International Marketing Essays (2486 words) - Business, Marketing

International Marketing Measuring a potential business venture has many aspects which the international manager must be aware of in order to convey the correct information back to the decision makers. Being ignorant to any of the aspects can lead to a false representation of the project, and hence an uninformed decision being passed. In order for a business to survive it must grow. For growth to be optimal, management must first be able to identify the most attractive prospective leads. The country as a whole, specifically geography, government, and financial aspects must be looked at in order to yield the best possible picture of the market a company wishes to enter. Concentration should be placed on gathering reliable facts that are backed up by more than one source. It is to be hoped that after creating a picture of the market, management's analysis of the potential business venture and plan of action will be structured as to avoid losses and to find the most profitable scenarios. The success of the multinational corporation lies on the shoulders of it's management. International management and organization-design expert Henry Mintzenberg says every CEO has three essential duties: direct supervision, development of the organization's strategy, and management of the organization's boundary conditions. Top management's responsibility at and beyond the organization's boundaries is largely a communication responsibility; however, no commonly accepted model exists for decision, execution, and assessment of communication opportunities. Within even some of the largest and most venerable organizations, the process used is haphazard and inconsistent. The Wyatt Company's survey of communications professionals showed that just 58.1 percent agreed that their organization's communication objectives are linked to business objectives, and 83.3 percent reported that their organizations conduct no formal review of return on communications investment. CEOs must establish and reinforce an organization's image in public by viewing each target public as a client; by doing research, looking at trends, and talking to experts, a CEO focuses on selling what the client wants to buy.1 Finding a country to conduct business in can be a very easy task depending on if the organization's top management follows the advice of Mr. Mintzenberg. The way a company normally discovers where to conduct research is through leads on potential operations from outside sources. The selection of which leads to investigate becomes the difficult task. After sifting through the leads and finding the right ones to investigate management must formulate an international marketing plan. This further helps management in locating potential markets for their products. The first step is to use secondary research to find out what the sales potential is in a given market. Asking the questions of need, demand, and support gives one a starting point for research. If we were a company that sold pants we might want to ask the following questions. Is there a need for pants? Is it cold enough there to wear pants? Do people that demand the pants have money? These are the questions that one should ask of potential markets. Table 1-located at the end of the paper-shows the statistics that are needed for a general market picture. After gathering the information from the secondary research, the picture of a potential market becomes more evident. However, to make the picture clearer, one must conduct primary research. This research outlines the specifics of the potential market that directly pertain to the product. Robert Douglas' book, Penetrating the International Market, addresses the issue of locating potential markets in greater detail.2 [mg1] After finding a lead that contains profitable markets it is necessary to analyze the venture as a whole. The decisions of companies must be based on the facts of reliable sources on all investments. To gather the information needed for investment projects, management must organize a competent feasibility team. The members of this team should be comprised of employees of the company, this is so that the knowledge will stay within the company. If the resources are not available for an employee conducted study then outside consultants may be used, it may also be beneficial to use a combination of the two. The first step in conducting a study is to design it by using project objectives as the base. During the second step the team must be staffed with people that have the ability to solve problems in any situation. In the third step the team should be properly placed and instructed. In the fourth and final step the product of the feasibility study should be properly communicated to the decision-making management.3 Table 2-located at the end of the paper-shows a general timeline that a company follows through the progression of a feasibility study. The design of a feasibility study first assumes that a company

marketing mix Essay Example

marketing mix Essay Example marketing mix Paper marketing mix Paper Topic: Marketing-(Nike, Inc. ) Introduction Nike was the Goddess of victory in Greek mythology. In 1978 an athlete runner Philip Knight and his coach, Bill Bowerman renamed their small sportswear company as Nike. Since then, the business has increased dramatically. At present Nike, Inc. has already become a major public traded sportswear and equipment supplier in the United States. It is the worlds leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sport equipment with revenue in excess of IJS$ 24,13 billion in last year 2012. (Nike,lnc. reports fiscal 2013) . Nike as a most successful company in the world. It must have a well marketing management that can perfectly identify and anticipates customer requirement and satisfy them. There are many marketing elements that must have led Nike to become such a powerful brand. This study will analyse the Nikes marketing mix and its market orientation, in addition a conclusion for marketing of Nike. Marketing mix According to the concept of marketing mix (Neil Borden 1953), marketing mix was defined as an instrument to analyse product, price, place and promotion in order to establish relationships with customers. Product is seen as an item that can satisfy what a consumer demand that includes tangible goods and intangible service. Promotion means all of the methods of communication that marketers use to deliver information to different communities about the product. Place represents the location where the tangible and/or intangible products are provided for customers. Price is a sum of money that a customer pays for the product. Product: In order to satlsTy tne consumers aemana, NIKe Tlrst provides a w10e range of products that involves all aspects of different sport areas for their customer. This eans all the customers could be satisfied by Nikes products, no matter what the needs of the people. Nike has all the equipment for them. Secondly, According to the companys mission statement: to bring inspiration an innovation to every athlete in the world, Nike also makes high quality and environmental goods with most new technology, a good example is the basketball shoe, it utilises the Nike Flywire, Nike Zoom, Nike Air technique that loosens or tightens with the natural notion of the foot and provides support, protection and stability. These techniques can ensure the player has greatest performance in the game. Moreover Nike deem fashion is really crucial factor for any products, therefore Nike hire famous designers to design its product and also providing variety of colors and styles for its customers, that makes more and more people are attracted by Nikes product and using them every day, even though they were first designed for athletes. Hence, Nike has perfectly satisfied their customers by supplying a variable, high quality, technological, and fashionable product. Price: Nike uses premium-pricing strategy. The premium pricing strategy is the application of a fixed price based on the quality of the product. This has made Nike o set relatively higher price than its competitors. This strategy focuses on the consumers who think high quality is more important than the cheap price, and also those who like Nike Company more. This means Nike has to spend more money to build a good company reputation and image such as TV advertisement, celebrity endorsement, sponsoring charitable activities. These can be another reasons for the high price products. In fact this strategy seems to be working very well, as most people who choose to purchase Nike commodities accesses that they are ready for their prices since they feel that Nike is reasonable. Hampy, 2006). Place: Nike sells its products directly and also uses distributors and e-commercial. When selling its products directly, the company has created the idea of Nike towns in different parts of the USA, in order to contact with clients directly and can therefore analyse consumer behaviours. This also can help to measure the level of demand for a particular product. These data play a significant role in their marketing strategy. Furthermore, a right method of distribution might help the company save many valuable resources, but there are also many drawbacks, for instance, if Nike hires a elivering company to take commodities to customer. The customer may expect that delivery companies can do it as fast as possible, this may cost Nike a great sum of money to acquire such a good delivery. Moreover, in case the deliveries are damaged or delayed accidently, the clients will tend to blame Nike for the damage or delay, instead of the delivery company. This will harm the reputation of Nike. Lastly, Nike has been using a successful e-commercial over last two decades. The first e- commercial site was launched in April 1999 by providing over 65 styles of sport roducts to the US market for purchasing (Nike, 2013). This helps the promotion of NIKes products all over tne glooe. Promotion: Nike used to sponsor numerous sport celebrities to publicise their product. Such as Kobe Bryant in basketball, Tiger woods in golf, Federer in tennis. This is a really effective approach to improve awareness, and image of the brand. For example, if a celebrity athlete sponsors a specific brand of athletic shoes, the brand will be associated with success. Besides that, there are also many popular Nike advertisement that spread all over the word, however advertisements do have some isadvantages; they do not target specific customers, and information are received by those who happen to be at a certain location, who are likely not to purchase the product, and this may waste the companys resources. However, this may be not happened with Nikes products, as their commodities fit any category of people, as the company mission statement: to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world, If you have a body you are an athlete. (Bill Bowerman, Nike Co-founder). Additionally, in recent years, because social media is cheap, easy and influential, it provides a crucial promotion platform for Nike. Nike uses Facebook and Twitter to deliver the promotion information to their client, and receives feedback form their customers. This two-way communication can makes Nike select more important and accurate data from customers. All these promotion activities certainly make Nike become the most recognisable brand in the world. Market orientations This theory is to consider the demand and interest of customers, organizations and societies in order to find out which market orientation best suites the company. There are five parts of orientations. 1 . Production-This concept believes that customers prefer products that are both idely available and inexpensive. The marketer should concentrate on reaching high production efficiency, low costs and mass distribution. This concept normally makes sense in developing countries, where consumers only want get the cheap products. 2. Products-This orientation focus on supplying products that provides the best quality, performance and innovative features. However it might sometimes not really fulfill the customer demand. . Selling-This concept means the company is more interested in selling and promoting, they keep promoting their products to stimulate more buying. 4. Marketing-This orientation concentrate on the companys customer needs and what they want in order to makes the company better than its competitors. 5. Social Responsible Marketing-This orientation holds that in order to reach organlsatlons goal, tne organlsatlon not only prov10es a nlgn quallty products, It also should reinforce social and ethical values fore the benefit of citizens. I think there is no doubt that Nike as an organization is market- orientated. According to Phil Knight, COE Nike (2009) answered in an interview that for years we considered ourselves as a product-orientated company however, we now understand the most mportant thing is the consumers as they lead the innovation. They believe that the consumers needs and wants is their most important marketing tool. This can be certainly proved by it offer variety products which cover nearly all areas in order to fulfill different needs of people. A good example is the Nike+ iPod. Nike realised there are some customers used to track their runners space on their iPod, therefore Nike generates some products that have been installed with a radio device that can connect to their iPod and measuring their running distance automatically, however the price does not change that much. Besides that, all Nikes products were designed to be fashionable, this can satisfy those who are not an athlete, but only want a beautiful shoe, then the idea of create you own shoe come out. The customer can design their own shoes on Nike website, the customer can choose and colors and styles they like, and Nike makes it for them. Therefore, no matter who you are, what you want, there always is a Nike product suit you, as you are the most importance for Nike (Phil Knight 2009). This orientation certainly helps Nike earn more marketing, because in the present society, customers have variety of choices. Whether can satisfy the demand of consumers is the most crucial factor to influence the consumer decision-making process. Alet C Erasmus, Elizabeth Boshoff and GG Rousseau2001) Conclusion From the about study, we had understanding the Nike is market orientation company, it deem consumers needs and wants are most crucial elements for its marketing strategy. Besides that, we also analyzed Nikes product, price, promotion, and place base on marketing mix theory. Then we sought out that Nike generates a verity of high quality, fashionable and functional products. And it has buil t a most ecognizable band and a high company reputation and image through by social media, advertisements and celebrity endorsement. These factors lead to Nike became such a successful company. In the future, Nike will continue the principle in order to satisfy more and more customer. world count: 1 Reference: 1. Hampy, J. (2006): Reengineering the Nike Corporation: A Manifesto for Business marketing in Nike, Harper 2. Kohli, A. K. Jaworski, B. J. (1990). Market Orientation: The Construct, Research Propositions, and Managerial Implications. The Journal of Marketing, 54(2),1-18. 3. Ruekert, Robert W. 1992). Developing a Market Orientation: An Organizational Strategy Perspective. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 9(3),225-45. 4. Nike,inc. reports fiscal (2013) fourth quarter and full year results. Available at http://nikeinc. com/news/nike-inc-reports-fiscal-2012-fourth- quarter-and-full-year-results. [accessed 11/08/2013] 5. Nike elevates global e commerce strategy (2013). Available at http://nikeinc. com/news/nike-inc-elevates- global-e-commerce-strategy [accessed 11/08/2013] 6. Ruekert, Robert W. (1992). Developing a Market Orientation: An Organizational Strategy Perspective. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 9(3),225-45. . Phil Knight, CEO Nike on product marketing (2009) available at marketinginprogress. com/ 2009/04/16/phil-knight-nike-ceo-on-product-marketing/[accessed 1 1108/2013] 8. Borden, Neil H. (1964), The Concept of the Marketing Mix, Journal of Advertising Research, 4 (2), 2-7. 9. Naylor, J. (2004), Management marketing in Management 2ed. prennce Hall, PP 520-554. 10. Erasmus, C, A, Boshoff, E and Rousseau GG (2001) , Consumer decision-making models within the discipline of consumer science: a critical approach Journal of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences, Vol 29.

The 13 BEST Self-Publishing Companies of 2019

The 13 BEST Self-Publishing Companies of 2019 The 13 BEST Self-Publishing Companies of 2019 Deciding to self-publish your book is both exciting and nerve-wracking - on one end, you’re the master of everything. Yet there are so many choices that you, the publisher, need to make that it can be overwhelming.One such crossroads is the pivotal decision you’ll need to make when you decide which is the best self-publishing company for you. There are a lot of them out there advertising their services to self-published authors. And it’s tough to wade through them, especially when some are reputable and some are, well, not so much!That’s where this post comes into the picture. We’ll guide you through the 13 best self-publishing companies in the industry and give you tips on which one to choose, so that you emerge at the end of the tunnel with a beautiful book ready to be read by the world.What are your options when it comes to the best self-publishing company? How to Self-Publish a Book on Amazon Read post 💠° Pricing: Free to upload 💠¸ Royalties: 70% if the eBook price is between $2.99 and $9.99 OR 35% if priced is below $2.99 - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? BothThe titan of online bookstores, Amazon is the first retailer on which most authors think to sell their titles. And it’s for good reason: it’s the world’s biggest seller of digital eBooks and around 74% of all eBooks bought in the U.S. in 2015 were bought from Amazon.com.Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform (not to be confused with "Amazon Publishing" - their division that operates like a traditional publisher), which recently grew even bigger after its merge with CreateSpace. Any author can self-publish a book using KDP, though you’ll need to do it manually yourself. For a step-by-step guide, check out this comprehensive post on self-publishing on Amazon KDP.Note that Amazon KDP is not the same as Amazon KDP Select. KDP Select is Amazon’s exclusivity program - meaning that, if you choose to enroll in it, you can only sell your book on Amazon. In exchange for this, Amazon will giv e you:Access to Kindle Countdown Deals and free promotions. You can discount your book - and even set it to free on the Kindle store - for a certain period of days every 90 days. Learn more about the power of discounting (and the smart way to go about it) in this Reedsy Live.Enrollment in Kindle Unlimited. KU is Amazon’s subscription service for readers, which allows members to read as much as they want. It’s very popular and a good portion of Amazon customers only read titles from KU these days.If you’ve researched these perks and decided that KDP Select is the route for you, then there’s no need for you to read the rest of this post, as you’ve essentially agreed not to use any other self-publishing company 🙂 Instead, you can familiarize yourself with the KDP Select program with these resources:KDP Select vs. â€Å"Going Wide† - Which Option is Right For You?The Complete Guide to eBook DistributionApple Books💠° Pricing: F ree to upload 💠¸ Royalties: 70% on most books ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? BothAnother big name that everyone should know, Apple founded its self-publishing arm in 2010. In 2012, Apple announced that 400 million books were downloaded on Apple Books (though it’s important to note that the number of downloads differs from the number of books sold, as The Digital Reader clarifies in this post). Though Amazon far eclipsed it as the foremost eBook reading platform since then, Apple Books still gets a fair amount of eyes.While figuring out ways to monetize a book on Apple Books might be a challenge, it’s much easier to actually publish one. Apple Books provides a platform called iBooks Author for self-publishing authors to create their books. It’s relatively easy-to-use and uploading is free!Barnes Noble Press💠° Pricing: Free 💠¸ Royalties: 65% on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 OR 40% for books priced below $2.99 - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? BothAs you might expect, Barnes Noble Press (formerly known as NOOK Press) is Barnes and Noble’s self-publishing platform. Barnes Noble Press has pretty infamously struggled for market share against Amazon. However, as for as interfaces are concerned, it’s easy to publish on BN Press - and, similar to the other big retailers, it’s free to upload your book. Exclusivity is not required to publish with BN Press.It’s important to note that you can set your book for free on BN Press. What’s more, Barnes Noble is still working on innovating and adding new features for self-published writers. Just this January, BN Press introduced an ad portal, making it easy for new authors to create marketing campaigns on the Barnes Noble website for their books. Check out this page for more information on self-publishing on BN press.Rakuten Kobo💠° Pricing: Free to upload 💠¸ Royalties: 70% on books priced more than $2.99 in the U.S. OR 45% for books priced below $2.99 - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? PrintRakuten Kobo is the last big retailer that you should know. It’s a Canadian company (that’s a subsidiary of the Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten) - as such, it’s got a strong reach in the international eBook market. However, it’s only the #5 store in terms of market share in the U.S., though it’s growing year by year.Kobo Writing Life is Kobo's free-to-use self-publishing arm - and it's fairly simple to use! Kobo’s international focus is also a sweet bonus if you’re aiming to sell your eBook in countries outside of the U.S. Don’t forget that distributing to Kobo through Kobo Writing Life (rather than an aggregator) gives you several perks, too, one of which is access to some exclusive promotion opportunities on Kobo. class=panel-body>Master advertising on KoboSign up for this free 10-part course! Enter your email below and select 'Distribution - Kobo Hacks for Optimizing Sales' in the drop-down menu of the next pop-up.Speaking of aggregators, let’s find out what are the best aggregators currently operating in the business.AggregatorsIf you’re getting a migraine just thinking about uploading your book onto all of these different book retailers by yourself, that’s when aggregators come into the picture.Aggregators are capable of aggregating all of these markets: pushing your book to each retailer and centralizing it all into one sales report. With a single upload to, for instance, Draft2Digital, your book would be on sale on Amazon, BN Press, Apple Books, Kobo - and even more smaller retailers.Then you’d be able to track your sales across all of these retailers through Draft2Digital’s interface, receiving one royalty check a month. In exchange for this service, a n aggregator will take an additional cut of your royalties - which means that this route is for anyone who wants to quickly save on time and doesn’t mind paying extra.Draft2Digital💠° Pricing: 10% of the book’s retail price per copy sold 📇 Distributes to: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes Noble, Google Play Books, Kobo, Playster, Tolino, OverDrive, Scribd, Bibliotheca - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? eBookIf you decide to use an aggregator, Draft2Digital is the one that we recommend at Reedsy. Why’s that? Lots of factors, including excellent customer support, an easy-to-use dashboard, and a sleek website design. Not to mention the extra perks that D2D packs into the deal: they do the formatting for you, whether you’re using eBooks or print copies of your book. D2D also:Gives authors Universal Book Links (UBL). As its name suggests, these UBLs easily make books discoverable by allowing authors to generate a link to each of their books, which goes straight to the customer’s preferred book retailer.Touts an â€Å"automated back matter† tool. This nifty service automatically adds your newly published eBook to the â€Å"Also by this author† section for your other books on every store.Add the fact that it distributes to all of the major eBook stores, and you’ve pretty much got the whole package in Draft2Digital.Smashw ords💠° Pricing: 15% of the retail price on Smashwords and 10% on other platforms per copy sold 📇 Distributes to: Apple Books, Barnes Noble, Scribd, Kobo, Blio, the Smashwords store - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? eBookThe original aggregator, Smashwords was the undisputed king in town until Draft2Digial entered the picture. However, Smashwords is still very popular today.On a simple side-by-side comparison, Smashwords and Draft2Digital offer similar pricing structures and royalties. Where Smashwords falls short is in terms of its user experience and ease of use (you need to do the formatting yourself on Smashwords, which definitely isn’t a piece of cake). Smashwords also does not distribute books to Amazon. That said, outside of Amazon, it’s got a slightly more extensive distribution network than Draft2Digital, so whether or not you want to sell your book on some of these more obscure retailers is up to you. Our friend over on Kindlepreneur, Dave Chesson, wrote an in-depth take on the differences between Smashwords and Draft2Digital, which you can read here.PublishDrive💠° Pricing: 10% of the retail price per copy sold OR subscription pricing 📇 Distributes to: Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes Noble, Scribd, OverDrive, Playster, Odilo, Bookmate - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? eBookPublishDrive might be the new kid on the block, but it’s definitely made the most of its time. Founded in 2015, it works with over 4,500 publishers and can connect you to over 400 stores today. It’s got all the workings of the other aggregators: a modern interface and regular sales reports to keep you up-to-date on your profits. What sets PublishDrive apart from the pack are:PublishDrive’s subscription pricing options. If you just agree to pay $100 per month, you can keep all of your royalties, which might be a good fit for established authors in the industry.Its distribution options. Along with all of the major Western retailers, PublishDrive also specializes in international distribution, giving indie authors access to foreign markets that were previously out of reach.StreetLib💠° Pricing: 10% of the retail price per copy sold 📇 Distributes to: Amazon, Google Play, Apple Books, Barnes Noble, Kobo, Scribd, OverDrive, Indigo, Baker Taylor - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? eBookAnother international distributor, StreetLib gives you even more options if you’re aiming to reach an international audience. It’s got a strong presence in Latin America and Europe, to the extent that its dashboard can be configured in English, Italian, Spanish, Hindi - and more! One more case in point for its international strength: in January 2019, it even began offering its services for authors in Egypt.As you can probably guess, StreetLib was founded in Europe, but it’s been making recent strides in the U.S. and the U.K. As of April 2019, it distributes books to all of the major Western stores. It’s worth checking out for any author who’s particularly thinking about selling in European territories or elsewhere abroad. Maximize your profits abroadSign up for this free 10-part course! Enter your email below and select 'Distribution - Pricing Books for an International Audience' in the drop-down menu of the next pop-up.XinXii💠° Pricing: 30% of net sales for books priced more than $2.49 OR 60% for works between below $2.48 📇 Distributes to: Amazon, Hugendubel, Angus Robertson, Thalia, Buecher, Whitcoulls, Indigo, Kobo, Livraria Cultura, Kobo, Scribd - more info here ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? eBookXinXii isn’t actually Chinese - it’s based in Berlin. (Surprise!) As such, it offers authors foreign distribution channels that might not be readily available elsewhere. Note that it’s particularly got a strong presence in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, distributing to a number of important retailers in those countries. However, its customer support could be found wanting, and its user interface is a bit on the clunky side: trade-offs that the author will need to make to conduct business with XinXii. 13 best self-publishing companies - and more in this masterpost #ampubbing Print-On-Demand DistributorsA print-on-demand distributor will tout itself as a one-stop shop for all of your self-publishing needs, whether that’s book cover design, book distribution, or book printing. Their costs for eBook distribution can be on the steep side (you can check out their pricing models below), but if you’re aiming to print, publish, and distribute a book, they can be incredibly useful.IngramSpark💠° Pricing: Learn more here 📇 Distributes to: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes Noble, Follett, EBSCO, Booktopia, Kobo, Zola Books, 24Symbols, Bookmate ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? BothIngramSpark, owned by Ingram, is simply the biggest book wholesaler in the world. For a promo code, read our IngramSpark review.BookBaby💠° Pricing: Learn more here 📇 Distributes to: Amazon, Google Play, Vearsa, Apple Books, Kobo, Bookshop, Barnes Noble, Powell’s Books, Books-A-Million ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? BothBoasting an easy-to-use interface and reliable customer service, BookBaby is an option for many first-time self-publishing authors. To learn more about BookBaby, go to this review.Blurb💠° Pricing: Learn more here 📇 Distributes to: Amazon, Apple Books, the Blurb bookstore ðŸ“â€" Print or eBook? PrintBlurb is one of the most well-known and trusted print-on-demand services out there. We particularly recommend it for visual works - such as magazines and photo books. For an in-depth evaluation of its user friendliness and pictures of the quality of its printed books, go to this review.How can you choose the best self-publishing company for you?So that brings us to the question: how do you choose which of these self-publishing companies is the best for your book?Well, it depends on your needs. If you’re printing your self-published book (and selling printed copies), you might want to read this in-depth guide on print-on-demand services, which includes a recommended distribution setup for selling print books on online bookstores.And if you’re only planning to publish an eBook, you’ll find everything that you need to know about eBook distribution in this complete guide, which includes a full analysis of Amazon exclusivity versus â⠂¬Å"going wide,† as well as a comparison of royalties by eBook publishing platforms and retailers and a recommended eBook distribution setup.  Whatever option you choose, understand that it may take a bit of trial-and-error until you realize your perfect self-publishing system. There's no right or wrong way to go about it  - which is all a part of the magic of self-publishing in the first place.What's your experience with the best self-publishing companies? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The Broadband market in Italy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Broadband market in Italy - Research Paper Example In the third quarter of 2008 the broadband market subscribers was approximately 18 percent of the population. Italy has consistently been ranked as one of the countries with the lowest broadband penetration in Europe, the country lacked cable and DSL infrastructure and therefore market penetration was considerably low. The entry of other firms in the industry led into an increase in penetration and in 2005 Italy recorded the highest growth of broadband in Europe. Population growth rates in Italy have been decreasing over the last several years with current rates near zero. Major cities are densely populated and most of the population lives in flats and blocks that make FTTH and DSL more appropriate to provide broadband services. Vigevano(2002) pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more s ophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. ... pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more sophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. He also pointed out that there are regulatory issues that pose uncertainty regarding rights; another problem is digital divide whereby there is high adoption of broadband in certain area and in others low adoption and therefore firms concentrate only in large cities. According to House (2001) the shape of the S curve depends on the time period and saturation level and that the saturation level is less than 100%, he also states that saturation is driven by both the supply side and demand side, saturation level depends on the appropriateness of the technology and Economies of scale reducing prices increasing level of acceptance to peak. Estimated Level of Saturation The chart below summarises Penetration rate of Broadband in Italy from 2001-2008 Diagram 1: From the chart it is evident that broadband users(households and business) per 100 individuals has gradually increased over the years, it is also evident that in 2001 to 2002 is the introduction

Building a Catupult Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Building a Catupult - Research Paper Example Range : The range is the distance covered by the ball after launch. The maximum range for parabolic path which the ball covers can be obtained at an angle of 45Â °. The horizontal distance from the point of launch to the point where the ball falls gives the range. 2. Trajectory : It is the path covered the ball, from the catapult after the launch the trajectory of the ball is parabolic. 3. Velocity : The rate of change of displacement is termed as the velocity. For a parabolic path the velocity of ball will be taken as the horizontal and vertical component of velocity at different points. 4. Newton’s three laws are applied in the working of the catapult. The first law states an object continues to remain in its state of rest or motion until and unless an external force is applied. The ball starts motion only after the sling or in our catapult the throwing arm is pressed and released and it stops where the forces due to gravity, air resistance etc. stop the ball. Second law st ates that force is directly proportion to the acceleration of the body and acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass, increasing the mass of projectile or ball will decrease acceleration and force required will increase. Third law states that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, the ball accelerates towards earth, the earth also accelerates due to the ball but the acceleration of earth due to ball is so negligible that it does not have any effect. Future engineering: The length of the arm and the overall size can be adjusted proportionately according to the range required to cover. Apart from this depending on the mass of the projectile that has to be thrown the type of material can be selected that withstands the load. May be more of metal than wood next time I rebuild the catapult. This was scope for building advanced catapults according to our range requirements. For more projects in future I would begin with a study of the history of design of the pa rticular project I choose. I’ll then choose the most appropriate kind of design that suits my requirements. After the necessary mathematical calculations according to the conditions and requirements will start with a rough design .The model can be prepared and tested. Changes will be made accordingly as per the results required till we reach close the desired results. Working in team is always efficient than working individually. The best abilities of everyone in the team come together to give good results .Working with a partner enabled to overcome my areas of weakness and we were able to complement each other’s specialisation. Also operating the model that is the catapult in our current project is not possible to handle alone. Once the catapult is fixed to the launching position it is necessary for someone to check the barrier so that the arm doesn’t slip while the other person launches the ball. Then to keep the record of the range ( i.e. the point where the ball falls and the time it takes) someone has to be there to keep a check. Teamwork was also enjoying and less stressful as the partners always encouraged and monitored continuously each other’s mistakes. The project work has been really interesting as the theoretical concepts became clear as we learned to apply them. This also encourages to take up more projects in future and work together to innovate new ideas. Physics involved in the building of catapult : The velocity

Native American Essay Example for Free

Native American Essay â€Å"During the second half of the 19th century, the United States Government took all appropriate actions to maintain peace with Native American tribes. Furthermore the United States was justified in its aggressive measures used to seize land from unruly Native American tribes during the era. † There little validity in this statement. During this time period American troops were interloping on Native American territory, starting violence, and forcing them out of their homes. The hostility of American Soldiers toward these people led to several tragedies, such as the Sand Creek Massacre, The Battle of Little Bighorn, and The Battle at Wounded Knee. It can be observed that the United States was clearly not, in any way, shape, or form, attempting to maintain peace. Insensitivities on behalf of the United States led to several tragedies, the Sand Creek Massacre being a major event. On November 29, 1864, General John Chivington ordered troops to attack Chief Black Kettle and his people, after the chief and his people did everything in their power to keep peace between the opposing sides. To top it all off, most of the warriors in this tribe were off hunting buffalo, and the tribe was left undefended. Between seventy and eighty Natives were killed. The fighting didn’t end there. Several years later, on December 29, 1890, a great disaster occurred at nearby Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. James W. Forsyth and his men massacred the people of Chief Spotted Elk. Around 300 casualties were suffered. The Natives, however, hadn’t always suffered such devastating losses. Between the Sand Creek Massacre and Wounded Knee, at the Battle of Little Bighorn, Colonel George Custer was one of the leaders of the American soldiers who attacked Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and their people. On June 25-26, 1876, American Soldiers fought the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, suffering a severe loss. Although it may seem as though the Native Americans were ruthless savages, this proves how persistent they were and their ability to overcome. The persistence of these people was also proven by a single man. In 1876, the United States Government was beginning to force Chiricahua from their reservation in New Mexico. A man named Geronimo fueled the fire of the Native Americans against the American forces. Over a period of ten years, Geronimo aided his people in many raids on white settlements, to prove their unwillingness to leave their home. Geronimo may have surrendered, but his bravery Although many may view these as acts of violence, in reality, US Soldiers were no better. The slaughter and removal of hundreds of Native Americans caused them to react in such a violent way. In other words, America brought this upon itself. The Dawes Act was a set of laws enacted to assist Native Americans in their land disputes with American settlers. These laws gave the president the right to survey Indian land and distribute it to individual Natives. The Dawes Act was detrimental to Native Americans because those who weren’t awarded land became homeless, unlike the previous tribal community they had lived in, where every person had shelter, but no single person owned the land. The president also had the right to purchase land he had allotted to be used for white settlers. Assimilation also played a large role in whether Natives would be forced out of their homes. If the Natives would â€Å"Americanize† (so to speak) everything about their lifestyle, they would be permitted to stay on US soil. In conclusion, it can be observed that Native Americans were truly the victim in this situation. They were slaughtered mercilessly, forced out of their homes, made to change their lifestyles, and even considered to be the cause of the violence. Any person who claims Native Americans during this time period as savage murderers would be completely incorrect. These people were merely reacting out of defense and retaliation for what Americans had done to them. Americans frequently like to believe that the US is always justified in what they are doing; they are always the good guy. In this case Americans stooped to a low level to suggest that Indians were to blame for the violence.

A Brief History of Japanese Religion Essay examples -- Japan Religious

A Brief History of Japanese Religion The Buddha is said to have been born in India around 500 BCE. During his life time, he preached the benefits of the Middle Path, the road between the two extremes of a decadent life style and severe austerities. Soon after the death of the founder, Buddhist missionaries began to travel through out Asia, finding their way along the Silk Roads to China, first arriving around 100 CE. The climate there was hospitable to the teaching of the Buddha, and soon Buddhism was counted along with Taoism and Confucianism as one of the major religions of the period. The Chinese interpreted the Buddhist texts in a new light, and Chinese Buddhism began to take on its own distinctive character. Around 600 CE, Chinese Buddhist missionaries made their way through Korea to Japan. Thus, around one millennium after the founding of Buddhism, the Japanese were first exposed to its teachings and philosophies. The Japanese, who were eagerly assimilating the high culture of the T'ang dynasty into their own, ado pted the Buddhist schools that had grown in both power and prestige in China. However, coexisting with this new foreign religion was the native Japanese religion of Shinto ("The Way of the Kami"). Both religions influenced the thoughts and actions of the Japanese people, and both remain active in Japan to this day, coexisting peacefully. SHINTO "In their world myriad spirits shone like fireflies and every tree and bush could speak." At first, it is difficult for a Westerner to comprehend the religion known as Shinto. Shinto has no founding father, no all powerful deity, no holy scriptures, no moral code, no single practice or goal. In its beginnings there was not a unified priesthood or community, but in... ... With the dawn of the Modern Period there came a new regime of rulers. These rulers attacked Buddhism and pushed Shinto as the true religion of the Japanese people. It became illegal for Buddhists to teach that the kami were manifestation of the buddhas (they were to be seen as far superior to the buddhas), and Buddhism in general was blamed for the problems that faced Japan. Many temples were destroyed. Shinto (often called State Shinto) was declared non-religious, but rather the "duty" of every loyal Japanese person. This nationalistic movement helped push Japan into WWII, and defeat by the Allies was crushing. State Shinto was outlawed, and the related shrines were made independent. Yet, to this day, both Buddhism and Shinto play an active role in the lives of the Japanese people. The two have come into equilibrium, serving the Japanese people's needs together.

Economics for Business Essay

When we speak about the UK market of postal services, its image is indispensably connected with the notion of monopoly. For more than 350 years the UK postal market has been dominated by the Royal Mail. However, since 2006 the market has been open to competitors, and the postal services’ market players strove for possessing equal business opportunities. It is essential to review the current trends in the postal services market within the UK through the prism of monopoly, competition, and their benefits/ effects for the consumer and the overall efficiency/ quality of postal services in the country. Monopoly Royal Mail in the UK has for long been referred to as â€Å"privileged and increasingly unusual position of being a state-owned company protected from the market place† (Crew & Kleindorfer 2007, p. 7). As a result, Royal Mail has become one of the brightest representatives of what monopoly is within the British economy as a whole. It is essential to understand that when we speak about the state of postal services in the UK market, it cannot be described other than monopolistic before the year 2006. Moreover, even in the light of the improving communication strategies, Royal Mail was not losing its position, and was even strengthening it: â€Å"we are still dependent on the efficient, speedy delivery of bills and payments to our homes and businesses in exchange for the price of a stamp† (Starkey 2006, p. 71). Despite the primarily negative attitudes towards the monopolistic position of Royal Mail, monopoly is an objective market notion, and as any other market structure, it possesses its benefits and its disadvantages. In order to arrive to relevant conclusions, we have to consider both. One of the major advantages of monopoly, and particularly in the postal services, is exercising the principles of the economy of scale: in smaller postal enterprises this task may become impossible to fulfill. Moreover, having more available free resources, monopolies are frequently viewed as being closer to innovation than any other smaller enterprises within the postal services sector. However, this assumption is rather argumentative, and economic professionals tended to evaluate Royal Mail’s position within the postal services market as â€Å"negatively monopolistic† (AICES 2006, p. 8). This simply meant that Royal Mail was not striving towards exercising its free resources to bring innovation into postal services sector; as a result, competition was viewed as the only resolution for that difficult economic situation. This is a well-known conflict, when one tries to assess the opportunities and drawbacks of the monopolistic market structure: while monopoly generates significant profits which could potentially be directed at innovations, it simultaneously lacks any incentives to make these innovations real. This conflict has become the major reason for opening the market of UK postal services to competition. It is even more interesting to bear in mind that competition is not always the best solution to all economic problems of monopoly, and the responses to opening the postal market in the UK are still dubious and extremely various. â€Å"Much of nonsense is due to the liberalization of postal services. Here commercial firms bid for, and take, the lucrative part, the business mail. We all know what happens then. My own bank envelopes come with a commercial firm’s logo; the various branches email the details to a central department, where statements are prepared, one truck takes it all away and they only have to deliver to main postcode areas. (Clark 2007) The monopolistic structure of the UK market was not connected with any type of competition: the market was dominated by Royal Mail, and this VAT exempt company served the only postal services provider in the country. With the Government being the major Royal Mail’s shareholder, it was understandable why this provider possessed multiple economic benefits and did not strive to improve the quality of its services (Sloman 2004, p. 45). For us to understand all implications of the UK postal services’ liberalization, we come to the description and evaluation of the current situation within the UK postal market sector. The new market structure of postal services in the UK It is very important to understand how the postal services’ market in the UK looks at present. It should be noted that Royal Mail currently faces the competition from other 17 postal companies, and this market structure seems to create favorable conditions for effective competition. The largest portion of mail within this market goes from businesses to consumers (Starkey 2006, p. 72). â€Å"Several companies have signed â€Å"access† agreements with Royal Mail, allowing mail they have collected and sorted to be fed into Royal Mail’s network for final delivery. Royal Mail made 2. 4 billion access deliveries in 2006-07†³ (Starkey 2006, p. 72). Even with the 17 new postal companies becoming competitive to Royal Mail, the latter still provides 99% of all postal deliveries within the UK. â€Å"We can’t make the companies take advantages. We can just set the rules and put in a licensing regime, but Royal Mil will always be the major service provider† (Simpkins 2005). Other alternative postal service providers are currently capable of providing any types of postal services, with the exception of non-bulk items’ delivery, less than 100g in weight (Crew & Kleindorfer 2007, p. 8). Thus, is it possible to suggest that the postal services market in the UK has become as open as many had expected it to be? Of course, it is possible that the full effects of opening the UK postal services market are not yet perceived by the customers and businesses. However, it is also probable that there still exist significant barriers to competition within the postal market. â€Å"Postcomm is concerned that the competition so far has been too limited, and that this has allowed Royal Mail to get away with providing customers with a poor quality service† (Crew & Klenidorfer 2007, p. 9). Before 2006 the mail market of the UK was stated to lack competition, but possessing a considerable potential for growth; as a result many viewed competition and market openness as the best resolution to multiple issues postal monopoly in the UK traditionally rose (Falkenhall & Kolmodin 2005, p. 10). The opposition of Royal Mail to opening the market was natural and understandable: the company viewed this step as the direct pathway towards reduction of the profit margins, but the situation could not remain unchanged due to contemporary economic requirements towards competition. The efficiency of postal services after opening the market will gradually change. This process will be slow due to multiple barriers created on the way of potential Royal Mail competitors. However, some of the following results can be expected within the long-term period, and after numerous postal companies acquire fair access to different niches of the postal services’ market. First, the emergence of new services will increase the overall efficiency of the postal services in the UK. It is already evident that being surrounded by multiple competitors that strive for conquering and expanding their market share, even Royal Mail had to introduce a three-year plan of renewal: â€Å"changes have included the introduction of Single Day Delivery, reviews of its mail centers and transport and a significant number of redundancies† (Starkey 2006, p. 74). Second, the competition further increases efficiency by providing foreign market players with the opportunity to enter the market of postal services; as a result the efficiency of postal services at the international level also increases, which is especially important for businesses. Royal Mail was once blamed for being underdeveloped in terms of mechanizing its services, and making them more efficient (Falkenhall & Kolmodin 2005, p. 14). The current market processes in the UK postal services structure urge companies to reduce their workforce and to implement effective IT solutions for better services provision. Although, this does not mean that creating competition in the area of postal services inevitably leads to unemployment. With the creation and expansion of private postal operators, the amount of required qualified workforce increases, and we can state that competition only contributes into changing the balance of workforce between the operators. Competition is the best tool of increasing profitability and efficiency of national postal operators (Crew & Kleindorfer 2007, p. 44). One may suggest that the discussed changes in the market were long anticipated, and the fact of legal uncertainty and Royal Mail’s monopoly seriously hindered the process of investing into postal services by private operators. What one can expect now is the growing efficiency of the postal services along with the increase price control and the constant process of quality improvement in the structure of postal services in the UK. It should be noted, that the discussed improvements will and could occur in the ideal economic situation, when the openness of the market means providing real fair opportunities for competitors. However, the reality of the situation is different: â€Å"full competition in the UK postal market is blocked by two very fundamental issues: Royal Mail’s unique VAT exemption and the focus on downstream access† (Starkey 2006, p. 4). Private players of the postal market cannot access fair business opportunities and increase their efficiency against the zonal pricing introduced by Royal Mail not long before opening the market. Royal Mail has an access to changing its prices without being reviewed by Postcomm (Clark 2007). As a result, we face the challenge of competition vs. the realities of destabilization in the UK market of postal services. We cannot objectively state that the competition was introduced to increase efficiency, when Royal Mail creates unfavorable conditions for the rival operators (Starkey 2006, p. 5). While the efficiency of postal services changes very slowly, it is more than evident that the customers have already benefited from making the market of postal services competitive. First of all, private operators have changed the emphasis of their services from being business-oriented to being customer-oriented. As a result, â€Å"new entrants are building their products around their customers’ needs rather than asking their customers to fit in around their businesses† (Starkey 2006, p. 75). For example, numerous private customers have already perceived the benefits of later collection times (AICES 2006, p. 11). It is anticipated that private market players will keep expanding the range of postal services in case no barriers are created against these initiatives. The impact of competitive postal services on the customer is better to be viewed through the prism of Royal Mail achievements. The company has been the leading postal provider for almost 400 years, and its changing position and market attitudes can display the tendencies of economic development as a result of market openness. The major changes have taken place in company’s attitudes towards their customers: â€Å"although there is still some way to go to embed a culture of commercial customer focus throughout the organization, there is no doubt that Royal Mail has turned the corner† (AICES 2006, p. 18). Customers have acquired additional power in maintaining effective relations with the postal service: Royal Mail services turn towards being more attentive to their customers. They have displayed new abilities to listen to the customer, and to change in accordance with the customer’s requirements. Competition appears to be the matter of choice for the customer; consequentially, companies in the postal services sector have more incentives to pursue customer value through innovation and better customer satisfaction. The current situation in the UK market of postal services is still much confused and contradicting. On the one hand, we have the evidence of customers being completely satisfied with postal services being competitive. On the other hand, we cannot agree to the fact that the efficiency of postal services has increased even through the prism of growing profitability of some postal services. Certainly, the postal services have reached the stage at which costs are more comparable to the prices of postal services: the elimination of monopoly has opened the gateways to being more reasonable and more objective in setting the price for postal services. Simultaneously, it is difficult to disagree to the fact that Royal Mail still occupies 96% of the UK market (Starkey 2006, p. 6). The essence of competition is not in attracting rivals, but rather providing consumers with choice. In this situation efficiency of postal services is replaced by more important customer preferences. Monopoly is a â€Å"big, big issue, and it is a test of our society as to whether we are to organize everything to make a profit† (Benn 2007). Royal Mail is the embodiment of the economic paradox in the area of postal services in the UK. This paradox lies in connection with economies of scale. While with the large delivery volumes Royal Mail’s unit costs are low, but with Royal Mail being monopolistic the company can hardly be called efficient. Thus, with the price of Royal Mail’s services being extremely competitive and sometimes too low, it is simultaneously inefficient (Falkenhall & Kolmodin 2005, p. 29). Competition thus appears more beneficial for the customers, than for the companies in the postal services’ niche. It is essential that other private players can have access to similar scale benefits even if they cannot compete to the well-branched delivery network of Royal Mail. The efficiency of Royal Mail’s rivals cannot be increased until the issue of VAT exemption is resolved. â€Å"The VAT regime for post in the UK is a particularly pernicious barrier. Most people here will be aware that although Royal Mail is VAT exempt, its competitors are not, which causes pricing distortions especially for those customers that are also VAT exempt† (Starkey 2006, p. 76). Simultaneously, there is another serious concern about the rival companies’ behavior on the market. Some specialists fear that what takes place in Royal Mail is subsidizing lighter items with heavier mail, subsidizing social users for the account of business users, etc (Crew & Kleindorfer 2007, p. 51). In this situation competitive postal companies will strive for taking the most lucrative market niches, leaving Royal Mail without income from the most profitable services. However, this is where VAT exemption can serve for the benefit of the company: due to the lower prices, it is hardly possible that open competition will jeopardize the universal service and Royal Mail in general. In this situation one may possible predict the instability of the postal services market in the short-term period, and instability of the market structure is no better than previously existing monopoly. The UK postal services have appeared in the extremely essential stage of reconstruction – introducing competition cannot go smoothly for all market players. It should be noted that the issues of elimination or threat to the universal service are easily neutralized, and universal services can in no way be compromised by introducing competition. Any objective analysis shows that consumers, as well as businesses, have benefited from market opening through higher quality. In addition, prices have been substantially reduced for business customers while households have been protected from price increases† (Sloman 2004, p. 97). Yet, our objective analysis shows that competition in the UK postal services is in its initial stage. We have proved that customers evidently benefit from making the post market competitive, but the economic efficiency of the postal services is still to be achieved and increased. Conclusion We have come to conclusion that the effects of competition in the UK market of postal services are primarily viewed within the area of consumer satisfaction. The overall economic efficiency of postal services still leaves much to be desired. However, introduction of competition is the solid basis for providing consumers with choice, and expanding the market structure of postal services in the country. Certainly, monopoly possesses its advantages, but competition is the best perspective for both the new private players and Royal Mail in creating incentives for development and improvement.

Persuasive speech – We are in this room today, as children, to reflect on a sad trut

We are in this room today, as children, to reflect on a sad truth. We have, today, been to several classes. Indeed, this is our weekly routine: school. Many of you dislike school but have you ever considered how lucky you are ? For instance, many children around the world are not as privileged as we are. According to the UNICEF, an estimated 250 million children in the world are in regular employment or as it is commonly referred to, suffer from the worst form of child labour At the moment, at the very same time as you and I are in this classroom, children in Soudan are working in coal mines are crawling in small tunnels which could collapse at any moment, causing death or serious injuries to the young miners. At the moment, girls in India are making bricks in the 40 degrees heat for house and are carrying them on their backs for up to as 10 miles to their destination. Also, at this same moment, children in Thailand are working in factories doing the same repetitive and tedious job all day long while dreaming of having the privilege to be educated. We are here today to fight against the worst form of child labour. Our opposite party might say that the role of children in child labour is essential to a family's economy. Many people in favor of child labour say that without children helping their parents in farms for example, the family will not be able to harvest the food in time resulting in starvation in wintertime and possible death. Those in favour of child labour ask us: as we protest against child labour, do we realize that millions of families would die of starvation ? This is why, those against child labour now fight against the worst forms of child labour. I believe that children should have the right to go to school and be properly educated. Don't you ? I believe that children should have the right to stop working when their work is unnecessary to their family's welfare. Don't you agree ? As one observer says: â€Å"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow , yet we forget that he or she is someone today.† I believe that childhood is one of the most important stage of life. It is a time that is precious, a child should grow up in innocence and should not be working. Someone once said: † All things are difficult before they are easy.† Yes, stopping the worst form of child labour will be difficult at first but with your help, we can make a difference ! I personally believe that a person with hope and courage can change the world ! Martin Luther King said: † All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.†Our work to stop child labour will and can uplift humanity and change the lives of millions of children who work in the most horrific conditions. I believe that, together; we can change the world. But to do so, we will need help. We will need help to free the millions of children who suffer from the worst form of child labour. So join us, today, in the struggle to stop child labour !

Free Essays on Active Euthanasia

â€Å"Active Euthanasia† Active euthanasia is defined as inducing the death of a person who is undergoing intense suffering, and who has no practical hope of recovery. Since the motive is to release one from misery, active euthanasia is often called â€Å"mercy killing.† This essay will discuss five reasons why active euthanasia is wrong. The first reason why active euthanasia is wrong, is because (1) there are other options to stop a patient from suffering, such as great advances in pain management, palliative care, and the development of hospices to assist people who are dying. (2) Active Euthanasia is unethical, because it is a form of murder. (3) Euthanasia is also wrong because it’s against God’s will. (4) Euthanasia is a violation of the right to life; and (5) active euthanasia deprives one the right to die naturally. Overall, active euthanasia should not be allowed, because it is morally wrong. Although many people may feel that there loved ones are ready to die, that doesn’t necessarily mean that one should choose active euthanasia. There are other options to stop a patient from suffering. Pain management, palliative care, and the development of hospice care are always a preferable solution. Pain management is one of the most important aspects of care for terminally-ill persons. Since there have been great advances in the management of acute and chronic pain over the past few years, there is no need for anyone to die in unrelieved agony. The varies treatments of pain management include the injection of specific joints with medications, epidural injections (into the spaces around the spinal cord), and the placement of permanent epidural catheters for pain relief at home. For patients with chronic pain, psychologists are now able to help relieve those stresses, which can change one’s perception of their pain level. The idea of palliative care, also called comfort care, is primarily directed at p... Free Essays on Active Euthanasia Free Essays on Active Euthanasia â€Å"Active Euthanasia† Active euthanasia is defined as inducing the death of a person who is undergoing intense suffering, and who has no practical hope of recovery. Since the motive is to release one from misery, active euthanasia is often called â€Å"mercy killing.† This essay will discuss five reasons why active euthanasia is wrong. The first reason why active euthanasia is wrong, is because (1) there are other options to stop a patient from suffering, such as great advances in pain management, palliative care, and the development of hospices to assist people who are dying. (2) Active Euthanasia is unethical, because it is a form of murder. (3) Euthanasia is also wrong because it’s against God’s will. (4) Euthanasia is a violation of the right to life; and (5) active euthanasia deprives one the right to die naturally. Overall, active euthanasia should not be allowed, because it is morally wrong. Although many people may feel that there loved ones are ready to die, that doesn’t necessarily mean that one should choose active euthanasia. There are other options to stop a patient from suffering. Pain management, palliative care, and the development of hospice care are always a preferable solution. Pain management is one of the most important aspects of care for terminally-ill persons. Since there have been great advances in the management of acute and chronic pain over the past few years, there is no need for anyone to die in unrelieved agony. The varies treatments of pain management include the injection of specific joints with medications, epidural injections (into the spaces around the spinal cord), and the placement of permanent epidural catheters for pain relief at home. For patients with chronic pain, psychologists are now able to help relieve those stresses, which can change one’s perception of their pain level. The idea of palliative care, also called comfort care, is primarily directed at p...

Religion and the Syrian Civil War

Religion and the Syrian Civil War Religion played a minor but important role in the conflict in Syria. A United Nations report released in late 2012 said that the conflict was becoming â€Å"overtly sectarian† in some parts of the country, with Syria’s various religious communities finding themselves on the opposite sides of the fight between the government of President Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s fractured opposition. Growing Religious Divide At its core, the civil war in Syria is not a religious conflict. The dividing line is one’s loyalty to Assad’s government. However, some religious communities tend to be more supportive of the regime than others, fueling mutual suspicion and religious intolerance in many parts of the country. Syria is an Arab country with a Kurdish and Armenian minority. In term of religious identity, most of the Arab majority belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, with several Muslim minority groups associated with Shiite Islam. Christians from different denominations represent a smaller percentage of the population. The emergence among anti-government rebels of hard-line Sunni Islamist militias fighting for an Islamic state has alienated the minorities. Outside interference from  Shiite Iran, Islamic State militants who seek to include  Syria as part of their widespread caliphate and Sunni Saudi Arabia  makes matters worse, feeding into the wider Sunni-Shiite tension in the Middle East. Alawites   President Assad belongs to the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that is specific to Syria (with small population pockets in Lebanon). The Assad family has been in power since 1970 (Bashar al-Assads father, Hafez al-Assad, served as president from 1971 until his death in 2000), and although it presided over a secular regime, many Syrians think Alawites have enjoyed privileged access to top government jobs and business opportunities. After the outbreak of the anti-government uprising in 2011, the vast majority of Alawites rallied behind the Assad regime, fearful of discrimination if the Sunni majority came to power. Most of the top rank in Assads army and intelligence services are Alawites, making the Alawite community as a whole closely identified with the government camp in the civil war. However, a group of religious Alawite leaders claimed independence from Assad recently, begging the question of whether the Alawite community is itself splintering in its support of Assad. Sunni Muslim Arabs A majority of Syrians are Sunni Arabs, but they are politically divided. True, most of the fighters in rebel opposition groups under the  Free Syrian Army  umbrella come from the Sunni provincial heartlands, and many Sunni Islamists don’t consider Alawites to be real Muslims. The armed confrontation between largely Sunni rebels and the Alawite-led government troops at one point led some observers to see Syria’s civil war as a conflict between Sunnis and Alawites. But, it’s not that simple. Most of the regular government soldiers fighting the rebels are Sunni recruits (though thousands have defected to various opposition groups), and Sunnis hold leading positions in the government, the bureaucracy, the ruling Baath Party and the business community. Some businessmen and middle-class Sunnis support the regime because they want to protect their material interests. Many others are simply scared by Islamist groups within the rebel movements and don’t trust the opposition. In any case, the bedrock of support from sections of the Sunni community has been key to Assad’s survival. Christians The Arab Christian minority in Syria at one time enjoyed relative security under Assad, integrated by the regime’s secular nationalist ideology. Many Christians fear that this politically repressive but religiously tolerant dictatorship will be replaced by a Sunni Islamist regime that will discriminate against minorities, pointing to the prosecution of Iraqi Christians by Islamist extremists after the fall of Saddam Hussein. This led to the Christian establishment: the merchants, top bureaucrats, and religious leaders, to support the government or at least distance themselves from what they saw as a Sunni uprising in 2011. And although there are many Christians in the ranks of the political opposition, such as the Syrian National Coalition, and among the pro-democracy youth activists, some rebel groups now consider all Christians to be collaborators with the regime. Christian leaders, meanwhile, are now faced with the moral obligation to speak out against Assads extreme violence and atrocities against all Syrian citizens regardless of their faith. The Druze Ismailis The Druze and the Ismailis are two distinct Muslim minorities believed to have developed out of the Shiite branch of Islam. Not unlike other minorities, The Druze and Ismailis fear that the regime’s potential downfall will give way to chaos and religious persecution. The reluctance of their leaders to join the opposition has often been interpreted as tacit support for Assad, but that isnt the case. These minorities are caught between extremist groups like the Islamic State, Assads military and opposition forces in what one Middle East analyst, Karim Bitar, from the think tank IRIS calls the tragic dilemma of religious minorities. Twelver Shiites While most Shiites in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon belong to the mainstream Twelver branch, this principal form of Shiite Islam is only a tiny minority in Syria, concentrated in parts of the capital city of Damascus. However, their numbers swelled after 2003 with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees during the Sunni-Shiite civil war in that country. Twelver Shiites fear a radical Islamist takeover of Syria and largely support the Assad regime. With Syria’s ongoing descent into conflict, some Shiites moved back to Iraq. Others organized militias to defend their neighborhoods from Sunni rebels, adding yet another layer to the fragmentation of Syria’s religious society.

Differences between both Sakuntala's (Kalidasa versus Mahabarata Research Paper

Differences between both Sakuntala's (Kalidasa versus Mahabarata version) - Research Paper Example The interpretation of Karma theory is simple and straightforward. ‘Every action has the reaction and the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action.’ No dispute exists between the scientists and the spiritualists as for this issue. So, Sakuntala and Dushyanta are both the victims of their past deeds and they had to suffer the fated consequences of separation. Kalidasa generously uses flowers and trees to describe his women characters. Bee and deer are used as metaphors to highlight the activities and amorous adventures of the King. In Act I, the King is compared to a bee that is out to suck honey from the flowers, in this case the one and the only flower, Sakuntala. Sakuntala is not accustomed to such attacks from the bee. Initially she wonders why the bee has left the Jasmine vine and now tries to fly to her face. As the bee is persistent in flying towards her, she turns her bewitching eyes swiftly to watch the bee’s flight. Not out of love, but due to fright. But this bee is bold, and seems as if he has come to conquer her. He reaches out to her eyelids, then cheek and gently buzzing around, he whispers some sweet nothings into her ear. She tries to ward off the bee, but he strikes at her hand and steals a kiss. The King is so much enamored of Sakuntala that he wishes that she should accompany him. Sakuntala is awfully afraid and thinks that her virginity is in peril. She cries out to her friends to save her from the dreadful bee. This bee episode appears in act I. The story of Sakuntala appears in the 'Adiparva' chapter of the epic Mahabharata. â€Å"Sakuntala from the Mahabarata version is confident, outspoken and independent in nature, whereas the Sakuntala from Kalidasa's "The Recognition of Sakuntala" is displayed as quiet, immature (romantic), and dependent.† Sakuntala of Mahabharata: â€Å"The two Sakuntalas are a good example of the change in characterization of a heroine. The Sakuntala of the Mahabharata stands her ground and speaks up for her right. Kalidasa’s Sakuntala does try to argue her case, but it is not her independence or the power of her words which we remember.†(Rustomji, p.45) When Sakuntala reached the court of Dushyanta, he took a defensive posture. Rather he was trying to defend the indefensible. He pleaded with her that no one knew about their association. Dushyanta presented before Sakuntala his queer logic that women were capable of enticing men to achieve their objective and he further argued that his people would conclude that she did the same thing to trap him and demand that her son should become the crown prince, which was part of her game plan. So, Dushyanta said that he did not admit to the marriage immediately and denied any association with her. He was clearly taking the defensive position as Sakuntala could not be browbeaten by his barbs. She reminded him about his promise and put forth her demand with all the confidence and wit h adamancy. Dushyanta remembered everything but shamelessly denied knowing her or having married her in Gandharva style. In such a grim situation anybody would turn cynical. She was about to faint, but regained her composure to launch a verbal attack on Dushyanta, for which she had