Drugs of Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drugs of Abuse - Essay Example ay and white matter and is the focal point of all human activity—controlling all movements and coordination when a person need to breathe, drive a car, eat some snacks, create some artistic masterpiece, and many other things. Note that, human brain has three very vital areas that can be damaged by drug abuse. The brain stem, which controls basic functions crucial to life, examples include: breathing, heart rate, and sleeping; The limbic system, which consist of the brain’s reward circuit, whereby brain structures are link together, control and regulate a person’s ability to sense pleasure as well as motivates to repeat behaviors like eating. Then, the limbic system that is practically activated the moment people perform activities including drugs of abuse. Furthermore, the limbic system is accountable for perception of other emotions, whether it is positive or negative, and this explains the mood-altering characteristics of many drugs. Probably, the most essential part of the brain is the cerebral cortex, since this area is occupied by structures controlling the senses, enabling people to see, feel, hear, and also to taste. Cerebral cortex is also the â€Å"thinking† area of the brain, very essential for memory, association of facts and events and also for decision making process. Entirely, the brain basically regulates individuals’ basic body functions, including the process of interpreting facts as well as responding to experiences, emotions, and even behavior. Indeed, the brain is composed of many parts which all work together as one team and these parts are responsible for coordinating and conducting particular functions. However, drugs can modify important brain areas which are essential for life-sustaining functions; it can drive the uncontrollable drug abuse which marks addiction. The areas of the brain are certainly affected by drug abuse (National Institutes of Health - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008; p 15). Drugs are

Third World and Children Essay Example for Free

Third World and Children Essay Children are humans. With this sentence I want to start my assignment, because after having read the paper you will find a deeper meaning in these words. There are many kinds of institutions who work under the umbrella of the United Nations and fight for the right of human. One of these types of institutions is the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund, shortened UNICEF. I chose to write about the UNICEF, because I would like to give my point of view about this organization. UNICEF is an important organization for the international cooperation between different countries. I think if there werent such an organization, children had to suffer even more. There are a lot of children who get help from UNICEF, but yet there are millions who are still suffering. It is of essential importance that there are such organizations who help the children in difficulties and suffer, especially now in the third world countries. UNICEF offers help for children with difficult circumstances. In all parts of the world, for example: Kosovo, Zambia, Colombia and Vietnam. UNICEF works in 189 countries and is one of the biggest UN-organizations. They give people food, safety, water, help in illness and education. I admire the work UNICEF is doing, especially for the children who have to suffer. History of the United Nations and UNICEF December 11th 1946. The World War II has just been ended and many cities and villages have been destroyed through bombings. On the farms not much was grown and most of the factories didnt produce, because there was a lot of damage caused by the war. Also the stores were not open so there was not much food. Especially the children had to suffer of all this chaos. The United Nations was formed shortly after the war to try and create peace. Countries who joined this organization sent their delegations to the Headquarters of UN. They came together to find a way for solutions for different kind of problems. The delegations worried that Europe may not recover of all the damages caused by the war if there could not be done anything about the situation of the children. In this year the delegations decided to set up a fund to help the children in Europe who had suffered from the World War II. This fund was called the UNRRA (United Nations Rehabilitation and Relief Administration). Later the General Assembly changed the name in UNICEF. The first delegations of the UNICEF started their work by providing blankets, milk and food. Also health care of the children was an important priority for them. Providing milk to the babies was necessary, because the factories in Europe were all closed. Milk became scarce and precious. The delegations took the responsibility to help as much as they could to prevent the hunger those days. UNICEF worked together with the local authorities, help organizations and farmers to increase the milk production again. UNICEF strove that, when they left an area or country, the local population was able to hold on the milk production. In the year 1953 UNICEF operated worldwide and became an organization of development cooperation which was directed on helping mother and child. In the sixties the help of UNICEF became more structured and emphasized the family, local community and the society as a whole. Moreover education received more attention. In the year 1989 the Conventions on the rights of the Child got accepted by almost all the UN-member countries. Only two countries (Somalia and the USA) didnt sign the treaty. All rights of the child were mentioned in this treaty. These rights refer to all the children of the world, boys girls, black white, poor rich. You can think of the right of growing up in a  family, right on protection against child labour and right to having a safe and healthy life. These kinds of rights in the treaty are the basic foundation for UNICEF. Article 45 of the treaty says that the organizations of the United Nations, like UNICEF itself, can advise governments so that there can be an administration where the child gets the first priority. 1990 is the year when the World top for Children was held. The result of this event is an action plan for the children worldwide. In 2002 again such an event took place to see if the participated countries had reached their goals concerning the children. The result is negative. So the 189 countries who joined the World top for Children, accepted a new action plan including more than 20 goals for the next ten years. Conventions on the rights of the Child The main target of UNICEF is to see that all children get the care and the education that they need for having a good childhood. I still think that this target hasnt been obtained completely, because not all countries stick to the rules which have been described in the United Convention of the Rights of the Child. As I said earlier, almost every UN-member country signed the treaty which refers to rights of children from all nationalities. The seven most important rights of the child, which have been supported by the UNICEF have not been observed yet by all 189 countries. I will give my opinion on each of these rights. 1. The right of equality Equality means every child deserves an equal treatment. But still I see a huge gap between the children who grow up in Asia/Africa and children in Europe/America. UNICEF strives that one day the gap will not be so big between these countries. I think that UNICEF has already done a good job by supporting this right and make work of it. I also believe that every child  has the right to plan his or her life in their own way to make it interesting and active. A child deserves the same rights as his or her peer, no matter where they live. If we enjoy a good life here in Europe, I think that the people in a poorer country deserve the same. Sometimes I feel I am lucky that I enjoyed my childhood with children from the same age. It is a sad fact that in a lot of countries children still can not enjoy this treatment of being equal to the ones in a rich country. I hope to see difference in this situation. UNICEF is encouraging authorities all over the world to observe this right. 2. The right on special protection UNICEF not only provides children with physical and mental protection but also with social development. For example, iodine is a chemical nutrient, which every human being needs for his health. When a pregnant woman in Africa with a lack of iodine gives birth to a child, then there is a big chance that the baby will be handicapped. I consider this matter as a huge problem, as this influences the future of a lot of children. This right can give a special protection to these kind of children. UNICEF helps a lot of countries in Africa by providing salt added with iodine to prevent more handicapped newborns. This will give the children the opportunity to live a life in a proper way. It is a step towards a future with perhaps a job and an enjoyable life. In all parts of the world, you will find millions of street-children, working children, war children and orphan children. These children need extra protection. UNICEF tries to get them out of the miserable life situation. Street children can go to a house where they can eat, drink, sleep and go to school. 3. The right to have a name and nationality When a child is born, then he/she should have an identity through a name and nationality. This right guarantees him to grow up in freedom and to develop  into an adult. But yet there are children who may not know the name of their parents or even whether their parents are alive or dead. This right, which the UNICEF also supports, gives every child the opportunity to have an identity. I see this right not as an important one, because I cannot place myself in this kind of situation. For children who dont carry the name of their father or mother, this right is a must. Anyway, I think that every child deserves this right. This right helps the children to be treated equally. 4. Right to have food, home and medical care Having a home, food and medical care for both mother and child is a way to decrease the death rate among children. Malnourishment is a result of lack of proper food. I think this is a reason why so many children have to suffer. I even feel guilty at times when I think about the children who cannot even have one proper meal in a day, meanwhile I am having food which I like to eat. For example, a child in Sri Lanka has to work from morning till night to earn the money to stay alive. What if the child gets ill? Then he will not earn anything and will get weaker. He has no money for a normal medical care and no money for food. He has no other choice but to work while he is ill. I cannot imagine myself being so poor and hungry. Here, when I get a flu I refuse to go to college or work. And still I have food, home and medical care. It is sad that the child in Sri Lanka doesnt have the same choice like I do. UNICEF tries to change this situation. It supports projects which help countries by providing all kind of services, like giving food or a shelter to the orphans. 5. Right to have special care When a child is psychically or mentally disabled, it should get special care. This right is not only meant for those who have the money for the special care, but also for those who cannot afford this. I think you can have the right of equality when you also keep this right in honour. If a child in a third world country has to suffer from a disability, it is not his fault. So I would say that the right to have special care is an option for them as  well. 6. Right to be loved and understood This right is very important according to me. A child also needs the attention from his or her parents and environment to live a good life. Children in the third world countries are not able to enjoy this right, because there is no time and the possibility for it. Some of them do not even have parents to receive love from. I think a child is very sensitive and does not know what is happening in the world. If there is nobody for the child to protect him or her of all the cruelty in the world, he or she will lose the youth. A child will not be able to enjoy his time and will grow up two times faster than someone of his/her age in the west. That is not acceptable. Everyone should have the right to be loved and understood, especially those who live in the third world countries. 7. Right to have free education In the developing countries a lot of children cannot go to school. I think this is the most important right for a child. This right guarantees you a future. It is not fair for those who cannot pay school fees. Education must be a number one priority. Children are our future. How can we hope for a good future if the children cannot go to school. I am glad that the right of free education gives the children in the developing countries the right to grow up and to have a job. This way they can also be able to choose to become someone they want to be. In countries like Pakistan, children have to work at a very young age to earn the money for their parents as an extra income. UNICEF has set up a project where the child has to go to school for three hours after doing his/her job. I think this as a positive solution, because you cannot forbid a child who has to work hard to survive, unless someone with lot of money is supporting the child, which happens seldom. I respect UNICEFs work, because even if they cannot stop children from working, they help the children to enjoy the right to go to school for a minimum of three hours a day. Future of UNICEF UNICEF has existed for over 50 years and achieved a lot. The goals they are planning to achieve in 10 years will be successful if they keep up the work like they are doing now. Even I would like to see a change in the life of those children who cannot enjoy their childhood. I dont think that I as an individual can help the millions in need, even though I want to. I just gave my opinion on every right a child deserves. If the authorities will work more actively to fight for the right of the children, the future can be changed in a positive way. I hope that there are many people who appreciate and support UNICEF. I know for sure that in the future I will donate money to this organization. I would also like to see that UNICEF will be there in the future as well. There is still a lot of work to be done to change the future of the children all around the world. As I said earlier that children are human too. And every human being should know his/her own right in this world. I do not think that a childs life here in a western country has more value than to a child in a third world country. To prevent this thought, I am glad to see that there are rights to treat every child in the same way. Unfortunately, the reality is that a child in a third world country is be treated as an adult. He or she has to work from a very young age. This is a strong reason why I want to see UNICEFs work in the future. Bibliography Literature Verhellen, E., Verdrag inzake de rechten van het kind, Garant NV, 2000, p.252 Prior, K., UNICEF, Harmelen, 2001, p. 321 Raad voor het jeugdbeleid, Van gedrag tot verdrag, SWP, 1996, p.78 Ling, L., Internationale regelgeving over de rechten van het kind, Defence for children international, 1993, p.145 Versmissen, M., Op de bres voor kinderrechten, Bakermat, 1993, p.58 Website www.unicef.nl www.unicef.com Logo: www.unicef.org.uk

The Video Game Console Market Marketing Essay

The Video Game Console Market Marketing Essay The video game console market is a fast growing market. Sonys PlayStation 3 competes together with Nintendos Wii and Microsofts Xbox 360 for the market leader position. Compared with these competitors, Sonys PS3 includes the newest technologies and provides the highest variety of functionalities. Therefore, Sonys strategy is to target customers who focus on high technologies and multimedia-entertainment. However, this involves that the PS3 competes not only with console manufacturers, but also with other multimedia producers such as PC manufacturers. Due to the fact, that the Sonys PS3 will be quite expensive, the console will be available in a premium edition and in a cheaper basic edition. Considering the distribution of its PS3 games, Sony tries to change its traditional supply chain by providing an Internet platform, where users can download games. This results in saving costs and a faster distribution. Furthermore, the most important marketing tool is the Internet for promoting the PlayStation 3. Blogs, MySpace, YouTube and other kind of websites enable an area-wide promotion of the game console and especially, it is done by consumers. Another important tool is the official website, which offers among others information about the console and about available games. Additionally, Sony promotes its PlayStation 3 together with a meaningful slogan, which differs between Europe (This is living) and U.S. (Play Beyond). Finally, Sonys financing objectives are to sell 15 million exemplars in the first-year and to achieve total sales revenue of $8.25 billion. Its marketing goals are to sell more than 100 million exemplars in the long-run and to become the market leader. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 1 Situation Analysis 2 2.1 Current marketing environment 2 2.2 Current Product Line 2 2.3 Product Analysis 3 2.4 Target Markets 3 2.5 Competitive Analysis 5 2.6 Product/Market Analysis Tools 5 2.7 SWOT Analysis 8 3 Objectives 8 4 Competition 9 4.1 Game console industry 9 4.2 Direct competitors 9 4.3 Market concept of competition 11 5 Product Unique selling proposition 12 6 Distribution 12 6.1 Supply chain 12 6.2 Next generation supply chain 14 6.3 Business Models 15 7 Marketing Strategy 16 7.1 AIDA 17 8 Marketing Mix Strategy of 4 Ps 18 8.1 Product 18 8.2 Price 18 8.3 Place 19 8.4 Promotion 19 9 Financial projections 19 10 Implementation controls 20 Situation Analysis Current marketing environment The video game console market is highly influenced from its demographic and technological environment. The worldwide population is growing and more and more people have a strong need for entertainment. Many people require something against boredom in their free time. Furthermore, the technology environment creates a variety of new functionalities which are almost unlimited. According to Moores Law, processor speed and memory capability reduplicate almost every 18 months by constant prices. Additionally, technologies such as High Definition TV provide a new way of entertainment consumption. Finally, another important influence in peoples behavior is enabled by the Internet. Its introduction was a milestone of the new economy. It allows finding almost any required information and enables worldwide communication as well as interaction and it simplifies doing business. Current Product Line Before we describe the features and functionalities of Sonys new video game console, the PlayStation 3, we would like to give a short overview of the companys current home video game line: PlayStation (PS1) The Sony PlayStation is the companys first video game console and was produced in the mid-1990s. It belongs to the fifth generation of video game consoles and provides a 32-bit processor. Furthermore, the PlayStation was the first game console that reached the 100 million mark. PlayStation 2 (PS2) Sonys PlayStation 2 is part of the sixth generation era and was released in 2000. Besides its 128-bit processor, it was the fist video game console that provides DVD playback functionality. It placed first in number of units sold in its sixth generation of video game consoles and it became the fastest selling and most popular game console in history, with over 110 million units shipped worldwide by November 2006.  [1]   PlayStation Portable (PSP) Sonys PlayStation Portable was the companys first handheld game console released in 2004. Besides playing games, it also provides different functionalities such as playing music, watching videos, viewing pictures and using Internet applications. Nowadays, the PSP is the main competitor of Nintendos Game Boy and Nintendo DS. Product Analysis The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) is the seventh generation video game console and the third in Sonys PlayStation series. The console was launched in North America and Japan in November 2006 and is yet expected to be launched in Europe by March 2007. The reason for its delay in Europe is a shortness of supplies with parts of the Blu-ray drive. The console offers high-end technology and it has been described as an engineering masterpiece because of its promising specification and use of new technology.  [2]   Furthermore, the PS3 will be available in two different editions on the one hand, a basic edition with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD), and on the other hand a premium edition with 60 GB HDD. Nevertheless, both editions will have key elements such the Blu-Ray Disc for High Definition movies, the Cell chip, Giga-bit Ethernet for high speed Internet-connection, and an HDMI connection for optimum output on HDTV. Compared with the basic edition, the premium edition will provide some extra features like support for multiple external memory storage devices (Memory stick, SD) and Wireless connectivity. More information about the specification can you find in the Appendix. Furthermore, Sonys newest game console provides a Linux operating system and some Internet applications such as an Opera Web browser and multiplaying functionality. Finally, another feature of the PlayStation 3 is the backward compatibility to Sonys previous video games for PS1 and PS2. Target Markets The following section should provide an overview of Sonys target market and of its targeted customers. Target market approach In our opinion, Sony should use a segmentation approach as their general strategy to reach targeted customers. Although mass-marketing would create the largest potential market, which leads to the lowest costs and results in lower prices or higher margins, we propose segment marketing because it can create a more fine-tuned product offering and price for the target segment. Moreover, this approach enables to select more easily the best distribution and communication channels, and to have a clearer picture of the main competitors.  [3]   Segmenting consumer markets Cultural distinctions, different needs and demands of individuals, and diversities in customers buying behaviours require market segmentation of companies to satisfy their customers effectively. Thereby, the market can be divided in geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioural segmentation variables and the company can focus on target segments which it wants to attract.  [4]   According to Sony, the main geographic segments of the PlayStation 3 consist of the Northern America market, the Japanese market and the European market. When Sony released his first video game console PlayStation in 1994, the companys main focus was on the marketplace from 12- to 17-year-old boys. But nowadays, Sonys demographic segmentation divides the market of the PS3 in male and female, old and young players and expands its business vastly to a mainstream entertainment.  [5]  The PS3 offers a multifaceted repertoire of video games which includes something for everybody. Theres not merely one game to ultimately define the PS3 platform, but rather different must-have games for different segments of consumers. Additionally, an important and profitable demographic segment could be the college market because according to a study by Anderson Analytics GenX2Z only 26 percent of students report not playing video games.  [6]   Furthermore, Sony concentrates on a strong customer loyalty status in the behavioural segment. Besides its popular brand and the high reputation of its products, the company tries to win over its former consumers by the implementation of a backward compatibility which enables to play video games from its previous video game consoles (PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2). Finally, one of the important target segments of the PS3 involves consumers who require high technology. The company is convinced that its consumers desire and want to get the best out of the best. Characteristics of the targeted customers / product uses As already mentioned, Sonys targeted customers want to have the newest technologies and functionalities. Moreover, they need an entertainment system which provides functionalities such as viewing pictures, movies or listening music. The Playstation 3 can fulfil all this particular requirements and reach therewith a lot of different customers. First of all, video game players can use the console, because it provides high technology and a lot of different available games. Furthermore, movie lovers can use the PS3 because it involves a DVD drive and also allows watching movies in High Definition with its Blu-Ray drive. Moreover, customers can use the game console to see pictures from their last holidays easily by inserting their memory card in the included card-reader. Finally, customer can use the console to surf in the Internet or to use it instead of a computer, because its Linux operation system provides similar functionalities. Summarized, all members of a family can use the PlayStation 3 for different needs. For instance, children play video games during the day and when the father arrives, he uses the PlayStation to read his emails. Thereafter, the mother inserts the SD card in the PS3 and shows him the pictures from her trip to Stockholm last weekend. And at the evening, the whole family watch a movie together. This multimedia functionality provides the biggest benefit for the PS3s consumers. Purchasing process Some customers make their decision which game console they want to buy dependent from the number of available games. Not only the functionality and technology, but also the variety of games can be important for the decision-making process of customers. Therefore, the company has to offer information about the games which will be available for its game console. The primary channel for providing such information would be the official webpage. Furthermore, the final end-user of the game console is not always responsible for the purchasing process. For instance, sometimes parents purchase the game console for their children, and therewith another party is involved in the purchasing process. Market size estimations The number of consumers in the video game console industry increased continuously during the last years. Due to the fact, that game consoles of the newest generation are comparable with an entertainment system, we estimate a market size of 400 million potential users in Europe if everybody would buy the product. Considering that one product would be enough for a family, our final estimation of potential consumers will be 100 million in Europe. Furthermore, a forecast report of PricewaterhouseCoopers has shown that by 2010, the worldwide video game market will grow to $46.5 billion, at an average 11.4% compound annual rate.  [7]   Competitive Analysis Nintendo and Microsoft are the main competitors of Sony in the video game console industry. Considering the seventh generation, Sonys PlayStation 3 compete with Nintendos Wii and Microsofts Xbox 360. These two consoles were released world-wide in November 2006 and November 2005 respectively.  [8]   According to a study of the NPD Group about the best-selling video game consoles for December 2006, the Xbox 360 sold 1.1 million units, the Wii 604.2 thousand units and the PS3 490.7 thousand units. However, the PS3 sales figures include only the U.S. and Japan market, where it is released already. More details about the competition situation will be discussed in chapter 4 Competition. Product/Market Analysis Tools Product Life Cycle According to Sonys previous game consoles, the PlayStation 3 should have a 10-year product life-cycle. Its state-of-the-art technology involves that the usage of the PS3 resources and technology are just at the beginning and can fulfil all game requirements in the next years.  [9]   The product life-cycle consists of four different stages: Introduction: At this stage, the sales growth increase slowly when the product is introduced to the market. In Europe, the PS 3 is already located in the middle of this stage, because many game-console lovers and fans have ordered the PS 3 in advance to become one of the first consumers after its release in March 2007. For instance, a new PS 3 is pre-ordered almost each 20 seconds in Great Britain.  [10]   Growth: At this period, a market acceptance of the product is recognizable and the number of sales units increases. First-users report about the product positively and other consumers are becoming curious. Maturity: A slowdown in sales growth will be at this stage because the product has achieved acceptance by most of the buyers. Decline: Most of the potential buyers have already the product and therewith the number of sales declines. Figure 1: PlayStations Product Life-Cycle Different marketing strategies are necessary for each stage of the product life-cycle. We will discuss our recommended strategies in7 Marketing Strategy. Due to the fact, that the PlayStation 3 was already released in Japan and U.S., Figure 2 shows that the PlayStation 3 is located in a higher position compared with Europe. Figure 2: PS3s Product Life-Cycle in Japan and U.S. After shortness of supplies and an enormous rush demand in Japan and in the United States after the release in November 2006, a kind of stagnation is visible in these both markets today. Vendors report that a large contingent of the PlayStation 3 is still available in their shops.  [11]  Although Sony sees the reason for that in its optimized supply chain, the company has to consider new marketing strategies to increase its sales. The Boston Consulting Groups Growth-Share Matrix In the following section, we would like to analyse and classify Sonys game console product portfolio by profit potentials. Therefore, we used the Boston Consulting Group approach presented by Kotler.  [12]   Due to the fact, that the PlayStation 1 is not be sold anymore, we didnt regard it in our analysis. Figure 3: BCGs Growth-Share Matrix for Sonys game console product-line First, we placed the PlayStation Portable in the Question marks sector, because the market of game handhelds is still growing and as the strongest competitor of the market leader Nintendo DS, the relative market share of the PSP increases. Therefore, Sony has to spend a lot of money in the development and advertising of the PSP to keep up with the fast-growing market, and to overtake the market leader. Additionally, we also placed the PlayStation 3 in the Question marks sector, because the market of the seventh generation video game consoles is still increasing and it is not visible already if the PS 3 will take the position of the market leader. Finally, we located the PlayStation 2 in the Cash cow sector. The PS2 has a falling market growth rate after the release of the next generation game console. Nevertheless, it is still the market leader in its generation and it achieved higher sales units (1.4 million) as the Xbox360 (1.1 million), Nintendo Wii (604.2 thousand), and the PlayStation 3 (490.7 thousand) in December 2006.  [13]  According to the 10-year product life-cycle, the PS2 is in the decline stage and will stay in the market for the next 3 years yet. SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis is the overall evaluation of a companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  [14]  It is used as a framework to help an organization develop its marketing strategy. Thereby, strengths and weaknesses are internal factors which can be controlled by an organization, whereas opportunities and threats consist of external factors which are uncontrollable by an organization. Figure 4: SWOT analysis for Sonys PlayStation 3 Objectives Sonys financial objectives are to: Achieve first-year total sales revenue of $8.25 billion, based on an average price of $550 per unit. Sonys PlayStation 3 marketing objectives are to: Achieve a first-year unit sales volume of 15 million, which represent a projected market share of 25 percent. Increase second-year share to 40 percent and become the market leader. Sell more than 100 million units in the long-term. Arrange for distribution through the leading electric, video games and computer retailer in the top 100 and establish an Internet platform. Competition Game console industry According to the industry concept of competition presented by Kotler  [15]  , an industry is a group of firms that offer a product or class of products that are close substitutes for another product. The structure type of the video game console industry is an oligopoly, because the Japanese Nintendo and Sony, and the U.S. Microsoft dominate the market. Particularly, the structure is a differentiated oligopoly, because only few companies producing products partially differentiated along lines of price and features. Furthermore, the console industry is characterized by large cost of barriers to entry according to Porters model of five competitive forces. It may cost up to $2 billion to develop a competitive console platform and returns on investment may take several years.  [16]   Furthermore, these three console manufacturers have a similar business model consisting of the following three income flows: Hardware sales Sales of own software/games Licences fees from other software/game developers that use the console platform Finally, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony compete on a global basis with core markets in Japan, Europe and in the United States. Direct competitors The following section compares the direct competitors Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony with regard to their products, prices, sales units and game range. Product differentiation First of all, the following table shows the particular specification of each game console: Nintendo Wii Microsoft Xbox 360 Sony PlayStation 3 First publication 19 November 2006 (USA) 22 November 2005 (USA) 11 November 2006 (Japan) Processor IBM Broadway PowerPC (729 MHz) Tri-Core Xenon PowerPC (3,2 GHz) PPC Cell PowerPC (3,2 GHz) Graphic chip ATI Hollywood (243 MHz) ATI Xenos (500 MHz) nvidia RSX (550 MHz) Drives Own format (Wii and GameCube) CD, DVD (external HD-DVD drive available) CD, DVD, Blu-ray Maximal video quality SDTV = 480p (NTSC) or 576p (PAL/SECAM) HDTV = 480p 720p 1080i/p HDTV = 480p 720p 1080i/p (supports HDMI) Back. compatibility yes yes yes HDD 20 GB 20 GB / 60 GB I/O USB 2.0 (x2), SD USB 2.0 (x3) USB 2.0 (x4), PE: MemoryStick, SD CompactFlash Communication IEEE 802.11b/g Ethernet Extra feature: Wlan-Adapter Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0, Wireless Controller, IEEE 802.11b/g (only premium edition) Furthermore, both competitors of Sonys PS3 provide an internet platform: Microsoft: Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is an online service that is used to distribute video games to Xbox 360 owners. Thereby, Microsoft offers an Xbox Live Marketplace, a virtual market place, where consumers can download movie and game trailers, game demos, Xbox Live Arcade games, gamer tag images, and Xbox 360 Dashboard themes.  [17]  The consumers can pay with Microsoft Points, which can be purchased by credit cards. Nintendo: WiiConnect24 It allows distributing content such as software patches and updated game contents while the Wii is on stand-bye.  [18]   Price strategy Nintendo offers the cheapest price in the game console market. Therefore, the company dispense with some extra features such as DVD drives or HDTV quality. Contrary, Sonys PlayStation 3 offers the newest technology with a plenty of accessories, but also the highest price. The following list shows the current prices in January 2007:  [19]   Nintendo Wii Microsoft Xbox 360 Sony PlayStation 3 Ca. 250 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 300 400 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (HDD-drive costs 200 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ extra) Basic edition: 500 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Premium edition: 600 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Market share in Japan and U.S. The following figures show how many game consoles each of the manufacturers has sold in Japan and U.S. during the last months:  [20]  21 Whereas Nintendos Wii was the market leader during the Christmas time in Japan, Microsofts Xbox 360 could sell the most units in the United States. Games An important criterion for buyers is the volume of games which are available for each game console. At the moment, Microsofts Xbox 360 consists of 82 exclusive games and 132 cross-platform games. In contrary, Nintendo offers 55 exclusive and 96 cross-platform games for its Wii. For Sonys PlayStation 3, 43 exclusive and 77 cross-platform games are planned. Figure 5: Available games for each console (Source GAMEZONE)  [22]   Market concept of competition Due to the fact, that the PlayStation 3 is more a multimedia centre than only a game console, we have to consider more competitors as only game console manufacturers. Therefore, we used the approach of Rayport and Jaworski to identify direct and indirect competitors by mapping the buyers steps in using the product.  [23]  The following figure shows the PS3s direct and indirect competitors: Figure 6: Competitor Map Sony PlayStation 3 Summarized, Sonys PlayStation 3 competes not only with other video game console companies, but also with PC manufactures and other high technology producers. Sonys PS3 offers besides a Linux operating system a plenty of functionalities such as Internet to attract previous PC users and to expand its market. This approach is comparable with Coca-Cola which identifies milk, coffee, tea, and water products as its main competitors.  [24]   Finally, Figure 7 shows Sonys market position with regard to technology and price compared with its video game console competitors: Figure 7 Market position of the main video game consoles Product Unique selling proposition The unique selling proposition is a marketing approach to promote a products benefit and to convince customers that the company can deliver it. For Sonys PlayStation 3, the main benefit, especially compared with its competitors, is its functionality as a multimedia centre and its state-of-the-art technology. Nevertheless, Sony has to consider that its targeted consumers are located in different market segments with different demands and wishes. Therefore, the company has to develop different unique selling propositions. First considering the video game hardcore fans segment, these costumers want to have the best and newest technology. Due to the fact, that the PS3 fulfil these requirements at best compared with its competitors, Sony should promote this in its advertisements, especially in game magazines. Furthermore, Sony wants to attract also middle-age consumers and families. The most benefit for these customers is to use the PlayStation 3 as a multimedia system which offers a variety of functionalities. Therefore, the company should focus on its multimedia range. Summarized, the companys unique selling proposition should consist of newest technology and multimedia-functionality. To emphasize this, Sony uses a short slogan after every mention of its products. In the United States, Sony evokes the following slogan: Play Beyond. People should associate therewith that the PS3 is not only a game console which enables playing video games, but also a system which allows playing in High Digital quality and getting a feeling of reality. Furthermore, the PS3 offers more than playing video games, it is a multimedia system that can be used for different pleasures such as Internet surfing or watching movies that can also be interpreted as a kind of playing. However, Sony uses a different slogan for the European market. The reason is that people with few English skills will not understand the impact of Play Beyond or will be interpreted wrongly. Therefore, Sony uses the following slogan in Europe: This is living. The slogan is really simple and uses words which can be understood by not English-speakers. Consumers can associate that the PS3 delivers a kind of living standard and ensures to enjoy living. Furthermore, its a relation to PS3s multimedia functionalities which are desired for every household these days. It emphasizes that the game console is the core of living room entertainment. Distribution Supply chain With the video game industry being the fastest growing sector of the growing entertainment industry, the industrys revenue has now reached $26 billion in annual revenue and there is currently no indication of decline in the industry. So, in order to identify how the revenue is distributed, its essential to look at the supply chain of the entire PS3 business. As seen in the supply chain, there are opportunities in many aspects of the console business, coming from the actual console sales as well as extras such as games. Figure 8: Original supply chain for video games.  [25]   The customers, as identified by our segmentation analysis table, are at the end of the supply chain, and their consuming of video games are distributes across several actors. Additionally, the most known among the actors are of course the hardware manufacturers, which include Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. Except for the revenue coming from the console sales, they also get about 20% of the market price for the games, which are mostly sold in the growth level of the product life-cycle. The additional revenue in the supply chain is split among the other actors. Looking more closely at the publishers and developers, we realize that the publishers are likely to take a large portion of the revenue. Those are the large international companies that have sufficient funds to build a distribution network and employ developers to pull off new best-selling games for the consoles. Hardware manufacturers usually try to pull off deals with these companies when they identify potential best-selling games because the top 3.3% of the games bring in 55% of the sales revenue. For this reason, some hardware manufacturers, most notable Microsoft, tend to buy top-creative publishers to secure exclusive rights of new games for their console. Because of the complexity with world-wide game launches, there are almost always distribution partners in the chain, those accounts for an estimate of 10% of the shelf price. Next are the retail channels, which include online stores as well as retail stores. However, they are becoming increasingly bypassed in the supply chain, as discussed in the next generation supply chain (described in detail below). When they do exist in the supply chain though, they take an estimate of 30% of the shelf price. Developers are a mix of artists and engineers that create the actual games played on the console. Typically, they are funded by the publishers and together they take between 40 to 60% of the shelf price. Notably, in recent years another actor have also entered the supply chain as the industry have grow

America Must Drill for Oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Essay

America Must Drill for Oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a very controversial topic. On one end you have the people who want to drill for oil to help out our economy, and on the other end there are the environmentalists and the Alaskan natives who do not want their land destroyed. Our economy needs help; oil prices keep rising, gas prices have reached an all time high, and America is depending too much on foreign trade. Drilling for oil in Alaska will solve these problems. There are ways of drilling without disturbing the environment and keeping the animals in their original habitat. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a large piece of land in Alaska. It is an 18 million acre piece of land where the weather reaches only 4 degrees Celsius in the summer and below 20 degrees Celsius in the winters (Urstadt). There is never any sunlight, except for maybe a day the whole year. It is beautiful land that just happens to be on 5.6 billion to 16 billion barrels of oil; the United States is said to go through over 7 billion barrels of oil a year (Arctic drilling makes sense 1). These days everyone complains about the price of gas, and how it keeps going up. That is the problem; the solution would be drilling for oil in that beautiful land. To hear the advocates tell it, drilling for oil in a long off-limits part of Alaska is the solution for record gas and oil prices, increased dependence on oil imports and even the need for U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. (Arctic Drilling Makes Sense 1). By drilling for oil in ANWR, it will help out the economy of the United States greatly. There will be no need to debate the topic of how g... ...Urstadt). It is a secluded part of ANWR, which is why it is a good place to drill. While drilling for oil there are always going to be pipelines everywhere. But today, the oil companies elevate the pipelines in order to let the animals pass under them. This helps out with the environment and helps to keep the animals in their homes as well. Drilling for oil in Alaska will solve many problems that have occurred the last several years in America. Gas prices keep rising in America which is due to a lack of oil and if America keeps getting oil from foreign suppliers, prices will never go down. The United States is the world leader in energy use and gas for cars. This is why drilling for oil is a good idea and will help out with a lot of problems that America has. Drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the answer to all America’s questions.

Proposal

Design requirements of an efficient solar thermal collector Incorporated Into excellent hot water systems: Detailed analysis of the irradiative and convective heat transfers Introduction: With the increasing problems associated with the fossil fuel related energy production, exploration and efficient utilization of renewable energy Is the key to have a sustainable energy future.Solar energy Is the main source of a clean and renewable energy, and collecting solar power as thermal energy Is becoming increasingly important especially at this time when there is increasing emphasis on enable energy and the cost of conventional power generation is increasing. Currently, solar thermal panels are becoming more and more popular because they can be placed on many buildings and common places, collecting and converting solar energy Into thermal energy, and supplying thermal energy through hot water systems.However, how to make solar energy collection and utilization more efficient is still a maj or problem. Literature Review: The solar thermal collector is the device that absorbs the incoming solar radiation, inverts it Into heat, and transfers this heat into fluid flowing through the collector. Thus, solar thermal collectors are special kind of heat exchangers that transform solar radiation energy to Internal energy of the transport medium. In recent years, many researches have been aimed to investigate and enhance the thermal efficiency of different kind of solar thermal collectors.Fernando-Garcia et al. Reviewed the parabolic-trough collectors and their Incorporation Into practical applications such as electricity generation and domestic hot water and space heating. Doughier et al. [2] researched the performance optimization of a solar water heater flat plate collector. Giuliani et al. Optimized solar water heating system through water replenishment. In addition, Caner et al. [4] used artificial neural network as a new method to conduct the thermal performance analysis s o as to obtain a more accurate result.Nonetheless, many questions remain unanswered. For example, incorporate an efficient solar thermal collector into existing hot water systems? What analyses should we do in order to design an efficient solar thermal collector? What approaches may we use for such analyses? Proposed Research: The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CUFF) has been applied to many practical engineering problems including CUFF modeling to analyses energy efficiency involving heat transfer, convection, thermal radiation and energy storage.CUFF related research projects being conducted by He's group across a broad selection of topics. For example, they reported that in the air conditioning industry chilled water storage systems are one form of cool thermal storage technology that can be used to time haft the electrical load of the system from the peak day periods to off peak night time periods[5]. Therefore, CUFF simulation and modeling should significantly help us finding an swers to the above questions and contributing to the improvement of the efficiency of solar energy collection, storage and utilization.As a senior student majoring in Thermal Energy and Power Engineering, I have a solid knowledge background on Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and CUFF. I have also had real world internships such that during my internship at XX, I acquired an amount of knowledge on the research of the solar water heater in buildings. In addition, the project XX that I am currently doing enables me to use CUFF well, and helps me understand the overall concept and process of how to conduct a research. Furthermore, I have communicated with XX, and has agreed to help me and guide me in my research project.The main objective of this proposed research is to evaluate the design requirements of an efficient solar thermal collector supported by detailed analysis of the irradiative and convective heat transfers. Detailed analyses of the irradiative and convectiv e heat transfers will be conducted, and the design requirements of an efficient solar thermal collector will be evaluated. With the results obtained through detailed analyses and evaluations, the research will aim to design, construct and test the requirements of efficient solar thermal collectors that are incorporated into existing hot water systems. Proposal Hotel International and the Roaring Dragon Hotel alma Student Sullivan university MGM 510 Executive Summary This proposal provides a roadman toward Improving communications between the Hotel International (HI), a global hotelier, and the management control of the Roaring Dragon Hotel (3RD), one of the original three-star hotels in southwest China and a state owned enterprise (Grainier, 2008).Failure to recognize cultural norms and the relationship between employees, customers, and contractors will result in dramatic failure of modernization and an effective business plan (Grainier, 2008). Introduction: Management Control Takeover The management control takeover of the Roaring Dragon Hotel (3RD). One of the original three-star hotels in southwest China had a direct impact on the hotel's employees, its popularity among current customers, and generating profit. 3RD is a state owned enterprise located in southwest China by Hotel International (HI), a global hotelier (Grainier, 2008).McNa lly (2011) observed, â€Å"Over the past thirty years China has witnessed a gradual transition towards a capitalist political economy with an emphasis on capital accumulation, market competition, and International economic Integration† (p. 1). Background: Deployment of corporate Governance and Global Marketing The provincial government was concerned that the hotel would not meet their potential and needed modernization. The current general manager, Titan Went, focused more on the security of its employees and not the hotel's profit margin.The state negotiated new management hoping to drive increased revenue (Grainier, 2008). Currently, the 3RD had a great reputation. â€Å"Since the early sass it had enjoyed a long, colorful history and reputation as the region's premium guesthouse† (Grainier, p. 1). Problem: Organizational culture There was a deep division separating the organization cultures of RED and HI. The HI business strategy and environment went against the cur rent guan-based or Influence-based organizational culture. Guan Is the Chinese word describing Chinese business.The culture at 3RD promoted social business relations, drinking and eating etiquette, exchanging gifts and donations for favors. RED employees have a strong psychological need associated with receiving and giving â€Å"perks† that is tied their self-identification. These interpersonal relationships with each other and customers are relatable to both partnerships and friendships (Yuan & Allele, 2007). In addition, 3RD employees were excited to work for the hotel because it showed they had achieved status based on the strength of their social connections.3RD was not as worried about the hotel's decline in popularity, revenue, or in delivering quality service standards. 3RD also had a long nepotistic history tied to the Guiana culture (Grainier, 2008). HI considered the networks of influence irrelevant and changed non-productive behaviors. New performance standards wer e enacted and employees unwilling to meet these new standards were fired. HI also began processing scheduled redundancy program. Once a place considered as secure employment, became uncertain and untrustworthy.This caused a deep division separating organizational cultures between RED and HI (Grainier, 2008). Another concern was the lose of important contracts. Nu If Travel was unsatisfied with the new pricing structures and canceled all future tours. This caused a reduction in revenue and also made competition look more favorable for unhappy employees. The conditions at 3RD continued to deteriorated with the loss of industry contacts and Guiana connections (Grainier, 2008).Opportunities: Satisfied Employees & Success HI has the business strategy to promote efficiency in the hotel's domestic management style and processes, thereby increasing income and popularity if they recognize the risk of alienating the current organizational culture. A healthy balance should be addressing all th e concerns from both parties (Grainier, 2008). Robertson wrote, â€Å"people form personal intentions to achieve a variety of desired outcomes, and are satisfied with their Job to the extent that they perceive these goals will be successfully attained† (2009).By improving communications, HI has the opportunity to promote efficiency and improve processes at 3RD with the help of the employees. Recommendation: Open Communications HI should give special consideration to address changes in culture and conditions within 3RD with open communications between HI management, 3RD employees, contractors, and the public (Grainier, 2008). Addressing concerns and anticipating current customers' needs and expectations will help the â€Å"gradual transition towards a capitalist political economy with an emphasis on capital accumulation, market competition, and international economic integration† (McNally, p. ). Communicate hanged, train new employees, inform contractors, and especially listen to your customers and the public (Grainier, 2008). Want, D (1999) asserted, â€Å"Guiana practices have played an important role in China's capitalist transition, making them an indispensable element of any conceptualization of Chinese capitalism† (as cited in McNally, p. 7). Friendship, trust, honesty, influences offer a more direct and open communication style. By nurturing relationships already established and identifying critical industry contacts, HI can positively establish themselves in the China market (McNally, 2011) (Grainier, 2008). Proposal They published their products in faceable and customer can order through sending message or phonically or else vaults the store. Is hassle for the customer to go their store especially if their house Is far from the store. It is not convenient to the customer to talk in phone to ask about the products and also it makes hassle to the owner to explain the product one by one. Imagine how many customer will call in one day to ask about the product so it's really makes hassle. The company need computerizing system in order to manage their time and also customer can read/view the product so they don't need to make a call to ask the owner to explain the product one by one.It also a big benefits to the store to Increase he sales. Through Online Ordering System it can minimize the time for the customer and the owner. Let organized and meet the needs of customers more efficiency and reliable. Customer can order anytime they want. Statement of the Problem The problem was lacking of online websi te system. The Barbara Pearl has no specific software that help customer In ordering through online _ The Barbara Pearl manage their business manually especially in taking customers order. More hassle to the customer to order especially if they are far from the store.Objectives of the Study To Increase speed of service, sales volume and customers satisfaction To enable customers to know the all beauty products of Barbara Pearl before ordering To increase level of accuracy To be able to stand out from competitors by automating daily operations which will give the beauty product providers the opportunity to increase sales To reduce time wasting by eliminating long queues To develop orders for faster and reliable transaction and process Significance of the Study This project is designed to provide an easy access of customers in getting their orders.The researchers will create an online Ordering system for Barbara Pearl Cosmetics that will help the company to increase more customers and make the procedure of ordering much easier. Scope and limitation of the Study Cosmetics since they are still using a manual system in their transactions, payments and even in generating reports. As for the Members, the system will provide an area wherein they can view and manage their orders. They can also request for tracking status provided that they purchased an item. Unlike the members, the guest can only browse the website but no transactions can be held unless they would register. Proposal This document is a proposal for the â€Å"Online Notice Board System† as a major project for my partial fulfillment of the course of Bachelors in Information Technology. The system will be a client-server model and also web-based to facilitate easy access to all clients regard less of where they are and also of the machines they are using. I will also try to integrate the system from the computer desktop program into a mobile application app such as Android and Windows mobile.A motherboard is a wooden or even metal boards where people can leave public assuages, e. G advertise things to buy or sell, events or even memos. My aim in this project is to ease and make information dissemination much easier in a paperless institution such as Await Tablet University College. I intend to focus on Await Tablet University College whereby the software will major be used for Administration purposes. It is intended to support the existing method by which notices and memos are posted in the U niversity environment. Many University and institutions, particularly UTC rely on the wooden motherboard hanging on a wall to display announcement, I. At the library, outside each hostel, at the department offices and also at the administration offices. Many students and staffs face the following problems: 1 . Struggle to check a sing notice board e. G Exam results 2. Destroyed memos and lot of information lost leaving many students uninformed 3. Unregulated display of information (any person can develop a memo and display on the notice board) This project looks at the above problems and try to come up with a solution.Develop a software with a client and server side so as to develop the digital notice board DON) program that will be installed in various computers that a re connected within the Local Area Network of the university compound so as to help spread the information displayed in the notice board faster. 1 . Check the current form of displaying information 2. Develop the Onl ine Notice Board for UTC 3. Test the program with real data. Has UTC implemented the system in its environment? Will UTC adopt the system being developed? How the system will be implemented. Feedback from students and staffs of UTC

Definition and Discussion of General American English

Definition and Discussion of General American English General American English is a somewhat vague and outdated term for a  variety of spoken American English that seems to lack the distinctive characteristics of any particular region or ethnic group. Also called network English or newscaster accent. The term General American (GA, GAE, or GenAm) was coined by English professor George Philip Krapp in his book The English Language in America (1925). In the first edition of History of the English Language (1935), Albert C. Baugh adopted the term General American, calling it the dialect of the Middle States and the West. General American   is sometimes broadly characterized as speaking with a midwestern accent, but as William Kretzschmar observes (below), there has never been any single best or default form of American English that might form the basis for General American (A Handbook of Varieties of English, 2004). Examples and Observations The fact that I conjugate my verbs and speak in a typical Midwestern newscaster voicetheres no doubt that this helps ease communication between myself and white audiences. And theres no doubt that when Im with a black audience, I slip into a slightly different dialect.(U.S. President Barack Obama, quoted by Dinesh DSouza in Obamas America: Unmaking the American Dream. Simon Schuster, 2012)The term General American is sometimes used by those who expect for there to be a perfect and exemplary state of American English . . .. However, in this essay the term Standard American English (StAmE) is preferred; it designates the level of quality (here of pronunciation) that is employed by educated speakers in formal settings. StAmE pronunciation differs from region to region, even from person to person, because speakers from different circumstances in and different parts of the United States commonly employ regional and social features to some extent even in formal situations.(William A. Kret zschmar, Jr., Standard American English Pronunciation. A Handbook of Varieties of English, ed. by Bernd Kortmann and Edgar W. Schneider. Mouton de Gruyter, 2004) [T]he standard assumption for American English is that even educated speakers, from certain regions at least (most notably New England and the South), at times use regional pronunciation characteristics and thus speak with an accent; hence, despite the persistent belief in a homogenous General American accent or notions like network English there is in fact no single norm of pronunciation that corresponds to RP [received pronunciation] in England, being a non-regional class dialect.(Edgar W. Schneider, Introduction: Varieties of English in the Americas and the Caribbean. A Handbook of Varieties of English, ed. by Bernd Kortmann and Edgar W. Schneider. Mouton de Gruyter, 2004) Variants in Network English It is important to note that no single dialectregional or socialhas been singled out as an American standard. Even national media (radio, television, movies, CD-ROM, etc.), with professionally trained voices have speakers with regionally mixed features. However, Network English, in its most colourless form, can be described as a relatively homogenous dialect that reflects the ongoing development of progressive American dialects (Canadian English has several notable differences). This dialect itself contains some variant forms. The variants included within this targeted accent involve vowels before /r/, possible differences in words like cot and caught and some vowels before /l/. It is fully rhotic. These differences largely pass unnoticed by the audiences for Network English, and are also reflective of age differences.(Daniel Jones, English Pronouncing Dictionary, 17th ed. Cambridge University Press, 2006) ​​General American vs. the Eastern New England Accent A few examples of differences between some regional dialects and General American or Network English are in order here, though these are necessarily selective. In the characteristic speech of Eastern New England, for instance, rhotic /r/ is lost after vowels, as in far or hard, while it is retained in all positions in General American. A rounded vowel has been retained in Eastern New England in words like top and dot, whereas General American uses an unrounded vowel. Another Eastern New England characteristic is the use of /É‘/ in words like bath, grass, last, etc., where General American uses /a/. In these respects the New England accent shows some similarities with British RP.(Diane Davies, Varieties of Modern English: An Introduction. Routledge, 2013) Challenges to the Concept of General American The belief that American English consists of General American and the Eastern (Northern) and Southern dialect varieties was called into question by a group of American scholars in the 1930s. . . . In 1930 [Hans] Kurath was named the director of an ambitious project called The Linguistic Atlas of the United States and Canada. He patterned the project on a similar European undertaking that had been completed some years before the American project started: Atlas linguistique de la France, which ran between 1902 and 1910. Given the results of their work, Kurath and his co-workers challenged the belief that American English had the varieties Eastern, Southern, and General American. Instead, they suggested that American English is best viewed as having the following major dialect areas: Northern, Midland, and Southern. That is, they did away with the elusive notion of General American and replaced it with the dialect area that they called Midland.(Zoltn Kà ¶vecses, American English: An In troduction. Broadview, 2000) Many Midwesterners are under the illusion that they speak without an accent. They may even believe that they speak Standard American English. But most linguists understand that there is not a single, correct way to speak English. So, yes, even Midwesterners speak with an accent.(James W. Neuliep,  Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach, 6th ed. SAGE, 2015)It should be emphasized that everyone speaks with an accent; it is as impossible to speak without an accent as to speak without making sounds. When people deny they have an accent, this is a statement of social prejudice and not linguistics.(Howard Jackson and Peter Stockwell, An Introduction to the Nature and Functions of Language, 2nd ed. Bloomsbury Academic, 2011) Also see: Standard American EnglishAccent PrejudiceEthnic Dialect,  Idiolect,  Regional Dialect, and  Social DialectMarkednessPrestigePronunciationStandard English

Guzman Surname Meaning and Origin

Guzman Surname Meaning and Origin The Guzman surname comes from uncertain origins. Two of the disputed theories include: A descendant of Guzmn (good man), a lord or nobleman. It could also indicate a cadet or noble who served in the military.  A habitational surname from  de Guzmn, or  of Guzmn, derived from the village of Guzmn (es) in the province of Burgos, Spain.As an  eastern Ashkenazic name, it could be a variant of Gusman, an  occupational name for a metalworker, from the Yiddish gus, meaning casting and  man. The ancient Guzman surname is the 43rd most common Hispanic surname, and found in all parts of Spain and the Hispanic world. Surname Origin:  Spanish Alternate Surname Spellings:  GUSMAN Where Do People With the Surname Live? According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, individuals with the Guzman surname are found in greatest numbers in Argentina, especially the regions of Argentine Northwest, Cuyo, Gran Chaco, Patagonia, and The Pampas. However, their surname distribution results do not include data from all of the Hispanic countries. Forebears pegs the Guzman surname as most frequently found in the countries of Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Chile,  El Salvador, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Colombia, followed by Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Spain. Famous People With the Surname Emerita de Guzman - Filipino scientistSanto Domingo de Guzmn (Saint Dominic) - founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, commonly called the DominicansLuis Guzman - Puerto Rican actor Genealogy Resources for the Surname Guzman Family Crest: It May Not Be What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a coat of arms for the Guzman surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may be rightfully used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   GUZMAN Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Guzman surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Guzman query. Source: Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia.  Bergenfield, NJ:  Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Hoffman, William F. Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings.  Chicago:  Polish Genealogical Society, 1993. Rymut, Kazimierz. Nazwiska Polakow.  Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Free Essays on Child Psych

Over the past five days everyone around the world has done a great deal of thinking about family. Living close to the city, I have been greatly affected by the events that occurred on September 11, 2001. As I sat in my dorm room on that dreaded day I thought about what life would be like without my father who is a New York City police officer as well as my uncles and cousin that work within a block of the buildings. Unable to get in touch with anyone I know, because of the brought down phone lines, I sat and wondered. I wondered about where they were and what they saw. I thought about how scared they were and if they got out in time. The thoughts that ran through my head on September 11, 2001 are unexplainable. Only two days before, I saw my family in a totally different way. I described my family as being my mother, father, and two brothers. Now, when I begin to tell about my family, I gain a picture of everyone ranging from my mother and father to my second and third cousins. I realize that each and every one of these people has touched my life in one-way or another. Even if it was only a phone call or a Christmas card to the family once a year, they still are my family. After finding out that everything was good and well with the people I was most concerned about I felt a sigh of relief. Next, I imagined life without them once again. And I could not imagine it. What would I do? Where would I be? What would I do without my uncle who has made it a point my entire life to let me know that I am special? Where would I be without my cousin who was always so cool to me? Who would remember my birthday if my uncle was not here? These questions now make me understand how much and how often I take loved ones for granted. I have never considered the idea that they may not be here one day. Now, this thought takes over my life. When I first completed my autobiography I stated that I would not change anything a... Free Essays on Child Psych Free Essays on Child Psych Over the past five days everyone around the world has done a great deal of thinking about family. Living close to the city, I have been greatly affected by the events that occurred on September 11, 2001. As I sat in my dorm room on that dreaded day I thought about what life would be like without my father who is a New York City police officer as well as my uncles and cousin that work within a block of the buildings. Unable to get in touch with anyone I know, because of the brought down phone lines, I sat and wondered. I wondered about where they were and what they saw. I thought about how scared they were and if they got out in time. The thoughts that ran through my head on September 11, 2001 are unexplainable. Only two days before, I saw my family in a totally different way. I described my family as being my mother, father, and two brothers. Now, when I begin to tell about my family, I gain a picture of everyone ranging from my mother and father to my second and third cousins. I realize that each and every one of these people has touched my life in one-way or another. Even if it was only a phone call or a Christmas card to the family once a year, they still are my family. After finding out that everything was good and well with the people I was most concerned about I felt a sigh of relief. Next, I imagined life without them once again. And I could not imagine it. What would I do? Where would I be? What would I do without my uncle who has made it a point my entire life to let me know that I am special? Where would I be without my cousin who was always so cool to me? Who would remember my birthday if my uncle was not here? These questions now make me understand how much and how often I take loved ones for granted. I have never considered the idea that they may not be here one day. Now, this thought takes over my life. When I first completed my autobiography I stated that I would not change anything a... Free Essays on Child Psych Abstract An important question for child care researchers today is how characteristics of the home and the child care setting together affect children’s development. There is mixed opinion on how differences and similarities between professionals’ beliefs, values and practices for raising children impact their development. There is strong theoretical support for the idea that continuity in children’s experiences from home and child care settings promote optimal development, and that major differences pose developmental challenges, especially for children in very early childhood. However, research that is available suggests that children from families with lower educational and economic resources can benefit from different environments if the care setting is more advantageous than that provided by the family. This paper examines early child care settings and the effects, whether they are good or bad, on the developing child. Also, different factors and variables will be presented in relation to the quality and promotion of congruence across care settings. This paper details different studies done on early child care from accredited literature and institutions, as well as magazines that focus on the topic of children and their development. Early Child Care and Effects on the Developing Child Recently there have been different viewpoints concerning the child care question, with assertions that non-parental care of young children is detrimental to their development. However, despite these assertions, research suggests that, given high quality care, the experience of child care is not harmful and can be beneficial to children. The simple question, â€Å"Is child care good or bad?† can be thrown out the window. In order to ensure that all children receive good quality care one must ask questions that revolve around what makes up good quality care, and how it meets the requirements of the children involv...

Food coloring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Food coloring - Research Paper Example Food colours can either be obtained naturally or manufactured synthetically. Most colours are obtained from plant pigments. These pigments could either come from vegetable or fruits. Obtaining natural colours is sometimes costly. Chemists make identical colours improve purity. Molecules of these manufactured colours are the same molecules from the natural source. Since most natural colours cannot dissolve in water, they are processed as salts to make them soluble in water. Some of the synthetic colour examples are; blackcurrant jams made from azo dyes quinoline and xanthenes. Aramnath an example of synthetic food colour Carmine used in yoghurts is obtained from insects that produce carmanic acid. Dried insects are boiled in water to extract this acid. The structure of a carminic acid that is extracted from the cochineal insect is shown below. Other chemical formulas of commonly use food colours include; Allura red (C18H14N2Na208S2), Tartrazine (C16H9N4Na309S2) and Brilliant blue (C37H34N2Na209S3). any people relate a food colour to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).Tartrazine is associated with hypersensitive reactions to children. Chemists turned attention to synthetic colours since natural colour were found to be having traces of mercury toxics. According to America’s research, synthetic food colours have adversely been found to be affecting small children behaviour. Food colours that are deemed synthetic are sometimes mixtures of chemicals from laboratories and combinations of other petro chemicals.

Islame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Islame - Essay Example The Holy Quran addresses the concept of leadership and gives an Islamic view about how God sees human beings. One of the critical characteristics of good leadership emphasized by the Holy Quran is the issue of teamwork. â€Å"Bring me blocks of iron.† At length when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountainsides he said â€Å"Blow (with your bellows).† Then when he had made it (red) as fire, he said, â€Å"Bring me that I may pour over it molten lead.† (Quran, 18:96). On the other hand, one of the most important Hadiths about leadership is when the Prophet opined, â€Å"Each of you is a shepherd, and all of you are responsible for your flocks.† (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim) The verse and the Hadith have critical significance and relevance for Muslims in contemporary context. With the current global political, social and economic challenges, one will ask what Islam’s position is on leadership. From the verse and the Hadith, it is clear than teamwork forms an important characteristic of good leadership. According to the verse teamwork create unity of purpose and makes people

Problem Resolution in Corrections Research Paper

Problem Resolution in Corrections - Research Paper Example A vision of this scale requires harmonized and joint attempts on the division of correctional companies to set up a â€Å"seamless† network of relations as well as communication; the Transition/Re-entry Action plan is an organizational guide toward accomplishing this goal (Altschuler, Armstrong & MacKenzie, 2006). The job, independently and jointly, is to create and strengthen the awareness; skills, principles, beliefs, as well as other qualifications that criminal will need so as to be successful in the society. As shown above, this may be attained in a range of methods, comprising the formation of a correctional setting that holds criminals liable for satisfying real-world qualities of work, in school and in the society. Mutually, as a united and combined set of organizations with a universal goal, we may make it come to pass. DOP-Training Services: Include a more wide-ranging transition initiative in the colleges to better train adolescents for release and incorporate an ultimate benchmark for transition in the Yearly Reassessment of Instructive Services. Supply computerization of a checklist of what has been accomplished as well as what requires to be done prior to release; partake in debates with organization staff to make easy sharing of data and computerization of process. Action Steps: 1). Develop a closer functioning association with DOP before release. 2). Improve DOP to permit better right of entry across departments. 3). Carry out combined Primary education meetings for correctional leaders as well as on trial or parole detectives to comprise case administration, transition, and discharge scheduling. 4). Start local transition job groups across departments and make use of resource meetings. 5). Create films to assist debate transition problems with households, employees and prisoners. Provide computerization of a checklist of what has been accomplished and what requires to be performed

Global Trade and Distribution Strategy Coursework

Global Trade and Distribution Strategy - Coursework Example In some cases, imported goods are of low quality hence they have cheap prices which make people shun products that are locally manufactured. 2. The target market for the Achilles kids shoes mainly include the parents who have young kids. The kids themselves are dependent on their parents for all their clothing needs. The company ought to identify factors such as levels of income of the targeted group. In order to cut costs, distribution strategy that would work for this target market is that the company performs the distribution of the products itself. After the products have been manufactured, the company ought to identify the channels through which the products will be distributed. The products should be sold through company operated stores since this helps to attract many customers. More importantly, this helps to reduce costs since other suppliers may charge more money for performing the same task of distributing the finished

Distinguish between accounts that are presented in the income Essay

Distinguish between accounts that are presented in the income statement and balance sheet - Essay Example The accounts used in income statement representation or preparation are, revenue, expenses, losses and profit accounts while those that are used in the preparation of balance sheet are assets, liabilities and owners equity accounts. Good example of liabilities and equity accounts are taxes, notes, loans, payroll accounts and many more. It is easier to represent this two difference balance sheet and income statement accounts through a chart of accounts, this is a list of all the accounts that are used to record financial transactions (Berezin, 2005). Current assets this are the materials or goods that one have in an organization or business that are disposable for certain returns within a short period of time , majorly they are the stock of the business and they controls the inflow of cash into the business through a short time. While current liabilities are the debt that ones have to other people or the current debt of the business this is control by the creditors account. To relates the two there is a ratio that is used known as the current ratio this differentiate the two by dividing each other and an increase in current asset through a reduction in current liabilities shows that the business is doing fine, but an increase in current liabilities through a decrease in current asset proof that the business is under duress and something should be done to reduce that short. This is the dependency between the two, ones increase leads to the other decrease. To relate the two through balance creation or changes is an increase in cur rent asset leads to a reduction in current liabilities through payments; thus, reducing the debt or creditors balance while increasing the asset balance in the business (Fields, 2011). Considerations of current asset and liabilities are one of the fundamentals of a business; the relationship between the two is what keeps the business alive and kicking. The two are mainly related to payment terms and inventory policies. This is

Pricing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Pricing Strategy - Essay Example As economic cycles decline, however, management teams cannot drive volume improvements. Pricing improvements, however, are an important route to increasing profitability. The key to improving profitability through pricing lies in moving from a tactical to a strategic approach to pricing. Pricing strategy involves much more than merely setting price points. In order to achieve profitable pricing, managers must consider both their price structure and their pricing process. Pricing structure is built around target customer segments and culminates in constructing the Product-Service-Price menu. The menu then becomes the basis for constructing and positioning offerings for the customer targets. Pricing processes focus on communicating value delivery to the target customers while minimizing negotiation driven price discounting in the selling process.1 "We begin with the most fundamental of economic constructs, price, because much of the analytic power of economic theory stems from the abstract image of markets that generate prices.On the surface, price adjustment might seem like an odd place to understand a process of social construction. Few economic precepts are more taken for granted than the notion that markets determine prices. Moreover, few economic concepts offer so little social content as price. Neoclassical price theory is a highly stylized theory of market behavior. It presumes that social content is unimportant to market outcomes. It offers no theory of how prices work in a firm; simply a notion that they do work. In neoclassical economic theory, firms readily react to changes in market conditions by adjusting prices. A wide variety of changes may take place: changes in costs, supply, or demand, competitive entry or actions, change in technology, and so on. Firms incorporate those changes and adjust prices upward or downward. Classical economics assumes that because organizations are endowed with this ability to adjust prices, industries, markets and economies can function efficiently. Much of the existing literature in economics takes this ability for granted, assuming this as a kind of innate organizational capability. To a student of organizations, this seems like an unrealistic belief, and indeed, some economists acknowledge this. In economics the literature on the costs of price adjustment argues that price adjustment can be a complex and costly organizational problem. For example, Caplin and Leahy (1991) argue that price adjustment is a "very difficult, costly and time-consuming process," Levy, et al. (1997) suggest that changing prices "is a complex process, requiring dozens of steps and a non-trivial amount of resources," and Ball and Mankiw (1994, p.142) "suspect that the most important costs of price adjustment are the time and attention required of managers to gather the relevant information and to make and implement decisions." According to Blinder, et al. (1998, p. 21) these costs have become "one of the main strands of New Keynesian theorizing." Yet it remains a problem about which, Blinder, et al. (1998: 4) argue, economists know "next to nothing," even though "a small mountain of

Global Trade and Distribution Strategy Coursework

Global Trade and Distribution Strategy - Coursework Example In some cases, imported goods are of low quality hence they have cheap prices which make people shun products that are locally manufactured. 2. The target market for the Achilles kids shoes mainly include the parents who have young kids. The kids themselves are dependent on their parents for all their clothing needs. The company ought to identify factors such as levels of income of the targeted group. In order to cut costs, distribution strategy that would work for this target market is that the company performs the distribution of the products itself. After the products have been manufactured, the company ought to identify the channels through which the products will be distributed. The products should be sold through company operated stores since this helps to attract many customers. More importantly, this helps to reduce costs since other suppliers may charge more money for performing the same task of distributing the finished

Pricing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Pricing Strategy - Essay Example As economic cycles decline, however, management teams cannot drive volume improvements. Pricing improvements, however, are an important route to increasing profitability. The key to improving profitability through pricing lies in moving from a tactical to a strategic approach to pricing. Pricing strategy involves much more than merely setting price points. In order to achieve profitable pricing, managers must consider both their price structure and their pricing process. Pricing structure is built around target customer segments and culminates in constructing the Product-Service-Price menu. The menu then becomes the basis for constructing and positioning offerings for the customer targets. Pricing processes focus on communicating value delivery to the target customers while minimizing negotiation driven price discounting in the selling process.1 "We begin with the most fundamental of economic constructs, price, because much of the analytic power of economic theory stems from the abstract image of markets that generate prices.On the surface, price adjustment might seem like an odd place to understand a process of social construction. Few economic precepts are more taken for granted than the notion that markets determine prices. Moreover, few economic concepts offer so little social content as price. Neoclassical price theory is a highly stylized theory of market behavior. It presumes that social content is unimportant to market outcomes. It offers no theory of how prices work in a firm; simply a notion that they do work. In neoclassical economic theory, firms readily react to changes in market conditions by adjusting prices. A wide variety of changes may take place: changes in costs, supply, or demand, competitive entry or actions, change in technology, and so on. Firms incorporate those changes and adjust prices upward or downward. Classical economics assumes that because organizations are endowed with this ability to adjust prices, industries, markets and economies can function efficiently. Much of the existing literature in economics takes this ability for granted, assuming this as a kind of innate organizational capability. To a student of organizations, this seems like an unrealistic belief, and indeed, some economists acknowledge this. In economics the literature on the costs of price adjustment argues that price adjustment can be a complex and costly organizational problem. For example, Caplin and Leahy (1991) argue that price adjustment is a "very difficult, costly and time-consuming process," Levy, et al. (1997) suggest that changing prices "is a complex process, requiring dozens of steps and a non-trivial amount of resources," and Ball and Mankiw (1994, p.142) "suspect that the most important costs of price adjustment are the time and attention required of managers to gather the relevant information and to make and implement decisions." According to Blinder, et al. (1998, p. 21) these costs have become "one of the main strands of New Keynesian theorizing." Yet it remains a problem about which, Blinder, et al. (1998: 4) argue, economists know "next to nothing," even though "a small mountain of

Plato Apology Essay Example for Free

Plato Apology Essay The Apology is Plato’s accurate depiction of the Socrates’ own defense at the trial provoked by Meletus. However, besides current accusers, Socrates has to speak out to defense against former accusers who have created prejudices of him for long time. Former accusers prosecute Socrates for â€Å"studying things in the sky and below the earth† and â€Å"[making] the worse into the stronger argument† (Plato 18b-c). Moreover, Meletus, who is one of recent accusers, charges Socrates of â€Å"[corrupting] the young and not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in new spiritual things† (Plato 24c). The dialogue between Socrates and the jury as well as Meletus describes the true personality of Socrates and answers the question if Socrates is guilty or innocent of those charges. First, Socrates is accused of studying â€Å"things in the sky and things below the earth† (Plato 23d). In this time period, Athenian people believe that gods are the ones who create and rule the world. Everyone must believe in and worship with no doubt. Therefore, if anyone tries to study and explain matters in terms of natural phenomenon instead of religious belief, he or she is immediately charged of not believing in gods and receives punishments from whole society. In this case, older accusers believe that what Socrates is doing is as same as other philosophers who trying to oppose religious belief and negatively impact the society. This is reflected by the comedy of Aristophanes depicting Socrates as a person who has ability to â€Å"walk on air† and present â€Å"a lot of other nonsense† matters (Plato 19c). However, Socrates proves that he is not that type of person and he does not have any knowledge of those matters by saying â€Å"I do not speak in contempt of such knowledge† and asking if anyone has ever heard him discussing about these subjects (Plato 19d). In fact, Socrates’ occupation is a wisdom searcher who dedicates his life to find wise men and to discuss about virtues (Poage). Therefore, the first accusation is not true, and Socrates is not guilty because Socrates does not â€Å"[study] things in the sky and things below earth† to oppose the trust of gods. Second, the earlier accusers prosecute Socrates for â€Å"[making] the worse into the stronger argument† as many Sophists do (Plato 18b-c). The accusers claim that Socrates is one of many Sophists who are â€Å"very good speakers. Indeed, they [have] reputations for being able to convince a crowd that up [is] down, that day [is] night, that the wrong answer could be the right answer, that good [is] bad and bad is good, even that injustice is justice and justice would be made to appear as injustice† (Pecorino). Furthermore, Sophists are paid for delivering speech and only care about winning debates and lawsuits more than anything else. Thus, most of them are feared and hated by Athenian people. Nevertheless, Socrates distinguish himself from Sophists by giving evidence that he â€Å"live[s]in great poverty because of [his] service to the god† (Plato 23b). While Sophists such as Gorgias of Leontini, Producs of Ceos, and Hippias of Elis charge fee for their services, Socrates never asks or receive money from anyone whom he approaches and asks questions regarding to wisdom and virtue. Unlike Sophists who are wealth and famous, Socrates is so poor because of his free service. In addition, Socrates’ intention is to help other people understand virtue and become wiser rather than teaching them how to become good speakers as Sophists do. Therefore, Socrates is not guilty of â€Å"[making] the worse into the stronger argument† (Plato 18b-c). Another charged brought by later accusers against Socrates is â€Å"corrupting the young† (Plato 23d). Socrates teaches his young men be wiser and think about themselves. This annoys the Athenian government and officials because they think those young could break the laws and create rumor among the society. Hence, Meletus prosecutes Socrates for teaching the young to go against the government and emphasizes that all the Athenians make the young become better except Socrates (Plato 25b). In order to reverse that accusation, Socrates uses example of horse breeders who are trained and have experience to take care of horses and make them better while the majority lacking of skills and knowledge cannot. As a result, it is impossible for all the Athenians to know what benefits the young. Only Socrates who has knowledge and skills is able to teach the best for the young. Moreover, Socrates indicates that no one wants to harm oneself; neither does Socrates. If he intentionally corrupts the young, he is putting himself at risk because â€Å"the wicked people do some harm to their closest neighbors while good people do them good† (Plato 25e). Therefore, it is impossible for Socrates to teach the young in the way to harm him. After Socrates disproves Metelus’ charge, he criticizes Metelus’ prosecuting procedure. If Socrates harms the young unintentionally, Metelus has to â€Å"get hold of [Socrates] privately, instruct and exhort [Socrates]† (Plato 26). In contrast, Meletus brings Socrates straight to the court â€Å"where the law requires one to bring those who are in need of punishment, not of instruction† (Plato 26). As a result, Socrates again shows that he is not guilty. The last accusation brought against Socrates is â€Å"not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other new spiritual things† (Plato 24c). In order to prove that Socrates does not trust in gods, Meletus states that Socrates â€Å"says that the sun is stone, and the moon earth† (Plato 26d). If Socrates does say this statement, he denies the presence of Apollo the god of the sun and the presence of Selene the goddess of the moon. Nevertheless, Socrates claims that Anaxagoras of Clazomenae is actually the one who said those matters. Moreover, Socrates catches Meletus’s contradiction when he claims that Socrates does not trust in gods. To make Meletus admit his contradiction, Socrates asks Meletus â€Å"[d]oes any man believe in spiritual activities who does not believe in spirits? † and Meletus answers there is no one (Plato 27c). Socrates believes in the Oracle of Delphi which is related to spiritual activities, and everyone in Athens including Meletus knows that. This means that Meletus agrees that Socrates also believe in spirits which are â€Å"either gods or the children of gods† (Plato 27d). Now, Meletus contradicts himself by saying Socrates believe in gods. Consequently, Socrates successfully shows Meletus’s false and prove that he not guilty of the charge. In conclusion, Socrates is not guilty of the charges from the earlier accusers as well as the recent ones. Socrates provides many evidences and uses his excellent argument skill to prove that he is innocent, but the jury still is not convinced and sentences him to death. What Socrates does is not harmful to anyone in Athens; he only try to question about wisdom and discuss about ethics in order to find the answer for the Oracle. Socrates teaches his students to realize that they are not wise as they thought and show them the way to better themselves by seeking more wisdom. Unfortunately, jealous people and conservative culture does not understand his divine destiny and fallaciously accuse him like a criminal. Works Cited Pecorino, Philip A. An Introduction to Philosophy: An Online Textbook. Study Web. n. d. Web. 13 July 2013. Plato. Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. , 2002. Print. Poage, Nathan. Apology Outline. Behavioral Social Sciences Department. Houston Community College. n. d. Web. 13 July 2013.