alive, so it is likely Plato was trying to give a fairly accurate picture of what had happen during the trial. Historians are still puzzled by the reasons Socrates was executed. Athens, the city philosopher lived at the time, enjoyed many liberties, the freedom of speech and democracy, and was favoring wise man and philosophers. Socrates was often outspoken of his critiques on the society and governance of that time. He was often found speaking in the market squares and workshops, where he would discuss moral issues and views that were in odds with his set of values – thus was putting himself in odds with other people. He developed his own set of views which he was following regardless of the circumstances. He dared to refuse follow the orders of bringing a man to a trial, however, he did nothing to change the order – he simply went home. Some of his teachings appeared antidemocratic, e .g. he was speaking against a right of any free citizen to speak in Athenian assembly. He was a famous educator of the young people, however he was doing it free of charge, and he was very poor himself. Being so outspoken, finally he was officially charged with "refusing to do reverence to the gods recognized by the â€Å", and also of corrupting youth. However, the real reasons, most likely, were political – he was very vocal with his critics. In modern times, Socrates’ death has generally been seen in two ways: as the conflict of the individual with the state and as the downfall of rational, talkative man. (Wilson, 2007, p.192) The whole trial and conviction is a sample of ethnocentrism. Society at large, or, better yet, the influential people of Athens, had certain views they were comfortable with and, therefore, considered them being right one. Socrates’ views came into opposition with this mainstream opinion. He was stigmatized, and then punished for being so different. His death had to give Athenians sense of being right, and him – being a criminal and the one, worth of punishment. So his views, measured against the mainstream society’s opinions did not stand the ground. And, as it is often done, those who speak differently are often reprimanded, persecuted and punished. It is not the same as in the case with someone being a real criminal. Even though there is no clear evidence of either Socrates’ guilt or innocence, according to him, he did not do anything that would merit such severe punishment as death. To the contrary, he was trying to serve his fellow citizens to his own hurt. He did not have any gain from his services; to the contrary, he was very poor, which was documented by several historians. He often neglected his family to be of the service to his students. So the outcome of his trial is a clear and extreme example of ethnocentrism. â€Å"Silencing dissent in times of conflict results from equating criticism of society with disloyalty†, as Joel M. Charon put wisely in â€Å"Ten Questions†. This is exactly what was happening. Socrates’ prosecutors had to have justification for their action – they wanted to rid themselves of the man they could not stand any longer. So they had to fabricate accusations – which Socrates answered in the â€Å"Apology†, and refuted as being false and inconsistent. However, it seems that Socrates himself took this trial as a

Primark Strategic Analyses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Primark Strategic Analyses - Assignment Example Primark was first established in 1969 in Ireland as Penneys, and is currently operating a total of 154 stores in the UK, Spain and Ireland. Primark has become a leading player in the UK fashion industry, showing huge growth while other players were finding it hard to maintain their income stream, with some even closing the doors of some unprofitable stores. The latest company results showed a increase of 30% in annual profits, with sales 17% up reaching the 1 billion. With great successes with some of its fashions such as its rage of military jackets, with more than 250 thousand sales up to date. With the UK fashion market becoming stagnant and consumers having less money to spend due to increasing interest rates, high house prizes and rising utility cost. Primark is offering high fashion and low prices to bargain hunting consumers. Yet Primark does not only provide consumers with low cost fashion, it has developed the ability to quickly turning out designs inspired by the catwalk and red carpet. Giving its consumers access to generic fashions developed from high label brands. This strategy seem This strategy seems to not only be paying of in the UK, but also in Spain and Ireland. Primark opened its second shop in Spain on the 20th of September, and planning to open an additional 15 stores by the March 2007, expanding its business internationally. Currently they are employing over 18,400 people, which will increase to over 24000 by end of 2007. Analyses and Evaluation In order to analyse and evaluate Primark's position within the fashion market, we need to look at internal and external factors influencing its operations. Maybe the most basic, but effective tool that can be used is the SWOT analyses. This will give us a very good indication of Primark's current success as a fashion retailer. The strength and weakness part of the model look at the internal factors of an organization, and the opportunities and threats analyse the external factors that effects the companies ability to function successfully within a market. Internal Factors Strengths From the Primark website it is possible to derive some of its strengths such as: Full range of high quality, low priced fashion merchandise Generic fashion products reflecting high fashion world trends Established customer base Localised recruiting practices within international organisation Computerised Custom Clearance System Dedicated warehouse and distribution service From the above derived from Primarks website it is possible to see why this organization have the ability to undercut its competitors in the UK fashion industry. By manufacturing their merchandise in countries such as China and India with low labour costs, and then importing the goods via a very effective custom clearance system, and distributing it via a very efficient distribution system, gives them the ability to price their competitors out of the market. With a six week period from design to shop, they have the ability

School education Essay Example for Free

School education Essay I. Problem/Needs a. San Nicolas Elementary School (s. y. 2013-2014) has 765 enrollees, 43 teachers, non-teaching, staffs, personnel, including its maintenance. Previous school years, survey through interview shows that the school has no canteen. What they did was a classroom canteen wherein teachers allow outside vendors to sell foods, snacks in each classroom during break time. This practice made wrong impact and its advantages to the entire school campus. Instead of 30 minutes break time, survey shows they have 45 minutes and lessons are affected. b. Outside vendors are not known by the pupils and teachers. They just offer their cooked foods to students without knowing or not sure with the safetiness of what they are going to take in. They don’t know how and who made the foods. Other parents also go inside the school to give snacks to eat to their children during recess time which make break time longer. School staffs observed this situation and they made a decision to really have canteen as soon as possible. c. During the first meeting of the school year 2013-2014, the PTA meeting tackled the topic about school canteen, they should have it. As a situation to the need of the school, the principal set another meeting to meet interested parents who wants to manage the canteen. As a result, school pupils, teachers and other personnel now have their break time properly. Manager of the canteen improved the school canteen, and prepared it for the new canteen. Now, San Nicolas Elementary School is nearly for safer, healthier and more convenient canteen for everyone. II. Statement of Vision, Mission and Values Vision: The school will provide a good source of foods for the pupils, teachers and parents of the school. Healthy foods, price of foods will surely be right for everyone. Mission: The school will have a canteen on its own, managed by the school itself or any representatives from the PTA member. Foods will surely be healthy and nutritious. Kind of foods to sold will be strictly monitored to sure the safetiness of all the entire school. Values: Having a school canteen will promote orderly and organized school especially on break time. Everyone in school should support its canteen that could help in the progress and improvement of the entire school. III. Marketing plan a. Research and Analysis: It is more than two years when San Nicolas Elementary School has no canteen. Former managements of school canteen believed that their services and foods offer are not satisfying. It was observed by our interviews that students and teachers would more like to go out or buy outside their snacks during break time. In addition to that, price of the previous canteen are not affordable by the students. PTA meeting was conducted and during the said meeting, the principal announced that all parents who are interested to manage the school canteen this school year 2013-2014 is free to pass bid form containing rental which is the highest offer as a rental of the school will have the opportunity to handle the canteen. The form also contains the expected menus, foods offered and its prices. The monthly rental of the school canteen will be an income of the school which will be used for school improvements at the end of the school year. This move of the school as a solution of the problem believes that it will turn to an advantage of the entire school. Students and teachers will be comfortable to spend their break time inside the canteen, safetiness and healthy foods will be as sure. Accidents will be impossible because students will no longer go out to nearby stores to buy foods and also monthly income of the school will be at stake. b. Marketing Strategies: Students will be the first customer of the canteen, so offers will be for students at most. Foods will be based on the taste of the consumers so as by the teachers also. Foods will be simple snacks so that prices will also be affordable and reasonable especially for ordinary students. Prices will be strictly monitored. Special promos or simple promo will also be given. Simple promo like free juice or offering discounted prices on sets of snack items. Like: 1 special miki regular price is Php 15. 00 with boiled egg on toppings plus 1 refresh juice is at Php 6. 00= student will pay only Php 20. 00| Foods or snacks will be changeable, based on what is saleable to consumers. IV. Production Plan Quantity| Unit| Supplies| 533050102550301010| KilosKilosPcs. SticksBoxesPcs. Pcs. SticksBagsBags| PancitMikiBoiled eggBarbecueAsstd. Fruit drinksSandwichesShanghaiBanana cueAsstd. BiscuitsAsstd. cupcakes|

Africa Essay -- essays research papers

Africa’s Resistance to the Portuguese The African history has been affected tremendously due to the influence of some European countries. Portugal, who probably had the greatest impact on the continent, was not shy in invading what they thought to be profitable circumstances. One of these areas that they profited from was the kingdom of Kongo. Kongo was a major Bantu-speaking kingdom astride the Congo River in west-central Africa, probably founded in the 14th century. It was governed by a king, the manikongo, whose economic power was based upon trade in ivory, hides, slaves, and a shell currency of western Africa. Within a few years after the Portuguese first encountered the kingdom in 1484, the sixth manikongo, Nzinga Mbemba, later Alfonso 1, converted to Christianity and extended di...

Fundemental Rights of India Essay

The Fundamental Rights in Indian constitution acts as a guarantee that all Indian citizens can and will live their lifes in peace as long as they live in Indian democracy. They include individual rigts common to most liberal democracies, such as equality before the law, freddom of speech and expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, freedom of religion, and the right to constitutional remedies for the protection of civil right. Originally, the right to property was also included in the Fundamental Rights, however, the Forty-Fourth Amendment, passed in 1978, revised the status of property rights by stating that â€Å"No person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law.† Following are the Fudamental Rights in India Right to Equality | * Article 14 :- Equality before law and equal protection of law * Article 15 :- Prohibition of discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. * Article 16 :- Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment * Article 17 :- End of untouchability * Article 18 :- Abolition of titles, Military and academic distinctions are, however, exempted| Right to Freedom | * Article 19 :- It guarantees the citizens of India the following six fundamentals freedoms:- 1. Freedom of Speech and Expression 2. Freedom of Assembly 3. Freedom of form Associations 4. Freedom of Movement 5. Freedom of Residence and Settlement 6. Freedom of Profession, Occupation, Trade and Bussiness * Article 20 :- Protection in respect of conviction for offences * Article 21 :- Protection of life and personal liberty * Article 22 :- Protection against arrest and detention in certain cases | Right Against Exploitation | * Article 23 :- Traffic in human beings prohibited * Article 24 :- No child below the age of 14 can be employed | Right to freedom of Religion | * Article 25 :- Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion * Article 26 :- Freedom to manage religious affairs * Article 27 :- Prohibits taxes on religious grounds * Article 28 :- Freedom as to attendance at religious ceremonies in certain educational institutions | Cultural and Educational Rights | * Article 29 :- Protection of interests of minorities * Article 30 :- Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions * Article 31 :- Omitted by the  44th Amendment Act | Right to Constitutional Remedies | * Article 32 :- The right to move the Supreme Court in case of their violation (called Soul and heart of the Constitution by BR Ambedkar) * Forms of Writ check * Habeas Corpus :- Equality before law and equal protection of law | Fundamental Right 1. Part-III, containing articles from 12 to 35 deal with Fundamental Rights. 2. The Fundamental Rights can be enforceable by a court against the State. 3. These are primarily aim at assuring political freedom to the citizens by protecting them against the excessive State action. 4. The Fundamental Rights are given a pride of place by the Constitution makers. 5. The chapter of Fundamental Rights is sacrosanct and not liable to be abridged by legislative or executive act or orders, except to the extent provided in appropriate Article in Part III. 6. Grover Justice Supreme Court said: â€Å"where as the fundamental rights lay down the means by which that goal was to be achieved.† 7. Fundamental rights occupy a unique place in the lives of civilized society and have been variously described in judgment of the Supreme Court as â€Å"transcendental†, â€Å"inalienable† and â€Å"personal†. 8. There are negative in character. The State is asked not to do certain things for the people. Directive Principles of State Policy 1. Part –IV, containing Articles from 36 to 50, deal with Directive Principle of State Policy. 2. The Directive Principles of State Policy can not be enforceable by any Court. 3. These are aimed at securing welfare, social and economic freedoms by appropriate State action. 4. The Directive Principles are given a place of permanence by the Constitution makers. 5. The Directive Principles of State policies have to confirm and to run as subsidiary to the Chapter of Fundamental Rights. 6. Grover Justice Supreme Court said: â€Å"Directive Principles prescribe the goal to be attained.† 7. The Supreme Court described the Directive Principles of State policy as â€Å"Conscience of our Constitution†. 8. These are positive in character. The State is directed to take certain positive steps for the welfare and advancement of the people. Directive Principles Of State Policy The Constitution lays down certain Directive Principles of State Policy which  though not justiceable, are ‘fundamental in governance of the country’ and it is the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws. These lay down that the State shall strive to promote welfare of people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice – social, economic and political, shall inform all institutions of national life. The State shall direct its policy in such a manner as to secure the right of all men and women to an adequate means of livelihood, equal pay for equal work and within limits of its economic capacity and development, to make effective provision for securing the right to work, education and to public assistance in the event of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement or other cases of undeserved want. The State shall also endeavour to secure to workers a living wage, humane conditions of work, a decent standard of life and full involvement of workers in management of industries. In the economic sphere, the State is to direct its policy in such a manner as to secure distribution of ownership and control of material resources of community to subserve the common good and to ensure that operation of economic system does not result in concentration of wealth and means of production of common detriment. (1) Equitable distribution of wealth or the socialist pattern of society and equal pay for equal work for both men and women. (2) Provision of adequate means of livelihood to all its citizens, men and women. (3) Provision of employment to all. (4) Free and compulsory education for children. (5) Living wage for workers. (6) Protection of childhood and youth against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment. (7) Organization of village panchayats as units of self-government (Article 40). (8) Prohibition of the consumption except for medical purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs injurious to health. (9) Organization of agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines. (10) Promotion of international peace and security and maintenance of just and honourable relations between the nations of the world. THE DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF STATE Policy in the Constitution of India have been inspired by the Constitution of Ireland. It contains ideals of a Welfare State. The Directive Principles are  contained in Part-IV of the Constitution. RIGHT TO WORK IN THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION Article 41 in Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy) in the Constitution of India reads, â€Å"The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want.† The custodian of Fundamental Rights is the Supreme Court of India. The differences between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles are: Fundamental Rights * Fundamental Rights are justiciable * Indian Constitution mentions some of the most important rights of the citizens called fundamental rights. * These rights are necessary if citizens are to act properly and live democratically. * These rights are fundamental in legal sense. If Government passes any law which restricts them, then those laws would be invalid. * The Constitution guarantees us six fundamental rights. * Fundamental rights concern the individual. Directive Principals * Directive Principles of State policy are not justiciable. The provision of Directive Principles thus can not be enforced in court of law. * These are actually directions given by the Constitution of the State to adopt policies which would help to establish a just society in our country. * The aim of these instructions is to create proper economic and social conditions in which citizens of our country can lead a good life. * Directive principles concern State.

Market Analysis

Market Analysis Bubble tea is specialist drink increasingly being offered in cafes, coffees shops and bars. It originates from Asia and is made up  of hot or cold tea, milk,  sugar and giant black  tapioca balls. Ice is then added and the drink shaken to create the bubble effect. Bubbletea is often referred to as pearl shake, tapioca ball drink; boba ice tea and bubble drink  among other things. Owing to their influences, bubble tea  cafes are often Asian-themed in decor and may alsosell Asian snacks and food.They are often situated in fashionable areas of cities,  populated by urban professionals with high disposable incomes and an interest inalternative eating and drinking venues. Bubble tea is a tea beverage that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. The term â€Å"bubble†refers to the tapioca balls in the drink. These chewy tapioca balls, or â€Å"pearls,†Ã‚  areconsumed along with the beverage through a wide straw. Bubble tea is especially popular  in ma ny East Asian and Southeast Asian regions such as Taiwan, Brunei, China(including Hong Kong and Macau), Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea,Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and  Australia.Bubble tea is a mixture of iced or hot sweetened tea, milk, and often other flavorings. Thedistinctive characteristics of bubble tea are the black gummy balls made of tapioca (or,more commonly in East Asia, yam starch), called â€Å"pearls† or â€Å"boba† or balls that sit at the  bottom of the cup. The pearls are larger than those found in tapioca pudding, with adiameter of at least 6 millimeters, but smaller ones are occasionally used. They aregenerally translucent brown with a darker brown center, although pearls of other colors or  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœjelly cubes' have also recently become available.The original bubble tea consisted of a hot Taiwanese black tea, tapioca pearls, condensedmilk, and honey. As this drink became more popular, variations were created. Initiallyiced v ersions with a hint of peach or plum flavoring began to appear, and then more fruitflavors were added until, in some  variations, the tea was removed entirely in favor of  realfruits. Today you can find shops entirely devoted  to bubble tea, similar to bubble teacafes of the early 1990s. They usually contain colored pearls that are chosen  to matchwhatever fruit juice is used, in addition to  brightly colored oversize straws for sucking upthe pearls.Bubble tea is generally split into two types: fruit-flavored teas, and milk teas. Milk teasmay use dairy or non-dairy creamers. The mixtures that make up  bubble tea vary. Several examples of flavors are strawberry,  passion fruit, mango, chocolate, and coconut, and may be added in the form of powder,fruit juice, pulp, or syrup to hot black or green tea, which is shaken in a cocktail shaker or  mixed in a blender  with ice until chilled. The mixture is usually combined with milk  andcooked tapioca pearls.Bubble tea ba rs often serve bubble tea using a machine to seal the top of the cup with  plastic cellophane. This allows the tea to be shaken in the serving cup. The cellophane isthen pierced with a straw. Other  cafes use plastic dome-shaped lids. Even fruit slushiesand smoothies can have boba added to the drinks. These tapioca pearls are made mostly of tapioca starch, which comes from the tapioca, or  Ã‚  bitter-cassava plant. In other parts of the world, the  bitter-cassava plant may be calledmanioca or yuca. Cassava is native to South America, and was introduced to Asia in the1800s.The balls are prepared  by boiling for 25 minutes, until they are cooked thoroughly  but have not lost pliancy, and then cooled for 25 minutes. After cooking they last about 7hours. The pearls have  little taste, and are usually soaked in sugar or honey solutions. There are two shops that claim to be the first creator of Bubble Tea. One is Liu Han Chiewho worked in Chun Shui Tang teahouse Taichung Cit y, Taiwan in the early 1980s, andexperimented with cold milk tea by  adding fruit, syrup, candied yams, and tapioca  balls. Although the drink was not popular at first, a Japanese television show generated  interestamong businessmen.The drink became well-known in most parts of East and SoutheastAsia during the 1990s. An alternative origin is the Hanlin Teahouse  in Tainan City, Taiwan, owned by Tu  TsongHe Hanlin Bubble tea is made by adding traditional white fenyuan which have anappearance of pearls, supposedly resulting in the  so-called â€Å"pearl tea. † Shortly after,Hanlin changed the white fenyuan to the black, as it is today. In the late 1990s, bubble tea began to gain popularity in the major North American citieswith large Asian populations, especially those on the  West Coast and East Coast and inTexas.The trend in the  United States started by Lollicup in the city of San  Gabriel,California and quickly spread throughout Southern California. The be verage has receivedmuch attention from mainstream American media, including  covers on National PublicRadio show Morning Edition and  the Los Angeles Times. Bubble tea  has spreadinternationally through Chinatowns and other overseas Asian communities. In the U. S. , major chains such as Boba Bee in Chicago are expanding into suburbanareas, particularly those with large Asian populations. Bubble tea  can also be found inmajor European cities such as London  and Paris.Bubble tea is also gaining  in popularityin Canada, particularly in and around  the cities of Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto,Ontario; and Montreal, Quebec where there are large Asian-Canadian communities. It isalso gaining popularity in Australia, especially in Sydney, Brisbane and  Melbournewhere there are also high concentrations of Asian immigrants and descendants. Capital Bubble Tea Cafe's focus is on meeting the demand of a regular local residentcustomer base, as well as a  significant level of tourist traffic from nearby highwaysMarket Segmentation Customers are likely to be: * Young professionals may consider bubble tea a  novelty and luxury alternative tothe commuter, lunchtime or after-work coffee. * Although it contains sugar, bubble tea  is a much healthier alternative tocarbonated fizzy drinks and may therefore appeal to health conscious consumers. * It is popular for people to hold meetings such as craft circles and book groups inlocal cafes and coffee shops and a bubble tea cafe could appeal as an unusualalternative. Due to its fairly new status, bubble tea has a certain novelty value that mightappeal to people looking  to try different tastes and flavors. * Office workers looking for a quick snack and drink or a relaxing meeting place. Travelers will be attracted to bubble tea  cafes situated at transport locations suchas railway stations or airports; these can provide a useful way of relaxing beforeor during journeys. Increasingly bubble tea cafes or outlets are being located attransport terminals servicing clients throughout journeys, even short distance commutes.Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  will focus on two different market segments: Commuters andCaptive Consumers. Commuters are defined as any one  or more individuals in a motorized vehicle  travelingfrom point â€Å"A† to point â€Å"B. †Ã‚  Capital Bubble Tea Cafe greatest concentration  will be oncommuters heading to or from work, or those out on their lunch break. Captive Consumers would include those who are tethered to a campus environment, or ina restricted entry environment that does not allow free movement to and from.Examples would include high school and college campuses, where  there is limited time  between classes, and corporate campuses  where the same time constraints are involved,  but regarding meetings and project deadlines, and special events; such as  carnivals, fairsor festivals–where there is an admission price to ente r the  gate, but exiting would meananother admission fee, or where refreshments are an  integral part of the festivities. Capital Bubble Tea Cafe focuses on the middle and upper-income markets. These marketsegments consume the majority of bubble tea. Local ResidentsCapital Bubble Tea Cafe  wants to establish a large regular customer base. This willestablish a healthy, consistent revenue base to  ensure stability of the business. Tourists Tourist traffic comprises approximately 35% of the revenues. High visibility andcompetitive products and service are critical to  capture this segment of the market. Target Market Segment Strategy The dominant target market for Capital Bubble Tea Cafe is a regular  stream of localresidents. Personal and expedient customer service at  a competitive price is key tomaintaining the local market share of this target market.Market Needs Because Capital City has a warm  climate for eight months out of the year, bubble  tea  products are very much in demand. During the remaining four months of the year,  warmdrinks are in significantly higher demand, along with a slower but consistent demand for  Ã‚  bakery products. Much of the  day's activity occurs at lunchtime, with a relatively steadyflow for the remainder of the day. Service Business Analysis The retail bubble tea industry in the  U. S. has recently experienced rapid growth. Theclimate in Capital City stimulates consumption of cold beverages throughout the year.Bubble tea drinkers in the U. S. are finicky about the quality of beverages  offered at thenumerous cafes across the region. Despite low competition in the immediate area, Capital Bubble Tea Cafe will positionitself as a place where customers can  enjoy a cup of delicious bubble  tea with a fresh  pastry in a relaxing environment. Competition and Buying Patterns Competition in the local area is somewhat  sparse and does not provide nearly the  level of  Ã‚  product quality and cus tomer service as Capital Bubble Tea Cafe. Local customers arelooking for a high quality product in a relaxing atmosphere.They desire a  unique, classyexperience. In addition to sales through company operated retail stores, leading competitors selldrinks through other channels of distribution (specialty operations). Larger chains varytheir product mix depending upon the size of each store and its location. Larger stores carry a broad selection of drinks in  various sizes and types of packaging, aswell as accessories such as storage containers, travel tumblers and  mugs. Smaller storesand kiosks typically sell a limited line of drinks and,  maybe, a few accessories such astravel tumblers and logo mugs.Technologically savvy competitors make fresh bubble tea and bubble tea-related productsconveniently available via mail order and  online. Additionally, a few larger competitorshave made mail order catalogs offering bubble tea, certain food items, and select bubbletea-making equ ipment and accessories, available. Websites offering online stores that allow customers to browse for and purchase  bubbletea, gifts, and other items via the Internet have become more commonplace as well Strategy and Implementation Bubble tea cafes shops are heavily reliant on impulse buying and passing trade.Thereforethey will benefit from a strong image that is attractive to  clearly identifiable types of  customer. They are at the forefront of ‘lifestyle’ branding and as such  reflect the changes in theUS’s demographic make-up. Issues to consider when developing a bubble tea cafes client base include: * Visibility – location will be vital. However, high street sites may be difficult toobtain due to high rent  and intense competition, particularly from major chains. * Ease of access – other locations to consider includes those close to transport, e. g. near railway and bus stations. Shop design – bubble tea cafes usually cater for both the leisure and takeawaymarket by having separate areas, e. g. a lounge area and a walk-in area. Manychains have been modeled on specific themes such as Asian style. However, anindependent bubble tea cafe  may need to differentiate itself from the large chains. Advertising in a variety of local publications will increase knowledge  of your  Ã‚  bubble tea cafe and  a favorable review in the local  media will increase interest. Consideration should be given to additional activities that may attract custom.For  example displaying art works of local artists or students may bring in customers. Live music could increase interest or hosting ‘reading  group’ meetings (anincreasingly popular leisure activity) could bring in additional and regular custom. * Promotional offers – most bubble tea cafes attract younger customers, therefore  promoting the business to older age groups may be worthwhile or offering dealssuch as ‘bubble tea and†¦ ’ deals. * Good quality food and drink will be  an essential element as the market is highly competitive. If other drinks are served this could be  promoted along with any other unusual elements of the business. * Word of mouth recommendation will also be  important therefore it is important that you offer good customer service and  staff are aware of this requirement. Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  will succeed by offering consumer’s high quality bubble tea, as well as bakery products with personal service at  a competitive price. Competitive Edge Capital Bubble Tea Cafe's competitive edge  is the relatively low level of competition in the local area in this particular niche.Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  will involve the customers in community support efforts byexplaining that a portion of their purchase price will be donated to a charity of their  choosing. In so doing, Capital Bubble Tea Cafe has: * Provided a customer with a quality product  at a competiti ve price. * Provided the customer with a more convenient method for obtaining their desired  product. * Demonstrated how Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  appreciates their loyalty and  patronage by donating money to their personal cause. Marketing Strategy CapitalBubble Tea Cafe  will be implementing a low cost advertising/promotioncampaign which could involve drive-time radio, but not much more. Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  will rely on building relationships with schools, charities and corporations to provide significant free publicity because of its community support  program. By giving charitable contributions to these institutions, they will get the word out to their students/faculty/employees/partners about Capital Bubble Tea Cafe. Word of mouth has always proven  to be the greatest advertising program a company can instill.In addition, the media will be more than willing to promote the charitable aspectsof Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  and provide the opportunity for more expo sure  every timeCapital Bubble Tea Cafe writes a check to another organization. Pricing StrategyCapital Bubble Tea Cafe  pricing will be comparable to the competition, but with thevalue-added feature of immediate convenience. Promotion StrategyThe long-range goal is to  gain enough visibility to leverage the product  line into other  regions and generate inquiries from potential inventors.To  do that, Capital Bubble TeaCafe needs: * Public relations services at $1,000 per month  for the next year intended togenerate awareness of editors and product  information insertions, reviews, etc. Itis anticipated that the school fundraising program will generate a fair amount of  Ã‚  publicity on its own and will, perhaps, minimize–or even  eliminate–the need for  a publicist. * Advertising at $1,000 per month concentrating on drive time radio. CapitalBubble Tea Cafe will experiment with different stations, keeping  careful track of  results.As with the school fundraising program, Capital Bubble Tea  Cafe expects the facilities and signage to be a  substantial portion of our advertising. However,in the start-up phase, Capital Bubble Tea Cafe needs to let people know where tolook for the facilities. Marketing ProgramsDistinctive Logo:Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  wants to touch every customer every day. That  is why the use of  the term â€Å"Come Again† with a  smiling logo lends itself to being the corporate identifier. Distinctive Buildings:Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  has worked closely with the manufacturer to make  the buildingdistinctive, so that it is easy to recognize, and  functional.Advertising and Promotion:In the first year, Capital Bubble Tea Cafe plans to spend $20,000 on advertising and  promotion, with the program beginning in **. This would not be considered a seriousadvertising budget for any business, but Capital Bubble Tea Cafe feels the exposure willcome from publicity and promotion, so most of  the funds will be spent on a  good  publicist who will get the word out  about the charitable contribution program and  how itworks in conjunction with the website.Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  also believes that word-of-mouth advertising and free beveragecoupons will be better ways to drive  people to the first and second  locations. In the second year, Capital Bubble Tea Cafe is increasing the budget to $40,000, since itwill need to promote several locations, with particular emphasis on announcing theseopenings and all the other locations. Capital Bubble Tea Cafe will continue to use  publicity as a key component of the marketing program.In the third year, Capital Bubble Tea Cafe will increase its advertising and promotion  budget to $80,000,  with the majority of the advertising budget being  spent on drive timeradio. Sales StrategyThere will be several sales strategies put into place,  including posting specials on high-  profit items at the window. Th e staff will also hand  out free drink coupons to those whohave purchased a certain number of cups or something similar.Capital Bubble Tea Cafe  will also develop window sales techniques such as  the staff  asking if the customer would like a  fresh-baked item with their bubble tea. Sales Programs * Corporate Tasting Events – Capital Bubble Tea  Cafe plans to host tasting eventsfor customers on a quarterly basis. Each quarter, at the  introduction of eachseason, Capital Bubble Tea Cafe will be adjusting its menu to reflect the changesin the flavors served. * Drink Coupons – At fundraising events for schools and  corporate events, we will  be giving away drink coupons as door prizes or awards.This encourages the  person to come in for their free beverage and bring a friend or buy a baked item or  a package of our bubble teas. * Chamber of Commerce and Professional Memberships – Because  of the need tosell our services, Capital Bubble Tea C afe  will be an active participant in the Regional Chamber, local Chambers of Commerce,  Foodservice Associations, and Specialty Beverage Associations. The exposure and education that these organizations provide is outstanding, but equally important are the  contacts and opportunities made available

Understanding Uniform Probability

Understanding Uniform Probability A discrete uniform probability distribution is one in which all elementary events in the sample space have an equal opportunity of occurring. As a result, for a finite sample space of size n, the probability of an elementary event occurring is 1/n. Uniform distributions are very common for initial studies of probability. The histogram of this distribution will look rectangular in shape. Examples One well-known example of a uniform probability distribution is found when rolling a standard die. If we assume that the die is fair, then each of the sides numbered one through six has an equal probability of being rolled. There are six possibilities, and so the probability that a two is rolled is 1/6. Likewise, the probability that a three is rolled is also 1/6. Another common example is a fair coin. Each side of the coin, heads or tails, has an equal probability of landing up. Thus the probability of a head is 1/2, and the probability of a tail is also 1/2. If we remove the assumption that the dice we are working with are fair, then the probability distribution is no longer uniform. A loaded die favors one number over the others, and so it would be more likely to show this number than the other five. If there is any question, repeated experiments would help us to determine if the dice we are using are really fair and if we can assume uniformity. Assumption of Uniform Many times, for real-world scenarios, it is practical to assume that we are working with a uniform distribution, even though that may not actually be the case. We should exercise caution when doing this. Such an assumption should be verified by some empirical evidence, and we should clearly state that we are making an assumption of a uniform distribution. For a prime example of this, consider birthdays. Studies have shown that birthdays are not spread uniformly throughout the year. Due to a variety of factors, some dates have more people born on them than others. However, the differences in popularity of birthdays are negligible enough that for most applications, such as the birthday problem, it is safe to assume that all birthdays (with the exception of leap day) are equally likely to occur.

WRITING FOR SMALL INDIE PUBLISHERS

WRITING FOR SMALL INDIE PUBLISHERS Between the behemoth Big Six and the self-publishing path is a plethora of other markets seeking quality fiction. Some small indie publishers have even seen their authors rise to the top of the New York Times, USA Today, and Kindle bestseller lists, with books available in bookstores nationwide. Yet chatter in the industry rarely discusses theses successes. These smaller, independent publishers produce a wide range of genres from nonfiction to science fiction to erotica. Many publish only in electronic format, but many also produce paperback, hardback, and audiobook versions. They tend to have less restrictive contracts, higher royalties, and are more willing to take cross-genre, experimental or hard to define works. They offer professional editing, cover art, and many even provide regular promotion or easy access to promotional outlets for their authors. Advantages of Small Presses: While they usually cater to a niche market, small presses often allow a great deal of freedom within that market. Also, indie niche markets are often ones the bigger publishers don’t focus on at all due to smaller readership. So if you have a difficult to categorize book that combines urban fantasy, speculative fiction and erotica, for example, a smaller publisher might snap it up. Many small presses pay royalties monthly, so you get your money more quickly and more regularly than you might from a publisher following a traditional model. Most pay royalties from 30% to 50% on e-book sales- considerably higher than the Big Six publishers offer. Disadvantages: Most small Indies don’t pay advances. Those that do generally offer very small ones- a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand. However, this is often offset These presses are small. In many cases, youll be looking at selling hundreds of copies rather than thousands. But in most cases your book will take off more quickly than if you self publish, because a small press has a built-in group of loyal readers who will buy anything the company publishes. Breaking In: As with any publisher, lead with your best work. Indie pubs are not in the business of buying that early piece thats been rejected Follow submission guidelines. These can include genre, word count, formatting, whether or not simultaneous submissions are allowed, and sometimes, specific requirements within the genre. Again, I see many submissions where the author obviously didnt take to time to read the guidelines and has sent material that doesnt fit the publishers needs. Some Small Press Markets: Samhain Publishing Romance, urban fantasy, horror, retro romance Eggplant Literary Productions Speculative fiction Etopia Press Urban fantasy, science fiction, fantasy, horror, literary fiction Musa Publishing A variety of genres including speculative fiction, romance, historical, mystery and young adult Noble Romance Various romance subgenres Changeling Press Erotica

MA INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MA INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Essay Example It focuses on studies of conditions pre and post 2003 war. This study will focus on human rights violations and its impact on the international relations of Iraq with various countries. International Relations which has developed as a branch of Political Science and it studies foreign affairs of states and relations among states within the international system. In the present scenario the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs) have become very important to determine the International Relations among states. These cover various issues of politics, economics, security and peace and human rights. To formulate any foreign policy all these issues are being analysed and concerned. The diverse range of issues covered in International Relations studies range from globalisation to cultural studies, cross cultural impacts, ecology, nuclear issues terrorism and human security to human rights. One of the approaches of international relations is Inter-statist approach where in State is divided into two separate domains of internatl and external(international) domains. International norms along with human rights comes under the External domain. Understanding of international domain depands in agreeing on various issues and rules. Human rights in Iraq have been one of the concerns of international communities from the past. Human rights have been reported to be violated reign of Saddam Hussein and even after Gulf war in 1991. In Saddam’s period Government had repressed anyone who opposed or questioned any decision. Government had control over major industries and oil production. The human rights violations included Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life, disappearance of people after military occupations, Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Arbitrary Arrest,