Government ensure

How does the Government ensure that the development of Youths in this country is consistent with National Development in general? By Hauntingly In 21st century, youth is one of the main sources to contribute in the future of a country. In Malaysia, development of country and development in youth should go side by side. Young people need to be placed at the centre of national development. By the way, youth development can be defined as government and society can support young women and men aged 12 to 24.It's about how they develop the skill and attitudes they need to take a positive part in society, now and in future. The years from 12 to 24 are critical for human development. Youths are Increasingly involved In crime; most problem youth come from homes lacking in parental guidance. Therefore, youth are likely to seek advice from friends who could pose negative peer pressure to them. Parents should make time for their children and pay appropriate attention on them but not strictly.Rel evant units should deliver some common knowledge about harm on misuse, abuse of weapon and drug even severe punishment of high court through campaign or talk. In case, Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation held a series of programmer and activities for youths under a aiming called Youths unite Against Crime'. Besides, youth development is triggered when young people fully participate. They need to be given opportunities to involve in some meaningful activities. This can aid them to identify their personality and abilities through learning and services.Youth should be encourage to join extracurricular activities, even develop their hobbles or something expert In. This can help them to determine aspiration or target In their life. For example, National Services can train their leadership, gains more knowledge, build their skills and be more respect and unity with other races. Unemployment is parallel with output of economic. This is due to labor in country can't fully utilized as unemp loyment rate is higher. Young people are main workforce to supply labor.Thus, government should provide Job opportunities to those who after school. Work can provide young people with important opportunities to learn skills, make a contribution through social connections and, in paid work, earn money. Government try to protect worker's rights and interests especially fresh graduated. The announcement of minimum wages policy came into force from 1 January 2013. Healthy lifestyle Is Important In development of youth. Nowadays, smoking Is a bad habit among teenagers. Statistic shows that 90% of smokers are youth.It Is a serious Issue for government to discuss and need Teflon a way to solve this problem. For campaign to anti smoking. In 2011, the warning cover the half top of cigarette packs meant to shock deter new smokers and motivate existing smoker to quit. How to ensure that the development of youths in this country is consistently with national development? Youth are main structur e of a country, they can bring a country toward a bad culture or a good culture. As a conclusion, national development supported by development of youth.

The Impact of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance in Mauritius

Introduction Corporate governance is a field in economics that investigates how to secure/motivate efficient management of corporations by the use of incentive mechanisms, such as contracts, organizational designs and legislation. This is often limited to the question of improving financial performance, for example, how the corporate owners can secure/motivate that the corporate managers will deliver a competitive rate of return. (Mathiesen, 2002). Another definition is â€Å"Corporate Governance is concerned with holding the balance between economic and social goals and between individual and communal goals. The corporate governance framework is there to encourage the efficient use of resources and equally to require accountability for the stewardship of those resources. The aim is to align as nearly as possible the interests of individuals, corporations and society† (Sir Adrian Cadbury in ‘Global Corporate Governance Forum', World Bank, 2000). According to La Porta et al. (2000) â€Å"corporate governance is to a certain extent a set of mechanisms through which outside investors protect themselves against expropriation by the insiders†. The problem is to see whether the corporate governance standards adopted by firms in Mauritius are positively, negatively or more affecting the firms’ performance. Research will be made on a sample of firms operating in Mauritius. Literature Review Related searches in other countries It has been argued that as ownership concentration increases, the incentives and the abilities of shareholders to properly monitor managers increase too. This creates beneficial effect for firms in the sense that performance or profitability improves (Morck et al. 1989)). There are studies which find that higher ownership concentration lead to detrimental effects for corporations in the sense that large blockholders and managers can collude to extract rents from small shareholders (Lehman and Weigand (2000)). The study by Demsetz and Villalonga (2001) provides evidence that there is no significant relation between ownership structure and firm performance. Chhaochharia and Grinstein (2007) looked a t the impact of the 2002 governance rules established by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on firm value. They found that less compliant firms earn positive abnormal returns compared to more compliant firms. They also found that less compliant large firms earn positive abnormal returns but less compliant small firms earn negative abnormal returns. Bhagat and Bolton (2008) examined the relationship between corporate governance and performance, and found that better corporate governance, board members’ stock ownership, and CEO-Chair separation are positively related to operating performance. They also found that the probability of management turnover is positively related to board members’ stock ownership and board independence when firms perform poorly. Patibandla (2006) examined the ownership structure and firm performance on Indian firms by separating large investors into private foreignin stitutional investors and government-owned local financial institutions. Patibandla found a positive relationship between private foreign institutional investors and firm profitability and a negative relationship between government-owned local financial institutions and firm profitability. Aims & Objectives of Research The aim of this investigation is to make a research on the impact of corporate governance on the performance of firms in Mauritius. The research is going to see the contribution that corporate governance has made on the firms’ financial performance. The research seeks to evaluate the performance of firms in terms of: †¢ Firms’ financial performance †¢ Firms market value The research aim at looking standards which are contributing to high mprovement in firms’ performance and to look also those standards that are contributing to poor performance. The objectives are: †¢ Identify the causes that contribute to high or poor firms’ performance †¢ Measures that can be used to improve the poor performance of firms by comparing their corporate standards adopted by firms experiencing high performance. Research Methodology Sample A sample size of 10 firms is to be selected operating in the private sector of Mauritius. Data The data will be obtained from annual reports for the year 2007 and 2008. Questionnaire A questionnaire will be sent to those firms via letters. The questionnaire will contained defined questions that are relevant to the related research. The questionnaire should be filled by the executives of the respective firms. Methodology Some data will be obtained by looking at secondary data and the other data will be received by letters (Questionnaire). These primary and secondary data will be input in the SPSS software which will analyse and give the result of the analysis of the collected data. Tentative Grant Chat |Activities |9-Sep |9-Oct |9-Nov |9-Dec |10-Jan |10-Feb |10-Mar | Introduction |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Literature review |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Research Methodology |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Analysis of data |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Conclusion |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | References †¢ Bhagat Sanjai, and Brian Bolton, 2008, Corporate governance and firm performance, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 14, pp. 257-273. Chhaochharia Vidhi, and Yaniv Grinstein, 2007, Corporate governance and firm value: The impact of the 2002 governance rules, Journal of Finance, Vol. LXII, No. 4, pp. 1789-1825 †¢ Demsetz, H. and B. Villalonga, 2001, Ownership structure and corporate performance, Journal of Corporate Finance, vol. 7, 209-233. †¢ La Porta, Lopez-de-Silannes, Shleifer, Vishny. Investor perfomance and corporate governance. Journal of Financial Economics. 58 (2000). 3-27. †¢ Lehman, E. and J. Weigand, 2000, Does the governed corporation perform better? Governance structures and corporate performance in Germany, European Finance Review,vol. 4, 157-195. †¢ Mathiesen (2002) http://corpgov. net/library/definitions. html †¢ Morck, R. , A. Shleifer and R. Vishny, 1989, Alternative mechanisms of corporate control,American Economic Review, vol. 79, 842-852. †¢ Patibandla Murali, 2006, Equity pattern, corporate governance and performance: A study of India’s corporate sector, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Vol. 59, pp. 29-44. †¢ Sir Adrian Cadbury in ‘Global Corporate Governance Forum', World Bank, 2000

American History Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American History Analysis - Assignment Example The assignment "American History Analysis" talks about the American history study that was captured by the ideas of President Eisenhower and General Marshall who noticed the ill-preparedness of the America’s military armed forces which led to the considerable loss. Fulfillment of the task of protecting the nation required the projection of the army’s preparation past the immediate prospect. They advocated for military preparedness through establishing and maintaining a good defense policy. Modern warfare requires proper planning if the war was to bring forth peace. They both noted the need for peace which was the main objective of the war or conflict. General Marshall came up with ideas which if implemented could help in their defense strategies. He supported President Washington’s program which was for the peace time training or the universal military training of the citizens. The essence of this training was to ensure that in the case of an emergency, the train ed citizens could be recalled to help in the forces. The idea behind this was to create employment opportunities to the trained citizens directly or indirectly in fields related to security. It was noted that technology could not be relied on solely in times of war as the machines required people to operate them. The Axis powers used the strategy of imposing an invisible unpleasant force to win any biased row and to their disadvantage brought out their weaknesses. Marshall also noted that there was a misunderstanding of military preparedness.

Middle Eastern Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Middle Eastern Studies - Essay Example It is important to understand how the countries came to be and what the balance of power has been. But things are changing rapidly. By looking at the following three media sources, we can get a sense of what is happening and how modern people from the Middle East view the world. Haaratz is a liberal Israel newspaper. One of the main issues in Israel these days is the problems in Iran. Israeli government officials are plotting a potential attack on Iran. Haaretz, as a liberal voice, can sometimes be critical of this idea. There is clearly an emphasis on politics over other issues. The paper is not concerned with oil (as Israel has none) or youth issues. Much of the discussion is existential: how should Israelis live, how should they treat the Palestinians, etc. There is much opinion and much discussion in this newspaper, and many ideas are generated by it. It is a great example of Israel’s free press. There is no censorship of the materials—and the paper is frequently cr itical of the government. Tehran Times appears to be strongly influenced by government censors. The stories present the president of Iran in a favourable light. The paper also pushes a paranoid line, suggesting that Iran is surrounded by enemies which wish to do it harm. There is an article about Iranian prisoners who may be executed in Saudi Arabia. The attitude appears to be negative. The oil sanctions are clearly affecting the Iranian economy, and there are stories about this. Youth unemployment is high. Iran is suffering from the kind of huge demographic change which Richards talks about in his chapter. The old order is fading, but not fast enough. The old order still has enough power to put down uprisings, as they did in 2009, but this will last forever. One day they will fall and the consequences of this will be unforeseeable. Reading the Tehran times, it is clear that there is kind of siege mentality the people of Iran are suffering from. All of this is evident from the paper . It appears to be a sad country. The United States is considered to be an enemy, according to this paper. We can see how Iran is trying to build alliances with other misfit countries in the region. Overall, this is a depressing newspaper for a depressing country. Al Jazeera is like the CNN of the Middle East. It is based out of Qatar and provides regional coverage in a less biased manner than other local media. The headlines are often outward looking and focus on the international scene, but from the point of view of all people in the Middle East. The tone is a unifying and quite liberal one. It is clear that Al Jazeera is not the organ of any dictator or tyrant. They have done a lot to inspire the revolutions that have occurred over the last few years. They appear to support democracy and even women’s rights—ideas which are alien to many Arabs in the region. There is even some objectivity shown towards Israel. There is an emphasis on oil news as this the main commodi ty traded in the Middle East and the source of much wealth. Overall, the news is a bit soft-ball but it is clearly not censored by any government. The Middle East is a rapidly changing area of the world. Every month brings something new. All of last year the world focused on Libya. Now, with Gaddafi dead, the world has turned to watch the civil war unfolding in Syria. Only a few years ago, we all watched Iraq

Helping to cope with school violence tragedies Essay

Helping to cope with school violence tragedies - Essay Example Unlike the usual stresses and conflicts that are a part of everyday life at home and at work, acute crisis episodes frequently overwhelm traditional human coping skills and result in dysfunctional behavior. This creates a state of disequilibrium that results in intense fears and highly anxious states (Stephens, R. D., 1994). There is growing awareness by school administrators that school violence could occur at their school. Planning and preparation will be necessary to manage those crises and to attend to the emotional as well as physical needs of staff and students. School administrators have a tendency to underestimate the initial and long-term impact of trauma. Children's reactions to trauma, however, would not be impacted by this underplay, and they would typically fall into the following key areas, fear of the future, academic regression, behavioral regression, nightmares and sleeping difficulties. Teachers and parents who are provided with emotional support and who are educated on children's typical reactions to trauma will be much better prepared to assist their students and children. These violent tragedies would not affect the children only, since the school population of students also comprises of adolescents. Adolescents, in particular, who have been traumatized, are more at risk for depress ion, suicide, reckless behavior, and substance abuse. This population demands help to cope up with the disaster or the trauma from the violence. Unfortunately, the mental health services provided by professionals in schools are extremely inadequate (Canada, M. et al., 2007). The CDC reports that 15% of the male students are involved in physical altercations, and males are more likely to fight on school property. Students in lower grades, ninth grade and below, are more likely to be in a fight on school property than students in higher grades. Assaults against teachers are a form of school violence that needs serious attention. Bullying, which has become a serious concern as of late, may include relatively benign forms of social interactions or may even include more serious forms which threaten bodily harm (Poland, S., 2003). School shootings are significant in that they get publicized, and many students are indirectly affected with such a tragedy, and this needs to invoke coping skills to survive the trauma. Literature is sparse in this area, and in 1993, Lockwood had a study done on middle and high school students. This study examined the reasons for, and circumstances of, violence at school in this age group. The findings are significant. The first finding revealed that most violence was the results of minor insults or altercations that escalated until it resulted in extreme violence. The major goal of the violence was revenge or retribution for the insult. Most students polled in this study stated that such use of violence for retribution was morally acceptable and was not considered to be an indication that the violent student had an absence of values (Lockwood, A. T. 1993). This is a matter of concern, and this immediately points to moral values that act as etiologic agents for such incidents. Exami nation of all shootings between 1996 and 1999 reveals a pattern. The shooters are all male. This is not inconsistent with the majority of

Undecided Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Undecided - Essay Example s their major differences are concerned, it is worth noting that the color, genetic make-up, function, lifespan, fur, and flexibility are major factors. Therefore, this paper highlights the major differences and similarities between the behaviors of a donkey and a horse. Despite the fact that both donkeys and horses are domestic animals commonly known as ‘beasts of burden,’ it is important to note that they exhibit similar social behavior, especially when it comes to cooperation with human beings. In essence, human beings tame both animals so that they can help humans in performing certain task that humans alone cannot handle. They both respond well to human instructions they will handle any turf task before them as long as they remain well fed. In this respect, it is critical to note that both donkeys and horses can be used to transport goods and human beings, or they can even haul heavy loads for human beings. Perhaps the only difference between the two animals in this respect is that one is faster than the other is. Perhaps the major behavioral difference between a donkey and a horse lies in their perception and response to danger or threat. As for the horse, speed is the ultimate way of escaping from any real or perceived danger or threat. Indeed, a horse will not give a second thought to any object that poses a threat to its life. It is especially swift to flee besides its significant speed over long distances. On the other hand, a donkey is usually stubborn to threats and it will prefer to face the threat before thinking of an alternative course of action. It means that a donkey is more likely to suffer harm than a horse due to its attitude towards danger. When the two animals are in combat with their ‘enemy,’ a horse prefers the hind kicks while a donkey will throw hind kicks in addition to bites. Lastly but more importantly, donkeys and horses make different sounds, although the sounds may have some similarities, especially to an inattentive ear.

What is a pestle in university of hertfordshire Essay

What is a pestle in university of hertfordshire - Essay Example Some of these factors include interest rates, change in taxation, economic growth, inflation and even exchange rates. When these factors are not considered when making critical decisions in the organization, they may impact negatively to the organization. The level of competition also has an impact on the overall decision to be made by an organization. Third factor is sociological factors. Cultural factor may negatively impact on the success of a product in the market. Other social factors such as the religion may also have a negative impact on the organization. Fourth macro-factor that may affect the organization is technology. New technologies create new products and create a demand of specific services. Technology also poses a threat to the organization through increasing the level of competition. In addition, it creates new opportunities. Climatic factors such as weather and climate change may have a negative impact on the organization. Some of the organizations that are likely to be affected by this sector include farming, tourism and also insurance. Lastly, Legal factors also affect the organizations existence and performance. Legal changes might bring about changes in the consumption behavior of the people. Passing of new laws may therefore create new opportunity or eliminate the product from the

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company New Product Development Process Essay

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company New Product Development Process - Essay Example Goodyear is amongst the leading tire manufacturing company in the world. It has made its presence felt in every corner of the world. The company started its journey with 13 employees at its manufacturing plant in Ohio, USA and since then has grown into a company which is home to more than 70,000 employees across the world. The company with its continuous hard work has risen from scratch to become a billion dollar company. Goodyear with net sales of $22.8 billion (as of 2011) is surely leading the way to not only be the top tire manufacturing company in North America but also in the world (Goodyear, n.d). This project report on Goodyear will identify the prospects related to new product development. New product development is a critical aspect for the company in the cut throat competitive market. Product development is always based on certain criteria’s which otherwise can benefit Goodyear as a company in terms of market share and revenue generation. The purpose of this project is to analyze Goodyear’s strategy and methodology in developing new product. This project emphasizes on the need of new product development and its importance. Goodyear has been in the business for a long time and the project will evaluate the company’s future prospects in context to new product development. Tire market is a huge market with many competitors. The project will answer certain questions such as why new product development is the need of the hour and how can it change the fortune of a company?... The company with its continuous hard work has risen from scratch to become a billion dollar company. Goodyear with net sales of $22.8 billion (as of 2011) is surely leading the way to not only be the top tire manufacturing company in North America but also in the world (Goodyear, n.d). This project report on Goodyear will identify the prospects related to new product development. New product development is a critical aspect for the company in the cut throat competitive market. Product development is always based on certain criteria’s which otherwise can benefit Goodyear as a company in terms of market share and revenue generation. Purpose The purpose of this project is to analyze Goodyear’s strategy and methodology in developing new product. This project emphasizes on the need of new product development and its importance. Goodyear has been in the business for a long time and the project will evaluate the company’s future prospects in context to new product devel opment. Tire market is a huge market with many competitors around which makes the new product development even more important for Goodyear. The project will answer certain questions such as why new product development is the need of the hour and how can it change the fortune of a company? Tire market is no more confined to the developed nations as the emerging economies of the world are leading the way in terms of tire consumption with the rise in number of vehicles plying on the roads. It comes as an opportunity for the company and the project analyzes what are the ways Goodyear can cope with the rise in demand by offering cutting edge technology to its customers. Background Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in the year 1898 by Frank A. Seiberling in Ohio, USA.

African American and Conflicting Perspective Essay Example for Free

African American and Conflicting Perspective Essay Every individual has a perspective on things in life and their personal idea of the truth. These are universal concepts and are widely seen in ted Hughes poems â€Å"birthday Letters†. Birthday letters is a set of poems, said to have been written by Hughes for six years prior to his death, on his ex wife’s birthday each year this the selection of poems being called birthday letters. The selection on poems surrounds his problematic marital issues between himself and his wife Sylvia Plath. It is also to show the conflicting perspective on their relationship. This is mainly towards the criticism he received all those years after her suicide. He had been blamed for being the catalyst for her suicide/death and so began a collection of poems regarding their relationship but in some way, excusing himself and explaining that she was already on a destructive path. Through two of his poems, Fulbright scholars and the shot, an understanding of the poems have thrown lighten the concepts of conflicting perspectives. Two other complementary texts such as letters from two jima and to kill a mockingbird convey conflicting perspectives however on issues such as racial discrimination and the perspectives of an opposing country that has been marked as enemies. Fulbright scholars are the first poem in the birthday letters collection. Hughes here tries to remember how he met her and first know of her existence. He does this whilst looking at a picture that was taken at university, when he was a naive young man. He ponders about her throughout the poem trying hard to delve into his psyche hopelessly to recollect something about her when they met at a party. This can be noted by the quote â€Å"were you among them? † which refers to the picture of Fulbright scholar. In terms of conflicting perspectives, the e poem can also be seen as a text that he wrote implicating how difficult it is t recall that first meeting, however he begins to explain his perspective of Sylvia Plath. He says â€Å"your exaggerated American grin for the cameras† which referred to her as someone with false appearances. The various techniques Hughes used to convey his ideas were the use of rhetorical questions such as â€Å"were you among them? †, the repetitions of the word maybe and the use of the I persona, and metaphors such as the â€Å"first fresh peach†. Rhetorical questions he used as a means of asking himself how he met her and what she first looked like to him. The metaphor ‘delicious peach† can be said to be another way to say she was the first girl he â€Å"ever tasted†, in terms of the experience of truly liking someone who seemed special to him. Reputation is used throughout the poem of maybe can be analyzed as a way of trying to remember what he saw of her and his knowing of her existence. The I persona is an important tool in terms of Hughes alluding to the very personal nature of his reflection. The poem ‘the shot’ is also one from the collection and conveys Plath as someone different to what her fans saw her to be. As he says that she was deceitful in terms of appearance of a good and decent person/poet. In the poem, the shot is a metaphor of Plath being bullet shout out a gun. It can also e sad that Hughes thinks that he was the one shot. Hughes perspective on paths â€Å"destructive path† is one that she has always been on, saying that she was already a bullet long before she has met him. Followers of Plath as a victim view him as a catalyst for her suicide but in the poem he tries to explain that she was already suicidal as she tried to commit suicide when she was younger. The use of word â€Å"daddy† is one of great importance as it refers to her childish attachment to her father. This is also the title of her famous poem daddy. Hughes also explains that from his perspective, that he himself has become the father figure that she had ways been looking for. Overall, the concept of the two poems depict conflicting perspectives through analysis of ted Hughes’ birthday letters. The text letters from Iwo jima is similarly to birthday letters, a conflicting perspective however of the Japanese however of the Japanese soldiers during the American invasion of to two jima in ww2. It depicts their perspective throughout the turbulent time, showing that even were still human beings with the same universal feelings. Clint eastwood directed the film letters from Iwo Jima in 2006, trying to show an American or non Japanese audience their side of the story or their perspective. Here, a conflicting perspective is shown. Throughout the film, eastwood wants us to empathise with the Japanese perspective f the same terror and emotions that the Americans felt at that time too. The main character is a young Japanese soldier called saigo who is little enthused on fighting and going to war. This is all seen through techniques eastwood input such as flashbacks- which were important in the film. The audience is then able to see how the soldiers were like before the war and what it was like for them when they got conscripted. Their reflections are a huge part in their conflicting perspective and also a great important technique is the Japanese language. Eastwood used the language to give a strong sense of ethnicity and strong sense of tradition. To kill a mocking bird written by Harper lee in 1960 conveys the conflicting perspectives of the treatment of African Americans in Alabama. This conflicting perspective is seen through the eyes of a young white girl, rather than n African American person. The text shows her view o the racial discrimination against the Negroes and the treatment, prejudice and violence they receive. The event takes place that’s how a conflicting perspective is the court case scene, where an African American man is accused of raping a young white girl. The perspective here is not only through the girl, Scout Finch, but also her father Atticus finch which is the lawyer defending the accused. However he took on a case he know that with all the racial discrimination and prejudice around, he would inevitable lose. The fact that he took on the case shows a conflicting perspective of a white American man who has no prejudice against African Americans. The daughter scout finch views the situation on a different level as well as she was basically raised by African American woman and didn’t judge her, as many people did in Maycomb County. She begins to see and understand the prejudice and discrimination when the man is accused of rape as the majority people did not like his race at that time. It was seen as stereotypical to blame him for the rape. The conflicting perspective here is that the perspective o a young white American and her family on the treatment the Negroes received. It can be said that harper lee wanted the audience to challenge their beliefs and see events from the perspective of a young child who is horrified by the treatment of the Negroes.

Save water Essay Example for Free

Save water Essay WATER SAVINGS PROTOCOL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Final Version 3.0 June 2009 Acknowledgements This document has been prepared by the Department of Sustainability and Environment in collaboration with Goulburn-Murray Water, the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project (NVIRP) with technical advice provided by Hydro Environmental. -i- TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction _______________________________________________________ 1 2. Purpose of this Document ___________________________________________ 2 3. Roles and Responsibilities ___________________________________________ 2 3.1. Project Proponent _____________________________________________________3 3.2. Water Corporation _____________________________________________________4 3.3. Resource Manager_____________________________________________________4 3.4. Minister for Water and Associated Departments ______________________________5 3.4.1. Department for Sustainability and Environment ______________________________ 5 3.5. Minister for Planning and Community Development and Associated Departments ____6 3.6. Minister for Environment and Associated Departments _________________________6 3. 6.1. Catchment Management Authorities (Environmental Managers) _________________ 6 3.7. Murray-Darling Basin Authority ___________________________________________7 4. High Level Process Diagram for Assessing Water Savings ________________ 7 ii 1. Introduction This document â€Å"Roles and Responsibilities† is part of the â€Å"Water Savings Protocol for the Quantification of Water Saving Projects† (the Protocol). The Protocol is a series of documents, which together, provides transparency, and consistency in the estimation and allocation of water savings derived from irrigation modernisation projects. It has been developed based on the key principles in the Draft Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy and is applicable State-wide. The Protocol consists of: †¢ Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings †¢ Roles and Responsibilities †¢ Water Savings Audit Process The documents that make up the Protocol is shown in Figure 1. WATER SAVINGS PROTOCOL FOR THE QUANTIFICATION OF WATER SAVINGS FROM IRRIGATION MODERNISATION PROJECTS Explanatory Note from the Minister Technical Manual For Quantification of Water Savings Roles Responsibilities Water Savings Audit Process Figure 1: Water Savings Protocol documents The overall purpose of the Water Savings Protocol documents, including this document, is to: †¢ specify a reliable and repeatable process and method to estimate water savings from irrigation modernisation projects; -1- †¢ †¢ 2. provide the best estimate of water savings for inclusion in economic assessments of investments in irrigation modernisation projects; and establish a transparent process which can be readily audited and reported on to enable actual water savings to be converted to entitlements at an appropriate time. Purpose of this Document The purpose of this document is to set out the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved in irrigation modernisation projects. The roles and responsibilities are specifically related to the accounting, reporting and auditing of associated water savings. These roles and responsibilities are consistent with Government Policies including the legislated roles and responsibilities of the various organisations in the Water Act 1989 and the Environmental Effects Act 1978. 3. Roles and Responsibilities The following sections outline the specific roles and responsibilities of the various organisations involved in water savings projects. These organisations include:i. the Project Proponent ii. the System Operator iii. the Minister for Water iv. the Department of Sustainability and Environment (the Department) v. Environmental Regulator (Minister for Planning) and Associated Departments vi. Minister for Environment and Associated Departments vii. Environmental Manager (Catchment Management Authority and/or Parks Victoria) viii. the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (in relation to Northern Victoria). The relationship between the above mentioned organisations and their involvement in water savings projects throughout Victoria can be seen schematically in Figure 2. -2- Minister for Environment and Climate Change Minister for Planning and Community Development Catchment Management Authorities Water Corporation Parks Victoria Minister for Water Resource Manager / System Operator Department of Sustainability and Environment Murray Darling Basin Authority Project Proponent Figure 2: Victorian Water Savings Projects – Key Organisations 3.1. Project Proponent The project proponent is the entity with the role of planning, designing and delivering the irrigation modernisation project including its various water savings interventions. The role of the Proponent is to: †¢ identify water saving opportunities. †¢ devise and develop the scope of projects in conjunction with the holder of the system operating water entitlement. †¢ seek all necessary approvals to works and endorsement of their associated water savings. †¢ identify potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures and consult with the appropriate environmental managers at a State and Federal level. †¢ quantify the volume of water savings to be generated by each intervention in accordance with the methodology outlined in the Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings. †¢ prior to implementing the annual works program, and at reasonable intervals throughout the season if requested by the System Operator, calculate the estimated interim water savings for the current/future irrigation season for the purpose for setting this water aside for future allocation. †¢ communicate to the System Operator, the planned annual works program and changes as they occur. †¢ implement works in accordance with the works program. -3- †¢ communicate any significant departures from the planned works program, as it is implemented, to the System Operator. †¢ notify the System Operator and the Executive Director of Water Entitlements and Strategies (within the Department) of the volumes of water that are expected to be set aside (Interim Savings) and transferred (Long Term Savings) as result of each intervention being implemented. †¢ calculate the actual water savings arising from the works in accordance with the Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings to determine both the interim and the long term water savings. †¢ report, as required, the projected interim and final water savings including any details of changes from the overall targeted volumes of water savings for the project or water savings intervention. †¢ arrange for an independent audit and report of the water savings utilising the independent auditor(s) awarded to the auditing of water savings by the independent panel in accordance with the Audit Process. †¢ advise the System Operator and Executive Director of Water Entitlements and Strategies (within the Department) on the outcomes of the water savings audit 3.2. Water Corporation The Water Corporation is responsible for assessing system losses on the longer term to ensure longevity of water savings realised through interventions associated with irrigation modernisation projects. The System Operator is to: †¢ ensure water delivery services can continue to be provided to water entitlement holders on the system. †¢ on the advice of the proponent, consult with system water users impacted by the agreed project works. †¢ provide water system asset information required to enable the Project Proponent to complete interim and long term water savings projections. †¢ apply to Minister for Water to amend/transfer part of the savings as water entitlement. †¢ operate and maintain the water delivery system in accordance with the agreed project objectives and ensure accountable water savings are sustainable and maintained in the long term. 3.3. Resource Manager The Resource Manager or Storage Operator, as defined in the relevant bulk entitlements, is responsible for managing and allocating the water resources in accordance with the bulk entitlements. This includes making and projecting seasonal determinations. The Resource Manager / Storage Operator is to: †¢ provide to the proponent, projections of annual water deliveries and allocations to enable the progressive calculation of interim water savings as the project is implemented. -4- †¢ manage and collect water delivery system flow (inflow and outflow) measurement data and make that data available t the Project Proponent. †¢ ensure provision of water related data to the Project Proponent and the Department is guaranteed through a quality assurance process. Where the data has been modified or filtered, provide both the raw and modified data including documentation of reasons for modification. †¢ at the start of each irrigation season, or progressively as agreed, set aside the amounts of water projected to be saved through the modernisation works. †¢ confirm the estimates of actual water savings provide by the Project Proponent and where necessary recommend an amendment to those savings for consideration by the Project Proponent. 3.4. Minister for Water and Associated Departments The Minister for Water is responsible for the water portfolio in the State of Victoria. The Minister oversees the policy direction with the support of the Department. The delivery of long term water savings and ensuring government water savings targets are met is a key responsibility of the Minister. The Minister for Water: †¢ has agreed to the Water Savings Framework and its associated Water Savings Protocols including its Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings and the Water Savings Audit Processes †¢ will, with the support of the Department, update the Protocol to ensure continual improvement and the use of the best technical basis available at the time. †¢ will, with the support of the Department, amend and transfer Bulk entitlements (Water Act 1989) to represent the long term water savings realised through the modernisation program. 3.4.1. Department for Sustainability and Environment The Department supports the Minister for Water in the administration of the water portfolio in Victoria with respect to water recovery. The Department will: †¢ support the Minister for Water in developing a Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings (Attachment 1) and the associated Audit Processes (Attachment 3). †¢ support the Minister for Water in amending and transferring bulk entitlements. †¢ recommend to the Minister for Water updates to the Protocols, particularity the Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings to ensure continual improvement and the use of the best technical basis available at the time. †¢ convene a meeting with the System Operator and the Project Proponent and Department a minimum of every 6 months to review the application of the Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings in Northern Victoria. -5- †¢ arrange for a Panel to establish a list of independent auditors which may be used to audit water savings estimates and related baseline data (both interim savings on annual basis and long term savings at the end of the water savings project). †¢ establish an agreed methodology for calculating the annual Long Term Cap Equivalent (LTCE) conversion factor to be used in long term water savings estimates. †¢ provide the Project Proponent (and System Operator if requested) with the Long Term Cap Equivalent conversion factors for particular years. 3.5. Minister for Planning and Community Development and Associated Departments The Minister for Planning and Community Development oversees the adherence of water savings projects to all relevant environmental legislation (both State and Federal). The Minister for Planning and Community Development will: †¢ assess environmental impacts of the works and measures proposed by the Project Proponent †¢ provided certain conditions are met, issue planning approvals for the works proposed by the Project Proponent (it should be noted that it is not the role of regulator to quantify the volume of water savings). 3.6. Minister for Environment and Associated Departments The Minister for Environment is responsible for management and mitigation of any undesirable impacts of the water savings project. The Minister for Environment has a responsibility to: †¢ work with environmental managers to consult on any potential environmental impact of works and seek multiple benefit projects †¢ provide advice to the Minister for Planning and Community Development on potential environmental impacts associated with works †¢ develop the principles for the planning and use of Requisite (Mitigating) Water to ensure net environmental gain to the project region. 3.6.1. Catchment Management Authorities (Environmental Managers) The Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) have a charter to develop and oversee the implementation of Regional Catchment Strategies aimed at improving or at least maintaining catchment health and to, on behalf of the Minister for Environment, manage the environmental water entitlements. The role related to the environmental water entitlement includes: †¢ improving river and wetland health through the use of the Environmental Water Reserve and delivery of complementary works. †¢ working with the water savings Project Proponent to identify potential environmental impacts of the actions and potential mitigation measures proposed by the Project Proponent. -6- †¢ working with the Project Proponent and System Operator to seek multiple benefit projects and multiple project benefits. In instances where Parks Victoria is the owner or custodian of the land, the catchment responsibilities for the maintenance of catchment heath will be delivered through Parks Victoria. 3.7. Murray-Darling Basin Authority The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is responsible for integrated, sustainable management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin. Its role includes: †¢ ensuring appropriate water diversion accounting against the Murray-Darling Basin Cap on allowable annual diversions. †¢ developing and implementing of the Basin Management Plan which will be a strategic plan for the integrated and sustainable management of water resources in the Murray-Darling Basin. Details of the future role of the Authority in relation to water savings will be resolved as part of the Basin Plan. 4. High Level Process Diagram for Assessing Water Savings The quantification of water savings is undertaken in four separate stages or Phases of the water savings project, these phases are defined as follows: †¢ Phase 1: †¢ Phase 2: †¢ Phase 3: †¢ Phase 4: The initial â€Å"Business Case† long term estimates of water savings for the planned program of works The annual pre-works estimates of interim water savings to be set aside within the water savings account. The annual post-works measurement or verification of interim water savings able to be allocated from the water savings account. The end of program assessment of the overall long term water savings achieved through the modernisation program. Each of the Phases, and the steps which are required to quantify the water savings under these Phases, is described in detail within the Technical Manual for the Quantification of Water Savings. Figure 3 schematically describes the roles and responsibilities of the above mentioned organisations in estimating, measuring, verifying, and reporting water savings associated with irrigation system modernisation programs. The interactions between each of the Phases of reporting and the required information sharing are also provided within that diagram. -7- Figure 3: High level process flow for defining, capturing reporting Water Savings in Irrigation Modernisation Project -8-

Campbell Soup Company

Campbell Soup Company Campbell Soup Company (Campbell or the company), together with its consolidated subsidiaries, is a global manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, branded convenience food products. Campbell was incorporated as a business corporation under the laws of New Jersey on November 23, 1922; however, through predecessor organizations, it traces its heritage in the food business back to 1869. The companys principal executive offices are in Camden, New Jersey 08103-1799.Kimball is a brand or a product line of sauces that was established in Malaysia in the year 1970s under Campbells company, Kimball is a well-known brand in Malaysian homes. Unprecedented inflation and difficult economic climate world wide have created the most challenging cost environment since Kimball established. All Kimball sauces are specially prepared with a smooth, thick richness that is naturally tasty not too sweet, sour or vinegary. Kimball Sauces are available in Chili Sauce, Tomato Ketchup, Oyster Sauce and Thai C hili Sauce. Current Marketing Situation:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In fiscal 2008, inflation, on average has been significantly higher than previous years. Therefore Kimball is facing a decline in terms on production, this was due to the decreasing demand for Kimball brand sauces, the main company does not stimulate awareness towards existing and new customers by doing advertisements like commercials and etc. Some changes in commodity prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates also affect the decline of the demand for Kimball sauces. Therefore our main objective is to make our products more broadly available in existing and new markets by targeting to boost our sales up to 20% in 3 years time. Situation Analysis: INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT MISSION STATEMENT To win in both the marketplace and the workplace with integrity as the country most extraordinary food company.In order to win the marketplace,we should boost our Kimball product sales,here our company will stress on re-packaging the product,that is Kimball chilli sauce. OBJECTIVE Make our products more broadly available in existing markets, and to boost our sales of Kimball sauce by 20% in 3 years time. We also determine to create awareness of customers about Kimball in Malaysia. EXISTING CUSTOMER In most of the Kimball markets, sales activities are conducted by the companys own sales force distributor arrangements. In Malaysia, the companys products are generally resold to consumers in retail food chains, discounters, merchandisers, supermarket, convenience stores, hypermarket and others similar retail stores. Households, Teenagers also loves to eat food with dipping in Kimball sauce. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE HARVEY GOLUB Chairman of Campbell Soup Company, Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express Company(BOARD OF DIRECTORS) DOUGLAS R. CONANT President and Chief Executive OfficerDOUGLAS R. CONANT President and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup Company 3 JERRY S. BUCKLEY Senior Vice President Public Affairs GEORGE DOWDIE Senior Vice President Global Research Development and Quality EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT COMPETATIVE ENVIRONMENT Kimball brands experience various competence from others sauces brand such as Maggie, Life, Nyoya, Yeos.These competitors account a higher market share compare to Kimball,Maggies own 41% market share,Life sauces owned 24%,Nyoya owned 9% whereas Kimball owns 22% market share .These potential competitors would be a threat to Kimball,they are ahead of Kimball interms of promotional strategies and creating awareness for their products. FESTIVE SEASONALITY Demand for the companys products is somewhat festive seasonal, with Chinese New Year, Hari Raya,Gawai festive,X-mas usually accounting for the highest sales volume due primarily to demand for the sauce products.The production of the sauces is rising within this seasons. POLITICAL AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT All products of Kimball must be Halal, hence the products must be approved by the JAKIM. The labelling must include ingredient and nutrition information of the product. As long as the business procedure of Kimball products are subjected to the Malaysian government laws it will not effect the production of Kimball sauces. SOCIOCULTURAL ENVIRONMENT Our research shown that more than 80% of Malaysians likes to eat their food with sauce, and so sauces are favourable among Malaysians.Mostly the consumers would experience great food tasting and satisfied by eating food such as fried chicken,hotdogs and etc with chilli sauce. SWOT ANALYSIS: STRENGTH Kimball brands consistantly produces high quality, great tasting sauces,the ingridients use is choose based on quality, e.g they choose the best quality of chilli to produce the Kimball chilli sauce. Kimball brands also uses strict production guidelines to ensure fine quality for the sauces products. Kimball achieve International standards(ISO 9000) which is approved world wide n trusted to produce standard sauce that follows the strict guidelines of ISO. Kimball sauce is mainly cheaper than other brands, tastier than other brands, This will be an advantage for Kimball to boost their sales in the recent market as the price of Kimball sauce is affordable and cheap compare to the other brands such as magggie, nyonya, life etc. WEAKNESSES Kimball looses credit compare to other sauce brands is due to lack of advertisements to create awareness among customers in the recent market which other competitors are always creating new advertisements to instill awareness of their product.Kimball also hasSlow growth and low market share compared to the competitors,this was concluded from the questionnaire data. Another factor that is too many product line produce by its main company Campbells ,such as Chunky meatballs,supper bakes meal kits,tomato juice etc that makes the company of its own emphasis less to Kimball sauce.Recently Kimball sauce is also facing a decline stage whereby the profit from sales is less than previous years. OPPORTUNITIES A growing interest among teenagers to eat most of their food with sauce and trends that over 95% people likes to eat food with sauce.Continuing consumer interest in low price but at the same time has the quality taste that meets the satisfaction of customers. THREATS The potential for the large financial resources competitors who can invest more in promotion and advertising will have a threat towards Kimball sauce.Economic downturn or inflation that might affect sales, poor economic condition might affect the demand for Kimball sauce.Constant increase of crude oil price, rising production cost may affect the production of sauces.Main competitor like Maggie, Life, Nyoya offers great range of sauce products with a competitive price and promotional strategies. Marketing Objectives To increase 20% of Kimball market share, from current 22% to 42% in 3 year times. To create awareness among public toward Kimball Sauce Product. Current Market Share of Kimball Sauce Marketing Strategies Target Market and Positioning the Product Target Market:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Consumer Marketing: Kimball will continue to target its existing consumer market. The primary consumer target market for Kimball can described as follows: Demographics: Male and female in all ages Especially housewife Media Habit:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The target market usually get their news from television, newspaper, billboards, and radio. Organizational Markets:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past, Kimball has targeted the market in supermarket and pasar raya. To increase its distribution and sales of its products, Kimball will target the following in the future: Hypermarket in Malaysia Supermarket in Malaysia Cold storage in Malaysia Restaurant Fast-food outlet The hypermarket within Malaysia such as Boulevard, Ta Kiong, and Tesco. These hypermarkets contribution a lot to market share of Kimball sauce   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fast food outlet in Malaysia such as KFC, Mc.Donald, Sugarbun, and Marrybrown use to be a very important target market to increase our sales. These fast food outlet sell burger, fried chicken, and French fried, these food will taste better when eat with sauce. The fast food outlet will tend to use Kimball sauce as the sauce that provide to the consumers. Positioning the Product:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kimball offers the highest quality sauce with good taste and variety of choices to satisfying all type characteristics of consumer. Its make from fresh chili and no preservative added. Kimball has developed its product, packaging, pricing and promotion to communicate an excellent and convenience ways to have delicious of chili sauce. This positioning is thus supported by all its marketing strategies. Product Strategies Product Strategies for Kimball sauce existing product.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently, Kimball has 7 lines of existing products, emphasis on chili sauce. Those type of packaging still quite complicated and not so convenience for consumer to use. Kimball also got other type of product beside chili sauce. Product Strategy of Kimball New Product To broaden its coverage in the market and to meet its sales objectives, Kimball has to introduce an additional new product packaging. A new product packaging will be introduce:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kimball Gorgeous/Dignity: This product will be different from existing products in term of packaging differences. This new sauce bottle packaging design to be look gorgeous and dignity which different with all of the existing sauce bottle. Beside that, we also create another packaging: New Kimball Squeeze Convenience which enable consumer to use it easily. The New Kimball Squeeze Convenience consists of both top and bottom flat surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Kimball Gorgeous/Dignity use to attract consumer in modern lifestyle. Consumers today prefer something look gorgeous and high class than something that look normal to them. The New Kimball Squeeze Convenience easy to squeeze and both flat surface enable consumer easy to put. Pricing strategy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pricing is the moment of truth-all of marketing comes to focus in the pricing decision from Raymond corey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pricing strategy is very important in all market. This is because pricing strategy determines the future of the business and also to attain the objective company, whether the price we set will attract customers or not. Beside that the price we set should affordable and acceptable to the customer so the customer can afford buy our brand product. For example company sauce Maggie set the price around Rm2.40 for their sauce so to encourage people buy the Kimball product the price we should set must affordable and acceptable to the customer for example Rm 2.30 to our Kimball sauce. Before we set a price for product, we have to know what customers reaction to our products price. Is it worth to pay this sum to purchase this product or not? Beside that, customer value perception such as business to customer which is mention that the product value should low price, high quality however, business to business mention that value should increase revenues, decrease costs and decrease risks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to our research to Kimball sauce, so many people think that Kimball sauce is a same taste with another sauce such as life, nyoya, Maggie and another brand so nowadays probably people prefer buy the sauce without choosing the brand it is because in they mind all sauce is same so no need to think too much to make a decision beside that, some consumer also think that Kimball sauce offer high price to their product. From the research have we done. The statistic of Kimball sauce and another brand sauce mention that, the price of value packs of one bottle sauce almost the same price compare to another brand sauce this is a type of pricing strategy which will give customer impression error when they choose the sauce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kimball sauce should come out with a series of value packs, Which is the price should reasonable and attractive for example the price we should set is around Rm 2.10 to Rm 2.30 in all market so the people will feel more likely to consume it, It is because the price are not too higher so that everyone can buy it so Kimball sauce can increase their sales and gain reasonable profit. Promotion Strategies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kimball will use mainly advertising and sales promotion to promote its products to the public. Billboards will be created and put at the roadside to create awareness among public towards Kimball sauces product. A television program Cook With Top Chef will be taken. In this program, Kimball sauce will be use to cook and as a seasoning. Therefore, in order to help our new and existing product to success in the marketing objectives, additional promotional activities are introduced. These include the following: Television and Radio Television as a media is also a main role in helping businesses to grow. Everyday we see hundreds of advertisements shown on television. This is because advertising there is really helpful in getting the customer to be aware of new or existing products in the market. Radio advertisements is also proven to be effective where they use local celebrities to promote their product via voice. That is why we kept on hearing repetitive jingles and slogans on air. Plus, advertising on radio is far more cost saving rather than to advertise on television. Kimball advertisements will be shown on air in one year time. Sponsorship. Kimball will attempt to sponsor in several activities which are being held in cities. The advantage of sponsorships is that they provide visibility for the product while at the same time showing that the company supports activities of interest to the target market. Gift certificates and hampers are given to winners and participants of the activities. Sponsorship can also create brand awareness among the public while getting free publicity in the newspaper. Billboards Billboards are also one of the common method used by marketers to market their product. Normally billboards are found at bridges or near the roadsides so that consumers can easily spot it and aware of what are the message that is trying to be sent from those billboards. Nowadays marketers use a lot of funny ads to add more commercial value to their advertisement. This is to make sure that potential buyers can remember the product that is being advertised. Bus advertisements This method of advertising is one of the oldest method used to promote products. Since buses go round and round the city every day, with a catchy slogan or pictures, potential buyers can easily be attracted to it and buy the advertised product. Contest and voucher coupons Contest and voucher coupons are normally used by marketers to attract customers to participate and get to the product better. Normally, questions asked in the contests are mainly about the advertised products. Voucher coupons is another powerful mean of advertising whereby the act of giving out discount coupons is actually encouraging customer to buy the product because it is likely to be cheaper than other rival products. Sampling. By giving samples of Kimball products at selected venues, it will provide an opportunity for prospective customers to become aware of the product and taste the product. Fried Nugget and eat with Kimball chili sauce or tomato sauce is given to consumer to taste on it. Example of venues: Supermarket/ Hypermarket. Activities held in pasar raya. Activities held in education institutions. Premium. Free gifts such as containers. With every purchase of 2 bottle of Kimball Gorgeous/Dignity will free one container. With every purchase of 2 bottles Kimball Squeeze will free one luxury container. Promotion pack. With every purchase of Kimball Gorgeous/Dignity will be free one small bottle 30gram of Kimball sauce. Supply Chain Strategy Beside, increasing market share through promotional strategies, distribution also play an important role in develop marketing strategies, which is supply chain strategies. Kimball would distribute their sauces through distribution channels. Distribution channels perform a number of functions that make possible the flow of Kimball sauces from the producer to the customer. Kimball will still remain its distribution channel strategy. Distribution channels include distributor (who sells to retailers), retailers (who sells to end consumer), advertisement used for consumption goods. The flow of Kimball sauces is from their producer or manufacturer to four or five distributors or wholesalers. These distributors then sell to many retailers such as hypermarket, supermarket, grocery store, and fast-food restaurant. The retailers in turn each sell the sauces to up to thousands of customers.

An Explication of Emily Dickinsons Loaded Gun Essay -- Dickinson Load

An Explication of Emily Dickinson's "Loaded Gun" Emily Dickinson's poem "My Life had stood-a Loaded Gun-" is a powerful statement of the speaker's choice to forego the accepted roles of her time and embrace a taboo existence, a life open only to men. The speaker does so wholeheartedly and without reservation, with any and all necessary force, exulting in her decision. She speaks with great power and passion, tolerating no interference, and wills herself to maintain this choice for her entire life. The structure of the poem is a common one for Dickinson, alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter. These six quatrains are evocative of the verses from the Protestant religious services that Dickinson attended as a child but from which she chose to abstain as an adult. This meter gives the poem power and dignity, evoking the solemnity and unquestioned truth of a religious hymn. The mix of masculine and feminine images, their juxtaposition, and their occasional transformation across the gender line mirrors and mimics the message of the poem. The opening stanza begins with a series of masculine images: "a Loaded gun" (1), "The Owner" (3-later identified as "He"-17, 21). The fourth line gives an image of the speaker being carried away, something usually perpetrated on a female by (usually) a male. This too is an ambiguous image: is she carried away by her own love- enraptured-or is she carried away against her will, to be defiled, and used against her will? The second stanza resolves this question. Suddenly the speaker is "We," "roam[ing] in Sovreign [our] woods" (5), indicating an acceptance of the relationship. As an admirer of George Eliot, a woman who adopted a masculine identity in order to faci... ...ability to destroy, she is "Without-the power to die-" (24). Again we see the passivity of the "Loaded gun-" (1), unable to act without some animating masculine force. Does she mean she has the power to destroy the poet within, but cannot then escape from the role of reclusive outsider she has sacrificed so much to attain? Or does she mean she can destroy anyone who wishes to take this "Master" from her, but cannot kill him herself, or end her own life-options she may have wished existed for her, considering the difficulties produced by her inability to fit in to society? Although there is an irreconcilable ambiguity to this last stanza, the uncertainty somehow does not detract from the power of the work, but rather adds to it. With "Loaded Gun" Dickinson proclaims herself a warrior, ready to kill or die in defense of her self-definition, that of Poet.

Searching for Peace in Tulips Essays -- Tulips Essays

Searching for Peace in Tulips Throughout the poem â€Å"Tulips† by Sylvia Plath, the author seems desperately searching for peace and tranquility, and instead finds everything she despises, symbolized by the tulips she received as a get-well present.   The hospital setting, in which she is â€Å"nobody,† provides a place where she can â€Å"learn peacefulness, lying by myself quietly,† as Plath explains in lines 3-4.   She goes on to describe her room as very white and serene, and within the walls is a temporary escape from all the cares of the world outside, all the â€Å"baggage† she carries in relation to her family.   Then she receives the tulips, which contrast with the white so much that Plath says â€Å"they hurt me† in line 36.   The passage continues in this vein, relating that they â€Å"weigh her down† in line 40, in a similar fashion as her family does.   This is because the tulips make her â€Å"aware of my heart† in line 60, telling her that she is becoming healthy and will have to leave the hospital and again be weighed down by the obligations of the outside world.   The...

Negative Impact of Technology on Everyday Life

Lexie Orr Research Paper Period 5 11 March 2013 Two Paragraphs Technology has officially taken over the world as it’s known. The urge to learn more as one ages has been swallowed by the urge to own the â€Å"Next Big Thing† as current gadgets outdate. As a result of this new technological era, the importance of education is being burnt out by the importance of technological advancement. Teachers have been outdated due to the constant reliance of technology to spur out whatever information needed.Also, dependence on high technology has rid of the need for everyday in-the-home skills, things like cooking, dishwashing, and even cleaning. In addition, technology can have a great negative impact on family life. Although technology has widened opportunities for America's everyday life, American intelligence has greatly declined due to the amount of work high technology minimizes that no longer requires us to use our abilities to think, memorize, learn, or even work. The techn ology era is damaging the average Americans brain. â€Å"Why do we need to learn this, all I have to do is Google it! How many times is this repeated daily in classrooms all over the world? Who can be sure, possibly more times than one can count on their own unless maybe of course there’s a calculator handy. The position of teachers everywhere around the world is becoming more useless every single day. Children no longer feel the need to tune in during class time knowing they have access to all the answers they could possibly need at the click of a button at any time. With online mathematical equation generators, book answers, and scientific calculators, the need for a math teacher is quickly diminishing.Computers now have spell and grammar check in which fix any word spelt or used incorrectly, and any wrongly written sentences, leaving grammar teachers with nothing to teach. Also, book and poem analysis and any old language translations can be found on the web with just one search making it hard for literature teachers to enforce their students to read, analyze, and think. One thing widely gone unnoticed is the measure of importance for teachers to pass on interpersonal and basic everyday off-technology skills in which technology can not impart.Nathaniel Wilkinson gives his say about technology depriving children of these everyday skills in saying, â€Å"Now I like the idea of having the computer to reinforce the knowledge already possessed by my students but using it in place of human interaction will only dull the students sense of respect for authority and interaction between live human beings and themselves† (Wilkinson). Children and teenagers have become so concerned in technology that they block out everything else teachers have to offer, missing out on these learnt traits of human interaction and verbal learning skills.

Lotus Rental Car Assessment Essay

INTRODUCTION Adding alternative fuel vehicles to the fleet is essential to our environment, beneficial for our consumers, and potentially highly profitable for Lotus Rental Car. With the everlasting increase in fuel, the consumer is looking for alternative ways to save money on fuel and at the same time be conscious about the negative impact that fuel and diesel have in our environment. Alternative fuel vehicles have never been more popular in the U.S. and are becoming a major source for public transportation. Our community has become educated about the damaging effect in which gas and diesel vehicles have been causing our environment. These vehicles are more environmentally friendly and are typically more cost-effective to produce. Therefore, it has a great financial impact to the common family. Alternative fuel vehicles can help our consumers save money on gas while simultaneously impacting our environment in a positive and healthy way. If Lotus Rental Car is aggressive and proactive in the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles, it will become the first major rental car company to lead a successful path to the future. Lotus Rental Car will become the model company of the new rental car era. We will decrease expenses, expand the variety of a new customer base, increase revenues through the new continuous revenue stream and sponsors. As a result of your new and wise investment, our company’s market shares and profits will soar to a new company and industry records. A new division to our marketing department will be established to help promote the importance of renting from Lotus Rental Car. The marketing department will incorporate the benefit to our environment along with the potential savings to our consumers. The brand new marketing campaign and strategy will help promote our new vision. The alternative fuel market has few competitors, therefore, giving us the opportunity to add new customers to our company. We will be the first modern company to benefit from this rare opportunity to dramatically increase our revenue flow. ENVIRONMENT It does not take long to notice alternative fuel vehicles on the road everywhere you go. These type of vehicles are becoming the new trend in today’s evolving automotive industry. As a community and consumer, we are more educated on how we directly impact our environment, both in a negative and positive way. Our federal government has developed agencies and passed federal acts to ensure we limit the harm we do to our environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 and viewed as a necessary part of our federal government to help reduce our nation’s rising air pollution. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, â€Å"Transportation source emit greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change†¦In 2011, transportation represented approximately 27 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions† (â€Å"Transportation†, 2011). In other words, we will have a significant impact in reducing the greenhouse gases being emitted into our atmosphere. The EPA has been credited with significantly improving our air quality. In 1997, the Clean Air Act was passed to control and reduce ozone pollution. The Clean Air Act is essentially a fuel control measure to assist our local states in helping reduce our ozone pollution. Alternative fuel is significantly cleaner than conventional gasoline and provides significant reductions of certain compounds that contribute to air pollution and ozone pollution. According to Aaron Windecker and Adam Ruder (2013), â€Å"Emissions were reduced by adopting alternative fuel vehicles† (p.40). Their research concluded that alternative  fuel vehicles that were added to vehicle fleets had reduced emission that harm our environment. In today’s new automotive industry, we can see how these measures have greatly impacted our communities and businesses. Almost all major ports are transitioning to alternative fuel vehicles. In the Long Beach and Los Angeles Ports, traditional diesel semi-trucks are no longer allowed access. In 2008, the Los Angeles Port established the Clean Truck Program to assist the Clean Air Act. This program targeted major sources of air emissions and incorporated a ban on polluting trucks. All pre-1989 trucks were banned from entering the port. Research conducted by the Clean Air Act showed that â€Å"In its first year, the program reduced the rate of port truck emissions by an estimated 70 percent, and when fully implemented in 2012, the emissions were reduced by 80 percent† (â€Å"Portoflosangeles.org†, 2014). This is just a small example of how one port can positively impact the environment. A comparable impact can be accomplished here at Lotus Rental Car. By altering our fleet to provide more alternative fuel vehicles to our consumers, we will be contributing to our environment by improving our current air quality, ozone layer and reducing toxic air pollutants. Transportation agencies are also transitioning to alternative fuel vehicles. Buses being operated by diesel and gas are being phased out and being replaced with environmentally friendly fueled vehicles. Our local cities are purchasing alternative fuel vehicles and are incorporating them into their general use, such as for police detectives and forensic units. There is not a negative impact to our environment if we change our fleet to be more diverse and environmentally friendly. CONSUMER In today’s changing market, traditional fuel sourced vehicles such as gasoline and diesel are no longer fulfilling the needs of every customer. â€Å"Vehicles and the fuel it takes to power them, are an essential part of our American infrastructure and economy, moving people and goods across the country† (Department of Energy, p. 1, 2014, October). Expanding our  market-share in the leasing of vehicles will require a more diversified lineup. We want our customers to understand that at Lotus, we are not thinking just about profit for our company; Lotus is also concerned with the moral values of each customer. Once we introduce our new fleet of vehicles which will include an alternative fuel source vehicle, we will be ahead of our competitors, and our growth will occur as projected. Doing our best to provide a full selection of rental cars including alternate fuel source vehicles will satisfy and meet the demands of today’s consumer. As the technology improves, more people are becoming aware of how traditional fuels, such as gasoline and diesel fuel harm the environment. Today’s consumers are concerned with these harmful effects, and wish to do something positive about it. â€Å"Alternative energy sources and technologies can play a vital role in lowering or eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels† (Kouroussis, D., & Karimi, S. 2006, August p 346). By providing alternative fuel vehicles, we are allowing our environmentally conscious consumers a means of transportation in which they save money in fuel costs and reduces the spread of air pollution. Those consumers will generate more business for us by sharing their rental experiences with both their colleagues and family. Everyone wants a healthy environment for the future generations. Traditionally fueled vehicles will no longer make up the majority of all vehicles being currently rented and operated today. Yes, technology is changing daily, and scientists that work for the U.S. government are still developing ways to both increase fuel efficiently and reduce harmful emissions. However, we do not know when the next breakthrough in technology will become available to the market; Lotus needs to utilize the current technology today. The risk of incorporating alternative fuel source vehicles is one which Lotus needs to consider. Let us be the first rental company that offers a wider selection of vehicles by including the alternative fuel vehicles. This action will give our environmental conscious consumers a better feeling of spending their money with a company that aligns with their morals. Traditional fuel sources such as gasoline and diesel fuel may be a thing of the past, let us move forward into the future today. COST The initial cost of adding alternative fuel vehicles to the Lotus Rental Car fleet would be substantial. Generating revenue through selling additional shares on the stock market could have a negative effect if we do not show a profit after the first quarter in which we introduce a new fleet. There is only one other car rental agency that rents alternative fuel vehicles, which means we would have minimal competition in the industry. The United States currently has about 250,000 natural gas vehicles on the road today (â€Å"Cngnow.com†, 2014). Within the next ten years, that number is expected to increase by more than 200 percent. Not only do consumers want to buy eco-friendly cars, but they also want to rent them. Our proposed expansion shows this is the best time to invest in the alternative fuel industry. Research tells us there is a large market, and we would expect to see a substantial profit from our investments. Adding new alternative fuel cars to our fleet will increase our customer percentage. Our new customer growth is expected to increase by 30 percent. Traditionally, more than half of new customers become long-term loyal customers. There is already a need to replace a large percentage of aging Lotus Rental Cars. This would be a great opportunity to retire some of the aging vehicles and implement the new alternative fuel vehicles to our new fleet. Replacing older vehicles as they phase out would cut cost while adapting to a more eco-friendly consumer service. Nearly three-quarters of drivers would consider an alternative fuel vehicle for their next car (â€Å"Consumersunion.org†, 2012). We believe renting is no different than buying. A fleet of twelve new vehicles per lot would cost Lotus Rental Car Company approximately $420,000. After one year, we would have all the cars paid off, therefore, a large portion of the rental fees would be primarily profitable revenue. It truly is a great long term investment in the company where the potential growth could exceed previous rental car records. After the first quarter with our new fleet, there could be a potential of a 100 percent growth rate by the end of the year. By gaining a competitive edge on the fact that we are the only company in our region to offer this service, it appears the pros significantly outweigh the cons. According to Natural Gas Vehicles for America, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) currently costs approximately $2.13 per gallon compared with approximately $3.90 for gasoline (Keys, 2012, p.1). As being significantly more cost effective per gallon, CNG vehicles also go farther distances per gallon, which is even more of an incentive to consumers that have to fill up their rental car. Not only are you saving the environment but you are also saving the money in your consumer’s wallet. By not investing in natural gas vehicles, we would lose out on substantial tax credits in which the government is currently offering. If we switch over by December 31, we will save 25 percent on the total purchase price per vehicle. By all of these pros outweighing the cons, there is no reason we should not already have bought these natural gas vehicles. CONCLUSION If Lotus Rental Car transitioned towards purchasing a large number of alternative fuel vehicles, it would lead the rental car industry in the largest transition of this industry’s history. Consumers and sponsors would view Lotus Rental Car as environmentally friendly and the new leader in the industry. Our goal is that Lotus Rental Car will become one of the most profitable businesses while being environmentally and consumer friendly. There are no glaring drawbacks to our valuable environment, and both the consumer and our company can benefit from the savings. Let Lotus Rental Car make the successful investment today to modernize and lead the automotive industry towards alternative fuel vehicles. REFERENCES consumersunion.org. (2012). Retrieved from https://consumersunion.org/news/consumer- reports-survey-americans-say-fuel-economy-most-important-car-buying-factor/ cngnow.com. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.cngnow.com/vehicles/consumer- vehicles/Pages/information.aspx Department of Energy, (2014, October). _Vehicles_. Retrieved from http://energy.gov/public-services/vehicles epa.gov. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov Keys, R. (2012). Southwestern energy touts CNG. Arkansas Business, 29(20), 20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1019740298?accountid=458 Kouroussis, D., & Karimi, S. (2006, August). Alternative Fuels in Transportation. _Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 26_(02770), 346-355. Retrieved from http://bst.sagepub.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/26/4/346 portoflosangeles.org. (2014). Retrieved from http://portoflosangeles.org Windecker, A., & Ruder, A. (2013, August). Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, _23_, 34-40.

Regulatory Behavior Essay

The human body is regulated by the nervous system and its functions. Under normal circumstances everything runs smoothly with no issues; however, fear can have an impact on how the nervous system works. One aspect that can be examined in relation to the nervous system and the ways that fear affects it is through body temperature regulation. When fear is present it bring on the production of specific hormones that cause certain responses within the body leading to the flight or fight situation. As with any function of the body there are impairment that are always possible as well. Knowing in advance what types of things can impair one’s thermoregulation process gives people a step up against having issues later in life. The nervous system consists of two parts, the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS) (National Institute of Health [NIH], 2013). Each part plays a role in our bodily functions. The CNS is made up of the brain and the spinal cord, the PNS is made up of the all the branch-like fibers that come off the spinal cord and reach all over the body- arms, legs, face, neck, etc. Without the nervous system there would be no way to get information from the brain to the rest of the body; all the messages that our brain sends out must be sent though the nervous system through neuron communication. â€Å"Neurons communicate with each other using axons and dendrites. When a neuron receives a message from another neuron, it sends an electrical signal down the length of its axon. At the end of the axon, the electrical signal is converted into a chemical signal, and the axon releases chemical messages called neurotransmitters† (NIH,  ¶ 3). This process is how the b rain tells the body to walk or blink or even body temperature regulation; it is a very important process that regulates all bodily functions. Body temperature regulation is the process by which our body maintains a steady internal temperature. This process is known as thermoregulation and is mostly controlled by the hypothalamus section in the brain (Vella & Kravitz, n.d.). When properly regulating the human body’s â€Å"normal core temperature at rest varies between 97.7 to 99.5 Fahrenheit† (Vella & Kravitz,  ¶ 2); however, a factor like fear can cause fluctuations from the core body temperature. According to the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation, children who have high levels of fear have a harder time than children with regular amounts of fear when it comes to falling and staying asleep. The disturbance in a regular sleep cycle has been shown to affect how the thermoregulation process functions; fear can cause the body to overheat and not allow the body to cool down when needed (Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation [JBRF], n.d.). As with any function in the body fear produces a hormonal response. When a person experiences fear the hormones glucocorticoids, produced in the adrenal cortex, and catecholamines, produced in the adrenal medulla and sympathetic nerves, are released into the body and cause the individual to  either take the flight or fight stance (Rodrigues, Ledoux, & Sapolsky, 2009). Both of the fear induced hormones impact the nervous system in many ways. For example, glucocorticoids play a large role in the functioning of the CNS. It can lead to anatomical brain changes that result in a higher likeliness of sleep disturbances, psychiatric diseases, mood alterations, and cognitive impairments (lacroix, 2014). The body’s ability to thermoregulate its temperature can become impaired. This type of impairment is sometimes caused when a person goes under anesthetics. According to Daniel I. Sessler, M.D., Professor and Chair, â€Å"Anethetic-induced impairment of normal thermoregulatory control, and the resulting core-to-peripheral redistribution of body heat, is the primary cause of hypothermia in most patients† (Sessler, 2009,  ¶ 2). In other words, if the body is unable to control it’s thermoregulation it can start going into a hypothermic state which would lead to other risk factors and issues. During surgery a patients temperature is normally watched closely to make sure this is not an issue. On the other end of the spectrum, if a person suffers from dysautonomia they can experience excessively high body temperatures and have difficulty bringing their temperature back down to a normal resting temperature. If this does happen the person may experience irritability, disorientation and confusion; this type of disorder leaves the symptoms being able to be treated but not the cause. Some suggestions for ways to help lower the internal body temperature are drinking lots of fluids and water, but avoiding caffeine and alcohol, placing cool compresses across the neck and if necessary seeking professional help from a doctor or hospital if needed. Although the human body is a very complex and impressive organism it is not invincible to ailments. The nervous system keeps our bodies running and communicating so that we are able to act on and do every bodily function possible. Looking at the thermoregulation abilities that the body posses is very impressive and intricate, but it does have ways that things like fear are able to intrude. This intrusion can change the way our body responds to thermoregulation by emitting hormones that tell the body it may need to prepare for a flight or fight situation. Thermoregulation also has the  ability to fall prey to impairment that can be very debilitating to the individual; impairments can range from unable to bring the body temperature down to a normal range or up to a normal range. In closing, thermoregulation may be an involuntary regulatory behavior, but it is still possible to impress changes upon it by either ailment or other outside factors. References Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation (n.d.). _Sleep, activity patterns and temperature study_. Retrieved July 14, 2014, from http://www.jbrf.org/category/description-of-the-condition/ Lacroix, A. (2014). _Glucocorticoid effects on the nervous system and behavior_. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/glucocorticoid-effects-on-the-nervous-system-and-behavior National Institute of Health (2013). _What are the parts of the nervous system_?. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/neuro/conditioninfo/Pages/parts.aspx Rodrigues, S. M., Ledoux, J. E., & Sapolsky, R. M. (2009). _The influences of stress hormones on fear circuitry_ . Retrieved July 14, 2014, from http://my.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/37382/rodrigues-ledoux-sapolsky-arn-2009.pdf Sessler, D. I. (2009). _Temperature monitoring and perioperative thermoregulation_. Retrieved , from July 14, 2014 Synapse (n.d.). _Get the facts- temperature control and dysautonomia_. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://synapse.org.au/get-the-facts/temperature-control-and-dysautonomia-fact-sheet.aspx

Norse Culture

Norse Culture: A Closer Look| | | Julianne N. Cantu| Intercultural CommunicationsDr. ThibodeauxMarch 7, 2013| From the beginning of civilization, culture has played a crucial role at shaping every society. Culture allows for all that is special about a group of people to be taken into account and be recognized. Norse culture has long been a popular subject in modern societies. Some of the most important characteristics that make Norse culture so unique are their people, their language, their literature, their religion, and their funeral practices.Like most societies, the Norse had a surprisingly lax social hierarchy. The Norse hierarchy was set to where there was a possibility for upward mobility. Individuals in Norse society were not doomed to live out their days in a particular social status, but were free to move from class to class. There were three set social classes in Norse society. Most Norsemen belonged to the middle class known as karls. Karls were the landowners, the farme rs; the smiths (blacksmiths, locksmiths, etc. ), etc (Haywood, 2000).The highest level in the social hierarchy was known as the jarls, or the nobility. These people lived in extravagant houses and halls and lived refined lives. The jarls used their money, wealth, followers, ships, and estates distinguish them from the rest of society. The lowest class of the social hierarchy was known as the pr? ll. This class included slaves and people who were known as bondsmen. If a person, from any class, could not pay their debts, they would become a bondsman and work for another man until his debts were repaid (Guy, 1998).The Scandinavians, during the Viking Age, spoke Old Norse. This language was sometimes referred to as â€Å"Danish Tongue (Page, 1987). † Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian languages are all descended of Old Norse. There were many different dialects spoken during this time. Many scholars are able to find the differences between East Norse and West Norse. Despite these di fferences, the people during the Viking Age were able to communicate with each other without difficulty because the languages were so similar (Page, 1987). Many Viking cultures were also known to have used runes.A rune is letter or character from the runic alphabet. â€Å"Most of the runic characters consist of straight lines and the alphabet was clearly designed for etching onto wood, stone, or metal with a sharp instrument such as a knife (Page, 1995). † A different version of runes referred to as the â€Å"Younger Futhark† was established by the beginning of the Viking Age. Contrary to popular belief, Vikings did not actually wear helmets with horns on them. This depiction of Vikings warriors is a terrible misrepresentation of their culture.What a Viking wore was determined by their place in their society. If a person was a slave, they were often poorly dressed in things that amounted to rags. Free men wore things like leather boots and clothes made out of finer mat erials, like wool and different furs. Men often wore either pants or tunics, while the women would wear dress like garments that would fasten at the shoulder (Roesdahl, 2001). Only the wealthiest of the Viking society ever wore jewelry, like necklaces, pendants, brooches, and rings because it signified their elevated status to others (Jesch, 1991).Viking literature is uncommon to come by because Norse culture was typically shared through the spoken word rather than the written word. Much of the folklore about Norse culture was written later and compiled into a Edda. Edda is derives from the Old Norse term for poetry (Page, 1995). There are two different types of edda, the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems. This edda contains the most information concerning Norse mythology. The poems contained in the edda tell stories of brave hero and heroines and depict tales of different Norse legends.The Prose Edda also contains many mythological s tories. The Prose Edda, unlike the Poetic Edda, is separated into three different books;the Gylfaginning, the Skaldskaparmal, and the ? gir (Haywood, 2000). On the whole, not much is known about different pagan religious practices in the Viking Age. There is little evidence to vindicate the different pagan rituals conducted by the Vikings. Different Viking sagas were written almost 200 years ago, after the conversion to Christianity. Although there is no definitive record of pagan rituals, much is known about the many different deities worshipped by the Vikings.The most popular and powerful god to the Norse people was Thor, god of thunder and lightning. Thor was the mighty champions of the Norse gods and the people because he was the only one strong enough on his own to slay the giants, the arch nemeses of the gods. Without Thor, the other gods would have to resort to playing clever games in order to slay the giants. Thor’s weapon of choice was his mighty hammer, Mjolnir (Dub ois, 1997). Mjolnir is depicted as one of the most fearsome weapons in Norse culture, and is rumored to be capable of leveling mountains.It was written that, â€Å"[Mjolnir] would be able to strike as firmly as he wanted, whatever his aim, and the hammer would never fail, and if he threw it at something, it would never miss and never fly so far from his hand that it would not find its way back, and when he wanted, it would be so small that it could be carried inside his tunic (Orchard, 1999). † Odin was also one of the most popular gods in Norse culture. Odin was the father of all of the gods and men. He is a god of â€Å"magick, wisdom, with, and learning (Dubois, 1999). Odin has been said to possess the power of reanimating the dead in order to speak to them to gain any wisdom they may possess. Odin’s weapon of choice is his spear, Gungnir, which, supposedly, never misses its target. Odin is always depicted as only having one eye because he traded the other for a dr ink from the Well of Wisdom, where he gained an immense amount of knowledge (Page, 1995). Loki was the â€Å"trickster† of the Norse gods. It was written that he was, â€Å"handsome and fair of face, but has an evil disposition and is very changeable of mood.He excelled all men in the art of cunning, and he always cheats. He was continually involving the Aesir in great difficulties and he often helped them out by guile (Orchard, 1997). † Loki was the son of two giants and step-brother to Odin. Loki had the power of shape shifting and could even change his gender on command. As a woman, Loki gave birth to many of the terrible creatures, like Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. When Thor was not around to help destroy the giants, Loki was often sought out by the gods in order to deploy clever tactics to take the giants down.The common misconception concerning Vikings and religion is that many believed they hated Christianity because they were pagan, and that was not the case. The Vikings believed in many different deities. They often targeted and plundered Christian monasteries, however, because they knew they were wealthy and were, often times, poorly defended. The Vikings had many different customs and beliefs when it came to death. They had specific rituals when it came to funerals, but had many different beliefs when it came to things like the soul and where the dead went when they were no longer part of this world.The Vikings had two different beliefs when it came to the soul. First, the Vikings believed that the very last breath a person took before they died was their soul escaping and moving on to become one with nature. The second was that there was a different type of soul; a â€Å"dream soul† that was able to leave the body when a person was in a state of unconsciousness like sleep. This part of the soul is forever trapped inside the body unless the body is destroyed either by decay or a sacrificial burning. Only when the body was broken down would the â€Å"dream soul† be able to make its way to the realm of the dead (Page, 1995).Vikings believed that, when a person dies, they need to be buried or burned with their belongings that will help them to succeed in their next life. People who had certain jobs, like a blacksmith, were often buried with all of their tools so that they would be able to utilize them after they had moved on to their next life. Women were often burned/buried with their jewelry and other tools for â€Å"female household activities (Orchard, 1997). † It was common among Vikings to burn the corpses, as well as their belongings, on a funeral pyre.These pyres were built to large scales because the Vikings believed that the smoke from the fire needed to be as massive as possible in order to assist the soul in reaching the afterlife. After the deceased had been gone for seven days, the Vikings would partake in funeral ale which served as a ritual drinking. The funeral al e was a way in which the families of the deceased could get together to celebrate the person’s life. It wasn’t until after the ale was drunk that issues like inheritances and transitioning of familial power were able to take place (Dubois, 1999).After a person has died, the Vikings believed that their souls partook in an adventure in order to reach the afterlife. The afterlife had many different variations in the culture, like the inside of a mountain, on the other side of the sea, in the heavens, or in the underworld (Dubois, 1999). Helgafjell, or â€Å"Holy Mountain†, is one manifestation of the Norse afterlife. If a person made their way to the holy mountain, they would live out their lives in a manner that was very similar to the one they had in the physical world. Hel, however, is the complete opposite of Helgafjell.Hel, which is ruled by a blue and black giantess named Hel, is the destination for all of those who did not die in battle, but of old age and s ickness. In Hel, the gates that adorn the entrance are heavy, as to give the idea once you enter, you will never again exit. Valhalla is another destination for those who have died. About half of those that die in battle find their way to Valhalla. The halves that were allowed to enter were to remain fit for battle so that they could participate in Ragnork. Valhalla was said to be located in the heavens in Odin’s kingdom.Valkyries, men and women who choose which soldiers die and which live, dwell in the heavens with Odin and those warriors deemed worthy to live again (Page, 1995). The other soldiers who are not chosen to live again reside in Folkvanger with the goddess Freya. The Norse raised many different kinds of domestic animals, like cattle, sheep, pigs, geese, chickens, goats, and ducks. They used their cattle, sheep, and goats in order to make dairy products like milk and cheese. They also harvested eggs from their chickens, ducks, and geese. Fish and deer were also hu nted and added to the myriad of food sources the Norse could choose from.The Norse also were accomplished farmers and were able to grow a plethora of different items, like oats, barley, flax, cabbage, leeks, horseradish, watercress, carrots, celery, peas, and a number of different herbs (Guy, 1995). The Norse were also known to keep bees and to harvest nuts. When it came to cooking their food, the Norse like their meat roasted or boiled and were particularly fond of their stews. The Vikings cured their meat, either by smoking it, bringing it, or drying it. The Vikings usually prepared flat bread for meals (like a pancake), but did produce raised bread when there was some sort of special occasion to cook for.Their drink of choice was mead. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from honey, but they also made different kinds of beers and ales. The Viking did not grow grapes, so they were unable to partake in wine (Roesdahl, 2001). In short, it is clear that there are many different aspect s of Viking culture that makes them truly unique. It is also clear that there have been many misrepresentations of Viking culture and, because of that, many people can have skewed perceptions when it comes to their outlook concerning Vikings. References Dubois, Thomas A. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age.Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. Print. Guy, John. Viking Life. Kent: Ticktock, 1998. Print. Haywood, John. Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. Print. Jesch, Judith. Women in the Viking Age. Haworth: Woodbridge, 1991. Print. Orchard, Andy. Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. London: Cassell, 1997. Print. Page, RI. Reading the Past: Runes. London: British Museum Press, 1987. Print. Page, RKi. Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials and Myths. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1995. Print. Roesdahl, Else. The Vikings. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.